bdsm-fiction Chapter 82 Lin Chaoying's Complaint
Chapter 82 Lin Chaoying's Complaint
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it has been seven days since Zhao Yu ascended the throne.
The chaos of the previous dynasty had long since been quelled under the iron fist.
Shou Kang Palace was surrounded by people from the Eastern Depot, ostensibly to protect the Emperor Emeritus's daily life, but in reality to keep a close watch on him.
Those Eastern Depot agents who had practiced the Evil-Repelling Sword Technique were all incredibly fast, like ghosts. Ordinary martial arts masters probably couldn't even touch the walls of Shou Kang Palace, let alone make contact with Zhao Kuo.
Without Zhao Kuo as the legitimate figurehead, there were no more voices of opposition from the court or the public.
The change of the throne caused only a small ripple among the common people.
Since the southward migration, the Song Dynasty has seen three retired emperors: Gaozong, Xiaozong, and Guangzong. Abdication has long been a common occurrence.
Moreover, Zhao Kuo had no sons, so passing the throne to his only younger brother Zhao Yu was perfectly reasonable both in terms of sentiment and logic.
What the common people care about more is whether this year's taxes will be reduced, whether the harvest in the fields will be good or not, and who becomes emperor. These things don't make much difference to them.
Inside the Yanhe Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Xia Zhen, dressed in a purple robe, stood bowing before the imperial desk, holding a thick ledger in his hands: "Your Majesty, the Shi Miyuan family's property has been confiscated. A total of 2.37 million taels of silver, 70,000 taels of gold, more than 1,300 pieces of pearls, agates, jade and antiques, and more than 80,000 bolts of silk and cloth were confiscated."
"There are also more than 7,000 mu of farmland, spread across the four routes of Zhejiang and Jiangnan, most of which were donated or forcibly seized by officials in the past three years."
Zhao Yu's hand, which was flipping through the account books, suddenly paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "How long has Shi Miyuan been in power? How has he managed to amass such wealth? His land holdings alone amount to nearly ten thousand acres. Although our Great Song does not prohibit land annexation, for a prime minister, his behavior is far too disgraceful."
Most of these fields were offered up voluntarily by local officials in an attempt to curry favor with Shi Miyuan.
Many of these were also obtained through his power and influence, through forced purchase and seizure.
Countless people lost their land, became homeless, and were reduced to tenant farmers, suffering endless exploitation.
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Xia Zhen quickly bowed. "Shi Miyuan has been corrupt and lawless, and deserves his punishment. Confiscating his property is the best punishment he can receive."
Zhao Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and closed the account book: "Send all the land deeds to the Cabinet first thing tomorrow morning, and I will handle them accordingly. Half of the gold and silver will be left to you to be distributed among the Imperial Guards who have rendered meritorious service this time. The rest will be turned over to the national treasury as military pay."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Xia Zhen's face showed a hint of joy, and he quickly cupped his hands in response.
Even half a percent of the goods would amount to over ten thousand taels of silver, enough for him to reward his subordinates while still keeping a considerable amount for himself.
Zhao Yu waved his hand: "Go down and get these things done as quickly as possible, so that nothing goes wrong."
Xia Zhen bowed in agreement and turned to leave.
But when he reached the palace gate, he stopped in his tracks, hesitated for a moment, then turned around with a fawning smile on his face: "Your Majesty, I...I have a request."
Zhao Yu looked up at him: "What is it?"
"It is...it is the life-and-death talisman on my person." Xia Zhen's smile became even more obsequious. "Now that the matter is settled, and I have been serving Your Majesty with all my heart, do you think this life-and-death talisman is..."
He has been living in constant fear and anxiety these past few days.
He still vividly remembers the pain he felt when the Life and Death Talisman was activated.
As long as he has this thing on his body, his life will always be in Zhao Yu's hands, and he won't be able to sleep peacefully.
Zhao Yu looked at him and sneered inwardly.
