Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Chapter 1460 Ministers Impeach Prince Jin One After Another

“Ah Xu is still young and cannot stand such noise, so this birthday celebration should be kept simple. There is no need for a banquet, and all congratulatory gifts are waived. A small celebration in Yongshou Palace will suffice.”

Hu Zhongcai was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously said, "Your Highness, the Fourth Prince is His Majesty's beloved son. If his birthday celebration is too simple, I'm afraid..."

Shen Zhinian interrupted him calmly: "I will speak to His Majesty myself. The Imperial Household Department can handle it accordingly; there is no need for extravagance."

In the current situation, it's always better to keep a low profile.

Although the Imperial Noble Consort's tone was calm, her attitude clearly indicated that the matter was settled.

Hu Zhongcai knew that she was a woman of her word and that she was thoughtful and far-sighted.

Seeing that Shen Zhinian was truly sincere about saving money, he said no more and bowed in agreement: "This servant understands. I will give the order immediately and do everything according to the Imperial Noble Consort's instructions. I will make sure it is done in a manner that is both proper and in accordance with the idea of ​​frugality."

Shen Zhinian nodded slightly.

The news spread like wildfire.

The people in the palace reacted in various ways upon hearing this.

Consort Zhuang said nothing, only calmly remarking, "Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort is indeed a person of great wisdom and righteousness."

Consort Dun curled her lip and snorted coldly in Yikun Palace: "She certainly knows how to put on an act."

Consort Xuan sincerely sighed to Zhu'er, "Sister Imperial Noble Consort is always so considerate of the big picture; we should learn from her."

When the previous dynasty learned of this, the upright officials all nodded in agreement: "The Imperial Noble Consort is truly virtuous!"

"In these turbulent times, frugality is the best course of action."

"The Fourth Prince is young, and the Imperial Noble Consort is neither arrogant nor boastful, and knows how to keep a low profile. This is truly a blessing for the harem."

"Yes, to avoid wasting public resources and manpower on the prince's birthday, and to preserve the dignity of the court, is a rare and commendable insight!"

"..."

For a time, whether people genuinely admired her or were simply going along with the trend, the imperial palace and the court were filled with praise for the Imperial Noble Consort's understanding of the bigger picture and her consideration for the overall situation.

……

Yongshou Palace.

When Nangong Xuanyu entered the inner room, Shen Zhinian was leaning against the soft couch by the window, flipping through a chess manual by candlelight.

Upon seeing him arrive, she put down her book, rose, and bowed: "Your subject greets you..."

Before the ceremony was completed, the emperor raised his hand to stop it.

Shen Zhinian asked with a smile, "Your Majesty has been busy with court affairs lately, why have you come at this time?"

Nangong Xuanyu sat down beside her and naturally took one of her hands in his palm.

His gaze fell on Shen Zhinian's profile, and he praised her without any attempt to hide his approval: "Niannian has handled A-Xu's birthday matters very well recently."

Shen Zhinian lowered her eyes slightly and said in a humble tone, "Your Majesty, I just feel that there are too many things to do lately, and it is not appropriate to be extravagant. Besides, A-Xu is young and cannot withstand such a commotion."

Nangong Xuanyu shook his head, gently stroking the back of her hand with his fingers, smiling silently.

He praised Niannian not just to save money. After all, even if the national treasury was tight, it could still afford a prince's birthday banquet.

Instead, as the Imperial Noble Consort, with a rank equivalent to that of a secondary empress, her words and actions exemplified the exemplary conduct of women throughout the land.

She took the initiative to suggest a frugal birthday celebration for the prince. If the emperor sets an example, the palace, the circle of noblewomen, and even wealthy families in the countryside will surely curb their extravagant lifestyles.

With the war between the frontier and the Xiongnu still raging, the imperial court has issued war IOUs to fund the military. Promoting frugality at this time is a timely and beneficial measure for both the country and its people.

Furthermore... the Prince of Jin has been behaving himself lately, but he is merely lying low, waiting for an opportunity to fight to the death.

