Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Tian struggled to meet Su Yu one last time, sending a message to Su Yu, saying that she had only told Xie Yiguan half of the information, and the other half required Su Yu to ask herself.

However, Su Yu had no interest in seeing her. Her previous meeting with Tian was primarily for money, and now that the money was secured, the rest didn't matter.

Xie Yiguan asked her, "Your Majesty, aren't you curious?"

Su Yu glanced at him and retorted, "Curious about what?"

If the water is too clear, there are no fish.

The previous Great Qi was like a business on the brink of collapse. Could you expect middle and high-level officials to remain diligent and not seek their own escape routes when the state was about to collapse? If they were to purge officials for having ulterior motives, most of Great Qi's officials would be gone by now.

Therefore, Su Yu had no intention of delving too deeply into the matter from the start, unless it was someone like Lu Congshi, who had taken actual rebellious actions—such individuals would be executed without hesitation.

Xie Yiguan clearly understood this too. In fact, at the beginning, even he did not hold much hope for Su Yu, but his Majesty had ultimately won him over.

His gaze toward Su Yu softened unconsciously, and he smiled as he replied, "Okay."

The information he had already extracted, along with the intelligence Liu Wushi had gathered, was all presented before Su Yu. He believed that Her Majesty would make her own judgment.

Su Yu did not stay in Luzhou for too long. After dealing with Lu Congshi's former associates and Tian's case, she thought for a moment and wrote a letter to Cui Xuan, instructing him to select a group of officials from the Ministry of Personnel's evaluations to be sent over.

Regarding military officers, Su Yu left Xue Jun in Luzhou.

The Zhenhai Army was entirely entrusted to Xiao Luo.

From the start, Su Yu had no intention of keeping Xue Jun in Jiangnan. However, Xiao Luo's initial position in Jiangnan was not particularly respectable, and even if it was for undercover purposes, it could easily draw criticism. Therefore, she had Xue Jun stay in Jiangnan a bit longer to maintain order.

By the time of this northern campaign, Xiao Luo had firmly established himself in the army, and only then did Su Yu recall Xue Jun.

After leaving Luzhou, Su Yu took a detour to Taiyuan.

The Prefect of Taiyuan, Xin Jianshui, and the Hedong military governor, Pei Xiao, had already heard about the fates of Tian Hong, Lin Changqing, and Lu Congshi. They had also heard rumors of the emperor's cunning and Yu Chiyi's ruthless killing—no, rather, the emperor's brilliance and strategic prowess, and Yu Chiyi's bravery and skill in battle, with a touch of sorcery?

Now, seeing the emperor arrive with Yu Chiyi and a massive army at their doorstep, they were as compliant as could be.

Especially Xin Jianshui, whose attitude toward Su Yu was exceptionally favorable. He came to report to Su Yu every day, and this time, without Xie Yiguan having to scheme to get him to contribute grain, he proactively said, "Although Taiyuan Prefecture is not wealthy, it is still better off than the cold northern regions of Shuozhou. I heard that the Tiele have been harassing Shuozhou again lately. These days, I have been urging the prestigious families and wealthy households of Taiyuan to generously contribute resources for Shuozhou, and we have already made some headway. I will have them sent over shortly."

It must be said that Xin Jianshui had some competence to serve as the Prefect of Taiyuan.

Su Yu nodded in satisfaction, but she did not want to face Xin Jianshui's old face every day, so she directly told him to carry out his duties properly and not come to see her daily.

As for Pei Xiao, he brought Pei Biao, bound, to offer a formal apology for the assassination attempt during the autumn hunt last September.

It turned out that after Pei Shisi was deposed, Pei Biao harbored resentment toward the emperor and Pei Xiao. He secretly colluded with Tian Hong, arranging for Tian Hong's men to infiltrate Pei Xiao's entourage during the autumn hunt.

Pei Xiao did not dare to deal with Pei Biao privately, fearing that others might accuse him of using a scapegoat. He had been hesitant about whether to go to the capital, worried that Su Yu might detain him and cost him his life.

Now that Su Yu was in Taiyuan, he decided to meet her and gauge the emperor's attitude. If the emperor had no intention of killing him, he had no desire to rebel either.

