Chapter 334: First Snow (2-in-1)

In the sixth year of Jianyan, autumn gave way to winter, and the first snow had arrived in Dongjingcheng.

Yet the first snow was not as romantic as snowflakes blanketing the ground; on the contrary, most snowflakes turned into slush the moment they hit the ground, and it fell intermittently, stirring up dampness and chill that assailed the body.

You must understand, people not only simply fear heat and cold, but also dread the very process of becoming hot or cold, and they loathe the incongruity between weather and temperature. At this moment, it was undoubtedly the worst possible state.

Thus, on the day of the first snow, the once bustling Dongjingcheng instantly ground to a halt. The Hanfang Garden in the north of the city had posted a notice early in the morning advising spectators to be mindful of the weather, indefinitely postponing the cuju match due to the need for a clean venue, and small vendors mostly took shelter as well.

Of course, various warehouses and shops with storefronts still had to open for business.

Under these circumstances, it made things somewhat easier for the shop assistants who were carrying food boxes and gift boxes through the streets, or even transporting goods by mule cart.

Indeed, the practices of ordering meals, calling for food delivery, and shipping goods, which had been popular in Dongjing in earlier years, had now reappeared in Dongjing as the population recovered and commerce revived, especially due to the capital's attraction for the powerful and wealthy—and on an even larger scale. This was because, following the Emperor's proposal and arrangements, starting from this autumn, aside from the Imperial Academy which had its own cafeteria, the Six Ministries, Nine Courts, Five Directorates, the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Imperial Camp Headquarters, the Eunuch Bureau, the Military Academy, and the Hanlin Academy all had a free outsourced lunch service funded by the government.

This was a small design with exceptionally effective practical results.

For minor officials and clerks whose family assets were not particularly abundant, being able to enjoy fine food from top restaurants during work hours was truly rare. Some even skipped breakfast altogether because of it—this considerably boosted their loyalty and work efficiency. At the same time, the top restaurants were very willing to compete for this qualification. You must understand, once a dish or specific pastry was produced on a large scale, costs dropped significantly, and merchants did not suffer from a lack of profit just because the bidding price was low.

Moreover, the top restaurants that secured this business often gained greater fame and more prosperous trade because of it. Many wealthy and noble families vied to order the same dishes as the high officials, to the point where a practice called "chasing orders" emerged—whenever a restaurant was assigned to serve the Six Ministries or the Bureau of Military Affairs on a given day, servants from noble households would come in the evening specifically to order that same takeout.

There were even rumors that the Zhao Emperor himself would randomly draw lots to select one of the participating restaurants and have lunch delivered directly to the Stone Pavilion in the rear palace. Many restaurant assistants claimed they had delivered meals to the Yiyou Gate. Such meals were basically priceless and unavailable on the open market.

They made it sound as if it were true.

But regardless, this was a very effective means for the court to win over people's hearts under conditions of insufficient fiscal resources.

However, there was a troublesome aspect to this matter: the top restaurants that had secured these government contracts generally only learned the results of the temporary lottery in the morning, delivered by the Imperial Guard. Only then did they know which specific government office they would be serving at noon.

Consequently, at noon, the streets were filled with delivery mule carts flying the flags of the Imperial Guard. Even the Prime Minister's procession had to yield, or else word would quickly spread that someone was mistreating their colleagues and subordinates.

According to unreliable rumors, a certain official originally appointed to a major prefecture came to the capital, but because he blocked the Ministry of Personnel's lunch delivery cart, causing the entire ministry to eat a bowl of lukewarm noodle soup, he was exiled to Guangnan West Circuit.

It was a joke, and few actually believed it, but it still spread and did catch the attention of officials entering the capital. This rule had only been in effect for a little over half a month, and it was said that visiting officials dining or ordering takeout at top restaurants, including at the Wuyue Temple, had already adopted an unspoken rule of doing so only after noon.

On the evening of that day, the first snow continued to fall. Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo was returning home from his office, thinking about whether to have his family order a serving of the sweet-and-sour fish he had eaten at noon. But unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he was informed by his nephew, who managed the household, that Mei Li, a younger generation member of the Lin family's old friends, the Mei family from Jiangning, had arrived after lunch and had been sitting for an entire afternoon. Minister Lin was slightly startled, then immediately understood. He told his nephew to order the sweet-and-sour fish and quickly summoned the younger Mei.

