Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 88: Rebel Spirit

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: Rebel Spirit

Emperor Jianming hadn’t even managed to direct the conversation to the 500,000 taels before Xie Xun began lamenting his poverty, claiming he had sold off ancestral properties for disaster relief—an unprecedented move. Stories about Marquis Zhenbei Mansion selling off its private assets until they were almost depleted were already well-known. Even the seven great noble families had experienced their fair share of extortion at the hands of the Second Young Master. And now, it had come to ancestral sales—truly a pitiful state of affairs.

The Minister of Revenue, Gong, was cursing silently. Young Marquis, who do you think you’re fooling?

The people from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Industry were utterly frustrated. In the northern part of the city, Xie Xun not only spent his own money and exerted his efforts but even emptied out the Kyoto Capital Guard Treasury, with all its silver reserves and provisions taken away. In the morning court, he snidely accused the Ministry of Industry of not providing personnel, the Ministry of Revenue of not allocating funds, and lamented that the Kyoto Capital Guard, involved in disaster relief, was starving and freezing, as if forced to live off the northwest wind. Currently, there wasn’t a single grain of food left in the Kyoto Capital Guard Treasury.

Both ministries were publicly disgraced and began passing the blame. The Ministry of Industry exaggerated the situation in Southern City, East City, and the central districts, citing howling snowstorms and a shortage of manpower that left little room to address the northern city’s plight.

"East City and Southern City, located right beneath the imperial city’s walls, are home to prominent noble families, teeming with people and well-armed private guards. Their houses are sturdy, and the extent of their disaster isn’t nearly as severe. The northern and western parts of the city, however, are the true disaster zones. While 1,000 troops from the Forbidden Army were dispatched to the western city, the northern city has effectively become a no-man’s-land. And yet, East City and Southern City have plundered the northern city’s pharmacies and cloth shops, carting away medicine and winter clothing. Northern City already has scarce resources, a dense population, the worst disaster damage, and the largest number of injured. How, then, do the other districts find the justification to plunder its supplies?"

Standing out among the officials, Xie Xun, who had spent the past few days tirelessly engaged in relief efforts in the northern city, wasted no time in lambasting everyone on his first morning court since taking up his new duties.

The Minister of the Ministry of Industry dared not even breathe, let alone argue back. Naturally, he wouldn’t point out that the cabinet had been overseeing the distribution. It was human nature to prioritize self-interest in the face of disasters. The noble families prioritized protecting their own clans and neighbors, focusing more on the affluent districts. This behavior trickled down as a model for others to follow. Moreover, there had been snow disasters for three consecutive years, yet things had never escalated this far before. So why had such chaos erupted the moment Xie Xun took charge of the Kyoto Capital Guard? In previous years, no one had paid attention to the northern part of the city, and those impoverished residents had never caused trouble.

Now, with such a major incident being reported directly to the throne, someone would undoubtedly have to bear responsibility for it. The Minister of the Ministry of Industry felt he was destined to be the scapegoat. He desperately wanted to shirk this duty. How could he repair significant damage with no funds?

Emperor Jianming seemed to be enjoying the unfolding drama. When the snow disaster hit, he had delegated full responsibility to the cabinet, and now that the cabinet was embroiled in a dispute with Xie Xun, he could take pleasure in watching from the sidelines while playing the role of mediator.

Lin Hongyuan said, "The disaster in the capital has led to a shortage of manpower, and every district is facing hardship. Such chaos is inevitable due to fears among the populace. The mismanagement by the cabinet was indeed a lapse. However, the plundering of supplies from the northern city is something we’ve never seen before. The cabinet should divide surplus materials from East City and send them to the northern city via the Capital Governor’s office."

Xie Xun raised an eyebrow, showing no deference to his elder cousin. "I spent three days in the northern city and didn’t see any materials from the Capital Governor."

Beads of cold sweat formed on the Capital Governor’s forehead as he forced a laugh, "Those supplies were redirected to the western city. The Forbidden Army can attest to this; Commander Lin was the one who transported them."

Lin Cheng’s brow twitched. "Yes, that’s correct. Several dozen commoners were trapped under collapsed buildings in the western city. We urgently needed medicinal supplies and were forced to requisition them temporarily."

