The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 075 Nothing To Do With You
Tang Shen stood in the middle of the room, looking ahead at Wang Zhen, who appeared calm and composed, and behind was Meng Lang, the Minister of Rites, who was clearly enjoying the spectacle. His head immediately started to throb.
This Minister Meng was no easy character to deal with.
During the imperial examination, it was Meng Lang who served as the chief examiner. While the emperor was nominally the examiner for all the jinshi, Meng Lang could be considered Tang Shen’s "teacher" of sorts. Unfortunately for Tang Shen, Meng Lang had a penchant for teasing him. The first time Tang Shen had come to the Qinzheng Hall, when he was still a chamberlain, Minister Meng had dragged him through the Six Ministries like a showpiece on display!
Tang Shen, a minor official of the fourth rank, could not afford to offend Meng Lang, but that didn’t mean Wang Zhen couldn’t.
Wang Zhen placed his tea cup down, the sound of the ceramic cup landing on the sandalwood table making a crisp click. He looked at Tang Shen and said, "There may not be much direct connection between the Palace Secretariat and the Ministry of Revenue, but the Palace Secretariat represents the Song of Heaven in overseeing the empire. Now that Tang daren has come to me, it must mean I, this lowly official, have committed some grievous error, having neither sacrificed myself for the nation nor worked myself to exhaustion."
Tang Shen was stunned.
The words hung in the air, and even Meng Lang, sitting at the opposite table with a fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Rites, was taken aback.
What kind of drama was Wang Zifeng playing at?
Meng Lang, quick-witted as ever, thought to himself: Representing the Son of Heaven in overseeing the empire? Isn’t that just helping the emperor review memorials, summarizing those filled with flowery nonsense in a sentence or two? And this counts as overseeing the empire? Then we, the second-rank ministers, must be managing the entire empire for the Son of Heaven!
Before Minister Meng could fully grasp the situation, Wang Zhen spoke again. Pointing at Meng Lang, he addressed Tang Shen, "Tang daren, do you know who this second-rank official is?"
Tang Shen, still in a daze, performed a courteous bow and replied, "This is Minister Meng Lang, Meng daren of the Ministry of Rites."
Wang Zhen continued, "Meng daren is a man of noble character, diligent in his duties. Before dawn breaks, in the pitch-black of Qinzheng Hall, it is only Meng daren’s room that remains lit. After the sun sets, of all the Six Ministries, only the Ministry of Rites keeps its lamps burning through the night! Meng daren is a virtuous official of the highest order, a rare clean and honest government servant in this era. Has the Palace Secretariat, representing the Son of Heaven, witnessed the unwavering loyalty and the burning passion of Minister Meng?"
Tang Shen: "..." What the hell?
Even Meng Lang was bewildered: "???"
Wait a minute, is Wang Zifeng complimenting me?
Minister Meng even stood up and went to the window for a look: The sky wasn’t raining blood, was it?
Wang Zhen stood up and said to Tang Shen, "Such a model official should be emulated by all the officials. His dedication should be made known to the world, and remembered by His Majesty. Tang daren, when you report on the Ministry of Rites’ affairs to His Majesty in the coming days, you must let His Majesty know to grant candles and oil lamps to the officials of the Ministry of Rites. The officials of the Ministry of Rites are working tirelessly day and night and are a model for us all." After delivering this speech, both Tang Shen and Meng Lang still looked utterly dumbfounded, but Wang Zhen turned to Tang Shen and said, "Let’s go."
Tang Shen followed Wang Zhen out of the room, where they went to a quiet spot for a private conversation, leaving Meng Lang and the fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Rites staring at each other in bewilderment.
After a long silence, Meng Lang finally realized: "That cunning Wang Zifeng! Since when did our Ministry of Rites work through the night, staying at the office?"
Meng Lang was now thoroughly trapped: Wang Zhen had first laid on heavy praise, proclaiming that the Ministry of Rites’ officials were models for all to follow. How could Meng Lang possibly object and say, "No, we don’t have that many good officials"? Afterward, Wang Zhen suggested reporting this to the emperor, so that the emperor would know that the Ministry of Rites’ officials were tirelessly working overtime on his behalf.
