17 Jiangnan
After returning to the Yangxin Palace, Shen Zhiyuan looked at Li Zhaoyi's exhausted appearance and felt distressed. "Your Majesty, it's all my fault for putting so much pressure on you."
"Don't say that." Li Zhaoyi covered his mouth, her eyes firm. "We are one. Your pressure is my pressure. As long as we face it together, there is no hurdle we can't overcome."
Shen Zhiyuan looked at her, his heart filled with emotion. He gently held her hand and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have an idea.
Recently, grain tax reform in the south has encountered resistance. Local officials have been veiled in disobedience, and the people are complaining. I would like to personally travel to the south to promote grain tax reform and improve the welfare of the people.
On the other hand, it can also temporarily avoid the turmoil in the capital, allowing the royal family and ministers to calm down."
Li Zhaoyi was stunned. She didn't want Shen Zhiyuan to leave her, but she also knew that this was indeed the best solution at the moment.
The grain tax reform in the south concerns the livelihood of the people and must be promoted as soon as possible. In addition, Shen Zhiyuan's departure from the capital can also reduce the controversy in the court and temporarily stabilize the situation.
"How long will you be gone?" Her voice was filled with reluctance.
"Three months at most." Shen Zhiyuan hugged her gently, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will return as soon as possible and will not let you face these troubles alone."
Li Zhaoyi nodded and leaned in his arms, her heart filled with reluctance and worry.
The next day, Li Zhaoyi issued an edict, ordering Shen Zhiyuan to go to the south as "Chen Jun" to preside over the grain tax reform.
After the decree was issued, the voices of opposition in the court were indeed much smaller. Although the ministers were dissatisfied with Shen Zhiyuan's identity, they could not oppose his actions to seek the welfare of the people.
On the day Shen Zhiyuan left the capital, Li Zhaoyi personally saw him off to the city gate.
Watching his carriage gradually go away, she secretly swore in her heart: When Shen Zhiyuan comes back, she must become stronger, never let anyone bully him again, and never let anyone question their feelings again.
She stood on the city wall, looking at the distant sky with a firm gaze.
In the second month after Shen Zhiyuan left, the reports from the south suddenly stopped.
At first, Li Zhaoyi thought it was because of the long journey and the delay of the post horse, but there was no news for five consecutive days. Her heart felt like it was being gripped by a hand, and she even lost the mind to review the memorials.
On the morning of the sixth day, a blood-soaked guard stumbled into the Yangxin Palace, knelt on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty! This is bad!
Lord Chen was assassinated in Jiangnan, with over half of his guards dead or wounded. Lord Chen's whereabouts are unknown!"
"What?" The red pen in Li Zhaoyi's hand fell to the ground with a "bang", and the ink spread out as a black stain on the memorial, which was very similar to her mood at the moment.
She rushed to the guard and grabbed his arm with both hands, her fingertips turning white from the force: "Speak clearly! How could Shen Zhiyuan be assassinated? Where is he now?"
The guard endured the pain and spoke intermittently: "Lord Chen implemented the grain tax reform in Jiangnan, which affected the interests of the local nobles.
The day before yesterday, while on patrol in Suzhou Prefecture, a group of masked men suddenly attacked. The guards fought desperately, but they were outnumbered and powerful... To protect his subordinates' escape, Lord Chen took a few people and fled out of the city. After that... there was no news of him.
Assassination by the nobles? Li Zhaoyi's eyes instantly turned cold.
The Jiangnan gentry had been entrenched for many years, and the grain tax reform had deprived them of most of their profits. They were so bold as to attack Chen Jun! She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to be angry. Finding Shen Zhiyuan was the most important thing.
"Pass on my order!" Li Zhaoyi turned and walked towards the dragon throne, her voice filled with unquestionable majesty.
"Order the commander of the Imperial Guards to lead three thousand soldiers and immediately accompany me to Jiangnan! Also, order the officials of all prefectures in Jiangnan to search for the whereabouts of the Emperor with all their might. Anyone who provides effective clues will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold.
Anyone who hides the assassin and obstructs the search will be charged with treason!"
"Your Majesty! No!" Grand Tutor Xu hurried forward to dissuade him. "Your body is worth a ton of gold, how can you risk it yourself? The situation in Jiangnan is complicated. If you leave the capital, things might change!"
"My people are in Jiangnan and their lives are uncertain, how can I sit in the capital peacefully?" Li Zhaoyi's eyes were firm, and she did not give in at all.
"Taifu Xu, the capital is now in your hands. If any members of the royal family or ministers take advantage of this opportunity to cause trouble, you can kill them first and report to me later! I must find Shen Zhiyuan on this trip!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and went back to the inner hall to change into formal clothes. She did not even bother to preside over the morning court. She only left an edict that "I will personally go to Jiangnan to deal with the assassination case of the emperor", and hurriedly left the capital with the imperial guards.
The carriage traveled day and night, and Li Zhaoyi hardly slept a wink. She leaned against the window, and her mind repeatedly replayed the scene of Shen Zhiyuan leaving.
He smiled and said, "I'll be back in three months," and told her to eat on time and not stay up late, but now his life or death is uncertain. She didn't dare to think about what she would do if Shen Zhiyuan really had an accident.
When she reached the Jiangnan region, the scenes along the way made her heart sink.
Although the various prefectures and cities were ostensibly searching, they were perfunctory in their approach, with some officials even secretly blocking the imperial guards. It was obvious that the Jiangnan gentry had already established connections and wanted to cover up the truth of the assassination.
