TGPSAC – Chapter 50 – Novels Space

Chi Wan followed Qing Qian to a room. It was clearly a private chamber, filled with many musical instruments, predominantly zithers.

“Is this your room?”

Courtesans of the headliner class all had their own private rooms. Qing Qian and Fu Yue were the main attractions of the Autumn Water Pavilion, its star courtesans, so their treatment was naturally the best.

One played the zither, the other danced. They only performed, and to this day, no one had become their overnight guest. Even being alone in a room with them, very few men were ever granted the privilege of their company.

Seeing Chi Wan enter Qing Qian’s room, with Qing Qian herself following solicitously behind her, was enough to give everyone who saw it something to gossip about for days.

Many people were particularly eager to see the Grand Princess made a laughingstock. The Fuma, under the watchful eyes of so many, being involved in some ambiguous affair with a star courtesan from the Autumn Water Pavilion—it was definitely a scandal that could set the capital abuzz.

Chi Wan, of course, knew the consequences of her actions. At a time when Emperor Shengyuan was strongly urging her to pursue Yu Jiuzhou, she had instead run off to the pleasure quarter. And it wasn’t just that she went to the pleasure quarter; eating and drinking were normal enough. But to dare to be alone in a room with a star courtesan—how could the Emperor not punish her?

However, she had already thought of an explanation for the Emperor. It was simple: she would say she was angered by Yu Jiuzhou and went to the pleasure quarter deliberately just to spite her.

Who would have known that the star courtesan of the Autumn Water Pavilion would be so enthusiastic as to invite her to listen to the zither?

Her predecessor had often visited the pleasure quarter without ever catching the eye of a star courtesan. This incident was surely a conspiracy. The Emperor would have people investigate. If she then leaked a few more pieces of evidence for Emperor Shengyuan to find, he would discover that the Autumn Water Pavilion belonged to Prince Bao’an.

And then, what important information had been leaked at the Autumn Water Pavilion? What would the consequences be?

Though it was called a struggle for the throne among three princes, Prince Bao’an actually had very little presence. He needed to make an impression on Emperor Shengyuan. It wouldn’t do if, just like in the novel, Prince Zhongshan and Prince Ying fought each other while Prince Bao’an reaped all the benefits.

Originally, Chi Wan had wanted to see what Miss Qing Qian was truly up to, or what secrets she hoped to obtain. But seeing how Qing Qian immediately acted on a casual remark of hers, she knew the Autumn Water Pavilion’s ambitions were not small.

They either wanted to extract secrets from her or control her with people, so they could have access to any secrets she knew at any time.

Chi Wan played along and entered Miss Qing Qian’s room. Soon, rumors would spread to the Emperor’s ears, just as she wished. And if they didn’t, she would deliver them personally.

Inside the room, Chi Wan sat down cross-legged. She smelled the refreshing aroma of the tea but didn’t take a single sip. The tea was drugged. One drink and she would pass out, and after that, she would be at their mercy.

She wanted to fish for information, but not at the cost of getting caught herself.

Chi Wan looked at Miss Qing Qian, who was pouring tea for her, and spoke first. “If I recall correctly, Miss Qing Qian performs three times a month. Twice, only your music is heard, and you only show your face once. You are even harder to see than Miss Fu Yue.”

Qing Qian smiled gently. “Young Lord, you flatter me. In the end, Fu Yue and I are just playthings who serve others. The people outside praise us only because our master has not yet received a satisfactory price. Once they offer enough, Fu Yue and I will lose all the glory we have today.”

People are like that. The more they can’t have something, the more they want it. But once they have it, it becomes worthless.

Qing Qian was lamenting her fate, trying to evoke Chi Wan’s sympathy.

First, she placed herself in a position of weakness, creating a pitiful persona. If the other party felt a pang of compassion, things would become much simpler.

Since entering the Autumn Water Pavilion, Chi Wan had seen many beautiful women. Some were resigned to their fate, others wore smiles that didn’t reach their eyes, detesting the Qian Yuan beside them. Very few were content with their current lives.

Perhaps “content” wasn’t the right word. For some, when they were on the verge of starving to death, a place that provided food and shelter was indeed better than dying of hunger.

Besides, in the Autumn Water Pavilion, unless information needed to be extracted, whether or not they entertained guests was entirely up to them.

These were people who had recognized reality. Hailing from poor backgrounds, they did it just for a full meal. It was absurd, yet they were powerless to change it.

