Thief Emperor

Chapter 1140 I feel something is wrong!
The next day, Du Qian led dozens of students into the imperial city to check the accounts for the emperor.

Normally, doing this would cause some trouble in the imperial city or palace of Luoyang, since there are corresponding government offices and the emperor's family members living in the palace. With dozens or even hundreds of people, it would be inevitable that some would wander off. However, the imperial city and palace of Jinling were already empty, so even if there were more than a hundred people, there wouldn't be any problems.

These students were all full of enthusiasm and quickly threw themselves into the task of auditing the accounts.

In the past few days, His Majesty the Emperor also took the time to meet with some local officials in Jinling, as well as famous scholars and Confucian masters. He also took the opportunity to visit some ordinary people and see the current living standards of the people in Jinling.

Overall, the standard of living in and around Jinling City is quite good, much better than when Li Yun led the imperial court to relocate more than a decade ago.

After all, many workshops and factories are now hiring, and even if only a portion of the people have jobs, it's still much better than relying solely on farmland and produce.

Moreover, this increase in income for a segment of the population will inevitably lead to a virtuous cycle. As long as the government ensures that this cycle continues, many years later, when the industrial age arrives, even just the domestic market of the Tang Dynasty will be enough to raise the living standards of the people to a higher level.

Of course, His Majesty's inspection tours were mostly just for show, a formality, and the local government officials would naturally choose places that could make a good impression to take him there.

However, Li Yun didn't care. He had more than just his own eyes; the eyes in the shadows could see even more.

On the fifth day after Li Yun entered Jinling, the city, which was already experiencing winter, was first covered with dark clouds, and then snowflakes began to fall.

The snowfall was quite heavy. By the afternoon, the entire city of Jinling was covered in white. His Majesty the Emperor, who was in the palace and had not gone out, was holding the Fifteenth Prince in his arms, accompanying Empress Xue and the Fourth Princess, enjoying the snow in the Imperial Garden of Jinling Palace.

He turned to look at the Fourth Princess and said with a smile, "Cai Mei, do you think Jinling or Luoyang is better?"

The fourth princess glanced at her mother, then smiled and replied, "I think Luoyang is nice, but Jinling is also very good. It's nice to visit occasionally."

She grew up in Luoyang and had virtually no impression of Nanjing, so naturally she felt that Luoyang was better.

Empress Xue said softly, "Your elder brother, the Crown Prince, grew up here. When this snow stops, your mother will take you to the place where your elder brother was born."

"And Qian Garden, where our family used to live."

When the topic of the residence in Jinling came up, Empress Xue smiled with emotion and said, "The place where your elder brother, the Crown Prince, was born was later given to my maternal family by your father, and now it is where your elder brother, Xue Gui, lives."

The fourth princess said "Oh" and asked many questions about her family's past in Jinling.

His Majesty the Emperor held his second son, looked down at the child's expression. The fifteenth prince, only three or four years old, was staring at the child with his big, dark eyes, looking around.

The emperor lifted him up and said with a smile, "Grow up quickly, little guy. If you like it here when you grow up, I'll enfeoff you here in the future."

Empress Xue frowned and shook her head, saying, "You mustn't speak carelessly."

"Jinling is too far away, and..."

Empress Xue frowned and said, "It's not quite appropriate."

Emperor Li said with a smile, "He's still young, he was just joking. Besides, they are brothers, nothing will happen."

"Where it will be sealed off in the future, we'll see."

After saying this, Li Yun looked at the Fourth Princess and asked, "Where has Cai'er been these past few days? She hasn't been running around, has she?"

The fourth princess quickly waved her hand: "I didn't run around. My cousin took me around Jinling City for two days."

The emperor asked, "Have you encountered any frivolous scholars?"

The fourth princess tugged at her father's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Jinling is also a secondary capital, where did this frivolous scholar come from?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor suddenly remembered something, coughed, and said seriously, "There have been quite a few students in the palace these past few days. Don't wander around and get caught by them."

The fourth princess said with a smile, "I saw it yesterday, a huge crowd of people. What did Father Emperor have them do?"

The emperor smiled and said, "We're checking the accounts."

"When Cai Mei returns to Luoyang in the future, if she has nothing to do, she can learn more about arithmetic from others. Maybe she can become an accountant for Father Emperor in the future."

The fourth princess smiled and said, "Do you still have money for me to manage?"

"How not?"

The emperor smiled and said, "Your father has plenty of money."

Just as he was about to continue speaking, the chief eunuch Gu Chang, who was accompanying him, jogged over and whispered a few words in the emperor's ear. The emperor nodded and said, "Take him to Zhaoming Hall and wait for me. I'll be there in a bit."