It turned out that this younger member of Minister Lin's old friends was a *jinshi* graduate of the third year of Jianyan. And that batch of *jinshi*, as the result of the first large-scale imperial examination after Emperor Zhao Jiu ascended the throne, was particularly prominent in the current political landscape of the court.

Not to mention anything else, in just three short years, three of them had already become significant figures at court.

The first was Hu Quan, who controlled the increasingly vast and powerful official gazette system. Though low in rank, he wielded great influence, and was vaguely ranked alongside Hu Yin and Hu Hongxiu, collectively known as the "Three Hus" (though some said "Four Hus," forcibly including Hu Yin's younger brother Hu Hong). This man's actions could directly affect the political situation and government affairs.

The second was the *Tanhua* (third-place graduate) Yu Yunwen, who was also low in rank but wielded great power. He controlled the Military Statistics Department, which was no less powerful, and more critically, he had a deep background. His father was a confidant of Prime Minister Zhang Jun, so he himself was naturally considered a member of Zhang Jun's faction, and his father-in-law was Zhang Rong, one of the military commanders. Speaking of which, Young Master Yu was theoretically still a subordinate of Minister Lin.

As for the last one, it was naturally the *Zhuangyuan* (top graduate) of that session, Zhao Boyao. He himself was a distant member of the imperial clan, and also benefited from the legacy of his father-in-law, Prime Minister Wang. He had already completed his term as Vice Prefect of Zhengzhou and returned to the central government. Given the current court's trend of simplifying and substantiating various positions, it seemed he would soon be appointed as a Drafter or even an Academician. Then, while compiling history, he would build his reputation in front of the Emperor. His future was even more secure than Hu Quan's or Yu Yunwen's, and his official career was remarkably upright and aboveboard.

As for their contemporaries Yue Fei and Qu Duan, it was better not to mention them.

And Mei Maoxiu, the second-place graduate in the second tier, as a younger member of Academician Lin's old friends, was naturally one of the outstanding ones. He had previously been sent out as a Judge of Wuwei Army. Later, due to personnel and expertise issues, during Lu Yihao's oversight of Liangzhe affairs, he was directly recommended by Minister Lin, then still a young Academician, and transferred to serve a term as Superintendent of the Maritime Trade Office. Now, after completing three years in an external post, he had been personally named by Emperor Zhao Jiu to be recalled to the capital in this wave of major personnel reshuffles.

Of course, Minister Lin's involvement was likely indispensable. So, in any secular sense of officialdom, this man was considered part of Minister Lin's faction, or rather, they were mutual political resources.

It was only natural that upon entering the capital and completing the official procedures, this man would come to pay his respects to Lin Jingmo.

Enough of idle talk. They met in the main hall, were served hot tea with ginger juice and milk skin, and took their seats. Superintendent Mei was indeed young and promising, with a demeanor befitting a scholarly family, but Minister Lin, having endured years of internal administration and a term as Grand Coordinator, naturally had an even more impressive bearing. They exchanged a few pleasantries, speaking not of mundane matters but of local scenery, regional anecdotes, weather and seasons, and literature and poetry.

However, when all was said and done, they were both standard bureaucrats, and moreover, members of the same political faction. They could not avoid discussing official business.

"Public opinion in the south is quite different from that in the central plains. Have there been any discussions about the state of the government?" Minister Lin, seated in the host's position and holding a cup of hot milk tea, asked casually.

Superintendent Mei thought for a moment, then smiled wryly. "To let my uncle know, Minister Li (Li Gang) is there, and he can never control his own mouth. Moreover, the Dao Learning faction now mostly establishes itself in the famous mountains and rivers of the south. And after the Baima-Shaoxing incident, the largest number of officials returning to their hometowns were also from the south. Even Minister Lu (Lu Yihao) cannot control so many people. How could they not discuss the state and the political situation?"

"What do they say?"

"After the government borrowed from temples, wealthy merchants, and nobles, and used their deposits to expand the *Jiaozi* Bureau, the south immediately said that this was actually Wang Anshi's Green Sprout Loan reborn. The only difference was that the Emperor knew the government clerks were unreliable, so he chose to cooperate with the original private moneylenders to issue the Green Sprout Loan. It was still seizing the people's profits, and there was still the risk of spiraling out of control and causing harm." Superintendent Mei quickly responded. "However..."

