Within the great hall, the civil and military officials stood in their respective ranks.
They waited for the figure seated upon the dragon throne.
“His Majesty has arrived!”
As Su Mingde’s voice rang out, all the officials knelt and called out in unison, “Greetings to His Majesty.”
Zhao Xuanye’s gaze swept across them and landed on Xiao Qing, kneeling near the front in a crimson official robe, his tall, slender figure held perfectly straight.
The secret guards’ report from that morning kept circling through his mind—
Lord Xiao had taken in a bedchamber maid the previous night, kept her in the main courtyard, and had not left all night.
Now that he saw him, he could barely suppress the vexation in his heart. He was so young, yet already so addicted to pleasure!
“All of you, rise.”
“Salt trade concerns the nation’s most important source of revenue. It affects military provisions and the livelihood of the people. Now that Minister Xiao has purged the salt trade, it is truly a blessing for our soldiers and a blessing for the people!”
Hearing His Majesty speak so highly of Xiao Qing, the officials began making their own calculations. What additional reward would His Majesty grant her this time? Those with unmarried daughters at home were already thinking of having their wives visit Marquis Xiao’s Residence after court.
Xiao Qing stepped forward and knelt. “This subject received His Majesty’s decree to travel to Yangzhou and investigate the salt trade. After many days, I inspected every salt field, verified the salt permits and account books, and interrogated nearly a hundred people involved in the case. The truth has now come to light, and I shall report the facts in full today.”
From the shortfalls in the salt routes to collusion between officials and merchants, and then to the network of local corruption, every matter was laid out clearly, with irrefutable evidence.
Zhao Xuanye listened in silence.
He heard him describe how he had nearly been intercepted and killed, and how he had entered a dangerous place alone to stabilize the salt fields.
All the officials thought His Majesty was listening to the affairs of state. Only he knew that every time he mentioned a dangerous incident, his own heart tightened another degree.
The vexation stirred by that morning’s report also dissipated somewhat.
Forget it!
He was still young, after all. It was normal for him to indulge in pleasure a little. He could teach him gradually in the future.
That was what he told himself, yet he was still displeased deep down.
“I have already imprisoned the principal criminals for strict interrogation, sealed the stolen money and illegally traded salt, and secured all the account books and salt permits. I await His Majesty’s judgment.”
After he finished her report, the hall fell utterly silent.
No one was left unsurprised. Lord Xiao looked so young, yet his talent and ability were truly astonishing.
“Good! Investigate all those connected to this case with the utmost severity and punish them according to the law, so that the court may be brought to order. Anyone who shows favoritism or commits fraud shall receive the same punishment!”
Zhao Xuanye looked at him, his eyes revealing an affection even he himself had not noticed. “Furthermore, in consideration of Minister Xiao’s achievements this time, I hereby promote him to Minister of Revenue, grant him the privilege of attending upon me at court, and bestow upon him one hundred taels of gold, a thousand bolts of silk, and an imperial jade pendant.”
“This subject thanks His Majesty for his gracious favor!”
Below, the officials looked at one another, unable to believe it even though they had no choice but to do so.
Although they had expected him to be promoted, advancing two ranks at once was far too swift. Such an honor was without precedent.
Zhao Xuanye’s decision to reward merit was perfectly reasonable.
But deep in his heart lay a thought he was unwilling even to admit to himself: reward him—give him the very best of everything—so that his eyes might see the kindness he had shown him.
He even felt a faint dissatisfaction that he was so outstanding, attracting the attention of all the noble young ladies in the capital.
“Rise.” Zhao Xuanye’s voice softened, his tone gentle. “Devote yourself to your duties from now on. Do not disappoint me.”
He placed particular emphasis on the words “do not disappoint me,” as though they carried another meaning.
Xiao Qing thought his tone somewhat strange, but did not take it to heart. She merely lowered her head and said, “This subject obeys.”
·········
After court ended, the officials who were usually on good terms with Xiao Qing came over one after another to offer their congratulations.
“Lord Xiao, your future is limitless!”
