Morning light poured through the high windows of the Imperial Study, stretching across rows of memorials stacked so high they nearly resembled walls.
The scent of sandalwood incense lingered faintly in the air, mixing with the smell of ink and aged parchment. Servants moved quietly around the room, careful not to disturb the Emperor seated behind the large dragon-carved desk.
Zhou Shengming pressed two fingers against his temple while reading another memorial from the southern prefectures. His face remained calm as always, but the slight crease between his brows betrayed his growing irritation.
These officials truly know how to exhaust a man.
One flood report becomes five arguments. One dispute turns into ten complaints.
Before he could continue reading, footsteps approached from outside.
A eunuch entered the study and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived."
The Emperor paused mid-motion.
"Oh?" he muttered, lifting an eyebrow slightly. "So that troublesome child finally remembers he still serves this empire."
The heavy doors opened soon after.
Zhou Tianyi stepped inside dressed in black robes embroidered with golden dragons, his posture straight and composed. Compared to the reckless and arrogant prince from before, the current Tianyi seemed strangely restrained.
He bowed properly.
"This son greets Father Emperor."
Zhou Shengming narrowed his eyes slightly.
Too obedient.
Too calm.
Something was definitely wrong with this child lately.
"Hmph," the Emperor scoffed lightly. "At least you still remember basic etiquette."
He pointed lazily toward the enormous pile of memorials nearby.
"Sit. Since you have finally returned, help me review these."
Tianyi followed the direction of his father's hand.
Then his expression stiffened for a brief second.
...What kind of nightmare is this?
The pile was so large it looked capable of burying someone alive.
Still, Tianyi maintained a calm face and walked over obediently.
"As Father Emperor commands."
He sat down and opened the first memorial.
Flood damages.
Military shortages.
Bandit incidents near trade routes.
Corruption cases.
Tax disputes between noble families.
Land conflicts.
The more he read, the heavier his mood became.
So this is what ruling an empire actually looks like…
Forget being an emperor.
This old man is fighting for his life every single day.
Across the desk, Zhou Shengming quietly observed his son.
Normally, Tianyi would have complained after reading only a few documents. He would either try to leave early or shove the work onto someone else.
But today, the Crown Prince remained unexpectedly patient.
He read every report seriously, occasionally making notes with his brush.
Interesting.
The study gradually fell silent except for the soft rustling of paper.
After some time, Tianyi suddenly paused.
"Father Emperor."
"Hm?"
Tianyi lifted one of the memorials slightly.
"This matter regarding the grain shortages in the western prefectures… has it continued for several years already?"
The Emperor looked mildly surprised.
"It has."
"And the court sends relief grain every year?"
"Yes."
Tianyi lowered his gaze toward the memorial again, tapping lightly against the paper with one finger.
"That is strange."
Zhou Shengming's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Oh?"
"The reported losses do not match the region's actual tax records."
The room quieted instantly.
Tianyi flipped through several attached records.
"If the harvest losses were truly this severe, the local economy should already be collapsing." He pointed toward another section calmly. "Yet their tax income remains stable."
Another page turned.
"Merchant activity also increased compared to last year."
Another.
"And grain shipments heading toward the capital decreased before the floods were even reported."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"Someone is lying."
Even the servants standing nearby unconsciously lowered their heads.
The Emperor slowly set his own memorial aside.
This was not random guessing.
Tianyi had found the inconsistency far too quickly.
"And what conclusion do you draw from that?" Zhou Shengming asked carefully.
Tianyi rested his chin against one hand.
"The officials responsible for grain storage and transportation are likely cooperating with wealthy merchants."
His tone remained calm and steady.
"They exaggerate the disasters to receive relief supplies from the court. Afterward, the grain disappears into private markets and is sold at inflated prices."
A faint coldness flickered across his amber eyes.
"The shortage itself is artificial."
Zhou Shengming stared at him silently.
Artificial shortage.
Even the wording felt unfamiliar.
Yet strangely accurate.
Tianyi continued naturally, unaware that everyone inside the study was staring at him.
"The common people believe grain is scarce because that is what they are told." He tapped the report lightly. "But the grain still exists somewhere. Someone is simply hiding it."
Silence filled the room.
The more the Emperor considered the explanation, the more reasonable it sounded.
Then suddenly—
"Hahahahaha!"
The Emperor burst into loud laughter, startling several nearby servants.
