Du Guqing grabbed Mei Qingxue's hand. "I'm not angry about being powerless. It's just those corrupt officials..."
"Next time someone comes to see me, you stay behind the curtain and note them all down."
Hearing Mei Qingxue's words, Du Guqing had no choice but to nod. At present, he really couldn't do anything. If he took any action, his father, the emperor, might suspect that he was the one benefiting from the struggle between the eldest and the third princes.
Mei Qingxue knew very well that if Du Guqing were to expose those corrupt officials at this moment, he would surely draw trouble to himself. Now that she stepped forward to accept the gifts, she wouldn't be afraid even if the emperor wanted to punish them later. After all, there were records of how the money was used. But if Du Guqing had accepted them, things would be different.
"Xuanqiao, quickly fetch a basin of water and let your prince wash his face. He didn't even wash this morning, and now with that long face, he looks even darker."
Hearing Mei Qingxue teasing him, Du Guqing couldn't be angry with his wife anymore. He just forced a smile. "It's my fault!"
Then he stood up and went to wash his face by himself. Since he married Mei Qingxue, he preferred to wash his face alone without the maids attending him, lest Mei Qingxue get jealous and come up with some strange tricks.
"Your Highness, the wife of the Middle Gate Commander, Liu Aiyuan, requests an audience."
The servant's announcement from outside made Du Guqing pause in his action. He threw the towel into the basin with a splash.
"Come on. I'll hide behind the curtain and see who these rich and generous people are!"
After Du Guqing settled himself behind the curtain, he saw Mei Qingxue receive wave after wave of visitors. She received thirteen groups in the morning. Du Guqing's face grew darker and darker, but Mei Qingxue didn't care. Anti - corruption was their business, while accepting gifts was hers.
For this purpose, Mei Qingxue specifically asked Xuanqiao to clean up the side room. Du Guqing's list was filled with the names of people and the gifts they brought.
In the evening, looking at the mountain of gifts, Mei Qingxue was thinking about how many bridges she could build. Du Guqing was slapping the table beside her, but she ignored him.
After a while, that cheeky fellow said, "Your Highness, my hand hurts!"
After slapping the table so many times while looking at those gifts, how could his hand not hurt?
"Come on. Let me take a look..." Du Guqing thought Mei Qingxue would comfort him nicely, but instead, she pinched his painful hand with two fingers.
"You were so bold when slapping the table. Now you're a coward? Can't you see I'm busy? Go away."
Du Guqing saw that Mei Qingxue's eyes were only on those boxes of different sizes. He walked into the study with a gloomy face, holding the list.
"Yuxue." Du Guqing called out to a corner behind him. A black - clothed woman knelt in front of him.
"Check the officials on this list and find out their assets. I'm short of money." It was actually his wife who was short of money. It would be a waste not to squeeze those fat sheep.
"Yes." The woman named Yuxue didn't say a word and immediately turned to leave.
This was just the first day, and they already needed a special room in the Sixth Prince's Mansion to store the gifts. Du Guqing had read the names of those people. Most of the officials who gave gifts held lower - ranking positions. They just wanted to make a good impression on Du Guming in case he was reinstated. Just these lower - ranking officials were so wealthy. What would those old guys who hadn't made their moves yet offer?
Gently tapping the table, Du Guqing wondered if he should hand over his power to Mei Qingxue. He always felt that his wife could make the best use of those people's power.
Mei Qingxue's eyes narrowed into slits looking at the piles of gifts. That night, she sent them with An Ying to the south to exchange for food and daily necessities with the rich officials there.
It was absolutely impossible to ask those people to open their granaries and distribute food. But with this batch of rare treasures, Mei Qingxue managed to get many of them to open their purses. They would rather let the grain in their granaries go moldy than help the poor and the victims. Mei Qingxue wasn't at the stage of robbing the rich to help the poor yet. What she was doing now was buying and exchanging.
The next day, there were again waves of people bringing all kinds of gift boxes. Mei Qingxue saw that Du Guqing looked like he was about to eat someone, so she knew that the officials today were of a higher rank than those of yesterday. She was now looking forward to the next day and the day after.
Using these ill - gotten gains to help the people, Mei Qingxue was very happy. Somehow, there was a rumor that the Mei family's young lady was an immortal descending to the mortal world to help the poor.
Mei Qingxue didn't know about this because very few people knew what she was doing. When the rumor about the Mei family's immortal reached the capital, Mei Qingxue couldn't sit still anymore.
An Ying brought back several portraits that the victims in the south had enshrined. The person in the portraits was undoubtedly Mei Qingxue.
"Go and find out who did this. Do they want to kill this princess quickly?"
An Ying didn't understand. It was just a spontaneous act of the common people. How could it endanger Mei Qingxue's life? Mei Qingxue sighed and looked into An Ying's inquiring eyes. "Suppress this matter for the time being. Make sure it doesn't reach the emperor's ears. Find a woman who looks about 60% like me so that I can defend myself."
"Yes!"