Unless brothels were banned. But even the government had its own official pleasure quarters, so on what grounds could they stop others from opening them? There was just one thing: the people who ran brothels were never good people.

In the novel, to establish the male protagonist, Prince Bao’an, as a good person, the top three brothels in the pleasure quarter were set up as establishments that didn’t trade in physical intimacy, unless it was voluntary.

But what was voluntary? Their deeds of indenture were held by the Autumn Water Pavilion, and the owner was Prince Bao’an. Did they have a choice? When information needed to be extracted, they were still required to do certain things.

Just like now. The Autumn Water Pavilion needed to tie Chi Wan down, so Qing Qian had completely shed her former aloofness, instead serving her meekly at her side. Even if Chi Wan were to stay the night, Qing Qian would not refuse.

But Chi Wan was silently counting the time, while her words were, “Miss Qing Qian, you need not be so self-deprecating.”

She said only this one sentence, and Qing Qian couldn’t be sure if she had stirred any compassion.

So she could only continue, “The young lord is so young, yet already holds a high position. You are far beyond the comparison of the crowd downstairs. You cannot understand the suffering of common people like us.”

This was flattery. Moreover, after entering the room, Qing Qian had been calling her “Young Lord,” not “Fuma.” This was an affirmation of her abilities, telling her she didn’t rely on Yu Jiuzhou, a way to protect her pride.

But she wasn’t one of those people who lived off another yet acted proud about it.

Chi Wan continued to count the time. After about two cups of tea’s time had passed, she immediately stood up. “It’s getting late. I should be heading back.”

“How is it late? Does the young lady not plan to stay the night?”

Qing Qian’s words made it clear: if she wanted to, she could stay.

A smile that didn’t reach Chi Wan’s eyes appeared. “Does Miss Qing Qian think she can withstand the wrath of Her Highness the Grand Princess?”

She was implying that it wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but that she feared her wife at home—the lofty Grand Princess. This way, the Autumn Water Pavilion would continue to invest their efforts in her.

It had only been a short while; the Autumn Water Pavilion wouldn’t necessarily believe she had been corrupted so easily. It was thanks to her predecessor’s poor reputation. Despite her recent brilliant performances, some people would always believe that a leopard can’t change its spots, that it was all an act.

Chi Wan’s behavior further convinced the people of the Autumn Water Pavilion that she was only pretending to be a loyal and virtuous official to gain favor.

As long as there was a weakness, as long as there was desire, there was still a chance. There was no need to rush. Being too hasty could easily scare someone away.

Qing Qian quickly understood this and no longer tried to make her stay. “The young lady is right. This servant would not dare to offend Her Highness the Grand Princess.”

Chi Wan smiled and turned to leave. The moment she turned, the smile vanished from her face.

These people wanted to cast a long line to catch a big fish. But was she not doing the same?

It remained to be seen who was the fish and who was the angler.

But she had the script. After all, it was a novel with Prince Bao’an as the protagonist. She might even understand him better than he understood himself.

Chi Wan found Huang Yuecheng and gave her an instruction. “Make sure they don’t cause any trouble. After they’ve finished drinking, have them go back in groups. No one leaves alone. If someone lives too far, bring them back to the Imperial City Division to rest.”

Huang Yuecheng was taken aback, but she understood something. “Rest assured, Commander. Leave this to me.”

It seemed their visit to the Autumn Water Pavilion wasn’t just for drinks; there was another purpose. But why? It was said that the Autumn Water Pavilion had a deep background, but to this day, no one knew who was behind it. Could it be that the Fuma knew?

Well, they had been drinking for an hour already. It was about time to head back.

The men of the Imperial City Division were soldiers, generally not favored by the ladies of the pleasure quarter. If the people of the Autumn Water Pavilion went out of their way to entertain them, it would confirm that they had ulterior motives.

So, the Fuma being alone in a room with Miss Qing Qian was to fish for information?

She just didn’t know how the Fuma was going to explain this to Her Highness the Grand Princess when she got back. Would she have to kneel on a washboard?

Probably not. Her Highness was elegant; she wouldn’t do something so vulgar. Kneeling on a zither, then? That made sense. Miss Qing Qian’s zither playing and singing were ranked first in the capital. Since the Fuma went to listen to the zither, it was only right that she should kneel on one.

