Ten miles along the river embankment, a sea of peach blossoms, three thousand mortal lovers' beds.

The perch is plump and delicious, clear wine and jade flutes make a fine accompaniment for viewing the flowers.

By the Twenty-Four Bridges, in a tavern, a storyteller had just reached the part about Wang Xifeng seeking the phoenix when someone tossed him a string of loose copper coins, laughing: "Well told, old man!"

The old man joyfully accepted the coins. Suddenly, someone said: "It's boring to just talk about these things. Old man, do you have any fresh and interesting news to share?"

The old man first securely tucked the coins into his sleeve, then sat down behind the small table. Glancing mysteriously to the left and right, he lowered his voice: "If it's fresh news you want, a while ago when the Salt Tax Department married off their young lady, my oh my, what a lively and grand affair! A drinking buddy of mine knows one of their errand runners. He heard that just making the flower baskets and stands cost who knows how much silver, and the dowry was even more extraordinarily lavish. Even when the Emperor marries off a princess it's not this impressive. If one could witness the wedding banquet arrangements in person, life would truly be worth living!"

Someone mocked from the side: "The old man has gone senile. The current Emperor has no princesses to marry off. Back in the day, when the Empress married off her daughters and the Emperor took in daughters-in-law, there was a nationwide amnesty. How can a mere Salt Tax official compare?"

The old man was in no hurry. Fanning himself, he retorted: "This gentleman is unaware. Throughout the land, the greatest wealth and fattest profits come from none other than iron casting and the salt tax, especially in the Zhejiang and Jiangnan region. They say birds from all directions come to pay respects to the phoenix - it's merely plucking a single hair from the Qian family's nine bulls!"

"Even if the Qian family paved the ground with gold, in this world all land belongs to the sovereign and all people are subjects of the Emperor. Everything they eat and use is bestowed by the Emperor. No matter how impressive they are, how can they compare to the Emperor's grandeur?"

"Although what you say is true, does this gentleman know that of the nation's wealth, how much ends up in the Emperor's hands and how much in the Qian family's? You've heard of the General Who Pacifies the South in Yunnan, right? A high-ranking official, governing a frontier region, the 'Earth Emperor' of the northwest! Why does he have a stiff backbone? Is it not because the Emperor bestowed upon him authority over the salt and iron in that region? That's still the northwest. Here, we're in Jiangnan, where salt and iron are full of profits. By the time it passes through layers of skimming, what reaches the Emperor's hands is just some lean meat!"

That guest was still unwilling to concede and wanted to continue arguing when suddenly there was a commotion downstairs. A large group of people then came stomping up the stairs. Many turned to look and saw yamen runners wielding machetes, all in black robes and green hats, charging up aggressively and pouncing on the storytelling old man, shouting: "Seize him!"

The old man had long been scared witless: "Have mercy, Master! I didn't kill anyone or break any laws..."

The lead runner was eager to make a contribution. He grabbed the old man: "You still claim you didn't break the law? The Emperor is already on his way for the Southern Tour, yet you rabble dare to publicly comment on court officials! Our magistrate has decreed that starting today, it is strictly forbidden for the rabble to recklessly discuss and pollute the Emperor's pure hearing! Men, hurry and arrest him!"

You should know that the local yamen was very strict. Upon entering, you'd first get a beating. Answering and defending yourself in the hall was just a formality. Then you'd be thrown in jail to wait for your family to bail you out. If they brought too little money, you'd suffer more abuse. If they brought a lot, you'd have to worry about being "fattened like a sheep" for slaughter.

Even worse, in prison you'd be bullied by the cell boss and extorted by the jailers. After layers of exploitation, even if you were innocent, you'd still endure a terrible ordeal. The old man realized this and panicked. While desperately trying to hide under the table, he begged the runners for mercy: "Have mercy, Masters, have mercy. How would this old man dare to spout nonsense? Master, Master..."

As he spoke, the copper coins from his sleeve scattered all over the ground. Some took advantage of the chaos, some tried to protect themselves, some cowered, some watched the excitement... It instantly became a cacophony. The shop owner was actually on very good terms with the storyteller, but even though he wanted to help, he was powerless. He could only stand to the side, stamping his feet and sighing: "Alas! What is to be done? What is to be done?"

Amidst the chaos, someone sighed softly. In a voice neither loud nor soft, he said: "So that person surnamed Li decides to go on a Southern Tour. Who knows if he has completely finished off that Prince Dongyang."

That voice was indescribably elegant. Even with the brazen disrespect, it did not detract from the romantic flair within.

