The Tyrant’s Drama Queen Empress

CHAPTER 31: Is She Really Smart or Just Dumb?

　　Shen Ling laughed sweetly, “Your Majesty, you’re so good.” Her voice was syrupy sweet, after all, when someone gives you something, it’s polite to flatter them a little, right? With the secret report Xie Yuanxun had given her, Shen Ling wasn’t worried about lacking material anymore. Honestly, if she weren’t convinced he was human, she might’ve even mistaken him for some kind of magic cat—he seemed to have everything she ever wanted.

　　Xie Yuanxun lay down on the bed and asked, “The copybook I gave you to practice, have you been doing it every day?”

　　Shen Ling, “......”

　　—Cough, cough, cough!

　　—Uh-oh, this isn’t looking good.

　　—Weren’t we talking about the support you’re giving me for my work? Why are you suddenly asking about homework?

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Or… maybe you didn’t do it?” His gaze was dangerously sharp.

　　Could Shen Ling admit it? Of course not. “......I did it,” she stammered.

　　Xie Yuanxun asked evenly, “How much did you do? You brought the copybook back and thought that since I didn’t check it immediately, I wouldn’t check it at all?”

　　Shen Ling, “......”

　　—Yes, exactly that.

　　Xie Yuanxun’s eyes narrowed just slightly.

　　Shen Ling forced a laugh, feeling like she had to explain herself. “Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to do so little……”

　　“‘So little’?” He picked up those words, savoring them as he repeated them aloud.

　　Shen Ling, “……”

　　—Yes, yes, it’s little, not none. Big difference. Don’t get them confused.

　　She fidgeted with her fingers nervously, then shuffled in tiny steps toward him, putting on her most obedient, sweet look. “I’ve been busy working on the newspaper—see, this News Weekly in my hands? I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have much time to practice your calligraphy.”

　　Xie Yuanxun snorted coldly.　　

　　“But!”

　　Shen Ling raised her voice, “On the first day, I actually wrote ten full sheets just like you asked!”

　　—Except on the second day it dropped to eight, third day seven, fourth day five, fifth day three, sixth day zero…

　　—Of course I wrote properly the first day! I thought you’d check, so I behaved. Who knew you wouldn’t come? I just relaxed and enjoyed my freedom.

　　Xie Yuanxun calmly reached out and took the pouch hanging from her waist. His attention was immediately caught. “Is this… a chicken?”

　　Shen Ling froze.

　　—This is clearly mandarin ducks, not some random chicken! Look at it, so obvious—ducks playing in water. Do you even understand?

　　Xie Yuanxun asked mysteriously, “You embroidered this?” It was more like he already knew she did.

　　Shen Ling lifted her chin, a little proud, “Yes, I did.” Liu Zhu even said she learned fast.

　　Xie Yuanxun commented, “No wonder it’s so ugly.”

　　Shen Ling, “……”

　　—Ugh! You didn’t have to insult me at the end, I… don’t… want… to… hear it!

　　Seeing that Xie Yuanxun wasn’t bringing up the copybook anymore, Shen Ling exhaled in relief. Compared to letting him check her sloppy practice sheets, she’d rather have him criticize her pouch. But her relief was way too premature.

　　She wanted to just get by, but Xie Yuanxun wasn’t someone you could half-ass around.

　　He had no intention of returning her pouch. Every so often he pinched it, then tossed it into the air, catching it perfectly every time it fell.

　　“You go get all the sheets you wrote,” Xie Yuanxun said.

　　Shen Ling finally understood. That sly dog had not forgotten about her homework at all!

　　Clearing her throat, she asked, “Your Majesty, can you come another day to check?” Ideally, after she had finished making up what she owed.

　　Xie Yuanxun stared at her quietly. He didn’t say a word, but the look in his eyes screamed, “What nonsense are you saying?” And Shen Ling got it perfectly.

　　She hated it!

　　Sigh, sometimes having too much insight is a kind of human tragedy.

