After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Vice Minister of Revenue, Zhou Xun

 

This month in the capital, the undercurrents could only be described as treacherous and unpredictable.

 

First, there was the family heirloom from the Yan residence, which ultimately became a laughingstock. Then came the final outcome of the marriage arrangement between the Zhou and Yan families. The Emperor suppressed all public criticism with an iron hand and ordered a thorough investigation. The conclusion of the matter satisfied not only the Emperor but everyone else as well: Zhou Cai was proven guilty of impersonation, and those who helped him cover up the evidence were dismissed from their posts. At the same time, the Emperor issued an article distributed to academies nationwide, criticizing the harmful effects of forcing women to uphold chastity. Minister Yan’s insistence on his daughter’s chastity, which ended up being exploited by a scoundrel, made him a public laughingstock. Out of shame, he claimed illness and retired to recuperate at home for half a year.

 

Next, Zhou Cai was quietly thrown into the imperial prison—the same place Zhou Xun had once endured. However, Zhou Cai’s time there was far from comparable to Zhou Xun’s. Whether due to his deceitful manner or complete lack of courage, his stay in the prison was anything but pleasant. In addition, the Emperor issued a decree expressing his admiration for the deep bond between the Princess and Miss Yan, formally declaring them sworn sisters. Of course, this ceremony would have to wait until their return to the capital.

 

Finally, the focus shifted to the newly appointed Vice Minister of Revenue, a man both talented and handsome.

 

By coincidence, the previous Vice Minister of Revenue was due to retire this year. The new zhuangyuan (top scorer of the imperial examination) was appointed as his successor. Though initially skeptical of the young man, who seemed to possess only good looks, the ministry’s staff quickly changed their opinions. In just one month, the new Vice Minister worked tirelessly day and night to sort out all outstanding debts and financial discrepancies from the past three years. Those with severe offenses were dismissed and had their assets confiscated, while minor offenders were dealt with through a mix of kindness and discipline. Soon, the entire ministry was won over, acknowledging his competence. They said the Emperor must have a discerning eye to spot this zhuangyuan’s talent for managing finances and appoint him to the right place. The Emperor himself frequently visited the Ministry of Revenue, and their camaraderie as sovereign and minister was evident to all.

 

What people didn’t know was that the Emperor had laid out the positions in the Six Ministries and other departments before Zhou Xun, allowing him to choose for himself.

 

“The Ministry of Personnel handles appointments, the Ministry of Revenue handles money, the Ministry of Works deals with engineering, and the Hanlin Academy writes essays. The Ministry of Rites oversees education, and the Ministry of War—you’ve seen it before, in that valley—it’s where they research weaponry. The Ministry of Justice is currently working with the Ministry of Personnel on anti-corruption, overturning wrongful convictions, and drafting new legal codes. Speaking of which, have you seen the twelve pillars outside the city?” The Emperor waved his hand enthusiastically.

 

“I’ve seen them,” Zhou Xun replied.

 

“I’m going to inscribe the legal codes on those pillars!” the Emperor declared.

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“Twelve pillars!!” the Emperor exclaimed.

 

After this, he added, “There’s also a new department called the Bureau of Light and Classics.”

 

“What’s the Bureau of Light and Classics?” Zhou Xun asked.

 

The Emperor straightened up and said seriously, “It’s about restoring glory and passing on traditions… Ahem, basically, it handles propaganda, writing manifestos, producing educational plays, painting slogans, and giving lectures.”

 

Then, scratching his head, he added, “How about I take you on a tour of all the departments? You can see for yourself which one suits you best.”

 

Zhou Xun nodded. The Emperor, pleased, said, “Great, I’ll show you the results of my work this past year!”

 

They boarded a carriage to tour the various departments. The offices of the Six Ministries and other departments, collectively known as the Outer Forbidden City, were located south of the palace. Following a long path and crossing a bridge, they arrived at the neatly aligned government offices.

 

Just after crossing the small bridge, Zhou Xun noticed a stone stele inscribed with four large characters: “Drink Water, Remember the Source.”

 

“What’s this?” Zhou Xun asked.

 

“I had it engraved and placed here,” the Emperor replied solemnly. “Every entrance to the Outer Forbidden City has one. As the saying goes, ‘Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.’ This is a principle every official should remember. We call it the ‘Drink Water’ spirit. It’s not just a work ethic but a code of conduct. Every month, we select exemplary ‘Drink Water’ individuals. Oh, and in front of each department, there’s a stele inscribed with their department’s guiding principle. Each department also has its own motto and newsletter to foster a sense of collective honor. Here, take a look at this map.”

 

The Emperor handed Zhou Xun a map.

 

The offices of the Six Ministries and the Clan Court were on the east side of the main road, while the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate were on the west. Zhou Xun also noticed some unfamiliar names, such as the Bureau of Light and Classics. After studying the map, he looked up to see bulletin boards and wooden panels displaying notices and newspapers.

