Shentu Yang stroked the letter tucked against his chest, feeling regret once again that the Emperor’s flower-carried messaging could only be sent one way to him. If only he could also use this method to write back to the Emperor.

He would surely write every single day and at every moment, sending at least twelve letters a day, and even then, he could never fully express how much he missed the Emperor.

Yet half a year had passed, and the Emperor had only written him twelve letters. That averaged out to one letter every two weeks, containing just a few brief words, all of which merely ordered him to do his job well.

Shentu Yang pulled out a peach-blossom scented letter and took a sniff, looking it over from top to bottom, but he could not find much deep affection between the lines. He could not help but sigh heavily, wondering why the Emperor was so cold and heartless.

“Achoo!”

Far away in Youzhou, Yin Shuhuai suddenly felt a chill run through his body, as if he could hear someone muttering resentful complaints right by his ear.

“Has Your Majesty caught a cold?” Zhuang Wuwei, who was attending to him, asked with concern. “Should I call the imperial physician to perform a routine checkup?”

“No need,” Yin Shuhuai waved his hand. Thinking of something, he suddenly smiled.

It was late spring, and even the oncoming breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and grass. The imperial garden was filled with vibrant colors as the flowers competed in beauty.

Zhuang Wuwei looked at the Emperor, who was leaning against the porch railing. The brilliant sunlight poured down from the cloudless blue sky, wrapping the Emperor in a soft, glowing halo. Sitting against the light, the Emperor held a small bowl of fish food and carelessly scattered it into the shimmering pond water. Plump koi fish swarmed forward in an instant, splashing water everywhere as they fought for the food, making the surface gleam like gold.

This made the Emperor’s face look as clear as white jade and his lips as bright as red coral.

“Issue my imperial decree,” Yin Shuhuai pondered for a moment and said softly. “Zhao Buji of Xuzhou has succeeded in suppressing the rebellion. He is appointed as the Inspector of Yizhou, with an official salary of six hundred dan of grain.”

When the court’s decree appointing Zhao Buji as the Inspector of Yizhou reached Jiangnan, the entire Yizhou officialdom completely erupted.

The Inspector, also known as the Imperial Investigator, was responsible for monitoring high-ranking officials and local powerful clans, while helping the regional governors and prefects manage local administrative affairs. Although the rank was low, the authority and responsibility were immense.

Zhao Buji was the head of the Zhao clan of Xuzhou, and his older cousin Zhao Bushi was the Grand Imperial Counselor, one of the three highest officials in the imperial court. By appointing such a figure as the Inspector of Yizhou to monitor the local officials and powerful families, the court’s true intentions were completely obvious.

However, even though everyone in the Yizhou government saw right through the hidden meaning behind this appointment, no one dared to stand up and oppose the imperial decree. At least right now, with Shentu Yang stationed in Jiangnan and the court’s army of five hundred thousand troops fully prepared and ready for action, nobody wanted to stick their neck out.

Even Yin Huaizhang, the Governor of Yizhou who had held absolute control over the region’s military and political power for over twenty years, could only submissively obey the court’s command.

Meanwhile, Zhao Buji, who had been forced to stay at home under the guise of recovering from an illness due to the public exposure of his scandalous family matters, was completely stunned.

Ever since that untrustworthy bastard Shentu Yang exposed his secrets and brought immense shame upon the entire Zhao clan, destroying their dignified reputation, Zhao Buji thought he had seen the court’s true colors. He had been fully prepared to swallow his pride and live a quiet, secluded life. He never expected that the Emperor would appoint him as the Inspector of Yizhou at this exact critical moment.

That was the Inspector of an entire region! The Yin Dynasty only had thirteen provinces, with only one Inspector per province, meaning there were only thirteen such Inspectors in the entire world!

Even though taking this position required Zhao Buji to venture into dangerous territory and would demand the full strength of the Zhao clan just to secure his footing, it was still the Inspector of Yizhou!

