Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback-Chapter 351: Small Sacrifice, Small Gain; Big Sacrifice, Big Gain!

Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Small Sacrifice, Small Gain; Big Sacrifice, Big Gain!

The Crown Prince heard the rising and falling voices, his brows tightening, even though Mu Yan was not in court now, most of the ministers still feared him.

Si Jun’s eyes were deep, he had always regarded the Crown Prince as his foremost rival, and now it appeared that Mu Yan’s influence in court surpassed that of the Crown Prince!

However, as long as it inconvenienced the Crown Prince, he was willing to act. Si Jun stepped forward and said: "I second the motion!"

Moreover, now he is courting Huo Zheng’s support, still choosing to stand by Huo Zheng. With Huo Zheng, who had served as the Minister of Revenue for many years, taking charge, how could there be falsehoods in the account books!

Zhan Beicang felt relieved as he listened to the rising and falling voices.

It turns out his son-in-law, Mu Yan, was not truly corrupt; the truth was like this.

Suddenly, he felt less disdain for Mu Yan; as long as he treated Lan’er well, Zhan Beicang could endure being disparaged.

Under pressure, the Crown Prince did not know how to handle the situation; he looked towards the Grand Secretary Lu Zhong, who nodded slightly.

Liu Hanlin feigned composure, waiting for the account books to be circulated.

Above the great hall, officials of third rank and above rapidly passed the account books according to their ranks, and the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"It turns out, the Regent King has been wronged all these years!"

"This money has a clear source; every cent has been spent on His Majesty!"

"We have wronged the Regent King!"

Chief Minister Liu Hanlin looked uncomfortable, Grand Secretary Lu Zhong’s face was grave, and the Minister of Revenue Huo Zheng was stern.

Zhan Beicang’s lips carried a faint smile, Chu Xiong, who had always been targeting Mu Yan, began to feel guilty.

Imperial Censor Zhong Xuanliang had a complex expression, his face extremely somber.

Failure!

He had always believed that Mu Yan was licentious and corrupt by nature, brutal in his killings, and had no good impressions of him.

It seems things were not as he imagined; it turns out Mu Yan had always been a scapegoat for His Majesty!

No wonder His Majesty appointed Mu Yan as the Regent King; this was His Majesty’s debt to him! freewebnøvel.com

Apart from being ruthless, perhaps what was said about Mu Yan’s debauchery was also merely an illusion; after all, there was only Zhan Lan, a single woman in his Regent Prince Mansion.

Zhong Xuanliang said solemnly, "I feel ashamed, as I have misunderstood the Regent King all along. If the Regent King were here, I would definitely apologize to him in person!"

Huo Zheng put away the account books without further comment, for at that moment, justice resonated in the hearts of the people.

Suddenly, Prime Minister Liu sneered and said, "Even if this money was spent for His Majesty, when the state treasury of Nanjin was emptied and the people suffered, the Regent King was excessively extravagant. It is said that he used a hundred chests of valuable treasures as a bridal gift for Prince Zhenbei; where these gifts came from should also be thoroughly investigated!"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince’s expression improved slightly, and officials from the Crown Prince Faction also began to speak: "We used our monthly salaries for disaster relief, yet the Regent King was unrestrainedly extravagant; please investigate thoroughly!"

Zhan Beicang’s face turned ugly; these people were determined to trouble Mu Yan today, and now they even criticized his son-in-law’s bridal gifts.

Zhan Beicang said coldly: "In this matter, I am the clearest. Mu Yan also has another identity as the head of the foremost family in the world, the Mu Family, which has been based in the central plains for a century, initially engaging in trade, owning taverns, lands, auction houses, pawnshops, and so on. I believe it is very normal for him to give a hundred chests as a bridal gift!"

When Mu Yan was accused of using a falsified identity, he relied on the century-old noble family, the Mu Family, so the most that could be investigated about him was that he was from a branch of the once illustrious Mu Family of Zhongzhou.

Prime Minister Liu retorted sharply: "Ha, General Zhan truly protects your good son-in-law, there’s no need for more explanations. He’s unconcerned about the lives of the people and is excessively greedy, which is fundamentally wrong!"

