Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1258: A Drastic Change in Temperament

Upon receiving the letter, the elder brother promptly requested an audience with the Emperor.

Given his existing relationship with Emperor Jingwu and Emperor Jingtai, the Emperor placed considerable trust in the elder brother. After perusing the letter and the contracts from Dou Ou Bank, the Emperor was highly pleased. He resolved to lend his support, vowing to take action against the nobles and affluent families who sought to profit by establishing a new bank and coercing farmers into using their land as collateral for debts they couldn't repay.

The Shen Family was the first to feel the Emperor's wrath. An imperial decree was personally issued, and the eunuch delivering it vehemently reprimanded Marquis Rong’en at the gates of his mansion. The eunuch even went so far as to accuse the Marquis, a member of the royal family, of competing with the imperial court for the farmers' land.

Furthermore, the Marquis was berated for being blinded by lust, allowing his illegitimate son to perpetrate wicked deeds with impunity, disregarding the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, and proving himself unworthy of his Marquis title!

Marquis Rong’en was overcome with terror, fearing the Emperor might seize this opportunity to revoke his title. He repeatedly prostrated himself, begging for mercy, and ultimately fainted under the weight of the scolding.

News of this incident swept through the Capital before nightfall, casting a pall of anxiety over aristocratic families, the royal clan, high-ranking officials, and nobles. Consequently, ninety percent of these families abandoned any notion of profiting from the new banking venture.

That very night, upon regaining consciousness, Marquis Rong’en immediately drafted a memorial to the Emperor, requesting that his legitimate eldest son be enfeoffed as the Princely Heir.

Master Shen was overjoyed. He had never imagined that the position of Princely Heir, which he had coveted for so many years, would be directly bestowed upon him by Old Si.

Master Shen’s wife, Ms. Sun, a woman skilled in managing affairs, returned to her paternal family. There, she expressed profound gratitude for the Emperor’s favor and proposed that her family donate silver to the imperial treasury. She artfully framed the gesture, stating that although the Sun family comprised scholars who could not fight on the front lines, they were willing to contribute silver as military funds to aid the court in their campaign against Da Rong, thus avenging the fallen border citizens.

Her words, brimming with sincerity, greatly pleased Emperor Jingyuan. He issued a decree praising the Sun Family and swiftly approved the memorial to make Master Shen the Princely Heir.

The Sun Family, Ms. Sun, and Master Shen thus rose to prominence.

Following the Sun Family’s example, the noble families and high-ranking officials in the Capital felt compelled to contribute silver to the court, enabling the Emperor to amass substantial wealth.

However, he harbored no gratitude towards these wealthy families and officials. Instead, he viewed them as the source of his troubles, hoarding so much silver yet failing to offer it to him. Were it not for Great Chu, would they ever possess such riches?!

Within Mingwei Palace, the Emperor was scolding these very families who had made donations. Ouyang Hong advised, "Your Majesty, their willingness to donate silver stems from their loyalty to you. You ought to commend them, rather than chastise, lest you alienate their hearts."

Even when reaping such benefits, a pretense of harmonious ruler-subject relations should at least be maintained.

But the Emperor paid no heed, responding with a cold smile. "Under heaven, all belongs to the sovereign. Their silver is the property of Great Chu. Now that Great Chu prepares to attack Da Rong, they are obligated to contribute funds. They donate this time solely out of fear of my displeasure. Can these old gentlemen not perceive this? Yet you plead for these hypocrites!"

Ouyang Hong sighed inwardly at the Emperor's words and refrained from further comment.

However, in his reply to Ouyang Hu, he included a cryptic sentence: Do not mention matters concerning Da Rong; remember that everything His Majesty states is the absolute truth.

Upon reading this, Ouyang Hu felt a jolt, recalling a conversation with his elder brother several years prior.

His brother had stated: His Majesty must have endured great suffering in Da Rong, hence his intolerance towards any leniency regarding Da Rong affairs. Should His Majesty ever speak to you about Da Rong, do not side with them; do not even utter neutral words. Simply curse Da Rong and endorse His Majesty’s views.