"And what does my worthy nephew think?" Minister Lin suddenly interrupted him, then sipped his tea and waited. "How does my nephew view their discussions?"

Mei Maoxiu hesitated for a moment, but finally answered seriously: "My nephew's view is actually similar to theirs. It is still the Green Sprout Loan. It's just that the Emperor had some new ideas, knowing that pure government operation wouldn't work, so he adopted government supervision and private operation. And since it is supervision, if oversight is slightly weak, or if officials and merchants collude, it will inevitably lead to the same harms as before. However, my nephew believes that even so, it still has to be done. One cannot give up eating for fear of choking. Especially since the state needs to accomplish things, and the fiscal demands are unavoidable."

Minister Lin nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, his demeanor as a senior official growing more pronounced. "Aside from this matter? Are there any other major topics in the south?"

"Aside from this, of course, there is the great debate sparked by the court's annihilation of Xixia." Mei Maoxiu immediately responded. "And on this matter, the process of discussion in the south was divided into three stages by the news from the front..."

Minister Lin smiled upon hearing this, clearly understanding instantly.

And Mei Li, knowing that his uncle was inwardly astute and had already grasped the point, still had to smile and continue explaining:

"At first, when the court suddenly mobilized troops in the northwest, naturally the entire Jiangnan region was anxious. All the academies were beating their chests and stamping their feet, worried that the Emperor would squander the victory at Yaoshan in one fell swoop. Then, the court suddenly swept through the northwest, not only completely taking Xixia but also holding a grand assembly at Jinhebo, which left everyone speechless. Many people immediately changed their tune following the official gazette, declaring that the Emperor and the court had devised a master plan with great skill, and that the Imperial Camp troops were now elite enough to rival the Jurchen armored cavalry. But later, when the official gazette published the figures for the reorganization of the three northwestern circuits—a population of only three million within Xixia's borders and a standing army of sixty to seventy thousand—along with... along with the later Shanghe incident and the Yang Zheng case... they then said that Xixia was not even as strong as the puppet Qi. At a time when the Jin were retreating to conserve their strength, the court took advantage of their weakness and succeeded in one campaign. This did not prove that our dynasty's military had become strong enough to rival the Jin. But this argument itself was also weak... because the posters in their own academies said, if Xixia was so weak, why had it been impossible to conquer in a hundred years?"

"These people!" Lin Jingmo shook his head and smiled after listening. "They are not unintelligent, not disloyal, and not lacking in integrity or virtue. They just don't understand military affairs, and they think war is as absurd as they imagine. But this is not their fault. How can one understand war without experiencing it? Who would dare say that Minister Hu today is ignorant of military matters? The key is that these people had already developed fear in their hearts from the start. They were unwilling to follow the Emperor to face difficulties head-on, and so they drifted further and further away, eventually becoming increasingly absurd."

"My uncle speaks truly." Mei Li responded, then added seriously, "However, these discussions have also spawned some developments. It is said that Minister Li is leading an effort to establish a private gazette in the south, under the banner of exchanging Dao Learning ideas, but it was suppressed by Minister Lu. However, Minister Li is persistent. It is said he will directly petition the court to lift the nationwide ban on newspapers, to facilitate his establishment of a southern newspaper syndicate."

Lin Jingmo hesitated for a moment, then smiled again, directly changing the subject: "Do you know that the Abdicated Emperor sent a congratulatory memorial to the Emperor from the Dongxiao Palace in Hangzhou on the pacification of Xia?"

"Naturally, I know. The Abdicated Emperor is still young... After enduring two years in the Dongxiao Palace, he could no longer hold out." Mei Li forced a smile. "Even the various imperial relatives in Nanyang and Yangzhou have been stirring, requesting to return to Dongjing, haven't they?"

Lin Jingmo smiled wryly: "The Emperor sent them back as they were. For those in Nanyang, he did the same. For those in Yangzhou, the Emperor said a few good words, giving quite a bit of face to the Grand Empress Dowager Yuanyou."

Mei Li finally fell silent.

