Embezzle a Little Less-That Would Do More Good Than Anything!

The assembled officials all looked bewildered, but the military officers who had plundered the duke's estate last night guiltily studied the sky and the ground, refusing to turn toward Duke Wang's face.

At the sight, Duke Wang's thirty percent suspicion became a hundred percent certainty.

You little bastards! I knew you had something to do with it!

He clenched his back teeth.

Suddenly, he noticed something odd about these shameless "thieves."

Loyal and Martial General Gao Siyuan had a woman's earring pinned to his cuff. When his arm hung naturally at his side, its tassels fell across the back of his hand, looking utterly out of place against that large, vein-covered hand.

Illustrious Might General Dong Kangsheng had a white jade pendant hanging from his waist. Although its design was suitable for either sex, Dong Kangsheng had always insisted that unnecessary accessories interfered with training, and had never worn any in all these years.

Virtue-Returning General Lei Zhixin had gone even further, winding a red cord around a jeweled hairpin and hanging it directly around his neck.

On closer inspection, all these things looked somewhat familiar.

When his gaze passed over a bell among them, Duke Wang suddenly remembered: these were all things that girl Gu Yurou had worn!

Well, well! You even brought the stolen goods into court, did you?!

Caught red-handed, with the loot on you!

Hmm, why don't any of them dare look at Grandpa Wang? Jiang Yingcheng's inner voice suddenly rang out.

Duke Wang snorted, slowly turned back around, and took his place.

Naturally, these bastards who had burned his courtyard didn't dare meet his eyes.

Ahahahahaha! These uncles really went to Uncle Wang's house last night to burn, kill, and loot?

Oh, oh, oh, they didn't kill anyone. Then they went to Uncle Wang's house to, um...

Unable to find a suitable description for a moment, Jiang Yingcheng settled on, Commit all sorts of wicked deeds?

Duke Wang nodded.

A fitting description.

With the two of them playing off each other to publicly shame them, the military officers' faces reddened.

But that wasn't the most important thing.

They were growing anxious.

Little Princess, don't just mock us! Tell us whether any of these things hanging from us are that uniquely shaped Tiger Tally you mentioned in your thoughts!

They were all utterly desperate.

They didn't want to wear these girly things either, but yesterday they had searched through all the stolen goods, and nothing had looked like it could serve as a Tiger Tally.

They could only throw caution to the wind and give it a try.

Ah!

Their eyes lit up.

Had the little princess finally noticed these utterly incongruous things they were wearing?

Guided by 007, Jiang Yingcheng had indeed noticed the accessories, and she was genuinely puzzled. They burned Grandpa Wang's courtyard just to steal these few pieces of jewelry?

Are their wives unwilling to share their jewelry with them?

The military officers: "???"

No, what about them looked like that sort of-that sort of pervert?

The faces of those wearing accessories were no longer merely embarrassed; they were beginning to twist.

They weren't the only people in this court who could hear the little princess's thoughts!

With so many people hearing those remarks, how were they supposed to face anyone afterward?

The official presenting his memorial suddenly turned around, his manner refined yet unmistakably arrogant. "General Gao."

Gao Siyuan, who had been concentrating fully on waiting for the little princess's next thoughts, turned toward him in bewilderment. "Lord Qu."

Qu Kaiyu's expression was stern. "Does the general take issue with what I have just proposed?"

Otherwise, why would he keep making such ferocious faces?

Gao Siyuan was even more confused. "Huh?"

He had only been listening intently to the little princess's thoughts. How had he offended this troublemaker?

Yes, a troublemaker.

Qu Kaiyu was a civil official who normally looked down on men like them, who knew only how to wield blades and spears. He was thoroughly at odds with the military faction and always sought opportunities to stir up trouble and impeach them.

They couldn't outargue him, so they often went out of their way to avoid him.

"My proposal to raise taxes is merely intended to provide our soldiers with more military supplies, allowing the sons of Great Rui to slay their enemies on the battlefield without any worries," Qu Kaiyu continued. "Why, then, did General Gao look so disdainful while I was presenting this matter?"

His questions left Gao Siyuan dumbfounded.

When had he looked disdainful?

More importantly, would this Qu Kaiyu really be kindhearted enough to care about their soldiers' fighting conditions?

But they were still in court. Although Emperor Mingze was watching them expressionlessly, Gao Siyuan had an inexplicable feeling that he was in a rather poor mood.

How could his mood possibly be good?

The little princess had clearly been about to reach the crucial point, only for this fellow to forcibly interrupt her.

He wanted to get this matter over with quickly so the little princess could return her attention to the odd things they were wearing, but before he could speak, her inner voice rang out again.

I'm so angry, so angry! The common people's lives are already so hard. How can someone still be eyeing those two copper coins in their pockets?!

Gao Siyuan nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing.

Emperor Mingze had waged war year after year these past two years, and taxes were already extremely high. Raising them again now would likely provoke a fierce backlash among the people.

Fortunately, Emperor Mingze wasn't so muddleheaded. Gao Siyuan curled his lip, unwilling to get tangled up with Qu Kaiyu.

But Qu Kaiyu kept prattling on. "Of course, you military officers have nothing but fighting on your minds. Such matters can only be left to us civil officials to worry about."

Gao Siyuan: "???"

That, he could not tolerate!

"And does Lord Qu understand the people's suffering?" He borrowed the little princess's argument. "They already have barely a few copper coins left, yet they still cannot escape having others eye them!"

Jiang Yingcheng's eyes lit up.

Yes, yes, yes! Give it to him just like that!

General Uncle is so righteous!

To repel threats beyond our borders, we must first secure peace within. If he doesn't even understand that, what business does he have being an official?!

Gao Siyuan puffed out his chest, and even the earring on his cuff shone more brightly in the candlelight.

Qu Kaiyu's eyes widened, as though he had never expected Gao Siyuan, who had always avoided him like the plague, to actually argue back.

"General Gao, it is easy to claim the moral high ground when the matter does not concern you. If we do not raise taxes, where are the soldiers' supplies supposed to come from?"

Gao Siyuan snorted.

Ordinarily, his clumsy tongue would have left him nursing a bellyful of pent-up anger again. But things were different now-now he could hear the little princess's thoughts!

"Heh. As a mere civil official, Lord Qu naturally knows nothing of military affairs. As the saying goes, to repel threats beyond our borders, we must first secure peace within. If we cannot first ensure stability in the rear, how can we speak of expanding our territory?"

Oh, oh, oh! General Uncle is practically speaking for me!

So handsome! General Uncle looks so handsome when he speaks with such righteous conviction!

Go, General Uncle! Give it to him! Give it to him!!

Gao Siyuan lost himself in the stream of praise. Before Qu Kaiyu could speak, he pressed his advantage. "If you don't even understand such a simple principle, haven't you had far too easy a time serving as an official?"

The assembled officials: "..."

Jiang Yanchuan: "..."

Qu Kaiyu bristled and glared in fury, looking as though he might charge forward the next second and trade a few blows with Gao Siyuan up close.

Never afraid of making a spectacle even bigger, Jiang Yingcheng was still having 007 dig up juicy gossip for her.

The more she heard, the angrier she grew. Pah! Raising taxes, indeed! Embezzle a little less-that would do more good than anything!!

Without thinking, Gao Siyuan blurted, "Embezzle a little less-that would do more good than anything!"

Gao Siyuan: "???"