When people’s lives are difficult, they focus on their own small households. When life undergoes earth-shaking changes, people often shift their gaze from their own small homes toward a broader world.

When merchants shouldered most of the empire’s tax burden, they inevitably demanded more voice in national affairs. He Shao was precisely such a person.

“Ye-zi, this won’t do! The desert has become an empty shell. You can’t demand more from them. Now everyone in the Great Tang uses fierce fire oil for lighting. If you want to increase military reserves additionally, then don’t blame us for raising the price of fire oil. In any case, our profits cannot be reduced.”

Yun Ye circled twice around He Shao, who was like a mountain of flesh, making He Shao’s hair stand on end. Only then did Yun Ye speak: “Since when did you have the guts to haggle with the Ministry of War?”

He Shao wiped his face and said with a bitter smile: “Of course I wouldn’t dare by myself, but when there are many people behind me, I have no choice but to dare. The sixteen pitiful princes of the Western Regions are now desperately searching for oil springs on their own lands. And you know what? They really found three places—one right on the Yema Plain. Before, they swore to advance and retreat together to conquer the world. Now, after being dealt with by the Tokharians, they’ve sworn together to protect their oil springs from loss. I’m just a foot soldier they sent to find sales channels. You want to take thirty percent in one go—do you want them to live or not?”

Yun Ye shook his head with a smile: “Fatty, you know in your heart what I did back in Beiting. Asking you for thirty percent at market price already gives you plenty of face. Otherwise, shall I hand this matter over to Left Vice Minister Zhangsun Chong to discuss with you?”

Hearing these words, He Shao immediately rolled on the ground crying, weeping with extreme sorrow. Yun Ye knew this fellow was deliberately playing for sympathy in front of him, but seeing his face covered with snot and tears, he irritably threw his handkerchief at him: “All you damn well know is crying, coming with this trick. At least you still know fear. Now I’m asking you—will you give the thirty percent at market price or not?”

The confused, tearful He Shao immediately shouted loudly: “No!”

Yun Ye, with smoke coming from his nostrils in anger, roared: “Then get lost and go talk to Zhangsun Chong!”

He Shao immediately started wailing again. This time he grabbed Yun Ye’s leg and vigorously banged his head against it, crying while saying: “If you want to watch my whole family get killed by Zhangsun Chong, then just hand me over to him. Either way I’m dead—might as well die here where it’s more comfortable.”

Yun Ye forcefully tried to pull his leg free twice but couldn’t extract it. He could only say in a trembling voice: “Twenty percent. If you dare say half a word of ‘no,’ I’ll chop you into eight pieces right now—no need to trouble Zhangsun Chong!”

Hearing Yun Ye say twenty percent, He Shao immediately stopped crying. Sniffling, he said: “It’s settled then. No raising the stakes later. Forget it—let’s sign the contract right away.” As he spoke, he pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper from his bosom and presented it to Yun Ye for his seal.

Yun Ye walked with difficulty behind the desk and gulped down half a pot of cold tea before settling himself down. Taking the paper for a look, he saw there were already four seals on it—only the Ministry of War’s authorization for border opening remained blank.

“Quite capable. The Maritime Trade Bureau, the Guannei Circuit transit documents, the Central Secretariat—you’ve already settled everything. Only the Ministry of War is missing. And you could even predict I’d agree to the twenty percent market price condition. You bastard—you’ve truly taken business to the extreme.”

He Shao washed his face in the basin of clean water by the wall—he’d cried it all blotchy earlier. After washing his face, he grabbed the remaining half pot of tea that Yun Ye had left and drank it all in one go, then said: “This trick only works in front of you. If I tried it in front of Zhangsun Chong, I’d have been hacked to death by random blades long ago.”

“You really weren’t worried I’d make you go find Zhangsun Chong?”

“Not worried. We’re on the same side. Even if you’re half-dead with anger, at most you’d kick me a few times—what else could you do? We’ve known each other for twenty years now. Wouldn’t I know your temperament? Old friends are getting fewer and fewer. Even if I’m not living up to expectations, you can’t bear to punish me, right?”

Looking at He Shao’s disgusting fat face, Yun Ye swiftly stamped the Ministry of War’s seal on that large sheet of paper, tossed it to He Shao, and told him to quickly get lost. He Shao wasn’t offended either. Grinning, he picked up the paper, carefully blew the seal paste dry, then cupped his hands toward Yun Ye and prepared to leave.

“If the Zhangsun family pressures you hard, move to the Yun family estate. The Zhangsun family’s people don’t dare go there.”

“Oh, I’ve already moved my family there. You don’t need to worry about such small matters.” He Shao laughed proudly, tucked the document into his bosom, and walked out the great hall’s door. From a distance, seeing Zhangsun Chong standing in the left office room, he cupped his fists in salute. Seeing Zhangsun Chong treat him as if he didn’t exist, he didn’t go up to speak either, but quickly walked out of the Ministry of War.

Watching He Shao depart, Zhangsun Chong slowly paced up to Yun Ye’s great hall and cupped his hands: “Plundering the Western Regions to fill the interior—this was originally national policy set by the court. Why does Marquis Yun turn a blind eye? Could it be that Marquis Yun very much hopes to see a prosperous and flourishing Western Region?”

Yun Ye glanced at Zhangsun Chong and said: “The Left Vice Minister speaks reasonably, but plunder should also have a limit. When His Majesty sent the sixteen princes to the Western Regions back then, he wasn’t preparing for them to fend for themselves—it was merely a simplified execution of Chao Cuo’s principle of削减王权. In the end, they’re still descendants of the Li clan. Speaking of it, the sixteen princes are relatives to both you and me. Appropriately loosening the stranglehold around their necks—this is called measured governance. No policy remains unchanging forever. Don’t be too obsessed.”