　　Shen Ling gritted her teeth, stomping her heels on the ground. She rested her hand on Xie Yuanxun’s shoulder, squeezed it playfully a few times, and leaned close to his ear with a soft laugh, blowing a gentle puff of air. “Your Majesty, you rarely come by. Why don’t we do something more relaxing, like go outside and enjoy the sun? Isn’t that more fun than watching me write big characters?”

　　—The sun is so lovely, we might as well warm it up a bit.

　　Xie Yuanxun turned his head, first glancing at her hand on his shoulder, then fixed his gaze on her face. Shen Ling met his eyes for a moment, then sheepishly withdrew her hand.

　　—It's not like we haven't touched each other before.

　　“Go get them,” Xie Yuanxun said.

　　Shen Ling trudged to fetch her practice sheets. She had tried everything—jokes, distractions, even her charm to tempt him—but all her efforts were like throwing buns at a dog: gone and never coming back.

　　Her steps felt heavy. Her mood was exactly like every student who spent the holidays goofing off, skipped homework, and got caught by the teacher on the first day back. If she had another chance, she… she would probably write everything on time, every day.　　

　　Shen Ling obediently handed over her homework. “Your Majesty, it’s all here.”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Mm.” He sat up and reached out. “Give me the red pen.”

　　Shen Ling’s expression turned grim. He was going to slaughter her work completely, and with a red pen for marking!

　　She hesitated. “Actually, you could just tell me how well I did.”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “No.”

　　Shen Ling, “......”

　　—That was a quick refusal!

　　By the time Shen Ling reluctantly handed over the red pen, Xie Yuanxun started checking from the first page. The first page was a total wipeout—there wasn’t a single character he approved of.

　　Shen Ling looked confused. Wait, none of the characters on this page were good? Really? She thought they were fine—edges sharp, lines straight, strokes even. How high were his standards?

　　She cleared her throat. “Your Majesty, aren’t you going to take a closer look? If you miss even one perfect character, that would be such a waste.”

　　Xie Yuanxun snorted. “They’re all like dog scratches. Show me one so-called perfect character.”

　　—My heart just broke in half!

　　—Dog scratches? Can a dog really scratch such neat characters? Find me this dog so I can see it!

　　No matter how fiercely she cursed in her heart, on the surface, Shen Ling maintained a docile expression, as if to say: “Yes, Your Majesty, you are right,” “Yes, Your Majesty, I clap for you.”

　　Xie Yuanxun finished quickly. Out of the whole stack, only three characters earned his approval. Even then, he was reluctant, adopting a ‘choosing the best from the worst’ attitude.

　　Shen Ling went silent. She had already calculated in her mind how many sheets she owed based on Xie Yuanxun’s standards. Ten characters per sheet, only two approved per sheet counted as qualified. Over several days, writing ten sheets a day should have given her seventy or eighty sheets, meaning fourteen to sixteen qualified characters. And now there were only three. Of course she felt guilty.

　　Xie Yuanxun rested his left hand on the small table on the couch and looked at the quietly sitting Shen Ling. “Bao Fei, tell me, how should I deal with you?”

　　“If you don't know how to answer, then I'll be more specific.”

　　“You first ignored my instructions, then were irresponsible with the characters you wrote yourself. You knew they were bad, yet you didn’t practice diligently. This… this is deceiving your Emperor.”

　　Shen Ling covered her face with a handkerchief, sobbing, “I was wrong, Your Majesty, I won’t do it again, wahhh!”

　　Xie Yuanxun, “……” He pressed his fingers to his brow. “You’re crying so loudly.” He had never seen anyone cry like Shen Ling—so ‘real’, so ‘heart-wrenching’, so ‘wailing like a banshee’.

　　“Come here,” Xie Yuanxun said.

　　Shen Ling walked over. He took the handkerchief off her face, intending to wipe her tears. But there was nothing to wipe—her face was completely dry, not a single tear in sight.

　　Xie Yuanxun, “……”

　　He pinched her cheek. “Even though I know you’re pretending to cry, at least shed a few tears. You’re making all that noise but not a single tear comes out.”

