In the study of the Prime Minister's mansion, Chu Chen worked late into the night by candlelight.
"What is the situation in Shizhou?"
"Reporting to my lord, all forces in Shizhou have attempted to eliminate the bandits, but all have failed. Even the combined forces of various counties have returned without success, unable to even secure the people."
"That is good." Chu Chen nodded. This matter was not beyond his expectations.
Cavalry, by nature, are as swift as the wind and as elusive as shadows; they are not easily caught. Moreover, with Chu Chen and his subordinates acting as inside informants, it would be even more impossible to catch them.
"What about King Jing? Has that fat old woman made any moves?"
"None. King Jing has been very compliant. Not only did he cooperate with the land survey, but he even personally visited the newly established commercial hall in the county town to report revenue and submit account books, obtaining expected tax revenue through invoices."
"This old fat woman is truly cautious. It's a pity she was too clean last time; I couldn't find any leverage."
Chu Chen gritted his teeth, feeling a sense of helplessness.
This fat woman, as King Jing, had accumulated tens of thousands of mu of land over a decade and possessed considerable business acumen. The wealth of her royal mansion was indeed substantial, yet she was extremely prudent and cautious.
Even after the incident in Lianshan County, Chu Chen could not find any fault with her. Suspicion alone was not enough to depose her.
"What about Wang Wuji, the驸马? How far has he connected with the Wang clan of Xiàzhōu?"
"My lord, this is precisely what your subordinate needs to report. The Wang clan of Xiàzhōu can no longer contact Wang Wuji himself. All requests to meet him have been refused. Even his own family members have visited, only to be met with feasting and entertainment, which is quite strange."
"Uh~"
Chu Chen was utterly speechless, realizing that Wang Wuji had likely been directly interfered with by the cautious King Jing.
"Fine, there's no hope of exploiting her wealth. Then have Lü Youwei send someone to ask King Jing, saying that our chamber of commerce has stocked some colored glaze, which is difficult to sell in winter, and we intend to sell it to her at a lower price. Ask if she wants it."
"Understood!"
"Also, withdraw half of the surveillance personnel on King Jing and assign them to other tasks."
"Understood."
After the secret department departed, Chu Chen said with a sigh, "King Jing is so cautious that it's unlikely her assets can be exploited. Fortunately, she enjoys luxury and is willing to spend money. If exploiting her wealth fails, making a profit from her is also good."
Recalling the information about King Jing's extravagance, Chu Chen felt a pang of envy.
The height of her platform and palace, combined, surpassed the city walls of Jing County, making it the foremost structure in the city.
Her businesses and caravans spanned across various prefectures, with land holdings in numerous counties beyond her fiefdom in Jing County. Her annual income exceeded a million taels of silver, with hundreds of thousands spent on lavish expenses.
When she went out, she was surrounded by an entourage and heavily guarded. The other luxurious furnishings and the handsome male companions she kept also incurred considerable expense.
Even in winter, she could enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. This treatment was remarkably similar to what Chu Chen was doing in secret.
Without transparent plastic, glass could still be used for greenhouses. Chu Chen had also secretly set one up in the Prime Minister's mansion. However, the mansion was not large, and the area he could conceal was even smaller, only about twenty square meters for growing some small cabbages and cucumbers. It was nowhere near the luxury of King Jing, who even enjoyed grapes.
"Forget it, forget it. Anyway, the recent gains have been substantial. The cavalry intercepted over a hundred convoys, seizing countless supplies and silver, with a total value of three to four million taels."
Thinking of the spoils from the cavalry, Chu Chen's spirits lifted.
The hidden and maintained army, numbering over ten thousand, incurred significant expenses, yet he could not provide overt support.
With such a large haul, it was all his. Quietly transporting it to the Hidden Army Valley made him incredibly happy.
"Li Mengdie is already preparing, but Li Yunting doesn't seem like someone who would rebel at all. Instead, she even shows favor to the people under her rule. What is going on?"
"Could her rebellion be driven by some other hidden force?"
Chu Chen suddenly remembered this matter, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Furthermore, the cavalry incident has caused such a stir. The aristocratic families and powerful officials who cannot resolve this matter will certainly not let it go. I fear they will attack me at the next court session."
"But it's not that easy for you to catch me. Do you really think I don't know that His Majesty is wary of me? Hmph, I've already made all the necessary preparations, just waiting for you to jump out and accuse me, and then I can uproot you all!"
Chu Chen sneered, recalling how he had dealt with numerous corrupt officials in various prefectures and counties recently, replacing them with new individuals selected through the imperial examinations.
With the change in officials and the assistance of the local Embroidered Uniform Guard, helping them counter local gentry, influential families, and even aristocratic clans, the officialdom in local government had become much more honest and efficient.
Otherwise, how could the county soldiers of Xiàzhōu be mobilized to encircle and suppress bandits in the dead of winter? With the previous efficiency, it would have been a pipe dream.
"The imperial court has only dealt with the Censorate Minister Zhang Guojin and the Minister of Rites Wu Sheng. I suspect there are still quite a few who are secretly serving aristocratic families with all their might. Let's see if you dare to jump out in front of me this time!"
After quickly handling state affairs, Chu Chen went to sleep without any worry.
While Chu Chen slept soundly, some important figures in the capital found it difficult to sleep, tossing and turning in bed, deep in thought.
The next morning, he went to the administrative office to handle state affairs. All the officials appeared normal.
However, at the court session on the third day, after paying respects to the Empress, trouble arose.
"Your Majesty! This minister has a memorial to present!"
"Granted!"
Vice Minister Jiao of the Ministry of Personnel's Inspection Department, cupped his hands and said loudly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, grateful for the excellent public security in the country and the strong military might of the court, many merchant caravans are active even in winter, traveling north and south to earn money. However, the Shizhou bandits are intercepting and plundering merchant caravan goods everywhere, causing unrest in the Shizhou region. The losses of various merchant caravans are heavy, with over a hundred caravans having been attacked."
"The bandits are extremely brutal. Not only do they plunder goods, but they also spare no one. All escorts and laborers in the merchant caravans have been slaughtered, which is truly cruel and inhumane."
"I have also heard that the bandits, not content with plundering merchant caravans, even launched a surprise attack on a village in the dead of night, burning, killing, looting, and raping women!"
"Is this true? Why did the local officials not send troops to suppress them?"
The Empress, upon hearing this, became furious. Such an incident occurring in the Yunyue Kingdom under her rule was shocking.
"This... this..."
Vice Minister Jiao stammered, unsure how to answer.
The Empress's eyes chilled, and she reprimanded, "What is it? Vice Minister Jiao, are you perhaps afraid of those bandits in this court?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this minister is indeed afraid."
To everyone's surprise, Vice Minister Jiao directly admitted it and said with a look of fear, "The information brought back by my subordinates who inspected Shizhou indicates that the bandits are extraordinary. Their forces number over a thousand men, divided into several groups. Local officials have repeatedly organized county soldiers to jointly encircle and suppress them, all without success."
"What!" The Empress was enraged.