Chapter 212: with translation of title

Publicly selling spirit power cores?

That sentence left Lu Yuan bewildered.

But soon Lu Yuan figured out what was going on.

Whoa~~

Over these past ten days, Lu Yuan has been using the ore refiner to craft spirit power cores, hasn't he?

During the process of crafting spirit power cores, this machine produces a lot of residue inside.

These residues are useless.

But the residue refined by the ore refiner is very beautiful.

It's roughly the size of a fingernail.

Lu Yuan felt that this thing was so beautiful, it would be a shame to just throw it away.

Besides, the clothes in his family's shop need to be decorated with pretty gems, right?

He had originally planned to custom-make sapphires.

But now that he has these residues, Lu Yuan feels he can just use them directly.

This thing even glows— isn't it prettier than those gems?

The key is that this thing isn't available anywhere else; only his family has it— how beautiful is that!

So Lu Yuan took a bunch home for his wife.

These items were also made into buttons, cufflinks, etc., and inlaid onto the clothing.

This matter…

Of course, for now, it doesn't seem like the time to think about this matter.

At that moment, everyone in the hall stared at Lu Yuan in shock, then glanced at Gu Qingwan on the imperial throne.

This matter… it's troublesome!

Everyone knows that His Majesty dotes on Lu Yuan beyond measure.

Embezzling sixty thousand?

Ridiculous!

That's nothing!

Just the bicycle Lu Yuan made alone— who knows how much money it added to the national treasury.

Embezzling sixty thousand— that's nothing!

His Majesty would never punish him!

Of course, no one understands why Lu Yuan would do this.

But regardless, Lu Yuan did it, and his doing so actually doesn't matter.

If that's all it is, I'd guess His Majesty would at most give him a verbal reprimand, or maybe not even reprimand him at all.

He might even cooperate with Lu Yuan.

They'd say Lu Yuan was researching something or needed it for some purpose, and that she had specially approved it.

And all that rhetoric.

But the problem now is… Lu Yuan took out the spirit power cores to sell— this… is wrong.

Even if His Majesty wanted to protect Lu Yuan, there's no way to do so.

Because there's no excuse whatsoever— no matter what you say, Lu Yuan is guilty, since you took those spirit power cores out to sell; there's no way to justify it.

Of course, His Majesty is His Majesty; if he really insists on protecting him, he can do so.

The whole world bears the surname Gu— how could it not be possible?

But the problem is… His Majesty would have to do that.

Then what would outsiders say?

If His Majesty insists on protecting him today, tomorrow the storytellers under the bridge will start embellishing the tale.

Lu Yuan is a great traitorous minister, a great corrupt official.

And the current emperor is foolish and incompetent, unable to distinguish loyalty from treachery.

Then blah blah blah.

Even thinking with your heels, you know how the tale will spread tomorrow under the bridge.

Now the weather has warmed up, and after dinner the common folk like to go out for a stroll.

The rumor will spread absolutely fast.

Within two days, the whole Huangcheng will know.

You say, if His Majesty insists on protecting him, then His Majesty's reputation— well, that's ruined!

If you were His Majesty, would you first look after your own reputation, or first worry about the lives of your subordinates?

Definitely, you'd first look after your own reputation!

This matter…

Everyone's heart gave a jolt.

They felt… Lu Yuan was doomed.

Of course, execution is impossible, but afterwards Lu Yuan will probably have to lay low for a long time, at the very least he'd first need to be locked up for a while.

Even if His Majesty later finds some excuse to release Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan absolutely cannot continue as he does now, riding his cart and randomly rushing into the palace.

Lu Yuan… is clueless!

But… after all, he's only in his twenties.

His Majesty had doted on him so much before, so it's no wonder he lost his composure.

But Your Majesty…… this matter is also handled wrongly, how can you favor a single person like this……

The Emperor ought to have dignity; to favor a subject so much will surely cause the subject's virtue to suffer.

Everyone's minds were quickly pondering.

Meanwhile, on the Cabinet's side, everyone's faces already showed a smug expression.

If this matter were merely Lu Yuan embezzling those spirit power cores, the Cabinet would definitely not let anyone come to impeach Lu Yuan.

They would merely secretly record these matters.

Wait until the day Lu Yuan does something big, then bring these things out, punish all the crimes together, serving as the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

But the Cabinet members really didn't expect this.

Lu Yuan actually dares to openly take out those spirit power cores and sell them!

The Cabinet has investigated this matter very clearly.

First, Your Majesty absolutely does not know that Lu Yuan embezzled spirit power cores.

Because every time Lu Yuan went to Little Green Mountain to take spirit power cores, he had no approval slip, no imperial edict, nothing at all.