Chi Wan walked out of the Autumn Water Pavilion and felt a gaze on her back. It was a familiar gaze, not Qing Qian’s, but… Prince Bao’an’s.

The fish was about to take the bait.

She quickened her pace. She still had to get back to the residence and use her internal energy to nourish Yu Jiuzhou’s body.

It was now the beginning of the hai hour, around nine in the evening. It wasn’t early, but Yu Jiuzhou handled official business every day and didn’t sleep early. Returning at this time, she should have just finished washing up and not yet retired.

Chi Wan channeled internal energy into her steps and quickly returned to the Princess’s Residence.

But the atmosphere in the Princess’s Residence seemed a bit off, strangely so.

When Chi Wan arrived at Yongning Courtyard, she was met by Xia Qu, who was just leaving with a bowl of chicken soup in her hands.

Seeing her return, Xia Qu immediately whispered, “Fuma, what took you so long? Her Highness seems to be in a bad mood.”

“Didn’t I say I needed an hour?” She wasn’t late.

Chi Wan glanced at the chicken soup in Xia Qu’s hands. “Her Highness didn’t eat?”

“No. Her Highness said it was the old soldier’s kind gesture for the Fuma, so she wouldn’t eat it.” Xia Qu felt that there was still plenty of soup, and a whole chicken in it. How could it not be enough for the Fuma?

From the sound of it, Her Highness the Grand Princess was indeed in a bad mood.

Chi Wan took the chicken soup. “I’ll go serve Her Highness the soup.”

Xia Qu shrugged. “Then you go ahead.” In any case, it felt like Her Highness was angry at the Fuma.

Should she give her a little reminder?

Thinking this, she tugged on Chi Wan’s sleeve again. “Have you thought about how you’re going to explain being alone in a room with Miss Qing Qian of the Autumn Water Pavilion?”

“Hm? Why do I need to explain?”

She went to the Autumn Water Pavilion on official business. As for being alone in a room with Miss Qing Qian, she had kept her distance the entire time. There was at least a meter between them. Not only did nothing happen, but there wasn’t even any physical contact.

Xia Qu shook her head. “Blockhead.”

She stopped bothering with Chi Wan and moved far away, preparing to watch the drama from the sidelines, lest she get caught in the crossfire.

Chi Wan shot Xia Qu a look before carrying the chicken soup into the room.

Yu Jiuzhou had just finished washing up and was reclining on a lounge chair, covered with a fur blanket. Her long hair cascaded down, and Chun Gui was by her side, drying it.

Beneath her hair was a de-furred bed warmer, which could help dry her hair faster.

Chi Wan put down the chicken soup, then walked over and gestured for Chun Gui to step aside, taking over the task of drying the hair.

Her palms grew warm as she used her internal energy to dry Yu Jiuzhou’s hair. Drying with internal energy was different from using a bed warmer or a brazier, which could make the hair dry and brittle.

Hair dried with internal energy would be smoother, and Yu Jiuzhou wouldn’t feel any heat. Her hair would be dry in no time.

Yu Jiuzhou felt a gentle warmth on her hair without any scorching heat. Only then did she remove the hot towel from her eyes and open them.

When she saw that Chun Gui had been replaced by Chi Wan, she started to get up.

Chi Wan pressed down on her shoulder. “Your Highness, your hair isn’t dry yet.”

Yu Jiuzhou frowned. After removing the towel, which smelled of medicine, she finally noticed a scent on Chi Wan that didn’t belong to her.

Chi Wan carried a faint scent of agarwood. It was very light, not overpowering, and quite pleasant. Agarwood had many different notes: a fresh, sweet fragrance; a rich, honeyed aroma; a crisp coolness; and a blend of various floral scents. It contained the quiet elegance of orchids, the subtle, cold fragrance of plum blossoms, the rich perfume of roses, as well as fresh fruity notes, a soft milky scent, and a delicate medicinal aroma, like the sweetness of licorice or the calming scent of sandalwood.

Normally, Chi Wan’s own scent was mostly a faint, elegant medicinal fragrance, so light that one had to be close to smell it, and it was exceptionally pleasant.

However, Yu Jiuzhou had also smelled it when Chi Wan’s scent was aroused—that is, when her desire was stirred. It was a scent of quiet elegance with a rich depth.

But no matter what, Chi Wan’s body should not smell of rouge.

Yu Jiuzhou frowned. “Let go.”

