Daming: Wanted to be a small landlord, but was forced to ascend the throne

Chapter 403 Murder

Kunning Palace.

Han Jinrong is instructing the cook to cook in the small stove in the palace, and Qin Shao is coming over for dinner today.

He has been quite busy with government affairs these past few days. He has just taken over the work of the imperial court, and he is familiar with everything. He often eats at the place where he works, and he will not come back until evening.

Having lived together for a long time, Han Jinrong naturally knows Qin Shao's eating habits. Their current meals are basically a combination of north and south.

There used to be nearly 2000 people cooking in the imperial dining room alone.

Qin Shao finally understood why the silver taels in the internal treasury were not enough, there were so many idlers!

In fact, those masters alone don’t have many people. After all, this Daming Harem is not the so-called real 72 concubines of the Three Palaces and Six Courts. There are not many concubines in the Daming Emperor’s Harem!
After all, there are many people who use the name of service, and those so-called service providers naturally want to eat!
With so many mouths, coupled with some people's small tricks, the money in the internal treasury is naturally spent like water.

Zhang Zuo asked people to reorganize the back kitchen, and went to Nanhaizi and the Royal Manor to work. Each person would share a part of the farming. In the first year, they were paid normally. In the second year, the palace could buy the crops they cultivated so that they could be self-reliant.

For the details of the specific measures, Qin Shao asked Zhang Cong and the others to formulate the specific details, and then handed them over to the Supervisor of Rites for implementation.

Now that they have been sent to Nanhaizi, there are only more than 200 people left. This is because there are other concubines in the palace.

The other concubines dared not speak up when they had opinions, but Empress Zhang was unwilling. She approached the Supervisor of Rituals several times to ask for special treatment, knowing that it was the emperor's intention, and even said that she wanted to see the emperor.

Qin Shao didn't want to mess with her so much, and asked her to keep her original treatment.

The old concubine Shao and Han Jinrong took the lead in implementing the arrangements of the supervisor of ceremonies. The empress and the old concubine did not do anything special. She, an unofficial empress dowager, naturally had many people talking about it behind her.

Due to the downsizing of staff in the Imperial Dining Room, each palace now basically cooks in its own small stove, and Si Li uniformly distributes daily necessities according to the grade. If you have special needs, you can apply.

The old concubine has always been frugal and doesn't care about so much, and Han Jinrong is also used to living a simple life.

As for the concubines in other palaces, they all lost their husbands. They were worried about being treated specially every time they went to the imperial dining room to receive meals. Now that the ingredients are distributed to each palace, they can't be more free, but they are very happy.

The dishes Han Jinrong arranged for her tight schedule were scrambled eggs with tender chives, fried bacon with scallions, cold spring sunflower, whole tender tofu, and a strip of steamed fish with a boiled meatball soup.

People in this era either eat bland, boiled meat or something like that.

After eating too much, I want to change the taste. Qin Shao likes these home-cooked dishes more recently, and Han Jinrong is also working hard on this aspect.

"My lady! My lady!"

As soon as Han Jinrong came out of Xiaozao, Sujin ran over in a hurry.

"What's the matter? Has His Majesty returned?"

Han Jinrong saw the sweat on Sujin's face, she obviously ran all the way here, thinking that it was Qin Shao who came back to find her.

Because she still has to take care of three children, Qin Shao often told her to have servants for everything, so that she would not be so tired.

Han Jinrong is used to it. She used to manage the back kitchen and various chores at home like this, and she found it boring when she was free.

Su Jin often complains that she is the queen who is least like a queen.

But she remembered that after Taizu's Empress Ma became a queen, her daily life was still the same as that of the folk, and her life was also very simple. Han Jinrong thought that was the way to live.

It's not easy for my grandfather to be the emperor, only she knows what he has done behind the scenes.

Also, the state treasury is not making ends meet, Han Jinrong is worried when she thinks about it, she can't help Qin Shao with anything, she can only manage the back house well, and save as much as she can.

"No, madam, just now a letter from the palace said... that Chun Niang handed over her badge and said she would enter the palace to see you!"

