The court attire worn by officials when attending morning court sessions was uniformly made by the Imperial Clothing Department. However, because Mingde's waist size was too narrow, the Qianwan Emperor did not take clothes from the Imperial Clothing Department, but instead ordered the palace tailors to specially make a set for him.

The fabric used was also specially imported Suzhou satin from Jiangnan. With a white jade belt and a sky-blue wide robe, it had a bit of the unrestrained style reminiscent of the Southern Jin dynasty.

Early in the morning, the palace specially sent a small green sedan chair to the Shangguan residence to pick up Mingde. The chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study personally went in to help Mingde change into his court attire. After a while, he only saw this young noble staring at the court attire, motionless.

The chief eunuch smiled apologetically and said, "Does Your Lordship have any instructions for us?"

Before coming, Eunuch Zhang had already informed this chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Study, saying that Lord Mingde was particularly picky about clothing and food. If it caught his eye, even old clothes would be worn comfortably; if it didn't catch his eye, even fine silks and satins would be treated like worn-out shoes.

But the chief eunuch thought, this court attire could be considered very well-made. The head tailor who made clothes for the emperor led a hundred seamstresses and worked for three days and three nights. The discarded fabric alone could make clothes for the emperor for half a year. With court attire made with such care, what faults could he possibly find?

Seeing Mingde not moving for a long time, the chief eunuch became anxious and said, "If Your Lordship doesn't start getting dressed, you will be late for the morning court session. Does Your Lordship need me to call the palace maids to attend to you?"

"..." Mingde said, "There's a problem with these clothes."

The chief eunuch was exasperated. "My lord, this is the best and most expensive tribute satin from Jiangnan, made by the head tailor working for three days and three nights..."

Mingde said, "...The color..."

He held up the fabric, examining it bit by bit against the light, squinting his eyes. "...It seems a little bit, just a little bit too dark..."

The chief eunuch fell to his knees with a thud. "My lord! Please don't be so picky, please just go with it! When this servant returns, I will set up a longevity tablet for you in the ancestral shrine!"

So Mingde showed exceptional grace and went to the morning court session wearing those robes that were a little bit, just a little bit too dark in color. It was early morning in early spring, and it was still very cold on the road. A scattering of daylight made the bluestone tiles faintly glow with a pale blue light. The chief eunuch walked beside the sedan chair, rubbing his hands and exhaling white mist. He leaned over and asked, "My lord, do you need a hand warmer?"

A steady voice came from inside the sedan chair, "No need."

The chief eunuch sucked in a hissing breath and withdrew his head. Although leading a new official to the morning court session on the first day was not a cushy job, establishing a good relationship with an official who might be favored in the future could come in handy someday.

Besides, could there be any doubt about the favor this person in the sedan chair enjoyed from the emperor? Appointed to attend court before coming of age, the emperor's affection was already very obvious. Gaining face in front of such a master, wouldn't they be able to mutually help each other in the future?

After all, the chief eunuch had become a shrewd person from his experience in the palace. Seeing the impatient looks on the faces of the accompanying young eunuchs, he immediately turned around and scolded in a low voice, "Hurry up and get in good spirits! This is an imperial order, a task entrusted by the emperor! How dare you lazy bums slack off!"

The young eunuchs shrank back with a yes-man attitude. At this moment, the sedan chair suddenly stopped. The sedan chair bearer in front turned around and said in a low voice, "Eunuch, Lord Ding's sedan chair is coming from ahead."

The chief eunuch hurried to the front to take a look. He saw that they were at a fork in the road leading to the palace. The sedan chair of Ding Huang, the Minister of Revenue, was coming from the other side. In front, a line of eight family guards cleared the way, wielding bright weapons with an imposing manner. They squeezed through with the sedan chair in a grand procession.

The Ding family had been officials at court for a long time and had produced two favored concubines. Even their family guards were a head taller than others. Seeing the official sedan chair ahead, they showed no intention of giving way. Instead, they called out in a drawn-out voice, "By imperial decree, proceeding to morning court - idle persons make way!"

Mingde moved slightly in the sedan chair and poked his head out to ask, "What's the matter?"

The chief eunuch hurriedly went over and said, "My lord may not be aware, but we have encountered the sedan chair of Lord Ding Huang, the Minister of Revenue. He is telling you to give way."