 

The first section of the bulletin board was filled with…

 

“Commendation and evaluation forms. These are updated monthly and include the names of individuals recognized for outstanding contributions. It also lists those disciplined for rule violations—like smoking pipes in office areas, making noise during colleagues’ lunch breaks, or cutting in line at the cafeteria. Of course, their names are anonymized. For example, this one: ‘A certain Wang surnamed vice minister from the Ministry of War caught eating snail noodles during work hours…’” The Emperor leaned closer, pointing it out to Zhou Xun.

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The Emperor: “What’s wrong?”

 

Zhou Xun: “Nothing. I definitely can’t identify this unnamed Wang vice minister.”

 

The Emperor laughed and led Zhou Xun to the other departments. The Ministry of Personnel’s motto was “Meritocracy, Heroes from All Walks of Life,” accompanied by a cat statue symbolizing “It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat.”

 

Next was the Ministry of Revenue, which featured a bronze ox and the motto “Open Sources, Cut Expenses.” A nearby signpost humorously read “Wall Street.”

 

Then came the Ministry of Rites, with the motto “Convince with Truth.” Its statue, however, was a cannon.

 

Zhou Xun: ??

 

He glanced at the Emperor, who grinned sheepishly.

 

The Ministry of War had no statue, just a stele inscribed with bold words: “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The Clan Court was unimpressive, so they moved on to the Ministry of Works. Though technically on the east side, its office was set apart from the others. “The Ministry of Works is noisy, so it’s located farther away,” the Emperor explained. “Next to it is the Bureau of Heavenly Works, nominally under its jurisdiction but mainly focused on inventions. There’s also the Patent Office, which registers inventions. The Bureau of Heavenly Works is divided into departments like Mechanical and Power Engineering, Naval and Ocean Engineering, and the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Their experimental fields and labs are on the outskirts of the city to avoid disturbing others. Military-related research is confined to the valley.”

 

As they toured further, the Emperor described various projects, from improved rice strains to chemical experiments. Turning to Zhou Xun, he suddenly asked, “Do you remember that young eunuch Zhao Yue?”

 

Zhou Xun paused. “Who?”

 

“That’s the little eunuch Zhao Yue, the one who brought us… ahem, wine,” the emperor said, his face slightly tinged with red as he scratched his head. “I’ve thrown him into the Alchemy Bureau now. He spends every day conducting experiments from dawn till dusk, recording data, and writing papers—always pursuing a PhD, yet perpetually delayed from graduating. Recently, his research project has been on ginger shampoo.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The emperor chuckled smugly. “Perpetual PhD candidacy and endless delays in graduation—is there anything more terrifying? It’s the ultimate revenge!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Clearing his throat, Zhou Xun followed the emperor as he led him further west. Before they reached the Ministry of Justice, they came across another building. The emperor pointed and said, “This is the Secretariat. They handle various administrative tasks for other departments, including technical support, daily meal delivery coordination, collecting suggestions and feedback, organizing health checkups, and providing medical care. Their purpose is to oversee every detail of the officials’ lives…”

 

“To help the officials work better?” Zhou Xun asked, feeling a touch of warmth in his heart. “Your Majesty is very considerate of his subordinates.”

 

“No,” the emperor replied coldly, “to pamper the officials into overgrown infants who only know how to work, and in doing so, root out the parasites who live off false claims of illness while doing nothing.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

At the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, twelve stone pillars stood tall. Beyond them was the garrison of the Crimson Guard. As they passed the Ministry of Justice, some interrogation seemed to be underway. The emperor stopped to inquire and returned beaming. “Good news! We’re going to make more money!”

 

“…Make more money?”

 

The emperor nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! Money is always in short supply. This one isn’t a corrupt official, but we can still confiscate his property. Every bit counts.”

 

Zhou Xun: …Not surprising at all.

 

At the entrance to the Censorate, a statue depicted a man swinging an axe at a tree. Seeing Zhou Xun’s curious look, the emperor said, “Don’t worry! It’s a cherry tree, not a jujube tree.”

 

Zhou Xun: “…What’s the significance of the tree?”

 

“It’s a story about cutting down a cherry tree, teaching honesty,” the emperor explained. “The man’s name is George Washington.”

 

Zhou Xun: …I thought his surname was George?

 

After leaving this area, they moved on to the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial College. Nearby, a newly established College of Science had been built. Here, students learned basic mathematics and other subjects before being selected to join the Ministry of Works or the Divine Armament Corps as computational laborers. The emperor also presented Zhou Xun with the crown jewel of his efforts—the Light and Classics Bureau.

 

The Light and Classics Bureau was bustling, with people copying texts and rehearsing scripts—a true cultural hub.

 

“This place was relatively easy to establish,” the emperor said. “The previous occupant, Rong Xuan, had a penchant for painting and carving, and he supported numerous art academies and theater troupes here. I’ve consolidated all of them into this bureau for propaganda work. Oh, by the way, the Imperial Medical Office once developed a set of exercises. This bureau helped promote them, so now all the children in the capital are doing morning calisthenics. You’d probably get along well with them—they’re a carefree bunch your age.”

 

The emperor smiled proudly. “I had initially left this area under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, but it was chaotic for a while. Now that it’s been reorganized under the Light and Classics Bureau, things are running much smoother. For example, there’s a story behind one of the propaganda paintings. You see, due to a labor shortage, a local textile factory began hiring impoverished widows to weave cloth and earn extra income.