Regardless, as a newly promoted official who had only briefly seen the Zhao Emperor during the palace examination, although he had heard many stories about his own emperor, he always used reason to remind himself that those stories were likely exaggerated and embellished to a certain degree. But now, facing a senior minister of Lin Jingmo's caliber, one with such a close relationship with his family, who personally spoke of imperial secrets of this level, he had to confront a bizarre reality: this Emperor was indeed one who dared to say and do things without any scruples—throwing his own brother's congratulatory memorial back in his face was simply too unceremonious.

And he himself, upon entering the capital this time, would very likely be staying in the capital to work, and nine times out of ten, he would become a Drafter, and then face this unceremonious Emperor directly.

Even more directly, why had he come to see his uncle today? Was it not to seek guidance from this former confidant of the Emperor, now a senior minister, on how to conduct himself before the current sovereign?

In fact, Minister Lin was indeed teaching him.

"My worthy nephew." Lin Jingmo, seeing this, continued seriously. "Do you know which post the court intends to use you for upon your entry into the capital?"

"It should be in trade, right?" Mei Li snapped back to attention and quickly replied. "Since the court has opened the two major markets in Lanzhou and Hetao, it naturally wants to establish a central authority within the Ministry of Revenue to connect the Western Regions, the grasslands, the South Seas, Japan, and Goryeo... with China at the center to profit from trade, and through trade to control their actions, thereby encircling the Jurchen bandits. My nephew believes..."

"Well said, and well spoken." Lin Jingmo nodded slightly. "But there is no need to elaborate here. As Minister of Revenue, your words will eventually reach my desk in the ministry as official documents. Save them for when you face the Emperor. Remember, say whatever is on your mind, say whatever you know. Do not try to guess his intentions or deliberately flatter him. The Emperor, though occasionally impulsive, is fundamentally intelligent and divinely martial. He understands everything."

Hearing this, Superintendent Mei's heart stirred. Instinctively, he immediately rose and bowed respectfully in the hall.

At the same time, Minister Lin, seeing this, simply picked up his now-cooled milk tea, took a small sip, and then suddenly waved his sleeve: "Our two families are old friends. Your uncle and my elder brother are close friends and in-laws. But now that I am Minister of Revenue and a member of the Secret Pavilion, and you are a newcomer returning to the capital for appointment, it would be improper to keep you here before your official posting, lest it breed suspicion. Wait in the front hall. When your younger cousin returns, take a serving of sweet-and-sour fish and return early to the official courier station to await the imperial summons."

Mei Li was caught off guard by this and was somewhat flustered. After all, although this exchange had contained some clear guidance, the most critical issue—the so-called three major cases in the capital—had only been hinted at in one matter. His uncle had said nothing at all about the other two cases involving the generals of the Imperial Camp.

If these came up when he faced the Emperor, how should he respond?

Just tell the truth?

However, despite his doubts, Mei Li dared not say more, especially since his uncle had not been entirely without guidance. So he forced down his anxiety, took his leave respectfully, and indeed received a serving of sweet-and-sour fish takeout at the gatehouse, which he carried back with him.

The next day, the snow stopped for the entire day, but then started again a day later, causing the dampness and chill to continue their havoc. Another day later, on the last day of the tenth month, Superintendent Mei suddenly received a summons, saying that the Emperor was finally ready to see him.

Mei Li dared not be negligent. Although he knew he might displease, he still couldn't help trimming his eyebrows out of habit before heading through Donghuamen to the Ducheng Secretariat to await the imperial summons... It was at this moment that Commissioner Mei realized the Emperor was far too busy—he had summoned five people at once, including the top scholar of the same examination, Zhao Boyao, the second-ranked graduate of the same examination, Chao Gongwu, and also a restless Commander Cui of the Imperial Camp Navy, and a Vice Prefect Huang from a border prefecture in northern Shaanxi.

Clearly, all five had come to report on their duties, and the futures of all five would be decided in a single audience with the Emperor—this was already nerve-wracking enough.

In fact, the last two of the five, perhaps due to their humble origins and the fact that this was their first audience, had long been unable to sit still, but even the three outstanding graduates of the same examination were visibly uneasy... because they had keenly realized that being gathered together like this, they would likely have to face some complex and sensitive issues directly.

