The Empress felt that as long as Sheng Jinyan hadn't caught her in the act, he definitely couldn't do anything to her.
After all, he was so rigid and by-the-book; without solid evidence, he probably wouldn't convict her.
Sheng Jinyan indeed wouldn't convict her. He directly summoned the Prime Minister to the palace and had him handle the matter.
The Prime Minister, having schemed his entire life, understood immediately when he saw Sheng Jinyan's posture.
Sheng Jinyan appeared to want to punish the Empress, but in truth, he wanted to punish him.
After all, in the years before he ascended the throne, the Prime Minister had often opposed Sheng Jinyan.
But times were different now. Sheng Jinyan's methods of governance were formidable, so the Prime Minister could only recognize the situation, kneel, and admit his fault. "Your subject failed to teach his daughter properly. Your Majesty may depose the Empress if you wish; your subject accepts the punishment."
The Empress was shocked. "Father!"
She thought her father had come to protect her, but instead, he openly suggested that the Emperor depose her.
The Prime Minister glared at her, warning her to shut up.
This fool—he should never have let her enter the palace. She had no skill whatsoever, couldn't even bear a child.
And now, on top of poisoning someone, she had let others find a handle on her. Utterly stupid.
His current initiative to bring up deposing the Empress was merely to give face to the Emperor.
To let the Emperor set conditions.
Sheng Jinyan naturally understood his concession. A smug smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "The Ministry of Revenue reports that grain and fodder at the border pass are insufficient. What does my beloved minister think?"
The old Prime Minister couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. So he wanted him to fork out money to buy grain and fodder?
Damn it, this dog emperor was even greedier than he was!
But on the surface, he still had to speak respectfully. "Your subject has also heard this from the Vice Minister of Revenue. I was just thinking that the National Treasury is not yet abundant, so I planned to take the lead and have all officials donate together."
"After all, the border pass has only been peaceful for these past two years. The grain and fodder must still be provided in full."
Otherwise, if a fight suddenly broke out, the skinny soldiers and horses wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Sheng Jinyan nodded in satisfaction. "My beloved minister truly loves the people as his own children. I should learn from you."
"Then I leave the matter of grain and fodder to you, my beloved minister."
The old Prime Minister....
Good at pretending.
But on the surface, he still smiled cheerfully. "It is your subject's honor."
"Then what about the Empress?"
Sheng Jinyan looked serious. "The Empress will go to Ten Thousand Buddha Temple to pray for blessings for the Empress Dowager's birthday and will return by the end of the month."
This way, not only would it save face for the Empress, but any Imperial Concubines who stirred up trouble wouldn't be able to find anyone to blame.
The old Prime Minister kowtowed in thanks. "I thank Your Majesty."
Old Zhengzi watched the old Prime Minister's retreating figure, practically smoking with anger, and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's head seems to be steaming."
Normally, in winter, body heat would create steam. The old Prime Minister's head steaming was likely due to anger.
Sheng Jinyan was in a good mood too.
"My beloved minister toils for the country and the people; even the steam is praising him."
Old Zhengzi....
He always felt that the Emperor was far more interesting when dealing with ministers than when interacting with the Imperial Concubines.
If that kind of interest were directed at the concubines, who knows how well their relationships would develop.
Sheng Jinyan also remembered the women in the harem who had been poisoned, so he issued an order: "Go to the Empress's palace and have her take tonics from her private treasury to supplement the poisoned concubines' health."
When the Empress heard that she had to pay out of her own pocket, she was so furious she nearly fell over backward.
"Those women weren't poisoned by this palace! Why should this palace pay for it!"
Nanny Huang sighed. "This matter was definitely designed by someone."
Otherwise, they had only administered the poison to Noble Consort Shi—how could all those women in the palace have been poisoned?
Someone must be scheming against them.
The Empress frowned deeply. "Who could be trying to harm this palace?"
Because Sheng Jinyan had explicitly banned harem conflicts, the Imperial Concubines all got along peacefully on the surface and rarely used underhanded tricks.
