Chapter 95 Amidst the chaos of war, the person he trusted most remained Chen Liangyu…
April 20th, the Grain Rain season, the last solar term of spring, was marked by continuous rain.
On this day, the Censorate presented a memorial, stating that in Yong'an Prefecture, people had been reporting cases by beating drums, with many accusing grassland bandits of robbing people's property and destroying farmland.
After the Wanhe Festival, all the envoys and competitors from various countries had returned home, except for the people of Ximano, who remained at the northwest post station in Shangyong City. Since the leader of Ximano had come in person to promote friendly relations with neighboring countries, the Honglu Temple dared not neglect them, treating them with the finest wine and food as if they were royalty. However, these bandits showed no restraint whatsoever, brazenly carrying large swords and swaggering through the market, openly robbing a considerable amount of wine, meat, and cloth. When the stall owners approached to demand payment, they inadvertently provoked them, resulting in shoving, pushing, punching, and kicking, injuring many people.
The looting and injuring were only temporary troubles. What was more troublesome was that the Ximano people, seeing that all the Zhonglin officials treated them with utmost courtesy, became increasingly bold and went to trample on the farmland in groups.
A single crop is the lifeblood of countless people for an entire year.
The wheat in the fields had already formed ears, and in another month, the ears would turn golden. The Ximano people drove their horses with iron hooves into the fields, where they grazed and trampled large swaths of the young seedlings.
Xie Yuan immediately summoned Li Hezhang, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, and questioned him: "Why is Xi Qing still in Yongdu? Didn't we order the Court of State Ceremonial to send him away long ago?"
Li Hezhang knelt and bowed his head: "Your Majesty, in order to make the Ximano people leave as soon as possible, I prepared twice as many generous gifts. However, Chief Xiqing said that the Princess had agreed to his marriage with Lady Daiqing. At present, Lady Daiqing is accompanying the Princess at Taihuang Temple to chant sutras for the deceased Empress Huixian. Xiqing insists on waiting until the Princess comes down the mountain so that he and Lady Daiqing can witness their marriage before leaving."
"You can't even handle this simple task!"
"Your humble servant deserves to die."
Xie Yuan rested his forehead on his hand, his brows furrowed. Initially, when Xi Qing proposed to marry Xie Wenjun's maid, Xie Yuan hadn't taken it seriously. It wasn't unusual for a grassland tribe chief to want to marry a maid; he could simply bestow a title of princess, choose an auspicious day, and have the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies draft the formalities. This would establish a marriage alliance with Xi Manuo, making future discussions between Da Lin and the grassland tribes easier.
But right now, he can't release any of the people around Xie Wenjun of Taihuang Temple.
At this moment, Xie Yuan had indescribable complex feelings for his younger sister, who had helped him ascend the throne and stabilize the country.
"There's no need for us, brother and sister, to make a big fuss."
This is a message that Xie Wenjun asked someone to convey.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan was filled with mixed emotions, feeling both admiration and apprehension about Xie Wenjun's growing power. With the country in their grasp, suspicion and a delicate balance of power quietly loomed between them amidst the ebb and flow of their respective struggles.
Following Xie Wenjun's reorganization of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau and the peace talks with the Eastern Yin, court officials seemed to rely more on the Eldest Princess than on the Emperor when it came to matters of national treasury funds and grain. Even Su Chasang, the Minister of Revenue who had previously been most opposed to the Eldest Princess's interference in grain taxes, no longer voiced any objections.
His feelings towards Xie Wenjun could no longer be described as mere suspicion, but rather as apprehension.
After the Imperial Guards besieged the Yongning Hall of the Taihuang Temple, Xie Yuan felt as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart. He waited to see how Xie Wenjun would try to move it, but more than that, he hoped that she could quietly complete the two-month-long Buddhist ceremony, and from then on, behave herself, restrain her temper, and no longer interfere in court affairs. In that case, the two siblings would naturally not end up like that.
If Xie Wenjun fails to grasp the bigger picture and resorts to any means by the court, especially by getting involved with Chen Liangyu to escape this predicament, then he absolutely cannot let this imperial sister live.
Compared to the vast land, the words "brother" and "sister" carry too little weight.
"Don't make things difficult for me."
Li Hezhang, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, was kneeling beneath the dragon throne when Xie Yuan spoke to him. Since no one else was kneeling beneath the throne, Li Hezhang assumed Xie Yuan was addressing him directly and hurriedly replied, “Your Majesty, I am incompetent. I report that regarding the numerous cases of looting and destroying farmland in Ximano, Prefect Cheng of Yong'an Prefecture has already sent notes to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, requesting the dispatch of personnel from these departments to expedite the resolution of the cases. As for the trampled crops, Minister Sheng Yu'an of the Ministry of Agriculture has already gone to the outskirts of the city to calculate as soon as possible how many acres of land Ximano destroyed, and then report to the Ministry of Revenue for financial relief.”