Leaving aside the anxious thoughts of the five, after they had eaten a working meal—still sweet-and-sour fish—and set off together in the afternoon toward that famous location in the rear palace, the sky gradually darkened, and sporadic snowflakes began to fall again.

It seemed the football match at Hanfangyuan would be delayed again.

"Vice Prefect of Zhengzhou, Zhao Boyao; Judge of Mizhou, Chao Gongwu; Commissioner of the Liangzhe Grand Coordinator's Office and Superintendent of the Wenzhou Maritime Trade Office, Mei Li; Commander of the Imperial Camp Navy, Cui Bangbi; Vice Prefect of Qingzhou, Huang Sheng..."

The reception ceremony was exceptionally simple. Grand Secretary Fan Zongyin stepped forward to verify the list with the accompanying Ducheng officials, then led the five to the stone pavilion. Then Lan Gui, the Chief Eunuch of the Inner Attendant Directorate, came forward, calling out each name from the list one by one. After receiving responses, he immediately turned and reported, "Your Majesty, the five have arrived today!"

"It's snowing. Enter the pavilion and sit down."

Hearing this, the men knew it was the Emperor speaking. They quickly thanked him for his grace, then nervously entered the pavilion and, under the watchful eyes of many secretaries, scholars, attendants, armored guards, and officers, carefully sat down opposite the Zhao Emperor—the stone stools had no cushions, yet they were warm to the touch. This wasn't because someone had warmed them, but because an underground heating system had clearly been installed beneath and around the stone pavilion.

Although all five were first-timers, they all knew about this, because the matter had been reported in the official gazette around the start of winter. Some had opposed it—not the idea of adding heating to this famous stone pavilion, but the use of an underground heating system, since it was clearly copied from the heated brick beds, which in turn had been brought by the Jurchens.

And the gazette had published a piece of commentary roughly arguing for "taking and using it," starting from King Wuling of Zhao's adoption of barbarian clothing and mounted archery, thoroughly refuting the opponents.

Thus, the whole realm knew that the Zhao Emperor had installed an underground heating system in a pavilion in the rear palace.

After that, it became popular throughout the north and the Central Plains, and even some people in the south went mad imitating it.

Leaving aside the heating system, the moment they sat down, all five, as if by telepathy, secretly raised their heads to steal a glance at the Zhao Emperor, who had just put down some documents, then quickly lowered their heads, focusing instead on the cracked stone patterns beneath the stone stools... These patterns, over the years, had been stared at and studied by countless people, and would likely continue to be stared at endlessly in the future.

"No need to be so formal. Don't stand up. I will ask, and you will answer."

Zhao Jiu, dressed in a cotton robe, naturally noticed the small movements of the five opposite him, but having seen it so many times, he couldn't be bothered to comment. "Boyao, when you set out from Zhengzhou, winter should have already begun. Did you see any signs of the common people along the way suffering from cold or hunger?"

"Your Majesty jokes!" Zhao Boyao was startled inwardly and quickly looked up to answer seriously. "Zhengzhou is said to be another prefecture, but it is no different from the capital region. If the common people along the way there were suffering from cold and hunger, what would the rest of the realm be like?"

"True." Zhao Jiu nodded, then sighed slightly. "That was a somewhat absurd question. In fact, after the snow the day before yesterday, I rode a horse to Huazhou to have a look... The villages along the Yellow River are mostly converted from military farms, and their cold-proofing measures are all quite good. It's the surrounding prefectural cities and large markets where there are some urban poor lacking firewood and suffering from the cold... Although our dynasty's Emperor Taizong's act of 'sending charcoal in the snow' was still about winning people's hearts, when you think about it carefully, from the perspective of the poor, it was ultimately a life-saving act, worthy of praise."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Boyao pretended not to have heard the phrase "winning people's hearts" and simply took the opportunity to flatter: "For Your Majesty to have such a heart, it can be said that you are carrying on the tradition."

But the Zhao Emperor immediately became solemn: "Boyao, here's the thing. After the fall of Western Xia, their historical records were also captured. I intend to appoint you as a Hanlin Academician and keep you here to compile the *History of Western Xia*. But aside from this, you will still have to handle affairs... I will allocate you some coal and grain. You will go on my behalf to inspect the capital region and its surroundings, appropriately using relief work to provide for the needy, and try to minimize the number of people who freeze to death."

