Lan Shan quickly calculated in his mind.

One hundred thousand silver taels to spare his son from one hundred heavy strokes—even gritting his teeth, he had to agree. Otherwise, if his son were gone, what use would all that money be?

“What, Minister Lan is unwilling?” Emperor Mingkang raised his eyelids.

“Willing, willing, your subject is completely willing.”

“Then how many strokes does Minister Lan intend to substitute?” Emperor Mingkang asked nonchalantly.

Hmph, in any case, he would signal Wei Wuxie that as long as it wasn’t the full amount, whether one hundred strokes or fifty strokes, the effect would be the same, making that little beast understand why flowers are so red and rods so heavy!

Lan Shan’s eyelids twitched violently.

His Majesty’s asking this way showed no good intentions. Did he dare say he’d only substitute for a few strokes?

Now he finally knew whose family’s silver would be used for winter bonuses. How pitiful that day in the imperial study, he had only guessed the beginning but not the outcome!

The more Lan Shan thought about it, the more heartbroken he became. Under Emperor Mingkang’s unperturbed gaze, he said tearfully: “Naturally, I’ll substitute for all of them.”

A flash of satisfaction in Emperor Mingkang’s eyes quickly disappeared as he secretly nodded.

Indeed, putting aside everything else, he was quite satisfied with Lan Shan’s perceptiveness.

One hundred thousand taels of silver—not a penny less!

“Good, take your son and go back. Send the silver quickly.”

Lan Shan felt as if granted amnesty, tearfully expressing gratitude while dragging Lan Songtuan outside.

Lan Songtuan seethed inwardly, his departing figure showing tension.

Emperor Mingkang stared at Lan Songtuan’s back, frowning with disgust.

Though Lan Shan was decent, his son was too disgraceful—just seeing him was vexing.

Speaking of which, Lan Shan was already seventy years old. Having accompanied him for so many years, there was some affection. Unless necessary, he was unwilling to sadden the old minister. Otherwise, confiscating the Lan family would probably solve the winter bonus problem forever.

“Wei Wuxie, clean this up.” Emperor Mingkang gave a casual order and got up to leave.

Hmm, the winter bonus matter was resolved. Feeling refreshed, time to do his spiritual exercises.

Wei Wuxie hurriedly called people to clean up.

Two little eunuchs knelt on the ground with soft cloths, wiping up Lan Songtuan’s spilled blood. Wei Wuxie frowned and kicked the nearest one: “Who told you to wipe that?”

“Huh?” The little eunuch blinked.

“Pry up the golden bricks stained with blood and replace them!”

The two little eunuchs looked at each other in confusion.

They had to replace the golden bricks, too?

“Idiots, hurry up!” Wei Wuxie flicked his sleeves and left, sneering inwardly.

No wonder he became Chief Eunuch and Eastern Depot Director while these two idiots were still mopping floors. Could golden bricks stained with someone else’s blood still be used? His Majesty would be strange not to beat them to death with golden bricks.

After Wei Wuxie left, the two little eunuchs struggled to pry up the golden bricks. One sighed: “What’s wrong with this imperial study? Not long ago, we replaced a batch of golden bricks because of mouse holes. How long has it been? We’re replacing them again.”

“Enough, hurry up with the work. We’ll miss dinner time at this rate.”

The Lan father and son returned home and went straight to the study.

Lan Shan’s study had a partition where confidential matters could be discussed without fear of eavesdropping.

Upon entering the study partition, Lan Songtuan immediately kicked over the table, sending the brush stands, inkstones, and other items scattering across the floor.

“What use is this? Look at the mess you’ve made!” Lan Shan said angrily.

This little beast—the one hundred thousand bright silver taels hadn’t even been sent out yet, and he was already destroying things!

“Father, I truly didn’t write the character ‘dog’!”

“Then tell me, is this your handwriting or not?”

Of course, the heart-stopping memorial had been brought back by the father and son.

Lan Songtuan stared at the memorial for a long time, murmuring: “Father, there’s something evil about this. I’m certain I wrote ‘heaven’ at the time. Moreover, I would check after writing. How could I not notice such a glaring character as ‘dog’?”

Lan Shan reached out and knocked Lan Songtuan on the head: “Glaring? Making a slip of the brush and not catching it after several checks isn’t unheard of. Perhaps deep in your heart, you found that character pleasing.”

Lan Songtuan’s mouth twitched.

Father had spoken correctly. That dog emperor forced them to write green words and congratulatory memorials every few days, year after year, without allowing repetition—it was practically driving people to death.

Thinking this, Lan Songtuan gasped.

Could it be that because of this, he made a slip and didn’t notice?

Lan Songtuan grabbed his hair with a headache.

Uncanny, too uncanny!

“Hurry and wash that blood off your face, don’t frighten your mother.” Though Lan Shan felt something was suspicious, he didn’t think his son could recognize his handwriting. He could only sigh that when luck runs out, strange things happen.

Lan Songtuan didn’t move: “Father, we need to think carefully about today’s events.”

“The memorial matter?”

“No, His Majesty’s attitude.”

Lan Shan frowned and sat down.

Getting on in years, his mind wasn’t as sharp as before. In recent years when encountering problems, his son had been making the decisions.

“Father, I feel His Majesty doesn’t favor our father and son as much as before.”

“You needed to tell me that?” Lan Shan rolled his eyes.

Lan Shan was quite advanced in age—it could be said no one in the entire court was older than him. His eyelids were covered in wrinkles, and rolling them revealed cloudy eyeballs.

Seeing this, Lan Songtuan secretly sighed: Father was indeed too old.

“Father, have you considered what to do in the future?”

“The future…” Lan Shan’s eyes flickered.

“I see His Majesty doesn’t like your son. Once you retire, he might well confiscate my family property.”

Lan Shan glared: “What nonsense are you spouting? You haven’t even separated households!”

Lan Songtuan moved his lips.

Father’s mind truly wasn’t turning anymore. This was his tactful way of speaking. After his father retired, perhaps His Majesty still wouldn’t act, but what if he passed away?

Don’t forget, that dog emperor was currently capable of taking their family’s one hundred thousand taels to substitute for one hundred strokes!

The more Lan Songtuan thought about it, the angrier he became. His eyes turned vicious as he murmured, “If only Prince Mu could ascend the throne soon.”

“Shut up!” Lan Shan shouted, breaking into a cold sweat from his son’s words.

Hoping for Prince Mu to ascend the throne—wasn’t that hoping for His Majesty to soon?

Lan Songtuan plopped down, uncaring about the blood on his face: “Making preparations, what’s wrong with talking about it? No one heard anyway.”

“His Majesty has been good to us, father and son—”

“That’s being good to father, not to your son. Father, don’t get excited. Even if today’s events hadn’t happened, we should have been planning carefully.”

“What do you want to say?”

Lan Songtuan leaned forward, moving closer to Lan Shan: “Prince Rui currently has a daughter and three concubines who will give birth successively. There will surely be sons eventually, and His Majesty’s scales will tip toward Prince Rui.”

When Lan Songtuan was young and hot-headed, he had bullied Prince Rui. Many people in the capital knew this, which was why the father and son had always firmly supported Prince Mu.

If Prince Rui truly ascended the throne, their father and son would be in danger.

Lan Shan sighed deeply: “This matter does need careful consideration.”

Regardless of how the Lan father and son deliberated behind closed doors, the one hundred thousand tael fine was quickly distributed as winter bonuses. For a time, all the officials were beaming with joy.