Who was so bold this time? They had grabbed her by the throat in one move.
If her father hadn't paid to save her, her position as Empress really wouldn't have been secure.
Nanny Huang had her first suspicion. "Could it be Noble Consort Shi?"
After all, she was the only one in the palace with children.
And five of them at that.
The Empress was half-convinced. "But the Imperial Physicians all went to check, and she was indeed poisoned. Could it be someone else?"
Otherwise, for a woman who couldn't bear princes to actually drink a childlessness poison to deal with her—that seemed a bit stupid.
Nanny Huang thought the same but had no clue for the moment.
"Let this matter rest for now. Tomorrow, when you leave the palace, why not also go see a folk doctor? See if there's any folk remedy to help conceive a child."
The Empress thought that made sense and suddenly wasn't angry about being punished to go to the temple.
On the other side.
Shi Zhenxiang heard about the Empress's fate and wasn't surprised at all.
The Imperial Concubines in the harem were all connected to the Emperor in a chain of relationships; it was impossible to wipe them out in one blow.
But that didn't mean there were no benefits.
In the evening, Sheng Jinyan sent over a large chest of tonics.
And they were all priceless treasures.
Shi Zhenxiang was surprised. "When did the Emperor become so generous?"
He actually sent hundred-year ginseng, along with lingzhi and snow swallow.
Selling just one of these tonics would fill her purse to the brim.
But then she heard from the eunuch that the Emperor had made the Empress give these as a reward.
Shi Zhenxiang.....
She knew it—that stingy Emperor was never that generous.
So it was all good stuff from the Empress's storeroom.
And she also heard that regarding the grain and fodder at the border pass, the Prime Minister's Estate had set an example by taking the lead in donating one hundred thousand taels.
Sheng Jinyan hadn't expected that old thing, the Prime Minister, to be so wealthy. Then the Dark Guard reported that the Prime Minister's assets were at least two million taels.
That was even more than the Emperor's own wealth.
Yet that old thing only donated one hundred thousand taels, probably afraid he'd be suspected of corruption.
Sheng Jinyan didn't believe he wasn't corrupt, but as long as he didn't squeeze the common people, he would turn a blind eye to a little greed.
He even encouraged officials' family members to open more stores, so that in the future they could contribute to the common people.
All Officials hadn't expected the Emperor to support their opening shops, and they were quite surprised.
After all, the Former Emperor hadn't been fond of officials doing business, fearing they would use their power for personal gain and amass wealth by shady means.
So officials opened shops only with their wives' dowries and dared not engage in much business.
Unexpectedly, Sheng Jinyan did the opposite.
But given Sheng Jinyan's unpredictable nature, Court Officials asked him what rules there were for opening shops.
Sheng Jinyan had already drawn up the rules and had them distributed.
When Court Officials carefully read them and saw that each shop had to pay taxes monthly and that the general accounts had to be openly and transparently reported, they were less enthusiastic.
Showing the general accounts to Sheng Jinyan—what difference was there from sending meat into a wolf's den?
But Sheng Jinyan assured them, "No matter how much you earn, the Imperial Court only collects taxes. As for the general accounts, naturally they are your own."
"But if I learn that you have used illegal means to profit for yourselves, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Court Officials looked at each other, all pondering.
Overall, being able to open shops openly to make money was beneficial to them.
Even the taxes were just a pittance; it wasn't a loss.
As for certain underhanded tricks, as long as they weren't exposed, it was fine.
But Sheng Jinyan said that each person could only open five shops, no more.
And no more than three shops could appear on one street; they had to be spread out.
Otherwise, how could ordinary common people still open shops?
Court Officials thought it over and decided it was acceptable, so they kowtowed in thanks.
When Shi Zhenxiang learned of this news, she was also delighted. She had originally been worried that secretly opening a shop might be bad for the family.
Now that Sheng Jinyan supported officials in opening shops, she wouldn't hold back.
Eldest Sister-in-law Shi was also happy and immediately took her sisters-in-law to take care of the shop matters.
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