“We hope that Lord Xiao will look favorably upon us and offer us some guidance in the future.”
Xiao Qing returned each greeting with a clasped-fist salute. “What are you saying, gentlemen? Qufeng is still young. I have merely been favored by His Majesty’s grace. In the future, I shall be relying on all of you to offer me your guidance.”
“Qufeng!”
A voice came from behind her.
Xiao Qing turned around and smiled. “You’re supposed to be on duty before His Majesty. What are you doing here?”
The speaker was the younger son of Duke Zheng. He had grown up alongside her, and his name was Zheng Mingyuan.
“I heard you’d been promoted, so I traded shifts with a colleague and hurried over to congratulate you. You rascal, you’ve really made something of yourself. You’re a senior first-rank official now. Among all of us, you’re the one with the brightest future.” As he spoke, he punched Xiao Qing on the shoulder.
Zheng Mingyuan came from a military family. He had practiced martial arts from childhood, and he was also tall and powerfully built. His punch nearly knocked Xiao Qing to the ground.
Zheng Mingyuan hurriedly reached out to support her and sighed. “They say scholars are the most physically frail, but you’re far too frail. I wasn’t even using any strength.”
Xiao Qing steadied herself with the help of his arm. “You’re built like one of the great pillars in front of the imperial court. Forget me—even someone who practices martial arts couldn’t withstand a punch from you.”
Zheng Mingyuan gave a sheepish grin. Although the young ladies of the capital all said that Xiao Qing was an otherworldly young master, handsome, refined, and romantic, he still felt that a man ought to be built like him—strong and imposing, with the unyielding presence of a true man.
“I’ll have someone teach you a set of boxing forms. When you go home after court, practice them. That way, you won’t just grow stronger—you might even grow a little taller!”
Xiao Qing was not actually short. She was roughly five feet eight or nine inches tall, which made her taller than many men. It was only that the friends who had grown up alongside her seemed to have been raised on something extraordinary; every one of them was taller than she was. Combined with her slender build, that made her appear somewhat petite.
“I’m busy every day from dawn to dusk. Where would I find the time to practice your boxing?” Xiao Qing rolled her eyes at him. “Do you have something important to say? If not, go back to your post. If you don’t do your work properly, be careful your father skins you alive!”
At the mention of his father, Zheng Mingyuan drew his neck in, a hint of fear appearing on his face.
Duke Zheng had two legitimate sons. His eldest son, Zheng Xiuyuan—Zheng Mingyuan’s elder brother—had inherited the position of heir and was also a third-rank military official. Duke Zheng never had to worry about him. It was this younger son who had been disobedient since childhood. After finally putting aside his dignity and using his influence to get Zheng Mingyuan placed on duty before His Majesty, Duke Zheng would truly invoke the family discipline if Zheng Mingyuan managed to make a mess of things.
“Qufeng, why bring up my father for no reason? I wanted to tell you that we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and now you’ve been promoted as well. Tonight, let’s go out and have a good meal together. First, it’ll be a welcome feast for you, and second, we can celebrate your promotion.”
Xiao Qing did not refuse. She really had been exhausted during this period. “All right. Come find me at the Ministry of Revenue this afternoon, and we’ll go together. Now hurry back.”
“All right! I’m off, then.”
When Xiao Qing arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, she took her seat at the head. Left Vice Minister Zhang Zhiheng brought several people over carrying a huge pile of account books.
“Minister, these are the account books I have managed over the years. Please look them over.”
Xiao Qing stared at the account books stacked higher than she was and knew that Zhang Zhiheng was deliberately making things difficult for her.
In terms of seniority and age, Zhang Zhiheng indeed had a greater chance than she did of taking the position of Minister of Revenue. But not everything could be decided according to age alone.
Xiao Qing picked up the land records and flipped through several pages, her brows drawing together slightly. “The foundation of the realm lies in its households and its fields. Today, we will first verify the Yellow Registers and the Fish-Scale Registers. I have only just returned from Jiangnan. Bring me all the household registers and land records.”
After she spoke, the people below looked at one another. No one was willing to step forward first.