Chapter 437: Idiot

The Great Ming Prince was unswerving and determined to trick Chen Guanlou onto his pirate ship.

Chen Guanlou hated people getting things for free the most, and it was a business that cost one's head.

He ordered the people below to cut the Great Ming Prince's food in half, and starve him a bit first. If that didn't work, give him some rotten rice and drink some swill.

Dealing with prisoners, prison guards are well-versed.

Everyone had long found the Great Ming Prince unpleasant; if it weren't for the fact that the higher-ups didn't allow it, they would have given him a full set of the "honest prison" package as soon as he was locked in the Heavenly Prison.

Now, Prison Clerk Chen had spoken, and the prison guards agreed quite readily, guaranteeing to complete the task.

Chen Guanlou looked at the high-spirited prison guards and had to remind them, "Don't get the person killed. If you get him killed, you will all have to be buried with him."

"Prison Clerk Chen, rest assured, I guarantee he won't die."

"I will definitely let him live until next spring."

"If something really happens, send the person with the fastest feet to invite Medical Official Mu."

Chen Guanlou left with peace of mind.

Taiji Palace.

The old Emperor was refining pills. Of course, he was mainly observing; someone else was refining the pills.

What was eerie was that His Highness the Prince of Loyalty was actually serving on the side, replacing Qiu Defu's position.

"Third, will this furnace of pills be successful?"

"Father's great fortune reaches the sky, it will definitely be successful."

"Don't just say auspicious words."

"What the son says are all sincere words; Father is omnipotent. A mere pill is naturally not a problem."

"Haha..."

The old Emperor was in a pleasant mood and patted His Highness the Prince of Loyalty on the shoulder.

The Prince of Loyalty made an expression of being inexplicably moved, so excited that tears filled his eyes, and the tears were about to fall.

"Don't cry! What are you crying for. You watch this furnace of pills for me; I will rest for a while."

"Father has been tired all day; the son is here watching, Father can rest with peace of mind."

"Um, you are a good one."

The old Emperor left the side hall smiling and returned to the main hall.

Qiu Defu, with the eunuchs, presented tea and snacks and asked in a low voice: "Does Your Majesty want to read the memorials?"

"Is there anything important?"

"Still the same old things, ice disasters, snow disasters, asking for money. The front lines in the north and south are both urging for grain, grass, and cold-proof clothing."

As soon as the old Emperor heard this, his face immediately dropped, and his mood was not very good.

"Money, money, money, all year round they just ask me for money. Looking at it this way, it is necessary to change a few people in the Ministry of Revenue; they are truly incompetent."

"What Your Majesty says is very true. But who should be changed?" Qiu Defu asked cautiously.

The old Emperor pondered in his heart and suddenly shifted the question: "How is Chen Guanfu in the Ministry of Works? Did he and Jiang Tu have any conflicts?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Heir has not been in office for long, and there is no conflict between him and Lord Jiang."

"Have they met?"

"They have."

"Can they actually get along peacefully?" The old Emperor was very surprised. "What is Jiang Tu doing, he's useless. You go... forget it, call him here; I want to ask him personally how he is serving. The garden is not repaired, and the money is not seen; what use is he."

Qiu Defu knew clearly that the old Emperor was venting his anger, but he was very happy in his heart. He wished the old Emperor would vent his anger on Jiang Tu, and get rid of Jiang Tu. Even if he didn't get rid of him, he wanted to make Jiang Tu suffer a bit, and it would be best to take the opportunity to prune the other party's wings.

The old Emperor's mood was overcast and sunny.

By the time Jiang Tu hurried to Taiji Palace to see the Emperor, the old Emperor was wearing a straight face, looking at the memorials on the desk. Either asking for money or complaining, there was not a single good thing, not even a single auspicious sign.

It's infuriating!

"Jiang Tu, do you know your crime!"

Jiang Tu was instantly confused. "The humble official does not know what crime he has committed; please, Your Majesty, clarify."

"Where is the money? Where did my money go? Why is my money getting less and less?"

