Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Breakfast Table Seizure
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"Rise! Your Highness, please rise! You're late!"
The voice of a demon-like eunuch.
3:30 a.m.
This was the time when a child should be sleeping soundly. Even compared to my old life before regression, it was when I'd be dragging myself home in a taxi after pulling an all-nighter.
In short, I desperately needed rest.
But I couldn't show that. The Emperor was waiting. I forced my eyes open and got up.
"Ugh... just kill me..."
A five-year-old body was vulnerable to sleep deprivation. But there was no refusing.
Half-asleep, I was washed up and bundled into a blue dragon robe, then carted off on a palanquin to the front courtyard of the audience hall.
Exactly 5 a.m. The Mao hour.
In the dim blue darkness before dawn broke, hundreds of ministers stood in formation.
From what I could see, everyone looked as rough as I felt.
Old men shivering in the cold, sniffling. Faces worn from early mornings and exhaustion. Now that the first rays of sunlight were peeking through, they resembled a horde of zombies.
"His Majesty arrives!"
A booming announcement rang out, and Emperor Juwon appeared.
Everyone looked half-dead, but this man brimmed with energy. His eyes blazed with intensity, like he might erupt at any moment.
"My subjects, did you sleep well? What a thrilling morning. From today, the empire shall be reborn anew. Now, let the morning assembly begin!"
His voice echoed thunderously. To have that much vigor at this hour—he wasn't human.
It was certain. I was the child of a monster.
Even with that piercing aura overflowing beside me, I couldn't overcome the fatigue.
Sitting in the cute little chair right next to the Emperor's throne—a special treatment for a child—I started dozing off again.
I was being accommodated here as a kid. They'd even given me my own chair. It was so comfortable that I unwittingly nodded off.
"Revenue Minister! Step forward!"
The unlucky first victim was the man in charge of the national treasury. The oily-faced Revenue Minister strode out confidently.
Looking at him, it was clear he'd eaten and played well during the five years the Emperor had been absent.
"Your Majesty, I present the final accounting report on this year's Yellow River flood control project."
Please. Let it pass without issue. Wrap this up quick so we can eat.
The Revenue Minister opened a thick ledger and laid it respectfully at the Emperor's feet before stepping back. Eunuchs inspected it and presented it to the Emperor, after which the Minister spoke.
"In conclusion, we are short 300,000 taels in the budget."
The audience hall buzzed. The Emperor's eyes sharpened.
"300,000 taels? Didn't we allocate 500,000 last year? It should have been more than enough—how can it still be short?"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but it was an act of God."
The Revenue Minister unleashed a fluent torrent of excuses, as if he'd rehearsed them.
"As Your Majesty knows, there was recently a skirmish between the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult in the Hebei region. To avoid it, the waterways were blocked, forcing us to transport materials overland. Transport costs tripled beyond expectations, and the laborers demanded hazard pay for the dangerous area—there was nothing we could do."
It was an artfully absurd excuse.
Using the martial world's chaos—something the Emperor hated most but had to grudgingly accept—as an alibi. A true professional. Not embezzlement on his part, but prices jacked up by those martial artists.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. He wasn't a fool. He smelled something off.
"Revenue Ministry. So you're saying it cost a fortune in gold just to move some rocks and timber?"
"It's lamentable, but true! Here are the receipts from the escort agencies and the market price fluctuations. How dare I deceive Your Majesty!"
The Revenue Minister presented his prepared documents. The Emperor flipped through them, grinding his teeth.
Suspicion, but no hard proof. The papers looked impeccable.
The martial artists had caused chaos, inflating logistics costs—what could the Emperor do, go investigate the markets himself and grab the Martial Alliance Leader by the collar?
"These damn martial artists... One day I'll sweep them all away..."
The Emperor's rage shifted from the Revenue Minister to the martial world.
But I could see it. The corner of the Revenue Minister's mouth twitched upward. A 'success' expression.
At this rate, the Emperor would swallow his doubts and approve extra funds. It might pass, but the assembly would drag on with debate.
I wanted to avoid that at all costs. I didn't want cold breakfast.
'No way that's happening.'
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and stood.
I'd send that sly old fox to a nice prison cell, then head back to my room.
"Your Majesty."
A child's voice, out of place in the morning assembly, cut through the hall.
All eyes turned to the kid rising beside the throne—me. The Revenue Minister looked at me with disdain.
