May 19th. Even in the early morning, the heat was growing increasingly intense, and the cicadas of Yujing were buzzing with mounting fervor. However, unlike the Forbidden City, the homes of commoners lacked the "Sticky-Pole" secret agents of the Emperor.
Shen Cheng'en, head of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, suppressed the irritability in his heart as he looked at the newspaper in his hands.
*Tianjing Gazette*. "Proposal for the Implementation of a Luxury Tax," by Wu Qian.
Chapter 245