This, this, this...

Jiang Tu felt greatly wronged.

"Wronged! Your Majesty, it's all the Ministry of Revenue, it's all the Ministry of Revenue's responsibility. It's the Ministry of Revenue that emptied Your Majesty's purse; the humble official is innocent. The Ministry of Revenue is too incompetent; whenever they encounter something, they stare at Your Majesty's inner treasury; please, Your Majesty, punish them severely."

"If I send you to the Ministry of Revenue, can you solve the problem of lack of money?"

"This..."

"What is this? Can you or can you not."

"If Your Majesty permits the humble official to increase taxes, I imagine the problem won't be big."

"Increase taxes? You only know how to increase taxes. It was increased once the year before last, and this year again; no, it cannot be increased a second time so quickly."

The old Emperor had been wise once, after all, and knew the consequences of frequent tax increases.

"If you don't increase taxes, do you have any other methods?"

"The humble official cannot think of any."

"Waste!" The old Emperor was furious, directly overturning the memorials on the desk, and directly smashing them onto Jiang Tu's head. Still not satisfied, he walked down the steps and kicked Jiang Tu over.

Jiang Tu took advantage of the momentum to roll, holding his chest and kneeling to plead guilty.

This is the treatment of a sycophant; when the Emperor is unhappy, he either scolds or hits, or kicks. If it were a proper court official, the old Emperor would never dare or be able to lay a hand on them.

Those are proper court officials who passed the Imperial Examination; how can they be wantonly humiliated? Even scolding must be done with elegant vocabulary. Laying a hand is impossible.

If he laid a hand today, the old Emperor's reputation could stink up the streets tomorrow, and all the scholars in the world would know that the old Emperor does not respect scholars and does not respect the subjects.

Then what is there to be polite about?

Just scold the old Emperor to death.

Truly leaving a bad name for ten thousand years.

It is only Jiang Tu, a sycophant, relying on flattering the superior to get promoted, who can be wantonly humiliated and beaten, and the court officials would even say "well beaten!"

Jiang Tu had self-knowledge and clearly knew his identity positioning. Regardless of why the old Emperor was losing his temper, pleading guilty was the right thing to do. As long as he wasn't beaten to death, he would still be the arrogant Lord Jiang tomorrow, and no one would dare to look down on him.

"It's fine if you can't get money, and you can't handle the errand well. What use do I have for you!"

The old Emperor was furious and was about to take the sharp sword on the wall and kill him with one sword.

"Your Majesty, calm down!" Jiang Tu was quick-eyed and fast-handed, grabbing the old Emperor's calf. "The humble official is guilty! The humble official heard a piece of news; Chen Guanfu seems to be smuggling goods to the northwest."

"Oh!" The old Emperor raised his eyebrows, not seeming so interested in this news. "There are many people smuggling goods to the border; one more or one less doesn't matter. What use is this news."

"The humble official also heard that it seems there are contraband items inside. Your Majesty can send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate secretly; there will definitely be a harvest."

"Contraband items, huh, haha..." The old Emperor looked indifferent, as if he had known it all along. "You only have this bit of use, waste!"

Jiang Tu felt wronged; how was he a waste?

His specialty is getting money, not listening to news.

To be able to hear these things, he had spent a lot of effort and spent a lot of money.

Qiu Defu shook his head secretly; Jiang Tu had completely gone in the wrong direction. The old Emperor didn't need him to listen to news at all; with the Embroidered Uniform Guard there, why would he need to use him, Jiang Tu.

Haha!

No wonder His Majesty scolded him as a waste; he is indeed a waste.

"You can't handle a small matter well; if you aren't a waste, what are you? When did I let you listen to Chen Guanfu's affairs? Do I need you to listen to his affairs? Idiot!"

This bunch of meritorious nobles, the old Emperor understood better than anyone else. After all, he had dealt with them for many years. This fellow Jiang Tu had completely failed to grasp his intent. ===== CHAPTER 438 =====