An Ying turned and left. Mei Qingxue showed a thoughtful look in her eyes. Spreading her good deeds was a good thing in general, but now, the eldest prince had just been imprisoned, and the court was in turmoil over the issue of the crown prince. She wouldn't take the risk of offending the emperor at this time.
After receiving gifts for more than ten days in a row, Mei Qingxue went from being excited at first to impatient. No matter how many treasures there were, people would get tired of looking at them. Moreover, she had listened to people boasting about the names of those treasures for more than ten days.
Noticing the worry on Mei Qingxue's face, Du Guqing already knew what she had told An Ying. The rumor was actually spread by him. The whole court was focusing on the issue of the crown prince, trying to seek the greatest benefits for themselves. No one cared about the flood in the south and the upcoming drought. He just wanted to divert some of their attention.
If the people were in dire straits and caused unrest, it would still be a loss to the court. Although he had no power, he still paid attention to the situation in the south. Good deeds should be publicized. Now that the country was unified, if some court officials cared about the victims, it could calm the people's hearts. His father, the emperor, must be well aware of this. He would not only not punish Mei Qingxue at this time but might even reward her.
Now the advisors of the eldest prince and the third prince were constantly fighting against each other. Every day, there were reports of who impeached whom, with all the charges and evidence being conclusive.
Du Guyou was just hiding in the Summer Resort to avoid trouble, but he might not be really that idle. Du Guming was imprisoned, and Du Jue was in charge of the government. It seemed fair, but in fact, many of the eldest prince's followers had been removed. Now Du Jue was weakening Du Guming's power on the one hand and preventing him from being reinstated on the other. Du Guqing was in poor health and had no chance of competing with him. The position of the crown prince seemed to be firmly in his grasp.
"Ha..." Mei Qingxue was exhausted. She rubbed her waist. It took a lot of time every day to count and record these things. But thinking that she could exchange them for more food, a smile appeared on her face involuntarily.
Du Guqing grabbed the little woman. "Tell me, how long have you been neglecting your husband?"
Since those officials who came to give gifts almost wore out the threshold of the mansion, Mei Qingxue almost slept with those rare treasures every night.
She set up a temporary bed inside and guarded them every night. She would only feel relieved after An Ying took them away.
"I'm so tired. Let me have a good rest." Mei Qingxue yawned. Finally, there were fewer people giving gifts today, and the gifts had been sent away by An Ying early. With one thing off her mind, Mei Qingxue immediately felt extremely tired.
"Okay. I'll spare you tonight." Du Guqing held Mei Qingxue in his arms and gently stroked her flat belly.
"We've been married for quite a while. Why haven't you conceived yet?"
"It's only been a few months, okay?" Mei Qingxue rolled her eyes. It usually took at least a month to conceive normally. Besides, she was only 16 years old... no, 17 now.
"I..." Du Guqing wanted to leave a child for her. After he passed away, the child could accompany her. Looking at Mei Qingxue, there were thousands of words in his eyes, but he didn't know how to say them.
"You silly thing." Mei Qingxue gently kissed his cheek. They would have a child. She was still young. Why be in such a hurry?
Suddenly, her body trembled. She remembered what Du Guqing had once said, that he wouldn't live past 25. At that time, she didn't take it seriously. But now, seeing Du Guqing's hesitant look, could it be true? Even in modern times with advanced technology, it was impossible to predict a person's lifespan so accurately, let alone in this era.
"I won't live past 25." Du Guqing's face looked solemn.
"Don't talk nonsense." Mei Qingxue covered his mouth. Hearing Du Guqing say this again, Mei Qingxue's face also turned solemn. She didn't want to be a young widow. "I believe you can be cured. The famous doctor I invited last time, you haven't seen him yet." As long as there was the slightest hope, Mei Qingxue wouldn't give it up.
"Okay. I'll listen to you." Du Guqing looked at Mei Qingxue's face and didn't have the heart to disappoint her. The poison in his body had already penetrated deep into his bones. There was no way to save him. It was just discovered too late, and the chance of treatment had been missed. He was just waiting for death.
Without asking Mei Qingxue where the gifts had gone, Du Guqing changed the topic. "It's been a long time since we visited Mother Princess." Hearing about that Concubine Qin who changed her face faster than turning a page, Mei Qingxue felt helpless.
"She'll just ask me when I'll get pregnant. I'm not going."
A smile appeared on Du Guqing's face. "Mother Princess is bored in the deep palace. She's looking forward to taking care of our child."
Thinking of his unfavored mother, Du Guqing felt heavy - hearted. Having a child would give her something to do. She was not even 40 yet, but it was almost like she was a widow.
"I haven't even conceived yet. Mother Princess is thinking too far ahead." Mei Qingxue touched her belly. "Besides, I'm still young." If she were pregnant, it would be another story. But now, there was no sign at all.
Living for the tenth life, she never thought that she would get married before reaching adulthood and be stared at for her belly every day. Thinking of this, Mei Qingxue said angrily, "Are you also in a hurry? If you are, go and take concubines."
Speaking of concubines, Mei Qingxue thought of the real and fake Rong Yu'er.