The Demon Prince

As soon as he finished speaking, heavy footsteps came from outside the hall.

It wasn't the sound of courtiers' boots, but the tapping of canes on gold bricks, the scraping of wooden legs on the ground, and the dull thud of old armor plates colliding.

The eunuch came in to report:

"Your Majesty, there are wounded veterans and representatives of disaster victims outside the palace requesting an audience."

They said they had heard rumors that someone was slandering the Prince's Mansion to extort money, and they had come to testify.

Soon, several veterans were helped into the hall. The one at the front had lost an arm, and his left sleeve was empty.

Another man was lame, and an old soldier had a black cloth covering his eyes and was clutching a silver coin in his hand.

They lacked the decorum of court officials; their clothes were old, even tattered, but as soon as they entered the hall, the military officers fell silent.

Before some of the younger generals could react, several veterans already had tears in their eyes.

The amputee veteran knelt down:

"Liu Gui, a commoner, is a former soldier from the northern border. He lost an arm when he retired, and his pension was delayed for two and a half years."

Yesterday, the Prince of Zhenguo's Mansion delivered the supplementary silver, not a single coin missing.

He picked up the bag of silver, his hands trembling violently.

"This humble subject doesn't understand the imperial court, nor does he understand any investigation, and he doesn't understand why these people would frame the Crown Prince!"

All I know is that last night we finally bought rice, and the children have their medicine to drink..."

The blindfolded old soldier also knelt down:

"I am Huang Ping, a commoner. I lost one eye. I went to the Ministry of War to ask for money, but the gatekeeper said the file was incomplete. I waited for three years."

Yesterday, Manager Zhao said that this was what they deserved.

He paused here, calming his agitated heart, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"They deserve it!"

In the ranks of military officers, someone rubbed his face hard.

As Li Shunhua stood at the front, looking at these veterans, the scene from the alleyway last night flashed before her eyes again.

A dark, dilapidated courtyard; a one-armed old soldier.

She slowly exhaled.

A woman with a child was also brought into the hall. The child was nestled in her arms and was wearing a new cotton coat. The coat had rough stitches but was very thick.

When the woman knelt down, the child in her arms clutched her clothes in fright.

"The woman's husband died in battle in the north, and the compensation has not yet arrived."

Yesterday, the Prince's Mansion sent some money, including cotton-padded clothes. The young master didn't take our money.

She looked up at the court officials, tears streaming down her face.

"He paid back the money you owed us."

When the child saw his mother crying, he started crying too, and the wailing started, but no one dared to stop him.

The minor officials who had been fined knelt outside the hall, their faces growing increasingly grim.

The head steward's eyes reddened, not from grievance, but from shame, so shameful that he wished he could bury his head in the ground.

It turns out that his money really did end up in these people's hands; it turns out that Xiao Xingyue didn't move the silver into his private treasury; it turns out that every curse they uttered last night was directed at him.

Sun Ting suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard.

The surrounding minor officials were startled.

Sun Ting lowered his head:

"I'm not human, I'm really not human."

Inside the hall, even the sentimental civil official lowered his head.

Some people have always disliked Xiao Xingyue's antics, but now, looking at these veterans and widows, they felt a tightness in their chests.

When an official rises to such a position, even the widows of military households have to kneel in the main hall to beg for justice.

What right do they have to talk about dignity?

The impeaching censor stood there, his passion gradually cooled by the testimonies, leaving him only with embarrassment.

He knelt heavily before the emperor:

"Your Majesty, I have been misled and have misunderstood the Crown Prince."

"I am willing to accept the punishment!"

The old faction in the Ministry of War was in complete panic; they could no longer deny the accusations of embezzlement and corruption.

Not only could they not hold them back, they even managed to trap them in the pit!

Just then, a former official of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward. His temples were gray, and he tried his best to keep his voice steady:

"His Majesty.

"I am not questioning where the Crown Prince's money went; if it didn't end up in his own pocket, that's naturally a good thing."

Xiao Xingyue glanced at the old man. Here it comes. The old man is changing tracks and tactics.

Former officials of the Ministry of Rites bowed respectfully.

"But the imperial court has its own laws and regulations."

Without the court's permission, the crown prince privately set up soup kitchens and medicine stalls to provide disaster relief.

