Chapter 140: The Division of Power. Chen Liangyu and the Eldest Princess did not meet. ...
"The debt collectors are here."
Chen Liangyu, still clad in her silver armor, strode into the main hall of the Censorate. Without waiting for an announcement, she slammed an account book onto Zhao Xingli's desk.
Zhao Xingli had just finished writing a memorial impeaching Heng Miao of the Southern Border for dereliction of duty. He put down his pen, glanced at the account books with footnotes, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the words "Yunzhou".
Chen Liangyu said, “These are concrete evidences of the embezzlement of farmland and taxes by Jiang Wende, the governor of Yunzhou. The princess was assassinated in Yunzhou and is about to go to Shanggu County to investigate those three hundred acres of sandy fields. It is not appropriate for her to carry the account books with her. The northern border is plagued by troubles, and I have no time to deal with the intricacies of grain tax. Only the Censorate can submit this document, and only the Censorate can submit it for it to be effective.”
Zhao Xingli said, "General, are you here to ask about the matter I promised you in the Ministry of Justice prison?"
He picked up the ledger and flipped through the field boundary maps on the top few pages. “For such a corrupt matter, General, there’s no need to use personal feelings to explain. It is the duty of the Censor to distinguish right from wrong and to uphold discipline.”
Chen Liangyu said, "It's not easy to do Censor Zhao a favor. Since it's Censor Zhao's duty, I won't waste this favor. I have another matter to discuss."
Zhao Xingli had no reply, and calmly asked, "What is it?"
Chen Liangyu said, "As for the battle in the southern border, I think we should avoid it. If we must fight, Marquis Lu Ping, Hengji, has served in the southern army for many years and is more suitable to lead the army than his son, Hengmiao."
Zhao Xingli weighed the memorial he had just drafted in his hand, lost in thought.
It seems the memorial needs to be drafted anew.
Chen Liangyu said, "I await Lord Zhao's news."
As Chen Liangyu emerged from the Censorate, her personal guards led a jade lion and waited outside. She lifted the hem of her cloak and stepped out of the doorway, where she saw a bronze carriage with a gray-blue crepe curtain hanging at the street corner, and a wooden plaque with the character "Chen" hanging under the eaves.
Chen Liangyu rode over, calling out, "Second Brother."
Chen Luan was leaning against the carriage shaft, slowly wiping his hands with a handkerchief. When he saw her coming over, he straightened up and said, "Now that you're back, why aren't you planning to go home again?"
Chen Liangyu said, "I went to the palace to report on my duties. Also, the Princess sent some accounts that she had found in Yunzhou to the Censorate. Only then were the trivial matters finally settled."
The bluish-gray crepe curtain was rolled up from the inside, and when the carriage curtain was gently lifted, Chen Liangyu was gazing at the North Gate in the distance along the long street.
The heavy armor weighed down her shoulders, so she raised her arm to loosen them.
A woman with a dignified appearance appeared, her smile gentle. "General, we've been waiting for you."
"Why is Second Sister-in-law here too?"
Heng Yang said, "Your second brother said he didn't find you at the palace gate. He asked the guards at the palace gate and guessed that you had come to the Censorate. He was afraid that you would go back to the camp after entering the palace and not come home, so your second brother and I waited here."
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I've asked the kitchen to prepare a meal. Let's not go to the camp today."
"good."
It was well past noon and still early for dinner, so this meal couldn't really be called a proper meal.
Chen Liangyu made do with some mutton soup.
Heng Yang talked about some trivial matters at home, murmuring softly. The lanterns under the corridor had been replaced with new ones, and a cluster of peonies had bloomed in the back garden. Finally, she said, "In February, for the full moon celebration of the eldest prince, Her Majesty the Empress invited the wives of officials and noblewomen to the palace. Her Majesty mentioned that Huai'an had been raised in Fengyi Palace for many years, and she couldn't help but feel affection for her. She wanted to adopt Huai'an as her daughter. I don't know if she was joking or if she really had this intention."
Chen Liangyu pondered for a moment and said, "The Empress's adopted daughter is also considered half an imperial daughter. An'er is in the palace. If Her Majesty the Empress insists on taking her in, the Marquis's mansion will not be allowed to refuse."
Heng Yang comforted her, saying, "Back when I was still a young lady in my boudoir, I encountered the Marquis taking Huai'an out to the street a few times during the New Year. I even joked with my friends that the only daughter of the Marquis of Wu'an inherited the style of a military family and had never been quiet since childhood. Now she has become a learned scholar, knowledgeable and reasonable. I suppose Her Majesty the Empress has taught her with care."
After the meal, Heng Yang noticed that the brother and sister had something to discuss, so he excused himself to admire the flowers and left, leaving the dining room to the two of them.
Chen Luan asked, "Why was there no imperial edict to return to the palace?"
"The eldest princess may be in danger, I can't worry about that now."
"They left themselves a backup plan?"
Chen Liangyu said, "I have prepared a proclamation for myself. Half a day after leaving the northern border, an urgent military intelligence report about the troop deployment of Beiyong will be sent back to Yongdu by express courier. It should already be on the Emperor's desk by now. I am in a hurry to leave the city because I am afraid that the Emperor will detain me in Yongdu. Once that happens, it will not be easy to leave again."