"This is a benevolent policy. How dare I disobey your command!" Zhao Boyao immediately responded, but then showed some hesitation.

"What is it?" Zhao Jiu naturally understood.

"Your Majesty." Zhao Boyao replied cautiously. "Whether it's compiling history or going on an inspection tour for relief, both are top-tier assignments. Having received your command, I naturally have no complaints. However, being directly transferred to an inner drafting post is far too great an honor... Since the Jingkang era, no newly promoted graduate who has served in local posts and returned to a court position has ever advanced this quickly."

"Then what do you want?"

"I presume to ask that after I have carried out the relief work in the capital region for Your Majesty, I may still be sent out to a local post."

Zhao Jiu thought for a moment, then immediately nodded: "Very well. Having such a heart is most appropriate. We'll see the results of this relief effort. If you do well, you will be directly appointed as the chief magistrate of a prefecture."

Zhao Boyao was overjoyed... Clearly, this Emperor was still very gracious to him, the first top scholar and son-in-law of a chancellor who had died for the state. Of course, it was also because this top scholar understood current affairs.

It must be known that there had been some dissatisfaction throughout the court with the simple and crude method of cleaning up the academies and directly merging them into the two tiers of Secretaries and Academicians. Especially now that the newly promoted graduates were gradually returning to the central government, if they were to leap directly into positions as Direct Secretaries, Secretaries, Direct Academicians, or Academicians, they would inevitably be suspected of gaining favor through luck. And if they were simply left idle to compile history, this Emperor, who had always emphasized handling affairs, would himself become dissatisfied first.

Therefore, this top scholar's request for an external post actually set a good precedent.

Having finished speaking, Zhao Jiu directly looked at the second person: "Minister Chao."

"Your servant is here."

"Many people below say your literary skills and scholarship are outstanding. I intend to give you the title of Secretary to serve as Boyao's deputy. Then tell me, do you want to compile history or go to a local post..."

"Your servant..." Chao Gongwu had never expected to be asked to choose. He was momentarily nervous but dared not hesitate. "Your servant truly wishes to compile history."

"Fine!" Zhao Jiu nodded, but it was unclear what he was thinking.

"Your servant thanks..." Chao Gongwu hurriedly began to express his gratitude.

But just then, the Zhao Emperor suddenly interrupted him: "While you were in Mizhou, did you know about Zhang Zongyan's unauthorized dispatch of troops this time?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere inside and outside the stone pavilion suddenly froze.

It should be noted that the three most discussed matters in Dongjingcheng at the moment were precisely the so-called "Three Major Winter Cases"—one was the case of Consort Pan's uncle's nephew privately pre-selling government bond shares; another was the case of Yang Zheng, a beloved general under Wu Jie of the Imperial Camp Rear Army, who killed his concubine and flayed her; and the last, and most controversial, was the case of Zhang Zongyan, a Commander under Zhang Jun of the Imperial Camp Right Army, who in October crossed the Yellow River without authorization to attack, only to be decisively defeated by the Jurchen Wanhu Wang Bolong at Shanghe in Dizhou, returning in a crushing defeat.

Of the three cases, the first, even if it was a matter of personal greed, involved both the imperial relatives and government bonds, while the latter two directly touched upon the most sensitive Imperial Camp and military commanders, and would likely affect the court's basic policies over the past two years... None of them were simple. And each case had its own debates; even in the Yang Zheng case, there were people pleading for leniency based on his contributions in pacifying Western Xia, let alone the case of Zhang Zongyan.

However, at the same time, it was also a fact that the main perpetrators of all three cases had been imprisoned, and there were corresponding calls for severe punishment without leniency for each case.

And this matter was precisely the topic that the local officials reporting for duty feared the most.

"Your Majesty." Chao Gongwu was nervous and uneasy but quickly answered. "Of course I knew about Zhang Zongyan's deployment of troops and requisition of supplies. Mizhou had long provided him with civilian laborers and military equipment from the arsenal. And it wasn't just me who knew; almost everyone in the entire Jingdong circuit knew... But at the time, Prefect Liu and I only thought he was... he was..."

"He was what?" Zhao Jiu frowned and urged.