Although he had confined the Prince of Jin to his residence, it was hard to guarantee that there weren't still a few members of the imperial clan loyal to him. If he were to hold a grand banquet as usual and invite them to the palace, with so many people watching, what if something went wrong and Ah Xu was harmed…

Niannian's actions not only saved the overall situation but also protected Axu. With such meticulous thinking and profound understanding, how could he not be gratified?

At this moment, Nangong Xuanyu looked at Shen Zhinian with the understanding of finding a kindred spirit: "Niannian, among all the concubines, only you are worthy of the title of Imperial Noble Consort!"

Shen Zhinian raised her eyes, met the Emperor's deep gaze, and smiled faintly: "Your Majesty flatters me."

"Your Majesty, I only wish to do my utmost for the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Her words remained humble, but when their eyes met, there was an unspoken understanding and tacit agreement.

Looking at Shen Zhinian's appearance, Nangong Xuanyu felt a sense of relief, as if he had found a place to relax after the weariness he had felt due to the treacherous political situation.

He realized that Niannian was increasingly understanding his thoughts, ideas, and concerns.

The emperor reached out and gently pulled Shen Zhinian into his arms, resting his chin against her head, which exuded a delicate fragrance.

The atmosphere inside the hall was peaceful and warm.

……

Hall of Supreme Harmony.

All the officials stood solemnly, creating a serious atmosphere.

A middle-aged official dressed in the robes of an imperial censor, with a lean and refined appearance, stepped forward first.

Holding a jade tablet, he walked steadily: "This old censor, risking his life, impeaches Prince Nangong Xuanche of Jin for disregarding the law and embezzling taxes in his fiefdom of Bingzhou. His actions are outrageous!"

The censor paused briefly, then took out a ledger from his sleeve and held it up with both hands: "According to my investigation, from the second to the third year of the Jingtai reign, Bingzhou reported a total of 820,000 taels of silver and 400,000 shi of grain in taxes. However, after my secret investigation and verification, the actual amount collected by Bingzhou far exceeds this figure!"

"Among them, the salt tax alone has been concealed and embezzled over the years, amounting to a staggering 150,000 taels! The grain tax is levied under various pretexts, such as taxes on losses from rats and sparrows, and damage during transportation. They exploit the people and line their own pockets, causing resentment to grow among the people of Bingzhou!"

No sooner had the censor finished speaking than another official stepped forward, a secretary from the Ministry of Justice.

His face was grave, and his voice carried suppressed anger: "Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"

"Your Majesty, I am in charge of criminal matters, and recently I have received a series of accusations written in blood by victims in Bingzhou!"

"Officials under the Prince of Jin's mansion, relying on the mansion's power, forcibly seized farmland, bullied and monopolized the market, and even condoned their servants beating people to death!"

"Local officials, intimidated by the power of the Prince's mansion, either colluded with him or dared not speak out, resulting in numerous wrongful convictions and the complete disintegration of the law!"

"This is all due to the Prince of Jin's lax management of his subordinates and his indulgence and protection of them!"

Immediately afterwards, an elderly minister with gray hair stepped forward, trembling.

He was a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, in charge of the nation's finances. At this moment, tears streamed down his face as he cried out in sorrow, "Your Majesty! This old minister... this old minister has failed to live up to Your Majesty's grace!"

"The accounts of Bingzhou appear sleek on the surface, but are riddled with problems inside!"

"The Prince of Jin not only embezzled national taxes, but also misappropriated special funds allocated by the imperial court for the construction of river embankments and disaster relief!"

"Last year, Bingzhou suffered from floods, the dikes collapsed, and people were displaced. The root cause lies here!"

"He turned the government's life-saving funds into capital for forming cliques, engaging in corruption, and raising retainers. His intentions are despicable!"

The reports from these three officials were increasingly scathing, revealing layer by layer the numerous misdeeds of the Prince of Jin in Bingzhou.

However, this is not the end...

An official who had remained silent until now slowly stepped forward.

He was the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and was known for his uprightness and incorruptibility.