"Chun Niang?"

Han Jinrong asked in surprise.

Chunniang is the mother's dowry maid and has been serving her mother.

After I became the queen, I asked Sujin to go back and explain the situation. My mother was very happy, saying that her persistence finally had results, and she died happily after seeing her in peace.

Han Jinrong always felt that what her mother said was unlucky.

She doesn't want to have any more contact with the Han family, but her mother still has to take care of it, secretly giving Chunniang a token to enter the palace, and if there is something, she can let her enter the palace to find herself.

Han Jinrong understood her mother's temper, if nothing happened, she probably wouldn't let Chunniang enter the palace to find her.

Something must have happened!
Han Jinrong quickened her pace and hurried back to the palace accompanied by Su Jin.

As soon as she entered the gate of the palace, she saw Chunniang standing helplessly and panicked at the gate with a package in her hand.

"My lady! My lady!"

Seeing Han Jinrong approaching, Chunniang greeted her with tears in her eyes, trying to grab Han Jinrong with both hands.

But when she saw her gorgeous clothes and the decoration of the palace, she suddenly realized that this was no longer an ordinary little lady in their family, but a queen, and she was about to kneel down immediately.

"Chun Niang, you don't need to be too polite. Did something happen at home? Did something happen to your mother?"

Han Jinrong stopped Chunniang from saluting, let Chunniang quickly enter the room, and asked eagerly.

She remembered the situation when her father found out that she was the queen. He was not allowed to enter the palace on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The master said that he would deal with his father's situation.

Han Jinrong has always been worried. She hated her father in her heart. Ever since she got to know him, his image has already collapsed in her heart.

Even though there are no parents in the world, if her father just treats her well and doesn't have so many things to do, even if they become strangers to each other, she doesn't want to ask him for anything.

It's just that if he wants to come out to find trouble, it's okay to harm himself. If it affects his husband, Han Jinrong's face will be a little ugly...

Now that I am one with Qin Shao, if I spread bad news, it will affect Qin Shao's influence on her children...

"My lady, the master knows that you are now a queen."

Chun Niang said with tears.

"I already know about this, could it be that the master has gone back?"

Knowing Qin Shao's methods, Han Jinrong will definitely teach her father some lessons and tell him to be honest. Now that Chunniang is here, it must be her father who has returned.

"Well! The master came back with the young master the day before yesterday. The two of them were very embarrassed. The elder master also went to the house. They seemed to be arguing very hard. I don't know what they were arguing about. But today the master suddenly gave me some ginseng. I wanted to bring the stewed ginseng soup for my wife, and then I went to my wife's yard..."

"He...he made it difficult for his mother?"

"This...not really, he treated Madam very well, even flattering her, Madam didn't know what she had talked to him, she just asked me to prepare two small dishes and a jug of wine, and then asked me to bring a few clothes to find You, say... that you want me to stay with you for a few days, but if I don't want to, Madam gets very angry, so I have to... have to..."

Chunniang choked with sobs and told the situation intermittently.

Han Jinrong felt a little confused, and she was about to fall to the ground when she staggered.

Fortunately, Su Jin quickly supported her with her eyesight and hands.

"My lady! My lady!"

"Miss!"

"Su Jin!"

Han Jinrong shouted eagerly.

"Miss!"

Su Jin hastily agreed.

"Have you checked to see if His Majesty has come back? If not, go...to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and ask the Emperor to come back, and tell him that I have something to discuss with him."

Han Jinrong said a little weakly.

She felt a little bad, very bad!
……

Qin Shao was checking the bills of the state treasury in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, when Zhang Zuo walked in with Su Jin.

"Wang Yin! Let Wang Yin come over!"

Qin Shao heard what Sujin said, and directly ordered Zhang Zuo to call Wang Yin over.

"Father!"

Wang Yin walked in quickly.

"Go to the Han's house in Yangfang Hutong to see what's going on?"

"Yes!"

"By the way, call Lin Tong and bring some people there. He lives not far away, so it's not easy to arouse suspicion."

"Yes!"

When Qin Shao returned to Kunning Palace, it was a bit late.

