The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits
Chapter 105

June 4, 2023 - currently been edited. If any inconsistencies found, please comment the sentence or paragraph. Sᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Shen Yu paused with his teacup in hand. He suddenly realized that, as Shang Junlin had said, since he entered the palace, nothing he did had been restricted. Even when he brought up matters concerning the court, Shang Junlin would carry them out.

A strange emotion surged within him, sour and hot. He covered up his momentary strange expression by taking a sip of tea.

"It was my lack of foresight," Yan Zheng said, "I will punish myself with a cup of wine to show my apology." A hint of discomfort flashed across Yan Zheng's face as he poured himself a full jug of wine and downed it in one gulp.

"Lin..." Yan Zheng hesitated, unable to address the young man before him as 'Furen.'<sup data-mfn="1">Madam

"Yu," Shang Junlin picked up a piece of fish for Shen Yu, "you can call him Yu Gongzi."

"Yu Gongzi."

Yan Zheng was always generous when it came to hosting guests. This time, he ordered famous dishes from Yingxing House, and the cost was not cheap.

Yan Zheng didn't immediately discuss business, and Shen Yu wasn't in a rush either. They talked about cooperation only after they had eaten enough.

Shen Yu had intentions of cooperating; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to meet Yan Zheng in person. He had entrusted the matter to Xu shopkeeper to deal with, but his identity made it impossible for him to personally oversee many things. Having a reliable collaborator would be very convenient.

"Where does Yan Gongzi want to sell these items?" Shen Yu wiped his mouth after putting down his chopsticks.

"To be frank, I'd like to sell these items at a high price in another country," Yan Zheng said directly.

"In another country?" Shen Yu raised an eyebrow. "Does Yan Gongzi have a commercial route to the neighboring country?"

Due to the large-scale loss of national territory during the previous emperor's reign, Da Huan had not opened up any official commercial routes outside the country. Of course, there was no official prohibition against merchants trading in another country. As Da Huan's relations with other countries stabilized, specialized merchants emerged who would sell Da Huan's goods at a high price in other countries and bring back outside goods to sell at a good price. But it was a risky venture.

After all, without official protection, even a slight mistake could lead to bandits taking everything. The loss of goods was one thing, but it could even cost one's life.

"I have some connections," Yan Zheng smiled, "I prefer earning money from outsiders more than from Da Huan."

Yan Zheng was obviously well-prepared and spoke clearly during the conversation. Shen Yu also shared some of his own ideas, and Shang Junlin joined the discussion. The final plan was even more perfect than the original.

Shen Yu's smile deepened in his eyes. Working with a smart person was great because he didn't have to explain too much. He could point out a point, and the other party could understand the meaning.

"It is not convenient for me to appear frequently. Specific cooperation matters will be discussed in detail by Xu shopkeeper and you. If there are other issues, just directly find Xu shopkeeper. As for the buying and selling of these items, Xu shopkeeper is responsible for them." Shen Yu didn't like to leave the palace frequently for this kind of thing. He preferred to delegate the task to his subordinates.

"Okay, I will discuss the details with Xu shopkeeper."

"Besides the items suitable for women, I also have some other goods that are suitable for sale in other countries. If there is an opportunity, I look forward to continued cooperation in the future."

"Yan Zheng hopes to continue working with Yu Gongzi for a long time. By the way, have you heard about the donation decree that the court plans to release recently?"

The formal version had not yet been released, and the Ministry of Revenue was still discussing specific reward measures, but some officials with close ties to the court had already received this news in advance.

For example, Yan Zheng had established a relationship with the Ministry of Public Works due to road construction.

After receiving this news from friendly officials, Yan Zheng had been preparing for this matter all along. He was not a shortsighted person and knew very well how beneficial this matter was for merchants.

This was a direct recognition from the court. It was more useful than establishing relationships with local officials. For them, it was just a little money to bribe someone. They could establish a relationship with the court and gain a good reputation. Why wouldn't they do it?

"Are you talking about the donation to Subei?" Shen Yu didn't expect the Ministry of Revenue to act so quickly, and the news had already leaked.

"Yes, I don't know who came up with the idea, but it's very beneficial for us businessmen. Me and the bosses I know have all decided to do our best, even a little bit more. The local aristocrats must have heard this news and would also be willing to contribute. Have you heard that there are several families in Jiangbei who have stockpiled a large amount of grain and plan to sell it to Subei?" Yan Zheng mentioned it casually.

Shen Yu didn't know about this, but he remembered that several local aristocratic families suddenly rose up in the previous life at this time, and later provided a lot of convenience to the King of Yue.

"Why do you think Yan Zheng mentioned the local aristocratic families to us?" Shen Yu asked after returning to the Yu Zhang Palace.

"He should have deliberately let us know. If I'm not mistaken, the Ministry of Revenue will also get this news soon."

The Minister of Revenue learned about it from the Minister of Public Works. After the latter did not ask for money from the Ministry of Revenue, their relationship eased, and it was no longer as hostile as before.

"They are really something. At this time, they still want to make big money." The Minister of Revenue was angry.

If not all the grain was transported to Subei, they were afraid that something like this would happen. If the grain fell into the hands of the aristocrats, these people would only keep raising the price to make money. The people would not be able to afford the grain, and a big problem would arise sooner or later.

