Chapter 106 - 81: Stop! Stop! I’m Being Squeezed Dry

Chapter 106: Chapter 81: Stop! Stop! I’m Being Squeezed Dry

After leaving Wangshu Palace, Zhao Ci didn’t linger. His attempt to activate a talisman at the city gate failed, so he left the Imperial Palace and headed straight for the Ministry of Revenue.

’This whole ’wish’ business isn’t something you can just grind out casually. The desire has to be relatively strong, and the difficulty has to be high enough.’

’Lately, it’s been getting harder and harder to farm Money-Eyed Talismans and On-Spot Relief Charms.’

’If they were that easy to farm, I could just go to some poor, backwater village and make it rain. Wouldn’t that be the best feeling?’

’So, I have to focus on big wishes and wishes that can be fulfilled in batches.’

’This Emperor’s Gift Pill mission is definitely my biggest source of comprehension points in the short term, along with Yang Mo’s golden wish. If I can secure these two major sources and then pick up a few scattered smaller wishes, I should have most of the comprehension points I need before reaching the Physical Body Realm.’

Zhao Huan had already delegated the mission to deliver pills to the Northern Three Prefectures to the Ministry of Revenue.

He had apparently argued with the Imperial Clan Court over it for quite some time. The Court believed it was just a simple task of handing out money, involving no real difficulty, so they only wanted to classify it as a D-rank mission worth a single merit point.

But Zhao Huan argued forcefully that the Northern Three Prefectures suffered from poor security. Transporting so many expensive pills would inevitably be dangerous. Therefore, he insisted the Pill Granting Envoy should receive two merit points and the Vice Envoy one.

The two sides remained at a standstill for a while, as the Imperial Clan Court was convinced that Zhao Huan was simply pulling strings for Zhao Ci.

In the end, however, Zhao Huan won the argument.

’It seems it’s not just comprehension points that are hard to farm. These merit points are a real grind too!’

Zhao Ci was frustrated. The intensity of their argument alone showed that this mission would never normally be worth two points. Future missions were only going to get more difficult.

Besides, even this mission wouldn’t be easy. A round trip to the Northern Three Prefectures would take five days alone, not to mention all the time spent on the ground there. The efficiency of earning merit points was appallingly low.

’Looks like setting up those pill orders was a brilliant move. As long as that operation runs smoothly, I can generate at least two hundred merit points a year. That’s an amount that would make every other house green with envy.’

Forget the other houses.

He’d be green with envy himself.

’Damn, these merit points are a bitch to earn!’

’First things first, I’ll head to the Ministry of Revenue.’

The carriage made its way to Ze Kanmin Lane, where the Ministry of Revenue’s Government Office was located. After Zhao Ci presented his waist token, a Junior Official at the gate respectfully led him to a rear office and served him tea, inviting him to rest.

After a wait of about fifteen minutes, a Junior Minister from the Ministry of Revenue hurried in.

"My apologies for the wait, Your Highness! The Ministry of Revenue is incredibly busy today, and I couldn’t break away sooner."

"Of course."

Zhao Ci replied with a smile, his tone free of any reproach. In truth, he had no right to complain.

Now that he had established his own house, his public status was that of an ordinary official. Until he received a formal rank, he wasn’t even considered Ninth Grade. The privileges of being a Prince were now in name only.

This Junior Minister was a bona fide Junior Seventh Grade official. The fact that he was willing to address himself as a subordinate was already a great show of respect.

The Junior Minister’s name was Liu Qi, and he was in charge of coordinating the Ministry of Revenue’s portion of the missions for the princely houses’ competition.

"Your Highness!"

Liu Qi sat beside Zhao Ci and placed a wooden box on the table, opening it. "Inside are the official documents for the Emperor’s Gift Pill mission and your envoy’s writ. For any matter related to delivering the pills, you have the authority to require the cooperation of local officials."

Zhao Ci took out the writ, rubbing it gently. It felt smooth and warm against the pad of his finger.

It resembled wood, yet it wasn’t wood; it felt like jade, yet it wasn’t jade. He had no idea what it was made of.

He smiled and asked pointedly, "Will they cooperate fully, no matter what I ask?"

Hearing this, Liu Qi didn’t answer right away. He simply shook his head and smiled.

Zhao Ci understood at once. ’Given the fearsome reputation of that Old Deng, Zhao Huan, even officials in the capital and the provinces are known to feign compliance while acting in defiance. What hope does a minor Pill Granting Envoy like myself have?’

He held the official writ, so the local officials wouldn’t dare to openly defy him. But whether they would secretly undermine him, no one could say for sure.

He had long suspected this trip to the Northern Three Prefectures wouldn’t go smoothly, he just couldn’t quite put his finger on where the trouble would arise.

"Lord Liu! I’m new to all this and don’t yet fully understand the affairs of the princely competition. I was hoping you might enlighten me on a few matters!"

"You’re too kind, Your Highness. Please, ask whatever is on your mind."

Liu Qi smiled and cupped his hands in a fist. He was inwardly curious. Rumor had it the Tenth Prince’s personality had taken a dramatic turn today, that he was like a cornered porcupine, lashing out at everyone. But seeing him now, he seemed quite courteous.

Zhao Ci sighed. "If I were to ask about everything, the list of questions would be endless. To put it simply, the situation in the Northern Three Prefectures is treacherous, and I’m worried I’m out of my depth. I have a feeling that something unexpected will happen while transporting this batch of pills."

At these words, the smile on Liu Qi’s face turned somewhat knowing.

After a moment’s thought, he said, "Actually... if Your Highness were willing to simply turn the pills over to the local officials and let them handle the distribution, things would go much more smoothly. But since you’ve specified that they must be given to the common folk... well, that’s where the problems might begin."

He didn’t elaborate, treating the topic as a taboo.

But Zhao Ci heard his words and understood the implication perfectly.

Though the Northern Three Prefectures weren’t far from Lingge, the journey still took two or three days. The region was responsible for guarding an entrance to ruins from the former dynasty, which had led to a miserable standard of living and chaotic public order. And the more chaotic a place was, the more unofficial power the local officials wielded.

His position as Pill Granting Envoy was, in name, similar to that of an imperial commissioner, but in reality, his actual influence was extremely limited.