First Cut

In the back hall of the Mingzhou prefectural government office, the spring rain outside the window was as soft as butter, soaking the newly sprouted tender leaves in the courtyard. Ning Lingyi was sitting there with several files about spring plowing and farming spread out on the desk.

Shen Qingyan entered, breaking the silence in the room, a solemn expression etched across his brows. He raised his eyes to look at Ning Lingyi and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, the new governor of Minghua County has arrived."

Ning Lingyi paused slightly as she wrote the annotations. She raised her head, her eyes questioning, "Minghua County Magistrate? Who is he?"

Minghua County governs Mingzhou and is Shen Qingyan's immediate superior.

"Zhou Wenyuan." Shen Qingyan uttered the name with a complicated tone.

A trace of confusion flashed across Ning Lingyi's eyes. This name seemed distant and unfamiliar to her.

Seeing this, Shen Qingyan explained in a deep voice, "Your Highness, do you still remember when I first entered the Hanlin Academy a few years ago? In the spring examination that year, I was lucky enough to be ranked third, and the number one scholar was none other than Zhou Wenyuan."

He paused, as if considering his words.

"Your Highness was very fond of me back then. The Emperor Emeritus granted me special permission to be appointed Magistrate of Mingzhou..."

"Later," Shen Qingyan continued, his voice even deeper, "For some reason, this Zhou Zhuangyuan repeatedly made outrageous remarks to his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, saying that Your Highness was a woman and shouldn't interfere in state affairs, let alone consult with external officials. His words were quite disrespectful."

Ning Lingyi's memory was triggered. She had shown favor to Shen Qingyan out of self-protection, but in the eyes of some people, it became an unforgettable grudge.

The word "jealousy" is more common among men, even though there are women around.

She had heard a lot of rumors, but it was rare to hear such direct remarks about the imperial palace.

"When this news reached the palace, the retired emperor was furious. He accused him of being rebellious and defying the imperial family. He stripped him of his official title and immediately exiled him to the smoky, malaria-ridden Lingnan."

Lingnan.

It was the most desolate place in the territory of the Southern Dynasty, where malaria was rampant and people were almost dead.

A top scholar with a bright future fell into oblivion in an instant.

Shen Qingyan looked at Ning Lingyi and said, "Now that Emperor Guangqi has ascended the throne, he has actually rehabilitated this man. He said that the retired emperor was incompetent in his later years and had mismanaged the situation. He specially ordered the restoration of Zhou Wenyuan's reputation and promoted him to the position of prefect of Minghua County, in charge of Mingzhou."

His Adam's apple rolled, and his tone was heavy: "This person is coming for us."

Ning Lingyi was silent for a moment, as if thinking.

"He's here as expected." She said softly, her eyes cast towards the misty rain outside the window, as if she had penetrated thousands of miles of mountains and rivers and saw the calculating eyes in the Zichen Palace in the capital.

"My good brother, the emperor, really knows how to make the best use of people's talents. He brought Zhou Wenyuan's knife from Lingnan and stabbed it in our place."

"Zhou Wenyuan will definitely not let him down."

She retracted her gaze and looked at Shen Qingyan, her eyes had returned to calmness: "When the enemy comes, we will stop him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. Mr. Shen, let's see how he makes his move."

*

The office of the prefect of Minghua County was filled with the solemnity of a new official.

The newly appointed county magistrate, Zhou Wenyuan, sat at a large rosewood desk. His desk was pristine, his official robes were new, but neither could conceal the vicissitudes of life and the sinister look on his face.

In just a few years, the miasma of Lingnan had etched him from the high-spirited top scholar of his day into someone who looked ten years older. His skin was dark, his temples frosted, but his eyes remained sharp, yet they were tinged with a murderous aura, like a vicious dragon lurking beneath a deep pool.

He stared blankly at a yellowed copy of the imperial report on the table, which contained an excerpt from the imperial edict that had demoted him for his "rebelliousness".

He has been carrying it with him for the past few years.

Never dare to forget.

"Number one scholar..." He spat out these two words with endless sarcasm.

