The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the two central figures, and no one dared to make a sound.
A civil official accidentally dropped the glass bowl he was holding, and the sound was particularly clear in the silent hall.
"Oh! Your Majesty, please forgive me! Please forgive me!" The official, who looked quite old, with a beard that was already graying, was terrified. He repeatedly begged for forgiveness while hurriedly diving under the table to gather up the shards of the bowl.
Chen Kaiming waved his hand dismissively, showing he didn’t mind. He then pointed at Wang Lihua and gestured to the seat beside him. "Your seat is here."
The blush on Wang Lihua’s face hadn’t yet faded. She looked around, then at the seat beside Chen Kaiming. Even as bold as she was, she knew that sitting there might be inappropriate, and she hesitated, unsure if she should sit.
Sitting nearby, Fan Shaolin noticed Wang Lihua’s discomfort and gave a light cough. "Um, miss... please take your seat. The banquet is about to begin."
Though no longer young, Chen Kaiming beamed like spring sunlight. He exchanged a glance with Fan Shaolin, a look that clearly said, Teacher, you understand me best.
Wang Lihua hesitated no longer and calmly walked over to sit down. She understood the solemnity of the occasion and refrained from arguing with Chen Kaiming as she had in the past few days, choosing instead to quietly wait for the food.
The dishes were brought to the table one after another, with palace maids occasionally coming to remove empty plates. In the central dance area, dancers twirled gracefully. The ministers no longer discussed Wang Lihua, as if they had forgotten her presence.
However, Wang Lihua felt uncomfortable, fully cognizant of the occasional glances directed at her. Overall, though, the scene was one of a ruler and his ministers enjoying a harmonious moment.
Halfway through the banquet, Chen Kaiming suddenly put down his chopsticks and gave a light cough.
The ministers in the hall knew that the Emperor had something to say, so they all set down their chopsticks and cups, turning their attention to him. Only Wang Lihua, unaware of this protocol, continued eating enthusiastically.
Chen Kaiming waved his hand, signaling the dancers to withdraw. When he looked up, however, he noticed that the ministers’ gazes were not on him but directed elsewhere. Following their gaze, he saw that Wang Lihua was still engrossed in tussling with a crab in her bowl.
"Ahem!" Chen Kaiming cleared his throat more forcefully.
Wang Lihua looked up in confusion, noticing that everyone in the hall was staring at her. She glanced at Chen Kaiming, then at the ministers, blinking before quietly asking him, "Am I... not supposed to eat anymore?"
The corner of Chen Kaiming’s mouth twitched. "Wang Lihua, your table manners are truly lacking."
Wang Lihua instinctively glared at him. "You dare say that? I didn’t get enough to eat at lunch because I was dining with you..."
The ministers were in an uproar! They had likely never seen anyone dare to speak to the emperor so brazenly.
Chen Kaiming awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"Then... then continue eating."
Wang Lihua shrank back slightly, realizing she might have been too brazen just now, especially with so many people present. She gently set down her chopsticks and whispered, "I'll stop."
Chen Kaiming gave a slight smile and said nothing further. He tapped the table lightly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Yue Dou said as he stepped forward.
"Bring in the documents prepared by the Eastern Depot," Chen Kaiming ordered.
Yue Dou gestured to a young eunuch outside the hall, and soon the eunuch entered, respectfully holding a thick stack of documents, which he handed over to Yue Dou.
Yue Dou then placed the documents on Chen Kaiming’s table and stepped back to stand behind him with hands folded.
The officials in the hall were all bewildered, unsure of what was going on. Even Wang Lihua sat quietly, curious to see what Chen Kaiming intended to do. Fan Shaolin’s gaze alternated between Chen Kaiming and Wang Lihua, his thoughts unreadable.
"My loyal ministers, do any of you know what these documents in my hand contain?" Chen Kaiming chuckled.
No one replied, and no one dared to speak.
"Then allow me to tell you," Chen Kaiming said, tapping on the documents.
"These record the actions of every official in Qizhou, from the magistrate down to the village heads. It details everything from who embezzled tens of thousands silver taels to those who had an extra fish at dinner today! It’s all clearly documented here."
All the officials sat in a terrified, stifled silence.
Upon hearing this, Wang Lihua tilted her head slightly, looking at Chen Kaiming’s profile.
"Heh..." Chen Kaiming gave a bare chuckle. "Minister Xu of the Ministry of Revenue."
The minister in question was the elderly man who had dropped the glass bowl earlier. Hearing Chen Kaiming call his name, he shivered like a leaf, his whole body trembling, but he didn’t dare to respond.
"Xu Jin!" Chen Kaiming raised his voice, shouting when the old man didn’t respond.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" Xu Jin scrambled forward into the dance area, where he fell to his knees.
Chen Kaiming opened the documents and deliberately read aloud, "The three hundred thousand silver taels allocated from the national treasury for disaster relief in Qizhou... Let’s see, tsk tsk, a full ten thousand taels ended up in the pocket of Qizhou’s Magistrate Li Maoxing... If I recall correctly, this Li Maoxing... is your disciple, Xu Jin?"
Chen Kaiming’s lips curled into a cold smile.
"Back then, you recommended him to me, claiming he had exceptional talent in governance and was more than capable of serving as Qizhou’s magistrate..."
Xu Jin trembled even more violently. Bowing low to the ground, he stammered, "I... I am old and blind, and I misjudged a thief... Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Chen Kaiming threw the stack of documents onto the floor, where they scattered across through the hall.
Chen Kaiming coldly decided, "I’m leaving this matter to you, to atone for your mistake. Within a month, I want every person named in these documents dealt with. Miss a single one, and you can go home and dig your own grave!"
"Yes, yes, yes." Xu Jin nodded repeatedly, then scrambled to pick up the scattered documents from the floor.
Chen Kaiming stroked his short beard, looking rather pleased as he turned to Wang Lihua.
"Wang Lihua..." Chen Kaiming raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does this explanation satisfy you?"
Wang Lihua lowered her head in silence. Chen Kaiming watched as she stood up from her seat and slowly walked to the center of the hall, helping Xu Jin pick up the scattered documents.
Chen Kaiming’s expression darkened, and he stood up abruptly. "Wang Lihua! What is the meaning of..."
Wang Lihua didn’t even look back as she retorted, "Tyrant, shut up."
The sound of everyone’s sharp intake of breath blew through the hall.
Xu Jin’s mouth hung wide open, and the few pages he had just picked up slipped from his hands once again.