Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

A few days later, another secret report from Jiangnan was submitted. The newly appointed Grand Canal Governor, Lin Hao, reported that he had verified that the three major grain merchants were indeed secretly hoarding grain. They also joined forces with some local nobles and attempted to delay the transportation of grain northward by claiming that "the canal was being desilted and the grain ships were having difficulty sailing," waiting for grain prices to rise.

After reading it, Qin Ming gently put the secret report down. He walked over to the huge map of the empire, his eyes sweeping across the water network of Jiangnan and the Gobi Desert in the Western Regions.

"Shadow Seven."

"The minister is here."

"Issue the Ministry of Revenue: This year's spring tax in Hebei and Shandong will be converted into silver at a 10% rate. This additional silver will be used entirely to purchase military rations from Jiangnan. The price... will be 10% higher than the market price. This purchase will be personally supervised by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, with assistance from the Governor-General's Office of the Grand Canal, and may not be handled by local officials."

"I will send another decree to Lin Hao: the dredging of the canal is urgent. I order him to recruit civilians and begin dredging work immediately. The required funds will be allocated from my treasury in advance. Anyone who dares to slack off or take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble will be executed immediately, regardless of whether they are gentry or officials."

"Also, tell the Censorate to send a few 'uninformed' censors to the granaries in Jiangnan to 'observe and learn' and see how much is in stock."

"Yes!" Ying Qi's eyes flashed sharply. Your Majesty is pretending to build a plank road, but secretly attacking Chencang! Raising the tax rate in the north might seem to increase the burden on the north, but in reality, this money will be used to directly purchase grain from the south at a high price, cutting off the source of the problem and shattering the grain merchants' dream of hoarding. Simultaneously, the high-profile dredging of silt and the dispatch of imperial inspectors to inspect the warehouses are both a deterrent and a preparation for possible large-scale grain transfers later!

The decree was quickly dispatched. Purchasing envoys from the Ministry of Revenue, armed with gold medals, marched directly into Jiangnan, bypassing local authorities and conducting direct transactions with major grain merchants. The sudden surge in large-scale purchases and the above-market prices created a rift among the grain merchants who had previously tacitly stockpiled grain. Some sought to cash out, while others preferred to wait and see, hoping for higher prices. The alliance began to fray.

Meanwhile, Lin Hao worked with vigour and determination to commence dredging work. With ample funds from the imperial treasury and daily wages for the labourers, the project progressed at a rapid pace. The appearance of the Censor from the Metropolitan Censorate further frightened the local officials and aristocracy, who dared not openly obstruct the work.

The undercurrent in Jiangnan seemed to be temporarily suppressed by the emperor's precise and fierce combination of punches.

However, Qin Ming knew this was far from the time to relax. He paced alone in the Western Warm Pavilion, his gaze returning to the map. The Jiangnan aristocracy was deeply entrenched, the Western Regions were full of ruthless ambitions, and the empire's ship was sailing in reef-ridden waters, unable to deviate from its course.

"Shadow Seven."

"The minister is here."

"Have Meng Zhi submit a proposal. The Western Regions... it's time to make another move. Tell him that what I want is not to capture cities and territories, but... to make the kings of the Western Regions understand who is the true master of this land."

"Here!"

"Three days ago, the Cheshi Kingdom of the Western Regions sent envoys to Beiting, accusing the Black Khanate's Zuoguli King of plundering their caravan, killing over a hundred people and stealing countless goods. The Cheshi King requested justice from the Celestial Empire." Ying Qi spoke steadily, "However... General Meng Zhi has reported this to us in secret. According to investigation, there are many suspicious points in this matter. The caravan was carrying no ordinary cargo, but rather... a large amount of refined iron and saltpeter."

Qin Ming's brush suddenly paused. Refined iron and saltpeter, the foundations of military weapons and gunpowder, were strictly prohibited from being circulated privately in the Western Regions. What use was there for the small nation of Cheshi, with all these strategic materials?

"What did the Cheshi envoy say?" he asked, his eyes still on the memorial.

"The envoy claimed that this was the equivalent of payment for porcelain and silk traded with Kucha, and that they intended to transport it back to China to forge agricultural tools and mine minerals." Ying Qi paused. "However, General Meng sent people to secretly investigate Cheshi, and they found no large-scale mining or iron smelting in the past six months. Moreover...the Black Khan's Zuo Guli King has always been on good terms with Zuo Xian Wang Helu."