"Don't be angry. We know this in advance, and we can think of a way to make them donate some grain when the time comes." The Minister of Public Works comforted.

"I have to figure out a way to squeeze more grain out of them. How could they want to profit from the Subei drought and ignore their conscience?" The Minister of Revenue went back and immediately called in the people from the Ministry of Revenue to discuss this matter.

In fact, they all knew that because of the previous emperor's reasons, there were many problems within the Da Huan Dynasty. Compared with the capital, there would be even more problems in the local areas, and the power of the aristocrats was growing stronger. The control of the princes over the local areas was too great, and all of these were issues that needed to be resolved.

The next day, Shang Junlin received a document from the Minister of Revenue regarding a local donation plan. After reading it, although he knew that the Minister of Revenue wouldn't miss this opportunity, he didn't expect him to be so ruthless.

"Is this it?" Shen Yu walked over and took the document from Shang Junlin's hand. "What does it say?"

"It's from the Minister of Revenue," Shang Junlin's eyes revealed a hint of a smile. "It seems like he's been angered."

The document detailed what he had heard from the Minister of Works, which was that these aristocratic families had a heart for the country and the people and planned to help them fulfill their wishes.

After reading it, Shen Yu chuckled, "If those noble families knew that their intentions had been misconstrued by the Minister of Revenue, their expressions would probably be quite interesting."

These people didn't care about what would happen to the Subei faction. They just wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to make a profit. Later, Shang Junlin sent someone to investigate and found out that the noble families in the capital were still able to control themselves, but in other places, many had already begun to purchase grain on a large scale. Unfortunately, their prices were slightly higher than those on the market, so the people happily sold their excess grain to them.

If this problem wasn't discovered in time, when the national treasury was empty, these noble families would hold enough grain to control the price of grain on the market. At that time, it would be their time to amass wealth.

Shen Yu didn't know how the Subei matter was resolved in his past life, but based on the subsequent developments, he must have left behind many hidden dangers.

"The princes also hold a large amount of resources. After managing for so many years, some people's private stores are even more abundant than the national treasury. I've been thinking about how to deal with them for some time."

The princes had always been a thorn in the emperor's heart.

"We can't be too hasty in dealing with the princes, but we can start by taking some interest. We have enjoyed the convenience of royal children for so long, and it's time for them to contribute something to the country." Shen Yu's mouth hooked into a smile.

"Ah Yu's words are not bad." Misled by Shen Yu's thinking, Shang Junlin started to imagine what he could get from the prince's hand to use in Subei.

"Does His Majesty plan to gather these supplies and transport them to the capital before sending them to Subei?" Shen Yu walked over and sat down next to Shang Junlin. "If there is an urgency, why not just transport them directly from their current location? However, this would require the appointment of dedicated officials to supervise the matter on-site, with local garrisons escorting the goods until they reach the Subei region, where they would then be escorted by the Subei military."

Shang Junlin pondered for a moment and felt that this was also a feasible approach.

After a discussion with the Ministry of Revenue, the matter of donating to Subei was raised during the morning court session. Although the ministers had heard rumors beforehand, they found it unbelievable when they officially heard about it.

Especially when the Minister of Revenue proposed that the bulk of the donations should come from the public.

Undeniably, the Minister's proposal could solve the current dilemma faced by the court, but...

"I believe this is inappropriate."

"What is inappropriate?" The Minister of Revenue glared at him. "Or perhaps Minister Jia can come up with a better solution? I'm all ears."

"Well... doesn't it seem improper for the court to ask for money from the public? Wouldn't that be losing face?"

"How is this asking for money? It's a voluntary donation. As citizens of Da Huan, it's only natural to contribute when Da Huan is in trouble. Or is it that Minister Jia doesn't want to contribute?"

"I actually think this is a clever idea," the Prime Minister spoke up. "To show my support, I am willing to donate a thousand taels of silver."

The other two cabinet ministers also stood up and expressed their willingness to donate money and grain. They had heard rumors from the Ministry of Revenue beforehand and knew that His Majesty was determined to carry out this plan. Instead of opposing it and offending the emperor, it was better to agree and contribute.

Leaving aside other considerations, they felt that this was currently the most favorable approach for Da Huan. As members of the cabinet, their top priority was to ensure the stability of Da Huan.

After discussion among the courtiers, the Minister of Revenue's proposal was further improved and finally confirmed. It could then be promoted externally.

Those with connections in the capital began to make preparations upon hearing the news.

After leaving the court, Shang Junlin couldn't find Shen Yu in his room, so he asked a palace maid, "Where is Shen Yu?"

"Your Majesty, he's in the small theater over there," the maid quickly replied and bowed.

Shang Junlin headed towards the small theater, located north of the Yu Zhang Palace. Shen Yu rarely went there and had recently discussed with Shang Junlin about redecorating it.

As he approached, he could hear the sound of singing and music coming from inside.

"When did Ah Yu start liking to listen to operas?" Shang Junlin walked into the small theater and saw Shen Yu speaking to a person in a pink opera costume.

Before he had a chance to feel jealous, Shen Yu waved at him and said, "Your Majesty, come and take a look. Let's see how we can improve this scene."

"What are you doing?" Shang Junlin walked over, puzzled.

"We're writing a play for the people of the capital, so they can understand the meaning behind the orders given by the court before they are executed," Shen Yu explained.

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