Chapter 25: Your Servant Has a Strategy, Though I Fear It May Offend the Heavens

Xiao Zhi wanted to just lie down—truly lie flat.

"The Imperial City Guard is a blade in His Majesty's hand," Xiao Zhi remarked. "How that blade is wielded depends entirely on His Majesty's will."

In short, just follow orders.

"Then do you know why so many people recommended you for the disaster relief efforts during this morning's court session?"

"I am dull-witted, Your Highness."

Princess Changping spoke in an incredibly calm tone, laying out the current political landscape of the court and the interests each faction sought to secure. Xiao Zhi was no fool; once the premise was laid out, he understood the situation immediately. No wonder the Ministry of Revenue official had acted like a victorious rooster after the morning court session.

Xiao Zhi also realized that these words were meant to be spoken by Princess Changping on behalf of Qin Yong. Otherwise, a princess—no matter how bored she might be—would not be discussing state affairs with him.

"You earned such a massive fortune for the Great Chu, and now one or two parts of it will be consumed by this flood. It is truly a pity," Princess Changping sighed.

Xiao Zhi was startled. "How much?"

Ten to twenty percent—that would be ten to twenty million taels of silver. Even if the Yellow River burst its banks, would it really require such an astronomical sum for relief?

Princess Changping replied, "And that is merely the Ministry of Revenue's estimate. The final expenditure will likely far exceed it."

It was common knowledge that the imperial treasury was flush with cash, and these officials, backed by powerful noble families, had begun to stir up trouble. They insisted on spending ten taels on a task that could be accomplished with one. If the funds weren't released? They would stall until the people starved and revolts broke out, by which time the cost would be even higher. Moreover, it was foreseeable that officials across the Great Chu would increasingly reach out to the treasury with ever more bizarre justifications.

Xiao Zhi had not expected that having more money might not necessarily be a good thing. A disaster that could be resolved quickly would likely be prolonged in the hands of these bureaucrats. Countless people would suffer, all to create pretexts for extracting more funds.

"Your Highness, what does His Majesty want me to do?"

Princess Changping smiled faintly and, with a calm tone, asked a chilling question: "Lord Xiao, do you have any desire to usurp the throne?"

"Me? Usurp the throne?" Xiao Zhi pointed at his own nose and suddenly laughed. "I am merely a sixth-rank Halberdier, and I don't even have a proper title for leading the Imperial City Guard. Does Your Highness truly believe I would harbor such ambitions?"

"Whether one has the desire for treason does not depend on what one thinks, but on whether one has the power to carry it out." The princess swirled her teacup, the tea inside rippling slightly.

Xiao Zhi suddenly understood. Qin Yong could not ask this question directly, which was why this meeting with Princess Changping had been arranged. All the preceding conversation was merely a setup for this single question; the Emperor was testing Xiao Zhi's attitude. Even though Xiao Zhi held only a sixth-rank position and lacked a formal title, he possessed the "hand-held thunder"—a devastating, world-shattering weapon in this era.

Having seen the power of that weapon, it would be impossible for Qin Yong not to be wary of him. Furthermore, Xiao Zhi had committed the folly of describing to the Emperor what warfare in the era of modern firearms would look like. The defenses of the imperial palace would be like paper before such firepower. If Qin Yong truly trusted a monstrous talent like Xiao Zhi, he would not be a competent emperor.

Did Xiao Zhi dream of being emperor? Honestly, he had thought about it—truly thought about it. But it was just a fleeting thought. To be an emperor, locked within the square sky of the imperial city, burying his head in documents all day—that was not the life he wanted. Even with the world in his grasp, how much of its beauty could an emperor ever see? Was imperial power not, in itself, a shackle?

"What must I do so that I lack the power to commit treason?" Xiao Zhi shook his head. To say he wasn't disappointed would be a lie.

Princess Changping drank her tea and suddenly changed the subject. "The Princess's Manor is so small, and it is always the same people. I am quite bored in my daily life. Lord Xiao, would you be willing to accompany me for a stroll through the East Market?"

Xiao Zhi naturally could not refuse. He led the way downstairs, slapped a handful of copper coins on the counter to indicate the private room was no longer needed, and then, after the princess had donned her veil, he followed her and her attendant, Tongyuan, out.

"Tongyuan, you need not follow. Go and enjoy yourself."

Tongyuan was reluctant, but Xiao Zhi said, "There are Imperial City Guard men nearby; you may go without worry." He then took out a banknote and smilingly pressed it into her hand. As Tongyuan hesitated, Princess Changping said, "It is a gift from Lord Xiao; accept it."

The East Market was bustling. Xiao Zhi kept half a pace behind the princess, watching her movements out of the corner of his eye.

"Lord Xiao, would you care to buy me a pastry?"

It was only a matter of a few copper coins, and Xiao Zhi had no objection. In the modern world, accompanying a girl on a stroll and buying her a drink was perfectly normal, especially since Xiao Zhi was currently far from short on money.

After wandering for a long time, the princess felt bored. Xiao Zhi strictly adhered to the rules of hierarchy, never overstepping his bounds. The more he acted this way, the duller the princess found him. He was like a mere echo—"yes, yes, yes," answering only when asked. It would have been more interesting to have Tongyuan along.

"Lord Xiao, have you decided how to handle this disaster relief?"

The noble families were disgusting, and if Xiao Zhi did nothing, he would be doing himself a disservice.

"I have a plan, Your Highness, though I fear it may be 'harmful to the heavens' (immoral/ruthless)."

The princess was not surprised that Xiao Zhi had a solution; before they met, Qin Yong had praised him to the heavens as an omnipotent genius. However, she was surprised that he described it as "harmful to the heavens."

"How so?"

Xiao Zhi replied, "Linghua, if I were to be disrespectful and offend you, where would His Majesty exile me?"

Xiao Zhi had used her given name. The princess did not get angry; instead, she felt a sense of intimacy. People are like that—the less they have of something, the more they crave it. Surrounded by servants, no one dared to address her by name or treat her as an equal. She was a princess, and everyone stood in awe of her; yet, no one spoke to her from the heart. She had no friends, and even the women of the royal family or the daughters of high officials spoke to her with a mask of formality.

"Xiao Zhi, where would you like to be exiled?" The princess no longer called him Lord Xiao, and she was smiling faintly.

"To the border, to guard the city walls with the Imperial City Guard. Once the flood subsides, have me recalled to the capital. How about that?" Xiao Zhi openly studied her incomparable face.

"When will you leave?"

"When His Majesty issues the decree, I will resist it, and depart after half a month."

Princess Changping smiled radiantly, and Xiao Zhi was mesmerized. It was fatal—she was simply too beautiful.

"You have offended me," Princess Changping said. "Do you not need to come to the Princess's Manor to beg for forgiveness?"

Xiao Zhi's scheme would ultimately require the Emperor's approval, but that did not stop them from performing this scene—a performance without an audience. Still, she wanted to know what kind of plan could be considered "harmful to the heavens."

"I shall go, naturally."

Xiao Zhi walked toward a nearby stall, threw down a small string of copper coins, and borrowed paper and a brush from the shopkeeper.

Princess Changping was left staring in shock. Xiao Zhi's handwriting... was truly hideous. She remembered that Xiao Zhi had been a study companion to the Imperial Prince at the Eastern Palace; how could his writing be like this?