Hearing the coldness in Yu Jiuzhou’s tone, Chi Wan had no choice but to release her hand.

Yu Jiuzhou stood up and looked at Chun Gui. “If there is a next time, you need not remain by my side.”

Chun Gui hastily bowed and acknowledged her fault.

Hearing this, Chi Wan raised her eyebrows in confusion. What was happening all of a sudden? What had she done to make her angry?

Chi Wan fiddled with her sleeve, not understanding what had happened. “What does Your Highness mean by this?”

It was a bit awkward, but she couldn’t just leave without asking, pretending she didn’t know anything.

If Yu Jiuzhou was angry, there had to be a reason.

She had put in so much effort, and their relationship had finally eased. It couldn’t suddenly become stiff again. That wouldn’t do. No matter what, there had to be a reason.

Yu Jiuzhou stood up and held out her hand. Chun Gui immediately brought a cloak and helped her put it on. “I do not like outsiders in my inner chambers, and I especially dislike it when they carry superfluous scents.”

Scents?

Chi Wan sniffed herself. There was the smell of alcohol, and the scent of rouge she had picked up at the Autumn Water Pavilion. Never mind Yu Jiuzhou disliking it; she herself didn’t like it either.

She didn’t grasp the deeper meaning in Yu Jiuzhou’s words, only thinking that she hated the unfamiliar and unpleasant scent on her.

“Your Highness, please wait a moment. This subject will go wash up and be back shortly.”

Yu Jiuzhou rejected her directly. “You need not come back.”

“But this subject still needs to use internal energy to nourish Your Highness’s body.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Chi Wan was full of confusion. She touched her hair; the ribbon was still tied there. Yu Jiuzhou had tied it for her personally. How had things changed so much just from a trip to the pleasure quarter?

Her mind raced. Jealousy? Impossible. Why would Yu Jiuzhou be jealous over her? Right, could it be because of her playacting with Miss Qing Qian, being alone in a room together, that made Yu Jiuzhou think she hadn’t remained chaste?

It must be the Grand Princess. A dignified Grand Princess, even if she disliked her Fuma, would always have a sense of possession. No matter what, the Fuma was her person. If the Fuma were to misbehave outside, where would the princess’s dignity be?

Moreover, it was expected and necessary for the Fuma to remain chaste for the Grand Princess.

Chi Wan quickly said, “Your Highness, rest assured. This subject only investigated matters at the Autumn Water Pavilion and did nothing else. I guarantee I am perfectly clean. As for this scent, anyone who walks into the Autumn Water Pavilion is bound to pick up the smell of rouge. This subject guarantees that I did not get close to any other young lady. There was no contact whatsoever.”

She explained earnestly. She had promised to remain chaste, and she had done so. She hadn’t lied, nor had she had any physical contact with any young lady. She had been very well-behaved.

Yu Jiuzhou turned her face away. “Who asked you?”

What? That wasn’t it?

Chi Wan blinked, but Yu Jiuzhou’s tone had clearly softened. Oh, she understood. This was what they called being proud and stubborn. She clearly thought that way in her heart but refused to admit it.

“Yes, yes, Your Highness did not ask. It is this subject who wished to report to Your Highness what happened at the Autumn Water Pavilion.”

Yu Jiuzhou looked up, her gaze fixed on the bridge of Chi Wan’s nose. She frowned in distaste. “Go wash yourself clean, then come back and report.”

“Alright. Then Your Highness, please remember to drink the chicken soup.”

Chi Wan agreed, then turned and went out. Chun Gui quickly arranged for her to use a heated side room and had someone send over a change of clothes.

She had noticed the change in Yu Jiuzhou’s tone. It wasn’t obvious, but she could sense it keenly.

From icy cold at the beginning to a tone that, while still carrying a hint of disdain, had softened considerably.

It seemed her guess was correct. Yu Jiuzhou had misunderstood and felt deceived by her.

Before leaving, she had sworn she would remain chaste, only to end up alone in a room with a young lady at the Autumn Water Pavilion. Who knew what she had done? And she had returned with such a strong scent of rouge.

Never mind Yu Jiuzhou not believing her; if she didn’t know the truth herself, she probably wouldn’t believe it either.

Yu Jiuzhou hated being deceived and hated it when people failed to keep their promises. If you couldn’t do it, you shouldn’t promise it. Coupled with her possessiveness over the Fuma’s status, she had gotten angry.

