The Prodigal Son

"Very important!"

Song Zhuo gave an extremely affirmative answer.

"What gives historians the right to do this?"

Qin Yu frowned deeply. "What exactly does the Shi family possess?"

Song Zhuo glanced at Qin Yu. "You don't really think the Shi family is just a merchant family, do you?"

"It's not that bad."

Qin Yu shook his head slightly, "Shi Yi is, after all, a third-rank salt commissioner of Liangjiang, which is considered a high-ranking official in the imperial court."

Which of the imperial merchants was simply a merchant family?

Royal merchants, in their families, at least one person holds a formal official position!

Even a nobody like Luo Jianshan is an executive officer at the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau, let alone other imperial merchants.

"What kind of official is the Salt Commissioner of Liangjiang, a mere third-rank official?"

Song Zhuo scoffed, "The historians' greatest reliance is their long-standing control over the salt administration and their deeply entrenched network of relationships with merchants and officials in the southern prefectures!"

From the mid-period of the previous dynasty onwards, historians were actually salt merchants!

After Emperor Gao established Daming, historians who were favored by the emperor quickly gained control of Daming's salt administration.

Putting aside everything else, which of the ten salt merchants from the Liangjiang region and Hai and Yuan prefectures didn't have some connection with historians?

The imperial court is not incapable of touching historians; rather, it would have a domino effect, affecting the entire system!

The imperial court could choose to make painful sacrifices, but once those sacrifices were made, who knows how much blood would be shed?

Qin Yu tilted his head and thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Why is our Emperor Gao so good to the Shi family? Did the Shi family do him a favor?"

"Emperor Gao owes our ancestors too much."

Song Zhuo replied, "When Emperor Gao raised his army, the Shi family not only provided money, food, and manpower, but also sacrificed several members of their family to help Emperor Gao escape danger when he was in the most perilous situation! By the time Emperor Gao established his dynasty, only one disabled male member and two widowed sisters-in-law remained of the three generations of the Shi family..."

Emperor Gao originally intended to bestow the title of Duke upon the last male descendant of the Shi family.

However, the man, who was disabled and knew he was not cut out to be a duke, repeatedly declined.

Emperor Gao was grateful for the historian's kindness, so he changed his post to Salt Commissioner of Liangjiang and granted him an imperial edict exempting him from the death penalty.

Historians should not be killed unless they are accused of treason or rebellion!

At the same time, Emperor Gao also granted the Shi family the title of Imperial Merchants, promising them wealth and honor for generations to come.

During the reign of the late emperor, the historians, relying on the preferential treatment of the court, and after many years of development, flourished again and became the richest family in the world.

At that time, the descendants of the historians were no longer satisfied with their status as imperial merchants and began to actively seek entry into the court.

Several ministers in the court were well aware of the Shi family's influence. They didn't want the Shi family, their source of wealth, to be compromised, nor did they want the Shi family to continue growing in power and extending their influence into the court. So, they devised a scheme...

At this point, Song Zhuo couldn't help but laugh again.

"What are you thinking?"

Qin Yu asked curiously.

"The ministers advised the late emperor that the Gao Emperor had granted the Shi family the title of Imperial Merchants forever, meaning that the Shi family could only ever be Imperial Merchants and could not participate in government affairs. As a descendant of the Gao Emperor, the late emperor could not disobey the Gao Emperor's sacred instructions..."

When this was mentioned, Song Zhuo couldn't stop smiling.

It was precisely the remonstrances of the court officials that successfully prevented the historians from extending their influence into the imperial court.

Today, the Shi family has at least fifty or sixty male members, but apart from Shi Yi, the head of the family, none of them hold an official position!

There wasn't even a nominal official position!

If it weren't for the fact that all the imperial merchants held official positions, the entire historical archives probably wouldn't have had a single person with an official title!

This is also why the Shi family members are not seen in officialdom.