Gu Chang responded and quickly bowed his head and retreated.

After Gu Chang left, Li Yun handed the fifteenth prince in his arms to Empress Xue and instructed her, "There are quite a few outsiders in the palace now. Madam, please keep an eye on this girl and don't let her run around."

"I'm going to see someone."

Empress Xue took her son and gave Li Yun a disapproving look.

"I know, I know."

His Majesty the Emperor chuckled and left with his hands behind his back.

The fourth princess watched her father's departing figure, then looked at Empress Xue, and frowned: "Mother, Father has been acting strangely lately. What's wrong with him?"

Empress Xue looked at her daughter and sighed softly: "Your eldest and second eldest sisters are already married. If Afu doesn't get married next year, she'll probably get married the year after."

As she spoke, Empress Xue said softly, "You're next. Your father can't bear to part with you children."

The fourth princess pouted: "Then all my brothers left one by one?"

There was no other way.

Empress Xue sighed: "You are the second generation of this country. Our royal family must continue to flourish."

"This expansion and flourishing is not simply about having children, but about expanding and flourishing across the territory." Empress Xue looked down at the infant in her arms and said quietly, "Taking Luoyang as the root, let branches and leaves grow outwards and take root."

The fourth princess thought for a moment, then asked, "I understand. If my brothers are scattered throughout the country, what will happen to the Li family if something goes wrong in Luoyang..."

"All right."

Empress Xue gently tapped her head and scolded her playfully, "You jinx!"

The fourth princess shrank back and said with a smile, "If Mother hits someone, I'll go and complain to Father."

She ran off with a grin.

Empress Xue watched her retreating figure and called out, "Don't run around, don't run around..."

…………

Inside the Zhaoming Hall.

Cao Yu, still covered in snowflakes, knelt respectfully on the ground and kowtowed to Li Yun.

"Your subject Cao Yu pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

His Majesty the Emperor, with his hands behind his back, looked at him and then said with a smile, "Get up, get up."

Cao Yu stood up, still keeping her head down.

"Look up and let me see you."

The emperor smiled and said, "Look at these seven or eight years, have you changed?"

Cao Yu raised his head, stole a glance at the emperor, then quickly lowered his head again: "It's been several years, Your Majesty's spirit remains as vibrant as ever..."

The emperor waved his hand: "Things aren't as good as they used to be."

He found a place to sit down, then pointed to the chair next to him and said, "You sit down too."

Cao Yu responded and carefully sat down next to Li Yun.

"In the past seven or eight years, you have inspected the three circuits of Jiangnan, offending countless people both openly and secretly. What are your thoughts on that?"

Cao Yu said solemnly, "I do not feel that I am offending anyone. If anyone is offending anyone, it is they who are offending the court and Your Majesty."

"Offending the people."

Emperor Li was speechless and said, "When people say such things, it's always me first and the court second."

"But you are different."

Cao Yu lowered his head: "Your subject has misspoke."

The emperor simply smiled and didn't take it to heart.

"I am satisfied with your performance over the past few years. From now on, you will no longer serve as the Censor. During my time in Jiangdong, you will stay with me until we return to Luoyang."

"You will be appointed as the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

The emperor smiled and said, "Later, you should follow Minister Xu and learn from him properly."

Since the founding of the dynasty, Li Yun had mostly referred to himself as "I" when meeting with his officials, but when facing younger generations and officials after the founding of the dynasty, he had to maintain this air.

It is foreseeable that in the future, when His Majesty the Emperor meets people, he will refer to himself as "I" less and less, and refer to himself as "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I") more and more.

Cao Yu got up, knelt on the ground again, and replied, "Yes."

"Your Majesty, I am very grateful for your promotion."

The emperor raised his hand: "Rise, rise."

Cao Yu stood up, but did not sit down; he stood respectfully.

The emperor looked at him and thought for a moment: "Today, I had many things I wanted to ask you, but seeing your expression..."

"I have a question for you."

Cao Yu lowered his head and said, "I will speak frankly and without reservation."

The emperor rose, put his hands behind his back, and said, "In the eighth year of Zhangwu, you exposed the corruption case of the seventh year of Zhangwu, which led to dozens of people being punished by the court. Duke Ying, Zhuo Guangrui, was also stripped of his title and almost executed."

"now…"

"Now that Zhuo Guangrui has been reinstated and appointed Minister of Personnel, this matter..."

"What do you think?"

Cao Yu lowered his head and clenched his fists: "Your Majesty, this matter... I can understand Your Majesty."

He looked up at Li Yun: "But... I feel something is wrong."

Upon hearing this, the emperor was pleased and stepped forward to pat him on the shoulder, almost causing him to stumble.

"That's not good."

"That's not good."

(End of this chapter)