Gu Yi lifted the box lid to see plump chestnuts steaming with heat, then quickly stepped forward to stand beside Xiaoyan’s desk.

With a glance, she noticed a half-open scroll on the table that appeared to be a map of the Zhou family tea gardens. Next to it were several rows of densely written numbers, with just a few characters inscribed in one corner of the scroll.

Sensing Xiaoyan raising his head to look at her, Gu Yi immediately shifted her gaze to meet his eyes and asked with a smile, “Shall this concubine peel a chestnut for Your Majesty now?”

Xiaoyan observed how her eyebrows curved like the moon when she smiled, radiating charm.

Today, Gu Yi seemed particularly clever.

Perhaps it was truly the joy of seeing a long-separated family member that made her so happy…

He gave a faint “Mm” and allowed her to stand beside him to peel the chestnuts.

A sweet fragrance lingered around them.

Gu Yi turned slightly to the side, slowly peeling chestnuts while discreetly continuing to peek at the tea garden scroll.

At the end of the scroll, she could see the flowing calligraphy that read “Tea monopoly method, tax by plant count” and similar phrases.

She recognized it as Xiaoyan’s handwriting.

This was about the imperial tea taxation policy.

She secretly let out a relieved breath, feeling somewhat reassured.

The plot seemed to be on track.

With Father Gu and Zhou Tinghe coming to the capital, this tea taxation storyline might be happening earlier than expected, but it shouldn’t be considered a major plot deviation.

In the book, the Great Mu Dynasty traditionally exchanged tea for horses with the northern grassland Danta people.

Xiaoyan’s implementation of the tea monopoly, besides collecting tea taxes for national use, was a means to control and manipulate the Danta through tea regulations.

The Great Mu Dynasty would control the tea-for-horses exchange, restricting private tea transactions.

It was essentially using a visible hand to allocate supply and demand.

Tea was expensive, horses were cheap.

The Danta ate greasy meat, and drinking tea helped cut through the greasiness and reduce heat. Over the years, they had grown increasingly dependent on it.

Thinking of this, Gu Yi couldn’t help but look admiringly at Xiaoyan. The dog was indeed skilled at economics.

Taxing by acreage, collecting duties by plant count.

Internal discipline, external exploitation.

In terms of monetary management, perhaps his only leniency was allowing Eunuch Gao to amass wealth in the inner palace.

The chief corrupt eunuch accumulated the people’s fat and grease from the inner palace over the years.

Now, thinking about it carefully, it was likely that the dog also got a share.

What a nested scheme of deception.

Impressive.

Xiaoyan noticed Gu Yi suddenly stop her movements and look at him with a very strange gaze. “What is it?”

Gu Yi smiled, pressing her lips together. “Nothing…” She placed the peeled chestnuts in her palm and extended them forward. “This concubine has finished peeling them.”

Xiaoyan looked down and saw that although there weren’t many chestnuts, her palm had already turned slightly red.

He reached out and picked up a chestnut, his fingertips lightly touching her palm, which was indeed faintly hot.

His long eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked, “Does your hand hurt?”

Gu Yi had been preoccupied with the plot, fully focused on deciphering the scroll. Now, hearing his question, she belatedly touched her palm. “It does seem to hurt a bit. Perhaps the chestnuts were too hot.”

Xiaoyan gave her a look, then suddenly stood up and took a slender white porcelain bottle from the stand behind him. He took her right hand and applied medicine to it.

Gu Yi’s entire body stiffened as she felt the cool ointment spread across her palm. She couldn’t help but lean closer to smell it—it had a minty scent.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. This concubine doesn’t feel pain anymore.” Seeing that the ointment had been applied, she withdrew her hand.

Xiaoyan glanced at the plate with more than half of the chestnuts remaining. “No need to peel the rest…”

Gu Yi nodded.

The two stood in silence for a moment.

Xiaoyan’s gaze inadvertently fell on her smooth forehead, where a few strands of black hair rested lightly at her temples.

