Hot flashes

Shen Yu looked at him, and there was something more in his eyes. Was it admiration, or something else? Zhou Heng couldn't tell.

"Lord Zhou," he said, "you are very clever."

Zhou Heng remained silent.

Shen Yu took two steps forward and stopped beside him.

"But smart people," he said in a low voice, "sometimes overcomplicate things."

he's gone.

Zhou Heng stood there, watching the figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

Chen Shen came over from the side and whispered, "Young Master, Shen Yu—"

"I know," Zhou Heng interrupted him.

He turned around and walked towards the Qianqing Palace.

Zhang Yu's memorial, Shen Yu's opposition, and finally the proposal to "strictly investigate local areas"—every step was perfectly calculated.

The suggestion to reduce the grain tribute was to test Xiao Jue's attitude; his own opposition was to distance himself from the matter; and the last suggestion was a deliberate attempt to plant a seed.

Investigate the local area thoroughly. Who should be sent? If Shen Yu's men are sent, the "truth" they uncover will be the truth Shen Yu wants; if Zhou Heng's men are sent, Shen Yu can accuse him of favoring the local area; if a neutral person is sent, Shen Yu has plenty of ways to make that person "discover" something.

When Zhou Heng entered the Qianqing Palace, Xiao Jue was standing in front of the map.

The map was enormous, stretching from the northern border to the southern frontier, from the East Sea to the western regions, with mountains, rivers, cities, and passes densely marked. Xiao Jue's hand rested on the Jiangnan area, his fingertip pointing to the location of Jiangling.

"You're here?" He didn't turn around.

Zhou Heng walked over, stood beside him, thought for a moment, and said, "He wants to muddy the waters of Jiangnan. Only when the waters are muddy can he catch fish."

Xiao Jue remained silent.

Zhou Heng continued, "The grain transport issue is just a pretext. What he really wants is the phrase 'strictly investigate local areas.' Once that's settled, he can send people to Jiangnan and stir up trouble in Jiangling. Then, the new policies will fail, local officials will be impeached, and our people will be transferred away—and that will be his goal."

Xiao Jue turned around and looked at him.

"Anything else?"

Zhou Heng was stunned for a moment.

Xiao Jue looked at him and waited.

Zhou Heng thought about it for a long time.

Then he suddenly understood something.

"Regarding the grain transport," his voice tightened, "what would happen if His Majesty refused?"

Xiao Jue's lips curved slightly.

Zhou Heng continued, "If Your Majesty does not allow the reduction of grain tribute, Shen Yu will say that Your Majesty disregards the suffering of the people. Those censors, those upright officials, those who claim to be speaking up for the people, will swarm in and impeach Your Majesty for mistreating the people. At that time, Your Majesty will either have to give in or be put on the hot seat."

Xiao Jue remained silent.

Zhou Heng's thoughts raced.

"But His Majesty granted it," he said. "His Majesty approved Zhang Yu's proposal and allowed Shen Yu to stand up and object. In this way, Shen Yu's test did not fail, nor did it allow his proposal to 'strictly investigate local areas' to succeed. His Majesty simply—simply kicked the ball back to its place."

Xiao Jue looked at him, and something seemed to change in his eyes.

"continue."

Zhou Heng said, "Shen Yu's scheme had two layers: the first was to test the waters, and the second was to lay the groundwork. But His Majesty cut off his threads. The reduction of grain tribute was approved, but how much to reduce, and when to reduce it—none of that was decided. His Majesty didn't even mention Shen Yu's proposal to 'strictly investigate local areas'."

He paused.

"Now, it's Shen Yu's turn to think: Did His Majesty see through his scheme, or was it just a casual remark?"

Xiao Jue reached out and pulled him into his arms.

Zhou Heng pressed his face against his chest, hearing the steady, powerful heartbeat there.

"Aheng," Xiao Jue's voice came from above, "you're becoming more and more like me."

Zhou Heng was stunned for a moment.

Xiao Jue looked down at him.

"I saw through Shen Yu's scheme. But he may not have seen through mine."

Zhou Heng raised his head and looked at him.

Xiao Jue's gaze was deep.

"I have approved the reduction of grain tribute. But the approval I gave him was not the kind of approval he wanted."

He released Zhou Heng, walked back to the desk, picked up a folded book, and handed it to him.

Zhou Heng took it and opened it.

It was Zhang Yu's memorial. The three words Xiao Jue wrote in his approval were not "Approved," but "Ministry of Revenue to discuss."

Zhou Heng was stunned.

The Ministry of Revenue held a meeting. The Minister of Revenue was Zhang Yu. But the Ministry of Revenue had more than just Zhang Yu; it also had the Left and Right Vice Ministers, and various department heads. Letting them discuss it—how long they would discuss it, and what the outcome would be—nobody knew.

Shen Yu wanted Xiao Jue to make a statement. Xiao Jue, however, passed the buck back to Shen Yu's own people.

Zhou Heng raised his head and looked at Xiao Jue.

"Xiao Jue..." His voice was a little dry.

Xiao Jue pulled him back into his arms.

The sunlight outside the window had shifted westward a bit more.

On June 23, Shen Yu moved again.

This time it's the salt administration.

The salt administration in Jiangnan has always been the exclusive domain of powerful families. Salt permits, salt taxes, salt transportation—every link is permeated with the interests of these families. After Xiao Jue ascended the throne, he wanted to reform the salt administration, but Shen Yu dissuaded him on the grounds that "the foundation of the country is not yet secure."

Now, Shen Yu himself has brought it up.

"In my opinion," he stood on the throne, holding his tablet, his voice calm and steady, "the salt administration in Jiangnan has long been plagued by corruption. We should select capable officials to investigate and rectify the situation."

There was a moment of silence in the imperial court.

Standing in the queue, Zhou Heng looked at that slender figure from behind and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Salt administration. Shen Yu took the initiative to bring up salt administration.

What does he want?

Xiao Jue sat on the throne, looking at him without saying a word.

Shen Yu continued, "The problem with the salt administration lies in the collusion between officials and merchants, and in the local control of the industry. If this is not thoroughly investigated, the imperial tax revenue will decrease daily, and the price of salt for the people will rise daily. I recommend someone who can take on this responsibility."

He looked up at Xiao Jue.

"Although Zheng Mingyi, the prefectural judge of Jiangling, has been executed, he had submitted several memorials during his lifetime, pointing out the malpractices of the salt administration. I believe that we should follow his line of thought and send officials to investigate."

Zhou Heng's pupils contracted slightly.

Zheng Mingyi.

Shen Yu mentioned Zheng Mingyi.

Xiao Jue's gaze fell on him, but he didn't say anything.

Shen Yu continued, "Although Zheng Mingyi has committed illegal acts, his words may not be entirely without merit. I have heard that when he was in Jiangling, he discovered traces of salt merchants smuggling, but before he could report it, he..."

He didn't continue.

But everyone knew what he was going to say.

He died at the hands of Zhou Heng.

The court was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.