You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The author, "My Mental Illness Has Improved a Little," recommends reading "Wandering Among the Heavens as a Tyrant, You Don't Understand My Happiness," available through the "Renren Bookstore" app. Download and install the app.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet dissipated, but the Imperial Study in the palace had already returned to its usual solemnity.

The silver-frost charcoal burned quietly in the gilded dragon-shaped incense burner, dispelling the chill of early spring.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ink and ambergris, along with a subtle, delicate fragrance belonging to a woman.

Behind the imperial desk, Lu Zuo leaned back in the large dragon throne, his eyes slightly closed.

Li Qingzhao, dressed in an elegant moon-white palace gown, sat sideways on his lap, pen in hand, intently reviewing a memorial concerning preparations for spring plowing in the Jianghuai region, occasionally whispering key points or offering her own insights.

She was slender and graceful, yet sat there as steady as a pine tree. Only a faint blush near her ears hinted at the intimacy and transgression of their posture.

Bao Xiruo stood quietly behind Lu Zuo, her soft hands gently massaging his shoulders and neck with practiced skill, her eyes lowered, appearing docile.

If foreign officials were to witness this scene, they would surely be dumbfounded and exclaim in disbelief at the absurdity.

But within this imperial study, there exists a strange harmony: the unreserved trust and closeness between the ruler and those around him, and a rare moment of unguardedness at the center of power.

"Your Majesty, it is mentioned here that the three prefectures of Huaixi are preparing to introduce a new type of curved plow, but there may be a shortage of blacksmiths and fine iron. The Ministry of Works needs to coordinate..."

Lu Zuo grunted in acknowledgment, his eyes still closed: "Send a document to the Ministry of Works, instructing them to verify the inventory with the Bureau of Works and ensure priority is given to these areas."

"Furthermore, an imperial edict is issued to the Jianghuai region that this spring's planting season, those who use new agricultural tools and methods will have their autumn taxes reduced by half."

"Get both the large-scale farmers and the independent farmers involved involved in the farming to get things moving."

"Yes." Li Qingzhao picked up her brush to write a reply.

At this moment, a eunuch's deliberately low but clear voice came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Minister of Works Shen Gai is requesting an audience outside the hall, saying he has important matters to report."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingzhao paused with her brush, then naturally and smoothly put it down, rose from Lu's left leg, straightened her clothes and skirt, and retreated to the side of the imperial desk, standing with her hands at her sides.

Bao Xiruo also stopped what she was doing and took two steps back.

Lu Zuo then opened his eyes: "Summon."

Shen Gai strode in, knelt down before the imperial desk, and said, "Your subject Shen Gai greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

"Rise. What is it?" Lu Zuo sat up straight, his tone indifferent.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen Gai stood up without looking up at Li Qingzhao and Bao Xiruo beside him. He knew the weight these two women held in His Majesty's heart, and he knew that at this moment, he should only discuss official business.

"I am here to report on the Glass Industry Authority and the post-New Share Issuance."

"speak."

"Since the dividend distribution in December, the public's anticipation for new glass stocks has been growing stronger."

"During the New Year holidays, people would come to inquire about the Ministry of Works every day."

"According to reports from various prefectures, the news has already spread beyond the capital region, heading south and north. It is feared that after the spring, countless people from all directions will flock to the capital seeking shares."

Shen spoke calmly, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes: "Recently, there has been an increasing number of people making overt and covert contact with officials of the Ministry of Works, especially those in charge of household registration verification and new share registration."

"The gifts given during the New Year and holidays were of far greater value than usual."

"In their conversations, they frequently inquired about the new shareholding, the details of the articles of association, and even... hinted that they could 'make things easier' for the company."

"Even worse, they have already reached into my home. My wife attended a banquet the other day, and several ladies subtly offered her jewelry and trinkets, all of which were of extraordinary quality."

"I have already firmly refused them, but their intentions are unpredictable and their momentum is gradually building, so we must be on guard."