He was about to raise his hand to brush them away when he heard her hesitantly ask, “This concubine would like to ask Your Majesty, how long will Prefect Gu… stay in the capital?”

Xiaoyan lowered his eyes, fidgeting with the porcelain bottle in his hand. “The tea taxation matter is complex. The tea gardens in Fuzhou are vast. Registering tea households and establishing the tea tax system cannot be accomplished in a day. Prefect Gu has much to discuss with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel. Perhaps… he will only set out to return to Fuzhou after the New Year.”

Gu Yi was slightly taken aback, not expecting Xiaoyan to be so straightforward. She decided to continue asking, “Then is the Zhou family tea house one of the selected tea households?”

Otherwise, she really couldn’t understand why a brother without official rank would come to the capital.

Xiaoyan looked into her eyes and laughed, “Zhou Tinghe earned merit by rescuing Imperial Consort Liu. Naturally, he deserves a reward…”

“Ah?” What? Gu Yi stood frozen in place.

Xiaoyan didn’t elaborate further, simply putting down the porcelain bottle and adjusting his robe as he sat back in his square-backed chair.

Gu Yi stood motionless nearby, looking at his jade hairpin for a while. After pondering for several breaths, she gritted her teeth and slowly said, “This concubine… has something to report to Your Majesty.”

Xiaoyan saw her lower her eyelids, her eyelashes fluttering lightly, and the smile on her face fading.

“Sit down. Tell me about it.”

Gu Yi sat down beside him and cleared her throat lightly before saying, “This concubine has met that Young Master Zhou Tinghe before…”

Xiaoyan’s brow twitched, but he heard her continue slowly, “When this concubine was young and ignorant, she met Young Master Zhou Tinghe several times and even exchanged letters with him…”

As she spoke, Gu Yi watched Xiaoyan’s expression.

Seeing that he was just calmly gazing at her, she relaxed and continued with a firmer tone, “But those were all actions from when this concubine was young and ignorant. They didn’t amount to anything real. Since entering the palace, this concubine has long forgotten Young Master Zhou Tinghe…”

After she finished speaking, she saw that Xiaoyan did not react, so she had to continue, “This concubine wishes to report this matter today only because she doesn’t want to create any discord with Your Majesty because of this…” She looked up at Xiaoyan again. “Your Majesty…”

Finally, Xiaoyan slowly gave an “Mm” in response.

After waiting for a short while, Gu Yi heard him laugh lightly, “Since you’ve already seen Prefect Gu today, Beauty Gu may return now.”

Gu Yi paused, seeing that his expression was normal, then stood up and curtseyed, “This concubine takes her leave.”

Walking outside Tianlu Pavilion, she turned her head to see Eunuch Gao standing there, looking at her with an extremely complex expression.

Gu Yi returned his gaze in confusion.

Eunuch Gao gave a half-laugh. “Beauty Gu, take care.”

Impressive!

Gu Yi walked several steps along the corridor before gradually understanding Eunuch Gao’s look.

Could it be that she… shouldn’t have mentioned it?

Gu Yi shook her head, comforting herself that she had been so frank, there shouldn’t be a problem…

A moment later, after Beauty Gu’s figure had disappeared around the corridor, Eunuch Gao heard several loud crashes from within the pavilion.

He quickly entered to investigate and saw that the sandalwood food box had fallen below the jade steps, with the white porcelain plate inside shattered into pieces. Chestnuts had rolled everywhere, creating a complete mess.

Eunuch Gao was alarmed and bowed, “This servant will call someone to clean it up…”

Receiving no response, he dared to look up and saw the Emperor sitting behind his desk with a gloomy expression.

“Summon Zhou Tinghe for an audience tomorrow.”

Eunuch Gao bowed again, saying, “Yes.”

At exactly mid-afternoon.

Behind Caiwei Palace, Qi Shu burned the last piece of white silk in her hands. The flames licked over it, leaving only black ashes.

Seeing this, Yu Hu immediately went to extinguish the remaining sparks in the basin.

