Chapter 65: Harnessing Old Strength for New Strategies, the Heroine Responds with Ingenuity

Grand Preceptor Wang stroked his beard and laughed softly—a sound that, to Lin Shiya’s ears, was as chilling as the cry of an owl in the night. “Top Scholar Lin is indeed clever and perceptive. I do believe there is someone in court fit for this duty.” As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept across the assembled ministers, finally settling on Adviser Liu of the Ministry of Appointments. “Deputy Minister Liu is well-versed in the affairs of Jiangnan and deeply understands governance. Having him oversee the implementation of this pilot reform could not be more appropriate.”

Adviser Liu?

Lin Shiya’s heart skipped a beat.

This was the very man who, alongside Grand Preceptor Wang, had previously opposed reform—a man infamous for his cunning and devious schemes. For Wang to recommend him was a blade dancing in the air, aimed at her undoing. They meant to use Liu’s hand to turn the reform pilot into a farce, ultimately strangling any hope of change.

Within the Golden Throne Hall, the air grew suddenly taut with tension. The eyes of the ministers flickered between Lin Shiya and Grand Preceptor Wang, as though bracing for a coming storm.

Lin Shiya drew a slow, deep breath, forcing down her anger and letting no emotion show on her face. She managed only a faint smile. “Grand Preceptor Wang speaks truly—Deputy Minister Liu is indeed a rare talent. However…” She deliberately let her words hang, her gaze cutting sharply across Wang and Liu, her tone laced with an almost imperceptible irony. “Such a weighty matter decided by your recommendation alone—would that not be difficult to convince the court?”

Wang chuckled. “You are too cautious, Top Scholar Lin. This is no lone opinion, but one representing the voices of many in the court.” As he spoke, he drew a memorial from his sleeve, raising it above his head. “This is a jointly signed petition, requesting His Majesty to scrutinize Top Scholar Lin’s reform pilot in detail and have Deputy Minister Liu take charge of its execution.”

With his words, the court erupted. Several officials immediately stepped forward to endorse his proposal, their words righteous and unwavering, as though Lin Shiya’s reforms were some impending disaster that must be checked before they brought ruin.

Lin Shiya surveyed the scene, a cold smile flickering in her heart. This was no spontaneous moment—they had schemed together and lain in wait for her to fall into their trap.

She took the memorial, expression calm, and unrolled it for examination. Line after line filled the page, each sentence setting forth supposed flaws in the reform, painting a picture of chaos descending the moment the changes began.

She read swiftly, ten lines at a glance. A sneer crept to her lips. The arguments, for all their dignified phrasing, were riddled with holes and could not stand scrutiny.

“Grand Preceptor Wang,” she said, closing the memorial, her gaze sharp as a blade, “as for the contents of this memorial…” She paused deliberately, glancing at the officials who had sided with Wang, her voice cold, “there seem… to be some problems.”

Her slender fingers drummed lightly on the memorial, her eyes burning as she swept over the text. Her voice rang clear, carrying an unyielding authority. “Honored ministers, the memorial claims the reforms will empty the treasury, but on closer inspection, the expenditures cited have nothing to do with the reforms at all. In fact, aren’t those the funds the Ministry of Revenue allocated last year for repairing the dikes?” She paused, her gaze piercing Wang. “How do you explain this, Grand Preceptor?”

Wang’s aged features twitched. He had not expected Lin Shiya to notice such details.

He forced himself to remain calm and managed a cough. “That… must be a clerical error in the Ministry of Revenue, unrelated to the reforms.”

Lin Shiya’s lips curled into a cold smile. “A clerical error? With such a vast sum? Are all in the Ministry of Revenue such incompetents as to fumble with numbers?” Her tone was sharp, pressing in relentlessly. “Furthermore, the memorial claims the reforms will disrupt the people’s lives and burden them. Yet the proposal clearly lays out tax reductions and improvements to irrigation—measures that benefit the nation and its people. From where, then, does this talk of disruption come?” She swept the hall with her gaze, fixing it on the ministers who had echoed Wang. “You are all scholars and men of learning. Can you truly not distinguish right from wrong?”

Her words landed with the weight of a hammer, striking fear into the hearts of the ministers. Many had only spoken up out of fear for Wang’s power. Now, exposed by Lin Shiya, doubts took root in their minds.

Seeing the tide turning, Wang hurried to change the subject. “Top Scholar Lin, you are new to the court and unfamiliar with statecraft. I only meant to—”

“For my sake?” Lin Shiya cut him off, her voice tinged with mockery. “Your ‘kindness,’ Grand Preceptor, is more than I can bear. This reform was decreed by His Majesty. For you to hinder it so—what are your true intentions?”

Wang’s face flushed with anger, but he could make no retort. Lin Shiya’s every word was reasoned and cutting, leaving him speechless.

The atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall weighed heavy and oppressive. Ministers eyed Lin Shiya and Wang in turn, each considering where this contest of power would end.

After the court dispersed, Lin Shiya walked the palace paths alone, her thoughts in turmoil. Though today’s crisis had been averted, she felt more deeply than ever the treachery of the court.

“Top Scholar Lin, you’ve worked hard today.” A gentle voice sounded behind her.

She turned to see Murong Fu, dressed in plain clothes, approaching at a measured pace.

“Your Majesty…” Lin Shiya offered a slight bow.

Murong Fu stopped before her, speaking softly. “You did well.” His voice, warm and gentle, carried a care that set Lin Shiya’s heart at ease.

A faint blush touched her cheeks as she replied, “I only did what was required of me.”

He regarded her, admiration in his eyes. “You are clever and courageous. Top Scholar Lin, you will be my right hand.”

Lin Shiya’s heart fluttered warmly. She looked up into Murong Fu’s deep gaze, sensing a tenderness that seemed almost endless.

