Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Without even considering the appearance, just by seeing the countdown to rebellion, Su Yu could guess that the enchanting "woman" in front of her was the fourth male protagonist.

Liu Wushi, the wealthiest man in the realm.

Although Great Qi followed the age-old policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, and while actively promoting the imperial examination system, it barred merchants and their descendants from participating in the exams. However, with the prosperity of agriculture and the continuous improvement of transportation routes, Great Qi experienced unprecedented prosperity in trade, resulting in a boom in commerce.

Merchants profited immensely from this.

The Liu family gained prominence through this.

Starting from Liu Wushi's grandfather's generation, they had been in business, and by his time, it was the third generation.

Everyone says that wealth rarely lasts beyond three generations, but Liu Wushi displayed exceptional business acumen from a young age. By his teens, he could lead merchant caravans to the Western Regions.

By the time the Great Qi dynasty reached Su Yan's hands, it was teetering on the brink of collapse. Merchants dread turbulent times the most, yet Liu Wushi continued to expand the Liu family's business empire in these chaotic times, emerging unscathed.

He not only did business with people from the Western Regions but also maintained close personal ties with high-ranking officials in the capital. Outside the capital, he maintained close ties with several Military Governors, truly a man of great influence and resourcefulness.

Su Yu thought that Liu Wushi, a merchant, could swiftly seize a territory and become a regional overlord after the fall of Great Qi, must have prepared thoroughly and raised a private, elite army...

What did he say when he pulled her earlier?

Su Yu reflected on Liu Wushi's words, "These days, with the new emperor ascending the throne, the capital is heavily guarded. How dare you come to the capital at this time?" It was quite intriguing...

Without Su Yu's command, Yu Chiyou's blade remained at Liu Wushi's neck.

Liu Wushi gazed uncertainly at Su Yu, who had lowered her eyes. He had mistaken her earlier because her build and attire were strikingly similar to the person he was looking for, and she was surrounded by guards, which led to his error.

Now, upon closer inspection, Su Yu's appearance was certainly not that of a commoner. The fabric of her clothes was luxurious, and the intricate weave pattern was clearly the best silk that the Liu family had offered to the palace. Plus, there was a sword-bearing guard—

Everything indicated that Su Yu's background was extraordinary.

And being pursued by guards... No, he had been in too much of a hurry earlier. Now, recalling, besides the group of guards he had intentionally led there, there were originally two groups confronting each other, clearly one group trying to capture Su Yu and the other protecting her.

Su Yu's identity might be more complicated than he thought.

Liu Wushi smiled cunningly and probed, "Young sir, I truly meant no offense. If it weren't for me earlier, you would have been caught by those guards. In a way, I saved you. Is this how you repay a life-saving favor?"

Su Yu detected the probing tone in his words and, intending to probe him as well, gently instructed Yu Chiyou, "Ayou, put the sword away."

Yu Chiyou stared at Liu Wushi for a few moments. For some reason, he felt that the woman in front of him was somewhat strange. However, since Su Yu had told him to put the sword away and he did not sense any killing intent from Liu Wushi, he sheathed his sword with a twist of his hand.

Liu Wushi slowly relaxed and continued to probe Su Yu, "This is the backyard of the Red Joy Tavern in the West Market. The guards won't find you here. Young sir, you can rest assured and hide here. But I wonder how you plan to have your people come and pick you up?"

"May I ask how to address this lady? And which household do you belong to? When I return, I would like to repay your kindness." Su Yu smiled, revealing the dimples at the corners of her mouth. She was tall and had striking features, but the dimples made her look like an innocent youth.

Liu Wushi also smiled, "You can call me Liu Jiuniang. I am just a tavern girl from the Red Joy Tavern. Judging by your accent, you don't seem to be from the capital."

Su Yu's eyes flickered, and she immediately put on a naive expression, covering her mouth in surprise, then whispered, "Is it that obvious?"

She appeared utterly innocent.

Liu Wushi's fox-like eyes lifted, guessing that Su Yu was a noble who had come to the capital with the new emperor, but he first ruled out the possibility that Su Yu was the emperor.

He was well-informed and had already known about the new emperor killing Liu Sanen during the coronation ceremony. This single event was enough to determine that the new emperor was a ruthless person. The Su Yu in front of him looked too pure and kind, far from the image of the new emperor in his mind.

However, he had not heard that the new emperor had brought any family members to the capital...

