Chapter 150: Prince Yi’s Doubts

“What do you mean by that?” Prince Yi asked.

“As Your Highness just mentioned, this common woman has never thought you would abuse your authority, nor am I the type to borrow a tiger’s ferocity. I came here this time not only to report what I’ve seen and heard among the people but also to offer some pertinent suggestions. Your Highness makes a good point. Since the Liang Laws lack provisions to curb Boss Liu’s monopolistic practices, it’s naturally difficult for you to act. So I wondered, how can we solve this at the root? Amending the Liang Laws is hardly something I could presume to suggest. But after reviewing the laws, I noted that regional princes may establish administrative offices tailored to their fiefs’ circumstances. For instance, far away in Lindong Prefecture, Elder Prince Pinghuai has set up the Maritime Bandit Office under his jurisdiction specifically to handle the sea bandit problem unique to that area. The Imperial Court even commended Elder Prince Pinghuai for acting in accordance with local conditions and making good use of his people. With such a precedent, why not follow suit, Your Highness, and establish one or two such offices to deal with this matter?”

Prince Yi laughed and nodded approvingly. “Not bad. Go on.”

“Yes. The Price Bureau and Food and Drug Safety Supervision Bureau I mentioned earlier are, as their names imply, offices directly tied to merchants’ stoves and rice bowls—practical institutions that truly serve the people’s livelihood and sentiments. The Price Bureau would survey and record the unit prices of all goods in Taizhou City—agricultural products, medicines, cloth, and so on—keeping them on file to regulate and adjust market and shop prices to a certain degree. For essentials like rice, flour, grains, oils, herbal medicines, and coarse cloth, if prices fluctuate excessively—for example, if grain prices soar or plummet unreasonably—the Price Bureau could intervene. The first step might be a warning and urging a return to the original price. For repeat offenders, penalties could escalate to fines, temporary closures for rectification, and the like. Of course, this wouldn’t prohibit merchants from raising prices altogether. Bureau officials would investigate on the ground, considering actual conditions to set reasonable margins for increases across categories. For instance, if this year’s harvest was generally poor and demand for grain was high, a moderate rise in rice prices would be fair. But how much? That would be determined after investigation, not left to individual shop owners to hike at will. We can’t let ordinary folk go hungry, unable to put food on the table, or force them to sell homes, land, children, or daughters just to buy grain. Additionally, I believe the Agricultural Affairs Yamen should maintain strategic seed reserves. In cases where farmers lack seeds to sow, it could extend credit, lend them out, or sell at low prices to ensure they have land to cultivate. This would prevent abandoned fields, secure tax revenue, and guarantee the farmers’ own food supply.”

After Wu Wei finished speaking, she lifted her teacup for another sip. In the place she could not see, Prince Yi’s gaze upon her had utterly changed.

At this moment, Prince Yi was deeply shocked. He had studied at the Imperial Academy under renowned scholars, absorbing the strengths of a hundred schools of thought, yet even he needed a moment’s reflection to grasp the profound implications of Wu Wei’s words.

Cao Tianwang was right; Wu Wei truly had a knack for astonishing insights without realizing it. Some of the terms she used were entirely new to Prince Yi, but upon careful consideration, they struck him as perfectly apt—as if the very names had been coined for these purposes.

Wu Wei, oblivious to all this, was still plotting how to leverage the sharp arguments from her nine years of compulsory education, three years of high school, and four years of university—her lessons in moral education and politics—to persuade this ruler.

“Continue.” Prince Yi’s emotions were complex and indescribable, but his curiosity was piqued. He urged her coldly.

Wu Wei took a light breath and went on. “In truth, all the people want is three meals a day and peaceful lives. As long as farmers have land to till and merchants have goods to sell, they will naturally prosper. Thus, I believe the Price Bureau is essential.”

“Tell me about the other one—the Supervision Bureau.”

“Oh, the Food and Drug Safety Supervision Bureau. As the name suggests, it would be an office dedicated to managing and cracking down on shops and vendors peddling substandard or health-hazardous foods. Think of those passing off dog meat as lamb, or chopping up meat from diseased pigs and sheep to stuff into buns, or substituting other meats for pork or mutton. If someone falls ill with diarrhea, rashes, or worse after eating at a restaurant, they could come to this bureau to lodge a complaint.”

After hearing Wu Wei’s second suggestion, Prince Yi’s interest waned. To him, these were mere trifles, the sort of petty matters a village head could handle.

He couldn’t help but feel puzzled. How could someone capable of her earlier speech stoop to such trivialities? Was she a great talent or just a sentimental mediocrity?

…

Though both offices Wu Wei proposed were, in her view, vital to the people’s livelihood, they appeared entirely differently in Prince Yi’s eyes.

