Chapter 64: Has the Yifeng Pavilion changed its business to selling cosmetics?

Be respectful and courteous, and keep your distance.

She was not even as close as the Xun family girl, with whom she was secretly competing.

Yan Nian had once thought that it might be because of the age difference that she felt less comfortable as she did with people her own age. But after walking together for a while today, she truly understood the unapproachable aura emanating from Xie Wenjun.

It felt like a thorn in my side, making me uneasy.

The coldness in her eyes lasted only a moment. Xie Wenjun remained as humble and polite as ever towards Yan Nian. A little later, she asked about the new channel of the Tianqian River. "I heard from A-Li that Madam wants to dig a new channel through the Tianqian River to control the floods?"

Yan Nian said, “Flood control is only one aspect. Secondly, there are tens of thousands of acres of unclaimed wasteland along the border of Dongyin. I have visited it, and the land is suitable for growing grain, but the soil lacks moisture, so even if it is reclaimed, the harvest will not be high. I suspect that the harvest is not enough to cover the cost of reclaiming the land, so Dongyin has allowed it to lie fallow. After a new river channel is dug, weirs are built, drainage canals are constructed, and the floodwaters of the Tianqian River are diverted eastward. This will not only release floodwaters but also provide irrigation. At the very least, it will create tens of thousands of acres of fertile land.”

Yan Nian wanted to say something more, but then she thought that what she was about to say might be considered criticism of the court, and if it were heard by others, it would sound like the Marquis of Xuanping's family was dissatisfied with the court.

And the person who caused this dissatisfaction was sitting right in front of her.

Xie Wenjun is no mere figurehead. With the establishment of the Agricultural and Sericultural Bureau and the bestowal of favors by the Wanliaolu, she has also assembled her own personal guard. She now wields real power in the court. If Xie Wenjun were not a magnanimous person, her words might be detrimental to Chen Liangyu and Chen Luan in the court.

Thinking of this, Yan Nian stopped revealing her true feelings.

Xie Wenjun sat upright, waited for a moment, seemed to smile, and said, "Madam has something else to say."

Yan Nian said, "This humble woman dares not presume to discuss state affairs."

Xie Wenjun said, "Madam, you mean that since the imperial court has land, why not return it to the people and instead distribute it to officials, gentry, and noble families? Is it because you are eyeing those tens of thousands of acres of land that you also want to distribute it to the common people to cultivate?"

Yan Nian said, "The Princess is wise." She paused and said, "The people have lost their land, and the number of tenant farmers has increased rapidly. They cannot have enough to eat every day. I cannot bear it."

Xie Wenjun said, "If aristocratic families and clans are not afraid of the imperial decrees and continue to recklessly seize farmland, even if the land is returned to the people, how long can it remain in their hands? If the locusts are not eliminated, how will they have enough to eat?"

The carriage could not enter the forbidden area of ​​the palace. After passing through Chengtian Gate and reaching Meridian Gate, one had to disembark and transfer to a palanquin. Yan Nian and Xie Wenjun first went to Chongzheng Hall to pay their respects to Xie Yuan.

Three people stood in the Chongzheng Hall: on either side were Jiang Xiantang, the Censor-in-Chief, and Cheng Lingdian, the Prefect of Yong'an Prefecture, and in the middle was Xun Xian. Xun Xian's head was still on his neck, and he still firmly held the position of the head of the civil officials. Moreover, without Zhang Diancheng, he was the only one in power.

It is speculated by both the government and the public that the Right Chancellor will be chosen from either Jiang Xiantang or Cheng Lingdian.

Xie Yuan sat behind his desk, listening quietly as Xun Xian reported the details of the failed peace talks between Li Hezhang, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Eastern Yin Dynasty.

Xie Wenjun entered the hall first, with Yan Nian walking half a step behind him.

When Xie Yuan saw Yan Nian arrive in her official robes, his expression was quite intriguing. He acted normally when facing the other three ministers and Xie Wenjun, but when he looked at Yan Nian, his gaze darted away, as if he felt ashamed.

Yan Nian learned that it was indeed not the Emperor who summoned Chen Liangyu to the palace, and after inquiring about the Emperor's intentions, he went to Nanyuan Palace.

Xie Yuan ordered someone to summon the imperial carriage and granted Yan Nian the privilege of riding in it.

The outcome of Li Hezhang's negotiations with Dongyin was as Xie Wenjun had predicted; the two groups nearly came to blows. This cannot be attributed to Li Hezhang's initial setback—refusing to return the people or the land, and demanding exorbitant sums—would not have been unexpected regardless of who negotiated.

