Chapter 148: The Empress (1 / 2)
Xu Yanmiao had barely left the capital with the Imperial Sword when, shortly after, the Minister of Works found himself subjected to a scathing reprimand from the emperor.
“Those who receive official salaries should not compete with the commoners for their livelihood! Do I need to make you copy this phrase ten thousand times and then eat the words?”
“You’ve already risen to the rank of Minister of Works. Is your household really that desperate for money?”
“I know you officials always have some private enterprises in your hands, and I’ve usually turned a blind eye to it—but your wife, she’s something else. Her business acumen rivals that of Tao Zhugong (an ancient business magnate). Should I bestow her the title of ‘The Da Xia Dynasty’s Wealthiest Merchant’ as well?”
The Minister of Works kept his head bowed and gritted his teeth to endure the lecture.
He didn’t dare to explain that his wife had a natural love for commerce and, in order not to cause trouble for him, always concealed her identity. No one even knew she was the Minister of Works’ wife, and she had never leveraged his official position for personal gain. That said, her proximity to him still gave her certain advantages. Even if she never actively asked, nor he actively shared, their daily life together allowed her to glean policy trends from him and seize the opportunity early.
“Your Majesty! I will have my humble wife dissolve her business immediately and present all illicit gains to the court. This oversight is my fault.”
There were numerous ways to punish officials or their families for engaging in commerce: demotion, dismissal, salary cuts, or confiscation of property… The exact punishment was entirely up to the discretion of the ruling power.
The Minister of Works, not daring to hope for leniency, added, “I failed to manage my household and request to have my official hat removed and return to civilian status to atone for my sins.”