Qin Ming slowly put down his red brush. Helu's defection had left his former subordinates filled with resentment, and looting the caravans to vent their anger seemed reasonable. But the fact that they were robbing strategic supplies was intriguing. Was someone within the Black Khanate trying to seize the opportunity to expand their power? Or... was this simply a carefully orchestrated tactic, intended to test Daqian's attitude, perhaps even pinning the blame on Helu's remaining forces and entice Daqian to help eliminate their dissidents?

"What about the Kingdom of Kucha?" Qin Ming tapped the imperial desk unconsciously with his fingertips.

"The King of Kucha denied any involvement in the shipment, claiming the Cheshi envoy's claims were false. He also...secretly sent envoys to the Mongol general to offer him a hundred fine horses and pledged his willingness to remain a vassal forever."

Qin Ming's lips curled up in a cold arc. These small states in the Western Regions were accustomed to playing both sides and squabbling against each other. Cheshi, Heihan, Kucha... each had their own version of events, making it difficult to discern truth from falsehood. But this batch of refined iron saltpeter was like a boulder dropped into the murky waters of the Western Regions, disturbing the already delicate balance.

"Tell Meng Zhi," Qin Ming raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. "Reply to the Cheshi envoy: The Celestial Empire has its own laws. Order them to submit a detailed list of the looted goods, the transaction contract, and witnesses and physical evidence. Instruct the Beiting Protectorate to immediately dispatch agents to join forces with Cheshi, Heihan, and Kucha to the site of the incident, investigate the scene, interrogate the prisoners, and clarify the truth. Until the Celestial Empire has investigated the matter, no party shall resort to war. Violation... will be considered disrespectful to the Celestial Empire."

"Yes." Ying Qi took note. His Majesty's move, while seemingly a fair mediation, actually firmly seized the initiative. This not only delayed the matter, but also allowed for a deeper investigation and the ability to observe the reactions of all parties.

"Also," Qin Ming pondered for a moment, "have Meng Zhi select a team of elite soldiers from the Black Armor Army, disguise them as caravan guards, and accompany the Beiting agents. Tell them to keep their eyes open. I want to know not only who robbed the goods, but also... where this cargo was originally destined for and what it was ultimately used for."

"I understand." Ying Qi understood what he meant. He was going to follow the clues and find out the mastermind behind this.

"Also," Qin Ming walked over to the huge imperial map and pointed his finger at the intersecting lands of the Western Regions. "Send a decree to the Honglu Temple. In my name, reward the kings of Gaochang, Khotan, and other countries with silk and porcelain. And... I'll just casually let you know that the Cheshi merchant caravan was hijacked. The Celestial Empire is deeply concerned and will conduct a thorough investigation to maintain peace on the Western Regions' trade routes."

A flash of understanding flashed across Ying Qi's eyes. His Majesty was trying to warn those small, ulterior motives in the Western Regions, letting them know that no matter how little they moved, they would be caught off guard by Daqian, and that they would never be able to exploit the chaos.

The decree was quickly issued. The Beiting Protectorate acted with remarkable swiftness, quickly establishing a joint investigation team, with Daqian's "caravan guards" closely following the scene. Panic reigned in the Western Regions, with the Cheshi, Heihan, and Kucha kingdoms forced to confront each other under the "guard" of the Daqian army, creating a tense atmosphere.

The investigation had yet to yield clear results, but Daqian's aggressive intervention had already unnerved the Western Regions' rulers. They had sent envoys to Beiting or the imperial capital to pledge loyalty, offer tribute, and attempt to distance themselves from the matter.

In the warm room, Qin Ming looked at the list of tributes from the Western Regions presented by various places, and his eyes finally fell on the line "The Kingdom of Khotan presented a thousand kilograms of beautiful jade, and begged the Celestial Empire to allow its caravans to trade through the Hexi Corridor."

"Tell the Honglu Temple," he pointed at the line, "to grant their request. However, the size of the caravan and the types of goods must be reported to the Beiting Maritime Customs for approval. Also, have the Khotanese envoy take this message back: I... hope that the Khotanese Jade Road will always remain unimpeded."