From cute to empress

Chapter 107 The Storm in Preparation

"Your Majesty is wise!" Upon hearing my approval, Lord Liu, the Minister of Rites, immediately beamed with joy. "I believe we should invite envoys from all countries to witness this celebration, showcasing the splendor of our dynasty!"

"Well, you can handle this matter." I nodded and handed over the celebration matters to Minister Liu.

I thought everything would go smoothly, but a few days later, Zhen Youcai came to me with an anxious look on his face.

"What's wrong? What happened?" I put down the memorial in my hand and looked at his expression, feeling a little uneasy.

"Mengmeng, I'm afraid there are some problems with the preparations for the celebration." Zhen Youcai always called me "Mengmeng" and only addressed me as "Your Majesty" on serious occasions. I knew he must have discovered something serious at this moment, otherwise he wouldn't be so out of control.

"Tell me slowly, what happened?" I motioned him to sit down and asked the palace maid to serve him tea.

Zhen Youcai took the teacup but didn't drink a sip. He frowned and said, "I heard that the officials in charge of purchasing supplies seem to be... seem to be corrupt and accepting bribes, passing off inferior goods as good ones."

"What?!" I slammed the table and stood up, seething with anger. "How could this happen? Who is it?!"

Zhen Youcai lowered his voice and said, "As far as I know, it's the Minister of Rites, Lord Wang..."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. Lord Wang, the Minister of Rites, was a close confidant of Minister Liu. This matter might not be that simple. I pondered for a moment, then said to Zhen Youcai, "Investigate this matter in secret, and be sure not to alert the enemy."

"Yes." Zhen Youcai took the order and left.

I paced alone in the imperial study, my mind racing. Preparing for the celebration was a major undertaking, and I absolutely could not tolerate anyone interfering. But if Minister Liu was truly implicated in this matter, how would I handle it? After all, he was a veteran of three dynasties, a position of immense power...

Just when I was getting extremely worried, Eunuch Li hurried in with an unusual look of panic on his face...

Eunuch Li's expression was a little unnatural, and I felt even more uneasy. "Eunuch Li, what's the matter?"

"Your Majesty," Eunuch Li hesitated for a moment and stammered, "When I was purchasing the cloth for the celebration, I was confused for a moment and accepted some... some..."

"Some what?" My heart skipped a beat and a bad premonition came over me.

"Some... kickbacks." Eunuch Li's voice was as low as a mosquito.

I suddenly felt dizzy and furious. "Eunuch Li, you're so bold!" I slammed the table, shaking the teacup.

Eunuch Li was so frightened that he fell to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly. "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! I was just possessed by a ghost for a moment. Please have mercy on me!"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rage in my heart. Eunuch Li has been with me for many years and has always been loyal to me. How could he do such a thing? "Where are the cloths? Where are they now?"

"Your Majesty, those cloths...quality...quality..." Eunuch Li hesitated, not daring to look up at me.

"What's wrong with the quality? Explain it to me clearly!"

"The quality is poor and does not meet the requirements of the celebration at all..." Eunuch Li's voice became smaller and smaller, almost inaudible.

My vision went dark, and I almost lost my balance. Embezzlement and bribery would be one thing, but to actually pass off inferior goods as genuine ones, affecting the budget and quality of the celebration, is sheer audacity!

I suppressed my anger and asked, "Who else was involved in this?"

Eunuch Li was so frightened that he was shaking all over, but he just kept kowtowing and didn't dare to say another word.

At this time, Zhen Youcai came back and was stunned when he saw the scene. I told him what happened, and he was also filled with indignation.

"Your Majesty, this matter must be thoroughly investigated! There must be no leniency!" Zhen Youcai said, "I have already drawn up a series of improvement plans to ensure the smooth running of the celebration."

I took the plan from Zhen Youcai and read it carefully. It was very detailed and comprehensive, with clear provisions for everything from repurchasing supplies to strengthening supervision and management. I was confident that as long as we followed this plan, the celebration would be a smooth sailing.

However, things were not as simple as I imagined. When I announced Zhen Youcai's plan in the court, it was opposed by some ministers.

"Your Majesty, General Zhen's plan is too radical and costly. It is really inappropriate!" The Minister of Revenue stood up and objected.

"Yes, Your Majesty, with the celebration approaching, it may be too late to purchase supplies again!" The Minister of Works also echoed.

For a time, the court was abuzz with discussion, and voices of opposition rose and fell. I looked at these ministers who usually appeared to be righteous and righteous, and sneered in my heart. It seems that this pool of water is deeper than I imagined...

At this moment, Prime Minister Wang, who had been silent all this time, spoke up: "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion..."

I looked up, and suddenly a sense of unease arose in my heart...

Prime Minister Wang stroked his graying beard and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I think it would be better to ask Princess Wang to help organize this celebration."

I sneered inwardly. It was just as I expected. Prime Minister Wang's niece, Wang Yuyan, relied on her status as a royal relative to act arrogantly in the capital. I'd heard she was eyeing this celebration, hoping to seize the opportunity to steal the show.

"What does Prime Minister Wang mean?" I asked calmly.

