novelaction Chapter 934: Military Book
Chapter 934: Military Book
At the end of summer in the first year of Shenghui, several autumn rains arrived early, washing away some of the heat but bringing a damp and cold feeling to Chang'an City.
The war in the northern border was at a stalemate, while undercurrents in Goguryeo in the east were surging. In the heart of the empire, beneath the seemingly calm surface of the lake, the counterattack brewing by the aristocratic families was finally no longer limited to conspiracy and curses, but began to turn into actual, silent erosion.
This erosion is not a direct confrontation with swords and weapons, but it is more insidious and difficult to prevent.
On this day, an autumn rain pattered, tapping the glazed tiles of Fenghuan Palace with a crisp, monotonous sound. The palace was even darker due to the rain, so the palace lanterns were lit early.
Murong Yan was not depressed by the gloomy weather. Instead, she seemed to enjoy the tranquility of the rainy day.
She was wearing the black and gold Su brocade cotton nightgown with the pattern of "Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" - the dress in which the divine phoenix descended to the world. She did not lean on the couch as usual, but sat upright at the desk by the window.
The desk was piled with some non-urgent memorials and a few volumes of idle books.
Lin Zhen sat on a round stool a little behind her, holding a military book in his hand, but his eyes were more focused on Murong Yan.
There was a sound of trickling rain outside the window, and flickering candlelight inside the hall. The atmosphere was peaceful and almost warm.
In the dim light of a rainy day, the Divine Phoenix Dress took on a different sheen than usual. The extremely dark black Su Jin base absorbed the warm light of the candlelight, its color becoming increasingly calm and profound, as if it could absorb all sounds.
The woven golden cotton wool and real gold thread flow with moist and warm dark golden waves under the light, revealing a hint of home warmth in the mysterious and noble feeling.
Above her nightgown, the phoenix-like wings seemed to soften in the sound of rain, appearing even more elegant and graceful. She gently rolled up her wide, light bell sleeves, revealing a small portion of her snow-white wrists, allowing her to flip through the pages of her book.
The black jade ring on her left thumb shone softly in the candlelight. The five-meter-long Sujin train, however, was not spread out, but rather naturally and serenely stacked on the thick velvet carpet beside the desk. The dark gold brocade almost blended into the dark carpet, its presence revealed only by the faint light reflected from the gold threads.
Cotton's moisture-wicking and breathable material makes it more comfortable on rainy days.
Murong Yan seemed to be reading a local chronicle, and was absorbed in it. The black jade ring on her fingertips unconsciously brushed across the pages.
Lin Zhen would occasionally stand up to refill her tea or drape a thin velvet cape over her, fearing she might catch a cold. Every time he approached, he could smell the cool plum blossom fragrance in her hair and the uniquely elegant scent of Su Jin on her Phoenix-like dress.
"Husband," Murong Yan suddenly spoke, her eyes never leaving the scroll, her voice tinged with lazy doubt. "The Qingzhou Chronicles record that grain transport should have been at its busiest at this time of year. Why is it that the amount of grain delivered to the Ministry of Revenue this year is over 30% less than in previous years?"
Lin Zhen put down the military book, walked over to her, looked at the line of words she was pointing to, and frowned slightly. "It is true. I checked the Ministry of Revenue's briefing the other day and found it strange. Reports from various places say that the rain is uneven, and there may be delays, but the 30% figure is indeed abnormal."
Murong Yan closed the book and leaned back in her chair, frowning slightly as she tapped the tabletop with her fingertips. "Could the uneven distribution of rain be so significant? Or is it that someone doesn't want the grain to reach the capital smoothly?"
Her tone was calm, yet it held a keen insight.
At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the palace, breaking the tranquility of the rainy day. The commander of the secret guards didn't even have time to wait for the message before kneeling outside the palace door, soaking wet. His voice was filled with suppressed urgency:
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Capital's Secret Guards! Last night, three government warehouses in the suburbs of Beijing caught fire one after another! Although no major damage was caused, patrolling guards discovered signs of prying on the outer walls of the warehouses! It seems someone attempted arson! In addition, the Supervisory Censor has secretly reported that several of the largest rice, cloth, and salt shops in Chang'an have been secretly colluding to hoard goods and drive up prices. This has caused public resentment within the city!"
Government warehouses are being spied on! People's daily necessities are being manipulated!
This is no longer a secret curse or distant collusion, but a vicious attack directly targeting the lifeblood of the empire and the stability of the capital!
The aristocratic families are starting to get serious!
The warm atmosphere in the hall froze instantly!
The candle flames seemed to flicker.
Lin Zhen's expression suddenly changed, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes: "How dare you! You dare to seize the government warehouse! And you dare to disrupt the people's livelihood in the capital!"