“Your Majesty…” Her voice quivered.

He gently took her hand. “Don’t be afraid—I will always support you.”

Her hand trembled, warmth flooding her heart. Their eyes met, a subtle intimacy thickening the air.

“Your Majesty…” Lin Shiya had just begun to speak when hurried footsteps sounded.

“Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!” A flustered eunuch rushed over, breaking the moment between them.

“What has you so alarmed?” Murong Fu frowned slightly.

The eunuch, breathless and pale, stammered, “In the city… in the city…”

“What has happened in the city?” Lin Shiya sensed a foreboding dread.

The eunuch finally managed, “In the city… someone is spreading rumors—saying the court’s reform pilot will increase the people’s taxes and conscript laborers!”

Murong Fu’s brow furrowed, a chill emanating from him. “Who spread these rumors?”

Lin Shiya’s heart sank. She knew too well the power of rumor. If the people believed such lies, the reforms would be doomed from the start.

She quickly asked, “Do we know the source?”

The eunuch shook his head, obviously frightened by the sudden turn of events. “I do not know, only… only that it started in a teahouse in the northern city. Now everyone is talking, and the people are uneasy.”

Lin Shiya’s expression darkened. Grand Preceptor Wang, having failed in court, would not give up so easily. Clearly, he was already resorting to underhanded tactics.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. “Your Majesty, this is no ordinary matter. The most urgent thing is to trace the source of the rumors and reassure the people.”

Murong Fu nodded, concern in his eyes. “Top Scholar Lin, I entrust this task to you.”

Lin Shiya bowed in acceptance. “I obey.”

She wasted no time, leaving the palace and heading straight for the northern city. There, she donned plain clothes and mingled with the crowds, listening closely to their conversations.

“Have you heard? The court wants reform—our good days are coming to an end!” an old man lamented, his face heavy with worry.

“Yes, they say it’s to lighten our taxes, but I think it’s just another way to squeeze us dry!” a woman echoed.

Lin Shiya frowned. These rumors were detailed and convincing—clearly the work of someone pulling strings in secret.

She understood that mere explanations would not suffice; only action would win the people’s trust.

No longer concealing her identity, Lin Shiya leapt onto a stone platform by the road, cleared her throat, and called out in a strong, clear voice, “Good people, I am Lin Shiya, the new Top Scholar. Today, I am here to speak to you truthfully.”

The crowd fell silent, curiosity piqued by this unexpected figure.

Pointing to herself, Lin Shiya spoke with candor. “The so-called reform pilot will not increase your burdens. On the contrary, its purpose is to lighten them! Think—if the heavy taxes continued, could you live in peace? The court is reducing taxes and improving irrigation, so your fields won’t suffer from drought. What a blessing that is!” Her voice rang with conviction. “Those spreading rumors have ulterior motives. They do not want you to live better lives. Do not let them deceive you!”

Her explanation was plain but struck the hearts of the people. Her status as Top Scholar lent her words further weight. The crowd murmured among themselves, the clouds of doubt slowly lifting.

“So that’s how it is. I knew the court wouldn’t do us harm,” a young man said, suddenly understanding.

“Yes, Top Scholar Lin makes sense. We mustn’t believe rumors so easily!” a middle-aged man agreed.

Seeing the tide turn, those who had started the rumors slipped quietly away.

With the rumors dispelled, Lin Shiya felt some relief. She knew she had, for now, steadied the hearts of the people, but the contest was far from over.

When night fell, she returned to the palace, pausing outside the imperial study to compose herself before entering. Her eyes shone with unwavering resolve—she knew that the real struggle was only beginning…

“Your Majesty, I have completed my investigation…”

The next morning, the court convened in the Golden Throne Hall, the atmosphere tense.

Clad in crimson robes, Lin Shiya entered, holding a thick scroll. Her gaze was steady, her demeanor calm, as if she had long prepared for this moment.

“I have a matter to report,” her voice rang out, clear and strong.

Grand Preceptor Wang and Adviser Liu exchanged uneasy glances. Their carefully orchestrated rumors had failed to hinder Lin Shiya; instead, she stood more resolutely against them than ever.

“What does Top Scholar Lin wish to report?” Murong Fu asked from the dragon throne.

Lin Shiya unfurled the scroll. “This is the record of the people’s voices I gathered yesterday in the northern city. It clearly shows their support for and trust in the reform pilot.”

The scroll was filled with signatures and messages from the people, expressing their hopes for reform and their faith in Lin Shiya.

The ministers were astonished, whispering among themselves.

Wang and Liu’s faces turned ashen. They had not expected Lin Shiya to turn the situation around so swiftly. Their plot had failed, leaving them humiliated.

“How… how can this be?” Wang muttered in disbelief.

Lin Shiya’s gaze bore into him. “Grand Preceptor Wang, facts speak louder than words. The people see clearly. This reform is for the good of the nation and the people—no scheme can halt its progress.”

Wang was left speechless. His attempt to destroy Lin Shiya had only backfired.

Murong Fu looked at Lin Shiya, surprised at the courage and intelligence of one so young. “You have done well, Top Scholar Lin. The reform pilot will proceed, and you have my full support.”

Lin Shiya’s heart leapt with joy as she knelt in thanks.

But just then, Adviser Liu stepped forward, a sinister smile on his lips. “Top Scholar Lin, do you really think you’ve won? Don’t celebrate too soon…”

Lin Shiya’s heart tensed. She sensed that Wang and Liu were not yet finished.

She raised her head, meeting Liu’s gaze, the air between them charged with danger.

“Oh? And what do you mean by that, Deputy Minister Liu?” she asked, her expression inscrutable.

Liu’s smile widened, his tone cold. “You’ll know soon enough…”