Chapter 380: One Must Not Be Greedy

Volume One, Chapter 380  One must not be greedy

Consort Ming nodded slightly after hearing Bai Zhuo's words, "Indeed, this psychological attack is truly formidable."

Looking back now, Consort Ming feels most fortunate that she decisively allied with the Empress and Fu Ruan back then; had she not done so, she would be uneasy now and dare not anticipate the outcome.

Prince Shou's case remains a cautionary tale; his life was spared, but judging by His Majesty's attitude, he likely won't be treated leniently. As for Lan Xianfei and Princess Chang'an…

Princess Chang'an's marriage has long been decided; as long as His Majesty doesn't speak, the groom naturally wouldn't dare to break it off. Yet under these circumstances, it's hard to say what situation Princess Chang'an would face in her husband's family.

Prince Shou betrayed His Majesty; can you still expect His Majesty and the Empress to support Princess Chang'an?

It should be impossible.

Consort Ming let out a long sigh. Regarding Zhao Qing's marriage, the Empress told them to wait, so she can only wait now. Though they must wait, Consort Ming isn't too worried; the Empress is a person whose words are always kept, and since she made a guarantee, Zhao Qing's marriage will certainly not be delayed.

If her own two children are fine, what does it matter that she once bowed her head to the Empress?

Her face may have been lost, but the children are safe, and wealth and honor are preserved.

As for the workshop, it's unclear how many now covet it, but Consort Ming has no such thoughts at all. Even though the Emperor and Empress have granted benefits to her daughter‑in‑law's family, she doesn't feel it's unfair.

She has already received enough; she must not be greedy.

If Lan Xianfei weren't greedy, how could she have ended up in her current state?

Come to think of it, Consort Ming never expected she could be mistaken; back when she was in the palace, Lan Xianfei and her mother were truly good at acting, and she never saw that was their nature.

As time passed, more and more merchants came to the capital, arriving from all directions; many blacklisted households chose to flee from noble families, especially skilled artisans who fled with their families overnight. When they stood before the capital's city gate, their tattered clothes made them burst into tears.

Now a reception area has been set up at the city gate; officials greet these people, lead them aside for questioning and recording, then temporarily settle them.

Thus efficiency has greatly increased, and Rong Luoge's list of artisans keeps growing thicker, while the family courtyard built by the workshop is clearly insufficient for housing.

Expansion is needed.

To save land and materials, she built employee housing based on a modern residential community model: one household per unit, allocating house size according to population, striving for fairness and justice.

Now the first batch of houses is about to run out, so she immediately sent someone to discuss a second phase with the Ministry of Works; this will require another group of craftsmen to build houses, creating many new jobs.

With jobs come income, and with income the people's lives improve—a virtuous cycle—so Rong Luoge spares no expense in doing this, and not only does she do it, she makes a splash to spread the glorious reputation of His Majesty, who is wise, mighty, and caring toward the people.

Because of the huge success of this military drill, the capital's atmosphere is rather strange; her causing a bit of commotion now also gives those proud noble families, who refuse to back down, a bit of face.

The weather grows hotter, and Kang Kang can now run all over the ground; when he sees the Empress returning, he immediately rushes to greet her.

Rong Luoge lifted her son, kissed his little cheek, and Kang Kang instantly burst into laughter.

Carrying her son, she entered the main hall, followed by Rong Xin and Que Cai, who have both been so busy lately they barely have time to stand still.

Rong Xin, holding a stack of ledgers, said to the Empress, "These are the accounts of the Hou Gong for the past six months sent by Xu Xianfei; please review them, Your Majesty."

Que Cai also held a stack of books and smiled at the Empress, "These are the ledgers sent by Kang Shufei and Lady Liu; among them is a newly added artisans' register. In addition, Kang Shufei asked me to report that the Imperial Construction Bureau is already showing signs of loosening. Now the Military Industry Bureau has split off, and the Imperial Construction Bureau's prestige is far from what it once was; it is now barely holding on."

Rong Luoge nodded slightly; after Shi Lian's fall, the Imperial Construction Bureau is leaderless, surrender is only a matter of time.

After the drill, the matter of establishing a Commerce Department has resurfaced; now there are only a few opponents, and if nothing unexpected occurs, it should be finalized soon.

Rong Luoge played with her son for a while, sent the little fellow off happily, then continued working overtime reviewing the ledgers.

Lately, she and Han Xinglan have had no time left for sweet talk; essentially they've entered old age—she goes to sleep at night before he returns, and when she wakes the next day, he has already gone to attend court.

The two have so many tasks to handle that even discussing anything requires messengers to go back and forth. Sigh, it's not easy.

Ledgers can't be neglected; even trusted people must audit them on schedule. She's already considering setting up an accounting class; she can manage for now on her own, but once the workshop is fully operational, that will be impossible.

The accounting class has been put on the agenda, and the ancient method of writing numbers for accounting is still more cumbersome than modern ones; she ponders when she can adopt simplified numerals, and also improve the accounting forms and methods.

Otherwise, watching it would literally fry a large part of her brain cells, exhausting her beyond measure.

After finally skimming through it once, Rong Luoge feels she needs a break; perhaps she's been too busy lately and feels constantly exhausted.

She entered the bedroom, collapsed, and immediately closed her eyes. Rong Xin, looking heartbroken, set the ledgers down, tiptoed out, and told the junior palace servants outside to slow their steps so as not to disturb the Empress.

Que Cai, having just gone out on an errand after receiving the Empress's order, returned, saw the quiet, and noticing Rong Xin standing outside the hall, hurried over to ask, "Has the Empress rested?"

Rong Xin nodded, "The Empress is very tired; let her rest a while. How are your tasks coming along?"

Que Cai smiled, "There are no major issues on Kang Shufei's side; we're just waiting to finalize the last list. Seeing the Imperial Construction Bureau about to become the Commerce Department is truly a delightful matter."

Rong Xin was about to speak when she spotted someone entering, immediately rose, and, grabbing Que Cai, together bowed, "Your servant pays respects to His Majesty."

Han Xinglan, finally free after his busy schedule, took time to return and, surprised by the quiet in the Fengyi Palace, asked, "Where is the Empress?"

In reply to His Majesty, "The Empress is currently resting."

Han Xinglan was startled; resting at this hour? That's unlike her nature, so he looked at the two and asked, "Is the Empress unwell?"

Aside from illness, the Empress is not one to love slacking off.

At the thought that Rong Luoge might be ill, Han Xinglan's complexion darkened.