Chapter Nineteen: Fooling Myself to Tears

“Yu Zhong, whose family do these two young ladies belong to?” Zhao Yizhen asked quietly.

Yu Zhong’s face showed hesitation, and he stammered.

Zhao Yizhen’s expression darkened slightly. “What, is their family background something to be ashamed of?”

Yu Zhong quickly shook his head. “No, Your Majesty. They are both daughters of Lord Yang, the Empress Dowager’s natal family. The one in yellow is the legitimate second young lady, and the one in pink is the fourth young lady from a concubine.”

Zhao Yizhen suddenly understood.

He finally grasped the reason behind the Empress Dowager’s fierce reaction to the Great Fire at Yuqing Zhaoying Palace.

A year into his marriage, the Empress had yet to conceive.

The palace inside and out had grown anxious.

They were desperate to fill his harem.

With a righteous fury, selecting consorts was killing two birds with one stone—accomplishing multiple goals at once.

Everyone gained something.

Except no one cared what the emperor himself thought.

Thinking this, Zhao Yizhen exhaled lightly and instructed Yu Zhong, “Do not alarm others; bring that young master to see me.” Then, a strange sense of satisfaction stirred within him: “Do not tell him who I am.”

Yu Zhong was somewhat confused. “Your Majesty, what about the two young ladies from Lord Yang’s residence?”

Zhao Yizhen said coldly, “I have not seen them today.”

This meant neither dealing with them nor acknowledging them.

When Yu Zhong led Li Xubai outside the door, he realized he was about to meet the sovereign of this era.

He couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Yet he gritted his teeth and held back.

“Young master, please sit. Make yourself at ease,” Zhao Yizhen said, looking at this man who was barely younger than himself, not as endlessly privileged but living far more freely. He found the feeling difficult to describe.

Li Xubai silently repeated to himself not to be nervous, not to be nervous, then sat down and thanked him first. “I have received the silver you gave me. Thank you, young master.”

Zhao Yizhen hadn’t known about this matter and glanced at Yu Zhong.

Yu Zhong bowed and said, “Your servant saw that the young master was badly injured and frightened, so he took the liberty of giving him twenty taels of silver as compensation.”

Zhao Yizhen turned and said, “Twenty taels is not much. Young master, please do not be so formal.”

The two men had met by chance and came from vastly different social standings, leaving an awkward silence.

Li Xubai was the first to break it. “Are you here to pay respects at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple?”

Zhao Yizhen neither confirmed nor denied, smiling faintly instead. He inquired about Li Xubai’s identity: “Are you a native of Qishan?”

“No, my family is from Bianliang City,” Li Xubai replied honestly.

Zhao Yizhen was surprised. He had always assumed Li Xubai was a farmer or hunter from Qishan, not someone from Bianliang.

“Then why are you in Qishan? Are you here to worship as well?”

Suddenly, Li Xubai had a flash of inspiration.

Right—Gu Shiyan had caused such a scene just to have a chance encounter with the emperor and perhaps develop something unspeakable.

Why didn’t he just tell the emperor directly?

Since she had cheated him out of his silver, he wouldn’t hesitate to ruin her prospects.

Li Xubai sighed heavily in frustration. “Don’t ask. I’m so unlucky.”

“Oh? What happened? Tell me,” Zhao Yizhen asked eagerly.

Human suffering is truly disparate.

Seeing Li Xubai troubled made Zhao Yizhen’s mood brighten unexpectedly.

Li Xubai hung his head. “I’m a clerk at the Lulutong Cart and Horse Company in Bianliang. The day before yesterday afternoon, two young ladies came to rent a horse carriage, saying they needed to travel by night to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple. They paid the rental and deposit and asked me to escort them. They promised fifty taels upon arrival. But when we reached the foot of Qishan, the two ladies said they wanted to change clothes, went off, and never came back. So here I am, searching for them in the mountains.”

“Did you find them?” Zhao Yizhen asked with interest.

“No, that’s why I say I’m unlucky,” Li Xubai shook his head. “No sign of them, no payment, and I even twisted my ankle. A wasted trip.”

“Could those two have been abducted?” Yu Zhong wondered.

Li Xubai shook his head vigorously. “Impossible. These days, every family lives well. You hardly see kidnappers in remote areas, let alone right under the emperor’s nose in Qishan.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yizhen nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Nowadays, the world is clear and upright. Kidnappers are rare. Those two young ladies must have had other plans and left you behind.”

Li Xubai found a kindred spirit. “Exactly. They just wanted to dodge paying and ran off! I’ve never heard of kidnappers in Bianliang City. It can’t be that.”

Zhao Yizhen’s expression brightened further.

Look, under his diligent governance, even kidnappers were becoming extinct in Dayu territory.

Yu Zhong felt embarrassed by his own foolishness and wished he could slap himself.

Was there a bucket of sewage on his neck, making him so dumb even in speech?

Li Xubai was quietly pleased.

The young emperor had yet to develop the cunning of a millennia-old fox.

He, a modern man who had lived two lifetimes, finally had enough craftiness for once.

“After the sovereign ascended the throne, decrees were issued declaring human trafficking a serious crime. Regardless of consent or willingness, both buyer and seller bear equal guilt. If labor assistance is needed, only time-limited employment contracts may be signed, effectively eradicating slave trade. Kidnappers have indeed become rare. However, many employment contracts are vaguely worded, with loopholes that cause much trouble for the local authorities,” Zhao Yizhen explained confidently.

Li Xubai listened in awe.

Though young, this emperor was insightful and forward-thinking, already understanding the principle of equal guilt in trafficking laws.

He sighed deeply. “You speak well. The root cause of vague contracts is the absolute disadvantage of one party—illiteracy, ignorance of the law, or urgent need for money—all making them vulnerable to unfair contracts.”

Thinking of his own contract, Li Xubai added, “The Lulutong Cart and Horse Company’s contract is very transparent and clearly itemized.”

Most government affairs were controlled by the Empress Dowager Wen; Zhao Yizhen mostly approved ceremonial reports and rarely had heart-to-heart discussions about politics with ministers.

Naturally, he seldom met anyone who shared his views.

Though loyal, those around him feared the Empress Dowager’s power and were overly cautious.

Zhao Yizhen nodded repeatedly, admiring Li Xubai’s perspective. “Young master, your insight is unique, but educating the populace is not an overnight task. Teaching them literacy and law in a short time is even harder.”

Recalling the environment he came from before crossing over, with various official protections, Li Xubai tentatively suggested, “What if all employment contracts signed by both parties were registered at the government office? Wouldn’t that greatly reduce risks?”

Zhao Yizhen’s eyes brightened as he exchanged a glance with Yu Zhong.

“Yes, contracts reviewed and filed by the government office would surely be reliable,” Zhao Yizhen exclaimed excitedly.

But Yu Zhong interjected, “What if those in the government office were bribed by the employers?”

At this, both Zhao Yizhen and Li Xubai stared at him in surprise.

Yu Zhong felt so foolish he wished he could disappear into the ground.