　　Shen Ling grabbed his hand that was pinching her cheek. “Your Majesty, can you let go?”

　　Xie Yuanxun, “No.”

　　Shen Ling, “......”

　　—No what no? You think this is cute, you dog?

　　He had her sit across from him. “Your brushwork is weak. The characters you copied are stiff and lack spirit. Of course, you’re not completely without merit. These characters aren’t missing anything major—one missing stroke here, one there. That’s already not bad. Actually, it’s better than I expected.”

　　—The consolation prize you gave me is unique in its own way. I don’t know whether to be happy that one of my characters actually has a “merit,” or happy that I exceeded your expectations. Honestly, how low were your expectations for me in the first place?　　

　　Then Xie Yuanxun began analyzing and commenting on her characters one by one, leaving no corner unchecked. Finally, he lowered his voice slightly and said, “Strictly speaking, even these three characters I circled aren’t really acceptable. The reason I circled them was just to make you look better. See, I’m being nice to you.”

　　Shen Ling chuckled softly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

　　—You might as well not have said anything at all.

　　Shen Ling summarized Xie Yuanxun’s evaluation in one sentence: not a single one of her handwritings is decent; they're all just pretty but useless.

　　Shen Ling wasn’t satisfied. Who wasn’t a little fairy here? “Why do you say even the characters you circled aren’t good?”

　　—Not a single one meets your standards. How picky are you?

　　Xie Yuanxun picked up the red pen and wrote a character on the paper. Shen Ling craned her neck to compare his strokes with hers, and that was it… nothing more followed.

　　Xie Yuanxun nudged her. “Alright, go stand in the corner.”

　　Shen Ling, “Huh?”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “What ‘huh’? You didn’t think I wouldn’t punish you, did you? I already said this is deceiving your Emperor.”

　　Shen Ling clutched her chest.

　　—Cruel… you’re really cruel!

　　—Not only did you verbally roast me, now you’re punishing me physically? This is corporal punishment! You’re not a good teacher, wahhh!

　　Shen Ling’s heart sank into a river of sorrow, miserable and pitiful, colder than even the ¹White-Haired Girl.

　　Xie Yuanxun saw her pitiful expression and smiled. “Punishment is punishment. Once you’re done, I’ll personally teach you to write. Oh, and the secret reports—if you write well every day, you can have as many as you want.”

　　Shen Ling wasn’t dumb. She understood perfectly well the cunning behind his words.

　　—Using the secret report as a reward is like dangling a carrot in front of me. For that carrot, I have no choice but to get moving. To publish the secret report in the newspaper, I have to write large characters every day; there's no slacking off.

　　—And as for teaching me personally after my punishment, that’s even clearer. You’re hitting me with a stick and then offering a sweet date as a reward.

　　Xie Yuanxun looked at her.

　　Shen Ling whimpered, “Where do you want me to stand?”

　　He casually pointed. “Over there.”

　　Shen Ling deliberately stood where a landscape ink painting hung on the wall. She folded her hands behind her back, pretending to admire the painting. Sometimes she leaned in closer, sometimes leaned back, or tilted her head left and right.

　　Xie Yuanxun glanced over. “......” Was she being punished or playing?

　　When Shen Ling was called back by Xie Yuanxun to end her punishment, he began teaching her how to write.　　

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “You start by writing a few.”

　　Shen Ling replied, “Oh.” She leaned over the desk and dipped her brush into the high-quality ink on the inkstone.　　

　　Smack.

　　Xie Yuanxun rolled up a piece of paper and tapped it against Shen Ling’s shoulder. “Sit up straight.”

　　Shen Ling straightened, took a deep breath, and started to write, a single stroke…

　　Smack.

　　Another hit.

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “You’re pressing too hard. What grudge do you have against it?”

　　Shen Ling exhaled, inhaled, exhaled, inhaled…

　　—I’m not angry. A strict teacher produces excellent students. No skill, no results. The tighter you control me, the better I’ll write.

　　Shen Ling began to write again.

　　Smack.

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Why are you shaking? Focus.”