It was just that she would never take the initiative to ask about such things, preferring to wait for the other person to explain.

Chi Wan figured it out. It seemed that in the future, when interacting with Yu Jiuzhou, she would have to be even more meticulous about every detail.

Some people were emotionally reserved, but that didn’t mean they didn’t need reassurance. On the contrary, such people needed more direct expression; they were a high-needs group.

But Yu Jiuzhou was accustomed to using indifference to mask all her emotions. Who would know that she was a person who severely lacked a sense of security? If Chi Wan hadn’t read the novel, which had a side story specifically about Yu Jiuzhou, she wouldn’t have known either.

It proved that the original work had far from fully depicted the person Yu Jiuzhou was, completely underestimating her personal charm.

Sometimes, being proud and stubborn was also a kind of charm. At least Yu Jiuzhou’s version was somewhat cute.

After all, as long as she received a reasonable explanation, Yu Jiuzhou’s attitude would soften, rather than stubbornly holding her ground.

It was precisely because she sensed this change in Yu Jiuzhou’s attitude that Chi Wan didn’t dwell on it for too long and quickly understood why she had suddenly become angry.

A woman’s heart was hard to understand, but she was the legendary woman with the script. Of course, the script could only serve as a reference. Since the plot revolved around Prince Bao’an, Yu Jiuzhou, despite being the second most featured character, only appeared in about one-seventh of the entire text.

Soaking in the bathtub, Chi Wan thought about Yu Jiuzhou’s angry expression and suddenly laughed.

The fact that she could provoke an emotional change in Yu Jiuzhou meant she had gained a certain status in the other’s heart. This showed that her efforts were paying off.

Good. It was now the twenty-eighth year of the Shengyuan era. In the twenty-ninth year, the Emperor would die, and Grand Princess Yu Jiuzhou would become regent. In another three to five years, she could leave.

At that time, based on this body’s age, she would be twenty-five at most. Retiring at twenty-five—what a wonderful age.

Chi Wan smiled at the thought, then lifted her arm and sniffed. It smelled nice and clean. Now Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t possibly find her distasteful.

In the heated room, they had prepared sleeping clothes for her. Fortunately, they had also prepared a Daoist-style robe she could wear over them, otherwise she would have been kicked out by Yu Jiuzhou.

Dressed in a white Daoist robe, she could very well proclaim, “I am a cultivator.”

If she had adopted this image from the beginning, she might have been able to trick the Emperor into swallowing golden elixirs, leading to heavy metal poisoning and ending his life prematurely.

But what if Emperor Shengyuan had made her test the poison? The risk was too great. Being the Fuma suited her better.

At the very least, as long as Yu Jiuzhou wasn’t provoked, she was actually quite easy to talk to.

Chi Wan returned to Yu Jiuzhou’s bedchamber. Inside the main chamber was a smaller room, which was the actual sleeping area.

The ancients were particular about sleeping in small spaces. This was called “gathering qi to nourish life,” and it also helped with warmth and protection from the cold. It aligned with the feng shui principles she had studied. In modern terms, one could say that people feel more secure in smaller spaces.

The door to the room was open, and she could see Yu Jiuzhou’s figure.

She seemed to be looking at something. When she saw Chi Wan approach, she was still frowning. “His Majesty said he wants to conduct a salt inspection tour, so he has given me the authority to oversee the Grand Secretariat.”

“For something like a salt inspection, an imperial relative might survive failure, but an ordinary official would likely face only death.”

Only when Chi Wan entered did she see a person in black standing beside them, likely an imperial guard.

So many imperial guards had followed her today; they were no strangers to each other.

Yu Jiuzhou had received news that the Emperor wanted her to prepare for a salt inspection tour, and she was contemplating who would be the most suitable person to send, as she couldn’t go herself.

The three princes? The investigation into the case of annexing civilian land was about to begin. Prince Zhongshan was doomed to die. That left Prince Ying and Prince Bao’an.

Prince Ying was greedy. A trip to the salt administration would likely result in him endlessly stuffing silver into his pockets. The salt inspection would fail, and he would become a protector of the salt merchants.

Prince Bao’an was a possibility, but that would strengthen his power.

As for choosing an official, almost none had the courage or the ability for a salt inspection.

Chi Wan, however, had an idea. In the novel, it was Prince Bao’an who went on the salt inspection tour. It was a very dangerous mission, and it was this tour that propelled him into becoming a strong candidate for crown prince.