Shen knew that those wealthy and powerful merchants had far more appetites than simply buying one share per household.

What they want is control, is a monopoly.

Sending gifts is just a trial balloon; the real action is yet to come.

The profits from glass have made countless people envious.

The Imperial Study was quiet for a moment, with only the faint crackling of the charcoal fire.

Lu Zuo tapped the smooth rosewood armrest lightly with his fingers, producing a rhythmic, soft sound.

His gaze fell on the newly made, crystal-clear glass brush washer in the corner of the imperial desk, the clear water inside reflecting the flickering candlelight.

"How many new shares are being offered?" Lu Zuo suddenly asked.

Shen had already prepared a plan: "Based on the current rate of expansion of the glass industry's production capacity and the plans to build branch factories in various places, my preliminary calculation is that we can issue about 5,000 more shares."

"Each hundred shares constitutes one unit, which can form fifty new units."

"The funds raised, apart from a portion reserved for dividends to existing shareholders, can be mostly used to build new glass workshops in key locations such as Luoyang, Jiangning, Wuchang, and Chengdu, to supply locally and reduce costs."

"Five thousand shares...fifty joint ventures."

Lu Zuo repeated it, then nodded and said, "Let's prepare according to this plan and start recruiting in the spring."

"The rules remain unchanged: one share per household, based on the household registration yellow book, with priority given to military dependents and respectable families in Beijing and surrounding areas who have not previously invested."

"The list must be posted publicly so that the public can supervise each other and report any false information."

"I obey your decree."

Shen agreed, as this was an expected continuation of the benefits for the people.

But he was more concerned about the actions happening in the shadows: "Your Majesty, what about... those who are secretly scheming and trying to bribe..."

"Gifts?" Lu Zuo chuckled lightly. "Since we've already given them, why refuse them and offend people's hearts?"

"The gift, please accept it. The money, please take it with a smile."

"What are they trying to find out? If you can tell me, feel free to share a little."

"If they need convenience, we can consider it accordingly."

"but......"

"Every gift, who gave it, when it was given, its value, what was entrusted to it, even if it was just a hint, should be clearly and plainly recorded for me."

Shen's vest instantly broke out in a cold sweat; he understood completely!

Your Majesty is using the huge profits from glass as bait to let those greedy fish and turtles bite!

Not only do you need to fish, but you also need to figure out what kind of fish are biting the hook and how much line is behind them!

Once this ledger is filled in, it becomes a sword hanging over the heads of countless people!

What His Majesty wants is probably not just to eliminate the drawbacks of this new share issuance, but also to take this opportunity to bring together a group of wealthy merchants and nobles in the capital and related regions...

A net is exhausted!

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty understands!" Shen Gai suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty will handle this matter perfectly, with clear and transparent accounts!"

"Okay, go do it."

"Your Majesty, I take my leave!"

Shen Gai said no more, bowed and left the imperial study. Only when he stepped outside the hall and was blown by the cold wind of early spring did he realize that his clothes were slightly damp.

He glanced back at the tightly closed palace doors, and his awe of the young emperor deepened even further.

After Shen Gai's footsteps faded into the distance, Lu Zuo said to Li Qingzhao, who was standing to the side, "Go and call Pei Xuan here."

"Yes."

Li Qingzhao responded and quickly walked out.

Bao Xiruo obediently stepped forward again to serve Lu Zuoxu hot tea, and asked softly, "Your Majesty, would you like to continue the massage?"

Lu Zuo took the teacup, took a sip, and gazed intently at the darkening sky outside the window: "No need."

"Xiruo, you should go back to the palace to rest first."

.....

Time flies like water, passing by in the blink of an eye.

February has arrived in the blink of an eye. The spring chill is still in the air, but the willow branches have already sprouted tender yellow buds.

Inside the Imperial Study, Lu Zuo was reviewing the progress report on the new army's training submitted by the Ministry of War, while Li Qingzhao was organizing documents beside him.

