Chapter 526

Xue Xuan frowned, reluctantly taking only two taels of silver: "The remaining five taels, buy some gifts with them."

Xue Shao exhaled, not asking where Xue Xuan would get the rest of the money, and tucked away the remaining five taels with a nod.

Xue Shao asked him: "Would you like to come with me?"

"Forget it," Xue Xuan said. "You are Chaoyang; Prime Minister Yang still wishes to see you. I, however, am of no use. What he wants to say, what he can say—we both know it well. There's no need to meet." "Give him my regards."

Xue Shao agreed.

Pan Yun ate a bowl of noodles, her belly swollen, and learned from Yin Song that Yang Shiqi was seriously ill—truly seriously ill.

So she said: "I'll go visit Prime Minister Yang."

Pan Hong was astonished: "You can still see Prime Minister Yang?"

The Yang family has closed its doors to visitors; no one is received. But at this time, few people would go to the Yang residence anyway.

The coldness of human relationships was laid bare.

Thus, when Xue Shao came to call, everyone in the Yang household was astonished.

The old steward dared not decide on his own and went to report to Yang Shiqi.

Yang Shiqi propped himself up on his bed, thought for a moment, then said: "Let him in."

Xue Shao brought cured meat, pastries, and fruit as gifts.

Yang Shiqi leaned on the wooden couch by the window, where a slight turn of his head could see him.

Seeing him carry so many gifts, he smiled faintly: "Everyone outside says you are ungrateful and allied with Wang Zhen to betray me. Yet you're the only one who came bearing cured meat."

Xue Shao handed the gifts to the old steward, then bowed deeply through the window: "What others say of me, I do not care. I only wish Prime Minister Yang's health improves."

Yang Shiqi waved his hand and smiled at him: "Come in and speak."

Xue Shao entered and sat beside the wooden couch.

Yang Shiqi ordered the old steward to brew tea, then asked gently: "When will you leave the capital?"

Xue Shao: "Tomorrow."

"This journey to Jiangnan will be perilous," Yang Shiqi coughed softly. "They resent me—and thus they hate you. Be careful."

Xue Shao bowed his head: "Yes."

The old man and the young man sat in silence. After a pause, Xue Shao spoke up: "Prime Minister Yang, I submitted a memorial demanding severe punishment for Yang Ji..."

"I know," Yang Shiqi smiled warmly at him. "You act for the matter, not the man. I do not blame you. I... am deeply pleased. Truly pleased."

Yang Shiqi sighed softly: "You resemble your uncle. But my son does not resemble me."

Xue Shao fell silent.

Yang Shiqi leaned back against the pillow, his gaze slightly averted, gazing out the window at the sky, murmuring: "Filial piety means skillfully continuing one's ancestors' aspirations and faithfully carrying forward their deeds. You carry on Xue Xuan's aspirations—that is the highest form of filial piety..."

Xue Shao did not know how to comfort him.

Yang Ji was cruel; in Ji'an, he beat over a dozen people to death. That is the direct count.

Indirectly, his brutality caused nearly forty families to be destroyed.

With so many families ruined, Xue Shao could not offer words of comfort, for in his heart, Yang Ji must die.

Fortunately, Yang Shiqi did not need his comfort. He quickly regained himself and smiled at Xue Shao: "Perhaps this is fate. Nine out of ten things in life are unsatisfactory. I have had all the advantages of time and place—only lost harmony among men. It is only natural." Yet even as he spoke, Yang Shiqi burst into violent coughing.

Xue Shao immediately rose to pat his chest. The steward rushed forward with tea. Yang Shiqi took the cup, raised it to his lips—and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

The old steward panicked, his knees buckling as he knelt: "Old Master, you cannot fall ill—Great Master is still waiting for you to save him..."

Yang Shiqi glared at him coldly: "Shut up. Get out!"

"Old Master..."

"I know—I can no longer control you. In my own presence, you dare hint at my guest. Then go. Whoever you serve, return to them now."

The old steward turned pale and knelt quickly: "Old Master, your health cannot bear anger. I have erred—I will never mention it again."

Yang Shiqi stared at him coldly. After a long moment, he snorted, trembling as he leaned on Xue Shao's arm and lay back down.

Xue Shao watched him anxiously: "Prime Minister Yang?"

Yang Shiqi gripped his arm tightly and ordered the steward: "Leave. I will dine with this young friend. Go tell the kitchen to prepare something good."

No error in any word, sentence, or content—everything is as seen!

The old steward could only rise and withdraw.

Xue Shao frowned, concerned: "Prime Minister Yang, should I arrange for someone to come to your home and care for you?"

"Do you think they serve others?" Yang Shiqi shook his head slightly. "A pack of servants who chase profit and flee harm. Your Majesty still watches over me—they dare not neglect me."

Yang Shiqi looked at Xue Shao, his gaze distant—as if seeing him, yet not seeing him: "Learn from my lesson. No matter your position, control your family. Do not be like me—my lifetime of glory destroyed in an instant."

Xue Shao softly replied: "Yes."

Yang Shiqi smiled faintly, patted his arm: "Do not fear. Your Majesty is a man of deep feeling. He is angry now, but when he cools down, he will recall you. He will not let you linger in Jiangnan long."

But Xue Shao said: "Going to Jiangnan for inspection is not bad. The empire's chronic ills gather in Jiangnan. If we can straighten out Jiangnan's problems, the court can use Jiangnan's solutions to straighten out the whole empire."

"Fine ambition!" Yang Shiqi sighed. "Had I met you twenty years ago, I would have been overjoyed."

Twenty years ago, Xue Shao had not yet been born.

"Jiangnan..." Yang Shiqi glanced outside, saw no one, then whispered: "I am from Jiangnan. A beautiful place—mountains clear, waters green, gifted people and fertile land."

"There are loyal ministers and righteous men—and also stubborn old men, those chasing fame and profit."

"The problems you see are indeed long-standing. But the ones you do not see have already festered into bone and blood," Yang Shiqi whispered. "For example: private seizure of military lands—there are many issues within the garrisons; go and inspect them. Also, the problem of official salaries: not just in Jiangnan, but throughout Great Ming—including officials in the capital. Lower and mid-level officials cannot receive their pay on time. They cannot feed their families. Over time, corruption and cruelty will grow. The moral climate will decay."

Xue Shao had not expected Yang Shiqi to speak of these things—he listened more intently.

Yang Shiqi gripped his wrist and whispered: "Yan Rong, Yang Pu, and I labored for years. When the Grand Empress Dowager was alive, the Grand Secretariat acted with restraint. Though corrupt officials appeared every year, overall corruption was not severe. Why?"

Xue Shao paused, then said: "Because when the Grand Empress Dowager ruled, from the Grand Secretariat down to the poorest counties, official salaries were paid on time—never delayed, never offset with other goods."

"Correct. Though life was not luxurious, salaries could sustain families, and the status remained honorable. Aside from a few, no one dared risk execution for corruption."

"But later, salaries were delayed or offset with goods. When people were crushed under this pressure, Wang Zhen rose—and easily rallied everyone to follow him."

Wang Zhen could summon a hundred responses with a single call; everyone vied to curry favor with him, not because of any personal charisma, but because of profit.

Yang Shiqi said: "If you wish to reform, the salaries of officials must be changed. To ensure officials receive their rightful pay, the state treasury must be filled—you must find ways to earn money for the nation, enough money."

Xue Shao fell into thought. (End of chapter)