Chapter 63 Zhenyuan: The Empress Dowager will return no later than 7 PM.
The second year of Zhenyuan was truly a miraculous year recorded in the history books of the Great Lin.
That year, two rising stars emerged from Da Lin.
A military commander who has never lost a battle, and a royal woman who is universally recognized as a spendthrift.
On the day when all the officials were recorded in the register of merit, Xie Wenjun's reputation as a spendthrift woman was fully established.
Crown Prince Xie Yu painstakingly reclaimed the land from officials and noble families for the court, only to have it all returned to them by Princess Jiangning, Xie Wenjun, under the guise of rewarding merit. Furthermore, she lavishly bestowed official titles and privileges, resulting in the salaries of officials in the Zhenyuan era exceeding the budget of the Xuanyuan era by a full double.
It can be said that there is no one like it before or since.
How can we know if Crown Prince Yizhang is sleeping peacefully underground?
It is said that during Minister Su's tenure at the Ministry of Revenue, only three things were done in a way that resonated deeply with the people: when collecting taxes, he complained about being poor to the common people; when distributing salaries, he complained about being poor to the officials; and when conducting annual expenditures at the beginning of the year and annual audits at the end of the year, he complained about being poor to the emperor twice.
This year, the expenditures of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau and the Wanliaolu Bureau alone have already taken up half of the annual income. Su Chasang is in dire straits, and he runs to the Chongzheng Hall to pay his respects every few days, which is extremely annoying to Xie Yuan.
Xie Wenjun left the palace to inspect the fields, and on her way back, she heard that Su Chasang, who was in charge of the accounts at the Ministry of Revenue, had a lot of complaints about her.
Despite the strong opinions, no one dared to stand up and disrupt the hard-won stability between the imperial court and officials and gentry.
Xie Wenjun re-established agricultural and sericulture bureaus in various counties under the prefecture. Initially, he was still criticized by many people. Zhao Mingqin led the Xuanjia Army to suppress more than ten rebellions of various sizes, which brought the situation to a general halt. When open attacks failed, he resorted to assassinations. After several assassination attempts, Xie Wenjun reorganized the Eastern Palace Guard of Crown Prince Yizhang into a guard that only obeyed his orders and named it Changning Guard.
Changningwei was also the personal guard that Xie Wenjun followed throughout his life.
Heng Miao, the eldest son of the Heng family in the Southern Border, has won the emperor's favor and the appreciation of the eldest princess for his meritorious service in supporting the emperor. He is now the de facto ruler of the Southern Border. Because of Heng Miao's merits, Xie Wenjun personally wrote on the last page of the Records of All Officials: "All land and property granted by the court shall be inherited by all sons of the family, regardless of whether they are legitimate or illegitimate, young or old."
Heng Jinan remains imprisoned in the Heng family's old house to this day.
As land was distributed as rewards, the system of granting titles and privileges to wives and children became increasingly standardized, and the aristocratic families' accusations against the Agricultural and Sericultural Bureau gradually weakened.
This combination of leniency and severity, this application of both kindness and force, is nothing less than a warning to all the gentry: be aware of the times!
Later, the voices of condemnation gradually died down.
In this way, a delicate balance was achieved.
After Zhang Diancheng was beheaded, the position of Right Chancellor has remained vacant ever since. The Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau is seen as a hot potato, and no one is willing to take the lead in taking it over. All matters, big and small, are left for Xie Wenjun to handle.
Yesterday, before leaving Chongzheng Hall to go to the imperial mausoleum to find Chen Liangyu, Eunuch Zhang spoke vaguely, not saying things very clearly, but the implication was that Xie Wenjun should prepare to move the palace.
Xie Wenjun still resides in the Eastern Palace.
Official documents from the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau were no longer sent to the Secretariat-Chancellery, but were instead delivered to the Qianqing Hall of the Eastern Palace, where Xie Wenjun would write and approve them in red ink.
The officials had little objection to the Princess taking charge of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau. Perhaps they did, but having just received her favor, and seeing no one else in the court capable of shouldering this responsibility, they all remained silent about the Princess's interference in politics, only daring to make a fuss about Xie Wenjun's residence.
