After their minds were read, the entire court trembled with fear.

Chapter 103 A Local Official Who Scammed Money Arrived

The system's strangeness made Shen Zhiyi feel like she was having a nightmare.

As a result, when someone woke me up the next day, I was utterly grumpy.

Aunt Cheng said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Shen Lang, Eunuch Chen is here outside."

"Who?"

"Eunuch Chen?"

What's this talented guy doing here?!

Shen Zhiyi was instantly wide awake. She quickly started washing up and rushed to the front hall, where she saw Chen Decai leisurely drinking tea.

"Eunuch Chen, I didn't expect you to come. How rude of me!"

"It's alright, it was this old servant who disturbed Master Shen's rest."

[Hehe, I slept until late morning and almost forgot I had to go to work today. Oh no, it's all that damn system's fault. It was acting like a ghost last night.]

Chen, who had originally intended to take the opportunity to exchange pleasantries, suddenly changed his tone.

"Shen Lang doesn't look too well. Are you feeling unwell? That's perfect. Today, the imperial physicians will be examining His Majesty and all the empresses. Why don't you take advantage of the breeze and get checked out as well?"

"No need, no need."

I'm perfectly healthy, but what happened to the system last night? Why did it start bugging again later?

Startled, Shen Zhiyi quickly checked the surveillance footage, but there was nothing seriously wrong.

Another bug?

Chen Decai and Aunt Cheng exchanged a glance.

Last time, when Shen Zhiyi's system malfunctioned, even the emperor's concubines could hear it. So who can hear it this time when the system malfunctions?

This situation needs to be reported to His Majesty.

Upon learning this news, the old emperor immediately abandoned all pretense of economic recovery.

His struggles were futile.

"Your Majesty, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong has arrived."

"Well, let him in."

[The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong? Doesn't the old emperor consider establishing a provincial system in the provinces? They're already divided up into a mess anyway.]

Provincial system?

The old emperor silently wrote four characters on the paper; it was yet another new word he had never heard before.

"Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to report."

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong knelt down with a thud and began to speak urgently: "Your Majesty, winter has arrived, and the nomadic tribes of the north will surely migrate south during this time. I implore Your Majesty..."

[Would you like some money?]

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong, who was just about to ask for money, was speechless.

Who is speaking???

Did he see a ghost?

The old emperor tilted his body slightly, looking at the appearance of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong, and felt somewhat certain.

Chen Decai said that Shen Zhiyi's system had malfunctioned again, so this time it would probably be local officials who heard it, which is not good news.

More and more people are able to hear Shen Zhiyi's innermost thoughts. What if the whole world could hear them in the future?

What's the difference between his reign as emperor and running naked?

No, no, even though struggling is useless, he still has to find a way to struggle.

"Your Majesty?"

[Stop calling me "Your Majesty," the national treasury has been used for disaster relief this year, where would we get the money to swindle?]

The provincial inspector of Hedong was furious, his face turning red.

What do you mean by swindling money? He did all this for the soldiers guarding the frontier!

Upon hearing Shen Zhiyi's inner thoughts, the old emperor suppressed his shock and anger.

He said calmly, "Every year around this time you say that the Turks in the north are going to invade the south. If I remember correctly, it's been about five years now. I'm curious, are the soldiers of my Great Ye so incompetent that they can't even withstand a mere nomadic tribe?"

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong remained calm and argued his case based on reason.

"Your Majesty, the Turks in the north are all tall, strong, and powerful, and they have long coveted our territory of Ye. The soldiers on the border have to be on guard at all times in the freezing cold, which is really hard."

[It's hard work, but if it's so hard, why don't you just give them the money? It all ends up in your own little piggy bank.]

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong was greatly alarmed.

No, which demon is speaking in his mind?

The old emperor angrily smashed the teacup at the provincial inspector of Hedong.

"Hmph, I remember that the General of Chariots and Cavalry has always been stationed on the northern frontier. Why is it you who have been saying these things all these years?"

"Your Majesty, if the General of Chariots and Cavalry had already dealt with the Northern Turks, he would have returned to the capital long ago."

The old emperor's silence is for a reason.

When the General of Chariots and Cavalry left with his army, he said he would not return until he had killed the Turks.

[Hahaha, he's laughing all the way to the bank! That General of Chariots and Cavalry is a young but skilled warrior; in his first year there, he drove the Turks even further north.]

The old emperor was stunned. Why didn't he come back?

[He hasn't returned for so many years for some unknown reason. He mistakenly believes the old emperor favors him, so he refuses to come back no matter what.]

The old emperor: ……

Chen Decai closed his eyes, trying very hard to suppress his laughter.

The Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong felt a chill in his heart; something seemed off about the Emperor's expression.

The frustrated old emperor ordered the provincial inspector from Hedong, who had come to the capital to report on his duties, to be imprisoned.

The Ministry of Justice and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner were ordered to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong swindling money.

When the Minister of Revenue, who was enjoying the company of his children and grandchildren at home, heard about this, he angrily wrote a full ten pages of words cursing the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hedong.

Not feeling satisfied after hurling insults, he went directly to the newly appointed Minister of Personnel.

“Yan Chen, you’re right. We shouldn’t have given that guy the money in the first place.”

"His Majesty is compassionate towards the soldiers on the frontier, how dare you refuse?"

"Well, of course I wouldn't dare." The Minister of Revenue was annoyed for a moment, then suddenly looked up: "Then why did you tell me you wouldn't give it to me in the first place?"

The newly appointed Minister of Personnel smiled, took out a jade abacus and began to do calculations while saying, "Back then, you were Yan Chen's superior, so naturally I had to report to you first if I wanted to say anything."

The Minister of Revenue was even more frustrated.

To put it nicely, report to him.

To put it bluntly, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

"Alright, this cup of tea is worth a fortune. But for your sake, I'll give you a discount. Eight hundred taels of gold will do."

The Minister of Revenue was even more annoyed and waved his hand, saying, "Go away, go away. I know you well. You like to calculate all day long, but I've never seen you actually ask for money."

"By the way, did you tell His Majesty about that matter you mentioned to me last time?"

"said."

"How is the result?"

The newly appointed Minister of Personnel gave a bitter smile, his mood as bitter and astringent as the tea.

The Minister of Revenue understood immediately upon seeing this.

"I've told you before, agriculture is the foundation of a nation."

Yan Chen understood, but for some reason, he felt that if he suppressed the development of this situation, he would lose something.

"A huge sum of money, a lot of pure silver."

Shen Zhiyi, who was secretly watching, nodded vigorously.

"Of course. Now, in order to allow the people to recuperate and demonstrate benevolence, the old emperor has even exempted agricultural taxes, which means a significant loss of revenue for the national treasury. Furthermore, there has been a disaster in Jiangnan this year, so the agricultural tax that was originally intended to be reinstated will likely have to be exempted again."

The old emperor sighed, "Don't say anymore, it's all tears."

[Oh, so the newly appointed Minister of Personnel is all alone. The Minister of Revenue has started inviting him to his home for the New Year.]

Shen Zhiyi's eyes lit up.

[Haha, Minister of Revenue, if you really let that stingy bastard come to your door, you'll have a real headache.]