boyutpedia Chapter 5 Assisting the Emperor in Establishing New Laws to Combat Corrupt Officials (Page 13)
Chapter 5 Assisting the Emperor in Establishing New Laws to Combat Corrupt Officials (Page 13)
Emperor Yunxuan quickly arrived at Fengyi Palace. The eunuch announced, "Your Majesty, prepare to travel to Fengyi Palace!" The Empress and Cheng Ruyi, who were inside, heard this immediately, much to Cheng Ruyi's delight! She had just finished mentioning her father today, and he was here already! (′▽｀)ノ? Cheng Ruyi thought to herself, "People from Z country really don't care about what you say! I mentioned him once, and my cheap father came! This must be what they call telepathy! Hahaha (?w?)hiahiahia! It really works!" While Cheng Ruyi was basking in this smug thought, Emperor Yunxuan outside the door had already heard it. As he walked, he thought to himself, "My Ruyi misses her father too? So I'm that important to Ruyi! (?′?`?)*??* It wasn't for nothing that I spoiled this little one! Go and hug my Ruyi!" The doting father was online! ?w?
Emperor Yunxuan strode into the Phoenix Palace, where the Empress bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"
Emperor Yunxuan quickly helped the Empress up, saying, "My beloved consort, please rise! No need for formalities!" He then went straight to Cheng Ruyi, who was overjoyed to see him! Cheng Ruyi grinned, her little hands outstretched, as if asking for a hug—who could resist?! She instantly melted Emperor Yunxuan's heart. He picked her up and, without hesitation, planted a kiss on her fair, tender face. Cheng Ruyi smiled broadly, revealing her tiny baby teeth, her eyes narrowed into slits, giggling and babbling. In her heart, she was saying, "Father, it's been so long! You've been so busy lately! I missed you so much, and you've finally come to see me!"
Emperor Yunxuan held Cheng Ruyi in his arms and coaxed her, "My Ruyi, have you missed your father? If you have, give your father a kiss!"
Cheng Ruyi babbled, "My cheap father, I missed you! But I'll skip the kiss! I'll get shy! (*/?＼*) Fine, just one kiss! This is the first time my cheap father has asked me for this! Who told him to be my father! Besides, I'm not at a disadvantage. Father is a handsome middle-aged man! He's very good-looking! (*/?＼*) I'm a looks-obsessed person, who am I afraid of!"
Cheng Ruyi pouted her pale pink lips, gave Emperor Yunxuan a quick peck on the cheek, and then quickly pulled away! Her face instantly turned red! Emperor Yunxuan, hearing what Cheng Ruyi was thinking, was instantly in a good mood! He said, "Empress, order the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the meal! Today, I am in a very good mood! I want to dine with Ruyi!"
Emperor Yunxuan's mood for reviewing memorials vanished the moment he saw Cheng Ruyi; he truly is a doting father!
Emperor Yunxuan held Cheng Ruyi in his arms and teased her, making her giggle. Her laughter could be heard clearly even outside the Phoenix Palace!
Father and daughter, having not seen each other for a long time, were naturally very affectionate. The Empress, contemplating whether to tell His Majesty about the little princess's special abilities, remained silent. Watching His Majesty playfully tease Cheng Ruyi, her daughter, a slight unease stirred within her. She suddenly wanted to confront His Majesty about her ability to hear Cheng Ruyi's thoughts! She knew her daughter possessed extraordinary qualities; the events of the 100-day celebration were vivid in her memory, but that could only be considered a coincidence! Now, to confront him meant telling him everything she knew, down to the smallest detail! He was His Majesty, the Emperor of the entire Yunxuan Kingdom's court! He was also the Emperor of the common people! His Majesty had many other considerations! If she told His Majesty about their daughter's special abilities, how would he view her?
Right now, it seems His Majesty dotes on the little princess, showering her with favors, but those favors are based on the premise of being a normal person! If His Majesty knew that the little princess was not an ordinary person, what would he choose?! Would he regard their daughter as a demon?! Or as a goddess?! She didn't want to see either of these choices; she only wanted her daughter to be their daughter, that was enough!
Before she could fully establish herself, she would protect her daughter! She hesitated, unsure whether to tell His Majesty! She was deeply troubled and conflicted. (〇_o)／ Perhaps she should keep it a secret for now! She dared not gamble! She feared her daughter would be harmed! She wasn't sure about His Majesty's attitude towards Cheng Ruyi! So she truly dared not gamble! The Empress thought to herself, and decided to keep it a secret from His Majesty for now! She would wait until the time was right, until she understood His Majesty's attitude towards their daughter, before revealing her true intentions! She would stop worrying for now!
