In Chang'an, Qu Qi, who was lying on a bamboo mat fiddling with seeds, also received a large pile of reports about the northern situation. Of course, Qu Qi was able to receive these because after the summer harvest, he could come and go freely in Chang'an, even in the Grand Inner Palace, where few could stop him if he wanted to sneak in.
Naturally, Qu Qi, who had given up any pretense of dignity, snuck into the court sessions without anyone particularly stopping him. Usually, when he squeezed into the back row, those in the know would discreetly make room for him to sit there.
After the summer harvest, the huge disparity in tax revenue was so obvious that even if Liu Xie paid little attention to public welfare, he knew this level of tax revenue was abnormal.
