"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Just as Jiang Shuyue was about to kneel down, a strong hand grabbed her arm.

Qiu Ju, however, actually knelt down.

"No need for formalities, there's no need for such formalities between us." His voice was gentle and warm, like a spring breeze.

Ma Liang was well-versed in the art of serving his master. Seeing that the emperor treated the visitor differently, he quickly served tea by hand and then tactfully withdrew from the imperial study, standing outside the door to wait.

Judging from the woman's refined demeanor, and the fact that even the maid behind her was dressed in silk, she must be of extraordinary status.

Jiang Shuyue didn't stand on ceremony. She disliked all the formalities here the most, and in her opinion, they were all remnants of the past.

She stood up and looked up, her gaze meeting a pair of deep, phoenix eyes.

Qiuju didn't stand on ceremony and stood up abruptly to the side.

Xiao Jingzhao was still as handsome as ever, but now he was wearing a bright yellow robe.

His tall and slender figure showed no signs of injury.

His handsome face, accentuated by the bright yellow robe, exuded an aura of dominance, as if his noble bearing was innate.

Seeing that the pretty girl had stood firm, Xiao Jingzhao naturally withdrew his hand.

"It's not too late to change the medicine after we have a meal together," Xiao Jingzhao invited.

Jiang Shuyue glanced at the table; the three dishes and one soup were exquisite, even more frugal than her own.

"No need, Sui Sui is waiting for me to come home."

Jiang Shuyue wasn't complaining about how simple his cooking was; it was just that Sui Sui always waited for her to come home before he would eat.

“It’s just the time it takes to eat a meal, he can wait a bit.” Xiao Jingzhao acted as if Jiang Shuyue couldn’t do without eating.

Jiang Shuyue looked at Xiang Yang beside her, "Nangong Zeyue is waiting for me outside, I can't keep him waiting too long."

Xiangyang nodded and hummed in agreement, secretly thinking to himself, no wonder he felt that Sui Sui's stubbornness was even greater than that of her master, it turned out that the two of them were both—stubborn people.

"That master thief?"

"That's all in the past. He's doing business now."

Jiang Shuyue originally wanted to say that Nangong Zeyue was running a legitimate business, but then she remembered that gambling dens weren't exactly legitimate businesses, so she omitted two words from her mouth.

"Okay, change the dressing."

Xiao Jingzhao finally gave in to Jiang Shuyue's insistence and went to sit down at the desk.

Jiang Shuyue followed gracefully, and just as she raised her hand, Xiang Yang called out, "Miss, wait a moment."

Jiang Shuyue paused slightly as she raised her hand and turned around. She saw Xiang Yang quickly carrying over an exquisite tray with the medicine and gauze she had left behind.

"This servant will help Your Majesty roll up your robes, making it much easier for the young lady to change her dressing."

Xiang Yang smiled sheepishly, put down the tray, and went to help.

He was afraid that if he was a step too late, the girl would snip the scissors and the new robe his master had just changed into would be missing a sleeve.

Xiao Jingzhao seemed to see through Xiang Yang's thoughts; with a single glance, Xiang Yang retreated.

"It's good that you're here, Qiuju."

Jiang Shuyue lifted Xiao Jingzhao's arm, flicked it upwards with her slender fingers, and Qiuju stepped forward to hold down his robe.

I gently peeled off the gel patch, and the wound healed very well.

Her slender fingers, like scallions, applied medicine and bandaged the wound with practiced ease and dexterity.

The two were very close, and Xiao Jingzhao could clearly see Jiang Shuyue's long eyelashes trembling.

The beauty mark between her eyebrows seemed to possess a magical quality, a dazzling yet perfectly placed red that made her unforgettable.

As he looked down, a snow-white swan neck came into view, and a familiar fragrance wafted into his nose. Xiao Jingzhao's Adam's apple bobbed, and he hurriedly looked away.

Just as Jiang Shuyue was bandaging Xiao Jingzhao, a shrill voice announced from outside the door.

Xiang Song walked in.

"Your Majesty, news has arrived from the Court of Judicial Review."

Xiao Jingzhao didn't shy away from Jiang Shuyue, and slightly raised his chin, "How much did you embezzle? Report it all in detail."

"His Majesty is incredibly insightful. The amount involved is so enormous that it took more than ten people, including the Vice Minister of the Court, the Registrar, and the Recorder, a whole day to count it all."

Seeing the Emperor's calm expression, Xiang Song continued, "Lord Du sent word that the account books should be handed over after the inventory is completed tomorrow, and all the embezzled silver should be sent to the national treasury."

"Hmm, very good. Du Zhong is a ruthless man, but he's usable. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Let him dig deeper."

This is just the beginning. With so many problems, he has to pull out these big rats one by one and restore a truly prosperous era for the people.

It was the last day of the three-day deadline, and Du Zhong had someone confess. He quickly confiscated the stolen silver, proving himself to be a competent official in the Court of Judicial Review.

Xiao Jingzhao smiled with satisfaction.

After bandaging the wound, Jiang Shuyue lowered her sleeve, took a step back, and said, "The wound will heal in three more days. Your Majesty, please take care."

He winked at Qiuju and turned to leave.

"Miss Jiang, wait a moment."

"I heard that Sui Sui is studying at the Zhen family's private school. After I clean up the palace in a few days, how about I let Sui Sui study at the Imperial Academy?"

Xiao Jingzhao did not refer to himself as "I" when speaking to Jiang Shuyue.

When Jiang Shuyue heard him speak to her in a consultative tone, it was impossible for her not to feel a little touched, considering he was the emperor himself.

After all, he is Sui Sui's father, and he should have the obligation to educate his child.

Jiang Shuyue pondered for a moment and said, "I have no objection, but it would be best to respect Sui Sui's wishes. He really enjoys Zhen Jingxiu's lectures, and the learning atmosphere at the Zhen family private school is excellent."

"Food is the most important thing for the people. Yesterday, grain prices soared. There must be someone behind the grain merchants stirring things up. Your Majesty can investigate this as well."

Xiao Jingzhao's starry eyes brightened slightly. "Miss Jiang is right. Someone is hiding in the shadows and causing trouble. Prime Minister Lin will soon bring back a large amount of grain to the capital. The big rat hiding in the shadows can't cause any big waves."

Jiang Shuyue didn't mention her plan to open a grain shop, as that would seem like she was trying to take credit. She just wanted to do something meaningful for the common people and for Sui Sui.

“There were countless corrupt officials in the past. If Your Majesty wants to remove them all, don’t say it’s difficult. People will be in a state of panic, and the turmoil in the court will not be conducive to Your Majesty’s quick stabilization of the situation.”

Jiang Shuyue smiled gently, her tone soft, as if she were discussing romance and nature rather than matters of state.

Xiao Jingzhao had already witnessed Jiang Shuyue's abilities.

He stood up and walked towards Jiang Shuyue. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I will repay you handsomely in the future. Speaking of those parasites, I'm also very troubled by them. I wonder if you have any good ideas?"

"It's simple, let them spit it out themselves, but they need to be given the opportunity to do so. How much they spit out depends on their sincerity."

If the emperor fails to achieve his goal, he can then slowly gather evidence of their corruption. This way, he is both giving them an opportunity and allowing himself time to act.

Jiang Shuyue smiled and said, "Your Majesty wouldn't arrest them all and interrogate them, would you?"

“Miss Jiang is right. The decree will be issued tomorrow.”

Xiao Jingzhao understood that he had been a bit too harsh in dealing with those who had resigned. Fortunately, Du Zhong was capable of handling things, otherwise he would have been branded a tyrant before even officially ascending the throne.