Reborn as a Happy Wife in a Rural Family

Chapter 337 The Great Cleanup

Gu Qingli organized a list of the officials who had embezzled gold and silver treasures, noted how much each had taken, and asked Wuqing to deliver a copy to the Retired Emperor so that he could see how terrible things were in his Daqian Imperial Palace.

Then a major cleansing took place in the palace. Those who should be sent out were dispatched. Some people, despite their old age, refused to leave the palace and just idled around waiting for their deaths.

Gu Qingli didn't tolerate them. No matter how much they kowtowed and begged, it was useless. She ordered the Imperial Guard to escort them out according to the list.

Those who should be sent to the Department of Punishment were dealt with accordingly, forced to return what they had plundered. After that, those who deserved death were executed, and those who deserved to be sold were sold, at least recouping some money.

The Cold Palace was also cleaned up.

There were more than twenty concubines Chu Xiong disliked. Gu Qingli consulted them, letting those who wanted to leave the palace do so, and sending those who didn't want to leave to Chu Xiong.

There were also quite a few old imperial dowagers. Gu Qingli designated a palace for their retirement and arranged for imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to treat their ailments.

Having been neglected in the Cold Palace, where living conditions were poor, they all suffered from significant illnesses.

After the thorough cleansing of the Harem, things looked much more orderly.

In short, Gu Qingli would not tolerate idlers or parasites.

The upheaval in the Harem caused a stir in the imperial court, and an Imperial Censor soon stepped forward to impeach Gu Qingli.

He accused her of trying to monopolize the Harem, keeping only her own people, as if she couldn't tolerate anyone else.

Xiao Yunjing scoffed at these impeachment charges. He was annoyed by these officials who, after eating their fill, only concerned themselves with nitpicking trivial matters in court. In the face of real crises, they wouldn't even dare to utter a peep and instead acted like turtles pulling their heads into their shells.

"You accuse such a thrifty and diligent Empress of various faults? What kind of Empress would satisfy you then?" Xiao Yunjing said. "One like Lord Zhang's wife, who spends tens of thousands of taels without batting an eye just for her own amusement? One who only knows how to shop whenever she goes out? Is that what I should want?"

Xiao Yunjing bluntly pointed at an official from the Ministry of Revenue.

Upon hearing Xiao Yunjing's words, Lord Zhang lowered his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had no words to refute the Emperor's accusation about his spendthrift wife. Now that he was being publicly shamed, how could he face anyone?

His household was nearly bankrupt because of that woman, and he had been thinking of how to procure some silver from the national treasury. But after the Emperor's public rebuke, he wouldn't dare take it even if it were offered.

The other officials were terrified, their stomachs churning, fearing Xiao Yunjing would dredge up their old accounts. Those records certainly wouldn't bear scrutiny!

"And you, Lord Li," Xiao Yunjing continued, "your family enjoys exotic delicacies daily, wears luxurious silks and satins, and is surrounded by throngs of servants when you go out. Should the Empress live like your family?"

"And you, Lord Lu, even your family's chamber pots are made of gold, are they not?"

"And you, Lord Gao, do I need to list every one of your extravagances?"

Lord Gao, thoroughly frightened, nodded repeatedly. "Your Majesty, I dare not question the Empress's actions. Her noble character and frugality are a model for us all."

Lord Gao was almost terrified to the point of wetting himself. If the Emperor knows that even Lord Lu's chamber pots are made of gold, then he must know about the gold and silver tableware in my own household. The Emperor must be aware of all the wealth we hold!

Where did these riches come from? Could they withstand scrutiny?

Of course not. He wished Xiao Yunjing could be as easily fooled as Chu Xiong.

Xiao Yunjing called out a dozen officials one after another. All of them were too intimidated to even catch their breath. They glared at the Imperial Censor, resenting his reckless accusations. The Empress's cleaning of the Harem had nothing to do with them, yet he had ended up dragging them all into this mess.

They might dare to argue if anyone else had exposed them, but with the Emperor himself laying their deeds bare, they wouldn't dare utter a word of protest.

They might even lose their heads over such matters.

If the Emperor dares to drag them out into the open in court like this, it must mean their families have already been thoroughly investigated. Aren't they doomed now?

The Empress was rectifying the Harem, and the Emperor was rectifying the court.

Some people finally realized this.

The Imperial Censor also understood and dared not utter another word. He feared the Emperor would expose his own family's hidden dealings as well.

As a government official, who among them was truly clean? The Imperial Censor wished he could sew his own mouth shut.

It was all because of his loose tongue! How formidable could this young Emperor be? Wasn't Chu Xiong also completely managed by them, the Imperial Censors?

Whenever they impeached a concubine, that concubine would invariably suffer misfortune. This tactic had been tried and tested, never failing them.

Today, it seemed they had really kicked an iron plate.

Things, once started, couldn't end so easily. The next day, all dozen officials named by Xiao Yunjing were impeached. Their dossiers were sent to his imperial desk, each record clearly detailing every single instance of corruption and abuse of power they had committed.

Xiao Yunjing showed no mercy, immediately investigating and punishing these dozen officials. Homes were confiscated, and individuals were exiled.

For a while, the Capital City was filled with cries of grief, but eventually, the court quieted down.

Everyone realized that this Emperor was too formidable. With his decisiveness and efficiency in handling matters, he was incomparable to Chu Xiong.

The hearts of the civil and military officials were filled with a bitterness too profound to describe, their grievances too numerous to detail.

However, Xiao Yunjing was quite pleased. Seeing the national treasury filled to the brim, he truly wanted to laugh skyward. This idea had come from Li'er herself.

She had said that after her major cleanup of the Harem, some people's covert networks, and even their share of the pie, would be disturbed, which would certainly trigger impeachment from the court.

He then instructed the Secret Guards to thoroughly investigate all officials in the Capital City, identify the most corrupt among them, and make an example of them.

Otherwise, these restless individuals, one after another, would constantly cause disturbances in court.

This way, their attention would no longer be focused on his Harem.

Then, each of them would be too busy behaving with extreme caution, constantly worrying if the Emperor would discover their misdeeds, to have any mind for the Harem.

This tactic would not only root out the 'bad apples' in the court and fill the national treasury but also allow for the kingdom's quiet and steady development—truly an excellent plan.

Sure enough, the tactic worked.

Now, when attending court, Xiao Yunjing was in a good mood, and the memorials submitted by officials were no longer perfunctory.

Moreover, Xiao Yunjing investigated all officials in the Daqian Kingdom, no matter their rank. Any official found guilty of accepting bribes or embezzling was severely punished. During this time, the roads to exile became so frequently used they resembled a highway.

The common people applauded, saying that the Emperor had finally opened his eyes and dealt with these damnable corrupt officials who oppressed them.

It was truly gratifying to the people.

Memorials praising the Emperor poured into the Capital City from all directions, landing on Xiao Yunjing's desk.

Xiao Yunjing sighed deeply. He hadn't expected that simply cracking down on corrupt officials would elicit such a strong response from the people. It truly shows how much the common folk have been repressed.

If these people weren't eliminated, they would remain a hidden danger for the future.

Thank goodness, thank goodness!

「In the blink of an eye, autumn arrived, and the three little princes were about to turn one year old.」

Xiao Yunjing prepared a grand celebration for them, as well as for the great harvest of the Daqian Kingdom this year.

This year, sweet potatoes had been planted across the country. Thanks to this high-yield crop, the people would no longer have to worry about going hungry.