The Crown Prince was inwardly pleased; Prime Minister Liu suppressed Mu Yan for him, which could restore some of his dignity, allowing the officials to overlook how flustered he was yesterday when dealing with the flood.

At this moment of extreme tension, Huo Zheng spoke again, his voice resonating like a bell: "You may not know, but yesterday at noon, the Regent King personally brought Prince Zhenbei to the Ministry of Revenue where they gave almost all the gifts and dowries from their wedding day to the Ministry of Revenue to be used for disaster relief and rebuilding the homes of the common people, amounting to a million taels of silver all used for disaster relief!"

As soon as these words were spoken, it shocked the entire hall into silence.

Everyone was moved by the righteousness of Mu Yan and Zhan Lan, feeling their blood boiling and their scalp tingling.

Especially the ministers who had just been clamoring about donating a month’s salary to aid in disaster relief, now blushing and bowing their heads in silence.

Prime Minister Liu’s face turned incredibly sour, he only attended the court in his old age to pinpoint Mu Yan’s faults and support the Crown Prince.

He did not expect to end up shooting himself in the foot!

The Crown Prince’s face grew paler, suddenly feeling a tightness in his chest, unable to breathe.

Mu Yan was too fearsome; even without being at the court, he still managed to control the court affairs.

Prime Minister Liu gave himself an out, "Even so, how can it be that a Regent has not come to court even when the sun is three poles high!"

Zhan Beicang responded with a light smile, "Chief Minister, take care of your health, definitely do not let yourself be upset, yesterday the Regent and Prince Zhenbei bid me farewell, they went to Heiling overnight to aid in the disaster, and my son Zhan Hui also went!"

In an instant, all the court ministers praised Mu Yan, Zhan Lan, and Zhan Hui.

"The Regent endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens without arguing, bravely taking responsibility during crucial times, truly a blessing for the people of Nanjin!"

"It’s said behind every successful man there stands a wise woman, I think the Regent Princess Consort is truly the most righteous and wise person!"

"General Zhan’s eldest son Zhan Hui is truly an example for the younger generation, the Zhan Family’s tradition being noble and wholesome, indeed a role model for our peers!"

The court ministers’ praises for Mu Yan, Zhan Lan, and Zhan Hui completely darkened the faces of the Crown Prince and Si Jun.

While they were still openly and covertly competing, Mu Yan and his allies had already gone to win the hearts of the people!

Prime Minister Liu closed his eyes, his aged face twitched, today was a day of humiliation for him!

Mu Yan indeed was deeply scheming, before his departure, he had arranged everything perfectly.

It could be said to be flawless!

After everyone dispersed, the Crown Prince sat alone on a redwood chair, his face gloomy and dark.

Today’s incidents told him, even if he ascends to the emperor’s throne, he couldn’t escape Mu Yan’s control!

Si Jun realized more clearly that he might have been played.

Today, the Minister of Revenue, Huo Zheng, spoke in favor of Mu Yan, could it be that he actually belonged to Mu Yan’s camp!

Winning him over was already pointless!

...

Zhan Lan and Mu Yan, having traveled through the night, were getting closer to Heiling.

The next morning, Mu Yan and Zhan Lan sat in the carriage, Mu Yan fondling Zhan Lan’s fingers, saying, "Lan’er, do you really not mind parting with your dowry and betrothal gifts?"

Zhan Lan covered her heart and said, "It hurts like crazy, but to gain something, one must lose something; a small sacrifice for small gains, a big sacrifice for greater gains. This strike at the courtier’s hearts facilitates future actions."

Mu Yan watched her playfully clutch her heart, a smile curling at his lips, pulling her into his embrace.

His Lan’er was adept at winning hearts and strategizing, he always felt that everything she did was part of her planning for him.

The carriage sped on, rocking back and forth, Mu Yan holding Zhan Lan fell asleep.

Outside the carriage, Dugu Yan and Zhan Hui rode forward, Dugu Yan curiously asked, "Young General, where is your lovely wife, she didn’t come along?"