On the day of the peace talks, Li Hezhang sat solemnly in the head seat of the pavilion and conveyed his intentions to You Jingbo, the chief envoy of the Eastern Yin, without missing a single detail. Of course, these intentions were mainly Xie Wenjun's: "In short, I want the city, I want the people, and I want the money."

You Jingbo immediately launched into a tirade: "Shameless! What's there to talk about?"

Li Hezhang said, "You are the ones who want peace talks. If there's nothing to talk about, why is Lord You still sitting here? Go home."

You Jingbo: "You have no sense of morality!"

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies said: "The corpse of Marquis Chen Linjun of Wu'an has been hanging on your city gates for three months. You want morality? Go ahead and send troops to let General Chen go back and kill to his heart's content, and then we'll talk about morality properly! How dare a defeated country's son act like this!"

After losing its cities and territories, Dongyin sent a peace treaty instead of a surrender document.

You Jingbo said, "I have traveled thousands of miles to your capital to seek peace and tranquility for the people of both countries, not to surrender to you! If you do not show sincerity in making peace, then you intend to continue the war?"

In fact, neither side intended to continue the bloody battle. Chen Liangyu had already returned to the capital, and she had left the three border cities of Dongyin, namely Jiakun and Qingge, to garrison them. This was essentially a truce.

Taking advantage of the enemy's weakness and the internal strife in Zhonglin, Dongyin recklessly launched an attack. Initially, they did taste success and became complacent, but ultimately lost cities, territory, and lives. At this point in the war, even the most incompetent emperor should have realized the disparity in strength and that continuing the war would be pointless. Moreover, Dongyin's current emperor, Chu Muyao, was not a lazy or incompetent ruler, so he immediately decided to cease hostilities.

Life here is also difficult. Xie Wenjun's "Records of Ten Thousand Officials" has emptied half of the national treasury's silver reserves. If the fighting continues, even the supply of food and provisions will become a problem. If the war continues, it may ultimately lead to widespread suffering among the people.

Both sides are well aware that negotiation is the best solution for both.

Things were tangled up in her mind like hemp threads, one after another. Xie Wenjun gently rubbed the throbbing pain in her temples, pondering where to begin to unravel them.

In the first year after the compilation of the Wanliaolu, the national treasury almost ran out of money again. This was just the beginning. There would be many years to come. This money absolutely could not be made up by the people in the Ministry of Revenue. They always just spread the shortfall to the common people, using the banner of the court to amass wealth and line their own pockets.

Coincidentally, Chen Liangyu had captured over 100,000 people from the Eastern Yin Kingdom, including a prince of noble birth. Xie Wenjun was calculating how to sell these prisoners of war and the Eastern Yin prince, Chu Zhang, for a good price, but Chen Liangyu intended to use them for other purposes and refused to sell them.

Then we'll have to find another way.

The throbbing pain in Xie Wenjun's temples had just subsided after being pressed. After informing Xie Yuan of Chen Liangyu and Yan Nian's intention to keep the prisoners of war, Xie Yuan uttered a sentence that caused the tangled hemp to instantly contract and tighten, making Xie Wenjun's skull feel as if it were about to explode with pain.

Xie Yuan said, "Return the people. Leave the city, and return the prisoners of war and Chu Zhang."

"I can't pay it back."

Xie Wenjun keenly sensed that this was not Xie Yuan's intention. She dismissed Xun Xian, Jiang Xiantang, and Cheng Lingdian, and asked Xie Yuan, "Brother, is this Father's will?"

Xie Yuan leaned back, as if he had a thousand helpless feelings that he couldn't express. He didn't know how to start the conversation.

Yesterday, Dongyin presented some items to Chongzheng Hall and Nanyuan Palace respectively. Xie Yuan didn't even look at them before ordering them to be taken to the storeroom. Not long after, the Emperor Emeritus invited him to Nanyuan Palace and said those words to him.

Xie Wenjun said, "Your Majesty consults Father on everything, which is a sign of humility and honor. If you let Father make all the decisions, may I ask if Your Majesty intends to return power to Father one day?"

Xie Yuan's body stiffened abruptly, and his face paled. He tried to smooth things over, saying, "My father has made mistakes. If these are exposed, the world will not tolerate them."

Xie Wenjun suddenly understood; she knew better than anyone else the "wrong thing" that Xie Yuan couldn't bring himself to say.

"Third Brother, do you still remember Wei Qi?"

Xie Yuan was surprised, "You know about this too?"

Xie Wenjun said, "My sister is going to see You Jingbo."

You Jingbo was not surprised by Xie Wenjun's sudden visit to the post station. He knew that once the items were delivered to the Zhonglin Imperial Palace, someone of higher status than Li Hezhang, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, would come to see him. In any case, it would have to be someone of equal status to a prince. The Zhonglin Imperial Family no longer had any princes, only a powerful princess.