He looked at Murong Yan, "Yan'er?"
Murong Yan's reaction was surprisingly calm.
She didn't even stand up immediately, but slowly put the book in her hand back on the desk.
There was no shock or anger on her face. Instead, the corners of her mouth slowly curled up into a very faint, cold arc, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
"Can't help it?" She whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain, yet carrying a chilling meaning.
She slowly stood up. The five-meter-long Su Jin tail slid across the carpet with her movements, making a slight rustling sound.
"Official granary," she walked to the window, looking at the continuous rain outside, her voice clear and cold, "Whose subordinates are these generals guarding the official granary? Find out. Those who fail to fulfill their duties, regardless of their background, will be dismissed and investigated! Send my personal army, the Fengling Guard, to take over the defense of all important granaries and arsenals in the capital! Without my order, not a single grain of rice or a single gun can be moved!"
Her orders were decisive and ruthless, and she directly took over key departments.
"As for those profiteers," Murong Yan turned around, her eyes swept over Lin Zhen and the secret guard leader kneeling outside the door, a cruel smile flashed in her eyes.
"Don't they like hoarding? Very well! I'll grant their wish! Pass on my decree: effective immediately, the imperial household's stored grain, cloth, and salt will be opened to the public. 'Official Markets' will be established in the East and West Markets, selling unlimited quantities at a price 30% below market price! I want to see whether they have more goods hoarded or my inner storehouse is overflowing!"
This move is a typical economic warfare, treating others in their own way!
Use the absolute financial power of the royal family to directly crush those aristocratic businesses that try to manipulate the market!
"Also," Murong Yan tapped the window frame with her fingertips, "Investigate for me! Thoroughly investigate the owners of these rice, cloth, and salt shops! Where does their money come from? Is it from Taiyuan? From Qinghe? Or somewhere else?"
Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, pointing directly at the mastermind behind the scenes.
"Your Majesty is wise!" The commander of the secret guards kowtowed, "I will do it immediately!"
"Wait." Murong Yan called him, her tone suddenly becoming lazy, as if the killing decisiveness just now was just an illusion. "Don't make too much noise. Stirring up the grass will easily alert the snake. I want to uproot it completely, not scare away a few flies. Do you understand?"
The leader of the secret guards was startled and kowtowed deeply: "I understand! I will act with caution and will not alert the enemy!"
After the secret guards retreated, the hall returned to silence again, with only the sound of rain remaining.
Lin Zhen walked over to Murong Yan and looked at her calm profile, his heart filled with admiration and love. His Yan'er always displayed the calmest, most ruthless, and most effective means in the most critical moments.
"Yan'er," he called softly, reaching out to hold her hand.
Murong Yan suddenly turned around!
The action was filled with a kind of determination after seeing through the conspiracy and a hint of barely perceptible excitement!
The light and elegant five-meter-long Su Jin train was suddenly lifted up by the swift turn, and the huge dark golden skirt spread out like the wings of a startled phoenix, sweeping across the carpet in front of the desk with a swish!
As the hem of the skirt suddenly floated up, the "gold woven all over the ground" lining, which was densely woven with gold threads and sparkled brightly under the candlelight, was revealed!
The patterns of a hundred phoenixes facing the sun and endless blessings and longevity shone in an instant, golden light flowed, noble and dazzling, and with absolute confidence to crush all the evil tricks!
The skirt falls, and the brilliance is restrained in the quiet ink color.
But Murong Yan's eyes were as cold as the autumn rain outside the window.
"They think that disrupting the market and spying on the government warehouses will make me lose sight of the big picture? That they think that they can cause chaos in the capital?" Her voice was tinged with sarcasm. "How naive they are."
Lin Zhen held her slightly cold hand and said in a deep voice, "They are desperate and seeking their own death. Yan'er's response this time will definitely make them lose more than they gain."
Murong Yan held his hand with her backhand, a little too tightly.
"Husband," she looked up at him, a trace of fatigue flashing in her eyes, but more of a kind of paranoid determination, "I am a little tired. Accompany me to rest for a while."
"Okay." Lin Zhen gently held her in his arms, feeling her body tremble slightly, not from fear, but from relaxation after intense concentration. He held her in his arms and walked deeper into the bedroom.
The winding five-meter-long tail, behind him, was like an ink-gold river, flowing silently across the desk filled with conspiracy, and flowing towards the warm resting place.
Outside the palace, the autumn rain continued to fall, and in the shadows of Chang'an City, a bloody storm had already begun to unfold. Meanwhile, within Fenghuan Palace, the Emperor and Empress embraced each other, their tender affection defusing the cold arrows from all sides.