Moreover, it was obvious that this move was for Wan'er. If he didn't leave now, Wan'er might face even harsher punishment. So he turned around, bowed, and asked for leave.
Qingcao, watching from the side, also thought the emperor had gone too far.
Su Wan'er watched as Brother Jingtian walked out of the door. Disregarding the rules, she sat straight across from Si Junlin.
"Someone, serve the meal," Si Junlin called out to Fang Xi to have the meal served.
"Your Majesty the Queen, this is the crab - roe steamed bun that the emperor ordered to be made early this morning," Fang Xi showed off his best dish and introduced the one the maid brought up to Su Wan'er.
Si Junlin looked at Fang Xi with satisfaction, thinking that Su Wan'er should be very touched. She had injured him yesterday, but he didn't hold it against her and even personally ordered the cook to make dishes for her.
"Your Majesty might have remembered wrong. I've never liked crab - roe steamed buns," Su Wan'er felt even more aggrieved. Brother Jingtian and she hadn't seen each other since their wedding day. Today, he finally came and brought news of her elder brother and father. What was Si Junlin's intention?
"I won't remember wrong. You forgot that when we were clearing out the remaining forces of the Southern Border envoys, you even made this dish for me yourself," Si Junlin frowned slightly.
"The steamed buns can wait. I actually have something to ask Your Majesty," Su Wan'er got angry, and her eyes were full of heroism. She had long said that she couldn't be a weak and submissive woman like the ordinary concubines in the palace.
"We are husband and wife. You don't need to be so polite. Just ask," Si Junlin endured his impatience, knowing that she was angry.
"Since Your Majesty keeps calling me your wife, and I'm the Queen of the Jin Kingdom, I wonder why there are such strict rules in the palace that when my family members come, they can't even have a meal with me?"
"Well, I also have something to ask the Queen. Since the Queen knows she is the Queen and also knows her responsibility to continue the royal lineage," Si Junlin also became serious, thinking about this reckless woman. "Then why haven't I been able to touch you since I married you?"
Su Wan'er was stunned. What was this? In broad daylight, Si Junlin was actually so shameless as to talk about this with her?
"Why are you so kind to your cousin, but you can't wait to avoid me?" Can't I touch you, but he can? Si Junlin only realized that he had said something too heavy after he said it.
"Really? So it turns out that the Queen is just a tool for continuing the royal lineage to Your Majesty," adding the current anger to the previous grievance, Su Wan'er's eyes were almost filled with tears. She never thought that Si Junlin could be so despicable as to judge her by whether he could touch her or not.
"I... I was a bit out of control just now. Please forgive me, Queen," Si Junlin tried to make up for it. Looking at Su Wan'er's aggrieved appearance, he also felt sorry.
Naturally, the lunch for the two of them was not pleasant. Fang Xi watched as Si Junlin was driven out for the first time in his life. There really wasn't any lady in the harem who dared to do this, and the emperor didn't even say he would punish her.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Do you want to turn over the name tags today or rest in the Hall of Mental Cultivation?" Fang Xi watched helplessly as the emperor had been sitting in the Hall of Mental Cultivation all afternoon. He had finished reviewing the memorials early, but was just staring at an ordinary report memorial.
Looking up, wasn't it the memorial submitted by General Gu who came today?
"Turn over what? Take them away," Si Junlin waved his hand, trying to scold away the eunuch who came to present the name tags.
"Your Majesty, please have mercy and spare my life. Just turn over one tag," the little eunuch holding the name tags knelt down and pleaded.
"The Empress Dowager has scolded us three times this month. If this goes on, I'll lose my life, and the Empress Dowager won't be at ease either." It was more than three times. The Empress Dowager almost urged them every day. But the emperor always stayed in the Queen's palace. Finally, they got a chance today, but the emperor was in a bad mood again.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Empress Dowager always praises that there are many virtuous concubines in the harem. Since you're not going to the Queen's palace tonight, why not..." Fang Xi had also received such a warning from the Empress Dowager. But he knew it was hopeless, and could only pluck up his courage to persuade.