"Father!"

Seeing her coming back, Han Jinrong greeted her directly.

"Why haven't you eaten yet?"

Qin Shao entered the room, looked at the food on the table, then looked at his wife's anxious expression, and asked with some distress.

He was going to come back for dinner, but it just happened to be a matter of the Han family. He simply waited for the result in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, but after reading the documents on the copybook, Wang Yin hadn't come back yet. He felt that the matter might not be simple, so he simply went back to Kunning Palace Take a look at Han Jinrong's situation.

"I have arranged for the children to eat, and I just want to wait for you to come back. I have asked people to heat up the food, so I can eat some more!"

Han Jinrong took the clothes from Qin Shao's hands and asked someone to fetch water for him to wash up.

The husband and wife sat down and ate some simple meals, with things hidden in their hearts, and their appetites were not very good.

After dinner, the palace servants packed up their things and poured tea.

"Your Majesty, Commander Wang is back!"

As soon as Qin Shao took a sip of tea, Zhang Zuo came to report.

Qin Shao got up and went outside, while Wang Yin was waiting outside.

"Grandpa, the situation is very bad!"

Wang Yin's complexion was very bad.

"what's the situation?"

"Mrs. Han and Han Er both died suddenly!"

"What? What's going on?"

Although Qin Shao had a bad premonition, Mrs. Han sent him as a dowry to the palace. He was always worried that the old lady would be overwhelmed with something, but he didn't expect it to turn out to be more serious than he imagined.

"When we went, the people from Shuntian Mansion had already gone, and Mrs. Han and Han Er had already... Lin Tong and I also went in with the help of our identity as the governor's mansion. We were already dead. It was Lin, the daughter-in-law of the Han family. She found out first, she went to deliver something to Mrs. Han, only to find that the two of them were dead, she wanted to go to the palace to deliver the letter, Han Liangdong screamed in fright, which attracted people around, and someone reported the case to Shuntian Prefecture."

"How did you die?"

"Poisoned!"

"Ok?"

"There are only two people in the room. There are two small dishes and a jug of wine on the dining table. It is obvious that the two of them drank the wine! I saw a pinch mark on Mrs. Han's neck. Han Er's expression was very ferocious, obviously unwilling, but Han Madam's expression is serene, I suspect that it was Madam Han who poisoned her! There is no one else in the room."

Wang Yin expressed his guess.

He said that Mrs. Han's serene expression is actually a bit euphemistic, and Mrs. Han's expression and serenity are actually not compatible. She died with a smile, but a corpse with such a smile on it is really weird .

Originally, some ordinary officials were going to investigate the case, but Yin Zhanglian of Shuntian Prefecture probably knew that people from Jinyiwei and Admiral's Mansion had gone, and brought them to the scene.

"Master, should we suppress this matter or..."

Wang Yin felt that this matter was related to the privacy of the empress after all. Even if they were there, it could be guaranteed that the empress and the emperor would not be involved for the time being. In this way, the queen empress must be sad.

Wang Yin has been with Qin Shao for these years, Qin Shao is not only his master, but also a benefactor and family member to him, and Han Jinrong is the same.

"How can this matter be suppressed? The officials of the Ministry of Rites poisoned their wives in order to strengthen their concubines. Unfortunately, they themselves were also poisoned to death, and their personal morals were corrupted. Naturally, more people should know about this kind of thing, and let those officials pay attention to their personal morals, so as to wake themselves up! "

Qin Shao said lightly.

"understood!"

Wang Yin grinned, turned and left instantly.

Qin Shao sighed and turned back to the room.

……

Kunning Palace.

Han Jinrong cried bitterly from time to time, Sujin and Chunniang also sat together crying.

Qin Shao went to take the three children to wander around the outer courtyard. Seeing that they were sleepy, he asked someone to take them to sleep so as not to disturb Han Jinrong.

"Mother...mother..."

The eldest son insisted on going to Han Jinrong's room. Before they went to bed every day, they would go to their mother's room to play for a while before going back.

"Your mother is not feeling well today, you, as the elder brother, take the lead and take them to sleep!"

