Xie Shaoling murmured in a muffled voice, “Brother Xu… I have encountered a Transcendental Immortal.”
Young Master Mei rode the sedan chair all the way to the back gate of the Lord Chancellor’s Manor, with Shen Jun following closely behind on horseback.
As soon as the sedan touched the ground, Shen Jun dismounted and leaned toward the side of the carriage. “My Lord, please do not be angry. Those at the Heyue Restaurant are merely ignorant youths. They do not understand your hard work and great achievements.”
Gu Huaiyu lifted a corner of the curtain. How could he not hear that Shen Jun was pleading for Xie Shaoling?
But he couldn’t be bothered with that little brat right now. His mind was on something else entirely.
“Shen Jun, in half a month, the refugees from Jiangzhou should arrive outside the city.”
Shen Jun stiffened slightly. A flash of disgust crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
He lowered his gaze, his voice steady and restrained as always. “I have already made arrangements. Guards have been stationed at all four gates to intercept them. The refugees will not be allowed to enter the city easily.”
Gu Huaiyu let out a surprised, “Oh?”
Inside his sleeves, Shen Jun’s fists tightened. He kept his eyes forward, showing no sign of hesitation or personal bias. “I have also dispatched men to set up a temporary camp in the northwest wilderness. We have prepared plenty of fuel and lime. If anyone dies, they will be buried with lime and burned on the spot to prevent the spread of plague.”
Gu Huaiyu didn’t know whether to praise his thoroughness or call him a madman. He asked with a smirk, “Is there no other way besides that?”
“I have one more strategy.”
Shen Jun lowered his eyes, his voice as soft as if he were discussing the weather. “The refugees have traveled far and suffered much to reach the capital. Their resentment is like dry tinder. You only need to send a few unfamiliar faces among them to incite them… Once they storm the city gates, the Imperial Guard can legally and rightfully eliminate the problem permanently.”
Having said that, he raised his cold eyes.
Gu Huaiyu suddenly burst into a light laugh.
Shen Jun’s spine stiffened, but then a hand as white as jade reached out from the curtain and flicked him on the forehead. “Shen Jun, oh Shen Jun…”
“Can I not simply let the refugees into the city?” Gu Huaiyu asked leisurely.
It wasn’t that Shen Jun hadn’t considered the possibility, but once the refugees entered the capital, Gu Huaiyu’s foul reputation would only grow darker.
If the refugees caused any trouble, Gu Huaiyu’s embezzlement and corruption would be dragged into the light. The upright “Pure Stream” faction in court were like blood-sucking mosquitoes; they were just waiting to catch Gu Huaiyu’s mistakes. They would certainly make a massive scene out of it.
Seeing his silence, Gu Huaiyu spoke of the plan he had devised. “When you return today, immediately issue a decree. Any Buddhist temple or Taoist monastery in the capital occupying more than ten acres of land must vacate half of their guest rooms to house the refugees.”
“Housing them is only the first step. If you want them to remain peaceful, you must give them a way to live. Most refugees have lost their homes. Letting them be self-sufficient is the only fundamental solution.”
“The capital is full of workshops and merchant houses. If a shop employs a refugee from Jiangzhou, they can receive a ten-percent tax reduction next year upon providing proof.”
“Winter is approaching. The Ministry of Works has had crates of old cotton padding sitting in their warehouses for decades. Rather than letting it rot, I will sign an order. Take it out and give it to the refugees to make winter clothes.”
Gu Huaiyu laid out the points one by one. It didn’t sound like a whim, but rather a plan that had been carefully calculated.
Shen Jun stared at the half-face visible behind the curtain, speechless for a moment.
For seven years, the Gu Huaiyu he knew was ruthless and arrogant. He never imagined this man would actually plan for the welfare of refugees.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke a beat slower than usual. “My Lord truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva. With such benevolence and virtue, the refugees will surely be profoundly grateful and would not dare to cause trouble in the capital.”
Gu Huaiyu dismissed it with a laugh. “Grateful? What would I want with their gratitude?”
As he withdrew his hand and the curtain fell, Shen Jun heard a final sentence drift out: “I simply find people dying at the city gates to be too much of an eyesore.”
Shen Jun froze again, unable to tell if he was being serious or not. He turned to grab his horse’s reins, and as expected, he heard a soft call from behind. “Shen Jun.”
Gu Huaiyu said calmly, “There is no need to ruin a man’s future. Let him come. I do not fear him.”
Shen Jun didn’t understand what he meant for a moment and stood staring.
Gu Huaiyu added, “Xie Shaoling.”
Shen Jun’s pupils shrank. As the chief examiner for this Metropolitan Examination, he had a hundred ways to ensure Xie Shaoling failed miserably.
Yet Gu Huaiyu was going to let him go? Was this still the same Chancellor who bullied others with his power and sought revenge for the smallest slight?
Suppressing the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, Shen Jun bowed and replied, “I understand.”
Just as he reached his horse and gripped the reins, he heard another melodious call from behind.
“Shen Jun.”
Gu Huaiyu suddenly pulled back the curtain and peeked his face out. The fluffy fur collar of his robe made him look like a doll carved from snow. “I have one more thing—”
Shen Jun’s knuckles creaked as he gripped the reins, but his expression remained respectful. “Your orders, My Lord?”
He thought Gu Huaiyu had changed his mind. However, Gu Huaiyu merely knit his brows and asked very seriously, “Why did he call me ‘Gu the Cat’?”
Shen Jun couldn’t help but let out a laugh. He said loudly, “Because you are unpredictable, My Lord. Your thoughts are difficult to gauge, much like a cat.”
“I see.”
Gu Huaiyu nodded and leaned back lazily into the sedan chair.
In truth, the nickname came from a folk belief that cats were creatures of extreme yin energy. Gu Huaiyu was seen as a sinister and cunning villain, so the “Pure Stream” faction used “Cat” to mock him. Over time, the nickname had spread far and wide.