“If the person who came today wasn’t He Shao, how would Marquis Yun have handled it?”

Yun Ye thought carefully and said: “I estimate it would have gone with thirty percent—couldn’t possibly be the current twenty percent.”

Zhangsun Chong sighed: “National laws and regulations are established to be enforced. Marquis Yun opening loopholes everywhere like this—that’s not the way of governance. As long as you open one small gap, the Ministry of War’s subordinates can tear open a huge hole. These were still Marquis Yun’s own teachings back then. Has Marquis Yun already forgotten?”

Yun Ye laughed: “Those were rash words from my youth. Now we must have confidence in our subordinates and cannot excessively doubt them. The mindset of those in high positions must still be maintained.”

“What a kind and amiable Marquis Yun. I wonder what Wang Xiaojie, who is still wailing in prison, would think upon hearing these words?” Zhangsun Chong became somewhat angry whenever Wang Xiaojie was mentioned.

Yun Ye continued smiling: “This can’t be blamed on me. Back then I wanted to release him. I sent a minor official to release him, but who knew Wang Xiaojie would actually say that since I was the one who imprisoned him, I needed to personally let him out. What a strange matter! I’m busy with official duties and have no time to attend to him, so he just keeps being locked up.”

This one statement choked Zhangsun Chong speechless. Yun Ye was right—he had indeed ordered Wang Xiaojie’s release back then. But Wang Xiaojie mistakenly thought Yun Ye had fallen into a disadvantageous position in political struggle and had no choice but to release him. To demonstrate his loyalty to the Zhangsun family and insult Yun Ye, he demanded that Yun Ye come personally to release him. As a result, Yun Ye withdrew that order. Now Wang Xiaojie had become a famous laughingstock in Chang’an City. He himself had momentarily forgotten about this matter.

Taking a deep breath, he cupped his fists: “Zhangsun Chong requests that Marquis Yun release Wang Xiaojie!”

Yun Ye thought for a moment, then tossed a command token to Zhangsun Chong: “Tell him to control his stinking mouth. Otherwise, next time I’ll lock him up for thirty years.”

Zhangsun Chong nodded in agreement and left the great hall. This time he had used He Shao’s matter to make an exchange, allowing Wang Xiaojie to narrowly escape from prison. The current Wang Xiaojie had not half a bit of utility value. Zhangsun Chong only made this painful exchange out of pure consideration for the Zhangsun family’s face.

Wang Xiaojie lay listlessly in a pile of rotten straw, lice brazenly burrowing around on his body. To this day he still regretted why he had said those foolish words. He hadn’t expected that minor official who said he’d go invite the Marquis would fail to bring him for two whole years.

Rustling footsteps came from outside—these were official steps. Wang Xiaojie clearly recognized these as official steps. Such rhythmic footsteps were definitely not those of the jailer who brought him food daily.

His mind immediately became active. He suddenly threw himself against the bars and shouted hoarsely: “Marquis Yun! Marquis Yun! This humble general knows his error. I beg Marquis Yun to give this humble general a chance to reform!”

The footsteps drew near. Sure enough, it was a pair of black boots. From the exquisite craftsmanship, they were certainly those of a high official. Raising his head slightly, he saw an entire purple robe and a pair of tightly clenched hands that still had luster—such a young person in purple robes, who else could it be but Yun Ye?

“Marquis Yun, this humble general knows his error! This humble general knows his error! I beg the Grand Marshal for mercy!” Wang Xiaojie prostrated on the ground, kowtowing like pounding garlic.

After a long while with no movement, Wang Xiaojie stole a glance upward and was instantly thunderstruck, his mind completely blank. He had forgotten—Zhangsun Chong held the rank of Silver-Blue Glorious Grand Master and was also qualified to wear purple robes.

Completely frozen, Wang Xiaojie’s tears flowed uncontrollably. He knew that in this lifetime, he probably had no hope of ever leaving this prison again.

Zhangsun Chong waved the command token in his hand at Wang Xiaojie, then tucked it into his bosom, turned and left the Ministry of War prison. He could release Wang Xiaojie from prison but didn’t want to let him out. The Zhangsun family’s face had already been recovered. As for such a fool who always did wrong things—what did it matter if he rotted in prison? Recalling something Yun Ye had once said, Zhangsun Chong found it very reasonable—Wang Xiaojie was that “pig teammate” who dragged down the team.

After Zhangsun Chong left, Wang Xiaojie wailed loudly, continuously pounding his head with his fists, continuously banging his head on the ground. In no time, his head was broken and bleeding.

Zhangsun Chong had a minor official return the command token to Yun Ye, then left the Ministry of War to go home. Today’s business was finished. Military discipline in Shuofang was indeed scattered—it truly had reached a point where it should be rectified. Without warfare for so long, fierce soldiers would also become cowards.

After hearing the minor official’s report, Yun Ye shook his head and said to him: “Take the token and release Wang Xiaojie!”

The minor official, who had just felt great sympathy for Wang Xiaojie, hurriedly returned to the Ministry of War prison. Seeing Wang Xiaojie with a face full of fresh blood and vacant eyes, he said: “General Wang, Marquis Yun orders me to release you. You can go home now. Please, please don’t say another word. Hurry and go—delays breed changes!”

Like a walking corpse, Wang Xiaojie followed the minor official out of the prison. Raising his head to look at the sun in the sky, he first laughed loudly twice, then cried loudly twice. Just like that, crying and laughing, he supported himself against the wall and walked step by step toward home…