Chapter 486

Jiang Jintao, an official in the Ministry of Punishment, took off his outer coat, and immediately a maidservant stepped forward to take it and hang it on the screen by the door.

"Alas..."

Madam Zou had sighed so many times that she had lost count.

Jiang Jintao's hand trembled in fear as he turned to look at his wife.

"Alas..."

Could it be...?

Hesitantly, Jiang Jintao reached into his robes and pulled out a money pouch: "Madam, how did you know I had hidden some pocket money this time? Here, it’s all here. Every single cent is accounted for."

"Alas..."

Madam Zou switched the hand propping her cheek and continued her mournful sighs.

Jiang Jintao's face turned bitter. It was his turn to sigh as he fished another small money pouch from his sleeve: "Madam, you’ve become increasingly sharp. There’s no hiding anything from you. A senior official in the Ministry of Punishment, and you only give me thirty coins a month. It’s just not enough. Today, our Minister Ma treated me to drinks, and it felt indecent to always accept his hospitality, especially since he’s much younger than I am."

This time, it was truly all of it.

It was bizarre. Could there be a spy of his wife’s in the Ministry of Punishment?

How did she know they had issued bonuses this time?

Not only did she take his monthly allowance, but now even the extra rewards were beyond his grasp.

Who could be as unfortunate as him?

Every month by the end, he had to borrow money from his own son just to get by.

Madam Zou hadn’t initially understood, but with Jiang Jintao constantly muttering in her ear, it was impossible for her to remain oblivious.

She silently tucked the money pouch into her waistband, then, with one hand on her hip, she twisted his ear: "Oh ho! You’ve grown bolder now, haven’t you? Even daring to hide private money. Planning to spend it with your disreputable friends on a pleasure boat, are you?"

"No no no..."

Jiang Jintao quickly begged for mercy: "This is my first time hiding money, Madam, I had no experience. Truly, I’ve erred..."

Madam Zou knew her husband was a good man, and occasionally hiding some money wasn’t worth getting angry over. However, she felt it necessary to take a stern stance to prevent such occurrences in the future.

With a cold hum, she let go of Jiang Jintao's reddened ear: "My sighs aren’t only for your sake. It’s also about Shu'er. That child has lost her mind and insists on joining the palace to become an imperial consort. She’s throwing tantrums at home, even threatening to kill herself. I’m at a loss."

"Ouch—"

Rubbing his ear, Jiang Jintao said: "She’s just too vain. When we left the ancestral home, everyone thought she was meant to be our family’s support for the Empress. Now, when we try to marry her off, it’s understandable she’s struggling with the transition."

"So you’re supporting her in this?"

Madam Zou’s voice sharpened: "Do you remember when Lady Zhou was the second uncle’s official wife? How Shu'er along with Lady Tong and Lady Lin bullied the Empress back then? She doesn’t bother with us now because we don’t cross her path. But if she sees Shu'er daily, you can bet she’ll seek revenge!"

The Empress wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. Merely a word from her, and Shu’er wouldn’t survive in the palace.

"Of course, I can’t let her jump into the fire!"

Jiang Jintao chuckled: "You know of the grand scholar Xie, right? He has a son named Xie Chenghui, who at a young age is already the head of the Painting Academy, heavily favored by the Emperor. I’ve sent a matchmaker to connect with Madam Xie. We’ll arrange for the children to meet soon and seal the union."

"Is this true?"

Xie Chenghui, the eldest son of the Xie family, was well known to Madam Zou.

He was the dream son-in-law of countless mothers in the capital!

If Shu’er could marry into the Xie family, she’d only know endless blessings in the future.

As the dark clouds dispersed, the golden rays of the sun finally appeared from behind the clouds.

With days of heavy snow finally passing, the capital entered a new round of frigid air. Little Tuantuan wrapped himself tightly and instructed the palace attendants: "Have the cotton quilts I ordered sent to the Royal Ancestral Temple?"@@novelbin@@

"As per your command, Your Highness, they’ve been delivered. Alongside, we sent two carts of premium silver-thread charcoal, ensuring the third prince won’t suffer from the cold."

At over three years old, Little Tuantuan was a bundle of cuteness, yet already carried an air of authority: "Keep a close watch. Ensure none of my brother’s supplies are withheld. Catch one, punish one. Clear?"

Last year, his third brother refused the items sent by the Empress and ended up with a high fever from the cold. His fourth brother was deeply distressed and even went to the Royal Ancestral Temple to plead with his brother to take care of himself, only to be turned away.

Little Tuantuan had little recollection of his third brother, but his fourth brother said that when he was young, both of his older brothers loved him and played with him.

To ensure his fourth brother didn’t worry every winter, Little Tuantuan had to make sure his third brother took care of himself.

"Inform the third prince that if he winds up like last year, sick from the cold again this winter or spring, I’ll execute all those attendants who failed so miserably at caring for a child."

His third brother was only about nine or ten years old. His Empress mother said that they remained children until they reached eighteen.

In the Royal Ancestral Temple—

"Tock-tock-tock..."

The rhythmic sound of a wooden fish echoed from a small chapel in a side hall. Rising with the mist of incense and the rich scent of sandalwood, a thin young boy knelt before several ancestral tablets, reciting scriptures with reverence.

"Third prince..."

A knock sounded at the door: "The Crown Prince has sent extra winter clothing and quilts. I’ve placed them in your room."

"I won’t wear them. Please convey my gratitude to my younger brother for his kindness, but... I am here to atone for my sins. To live luxuriously would betray my purpose."

The eunuch outside hesitated: "But the attendants of the Crown Prince said that if you fall ill again like last year, they’ll execute all the eunuchs in the Royal Ancestral Temple."

He ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍had come to atone, not to create more sins through bloodshed.

The third prince chuckled softly: "Little Tuantuan sure has inherited the Empress’s style."

Just one sentence and he had struck a nerve.

"Fine, place the items in my room. I’ll wear them."

Although he knew Little Tuantuan wouldn’t actually commit such atrocities, the message had been made clear. He didn’t want his younger brother to feel his third brother no longer cared.

According to Jiang Xinyue’s experience, snow wasn’t the coldest; it was during the thaw that the chill bit deepest.

It was at this time that the delegation from the Jin Kingdom requested to return home.

The Emperor hosted a farewell banquet for the Queen of Jin, with another imperial feast.

However, this time, the Empress was absent due to illness.

Everyone was curious to inquire about her condition.

Some said it was because she had wronged too many concubines that on a dark, moonless night, she encountered evil spirits and became haunted.

Every night, chilling screams emanated from Kunning Palace. The palace attendants remained tight-lipped about it, which only fueled suspicions.