Now, fake overtime would become real overtime. Even if they hadn’t been working late before, they’d have to start now!
In the past, when Wang Zifeng messed with people, he only targeted the individual. But this time, Meng Lang felt like he had dragged the entire Ministry of Rites down with him.
Beside him, the fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Rites looked deeply aggrieved but dared not say a word.
Minister Meng gritted his teeth and muttered, "Does Wang Zifeng really think I’m afraid of him?"
The fifth-rank official whispered, "Minister, Wang daren is, after all, the Minister of Revenue... of Revenue... of Revenue..." He repeated it three times for emphasis. "Why provoke him?"
Meng Lang: "..."
The Ministry of Revenue controls the money! They handle the salaries!
Meng Lang regretted it deeply, swearing to never cross paths with Wang Zifeng again.
In modern terms, Meng Lang’s behavior could be perfectly summed up as "sassy." Unfortunately, Meng Lang hadn’t yet learned this accurate term, so he could only describe his current feelings as deep regret.
Tang Shen followed Wang Zhen, winding through various corridors of Qinzheng Hall, eventually arriving at a quiet room.
Tang Shen was surprised, unsure where they were.
Wang Zhen explained, "This is the office of Wang Quan, Wang xianggong. Since he’s not here today, feel free to speak your mind, little Junior Brother."
So this was Wang Zhen’s uncle’s office!
Tang Shen got straight to the point, telling Wang Zhen about the memorial he’d seen today. He left nothing out, detailing every aspect to Wang Zhen. As Wang Zhen listened, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Other officials might not have noticed anything unusual from a memorial from Shu, but Wang Zhen, as the Minister of Revenue who had been in charge of finances for five years, immediately picked up on the potential implications when he heard the phrase "using paper as currency."
Tang Shen paused, then offered his own opinion. Since the room was now empty except for the two of them, he no longer addressed Wang Zhen as "Minister," but instead called him "Senior Brother."
"Senior Brother, the issue of a money shortage in Song is nothing new. I may not be from the Ministry of Revenue, but I know the money shortage has been a problem since the previous emperor’s reign. Every time taxes are revised, combined with foreign trade, it’s difficult to keep the numbers consistent. On top of that, the national reserves of copper and silver aren’t exactly plentiful. Since the beginning of Kaiping, as the Song Dynasty has grown stronger, the money shortage has only worsened. I think ‘paper money’ could help alleviate the money shortage."
Wang Zhen’s sharp gaze locked onto Tang Shen’s. After a long pause, he said, "I understand your meaning, little Junior Brother. But if we don’t address this, it might not be a big deal. Once we start, though, it will involve far-reaching implications, and the consequences won’t be clear in a day or two."
Tang Shen understood that.
It wasn’t just this era—even if the government controlled the issuance of currency, just how many countries on Earth still had gone bankrupt? The replacement of copper, silver, and gold with paper money was an unstoppable historical trend, but also a double-edged sword. How to use it was a profound art that Tang Shen couldn’t grasp; avoiding misuse was even more difficult, and he was completely clueless.
But paper money was inevitable, and the sooner it appeared, the better for this era and for the Song Dynasty’s economy!
Tang Shen had a lot to say but found himself unable to voice a single word.
After a long silence, he looked at Wang Zhen’s fiery eyes and could only speak his heartfelt words: "I trust Senior Brother."
Wang Zhen was momentarily stunned. A brief flash of surprise crossed his elegant face, then he smiled lightly and said, "Alright."
No more words were exchanged, and the two went their separate ways.
When Tang Shen said he trusted Wang Zhen, it wasn’t just empty talk—he truly left everything in Wang Zhen’s hands. Whether Wang Zhen chose to ignore the matter or take action was no longer Tang Shen’s concern. He was not adept at handling such matters; leaving it to Wang Zhen was the most reasonable course of action.
Later that afternoon, Xu Bi brought several memorials and entered the palace to meet Zhao Fu.