Listening to Song Zhuo's story, Qin Yu couldn't help but exclaim "666" in his heart.

The ministers of Da Ning really know how to play games!

No, to be precise, it was the late emperor who knew how to have fun!

It must have been the late emperor who gave his approval first before any further remonstrances could have been made.

After recounting these old anecdotes, Song Zhuo glared at Qin Yu with wide eyes: "From what I see, His Majesty intends to appease the Shi family through a marriage alliance, hoping they will cooperate with the court to complete the salt administration reforms in a gentle manner! If your disturbance ruins His Majesty's plan, he will certainly punish you severely!"

"That has nothing to do with me!"

Qin Yu immediately distanced himself, saying, "If I hadn't intervened, Lü Si would have been killed! His Majesty and the Empress Dowager should be thanking me! If anyone wants to settle scores, they should go after Lü Si!"

Song Zhuo nodded and smiled, "Logically, that should be the case, but knowing His Majesty as I do, he'd probably rather slap you!"

"..."

Qin Yu's face darkened.

On what grounds?

Well, anyway, I was doing it to save people.

Rewarding yourself is fine, but punishment is out of the question!

Besides, Shi Lian'er isn't a good person either!

If a woman dared to be so arrogant and domineering even in the capital, it shows that the historian was even more arrogant and domineering in the local areas.

In his opinion, the opportunity of rectifying the salt administration should be used to properly clean up these unruly merchants!

I am a descendant of a noble family, and I have performed meritorious service many times. Yet I am still cautious and timid, afraid that one day the court will find an excuse to buy me for free.

When a businessman can influence the economic lifeline of a country or the decisions of the top leadership, he should keep a low profile!

Not only do they not know how to restrain themselves, but they also dare to be arrogant and domineering?

Do you really think you can stand against the state apparatus as a mere merchant?

You wouldn't do something so stupid without a stroke that lasts at least ten years!

Song Zhuo glanced at Qin Yu with a smile, then asked casually, "What do you think of His Majesty?"

Ok?

Qin Yu suddenly became wary and immediately said in a serious tone, "As subjects, how can we presume to speak ill of His Majesty?"

Are you kidding me?

To speak ill of Zhao Luan in front of Zhao Luan's mentor?

It might reach Zhao Luan's ears in the blink of an eye.

"Stop talking nonsense to this old man!"

Song Zhuo glared at Qin Yu with a smile, "Then put aside His Majesty's identity and tell me what you think of His Majesty as a person?"

Seeing that Song Zhuo was unwilling to give up, Qin Yu casually replied, "Your Majesty is beautiful and kind-hearted; you are simply the epitome of womanhood..."

You can't say bad things!

It's great, perfect, and has no flaws!

Hearing Qin Yu's utterly blatant lies, Song Zhuo felt a vein throbbing on his forehead, and he really wanted to kick him out.

Seeing that Qin Yu was still rambling on, Song Zhuo was too lazy to beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I'm asking you, don't you pride yourself on being greedy and lustful? Do you have any designs on His Majesty?"

Holy crap?

Qin Yu's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he stared at Song Zhuo in astonishment.

What's this old guy up to?

Is it to elicit information, or to find a match for oneself?

Or perhaps, he's trying to screw himself over?

"Knock knock..."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Prime Minister Song, His Majesty has arrived!"

Nan Que'er's voice could be heard outside.

Holy crap?

Speak of the devil, and he appears?

Song Zhuo stood up, looking at Qin Yu with schadenfreude. "It seems His Majesty already knows about the City God Temple incident. He probably couldn't find you at your house, so he came straight here to me!"

Qin Yu smirked and said in a mocking tone, "Prime Minister Song, I'm easily frightened, don't scare me!"

Trying to scare yourself?

Do you think I'm stupid?

If it were for this matter, the female demon could have simply ordered someone to summon her and Lü Si; why did she have to come all the way to the Song family?

Song Zhuo smiled without saying a word, and led Qin Yu outside...