You Jingbo hurried two steps to greet her, "Princess Jiangning, I have long admired your name, it is very well-known."

Xie Wenjun said, "The ambassador has leverage over our country, so there's no need for flattery."

You Jingbo said, "Your Highness is too kind. What leverage do you have over me? When the two armies are at war, I am deep in the capital of Zhonglin. Naturally, I am very careful and would not dare to make any threats."

Xie Wenjun glanced at him and said, "Ambassador, shall we talk somewhere else?"

You Jingbo smiled calmly, "Please, Princess."

He knew, of course, that such matters could not be overheard by others; there were many eavesdroppers at the inn, so if they wanted to have a private conversation, they would have to find another place.

Xie Wenjun said, "I will only speak with the ambassador."

You Jingbo replied, "Of course, I understand." He then told the rest of the delegation to wait at the post station and boarded a carriage behind Xie Wenjun's carriage.

The place we arrived at was an elegant garden, with peach blossoms in full bloom. However, the fragrance in this garden was a bit too strong, and it didn't smell like natural flowers. It smelled more like the perfume of a young woman.

A pavilion is hidden where the peach blossoms are in full bloom.

Xie Wenjun led You Jingbo to the pavilion and said, "The ambassador is very bold, not suspecting that I brought you here for another purpose."

Yu Jingbo said confidently, "If the Princess wanted to kill me, she wouldn't need to go to such lengths. This is Zhonglin. If the Princess wants me to die, I can be buried anywhere. Now that I'm here, why would I be afraid of death? But Zhonglin has just quelled an internal rebellion, and the country is unstable. If the Emperor's willingness to harm his people to seize the throne were to be exposed now, Princess, do you think there wouldn't be righteous people who rise up again and rebel against the Xie imperial family?"

Xie Wenjun said, "I can decide to return the three cities, the captured Dongyin soldiers, and your Crown Prince that Lord You and Tan Shu requested."

Xie Wenjun was very humble and unassuming, so much so that You Jingbo once thought that this young princess, who was still in her prime, was not as capable as rumored, and was merely a figurehead.

Yu Jingbo puffed out his chest and said, "Since the Princess is sincere in her willingness to negotiate, I, on behalf of His Majesty, will offer gold, silver, and brocade..."

Xie Wenjun interrupted him, saying, "I don't want any of these things."

You Jingbo asked, "I wonder what the Princess desires?"

Xie Wenjun said, "I've heard that Lord You's ancestors were doctors. I wonder if you have inherited any family business?"

The conversation shifted abruptly, and after a moment of surprise, You Jingbo immediately became extremely vigilant. He briefly considered what kind of trap Xie Wenjun might be hiding in her words, but without any clue, he could only answer truthfully: "I am ashamed to say that my medical skills are not proficient, but I am proficient in observation, auscultation, inquiry and palpation, as well as in treating illnesses and prescribing medicine."

Xie Wenjun covered her wrist with a silk handkerchief. "I have been feeling tired lately and would like to trouble you, sir, to take my pulse."

You Jingbo was even more confused. Didn't the palace have any imperial physicians? Despite thinking this, he still said, "I am willing to serve."

With two fingers placed on Xie Wenjun's pulse through a silk handkerchief, You Jingbo's confident expression vanished. His face shifted between light and dark, displaying a fascinating array of colors.

Xie Wenjun straightened her sleeves, covering the fair skin of her wrists. "The You family are close ministers of the emperor and rising stars of the Eastern Yin. I don't want gold, silver, or brocade. I only want the three heads of the most powerful members of the You family, and then I will release Chu Zhang."

The You family made their fortune by providing soul-separating agents to high-ranking officials and nobles, becoming incredibly wealthy. After Chu Muyao, a collateral branch of the Eastern Yin royal family, seized the throne, he greatly valued the You family, making them the largest aristocratic family in Eastern Yin.

"You will rise to power by this, and you will surely perish by this."

Xie Wenjun opened a small box containing a pill, took it out, and swallowed it in front of You Jingbo.

You Jingbo's breathing gradually became erratic, and his figure swayed.

The unusual fragrance in the peach grove was definitely suspicious.

You Jingbo died in the pavilion.

Xie Wenjun walked out of the Peach Blossom Pavilion and said to Rong Jun, "Move forward. Li Yujing knows what to do."

She covered her mouth and nose with a silk handkerchief. The peach grove was in the backyard of Yifeng Pavilion, separated by a wall from the pavilion where the young ladies dressed. The scent of cosmetics wafting from the front was so strong that it masked the original fragrance of the peach blossoms. She couldn't help but ask, "Has Yifeng Pavilion been converted into a cosmetics business?"

Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!