To him, the Price Bureau held far-reaching political value. It could solidify his rule over Taizhou, win the people’s hearts, undermine merchants, or even bend them to his will. The timing wasn’t ideal now—the Imperial Court was watching closely, and he didn’t wish to draw attention. But in the future… it would prove immensely useful.

The second one, however—this Supervision Bureau—struck him as hopelessly petty. Village heads could manage such things; why squander resources on a dedicated office?

Seeing Prince Yi fall silent again, Wu Wei turned her attention to the pastries on the small table. Once she left, she wouldn’t get another chance, and only a few remained. Better they end up in her stomach than tossed away.

Prince Yi watched Wu Wei devour the remnants like a whirlwind, her lack of worldly polish evident. He felt a deep sense of helplessness but patiently waited until she finished. Before he could speak, Wu Wei asked, “What does Your Highness think?”

“It’s not as simple as you imagine. This prince must consider it carefully, draft a memorial, and submit it to the Court. Only once it’s approved can we proceed.”

Wu Wei couldn’t help rolling her eyes inwardly. She thought: The efficiency in this era is abysmal—a round trip like that could take months. By then, Boss Liu will have done his worst.

Prince Yi seemed to read her expression. “As for the matter you raised, though the Liang Laws say nothing of it, on this prince’s fief, killing a merchant or two is no great feat.”

Suddenly, the tea snack in Wu Wei’s mouth lost its sweetness. Of course… this was a naked rule-of-man society, one rife with exploitation.

Wu Wei fell silent, already mulling how to take her leave. She had never much liked dealing with great figures. Their unequal status grated—her very life hung in their hands. What was the point?

With that thought, Wu Wei found herself missing Dongfang Rui. The woman could be rigidly dogmatic, almost to the point of inflexibility, but Wu Wei never worried about her abusing authority or disposing of her arbitrarily.

Where was she now? Had she sailed overseas?

In any case, Wu Wei refused to believe Dongfang Rui was dead.

“By the way, this prince has another matter to ask you about.”

“Please speak, Your Highness.” Wu Wei cupped her hands and said.

“Tell me… is there a drug in this world—colorless and odorless, or with a faint, hard-to-detect taste—that causes no reaction when taken alone, but triggers hallucinations or drastic changes in temperament upon encountering something else… like a certain flower, herb, or scent?”

Wu Wei’s heart skipped a beat. She whipped her head around to stare at Prince Yi. After several breaths, she realized her boldness bordered on insolence and hastily averted her eyes, lowering her gaze.

Alarm bells rang in Wu Wei’s mind. Her instincts screamed that she must not answer lightly, lest she become entangled in some major case.

Considering how Prince Yi, in pursuit of truth, had permitted her to autopsy his subordinate and even watched himself, her unease deepened.

Prince Yi narrowed his eyes. “I’m asking you.”

Of course there was. Under the conditions he described, one could create any number: anesthetics, hallucinogens, even potent poisons. Anyone with basic chemistry knowledge would know it wasn’t difficult.

But Wu Wei could not say so!

Aware of Prince Yi’s gaze upon her, Wu Wei pretended to ponder deeply. Only after a long pause did she say with difficulty, “This… is hardly a question this common woman can answer for Your Highness. I know a little about coroner’s work and can rattle off rice prices with ease…”

Seeing Prince Yi’s face darken, Wu Wei hurriedly added, “…However, this commoner girl has heard that there seem to be some prescriptions that can achieve the effect Your Highness described. Why not have Your Highness consult a physician about the Eighteen Counteractions and Nineteen Fears? When this commoner girl was little, she heard the old village doctor say that aconite and fritillaria cirrhosa can cause dizziness and blurred vision in people. And… oh, right—datura flower! Datura flower can induce hallucinations on its own, without needing to be combined with any other herbs.”

Afraid Prince Yi wouldn’t believe her, Wu Wei added sheepishly, “Your Highness, this commoner girl isn’t yet thirty years old. A person’s energy is limited, after all. She’s already poured all her effort into learning the coroner’s craft—where would she find time to study herbs? Besides, even if she wanted to learn, she’d need a renowned teacher willing to instruct her, right?”

Prince Yi stared at Wu Wei for a moment longer before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. If you knew everything, wouldn’t that make you some kind of demonic creature?”

“Your Highness speaks truly! Then… may this commoner girl take her leave?”

“Someone come!” Prince Yi called out. Immediately, a guard with a sword appeared at the door.

Wu Wei jumped in fright, only to hear Prince Yi instruct, “You go and pack up a few pieces of each pastry from our estate for her to take back.”

Wu Wei’s face lit up with delight. She rose to her feet, joyfully expressing her thanks, and departed with the guard.

This time, Third Sister could enjoy some sweet, glutinous pastries too!