Although the salary was only six hundred dan, the inspector’s power was substantial. He could monitor local officials and elite families, manage provincial affairs, and report directly to the Emperor. For the leader of the Zhao clan, whose family had governed Xuzhou for centuries but lost all respect overnight, this position was absolutely perfect.

The Emperor has not forgotten my contributions! The imperial court has not forgotten the merits of our Zhao clan!

Upon receiving the decree, Zhao Buji was incredibly thrilled. Before he had even assumed office, his mind was already automatically planning everything he and the Zhao clan needed to do once he arrived in Yizhou.

It was worth mentioning that on the very night Zhao Buji received the court’s decree, Shentu Yang, far away in Jiangnan, also received a flower-carried message. In the letter, Yin Shuhuai instructed Shentu Yang to select one hundred scholars of high moral character and exceptional talent from the recent Jiangnan imperial examinations, and place them as prefects and county magistrates throughout the Shuzhong region. At the same time, he was to conduct an official evaluation of the current administration in Shuzhong, choosing those with outstanding results to serve in the capital.

As for the prefects and county magistrates who failed to meet the standards, they would naturally be dismissed immediately.

Upon receiving the message, Shentu Yang instantly understood the Emperor’s profound intentions. The next morning, Shentu Yang posted imperial notices to announce the official evaluations to the entire world.

Jiangnan and Shuzhong fell into an uproar.

The scholars of Jiangnan who had a chance to become officials in Shuzhong were naturally delighted. As natives of Jiangnan who were well-educated but had failed to secure any official positions in their home prefectures, it proved that they either lacked strong family backgrounds or had limited talents. Now that they had the opportunity to secure a post in Shuzhong, they at least had a starting point for their political careers.

As for the former prefects and county magistrates who originally served in Jiangnan but had been dismissed by Shentu Yang for various reasons, they now had the chance to regain their original positions through an exam. The only catch was moving to a new place to govern. With such a wonderful second chance, what was there to hesitate about?

Meanwhile, for the Shuzhong officials whose secure positions were about to be disrupted, those who were confident in their own abilities and learning felt capable of passing the court’s evaluation to serve in the capital, so the ambitious ones began to plan carefully. As for the incompetent officials who were just occupying space and drawing salaries, they were not even considered by the court. Furthermore, countless Shuzhong scholars felt it was deeply unfair that the court only selected candidates through exams in Jiangnan and not in Shuzhong, so they flooded the authorities with appeals for the court to hold imperial examinations in Yizhou as well.

In short, with just a single decree, Yin Shuhuai managed to divide and conquer the Shuzhong officials who had once stood united. The various factions in Shuzhong, which had previously worked together to oppose the court, crumbled in an instant. Everyone had their own private calculations, and everyone naturally began to look out for their own personal interests. This chaotic situation, where one group after another took turns causing drama, instantly showed Shentu Yang a glimmer of hope for returning home, and he enthusiastically began counting down the days until his triumphant return to the capital.

While Shentu Yang was busy carrying out the Emperor’s orders step by step, Yin Huaizhang’s eldest son, Yin Pingdu, could not bear to watch Yizhou, which his father had managed for most of his life, be slowly eaten away by the court. He could not help but advise his father in private, saying, “Father, you have governed Yizhou for over twenty years, always working diligently with great achievements, never slacking for a moment. Now the court is jealous of your talent and cannot tolerate you. Since the court acted unfairly first, why don’t you just…”

“Stop this nonsense!” Yin Huaizhang barked, cutting his son off before he could finish. “As members of the imperial clan, we receive the Yin Dynasty’s stipends and serve as its officials. How can you have such treasonous thoughts?”