After returning, he defeated Prince Zhongshan and Prince Ying.

However, he had returned safely thanks to Yu Jiuzhou, and Yu Jiuzhou had also contributed greatly to the downfall of the other two princes.

Chi Wan thought for a moment before speaking. “Your Highness, why not let Prince Bao’an go on the salt inspection tour? But it should wait until after the spring begins.”

“Before spring, Your Highness can transfer a batch of officials from the salt-producing regions, exile another batch, and execute a third.”

This way, without the protection of these officials and with new ones taking their place, the salt merchants would suffer huge losses.

It wasn’t difficult to find leverage against those people. The key was who would be transferred, who would be exiled, and who would die.

Chi Wan continued, “Those who are transferred can be promoted in name but demoted in reality. A third-rank position with real power can be exchanged for a second-rank sinecure here in the capital, right under our noses.”

Without real power, they could be molded or crushed as Yu Jiuzhou saw fit.

A hint of appreciation appeared in Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes, and she picked up where Chi Wan left off. “You’re right. The salt merchants’ main backers are still in the capital. This move will be enough to force them out into the open. With me in the capital, they won’t be able to cause much trouble.”

“The only concern is that the salt merchants might bribe bandits and incite the common people to rebel.”

The salt-producing regions were Lianghuai, Shanzuo, Hedong, as well as Bazhou and the Three Yi territories.

In order of importance for salt production, it was definitely Lianghuai and Shanzuo. As long as the inspection in these two places succeeded, the other areas were not a major concern.

Most salt merchants were ruthless. It was said that a salt merchant with a million taels of silver at home couldn’t even rank among the top. To be called a great master among salt merchants, one needed assets of at least ten million taels.

To be able to protect such assets and live a comfortable life, what kind of good people could they be?

Chi Wan already had a countermeasure. “Then we pull in one group and strike another. Make as many friends as possible, and as few enemies as possible. As long as there are sufficient benefits, we need not fear that they won’t befriend us. The salt merchants are rich; it’s hard to attract them without sufficient benefits. But what merchants desire most is to become officials. Even if they can’t become officials themselves, they want their descendants to.”

Merchant families could only remain merchants for generations. This was why Lin Buwei was willing to take a loss to cooperate with the Grand Princess’s Residence.

Chi Wan mentioned Lin Buwei’s name. “The imperial merchants who work for the Palace Treasury can become officials. Although they are only honorary positions, they can always do business with the imperial family.”

“The salt merchants have money, but they are destined to have no connection with officialdom. My suggestion is to expand the Salt and Iron Commission, add some honorary positions below the fifth rank. Whoever is sensible gets one. Furthermore, we can give the family of a fifth-rank official a spot in the Imperial Academy, a sixth or seventh-rank official a spot in the prefectural school, and an eighth or ninth-rank official a spot in the county school, which means they can take the imperial examinations.”

It wasn’t a guarantee they would pass, but at least there was hope. They wouldn’t be hopelessly confined to being merchants. And the descendants of these students would no longer have to be merchants.

“Those who are obedient will get official positions. Those who are disobedient will be beaten to death.”

Such methods were abundant in history, especially in recent times. She was a scholar, after all; there was nothing wrong with summarizing past experiences.

Yu Jiuzhou’s appreciative gaze nearly overflowed. She once again affirmed her idea of cultivating Chi Wan into a key minister, a cabinet minister.

“What you say is reasonable. There is one more point.”

Yu Jiuzhou’s tone turned cold and hard. “If they are not sensible, then we will just kill them all.”

There were plenty of people who wanted to take over the profits of the salt administration. When she was willing to give them a chance, they had better cooperate. Otherwise, there was no need for all this trouble. Dead men can’t do anything.

Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. This was the high, middle, and low strategy. The high strategy was to do as she said. The low strategy was that as long as they were willing to pay up, the salt inspection would end there, but those people would still be allowed to wreak havoc in the salt administration. The middle strategy… killing them all could also bring the salt administration under control and would free up many official positions for her own people to occupy.

But the Emperor might not be willing. If Yu Jiuzhou insisted on doing so, it might trigger a wave of resistance. However, in the face of absolute power, resistance was futile, at most a few flailing struggles.

Behind the salt administration were officials. Yu Jiuzhou certainly had a list of these officials. In Great Zhou, as long as their backer wasn’t the Emperor, was there anyone more powerful than her?