A eunuch outside the palace reported: "Minister of Works Shen Gai requests an audience, saying he has important matters to present to Your Majesty in person."

"Announce."

Shen strode in, holding a thick, blue-covered booklet in his hands.

"Your Majesty, please save this and continue reading 'Wandering Among the Heavens as a Tyrant, You Don't Understand My Joy' anytime, anywhere. Your subject is carrying out an imperial decree; the account books are complete and I have come to present them for your review."

The eunuch took it and presented it to the emperor.

Lu Zuo casually flipped through the book, which contained neat yet dense small regular script, categorized and meticulously recorded: on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, by whom and under what name a gift was given.

The document details who handled the gift, what was entrusted to them, and sometimes even includes a brief investigation to identify the true host family or related forces behind the gift giver.

It is analyzed in detail and is easy to understand at a glance.

The thick book contained over a hundred names, involving dozens of wealthy merchants, noble residences, and even officials of the fifth or sixth rank.

The amount of money involved, roughly estimated, exceeds 100,000 taels of silver!

And this is only the part that Shen "chose" to accept and record; the number of those who were rejected or who dared not place a heavy bet is still unknown.

Lu Zuo flipped through the pages one by one, and when he reached the last page, he closed the book and gently placed it on the table.

Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan, the Imperial City Guardian who was standing in the Imperial Study, stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "Your subject is here."

Lu Zuo picked up the blue ledger and handed it to him: "Arrest them according to the list!"

"I obey your decree!"

Pei Xuan took the account book with both hands, backed out of the imperial study, and his figure quickly blended into the dim twilight outside the hall, like a night owl pouncing.

.....

Meanwhile, in the south of the city, in the largest warm chamber of the teahouse called Shuyuxuan.

The charcoal fire still burned brightly, and the aroma of fine cloud and mist tea wafted through the air.

But unlike the gloomy atmosphere of the first month of the lunar calendar, the seven or eight wealthy merchants gathered here, along with that young master Zhou, all wore confident smiles, creating a lively and even somewhat noisy atmosphere.

"Young Master Zhou is indeed incredibly influential!"

"The connection with the Ministry of Works is now completely established!"

Manager Liu, beaming, raised his teacup in a toast: "I heard that out of the 5,000 new shares, our group can secure at least 90%!"

"The rest is enough to handle the other connections and deal with the real peasants!"

Master Zhao stroked his beard and smiled: "Even if the annual dividend per share is only twenty taels, that's still ninety thousand taels of gleaming silver!"

"And this is a long-term business!"

"What's even better is that we hold the shares in the names of those servants and tenants, so it's all above board, and no one can find fault with it!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Young Master Zhou leaned back on the soft couch, playing with a warm, smooth jade pendant: "The key is to do things steadily and keep the accounts balanced."

"From now on, even if we can't swallow all the profits from the glass trade, we must at least get the most lucrative piece."

"Only when our workshops are built in various places can this business truly be considered a secure profit."

"Of course!"

"With Young Master Zhou in charge, we can rest assured!"

"That's right! From now on, won't we be the ones calling the shots in the glass industry?"

"Those peasants are only fit to smell the grease leaking from between our fingers!"

"Once we completely control the supply and craftsmanship, we'll have the pricing power, hehe..."

Boom!

With a loud crash, the carved wooden door was kicked open from the outside, making the entire warm chamber seem to shake.

Seven or eight wealthy merchants, along with the young master Zhou who was reclining on the soft couch, all turned their heads in astonishment, their smug smiles instantly freezing.

At the entrance, more than ten Imperial Guards, dressed in dark red outfits, with narrow swords at their waists and exuding a chilling aura, rushed in like ghosts, quickly dispersed, and blocked all the windows and the small door leading to the inner room.

The last one to step in was Pei Xuan, the Imperial City Guardian.