Censor Zhao Xingli pointed out that the Eastern Palace has always been the residence of the crown prince, and since Crown Prince Yizhang has passed away, it is inappropriate for the eldest princess to continue residing in the Eastern Palace.
Rebuilding the palace would be extremely costly. Even if Su Chasang were forced to commit suicide, the Ministry of Revenue would not be able to allocate funds to rebuild a palace. Some suggested that Xie Wenjun move to Yaohua Palace, where Empress Huixian had lived. Others thought that the Princess was burdened with official duties and that living in the palace would be inconvenient. They suggested that she could establish her own residence. There were several vacant princely residences in Yongdu, which could be renovated and given to the Princess.
A complete mess.
Xie Wenjun rubbed her temples.
Yuan Rong carefully tidied Xie Wenjun's appearance, smoothing out and letting down the flowing sleeves, then skillfully adjusting the slightly wrinkled collar. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of red and paused, saying, "This servant will go get some face powder to cover it up."
Xie Wenjun immediately understood what she wanted to cover up. She glanced at the bronze mirror, raised her hand, and touched the spot. "No need to cover it up."
Yuan Rong kept her head down and replied, "Yes."
Dai Qing lowered her eyes and dared not speak or look. Xie Wenjun waited for a moment, and seeing that she did not move, she turned her head slightly. Only then did Dai Qing come back to her senses and hurriedly picked up the wooden hairpin from the dressing table and put it in her hair. "Your Highness, you will have to see people when you return to the palace today. Should you wear this wooden hairpin? It is a bit plain."
Xie Wenjun said, "I'll wear this one."
After dressing, Xie Wenjun glanced at the bed again; Chen Liangyu was still fast asleep. She went over and gently touched Chen Liangyu's forehead once more. Her temperature was still slightly elevated, but the cold sweat had completely subsided.
Zhu Ying's medicine had a very high dose of sedative ingredients, and it looked like she would be sleeping for a long time.
Xie Wenjun instructed the servants of Liangyuan, "Don't wake her. I'm going back to the palace to handle some trivial matters. I'll be back by 7 PM at the latest."
The only ginkgo tree in Liangyuan is turning green, revealing its first bud in early spring.
Xie Wenjun stepped across the bluestone slab leading to the gate. The gate of Liangyuan opened to both sides, and a burly figure knelt below the steps, holding a knife with eagle and cloud patterns engraved on its sheath.
Xie Wenjun noticed the knife because Chen Liangyu also had a knife of the same style.
She always carried a sword, so she was rarely seen using that short knife.
As soon as the door opened, a figure kowtowed heavily towards the inside, crying out, "Miss, kill me! Just kill me if it makes you feel a little better! I failed to save the young marshal. I'm sorry to you, sorry to the second young master, sorry to the marquis and his wife, and even more sorry to the young mistress and the young lady. I'm useless! How could I be so useless!"
The eight-foot-tall man, while speaking, suddenly burst into loud sobs.
Xie Wenjun walked up to him and said, "She had a high fever last night, took medicine and fell asleep, and hasn't woken up yet."
Jinghe cried uncontrollably, his eyes blurred with tears. He could only vaguely see a graceful woman walking out of Chen Liangyu's garden. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve before he could see the person in front of him. He bowed while sobbing, "This humble general Jinghe pays his respects to the Princess."
He sobbed, "Your Highness, is Miss ill?"
Xie Wenjun nodded slightly.
"It's all my fault for being useless..."
He only managed to utter half of his self-reproach when he caught sight of two figures, one tall and one short, approaching Liangyuan. He then fell silent, burying his head low and bending over like a shrimp.
Today, Yan Nian donned the robes of a first-rank noblewoman, wore a phoenix crown, and held the hand of Chen Huai'an, who was just able to walk steadily. "This humble woman greets Your Highness, the Eldest Princess. Long live Your Highness. The Eldest Princess has arrived, why was no one informed of your arrival?"