"Ah, I see. So, the materials specifically designated for each district can be freely appropriated elsewhere. Understood," Xie Xun sneered like a scoundrel, eerily exuding the aura of the Kyoto Capital Guard, but still maintained a polite tone as he asked, "Next year, during the snow disaster, can I let the Kyoto Capital Guard engage in some looting as well? After all, the northern city has the most injured and collapsed houses, doesn’t it?"

"This is preposterous!" The Minister of Revenue held his aching head. "If everyone started doing that, the situation would descend into pure chaos."

"How strange. You all are doing it without causing chaos, but the moment I decide to do the same, chaos ensues? Minister Gong, you give me far too much credit."

A scholar meets a soldier, and reason becomes futile.

The officials collectively fell silent, "..."

The Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Justice were like quails, utterly motionless. Even the outspoken censors who usually thrived on debates had nothing to say. Marquis An Yuan bowed his head low to suppress the urge to laugh.

"The disaster in the capital is severe, and mistakes are bound to happen. So why must Young Marquis be so aggressive? Was the northern city your birthplace, or did it raise you, for you to speak so fervently on its behalf?" remarked Mr. Wu, clearly displeased and unable to resist confronting Xie Xun.

"Mr. Wu, I have been reasoning with facts all along. Tell me, at what point was I aggressive?" Xie Xun smiled, "Was it that my smile seemed not friendly enough? The northern city neither birthed me nor raised me. The Six Cross Street area in the northern city has few able-bodied men; the families there are composed mostly of the elderly, women, and children, barely scraping by. Why? Because their husbands and sons are guarding the borders. That area may appear to you as just a slum for peddlers and paupers, but in my eyes, it is a military household district! Where fathers fall, sons rise; where brothers die, younger brothers take their place—until no male relatives remain. Of the eight uncles from my Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, only my father survives today. Those women’s sons and husbands shed their blood defending our borders, and when they are in dire straits, not only do you fail to provide aid, but you also rob them of lifesaving resources. Whose hearts are you freezing over? Without their blood spilled on the battlefield, how would you, sitting comfortably in the Capital City, enjoy your wealth and luxury today? Mr. Wu, you have six sons in the Capital. Why not send one or two of them to the military for training?"

That slap from Xie Xun not only left Mr. Wu’s face deathly pale but also sent sparks flying before the eyes of many of the noble sons present in court. These noble families basked in prosperity while the commoners lived on the brink of starvation.

Who would dare mention such a topic in the Jinluan Palace? It was courting death!

Military household reforms had been the labor of three generations from Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, spanning decades. Yet, they were repeatedly stifled by the noble families, making it an untouchable subject in court.

Though Yanyang prided itself on its upright and honest officials from humble origins, seven or eight out of every ten officials in court were from influential noble families. They invariably protected the interests of their clans.

Although the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion was one of the seven great families, from the Old Marquis Zhenbei down to the present Marquis and now the Young Marquis, the Zhenbei line had always stood apart, not aligning with the noble families.

"Young Marquis, mind your manners. The Emperor is still present, and such insolence will not be tolerated. Yanyang’s sons are not restricted to the battlefield alone to defend their nation," someone admonished.

"Tell me which of my words implied that only going to war makes a worthy son? My question was very clear—why, when the other districts have surplus resources, must they plunder the food and medicine of a group of elderly, women, and children?" Xie Xun retorted sharply. "Why is it that, for three consecutive years of snow disasters, the Forbidden Army, Ministry of Industry, and the Capital Governor never sent assistance to the northern city? And why, when supplies assigned to the northern city by the cabinet are taken away by the western city, are you all arguing with me in court instead of proposing solutions?"

Emperor Jianming looked at Elder Lin in the front row, quite amused by the spectacle. The temper of all three Xie sons seemed to have been inherited from Xie Yuan—arrogant, unrestrained, and utterly dismissive of authority. It was well-known that the former Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Yuan, was thrown out of Elder Lin’s house when he went there to propose marriage, owing to his brazenness. Even when stationed in Ningzhou, Xie Yuan behaved as if he were following the Marquis’s every command. Everyone spoke of the eldest Xie son, Xie Zhang, as a gentleman as refined as jade, yet beneath that gentlemanly exterior lay an unyielding resolve. Even the Second Young Master, known for his reticence, was no pushover. How much fiercer, then, would Xie Xun be, raised under the influence of such father and brothers? It was said that he had even dared to challenge Xie Yuan, slamming the table in the military camp. A true rebel through and through.