A Cutie Spoiled by Her Seven Uncles-Chapter 580: The Princess discusses disaster relief candidates
Chapter 580: Chapter 580: The Princess discusses disaster relief candidates
Thanks to the raid on the Gambling House last night, Princess Ata had also won a considerable amount of personal funds. It added up to over one hundred thousand taels of silver. Later, when she learned the Great Han National Treasury was empty and silver was needed for disaster relief, she, surprisingly, donated all this ill-gotten wealth out of goodwill. She claimed it was to express her gratitude to the Elder Princess for saving her life.
The Emperor did not refuse.
He could see her fondness for his precious daughter and her constant attempts to be near her, so he tacitly approved, seeing it as a return of favor.
When she saw the Emperor enter, she quickly stood up and bowed.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"Princess Ata, dispense with the formalities," the Emperor said lightly. He then sat beside Xiaosuisui. Looking at the table laden with greasy food, he couldn’t help but frown.
"Isn’t there anything light?"
Eunuch Ling glanced helplessly at the Elder Princess, who was munching on a chicken leg.
"The Elder Princess said she dislikes those colorful vegetables; she only wants to eat meat!"
Understanding, the Emperor resignedly picked up his bowl and gestured for Princess Ata to sit and eat with them.
"Suisui! Your foster father has encountered a problem. Can you help your foster father resolve it?"
Xiaosuisui’s mouth was stuffed full, and she asked indistinctly, "What’s the matter?"
"We’ve almost gathered all the silver needed for Yunhang’s disaster relief, and a large portion has already been dispatched. Some grain has also been transported, and arrangements are being made to purchase the remainder. However, the person to lead the disaster relief efforts has not yet been chosen, and we are unsure who would be suitable. The Prime Minister suggested inviting the National Master to perform a divination to see if there is a chosen one. Unfortunately, the National Master is not at his residence, so the matter has been delayed."
When the Emperor said this, Princess Ata was startled.
The Emperor of Great Han consults a mere toddler for advice on matters of state?
Even though she knew the Emperor of Great Han doted on this commoner Elder Princess, she had never imagined he would spoil her to such an extent!
Xiaosuisui, however, understood none of this.
She simply thought her foster father was making normal conversation.
So, she giggled and said,
"Your Majesty Foster Father, if you can’t find anyone, it must be because you don’t know who can do this for you flawlessly. Why don’t you go handle the disaster relief yourself, Your Majesty Foster Father?"
The Emperor was taken aback by her words.
Why did he feel like his precious daughter was making a lot of sense?
"But... I am the Emperor. I cannot easily leave the Capital City!"
The Emperor felt a stir of interest.
"Then how did you go to Xun’an County before?"
Ah... this...
The Emperor was rendered speechless.
"You do have a point. But when I went to Xun’an County, I was traveling incognito. If I were to go for disaster relief myself now, the Imperial Carriage alone would..."
"Then why not travel incognito this time as well?"
"Incognito?" The Emperor murmured to himself.
That’s a feasible idea; it would just require some arrangements.
"My dear daughter! Would you like to go to Yunhang? I’ll appoint someone to lead the disaster relief efforts, and then we, father and daughter, can secretly follow the Imperial Envoy’s team to see what’s really happening in Yunhang. What do you think?"
Xiaosuisui nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes!"
Seeing his precious daughter’s response, the Emperor said to Eunuch Ling, "Eunuch Ling, have someone summon the Secretary to draft an edict. Order Lu Zezhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to personally lead the disaster relief team. He can select his entourage from the Ministry of Revenue. They are to depart immediately!"
Hearing this, Eunuch Ling quickly departed.
The Emperor then said to Xiaosuisui, "My dear daughter, we’ll set off for Yunhang tonight!"
The Emperor was about to leave after saying this.
But Xiaosuisui said, "We can’t, Your Majesty Foster Father! My eldest maternal uncle is returning tonight. Eldest Uncle and I have agreed to do something big!"
Xiaosuisui still remembered what her eldest maternal uncle had promised: when he returned, he would storm Qixia Temple and get the Buddhist monks to lend her their Heart-Communication and Close-Mouth Zen cultivation techniques to practice!
"Ah... your... your eldest maternal uncle is coming back?"
The Emperor blinked.
Didn’t he just send an urgent letter to Ji Youyuan yesterday via the eight-hundred-li express? He shouldn’t have received Huo Xing’Er’s letter yet!
"Yes! Second Aunt said that if Eldest Maternal Uncle rides at full speed, he should reach the Capital City today."
"Alright. Once your eldest maternal uncle arrives, we’ll go to Qixia Temple, get you the cultivation technique, and then set off. As long as we catch up to the Imperial Envoy’s team before they reach Yunhang, it’ll be fine."
Xiaosuisui nodded eagerly. "Okay, okay!"
As she spoke, the little girl ladled herself a bowl of soup and gulped it down in one go, then promptly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
The Emperor watched with visible distaste and quickly used his handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"I’m considering getting you a new etiquette tutor! Look at you! A young lady, yet you don’t behave like one at all!"
Xiaosuisui blinked and immediately shook her head, recalling the rules Nanny Zhang had taught her when she first arrived at the Ji Mansion.
"No, no! Etiquette tutors are very annoying! If Nanny Zhang hadn’t almost been struck by lightning, I’d probably still be practicing how to kneel and maintain proper deportment every day. Those rules are so bothersome!"
Hearing her words, the Emperor suddenly remembered something.
Indeed, it wouldn’t be wise to introduce any more strangers into the little girl’s life.
So, he called over Eunuch Ling, who had just returned from dispatching a junior eunuch with the imperial decree, and said, "Go to the Ji Mansion and inquire how Nanny Zhang is teaching the Elder Princess etiquette and decorum. If she is not competent enough to be the Elder Princess’s etiquette tutor, send her back to the Palace to serve the imperial consorts in the Cold Palace!"
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Ling couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for Nanny Zhang. He hastily accepted the order and departed.
Only after the Emperor and Xiaosuisui had reached an agreement about their trip did a question suddenly occur to the Emperor.
"Who taught you all this? How did your little mind come up with something even I hadn’t considered?"
Xiaosuisui blinked, confused, not understanding what the Emperor meant.
"I’m talking about the disaster relief. Why did you think I would be the most suitable person to go myself?"
Xiaosuisui blinked and said, "Seventh Maternal Uncle told me!"
"Ji Youzhi told you?"
Xiaosuisui nodded. "Yes! When Seventh Maternal Uncle and I were investigating cases, he often said that if you can’t fully trust those around you, it’s best to handle everything yourself to ensure peace of mind."
"Why would he tell you that? And during which case investigation did he say it?"
The Emperor pondered for a moment.
Ji Youzhi was indeed skilled at solving cases, but he had only investigated a few with Xiaosuisui.
So, he asked casually,
"It was the case of Princess Ata’s assassination! Seventh Maternal Uncle once suspected that the stabbing incident, where the beautiful lady’s brother attacked Princess Ata with scissors, was actually orchestrated by Princess Ata herself!"
Upon hearing this, Princess Ata’s expression changed drastically, and she quickly turned to look at the Emperor.
The Emperor remained silent but gave Xiaosuisui a look, signaling her to continue.
At this point, Xiaosuisui suddenly remembered something else.
"Your Majesty Foster Father, actually, the beautiful lady’s brother was framed by Princess Ata. Why don’t you release him?"
Hearing this, Princess Ata couldn’t help but ask, "Prin-Princess, how... how did you know?"
The moment the words left her mouth, her mind went blank. When she processed what she’d said, her face turned deathly pale!
Chapter 580: The Princess discusses disaster relief candidates
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