The servants were terrified and fell silent.
Xie Wenjun raised her hand to help her up. "Madam, you may dispense with the formalities. I have taken the liberty of disturbing you and have not instructed my servants to announce it. Are you going to the palace, Madam?"
Yan Nian said, "The imperial edict summoned Liangyu to an audience. I thought Liangyu was still at the imperial mausoleum, so I wanted to go to the palace on her behalf. But the head maid said that Liangyu went back to her residence yesterday and developed a fever again in the middle of the night. That's why I rushed over to see her."
Xie Wenjun said, "Ali is out of danger, but she hasn't woken up yet."
Yan Nian said, "Then let her sleep a little longer. Liangyu hasn't had a good night's sleep in a long time. I'll go see her when I get back from the palace."
Chen Huai'an seemed pleased to see the burly man kneeling on the ground. He let go of Yan Nian's hand, took small steps to Jing He's side, squatted down, tilted his head to look at his face, and realized that it was indeed the person he was looking for. He called out in a childish voice, "Jing He..."
Jinghe bent over even more, his head almost touching the ground.
The sobs were suppressed in her throat.
Chen Huai'an had only recently learned to speak, and her teeth hadn't fully grown in yet. Her speech was babbling and only a few close friends could understand her slurred words.
She couldn't understand why Jinghe stopped paying attention to her, just as she couldn't understand why so many people rode off on horseback with someone called "Father" and never came back.
Then, she saw the eagle-and-cloud patterned dagger in Jinghe's hand.
"Father..."
Jinghe felt a lump in his throat and, prostrating himself on the stone steps outside Liangyuan Gate, kowtowed several times to Yan Nian, crying, "Young Madam, this humble general is guilty! Kill me, please, Young Madam, kill this humble general..."
Yan Nian was about to enter the palace and could not ruin her appearance or behave improperly before the emperor, so she forcibly suppressed some things. Only a soft sigh could be heard, "Lin Jun's death sentence is not your fault, no one blames you, I don't blame you, and An'er and Liangyu will not blame you either. Princess, please do not take offense at my poor handling of family matters."
Xie Wenjun said, "He can be considered loyal and courageous, a man of strong character."
Yan Nian said, "Thank you for your forgiveness, Princess."
Chen Huai'an raised his small, tender hand, wanting to wipe the water stains from Jing He's face.
Yan Nian said, "An'er, come here. Jinghe, stop kneeling. You should rest for a while. Don't worry about military affairs for now. I will talk to Liangyu."
“Young Madam…” Jing He’s eyes darkened, and he lowered his head, saying, “Yes, this subordinate understands.”
He pushed himself up from the ground.
He didn't know how long he had been kneeling at the door. His knees were trembling, and he swayed to the left and right. Two servants went up to help him up, and he struggled to stand up before taking his leave, dragging his numb legs.
Xie Wenjun asked Yan Nian, "Who delivered the oral message?"
Yan Nian said, "A man in a blue robe, whose face looks unfamiliar."
Palace eunuchs wore different clothes according to their rank. The blue cloth robe was the daily wear of the lowest-ranking eunuchs who ran errands. It was a eunuch robe without any embroidery or patterns.
If Xie Yuan were to summon Chen Liangyu to the palace, it would surely be a higher-ranking palace eunuch who would deliver the imperial edict. However, since he only sent a person in a blue cloth robe, it could only mean that the person was summoned by the Southern Palace.
Nanyuan Palace was the residence of the former Emperor Xuanyuan, now the retired emperor.
Xie Wenjun shook her head, realizing that she had not seen Emperor Xuanyuan since the time of Prince Qi's rebellion.
On both occasions when she returned to the palace, she deliberately avoided Nanyuan Palace.
How long can we avoid it?
A single wrong decision on her part led to the loss of the throne.
But she herself couldn't say whether it was a momentary lapse of judgment or a long-planned scheme. Father and daughter were destined to meet, and perhaps after that meeting, the last vestiges of their father-daughter bond would be consumed.
The imperial power in Dalin is now in a very delicate state.
