Throughout late spring and early summer, the court was in turmoil. The Six Departments and the Inner Workshop had colluded to embezzle over one million taels of silver from the inner treasury in just a few years. They acted with brazen audacity, showing a complete disregard for the law.
The Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were closely tied to court officials. Many families would place their less accomplished sons in these offices to secure a position. Since these two government offices served the Imperial Palace, the opportunities for graft were plentiful, making them highly coveted posts.
Now that the Emperor had them in his grasp, the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop were naturally trying everything to absolve themselves. And who knew how deep the connections ran between the officials working there and the courtiers at court?