　　Shen Ling calmly looked at him.

　　—Ahhhhh!

　　—You’re so noisy! I want to throw this brush at your face, but I need to finish this character first! You’re like an executioner, clearly one clean cut could solve it, but you insist on slowly slicing with tiny daggers, one by one. It’s torturous! Teaching me like this… I’d rather just copy your character sheets myself!

　　Xie Yuanxun said nothing. He leaned back slightly and gestured for Shen Ling, “Come here.”

　　Shen Ling stood up. “You’re not going to teach me?”

　　—You want me to sit in your lap? Ew, you’re so flirtatious.

　　Xie Yuanxun sighed, “Bring the paper and brush with you.”

　　Shen Ling said, “...Yes.” She had misunderstood. Luckily, she only thought it in her mind and didn't say it aloud, so it wasn't embarrassing.

　　Xie Yuanxun: Heh.

　　He held Shen Ling’s hand. His hand was larger than hers, the joints clearly defined, fingers long and elegant. No competition needed—he could be a hand model. Shen Ling was so absorbed in looking at his hand that she didn’t even notice he had started writing. Her eyes stayed fixed on his hand.

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Focus. Pay attention to how I write.”

　　“All right, Your Majesty.” Shen Ling quickly straightened her head and shifted her hips slightly.

　　—Cough, cough, not getting hit feels a bit strange.

　　Shen Ling asked, “How many pages will Your Majesty teach me to write?”

　　Xie Yuanxun raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

　　Shen Ling pretended to think for a moment. “Ten sheets?”

　　Xie Yuanxun sneered, “You wish.”

　　—Hehe, wishing is free. I’m just asking. If you actually teach me ten sheets, I don’t have to write the rest myself today. If you refuse, I don’t lose anything.

　　Xie Yuanxun thought: Take back what I said about her being stupid. Isn't she quite clever? She even knows how to get something for nothing.

　　Xie Yuanxun let go of her hand and asked, “Do you know how to write it now?”

　　Shen Ling narrowed her eyes and said in a grave tone, “I understand it as a person.”

　　“Then write it.” Xie Yuanxun watched her write. It was a disaster. “Didn’t you say you knew how?”

　　Shen Ling kept the same serious tone. “I understand it as a person, but my hand doesn’t.”

　　—Do you think I’m some kind of genius? That I can suddenly write beautifully just because you taught me once? Are you dreaming, or am I dreaming? Can we be a little realistic here?

　　Xie Yuanxun said calmly, “Looks like you don’t want the secret report anymore.”

　　The moment those words fell, Shen Ling jolted.

　　“Don’t do that, Your Majesty,” Shen Ling said quickly. “Your teachings are deeply engraved in my heart. I’m a beginner, I can’t reach the heavens in one step, I can only take it slow. Look, isn’t what I’m writing now much better than before? That’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s excellent guidance.”

　　Xie Yuanxun clicked his tongue. “Or maybe you’re just too stupid. Even something this simple, you still can’t learn.”

　　Shen Ling, “......”

　　—Click your tongue my foot! Enough already, believe it or not I’ll flip the table!

　　—Why am I so miserable, falling into your hands? If you want to teach me, why don’t you go learn how those gentle and kind teachers teach their students first!

　　—Can we even get along anymore?!

　　—I’m stupid because you forced me to be! If you were even a little kinder, would I turn stupid?!

　　Shen Ling gritted her teeth and said, “Yes, Your Majesty is right. I am foolish.”

　　—Hmph. For the sake of the secret report, I’ll endure it. If I don’t endure until I climb one more level higher, then I lose.

　　Xie Yuanxun burst out laughing and leaned over her. Shen Ling happened to be writing, and with him suddenly doing that, her characters immediately twisted into crooked lines, like a little caterpillar crawling across the page.

　　“......” She really wanted to hit someone.

