Duke Zhou, acting on behalf of the Emperor, visited the Prime Minister openly, prompting many savvy and opportunistic families in the capital to send gifts of condolence, with the presents from several Princes being the most generous.
Song Ci felt she was being eroded by wealth and had discovered a path to prosperity.
It seemed that her clever son only needed to 'fall ill' for a moment, and the household would never have to worry about income again.
Of course, this was only a thought for Song Ci, as truly valuable gifts were not to be accepted by the Prime Minister's Mansion. Some ordinary tonic herbs could be received, but equivalent gifts had to be returned to avoid giving the Imperial Censor a reason to accuse Song Zhiyuan of extortion and bribery.
The Emperor despises corrupt officials, and in his early years on the throne, he had no idea how many he punished and how many families he overturned.