"He was competing with the Imperial Camp Navy for supplies on behalf of the Imperial Camp Right Army. Who could have imagined he would take the initiative to cross the river and attack Dizhou?" Chao Gongwu replied with his head lowered. "But now, thinking back carefully, we were also muddled at the time... With the Imperial Camp Forward Army, Left Army, Rear Army, and Cavalry Army achieving such great feats on the western front, it was only natural for Zhang Zongyan to be unable to restrain himself. We should have been on guard against such actions long ago... This is my dereliction of duty."

Zhao Jiu made no comment and directly looked at Cui Bangbi: "Commander Cui, what about your side?"

"We in the Imperial Camp Navy thought the same," Cui Bangbi immediately replied. "Commander Li (Li Bao) almost came to blows with the Imperial Camp Right Army after learning that the military supplies depot in Laizhou had been emptied... Your Majesty should be aware of this matter."

Zhao Jiu shook his head again upon hearing this: "Actually, this matter can hardly be blamed on you. The mindset was easy to guess, but even if you had guessed it, who would have thought he would be so bold? He needlessly sacrificed so many Imperial Camp soldiers, wasting much of the morale that had been built up after Yaoshan."

Leaving aside the young officials reporting for duty, the surrounding close ministers were mostly silent... The Zhao Emperor's meaning clearly indicated a severe punishment.

"What about you, Vice Prefect Huang? You are an old acquaintance of Minister Hu and Commander-in-Chief Wu, and you were neighbors with Yang Zheng for several years. Do you know what the attitude in northern Shaanxi is toward Yang Zheng?"

"Naturally..." The Vice Prefect surnamed Huang instinctively stood up to speak, but upon seeing the Emperor's calm expression, he was startled and immediately changed his answer. "Naturally, most want to plead for leniency. They all say that for Your Majesty to kill a meritorious official over a woman is too much, and that Minister Hu is too strict."

Zhao Jiu nodded, still noncommittal. In fact, he had already made up his mind about these three cases from the start, and had long since decided on Yang Zheng's matter. He was just testing whether this Huang fellow was honest.

Whether this man had caught on or was genuinely honest, there was no need for him to delve deeper.

With this thought, the Zhao Emperor looked at the last person again: "Commissioner Mei... I heard you translated a miscellaneous book by a barbarian? What's this about? Can you learn a language in two years?"

When his turn came, even though he had rehearsed it thousands of times in his mind, Mei Li was still extremely nervous. Moreover, he never expected the Emperor to start with this matter, but he still remembered his uncle's advice and told the truth:

"To inform Your Majesty, when I was young, my father served in Quanzhou. Our residence was next to an Arab merchant's warehouse, so I learned some of the Arab language. Later, when I was appointed Superintendent of the Maritime Trade Office, I came into contact with them again. I could still recognize the script, but I could no longer understand the spoken language fluently. So I used this matter as practice to recover my former memory..."

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly and then asked again: "Minister, in Wenzhou, which is adjacent to Fujian, is the custom of infanticide still prevalent there?"

Mei Li grew even more flustered inside, but still, following Minister Lin's advice, he steeled himself and continued to tell the truth: "There hasn't been much change."

"Why is infanticide so prominent in Fujian?" Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged.

"To inform Your Majesty, Fujian has little farmland and many people. A family's property is limited. Once they have too many children, even scholar-official families cannot afford to raise them, so they simply drown them at birth... For example, Minister Hu (Hu Yin) was nearly drowned back then, but was saved by Professor Hu (Hu Anguo)."

"Hu Yin?"

“Yes.”

“On that journey north… the south and the north—did you notice any difference in the people’s livelihood?”

“…”

“Why do you not speak?”

“To report to Your Majesty, there are differences between north and south… The common folk in the south mostly worry about the weight of taxes, while those in the north mostly worry about the scarcity of goods.”

“That is correct.” Zhao Jiu finally spoke with emotion. “The north has suffered war, with military colonies and land grants. The main trouble lies in how to restore production when the population has shrunk—this is not something that can be changed by gathering the realm’s finest in Dongjing. The south is the opposite: too many people crammed together, taxes that heavy, the main contradiction being how to sustain survival… But the most important point is that the common folk in both north and south still have a hard life. Yet some people only care about military merit, thinking that wiping out a Western Xia of three million people is some great feat. Others, once they settle down, fall back into old habits, always demanding without limit… Little do they know that the reason the common folk haven’t risen up in rebellion again is that in the south, the last uprising was suppressed only a few days ago, so they are still afraid; in the north, it was once that nine out of ten houses were empty, so their tolerance is a bit higher.”