Qin Shao looked at the immature face of the eldest son and exhorted.

Zhu Zaihou nodded, and obediently took his sister and mother to their room to rest.

Qin Shao got up and went back to the room. Sujin and Chunniang had already returned to their own room.

Wet the towel with water and handed it to Han Jinrong to wipe her face.

"Master, my mother...my mother...she..."

Han Jinrong couldn't help sobbing.

"I know that my mother-in-law has a strong personality, and she survived until now because of you. She has been tossed by illness for many years, so it's good, she's finally free! Mother-in-law asked Chunniang to come over to comfort you, but she was actually worried that you couldn't think about it..."

Qin Shao held his wife in his arms to comfort him.

His mother-in-law is not an ordinary woman, otherwise she would not have raised a daughter with such a strong personality as Han Jinrong.

Women in this era are generally in the back house, and basically they can only resign themselves to fate if they encounter major events!

It is extraordinary that Han Jinrong survived the troubled times.

"Master, even if mother did that, it was absolutely necessary. Master Han must have forced mother, otherwise she wouldn't have done that. I'm just worried, mother... mother is innocent and strong, and she will be charged again..."

Han Jinrong said eagerly.

Her mother cherishes her reputation very much, she will be strong all her life, and she will be charged with murdering her husband when she is dying...

This era is no different than Qin Shao's previous life. A woman murdering her husband is a very serious crime. If it weren't for that, she would have to soak the pig cage and dump 18 yuan.

Not only that, but also damage the reputation of her natal family.

"Don't worry, I have everything arranged. It was Han Er who murdered his wife in order to straighten his concubine's room. Unfortunately, he was poisoned. It has nothing to do with the mother-in-law. What we are thinking about now is the burial of the mother-in-law! Uncle Liu's house in Tuqiao, De'an Prefecture Has there ever been a descendant?"

……

The Jinghua tabloids and other tabloids in the past few days have been extremely lively.

Han Zhang, the head of the Ministry of Rites in the capital, murdered his wife in order to help his concubine, and he himself was killed.

The Ministry of Rites was originally an institution in charge of the ritual system of the five rites and the school's tribute system. Its officials should be role models, but it is really shocking to do such a thing that breaks the etiquette and music.

Several tabloids began to discuss whether the officials were competent or not. In an institution that specializes in etiquette and management, the chief executive can't set an example. How can he manage the people?
The people are talking about it, and the impact is extremely bad!
Han Zhang was directly expelled and included in the list of misdeeds; Han Hui, the eldest brother of the Han family, did not play a good supervisory role as his elder brother, so he was directly dismissed and returned to his hometown for self-reflection.

Jiajing Emperor Zhu Houxi was very angry, and lost his temper a lot when he went to court, asking officials to reflect on themselves and check their personal morality.

A special hidden reporting mailbox has also been set up at the entrance of the afternoon, and reports and supervision are welcome.

In response to the problems in the Ministry of Rites and the damage to the reputation of officials, Emperor Jiajing carried out a comprehensive rectification of the Ministry of Rites. The officials of the Ministry of Rites took the lead in conducting assessments and evaluations.

For a while, people in the hall were panicked.

……

The Royal Manor in the suburbs of Beijing.

"Xi'er, are your strides too big?"

Zhu Youzhao sat on the armchair next to the table, looked at his son in plain clothes, and asked with some concern.

"What does father mean?"

Qin Shao was a little puzzled.

He has indeed implemented some measures recently, which has made many officials nervous, but these are imperative.

Although Yang Tinghe and others resigned, they were only some leading officials. In fact, there were many of them in various departments of the imperial court.

"I'm not opposed to your official assessment, but I think you're too hasty. I'm worried that some people will jump over the wall in a hurry!"

Zhu Youzhao exhorted.

As for the court issue, although these vassals have not been in the capital for many years, they are absolutely old.

"The dog jumps over the wall?"

Qin Shao murmured, and it was true.

He suddenly remembered that after Jiajing came to power, besides the ceremony, those people had another thing to do, and he had to guard against it!

(End of this chapter)