　　After Xie Yuanxun finished his surprise inspection of her work, Shen Ling never neglected copying the calligraphy sheets again, no matter how busy she was. The time was still short, but her writing was already much better than when Xie Yuanxun first saw it. There was faintly a trace of Xie Yuanxun’s style in it, though still very shallow. Unless someone had a sharp eye for calligraphy, they would not notice it. It could be said that Shen Ling still had a long way to go.

　　The scribes from the Music Palace brought over the freshly printed latest issue of News Weekly and presented it to Shen Ling. Even though she already knew the contents, since the material came from the secret reports she had copied herself, seeing the finished product still made her sigh. When professionals handled it, the result really was different. The quality was far better than her previous version.

　　Shen Ling asked, “Did anyone in the Palace buy it this time?”

　　Liu Zhu smiled. “Yes, Your Grace. According to Liu Yun, quite a few people in the Palace want her to help buy another copy from the Music Palace. The last batch they printed was completely sold out.”

　　“So it’s selling that well?” Shen Ling asked.

　　“Isn’t it,” Liu Zhu said. “I don’t know about the other palaces, but in Chang Le Palace, as soon as Your Grace goes out, you can hear people talking about what’s in the paper. Those who can read explain it to those who can’t. Everyone is furious about that official surnamed Tang. Knowing full well that his niece was entrusted to him by his own sister on her deathbed, he still let her be coldly treated and mocked in the inner courtyard. It’s no wonder she ended up dying from grief.”

　　“And that sum of silver his sister left when she entrusted her daughter to him. They say it ended up in his wife’s hands, but I think it’s more likely it went into his own pockets. He used his niece’s money to host banquets for fellow officials. If his sister were still alive, she would probably tear him apart with her bare hands.”

　　Liu Zhu asked curiously, “Your Grace, is this really true? Are there really officials who would kill their own niece just to seize her property?”

　　“It’s true,” Shen Ling said. “What I’m making is a newspaper. Even if it’s not as serious as the official gazette, the things written in it still have to be real people and real events. At most, the names are aliases, not real names. If it weren’t true, I might as well have the Music Palace write storybooks for me instead.”

　　She added, “If it sells well in the Palace, it won’t sell poorly outside. Have Liu Yun contact the people at the Music Palace soon and sell it beyond the Palace walls.”

　　Liu Zhu replied, “Yes.”

　　The newly printed News Weekly from the Palace quickly became a sensation across the Capital. Unlike the official gazettes, which had limited readership, this one was open to everyone. Anyone who could read and had a few coins could buy a copy.

　　Outsiders didn’t know exactly who was behind it, only that it came from someone in the Palace. Those in the know, however, understood that it had to be connected to Bao Fei.

　　The newspaper had strong backing and was full of juicy stories—about a big brother entrusted with his niece, intrigues in the rear courtyard, and schemes to seize silver—and it was impossible for it not to attract attention. From top to bottom, even officials in government offices were talking about it.

　　“This official named Tang is despicable. He became an official through the imperial examinations not only because of his own hard work but also thanks to his family's support. According to the newspaper, Tang's sister married a merchant so he wouldn’t lack money for the exams. Now that he’s a high-ranking official, he’s become estranged from his sister, which is truly wrong. Later, when his sister entrusted her daughter to him, that money should have been returned in full once his niece came of age. How could he keep it all for himself?”

　　“Money can corrupt people. Although his sister was kind to Tang, when so much money is involved, no one can truly be honest. But I wouldn’t do something like that myself.”

　　“Haha, that’s assuming you even had a niece, and a sister married off to a merchant. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have a chance to become this Tang.”

　　“Tang’s character is too despicable. If he can treat his own niece so cruelly, how could he possibly care for the common people?”

　　“Do you think there really is a person named Tang, or is it fake?”

　　“Fake, right? Who dares make up stories about officials? Aren’t they afraid of lawsuits?”

　　“Not necessarily. Do you know where this paper came from? I’ll tell you, the Palace. So I think there really is such an official, only the name has been changed.”

　　“Whoa! Then who is this ‘Tang’ really?”

　　Everyone started whispering and speculating about who the name ‘Tang’ referred to.