Pei Xiao cautiously looked at Su Yu. Although the emperor was beautiful and smiled kindly, if he still thought the emperor was easy to talk to, he would be as foolish as a dog that cannot stop eating filth!

There was one more thing: he believed that Yu Chiyi's so-called sorcery was part of a divine artifact wielded by the emperor. Although he had never seen the emperor's artifact, he had experienced the autumn hunt and heard a loud noise at the time. This time, when Yu Chiyi used sorcery to attack the city gates, it was said that a loud noise preceded it. Therefore, he speculated that the emperor had bestowed a magical tool upon Yu Chiyi.

Thinking this way, Pei Xiao felt that following the emperor offered more promise—provided the emperor did not kill him.

Su Yu said, "Although Pei Biao is Military Governor Pei's cousin, since he has committed a crime, he will be handed over to the Prefect of Taiyuan for interrogation."

Pei Xiao felt a pang of unease, since he and Xin Jianshui had a strained relationship. However, he had no choice but to comply.

When Xin Jianshui saw Pei Biao being brought over, he was momentarily stunned. What was the emperor getting at?

He pondered deeply and had a lengthy discussion with his son, Xin Zhiyun.

Xin Zhiyun said, "I’ve noticed His Majesty isn’t one for bloodshed. Last year, when the Lu family plotted rebellion, only the ringleaders were put to death. Father, why not stick to His Majesty’s usual approach and only punish those directly involved?"

Xin Jianshui thought his son made sense and, following his advice, interrogated Pei Biao overnight.

When Pei Biao fell into Xin Jianshui's hands, he realized that Pei Xiao was serious. He cursed Pei Xiao for turning his back on family loyalty, but he wasn’t one to hold out under pressure. Before the torture even began, Pei Biao spilled everything.

After double-checking the facts, Xin Jianshui presented Pei Biao's confession to Su Yu, sentencing Pei Biao, his son Pei Jie, and other Pei family members to death. He mused, doesn’t the emperor have a soft spot for money? So, he also slapped Pei Xiao with a fine of ten thousand taels of silver, which had to be paid into the state treasury within seven days.

Su Yu glanced at the verdict and said, "Proceed as per Governor Xin’s recommendation."

When Pei Xiao received the verdict, he felt like the world was crashing down. It wasn't because Xin Jianshui wanted to execute a few of his disobedient cousins—those could be disposed of without a second thought—but because of the ten thousand taels of silver.

Pei Xiao was a man who loved power but did not amass wealth. Raising that kind of money would mean selling off his assets. Xin Jianshui, who knew him all too well, was being downright cruel by imposing such a heavy fine!

But since the emperor had agreed and seemed to be giving him some leeway, what could he do? Pei Xiao started offloading his assets at a loss, muttering curses about Xin Jianshui.

Noticing Pei Xiao’s distress, Su Yu smiled and said, "Military Governor Pei, you can also use your land to cover the fine."

Pei Xiao’s assets weren’t easy to liquidate quickly, so being able to use his land to offset the fine was the best possible solution!

Pei Xiao kept cursing Xin Jianshui but was profoundly grateful to Su Yu.

Xie Yiguan, who had witnessed the entire process, thought to himself, "..." Without thinking about where the money ultimately ended up, fine, he had to admit he admired the emperor.

Liu Wushi, who had also observed everything, felt a wave of sympathy for Su Yu. Was the emperor really that strapped for cash?

If she was so in need of money, why had she only kept the shops in the capital when he offered all his assets, returning the rest to him... So, did Her Majesty have any feelings for him?

Liu Wushi's gaze subtly drifted toward Su Yu, only to be caught by her.

She flashed him a gentle smile, making him so uncomfortable that he quickly averted his gaze.

Xie Yiguan: "..." Everyone knew the emperor was a man, yet Liu Wushi was blushing. It was indeed a bit unusual.

"You two have nothing to do now, accompany me to the bustling market for a look," Su Yu said with a smile.

Taiyuan, as a major city of Great Qi, was divided into east and west markets, similar in scale to the capital.