Cheng Ruyi seemed to sense her mother's low spirits and babbled to her, "What's wrong, Mother?! You look unwell! You seem to have something on your mind! Is Mother complaining that Father hasn't come to see her in so long?! They always say on TV that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but Mother is clearly preoccupied! How can we get Father to cheer her up? I want Mother to be happy too! But Mother, as the mistress of the harem, seems to lack nothing! This is difficult! Father, that workaholic, hasn't come to Fengyi Palace for months, no wonder Mother is angry! Cheap old man! You're on your way to winning back your wife! Cheap old man, you're almost there! Mother's angry, let's see how you coax her! You have to coax your own wife! Cheap old man! A chauvinist!"
Cheng Ruyi's inner thoughts were overheard by Emperor Yunxuan! He did feel guilty; there were many concubines in the harem, and to consolidate power, he had to bring some into the inner palace! In his youth, the Empress had been Emperor Yunxuan's ideal woman! He had overcome countless obstacles to make her Empress! He had promised her a lifetime of devotion, but later, for the sake of the court, she had taken the initiative to propose a marriage alliance! He had accepted! He felt guilty towards her…
Her Majesty the Empress blushed instantly upon hearing Cheng Ruyi's thoughts. The Empress was already a stunning beauty, and even in middle age, time had not diminished her splendor! She remained radiant! Her blushing face and faint smile made Emperor Yunxuan's heart skip a beat! The Empress's thoughts were nothing like what Cheng Ruyi had imagined. This scheming little devil… Emperor Yunxuan coughed awkwardly… to cover his embarrassment, and then asked, "Empress, do you have any wishes? Or is there anything you want? Or anything you want to do?"
The Empress was surprised by the Emperor's question, for what he said was exactly what the little one was thinking! "Your Majesty, could you also hear the little one's thoughts? Should we test it? Perhaps I'm overthinking it! Such a thing is impossible! I can hear the little one's thoughts! Perhaps it's a spiritual connection from my ten months of pregnancy, a bond between us, that allows the little one to hear my thoughts! How could anyone else?!" The Empress thought to herself, then replied, "Your Majesty, I do have something I desire, but I haven't thought it through yet. May I speak to Your Majesty when I have a clearer understanding?" Emperor Yunxuan was clearly surprised by the Empress's answer! But he still agreed to her request, saying, "I grant it! The Empress can speak to me whenever she has a clearer understanding! This agreement stands! I said it!"
The Empress quickly bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" "No need for such formalities, Your Majesty!"
Soon, the imperial kitchen prepared a multitude of delicious dishes and sent them over! Cheng Ruyi's eyes widened at the dazzling array of delicacies, her mouth watering. In her past life, she was a foodie (ˊwˋ*)??, especially fond of all kinds of food! Now that she had transmigrated to ancient times, she was even more determined to enjoy herself! Now that she had teeth, she could eat soft, easy-to-chew foods. Looking at the table full of delicious food, Cheng Ruyi couldn't wait to eat her fill! Cheng Ruyi babbled, pointing her little finger towards the dining table: "Father, I want to eat delicious food! Quickly carry me to eat delicious food!" Emperor Yunxuan held Cheng Ruyi, sitting at the head of the table. Then, babbling, she pointed to the steamed fish with oil. Emperor Yunxuan explained, and after having someone test it with a silver needle, he picked up a piece from the fish's belly, where the meat was the most tender. Emperor Yunxuan personally removed all the bones and then fed it to Cheng Ruyi little by little, afraid she wouldn't be able to swallow it! The fish meat was smooth and delicious, and Cheng Ruyi, who was very happy, stretched out her two little hands and kept waving them around Emperor Yunxuan! Seeing that the little one liked to eat fish, Emperor Yunxuan picked up a piece of fish belly and slowly fed it to Cheng Ruyi little by little! After Cheng Ruyi finished the fish, she pointed to the stewed chicken soup. Emperor Yunxuan picked out a tender, easily digestible piece of chicken thigh, had someone test it with a silver needle before giving it to the little one. The chicken was stewed until it was so tender it practically fell off the bone, almost like pieces. Emperor Yunxuan picked out a small piece of chicken thigh meat, blew on it to warm it up, and then fed it to Cheng Ruyi. Cheng Ruyi ate it in one bite. The chicken was stewed until it was incredibly tender, and Cheng Ruyi ate a whole large piece of chicken thigh meat. After finishing, Cheng Ruyi moved on to her next target, pointing to the large meatballs. Emperor Yunxuan once again transformed into a super dad, attentively serving Cheng Ruyi: blowing on the meatballs to cool them down, serving her food, hand-feeding her, and wiping her mouth. In short, the service was top-notch! It was incredibly thoughtful! After eating the meat, she couldn't eat anymore. She wanted to eat more, but she couldn't. A baby's appetite is limited; even if she wanted to eat more, her stomach wouldn't allow it! After eating, she drank some goat milk. Boiled goat milk with a little sugar was especially sweet! Cheng Ruyi drank the goat milk in big gulps, quickly finishing the small bowl! Full and satisfied, Cheng Ruyi sat in Emperor Yunxuan's lap, playing with her fingers, then started thinking again! Suddenly, Cheng Ruyi remembered that she hadn't finished exchanging her grain. Yunxuan Kingdom desperately needed these things. She thought to herself, "Should I exchange for sweet potatoes first, or cotton first? Or should I exchange them all at once? How should I give them to Father this time? Last time, it was Da Bai who arranged it, shaking a bunch of beasts and even shaking out the cranes (?＞?＜)☆! Da Bai is amazing! Should I use Bai Er, Bai San, and Xiao Bai Si to run errands?! Or maybe I should ask Da Bai! Tsk tsk ╮(￣▽￣)╭ I still can't do without Da Bai! Everything can be done by Da Bai!"
