Chapter 709 - 487: Could She Even Say No?

Chapter 709: Chapter 487: Could She Even Say No?

Lu Zhixue looked at the other two with some hesitation. "If the Imperial Concubine finds out, will she scold us?"

Han Jinyi’s expression tightened. ’That’s very possible,’ she thought. ’Yunzhao has always been very protective of our reputations.’

Feng Yunjin looked at Lu Zhixue. "Don’t tell me you’re planning to tattle on us?"

"Of course not," Lu Zhixue flatly denied. "I was just thinking... what if we make a decision on our own, and it turns out the Imperial Concubine has a better way? She’s always so resourceful. Shouldn’t we discuss it with her first?"

Lu Zhixue had suffered enough from her own foolishness when she first entered the palace. She had complete faith in Yunzhao, always feeling that even if they couldn’t do something, it didn’t mean she couldn’t.

At these words, Han Jinyi also looked toward Feng Yunjin with some hesitation.

Feng Yunjin thought it over carefully before saying hesitantly, "What better way could there be for something like this? The only methods that can make these people part with their goods willingly are the ones written into law."

Would they even be profiteers if they passed up a chance to make money?

If those people had a shred of decency, they would have stepped forward on their own long ago. We wouldn’t even need to get involved.

Feng Yunjin’s words made so much sense that Lu Zhixue and Han Jinyi were left speechless.

The three of them looked at each other, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Han Jinyi said, "I never imagined that becoming a palace concubine would mean I’d get to do something like this. If my father found out, he’d surely break my legs."

Ever since her father became the Left Imperial Censor, he’s grown increasingly incorruptible. Now, none of her siblings dare to break the law in the slightest, terrified of being denounced by their own father.

Han Jinyi sometimes found it strange to think about. It was as if, without anyone noticing, the Han Family had started down a completely different path.

"Well, even if it means getting your legs broken, you’re the one who has to do it. My father is in the Ministry of Personnel; he has no authority over merchants." Lu Zhixue said with a triumphant grin.

Feng Yunjin chuckled softly. "We’re doing this for the good of the nation, for our soldiers. Even if Han Imperial Censor finds out, I’m sure he’ll be somewhat tolerant."

Han Jinyi said, "I’ll send word to my brother and see if he can help. If that doesn’t work, I’ll ask my mother to intervene."

They all agreed this was a feasible plan and decided to try an indirect approach first.

「Meanwhile」Yunzhao was discussing upcoming palace affairs with the three concubines. The Emperor was leaving, but with the New Year fast approaching, there were still preparations to be made in the palace.

Consort Shu was experienced in these matters, so Yunzhao entrusted everything to her, with Princess Consort Zhuang as her assistant. Princess Consort Wan disliked such mundane tasks, but knowing Yunzhao wasn’t in the best of moods, she voluntarily took on the year-end accounting.

Reconciling the accounts wasn’t too much trouble, so she was willing to do it. The accounts in question were mainly for the Baozhuang Building and the Treasure Pearl Building.

In order to purchase the medicinal herbs, the funds from both shops had been almost completely depleted. Even after balancing the books, there would be no silver to distribute, but everyone was happy about it.

Thinking about it now, Princess Consort Wan couldn’t help but say, "Thank goodness we earned that money. Otherwise, we would have wanted to buy medicinal herbs but been completely unable to."

Consort Shu laughed at her. "Look at you, suddenly scorning money as if it were dirt."

When Princess Consort Wan’s family first got into trouble, they were desperately short of silver. Her father, much like Princess Consort Zhuang’s, had to spend a great deal of silver to atone for his mistakes. He was later reassigned to a remote post, but at least he kept his official title and his life.

Her family had sent her a great deal of money over her years in the palace. Now that they had fallen on hard times, how could she not help them?

She had also earned a good amount of silver thanks to the Imperial Concubine, and every time profits were distributed, she had her share sent to her parents. This autumn, however, her family wrote to tell her she no longer needed to send silver. Her younger sister was married with a prepared dowry, so she no longer needed her support, and her father’s salary was enough to provide for the family.

Only then did the tension Princess Consort Wan had been living with finally ease completely. That was why she had no objection to using the shops’ profits to buy medicine this time.

