Chapter 136

Chapter 136

Liu Wushi’s main purpose for coming this time was to report on the matter of the money house.

The Liu family had originally moved to the capital after making their fortune in Taiyuan Prefecture, and Taiyuan Prefecture was also a necessary route from the capital to Shuozhou, so Liu Wushi was no stranger to Taiyuan. Shortly after Su Yu left Taiyuan, he had already selected a shop to open the money house.

However, considering that Great Qi had never had a money house before, coupled with the instability of previous years, people with money only trusted cold, hard cash in their hands. If he couldn’t convince them, it would be difficult to get people to deposit their money in the money house.

Therefore, after selecting the shop, Liu Wushi did not rush to open the money house but instead returned to the capital to seek Su Yu.

After explaining all the circumstances, he glanced at Cui Xuan and then asked Su Yu, “Your Majesty, I have a few matters to seek your guidance on. First, under what identity should I open the money house?”

The matter of the young master of the Liu family abandoning the family’s business in the capital to become an official had already spread in several major cities. If he were to open the money house under the identity of Liu Jiulang, whether he should present himself as a merchant or an official would be a problem.

Su Yu had already considered this: “You will remain as the Director of Revenue, and I’ll also appoint you as the Hedong Circuit’s Director of Revenue. You will open the money house in Taiyuan Prefecture in my name.”

Cui Xuan was hearing about the money house for the first time. He sat there pondering for a while, somewhat worried, and asked, “Wouldn’t this damage Your Majesty’s reputation?”

Though Cui Xuan came off as cold and aloof, his initial willingness to secretly invest in the Liu family’s fleet showed that he was not averse to such matters. However, prestigious families usually conducted money-making activities in secret. Since Su Yu was the emperor, if she were to openly open a money house, he worried that if something went wrong, it would damage Su Yu’s reputation.

Su Yu, however, didn’t care: “Although the Liu family’s business is well-known, Buyi alone could open the money house. But since opening the money house is my idea, I can’t let him bear all the responsibility alone. If it works out, the credit’s his, but if it fails, I’ll take the blame.”

Not only Liu Wushi, but Cui Xuan and Xie Yiguan were also stunned, forgetting to avoid eye contact and staring directly at the emperor.

Su Yu laughed at the three of them: “What’s that look for? I do have some sense of responsibility. Alright, Buyi, continue with the other issues.”

The first problem was solved, and along with it, many other issues were resolved. Since Liu Buyi’s identity was given by the emperor, it was clear that the money house was backed by the emperor. Local officials wouldn’t dare to make trouble lightly, and the Liu family’s business was also out in the open, so depositors could feel somewhat assured he wouldn’t run off with their money.

Liu Wushi closed his eyes for a moment. The emperor in front of him was nothing like the ‘Su Da’ he’d pictured. She not only didn’t need his protection but could also protect him, which immediately calmed his heart.

He quickly opened his eyes again and smiled, saying, “Since the identity issue is resolved, I can open the money house when I return. However, since my identity is now public, I can’t use the Liu family’s business as a cover anymore. I need someone to actively deposit money as a cover.”

He stared blatantly at Cui Xuan, his intention obvious.

Cui Xuan paused for a moment and said, “The Cui family doesn’t have much in Taiyuan, but we do have ties with some prestigious families.”

Cui Xuan agreed readily. Since the emperor was willing to take responsibility, he had no reason to refuse.

Besides, he wasn’t worried about that. What he was worried about was…

Cui Xuan glanced at the items Liu Wushi had given to the emperor and then fixed his gaze on Liu Wushi’s androgynous face, clenching his fist.

“Then I’m all set for now and can head back to Taiyuan right away,” Liu Wushi said, but his fox-like eyes were fixed on Su Yu, his anticipation almost written on his face.

Su Yu glanced at him and, as he wished, said, “No rush. Tonight, you can…”

Xie Yiguan rarely interrupted her, smiling as he said, “The side hall’s still a mess. I’m heading in the same direction as Director Liu, so I can take him back to the Liu residence.”

Liu Wushi: “?” Same direction? The Liu residence and the Xie residence are six blocks apart!

Su Yu blinked, not yet speaking, when Cui Xuan immediately added, “In that case, I’ll trouble Imperial Censor Xie. Tomorrow morning, I’ll see Director Liu off on behalf of Your Majesty and take the opportunity to have him deliver a few letters to the heads of some prestigious families in Taiyuan.”

