Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 34

When Zhongshu Yu hurriedly entered the grand hall, Empress Dowager Yu Wenjun was tutoring the young Emperor Sima Shigen in politics.

“…What was the purpose of the tax reforms initiated by the first few emperors? This involves the relationship between central and local control. Since taxes naturally come from the localities, and the aristocratic families were extremely powerful before the migration south, the taxes collected by local states and counties were severely withheld. There was a time when the capital couldn’t even pay officials’ salaries and had to compensate them with wholesale grains and oil.”

“Provincial governors and local magistrates, who were on good terms with local aristocrats, could drink white wine and eat steak every day. So there was a popular saying at the time, ‘Better to be a local magistrate than a court minister.’ Officials preferred to be posted outside rather than stay in the capital.”

Yu Yuangui quietly walked to the side. The young emperor looked up in panic, and his mother immediately knocked on his forehead:

“What are you looking around for? Does your uncle have flowers on his face? Now answer me, what was the purpose of the tax reforms?”

“The…the purpose of the tax reforms was to strengthen the central control over the localities,” Sima Shigen stammered. “People, wealth, military, and justice are the foundations of an empire and cannot be entrusted to others.”

“That’s right,” Yu Wenjun’s expression softened slightly, and she made a fist gesture. “Having local taxes paid to the central government first, and then redistributed by the central government, thus strengthens the emperor’s authority and the capital’s control over the localities. Additionally, after the migration south, this tax system also helps to maintain the border troops.”

“Then…” Sima Shigen hesitated and asked, “If the border troops are supported by the central government, why are there still rebellions?”

Yu Yuangui’s face changed, and Yu Wenjun’s expression turned serious as she said sternly:

“Rebellions? Who told you that?”

“Mom,” Sima Shigen said, his face pale. “Don’t lie to me. I know the border troops are plotting a rebellion. It’s Su Zigao’s refugee army, isn’t it?”

Yu Yuangui quickly turned his head, his eyes sharp. Behind the pillar, the commander of the Jinyiwei, Yu Shuyu, had already turned and hurriedly prepared to investigate the emperor’s attendants to find the traitor spreading rumors.

Then Zhongshu Yu calmly explained:
“Your Majesty, while it is true that the border troops are supported by the court, Su Zigao’s refugee army is not part of the official border troops. Currently, the established field armies are the Shenwu, Longxiang, Xiaoqi, and Feixiong. The refugee army is not included among them.”

“In the past, during the migration south, the country was shattered, and the available military forces were nearly nonexistent. The central government had no choice but to allow Su Zigao to guard the northern bank, granting him autonomy to absorb refugees and stop the demons from crossing south. So strictly speaking, the refugee army is only a militia organization and doesn’t have much real power.”

After Yu Yuangui succinctly explained, Sima Shigen was even more puzzled. If the court had the Shenwu, Longxiang, Xiaoqi, and Feixiong armies, why did they rely on Su Zigao to form a refugee army in the first place?

Of course, if Princess Nankang were here, she would subtly tell her brother, “Because at that time, the control of these four field armies wasn’t actually in the hands of the Emperor.”

But Zhongshu Yu would never say that, because once the young emperor knew the truth, he would immediately become wary and hostile towards the Taiyuan Wang family.

With the enemy in Liyang to the north, if there was a rift with the Wang family, there would be no way to proceed.

Therefore, he squinted his eyes authoritatively, and the young emperor immediately dared not ask further and obediently said to Yu Wenjun:

“Mom, let’s continue with the tax reform knowledge.”

Yu Wenjun nodded and looked at her brother.

“I’m here to find Nankang,” Yu Yuangui asked. “Is she in the rear hall?”

“She just returned,” Yu Wenjun replied.

“Good,” Yu Yuangui then walked towards the rear hall.

At this moment, Princess Nankang was in the imperial study, sadly looking at the surroundings.

When her grandfather Sima Jingwen was still alive, her father, who was the crown prince at the time, often stayed in the imperial study and read her various storybooks from the bookshelf—stories of talented scholars and beautiful ladies, generals, and princesses…

That time was the happiest of her childhood. Every day, she looked forward to going to the imperial study to hear her father tell stories.

Later, after her grandfather passed away and her father ascended to the throne, from the day he connected his spine to the throne’s data link, he became gloomy and reticent. Even Empress Yu Wenjun could not get within ten meters of him.

His wife, children…from that day on, it seemed as if they all disappeared from his world. The entire world seemed to become a chessboard of intersecting lines, where anyone was either “a piece to achieve goals” or “a piece to be removed in advance,” nothing more.

Princess Nankang first felt close to her father, then hostile, and now only had a faint sense of melancholy and sadness.

Her father’s resolute action to destroy the server in the end made her feel that… perhaps he retained some humanity before his death.

“Nankang?” Yu Yuangui’s voice came from behind.

“Uncle,” Princess Nankang turned around.

“I need to talk to the head of the Cheng family,” Yu Yuangui said solemnly.

…………….

“Zhongshu Yu wants to talk to me?” Cheng Jinyang asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” Princess Nankang replied optimistically.

After all, her eldest uncle had a very poor impression of Cheng Jinyang before. If they could use this opportunity to get to know each other and dispel their biases, that would naturally be for the best.

“I’ll also speak well of you when the time comes, so don’t worry,” she said with a charming smile, pulling Cheng Jinyang close from the side, trying to ignite his manly spirit with her charm.

Cheng Jinyang had always been defenseless against the princess sister’s charm, especially considering her powerful background. But what she ignited wasn’t quite his manly spirit, which made the situation a bit awkward.

“Alright,” he quickly agreed, nodding to avoid any suspicion from the princess sister.

“Great!” Princess Nankang was even happier and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Unfortunately, it ended up being on his face.

Back in his room, Cheng Jinyang found Miss Wang and recounted the whole affair to her.

“Zhongshu Yu,” Wang Wanrou said, still engrossed in her book without looking up. “Go ahead, Jinyang.”

Huh? Why did that feel like being a Pokémon trainer?

Listening to Wang Wanrou’s prompt response without much thought, Cheng Jinyang questioned with suspicion, “Wait, Wanrou, don’t you have any advice for me? Please think about it for me. After all, he’s the Zhongshu! A big shot! Should I be concerned about some conspiracy…?”

“What conspiracy could there possibly be?” Wang Wanrou snorted, mocking him.

“I’m asking you because I don’t know if there’s a conspiracy!”

“What do you think I am to you? Your strategist?”

“Wanrou, you’re my Zhuge Liang!”

“Get lost!” Wang Wanrou showed impatience, then after a moment, she said, “What can Zhongshu Yu possibly do to make things difficult for you? Use that feeble brain of yours to think properly. Isn’t he afraid of your Iron Giant Colossus?”

Cheng Jinyang thought about it and realized she had a point. Although the girls understood, outsiders didn’t know the activation conditions of the Iron Giant Colossus. Wouldn’t they see it as my trump card? How could they easily push me into a corner…

Wait a minute, if Zhongshu Yu is looking for me this time, could it be to make me deploy the Iron Giant Colossus and help him fight Su Zigao’s rebel army?!