Chapter 11: A Bit of a New Idea

Xie Jiu walked up to him. "It’s nothing major; I was thinking of having someone go to the Marquis’s residence to fetch a few calligraphy copybooks."

"For the Princess to use," Xie Jiu added.

"For such a small matter, just let Qingdong handle it for you," Zhao Xingjin said dismissively.

Xie Jiu shook her head. "How could I trouble someone by the Emperor’s side? It would be enough to just let my own maid make the trip."

Seeing this, Zhao Xingjin had Qingdong give Xie Jiu one of the waist medallions for entering and exiting the palace.

"It will be more convenient for you to come and go in the future."

After all, Xie Jiu could not stay in the palace indefinitely for the time being.

She would likely be coming and going frequently in the days to come.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty." Xie Jiu smiled and curtsied.

She then raised her hand to summon Chunrong, whispering a few instructions in her ear. Chunrong took the medallion and left the palace.

Having rested for a while, Zhao Xingjin felt refreshed and asked Xie Jiu to play a game of chess with him.

Otherwise, just standing there talking was quite dull.

Xie Jiu’s chess skills were decent, and she was not one to suffer from stage fright, so she sat down gracefully.

"You saw your father earlier, didn't you?" Zhao Xingjin suddenly spoke up.

She had assumed he wouldn't bring this up, as they had been together for a while already and had only exchanged idle chatter.

Now it seemed that, as expected, she could not avoid being questioned.

"Yes," Xie Jiu nodded. "It looked as though several ministers from the Grand Secretariat were present; no wonder Your Majesty is so tired."

Zhao Xingjin placed a chess piece. "The things you gave me did indeed uncover quite a few corrupt officials. Following the trail, we’ve dug up many more. There is no lack of those who have already resigned from office. However, what they embezzled were things from the previous dynasty—it’s an old account, and a messy one at that."

"After Your Majesty ascended the throne, some of them likely stopped. Now, before Your Majesty, their hands are clean and there is no leverage to be found. Without a truly suitable reason, it is difficult to settle accounts with this group," Xie Jiu pointed out the source of his frustration.

Some of them had even become cautious and diligent after Zhao Xingjin’s ascension, having performed meritorious service and achieved political results.

That made it even harder to take action.

Even as an Emperor, one must have a legitimate reason to investigate and punish subordinates.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Zhao Xingjin took the dragon throne by rebelling as a vassal king of a different surname; when he first raised his army, he did so under the banner of righteousness—to punish the lawless and save the common people.

It has been this way since ancient times: without a proper justification, one will always be subject to criticism.

Furthermore, upon his ascension, Zhao Xingjin had declared that he would let bygones be bygones and start a new dynasty.

To hold them accountable now, without a perfectly valid reason, would be to stand on shaky ground. While he could force it through, it would affect the stability of the court and the hearts of the people.

Executing corrupt officials to fill the national treasury was important, but for a new regime, the word "stability" was even more critical.

Having been seen through by Xie Jiu, Zhao Xingjin couldn't help but look her over, then let out a soft laugh.

"Being too clever is not necessarily a good thing."

"If Your Majesty preferred me to play the fool, you wouldn't have told me these things," Xie Jiu blinked, putting on a playful expression. "I thought that since the ministers always follow the rules and I don't understand those complexities, I would speak from the perspective of a woman in the inner chambers. Perhaps Your Majesty might find a new line of thought, and in that way, I might be of some small use."

These words lightened the atmosphere considerably.

Originally, Zhao Xingjin had wanted to hear Xie Jiu’s opinion; it was true that looking at problems from different angles could lead to new discoveries.

His earlier remark was because he felt Xie Jiu was too good at guessing his thoughts, and she needed to be kept in check.

However, Zhao Xingjin was now at ease; Xie Jiu was smart enough that she shouldn't do anything she shouldn't.

So, he lifted his chin. "Tell me then."

Only after he nodded did Xie Jiu continue.

"Since ancient times, there has been the saying that 'officials protect one another.' Compared to outsiders, the group of people who colluded together are the ones who know best whether each other's hands are clean. In the past, they may have been united, but now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, they are likely a scattered mess. To save their own skins, they should be very willing to push others out as scapegoats."

"Let them bite each other; they will surely be vicious. Why does Your Majesty need to take action and investigate them one by one? Just wait for their memorials accusing one another to be delivered to the palace."

Having said this, Xie Jiu looked embarrassed.

"When I managed the household, I used this method on the treacherous servants who had sticky fingers. It is merely the trickery of a woman in the inner chambers; Your Majesty must be amused."

"That is actually a decent idea," Zhao Xingjin said, looking thoughtful.

The ministers in the room earlier had only thought of having the Ministry of Justice investigate them one by one according to the law, or directly pinning trumped-up charges on them. While those were methods, they were exhausting; investigating them one by one was time-consuming and laborious.

Although Xie Jiu’s method was a bit underhanded and not by the book, it sounded truly effective.

It was also effortless—once the news was thrown out, one only had to wait for them to tear each other apart.

It just so happened that the court had already begun investigating corruption cases, and it was the moment when those with guilty consciences could no longer sit still. If handled well, it would be twice the result with half the effort.

After pondering this, a faint smile appeared on Zhao Xingjin’s face, and he beckoned Xie Jiu to continue the game.

Meanwhile, outside the palace.

Chunrong had already entered the gates of the Weiyuan Marquis’s residence.

When Wu Que heard that Xie Jiu had sent someone back, he could not sit still. Furious, he headed straight for Xie Jiu’s courtyard.

Wu Que hadn't attended court for the past two days.

He had no face left; the entire capital knew he had been cuckolded.

If he had gained some benefit, he might have endured it, but now he had gained nothing and still had to wear a green-glowing head while forcing a smile, thanking the Emperor for his regard for Xie Jiu and claiming the Marquis’s residence shared in the honor.

He was truly so angry he couldn't eat or sleep.

With the court investigating corruption, such a blade was hanging over his head again. Having been infuriated by Wu Qingchan yesterday, he was truly in a miserable state.

Of course, there was another thing that made him uncomfortable.

Yesterday, thinking of his current predicament, he had hoped to seek some help from his father-in-law, Xie Mingshen.

After all, the two of them had held the same opinion regarding how to deal with Xie Jiu, so Wu Que felt that he and Xie Mingshen were still in the same boat.

He hadn't expected that when he sent someone over, he would be met with a closed door.

Wu Que felt as if the top of his head was about to explode, jumping up and down at home, cursing that no one in the Xie family was any good.

Chen Shun, the steward he had always valued, had also had a miserable time these past two days; there hadn't been a day he wasn't beaten.

His old bones were about to be kicked to pieces, and he was full of grievance and resentment.

He hated that Xie Jiu had schemed against them, causing the Marquis’s residence to fall into such a state.

But how could they have imagined that being able to have a full meal now was already a good life?

Of course, that was a matter for later, but even so, Wu Que was still putting on the airs of a Marquis.

He stormed into Xie Jiu’s courtyard, his face darkening the moment he saw Chunrong.

He wanted to lash out immediately, but fearing that Xie Jiu was now in favor and might poison Zhao Xingjin’s mind against him, he had to suppress his anger, stiffening his neck as he questioned her.

"What does she want by sending you back again?!"

Wu Que still remembered that when Xie Jiu sent things back yesterday, it had turned the Marquis’s residence upside down.