After listening to Cheng Ruyi's thoughts, Emperor Yunxuan suddenly realized, "That's right! I can just talk about my current situation like it's a casual conversation. Maybe my Ruyi can solve it! Everything can go as I wish! I'm so smart!"
Emperor Yunxuan suddenly spoke, "My Ruyi, after this visit, I reckon you won't see your father for a long time! Your father is so busy, with so many memorials to review, so many matters to handle, and so many corrupt officials to deal with. Your father will be busy for a long time before he can come to see Ruyi again! It's infuriating! Those corrupt officials are exploiting the people, but your father is powerless to stop them. There are so many corrupt officials, one after another. You punish one, and another pops up. You can't punish them all! In the end, it's the people who suffer! There are also people among the people who are greedy for small gains! They are the lackeys of these corrupt officials, tipping off them and selling them information to make money! Your father is truly angry and powerless! My hair is falling out from thinking so much! Until this matter is resolved, your father probably won't be able to come to see Ruyi! Your father needs to be busy for a while! If Ruyi misses your father, have your mother bring her to the Imperial Study to find me! π_π"
After listening to her adoptive father's account, Cheng Ruyi felt that her father was incredibly stupid! She thought to herself, "Father is so stupid! Does this little thing really need to be dealt with for so long? Tsk tsk tsk, it's true that once people reach middle age, their IQ declines! (｀Δ′)! Aren't there many corrupt officials? Just arrest one, confiscate their property! Arrest two, confiscate both their property! It's that simple! The more corrupt officials, the better. The only problem is if there aren't enough. All their ill-gotten gains will be confiscated! And all their confiscated property will be confiscated too! Hahaha (?w?)hiahiahia The national treasury will be overflowing! To prevent corrupt officials, we need to cultivate public awareness! Print some pamphlets..." Have the ministers promote and publicize this initiative, ensuring its implementation throughout Yunxuan Kingdom and distributing it to all units! Once the entire population is aware of this, they can report on each other, and even ordinary citizens can report others! Let the people benefit! Encourage this awareness among the people and the entire nation! Expose the corrupt officials' histories of embezzlement! State who reported whom, and what rewards they will receive! Print out these cases of corruption in booklets and distribute them to all units; this will both deter officials and educate the people! Establish severe penalties! Stipulate that anyone embezzling more than 50 or 60 taels of silver will be executed without exception! Bribery and embezzlement are both crimes, punishable by exile. In remote border regions! In short, it's better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one corrupt official go free! This is the way of history! In the future, we won't kill! Faced with corrupt officials, there are specialized agencies: the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Procuratorate, the Supervisory Commission, and the Discipline Inspection Commission! In short, first, confiscate all their property; second, dismiss them from their posts and sentence them to death! Deprive them of their political rights for life! Third, their descendants will never be employed! This is based on some suggestions from the future! Father Emperor is so foolish! Actually, it's quite simple. Given Yunxuan Kingdom's current situation, we must be ruthless towards corrupt officials! Thunderous measures! There will be no leniency! Death penalty for everyone! Execution for everyone! Only then can the people live in peace and prosperity! And then there's confiscation of property! Confiscating property will make us rich! All the proceeds will go into the national treasury! Absolutely fantastic! With money in the national treasury, we can do anything! We'll have money for war! We'll have money for equipment! We'll have money for everything! That's truly heaven-defying! How can I tell Father about these thoughts? Should I speak up? No, I'm still too young. Let's wait until after my first birthday! My dear father! Although I know, I can't tell you in person! I can't help you, Father! (*/?＼*)”