Blame himself?
Shen Jing almost laughed.
Damn it!
This is truly a rare sight!
How could this be his fault?
Isn't this just like blaming the Earth's lack of gravity for not being able to poop?
Shen Jing cursed inwardly, then looked at Zhou Yi, full of doubt: "I heard people say that it was Shen Jing who exposed Prince Ji's plot to rebel, right? He exposed Prince Ji's rebellion, so he should have merit, right? How could he be blamed for it?"
"No, no, you only know one side of the story!"
Zhou Yi shook his head, "I heard that the current Emperor Zhou already knew Prince Ji had intentions of rebellion!"
"But our Great Zhou had just recovered from years of war and finally had a few years to recuperate. The Emperor Zhou didn't want to start another war; he wanted to take down Prince Ji without shedding blood!"
"But because that scoundrel named Shen Jing exposed Prince Ji's rebellion, forcing Prince Ji to raise an army, it completely disrupted the Emperor Zhou's plan..."
Listening to Zhou Yi's words, Shen Jing's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Damn it!
No way?
So he did a good deed with bad intentions?
Could it be that Emperor Zhou's hurried order for them to return to the capital was because of this?
Shit!
If that's really the case, this might be a bit troublesome!
"No way?"
Shen Jing tried his best to remain calm and asked suspiciously, "Is that true or false? Where did the old man hear about this?"
"It was that friend of the old man's who said it."
Zhou Yi answered casually, then raised his fishing rod again.
Unfortunately, not a single fish scale was seen.
Zhou Yi lamented his bad luck, picked up his wine cup for a sip, and then had a servant pour a cup for Shen Jing.
Shen Jing took the wine offered by the servant but didn't drink it. He asked suspiciously, "This should be considered a court secret, right? How could he know this?"
Zhou Yi squinted at him, "He's a guest minister in the Crown Prince's Mansion, so he must know some inside information."
"I heard that the Emperor Zhou has already issued an edict ordering Shen Jing to return to the capital with the Su Family mother and daughter, intending to teach that scoundrel Shen Jing a good lesson!"
"The old man estimates that this kid is in for it now..."
Hearing the old man speak with such conviction, Shen Jing couldn't help but take a sip of wine to calm his nerves, and inwardly cursed the 'dog emperor'.
What the hell is this!
I exposed Prince Ji's rebellion; not only do I not get credit, but I'm also in the wrong?
Seeing Shen Jing silent, Zhou Yi couldn't help but secretly smile, and knowingly asked, "Young friend, what's wrong?"
You scoundrel!
Let's see if you still dare to spout nonsense!
"Nothing."
Shen Jing smiled, then feigned a sigh, "I just feel that this matter is quite disheartening."
Zhou Yi smiled, "Are you thinking that Shen Jing also exposed Prince Ji's rebellion with good intentions, but ended up being punished, so in the future, if anyone knows of another's intention to rebel, who would still dare to report it? Is that right?"
"Right!"
Shen Jing nodded absently.
"The old man also thought so at first!"
Zhou Yi smiled, then suddenly changed the subject, "But later, after hearing what that friend said, I suddenly felt that the Emperor Zhou should indeed punish Shen Jing!"
Bullshit!
Shen Jing secretly scoffed, and then asked curiously, "What did he say?"
Zhou Yi stared at the fish float in the water and said seriously, "He said that there is no right or wrong in this world, only perspective!"
"From Shen Jing's perspective, he certainly rendered meritorious service by exposing Prince Ji's rebellion."
"But from the Emperor Zhou's perspective, the Emperor Zhou already had a plan, and because of Shen Jing's actions, that plan was disrupted."
"If Prince Ji's rebellion had not been quickly quelled, and Great Zhou fell into civil strife again, those covetous neighboring countries would surely take advantage of the situation."
"In that case, Great Zhou might never recover, or even... be destroyed!"
"From the Emperor Zhou's perspective, isn't Shen Jing a criminal of the court?"
A criminal?
Shen Jing almost jumped up and cursed.
Exposing another's rebellion actually made him a criminal of the court?
Who the hell can he reason with about this!
Depressed!
Truly, truly depressed!
"His words are pure nonsense!"
Shen Jing took another sip of wine and complained unhappily, "If the Emperor Zhou had known about Prince Ji's rebellious intentions earlier, did he not make any preparations? If, in such a situation, Prince Ji's rebellion could not be quickly quelled, then one can only blame the incompetence of the entire court of civil and military officials!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately looked at Shen Jing with a half-smile, "You're probably trying to say the Emperor Zhou is incompetent, aren't you?"
"You better not talk nonsense!"
Shen Jing shook his head like a rattle drum, "The current Emperor Zhou is a wise ruler of all ages, whose civil and military accomplishments are a model for all emperors. My admiration for the Emperor Zhou is like the continuous flow of a mighty river..."
Shen Jing suppressed the nausea in his heart and began to spew lavish praise.
He had indeed slandered Emperor Zhou as incompetent in his heart!
But he couldn't say it out loud!
Although his political awareness wasn't high, he wasn't stupid!
This was the capital!
This old man's friend was also a guest minister in the Crown Prince's Mansion.
Who knows, these words might turn around and reach the 'dog emperor's' ears!
If he were to be caught with something like this, no one could save him!
He hadn't even enjoyed the colorful world of ancient times yet, and he didn't want to kick the bucket so soon.
"You sure know how to flatter!"
Zhou Yi looked at Shen Jing with a smile, "Don't worry, the old man is not a snitch!"
Who can say for sure?
One must always be wary of others!
Shen Jing thought to himself, then said, "Anyway, Prince Ji has already raised an army, so the Emperor Zhou should just endure the pain and remove this cancerous growth! As the saying goes, he who hesitates is lost!"
"Those words... do have some truth to them."
Zhou Yi nodded in agreement, then suddenly changed the subject, "I suppose the court must have some difficulties!"
As he spoke, Zhou Yi picked up his wine cup and drank by himself.
Without him needing to say more, a servant had already refilled Shen Jing's cup.
"Difficulties?"
Shen Jing lowered his gaze, his peripheral vision glancing at Zhou Yi, "The court has soldiers when it needs them, and grain when it needs it. What difficulties could it have?"
"You say it so easily!"
Zhou Yi shook his head, "War costs money! The court has only had a few years to recuperate; a single war would cost an unknown amount of silver."
Listening to Zhou Yi's words, Shen Jing suddenly felt something was amiss.
Lacking silver?
If the court lacks silver, why are you telling me this nonsense?
Go tell the Minister of Revenue!
If the court lacks silver, are you expecting me to make up for it?
Hmm?
As he thought about it, a hint of understanding quietly flashed in Shen Jing's eyes.
He finally understood what was wrong!
A trap!
That girl Ye Li was setting a trap for him!
Inviting them to play was a ruse; collaborating with this old man to set a trap for him was the real intention!
A scheme!
It was all a scheme!
This old man was, in all likelihood, someone arranged by Ye Li!
First, he pretended not to know him, then put a big hat on him to scare him, and then brought up the court's lack of silver!
In this way, worried about being punished, he would cater to the court's wishes and directly offer the method for making white sugar to the court!
Damn it!
That insidious little girl, three-tenths of the shares weren't enough; she wants to drink his blood dry!
No!
More accurately, this was Emperor Zhou's idea!
Emperor Zhou's hurried edict for them to return to the capital was most likely because he wanted him to voluntarily offer the method for making white sugar, so the court could monopolize this highly profitable business and replenish the national treasury!
Yes, that's most likely it!
Damn it!
This 'dog emperor' is too dark-hearted!