RWNEFE -Chapter 505 Establish a Bulletin to Overwhelm the Rumors!

Shen Lanxi’s expression darkened. “She can go mad if she wants, but she must not kill everyone and ruin my plan!”

“Yes! Then what about the child in the palace?”

Shen Lanxi said, “Send the memorial to Consort Shu. Someone will warn Shen Yuantang for me.”

“Yes!”

The troops sent to attack the two rebels sent carrier pigeons every seven days. After receiving the information tied to the pigeons, Shen Lanxi would mark it on a map and calculate how many days remained before their arrival.

A month later, the cultural exchange delegation heading to the southwest officially set out.

While seeing them off, Shen Lanxi noticed how lively the streets were. There were far more vendors than before, and business was booming.

Liu Yanhui smiled. “I didn’t expect the selection of the delegation to have such an effect.”

Shen Lanxi replied, “If the Ministry of Revenue makes good use of this, why worry about the treasury not being filled?”

Liu Yanhui: “…”

The next day, envoys sent by the two rebels arrived in the capital.

“Our emperor sincerely wishes to negotiate with the Regent King. Apart from Shu and Qian, you must also cede Zhuozhou and Dengzhou to us. From then on, our emperor and Great Zhou will not interfere with each other,” the envoys said arrogantly.

Shen Lanxi bluntly retorted, “Great Zhou will not only reclaim Shu and Qian, but will also hold the two rebels accountable for treason. If they now surrender their territories and commit suicide, I can guarantee that their families will not be harmed.”

The envoys from Shu and Qian felt a chill in their hearts when they saw that Shen Lanxi had no intention of negotiating and left them no room at all.

Had they miscalculated? The rumors their people had spread in the capital—had they really had no effect?

That shouldn’t be the case. Emperor Renxiao was supposed to be the traitor, the usurper of the throne. Shouldn’t the people of the world be condemning him?

Shen Lanxi said, “When two nations are at war, envoys are not executed. Gentlemen, please return.”

The two envoys’ expressions changed as they withdrew from the court, troubled.

Five days later, rumors began to spread in the capital.

“I heard that descendants of the former Crown Prince are still alive?”

“The former Crown Prince’s descendants are in Shu?”

“Shu and Qian are saying they will restore the rightful line, purge the emperor’s side, and execute the usurper!”

For a time, the rumors spread everywhere.

At court

“The envoys of the two rebels had barely left when rumors began to spread. This is clearly their scheme!”

“Stopping people’s tongues is harder than stopping a flood. The rumors must be halted quickly.”

“With rumors, a mouth spreads them, but refuting them exhausts you. So many commoners are discussing this—are we supposed to have officials and city guards abandon their duties just to explain things to them?”

“And even if we explain, will the people believe us?”

“The rumors must be stopped immediately. Find the source. If necessary, kill one to warn a hundred!”

The court descended into chaos.

Wang Bao shouted, “Silence!”

The officials quieted instinctively.

Shen Lanxi said, “Blocking rumors is like controlling a river. Blocking is worse than guiding. The more you suppress speech, the more the people will think the rumors are true.”

Wu Yanzhi asked, “How should we guide them?”

Shen Lanxi replied, “Establish a bulletin—publish it every three to five days. Record the strange and interesting events of the capital and even the whole of Great Zhou. Let new matters bury the old rumors.”

Liu Mingxin nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Then this matter will be entrusted to Minister Liu and the Grand Preceptor, two highly respected literary masters. You will determine the content. It must be positive and engaging.”

Liu Yanhui stepped forward. “Your Highness, I believe that if this is done well, it could also bring revenue to the treasury.”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites will assist.”

“Yes!”

Wang Bao said, “If there are matters to report, report them; if none, the court is dismissed.”

Liu Yanhui said, “I have a memorial to present.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Approved.”

Liu Yanhui continued, “Yesterday, while I was on the street, someone suddenly stopped me to plead for justice.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Explain in detail.”

Liu Yanhui said, “He was the owner of a dye workshop in the city. He stopped me because he believed the court’s taxes were too harsh, to the point that his workshop was about to close. He even shouted that the court was giving the people no way to live. Many citizens witnessed it. I believe that if this matter is not handled publicly, it may provoke public resentment.”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “That is reasonable.”

“Are the taxes imposed on his workshop within a reasonable range?”

Liu Yanhui replied, “Compared to ten years ago, they are indeed much higher.”

Wu Yanzhi said, “That is because of years of warfare.”

Liu Yanhui bowed. “I believe that now that the treasury has a surplus, the tax rate could be moderately restored to its previous level.”

Shen Lanxi nodded.

But the Vice Minister of War stepped forward in opposition.

“That cannot be done. Wars in the southwest and in Shu and Qian are imminent. At that time, large sums of silver will flow out of the treasury. It is already benevolent of the court not to increase taxes. If we reduce them, where will the military funds and provisions for Great Zhou’s army come from?”

Liu Yanhui turned to him. “According to Your Excellency’s reasoning, must the people tighten their belts, go hungry, or even starve to death in order to support the army?”

The Vice Minister of War said, “That is sophistry. Taxes have been increased for ten years—how have the people starved to death? Your words harm the interests of the court.”

Liu Yanhui replied, “You have long remained in court and naturally do not know the hardships of the common people. If not for the Regent King’s land-reclamation efforts in the past two years, the countryside might already be littered with starving corpses.”

The Vice Minister of War flushed red with anger. “That is sophistry.”

Liu Yanhui snorted. “You are an incompetent official who only knows how to consume the people’s fat and grain, and knows nothing of their suffering.”

“How dare you!” The Vice Minister of War stamped his feet in fury.

Wang Bao shouted, “Silence!”

The hall instantly quieted.

Shen Lanxi pretended not to understand and said, “How did a discussion about a dye workshop turn into a debate about national taxation?”

“You gentlemen are truly adept at drawing connections, always concerned about the people of Great Zhou.”

“For Great Zhou to have such officials who love the people like their own children is truly a blessing for the common folk.”

Liu Yanhui said, “Your Highness, I had not finished speaking earlier before being interrupted. I will continue now.”

Shen Lanxi said, “Proceed.”

Liu Yanhui said, “After asking the Ministry of Justice to assist in the investigation, we discovered that this merchant was talking nonsense. He had been deliberately incited by others to stir up public resentment.”

Shen Lanxi asked, “Were those people sent by the two rebels?”

Liu Yanhui replied, “Exactly so.”

Shen Lanxi slapped his thigh heavily and scolded, “Their intentions are truly vicious!”

Liu Yanhui continued, “The Court of Judicial Review found that the merchant was not on the verge of ruin as he claimed. On the contrary, he had three wives and four concubines, dressed in fine silks, ate delicacies, and lived quite a prosperous life.”

Shen Lanxi gritted her teeth. “So he even dared to deceive officials of my court.”

Liu Yanhui went on, “In his household, he has one principal wife and eighteen concubines. Counting his sons and daughters born of concubines, there are fifty or sixty children. He even keeps four mistresses outside the household.”