　　Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Revenue, Vice Minister Tang felt something was off all the way there. His popularity seemed higher than usual. Almost everyone who saw him stared briefly and whispered to one another.

　　Even his colleagues who didn’t get along with him couldn’t help giving him a few seconds of attention.

　　Vice Minister Tang: “???”

　　What on earth is going on?

　　Puzzled, he hurried along and caught up with a group walking ahead. “Brother Li, Brother Zhang, why did you leave me behind? I even thought something happened and sent a servant to check on you at your manor. And yet here you are already.”

　　Li Qian cupped his hands and laughed. “Ah, I remembered some urgent matters I had to handle, so I went ahead first.”

　　And he hurried off.

　　Zhang Qing, also an Vice Minister like Tang, couldn’t just leave, but he said subtly, “Brother Tang, don’t you know?”

　　Vice Minister Tang frowned. “Know what? All I know is that your attitude toward me is strange.”

　　Zhang Qing said, “Someone in the office might have brought News Weekly. You can borrow a copy and see for yourself. Then you’ll understand.”

　　As Zhang Qing spoke, the surrounding officials quietly observed them. Vice Minister Tang was the main focus, Zhang Qing secondary.

　　At that moment, Minister Qu appeared with a stern expression. “Vice Minister Tang, come with me. The rest of you, get back to work.”

　　Vice Minister Tang followed him, asking, “My Lord, what did you call me here for?”

　　Minister Qu studied Vice Minister Tang for a moment, making him a bit nervous. “My Lord?”    

　　Minister Qu sighed, “You’ve been working under me for two years, right? You’re diligent, respectful, and I’ve never meddled in my subordinates’ family matters. But you… sigh…”

　　He didn’t continue. Instead, he pulled out a copy of the newspaper and tossed it in front of Vice Minister Tang. “See for yourself.”

　　Vice Minister Tang picked it up, thinking it was just a regular official gazette, and almost said he’d already seen it. But the moment he read the contents, his body stiffened.

　　Vice Minister Tang was horrified. The actions of this so-called ‘Tang’… they matched him too closely.

　　Same surname, a sister married to a merchant, the sister bringing a niece to entrust her care, even misappropriating the niece’s inheritance later—everything lined up.

　　Vice Minister Tang stammered, “Th-this… My Lord, why are you showing me this? This is nonsense. It can’t be real.”

　　Minister Qu asked calmly, “Don’t you have a sister who entrusted her daughter to you? Didn’t your niece pass away?”

　　Vice Minister Tang stiffened and replied, “Yes, I have, but my niece was always in poor health. When she came to the Capital, she couldn’t adjust to the climate, and combined with other factors, she died of illness.”

　　Minister Qu said, “If you say she died of illness, then she died of illness.”

　　A few years ago, Vice Minister Tang had mentioned his niece’s death in passing. They’d only sighed and commented on the unpredictability of life, never imagining that Vice Minister Tang would treat his own niece so cruelly.

　　That explained why, today, all the officials at the Ministry of Revenue were staring at him. A man surnamed Tang with a deceased niece—it was hard not to connect the dots.

　　Vice Minister Tang said, “My Lord, this is slander. I request your justice. Seal this newspaper. If it can slander me today, it can slander anyone tomorrow.”

　　Minister Qu shook his head. “You overestimate me. I cannot control this newspaper. It comes from the Palace. Who would dare seal it?”

　　Vice Minister Tang panicked, “Then must it remain for all the world to mock me?”

　　Minister Qu said, “As officials, we cultivate ourselves, manage our families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. None of these can be neglected. If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about what others think of me. I’d first worry whether the censors will impeach me, and what His Majesty thinks of me.”

　　Minister Qu didn’t judge Vice Minister Tang’s actions as right or wrong. Which official can pat their chest and say they have no dirty secrets? Only those new to the Court might have a pure heart.

　　Vice Minister Tang left, confused, his hands trembling inside his sleeves. Misappropriating his niece’s inheritance… the censors would surely impeach him. If he ran into a displeased Xie Yuanxun, his position—and possibly his life—could be at risk.