A servant brought in a copper basin for washing hands. Chen Liangyu washed the oil stains off her fingers and handed a note rolled into a thin tube to Chen Luan.
"The Princess should have left Yunzhou by dawn this morning. She was originally scheduled to go to Shanggu County after inspecting Yunzhou. You should try to send this letter to the Princess as soon as possible by flying gnats, and tell her to immediately send the Eagle Head Army back to the northern border, and then detour back to Yongdu, instead of taking the official road. In this way, I can avoid the Princess's carriage."
Chen Luan asked suspiciously, "Why do you want to avoid the Princess's carriage?"
"The Emperor ordered me to kill Rong Jun and dismantle the Changning Guard. If the Changning Guard is wiped out, the Princess can be expelled from Yongdu and sent to the uninhabited lands. Even if I manage to escape this time, the Emperor will have other means to deal with the Changning Guard, so I must be extremely careful."
Chen Liangyu's eyes suddenly darkened.
"The Imperial Guards and the Six Armies of the Northern Army were ordered by Jiang Andong. After Jiang Wende was executed in the Yunzhou case, Jiang Andong will surely harbor resentment. Therefore, only the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Army are worth considering. When His Highness was confined to Taihuang Temple, Gao Guan once helped him. He seems honest and simple, but he has never revealed his stance. However, since he was willing to get involved in the mess at Taihuang Temple, we can find a way to win him over."
Chen Luan reminded him, "He was demoted in the past and received kindness from Yan Bo."
“Not enough,” Chen Liangyu said decisively. “That little bit of kindness is not enough for him to repay with his life.”
Chen Luan pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps the Princess has her own way of winning over Gao Guan."
In early April, the imperial court was embroiled in endless debates, creating a great deal of commotion.
After the merging of local post stations, Han Song, a scribe in the Imperial Secretariat, drafted a memorial to abolish local tax officials; the Censorate impeached Heng Miao of the Southern Border for repeated defeats in his attacks on the Southern Continent, which squandered the national treasury, and also impeached Jiang Wende, the governor of Yunzhou, for embezzling the grain tax of the entire prefecture and attempting to assassinate the eldest princess but failing; before the affairs of the previous dynasty were settled, the officials began to make a fuss about the affairs of the inner palace and submitted a memorial to the emperor regarding the establishment of a crown prince.
Xie Yuan was so confused by the commotion from the ministers that he ordered Zheng Hechuan to adjourn the court session.
After the court session ended, stacks of memorials and edicts piled up.
The tea on the emperor's desk was changed again and again as it cooled down, and cup after cup was poured.
Yan Feng entered from outside the palace and reported, "Your Majesty, after the Princess left Yunzhou City, she was supposed to pass through Zhongwu City on her way to Shanggu County. However, she changed her route halfway and returned to Yongdu. She has already arrived outside Shangyong City."
"What about Rong Jun and Changning Guard?"
"He also returned to Yongdu with the Princess."
His gaze on the throne suddenly turned cold, sweeping flatly across the steps below.
Xie Yuan twirled the jade thumb ring on his thumb and asked, "What did Chen Liangyu do about it?"
Yan Feng said, "Your Majesty, upon receiving the urgent message from the northern border, the Eldest Princess dispatched the thousand Eagle Head Cavalry back to the north to defend against the enemy. The Grand General did not detour through Shanggu County on his return journey. After receiving the urgent message, the Grand General took the route through Zhongwu City. Originally, he could have intercepted the Eldest Princess's troops according to his pace, but due to the closure of the post stations, the transmission of information was delayed. The Eldest Princess turned back midway without the Grand General's knowledge, and the two of them did not meet. Military matters cannot be delayed, so the Grand General returned directly to Suzhou."
Xie Yuan stopped fiddling with the jade thumb ring.
With a very slight cracking sound, a crack appeared on the jade thumb ring.
Xie Yuan flicked his sleeve, revealing a memorial, which was Han Song's memorial to abolish local tax officials.
His brows were furrowed. The initial success of merging the post stations was immediately followed by the dismissal of tax officials. This hasty action could easily incite rebellion.
He inwardly criticized Han Song for being too eager for quick success and instant benefits.
Xie Yuan casually pushed the memorials on the table aside, scattering the pages and revealing one of them, a report on military affairs in the southern border.
Xie Yuan had long harbored resentment over the repeated defeats in the southern border war. He immediately drafted an imperial edict ordering Marquis Lu Ping Heng to regain military power in the south. However, considering the marriage ties between the Heng family and the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, and the fact that Heng Miao was not a direct descendant of the Heng family, he did not immediately hold Heng Miao accountable for the sake of checks and balances, but only demoted him to deputy commander.
Xie Yuan set aside the memorial requesting the appointment of a crown prince. With only one legitimate son born of the first wife in the harem, it made no difference whether the position of crown prince was decided sooner or later.
He thought it would be good to establish an heir sooner rather than later.
