Chapter 92: Oh my God! Officials and thieves collude, and (2 / 2)
Back to the moment right after punishing the magistrate of Xingyang County.
After the matter was resolved, the Zhengzhou Governor came to see the old emperor, his face full of guilt. “Your Majesty, I…”
His mind was racing with terrifying speculations, from “Is someone trying to set me up?” to “What kind of grudge do I have with that fake magistrate?” Ultimately, his thoughts shifted to: Could His Majesty have a problem with me?
The old emperor sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, sensing something was amiss. He turned his head slightly and asked, “Why are you so flustered? Am I the kind of person who takes out their anger on others?”
The Zhengzhou Governor coughed awkwardly and carefully chose his words while stealing glances at the emperor’s expression. “Thank you, Your Majesty. It is this official’s own anxiety.”
The old emperor was accustomed to his cautious demeanor but still fell silent as memories of playing in the mud together as children surfaced in his mind.
After about two or three seconds, the old emperor changed the subject. “How’s the revenue from the Han Classics Press?”
The Han Classics Press was an imperial printing house responsible for engraving and printing Buddhist scriptures, Confucian classics, government documents, and popular books like The Hundred Family Surnames.
The main press was in the capital, with branches scattered across the empire, including one in Zhengzhou.