Those nearby who heard, afraid of getting into trouble, instinctively backed away. Several runners close by heard it and hurriedly glared, demanding: "Who dares to casually utter the Emperor's personal name?"

Everyone turned to look and saw a table in the corner. Two men sat facing each other. The one who spoke was turned sideways. His wide, lapel-less snow muslin robe was casually tied at the waist, giving off a romantic and generous air. The man was also good-looking, with a refined and aloof bearing like jade, at first glance seeming like a young master from an aristocratic family who spoke without restraint.

The man across from him was much more subdued, probably in his thirties, wearing a dull gray outer robe of unremarkable fabric. He sat there silently, so steady that he was almost forgettable.

The runners didn't react at first, but upon realizing what happened, they turned pale and rushed over, rebuking: "Who are you? How dare you show such disrespect to the Emperor in public and recklessly discuss court affairs?"

The refined young master smiled, his expression extremely dismissive: "Abusing superiors and deceiving subordinates, lining their own pockets - a bunch of officials colluding to exploit the people. For a dynasty that calls itself grand, they don't understand that guarding against people's criticism is more important than guarding against floods. If this continues, there will be no need for the Yuezhi or Xiyu to take action - the people of the Central Plains will destroy their own city walls."

He spoke the official language very fluently, his intonation also very elegant. His facial features were more distinct and striking than others, but definitely could not be called foreign.

However, the lead runner wanted to make a contribution. If he could catch a foreign spy, he could be promoted three ranks. So without much thought, he glared and demanded: "What are you waiting for? Hurry and arrest this foreigner!"

With a clang, several sabers were unsheathed. Seeing the situation taking a turn for the worse, the tea house patrons scattered in a panic. The sounds of tables and chairs colliding and overturning, and cups and bowls shattering, echoed one after another. The shopkeeper was dumbfounded, only caring about desperately hiding under a table, not even minding the customers rushing out the door.

Just as the yamen runners were about to grab the young master, the gray-robed man opposite him suddenly put down his chopsticks with a snap and reached out a hand. In that moment, neither fast nor slow, the runners' eyes blurred for a second and they grasped at thin air. Taking a closer look, the two men had vanished into thin air right before their eyes.

"There... there are ghosts!" Some inexperienced young runners cried out in fright.

"Ghosts my ass!" The leader scolded harshly. "This is clearly top-notch qinggong. Remember the Yuezhi envoy that came last time? I bet they are Yuezhi spies! We must hurry back and report this to the higher-ups!"

The others mumbled in agreement and hastily withdrew. In the chaos, someone remembered the old man and exclaimed in shock, "Where's the old man?"

The storyteller's small table was still there, but the old man was nowhere to be seen. The lead runner impatiently said, "Who knows? Maybe he ran off in the confusion. Bah! Is it worth making such a fuss over a little old man? Let's go!"

Everyone agreed and rushed back like a gust of wind to report, afraid of being late and losing out on this big merit. The shopkeeper crawled out from under the table, trembling, only to see the floor littered with overturned tables and chairs and shattered bowls and chopsticks. He couldn't help but slap his thigh and wail, "Oh, my ancestors..."

As it turned out, the old man had been pulled along by the gray-robed man. The old man was already in shock, feeling like he was riding the clouds, not knowing where he was. When he came back to his senses, he was already in a quiet alley behind the main street. The handsome young master in white stood before him, looking him up and down. "Old man, I hope you haven't gone mad from the fright."

"Zhuo Yu, mind your manners."

"General Lu," Zhuo Yu slowly brushed his sleeves and smiled faintly. "I speak my mind. It has nothing to do with you."

Lu Jiuchen remained silent for a while before saying lightly, "Every time you cause trouble, every time you can't clean it up yourself, every time I'm the one cleaning up your mess..."

"Actually, I never wanted to ask you to clean it up." Zhuo Yu said with extreme gentleness, "You could have just left on your own."

Lu Jiuchen fell silent once again. Even so, he didn't muster the courage to say "Let's part ways here" and just stood there quietly.

The old man knew his place, realizing he had encountered extraordinary people. He hurriedly made to kneel, "Benefactors, how can this old man ever repay you!"

Zhuo Yu made a token effort to help him up, while Lu Jiuchen actually pulled the old man to his feet and said simply, "No need for thanks, it was just a convenient thing to do."

