Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Chapter 260 The Dispute over Water Conservancy in Qiangzhou

early morning

Judging by the days, the effects of the medication should have already begun to take hold. These days, Xue Huaiyu's drowsiness has become increasingly severe, and he is late for court every morning.

Today, the eunuch came to report to the ministers that the emperor was too tired due to his busy official duties and had decided to continue the court recess today.

At first, the ministers did not find anything unusual, after all, a day or two of rest was normal.

However, Xue Huaiyu continued in this manner for several days in a row, and the ministers began to have doubts, wondering if something bad had happened to the emperor.

Moreover, they heard that Consort Shu was experiencing the same condition, and it seemed to be more serious than Xue Huaiyu's, manifesting as increased sleepiness.

Because only Consort Shu and the Emperor experienced this situation in the harem, various rumors began to circulate in the court.

Many people began to connect the two events, speculating that Consort Shu was responsible for the phenomenon of "the emperor no longer holding morning court".

Some people even called her a "femme fatale who brought ruin to the country." Just a few days ago, they were calling Consort Shu a goddess, but now that something has happened, she's become a femme fatale.

They felt that nothing like this had ever happened before. First, the plague was related to her, and now the emperor's failure to hold morning court was also related to her.

"What should we do?" one minister lamented.

The Minister of Personnel shook his head and sighed, his sigh revealing deep worry. "His Majesty is unwell and has not attended court for several days. I fear..."

A minister frowned and spoke in a low voice, his tone probing, "I'm afraid there's more to this than meets the eye. The fact that Consort Shu is also ill is too much of a coincidence."

Chen Tongyu stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and retorted with a flicker of his eyes: "Gentlemen, the atmosphere in the palace has been tense lately. As your subjects, we should investigate the truth and set things right."

"Do not make wild guesses or believe everything you hear! Perhaps His Majesty is simply overworked due to the recent water conservancy project in Qiangzhou!"

Liu Hongwei, the Grand Master of the Palace, interrupted hastily, his voice slightly hurried: "But now the Emperor neither holds court nor receives guests, and we can't even enter the palace gates, so how can we find out the truth?"

A minister lowered his voice and whispered to Zheng Yuxiang, "Why don't we jointly submit a petition requesting His Majesty to depose the concubine?"

As soon as the minister spoke, Chen Tongyu, who was standing not far away, heard it. Chen Tongyu glared at the minister who proposed to depose the concubine, and the minister immediately stopped talking when he saw Chen Tongyu glare at him.

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Rites shook his head in opposition, waved his hand to signal, and said with a serious expression, "We must not be rash! If we submit a memorial without concrete evidence, we may only arouse suspicion."

Consort Shu and the Emperor only showed the same symptoms. This matter may be related to Consort Shu, but it is not necessarily the work of Consort Shu.

After all, Consort Shu has been in the palace for so long, and this situation has never happened before. Now that it has suddenly happened, it's not fair to say that she was the one who caused it.

Nowadays, almost all the favored concubines in the harem are from the Chen family. The Empress is a daughter of the Chen family, and the highly favored Consort Shu was sent to the palace by Chen Tongyu. It seems that the harem has become a place where the Chen family has absolute power.

It's understandable that the ministers felt dissatisfied. Before, at least there was Consort Jiang to distract the emperor, but now even Consort Jiang has been sent out of the palace by the empress.

The Minister of Rites frowned and said with a helpless tone, "This is inappropriate."

The Minister of Personnel pondered for a moment before slowly speaking: "Lord Zhao's concerns are not without merit."

Liu Hongwei nodded in agreement: "What Lord Zhao said is absolutely right. I was being rash."

Zheng Yuxiang looked around at everyone, his expression calm: "The most important thing now is to send someone to check on the Emperor's health."

"Then, Your Excellency, what should be done about the water conservancy project in Qiangzhou?"

Zheng Yuxiang slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke: "The matter of water conservancy in Qiangzhou is related to the livelihood of the people and cannot be delayed. At present, His Majesty is unwell, so we can only act first and report later."

"Once the matter is settled, I will inform His Majesty of the whole story. I believe His Majesty will understand my good intentions."

