Chapter 1110: Chapter 1110: What If the Former Empress Was Actually a Good Person?

Bai Zhi’er and Feng Fuce sat together, studying the account book.

The already yellowing Xuan paper showed elegant regular script.

The former Empress did it very meticulously.

Bai Zhi’er couldn’t help but praise, "She even recorded every day’s tea expenses for each palace, she is really attentive."

Long Xiyuan, sitting on one side, smiled slightly.

"She was very good. If it weren’t for Prince Li Zheng, she would have been the best Empress."

At this moment, Feng Fuce suddenly said, "The account book is not right."

Long Xiyuan and Bai Zhi’er quickly asked, "Where is it not right?"

Feng Fuce pointed to an expenditure record in the account book, "Here it says ’monthly salary,’ which means the day for distributing salaries to the concubines in each palace."

"In your palace, the monthly salary for a concubine is eighty taels, but look, behind Qian Cairen’s eighty taels, an additional thirty taels were added with a pen."

Bai Zhi’er propped her chin, pondering, "Could it be that there was some reward for that month, recorded as these thirty taels?"

Feng Fuce shook his head.

"The former Empress made the accounts very detailed, even listing separate tea expenses. If the thirty taels were an additional reward, she would have definitely noted it."

After speaking, Feng Fuce looked at Long Xiyuan, "Could it be something temporarily increased the salary?"

"Because, look at the second day, the Imperial Affairs Bureau again distributed the monthly salary to Qian Cairen, and she had an additional income of one hundred taels."

"The Empress managed accounts for less than half a month, and many concubines received monthly salary income every day, which is fundamentally not right."

Bai Zhi’er examined the account book carefully.

She suddenly widened her eyes, "Indeed! Here is also Min Guiren, who consumed eight pounds of new tea in just three days."

"Could it be that she is using tea as food?"

Feng Fuce nodded, "Not only that, look here, and here, they expend tea leaves from the Imperial Affairs Bureau more frequently than usual."

Long Xiyuan took the account book and thoroughly reviewed it.

He frowned tightly, "I have not carefully reviewed these account books, so I am not sure."

"However, the concubines’ monthly salaries are a fixed amount, unless promoted in status, there wouldn’t be extra salary."

Bai Zhi’er blinked her pretty and clear eyes.

"The former Empress argued with you, insisting on managing the palace again, but in the end, it exhausted her life."

"Before she died, she handed over the account book to you. This move feels like she wanted to prove to you that her way was right."

"But she exerted her last bit of strength, yet had a palace servant hand you an error-ridden account book?"

Bai Zhi’er felt something was off, "Very strange."

Feng Fuce’s cold eyes slightly darkened, "Unless these recorded expenditures are not from the palace at all."

As soon as he said this, the eyes of both Bai Zhi’er and Long Xiyuan lit up.

Long Xiyuan hastily said, "You mean! These might very well be evidence of bribery by the forces behind the concubines?!"

Feng Fuce nodded, "The former Empress very likely conveyed, in this form, the frequency and amount of their bribes that she knew to you."

Long Xiyuan’s eyes widened.

After a moment, he hurriedly called in his confidant guards.

He instructed them to organize and report the family backgrounds of the concubines with the highest expenditures in the account book.

During this waiting half-hour, Long Xiyuan sat in his chair, enveloped in unprecedented silence.

Bai Zhi’er watched him, able to understand Long Xiyuan’s feelings.

He had always thought the Empress was a person of Prince Li Zheng, but today he suddenly found out that she might have outwardly obeyed Prince Li Zheng, while actually plotting for the Emperor.

Yet during her last moments, he refused to see her even once.