Chapter 479 - 258: What If I Give Birth to a Little Hothead?

Chapter 479: Chapter 258: What If I Give Birth to a Little Hothead?

Song Yunzhao was unaware of Meng Jiuchang’s little schemes, but even if she had known, she wouldn’t have cared.

Anyone who served the Emperor, especially those who had climbed to the rank of General Manager, was full of cunning. Those without a calculating mind would have been trampled down long ago.

For people like that, as long as appearances were kept up and everyone got along, there was no need to make an enemy.

They were drawn by benefits and would depart for the same reason. As long as she remained in favor, Meng Jiuchang wouldn’t dare to cross her.

Before dinner, Yun Zhao meticulously sorted the items Consort Shu had sent over. While she couldn’t quite decipher the accounting methods used, she could at least group the documents.

When Feng Yi arrived, he saw Yun Zhao fanning herself with a round fan, seemingly lost in thought. Her large, usually lively eyes held a hint of confusion. He couldn’t help but stop in his tracks to watch her, finding the sight quite amusing.

Song Yunzhao was sensitive to being watched. She whipped her head around and saw Feng Yi standing under a palace lantern by the eaves, smiling as he looked at her.

A beauty viewed by lamplight only grows more beautiful with every glance.

’And a handsome man by lamplight only grows more handsome, too!’

Song Yunzhao immediately rose to greet him. "Your Majesty, you startled me! Why didn’t you say anything when you arrived?"

Feng Yi had been so angered by his courtiers all day that his heart felt on the verge of giving out, but seeing her brought him some relief. He watched Yun Zhao walk over and asked, "What were you thinking about? You looked so troubled."

Song Yunzhao’s eyes immediately lit up. She grabbed Feng Yi and pulled him inside. "I have something interesting to show you, Your Majesty. It’s made my head all foggy just looking at it, but someone as brilliant as you will surely understand."

Feng Yi’s curiosity was piqued. "What is it?"

’Something she can’t understand?’

Song Yunzhao dragged Feng Yi into the inner chamber and pointed to the papers covering the table. "All of these."

"What is all this?"

"Why don’t you take a look first, Your Majesty."

Feng Yi reached out and gently tapped Song Yunzhao on the head. He chuckled as she glared at him, then walked over to the table.

He casually picked up a sheet and glanced at it. The smile on his face froze. He then picked up another, and this time, his smile vanished completely.

Song Yunzhao...

’Thank goodness I can’t understand any of it!’

’If I’d understood it, I would have been fuming all by myself. Wouldn’t that affect the baby? What if I end up giving birth to a little hot-tempered one?’

’Sometimes, ignorance truly is bliss.’

"Where did you get these?" Feng Yi asked, turning to Yun Zhao after looking through most of the papers.

"They’re from Lady Shufei," Song Yunzhao said. "But I couldn’t understand them, which is why I asked Your Majesty to come and take a look. Are they something important?"

Feng Yi nodded slightly. "Consort Shu gave these to you?"

"Yes. She said she wanted my help regarding the Right Minister being implicated by his household ledgers. How could I possibly help with that? But I had a feeling that what Lady Shufei brought was important, so I kept it. They look like ledgers, but I couldn’t make sense of the accounting method. I didn’t dare show them to anyone else, so I could only wait for Your Majesty to arrive."

Feng Yi took a deep breath. Seeing Yun Zhao’s apprehensive look, he put on a stern face and said, "You accepted them without even knowing what they were?"

"Consort Shu wants to save her father, so she wouldn’t send anything that could get me killed. As long as it’s beneficial to Your Majesty, why wouldn’t I accept it?" Song Yunzhao said, full of confidence. "If she had the guts to offer it, of course I had the guts to take it."

Feng Yi was both exasperated and amused. He looked at Yun Zhao and said, "I don’t know where you get this courage from, accepting things you can’t even read."

"Your Majesty, what’s going on with these ledgers?"

Seeing Yun Zhao’s bewildered expression, Feng Yi explained it to her in detail. "The government normally maintains various accounts—cash books, daybooks, classified ledgers, and so on. Bookkeeping requires all kinds of receipts, so it is the government’s duty to properly preserve all copies and the account books compiled from them. This is not just for their own convenience when reviewing or organizing; it’s also essential for future inspections by an auditor."

Song Yunzhao nodded. She understood that much. It was true not just for government accounts, but even for a private estate’s books—expenditures and income both required corresponding records and receipts.

"Normally, each government office has its own specialized accounts, such as for the main granary, the charity granary, the ever-normal granary, and the main treasury. The accounts are managed by local Warehouse Officials or the Cangsi. Not just the government treasury, but the National Treasury as well must record their accounts on officially stamped paper. Any account book written on this paper must be signed by the officials in charge and bear the government’s seal. After this process, they are no longer simple itemized records or statistical summaries; they become official documents, including notices, receipts, and judgments. Once a document is finalized, the auditing office marks it ’cleared’ in red ink, writes the date at the top, and files it in the archives."

’It’s a system of checks and balances,’ she thought.

"These secret ledgers you have here aren’t nearly so complex. To avoid attracting attention, they were recorded in code. We’ll still need to investigate to figure out what the codes mean."

Song Yunzhao understood now. It was like a secret password, a call and response. Only someone who knew the code could understand the ledgers.

’I don’t have the code, so of course I can’t read them.’

’So it’s not that I’m stupid! I just don’t have the key to decipher it!’

"Can you understand these ledgers, Your Majesty?"

"Not entirely," Feng Yi said casually. "It seems Consort Shu is quite desperate to save her father."

"Ah?" Now Song Yunzhao was truly lost.

Feng Yi said meaningfully, "Just one hour ago, the Right Minister was still playing the clam."

’Oh, so the Right Minister was refusing to talk. That means he had no intention of confessing in exchange for leniency. No wonder Feng Yi looked so grim earlier.’

’Consort Shu said her mother had secretly taken these ledgers, and she actually wasn’t lying!’

"Perhaps the Right Minister wanted to give his subordinates a chance," Song Yunzhao said, wracking her brain to put in a good word for him and thus repay Consort Shu’s favor.

Feng Yi scoffed. Forgetting all about dinner, he said to Yun Zhao, "With these ledgers, things will be much easier. I must have people arrested overnight. I can’t join you for dinner, but I’ll take you out for fun once I’m finished."

Hearing the Emperor’s tone, like he was coaxing a child, Song Yunzhao felt no shame at all. With a wide smile, she said, "Your Majesty’s business is what’s important. I’ll be fine."

This made Feng Yi feel even more guilty.

He had brought Yun Zhao to the traveling palace, intending for her to relax and enjoy herself, but he had ended up being busy all day long.

Feng Yi squeezed Yun Zhao’s hand. "Make sure you eat well. Don’t make me worry."

"For you, Your Majesty, I will," Song Yunzhao said, her smile growing even sweeter. She personally took the Emperor’s hand and walked him to the door, her eyes seeming to sparkle. "I’ll be good and wait for you to finish."

Feng Yi found himself reluctant to go, but the ledgers were too important. He took a deep breath, gave Yun Zhao’s cheek a gentle pinch, and then turned and strode away.

Song Yunzhao clicked her tongue. ’What a career-driven Emperor.’

’But I like that.’

’A man focused on his career won’t be distracted by other beauties. Having an understanding companion like me is enough for him.’

Song Yunzhao felt positively gleeful. ’Lady Shufei is such a good person! These opportunities to expose her own family’s dirt and score points with the Emperor... I wouldn’t mind a few more of them.’