After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 16

Prime Minister Xu didn’t know that Minister Qian had been arrested before even leaving the palace. At this moment, he had already returned to the Prime Minister’s Manor.

As soon as he stepped through the main gate, he saw his second son waiting at the entrance.

Xu Shengwen’s expression wasn’t good, but waiting here indicated he was also waiting for an answer.

“Your Majesty said there would be no selection. Petitions from the officials were useless.”

The father and son exchanged glances, and Prime Minister Xu said this.

After hearing this, Xu Shengwen pursed his lips tightly. “…”

Prime Minister Xu frowned as he looked at him. “If you can’t enter the palace, find another way. What’s with that expression?”

“The Emperor not holding a selection is naturally not directed at you. Don’t worry about it. As for the current Emperor, even your father can’t quite figure her out anymore,” Prime Minister Xu comforted him, but when speaking of Emperor Ruiming, a rare hint of surprise and apprehension appeared in his eyes.

He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that in the past dozen or so days, the Emperor seemed to have changed a lot, yet he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the change was.

As for his younger son…

It was his idea to have him enter the palace; Shengwen was initially unwilling.

This younger son, intelligent since childhood and very skilled in social interactions, had one flaw: extremely high self-esteem.

Having grown up being doted upon by everyone, a bit of strong self-esteem was understandable.

Now that Xie Wan from the Xie family had become the Emperor’s favored Consort Wan, while he, a Prime Minister’s son with a reputation for purity, had been expelled from the palace, it wasn’t just Shengwen; anyone else would inevitably feel resentful.

Prime Minister Xu sighed and said, “If you don’t enter the palace, then don’t. Get a good result in the imperial exams next year, and your father will still be proud of you.”

Xu Shengwen lowered his gaze. “Yes.”

But inwardly, he couldn’t help but feel sarcastic.

His father wanted him to enter the palace, so he entered. His father wanted him to take the imperial exams, so he would pass next year. Was he being treated as a beloved son, or a pawn?

“Oh, right, Shengwen, have you seen the Emperor recently while you were in the palace? Has the Emperor been acting strangely during this time?” Prime Minister Xu asked.

The words reached Xu Shengwen’s ears, instantly reminding him of the pair of eyes he had seen in the Imperial Garden that day.

Even thinking about it again made Xu Shengwen’s heart tremble.

She had scrutinized him, looked him over, and asked him, “Do you like Us?”

“No,” Xu Shengwen immediately replied.

Prime Minister Xu looked at his son in confusion. “No strangeness?”

Xu Shengwen was startled, then nodded with a bitter smile. “I’ve only met Her Majesty twice. How could I know if she’s acting strangely?”

Prime Minister Xu sighed. “The Emperor summoned the Xie family daughter to threaten Xie Chengdong. You didn’t lose to that crude woman. In any case, don’t take it to heart. The Emperor’s birthday is in a while. Prepare some fine calligraphy and ink to present to Her Majesty. The Emperor loves refined things and will look upon you favorably then.”

Xu Shengwen nodded. “Okay.”

The Emperor’s birthday…

Prime Minister Xu glanced at him, feeling a bit suspicious inwardly.

This absent-minded look…

A not-so-good guess appeared in Xu Ping’s mind. He immediately frowned, about to speak—

“Prime Minister, this is bad!”

Xu Ping turned back sharply. The one shouting was his trusted attendant.

The trusted attendant was usually steady, but now he was running in recklessly from the entrance, causing Prime Minister Xu’s heart to sink.

“What is it?”

“Prime Minister…” The trusted attendant first glanced at Xu Shengwen nearby, but couldn’t worry about anything else. “Prime Minister, something has happened at the Minister’s Manor.”

“General Xie has gone to the Minister’s Manor with an order to confiscate property.”

Prime Minister Xu’s face turned cold. “Where is Minister Qian?”

“The Minister has not been seen returning to the manor.”

That means he’s still in the palace! Prime Minister Xu slowly clenched his fist.