Li Zhaoyi was furious and immediately ordered the two prefects who were slacking off to work to be dismissed and investigated and escorted back to the capital. Only then did other officials dare not neglect their duties anymore.
On the evening of the seventh day, the imperial guards found a clue in a dilapidated temple outside Suzhou City. There were traces of fighting on the ground, as well as a black jade ring that Shen Zhiyuan often wore.
Li Zhaoyi held the ring, her fingertips trembling slightly, tears almost falling: "Keep searching! He must be nearby!"
Just then, a local hunter hurried over, knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, the other day in the cave in the West Mountain, I saw a seriously injured man with two guards by his side. That man looked very similar to the Lord Chen on your bounty order!"
Li Zhaoyi's eyes lit up, and she immediately ordered: "Take me there!"
The cave in the West Mountain was hidden in the dense woods. When Li Zhaoyi followed the hunter in, she saw Shen Zhiyuan lying on the hay at a glance.
He was pale, with a blood-stained cloth wrapped around his chest, and his breathing was weak. The two guards beside him were also at the end of their strength, but they still held their swords tightly and stared at the cave entrance vigilantly.
"Chen Zhiyuan!" Li Zhaoyi rushed over and knelt beside him, her voice tinged with tears, "How are you? Don't scare me!"
Shen Zhiyuan slowly opened his eyes, and when he saw her, he smiled weakly: "Your Majesty... why are you here? It's dangerous here..."
"If I don't come, who will save you?" Li Zhaoyi held his hand, tears finally falling. "Don't worry, I'm here, no one can hurt you anymore."
She immediately ordered the accompanying imperial physician to treat Shen Zhiyuan.
After the imperial physician examined him, he said that the knife wound on Shen Zhiyuan's chest was very deep, but fortunately it did not hit any vital parts. However, due to excessive blood loss and infection, he had developed a high fever and must find a safe place to recuperate as soon as possible.
Li Zhaoyi immediately decided to transfer Shen Zhiyuan to the Suzhou government office, and at the same time ordered to intensify the search for the assassin.
But she did not expect that the power of the Jiangnan gentry was far greater than she had imagined. That night, hundreds of guests gathered outside the government office, under the banner of "clearing the court and eliminating treacherous officials", demanding that she "dismiss the emperor and stop the grain tax reform."
"Purge the court? They are just a bunch of traitors seeking personal gain!" Li Zhaoyi stood on the city wall of the government office, looking at the clamoring crowd below, her eyes as cold as ice.
"Pass on my decree: Anyone who gathers without permission and obstructs public affairs will be regarded as a rioter and will be killed without mercy!"
Upon receiving the order, the imperial guards immediately picked up their weapons and rushed towards the crowd.
Although there were many retainers, most of them were playboys and were no match for the imperial guards. They fled in all directions in a short while.
Li Zhaoyi looked at the chaotic scene and knew in her heart that this was only a temporary victory. As long as the Jiangnan gentry were not eliminated, Shen Zhiyuan would not be safe and the grain tax reform would not be able to proceed smoothly.
When he returned to the inner room, Shen Zhiyuan had already woken up. He looked at Li Zhaoyi and said softly, "Your Majesty, the Jiangnan aristocracy has deep roots, so you can't force them.
Before I was assassinated, I had already collected evidence of their corruption and collusion with local officials. If we make this evidence public, the people will naturally side with us."
Li Zhaoyi held his hand, her eyes reddening. "It's already this late, and you're still dwelling on this. Don't worry, your evidence won't be in vain. I will settle accounts with the Jiangnan gentry one by one!"
In the next few days, Li Zhaoyi took care of Shen Zhiyuan while ordering people to post evidence of the crimes of the Jiangnan gentry on the city gates of various prefectures.
After seeing the evidence, the people were outraged and demanded that the court punish the aristocracy severely. Those officials who had been on the sidelines, seeing the public's support, also turned to the court and actively cooperated in the search and capture of the assassins and the aristocratic leaders.
In less than half a month, the mastermind behind the assassination of Shen Zhiyuan, Wang Huaian, the leader of the Jiangnan gentry, was captured, and all of his accomplices were also arrested.
The grain tax reform was successfully implemented, and the people in the south of the Yangtze River finally no longer had to be exploited by the gentry. They all praised Your Majesty and the Lord for their wisdom.
Shen Zhiyuan's injuries gradually improved. Li Zhaoyi looked at his pale face and felt distressed. "From now on, you are not allowed to take risks alone. No matter where you go, you must bring enough people with you. Do you understand?"
Shen Zhiyuan held her hand and smiled gently: "I understand. From now on, I will obey your majesty in everything and will never make your majesty worry again."
The setting sun shines through the window lattice, shining on the two of them, warm and peaceful.
Li Zhaoyi leaned on Shen Zhiyuan's shoulder, feeling reassured. She knew that this trip to the south, though dangerous, had deepened their relationship and allowed the court and the people to see their unity of purpose.
On the day they returned to Beijing, the people of Jiangnan spontaneously stood on the roadside and waved goodbye to them.
When the carriage returning to Beijing drove into the imperial city, the sunlight just happened to shine through the clouds, painting the vermilion palace walls warm and bright.
Li Zhaoyi leaned on Shen Zhiyuan's shoulder, looking at the familiar streets outside the window, her heart filled with peace of mind. After experiencing the test of life and death in Jiangnan, they finally returned safely. The undercurrents that once hindered them seemed to have gradually subsided after this storm.
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