The secret of the prayer beads.

Qiao Zhao stared intently at that string of beads.

What secret could these prayer beads that had brought her such tremendous trouble possibly hold? She had examined them many times but found nothing.

“Zhaozhao, look at these patterns.” Shao Mingyuan pointed to one of the beads.

Qiao Zhao lifted the aloe wood prayer beads to examine them.

Deep colors, smooth oil lines, each bead round and full.

Qiao Zhao walked to the window to examine them again in the light filtering through. Her eyes suddenly contracted.

Those patterns that had originally appeared natural would still be overlooked without Shao Mingyuan’s reminder, but now, upon careful examination, she detected a trace of something suspicious.

“These patterns have been colored—”

“Correct, not only colored, but the craftsman skilled in carving used special tools to magnify the beads and saw many interesting things. Zhaozhao, look—” Shao Mingyuan slowly unrolled a painting scroll.

The scroll depicted a landscape painting with four small characters written on it: Thousand Ridges Nine Folds.

“This is—” Qiao Zhao closed her eyes. Countless fragments flashed through her mind before finally settling. She opened her eyes to meet Shao Mingyuan’s gaze, “Lingnan?”

She wasn’t familiar with every mountain and river of Great Liang, but over the past year, she had read quite a few books about Lingnan, so she quickly found the origin of those four characters “Thousand Ridges Nine Folds.”

It was a waterfall located in Chongluan County of Lingnan, named for its magnificent grandeur.

Shao Mingyuan’s eyes flashed with admiration as he smiled: “Zhaozhao, do you know? These four characters were discovered on these four beads. Look, this dark spot at the end of this hidden pattern, when magnified, is the character ‘Folds.'”

The four beads Shao Mingyuan pointed out weren’t adjacent to each other but distributed randomly throughout the string. That so-called dark spot was only the size of a needle point.

Qiao Zhao fell silent.

Grandfather was right—in this world there were always people beyond people, mountains beyond mountains. Many extraordinary individuals could accomplish things incomprehensible to ordinary people.

“So what does this landscape painting combined with ‘Thousand Ridges Nine Folds’ represent?” Qiao Zhao murmured.

Shao Mingyuan reached out to smooth the furrow between her brows: “Don’t rack your brains. I’ve already sent people there. I believe seeing the real scenery will reveal some clues, better than thinking yourself to exhaustion.”

Qiao Zhao’s brows relaxed: “You’re right, I won’t think about it anymore.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “I’m hungry.”

“The kitchen has rabbit stew simmering. I’ll have A’Zhu bring you some.” Qiao Zhao turned to walk outside but was embraced from behind by Shao Mingyuan.

“Tingquan?” Qiao Zhao called out.

Those large hands covered her fullness.

“This is daytime…”

The man rested his chin against the young woman’s abundant dark hair, sighing softly: “Zhaozhao, please grow up quickly. I’m suffering so much.”

The young woman’s voice was barely audible: “After the first month, I’ll come of age.”

Qiao Zhao was born on the twenty-fifth of the first lunar month. After this New Year, she would be fifteen years old.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this. Let’s eat porridge.” Qiao Zhao broke free from Shao Mingyuan’s embrace, tidied her hair, and, pretending nonchalance, called out: “A’Zhu, bring the porridge.”

It seemed she needed to prepare some heart-clearing, desire-reducing medicinal soup for a certain someone to drink.

Soon year-end arrived.

Although Emperor Mingkang was extremely reluctant, he still had to emerge from seclusion.

He wasn’t a willful tyrant—he had to come out for the New Year.

Year-end, year-end—those who owed rent and debts all had to repay at this time. Even he, the emperor, was no exception.

At this moment, sitting on the dragon throne in the imperial study, listening to the voices of cabinet ministers and the Six Ministries’ ministers competing to cry poverty, Emperor Mingkang’s temple veins throbbed violently.