Using Chi Wan’s method could minimize harm to the common people. After all, these salt merchants could collude with bandits and coerce the populace into a military rebellion.

At that time, regardless of whether they were commoners or not, anyone involved would have their family exterminated. Some officials would take the opportunity to attack their political enemies, linking them to the rebellion, and many more innocent people would die.

Although killing was the most effective way to intimidate people, Yu Jiuzhou was not that bloodthirsty.

Now, all that was left was the choice of personnel. Chi Wan said they could use Prince Bao’an, and Yu Jiuzhou thought it was feasible. In her past life, Prince Bao’an had done a good job in this regard—not greedy, not fearful, indeed the best candidate.

Actually, there was one other person more suitable than Prince Bao’an, and that was Chi Wan—the current Fuma, Commander of the Imperial City Division, and Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision. With these official titles, none of the three princes could compare. But this matter was too dangerous, and from the very beginning, Yu Jiuzhou had not considered her.

Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment. “The chief envoy will be Prince Bao’an. We still need a vice-envoy.”

This person’s official rank could be low, but they had to be trustworthy.

Chi Wan smiled. “We can have this vice-envoy accept all the silver sent by the salt merchants without refusal, register it in a ledger, and send it to the capital. The silver will be given to His Majesty.”

Of the silver confiscated from the salt administration, very little would be allocated to the Palace Treasury. But the silver obtained this way could go entirely to the Palace Treasury. To some extent, this was using silver to shut Emperor Shengyuan’s mouth and gain his stronger support.

The corners of Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved up, a clear smile on her face. Capable yet not rigid—such people were too rare.

Bribing the Emperor, and even giving it a nice-sounding name: the salt merchants bribe the inspector, and the inspector has to accept it for the convenience of the investigation. But all the silver received is registered and sent to the Emperor. Is the Emperor accepting a bribe? No, this is cooperating with an investigation.

“Who do you think would be a good vice-envoy?”

Chi Wan only knew so many people. She thought for a moment. “There doesn’t have to be only one vice-envoy. One civil and one military. The two can be at odds on the surface but united in purpose. The civil official monitors Prince Bao’an, the military official accepts the bribes. Then find someone familiar with accounts. How about Lin Qianduo? It would be a good opportunity for her to inspect the situation in Jiangnan. She can remain hidden, seemingly completely unrelated to the salt inspection.”

The shop in the capital was already prepared. As soon as the goods from the imperial estates were produced, the medicinal pills could officially go on sale.

To open pharmacies throughout Great Zhou, they couldn’t just expand from the capital. After all, apart from the capital, the prefectural cities in the north were not as prosperous as those in Jiangnan.

A pharmacy had to be opened in the capital, and another in a major city in Jiangnan, such as Jiangning—a historically important city and the capital of many dynasties, one of the most prosperous places in the south.

The two most prosperous places in Jiangnan were Jiangning and Linjiang. Shops should be opened in both these places.

The Lin family’s business was spread throughout Great Zhou. Once the pharmacies in the capital and these two places were established, expanding further would be much easier.

More importantly, Lin Qianduo had a keen eye for accounts. A salt inspection would inevitably involve looking at ledgers. Even if they were falsified, clues could still be found. With Lin Qianduo there, they might have some unexpected gains.

Yu Jiuzhou nodded. “As for the military official, I have a candidate in mind.”

Whether it would work or not would require discussion with this person first. This person had always stayed out of court struggles, content to be an idle noble enjoying wealth and honor, with no desire to strive for more.

Persuading this person would likely be somewhat difficult.

The civil official was a bit harder. There were many general candidates, but very few who could navigate between Prince Bao’an and the various salt merchants while maintaining their integrity.

Chi Wan waved her hand, signaling for the imperial guard to leave. “There’s no rush for this matter. It will have to wait until the court can convene anyway. Today, this subject must first use internal energy to nourish Your Highness’s body.”

“It’s cold outside, so let’s do it in the room. Your Highness should get undressed and get into bed.”

Yu Jiuzhou: “?”

The imperial guard: “?” I shouldn’t be here. I should be under the bed. Ah, no.

The imperial guard looked at Yu Jiuzhou with a troubled expression. Could she be dismissed?

Receiving Yu Jiuzhou’s glare, the imperial guard practically crawled out of the room. If she stayed any longer, she feared Her Highness would silence her for good.

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