His reasoning made sense, and Su Yu smiled, saying, “Then I’ll trouble Xing Jian and Zhi Wei.”

Liu Wushi: “…” Things went as he’d expected, yet also not as he’d expected.

Before he could even speak to Su Yu alone, Xie Yiguan stood up, politely waiting beside him, forcing him to stand too.

Liu Wushi clenched his teeth, forcing a smile as he said, “Thank you, Premier Cui and Imperial Censor Xie.”

Noticing Cui Xuan hadn’t gotten up, Liu Wushi forced a smile and said, "Premier Cui, heading out? I’ve got a few things to ask you too."

Cui Xuan looked at him, then at Su Yu, quickly sizing things up. He rose gracefully and bowed to Su Yu, "Your Majesty, I’ll be going now."

He then gestured for Liu Wushi to follow.

Liu Wushi was dragged out of the palace, clearly not happy about it. Xie Yiguan really meant to walk him out, so he chuckled, "Alright then," and actually hopped into Xie Yiguan’s carriage.

Xie Yiguan kept smiling the whole ride, occasionally inquiring about Liu Wushi's affairs in Taiyuan, showing no signs of neglect or displeasure. This guy, known for being all grace and class, was flawless in how he acted. But for some reason, Liu Wushi’s fist itched to punch Xie Yiguan.

Guo Laidong came back to the capital with Liu Wushi, but while Guo returned to the Liu residence, Liu Wushi entered the palace.

He figured Liu Wushi would hang around the palace for ages, but to his surprise, Liu Wushi returned shortly after noon.

"Back already, boss?" Guo Laidong asked with some astonishment. "Did you settle everything you needed to discuss and ask?"

Liu Wushi replied dryly, "The Emperor gets things done quick."

Guo Laidong scrutinized Liu Wushi's expression. "Then why the long face, boss? Did the Emperor not like the gifts you presented?"

Liu Wushi immediately retorted, "How could that be? The Emperor’s super nice; he took everything I gave him happily."

He hesitated slightly before whispering to Guo Laidong, "He took everything I gave him, no questions asked... Does he really not care about me?"

Guo Laidong: "... If he got those gifts, he’d take them too, no questions asked. Who wouldn’t want valuable stuff?"

He maintained a stoic expression and bluntly said, "Boss, you’re reading too much into this. If he truly cared about you, he wouldn’t have left you alone in Taiyuan."

Liu Wushi shook his head, "You don’t understand. Out of all the officials, he picked me alone to open the bank. What does that mean? It means he trusts me uniquely."

Guo Laidong wanted to say that it was precisely because the young master was naive and wealthy that he was the most suitable to open the bank.

Liu Wushi patted his shoulder and timely said, "But it’s been tough on you and the guys sticking with me in Taiyuan. I’ll get the accountant to bump up your pay."

Guo Laidong swallowed his words. If the wages could be increased again, next time he might as well agree with Liu Wushi that the Emperor had feelings for him...

Never mind, as a martial artist, he couldn't bring himself to speak such insincere words.

First thing the next morning, Cui Xuan’s carriage showed up right on time at the Liu residence, just as Liu Wushi was ready to depart.

Cui Xuan himself pulled back the curtain and waved Liu Wushi in.

Liu Wushi was slightly surprised, knowing that Cui Xuan's carriage wasn’t easily accessible.

Inside, he found Su Yu, still yawning, sitting there in her fancy robes. He trembled slightly, quickly lowered his head, and softly asked, "Your Majesty, did you come just to send me off?"

Su Yu nodded. In her royal getup, she should’ve seemed untouchable, but her sleepy, red-rimmed eyes made her totally cute, causing one's heart to race.

She yawned again before saying, "I’ve gotta rush back for court, so I’ll make it quick."

She took out a coin made of meteorite iron from her bosom and handed it to Liu Wushi, "There’s another identical coin, which I gave to Kunlang Yundan of Luosuo, telling him that if he ever needs my help, he should give this coin to the Liu family’s business in Yuanzhou."

"Your Majesty, you’re planning to help the folks in Luosuo?" Liu Wushi asked in astonishment.

Su Yu shook her head, and the beads on her crown hit her face. She let out a hiss of pain. Cui Xuan looked at her, and she snatched the beads from her crown right in front of him. "You need only relay the message to me upon receiving this coin," she said.

She suddenly stood up, moved closer to Liu Wushi, and tightly grasped his hands with both of hers. "There are certain matters I cannot disclose to you at this time. It’s not a lack of trust in Buyi, but rather to ensure his safety. So don’t ask, just follow my lead."