“This winter brought continuous heavy snow, with dozens of counties suffering disasters. Many common people froze or starved to death. Although our Ministry of Revenue opened granaries to distribute grain and worked hard for disaster relief, even a clever wife cannot cook without rice.”

“Minister Sun speaks truly, but does our Ministry of Works have rice to cook? Don’t those houses that collapsed due to heavy snow need repair? Not to mention anything else, even the collapsed Yuwen Hall in the palace is still lying there in ruins.” The Minister of Works replied defiantly.

Minister of Justice Kou Xing sighed repeatedly: “Because of the snow disaster, the capital has many more refugees, and crimes are increasing. But without properly settling these refugees, we cannot solve this problem at its root.”

How to settle refugees? Of course, money was needed!

At this point, the Minister of Personnel interjected: “Refugees need silver, but don’t officials, large and small, need it too? Your Ministry of Revenue still owes officials last year’s winter bonuses, and now forget about making up for those—we haven’t even seen this year’s winter bonuses.”

The so-called winter bonuses were year-end rewards issued in the emperor’s name before each ministry sealed their offices, different from fixed monthly salaries. The amounts varied according to each year’s treasury abundance or scarcity.

For Great Liang officials, winter bonuses had only decreased, never increased, for several years. Last year, they weren’t distributed at all, said to be combined with this year’s bonuses for distribution. Who knew they’d waited and waited without seeing a single copper coin?

The Minister of Personnel got a headache thinking of those officials crying and wiping away tears. One official even drunkenly complained to colleagues that he’d been moonlighting as a writing tutor all winter, and if this continued, he’d have no choice but to stage a sit-in outside the Minister’s residence gates.

Hearing the Minister of Personnel’s accusation, the Minister of Revenue’s teeth ached. He wanted to spit right in that old leather face.

Their Ministry of Revenue wasn’t distributing winter bonuses? Was this their choice?

Last year, when His Majesty was burning incense and cultivating the Way, he accidentally set the palace on fire. Could they let the emperor sleep in the streets? Of course, they had to spend silver on repairs! Now the treasury was empty—even mice had fled. What could they use for distribution?

This was truly not knowing the price of daily necessities until you managed a household!

“All of you shut up!” Emperor Mingkang coldly shouted with a dark face.

He had just emerged from seclusion, and these wine sacks and rice bags were already chasing him for money?

Everything required him, the emperor, to arrange properly—what did he need them for? If there were no silver, couldn’t they think of solutions?

Think of solutions? Emperor Mingkang suddenly paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across each minister’s face.

It seemed there weren’t any solutions. These old fellows all cried poverty to him, but which of their households wasn’t wealthy beyond measure? Yet now he, the emperor, was the poorest!

Wasn’t it just accidentally burning down a palace and using some silver? These old bastards kept harping on last year’s winter bonuses, bringing it up again and again to remind him.

Heh, was he someone who could be threatened?

Hmm, recently he needed to pay attention and watch carefully. Whoever made mistakes could have their homes confiscated to fill the national treasury.

The ministers suddenly felt a chill at the back of their necks.

What was happening? Were the windows not properly closed, letting cold wind blow in from outside?

Lan Shan, who had remained silent throughout, lifted his eyelids slightly, a faint smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.

It seemed next year’s winter bonuses were secured—just didn’t know whose family’s silver would be used for distribution. As long as it wasn’t his family’s, all was well.

Thinking this, Lan Shan’s smile deepened.

Emperor Mingkang’s eyes flashed as his gaze fell on Lan Shan’s face.

Lan Shan shuddered and quickly assumed a pose of eyes observing nose, nose observing heart.

“Alright, all of you may withdraw.” Emperor Mingkang said indifferently.

“Your subjects take leave.”

The imperial study instantly quieted. Emperor Mingkang lightly tapped the dragon desk with his finger.

Hmm, should he flip copper coins to decide, or wait a bit longer to see if anyone made mistakes?