Chapter 27 Jealousy Jealousy

That kowtow from Qiu Shuzhi almost frightened his heart to pieces.

After applying the medicine well, he carefully wrapped a circle of gauze around her forehead, finally stopping the continuously bleeding wound.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Qiu Shuzhi covered the wound and smiled slightly.

“Has Secretary Qiu had breakfast yet?” he asked anxiously: “Why don’t we have breakfast together, is that alright?”

The look in Yue Guanyi’s eyes seemed to be shattered exquisite porcelain, fragments scattered all over the ground, barely self-healing and pieced back together, but never again with that initial perfection, the cracks forever present.

His eyes were filled with scars and hidden pain, but suppressed to the extreme with nowhere to vent, only allowing the pain to constantly accumulate and swell in his heart, until the day he could no longer control it.

“Alright.” She agreed very easily.

She admonished herself that she should keep some distance from him, but she also had some vague feelings of guilt inside.

Because all of this was pretense, she was using him.

She first pretended to know nothing about what happened after getting drunk.

Today she deliberately brought up this matter again, deliberately kowtowing in front of him, making herself bruised and battered, not to cut a knife in his heart, but to put on a show for the officials.

She got drunk yesterday and rode in the same carriage with him, today she suffered the bitter consequences, the wound on her face was the clean and pure proof between her and him, she walked around everywhere with this wound, the more people like Dai Yun knew, the safer she would be.

After all, she had used him, and owed him an apology.

Breakfast was soon brought in. Dai Yun had inquired about Yue Guanyi’s dietary preferences, and presented some light and refreshing dishes.

“Secretary Qiu, drinking last night hurt your stomach, have some porridge to soothe it.” Yue Guanyi voluntarily served her a bowl of porridge, placing it in front of her.

“Thank you.” She took a sip of the clear porridge, and the broken cracks in Yue Guanyi’s eyes seemed to ease a bit.

He lightly pursed his lips, revealing a faint smile like mist: “No need to be polite.”

In the courtyard, apart from the sound of the wind, there was only the crisp collision of porcelain bowls, and breakfast passed in such a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

“This time the Empress Dowager sent Your Highness to Yanshun County, I suppose it’s not just for supervising the silver mine, is it?”

Yue Guanyi put down his spoon, thinking of that lecherous old fox in the back palace made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t dare tell Qiu Shuzhi that he came this time on imperial orders to protect her.

He dared even less to tell her that the Empress Dowager actually harbored dirty and despicable thoughts towards her.

Yue Guanyi knew his own unworthiness, even if he admired her so much that he wanted to rip out his heart and give it to her, he didn’t dare to cling to the goddess in his heart.

And that Qin Qing, how could he be so shameless, he should look in the mirror at himself, at the age of thirty still dressing so flamboyantly to seduce women everywhere, even worse than him.

“Secretary Qiu is correct, the Empress Dowager sent me this time to ensure the silver mine is no longer robbed, and best to thoroughly resolve this matter, to fill the national treasury.” He did not directly state Qin Qing’s purpose, fearing it would pollute Qiu Shuzhi’s ears.

“To be honest, I have been investigating the silver mine matter for some time, and found that the reason the silver mine is frequently robbed is due to collusion between officials and civilians, mutually dividing the profits. They cover for each other, causing me, the Shuntianfu Zhizhong, to be practically useless, unable to take action.” Qiu Shuzhi spoke frankly.

When Gu Zheng originally sent her here, he only gave her two guards, which rounded up to her being a lone commander. She entered the wolf pack alone, not daring to act aggressively, afraid of angering this group of people.

She had also written to Gu Zheng, wanting to change the silver mine policies, but there was no response. It was at this time that she realized she had been abandoned by Gu Zheng.

If she had military power and decision-making authority, it would be different.

“That’s easy to handle. Tell me which villains and which officials are colluding, I’ll send the Imperial Guards to execute them on the spot right now. And that Dai Yun, deal with her as well.” Yue Guanyi was accustomed to ruthless actions, and never showed mercy when dealing with these minor officials and commoners.

But what Qiu Shuzhi wanted was not such a bloody suppression policy.

The current chaotic political situation had just stabilized, and the existence of the Imperial Guards to monitor officials was fine, but such harsh policies should not be used against the common people.

“Your Highness, these villagers and officials can be killed, but after killing them there will be new villagers stealing from the mines, and newly appointed officials will continue to be corrupt, treating the symptoms but not the root cause.”

Yue Guanyi raised his eyes: “Then what do you mean?”

Qiu Shuzhi’s gaze was firm: “Dai Yun cannot be killed, let her continue as the County Magistrate of Yanshun County.”

“Why?” Ji Mei, who had been listening on the side, was furious: “My lord, have you forgotten yesterday’s banquet? Dai Yun’s household luxury is almost comparable to that of an imperial relative, such a big parasite should be executed along with nine generations of her clan!”

There was also a hint of confusion in Yue Guanyi’s eyes, but he wasn’t angry, just gesturing for her to continue.

“The commoners living around the silver mine are so arrogant not just because of Dai Yun’s indulgence. Besides Dai Yun, the village heads and local leaders are all in cahoots with them, which gives them the courage, because they know that even if something goes wrong, someone will cover for them.”

“And the reason those village heads and local leaders are willing to cover for them is because they can also extract a portion of the silver they steal.”

Yue Guanyi’s expression became increasingly solemn: “You mean, directly give money to people like Dai Yun?”

“Yes.”

All under heaven strive for profit, these people cover for each other layer by layer ultimately for the sake of profit. Why not use their hands to eliminate those who steal from the mines, she’ll give them greater benefits than the mine thieves.

Moreover, the money of the mine thieves is ultimately dirty black money. If the court were to thoroughly investigate, the whole group of them would suffer. But this time Qiu Shuzhi gave them the opportunity to openly divide the profits, those village heads and local leaders would not miss out, and would eliminate thieves like Zhou Hu themselves without officials having to take action.