 

“But of course, there were naysayers, claiming that women working in public was improper and indecent. Nonsense! Half the productive workforce was being wasted at home! A painter here was inspired by one of the women, a worker named Li Sha, and painted her smiling as she worked. The painting was displayed outside the factory as a piece of propaganda. However, some self-righteous individuals kept covering her face with cloth, deeming it inappropriate. The painter had no choice but to jokingly title the piece ‘The Veiled Smile of Li Sha.’”

 

The emperor’s expression twisted into something peculiar.

 

After the tour, the emperor led Zhou Xun to a bench. “Now that you’ve seen everything, what are your thoughts?”

 

He looked at Zhou Xun.

 

Zhou Xun remained silent for a while before finally speaking. “Many of these places, many of these ‘landmarks’… they seem to have a deep connection to your past life, don’t they? Those stories, those ideas—they come from your world, don’t they?”

 

The emperor scratched his head. “You figured it out, huh…”

 

Looking a bit sheepish, he touched his nose. “Haha, do you think it’s silly? Alright, I admit, even I find it a bit childish and ridiculous…”

 

At that moment, he saw Zhou Xun’s smile in the sunset.

 

“You know so much about my world, yet I’ve always known so little about yours,” Zhou Xun said. “Now I finally understand more about the world you came from.”

 

The emperor: …

 

Looking at the bizarre yet charming Outer Forbidden City bathed in twilight, Zhou Xun thought the emperor might be lonely.

 

What does someone who has transmigrated to another world think about? When, in everyone else’s eyes, they’ve become someone entirely different, does that mean the life they once lived—the two decades in their original world—has been invalidated as well? He was no longer Rong Haoyu but Rong Xuan. In the eyes of everyone here, his past was now entirely Rong Xuan’s past. No one in this world would ever know or understand the existence of “Rong Haoyu.”

 

Zhou Xun understood how awful it felt to have one’s life invalidated. The emperor always joked lightheartedly about “referencing memes,” but Zhou Xun suspected that behind this façade lay a deeper, unspoken desire.

 

—He didn’t want “Rong Haoyu” to disappear.

 

So, he painstakingly recreated everything from his memories here, surrounding himself with familiar imagery to ward off the loneliness of being a stranger in a foreign land. Though everyone saw him only as Rong Xuan, every time he encountered these recreated elements, his lips would curve into a smile, reminding him of his anchor—he was Rong Haoyu.

 

No one cared about Rong Haoyu. But Zhou Xun did. He cherished him. And he was the only one who would ever think this way. Seeing the emperor’s momentary daze after hearing his words, Zhou Xun knew he was right.

 

The emperor had always saved him. And now, in this moment of understanding, Zhou Xun realized that he, too, wanted to protect the emperor.

 

Protect the man whom no one in this world but him knew once existed—the one and only Rong Haoyu.

 

For a long time, neither spoke. Finally, Zhou Xun broke the silence. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, nothing,” the emperor stammered, rubbing his nose and nervously looking away. “I just… when I thought I’d done something silly, I heard something really touching instead.” He hesitated, then added, “So, have you decided? Where do you want to go? Honestly, I think the Light and Classics Bureau is great, and you write well… Actually, the Hanlin Academy isn’t bad either, though Zhou Cai did dirty its reputation. As for the Ministry of Rites, well, there’s the matter of Minister Yan…”

 

Zhou Xun chuckled softly and shook his head. “I don’t want to go to any of those places. I want to be somewhere I can help you the most. Just writing articles won’t do that.”

 

“Writing articles won’t help me?” The emperor was taken aback. “Then where do you want to go?”

 

“Of course, the Ministry of Revenue,” Zhou Xun replied. “To help you…”

 

“Earn and save money.”

 

The emperor: …

 

Zhou Xun smiled. “That’s the most important thing, isn’t it?”

 

And so, Zhou Xun became the Vice Minister of Revenue.

 

Emerging from the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Xun walked under the dappled light filtering through large osmanthus trees. His colleagues greeted him warmly. “Ah, Vice Minister Zhou is leaving work on time for once today.”

 

“I have something to attend to,” Zhou Xun replied, returning their greetings.

 

After he left, the group continued their conversation.

 

“By the way, did you hear? Chancellor Lu recently took over a month’s leave to visit Jiangzhou. He said he was looking for someone.”

 

“Does he have acquaintances in Jiangzhou?”

 

“Not sure. Chancellor Lu’s ancestral home is on the border between Jiangzhou and Qingzhou, isn’t it?”

 

Zhou Xun’s “something to attend to” involved the imperial carriage waiting discreetly in a corner. The guard accompanying the carriage said, “The Northern Wei emissaries are visiting tonight for a banquet at the palace. His Majesty has asked for your company.”

 

“He mentioned it to me last night,” Zhou Xun replied with a smile.

 

“Then please, Vice Minister,” the guard said.

 

Zhou Xun nodded and stepped into the carriage, which began its journey to the palace.