“The Emperor’s birthday celebration has just passed. Madam shouldn’t keep this sacrificial basin out for too long.”

Qi Shu laughed coldly, “Mourning the deceased takes only a moment. Who knows if the Emperor will ever come to Caiwei Palace again?”

Yu Hu knew her mistress must be in mental anguish these days. “This servant has spoken out of turn. Please forgive me, Madam.” She dared not persuade her further.

After venting her anger, Qi Shu stood there for a while longer, until the blue smoke dissipated without a trace, before turning to return to her bedchamber.

On her dressing table lay a pair of tea-colored silk gloves. She put them on carefully before opening a treasure box and taking out a red lacquered round box from within.

She opened the lid to reveal a palm-length ebony hairpin with a round red pearl embedded in its head.

Yu Hu entered with tea and, seeing the ebony hairpin, couldn’t help but admire it: “Madam truly has good taste. The hairpin looks even better with the replaced head.”

Qi Shu stared silently.

Yu Hu set down the teacup and, after looking for a while, suddenly said, “This ebony and red pearl hairpin, in this servant’s opinion, quite resembles the red jade plum blossom hairpin that His Majesty previously awarded to Beauty Gu…”

Qi Shu turned to look at her and smiled, “Is that so…”

Yu Hu saw her admire it for a moment longer before putting the ebony hairpin back into the red lacquered box and returning it to the treasure box.

She spoke up, “Recently, Noble Lady Wan of Xiuyi Palace received her title, and it seems all the palace ladies gave her gifts. Will Madam give her something?”

Zhao Wan.

Qi Shu paused for a moment. “Give her a pair of jade bracelets. Send them to Noble Lady Wan at Xiuyi Palace.”

After the hour of the rooster, Gu Yi received a family letter from the Gu family in Fuzhou.

Madam Gu had sent this letter to her half a month earlier, before Gu Changtong’s departure, informing her of his trip to the capital.

But Gu Changtong traveled quickly, arriving before the letter.

Upon receiving the family letter, Gu Yi read it carefully.

The letter matched what she had seen today, stating that Gu Changtong had come to the capital firstly for the strategy of taxing by acreage, and secondly for the imperial tea taxation.

Naturally, there was no mention of Imperial Consort Liu.

Since Imperial Consort Liu had escaped and not gone to Qingzhou to seek refuge with Xiao Lü, but instead to Fuzhou.

Gu Yi couldn’t help thinking that it seemed Qingzhou was really going to be at war.

After the New Year, there would be the southern tour.

She lowered her head and continued reading Madam Gu’s family letter. The content on the second page was mostly about family matters.

It included how Gu Zhaonian had learned to write the character for “armor,” what new flowers and trees had been added to the Gu residence, and so on.

It was quite enjoyable to read.

At the end of the letter, Madam Gu also mentioned that next year would mark the completion of Father Gu’s three-year term, and if he received a good evaluation, he might be able to come to the capital for the court audience, imagining the scene of the family reunion.

Gu Yi smiled as she finished reading and put the letter into the brocade box on her desk.

Early the next morning, just after the hour of the dragon, when it was still dark outside.

Zhou Tinghe, who was staying at an inn in the city, had already walked out of his room fully dressed.

Outside the inn, two blue-robed eunuchs were already waiting to escort him into the palace.

“Young Master Zhou, follow us through the Vermilion Bird Gate into the palace. After the morning court session, His Majesty will see you at Tianlu Pavilion.”

Zhou Tinghe nodded and bowed, “Thank you both. Has His Majesty summoned me today about the tea household matter from yesterday?”

One of the blue-robed eunuchs smiled, “This servant doesn’t know. The young master will find out when he gets there.”

Zhou Tinghe couldn’t help feeling anxious. He forced a smile and stepped into the carriage.

Yesterday, as soon as he received the summons, he had informed Gu Changtong.

But Gu Changtong had not been summoned; the Emperor wanted to see only him today.