Xin Jianshui, who loved wealth, was reluctant to impose a strict curfew that would cut off his own revenue streams. Thus, Taiyuan had a curfew, but not a complete one—more like a partial curfew.

Simply put, Taiyuan implemented a curfew, but if shops paid a monthly fee for exemption, they could continue operating after curfew. The same applied to the citizens: ordinary people were not allowed out after curfew, but if they paid an extra fee for a night travel permit from the authorities, they could go out after curfew.

It had to be said, Xin Jianshui was quite the talent.

Thanks to Xin Jianshui's system, the east and west markets of Taiyuan were even livelier than those in the capital.

Su Yu strolled through the streets with Xie Yiguan and Liu Wushi, all three of them possessing rare beauty. Encountering one such person would be lucky on any ordinary day, but seeing three at once was extraordinary. Great Qi had an open culture, and in the northern city of Taiyuan, the women were even more unrestrained. They threw flowers, sachets, and fruits directly into Su Yu's arms.

At first, Su Chengying, who was accompanying Su Yu, was very cautious, but as the crowd grew, he became overwhelmed and couldn't keep up with the defense.

"Cheng Ying, it's fine. They mean no harm," Su Yu chuckled, casually picking up a plum, wiping it on her robe, and about to take a bite.

Xie Yiguan, unusually tense, quickly stopped her: "Don't!"

What if it's poisoned? This is the ruler of a nation!

Su Yu and Liu Wushi both glanced at him and nodded in understanding.

Liu Wushi suddenly bent down and took a bite of the plum Su Yu was holding. He only took a small bite, but his lips accidentally grazed Su Yu's fingertips. He froze, especially when he looked up and met Su Yu's slightly startled gaze. He felt a rush of blood to his head, his face flushing hot. He looked away and said, "I've tried it; it's not poisoned."

Xie Yiguan acted quickly, snatching the plum from Su Yu's hand and throwing it away. When Su Yu looked at him, he smiled coldly and said, "Even if it's dirty, you can't eat it."

"Cousin, if you're hungry, there's a famous eatery up ahead," Xie Yiguan pointed forward.

Liu Wushi cursed Xie Yiguan inwardly for his audacity in calling the emperor 'cousin,' but then he remembered that Su Yu was indeed masquerading as Xie Yiguan's cousin outside, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

When they settled into the private dining room, Xie Yiguan suddenly extended his hand to Su Yu and asked, "Cousin, may I have your right hand?"

Su Yu glanced at him but didn't refuse, resting her right hand on his open palm.

Xie Yiguan lowered his gaze. His hands were long and finely shaped, with prominent knuckles. When he was a boy, a wandering Taoist had read his palm, saying that these hands could wield a pen to bring peace to the world or ride a horse to secure the realm. But Su Yu's hands were even more beautiful, like Guanyin's hands.

He held Su Yu's hand and slowly drew a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve, carefully wiping each of her fingers one by one.

Su Yu and Liu Wushi exchanged puzzled glances.

Once done, Xie Yiguan smiled and said, "It's clean now."

Su Yu: '...' Why does it feel like Xie Yiguan is channeling Cui Xuan?

Liu Wushi: '!' What is Xie Yiguan up to?

He frowned at Xie Yiguan, sensing some ulterior motives. When they were alone, he would definitely caution Su Yu to be wary of Xie Yiguan.

Su Yu turned to Liu Wushi and asked, "Buyi, how do you find Taiyuan City?"

Liu Wushi, caught off guard, cautiously asked, "Your Majesty means?"

Su Yu pushed open the window of the private room on the second floor and looked down at the bustling crowd below. "How is the public security, and how is the commerce?"

Liu Wushi replied, "The public security of Taiyuan Prefecture is jointly managed by the Prefect of Taiyuan and the Hedong military governor. The two don't get along and can't stand the other catching more thieves than themselves. In their competition to catch thieves, the public security in Taiyuan has become excellent. As for commerce, although Prefect Xin has set up many fees, the trade-offs are within the acceptable range for the businesses."