His face remained calm and expressionless, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, coldly sweeping over every panicked face in the room, finally landing on Young Master Zhou in the main seat.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass..." Manager Liu, who was closest to the door, was the first to react. He was both shocked and angry. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, trying to use his usual imposing manner to reprimand them.

Pei Xuan didn't even look at him, but simply raised his hands slightly to the left and right, uttering two words: "Take it down."

"Yes, sir!"

The fierce Imperial Guards immediately pounced, two at a time, their movements swift and decisive, heading straight for their target.

"You've rebelled! You've rebelled! Do you know who I am?! I am Zhou..."

Young Master Zhou's expression changed drastically. He suddenly sat up from the soft couch, both shocked and angry. He shouted angrily, trying to bring up his noble status.

An attendant approached, ignoring his nonsense, and with his left hand like an iron clamp, grabbed his wrist as he tried to reach his waist, twisted it in the opposite direction, and with his right palm and fingers like a knife, struck a certain acupoint under his ribs.

Young Master Zhou groaned, half of his body went numb, and his struggle weakened considerably. His hands were easily tied behind his back and bound tightly with oil-soaked cowhide rope.

"Hey! What right do you have to arrest me?!"

"Is there no law anymore?!"

"I'm a law-abiding citizen! I paid my taxes!"

"Let go! Do you even know who my father is?!"

The other wealthy merchants were also in an uproar. Some tried to argue, some panicked and dodged, and some even tried to rush out. The warm pavilion was instantly in chaos, with cups and plates overturned and tea and pastries spilled all over the floor.

"Bang!"

"Ouch!"

"Well!"

The resistance and shouting quickly turned into cries of pain and muffled groans.

The Imperial Guards didn't even need to draw their swords to deal with these pampered wealthy merchants.

The scabbard, fists, and elbows landed precisely on their stomachs, ribs, joints, and other non-lethal but powerful enough to instantly incapacitate them and cause them to wince in pain.

Manager Liu was struck in the cheek by a scabbard, immediately spitting out two bloody teeth, and his vision went black. Go down.

Zhao Dongjia tried to jump out of the window, but was kicked in the back of the knee by the official guarding the window, causing him to kneel down. Then, the official stepped on his back.

The lean grain merchant tried to pull out the silver notes from his pocket to "speak," but his wrist was dislocated with a "crack," and he was dragged away screaming.

In just a few breaths, the warm room fell silent again, with only heavy breathing, suppressed groans, and the creaking sound of ropes tightening.

The wealthy merchants and nobles who had been talking big and dreaming of monopolies were now all ashen-faced, their hands tied behind their backs, like pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered, being carried by the Imperial City Guards and lined up in a row.

.....

A short while later, the Imperial City Guards escorted the string of dejected and absent-minded "noblemen" out of the warm pavilion and down the stairs in a swift and orderly manner.

The manager and staff of Shuyuxuan were so frightened that they hid behind the counter or in a corner, not daring to breathe.

A waiter who was wiping tables on the second floor hid in the shadows around the corner of the stairs, watching as the usually arrogant Manager Liu and Master Zhao, who arrived in their luxurious carriages, were led downstairs. He cursed inwardly:

"Should!"

"Serves him right!"

The day before yesterday, he excitedly took the loose silver he had saved up for a long time and ran to the Ministry of Works, thinking that even if he only invested in one share, he would have something to look forward to every month.

After waiting in line for ages, when it was finally his turn, the clerk inside didn't even look up and just said, "The new share registration here is full. Wait for notification for the next batch."

He was stunned. The people around him who had also been rejected were also talking about it, saying that there were few spots available and that they had probably all been reserved by insiders long ago.

He returned home seething with anger, and when he heard the men upstairs talking loudly about "taking 90%" and "peasants are only fit to smell the grease," his heart burned with rage.

"Heaven has eyes, Your Majesty is wise!"

"Serves you right for being greedy! For being corrupt! Now you're all going to the Imperial City Guard for jail time! You'd better spit out everything you've swallowed!"