At the Qionglin Banquet, he was the top scorer, and he was so proud of himself that he thought he would be on the rise from now on.

But that high-and-mighty princess, just by looking at Shen Qingyan a few more times and asking him a few more questions, could Shen Qingyan rise to prominence. Why? Was it because Shen Qingyan had a good appearance? Or was it because he knew how to flatter and curry favor?

He had merely spoken a few truths that were certainly on the minds of scholars throughout the world. What was wrong with that? Yet, the old Emperor, with his thunderous wrath, instantly brought him down to dust, banished like a wild dog to the desolate land of Lingnan!

It’s been a few years!

Struggling among miasma and poisonous insects, living among the barbarians and the unruly people, his former ambitions, talents, and pride were all ground into dust bit by bit by the endless humiliation, leaving only a heart full of deep hatred.

I hate the emperor for his stupidity and injustice! I hate Shen Qingyan for using her beauty to steal the emperor's favor! I hate the one who started it all, Princess Mingzhu, even more!

When the envoy of Emperor Guangqi came to him with the imperial edict of rehabilitation and the appointment of promotion to the post of Minghua County Magistrate, Zhou Wenyuan did not hesitate at all, and did not even go to Beijing to express his gratitude as usual.

He set out directly from Lingnan, traveling day and night, heading straight for Minghua County.

He couldn't wait to take revenge. He wanted to trample Shen Qingyan under his feet, and he wanted Ning Lingyi to cry and beg him to let her go!

He would repay them tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold for the pain they had inflicted on him!

Today was his first day in office. The county magistrate's office officials were carrying thick files, piled high on their desks. They were all about crucial matters concerning the people's livelihood and the administration of Minghua County, such as the threat of floods, spring famine relief, accumulated taxes, and a backlog of lawsuits...

Zhou Wenyuan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

His gaze swept across those terrified faces, a look of condescending indifference. People's livelihood? Officialdom? What did the lives of these ants have to do with him?

He came here for only one thing: revenge!

"Someone come!"

A trusted official immediately stepped forward and asked, "What are your orders, sir?"

Zhou Wenyuan picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote in his iron-clad handwriting on a brand-new county magistrate's order: "I hereby order: From this day forward, all existing salt permits within the jurisdiction of Mingzhou Prefecture, whether issued by the government or redeemed privately, are invalid! From the date of this order, all salt merchants must apply for new permits from the county magistrate's office before they can trade in salt."

"Sir, this salt merchant still has a lot of old certificates. If we cancel them hastily, I'm afraid the certificates..."

"Did you not hear what I said? The old license is invalid and you need to get a new one."

The official broke out in a cold sweat: "Yes, yes, then what are the new regulations for the release?"

"New triggers are released," Zhou Wenyuan sneered.

"We will follow the law and conduct strict inspections. All salt merchants must verify their identity, trade permits, and past salt tax payment receipts. None of these can be omitted! If there is even the slightest doubt, or if the salt merchant lacks sufficient funds, no payment will be made!"

This condition is almost harsh.

How could many small salt merchants pass the strict inspection because their travel permits were slightly incomplete, they were temporarily short of cash flow, or they had poor relationships with the clerks?

"Also, the number of new notes released is tentatively set at 30% of the old notes."

"Thirty percent?" the official exclaimed in surprise.

The 30% new imports mean that the supply of official salt in the entire Mingzhou Prefecture will drop by 70%, and the people in the entire Mingzhou City will have 70% less salt.

"Sir, this is absolutely unacceptable!" The official slumped to his knees. "Official salt has been drastically reduced, leaving the people with nothing to eat. Private salt will inevitably become rampant, and then..."

"Smuggled salt?" Zhou Wenyuan sounded as if he had heard something ridiculous. "I'm just worried about where to start. I'm ordering all prefectures and counties to immediately triple their manpower and conduct a strict inspection of passing merchant vehicles and ships. Anyone found smuggling smuggled salt, regardless of the amount, will be severely punished according to the law."

His voice was filled with a morbid excitement: "Set a tight net for me. I want to see who dares to defy the law and smuggle a grain of salt into Mingzhou!"

Wait until the subordinate official says to leave.

