Gao Sheng said, “Not everyone can redeem themselves, but for those sentenced to imprisonment of three months or less for things like brawling, they can redeem themselves with money.”

Actually, laws allowing monetary redemption had always existed, including in the current dynasty.

However, Zhao Hanzhang urgently needed people and also wanted to curb the sudden increase in public security cases in her territory due to warfare, so she issued an order canceling all monetary redemption laws. Those who should be beheaded would be beheaded; those who should be exiled would all be tattooed and sent to the military.

The order at that time only involved serious criminals, meant to deter the rising banditry in Yuzhou territory and incidents of landlords and gentry forcibly enslaving refugees. But canceling monetary redemption was a major order with no detailed regulations.

This left people like Scholar Zhou, who were sentenced to ten days’ detention for brawling, also confined in prison. In the past, he could have paid money to redeem himself.

This way, not only would the county office have some income, but it would also reduce pressure on the prisons.

You should know that prison cells were limited in number. They still had to provide food and lodging for those imprisoned. Some long-term inmates even needed uniforms provided. The expenses were considerable.

Recently, many wealthy people had been arrested, and none of them had committed serious crimes. Gao Sheng felt they could add some detailed regulations. For example, those imprisoned for fighting should pay this much redemption money to be released; those for quarreling and insulting people should pay this much redemption money to be released…

Even for galloping horses on the main street, violating curfew, driving carriages out of designated lanes, public urination, and so on—all could be redeemed with money.

These violations were mostly committed by wealthy people. It was practically guaranteed money, and it could also free up some prison cells.

Zhao Ming thought Gao Sheng’s idea was quite good. However, this order had been issued by Zhao Hanzhang. To supplement the detailed regulations still required her approval and order.

So when Zhao Ming went to dine with Zhao Hanzhang at noon, he mentioned it. Zhao Hanzhang thought briefly and nodded. “Fine. But what crimes can be redeemed and what crimes cannot, and how much money and grain are needed—all must be clearly defined. Have Magistrate Gao write an official document and submit it.”

Zhao Ming nodded. He noticed a letter beside Zhao Hanzhang’s hand. Just from the envelope, he could tell it was in Zhao Zhongyu’s handwriting.

He only glanced once before looking away, but Zhao Hanzhang had already noticed. She smiled and handed the letter to Zhao Ming. “A letter from Great-Uncle. His Majesty wants to perform the Heaven Worship ceremony at the summer solstice. At that time, all regional lords and governors must go to Yuncheng to worship, and also…”

She raised her eyes to look at Zhao Ming, her lips curving slightly upward. “To jointly discuss the matter of relocating the capital.”

Zhao Ming said, “…The Emperor wants to relocate the capital back to Luoyang?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded.

Zhao Ming was speechless for a long while. “Then… have you agreed?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled faintly. “The key doesn’t lie with me, but with Gou Xi.”

Gou Xi would definitely not agree.

Zhao Ming also didn’t want to agree. If Zhao Hanzhang stayed far from the Emperor, the situation could still be controlled. It was clear that her mind was currently mostly focused on stabilizing Yuzhou and Sizhou and developing the economies of both regions. Even if she occasionally wanted to recover lost territory, it was under the banner of the Great Jin.

Once the Emperor returned to Luoyang, Zhao Hanzhang would become a “Regent.” Even if they still wanted peaceful development, the situation wouldn’t allow it.

Not to mention distant matters—just consider the various new regulations and detailed rules she had added these past two years. Although she also selected talent through self-recommendation or others’ recommendations, the policy of ranking people by social status had long been defunct. In the three years of her governance, Yuzhou had never held a single ranking banquet.

Now when she employed people, most came from the talent recruitment examinations.

She also employed people without regard to gender or family background. Once the Emperor returned to Luoyang, these matters would inevitably be brought up for repeated debate.

Just thinking about it with his toes, Zhao Ming knew how chaotic the situation would be then. Zhao Hanzhang was accustomed to giving orders. Could she accept so many people pointing fingers and giving advice beside her?