The change of imperial power began with Prince Qi's coup attempt. Xie Yuan was appointed to the throne in a time of crisis, and his ascension to the throne after eliminating the traitor was a natural progression. However, with Emperor Xuanyuan still alive, there was ongoing debate in the court about whether power should be returned to the retired emperor. To resolve the dispute, Xie Yuan would always travel to the Nanyuan Palace to discuss all matters of state, big or small, with Emperor Xuanyuan before issuing any decrees.
This move temporarily calmed the minds of both the new and old factions in the court. Temporary stability is easy, but maintaining balance is difficult. There can't be two suns in the sky, or two masters in the world. Xie Wenjun had already anticipated that a power struggle would inevitably erupt in the palace sooner or later.
Just like the concessions and compromises that the Dalin family had to make to the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau, the current balance is actually very fragile. When the two sides are evenly matched, they can still coexist harmoniously. But if one side becomes stronger and the other becomes weaker, the balance will inevitably be disrupted.
If handled improperly, what a bloodbath it would be like in the court and among the people at that time?
The carriage swayed, and Yan Nian turned her head slightly to look at Xie Wenjun, who had invited her to ride in the same carriage to the palace. She remained silent for a few moments.
Yan Nian was not very surprised that the Eldest Princess had come to the Xuanping Marquis's residence. Xie Wenjun had been willing to be close to Chen Liangyu since she was young. She was just a little curious as to why Xie Wenjun would come out of Liangyuan so early in the morning, looking as if she had just washed and dressed.
Besides Chen Liangyu's bedroom and a study filled with weapons, Liangyuan only has two side rooms for maids and servants. Where did Xie Wenjun stay yesterday? And what's the matter with the red marks on her neck?
Yan Nian was already a wife, so she naturally knew the origin of that red mark. The explanation of a mosquito bite was obviously not convincing to her.
Xie Wenjun said, "Does Madam have something to say to me?"
Yan Nian said, "This humble woman was unaware of the Princess's arrival and was unable to arrange accommodations for her. Where did the Princess rest last night? Was Liangyu neglected in any way?"
Are you satisfied with the accommodation or something else?
Although Yan Nian was completely confused, he did not delve any further. Chen Liangyu had been feeling depressed for a long time, and if someone could be by her side at this moment, it might be able to relieve her some of her stress.
She feared that Chen Liangyu, under extreme repression, might do something absurd and outrageous.
The palace had yet to issue an imperial decree bestowing the title and hand over the command of the Northern Frontier to Chen Liangyu. Yan Nian speculated several times but could not figure out whether the obstacle came from the Chongzheng Hall or the Nanyuan Palace. Giving someone a handle to use against Chen Liangyu at this time would not be a good thing for her.
Yan Nian looked out the window. Yongdu was bathed in clear sky, and a few birds occasionally flew over the low tiled eaves of the houses.
"The day Liangyu carried her elder brother back, the weather was just like this. At first, everyone said behind her back that she was as calm as if she had no heart. That day, she knelt on the bank of the Tianqian River, holding her elder brother's body, and cried her heart out, almost unable to catch her breath. If she has done anything inappropriate to the Princess, I hope that the Princess will consider her grief and not blame her."
Xie Wenjun silently turned her head away.
The carriage fell silent for a moment. Xie Wenjun lifted a corner of the curtain and said, "Rong Jun."
Rong Jun turned his horse around from the front and said, "Your subject is here."
Xie Wenjun asked, "Who is the chief envoy from Dongyin? Have they made any moves?"
Rong Jun said, "The chief envoy's name is You Jingbo, who is the Privy Councilor and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Yin Dynasty. He has been left waiting at the post station for a long time. Yesterday, they presented some items to the Emperor and the Emperor Emeritus. They were all porcelain and kingfisher feather ornaments, nothing special."
Xie Wenjun lowered the sedan curtain.
The moment the light dimmed, Yan Nian clearly saw the deep color in Xie Wenjun's eyes turn incredibly cold.
The author's note: Xiangfeng Tongwu means weather vane.
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