Tokyo is covered in cherry blossoms in May.

Zhao Shen walked down the street, slowly appreciating the bustling scenery.

He suddenly saw a young man dressed in blue, with a tall and straight posture like a spear and a steady gait.

"Brother Wu Guan!" Zhao Shen called out to the man.

The young man was none other than Lu You.

Lu You became famous throughout the land after the Battle of Beifu.

At the height of his career, he was suddenly recalled to the capital by the emperor and joined the Imperial Guard, becoming one of its commanders.

He is now the youngest commander in history.

Yue Fei was also twenty-four years old when he was promoted to commander.

Lu You was only sixteen years old this year.

After being promoted to commander, he originally thought he could accompany the emperor on the western expedition, but unexpectedly he was left behind in the capital.

This was something Lu You never expected.

Lu You was still young that year, and like most young people, he was enthusiastic and impetuous.

He felt he should dedicate his passion to the Western Regions and contribute to the frontier of the Song Dynasty.

Lu You turned around and was slightly taken aback: "It's Yuan Yong. Aren't you studying diligently at Tokyo University? How come you have time to stroll around?"

Zhao Shen and Lu You had only known each other for a few months, but it felt as if they had known each other for many years.

Seeing that Lu You seemed somewhat disappointed, Zhao Shen asked, "Brother Wu Guan, are you still troubled by not being able to accompany His Majesty on the western expedition?"

"Alas, a man should have ambitions in all directions. It is the time for our Great Song Dynasty to expand its territory, but I can only stay in the capital city of Tokyo."

“Isn’t Tokyo a good city?” Zhao Shen laughed. “Look how beautiful the cherry blossoms are, and the girls by the roadside are all as beautiful as flowers.”

"You've lost my will to live!"

"Brother Wu Guan, don't worry about this. Come on, let me treat you to a drink."

The two headed towards Chunyu Tower.

"Brother Wu Guan, His Majesty killed thirteen wealthy merchants in Chang'an in one fell swoop. What do you think of this matter?"

Lu You said, "Unscrupulous merchants are ruining the country and should naturally be killed!"

As they spoke, the two entered a side room.

Inside, there was an incense burner, and the waiter brought out cooked beef, fine wine, steamed fish with chili peppers, and stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers...

"His Majesty's intentions are probably not that simple."

"Oh?" Lu You took a sip of wine and looked at Zhao Shen with a puzzled expression.

He knew that Zhao Shen was a man of exceptional intelligence and talent, and Lu You was amazed by Zhao Shen's eloquence when they first met.

Otherwise, how could the famous young master of the Song Dynasty become friends with a fourteen-year-old boy?

"Yuan Yong, what do you mean by that?"

“I recently discovered something.”

"What's up?"

Several cases of smuggling weapons were cracked in the capital.

"What's so strange about that? There are still many people in the underworld who buy knives and guns privately. Even if the imperial court wanted to eradicate them, it would have to do it one by one."

"That's not all; these smuggling cases have two common characteristics."

What are its characteristics?

"First, the quantity is large, with five hundred swords being smuggled at a time; second, they are all heading north. I heard from Commander He that they are all going out of the pass."

Liaodong?

“That’s right, Liaodong.” Zhao Shen sighed, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"It's normal that there were many bandits in Liaodong since it had only recently entered Song territory."

"But I also discovered something else."

"What's up?"

"Recently, many security escort agencies have been heading north, supposedly because they are all heading out of the pass."

Lu You was somewhat bewildered. Zhao Shen always spoke in a way that gave people a sense of profound mystery, and even a smart man like Lu You was completely confused by him.

"What does this have to do with His Majesty killing thirteen unscrupulous merchants?"

"Do you know what these security escort agencies are transporting?"

"What?"

"They're all genuine gold, silver, and copper coins!"

"That's normal. There are some wealthy merchants in Liaodong who hoard gold and silver to combat inflation."

Zhao Shen shook his head and said, "The Great Song Dynasty has just won a great victory. The court has invested a lot of money in Longyou and Gaochang. Anyone who has read His Majesty's 'Economic Treatise' knows that at this time, the value of Jiaozi will not be greatly depreciated. In this era, no one will use gold and silver for large transactions anymore."

"Yuan Yong, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"There was another item that also increased circulation, flowing from various routes to the area outside the pass."

"What?"

"Grain!" Zhao Shen said mysteriously and in a low voice, "I suspect that someone outside the pass is planning a rebellion."

Lu You was shocked and almost spat out his wine: "Yuan Yong, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Liaodong is under the command of the King of Liao and Prime Minister Li, and it has 100,000 Iron Forest Army soldiers! The Iron Forest Army was one of the important forces that destroyed the Jin Dynasty back then. With 100,000 Iron Forest Army soldiers here, who would dare to act recklessly!"

Zhao Shen said, "This is just my guess, Brother Wu Guan, please don't get agitated."

"Yuan Yong, come back to the point. What does this matter have to do with His Majesty killing thirteen unscrupulous merchants?"

"Do you remember the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince a few months ago?"

"Of course I remember, this is a major matter, and the entire city of Tokyo is conducting a thorough investigation!"

"I suspect that there is a hidden force that has been opposing the emperor, and the assassination of the crown prince is related to this force."

Lu You was clearly intrigued, and while drinking, he stared intently at Zhao Shen: "Continue."

"Do you remember the grand court assembly two years ago, and the topics of debate in the imperial court?"

"I was still in the Northern Prefecture two years ago."

"Prime Minister Li Gang and Commissioner Zhou Chao had a falling out. One wanted to increase control over merchants, while the other wanted the court to continue to delegate power," Zhao Shen continued. "Prime Minister Li argued his case in court, but in the end, he remained unchanged and did not increase control over merchants."

"On that occasion, the Grand Chancellor, who had always been in favor of strict control over merchants, was unusually silent, but everyone knew that he was someone who had many grievances about the first ten years of the new policy."

“Since he took over the Council of State, he has purged many local officials who colluded with merchants. His rise to power has actually demonstrated His Majesty’s attitude.”

"His Majesty's attitude is actually the same as the Crown Prince's attitude."

"His Majesty's attitude was to strictly control the new generation of merchants, but he compromised at the Grand Court due to economic development."

"However, compromise is probably not His Majesty's only goal."

"With His Majesty's methods, he is playing the long game."

Lu You finally caught on to something: "You mean, His Majesty did this on purpose, waiting for that lurking force to emerge on its own?"

"It seems that this group is already impatient."

Lu You asked in surprise, "So, you think that the horse-slaying sword, gold and silver, and grain were all their doing?"

"I'm just guessing."

"If that's the case, then it's dangerous. Has no one in the imperial court noticed?"

Zhao Shen shook his head and said, "Since His Majesty dared to do this on purpose, he must have taken precautions. It was during the western expedition that two-thirds of the Imperial Guards were transferred away. As soon as His Majesty left, these smuggling cases increased."

He looked at Lu You with bright eyes: "Do you understand now why His Majesty allowed you to stay in the capital?"