Chapter 299

"Your Majesty, please calm down!"

Jiang Tu rolled aside, and Qiu Defu finally fulfilled his duty as the Emperor's most trusted eunuch, clutching the old Emperor's legs to prevent him from injuring himself with the sword.

Clang!

The sword fell to the ground.

Qiu Defu immediately let out a breath of relief.

The old Emperor sat slumped on the steps, "How many officials in court truly wish to relieve me of my burdens? Do you know?"

Qiu Defu's heart skipped a beat; he bowed his head and spoke cautiously, "No one would dare think such a thing." Except that rogue Jiang Tu.

The old Emperor snorted twice, sneering, "When I insisted on deposing the Crown Prince, do people truly believe I wish for my third son to die? Am I that cruel?"

Aren't I?

Qiu Defu bowed low, "Your Majesty, please preserve your health. The court officials are dull-witted and fail to understand your heartfelt intentions. But this servant understands—you are merely angry at Prince Zhong for his lack of ambition, fearing he will stray onto the wrong path."

"Ah! If only everyone understood my hardships as you do, I would not be so tormented."

"Your Majesty must guard your health above all—do not let the actions of a few harm yourself." Qiu Defu never missed a chance to smear Jiang Tu, also testing the old Emperor's attitude toward him. If the Emperor still favored him, fine. If resentment had taken root, Qiu Defu would surely strike while the iron was hot.

The old Emperor waved his hand, as if unwilling to speak of Jiang Tu. After a moment of silence, he said, "As for the Ministry of Finance..."

Qiu Defu quickly interjected, "Should this servant go and give them a gentle reminder?"

"It is necessary," the old Emperor finally nodded. "Tell the Ministry of Finance: Prince Zhong is a Prince of the Blood. Everything must conform to the standards of a Prince. All items used must be of the finest quality. Never mind—allow Prince Zhong to take all furnishings and utensils from the Eastern Palace with him. Do not obstruct him. Have the Ministry cooperate fully."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Qiu Defu knew the old Emperor still harbored a sliver of paternal feeling toward the deposed Crown Prince, along with a sense of guilt, and now sought to compensate him materially. The earlier decision to give Prince Zhong a three-courtyard residence had been made in a fit of rage; after being scolded by Li Liangcheng, the Emperor had come to his senses.

The supreme position of Crown Prince had been stripped—yet to also deprive him materially would sound terrible to the world, damaging the Emperor's reputation. Strip the title, but compensate in wealth; then perhaps the people would understand.

The old Emperor suddenly changed the subject, "Li Liangcheng's loyalty is commendable. As for Wu Dashou, go and hint to him—he should submit a petition to retire."

Huh?

So suddenly?

Wu Dashou is Jin Wang's father-in-law. Retirement means cutting off Jin Wang's support. Is this a sign the Emperor no longer favors Jin Wang, and intends to suppress him?

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Qiu Defu replied, while pondering the Emperor's intent. Praising Li Liangcheng—was this a moment of conscience, the lingering guilt toward Prince Zhong taking effect? If Wu Dashou is forced to retire, who will replace him? The neutral faction?

This is a major matter—what advantage could he gain from it?

The old Emperor's mood shifted three times a day; countless people were guessing his hidden meaning—could the deposed Crown Prince still have a chance?

Jiang Tu, battered and bearing a face swollen with bruises, left the palace; news of it spread rapidly through court and city. Many wondered—had he fallen out of favor?

The Divine Weapon Camp and Divine Might Camp finally withdrew completely from the capital; order was restored, and civilians returned to the streets to work and earn a living. It seemed nothing had changed—the capital was still the same capital.

Yet those within it felt the truth: after this upheaval, the markets were desolate, the people's pockets empty. Families once with modest savings had exhausted them, forced to tighten their belts. Families that once managed to get by now sank into destitution. Families already poor now drowned in debt.

For court officials, this past month had been a grueling struggle. Now that the struggle was over, everything returned to normal—except the Crown Prince's deposition, as if nothing else had changed. For the capital's commoners, this past month had reshaped their lives, plunging them into suffering.

As a consequence, labor wages dropped, and money became harder to earn. Just then, grain prices began to rise—one price each day—suffocating the common folk.

Life was growing harder by the day!

Entering the back alley of Hou Fu, it felt like another world—outside storms never reached here. Did rising prices affect those living here? Barely.

Those residing in the back alley mostly depended on Hou Fu for their livelihood. As long as Hou Fu stood, their bowls remained full. When grain prices rose, they bought cheap grain from the clan—two or three tenths cheaper than market price. Only Chen clan members received this. It was one of the few benefits Hou Fu extended to its kin.

Chen Guanlou took a cloth sack and bought ten catties of clan grain. He resold five catties to Chunxiang's wife.

Chunxiang's wife had many mouths to feed—grown boys ate their fathers dry. But her husband was an outsider, not a household-born retainer, so her children could not benefit from the grain subsidy, leaving the whole family perpetually hungry, forced to ration every grain.

Chunxiang's wife was deeply grateful, yet felt guilty, "You're giving me your grain—do you have enough for yourself?"

"I eat at the Tianlaomiao canteen every day. Five catties will last me half a month. When it's gone, I'll buy more."

"Brother Lou, thank you so much. You don't know how wildly grain prices have soared—morning and afternoon prices differ. What's happened to this world? Even when soldiers ran rampant, prices didn't go this crazy. Now that they're gone, grain prices have gone mad."

Chunxiang's wife had grown gaunt lately. Her family had once been modestly well-off, sheltered by Hou Fu, living comfortably. But with grain prices soaring, their savings visibly dwindled. Though they hadn't yet resorted to borrowing, she couldn't shake her dread. She calculated again and again—her savings wouldn't last long. All she prayed for now was her children eating less, stopping their constant cries of hunger, hoping the court would soon act to lower grain prices, hoping summer harvest would come quickly. Every year, when summer grain entered the granaries, prices would plummet.

"It's the lean season—price hikes are inevitable."

"But not this wildly!"

"People are panicked, and grain merchants are sharp."

When people lose faith, prices go wild. The people's lack of confidence in the court shows most clearly in grain prices.

Chunxiang's wife sighed heavily, "Then what can ordinary folk like us do?"

"Wait for the summer harvest. Store more grain, not money," Chen Guanlou warned.

Chunxiang's wife panicked, "Brother Lou, do you have insider news? Don't hide anything from me!"

"I have no insider news. But some things can still be guessed. The Crown Prince is deposed—now every imperial prince has a chance. Court officials will begin lining up, forming factions. Chaos in court will spill into the provinces. Once one link breaks, grain prices will rise. In short—store more grain. It's the safest bet."