Chapter 370: The Letter Arrives

Chapter 370: The Letter Arrives

The official posed a pointed question.

"It's hard to say about Yong'an Count, but He Qingxiao and Xin You have a special relationship. He definitely won't miss this method."

"This complicates matters further," one official murmured.

The Minister of Rites quietly sipped his tea.

As these people speculated, He Qingxiao traveled south. Upon reaching the areas where the new policies were being trialed, the first thing he did was arrange for stages to be set up. The second thing was to gather many beggars and teach them simple, easy-to-understand lotus songs about the benefits of the new policies.

Soon, the streets were bustling with lively performances, and the alleys echoed with songs about the new policies.

When the land measurement started, even young children could sing a few lines praising the new policies.

The poor grasped the advantages of the new policies and eagerly anticipated their rollout.

The wealthy households, of course, were not pleased. Officials, fearing for their positions, dared not openly oppose, while the rich obstructed in both overt and covert ways.

He Qingxiao had only one attitude: firmness.

He feared neither criticism nor execution.

After several particularly resistant wealthy households were either arrested or executed, and some officials who feigned compliance were thrown into prison by him, who had the authority to act first and report later, the rollout of the new policies proceeded much more smoothly.

He Qingxiao picked up his brush to write letters, some confidential reports to Emperor Xingyuan, and others to Xin You.

Confidential reports required brevity and clarity, focusing on the most important matters. He Qingxiao was adept at drafting such reports.

In his letter to Xin You, he detailed the promotion of the new policies, the popularity of the performances, and the widespread singing of lotus songs throughout the city. He also added descriptions of the scenery along the way.

Unintentionally, he ended up writing so much that it felt like 'a book.'

Holding the thick stack of letters, he hesitated but ultimately couldn't bring himself to cut anything. The letter, as thick as a book, finally reached Xin You.

By then, it was already mid-December, with freezing temperatures and howling winds outside. Xin You, nestled in her warm room, slowly opened the envelope and began to read.

Xiaolian brought a cup of jujube and longan tea and, spotting the letter in Xin You's hand, exclaimed with joy, "Oh, Miss, did you write a new story?"

Xin You glanced at the thick stack and couldn't suppress a smile. "Yes."

"Can I take a look first?" Xiaolian couldn't resist leaning closer.

Xin You covered the letter and said seriously, "It's just a rough draft, still a rough draft."

This explanation didn't convince Xiaolian.

Tales like 'Painted Skin' and 'Journey to the West' were enthralling. Even a draft from Miss would surely be captivating.

"Miss, let me take a look. Even if it's a rough draft, let me have a peek."

Xin You felt a pang of regret, as if she had lifted a stone only to drop it on her own foot. She firmly refused, "No, I prefer to finish writing before showing it to anyone. Ahem, my hands are a bit cold. Xiaolian, could you fetch me a hand stove?"

"Of course," Xiaolian quickly replied. As she turned to leave, her gaze caught a corner of an envelope peeking out from under a stack of books. Though she didn't immediately realize what it was, something felt off.

Once outside the inner room, the maid stopped, finally realizing: today, they had gotten a letter from Lord He. That thick stack of paper wasn't a rough draft at all—it was clearly a letter from Lord He to Miss!

Remembering how she had begged to read it, Xiaolian awkwardly patted her forehead, then sighed in exasperation.

Lord He seems so aloof and dignified, yet his letters are as lengthy as a book!

That aside, Miss even teased her—Xiaolian suddenly had a realization and covered her mouth in surprise.

Miss teased her clearly out of embarrassment. But Miss is such an open and generous person, what could she be embarrassed about?

Mystery solved: Miss has a crush on Lord He!

Realizing Xin You's feelings, Xiaolian's heart raced, and she felt like she was walking on air.

She was thrilled by her own insight and delighted for Xin You.

In Xiaolian's eyes, Miss Ayou seems like an all-powerful, fairy-tale figure. But her strength and rationality often made Xiaolian feel she was untethered, as if she might vanish at any moment.

Now, understanding Xin You's feelings, Xiaolian felt a strange sense of relief.

Xin You's request for Xiaolian to fetch the hand warmer was just a pretext, and fearing that Xiaolian might return and insist on seeing the letter, she pressed the letter down and opened a book to wait.

The wait ended up being longer than she anticipated.

Xiaolian is usually so quick—what’s taking her so long today?

"Miss, the hand warmer."

When Xiaolian finally arrived, Xin You took the hand warmer and said, "You can take a break now. I need to figure out how to tweak the story."

"Of course, Miss. Take your time—just call if you need me." Xiaolian smiled and left.

Only then did Xin You finally sit down to read He Qingxiao's letter.

It’s true—detailed letters are always better. After reading the letter, it felt as though she’d lived through everything in the south herself, even though she hadn’t been there. It gave Xin You much to say in her reply.

She had barely begun her reply when a palace messenger arrived to summon her.

Lately, no one in the capital had bothered her, so Xin You wondered why Emperor Xingyuan had summoned her so suddenly.

"Ayou, you’re here! It’s chilly outside, isn’t it?" Emperor Xingyuan asked with a smile after Xin You paid her respects, his tone like that of a regular father to his daughter.

"I was in the carriage the whole time, so it wasn’t too bad."

Emperor Xingyuan chatted for a few moments, then said, "We’ve received word from the south—the new policies are off to a good start."

A strong start makes the rest easier.

"That’s a relief." Xin You suspected it was He Qingxiao’s secret report but played dumb.

Emperor Xingyuan touched on the southern situation, but with few details in the letter, he couldn’t elaborate to his daughter, and laughed heartily: "This smooth progress is all thanks to you, Ayou."

When he first learned of those grand plays, he was utterly amazed.

Where did all these brilliant ideas come from? Just like her mother—

Before, thoughts of Empress Xin only brought him pain. Now, alongside regret and sorrow, there was pride.

At that moment, Sun Yan entered and presented a memorial to Emperor Xingyuan.

Emperor Xingyuan didn’t hide it from Xin You, opened the memorial, read it, and then slammed it on the table.

Xin You glanced at the memorial slammed on the table but said nothing.

Emperor Xingyuan cursed again, "These scoundrels!"

Xin You remained silent.

Unable to hold back, Emperor Xingyuan spoke up, "A report has come from the north, stating that nearly a thousand people are protesting the new policies at the yamen gate, and so far, only a small amount of land has been surveyed, making it difficult to proceed." He then ordered, "Summon the heads of all ministries for a discussion."

When the Minister of Rites and others hurriedly arrived and saw Xin You in the hall, their initial discomfort with her presence had turned into numbness.

They had no choice but to be numb; after all, didn't they see how dark the Emperor's face was? Clearly, he was in a terrible mood. Saying anything unnecessary at this time could easily land them in the imperial prison, a place reserved for high-ranking officials or political prisoners in Chinese history.

Once everyone had gathered, Emperor Xingyuan slammed the report down on the table and explained the situation in the north.