"Princess Wang is young and promising, and is deeply loved by His Majesty. If she helps to plan the celebration, it will surely make it more exciting." Prime Minister Wang said in a high-sounding manner.

Before I could even open my mouth, the Minister of Revenue couldn't wait to chime in, "Yes, yes, Princess Wang is incredibly talented and will surely add luster to the celebration!"

The other ministers echoed the sentiment, as if Wang Yuyan were some kind of genius sent from heaven. I sneered inwardly: these old foxes had clearly set their sights on the power behind Prime Minister Wang and were simply trying to curry favor with him.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble Prime Minister Wang to convey my intention. I invite Princess Wang to the palace to discuss it tomorrow." I said lightly, without any emotion in my tone.

Prime Minister Wang retreated triumphantly. I rubbed my aching brows and felt exhausted.

However, one wave has not settled, and one wave has risen again.

The next day, Zhang Fushang, the richest man in the capital, requested an audience, saying he wanted to donate supplies for the celebration as a token of his loyalty. I thought to myself that this would solve my immediate problem, so I summoned him into the palace.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor!" Mr. Zhang, a wealthy businessman, was fat and big-eared, and covered in jewels, looking particularly tacky.

"Boss Zhang, no need to be polite," I said calmly. "I heard you're donating supplies for the celebration. I wonder what they are?"

Rich businessman Zhang smiled widely as he pulled out a thick booklet from his sleeve and handed it over respectfully. "Your Majesty, please take a look. This is the list of supplies I am preparing to donate. I hope Your Majesty will accept it."

I took the booklet, opened it, and immediately frowned. This wasn't a list of supplies; it was clearly a business plan! Most of the items listed were from Mr. Zhang's shop, and the prices were much higher than the market price.

I suppressed my anger, threw the booklet aside, and said coldly, "Boss Zhang, are you donating supplies or taking advantage of the situation?"

Rich Merchant Zhang's face froze, but he still forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, I am sincere and honest, and heaven and earth can bear witness to this! These goods were carefully selected by me. They are of high quality and reasonably priced..."

"That's enough!" I slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Boss Zhang, do you think I'm a fool? I know exactly what you're planning!"

Rich businessman Zhang was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud, his fat body trembling, but he still argued cunningly: "Your Majesty, please understand. I have no second thoughts..."

I took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in my heart, and was about to speak when I heard a noise coming from outside the hall... "What's the noise?!" I asked sternly, and the noise outside the hall stopped abruptly.

Eunuch Li rushed in in a panic and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it is the Minister of Works, Mr. Liu. He, he..."

"What happened to Minister Liu?" My heart sank. Could something have gone wrong with the celebration preparations again?

"Lord Liu said, he said..." Eunuch Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said tremblingly, "He said that all the fireworks materials needed for the celebration were burned!"

"What?!" I jumped up, seething with rage. This was already the second major incident to happen today! First, it was the wealthy businessman Zhang who was taking advantage of the situation, and now the fireworks materials were destroyed. Could someone be behind this, deliberately trying to prevent the smooth progress of the celebration?

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Eunuch Li was so frightened that he fell to his knees, trembling.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. Now was not the time to lose my temper. The most urgent thing was to find out the truth and solve the problem.

"Call Minister Liu!" I said in a deep voice.

After a while, Minister Liu arrived, sweating profusely, and fell to his knees with a thud: "I deserve death, Your Majesty! Please punish me!"

"What happened? Why did the fireworks materials burn?" I asked, suppressing my anger.

"Your humble servant, your humble servant has no idea!" Minister Liu said with a sad face, "Those materials have been stored in a warehouse outside the city, under guard. But they suddenly caught fire this morning. When I arrived, it was already..."

"Have you found out the cause of the fire?" I asked.

Minister Liu shook his head. "The fire was so intense that it burned down the entire warehouse, leaving no clues..."

"Waste!" I was so angry that I slammed the table with my palm, shaking the teacup so much that it jumped up.

At this time, Zhen Youcai stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, I think this matter is strange. I'm afraid it's not just an accidental fire."

I turned to look at him and asked, "What do you think, my dear?"

Zhen Youcai pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I suggest that you immediately send someone to seal off the scene and conduct a thorough investigation. Furthermore, with the celebration approaching, the fireworks materials must be obtained as soon as possible. I am willing to personally visit various locations to supervise the process."

I nodded and said, "My dear minister, what you said makes sense. I'll leave this matter to you. Be sure to find out the truth as soon as possible and give me an explanation!"

"I obey your order!" Zhen Youcai took the order and left.

I rubbed my tired temples, feeling completely drained. The celebration preparations had been full of twists and turns, and numerous difficulties. Time was running out.

"Your Majesty, you haven't slept for a day and a night. You should take a rest first." Eunuch Li brought a cup of ginseng tea and advised softly.

I took the teacup, but couldn't take a sip. As I watched the sun sinking outside the window, a sense of unease rose in my heart.

"Eunuch Li..." I put down my teacup and asked in a low voice, "Do you think we can really make this celebration go smoothly?"

Eunuch Li was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, I believe..."

Before he could finish his words, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the palace. Immediately afterwards, a guard rushed in, knelt on the ground, and shouted loudly: "Report - the envoys of various countries have arrived thirty miles outside the city..."