twenty-three
Ying Si was going to escort Shen Qingyu back, leaving Xiao Weixin and You Shu alone in this small house.
"Let's go." Xiao Weixin looked up at the full moon in the sky. The moon had risen to the highest point in the sky and it was already midnight.
The two of them walked one after the other under the moonlight. The long street was empty. You Shu looked up at Xiao Weixin, who was walking two steps in front of him. He could only see the white cloak on him.
Although he couldn't see his face, You Shu could still vaguely sense that he was angry.
But why? The conversation with Shen Qingyu should have gone smoothly, so why did he look so upset
As if they were in sync, Xiao Weixin, who was walking in front, stopped and looked back at You Shu, who had no time to look away, and asked calmly, "Do you like Shen Qingyu very much?"
"Ah?" You Shu subconsciously asked a question, and then shook his head quickly: "I have nothing but admiration for Lord Shen."
And it’s a bit strange that two men use the word “like”. Maybe the male protagonist wants to ask him whether he likes Shen Qingyu as a person.
Xiao Weixin didn't know why he was angry. He had always been an emotionally indifferent person. If no one explained it to him, he would not understand what was happening to him. He just didn't like seeing the little shadow guard being intimate with others.
"You are not allowed to talk to others casually in the future." Xiao Weixin ordered coldly, "and you are not allowed to show off everywhere."
You Shu was confused. How did he come to the conclusion that he was showing off everywhere
He is not a girl, and his identity is a shadow guard. He has to hide enough all day long. Where does he get the courage to show off
"Yes." You Shu, who didn't have the courage to refute, chose to keep quiet and agree. Anyway, whatever the male protagonist said was the truth, because he was the protagonist.
Xiao Weixin was somewhat satisfied. This was good behavior.
The two of them walked back home under the moonlight. Perhaps because of the quiet night, their moods were different than usual.
Shen Qingyu said he was considering it after he returned, but in fact, when he did not refuse immediately that night, he had already acquiesced to Xiao Weixin. The blueprint for the country that Xiao Weixin promised him was exactly what he expected, and he also wanted to try to see if he could bring a little change to the world.
The two of them secretly formed a united front, but on the surface, Shen Qingyu still worked for Xiao Weishen. Prime Minister Xia disliked everyone about him, so in order to ensure his personal safety, Xiao Weishen secretly sent a lot of people to protect him. Unless Prime Minister Xia was a fool, he would not dare to take action at this time.
Shen Qingyu's abilities were obvious to all. Within a few days after he took office, he was appreciated by Xiao Weishen and quickly secured the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Everything seems to be moving in a good direction since the beginning of spring, but Xiao Weishen has been troubled by two things recently.
The first is that the treasury is empty. In recent years, the border has always been turbulent. In addition, the old emperor is an ambitious and warlike person. In the past few years, he has expanded the army and fought everywhere, which has led to a far-reaching overspending of the army. In addition, there were floods in the south the year before last and droughts in the north last year. Not only did he not have a harvest to pay tribute, but he also had to transfer money from the court. Queen Mother Xia was also a person who liked extravagance. She wanted the most exquisite daily life. The white silver was spent like water. The treasury began to be in urgent need early.
The second is the issue of offspring. For some reason, Xiao Weishen got married at the age of sixteen and ascended the throne at the age of twenty. It has been six years now, but he has very few offspring. Not to mention sons, there are only three daughters. The rest died young, and there were more than one or two miscarriages. He could not give birth to a son. The queen's belly was also not moving. Xiao Weishen secretly consulted many imperial doctors, but he could not find the reason. Without offspring, he could not establish the country. This was a big deal for the emperor, and Xiao Weishen was inevitably anxious.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Qingyu, brought up the issue of the empty treasury again in court. The Minister of Revenue was in a dilemma and simply tried to smooth things over by pushing the matter onto the Emperor.
Xiao Weishen was very upset, but Prime Minister Xia gave him a trick, "Since the national treasury is in deficit this year, I think there are two ways to do it."
"First, reduce the army. The border is now peaceful, so there is no need to maintain so many soldiers and waste money. Just let them take off their armor and go home, which will save some expenses."
"Second, increase taxes. The situation at the beginning of this spring is very good, so the harvest will surely not be bad. In the past two years, there have been disasters and the court has been unable to make ends meet. Increasing taxes this year can also alleviate this problem."
Xiao Weishen thought about it carefully and felt that it was acceptable.
But Shen Qingyu disagreed: "Your Majesty, the army can indeed be reduced, but the taxes must not be increased! How can the people live? There have been many disasters in recent years, but the agricultural taxes have not been reduced at all. This year, the situation has just improved. If you increase the taxes again, wouldn't it be making the situation worse?"
Shen Qingyu was different from everyone else present. He had witnessed with his own eyes how hard it was for the working people to survive during the disaster. He became anxious when he heard that the imperial court was actually planning to increase taxes to make up for the shortfall in the treasury. Wasn't this tantamount to asking for their lives
But he had just established his foothold in the court, and his words were of little importance, so no one cared about what he said. Although Xiao Weishen thought he was a talent, he would not listen to his words. He immediately decided to increase taxes by 50% more this year than in previous years, and to levy an additional head tax, and at the same time cut the army's population by half.
Although General Yang also opposed it, he was already feared by the emperor, so he couldn't say many things. The emperor and Prime Minister Xia just used this as an excuse to weaken the military power, so even if there was no treasury issue, he couldn't escape it.