Prime Minister Xu asked in a deep voice, “Xie Chengdong went to confiscate the property himself?”

The trusted attendant said, “Yes, and he was holding Her Majesty’s imperial decree. The news has already spread. Minister Qian embezzled the grain for disaster relief in the north, and Her Majesty intends to punish him severely. I’m afraid it’s not just Minister Qian; everyone in the Ministry of Revenue, including all officials who handled the disaster relief this time, won’t escape!”

Prime Minister Xu’s breath hitched. Sure enough, his unease had been confirmed.

Remembering her seemingly casual inquiry during the morning court, Prime Minister Xu felt an unbelievable sense of dread.

When did the Emperor become so good at pretending?

No…

It wasn’t pretending.

She must have arranged everything before the morning court. Before the morning court, she was already prepared to confiscate Minister Qian’s property!

She had no intention of letting Minister Qian off the hook!

Then why did she deliberately ask that one question—

We heard there was a drought in the north earlier. How has this matter been handled, Prime Minister Xu?

Your Majesty, the disaster relief funds and grain have all been distributed to the local governments according to previous years’ practices.

Xu Ping suddenly understood…

That single question… was meant to convict him of failing to govern properly!

“Bring me my court robes! I’m going to the palace immediately!” Prime Minister Xu shouted.

Seeing his father and trusted attendant leave in a hurry again, Xu Shengwen said nothing and also turned to leave.

The young attendant behind him quickly followed. “Young Master, aren’t we going to take a look?”

Minister Qian has fallen? This is a big deal for the Xu family.

“Look at what?”

“That Minister’s Manor…” The attendant hesitated. The Minister is the Prime Minister’s subordinate. If something happens to the Minister, won’t it implicate the Xu family?

Xu Shengwen smiled faintly. “From this moment on, the Minister’s Manor and the Prime Minister’s Manor have no connection.”

The Xu family won’t fall.

How shrewd his father was.

Even if Minister Qian committed a crime punishable by extermination of nine generations, it would be the Qian family suffering, completely unrelated to the Xu family.

Xu Shengwen looked up at the sky.

But…

It seems this time, the Emperor is angry, angry that these court officials have always treated her like a fool.

His father too, with his poor judgment, is bound to stumble eventually.

…

Meanwhile, at Wanyi Palace.

“The person has been arrested, and my father has gone to confiscate the property. Why is Your Majesty here instead of going to the Censorate Office to interrogate the person?” Xie Anyu asked, looking at the Emperor who was sleeping on her pillow again, dissatisfied.

Xie Wan lay on her side and smiled. “Consort Wan’s pillow is quite nice.”

Xie Anyu reacted as if facing a formidable enemy. “That’s my treasure.”

“We didn’t say We wanted to snatch it from you. Can’t We even praise it?”

Anyu: “Your Majesty doesn’t treat people well for no reason. Praising people is the same.”

Every time she showed affection, she always needed her help with something. For example, this time, she had her temporarily take Commander Sun’s place to unexpectedly arrest Minister Qian, and then had her father immediately go to confiscate Minister Qian’s property after court.

“You certainly understand Us,” Xie Wan chuckled.

“But… did that Minister Qian really embezzle the disaster relief grain?” Anyu was surprised. “I’ve seen that Minister Qian twice myself. His food, clothing, and expenses didn’t seem particularly extravagant.”

At least not comparable to these nobles in the palace.

“He did, and not just this time. Minister Qian’s wife has a cousin who happens to have a villa outside the city. In that villa, the most valuable gold, silver, and antiques are hidden, countless pieces of art and calligraphy.” Xie Wan slowly sat up and said, “How many years has he been the Minister of Revenue? How much salary do We give him in a year that he could afford to buy a villa full of antiques? One piece of antique in there is enough for three generations of an ordinary family’s expenses.”

Anyu: “…Then why didn’t you arrest him before?”

“There was no evidence.”

In fact, up until now, Xie Wan still didn’t have complete evidence. While some evidence of corruption could be found in the disaster relief accounts, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

And the villa outside the city did indeed exist.