The beads on Su Yu's crown gently grazed his face, telling him that the distance between her and him was closer than ever. Liu Wushi’s face flushed a deep crimson in an instant, and he responded awkwardly, "I understand. I’m in a hurry to return to Taiyuan, so I’ll take my leave now."

Liu Wushi fled the carriage as if making a hasty escape. Even after the carriage had gone far, his hands still felt burning hot, the lingering warmth of Su Yu’s touch remaining on them.

Guo Laidong looked at Liu Wushi suspiciously, suddenly having a guess: "Was the Emperor perhaps in the carriage?"

The blush on Liu Wushi’s face lingered for a long while. He muttered a few words that Guo Laidong couldn’t quite make out, but judging from Liu Wushi's distracted state, it was probably close to the truth.

"Liu Wushi's favorability increased by 5. Current favorability: 83."

The system’s notification roused the drowsy Su Yu, making her open her eyes, only to see that Cui Xuan seemed to have moved a bit closer to her.

Cui Xuan turned his head away, visibly uncomfortable. "Your Majesty appeared to be asleep, and I was concerned you might catch a chill."

Su Yu smiled at him, her eyes curving. "I thought Xing Jian was bothered by my slouching and wanted to adjust my posture."

Cui Xuan lowered his gaze and whispered, "How could I possibly be annoyed with Your Majesty?"

Su Yu looked at him as he pulled out a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve. "We have arrived. Your Majesty, please wipe your face to avoid catching a chill upon stepping out."

She took the handkerchief and noticed Cui Xuan had changed its color. After wiping her face, she tucked it into her sleeve as usual, keeping Cui Xuan’s little secret to herself.

Though Su Yu had no intention of holding a coming-of-age ceremony, the two prime ministers, Cui Xuan and Yao Feiming, tacitly avoided the topic in court. However, the Vice Minister of Rites nevertheless stepped forward.

The Vice Minister of Rites felt it was his time to shine. In fact, he had been eager to bring this up for some time, but on the first day of court after the spring break, he was informed that the Emperor was not in the capital.

Later, when the Emperor finally returned, it happened to be when the Luosuo envoys were in the capital. Everyone was on edge, and he deemed it inappropriate to raise the matter then. Now that the Emperor had returned from personally leading the campaign against the three regional commands in Hebei and sent the Luosuo envoys packing, such a monumental achievement surely warranted a grand celebration.

The celebration naturally began with the Emperor's coming-of-age ceremony.

The Vice Minister of Rites said, "Your Majesty’s achievements now rival those of the Grand Ancestor and Emperor Taizong. It is only appropriate to hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony."

He had also heard the Emperor amassed considerable wealth from the regional commands, thinking that the Emperor was now like a wealthy upstart. What does an upstart most want to do? Surely, it is to make his residence as splendid as possible.

Thus, the Vice Minister of Rites added, "I’ve heard that Your Majesty’s palace is leaking. Why not take advantage of the good spring weather to renovate the entire palace, including the harem? Once the renovation is complete, we can proceed with selecting concubines for Your Majesty..."

He suddenly paused, mainly because Premier Cui and Imperial Censor Xie were both staring at him, making him shiver inexplicably. It was spring, yet he felt a chilling cold.

The Vice Minister of Rites pondered for a moment, thinking he hadn’t said anything wrong, but then he heard the Emperor ask him in a low voice, "What? Vice Minister Du, have you been sleeping under my bed? How do you know if my palace is leaking or not?"

Vice Minister Du of the Rites was truly sweating now. How could he dare sleep under the Emperor’s bed? He was just using the excuse that the late Emperor loved to use—

In the past, Su Yan particularly liked to renovate his palaces. If he wasn’t satisfied with the newly built palace, he would kill people. After the blood had spilled all over the ground, he would blatantly lie, saying the palace was leaking and needed further renovation.

He quickly knelt on the ground, "It’s all my speculation. I thought Your Majesty has been frugal and hasn’t renovated for many years..."

Su Yu laughed twice, then turned to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, "I remember that three years ago, the late Emperor renovated the palace. Vice Minister Du, are you saying that your Ministry of Works cut corners? Others build houses that last for centuries, but the palace your Ministry of Works built can’t even last three years."

Vice Minister Zheng Shang of the Ministry of Works immediately exclaimed, "That’s absolutely impossible! If Your Majesty’s palace is leaking now, I’ll smash my head against the pillar in the Hanyuan Hall!"