Xia Zhen was able to betray Zhao Kuo and Shi Miyuan, so he will naturally be able to betray him in the future.
Although the Soul Transfer Technique could affect his mind, it was not foolproof. The Life and Death Talisman was the best way to control him, so how could Zhao Yu easily break free of it?
But he couldn't very well refuse outright.
After all, Xia Zhen made great contributions during the palace coup, and if he were too cold-hearted, it would inevitably chill people's hearts.
Zhao Yu feigned sudden realization and patted his forehead: "Oh dear, look at my memory, I completely forgot about this. Come here a little closer."
Xia Zhen was overjoyed and quickly walked to the imperial desk.
Zhao Yu flicked his finger, and a gentle stream of true energy flowed into Xia Zhen's body through his meridians, circled around his dantian, and then slowly disappeared.
"Alright." Zhao Yu withdrew his hand and said calmly, "I have already refined your Life and Death Talisman. It will not take effect within a year. At this time next year, I will send someone to deliver the antidote to you."
Xia Zhen's smile froze instantly, and he said with a bitter expression, "Your Majesty... isn't there a solution?"
"Oh?" Zhao Yu feigned surprise. "Oh dear, look at me, I'm so busy I've forgotten everything. But it's your fault for not explaining clearly; it turns out you wanted to undo the Life and Death Talisman."
"After that true energy was injected, the yin and yang energies in your body have reached a balance. You must not move again in the short term, otherwise your internal energy will reverse and your meridians will be severed, which could be fatal."
Zhao Yu looked at Xia Zhen and suggested, "How about this, after a year or two, when the true energy in your body has stabilized, I will completely undo the debunking for you. What do you think?"
Xia Zhen naturally understood that Zhao Yu was pretending to be confused when he knew the truth, and had no intention of explaining it to him at all.
However, influenced by the Soul Transfer Technique, he had an instinctive awe of Zhao Yu, and since the Life and Death Talisman was in Zhao Yu's hands, he dared not refute him at all.
He could only helplessly cup his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I obey your decree."
After saying that, he turned and left Yanhe Hall dejectedly.
Watching Xia Zhen's lonely figure, Zhao Yu's lips curled into a faint smile.
The best approach to dealing with such fickle and unpredictable people is to combine kindness with severity.
Give him a little something to offer so he has something to look forward to, but also hold him hostage so he won't dare to have any disloyal thoughts.
As soon as Xia Zhen left, two figures emerged from behind the screen.
Lin Chaoying, dressed in a plain white dress, moved gracefully, still maintaining her aloof and otherworldly appearance.
Lin Hongyu, standing beside her, was dressed in a pink palace gown. Her large eyes darted around as she curiously examined the carved beams and painted rafters in the hall, her face full of amazement.
The splendor of the palace was something she, a girl who had grown up in the Lin family, had never seen before.
"Becoming emperor has only made things busier," Lin Chaoying said, walking up to Zhao Yu with a hint of complaint in her voice. "We haven't even seen each other much these past few days. We finally had some free time today, and after exchanging a few words, someone else came to report. Being emperor isn't as carefree as it used to be."
"Miss!" Lin Hongyu lowered her voice and quickly tugged at Lin Chaoying's sleeve.
This is the emperor! How can you say that?
Lin Hongyu now holds Zhao Yu in great awe.
Zhao Yu laughed and gestured for the two to sit down: "Hongyu, don't be afraid. There are no outsiders here, so you can say whatever you want. Sister Lin is right, being an emperor is really meaningless. Every day is spent either reading memorials or meeting with ministers, keeping you so busy you barely have time to breathe."
He poured Lin Chaoying a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her: "However, the busy period will only last for a few days. I've just taken office, and there are many things to do. After a while, once everything is on track, I'll have more free time."
Lin Chaoying took the teacup, took a small sip, and gazed at the glazed tiles outside the hall without saying a word.