"Right now, you are a prisoner. What qualifications do you think you have to make demands? Moreover, many people in the court already know your identity. No matter what your original intention was, the one who pushed you to this point was not others, but yourself. "Shen Yu said.
"You are right." Grand Tutor Zeng froze, his momentum waning. "It is nothing more than deceiving myself."
"The previous emperor left behind five hundred thousand soldiers and horses. I can only mobilize half of them. I don't know where the rest are. He also left behind a large amount of money and jewelry. I can only take 30% of it. Oh right, this batch of property includes a large number of armor left behind by the once invincible Lin Family Army..."
Grand Tutor Zeng explained a lot. Shen Yu and Shang Junlin stayed in the prison for more than two hours before leaving.
Sitting in the carriage back to the palace, Shen Yu held a hand stove: "Your Majesty, how much of Grand Tutor Zeng's words are true and how much is false?"
Shen Yu didn't think that Grand Tutor Zeng would reveal all the truth because of one caning. If it was really that simple, Fang Daren wouldn't have asked for so long without any useful information.
"No matter how much of it is true and how much of it is false, zhen will send people to verify it one by one. Although he said the arrangements left behind by the previous emperor, he didn't say where these undiscovered arrangements are. Only he knows if he really doesn't know or if he deliberately doesn't say."
Shen Yu nodded: "Let Fang Daren continue to interrogate him. Maybe he can find something."
Shen Yu originally wanted to take this opportunity to see the King of Yue, but he had been delayed at Grand Tutor Zeng's place for too long. The sky was almost dark. In addition, Shang Junlin didn't want him to see the King of Yue, so he didn't go.
After returning to Yuzhang Palace, Eunuch Meng hurriedly ordered people to prepare hot water. Shen Yu took a comfortable bath and changed into clean clothes.
Shang Junlin also changed into light clothes. If he didn't need to go to court, he wouldn't wear a complicated ceremonial robe. Instead, he preferred simple casual clothes.
A man in a black wide-sleeved robe sat on the edge of a soft couch. In front of him was a small table with a thick stack of memorials.
The man's back was straight as he wrote his comments. He was very fast and placed the booklets to the side. After a few books, Eunuch Meng would take them down and place them on the table on the other side.
It was very warm in the bedroom. Shen Yu had just finished bathing and was wearing thin clothes. Hearing footsteps, Shang Junlin looked up.
He put down his pen, picked up his cloak, and walked towards Shen Yu.
"Why are you wearing so little?"
"I'm not cold." Shen Yu raised his neck so that the man could tie the belt of his cloak for him.
"Even if you're not cold, you can't wear such thin clothes."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shang Junlin nodded in satisfaction.
Shen Yu was hugged by the man and sat down on the soft couch. She happened to see the half-approved memorials on the small table.
They were presented by the officials of Lin County. After a year of hard work, the flood control in Lin County was very effective. This year's spring flood was the best time to check the results.
"After getting A Yu's prescription, the people I sent to Lin County to control the flood were treated as if they had found a treasure. This year, they followed the contents of the prescription. Last year, several small floods were passed without any mishaps." Shang Junlin stroked Shen Yu's long hair on her back.
"It's good that it's effective." Shen Yu's eyes curved.
The reason why he took out these things was because they could be of use to Da Huan. In the face of a natural disaster, human strength would always be insignificant. However, not all natural disasters could only make people helpless. Some could be prevented in advance to minimize the losses as much as possible.
After the beginning of spring, the imperial court fell into a new round of busyness. The reform of the new commercial law was proposed at this time. Unsurprisingly, there were many objections in the imperial court.
Any reform would have to go through this. Shen Yu accepted it well. Shang Junlin ignored the arguments in the imperial court for a few days and finally agreed to the reform proposed by the Minister of Revenue.
"Your Majesty, you can't. Compared to the previous dynasty, Da Huan already gives preferential treatment to merchants. We can't let them grow."
The Minister of Revenue was dissatisfied: "Have you carefully read the proposal I proposed? If you have carefully read it, you will never say such a thing. If you want to object, I welcome it. However, the reason for your objection must be substantial. Don't just think about it. "
The official did not carefully read the new commercial law proposed by the Minister of Revenue. He was speechless by the Minister of Revenue's words.
"Well, this matter will be handed over to the Minister of Revenue. Is there anything else to report?"
Shang Junlin's attitude was very clear. Since this matter had been decided, there was no need to talk nonsense.
The first thing to do in the new year was to change the law regarding merchants. In fact, there were not many changes. For example, the son of a merchant could not enter the imperial court as an official. However, there were some additions. For example, Yan Zheng's previous actions of sponsoring the Ministry of Works to build roads and merchants from all over Subei had been approved by the imperial court.
The imperial court would give them preferential treatment based on their contributions.
After an entire winter, the stone tablet engraved with the contributions of the donors was carved. In the future, it would be placed in the most conspicuous place in the capital. It would be protected by a fence so that the common people could go and see it.
The people's newspaper did a special report on this matter, including the change of the commercial law. The common people did not pay much attention to the latter. Their attention was focused on the former matter.
"The people's newspaper said that the stone tablet has been engraved. It will be displayed on the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomer."