If this trend continues, local powerful figures will be able to use disaster relief as a pretext to win over the hearts of the people. What will become of the imperial court's decorum?

Civil officials immediately echoed this sentiment within the hall:

"I also think this is inappropriate. Good deeds are good deeds, and laws are laws."

If everyone oversteps the bounds, wouldn't the laws of the Great Xia Dynasty become nothing more than decorations?

Relief for disaster victims should be requested by the Ministry of Revenue, coordinated by the Ministry of Rites, and implemented by local officials. The fact that the Prince of Zhen's residence privately set up a medicine shed is indeed inappropriate.

With just a few words, the focus was immediately shifted, not to discuss whether Xiao Xingyue had done a good deed, but only whether the process was correct and whether the regulations were legal.

Li Shunhua's face turned cold:

"you."

She was about to speak when Xiao Xingyue raised his hand to stop her.

Xiao Xingyue looked at the former official of the Ministry of Rites:

"Are you all sure it was me who secretly provided disaster relief?"

The former official of the Ministry of Rites felt a jolt in his heart, suddenly having a bad premonition.

But since the words had already been spoken, I could only bite the bullet and say:

"If this was not a private arrangement by the Crown Prince, then please explain, Crown Prince."

Xiao Xingyue turned around:

"Yuanbao, exchange the box."

Zhao Yuanbao had been waiting for this, and he excitedly said, "Alright!"

Another tent trunk was opened, and this trunk was sealed with even more seals—red, blue, and white.

Zhao Yuanbao brought out the top roster:

"The General Register of the Soup Dishes in the South of the City was established in the name of His Majesty's benevolence and compassion for the disaster victims."

The emperor behind the beaded curtain seemed startled.

Xiao Xingyue smiled with exceptional respect:

"Father is benevolent; your son is merely running errands for you."

The emperor stared at him blankly. This little rascal has hung me up again?

Zhao Yuanbao continued reading:

"In the name of the soup kitchen, His Majesty showed compassion for the disaster victims, Consort Qin bestowed silver, the Ninth Princess assisted in the management, and the Prince of Zhen's Palace carried out the work."

Under the guise of a medicine shed, His Majesty granted permission to distribute medicine after the disaster. Consort Jing and Beitang Yunjing supervised the medicine distribution, and the Seventh Princess Li Miaoqing tested the prescriptions. The Beitang gentry provided free medical consultations.

The placement of the wounded soldiers was proposed by Princess Li Shunhua, with General Qin Zhenyue nominally in charge, and Xiao Xingyue responsible for recovering the stolen goods and making up the accounts.

Clothing and bedding for the disaster victims were provided by the old treasury of Consort Shu's palace, and Jiang's merchants assisted in delivering them.

The document registration was primarily handled by Shen Yan.

The official storage facility was sealed, and the box was made by the Sixth Princess, Li Lingxi.

The more Zhao Yuanbao read, the more interesting the expressions became in the hall.

The former official of the Ministry of Rites, who had just been talking about etiquette, was now ashen-faced!

He thought he was only fighting Xiao Xingyue, but he didn't expect that when he slashed down, all he saw were thighs!

The Emperor! Consort Qin! Consort Shu! Consort Jing! The Beitang Aristocracy! Qin Zhenyue! The Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Princesses! The Sixth Princess! The Top Scholar Shen Yan! The Prince of Zhenguo's Mansion!

This isn't just a privately set up soup kitchen; it's like half the imperial harem and half the imperial court are written on the roof of the kitchen!

The civil officials from Consort Shu's faction were the first to be bewildered:

"Jiang Shi assisted in the delivery? Who assisted in the delivery? Did Consort Shu give the order?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuying was taken aback for a moment, then thought of the jade token.

She slowly turned her head and looked at Li Wangshu, who was pretending to be well-behaved beside her:

"Didn't you lose your token?"

Li Wangshu's gaze drifted outside:

"It's lost."

Jiang Shuying sneered:

"You gave it to Xiao Xingyue, right?"

Li Wangshu's ears turned red:

"Mother, I didn't know he picked me up."

Jiang Shuying was so angry she laughed.

This silly daughter actually handed over the opportunity for the Jiang family to that little scoundrel.