Occasionally when her policies were opposed, she would always coax them into agreement. But switching to those court ministers—would she coax them?

Zhao Ming understood her best. She coaxed them only because she was willing to. If she were unwilling, there had been quite a few people executed these past two years for opposing policies.

Otherwise, how could she have canceled the monetary redemption policy?

In these two years, weren’t there few people sentenced to death for kidnapping refugees, murder, and land seizure?

She hadn’t pillaged and plundered like other generals or killed the wealthy to seize their riches, so people everywhere praised her, saying she had a benevolent heart.

But since realizing she had great ambitions, Zhao Ming had noticed her strong, resolute character and strict law enforcement. No—actually, she was strict with superiors but lenient with subordinates. She was quietly establishing her own system, cutting with a dull knife. The pain wasn’t obvious because it was slow.

From time to time, she would ease up and even give people sweet treats. Those slow to react wouldn’t notice.

By the time they realized, the wound was already fatal, and they would have no strength to resist, possibly not even the energy to struggle.

Currently, all the officials in Yuzhou and Sizhou had been appointed by Zhao Hanzhang after individual review. They were united in purpose. Even if someone noticed, they wouldn’t publicize it.

But court ministers were different. They had different positions. Regardless of whether they could perceive Zhao Hanzhang’s intentions, once they felt pain or felt they couldn’t gain benefits, they would inevitably object or want to return to the past. With such a disturbance, could she continue using her dull knife to cut slowly?

Given her temperament, if she became angry, she would probably strike swiftly with the blade and neatly chop people down like melons.

So Zhao Ming also didn’t agree with the Emperor relocating back to Luoyang. This was not only for Zhao Hanzhang and Yuzhou’s good but also for the Emperor and court ministers’ good.

He didn’t want to see the Great Jin bleed rivers again due to internal strife.

After thinking for a while, he said, “The clan leader mentioned that His Majesty has privately contacted several generals in the Gou Family Army. They also have hearts to serve His Majesty loyally. Since this is the case, why don’t you help His Majesty and let him escape Gou Xi’s control and personally manage Yuncheng affairs?”

Once the Emperor tasted what it was like to truly be in charge, would he still be willing to return to Luoyang as Zhao Hanzhang’s puppet emperor?

Although this was a delaying tactic with considerable future troubles, it was better than intensifying conflicts now.

Zhao Hanzhang raised her eyebrows at Zhao Ming, picked up the teapot, and poured him a cup of water, smiling. “Uncle Ming, does this count as great minds thinking alike?”

She had been thinking the same thing.

New information from Yuncheng arrived. Gou Xi had once again indulged excessively in wine and women. He was finished. While it was good that an opponent had become muddled, Gou Xi wasn’t just her opponent—he was also her ally. Their greatest enemy was still Liu Yuan and Shi Le.

As the saying goes, one doesn’t fear god-like opponents but pig-like teammates.

Liu Yuan and Shi Le were both god-like opponents. Originally, Gou Xi was also a god-like ally, but now he had become pig-like. Such an ally needed to be replaced quickly.

The Emperor could barely serve as a qualified ally, so she wanted to make the switch.

This could be called killing two birds with one stone.

But the operation was too difficult, so she had to take it slowly.

Some words couldn’t be written openly in letters—otherwise, who knew if the letter might be lost or seen by a third person?

So Zhao Hanzhang first wrote a memorial to the Emperor, expressing that she would definitely attend the summer solstice Heaven Worship, then wrote a letter to Zhao Zhongyu, saying that as Jin ministers, they should urgently address the sovereign’s concerns and so on and so forth.

After corresponding with Zhao Hanzhang for two and a half years, Zhao Zhongyu could already keep up with her rhythm and barely achieve mutual understanding. So after reading her letter repeatedly, he vaguely grasped her plan.

She wanted the Emperor to seize Gou Xi’s power!