Whether it was Mei Li or Zhao Boyao, these five men—some with clear connections, some directly involved—each thought of certain matters, but dared not speak.

The nearby attendants became even more certain that the Zhao Emperor was determined to deal harshly with the three major cases.

After a pause, the Zhao Emperor asked again: “Are there still abandoned fields in the south?”

“There are, but compared to the previous two years, very few.” Mei Li grew even more honest.

“Regarding the Maritime Trade Office, Minister Lu sent a memorial proposing to set up a monopoly bureau for aromatics and medicines, with exclusive management and sales. Do you think there can be additional profit?” The Zhao Emperor pressed on without pause.

“It should be possible… Aromatics and medicines are mostly sought by wealthy families. If the price is raised slightly, there should be some extra profit.”

“Approximately how much?”

“Your subject ventures to guess: if such bureaus are set up everywhere, it could bring in an extra two to three hundred thousand strings a year, then increase year by year, finally stopping at an upper limit of about five hundred thousand strings.”

“That’s not a small amount. The Maritime Trade Office’s previous revenue was only about one million two to three hundred thousand strings.”

“Yes… But the court’s pacification of Western Xia, opening communication with the Western Regions, plus the tea-horse trade on the grasslands—all this can benefit the nation’s overall commerce. It may be that in the next few years, the Maritime Trade Office’s revenue will increase even without counting aromatics and medicines.”

“The nation’s current priority remains finance…” The Zhao Emperor nodded, clearly impressed by this man’s honesty and extremely satisfied. “Minister Lin of the Revenue recommended you, saying you are a rare person who truly understands the fundamentals of finance and commerce. I see today that you are also honest… First, take the post of a Secretariat Drafter, then go back and write a memorial on how to link commerce between east, west, north, and south, so that the nation may gain some profit!”

“Your subject humbly obeys the decree.”

“Minister Cui… First, add the title of Vice Commander. Then go back and tell Li Bao that I understand his meaning, but for now the navy needs money to expand, and I cannot conjure it out of thin air. Tell him to be patient.”

“Yes!”

“Minister Huang…”

The Zhao Emperor nodded and was about to continue, but unexpectedly, amid the fine falling snow, Yang Yizhong arrived hurriedly with a grave expression. He directly handed a box to Lan Gui and whispered a few words. Lan Gui hesitated for a moment but still interrupted the Zhao Emperor’s audience at the first opportunity, bowing as he presented the box.

Zhao Jiu was puzzled, but still opened it on the stone table. No sooner had he opened the box and before he could even unfold the silk inside, the eunuch Lan, helpless, carefully explained:

“It is a congratulatory memorial sent by the Retired Emperor Daojun, offering congratulations on Your Majesty’s pacification of Western Xia… It seems the Retired Emperor Yuansheng’s congratulatory memorial came to the Retired Emperor Daojun’s attention, but he does not know that Your Majesty has already returned it unopened.”

Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. Without even looking at its contents, and disregarding the five reporting ministers before him and the countless attendants around, he took the silk from the box and tore at it with all his might.

But the silk was tough, and the Zhao Emperor was a weakling—he could not tear it apart at first. So he simply reached down to his waist, pulled out a gleaming dagger from somewhere, and on the stone table, slashed the congratulatory memorial into shreds.

Then, after catching his breath, he stuffed the messy silk fragments back into the box and handed it to the terrified eunuch Lan beside him: “Same as before—send it back as is! And also pass a word to the monks at Shaolin Temple: ask them if the Retired Emperor Daojun is not supposed to be there chanting sutras, cultivating blessings, and delving deeply into Buddhist teachings? How is it that he still uses brush and ink?! What business is it of his that I pacified Western Xia?! Both of them, coming to offer congratulations?!”

The five officials and officers before him, who had long been serving in the provinces, were already dumbfounded. Each stood like a wooden chicken, not daring to make a sound… The three major cases, the sweet-and-sour fish—all of it was thrown to the Java Sea.

PS: What’s with my leg cramping while lying in bed? It still hurts like hell… From the cold?