Xin Jianshui understood the principle of the chicken and the egg cycle. Although some things in Taiyuan required extra money, when calculating costs and final profits, merchants could accept it. For example, the curfew exemption fee allowed restaurants and taverns to operate until midnight, and the diners and drinkers, unwilling to go back, would stay in nearby inns, boosting Taiyuan's inn business. Moreover, Xin Jianshui's fees were not high and were collected monthly. If business was slow, they didn't have to pay.

Su Yu nodded, "I plan to open a bank, starting with a trial in Taiyuan. I don't trust anyone else with this..."

She turned her head and looked at Liu Wushi sincerely.

At that moment, Liu Wushi felt an illusion that Su Yu trusted only him, thinking, who else could it be but him?

He first said, "Leave it to me."

Then he paused, "What is a bank?"

Su Yu smiled and said, "It's like a vault, but different from ordinary vaults. It only stores gold and silver."

The vaults in Great Qi could only store items simply, and their functions were not as developed as the banks of later generations. They hadn't even developed banknotes yet, still using gold, silver, and copper coins as currency. Merchants had to carry enough silver when traveling for business. Except for businesses like the Liu family's business, which had branches everywhere, most small and medium-sized merchants couldn't travel too far.

Establishing a state-owned bank and using banknotes would naturally be much more convenient. With the bank in the hands of the court, most of the precious metals from prosperous areas could be concentrated in the court's hands, achieving multiple goals at once.

Su Yu wanted to find a place with stable public security and developed commerce to try circulating paper money in a commercially developed area. Although Jiangnan was good, she felt that Taiyuan was more suitable because Taiyuan was in a state between the capital and Jiangnan, with stronger compatibility. Additionally, with Xin Jianshui and Pei Xiao keeping each other in check, it was even more suitable for her to conduct the trial.

"It's where people deposit their gold and silver with you, and you give them a note as proof. With this note, they can go to any bank to exchange for the silver they deposited. Even if it's deposited in Taiyuan Prefecture, they can exchange it in the capital," Su Yu explained. The reason she chose Liu Wushi was because the Liu family's business had branches in several major cities, and merchants naturally trusted the Liu family.

She thought for a moment and added, "The bank will also serve as a pawnshop. For example, this time Pei Xiao is in a hurry to sell his property for silver. If there were a bank, he could first mortgage the deed of the Pei family ancestral home to borrow money. If he fails to repay the money within the stipulated time, the Pei family ancestral home would then become the property of the bank. Of course, the amount the bank lends would definitely be less than the amount the house could be sold for. If the Pei family ancestral home is worth five thousand taels of silver, we would only lend him three thousand taels."

Liu Wushi and Xie Yiguan: "..." It's a shame the Emperor isn't a shrewd merchant.

Liu Wushi, being a merchant by trade, found this concept not difficult to grasp. He could even refine more details. But suddenly, it struck him—if a bank were opened in Taiyuan, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't see Su Yu anymore?!

"What's the matter? Is something bothering you, Buyi?" Su Yu looked at Liu Wushi, who had suddenly turned grim. "If there's any trouble or something you need me to take care of, just let me know."

Liu Wushi met her expectant gaze, Su Yu earnestly staring at him as if all her hopes were pinned on him.

He truly couldn't bring himself to refuse, so he nodded stiffly: "I'll think it over carefully when I get back. If there are difficulties, I will certainly speak up."

"Alright, even if I go back to the capital, you can just drop me a line if there's anything important. If you want to see me after returning to the capital, just send a message to the old mansion." Su Yu said to him solemnly.

Liu Wushi found it even harder to refuse.

Xie Yiguan lowered his head and curved his lips. His Majesty sure knows how to coax people into working for her.

Su Yu originally wanted to stay in Taiyuan for a few more days, but Cui Xuan sent a letter saying that an envoy from Luosuo had arrived. Luosuo wanted to form a marriage alliance with Great Qi, hoping that Great Qi would send a princess to Luosuo for marriage, urging Su Yu to return.

Su Yu was silent for a moment. The King of Luosuo was clearly stirring up trouble. Who didn't know that the late Emperor Su Yan had killed all the royal family, leaving only Su Yu as the sole survivor. A princess? Where would they find a princess for him to marry!

Of course, even if there were a princess, Su Yu would not let her go to Luosuo for marriage.