Chapter 59: Qin Feng, you are under our secret surveillance too!
Deng Yu was startled upon hearing Qin Feng's words.
He never expected this fellow's appetite to be so immense. While running a printing house that raked in money like a flowing river, he actually wanted to meddle in waterway affairs as well.
The waterways were sacred grounds for ungodly profits; back in the day, they had profited immensely from them.
Either by embezzling treasury funds allocated by the imperial court for waterway maintenance or by purchasing fertile silt lands along the rivers, these ventures had lined their pockets to the brim.
However, if the shady dealings concerning the waterways were ever exposed, numerous officials in the imperial court would find it difficult to escape culpability.
Taking part in this matter was, in truth, an extremely risky move!
Sensing Deng Yu's reservations, Qin Feng smiled and said, "I have shown my sincerity. Can the Duke of Weiguo show me yours?"
Deng Yu hesitated and said, "Matters concerning the waterways are of great importance and must be deliberated at length."
"Duke of Weiguo, the trials of the waterway officials have already concluded, and His Majesty will soon dispatch the Prince of Yan to take up his post at the waterways."
"Are you certain you don't want to plant your own people there? The waterways are an exceptionally lucrative piece of meat. Forget about you lot, even I have no intention of letting it slip through my fingers."
"Why don't you go back, consult with the other titled nobles, and then give me your reply?"
Deng Yu said, "Qin Feng, are you truly that disheartened by His Majesty? Back then, he valued you so greatly and even sent you to assist in handling waterway affairs. Yet now, you only think of profiting from the waterways?"
Qin Feng sighed and replied, "To be frank, I have long since grown weary of risking my life for His Majesty."
"Doing the most exhausting and grueling work while being treated like a beast of burden. It is fine when nothing goes wrong, but when trouble arises, I am the one who must shoulder the blame. Tell me, is that not infuriating?"
"What is most infuriating is that if one happens to displease His Majesty, everything previously accomplished is instantly reduced to nothing. Not only do you fail to reap any rewards, but you also have to endure cold glares and bystanders! I am truly fed up!"
Qin Feng's words immediately struck a powerful chord of resonance within Deng Yu.
Deng Yu nodded and said, "Qin Feng, for the sake of these words alone, this old man believes you!"
"Today, I shall take it upon myself to make the decision. I will definitely arrange for you to enter the waterways and participate in the administration of waterway affairs."
Hearing Deng Yu finalize the matter regarding the waterways, a faint curve appeared at the corner of Qin Feng's mouth.
If my acting skills were placed in the modern era, I would probably have won several Oscars by now!
Qin Feng hastily grasped Deng Yu's hand and said, "Duke of Weiguo! Then my future glory and wealth shall entirely depend on all of you."
Believing he had successfully recruited Qin Feng, Deng Yu hurriedly returned to report back to the other Huaixi nobles.
Scarcely had Deng Yu departed when Qin Feng furiously wielded his brush to write a secret memorial.
He placed the memorial inside a locked box and summoned his accountant, instructing him to deliver it immediately to the Crown Prince's Mansion.
Qin Feng's secret memorial passed through Zhu Biao's hands before finally reaching the Emperor.
At that moment, the Emperor sat within the Wuying Hall, holding absolute mastery over everything.
Whether it was the movements of the Huaixi nobles or the actions of Qin Feng, he was completely and clearly aware of them all.
All of this was thanks to Qin Feng's suggestion!
With the Jinyiwei at his command, the Emperor was like a tiger given wings, and his control over the court ministers had reached its absolute peak!
The ministers in the court were still blissfully unaware; every single move they made was under the surveillance of the Jinyiwei, and not a soul could escape monitoring!
Even if a certain minister shared a room with a concubine at night or murmured a few private words, the Emperor knew every single detail.
He had truly achieved a state where he understood the officials better than they understood themselves.
Let alone the recent conspiracy of the Huaixi nobles attempting to recruit Qin Feng!
Ever since he learned of the Huaixi nobles' attempts to win over Qin Feng, the Emperor had been waiting for Qin Feng's secret memorial.
Now that he had finally received Qin Feng's report, it proved that Qin Feng had not been assimilated by that pack of old foxes, and his heart at least remained inclined toward him.
"This brat Qin Feng is truly more cunning than those old fellows!"
"When does Your Majesty intend to draw the blade?"
The Emperor shook his head and said, "The time to close the net has not yet arrived. The truth behind the waterway affairs has not yet fully surfaced. Let them leap about for a few more days."
Commander of the Jinyiwei Huang Jian pondered and said, "Then this subordinate shall take his leave."
The Emperor waved his hand, picked up the brush on his desk, wrote his reply to Qin Feng's secret memorial, sealed it inside a box, and instructed Wang Jinghong to deliver it to the Crown Prince.
Once the personnel from the Crown Prince's Mansion received the box, they immediately delivered it to the printing house.
Several days had already passed in this back-and-forth transit.
At this time, Qin Feng was not at the printing house. Following the accountant's instructions, the messenger finally spotted Qin Feng's figure at a workshop located near the printing house.