She felt that her family’s good fortune was a result of her following the Imperial Concubine’s lead in doing good deeds, accumulating merit, and knowing how to adapt to the times.

It wasn’t like Princess Consort Zhuang’s situation. Her mother and sister-in-law had to use their dowry silver just so Wang Xuanfan could keep his life, let alone his official post. Fortunately, the Emperor was magnanimous and did not implicate Princess Consort Zhuang’s older brother.

Still, after the Wang Family’s fall from grace, Princess Consort Zhuang’s brother faced many difficulties in his official career. Fortunately, she had now regained her position as a concubine, so perhaps things would go more smoothly for him in the future.

Speaking of these things, Princess Consort Wan rather admired Consort Shu. Back then, she had the worst temper and was always the most ostentatious, yet she always managed to ride the Imperial Concubine’s coattails to safety. Wasn’t that just infuriating?

She had it all figured out now. Whatever the Imperial Concubine did, she would do the same. After all, you couldn’t go wrong following her, and her family would remain safe.

After Song Yunzhao finished discussing palace affairs with the three of them, Princess Consort Zhuang hesitated for a moment before bringing up the matter of next year’s imperial selection. "According to precedent, preparations should begin before the year’s end. The name lists from the various Prefectures and Counties should have been delivered to the Capital City by now."

As soon as this was mentioned, all eyes turned in unison to the Imperial Concubine.

Song Yunzhao: ...

’Is there something on my face?’ she thought.

She spoke with a straight face. "We’ll proceed according to precedent."

’Could I really say no?’

’When the Emperor is in the Capital City, I can still get away with flexing his authority. But with him gone, if I dared to do something like that, it would be a flagrant disregard for the law.’

Consort Shu opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated and swallowed her words. ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’I’d better not rub salt in the Imperial Concubine’s wound.’

She didn’t say it, but Princess Consort Wan spoke up directly. "Shouldn’t we report this to the Empress Dowager?"

Consort Shu: ...

’Princess Consort Wan is certainly talkative today.’

Song Yunzhao, however, nodded. "That’s the proper thing to do."

’Asking won’t change the outcome anyway. It costs nothing to show the courtesy, so I might as well do it.’

At this, Yunzhao looked to Consort Shu. "Consort Shu, since it’s best not to trouble two people with one task, I’ll have to ask you to make the trip."

She truly didn’t want to deal with the Empress Dowager. It was mentally exhausting.

"Fine, I’ll go speak to her," Consort Shu readily agreed. She was used to visiting Shouci Palace. ’Besides, even though the Empress Dowager can’t stand me, it’s not like she can just throw me out.’

Once they had finished their discussion, they all went their separate ways.

Yunzhao sat by the window. It was a rare, beautiful day, the day His Majesty set out on his campaign. ’The Astronomical Bureau certainly isn’t full of slackers,’ she thought.

’I wonder if Feng Yi has left the city yet?’

’I hope everything goes smoothly for him.’

After Feng Yi left the Capital City, Song Yunzhao, who had felt unsettled at first, gradually adapted to his absence. There was much to do in the palace, not to mention the affairs of the Baozhuang Building and Treasure Pearl Building to keep her busy. Business was booming as the year drew to a close, and reports from Xie Jinshu and Ling Yunhe were constant.

The procurement of medicinal herbs was proceeding slowly. The two of them rushed about the various Prefectures and Counties, constantly trying to persuade herb merchants to sell their wares to the court at a fair price, but to little avail.

With the army already on the march, the opportunity for massive profits was ripe for the taking. The court couldn’t forcibly procure herbs without an imperial decree, so these merchants were emboldened and had nothing to fear.

Even though Song Yunzhao was furious, her hands were tied. ’I can’t just force them to hand over the supplies,’ she thought. ’Wouldn’t that go against the Emperor’s decree?’

Feng Yi was benevolent and cared for his subjects, but these merchants completely disregarded the greater good of the nation. ’Patriotic merchants exist,’ she mused, ’but they are, in the end, a minority.’

Song Yunzhao grew anxious, fearing that as soon as the two nations’ armies clashed, there would inevitably be casualties, and the demand for medicinal herbs would skyrocket.

Just then, good news arrived.