Chapter 84

The silence in the imperial study was broken by the emperor Shen Chong's meaningful sigh. He let go of Song Qingyuan's hand and walked back to the imperial desk, but his eyes never left the Prince of Yan and his wife standing side by side.

The look in his eyes was extremely complex, showing appreciation, satisfaction, but more importantly, a deep scrutiny and weighing.

"The Princess of Yan is so righteous, I am deeply comforted." Shen Chong's voice regained the majesty of the emperor, but the warmth mixed in it was unprecedented, "You don't want a reward, it's your magnanimity.

But I cannot but reward you. Otherwise, how can I demonstrate the law of the court and inspire my subjects?"

He paused and turned his gaze to Shen Yanzhi: “Prince Yan, you taught the princess well.”

This seemingly ordinary compliment was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake. Everyone present was a shrewd person, so who could fail to hear the deep meaning behind the words? The emperor was praising Song Qingyuan, but he was specifically mentioning Shen Yanzhi.

This tremendous credit will eventually fall on the shoulders of Prince Yan's Mansion.

Shen Yanzhi bowed slightly, his tone calm and unperturbed: "Qingyuan is smart, and I dare not take credit for it."

The more humble he was, the brighter the light in Shen Chong's eyes grew. This was exactly the attitude he wanted. A son who was capable but not boastful; a son who had achievements but was not arrogant.

"A merit is a merit. A fault is a fault." Shen Chong's gaze finally fell on the limp Li Song, and his voice suddenly turned cold. "Grand Master, tell me, what is the punishment for falsely accusing a loyal and good person and confusing the public?"

Li Song shuddered, as if stung by a scorpion. He raised his head abruptly, tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, this old minister...this old minister was confused for a moment! This old minister was also worried about the court's salt policy. That's why, that's why..."

"In a hurry?" Shen Chong sneered and interrupted him, "Are you in a hurry, or are you in a hurry to pave the way for your useless grandson and to bring down the King of Yan?"

These words were extremely blunt and merciless. Li Song's face instantly turned the color of liver, and his words of defense were stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word. The emperor knew everything.

The Minister of Revenue also realized what was happening and quickly knelt down to apologize: "Your Majesty, I... As the Minister of Revenue, I am in charge of the salt and iron industries of the country, but I knew nothing about the treasure trove of the 'Sky Realm'. I almost caused a serious mistake. I am guilty of negligence. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

His kneeling was a clever move, as he was able to separate himself from being an accomplice of Li Song and simply being accused of "dereliction of duty."

Shen Chong glanced at him and said calmly, "Of course, you must be punished for the crime of negligence. However, considering that you still have some loyalty, I will fine you one year's salary and let you make meritorious contributions while serving your sentence."

The subsequent mining, transportation, and sales of this "Sky Realm" will be managed by your Ministry of Revenue. If there is any mistake again, I will hold you accountable!"

"Your Majesty, I obey your command! Thank you for your grace!" The Minister of Revenue kowtowed repeatedly, as if he had been pardoned. He knew that this seemed like a punishment, but in reality it was a golden opportunity to make amends.

As long as he succeeds in this matter, his position will only become more secure.

After dealing with the Minister of Revenue, the atmosphere in the Imperial Study dropped to freezing point again. Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Song.

"As for the Grand Tutor..." Shen Chong dragged out his voice, each word like a heavy hammer, hitting Li Song's heart, "As the head of the Three Dukes, he did not think about sharing the country's worries, but instead formed a clique for personal gain and framed the prince.

"I remember you have served as a veteran of three dynasties and have made great contributions to the government, so I cannot bear to punish you. From this day forward, you will be deposed from your position as Grand Tutor, all your titles and rewards will be revoked, and you will be required to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors. You are not allowed to leave your residence without permission."

Depose the Grand Tutor!

These four words completely destroyed Li Song's body. He knew that his political career was over. From a powerful Grand Tutor to a useless man under house arrest, this was more painful than killing him.

"Your Majesty... spare my life..." He pleaded weakly.

"Drag him away." Shen Chong waved his hand impatiently.

Immediately, two eunuchs stepped forward, one on each side, and dragged Li Song out of the imperial study like a dead dog. The desperate wails gradually faded away.

Silence returned to the imperial study. Having dealt with a major concern, the emperor seemed to be in a much better mood. He looked at Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan again, a genuine smile on his face.

"Okay, now let's talk about your rewards." Shen Chong walked up to Shen Yanzhi and patted his shoulder personally, "Yanzhi, you have found such a virtuous wife for the court and presented such a treasure trove. Your contribution is to the country and will benefit future generations.

I have decided to confer the title of First-Rank 'Lady Protector of the Nation' upon Princess Song, granting her a fief of 3,000 households, 10,000 taels of gold, and 1,000 pieces of brocade."

This reward was indeed a great honor. A first-rank imperial decree and a fief of 3,000 yuan was the highest a minister's wife could achieve.

Song Qingyuan was about to express his gratitude when Shen Chong changed the subject.

"As for you, Prince of Yan..." Shen Chong's eyes grew deep. "I know that you despise gold, silver, and land. I will give you a reward that will truly fulfill your ambitions."

After returning to the imperial desk, he picked up a brush and personally wrote a few large characters on the yellow silk. Then he handed it to the eunuch and read aloud:

"The decree said: 'Prince Shen Yanzhi is a man of good character and conduct, possessing both civil and military skills, capable of achieving great success. Now that the salt marshes of the 'Sky Realm' have been initially secured, numerous matters remain to be addressed, which are of vital importance to the national economy and the people's livelihood.

I hereby appoint Prince of Yan, Shen Yanzhi, to the title of 'Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner', in charge of all salt and iron affairs throughout the country. This is my decree!

Salt and Iron Transport Envoy!

When this position came out, even Shen Yanzhi himself was slightly stunned.

The salt and iron affairs of the Great Zhou Dynasty had always been jointly managed by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, with power dispersed and hindering each other. The emperor now established a separate position, the "Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner," and entrusted this power, which could control the lifeline of the national economy, entirely to Shen Yanzhi.

This is no longer a reward.

This is a trust, an authorization, and... a preview of the crown prince!

Shen Chong looked at the flash of surprise in his son's eyes and felt very satisfied. He wanted to use this great authority to see how far his son could go.

I also want to see how other people in the court will react.

Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan exchanged glances, each seeing the turmoil in the other's eyes. They knew that from this moment on, the Prince of Yan's Mansion had been pushed to the forefront. The road ahead would only become more dangerous.

But they are fearless.

Shen Yanzhi took a deep breath, lifted his robe, and knelt solemnly: "Son, I accept your order and thank you."

This bow was not only a bow to the grace of the emperor and father, but also a acceptance of a heavy responsibility and a storm that swept the entire court.

That night, at Prince Yan’s Mansion.

The study was brightly lit by candlelight, and Song Qingyuan was applying medicine to Shen Yanzhi's arm. In their search for the "Sky Realm", they had indeed experienced many hardships. Shen Yanzhi's arm had been scratched by rocks, leaving a deep cut, which had only been hastily bandaged before.

"Hiss..." Shen Yanzhi grinned.

"Do you feel the pain now?" Song Qingyuan rolled his eyes at him unhappily, but his hands moved much more gently. "You acted like nothing happened in the imperial study, and I thought you were made of iron."