With that, he actually took off his official hat and was about to crash into the nearby pillar.

Among the many officials present, some naturally pulled him back, some tried to calm him down, and others took the opportunity to throw stones at Vice Minister Du of the Rites. In the blink of an eye, the entire court descended into chaos, no better than a marketplace.

Su Yu, annoyed by the noise, waved her hand and announced the end of the court session. Then, ignoring the chaos in the court, she swaggered away.

Cui Xuan and Xie Yiguan trailed behind her, walking in step.

The remaining officials exchanged glances; some, indifferent, left promptly, while others appeared lost in thought.

Within two days, Su Yu noticed that the eunuchs stationed at her study’s entrance had been replaced with two unfamiliar faces. The two young eunuchs looked like they were sculpted from dough—one with a round face and round eyes, utterly endearing, and the other with an oval face, strikingly beautiful, more captivating than most ordinary women.

Su Yu was speechless.

With a stern expression, she summoned Xie Yiguan and Pei Baozhen. Without a word from her, Xie Yiguan immediately apologized upon spotting the two unfamiliar faces at the door. He and Pei Baozhen had been busy with separate tasks—Pei Baozhen auditing the palace registrars and him organizing the vacant palaces. Their preoccupation had allowed someone to exploit the situation.

Su Yu remained impassive. She didn’t absolve Xie Yiguan of blame despite his proactive apology, simply saying, "Summon Premier Cui as well, and let’s remove those who don’t belong in the palace."

With the Hebei regional commands issue resolved and the other military governors intimidated by the Hebei and Zhaoyi affairs, it was time to purge the palace of spies.

However, Su Yu didn’t anticipate that the purge would leave so few palace registrars.

Three days later, when Pei Baozhen handed her the final list of palace registrars, Su Yu fell silent. She’d thought 'the palace leaks like a sieve' was just a metaphor, but it was all too real.

Having served her for over a year, Pei Baozhen understood the emperor’s 'frugality' all too well. She cleared her throat and asked, "Does Your Majesty plan to recruit more palace staff?"

Su Yu, eyeing the list now reduced to a third, asked hesitantly, "Isn’t this enough?"

Pei Baozhen smirked, "Your Majesty, this is fewer than an ordinary official’s household."

Su Yu shot back confidently, "But ordinary officials have multiple wives and concubines. I have no elders or children, and when I’m fed, the whole family’s fed. This is enough."

Pei Baozhen: "…" Fair point.

She eyed the emperor suspiciously, wondering if the delay in selecting consorts was due to her reluctance to spend on marriage.

She silently tallied the costs of a consort selection and coronation. Compared to the idea of the emperor preferring men, she was more convinced the emperor was just stingy!

Luckily, she’d never considered marrying the emperor, and despite her frugality, she didn’t withhold the palace registrars’ salaries.

Still, Pei Baozhen secretly vowed to write a biography of Great Qi’s most frugal emperor. She was curious to see how far Su Yu could take the empire.

As Pei Baozhen left, a palace registrar reported Yu Chiyi’s return. Su Yu promptly ordered Yu Chiyi and Su Chengying summoned to the palace.

The moment Su Chengying saw Su Yu, he knelt at her feet, removed his eye patch, and gazed up at her with one black and one blue eye, "Your Majesty, I’ve missed you terribly."

His gaze burned with unguarded emotion.

Su Yu smiled, patting his head, and he nuzzled into her palm.

Yu Chiyi: "…" This isn’t a wild dog—it’s a domesticated, ridiculously endearing golden retriever!

Behind Su Yu, Yu Chiyou was even more stunned, eyes wide. Su Chengying was clearly copying him—and with even more audacity, kneeling at Su Yu’s feet just for a head pat. He should’ve done the same last time!

"Your Majesty," Yu Chiyi called out to Su Yu, and when her gaze fell upon him, he grinned broadly, "I’ve also missed Your Majesty greatly."

Su Chengying and Yu Chiyou both looked at Yu Chiyi in shock. How could such a grown man say such a thing without shame!

Yu Chiyi, however, accepted their gazes with complete composure. What a joke, did they think only they could speak such words? Was there anything Yu Chiyi dared not say?

Just as Xie Yiguan arrived at the door to report: "…" Yu Chiyi could indeed say such things…

He glanced at Su Yu, seeing the emperor’s dimpled smile, and suddenly felt a pang of discomfort—after all, he had been away for a longer time last time.