Liu Wushi glanced at Su Yu again, and in a split second, he suddenly had an idea. Since he could disguise himself as a woman, then the person before him might also be a woman disguised as a man!

Such beauty, if it belonged to a woman, would undoubtedly be breathtaking, especially paired with Su Yu's clear peach-blossom eyes, which seemed both indifferent and pure, yet also affectionate and charming. Even a seasoned merchant like him, who had traveled far and wide and seen countless people, was momentarily captivated.

In that instant, Liu Wushi speculated on various possibilities and couldn't help but probe further, "Young sir, those soldiers probably haven't gone far yet. Would you like to accompany me to a private room upstairs in the tavern?"

Yu Chiyou grew wary, but Su Yu readily agreed. She seemed like she had never been out in the world before, her eyes filled with curiosity, and she followed Liu Wushi upstairs.

The tavern connected to the small courtyard was located in the best part of the West Market. Sitting in the private room on the second floor, one could take in the bustling scene of the West Market at a glance.

Su Yu's amazement was genuine. She had seen the hustle and bustle of modern cities, but this was her first time experiencing the lively clamor of ancient times. Compared to the high efficiency and fast pace of modern steel and concrete cities, this street and its throngs of people exuded a more rustic, human touch, giving her a sense of peace and prosperity.

For the first time since coming to this world, she felt truly alive. Something deep within her was stirred.

"Young sir, come here," Liu Wushi took advantage of Su Yu's dazed gaze outside and handed her a bowl of strong liquor from the Western Regions.

Su Yu did not refuse and drank it all in one go, then pretended to choke and coughed, her reddened eyes making her look even more like peach blossoms in March.

With misty eyes, she cooed, "Jiuniang, what did you give me to drink?"

Yu Chiyou thought to himself, "..." Had he not seen Su Yu drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, he might have been fooled. He had his doubts, but his intuition told him it was best to say nothing at this moment.

Sure enough, Liu Wushi, who had never seen this before, fell for it. His eyes darkened slightly, convinced that Su Yu was a delicate noblewoman disguised as a man. He began to scheme, thinking he could disguise himself as a woman to get closer to Su Yu and gather information.

Liu Wushi smiled coquettishly and said in a high-pitched voice, "It's strong liquor from the Western Regions. If you like it, young sir, I can treat you to more."

Su Yu coughed heavily twice—this time for real, not acting. Knowing that Liu Wushi was actually a man, his high-pitched voice made her unable to hold back, giving her goosebumps.

Liu Wushi laughed, patting Su Yu's back with an exaggerated gesture, "Young sir, don't be in such a hurry. I have plenty more liquor here."

Su Yu finally caught her breath and turned to meet his gaze. Her fair face was now flushed with the effects of the alcohol, and she said obediently, "Thank you, Jiuniang, but my family doesn't allow me to drink. I can't have any more."

She was utterly charming.

Liu Wushi paused, his hand on her back, then he poured her a second bowl, smiling, "You've already had one bowl, what's one more?"

He handed her the bowl, and she reached out to take it.

Their fingers touched, and Su Yu's smooth fingertips brushed against the back of Liu Wushi's hand. Liu Wushi was slightly startled, his eyes lowering to see their hands overlapping—

Liu Wushi was very fair, so his disguise as a woman was seamless, but his hands were still those of a man, weathered and rough, with prominent knuckles, completely unlike Su Yu's, which were as smooth as scallion stalks or jade.

Liu Wushi's hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, spilling some liquor between their fingers.

Su Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Why did it spill?"

She took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped Liu Wushi's hand.

Liu Wushi hurriedly withdrew his hand, pretending to be shy and lowering his head, "Young sir, although I am a tavern girl, I am not one to climb the social ladder. Please don't treat me so casually."

Even though Great Qi's rules on male-female interactions were not strict, there was still a sense of propriety. If they were a normal man and woman, the previous action would have crossed the line.

Liu Wushi sneaked a glance at Su Yu and saw her looking utterly confused, her eyes pure, further convincing him—

Only if she were a woman, and thought he was a woman, could her eyes be so pure.

After a long while, Su Yu seemed to finally remember something and quickly put away the handkerchief, her face red as she whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you, Jiuniang."

Liu Wushi chuckled and waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind, then asked Su Yu, "I still don't know your name, young sir?"

Su Yu glanced at Yu Chiyou and casually gave herself a fake name: "My surname is Su, and my given name is Zuo. I am the eldest in my family."

Liu Wushi smoothly responded: "Big Brother Su."