As the evening approached and the day’s work was wrapping up, Tang Shen was just about to leave when he saw a deep crimson figure striding briskly through the front doors of Qinzheng Hall. They bumped into each other face-to-face, both momentarily stunned.
After a brief glance at each other, Tang Shen respectfully cupped his hands in greeting, "Su daren."
Su Wenyun curled his lips into a smile, "Tang daren." He gave Tang Shen a quick once-over, his shimmering eyes glinting with amusement. "What’s this? Leaving for the day?"
"Yes." Although he didn't want to deal with Su Wenyun, since Su Wenyun had no intention of leaving, Tang Shen had no choice but to politely ask, "Su daren has returned from Cizhou?"
After the collapse of the Jing River Bridge, Su Wenyun was promoted by Zhao Fu to the position of Right Vice Minister of Works, replacing the former Right Vice Minister, Xie Cheng. Last year, Su Wenyun went to Cizhou to oversee the construction of the official road there and had rarely appeared at court. Now that he was back, did that mean the Cizhou road was nearly finished?
Su Wenyun didn’t answer but instead remarked, "Tang daren has gained weight."
Tang Shen instinctively responded, "Huh?"
"They say that a broad heart leads to a plump body. From what I see, Tang daren has been in a good mood these past six months." Su Wenyun bared his white teeth in a cold smile.
Tang Shen, completely confused, quickly excused himself and left.
"Did Su Wenyun not study idioms properly? A broad heart leads to a plump body… How did he even pass the imperial exam?"
What Tang Shen didn’t know was that while Wang Zhen saw him as too thin, Su Wenyun was gnashing his teeth, thinking Tang Shen had gained weight. Why? Because in just two years, Tang Shen had been promoted from seventh rank to fourth rank, becoming a fourth-rank Secretariat official, a position close to the emperor! Such rapid advancement—who wouldn’t be happy?
Going from seventh rank to fifth rank was easy, but from fifth rank to fourth rank was incredibly difficult. Tang Shen’s promotion to fourth rank, wasn't it only possible by riding Su Wenyun’s coattails?
Now, while Tang Shen was living the good life in Shengjing, enjoying food and drink every day, Su Wenyun was stuck in Cizhou, exposed to the elements.
Su daren was feeling quite emotional.
But no matter how much resentment Su daren had, it didn't affect Tang Shen in the slightest.
The next day, during morning court, Zhao Fu casually mentioned the issue of using paper currency in Shu. This emperor, who was obsessed with cultivating immortality, brought it up as a joke for the officials to hear, without seeming to take it too seriously. However, once the matter reached the ears of the court, it stirred various thoughts among them.
By mid-June, the sun was blazing like a furnace, hanging high in the sky.
Each room in Qinzheng Hall had ice basins to help officials cool off, but the room for fourth-rank officials was so crowded that even the ice basins were of no use. Tang Shen was sweating profusely but still kept his official robes tightly fastened, not daring to show any signs of sloppiness.
As Tang Shen was reviewing memorials, a government worker suddenly entered the room and handed him a letter.
The other officials didn't notice. Tang Shen hesitated, then opened the envelope. Upon seeing the writing, his gaze sharpened, and without a word, he tucked the letter into his sleeve. When it was time to leave, Tang Shen deliberately stayed behind, waiting in the room. From a distance, he saw Wang Zhen exiting his room.
Wang Zhen spotted Tang Shen immediately.
Tang Shen was about to speak, but Wang Zhen ignored him, his gaze passing over Tang Shen as if he hadn’t seen him at all, continuing to walk forward.
Tang Shen paused for a moment. Only after Wang Zhen had left did he make his own departure.
That night, Tang Shen visited the Minister Residence, where the steward welcomed him inside. After waiting for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Wang Zhen entered from outside.
Tang Shen immediately stepped forward, “Senior Brother.”
Wang Zhen looked at him, his voice gentle with a hint of helplessness, "I’ve already told you, this has nothing to do with you. My clever Junior Brother, you surely understand my meaning, so why have you come again?"
Indeed, the letter that Wang Zhen had specifically sent earlier that day contained only one line—
"Everything has nothing to do with you."