Zheng Yuxiang paused, then turned his gaze to the Minister of Revenue, "Lord Wang, please have someone calculate the required amount of silver, down to the last penny."

"The Ministry of Works should send personnel to Qiangzhou as soon as possible for on-site investigation."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Works immediately bowed and agreed.

Zheng Yuxiang continued, "As for the specific implementation..." He turned slightly and whispered a few words to Zheng Luoqi beside him, who immediately left quickly.

A moment later, Zheng Luoqi returned with a stack of memorials.

Zheng Yuxiang unfolded it and said loudly, "This is a summary of the experience gained from all the previous efforts to improve water use for people in drought-stricken areas. You may wish to refer to it."

"In my opinion, the water conservancy in Qiangzhou can be carried out in three steps: first, dredging the waterways; second, reinforcing the dikes; and finally, building reservoirs."

No sooner had Zheng Yuxiang finished speaking than Chen Tongyu said sarcastically from the side, "Does the Prime Minister think of the Great Xia as his own home? Such a massive water conservancy project in Qiangzhou, shouldn't you have consulted the Emperor before making a decision?"

As soon as Chen Tongyu finished speaking, the atmosphere in the court suddenly became tense. The eyes of the ministers shifted between Zheng Yuxiang and Chen Tongyu, and a silent confrontation filled the air.

Zheng Yuxiang slowly turned his head, looking at Chen Tongyu with a calm gaze, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Lord Chen, you are mistaken."

"As the Prime Minister, I should naturally prioritize the well-being of the nation and the people. His Majesty is unwell; how can we, his subjects, delay important matters for trivial reasons?"

"The people of Qiangzhou are suffering greatly from the drought. If we do not provide relief as soon as possible, we fear that a peasant uprising may break out. My actions are precisely to share the burden of the country and relieve the people's suffering."

Chen Tongyu sneered, took a step forward, and said sharply, "While the Prime Minister's words make sense, everything has its rules. If everyone acts arbitrarily under the pretext of urgency, where is the law of the court?"

"Moreover, the Qiangzhou water conservancy project involves national treasury expenditures and is a massive undertaking. Without imperial approval, how can it be started so easily? Does Your Excellency intend to monopolize power?"

Zheng Yuxiang raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression remaining calm: "Lord Chen's words are rather extreme. I am not acting arbitrarily, but merely weighing the pros and cons and making a decision on your behalf for the time being."

"Once His Majesty recovers, a detailed report will naturally be given. Besides, both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue have been involved in this matter, so how can it be said that he is handling it alone?"

Chen Tongyu frowned, put his hands behind his back, and said coldly, "Your Excellency, even so, it should be discussed by the Six Ministries and all the ministers, not decided by one person alone. The court is not a place where one party's opinion prevails!"

Zheng Yuxiang smiled slightly, his gaze calm and composed, and slowly replied, "What Lord Chen said is quite right. But aren't we discussing this right now in the court? All the ministers have just agreed with my decision. Or does Lord Chen have other opinions? Please share them."

Chen Tongyu snorted coldly and said nothing more, but the dissatisfaction in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

At this moment, the Minister of Personnel stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Excellencies, please calm down. His Majesty is currently unwell and the affairs of state are complicated. We should value harmony and work together to overcome this difficult time."

Zheng Yuxiang nodded approvingly: "Lord Yu's words make sense. Since opinions differ, why not convene the Six Ministries tomorrow to discuss the water conservancy matters of Qiangzhou? We can then make a decision."

The ministers all nodded in agreement. Although Chen Tongyu was still resentful, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree: "In that case, we shall follow the Prime Minister's words."

The tense atmosphere in the court eased slightly, and the ministers dispersed, discussing the day's events in hushed tones.

Chen Tongyu strode out of the main hall, his face clouded with worry. One of his trusted confidants quietly followed him and whispered, "My lord, the Prime Minister was probably prepared for today's events. We must be extra careful."

Chen Tongyu sneered, "Hmph, Zheng Yuxiang wants to seize power, but it won't be that easy."