Later, when Da Yue fell into chaos and the Xu family forced their way into the palace, the military force they used was the private army they had raised.

And the bulk of the money for raising the army came from Minister Qian’s villa.

That villa wasn’t Minister Qian’s own villa. To be precise, it was the Xu family’s treasury.

These matters only gradually surfaced after Xu Ping was executed.

“Whether Minister Qian is arrested or not isn’t important. That villa is what We want,” Xie Wan said.

“Your Majesty arrested Minister Qian because you want to know the location of the villa?” Xie Anyu thought for a moment. That villa was indeed very valuable.

Xie Wan smiled. “No.”

Xie Anyu: ?

Xie Wan shook her head and said lightly, “By this time, Eldest Brother should have already arrived at the villa with people.”

And if things went as expected, Xu Ping should be on his way to the palace, probably worried that she would charge him with the crime of ‘failing to govern properly’.

“What Eldest Brother?” Xie Anyu reacted for a second, then was shocked. “My Eldest Brother?”

Xie Wan: “Consort Wan’s Eldest Brother is naturally Our Eldest Brother.”

“?”

“When We issued the imperial decree to General Xie, We also issued one to Eldest Young Master Xie along the way,” Xie Wan said.

General Xie went to confiscate the Minister’s Manor, and Eldest Young Master Xie went to confiscate that villa.

Corrupt officials must be punished, and she also wanted the money.

Xie Anyu looked at her with a complex expression. “…Your Majesty, you really make full use of my Xie family members. Eldest Brother hasn’t even taken up an official post in court yet.”

That’s true, even she, a palace consort, was summoned by her to fill Commander Sun’s position.

Now Second Brother has taken people to the north for disaster relief, Eldest Brother has also been summoned by her to confiscate a villa, her father too, she too…

Xie Wan smiled. “We’re family, why be so polite?”

“You…” Anyu almost blurted out that she was shameless, but the person in front of her was wearing imperial robes, making her words catch in her throat.

Anyu looked left and right, then darted directly behind Xie Wan, hugging the pillow in her arms. “I’m not giving it to you anymore. Next time you come to Wanyi Palace, bring your own pillow.”

Xie Wan smiled innocently. “What’s Consort Wan’s is Ours. Why distinguish between you and Us?”

This time, even though she was the Emperor, Anyu couldn’t help it. Her little face wrinkled, and she said, “Your Majesty, you really are thick-skinned.”

Xie Wan laughed heartily and gently pinched Anyu’s face.

How strange.

When this face was on her own body, was it this cute?

Anyu glared.

She was talking about her, why was she pinching her own face!

“The Xie family helped Us greatly this time. Consort Wan, what do you think We should give the Xie family?” Seeing her cuteness, Xie Wan couldn’t help but ask.

Anyu immediately replied, “Rare books! A whole cabinet of rare books!”

Both she and Eldest Brother loved them dearly!

Xie Wan’s smile widened. “No. How can rare books compare to Consort Wan and the Xie family working so hard for Us? General Xie cannot be promoted further… In that case, why don’t We make Consort Wan the Empress?”

“…”

Anyu said seriously, “Your Majesty, this consort believes that since the Xie family are your subjects, helping Your Majesty is what subjects should do.”

So, this reward isn’t necessary.

Xie Wan was startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Then We can freely order the Xie family around?”

Anyu nodded with difficulty.

“Consort Wan said this, remember.”

Anyu nodded, and whispered, “But… rare books… I still want them.”

“Alright,” Xie Wan thought for a moment. “We’ll give you one.”

Anyu suddenly looked up, unable to believe it. How could this Emperor be so stingy!

This expression made Xie Wan’s lips curl up again.

Her smile was genuine.

Anyu was stunned for a moment, and the hand clutching the small pillow couldn’t help but tighten slightly.

If she was a good Emperor, punishing corrupt officials was something the Xie family and she could help with any number of times, even without wanting rare books.