　　Sure enough, at the next day’s morning Court, Vice Minister Tang was impeached by the censors. Xie Yuanxun rested his chin on his hand atop the dragon throne, watching Vice Minister Tang kneel and sweat profusely, his gaze icy.

　　After observing for a while, Xie Yuanxun finally remembered who Vice Minister Tang was—the same Tang who appeared in Shen Ling’s secret report.

　　Xie Yuanxun leaned forward slightly, curiosity piqued. “Is the impeachment accurate?”

　　The censor replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, it is accurate.”

　　Xie Yuanxun asked, “And you, Vice Minister Tang, what do you have to say?”

　　Vice Minister Tang stammered, trembling, “Your M-Majesty… I, I…” He stuttered endlessly, but nothing coherent came out.    

　　Xie Yuanxun spoke leisurely, “Ah, I heard the censors say you schemed to seize your own sister’s property. How much silver was it?”

　　Vice Minister Tang replied, “Your Majesty, this humble official has never coveted my younger sister’s property. Since entering office, I have worked diligently and lived cleanly. My relationship with my sister was excellent. Saying I seized someone else’s property is pure slander!”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “How much silver.”

　　Vice Minister Tang answered, “50,000 taels.”

　　Xie Yuanxun nodded. “For your official salary, that is indeed a large sum. If you relied only on your pay, who knows how many years it would take to save up 50,000 taels.”

　　Vice Minister Tang said urgently, “Your Majesty, I truly did not do it.”

　　Seeing that Xie Yuanxun seemed to be in a decent mood today, Vice Minister Tang even dared to argue for himself. “It was that newspaper slandering this humble official. The person behind it has ill intentions. Your Majesty…”

　　Before he could finish, Xie Yuanxun suddenly hurled a memorial straight at his head. He used quite a bit of force, and Vice Minister Tang’s face was bruised on the spot.

　　Terrified, Vice Minister Tang cried out, “Your Majesty, please spare me. Your Majesty, please spare me.”

　　He never expected that mentioning the newspaper would anger Xie Yuanxun. If he had known, he would never have brought it up.

　　Xie Yuanxun said calmly, “I think what the censors said makes sense. You did commit a crime. How about this. I will give you one day. Whoever caused your niece’s death, you make them pay with their life. Your niece was also my subject. She suffered injustice, so I must seek justice for her as well. Do you agree?”

　　Vice Minister Tang nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, yes. Your Majesty is wise.”

　　Xie Yuanxun continued, “As for you…”

　　He did want to deal with Vice Minister Tang properly, but then he thought of Shen Ling. She might still need to use Vice Minister Tang’s case as material later, so he decided to let him off for now.

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “I know you are a clear-minded man. With too much silver at home, you must be living in constant unease. So be it. You will send 100,000 taels to the Court. Consider it my way of relieving your worries. If one day you are short on silver, just tell me, and I will return it to you.”

　　Vice Minister Tang, oblivious to Xie Yuanxun's sudden shift from 50,000 to 100,000 taels, replied, “This humble official will do so. I thank Your Majesty for your kindness.”

　　Xie Yuanxun said, “Good. Court dismissed.”

　　The officials all withdrew, leaving Vice Minister Tang kneeling there in a daze.

　　After a long while, he muttered to himself, “Wh-where am I supposed to find 100,000 taels…”

　　“Prime Minister Yang, don’t you think His Majesty was clearly protecting that newspaper and whoever is behind it? Vice Minister Tang only mentioned it once or twice, and His Majesty punished him immediately.”

　　“Exactly. That was 100,000 taels. He really lost both his reputation and his silver this time.”

　　Prime Minister Yang said, “Enough. This has nothing to do with you. What is there to discuss? No matter who made that newspaper, all you need to know is that His Majesty does not want to hear anyone slandering it.”

　　In his heart, Prime Minister Yang already had a suspect in mind, Shen Ling. He believed that other shrewd veterans at Court had likely guessed it as well.

