It would be more accurate to say that Jimò Qiu's warning had been meant for Shen Tang herself, not Wuyou. Wuyou had flatly rejected it in front of him, while the real Shen Tang rested her chin in her hand and pondered the crux of the matter.
She absolutely refused to admit that she had a mental illness, but as a monarch, she did need to pay attention to her mental state, lest she become muddle-headed one day without realizing it. At the victory banquet, she asked quietly, "Wangchao, have you ever felt uncomfortable when using [Three Hearts, Two Minds]?"
Gu Chi was quite astonished when he heard this thought.
What was there to be astonished about?
He was astonished that this ruler, who treated her ministers like three oxen and horses, had suddenly found her conscience and taken the initiative to care about her subjects' excessive overtime.
Gu Chi cautiously sounded her out. "Does Your Majesty plan to raise our salaries?"
As long as it was not wartime, the holidays in the Kang Country Royal Court were plentiful. Ordinary salaries were high, benefits were generous, and, most importantly, they were never delayed, being paid on time every month. That alone was something many royal courts could not manage. It was common for officials' salaries to be delayed for three or five months, or even a year or more, forcing many officials who relied on their salaries to support their families down the road of embezzlement and corruption. Of course, corruption was not something that could be eliminated simply by paying salaries on time or offering high wages and generous benefits. Supervision and deterrence were even more important.
Gu Chi's current salary was already quite high.
As he accompanied the army on campaign, his military merits and rewards were several