"Crown Prince. What is it?"
"The Revenue Minister's words seem suspicious."
I approached the Emperor, politely requested the ledger, and examined it as I spoke.
"I heard you said transport costs rose because waterways were blocked, forcing overland routes."
"Yes, Your Highness. Those ignorant martial artists occupied the river with their fight..."
"Then I'd like to cross-check with the War Department's records."
"Pardon?"
I glanced at the War Minister standing in the back.
"War Minister. You sent military rations to Hebei last month, I presume. By waterway or overland?"
The War Minister answered in surprise.
"Of course by waterway. The Yellow River levels were stable, perfect for ships."
The Revenue Minister's pupils shook like an earthquake.
"Ah, no! Military ships have armed troops, so they could pass, but civilian merchant vessels were too risky..."
"Then the increased costs must be hazard pay."
I flipped to another page in the ledger and checked the records.
"Your Majesty. If the Revenue Minister is correct, civilian caravans risked overland routes, so escort warrior fees should have risen accordingly. There should be payments to escort agencies in the ledger."
I held up a page.
"But look here—the material transport section has no escort fees. They crossed a dangerous zone without guards? Or..."
I grinned.
"...it wasn't dangerous at all, and the waterways weren't blocked. You just cooked the books like this, right?"
This was no longer simple arithmetic.
No need to dig further. I'd cross-checked with another department, the War Ministry, and pierced the contradiction in the entries.
Case closed.
Silence fell over the hall. The Revenue Minister's face went from pale to ghostly transparent. Sweat dripped onto the floor audibly.
"Heh heh. Revenue Minister."
The Emperor's voice scraped up from the depths of hell.
"Is my son's word true? The War Department sailed ships, but you couldn't? And ghosts carried the cargo without escorts?"
"Y-Your Majesty! Th-that's not it! I mean... ah, a clerical error. Yes. The clerks omitted..."
"Error? Omission? How dare you prattle before me, whichever it is!"
The Emperor rose slowly from his throne. As he did, an aura of world-conquering might surged from behind him. Overwhelmed, the Revenue Minister's legs buckled, and he collapsed.
"You dare mock me and the empire's treasury? Fine. I'll slit your gut open and check where that 300,000 taels is myself."
"Mercy, Your Majesty! Crown Prince! Spare me this once!"
"No need for more. Guards!"
Gold Army soldiers burst in and seized the screaming, thrashing Revenue Minister.
"Throw him in prison now! Confiscate every ledger from the Revenue Ministry! Round up everyone who prepared that one too!"
The Revenue Minister was dragged away.
The remaining ministers in the hall didn't dare breathe. They all seemed to be sweating coldly, mentally checking, 'Is my ledger safe?'
Situation resolved. I sighed in relief.
'Phew... Meeting's busted. Atmosphere's tense, so they'll end the assembly and head to breakfast.'
I returned the ledger and sat back down. Feeling it was about to end, I was elated.
But then, I really flew.
"Hahaha! Did you see that!"
Suddenly, the Emperor hoisted me up high. His laughter showed he was over the moon.
"Did you witness the Crown Prince's talent! A five-year-old piercing the War Department's records and stepping on that old fox's tail!"
The Emperor looked ready to dance with me. Hey, Father. Your Imperial Majesty? Put me down. The stares are embarrassing.
I couldn't voice that. He seemed that thrilled.
"Crown Prince!"
"Yes... Your Majesty."
"Thanks to you, I learned the Revenue Ministry is rotten. You've earned great merit. But we can't stop here."
The Emperor's eyes gleamed. That look. A bad premonition crawled up my spine. This was bad.
"Today's breakfast will be with ledgers seized from the Revenue Minister and other high officials!"
"...Pardon?"
"Why just him? We check them all. You'll go through every one beside me while we eat."
The Emperor grinned and added,
"Plenty of time. Until breakfast ends should do."
Oh no. Ruined. I couldn't even eat properly now.
My biological father slung me over his shoulder and left the audience hall. Dangling helplessly, I watched the doors recede.
'My commute home! My meal! At least let a man eat in peace!'
Unable to even walk myself, I was carried off. The Emperor's destination was the inner hall.
"We'll dine in the inner hall today. Bring two portions. It'll be quick while eating."
By my rice bowl was now a stack of ledgers taller than the meal. I had to finish these and eat, but the Emperor had already started.
Rice. Could I even eat it?