Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 169

Seeing that Xie Jiu seemed to have something important to say, Liu Cairen immediately put down the pastries in her hand, wiped her hands, and sat up straight.

"Do you know Lü Weixing, the Deputy Director of the Personnel Evaluation Department of the Ministry of Personnel?" Xie Jiu mentioned a name.

Consort Liu frowned, searched her memory, and then shook her head. "I don't recall it. Why did Your Highness suddenly bring this up?"

"Not long ago, a tragedy occurred in the outskirts of Beijing. It is said that a dilapidated temple caught fire at night and burned down completely, killing all the dozens of refugees who lived there," Xie Jiu said calmly. "And coincidentally, this incident seems to be related to my ex-husband."

Upon hearing her mention the word "ex-husband," Liu Cairen's expression immediately changed, and she subconsciously looked towards the door.

As if afraid someone would overhear.

Xie Jiu smiled and said, "It's alright, it's not a secret, everyone knows it."

After saying that, they continued with the previous topic.

He recounted, in varying degrees of detail, that Wu Que was now working as a male prostitute at Jinming Tower, and that Lü Weixing, seemingly Wu Que's benefactor, had committed arson and murder solely to avenge Wu Que.

"So Your Majesty wants me to investigate whether this man named Lü Weixing was the one who committed the murder?" Consort Liu asked.

But Xie Jiu shook his head, "No, it's something else. It seems that Lü Weixing was able to get into the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department through connections with the Vice Minister of Personnel."

After the words "Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel" flashed through Liu Cairen's mind, she immediately recalled a connection.

"Isn't this Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel the father of Consort Chen?"

"Yes, it's Consort Chen's father," Xie Jiu said calmly. "He is suspected of accepting bribes and buying and selling official positions. Lü Weixing was able to get this position by giving Consort Chen's father about 50,000 taels of silver."

Not a small amount.

Consort Liu opened her eyes in surprise. "His Majesty has been rigorously investigating corruption among military officers this year and has even taken action against the Ministry of Revenue. How dare Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel be so audacious?"

“I didn’t expect to find this out about him. He’s an official left over from the previous dynasty. He was a lowly seventh-rank official before, but now he’s not only a fifth-rank physician, but he also works in the Ministry of Personnel, a prestigious position. It’s safe to assume that he probably gave more than just money to Consort Chen’s father,” Xie Jiu said in a deep voice.

After all, given Lü Weixing's previous rank, he would have had no way of contacting the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. There must have been someone acting as a go-between.

At this point, Consort Liu guessed what was going on and said seriously, "Your Majesty wants me to investigate who else Lü Weixing is involved with, right?"

Seeing that she understood, Xie Jiu nodded.

"Corruption is a problem in every dynasty, the only difference is whether it is done openly or covertly. Lu Weixing dares to do this because he must have found a reliable channel. It is best to dig it out."

She originally wanted to ask Xie Wei to do this, but Xie Wei is currently busy fighting against the people of Xichi, so she can only temporarily hand it over to Consort Liu.

People with official positions always have an easier time than their servants, and Xie Jiu hoped to find something she wanted from Lü Weixing.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly have my brother investigate this person thoroughly," Consort Liu replied.

Just then, the palace maid guarding the gate rushed in.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor's entourage is approaching Jingming Palace. Please prepare to go out and greet him."

"Alright, I understand." Xie Jiu waved her hand to dismiss her, then helped Chunrong to her feet.

Liu Cairen immediately followed behind her, and the two of them went out to greet the emperor.

"I, my concubine, meet the Emperor!"

Everyone in Jingming Palace bowed in unison. Zhao Xingjin seemed to be in a good mood, with a faint smile on his face. He stepped forward and personally helped Xie Jiu to her feet.

"Get up, there's no need for formalities."

Xie Jiu looked at him tenderly, "What brings Your Majesty here?"

"Since you are moving to a new palace today, I naturally came to visit and brought you some gifts," Zhao Xingjin said, then made arrangements, "I will have lunch here as a way to congratulate you on your move."

There was a hint of a joke in his words, and since he had said that, how could Xie Jiu refuse? He naturally agreed with a smile.

Just then, Consort Liu spoke up, "Since Your Majesty has come to visit Consort Jin, I shall take my leave now."

"Okay, you may leave." Zhao Xingjin waved his hand, showing no intention of keeping him.

However, Liu Cairen had no intention of staying at all.

After the two went inside, Zhao Xingjin casually asked a question.

"Why is Liu Cai here? Are you bored and asked her to keep you company?"

"It was Consort Liu and Consort Wei who came to congratulate me on my housewarming. Consort Wei also asked me some questions about handling household affairs," Xie Jiu said truthfully. "Consort Wei is in a hurry, so she left first. Consort Liu has been talking to me the whole time."

Zhao Xingjin paused in his tea-drinking, looking at her. "Is Consort Wei also at Jingming Palace?"

Zhao Xingjin knew very well how much Consort Wei used to dislike Xie Jiu, so why was she now willing to get close to him and even come to ask for his advice on handling official matters?

"Yes, Your Majesty was surprised too." Xie Jiu chuckled. "But I suppose it's because she made a mistake in managing things before, and she's been feeling uneasy ever since. She brought the account books over today, and after I looked at them, there were no problems. She was just nervous."

Xie Jiu did not tell Zhao Xingjin the truth.

After all, she hoped that Consort Wei could hold onto this power properly, so naturally she couldn't say in front of Zhao Xingjin that Consort Wei couldn't manage things well and couldn't understand the accounts.

Furthermore, Consort Wei had indeed done a very good job originally, and what she came to ask for advice today were indeed some accounts that were difficult to understand.

After hearing this, Zhao Xingjin didn't ask any further questions.

Looking around, "The arrangement is not bad, but does it suit my taste?"

"The people below are very diligent in their work. Everything is arranged according to my preferences, so naturally there are no mistakes." Xie Jiu smiled and then joked, "It's just that Jingming Palace is larger than Ninghua Palace. It's a bit lonely for me to live alone. Your Majesty should come and keep me company more often."

Zhao Xingjin's lips curled up slightly. "Isn't that why I'm here today?"

"One day is not enough, Your Majesty. I am greedy. I want to come every day. That would be the best," Xie Jiu said jokingly.

Finally, glancing out the window, he sighed, "The New Year is almost here. I wonder when the first snow will fall."

As she spoke, Zhao Xingjin's gaze also turned to the window.

"Yes, the New Year is just around the corner. This group of Xichi people will be staying in the capital this year. I think we should invite them to the New Year's Eve banquet."

"Then it's better if they behave themselves." Xie Jiu curled her lips. "Otherwise, they'll be a nuisance. Just like last time, not a single dinner could be peaceful. Every word they said had a hidden meaning, and you had to dissect it carefully to understand it. If you're not careful, you'll be tricked."

The palace banquet was already troublesome, and having to deal with the people from Xichi Kingdom on top of that made it even more troublesome. Xie Jiu was truly showing his true feelings this time.

Zhao Xingjin was amused by her cute expression. "You think they're annoying, but they're actually wary of you. You scolded them quite a bit last time."