CH 56.2

He fell, defeated, and shouted like a seven- or eight-year-old. “Imperial Brother……”

Lin Bozhou’s fingers slightly loosened, but he still looked solemn, without the slightest relaxation. He wanted to admonish him, but the first sentence was, “Your Majesty, let’s enter the hall.”

He did not reprimand Emperor Xuan He in front of everyone. The emperor needed reverence and respect from the people. Emperor Xuan He hurriedly helped him into the hall and personally moved a chair for Lin Bozhou to sit on.

Emperor Xuan He was somewhat puzzled. He didn’t have this doubt before Lin Bozhou took a wife, feeling that his imperial brother was always so oppressive and majestic. But when he heard that his brother had taken a wife, he couldn’t help but start wondering if his brother was also so solemn and cold to his wife.

A moment later, Lin Bozhou spoke. “Your Majesty should not lie.”

Emperor Xuan He: “Imperial Brother, We were wrong.”

Lin Bozhou: “Your Majesty lied and shirked your duties. Although the ministers did not reveal it, they knew it in their hearts and would think that Your Majesty was ignorant and weak. They will be bold enough to fight with Your Majesty.”

Emperor Xuan He sounded grieved. “Imperial Brother, but We really don’t want to go to the cabinet and want to take a rest.”

“Your Majesty is the emperor. You should exert yourself.”

“But……” Emperor Xuan He knew that he was definitely not as tired as Lin Bozhou, but he was still unwilling. “Imperial Brother, being an emperor is so tiring.”

“Your Majesty shouldn’t say such things.”

Emperor Xuan He nodded, his expression eased up again. “Yes, We know. We shouldn’t say this because We are willing to be this emperor. Fighting in the world is much more delightful than fighting in chess.”

Moreover, the emperor had everything, and everyone had to respect him.

He was not afraid of anyone except Lin Bozhou.

Lin Bozhou’s tone was deep and solemn. “Your Majesty, the world is not a chessboard, and people are not chess pieces.”

Emperor Xuan He laughed dryly: “We know; We are joking. The people are Our sons and daughters.”

After saying that, Emperor Xuan He’s thoughts couldn’t help but wander off again.

…… His imperial brother was still as insensitive as ever, so would the princess really like a man like him?

Emperor Xuan He had seen Meng Huan and heard that he was snatched from the street by his imperial brother. Therefore, was Meng Huan forced by his imperial brother?

Did he treat his wife with such forcefulness and dominance?

Wouldn’t Meng Huan hate him?

When Emperor Xuan He was lost in thought, Lin Bozhou changed the subject. “The two million taels of silver from the salt patrol, how does Your Majesty think it should be spent?”

Emperor Xuan He’s eyes suddenly lit up. “We can give one million to the people! We will keep the other one million for ourselves.”

His tone was quite proud.

Giving the people a million was giving half of it!

Wasn’t he an emperor that was particularly considerate of the people?

Lin Bozhou pursed his lips for a moment and said in a deep, slow voice, “Your Majesty might as well listen to the opinions of the cabinet ministers.”

“Oh.”

Emperor Xuan He knew his imperial brother disapproved of him. It seemed like he was splashed with cold water, and he couldn’t help but be angry. He dared not reprimand Lin Bozhou, so he could only scold the air. “We really don’t understand. Don’t the people have farms? Why do they have to keep asking for money? The military pay as well, isn’t the Tuntian* self-sufficient? Why do they keep asking for money? What are the officials doing? Do they only hold their positions and live without doing anything? Instead of solving problems, do they only know to ask for money?”

*Tuntian: To have garrison troops or peasants open up wasteland and grow food grain (a policy pursued by feudal rulers since the Han dynasty).

His words were out of anger, and he never thought about why.

Lin Bozhou’s chest was filled with a somewhat uncontrollable tingling feeling, and his lips were tightly closed. He nodded and said, “This is the problem that Your Majesty will solve after taking over the government.”

Emperor Xuan He’s anger subsided, and he subconsciously looked at him, “Can Imperial Brother solve it?”

“Maybe, but it will take a long time.” Lin Bozhou said, “Your Majesty may be too annoyed with this official at that time and won’t let this official do it anymore.”

“Imperial Brother, We will never be annoyed with you.” Emperor Xuan He finished his heartfelt speech and said impatiently, “But the money, can’t We get a million to repair the chess palace?”

Lin Bozhou’s lips tightened.

His hands on the back of the chair were slightly clenched, and blue veins emerged from the back of his hands.

He extremely disagreed with his proposal.

Emperor Xuan He sighed, knowing that it was impossible.

After Lin Bozhou was promoted as prince regent, he never let Emperor Xuan He suffer and provided all that he should have. However, Emperor Xuan He always felt that the good things were insufficient and what he wanted was always not enough.

Emperor Xuan He collapsed back to the bed and shook his legs. “Is it really an excessive request to repair the chess palace? But We are the emperor. It would be too boring if We couldn’t even have a chess palace.”

But he didn’t know that the one-million taels of silver to build the chess palace could build many ships and cannons, repair many armaments, and let many people in disaster eat without starving to death.

Emperor Xuan He didn’t hear an answer.

Lin Bozhou’s teeth were clenched, the blood in his body was boiling, and he was only afraid that his following words would be an angry rebuke. If Emperor Xuan He was not the emperor, such a naïve and cruel person before him would have been kicked by him until vomiting blood.

—Only thinking about themselves but never making any contribution.

Lin Bozhou sat in the chair for a long time before regaining the color in his lips.

He stood up, and his tone was indifferent. “In the next lecture day at the Jing Yan Hall, this official will change a few teachers for Your Majesty and re-talk about a benevolent government and a bright ruler.”

–

Lin Bozhou stood up and left the Yang Xin Palace to return to the cabinet.

It took them a long time to agree on how to spend this money. The annual revenue of the Great Zong treasury was only twenty million taels, and two million taels were one-tenth of the annual revenue of the Great Zong.

Lin Bozhou remembered the money that Elder Cui had embezzled.

He was calm and tolerant and did not rush to strike him. Let Elder Cui embezzle, but Elder Cui wouldn’t struggle long, and the money would return to the treasury sooner or later.

Finally, the money was distributed to the military pay and people after discussing political affairs. Lin Bozhou walked to the entrance of the Imperial City and was just about to get on the carriage when an incomparably anxious voice came, “Your Highness!”

It was Chen An.

He had always been calm, but his voice was extremely panicked.

A flash of light went through Lin Bozhou’s head, and he turned his face sideways, his lips cold. “Speak.”

Chen An’s voice was like a porcelain vase falling to the ground, falling to pieces.

“Princess, the princess has disappeared!”