Su Yu: "..." Although she knew that "Big Brother Su" was a normal form of address here, it still felt a bit strange to her.

She turned her head to look outside and saw Yu Chiyi, who was dressed in a stern and imposing manner, downstairs.

Yu Chiyi seemed to sense something and looked up, meeting her gaze.

In just a moment, Su Yu nonchalantly averted her eyes and pointed in a direction outside the window. Yu Chiyi immediately understood her meaning and walked forward as if he were a soldier patrolling the streets.

After a while, Su Yu looked outside again and could no longer see Yu Chiyi's figure. She then said to Liu Wushi, "It's getting late, I should head back."

Liu Wushi did not try to stop her, only offering a lonely smile, "Young sir, we met by chance. Earlier, I mistook you for someone else. Bringing you here doesn't count as any great act of saving your life—it was just a few jokes, so don't take it to heart."

He was strikingly beautiful, and when his fox-like eyes lowered, they resembled the most vibrant peony adorned with dew, evoking an inexplicable sense of pity.

"Ah... I see..." Su Yu stammered in response, then left with Yu Chiyou.

Liu Wushi waited until she was out of sight before letting out a soft sigh, revealing a hint of indifference.

However, before he could fully drop his disguise, he heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from outside the door, clearly someone rushing up from downstairs.

He quickly looked up and saw Su Yu, panting heavily, leaning against the doorframe. He hurriedly put on his act and asked with a smile, "Did you forget something here?"

Su Yu shook her head vigorously, her slightly disheveled hair becoming even messier. She gasped for breath and said, "Jiuniang, you saved my life. I will definitely come back to repay you!"

Liu Wushi was momentarily stunned, meeting Su Yu's unusually sincere gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he felt a pang of guilt for deceiving such an innocent girl.

By the time he regained his composure, Su Yu had already left again. He hurriedly leaned halfway out the window, only to see her moon-white figure standing out among the crowd, unmistakably unique.

She must be a lady dressed as a man, right? She must be a lady!

Su Yu led Yu Chiyou in the direction she had pointed earlier, and sure enough, Yu Chiyi had prepared a carriage waiting there. "Your Majesty."

"Let's talk on the way back," Su Yu nodded to him.

Yu Chiyou followed her into the carriage, sitting beside her. He glanced at Su Yu discreetly. The young monarch's peach-blossom eyes now carried a faint chill, a far cry from the delicate and sincere demeanor she had shown in front of Liu Wushi.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something but unsure how to phrase it.

Su Yu glanced at him lightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, "Adults' matters are not for children to meddle in. In the future, if I take you to see Liu Jiuniang, just stay silent like you did today."

The little act she had just performed with Liu Wushi was a bit too complicated for Yu Chiyou to grasp.

She smiled to herself, thinking that Liu Wushi had overthought things. When he was testing her, she had already formed a plan, deliberately playing the role of a naive girl disguised as a man who couldn't hide her true nature, misleading Liu Wushi. She wondered whose acting skills were better—hers or Liu Wushi's—and who would come out on top in the end.

Yu Chiyou protested unhappily, "Your Majesty, I'm already sixteen! In the common folk, sixteen-year-olds are already marrying and having children!" He was no child!

Su Yu gave him a sidelong glance and teased, "I have dozens of portraits of beauties. Go pick one, and I'll arrange a match for you."

Yu Chiyou, hearing this, became even more reluctant, "I haven't established myself yet, so I have no intention of starting a family. Besides, my duty now is to protect Your Majesty closely. I shouldn't have any other distractions!"

Su Yu looked at his round, puppy-like eyes and laughed. He really was a simple-minded child!

Seeing her smile, Yu Chiyou couldn't help but feel relieved. This version of the monarch was much better—the cold-faced Su Yu from earlier had been somewhat intimidating!

The carriage swayed, and occasionally, the sounds of the outside world drifted in, though they were not very clear.

Su Yu suddenly asked Yu Chiyou with curiosity, "How did you notice the arrows coming at us earlier?"

Inside the carriage, unable to see outside or hear clearly, it was quite miraculous that Yu Chiyou could make such a precise judgment.

Yu Chiyou scratched his head in distress, thought for a long time, and then said, "I just sensed danger approaching."

Su Yu: "..." It must be said that heaven is indeed fair; it closed one window for Yu Chiyou but opened a much larger door for him.

Su Yu smiled and complimented him, "Indeed, choosing Ayou as my personal guard was the right decision. With Ayou around, I can rest easy."