Shen Qingyu clenched his hands tightly into fists hidden in his wide sleeves. To collect 50% more taxes and add the poll tax was like cutting off the source of the trouble. He only cared about the current situation and didn't care about the impact it would have on the lower-class people.
How can such an emperor... be worthy of sitting on the dragon throne
After the court session ended, Shen Qingyu left the hall with a bad look on his face, and he didn't even bother to get in touch with his colleagues.
Xiao Weixin also learned the news in the mansion. He was much calmer than Shen Qingyu. He knew that this would be the result. Shen Qingyu would get used to it sooner or later. Xiao Weishen himself had no talent. He didn't understand the meaning of "increasing income and reducing expenditure" at all, let alone "resting and recuperating". He wanted to continue to live a luxurious life and make money. Wouldn't he have to extort money from the lower-class people
However, it was because of his incompetence and greed for enjoyment that he had the opportunity to have his future. Otherwise, if he had worked hard and diligently, how could he have had the day of revenge
At the same time, You Shu squatted on the roof to bask in the sun, squinting his eyes and sighing.
Disarmament is the biggest drawback. This left hidden dangers for the massacre two years later. Xiao Weishen was really guilty. He knew the next plot, but he had no ability to interfere. Xiao Weishen, the protagonist, was not strong yet, so what could he do
"Come down."
Xiao Weixin's voice came from downstairs. You Shu came to his senses and jumped down from the roof: "My Lord, what do you want?"
"Come with me for a walk." Xiao Weixin said calmly, "Remember to wear a mask."
"Change your clothes."
You Shu obediently changed her clothes, but she felt more and more like a personal maid, who had to be available at any time and serve him personally. Although it was a good thing to get closer to the male protagonist, it seemed that her way of getting closer to him was different from his.
Besides, the male lead didn't mean to give him a promotion or a raise, so should he give a hint? After all, he was now doing the work of two people.
After he changed his clothes and put on the mask, Xiao Weixin took him out with satisfaction. He didn't like too many people following him, so he usually only took Qi Han, Wangchen or Luo Yao with him. But today, the little shadow guard was there, so Wangchen and Qi Han were ruthlessly left at home.
Wang Chen stood in the corridor holding his sword, looking at his own prince's back as he walked away. He asked Qi Han with tears in his eyes, "Brother, are we going to fall out of favor?"
"Only you will fall out of favor, don't take me with you." Qi Han rolled his eyes at the sky, "Who told you to be so stupid and useless all day long? It's only a matter of time before the prince abandons you."
"I think Ying San is smarter and more reliable than you. If the prince gets the urge to bring him and Luo Yao together someday, you will have neither a wife nor a master."
Qi Han's sharp tongue was probably inherited from his own prince. After hearing what he said, Wang Chen cried while holding his sword. He and the little shadow guard were completely enemies.
Not only did he rob someone's master, he also robbed his sister. This feud is irreconcilable!
You Shu couldn't help but sneeze, and quickly stepped back away from Xiao Weixin, fearing that he would dislike her.
"Ying... Is Third Brother sick?" Luo Yao looked shy. She was different from other people. She was never afraid of Xiao Weixin and said whatever she wanted to say. But in front of You Shu, she acted like a little girl, always wanting him to look at her more.
You Shu shook his head and replied, "Nothing, thank you Miss Luo Yao for your concern."
Xiao Weixin walked in front of them, but he seemed to be thinking about something, and he didn't pay attention to the interaction between the two people behind him. Luo Yao finally had the opportunity to go out with the person she had a crush on, and she couldn't hide her joy on her face. If You Shu hadn't had a look on his face that said "stay away from strangers", she would have stuck to him in the next second.
You Shu felt a little embarrassed, and he distanced himself from her, fearing that the prince would misunderstand him. Now was the time for him to focus on his career, and he must not let his master think that he was useless.
Romance and other things have hindered my career.
Just as the master and his two servants were strolling around, a tall figure suddenly descended from the front and landed lightly in front of them.
You Shu became alert, took two steps forward and protected Xiao Weixin behind him, drew the sword from his waist, pointed it at the person who came, and said coldly: "Who dares to offend the prince!"
Su Tu raised his hand and waved, handsome and elegant, with a very loud voice: "Hello!~"
Second male lead
You Shu was stunned. Why was he here
Su Tu's deep gaze swept across You Shu's face, and it was unclear whether he recognized him or not. "What a coincidence, you guys are out to play too?"
Xiao Weixin asked You Shu to leave with a cold face, and looked at him coldly: "What's the matter with the proton?"
"Don't be so cold~" That Su Tu laughed heartily, like a prairie fox: "I happen to be alone too, why don't you take me with you?"
"Get lost." Xiao Weixin didn't even bother to look at him, and was about to take a detour.
Su Tu's eyes sank slightly, and he stepped forward to stop Xiao Weixin, lowered his head and whispered in his ear: "I have a deal I want to make with the prince, I wonder if the prince is interested?"
"Not interested." Xiao Weixin pushed him away without even raising his head.
Su Tu looked at him with a smile, not angry about being rejected, but the next second he started yelling:
"Everyone, come and see! Your prince from the Central Plains has abandoned her after having sex with her!"
"Is there still any law in the Central Plains?"
There was murderous intent in Xiao Weixin's eyes.
You Shu was shocked. Did the second male lead’s character collapse