"I saw it too. There are only ten days left. I must go and see it then. I donated a lot of things. Thinking that my name will be engraved by the imperial court, I am so excited."
"Yes, we are just common people. Who would have thought that there would be a day like this?"
For a time, the common people's hot topic changed to the stone tablet that was about to be completed. They followed the disaster in Subei. Seeing that Subei, which they had contributed money and effort to, become better and better after the disaster, everyone felt satisfied.
Who didn't want to be rewarded for their efforts? Although the reward wasn't anything substantial, it could give people a great sense of satisfaction.
"Oh right, today is the day that the Jing 'an newspaper is published. Are you going to buy it?"
"Of course, this newspaper is cheap. It even has a special section for literacy. Not to mention, I can barely understand some of it now."
"Me too. If you buy ten copies of the newspaper, you can get a free literacy book. Including the one I buy tomorrow, I can get a book. My son is about to learn literacy. It will be useful."
"I never thought that I'd be literate one day."
"Maybe in the future, His Majesty will hold a big literacy program and every family will be literate."
In the past, the common people didn't think much about literacy. Since the publication of the newspaper, they gradually felt the disadvantages of being illiterate. Now that there was a way to become literate and the price was not expensive, the common people who had some extra money were happy to learn.
The Jing 'an newspaper that the common people talked about was a newspaper jointly published by Shen Yu's bookstore and the imperial court. It was cheap and published once every ten days. Later, after discussion between Shen Yu and Shang Junlin, they opened a special section in the newspaper. It was not big, but it would put some basic words for the purchasers to learn.
The aristocratic ministers were busy with various things in the imperial court and didn't notice the changes in the common people. When they found out, the foundation had already been laid. Even if they were dissatisfied, they couldn't do anything.
King Yue was dreaming again.
He knew that he was dreaming because the development in the dream was completely different from reality. In the dream, all his plans were carried out smoothly. Under his plan, Shang Junlin's reputation was getting worse and worse. The most important thing was that Shen Yu didn't enter the palace. The one who entered the palace was Shen Qingran, the son of a concubine of Count Zhenbei.
From the beginning to the end, no one in the palace was conferred the title of nobility.
In this dream, the person that Shen Yu fell in love with was him. The camp that he chose was also him.
Shen Yu went back to his fief with him and took care of everything for him. Under the tyrannical rule of Shang Junlin, a steady stream of people came to seek refuge with him. They brought a lot of money and soldiers.
In the dream, it was as if he had the help of God. Everything went smoothly. He saw Shang Junlin lose little by little. The imperial court's prestige collapsed, and his own power grew stronger and stronger.
Time passed quickly in the dream. He saw a major flood in a neighboring county. He stepped forward bravely at the critical moment. He saw a plague break out in the south. He led people to get rid of the plague. The people gradually shifted to him.
The Northern Bandits rebelled. Shang Junlin led troops to battle. He died in the last battle. Since then, the world was in chaos.
He ascended the throne with the support of the people.
Then he woke up from the dream.
The night before his ascension, he was woken up by the jailer.
For the next few days, he repeatedly had the same dream. Without exception, he woke up on the night before his ascension.
At first, the dream was vague. Later, it became more and more real. It was so real that he couldn't help but wonder if things would develop like in his dream if Shen Yu didn't enter the palace.
The jailer who was guarding King Yue realized that King Yue had started to speak nonsense. It was all disgraceful words. He did not dare to hide it and reported this matter.
King Yue went crazy.
"People who don't know will think that we are abusing him." Shang Junlin listened to the report and sneered.
Shen Yu sat on the side and fiddled with a chess record. The chess record was found in the imperial library. Seeing that Shen Yu was interested, Shang Junlin gave it to him.
"What did he do?" Shen Yu put down the chess record and asked.
"Replying to Your Highness, the prisoner has been talking nonsense in the prison. He said," the Minister of Justice glanced at Shang Junlin and bravely continued, "that he is about to ascend the throne."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. This subject is just repeating …"
"We didn't do anything. Why are you so afraid?" Shang Junlin was displeased.
The Minister of Justice thought: You didn't do anything. But with the cold air around you, I would believe you if you said that you were going to drag me out and behead me.
"Tell me the details."
"Yes. Some time ago, King Yue's behavior was not quite right. The jailer didn't take it seriously. In recent days, the jailer found that he often talked nonsense. Something about the flood in Lin County, the plague in the South, the rebellion of the Northern Bandits … Finally, he said that he was the one who ended everything and that he should be the destined ruler of Da Huan …"
Shen Yu didn't take it seriously at first. The more he listened, the more he felt that something was wrong. A single incident could be a coincidence. What if everything was related to the previous life?
His heart sank unconsciously.
Was King Yue talking about the previous life? Was he also reborn?
"Your Highness, do you know why King Yue said such things?" Shen Yu's hands slowly clenched by his side.
"It was because he was dreaming. I have confirmed that what King Yue said was in his dream. He seems to be unable to distinguish between dreams and reality." The Minister of Justice said.
Did he dream of the previous life?
Shen Yu fell silent.
According to the Minister of Justice, he didn't seem to dream of the previous life. Otherwise, he wouldn't be immersed in the dream and not wake up. Should he tell him to turn the dream into a nightmare?
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