Yu Chiyou's face flushed at the praise, his eyes shining even brighter as he looked at Su Yu.

The carriage had just entered the palace when it stopped.

Lifting the carriage curtain, it turned out that Cui Xuan had come to them of his own accord.

Su Yu lounged lazily in the carriage, her black hair still somewhat disheveled, with a large stain on the hem of her robe.

Cui Xuan immediately noticed Su Yu's slouched posture and untidy appearance, which caused a deep frown to form between his eyebrows. He pursed his lips tightly, took a deep breath, and half-closed his eyes, deciding to ignore Su Yu's external appearance.

He stepped forward and gave a bow, his voice cool, "Your Majesty, it is good that you are safe and sound."

Clearly, he knew about Su Yu's assassination attempt on the street.

It was said in the novel that Cui Xuan pursued perfection in everything he did. Su Yu now had a direct understanding of this. Even a simple bow was executed differently by Cui Xuan—it was particularly standard and good-looking. From that angle, his waist looked so slender that she almost wanted to grab it.

Su Yu clicked her tongue and smiled casually, "Minister Cui is indeed well-informed."

She hopped down from the carriage and approached Cui Xuan, her expression cold, "Then, Minister Cui, do you know who would dare to be so brazen?"

Cui Xuan's gaze landed on the stain on her hem, and he said coldly, "I do not know."

"Oh," Su Yu asked coolly, "So, Minister Cui came to the palace just to see if I am dead or alive?"

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, naturally blessed with divine favor," Cui Xuan responded calmly. He was here to declare that this matter had nothing to do with the Cui family, and that the Cui family currently had no intention of pulling Su Yu from the throne.

He despised such underhanded methods as assassination.

Su Yu understood Cui Xuan's meaning, but such a statement was of little use to her. She waved her hand dismissively, "I understand. If Minister Cui has nothing else, you may return."

She then turned and instructed someone nearby to summon the three prime ministers and the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue to the palace.

Cui Xuan: "..." This emperor, apart from her face, truly had nothing that could meet his standards.

He maintained a cold expression but did not leave.

Seeing that he had not left, Su Yu suddenly smiled and invited Cui Xuan, "There's still a way to walk from here to the imperial study. Would Minister Cui like to accompany me?"

Cui Xuan did not refuse and followed half a step behind Su Yu.

Surprisingly, Su Yu did not speak a word along the way, as if she really just wanted to walk with him for a while.

When they reached the door of the imperial study, Su Yu suddenly turned around. Cui Xuan's steps paused, his expression serious, ready for Su Yu to challenge him—

Given the new emperor's previous behavior, it would be typical for Su Yu to initiate a challenge.

Unexpectedly, Su Yu asked, "I heard that Minister Cui has been in poor health since childhood. Are you tired from this walk?"

She had walked this distance and her legs were already aching, but Cui Xuan's breathing hadn't changed at all. She began to doubt what Yu Chiyi had said about Cui Xuan's poor health since childhood.

"..." Cui Xuan paused for a moment before replying, "Your Majesty, my health is fine. The rumors among the common folk are not to be trusted."

He simply disliked the popular wrestling games in Great Qi, which involved excessive sweating and close physical contact with others. Somehow, the rumors had twisted into him being frail and unable to participate in such activities.

"Oh," Su Yu nodded and stepped into the imperial study. "Since the three prime ministers, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Vice Minister of Personnel are already here, why not summon the Vice Minister of Justice, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, the Vice Minister of War, and the Vice Minister of Rites as well? The more people, the livelier it will be."

Cui Xuan was silent for a moment... For a moment, he couldn't grasp what the emperor was plotting.

Su Yu smiled at him, "If someone were to take over the Cui family's assets, how would you respond, Minister Cui?"

Cui Xuan immediately understood Su Yu's implication and responded, "That would depend on which portion of the assets. If it has been seized for many years and recovering it would be more trouble than it’s worth pursuing, then I would naturally let it go."

"What if that person wanted to take over all of the Cui family's assets?" Su Yu pressed on. "Not only seize all the assets but also kill you, Minister Cui, to settle the matter once and for all."

Cui Xuan replied, "Since ancient times, those who take a life must pay with their own. Those who seek both wealth and life cannot be spared."

Su Yu nodded, first affirming Cui Xuan's earlier statement, "Minister Cui is right. If it's a long-standing claim that has been seized for too many years, I wouldn't want to pursue it either. But from last year to now, it's only been a year, which shouldn't be considered old."