"I'm dealing with government affairs! Go and tell Mother that I'm busy with government affairs and have no time," Si Junlin said.
"Yes," the little eunuch had no choice but to leave with a long face. Otherwise, he might as well put the Queen's name tag up next time. Anyway, the emperor was going to rest in her palace. Turning over the tag first would make it easier to account for.
"Your Majesty, haven't you already reviewed this memorial?" Fang Xi never understood. General Gu just used an ordinary report memorial, and it wasn't anything important. Why did the emperor keep staring at it?
"Today, 20,000 soldiers were selected. On the drill ground, they competed in wrestling. The 10,000 winners were each rewarded with one qian of silver. One qian, one qian..." Si Junlin actually read the memorial to himself.
"Fang Xi, do you think there's anything wrong with what I just read?" Si Junlin asked.
Fang Xi was completely confused. But seeing Si Junlin looking so serious, as if he was examining a major national event, he quickly stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, I don't think there's anything wrong." This kind of words sounded like a routine report. How could there be a mistake? Did the emperor find something wrong after staring at this memorial for so long?
"Really?" Si Junlin's face darkened a bit more.
"Then, 2,000 brave soldiers were selected from the winners for another battle. The 1,000 final winners were each rewarded with another qian of silver," he continued to look intently at those lines. "What about this sentence?"
"Ah?" Fang Xi didn't know when he had the duty of a civil official. "This sentence seems to be wrong?"
"Where's the mistake?" Si Junlin immediately asked.
"Your Majesty, please spare me. How would I know where the mistake is? As long as Your Majesty says it's wrong, it's wrong," Fang Xi was so scared that he knelt down. Speculating about the court affairs was no joke.
"Nonsense. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would slander a loyal official? If there's no mistake, there's no mistake," Si Junlin said.
"Yes, yes. Your Majesty, please forgive me. It's my mistake. I'm guilty," Fang Xi admitted his mistake. It was really like being with a tiger. Fang Xi was so scared that he didn't even dare to raise his head.
"I'll tell you where the mistake is," Si Junlin squinted his eyes, and his face was full of a dangerous look.
"The 10,000 initial winners were each rewarded with one qian of silver, and the 1,000 final winners were each rewarded with another qian of silver. Just for an ordinary selection of soldiers, it would cost thousands of taels of silver from the national treasury! Come, issue an order to fine Vice - General Gu Jingtian of the Southern Army one year's salary to make up for the national treasury," Si Junlin ordered.
"Your Majesty, please think twice. This reward of silver was given according to the previous regulations," Fang Xi couldn't help but feel that General Gu was wronged.
"Previous regulations? Now the war in the Southern Border is urgent, and the national treasury is empty. How can it be compared with the past?" Si Junlin said firmly, and the eunuch who announced the order immediately took the order and left.
"Wait. This oral order of mine should not only be announced in the court but also in the harem. Except for the Empress Dowager's palace, it should be spread to all the six palaces in the east and west," Si Junlin added.
"Yes----" The eunuch who announced the order was confused but had to follow the order.
"Your Majesty, do we need to announce the affairs of the court in the harem?" Did the emperor want the Queen to know? Fang Xi was surprised.
"Now the front - line troops are short of food and supplies. The whole country should be thrifty. Today's incident is just a lesson for the harem. In the future, don't be as extravagant as General Gu," under such a high - sounding statement, Fang Xi was even more surprised.
In the past, he never believed that something like a beautiful woman ruining the country could happen to a wise emperor like the current one. But now...
My goodness. In the past, even when choosing a queen, the most important consideration was the court affairs. But now... now he actually deliberately found fault with a loyal official and did such a ridiculous thing as announcing the imperial edict to the six palaces. Don't think he couldn't see. The emperor did all this just to let the Queen see General Gu being punished.