"Good!" Zhou Shengming exclaimed while striking the armrest of his chair. "Very good!"
His eyes shone with clear satisfaction as he looked toward Tianyi.
"So you finally learned how to use your head properly!"
Tianyi nearly choked internally.
Excuse me?
Outside the study, several ministers waiting nearby exchanged confused looks after hearing the Emperor laugh so openly.
"When was the last time His Majesty laughed like this?"
"I do not remember…"
Inside, Zhou Shengming gradually calmed himself before asking once more,
"Then tell me. How would you solve it?"
Tianyi hesitated briefly.
Honestly speaking, most of this knowledge came from documentaries and historical dramas from his previous life.
Unfortunately, no one here knew that.
So now he could only continue pretending to be capable.
"Investigating the local officials directly would be pointless," he said after a moment.
The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because they would destroy evidence immediately."
Tianyi leaned back slightly.
"Instead, investigate the merchants handling grain transport."
"Track their money, their warehouses, and their private trade routes."
"Once the merchants are exposed, the officials connected to them will naturally reveal themselves."
The study fell silent again.
Even the eunuchs looked stunned.
Zhou Shengming narrowed his eyes slowly.
This child…
He truly had changed.
Not only in temperament.
Even the way he analyzed problems had become sharper.
Calmer.
More calculating.
For the first time in a long while, the Emperor felt genuine satisfaction.
Perhaps this empire truly did have hope for the future.
But in the very next moment—
Tianyi suddenly closed the memorial in his hands and sighed deeply.
"However," he began solemnly, "this son believes Second Brother Zhou Zishu would be more suitable to oversee this matter."
The Emperor blinked.
"Hm?"
Tianyi nodded seriously.
"Second Brother is meticulous, patient, and highly knowledgeable regarding legal matters. Investigating corruption suits him far more than it suits me."
Then, before anyone could react—
He casually pushed nearly half the memorials on his side of the desk toward the empty seat nearby.
"These can also be transferred to Second Brother."
The room became completely silent.
A servant nearly dropped the inkstone in his hands.
Zhou Shengming stared at Tianyi for several seconds.
"You…"
Tianyi maintained a righteous expression.
"The imperial brothers should share burdens together. Unity strengthens the royal family."
In reality—
There was absolutely no way he intended to suffer through this mountain of paperwork alone.
If pain existed, it should be distributed equally.
Especially among competent older brothers.
The Emperor immediately understood what was happening.
This little brat…
After all that impressive analysis, he was still trying to avoid work.
Yet strangely enough, Zhou Shengming found himself unable to feel angry.
Instead, he laughed helplessly and shook his head.
"You truly have not changed entirely."
Tianyi smiled innocently.
The Emperor waved his sleeve dismissively.
"Fine. Leave the remaining memorials here and go."
"This son obeys."
Tianyi stood a little too quickly, his relief almost obvious.
Zhou Shengming nearly laughed again watching him hurry to leave.
After properly bidding farewell, Tianyi exited the Imperial Study under the confused gazes of several waiting ministers.
By the time he returned to the East Palace, the sun had already begun to sink beyond the palace walls.
Golden light stretched across the quiet courtyards.
Servants immediately approached to greet him, but Tianyi merely waved a hand.
"I wish to rest alone for a while. Do not disturb me unless it is urgent."
Even Zhong Yi was told to wait outside.
Once the doors closed behind him, silence finally filled the room.
Tianyi walked slowly toward the window and looked out over the distant capital.
The city appeared peaceful beneath the evening sky.
But he already understood better now.
Underneath that calm surface hid power struggles, schemes, assassinations, and ambitions sharp enough to devour people whole.
He exhaled quietly.
"So this is the world I ended up in…"
The original story was already changing.
The future he once knew no longer felt reliable.
The four political marriages were drawing closer.
Enemies were beginning to move in the shadows.
And somewhere within all of this chaos—
He still had no clear guarantee that he would survive.
For a long moment, Tianyi simply stood there in silence.
No pretending.
No acting like the arrogant villain.
No forced smiles.
Just quiet.
Then slowly, his amber eyes opened once more.
Clear.
Focused.
Careful.
"If I want to live peacefully in this world…"
"Then I need to start planning properly."
Outside, the evening wind stirred the palace gardens softly.
Inside the quiet room, the Crown Prince remained standing by the window alone, silently preparing for the uncertain future waiting ahead