From the beginning, she hadn't expected to recover all the assets of the royal relatives. Recovering even a little was better than nothing, of course, but she couldn't let her bottom line be easily known. Now that Cui Xuan had spoken, she had an out, and the prestigious clans also had an out. Each side could take a step back, achieving her goal—

For now, she didn't want to confront the prestigious clans too early. It wasn't the right time to provoke them.

However, those who sought her life were a different matter.

Cui Xuan was somewhat taken aback. He hadn’t expected Su Yu to be so lenient, especially since she was someone who would scrutinize even the cost of a candle... Cui Xuan felt he needed to reassess the new emperor before him.

Soon, Lu Zhenghan, Zhang Xiu, Li Jianzhang, and five other vice ministers arrived.

The eight of them wore varying expressions, but Shang Guanyi's face remained wooden. He genuinely didn’t want to be conspicuous in front of the new emperor every day, so once everyone had gathered, he quietly moved to the back, standing in a corner.

No one spoke first; they all wanted to assess Su Yu's stance.

Su Yu first confronted Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Lin Ziqing. She had visited the Ministry of Revenue before the assassination attempt, and only a few officials there knew of her incognito visit. Lin Ziqing couldn’t shirk responsibility.

From the moment he stepped into the palace, Lin Ziqing had been trembling. When Su Yu coldly questioned him, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees. "Your Majesty, I only informed Elder Lu of Your Majesty's intention to audit the accounts..."

Lu Zhenghan interrupted him, "The Ministry of Revenue is under Minister Zhang's jurisdiction."

Lin Ziqing's body trembled, but his eyes darted toward Lu Zhenghan, as if pleading for mercy.

Lu Zhenghan’s heart dropped. This was a ploy to frame him!

He quickly glanced at Zhang Xiu. The late emperor had a tendency to execute members of the royal family, and the Lu family had profited greatly from it. But Zhang Xiu was no paragon of virtue either—a scholar from a humble background who now lived in luxury, his lifestyle was no less lavish than that of the heads of prestigious clans. Where did all that wealth come from? Certainly not from his meager salary, which was barely enough to support his family!

Zhang Xiu was clearly using Lin Ziqing as a scapegoat, trying to shift the blame onto him.

Lu Zhenghan narrowed his eyes and spoke to Su Yu in a measured tone, "Vice Minister Lin did send me a message, but since the Ministry of Revenue has always been under Minister Zhang's jurisdiction, and Your Majesty had just ascended the throne, it was only natural to want to know the state of the ministry's accounts. I didn't pay much attention to it, but I never expected... I propose that the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court jointly investigate this case. All those involved in the assassination attempt should be executed!"

Zhang Xiu immediately knelt, his attitude far more reverent than Lu Zhenghan's. "Your Majesty, please understand. Although the Ministry of Revenue is under my jurisdiction, and Lin Ziqing was once my student, I was not aware of Your Majesty's visit to the ministry beforehand, nor was I informed by anyone. I agree with Elder Lu's proposal. The Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court should jointly investigate this case, and all those involved should be beheaded as a warning to others."

"The Vice Minister of Justice is already here. I'll summon the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Censor-in-Chief as well. Let's have a joint trial by the three judicial bodies," Su Yu's meaning was clear—she wanted a resolution today, and she didn't plan to let anyone leave until it was reached.

The expressions of those present shifted.

When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Censor-in-Chief arrived, Su Yu had Yu Chiyi bring in the previously captured assassin.

The so-called assassin was wearing the armor of the Imperial Guards.

The man was also bewildered. Upon learning Su Yu's identity, he was terrified. "Your Majesty, I am the Right Street Commander of the Imperial Guards, responsible for patrolling the shops in the West Market. I received an anonymous letter saying that suspicious individuals had entered the capital with the intent to rebel, so I led my men to intercept the carriage."

Su Yu took out an arrowhead from her robe, which was the very arrow that had been shot into the carriage earlier.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review glanced at it and said, "This arrowhead bears the insignia of the Weibo military district."

"Is the Military Governor of Weibo plotting a rebellion?" Li Jianzhang finally spoke up at this moment.

Su Yu scoffed. Even if the Military Governor of Weibo wanted to rebel, Tian Hong has troops at his disposal and could simply revolt directly without going to such lengths to assassinate her from afar.

Cui Xuan glanced at Su Yu and spoke on her behalf: "The Military Governor of Weibo has no need to go through such convolutions; this is just a smokescreen."

