lcionline Chapter 267 The Princess Has a Bad Temper (5)
Chapter 267 The Princess Has a Bad Temper (5)
"Father, are you focusing on the wrong thing? The important thing is that people have entered the hunting grounds. What if they are members of the White Lotus Sect? You actually brought them into the palace!" Wangyou said, unable to bear it any longer.
"Sixth Sister, I shot that girl; she is innocent," Fifth Prince Yongqi said upon hearing this.
"Regardless of whether she is innocent or not, appearing in the heavily guarded hunting grounds is a serious crime. Furthermore, Fu Heng failed in his duties. Shouldn't he be severely punished? Are you planning to only take precautions when the assassins are right in front of you?"
Wangyou thought that with such a strong protagonist's halo, she had never seen anything so outrageous in countless worlds, and all the irrationality could be erased.
"Don't worry, Father will definitely investigate this thoroughly." After Wangyou's repeated reminders, Qianlong finally came to his senses.
"It's none of my business, so I'll be going now. I'll take Yongji out of the palace to pick up my mother and the others." Wangyou pulled Yongji along and left Yanxi Palace without looking back.
"Father, Yongji takes his leave." Yongji was pulled by his older sister, and after saying goodbye to Qianlong, he followed Wangyou's steps.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. Consort Ling, send someone to inform me when she wakes up." Qianlong had no intention of staying any longer and decided to get back to business.
Wangyou took Yongji out of the palace openly to have some fun. As for picking up the Empress, Wangyou had already sent someone to do so. She wanted to let her younger brother see the world.
Wangyou led Yongji from one end of the street to the other, bought some snacks and such, and then took a stroll around the Ministry of War's firearms camp. In the past six years, firearms research has made great breakthroughs, and the Qing Dynasty also has a firearms army, but it is still much smaller in scale.
Seeing that it was still early, Wangyou took Yongji to the Imperial Clan Court and other places for another stroll, hoping to see if any of the late emperor's brothers were still alive. However, they found that none were, and their attempt to find any survivors failed.
However, that Lord Liang from the Imperial Clan Court is a corrupt official who preys on the people and acts tyrannically. It would be better to deal with him as soon as possible.
"Yongji, remember this man. Go back and complain to Father Emperor." Wangyou read out in detail to Yongji what Lord Liang had done, making Yongji's face turn red with anger.
"Sister, that Lord Liang is too wicked. Father Emperor took his head." Yongji clenched his fists and said angrily.
"Okay, let's go to the pharmacy and take a look." Wangyou then took Yongji to the pharmacy to check the prices.
"Miss, this is our newly arrived Fushou Ointment. It nourishes the skin, replenishes vital energy, and is a great gift. It will make you radiant after taking it," the shopkeeper said mysteriously, taking out a small porcelain jar.
When Wangyou heard the name "Fushougao," her first thought was poppy. She calmly took the Fushougao and smelled it. Indeed, the raw material was poppy. It seems these yellow-skinned monkeys are still up to their old tricks. The sea ban has only been lifted for a short time, and this stuff has already arrived.
"I'll take them all. Where did you get these from? I'd like to buy more."
"It was brought back from overseas." The shopkeeper's words were watertight, and Wangyou didn't ask any more questions. She simply made a gesture, and someone went to investigate.
"Then wrap them all up!" The shopkeeper wrapped up the longevity ointment in the shop for Wangyou. Each small jar cost one hundred taels, and the total cost was five thousand taels of silver. What a huge profit!
Aside from the pharmacy, Wangyou had no interest in wandering around anymore and quickly took Yongji back to the palace.
"You two are finally back! Have you had enough fun?" Emperor Qianlong said with a smile when he saw the siblings return.
"Father, I've discovered something," Wangyou said solemnly.
Upon seeing Wangyou's serious expression, Qianlong guessed that something serious was going on. "What is it?"
"Father, look what this is?" Wangyou asked, taking out a jar of longevity ointment.
"Isn't this just a health supplement? You and Sister Jing sent some a few days ago, saying it was a rare beauty product."
"Father, you're useless!"
"Not yet. I am in the prime of my life. It's not too late to use it when I'm old. What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this thing?"
"This is a big problem; this stuff is made from poppies."
"Isn't that the main ingredient of Mafeisan (a type of anesthetic)?"
"Besides being used to make anesthetic, poppies are also a drug."
"poison?"
"That's right. After using this stuff, you'll feel exceptionally energetic for a short time, but it's addictive if you use it too much. Gradually, you'll become dependent on it. Once you stop using it, you'll experience dizziness, blurred vision, and a runny nose. Eventually, you'll become thinner and thinner, and less and less energetic."
"Is it that serious?"
"This thing also appeared when the Holy Ancestor was alive, and it was one of the reasons why the sea ban was completely lifted. Now this thing mainly circulates in the noble circle, and only nobles can afford it. After all, a small jar costs one hundred taels, which is a huge profit!"
"If this stuff becomes too common, the price will drop, and ordinary people will be able to afford it. If this continues, the people of our Great Qing will become sick, and we will have no soldiers left to use. These foreigners have such dark thoughts." Qianlong quickly realized the key point.
"Yes, so, Father Emperor, we must thoroughly investigate the coast. We cannot allow this stuff to flow into the Qing Dynasty in large quantities. Anyone found guilty of corruption and bribery should be executed without mercy!" Wangyou's tone was full of murderous intent.
"I will issue an order immediately to have people investigate which officials and relatives of the imperial family have this item. But, Wangyou, why did you buy so many?"
"I'll have someone investigate where this stuff mainly comes from. Then we'll give them a taste of their own medicine. I'm a professional at making drugs," Wangyou said with a smile, playing with the small porcelain jar.
This made Emperor Qianlong silently light a candle for those families who were about to be targeted by his sixth daughter.
"Wangyou, will this harm you?" the Empress asked worriedly.
"Mother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The most urgent thing is to cut off the source before this 'longevity ointment' spreads widely. Also, we need to send someone to spread the word about the dangers of this stuff."
"Send Ji Xiaolan; with his silver tongue, he can talk the dead back to life."
"Father Emperor and I are on the same page. I'll go and draw some pictures of poppies and the dangers of drugs. Also, when will my princess's residence be completed? It's inconvenient to do anything in the palace." Wangyou changed the subject.
"It'll be soon. Your and Zhiyao's princess residence can't be too bad." Qianlong said with a smile. After Wangyou said that, the tension in his heart lessened a lot.
Most of Wangyou's men were mobilized, mainly to conduct a thorough investigation of the coastal areas of Jiangnan. At the same time, Wangyou also prepared propaganda pictures and brochures, and Ji Xiaolan took over this important task.
However, this was not enough to attract the attention of the common people. Many people felt that who could afford a jar of longevity ointment that cost one hundred taels? Therefore, Wangyou asked Ji Xiaolan to offer him bribes while he was publicizing the dangers of drugs.
For example, a reward of one hundred taels of silver could be given for reporting someone who was growing poppies, and the reward would come from Wangyou's private treasury.
Driven by the promise of money, the people naturally listened attentively, since many families couldn't even save five taels of silver a year.
If you listen attentively, you'll naturally remember it; no one dislikes money.
After hearing that Wangyou had paid for it herself, Emperor Qianlong sent her many rare treasures. Wangyou, however, set her sights on Niohuru Heshen, a notorious corrupt official whose wealth was sure to be substantial.