On the Little Green Mountain side, they merely recorded each time how many spirit power cores Lu Yuan took, then handed the record to the Ministry of Works.

And the Ministry of Works regards Lu Yuan as one of its own, so they never ask, never investigate.

Second, Lu Yuan's spirit power cores must definitely be hidden!!

The Cabinet secretly sent people to investigate Lu Yuan's workshop; besides a steam engine and some odd gadgets, they found no spirit power cores at all.

Lu Yuan has to take two hundred catties of spirit power cores every day to the workshop at Bing Jia Chang.

Where did all those spirit power cores go?

They must have been secretly transferred away.

If later Your Majesty tries to excuse Lu Yuan in any way, the Cabinet will immediately propose to raid his home!!

As long as spirit power cores are found in Lu Yuan's home, even Your Majesty would have no way to defend himself!!

As for Lu Yuan's home.

The Cabinet knows that Lu Yuan not only has two rooms in a siheyuan in East Bright Community,

but also an entire siheyuan!!

And those spirit power cores must certainly be hidden in that grand residence.

The Cabinet has this matter completely assured.

We'll deal with Lu Yuan today!!

At this moment, Lu Yuan also feels a bit dazed, and is suddenly reflecting……

He really has capsized in a gutter.

He never expected the Cabinet to hate him this much.

His own shop just opened yesterday, and today they come to impeach him.

It seems whatever he does, those people are always watching him from behind……

This matter……

Indeed, it really is his own fault.

He has been a bit too unrestrained.

Mainly because his relationship with Gu Qingwan is too good, he indeed hasn't considered many things.

Hmm……

From now on, he really needs to pay attention……

And while Lu Yuan was pondering, Gu Qingwan first waited for him a few seconds.

Gu Qingwan felt that Lu Yuan wouldn't go that far.

Moreover, Gu Qingwan knows Lu Yuan has been tinkering with new things lately, but she doesn't know what they are.

Several times, Gu Qingwan really wanted to send the Azure Guard to pry open Lu Yuan's workshop door and go in to see what's inside.

But in the end she restrained herself each time.

There's no way around it; this is Lu Yuan, and Gu Qingwan had previously promised in her heart.

She would absolutely not surveil Lu Yuan.

So Gu Qingwan felt Lu Yuan wouldn't embezzle those six hundred thousand spirit power cores, but after waiting a while, Lu Yuan just stood there dazed.

He didn't come out to explain.

Then Gu Qingwan realized, uh-oh, if Lu Yuan doesn't come out to speak, then this matter is truly as the two Vice Ministers of Personnel assigned by the Cabinet said.

For a moment, Gu Qingwan really gave Lu Yuan a vexed stare, wishing he would improve.

You're crazy!!

If you're short on money, you ask your older sister for it, making up any excuse… or rather, you just open your mouth and ask for money—could your older sister possibly refuse you!!

What are you doing stealing these things!!

This isn't needlessly inviting gossip!!

Instantly, Gu Qingwan felt a surge of anger—this little thing is normally so clever, how could he be so foolish in this matter!!

Of course, now is really not the time to talk about these things.

The most important thing right now is to quickly suppress this matter!!

Immediately, Gu Qingwan slightly raised her head and directly said:

"It's not embezzlement, uh…… Lu Yuan has been researching new things lately, so I permit him to do this."

Having said that, Gu Qingwan raised her head and looked directly at the two Vice Ministers of Personnel below and said:

"Would you like me to show you the imperial edict from back then?"

The two Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel immediately dropped to their knees and spoke in panic:

I dare not, I dare not...

This matter, the two of us are just here to take the shift.

Actually, these two people don't even want to come out and do this.

This Lu Yuan is currently the most favored person before the Emperor!

But... the two of them are also cabinet members, also Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel; not coming out is simply unacceptable...

At this moment, the cabinet officials also knew that it was time for these people of theirs to step forward.

Immediately, Yan Chonghui then stood up and bowed, saying:

Your Majesty, I wish to know what exactly Lu Yuan is researching, requiring two hundred catties of spirit power core each day?

One catty of spirit power core can make a high-power machine rotate three hundred times.

What on earth is that little workshop of Lu Yuan's doing, needing two hundred catties of spirit power core a day?

At this moment, the junior assistant, Yan Shijin, also stood up and said:

Indeed, this will soon be known to all; moreover, why does Lu Yuan openly sell spirit power core placed in his clothing?

Facing this question, Gu Qingwan immediately raised her head and said:

The spirit power ore of Xiaoqing Mountain was discovered by Lu Yuan; I have bestowed upon him some scattered spirit power ore as a memorial—what's wrong with that?