In the hazy mist of the gloomy dawn, Mingde's expression could not be clearly seen. Only the dim candlelight from a lantern on the street revealed the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, fleeting and almost eerily alluring.

He said indifferently, "Then let them pass."

The chief eunuch was startled. Just as he was about to speak up and argue based on principle, Mingde had already sat back in the sedan chair with unruffled composure.

The chief eunuch was utterly perplexed but had no choice but to order the sedan chair bearers to make way. He watched helplessly as Ding Huang's tall sedan chair arrogantly rushed ahead.

With this delay, it was already late when they arrived at the palace. The officials first waited outside the Imperial Study. When the eunuch announced the imperial decree to start the morning court session, they kowtowed and entered in a single file.

Prime Minister Xia was being surrounded by a group of officials flattering him because his daughter had entered the palace as the crown prince's consort. As soon as he saw Mingde arrive, he immediately left the crowd and walked over, asking with a smile, "How are you, my worthy nephew?"

Mingde bowed humbly and said, "The Prime Minister is too kind. With the joyous occasion of the crown prince's consort entering the palace, this official failed to pay a congratulatory visit. It was my negligence."

Just as Prime Minister Xia reached out to personally help him up, Mingde took a slight step back and respectfully performed a grand bow before standing up on his own.

The officials with jealous hearts outside the Imperial Study door noticed this and laughed quietly, saying to each other, "Look at that..."

"He has indeed mastered the art of flattery and currying favor..."

"He must be eager to climb the big tree of the Xia family..."

Old man Xia Zheng was also caught off guard for a moment. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and laughed, "Worthy nephew, with you suddenly showing so much courtesy, this old man..."

...This kid, after enjoying the feeling of having both his father-in-law and the crown prince's consort kowtow to him, now puts on such a sanctimonious and humble act, as if he alone has suffered all the grievances in the world...

Mingde said solemnly, "That was this official being ignorant. I must ask Prime Minister Xia to be more tolerant."

Just as Xia Zheng was about to say something, he saw Mingde straighten his sleeves, brush off non-existent dust, and stride confidently into the ranks of the morning court procession.

In a moment, the eunuchs came to sing, and the ministers on both sides formed two lines, slowly entering through the jade steps of the main gate of the Zhengtai Palace. Xia Zheng and Ding Huang led the civil and military officials respectively on the left and right. After entering the gate, they were searched by the guards, then passed through the nine mysterious gates, and finally stepped into the main hall.

Looking out from the nine large doors that almost occupied the entire wall, the towering and continuous palace walls and tiles seemed like undulating mountains in the morning light, giving one the illusion that the entire world was in the palm of one's hand and at one's feet.

It was the first time Mingde had seen this hundred-year-old imperial city from this angle, and he couldn't help but stare for a moment, until he heard Zhang Kuo loudly call for the ministers to present their memorials, and only then did he react, immediately composing himself.

Ding Huang stood in the front row. As soon as Zhang Kuo's voice fell, he immediately stepped forward and said, "This official has a memorial to present."

The Qianwan Emperor sneered slightly, "Does the beloved official want to plead with Us on behalf of the people again for the flood disaster in Jiangbei?"

Ding Huang immediately knelt down, "Your Majesty! The disaster is so severe that the lower-level officials have already opened the granaries to save the people, but the number of disaster victims is so large that it is really impossible to rescue them in time... Although the state treasury has already allocated silver, according to the reports from the officials, it is just a drop in the bucket!"

"Does the beloved official mean that the funds We allocated are still too little?"

"Your Majesty, no matter how much is allocated to provide disaster relief for the victims, it will not harm Your Majesty's reputation for wisdom and benevolence in the history books!"

Suddenly a voice slowly interrupted, "Lord Ding."

Ding Huang felt that this voice was unfamiliar, so he turned his head to look, and saw that it was Mingde, the recently promoted illegitimate son of the Shangguan family, who had spoken.

Ding Huang was instantly furious, "This official is presenting a memorial to His Majesty, what does it have to do with you..."

Mingde interrupted again, "Lord Ding, the national economy and people's livelihood, the rivers and mountains, the ancestral matters, are all things that every subject should share the burden for His Majesty. You and I eat the imperial grain and receive the imperial salary, it is only right that we help each other and exchange opinions, there is no need for you to be polite to this subordinate official."

Ding Huang opened his mouth, "You inexperienced youth..."