　　Prime Minister Yang narrowed his eyes as he looked at Shen Kangzheng’s retreating figure.

　　“When someone’s fortune turns, nothing can stop it.”

　　The treatment he and his daughter received in the Palace was worlds apart.

　　“Prime Minister, what did you say?”

　　Prime Minister Yang replied, “Nothing. Let’s go. And let me warn you all. Get your household affairs in order. Do not become the next Vice Minister Tang. Even if he does not die this time, his fate will be worse than death.”

　　His Majesty was ruthless when he killed. Who would have thought that even without killing, he could still be this ruthless.

　　......

　　Shen Ling sent someone to the Taiji Hall to invite Xie Yuanxun over. She also had Liu Zhu deliver the results from the death-row prisoners’ experiment with the chili peppers. The verdict? They could eat them. Not a single person had died. Once she got the news, Shen Ling instructed the Imperial Kitchen to make all sorts of spicy dishes with the chili peppers.

　　Of course, she also ‘enthusiastically’ invited Xie Yuanxun to share them with her.

　　Good things are meant to be shared.

　　It wasn’t long before Xie Yuanxun arrived.

　　Shen Ling told Liu Zhu, “You can start setting the table. Have the kitchen prepare some fresh milk, just a cup will do.” In case Xie Yuanxun’s eyes went red from the spiciness, he could drink the milk.

　　Liu Zhu nodded, “Yes.”

　　When the meal was set, Xie Yuanxun saw a table laden with bright red dishes. Every dish—stir-fried, braised, boiled, steamed, roasted—was tinged with that fiery color.

　　Xie Yuanxun asked, “This is the delicacy you wanted me to try?”

　　He’d heard from Senior Eunuch Feng that Shen Ling had been experimenting with new ingredients, but seeing her quiet for so long, he had assumed she’d given up.

　　“Yes, it’s them,” Shen Ling said seriously. “Your Majesty, I promise this will be very different from anything you’ve tasted before.”

　　—Why different? Don't ask me. Even if you do, I won’t tell you. Heehee!

　　Xie Yuanxun picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, chewing without changing expression. He sampled a bite from each dish.

　　Shen Ling froze.

　　—Why are you so calm? Aren’t you feeling the heat?

　　She asked, “Is it good?”

　　“Not bad,” he replied.

　　—Then… that was it? No other comments? Just a simple ‘not bad’?

　　Shen Ling frowned.

　　—Maybe she hadn’t added enough chili?

　　She took a bite herself, and her eyes lit up. Yep, it was seriously spicy! So Xie Yuanxun’s calmness meant he wasn’t afraid of spice. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't be able to handle something this spicy the first time. Shen Ling had even thought she could make Xie Yuanxun's eyes redden. Thinking of this, Shen Ling looked at Xie Yuanxun again, but unfortunately, she wouldn't have the chance to witness such a scene.

　　“Open your mouth,” Xie Yuanxun said.

　　Before Shen Ling's mind could even process it, her mouth was already open.

　　He asked casually, “How much silver did you earn from the newspapers sold at the Music Palace?”

　　Shen Ling replied, “A little over one or two hundred taels. Isn’t that a lot? You know, I only sold each copy for a few coins. Every little bit adds up.”

　　Xie Yuanxun hummed and said in a tone so flat it was like he was asking if she’d eaten yet today, “You earned one or two hundred taels from it. I earned one hundred thousand taels.”

　　Shen Ling blinked. “Oh… one hundred thousand taels… one hundred thousand… Pft—cough cough cough cough!” She choked on the spicy food in her mouth and quickly grabbed the fresh milk nearby. It had been prepared for him, but since he hadn’t used it, she drank it herself.

　　Stopping her cough, she exclaimed in shock, “You said one hundred thousand taels? Not… ten taels?!”

　　—Damn it, why do you earn more than me, who works so hard?! You didn't just multiply it a few times, you multiplied it a hundred times!

________________

Glossary:

¹White-Haired Girl – A famous tragic heroine in Chinese literature/folk stories, known for extreme suffering and sorrow.

    

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