Zhou Wenyuan leaned back in his chair with satisfaction and closed his eyes, as if he had seen the panic-stricken scene in Mingzhou City due to the salt shortage. Shen Qingyan was a wise minister who governed the country well, so how could he, Zhou Wenyuan, not be a capable man of the time?

Even if he could have been promoted three levels in the past, today he is the county magistrate, which is just above his head. Zhou Wenyuan is really satisfied.

Shen Qingyan, Princess Mingzhu? Let's see how you respond to this initial blow!

*

Inside the Mingzhou prefectural government office.

Shen Qingyan hurried into the back hall, and without even having time to greet, he handed a document he had just received from the county magistrate's office to Ning Lingyi. His face was uglier than ever.

"Your Highness, Zhou Wenyuan has taken action."

"He ordered the abolition of all old salt permits in Mingzhou and imposed all sorts of obstacles on the issuance of new permits, nearly eliminating them. At the same time, he deployed heavy troops to all major land and water routes leading into Mingzhou to strictly investigate and crack down on smuggling, preventing even a single grain of contraband salt from entering the city."

Ning Lingyi took the document, raised her head, and looked at Shen Qingyan: "How long can the salt stored in the government warehouse last?"

Shen Qingyan reported a number with difficulty: "Based on the usual daily usage, it will take at most two months."

Two months!

Ning Lingyi's eyes darkened instantly.

Salt is neither gold nor jade, but it is the lifeline of people's livelihood.

One day without salt makes people weak; three days without salt makes people weak and sick; ten days without salt makes people angry! Once the salt route is cut off, the price of salt will inevitably skyrocket. Within ten months, the stable situation that Mingzhou has painstakingly cultivated will be torn apart by panic and resentment!

Once the people's hearts are disturbed, the foundation will be shaken.

"What a cruel method." Ning Lingyi's voice was soft, tinged with a sigh. "He's vicious and cruel. To achieve his goal, he disregards all consequences. That's exactly how my royal brother behaves."

Shen Qingyan was terribly worried. "Your Highness, Zhou Wenyuan's move is intended to trap Mingzhou and drain the people's morale. Even if the salt reserves in the government warehouse can barely sustain it for a while, it is definitely not a long-term solution. Once the price of salt skyrockets, the market will panic, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

Ning Lingyi walked to the window.

Outside the window, the drizzle continues, nourishing the new green seedlings, and the scene is full of vitality, but an invisible blizzard has quietly descended over Minnesota.

She stared towards the distant county town, her eyes as sharp as ever, without any panic, only calmness.

"When an enemy comes, we must fight him with our generals; when a flood comes, we must block it with earth." She whispered, repeating her earlier words. "Now that he has drawn his sword, it's time for us to unsheathe it, too."

She turned around and her gaze fell back on Shen Qingyan, seeming confident.

In the eastern part of Mingzhou City, the once bustling salt trading post is now deserted.

Occasionally, common people would hold a few copper coins in their hands and wander in front of the closed floor planks, with anxiety unconcealed on their faces. An old man counted the copper coins again and again with trembling hands, and finally sighed dejectedly at the empty salt cabinet, and slowly left with a hunched back.

"Salt, top-quality green salt, only available from this shop." A very low shout came from the corner, and several people gathered around. A thin man looked around vigilantly, quickly took out a small cloth bag from his arms, opened a corner, revealing the snow-white crystals inside.

"How much?" someone asked in a hoarse voice.

"Five hundred coins per catty!" The skinny man quoted a staggeringly high price.

"Five hundred wen?! Just a few days ago..."

"Take it or not! At this price, why don't you go to the county and buy official salt yourself?" The thin man pretended to put away the cloth bag.

"Yes, give me half a pound!"

The person who asked the price gritted his teeth and took out a few pieces of silver and stuffed them over.

Five hundred coins per pound of salt.

The average person's annual salt budget is now only enough to buy one kilogram! Even so, the little salt that flows into the black market is like a drop in the bucket and is snapped up in an instant. The dark cloud of hardship weighs heavily on the heads of every ordinary person.

Public resentment seems to be gradually rising.