The old man continued to express his gratitude profusely. Zhuo Yu grew impatient listening to it. Lu Jiuchen quickly said a few words to bid farewell to the old man, then turned back and sighed, "Corrupt officials running rampant and exploiting the people, it's really not a good sign."

Only then did Zhuo Yu's brow relax. "That's why I say, with the strength of a thousand men from Xiwan, sweeping across the Central Plains with its tens of thousands of troops is not impossible."

Lu Jiuchen had already discussed this issue with him many times. At this point, he had completely given up on the notion of winning and could only weakly retort, "The Central Plains are vast, rich in resources, and have deep roots. Zhuo Yu, your claim is not legitimate. It's best not to clash head-on with the orthodox powers."

This was like poking a hornet's nest. Zhuo Yu raised an eyebrow, his tone extremely caustic as he fired back, "So what if my claim is not legitimate? Between one who holds a position but fails to govern properly, and one who does not hold the position but governs properly, who is more pitiable in their circumstances and condemnable in their crimes?

"If you were a commoner, who would you want in power? Do you think the people would prefer to be exploited by someone with a legitimate claim, or to have full bellies and warm clothes under a small court with an illegitimate claim? The common people only want to survive. I suppose General Lu, with your world-renowned reputation, must be unable to understand their thoughts and feelings?"

Lu Jiuchen opened his mouth, "...Even if..."

Zhuo Yu rudely interrupted him, "Furthermore, even if my claim is not legitimate, when I was in power, not a single official in Xiwan dared to take a cent of ill-gotten gains! On this point of official governance alone, you can't stand on the same level as me!"

"...I was wrong," Lu Jiuchen said after a long pause, his face amiable. "Let's change the subject. Didn't you say you wanted to go get medicine? If we don't hurry, the pharmacy will close."

Later historical records show that although later generations claimed the Qianwan Emperor went to Jiangnan many times, in reality, he only made this one southern tour during his reign.

Li Ji was not an emperor given to extravagance. For his only southern tour, he did not make a grand display. He personally reviewed the plans submitted by the Court of Imperial Entertainment and personally crossed out proposals for building temporary palaces and ordering officials to accompany him.

When officials accompanied the emperor on tours in order to curry favor, they would often go to great lengths to collect rare treasures, causing a single tour to result in years of deficits. When the previous emperor toured the south, most officials along the way presented beautiful women and pretty boys. That Consort Wang was presented this way, truly racking their brains to flatter, ultimately leaving long-lasting troubles that persisted for years.

The Qianwan Emperor only did one thing - he had people quietly seek out renowned doctors among the people. Although it was done in a low-key manner, nothing stays secret among the people. As word spread from one to ten and ten to a hundred, countless people emerged to seek fame and fortune.

There was no shortage of officials presenting fake renowned doctors to curry favor. The muddy waters and deceptions, both above and below, were truly too numerous to count. On the tenth day of the southern tour, they entered the territory of Yangzhou Prefecture.

Officials from all over the prefecture came to pay their respects, causing a commotion that lasted the entire day. In the evening, it was decided that Salt Tax Collector Qian would host the imperial procession. Silver and money flowed like water, and an entire government office was decorated to resemble a temporary imperial palace, dazzling with splendor and adorned with an abundance of flowers.

The Qianwan Emperor felt it was excessive upon seeing it. He was well aware of how lucrative the position of Salt Tax Collector could be. Being a little greedy wasn't considered outrageous, but excessive greed was unacceptable. If not you, then who else should be dealt with?

Moreover, the cost of constructing such a grand temporary palace couldn't be resolved with just a few tens of thousands of silver taels. This Salt Tax Collector seemed to have a bit too much money.

Just as he was about to frown, he noticed Mingde, who had been sleeping drowsily in the fragrant carriage, woke up and curiously strained his eyes to observe the newly built pavilions, terraces, and towers, as well as the purchased birds, fish, and insects. Along the roadside, there were trees laden with fruits that had been transplanted. Despite the season, they had already cultivated tender peaches, and the fragrance of peaches wafted through the air, making it extremely pleasant.

Upon seeing this, Mingde reached out his hand, wanting one. Salt Tax Collector Qian, seizing the opportunity, promptly picked the largest and finest peach and respectfully presented it to him. Mingde didn't eat it but played with it in his hand, laughing gleefully, appearing very delighted.

The Qianwan Emperor didn't wish to disturb the little one's joy at this moment. He asked in a low voice, "Is it fun?"

Mingde nodded.

"Do you like it here?"

Mingde nodded again, adding an extra word: "Mm!"

The Qianwan Emperor then smiled and said nothing more.