Chapter 159 - Dog Food

Zhao Yu and Gu Man, the minister of Agriculture, are running to the public kitchen where the emperor summon them. Zhao Yu is bringing the journal book for the rice warehouse with him to the public kitchen. He knows Gu Man well enough, and he is only a simple scholar with upright ideal of people. It is impossible if he miscalculated the rice or stealing the rice out of money.

Zhao Yu is peeking to his colleague expression when he can see his pale face. he is in deep thinking for the person responsible for all the rice corruption and it can slip into his eyes. suddenly, Gu Man is remembering one of his subordinates ask him some stamp quickly every week. He always come when Gu Man is distracting. Gu Man stops in front of the public kitchen and hold Zhao Yu arm.

"I think that I have been set up, Zhao!" Gu Man is staring at his friend and work Colleague.

"Can you explain to me? There must be some story behind this incident," Zhao Yu is asking him for the whole story.

"Gentleman, the emperor is waiting for you all inside the office…" Zhang is reminding them as the emperor verdict really important to follow.

"Zhang, can you inform the emperor that I am investigating the whole scenario…? If he still believes to me then let me handle this whole story before I come in and I can give him satisfactory answer," Zhao Yu is telling Zhang to rely his request to the emperor.

Zhang is going inside the office with the message while Zhao Yu and Gu Man tries to analyse the whole story.

"So, tell me the whole story…." Zhao Yu demands the whole explanation from him.

"Give me ten minutes and I will give you the other ledger that I made because I feel suspicious from last month…." Gu Man is running away back to his house in the area near the poor.

Zhao Yu is going inside the office where the situation really not as his expected. He can see the emperor angry face. Zhao Yu is bowing to the emperor.

"Where is minister Gu?" Jin Yu is asking to his loyal subordinate.

"I ask him to get some book…. Emperor, do you believe me? Can I speak with you in private?" Zhao Yu is asking the emperor time to explain the whole story to him. Apparently, Jin Yu is not an inconsiderate person who will not investigate everything. He also has his suspicious on his mind that someone try to tamper his domestic problem.

"Everyone leaves us alone." Jin Yu is telling everyone to leave them alone. They all obediently follow his instruction and leave the room only between minister Zhao and the emperor.

"Thank you emperor… I think the crown prince of Liang tries to move again. I hear already some whisper about some carts go out the city in the night and it means my suspicious correctly when the rice is disappearing and there is a big discrepancy on the ledger…." Zhao Yu is explaining toward the emperor.

"But I have taken his precious prize to make him not pursue his goal…" Jin Yu is asking his loyal assistant.

"It can be the revenges for you to ruin his plan… I believe to minister Gu when he holds his integrity high, and he will not do something this low…. He is going back to get his book where all his investigation really proofs his innocent…." Zhao Yu is reporting toward the emperor when there is knocking on the door. Gu Man is standing on the door with a book on his hand.

"Come in and close the door…" Jin Yu is telling his minister with his stern and no facial expression.

"Your highness… I am apologizing for the delay, but I have proof about the missing rice sacks to proof my innocence. I swear to my deceases parent that I am not stooping really low until I have to steal the poor people food…" He is kneeling while presenting the book with his hand toward the emperor. Zhao Yu is getting the book and presenting it to the emperor.

Jin Yu is accepting the book and reading the content inside. He is crossing check the content and find something suspicious from the three ledgers. The most suspicious one come from the head of public kitchen where the source of problem come out.

"What should we do…?" Jin Yu is asking toward his loyal minister. Jin Yu actually already contempt with all his minister at the moment after he did clean up.

"Let ask and interrogate the head of this office and we can derive the conclusion from them…. Do you think the crown prince is not communicating with princess Liang?" Zhao Yu is asking emperor about his suspicious.

"I am not pay close attention to her…. as soon as she enters my harem then they can live as free as they want," Jin Yu is explaining to the emperor. He really does not want to think another woman except his own wife.

"Your highness… how can you are not taking care of your wife?" Zhao Yu want to spit blood to see his aloof emperor. this is the first man in this earth that he meets who are not care about his women.

"Why should I care? I marry her only for the peace out of our country and I will not marry anyone if his crazy brother not threatening to create war in our continent," Jin Yu is smashing the book on the table.

"Your highness, I do understand for your heart, but you are the emperor…. Can you at least visit her and find out about his brother plan? Do it for your people and your responsibility as the emperor…" Zhao Yu tries to make a little sense to the stone head emperor. Gu Man is looking to his friend quietly and dare to talk like that to the emperor.

"Mr Zhao, are you not afraid if your head going roll over on the floor to advise the emperor like that?" Gu Man is asking his friend for his close behaviour toward the emperor. Minister Gu sees the first-time close interaction between the emperor and minister Zhao. In the court room, they always having strict and uptight conversation with all the rules imply inside the court room.

Ni Qing is coming inside with her apron on her slender waist and a bowl of noodle. Minister Gu is looking into the woman who is not getting permission yet from the emperor to enter. Ni Qing is putting the noodle and the chopstick in front of the emperor and sit on his lap.

"Do you want to try it?" Ni Qing is standing up after she sits on his lap and give him a peck of kiss on his cheek. Minister Gu is looking at the emperor who changing his facial expression. She is standing next to the emperor and reading all the book with the crest on her forehead start to form.

The emperor is busy to eat the noodle and let the woman to read the report about the rice missing case.

"Excuse me, miss…. You are not allowed to dwell into the government issues…" Gu Man is telling politely toward Ni Qing.

"Ohhh…. Sorry… I really do not know about the rule…" Ni Qing is pouting her mouth in front of the emperor.

"Read it… I bet you finished reading it all… what do you think?" Jin Yu is already finishing the whole bowl of noodle.

"How about my noodle?" Ni Qing is asking from her husband.

"Your highness, you are making noodle? Where? Is the noodle made by Xi Kai?" Zhao Yu is asking toward the empress as he knows her cooking taste of heaven.

"In the kitchen, Xi Kai and the others is making the whole batch of it… I already put aside some for the worker… we are prioritizing the hunger people in front of this kitchen first…" Ni Qing is giving instruction with her authority tone.

"How about the head of the public kitchen? I thought we are going to interrogate him…." Gu Man is asking about this whole situation which no one scare and take it seriously.

"Do not worry… we are literally getting there…" Zhao Yu is advising his friend who still in shock to see the interaction in this room. He was so scared for his life but now, he really can't believe the view in front of his eyes.

"I told you so many times to sleep with the other wife in your harem… this problem is coming from you…. I beg and coax you, but nothing seems work on you…. I want time alone and I am happy to share you with the other harem member rather than you torture me all the time in the night," Ni Qing is complaining toward her husband. Zhao Yu and Gu Man are eating the dog food at the moment in front of their own eyes. Gu Man is looking at the woman who dares to reprimand the emperor.