12dz Chapter 552: Heaven's Punishment
Chapter 552: Heaven's Punishment
Chapter 552 Heaven's Punishment
"The boat capsized?" Feng Chuankai's face suddenly changed when he heard the report from the Minister of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue had a sad face, "Your Majesty, it wasn't a capsized ship, it was a merchant ship that was sailing to the middle of the ship, and a wave broke the ship into pieces, and everyone is now missing."
"How is this possible!" Feng Chuankai was furious.
He stood up and paced back and forth, anxiety evident in his eyes.
"How could such a good merchant ship disintegrate? Where are the sailors? Go chop all the sailors to pieces for me. They are a bunch of useless people."
The Minister of Revenue looked up in astonishment, unable to believe that the Emperor was thinking of killing the boatman first at this moment.
"Your Majesty, we should send a ship to rescue people now." This was the first time the emperor went to sea after taking over the shipping company. In addition to carefully selected merchants, there were also envoys from the Yong Dynasty, who represented the emperor to negotiate peace and alliance with overseas countries.
If the news of the ship's disintegration spread throughout the world, how would the Yong Dynasty survive in the future?
"Can we rescue the people at this time?" Feng Chuankai frowned. In the vast ocean, hundreds of people are just a drop in the ocean.
The Minister of Revenue said, "Your Majesty, even if you can't save him, you still have to... still give the order to rescue him."
Can't you even do the minimum to pretend?
Feng Chuankai was very annoyed, "How much silver did the national treasury lose this time?"
"Your Majesty, we have already spent two hundred thousand taels on building the ship. Together with the cargo, the total cost will be at least three million taels." But the lives of those hundreds of merchants are worth more than that amount of silver.
So much silver!
"Your Majesty, saving lives is the most important thing." The Minister of Revenue reminded.
Feng Chuankai frowned and asked: "How many ships are needed to rescue the people? What if they are already dead by the time they get there? Wouldn't that mean..."
"What Your Majesty should do now is to order the troops to go out to sea to rescue people, instead of haggling over the losses here!" A sharp voice came from outside.
Queen Mother Yao appeared outside the palace wearing a palace dress with wide sleeves and golden peacock feathers. Her eyes were cold and sharp, and she exuded nobility and majesty.
When Feng Chuankai saw her, his momentum inevitably weakened by three points.
"Mother, why are you here?" He bowed.
"Hundreds of lives are in danger. If the emperor had gone to sea in time, more lives could have been saved. Why has the emperor been hesitating to make a decision?" asked Empress Dowager Yao.
When she heard that the merchant ship had disintegrated, she knew that something was wrong. If the matter was not handled properly, it would definitely bring a very bad reputation to the emperor.
She hurried over and heard outside the hall that he was worried about the loss of silver, and she was furious.
This son's qualifications are not even one-third of his father's.
"I didn't say I wouldn't save you." Feng Chuankai said impatiently.
Queen Mother Yao looked at him coldly, "I told you to let the Queen take charge of the boats, why didn't you listen?"
"The Queen has already entered the palace and is no longer suitable to be in charge." Feng Chuankai said.
"What about Shui Yanze?" asked Queen Mother Yao.
"Mother, Shui Yanze was promoted by Shen Suian. Keeping him in Chuantun is like keeping a spy." Feng Chuankai didn't think he did anything wrong in forcing Shui Yanze away.
Queen Mother Yao scolded: "The Shui family's shipbuilding skills are unmatched. Do you think building a large merchant ship that can sail to the sea is just a matter of a few planks?"
"It would have been fine if you had driven Shui Yanze away, but you also treated the other boatmen harshly. If you had kept them, this disaster wouldn't have happened today."
"Enough." Feng Chuankai shouted angrily.
"Mother, the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. Please return to the Cining Palace."
Queen Mother Yao's eyes were filled with disappointment. She couldn't understand why the children she had raised with all her heart were all fools.
