“The imperial envoy is waiting outside, my lord. What do you think…”
Seeing Tang Ke’s shocked expression, the bailiff was truly startled.
“My apologies, everyone. I have other matters to attend to, so I will trouble you to leave first!”
Looking at the curious expressions on everyone’s faces, Tang Ke’s heart was a mix of emotions.
At this moment, he had no idea how to handle this situation.
That item had already been given to the Crown Prince. How could he possibly get it back now?
But the Emperor had personally summoned him and specifically asked him to bring that item. If he didn’t go, he certainly wouldn’t be able to account for himself to the Emperor.
“Since my lord has matters to attend to, we shall pay another visit another day!”
Everyone had heard everything that had happened earlier. Since it was the Emperor’s summons, they would not linger here any longer.
“My lord, the imperial envoy is waiting outside for you…”
“What are you rushing for? Get out!”
Tang Ke was like an ant on a hot pan now, but no matter how anxious he was, there was no such thing as a medicine for regret in this world.
After much thought, Tang Ke decided to brace himself and go see what the Emperor’s situation was.
After all, he had voluntarily given this item to the Crown Prince. If he asked for it back now, how could he face the Crown Prince in the future?
Once his mind was made up, he hastily tidied his clothes and, with a nervous heart, followed the young eunuch to the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty, Lord Tang has arrived!”
In the entire Fu Ning Hall, the tense atmosphere made the eunuchs serving there afraid to even breathe loudly.
“Let him in!”
Seated on the throne at the very top, Zhao Ji was like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
“Your humble servant, Tang Ke, greets Your Majesty!”
As soon as Tang Ke entered the hall, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere in the hall was not quite right.
A bad premonition instantly filled his heart. But with things having reached this point, he could only press on.
“Lord Tang, several days have already passed. I wonder how the fundraising for the money is progressing on your end?”
As Zhao Ji spoke, he didn’t even look at Tang Ke. His right hand, placed on the desk, continuously tapped the surface.
“There has been progress on my end. I believe we should be able to raise the funds in the next few days!”
Just by looking at the Emperor’s demeanor, Tang Ke’s heart began to feel uneasy.
“I heard that last night, Lord Tang personally went to the Eastern Palace and presented a treasure to the Crown Prince. Is there any truth to this?”
Hearing the Emperor say this, Tang Ke almost fell to the ground.
“This, this…”
“This what? Don’t tell me there’s no such thing. You should think carefully. It’s alright, I’m not in a hurry. Take your time to ponder, and then give your answer!”
Although Zhao Ji said it lightly, Tang Ke would truly be a useless official of the Ministry of Revenue if he couldn’t discern the threat in his words.
In just a few breaths, Tang Ke’s clothes were thoroughly soaked with cold sweat.
In the past, he had heard of the fearsomeness of the Imperial City Department, but he had never experienced it himself. Today, he truly had a taste of it.
“R-R-Reporting to Your Majesty, there is indeed such a thing…”
With the situation having reached this point, and the Emperor even uttering such words, Tang Ke, no matter how foolish, now understood that the Emperor was most likely fully aware of the matter.
“Then tell me, where did the item you presented to the Crown Prince come from?”
Seeing Tang Ke admit it, Zhao Ji sneered and slowly stood up, walking to Tang Ke’s side and asking him word by word in an almost scolding tone.
“Your… Your Majesty, please forgive me!”
Tang Ke no longer dared to maintain his composure. His legs went weak, and his entire body collapsed onto the ground.
“Forgive you? What crime have you committed? Didn’t you righteously state that this was an instruction for you to act as you saw fit? The Ministry of Revenue’s bailiffs can go directly onto the streets to seal merchants’ shops. What about the items you brought back!”
As Zhao Ji said this, the chilling killing intent in his words caused Tang Ke to completely break down.
“Your… Your humble servant was momentarily foolish…”
“You were foolish? Why do I feel like I am the foolish one? Lord Tang, you are not foolish at all. You clearly know who your master is. You bear the infamy cursed by all the people, yet the benefits you gained were directly sent to your master. Your calculations are truly meticulous!”
As Zhao Ji spoke, he forcefully swept his sleeve across the table, causing the various miscellaneous items on the desk to scatter across the floor.
“Your humble servant is guilty, guilty!”
At this moment, Tang Ke’s heart turned completely cold. He knew that no matter what the outcome of this matter was, his political career was likely over.
For someone like him, the end of his political career was more painful than death.
However, the more dire the situation became, the more his mind seemed to work better.
Yet, even now, he couldn’t understand why the Emperor was so furious over such an item at this particular time.
Although the item was indeed worth 100,000 guan, logically speaking, even if the Emperor were to settle accounts later, wouldn’t he wait until after Tang Ke had fulfilled his duties?
Not to mention, in the end, he hadn’t kept the item for himself but had offered it to the Crown Prince…
“Guards, summon the Crown Prince! Tell him to bring that item here and escort his trusted minister away for me!”
While Tang Ke was lost in thought, the furious Zhao Ji slammed the table and shouted.
“Yes!”
————————————————————
“My dear consort, look at this. How about using it as your birthday gift?”
In the Eastern Palace, Zhao Huan spoke as he reached for a golden hairpin from the jewelry box and placed it on Crown Princess Zhu Shi’s head.
“Where did you get this, Your Highness? It looks like something from the palace?”
As the Crown Princess, Zhu Shi had indeed lived a life of trepidation with Zhao Huan over the years, but she still possessed basic discernment.
Especially with items used by women, which she encountered most often, she recognized the extraordinary nature of this item at a glance.
“Yes, I also think it looks like it’s from the palace. However, Lord Tang presented it to me. I don’t think it would be of dubious origin, would it!”