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墨書 Inktalez
Mu Fengyan stared at the memorial for a while, and finally took the red brush, looking at it seriously.
It was a report on the people's livelihood, stating that Qi County had a poor harvest this autumn, and the local governor had submitted a request to reduce this year's taxes.
Mu Fengyan pondered for a moment and wrote a few lines.
Yin Luo watched him finish writing and said slowly, "The Emperor advocates tax exemption, but I have heard that this autumn, most places have poor harvests. If taxes are exempted, the national treasury will not have sufficient supplies. If there arises a need to heavily draw from the treasury later, what should be done?"
Mu Fengyan was taken aback, putting down his brush and thinking for a moment; he couldn't come up with the best solution.
Seeing his expression, Yin Luo already knew his thoughts and placed before him an Imperial Edict that Mu Changqing had reviewed. "Here is what the Jin Wang has reviewed; Your Majesty might take a look at his method."
"Order the local gentry and merchants to contribute to cover the reduced taxes."
Mu Fengyan read it out one by one, and in an instant, his brows relaxed. Yin Luo put away the Imperial Edict and said, "The Jin Wang's method is undoubtedly the best. With the wealth gap widening, if these affluent individuals can assist those commoners suffering from drought and poor harvests, although it is only a temporary solution, it can at least alleviate the current predicament. At least it can save many commoners who would otherwise become displaced due to their inability to pay taxes."
Mu Fengyan's eyes flickered slightly but remained noncommittal.
Yin Luo then took out another document for Mu Fengyan to see. "The reason why the Jin Wang has maintained control over the court until now is partly due to his skills and partly due to his abilities. The combination of capability and wisdom has led to his current achievements. Therefore, if Your Majesty wishes to regain power in court and suppress the Jin Wang, the first thing to do is learn. Take what is essential and discard what is not; when necessary, do not hesitate to consult with the Jin Wang. I believe he will not refuse."
"And then there are the factions within the court. Although the Jin Wang currently occupies half of the power, most of those in court are forces he has cultivated. However, there will always be some who are not loyal to him; they are merely pretending on the surface. Another part has always been indecisive, swaying between sides. Thus, it depends on how Your Majesty utilizes these people!"
"Those who are indecisive do so partly to preserve their positions out of necessity. Another reason is that these people are opportunistic; they only care about their own interests and will obey whoever benefits them. As Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven of the Exiled Nation, you are just short of holding court power. If you can utilize these potential allies, perhaps they could help Your Majesty turn the tide at crucial moments."
After listening to Yin Luo's words, Mu Fengyan raised his head to look at her, surprise clearly flashing in his eyes. "I didn't expect you to understand so much."
Yin Luo paused and smiled slightly. "I don't really understand these things; it's just what my father taught me. If Your Majesty ever needs help in the future, the Moon Cherry Dynasty will do its utmost to assist you!"
Mu Fengyan's eyes flickered as he murmured, "Moon Cherry Dynasty... Luoluo, you..."
He raised his head to look at Yin Luo, clearly puzzled in his gaze. Her helping him was one thing; offering all of Moon Cherry Dynasty's resources was another.
If it were just her personal effort, he would think it was merely friendship or her desire for freedom. But if she were willing to commit all of Moon Cherry Dynasty's strength, wasn't that too much of a gamble? This meant that in her heart, she must want him to replace the Jin Wang and take control of the court as a true emperor!
His eyes were not only confused but also clearly shocked!
They had once been husband and wife, and the love that Prince Jin had for her was evident to everyone in the world. Why would she do this? Why would she put him in such a perilous position?
He couldn't understand it, nor could he guess at her motives. He was filled with countless questions and just wanted her to explain, but Yin Luo lowered her gaze, avoiding his questioning eyes, and after a while said, "I have my reasons; please do not ask, Your Majesty."
Mu Fengyan looked at her for a moment but ultimately did not press further.
He remained in the palace reviewing the Imperial Edicts until evening. After dinner, Li An De brought in a silver tray as usual to present him with the cards.
Mu Fengyan glanced at Yin Luo and waved his hand directly, saying, "There’s no need for that tonight; I just want to stay in Qinghua Palace."
Li An De hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, the beauty you received yesterday has already been prepared by Consort Jin's people, just waiting for your summons. If you do not see her today, Consort Jin may..."
"Is that what Mother taught you?" Mu Fengyan interrupted him irritably. "Always talking about branching out endlessly. I'm still young; I don't need so many branches and leaves!"
Li An De looked troubled upon hearing this.