"If you send troops out to sea to rescue people immediately, you can still save some face. Otherwise, your royal prestige will be damaged and it will be difficult for you to recover." Queen Mother Yao said softly.
"Mother, I am the emperor!" Feng Chuankai gritted his teeth.
"It is my decision as to what to do. Mother, please do not interfere here."
The Minister of Revenue standing by almost buried his head in the ground.
He didn't want to see the Queen Mother and the Emperor arguing here. It was not something he could hear or see.
Queen Mother Yao looked at him for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, please don't regret it."
She left the Yangxin Palace and did not return to the Cining Palace, but went to the Kunning Palace to meet Yao Xinling.
Ever since Yao Xinling became pregnant, Feng Chuankai has taken even better care of her. She has also been taking good care of herself to avoid any accidents.
"Aunt, why are you here?" Yao Xinling came out, her face full of surprise.
Queen Mother Yao looked at her healthy face and asked, "Have you heard about the merchant ship's accident?"
"What?" Yao Xinling was stunned.
"Mother, the emperor doesn't allow me to inquire about things outside the palace. I...I don't dare to anger the emperor."
Queen Mother Yao's eyes flashed with sternness, "Ling'er, I asked you to enter the palace to be the queen, not to be a dodder."
"I know your character very well."
"It's really unlike you to be so dependent on the Emperor."
Yao Xinling's eyes were slightly red. "Then what does my aunt want me to do? If I teach the emperor what to do and what not to do every day like you do, the emperor will only get tired of me in the end."
"When I first entered the palace, you also told me to change my ways and learn how to be a queen."
"What did you say?" Queen Mother Yao's face turned cold.
Yao Xinling held onto Empress Dowager Yao's arm and said, "Aunt, the Emperor has already misunderstood you. This is the only way I can get the Emperor to get close to me, so that I can persuade the Emperor not to have any grudges against you."
Queen Mother Yao thought about it carefully and felt that what he said made sense.
If Yao Xinling continued to act as unruly as she did outside the palace, she would definitely not be fit to be the queen.
"Something happened to the merchant ship." Queen Mother Yao told Yao Xinling about the disintegration of the merchant ship.
"Go and persuade the emperor not to treat this matter as a joke. Both the Northern and Southern Kings are eyeing him covetously. Whether he can be saved or not, you should try your best."
Yao Xinling knelt down and bowed, "Yes, mother."
"You should have stopped him at the beginning and shouldn't have forced Shui Yanze away." Queen Mother Yao complained.
Feng Chuankai is conceited and arrogant, can she persuade him?
As early as when he handed over the ship, Yao Xinling had already thought of the consequences of today.
It was just more serious than she had expected.
While the Yong Dynasty was still discussing how to send out boats to rescue people, Fu Jinyuan had already sent out boats to rescue everyone back to Suzhou.
When the news reached Kyoto City, Feng Chuankai was so angry that she almost broke her teeth.
At the same time, rumors spread that the emperor was unworthy of his position and was being punished by heaven.
"It must be the Prince of Zhennan!" Feng Chuankai was filled with hatred.
The Prince of Zhennan was always trying to find ways to replace him.
Feng Chuankai ordered people to arrest those who spread the rumors, but it turned out that they could not catch them all.
It just so happened that an earthquake occurred in Qingzhou, and the rumor was pushed to its peak.
"Why is there an earthquake in Qingzhou!" Feng Chuankai's face turned pale.
Even he has to believe it. Is this really a punishment from heaven?
Yao Xinling hid the contempt in her eyes very well, "Your Majesty, there are casualties in the earthquake in Qingzhou. No matter what, we should send people to Qingzhou first to help the local county magistrate rescue the people."
Feng Chuankai nodded, "Yes, yes, I was so angry that I lost my mind. I immediately ordered the Minister of Revenue to take the food and grass to Qingzhou."
"It's all Fu Jinyuan's fault. He's meddling in other people's business. What does the Yong Dynasty's merchant ships have to do with him?"