This advice struck Ouyang Hu as peculiar, and he inquired, "Brother, have you not always maintained that an Emperor is human, prone to error, and should not be blindly obeyed? We should speak our minds boldly and without reservation. Why now advocate for such obsequious statements in favor of the Emperor?"

His brother remained silent for a long interval before continuing, "You need not probe too deeply; merely follow my instructions... I have surmised certain things, but revealing them to you would invite catastrophe. Do not inquire further. I shall say this only once and will not repeat it, but mark my words: Da Rong is His Majesty's absolute taboo. Never speak in Da Rong's defense; remember this eternally."

Ouyang Hu, in his youth, failed to comprehend the truth. Now, however, the reasons gradually became clear to him... When the Emperor was young, he famously vanished within Da Rong Territory. Whispers suggested he was held captive by the Rong people for months. Yet, the Emperor and Duke Wei, along with his son, later maintained that he was merely trapped and hidden in Da Rong, only to return to Great Chu after an extended period.

Reflecting now, Ouyang Hu suspected that the Emperor, Duke Wei, and his son were not truthful. For the three to conspire in a lie of this magnitude, it implied the Emperor must have endured an ordeal beyond human comprehension in Da Rong Territory. Otherwise, such a profound secret would not be so fiercely guarded.

Upon ascending the throne, His Majesty moved swiftly to dismantle Duke Wei’s clan. This action transcended mere acknowledgment of Duke Wei’s immense contributions; it seemed aimed at burying a truth, silencing Duke Wei and his son permanently.

In his youth, His Majesty was hailed as the most exceptional among the imperial grandsons. It was for this reason that Emperor Jingwu had bequeathed a testament, designating him as the Crown Prince. Yet, his transformation into his current state was likely intrinsically linked to his mysterious disappearance in Da Rong.

Master Ouyang, a man seasoned by extensive world travels, possessed a foundational understanding of medical principles. He was aware that severe psychological trauma could fundamentally alter a person's disposition. It was highly probable that His Majesty fell into this very category.

"It's settled, truly settled? What did the Emperor say regarding our Young Master? Did his words appear in the letter? Quickly, bring it here for our Young Master to examine!" Upon hearing of the successful outcome, Young Master Dou rushed over, not even bothering to properly put on his shoes. He lunged for the letter held by Master Ouyang, narrowly avoiding a kick.

"What's the hurry, boy? This letter still holds value. What if you tear it?" Master Ouyang skillfully kept the letter out of Young Master Dou's grasp. He gestured for them to sit, then announced, "It is done. The Emperor stands with us and will confront those families seeking to exploit the situation."

Young Master Dou, his impatience mounting, pressed further, "And the contract? Did we secure the contract? Old man, speak quickly! That's the most crucial matter!"

Presenting the contract to the Emperor was merely a gesture of deference; he had no intention of relinquishing control of Dou Ou Bank.

Master Ouyang reassured him, "Rest assured, the Emperor did not seize the Dou Ou Bank contract. He returned it, permitting us to continue managing the bank, but stipulated two inviolable rules: no raising interest rates and no forcing farmers to use their property as collateral for debt settlement."

"Naturally, we have always adhered to these principles ourselves; otherwise, wouldn't that make us as reprehensible as the Shen Family?" Young Master Dou scoffed, dismissing the Emperor's pronouncements as redundant.

Master Ouyang responded, "Those were merely our self-imposed guidelines, subject to amendment at any time. Now, with the Emperor's decree, they are imperial law. Even in the face of death, these rules are unalterable."

The distinction was clear: a matter of personal policy versus an unchangeable imperial edict.

Young Master Dou, absorbing this, silently cursed the Emperor once more. He then inquired, "Was I mentioned at all?"

Damn it, I didn't go through all this trouble to establish a new bank without anticipating some personal gain! Surely, I deserve some benefit!