Xie Yuan said, "Alright, you can't even handle your job at the Court of State Ceremonial, so the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Revenue, the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of Agriculture, and the Yong'an Prefecture all have to rush to clean up your mess."
Li Hezhang kowtowed again. Although he was a fourth-rank official, the Court of State Ceremonial was the government office responsible for receiving foreign guests, attending court assemblies and grand ceremonies, and entertaining envoys and guests on behalf of the emperor. Although he was an official, he couldn't control the money or mobilize soldiers. Faced with barbarians like Ximanuo causing trouble and disturbing the people, he had no choice but to persuade them. He couldn't afford to offend anyone.
Li Hezhang said, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die ten thousand times over. I have something else to report."
Xie Yuan raised his face slightly, gesturing for him to speak.
"The Ximano people at the northwest corner post station are all unreasonable and arrogant. I fear they will continue to cause trouble. They don't take ordinary soldiers seriously at all. I beg Your Majesty to decide whether to deploy troops?"
"Deploy troops?" Xie Yuan said, "Do you want everyone to know that Ximano traveled all the way to Dalin, and I sent troops to drive him out?"
"Your subject dares not!"
"If you can't even handle this simple matter, you might as well take off that hat. Get out of here."
Li Hezhang emerged from the Chongzheng Hall with a dejected air, quickly ran to the foot of the steps, and then hurried across the Chengtian Gate, lifting his robes as he went. After crossing the Jinshui Bridge, he headed straight for his carriage, not noticing as he stumbled into a purple robe approaching from the opposite direction. Standing opposite him were three people, all with gold jade belts at their waists and wearing purple official robes; without even looking up, he knew which high-ranking officials of the third rank or above they were.
Li Hezhang recognized the faces as those of Jiang Xiantang, the Censor-in-Chief; Sheng Xiuyuan, the Minister of War; and Xun Shutai, the Vice Minister of Revenue. Xun Shutai was the one he had bumped into. He repeatedly bowed, saying, "Censor-in-Chief, Minister, Lord Xun, I'm so sorry, so sorry."
Xun Shutai's face was extremely hard, but it wasn't meant for Li Hezhang. In the instant of the collision, Xun Shutai first protected the memorial he was carrying in his arms, which seemed to indicate that he had something urgent to report.
The drizzling weather wouldn't get you soaked, but the ground was damp. If a memorial got stuck on the ground and covered in mud, you'd have to go back to the Six Ministries to copy it again, which would not only waste time but also delay official business.
Xun Shutai said, "So it's Lord Li. No problem, no problem."
Although Xun Shutai is currently only the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he has already firmly grasped the power of the Ministry.
After the tax tampering case, Minister of Revenue Su Chasang escaped unscathed, but he was terrified and fell seriously ill, confined to his bed. Officials visited him at his residence, and rumors circulated that he was feigning illness. Xun Shutai, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was the Empress's elder brother, and Su Chasang would eventually have to relinquish his position as Minister of Revenue to him. Now, with such a serious charge against him for tax tampering, he couldn't sleep soundly. It would be better for him to retire early and return to his hometown, thus preserving some dignity.
After Su Chasang fell ill and was bedridden, Xun Shutai made all the decisions regarding the Ministry of Revenue. That is why he was seen entering and leaving the palace today with the Censor-in-Chief and the Minister of Revenue.
Li Hezhang bowed again with his sleeves folded, sniffed, and consciously stepped aside to the side of the road.
Xun Shutai pressed down the memorial he was about to submit. "Lord Li, what's going on? You bumped into me, why are you crying?"
Li Hezhang briefly recounted the whole story of Ximanuo's looting, injuring, and destroying of farmland, then poured out his grievances, "...What could I do? The Emperor forbade sending troops to clash with Ximanuo, so I had to carefully serve those big shots on the grasslands. In short, I'll abandon this body and take Ximanuo's knife for the people. I'm not going to live anymore."
Upon hearing this, Xun Shutai spread his hands and said, "How could it be so difficult? We actually have to sacrifice Lord Li's life to go in."
Li Hezhang's eyes lit up: "Lord Xun has an idea?"
"I have no ideas whatsoever."
"I'm in jeopardy even keeping my official hat, so please don't tease me, Lord Xun."
Xun Shutai moved closer to Li Hezhang and said, "The Grand General who assists the state has secretly returned to Yongdu and is currently at the Xuanping Marquis's residence. Does Lord Li know this?"
"Everyone knows that."
What are the people of the grasslands most afraid of?
"General Chen's Eagle Head Army. But His Majesty said that no troops are allowed to be mobilized."
Xun Shutai was annoyed by his blockheadedness. He also had urgent matters to attend to and needed to report to the emperor, so he didn't beat around the bush and said bluntly, "Why bother mobilizing troops? Just have Chen Liangyu show up in front of the Ximano people, and the matter will be resolved."
Will it work?
"Since Chen Liangyu has been idle these days, his salary is still being paid. How can he not work? Whether he is effective or not, Lord Li can send a visiting card to find out."