Only Jiang Wende, the prefect of Yunzhou, failed to perform his duties efficiently. The ledgers of his embezzled grain taxes fell into the hands of the censors of the Censorate, and he was troubled about how to deal with them.
The palace walls were deep and secluded, and Jiang Bojin's residence was hidden in the most inconspicuous corner of the many halls, with thick mulberry paper pasted on the window frames. Only two eunuchs were left to serve in the side hall.
Jiang Bojin had his two empty sleeves neatly rolled up and tucked into the belt of his plain-colored robe. He was using the remaining outer side of his upper arm and his chin to hold a fine wolf-hair brush and sketch several passes and important roads on the unfolded map with utmost concentration.
The palace doors slid open, and Xie Yuan appeared in the doorway, not wearing a dragon robe, but only a black casual dress.
Jiang Bojin paused for a moment, then gently tightened his jaw and carefully put down his pen.
He did not rise to bow.
Instead of treating him with the courtesy due to an honored guest, they confined him to this corner of the side hall, as if he were imprisoned.
Xie Yuan asked, "Are you settling in well?"
Jiang Bojin said, "I am an old and crippled man, and I am not fit to be of great use. It is already a great favor that His Majesty has granted me a place to stay."
“I am well aware of Fei Mengshi’s great talent,” Xie Yuan said, his brows furrowed as if he were carefully choosing his words. “There are still a few veteran officials in the court. If they know you are in the palace, they may cause trouble.”
Jiang Bojin said, "In my current state, I am indeed not fit to be seen by others. This side hall is quite nice; it is quiet and suitable for me to await my death."
Xie Yuan's expression changed slightly.
Jiang Bojin asked, "Has the Princess's private army been disbanded?"
"No," Xie Yuan said. "I followed your advice and ordered Chen Liangyu to intercept the Changning Guard, but she avoided it. Do she think I'm so easily fooled?"
"If it doesn't work this time, then so be it."
"The old guards in Changning Guard are all confidants of Crown Prince Yizhang, and the new guards were promoted by Jiang Ning. They are all loyal and devoted. I cannot rest easy until Changning Guard is eliminated."
Jiang Bojin didn't seem too worried. "The opportunity has been missed. Let's wait for the next one. It seems His Majesty has other difficulties?"
Xie Yuan said, “The matter in Yunzhou was not handled well. Instead, Jiangning discovered that Jiang Wende had embezzled grain taxes. The evidence was conclusive. In addition, he was accused of assassinating the Princess. According to the law, he should be executed, and his immediate family members should also be implicated. However, the court is currently reducing redundant officials, and the people in the court and the public are already in a state of panic. The Jiang family is a prominent family in Yunzhou. If we kill Jiang Wende and demote his family members, it will surely make the aristocratic families uneasy. I am afraid that the court will become unstable.”
Jiang Bojin glanced at the emperor's furrowed brows and clenched fists, but did not speak immediately. After a long while, he said, "Your Majesty's concerns are nothing more than two things. First, the aristocratic families are unstable, and second, the border troops are out of control. To stabilize the aristocratic families, we must use bait; to control the border troops, we must act decisively."
"Tell me in detail."
"What do aristocratic families seek? They already possess immense wealth and honor, and the prospect of being remembered in history is merely a pipe dream. What they truly crave is the foundation of the nation, their descendants, and the eternal enjoyment of prestige. Isn't this precisely why the Princess controls the court and wins over the hearts of the people through her control of the Ten Thousand Officials Records?"
"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and three of the four positions of the imperial concubines are vacant, while the position of the crown prince is vacant. Only by selecting daughters of prominent families with deep roots and numerous descendants throughout the court to enter the palace as concubines can the court be stabilized."
Xie Yuan said, “Taking concubines,” he pondered, “is a good idea. After selecting concubines, I will first establish a crown prince, so that the empress can rest assured.”
"There is no need to rush to establish a crown prince. Let these families see that the position of crown prince may fall on their blood-related grandson, and see the hope of sharing the world. Only then will they tear each other apart, restrain each other, and compete to show their loyalty to His Majesty."
"As for the northern border, His Majesty is wary of the Chen family's control of a large army. Reducing their military power would not only leave the country without a legitimate reason to fight, but could also incite a mutiny."
Xie Yuan's deeply furrowed brows did not relax, but his tightly clenched knuckles loosened slightly. "Go on."
Jiang Bojin clenched his jaw and gestured toward the map of the three prefectures on the table, saying, "Each of the three prefectures has its own Sima. Your Majesty can issue an edict to the Sima of the three prefectures, authorizing them to make all specific military decisions on the spot, including the allocation of provisions, replenishment of weapons, rotation of defense zones, and even scouting and reconnaissance. Only the responsibility of the Grand Marshal of the Army to command the army and fight the enemy in battle will be retained."
It is called decentralization, but in reality it is decentralization.
"Thus, the 400,000-strong army in the northern border may seem to still be in Chen Liangyu's hands, but if she truly harbors rebellious intentions, her ability to mobilize the army will be hampered. If she behaves herself, this power, once divided, will be impossible to take back in the long run."
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
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