The Prodigal Son

The next day, Qin Yu got up as usual and practiced martial arts before going to eat.

After the meal, Qin Yu decided to go to Sifangguan to see Shi Yi.

However, just as he reached the entrance of the Qin residence, Qin Yu suddenly stopped.

"Thirteenth Young Master, what's wrong?"

Qi Dachui stretched out his palm, as big as a palm leaf fan, and waved it in front of Qin Yu.

Qin Yu snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Qi Dachui: "Am I an imperial envoy now?"

"yes!"

Qi Dachui nodded seriously, saying with a proud look, "His Majesty has already issued the decree in court, so Thirteen Young Master must be the imperial envoy!"

Last time in Chenzhou, the Thirteenth Young Master impersonated an imperial envoy.

But this time, he is a real imperial envoy!

"Then why do we need to see Shi Yi?"

Qin Yu seemed to wake from a dream, "Shouldn't he be the one coming to see me, the imperial envoy?"

This time, I am a legitimate imperial envoy!

An imperial envoy should have a certain air of authority, right?

Regardless of the historians' attitude, you should first establish your own authority!

The goal is to get historians to cooperate with you, rather than begging them to cooperate!

"this……"

Qi Dachui scratched his head. "It seems so!"

Qin Yu thought for a moment and immediately instructed Qi Dachui: "Here's what you'll do. Go to the Sifang Pavilion and tell Shi Yi that this imperial envoy has something he'd like to discuss with him, and ask him to come to the Qin residence!"

"good!"

Qi Dachui nodded and set off immediately.

After watching Qi Dachui leave, Qin Yu returned to the house and waited for Shi Yi to come over.

However, before Shi Yi arrived, Shangguan Youyi arrived first.

Upon seeing Shangguan Youyi, Qin Yu immediately smiled and said, "Thank you for yesterday."

"Why thank me?" Shangguan Youyi smiled charmingly. "I didn't help at all."

Qin Yu smiled and invited Shangguan Youyi to sit down, saying, "Whether I was able to help or not is one thing, whether I had the intention to help is another."

It was already quite remarkable that she was the first to think of asking the Empress Dowager to intercede for her when she was misunderstood.

Shangguan Youyi winked at him and asked with a smile, "So, how do you plan to thank me?"

Thank her?

Qin Yu never expected that she would also take advantage of the situation.

After a brief silence, Qin Yu suddenly remembered Luo Qingyi's suggestion from last night.

Ok?

How about... Try it?

Thinking of this, Qin Yu's lips curled into a smile, and he asked with a chuckle, "You probably haven't left the capital much, have you?"

Shangguan Youyi nodded slightly: "Indeed, very few."

The last time she left the capital for another place was almost ten years ago.

Qin Yu's smile widened. "Would you like me to show you the outside world?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

Shangguan Youyi, confused, looked at him warily. "Why do I have a feeling you're trying to set me up?"

Holy crap?

Are women's intuitions really that accurate?

Qin Yu clicked his tongue inwardly, then laughed like a wicked old woman, "What do you mean by 'tricking you'? I just wanted to take you out to breathe some fresh air! Don't you want to see the world outside the capital, to experience the customs and cultures of different parts of our dynasty, to see different scenery?"

Seeing the sly smile on Qin Yu's face, Shangguan Youyi's heart skipped a beat: "You don't mean you want me to go with you to the Liangjiang region to reorganize the salt administration, do you?"

Qin Yu laughed heartily: "No wonder you're His Majesty's favorite! You're really smart!"

Upon confirming her guess, Shangguan Youyi's pretty face twitched.

However, upon closer reflection, Qin Yu's words seem to make sense.

Having been trapped in the imperial city for so many years, I have hardly seen the world outside the imperial city.

If you have the opportunity to travel to different places and experience different customs and cultures, without having to be cautious and careful every day, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?

Unbeknownst to her, a hint of anticipation appeared in Shangguan Youyi's eyes.

"Sure!"

Shangguan Youyi readily agreed, "As long as you can get His Majesty to agree, I will definitely thank you properly!"

Qin Yu chuckled, "Didn't His Majesty say that I could choose two officials of the fourth rank or below to accompany me? Aren't you a fourth-rank official?"

"You should tell His Majesty this!"

Shangguan Youyi smiled and gestured to his attendant.

The attendant understood and immediately presented the wooden box to Qin Yu.

"These are the files of the ten largest salt merchants of the imperial court."

Shangguan Youyi smiled, "You can take a look first. After you've finished looking at it, I'll tell you some things that aren't in the file."

"Let's talk in the study then!"

When it came to serious matters, Qin Yu also put away his joking expression.

"good!"

Shangguan Youyi agreed.

Led by Qin Yu, Shangguan Youyi followed him to the study.

Qin Yu asked Shangguan Youyi to sit down first, and then opened the box and took out the files inside to examine them.

The file is very detailed.

It not only records the family backgrounds of the ten major salt merchants, the relationships between family members, and their sales areas, but also the salt quotas these salt merchants have accumulated over the years, as well as the salt taxes they have paid to the imperial court each year.

The relationships among the top ten salt merchants in Haizhou, Yuanzhou, and Liangjiang were extremely complex.

Almost all of them are intertwined, with each other being part of the other.

Some salt merchant families also had women who married court officials or their family members.

This situation is most severe in Hai and Yuan prefectures.

These complex relationships have created a vast network of power among them.

After a cursory glance through these files, Qin Yu couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder our dynasty's salt administration problem is so serious!"

"yes!"

Shangguan Youyi sighed softly, "That's why His Majesty has made up his mind to reform the salt administration! His Majesty asked me to ask you if you have any thoughts on this matter?"

Qin Yu's lips curled into a smile as he looked Shangguan Youyi up and down. "What are your thoughts?"

"Of course, it's the idea of ​​reforming the salt administration!"

Shangguan Youyi was slightly embarrassed and annoyed. "His Majesty wants to know if you have a plan or a starting point!"

"No, we don't have that."

Qin Yu withdrew his gaze and smiled, "If I had to give a plan, I'd like to first conduct on-site investigations in Hai and Yuan prefectures! Or, perhaps, start by investigating that audacious Liu family!"

Shangguan Youyi paused for a moment, then said seriously, "I suggest you start with the Shi family and let them take the lead!"

"That depends on the historian's perspective."

Qin Yu smiled and said, "If the Shi family refuses to cooperate, they might even try to trip me up behind my back!"

"I think the Shi family will cooperate with you," Shangguan Youyi smiled. "For Shi Yi, cooperating with you is a way to atone for his sins. The court has no intention of touching the Shi family. If he refuses to cooperate, then he is clearly going against the court."

Qin Yu smiled. "I've already sent Da Chui to fetch Shi Yi to the residence. Let's talk to him first!"

To be honest, he didn't have the same confidence as Shangguan Youyi.

Under normal circumstances, the historians would have had a business relationship with other salt merchants.

Pulling out the radish brings out the mud along with it!

Who knows, the historians might turn out to be the biggest culprits in the end!

If historians have something they don't want the court to find out, they will sabotage them behind their backs.

"Then it depends on the historians' awareness."

Shangguan Youyi didn't say much more, "Alright, let me tell you about things that aren't in the file!"