Li Hezhang looked at the three men who were with him and asked with trepidation, "What matter has troubled the three of you to come to the palace to see the Emperor?" The matter that could alarm the Censorate, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue at the same time must not be about Ximano's trouble in Yongdu; there must be a much bigger case.
Jiang Xiantang, the Imperial Censor, cleared his throat.
The meaning is clear: this is not something your humble Court of State Ceremonies should be questioning.
Xun Shutai could not delay any longer. The three officials hurriedly entered the palace, and Li Hezhang could only bow from a distance behind them, saying, "Thank you, Lord Xun."
The ambergris incense in Chongzheng Hall was about to burn out, so a palace maid came in and replaced it with a new one.
Xie Yuan: "Yan Feng."
A guard with a sword entered from outside the hall. "Your subordinate is here."
What did Chen Liangyu do after returning to her residence from Taihuang Temple? Who did she associate with?
"Your Majesty, the Grand General only stayed at the Secretariat and the Six Ministries. Ximano's envoy was placed at the Northwest Post Station and caused trouble and disturbed the people in the west, north and suburbs of the city. The Grand General has never met with Xiqing."
"Where are the people around her? Where are the others from the Marquis of Xuanping's residence?"
The Marquis of Xuanping's mansion has only four members left. The wife of the Marquis of Wu'an is far away in Zhuodong managing floods, and a young girl has entered the palace and is accompanying Princess Roujia in learning calligraphy and playing. Apart from Chen Liangyu, the only other person Xie Yuan mentioned can be Chen Xingqian.
Yan Feng said, "Your Majesty, Marquis Xuanping is no different from usual. The spies around the Northwest Post Station reported that Xi Qing goes out early and returns late every day, wandering around Yongdu. He seems to have never seen the world before, and everything he sees is incredibly strange." He couldn't help but laugh as he said this.
Xie Yuan glanced at him.
Yan Feng immediately suppressed his smile and said, "Xi Qing was only accompanied by people from the Court of State Ceremonial and the post station, and he has not been in contact with anyone else. Dai Qing, the lady-in-waiting to the Princess, works at the Court of State Ceremonial. Your Majesty, would you like to investigate the Court of State Ceremonial and the Northwest Post Station?"
Xie Yuan thought for a moment, then said, "Never mind, let's see."
Just then, Zheng Hechuan entered the hall and announced: "Your Majesty, Lord Jiang Xiantang, Lord Sheng Xiuyuan, and Lord Xun Shutai are requesting an audience outside the hall. They have important matters to report."
"Announce."
Three memorials were presented in turn, along with a military letter from Hengmiao in the southern border.
Minister of War Sheng Xiuyuan reported: "Lord Heng captured the envoy sent by Dongyin to Nanzhou. Liu Mo took the opportunity to escape back to Nanzhou and supported his nine-year-old son to succeed as King of Nanzhou. He gathered troops and ships to fight against our army."
The memorial concerned the allocation of provisions and military supplies for the troops in the southern border. Because there was a bay between Da Lin and Nan Zhou, it was necessary to build additional warships and crossbows for naval warfare in order to fight against Nan Zhou.
Xun Shutai said, "The Ministry of Revenue has already verified the military supplies needed in the southern border through the joint efforts of the Department of Finance and the Department of Gold, and affixed the seal of the Minister. Please review it, Your Majesty."
Censor-in-Chief Jiang Xiantang said, "The Censorate has investigated the case of smuggling iron ore at Bogongling. The iron ore was smuggled to the Xiling area. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and only a small portion of the iron ore was mined. Recently, there has been trouble in Xiling. It is not simply the work of bandits. Some people have heard some rumors from the people and openly declared that... the current emperor is not legitimate and are plotting a rebellion under the banner of 'anti-Xie'."
Xie Yuan asked, "Who is leading this?"
"Your Majesty, since Lu Renxi followed Prince Qi in his rebellion and was executed, there has been no general to guard the western border. The troops in several prefectures and counties are now scattered. I have dispatched several imperial censors in disguise to investigate this matter, and news will be forthcoming soon."
Xie Yuan's heart suddenly pounded violently a few times.
He sensed that this was a harbinger of impending war.
With his vermilion brush in hand, Xie Yuan only needed to add a stroke to the report on military supplies issued by the Ministry of Revenue to the Southern Territory. He paused for a moment. The war in the Southern Territory was going to be a tough one. It was not difficult to add a stroke of vermilion, but the difficulty was that after adding this report, countless grains and military expenses would have to be added. If the Western Ridge forces were strong, the rebels would soon attack Shangyong City. Could the Great Lin's national strength withstand the drain?
A moment later, Xie Yuan put down his pen and said, "Summon Chen Liangyu to me."
His brows furrowed, and his expression revealed an indescribable helplessness.
When times were peaceful and the harvest was plentiful, he suspected her of infidelity, but when faced with a formidable enemy, he realized that the person he could discuss countermeasures with was still Chen Liangyu.
Author's Note: My ladies, I'm starving! I need book reviews and nutrient solutions! (pulling up his pants leg~)
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