Yin Luo stood quietly behind Mu Fengyan, keeping her head down and acting like a maidservant without interrupting their conversation. Mu Fengyan turned back to look at her, his gaze dimming slightly. After a moment, he said, "Let it go for today; I’m tired after a long day and just want to rest. We can talk another day."
Li An De felt conflicted but dared not disobey; he could only take his leave.
With no one else in the hall, Mu Fengyan pulled Yin Luo inward and said, "Tonight, you must stay with me; you can't leave! I'll let you have the dragon bed while I sleep on the floor."
Yin Luo was taken aback and stopped in her tracks. "No way! My status is that of a palace maid; if someone sees us, it will only lead to gossip."
"What are you worried about?"
Mu Fengyan pulled her further inside again. "Just for tonight; I’ll have someone add a beaded curtain here later. That way, if anything unexpected happens in the future, we won’t be startled."
Seeing that Yin Luo still had a look of refusal on her face, he paused and added, "Don’t worry; although Li An De is somewhat unruly and not suited for the role of head of the inner palace, he is clever and has trained a group of sharp-witted disciples. If anything unusual happens, their information is always accurate and they will notify me first. So there will definitely be no problems; trust me!"
Seeing him make such assurances, Yin Luo finally felt relieved. However, she could never bring herself to sleep on the emperor's dragon bed. Although she did not hold onto notions of hierarchy, this was ancient times; she had to consider her status.
Mu Fengyan saw her persistence and didn't say anything more. However, her bedding was spread out under him, allowing him to see her and talk to her easily. This feeling was too subtle, and he couldn't be happier.
From childhood to adulthood, this was the first time he had such an experience.
The hall was pitch black, but he knew that there was someone awake, talking to him. Sometimes, he even thought she had fallen asleep, yet her cool voice would suddenly come through, so much so that later on, he didn't even know when he had fallen asleep.
The next morning, he was awakened by someone.
Opening his eyes, a face both familiar and unfamiliar was right in front of him. He paused for several seconds before remembering that this person was Yin Luo!
He sat up abruptly, about to speak when his gaze fell on Li An De behind Yin Luo. He cleared his throat and calmly asked, "What time is it?"
Li An De bent slightly and immediately replied, "In response to the Emperor, it will soon be the fifth watch."
Mu Changqing glanced outside and nodded before lifting the brocade blanket to get up.
A palace servant brought him washing supplies while Yin Luo stood by his side, handing him what he needed. Mu Fengyan had never experienced anything like this before; what he once found tedious now felt endearing, and he didn't want it to end quickly.
The palace servant brought in the dragon robe. Mu Fengyan glanced at Yin Luo, who met his gaze and understood. She hurriedly stepped forward to help him put on the robe. As she tied the belt and placed the golden crown on his head, her breath was like an orchid's fragrance, so close that it made him lose focus.
It wasn't until he felt a weight on his arm that he came back to his senses and saw Yin Luo signaling him.
He quickly withdrew his hand and glanced at Li An De beside him before saying seriously, "Let's go."
Li An De didn't dare delay and quickly followed him out of the sleeping quarters.
Once the Emperor left, naturally, it was time to tidy up the sleeping quarters.
As Mu Fengyan's personal maid, Yin Luo originally didn't need to do these tasks. However, in order to become more adept in her role as a palace maid, she didn’t take a moment's rest until everything was tidied up. Only then did she return to her own room to organize the belongings she had brought last night.
The side hall of Qinghua Palace had been designated as her residence and granted her the privilege of having a room to herself.
Thus, it became much easier for her to carry out her tasks.
She opened a large box, which was filled with various items. There were only a few pieces of clothing, while the rest were peculiar-looking objects.
Yin Luo took out a wooden box from the bottom and opened it, revealing many powder-filled daggers, and not just those, but also a book.
Yin Luo closed the door and locked it before heading to the inner room.
This book had been in her possession for some days, but she had only managed to learn about one-third of its profound techniques, let alone improve her martial arts skills.
She opened the book and, after reading it, began to practice in front of the empty space.
This residence was ideal for her; it was not only secluded but also not far from Mu Fengyan, so no one dared to disturb her on ordinary days, allowing Yin Luo to feel at ease.
Like teaching Mu Fengyan, she wanted to become powerful, and the first thing she needed to do was strengthen herself.
Improving her skills could prove invaluable in critical moments.
Although she had quick reflexes, she lacked other advantages, so she had to keep learning. Especially since Jin Wang was not someone to be trifled with; she needed to be fully alert!
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