After resolving the matter, Chongzhen remained in high spirits, even his speed in reviewing memorials noticeably quickened.
As dusk settled, Wang Chengen entered with a slight bow, followed by a procession of young eunuchs carrying dishes.
On the dining table in the inner chamber of the main hall, an exquisite clay pot sat at the center.
As soon as the lid was lifted…
A rich aroma of meat blended with spices wafted out.
It was exactly the potato and pork stew Lin Yuan had been craving in her heart.
The meat pieces glistened with a glossy, soy-sauce-red hue; the potatoes, soaked in broth, looked soft, tender, and flavorful.
The presentation was absolutely perfect!
Lin Yuan stood in the corner, dutifully playing her role as part of the background, but her nose couldn’t help greedily inhaling the enticing fragrance.
“Gurgle…”
Just then, her stomach betrayed her with an untimely protest.
Fortunately, the soft, shuffling footsteps of the palace attendants were enough to mask the embarrassing sound.
[Help! This smells incredible! The ancient Yushanfang truly houses culinary masters!]
[That color, that aroma… it’s like a late-night bomb! And here I am, stuck miserably in the corner as a human backdrop, only able to feast on the scent—how tragic!]
A slight smile curled at the corner of Chongzhen’s lips. Without waiting for Wang Chengen to serve the dishes, he picked up his jade chopsticks, lifted a piece of potato, and placed it in his mouth.
Soft, glutinous, crumbly, savory, and melting on the tongue.
That was Chongzhen’s impression upon tasting it.
Truly an exquisite delicacy of the mortal world.
He leisurely finished one piece, then picked up another.
This time, he didn’t eat it. Instead, holding the chopsticks aloft, he turned his gaze toward Lin Yuan in the corner.
“Lin Yuan.”
Lin Yuan jolted, nearly buckling at the knees.
“Y-Your servant is here.”
Chongzhen pointed the potato on his chopsticks toward her.
“We observe this potato—plump and round, resembling a swollen pancake. Tell Us…”
He deliberately paused for a moment.
“This pancake We had meticulously prepared and presented—does it smell fragrant?”
!!!
Lin Yuan’s mind felt as if it had been blasted by a bomb, her CPU instantly fried.
A presented pancake?
Presenting a pancake?!
How could he say something like that?! Ancient people couldn’t possibly know this expression!
The only person around Chongzhen who could know this phrase… was herself!
[It’s over! Barbecued! Does he know?!]
[Has this old fellow Chongzhen installed surveillance in my brain? Or do ancient times really have dark magic? Could he have mind-reading abilities?! But shouldn’t mind-reading be the specialty of people like me?]
[I don’t want to die!]
[No, calm down, Lin Yuan, calm down! This must be a coincidence. Don’t scare yourself… steady!]
Lin Yuan’s face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling uncontrollably. If not for leaning against the pillar, she felt she would have already knelt.
The memory of nearly being dragged out for execution upon first arriving here was still vivid!
Chongzhen watched with great amusement as Lin Yuan wore this “sky-is-falling” expression, his mischievous delight thoroughly satisfied.
This little palace maid’s inner drama was truly abundant, more entertaining than any stage play. Teasing her was far more interesting than dealing with those cunning old foxes at court.
However, if he didn’t speak soon, this little palace maid might faint from fright.
Chongzhen slowly placed the potato in his mouth and ate it, then spoke.
“What’s the matter? Have you lost your tongue?”
His voice was neither loud nor angry.
“I merely commented on its roundness in passing. If this object can alleviate the hunger of the people, then for the common folk of the realm, is it not like a cake I have drawn for them to satisfy their hunger?”
Lin Yuan’s brain was rebooting… progress… 99%.
Oh… so it’s the meaning of “drawing a cake to satisfy hunger.”
Scared the life out of me.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, feeling her back already soaked with sweat.
She quickly knelt down, stammering to make amends.
“Your Majesty is wise. It… it is this servant who is foolish, unable to keep up with Your Majesty’s… that is, divine intention…”
[Scared me so much my heart almost gave out, boss, could you please not speak with such dramatic pauses?]
[Whoever wants this job, this life, can have it! I don’t want to do it anymore! I just want to go home overnight!]
Chongzhen paid no further attention to Lin Yuan’s muttering, instead continuing to enjoy the delicacies in good spirits.
Just then, Han Zhong’s urgent voice came from outside the hall.
“Your Highness, urgent news from Jingcheng!”
Chongzhen set down his jade chopsticks, his brow slightly raised.
“Speak.”
Han Zhong hurried in, kneeling on one knee, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.
“Your Majesty, Wang Hua’s residence in Jingcheng has been completely confiscated! Your Majesty, you are truly divine, absolutely divine!”
Trembling, he pulled a ledger from his robe and held it high above his head with both hands.
“Following Your Majesty’s decree, I confiscated the home of Libu Shilang Wang Hua, and today we completed the confiscation of the Wang residence in Jingcheng. In his study and cellar, we indeed uncovered a massive amount of silver!”
“After a preliminary count, it amounts to a full five hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver! Lord Bi… Lord Bi was on the scene, clutching the silver and weeping uncontrollably, crying out that Your Majesty is a deity reborn, that Heaven blesses Da Ming!”
The entire Qianqingdian fell silent.
Wang Chengen was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped to the floor, his eyes wide as saucers, looking at Chongzhen as if he were a deity.
Your Majesty… truly calculated without error, not a single detail missed! Even the silver hidden in the cellar was accounted for!
Chongzhen’s vanity was immensely satisfied, yet his expression remained unperturbed.
He merely gave a faint “Hmm,” then motioned for Han Zhong to present the ledger. He casually flipped through it, glancing at the contents.
“Understood. Continue the investigation with Shoufu Bi, and do not slacken on Liu Jiancheng’s side either. Leave no corner unchecked.”
Lin Yuan, who had just calmed down, now felt like she was on a rollercoaster again.
Five hundred and eighty thousand taels! Just from one residence in Jingcheng! And it really was in the cellar!
This unofficial history is not so “unofficial” after all!
[Is the boss testing me? Has he really opened a divine eye?]
[Five hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver, tsk tsk tsk… all swallowed by someone who claimed to be a “pure official.” I can’t imagine how much more is in his hometown and with his son.]
[These parasites are practically digging up Da Ming’s ancestral graves!]
[But Chongzhen played this move brilliantly, forcibly laundering Wang Hua’s ill-gotten gains into the national treasury, making it clean! This is a huge win! The vision is truly broadened!]
[If things continue like this, Da Ming might actually be salvageable.]
Chongzhen’s hand, holding the teacup, froze mid-air.
Launder? What does that mean?
Why does money need laundering?
How does one launder it?
A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
Could it be that this silver comes from unclean sources, tainted by the karmic Shaqi, and requires some special water or ritual to be “cleansed” before it can enter the national treasury?
Or perhaps… this is some long-lost alchemical secret?
This is a new term…
He raised his eyes once more to look at the young palace maid in the corner.
Lin Yuan had already recovered from her shock and was now bowing her head, her unseen face filled with accusations against the world’s wealth gap, completely unaware that her inner thoughts had once again presented the supreme ruler of Da Ming with knowledge beyond his scope.
Chongzhen withdrew his gaze, his fingers lightly rubbing the teacup.
This Lin Yuan carried more in her mind than he had imagined, and stranger things too.
Interesting.
He suddenly felt that life from now on might no longer be so painful and agonizing, and the heavy burden his brother had left him might also have a chance to be fulfilled.
Da Ming… perhaps would not fall.
At the very least, it would not fall by his hand.