"Minister Zhang's student reported to Elder Lu, sent an anonymous letter to the Imperial Guards, set up archers to ambush along the way, and even implicated the Military Governor of Weibo. Vice Minister Lin Ziqing, you’ve got some impressive tricks up your sleeve!" Su Yu angrily slammed her hand on the table. "Others aside, Lin Ziqing, you are guilty of treason!"

Lin Ziqing's face drained of all color. In Great Qi, treason was a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire family. He was an official who had risen through the imperial examinations from a humble background, and his family depended on him. Once convicted of treason, there would be no escape from the extermination of his clan. He suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.

At this moment, his thoughts became crystal clear. He kowtowed hard on the ground and cried out, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die a thousand deaths, but my crime lies in my extreme foolishness, being used by treacherous individuals!"

He continued, "I actually sent messages to all three grand councilors."

Su Yu: "..." Even Lü Bu only served two masters, but Lin Ziqing has pledged allegiance to three at once.

Lin Ziqing revealed even bigger news: "This arrowhead is old, and four years ago, the imperial armory destroyed a batch of arrowheads originally intended for the military districts. The person responsible for the destruction was Elder Li."

Originally, the weapons under the military governors' jurisdictions were supposed to be uniformly provided by the imperial armory. However, as the military governors' power grew, the military districts became increasingly autonomous, and weapons became self-sufficient. The arrowheads made by the court for the military districts piled up in the armory and needed to be destroyed.

At that time, Li Jianzhang was responsible for the destruction, and naturally, he could have hidden some away.

"You’re lying through your teeth! Your Majesty! I have no disloyal intentions!" Li Jianzhang was so anxious that he stepped forward to strike Lin Ziqing but was stopped by Yu Chiyi beside him. He turned abruptly and knelt heavily on the ground.

Su Yu looked at the other two chancellors and then at Cui Xuan, whose expression was indifferent, like a deity looking down upon mortals.

She slightly lowered her gaze and decided to quit while she was ahead. The remaining two could be dealt with slowly later. After all, eliminating Li Jianzhang was enough to disrupt the current power structure. "Guards, take Li Jianzhang and Lin Ziqing to the dungeon. The Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review will jointly investigate this case. I won’t let anyone involved off the hook!"

Apart from the wailing Li Jianzhang and Lin Ziqing, and Cui Xuan, who stayed detached, everyone else secretly breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from their brows.

Shang Guanyi thought that he should have nothing to do now and took two more steps back, planning to be the first to slip away once the emperor announced they could leave.

Unexpectedly, before everyone's palpitations had fully subsided, Su Yu called out to Shang Guanyi in front of everyone: "Since everyone who should be here is present, Vice Minister Shang, take out the list I asked you to compile and show it to everyone."

Shang Guanyi: "..." Who in their right mind carries the imperial genealogy around every day!

He forced a smile and took out the imperial genealogy from his robe, presenting it to Su Yu—

He knew that being called here would lead to no good and had prepared himself from the start.

"Everyone, help me count how many relatives I have lost," Su Yu handed out the genealogy.

Everyone: "..." Not even an assassination attempt can curb the emperor’s greed!

Su Yu said, "I went to review the Ministry of Revenue’s ledgers today. Even without the assassination attempt, Lin Ziqing, as the Vice Minister of Revenue, is guilty of dereliction of duty, and now his crimes are compounded."

She waved her hand, appearing deeply sorrowful. "With Lin Ziqing out of commission, let's set aside matters from too long ago. I’m asking the two grand councilors and Vice Minister Cui... and also call Xie Yiguan, who is clever and sharp-minded, to first clarify last year's and this year's accounts for me."

Su Yu blinked, looking as if she was easy to negotiate with: "How about ten days?"

Cui Xuan nodded and replied, "I’ll take care of it."

Lu Zhenghan and Zhang Xiu: "..." Why agree so quickly? Oh, I remember, the Cui family gained the least back then.

They cursed Cui Xuan a thousand times in their heads but could only smile and agree on the surface.

Shang Guanyi thought that now he should have nothing to do and could finally slip away.

Su Yu suddenly clapped her hands, "I think Vice Minister Shang has been quite effective too. Vice Minister Shang, you will also join in reviewing the accounts."

Shang Guanyi: "...Your Majesty, I get a headache just from looking at ledgers. Even my household finances are managed by my wife..."

Su Yu gave him a look, and he bit his tongue before backtracking: "I’m no good with numbers, but I can help organize."