Qin Feng had used all the stipends he received to invest in establishing this industrial workshop.
What was currently being manufactured inside this industrial workshop were plastic greenhouses—a novelty that many people had never laid eyes on before.
"Director Qin, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered me to deliver this box to you."
Catching sight of the memorial box, Qin Feng hurriedly put down the work in his hands, accepted the box, and rewarded the messenger with some tips.
He then sought out a secluded spot, unlocked the box with the key he carried on his person, and retrieved the Emperor's reply.
Before opening the memorial, he deliberately cast a glance around to ensure there was no one in the vicinity before beginning to read.
The Emperor stated in the secret memorial that he had already established the Jinyiwei, placed the Huaixi nobles under surveillance, and was merely awaiting the right moment to close the net.
Upon reading the first half, Qin Feng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Could the Emperor's actions have been this swift?
Had the Jinyiwei already been put to use so rapidly?
This was completely in line with the Emperor's decisive and uncompromising character!
And he wielded his Jinyiwei with such terrifying ease and familiarity!
At this thought, Qin Feng continued reading further down, and his composure instantly shattered.
For the Emperor wrote: "Qin Feng, you are also being secretly monitored by Us!"
Qin Feng hurriedly closed the memorial and looked anxiously around the industrial workshop.
Ever since the Emperor acquired the Jinyiwei, why did everything feel so dreadfully spine-chilling?
It sent a creeping dread through Qin Feng's heart, giving him the eerie sensation of stepping into a horror story.
Cautiously reopening the memorial, Qin Feng continued to read, his expression gradually darkening.
"Holy cow! Your Majesty, you're playing for real? You're actually monitoring me!"
With that, Qin Feng quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
A slip of the tongue!
He had even mentally referred to him by his old nickname. If the Jinyiwei reported that to the Emperor, wouldn't he be chewed out to death?
The Emperor wrote in the memorial: We heard that you've recently been tinkering with some small industrial workshop, using the salary We granted you to concoct some fresh novelties again?
Qin Feng was utterly speechless.
With the Jinyiwei conducting secret surveillance, what privacy could he possibly have left in the future?
Reading further, Qin Feng finally broke down entirely.
Emperor, do you genuinely intend to work me to death or what?
The memorial read: Since you possess outstanding capabilities, why not manufacture a set of fine garments and weapons for Our Jinyiwei? We do not ask for much, let us start with ten thousand sets.
Ten thousand sets?
Why don't you just go rob a treasury!
You certainly have the nerve to make such a demand!
His small industrial workshop had only just been set up, and it was originally built for the purpose of constructing plastic greenhouses.
What was supposed to be his private factory had failed to escape the Emperor's discerning gaze and was once again destined to become someone else's military arsenal.
Qin Feng was at his wit's end with exasperation!
However, the very last line of the memorial stated: Since you are working for Us, We will not let you spend your own money! We grant you the right to freely dispose of one month's net profit from your printing house!
Freely dispose of one month's net profit?
A mischievous grin suddenly spread across Qin Feng's face.
Your Majesty, you are going to bleed money until you vomit blood!
"Brother Shen!"
"Hmm!"
As Shen Changqing walked along the road, he encountered familiar faces, nodding or exchanging greetings with each other.
Regardless of who they were, however.
There were no superfluous expressions on anyone's faces, as if they were utterly indifferent to everything around them.
To this.
Shen Changqing was already accustomed.
For this was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution dedicated to maintaining the stability of Great Qin, whose primary duty was to slaughter demons, ghosts, and monsters, alongside a few other sideline responsibilities.
It could be said.
Every single person within the Demon Suppression Division had stained their hands with much blood.
When a person grew accustomed to witnessing life and death, they would inevitably become indifferent to many things.
When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing had felt somewhat ill-adapted, but as time passed, he grew used to it.
The Demon Suppression Division was vast.
Those permitted to remain within the Demon Suppression Division were either powerhouses of formidable strength or individuals with the potential to become powerhouses.
Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.
Within the Demon Suppression Division, there were two primary ranks: Suppression Envoys and Demon Extermination Envoys.
Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Division started from the lowest tier as a Demon Extermination Envoy.
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They would then be promoted step by step, ultimately aspiring to become a Suppression Envoy.
Shen Changqing's predecessor had been a probationary Demon Extermination Envoy within the Demon Suppression Division—the lowest rank among the Demon Extermination Envoys.
Possessing the memories of his predecessor.
He was intimately familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.
Without taking too much time, Shen Changqing halted before a pavilion.
Unlike other areas of the Demon Suppression Division that were fraught with a murderous aura, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, presenting an unusual tranquility amidst the blood-soaked division.
At that moment, the doors of the pavilion stood wide open, with people occasionally entering and exiting.
Shen Changqing hesitated for merely a moment before stepping inside.
Upon entering the pavilion.
The environment abruptly shifted.
A fragrance of ink mingled with the faint scent of blood assailed his senses, causing his brows to knit instinctively before relaxing once more.
The heavy scent of blood clinging to everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was virtually impossible to wash away.