"This subordinate official dares to ask Lord Ding a question," Mingde said lightly, "-- including the 800,000 taels of silver allocated by the state treasury last month, the additional 500,000 taels at the beginning of this month, and the 1.8 million taels you are requesting to increase this time, it totals 3.1 million taels, equivalent to one-fifth of our dynasty's annual tax revenue. His Majesty is actually spending it all to buy a reputation for being 'wise and benevolent' in the history books?"

Ding Huang said angrily, "This official misspoke for a moment, but the silver is indeed being spent on disaster relief!"

Mingde lightly covered his mouth and laughed, "This subordinate official does not believe it."

His laughter was very soft, very gentle, but in the midst of all the compliant humility, there was a feeling of being covered in thorns all over, making it impossible to get a handle on him.

Ding Huang was startled in his heart, instinctively feeling that he should not get entangled with him here. He quickly turned his head, "Your Majesty, this official can work through the night to prepare a memorial detailing the use of the disaster relief silver to present to Your Majesty. If you have any doubts about the integrity of this official and the lower-level officials, Your Majesty can certainly decide whether to allocate the funds after reading the memorial..."

The Qianwan Emperor closed his eyes to rest, his face not moving a bit.

Ding Huang knelt down, his voice full of earnestness, "Your Majesty! Thousands of disaster victims cannot wait!"

His voice fell for a long time, and there was not a sound in the majestic and splendid Zhengtai Palace, so quiet that it seemed like a century had passed in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, the sound of applause came. Ding Huang turned his head to look, and saw Shangguan Mingde clapping for him one clap at a time.

"...What a Lord Ding, who is truly serving the country and the people, and is not afraid to strongly advise..."

For some reason, even though it was a very complimentary sentence, when spoken from Mingde's thin, perfectly shaped lips and teeth, it had a strange feeling that made one's whole body uncomfortable.

Ding Huang's hands were propped on the ground, and he suddenly felt the coldness of the ground slowly penetrating through his muscles and seeping into his bones.

"What... what do you mean by that?"

Mingde reached out and gently wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve, as if he was so moved by Ding Huang's heroic act that he shed tears. His movements were also very light, as if he himself knew that if he was a little heavier, he would be damaged and cracked.

"Lord Ding," Mingde asked softly, "This subordinate official dares to ask, where are the areas affected by the disaster in Jiangbei?"

Ding Huang said in a deep voice, "From the north bank of the Yellow River to the Huaiyin area."

"Where is it most severe?"

"Along both banks of the river."

"How many prefectures and counties are affected?"

"...T-thirteen."

"How much farmland is damaged?"

Ding Huang paused for a moment. Before he could answer, Mingde continued to ask without stopping, "-- How many houses were washed away?"

"How many casualties and livestock losses?"

"How many households reported losses?"

"How much rice paddy fields were damaged? How much uninhabited area was damaged? Where are the affected areas concentrated, in residential prefectures and counties or in mountainous and desolate areas?"

Mingde stared at Ding Huang, and from afar one could see a hint of sympathetic smile on his face.

"How many areas truly need state treasury funds for disaster relief? How many areas are actually not severely affected by the disaster, and the local prefects can open the granaries and distribute grain to resolve it on their own?"

"..."

"Lord Ding," Mingde said softly, "-- national economy and people's livelihood, every piece of data, cannot be sloppy. If you are sloppy, the local officials who exaggerate the disaster situation will... embezzle the silver and money."

Ding Huang stood frozen in place for a long time, feeling hot and cold on his back. It turned out that his sweat had soaked through his heavy clothes and was sticking wetly to his back.

"This... this official does not know... does not know the details for now, but this official can report the detailed data to Your Majesty tomorrow!"

"There is no need for Lord Ding to work so hard." Mingde interrupted him, "-- Lord Ding works day and night for the affairs of the state, rising early and retiring late. This subject will speak on your behalf. Thirteen prefectures and counties are affected by the disaster, five prefectures and counties are severely affected, the number of households is 800, and livestock losses are negligible. The total allocation is 1.3 million taels, 300,000 taels have arrived, 500,000 taels are on the way, as for that 1 million taels..." Mingdekuan covered his lips with his wide sleeves and coughed a few times.

"...As for that one million taels, Your Excellency should urge the local officials to carefully and diligently prepare an account of it..."