Having said that, Gu Qingwan looked down at Lu Yuan and angrily whispered:

Lu Yuan, you have great audacity, daring to sell the things I bestowed upon you!

This is disrespect to me; since it's your first offense, I won't punish you—don't do it again.

Everyone can see the Emperor is changing the subject, firmly protecting Lu Yuan.

But...

The Emperor really dotes on Lu Yuan too much...

Your Majesty, you should at least give him a proper punishment!

For example, deduct half a year's salary, or a full year's salary!

What a good fellow, you can't even bear to fine him a little money?

He just embezzled six hundred thousand!!

Fining him a year's salary would only be two hundred coins; what a good fellow, the Emperor can't even bear to fine him two hundred coins?

How spoiled must he have become!

No wonder Lu Yuan dares to be corrupt.

If the Emperor dotes on me like this, I'd dare embezzle sixty million!

Even the cabinet officials never expected the Emperor to dote on Lu Yuan to such an extent.

He won't even bear to give a token punishment.

But, this matter isn't over yet!

The next second, Junior Assistant Kang Linfei stood up, looking at Gu Qingwan solemnly and said:

Your Majesty, this matter still needs to be handled seriously; we must give an explanation to all the subjects.

If it's merely because of Your Majesty's favoritism, allowing subordinates to act lawlessly, what future does the Great Zhou Dynasty have?!

If it's merely because of Your Majesty's favoritism that we can do this, then aren't we destined to repeat past mistakes?

As soon as Kang Linfei spoke, he immediately raised the stakes of this matter.

At this moment, Gu Qingwan stared coldly at Kang Linfei below, her mind racing to think of how to gloss over this affair.

As for the words Kang Linfei said, they seem reasonable.

But in Gu Qingwan's view, they're all nonsense.

What's wrong with my favoritism toward Lu Yuan?!

And you're comparing me to the previous dynasty?!

Did anyone in the previous dynasty manage to increase potato yields five or sixfold?!

Did anyone in the previous dynasty produce a railway steam engine?!

Did anyone in the previous dynasty manage to resolve a century of banditry in an instant?!

Saying all this is just an attempt to use these things to restrict me!

At the same time, Kang Linfei looked at Gu Qingwan again and said:

Your Majesty, this matter can only be resolved by confiscating the property!

As far as I know, Lu Yuan has a grand residence in Huangcheng; surely Lord Lu has hidden the spirit power cores there.

Over two thousand catties of spirit power core is no small amount; a search will reveal it.

Search Lu Yuan's home?

Absolutely not!

In Gu Qingwan's mind, Lu Yuan's grand residence surely hides spirit power cores; once discovered...

Even I wouldn't be able to protect Lu Yuan then!

At that point, nothing I say will work!

So we absolutely cannot go.

But at this moment, the three senior cabinet officials below all knelt down together and said in unison:

Please, Your Majesty, investigate this matter thoroughly and give the world an explanation; if found, punish Lu Yuan severely.

If not found, even better—this would clear Lord Lu's name of injustice.

Seeing the three officials' actions, Gu Qingwan had no hesitation and rose directly, saying:

「Impossible。」

The Ministry of Rites staff began preparations, compiling into a book the various achievements of Lu Yuan's recent painstaking research on railways, steam engines, grain, etc., to make known to all under heaven.

Court dismissed.

Having said that, Gu Qingwan immediately rose and wanted to leave.

This left everyone in the hall bewildered.

This... the emperor's favoritism is really too exaggerated!

The emperor doing this... is throwing away his own reputation!

This... the normal procedure for this matter should be to first apprehend Lu Yuan, then imprison him for three to five months.

After this matter is over, then Lu Yuan will be released.

Cold handling is the best!

But this emperor...

Would rather sacrifice his own reputation than fail to protect Lu Yuan?!

At this moment, Lu Yuan was also a bit dazed.

For a moment... uh... indeed very moving.

The suddenness of this event left Lu Yuan no time to think or speak.

He was directly pressed down by Gu Qingwan.

The feeling of being held in someone's arms... moreover... inexplicably a bit fresh...

At that moment, Lu Yuan felt the words Gu Qingwan had said when he previously rode a vehicle bringing her to Little Green Mountain...

Um...

In front of everyone's attention, Gu Qingwan, who directly flicked her sleeves and left, had just come down from the imperial seat.

A voice then sounded softly within the great hall:

"Sister Wan, you're amazing, how did you know I'm researching new things?"

"It just so happens I wanted to take it out to show you."

Thanks to elder brother Sleep God Like Wind for the 3000 book coins tip, thank you very much~

Thanks to elder brother jyu3828 for the 100 book coins tip, thank you very much~

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(End of chapter)