Yin Pingdu strongly disagreed, but just as he was about to speak, Yin Huaizhang said earnestly, “Do you have any idea that since Shentu Yang led eight hundred fierce warriors to crush the Xiongnu years ago, he has never lost a single battle? His armored cavalry rides across the realm, completely undefeated. The powerful clans of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Ji provinces have deep roots, massive armies, and strong horses, yet the combined forces of all four provinces could not defeat Shentu Yang’s cavalry. What makes you think you have the right or the ability to rise up in rebellion as a member of the imperial clan and a minister of the realm? Do you truly believe my reputation is so great that if I simply raise my hand, the whole world will answer the call?”

Yin Pingdu shot back, “Is it not?”

Yin Pingdu had grown up by his father’s side. From what he saw and heard every day, the officials and local elites of Yizhou bowed to his father, and the citizens praised his achievements. He had seen how his father ruled Yizhou with absolute authority, so he naturally possessed such confidence.

Yin Huaizhang possessed no such confidence.

To put it bluntly, the reason the officials and local elites of Yizhou were willing to obey him blindly was partly due to the deep prestige he had built over twenty years of governance, and partly because he allowed his subordinates and local clans to share in the wealth, keeping the entire Yizhou faction highly prosperous. Because everyone’s life was getting better, they rallied tightly around him as their governor.

But starting a rebellion was absolutely against the interests of most people in Yizhou.

Putting aside the fact that a rebellion is a massive gamble resulting in execution and the extermination of one’s entire family, no prominent clan that has survived for centuries and wishes to continue passing down its legacy safely would ever choose such a dangerous path unless they were pushed completely into a corner. Furthermore, rebelling right in the face of a terrifying commander like Shentu Yang and the blades of hundreds of thousands of undefeated troops is something no sane person would ever do.

At the very least, the common people of Shuzhong, who had watched Shentu Yang implement agricultural colonies in Jiangnan so that everyone there had plenty to eat and wear, would never join them. They were full of hope that after the imperial court took over Yizhou, it would also set up agricultural colonies and build water systems here so they could enjoy the same good life as the people of Jiangnan. There was no way they would follow the ambitions of Yin Huaizhang and his son into a rebellion.

The local gentry and clans who looked forward to the imperial court taking over Yizhou and holding examinations in Shuzhong were also highly unlikely to follow them into rebellion. Certain prefects and county magistrates, who were already secretly preparing for the official evaluations in hopes of showcasing their talents and getting selected to serve in the capital, would certainly not risk execution and family extermination to join their revolt.

With their strongest popular support completely gone, if the father and son were to launch a rebellion, the local officials and powerful clans of Yizhou would probably be the first to tie them up and hand them over to the court to surrender.

Yin Huaizhang shook his head with a deep sigh, noting that times have changed and things are different now.

In the past, Yin Huaizhang could rule Yizhou with absolute authority because the capital, Luoyang, was far away from Shuzhong, and Yizhou had the natural defensive barrier of the treacherous Shu roads, meaning they did not fear the court sending an army. But ever since Shentu Yang mobilized the people of Jiangnan to clear the canal leading to Shuzhong, more than half of that natural advantage vanished. In the face of the court’s ever flowing, undefeated armies, who could guarantee a victory? If they lost, who could bear the massive risk of death and family destruction?

Yin Huaizhang and his son could not bear it, and the powerful clans and common people of Yizhou certainly had no reason to take such a risk. After all, the Emperor and the court had already given them a much better choice, which was to give up a portion of their local power in exchange for entering a wider world and enjoying greater profits.

Whether it was becoming an official in the capital, surrendering to the court like the elite clans of Jiangnan, exchanging unclaimed land for government salt permits, or going to Youzhou to acquire refined salt for local trade, any choice was better than rebelling alongside Yin Huaizhang and his son.

Thinking up to this point, Yin Huaizhang could not help but sigh softly, realizing that the current Emperor was truly terrifying.

With nothing more than a single piece of paper, a single decree, he had completely destroyed a political landscape that Yin Huaizhang had painstakingly built over decades.