Chapter 87 Choosing a Master, A-Li, Choose Me.
The envoys from various countries under the Ming Dynasty were about to set off on their return journeys. The three major tribes of the grasslands, the Kui Rong, the Qiu Di, and the Xi Mano, arrived with tribute gifts and returned laden with their own. Long lines of supply wagons stretched out, and grassland people wrapped in animal skins carried Da Lin's "return gifts" into the wagons.
Very few people in the grassland tribes could read or understand the Central Plains characters and language. It was already a rare privilege to be able to have daily conversations. When guests and hosts interacted, foreign translators were needed to translate and handle documents.
Dai Qing is one of the translators.
The two female scribes who served Xie Wenjun were sent by Yuanrong to the Lantai to organize the fish-scale books, and Daiqing was well-versed in the grassland script. She had studied grassland slang and customs with Gu Xie at Lingjiu Academy for half a year. Xie Wenjun sent her to the Foreigners' Hall of the Honglu Temple to serve as a translator and receive grassland guests.
Upon seeing Dai Qing, Xi Qing, the leader of Ximano, was immediately captivated. At the banquet following the Wanhe Festival, Xi Qing proposed to Xie Yuan that he would voluntarily return half of the gifts that Da Lin had given to Ximano in exchange for marrying Dai Qing, the female official.
Xie Yuan did not agree, but said only: "Dai Qing is someone close to Jiang Ning, so I cannot make this decision. This matter needs to be discussed with Jiang Ning."
Xi Qing has completely become entangled with Xie Wenjun.
He clumsily and earnestly tried to imitate the Central Plains people, pointing to the sky and swearing that he would establish Dai Qing as the "Kezun" of the Ximano tribe, repeatedly begging Xie Wenjun to part with his beloved Dai Qing with a bitter, dark face.
Yuanrong is calm and collected, while Daiqing has a different nature.
She had studied classics and history with Xie Wenjun since childhood. She was well-spoken and, though flamboyant, was not arrogant. She was also considerate and thoughtful in receiving foreign envoys. She possessed both the gentle beauty of a woman from the Central Plains and the heroic spirit of a woman from the grasslands. She was also fluent in the language. Xi Qing was truly in love with her.
Xi Qing had previously visited the Princess's residence twice, and today he went again. Upon learning that the Princess was heading to Taihuang Temple to pay respects to her mother, he disregarded etiquette and followed her.
Outside the archway of the shooting range, Rong Jun saw the curtain hanging from the eaves of the archery pavilion. Searching the area, he couldn't find Xie Wenjun and Chen Liangyu. He didn't continue inside, but instead called out loudly from outside, "Your Highness, Xi Qing, the leader of Ximano, has come to the temple to request an audience. He refuses to leave, and I have stopped him in the front hall. These grassland people are rude and disrespectful, disturbing the worshippers in the temple. Should we drive them away?"
Xie Wenjun asked through the curtain, "Where is Daiqing?"
"Sweep and clean the Yongning Hall."
On the days of paying respects to Empress Huixian, Yuanrong and Daiqing were always by Xie Wenjun's side, never missing a single moment, no matter how important the matter.
Xie Wenjun said, "Let her decide this matter herself."
"yes."
In the blink of an eye, the sun began to set.
Rong Jun always walked with a strong, resounding gait, making his footsteps easily recognizable. As the heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Chen Liangyu grabbed Xie Wenjun's sleeve, placed a section of her forearm under her face, and cried out in despair, "No! Absolutely not!"
She usually spoke very quickly, without the slightest hesitation. Xie Wenjun was startled by her sudden shout and asked, "What does this have to do with you?"
Chen Liangyu had been dazed and hadn't heard what Rong Jun was reporting. Her mind was still preoccupied with the matter of seniority. "It concerns the Marquis's Mansion and the Heng Family, how can it be unrelated to me?" She took a deep breath and said decisively, "This is not appropriate. If we do this, everything will fall into chaos."
Although Heng Yang doesn't usually call Xie Wenjun "adoptive mother," the royal family always prioritizes seniority. Heng Yang, like the female relatives of other officials, also calls Xie Wenjun "Princess," but deep down she feels awkward and that it's not proper.
Xie Wenjun said, "Didn't you just say you had no objections to Heng Yang's matter?"
Chen Liangyu said, "It's not like I'm the one marrying her, so what's the use of me having no opinion? I need to go back to the manor and ask my second brother; only if he agrees will it be of any use."
"Then I'll trouble you to act as my advocate."
"Is Your Highness facing difficulties?" Chen Liangyu vaguely sensed that Xie Wenjun had some unspeakable troubles.
"There's a difficult situation."
Chen Liangyu straightened his back, his upright figure casting a distinct shadow on the table, and said, "I would like to hear the details."
If it were merely about the marriage alliance with the Marquis of Xuanping's household, she hadn't yet considered what was wrong with it. Daiqing was Xie Wenjun's personal lady-in-waiting, cultivated over a long period, and newly appointed as a female official in the Court of State Ceremonial. Both publicly and privately, and considering all the reasons, Xie Wenjun had absolutely no reason to marry her off to Ximano. No matter how much Xiqing pestered her, she could simply refuse. A grassland tribe, not a nation, was nothing to be offended. Xie Wenjun avoided meeting him, but in reality, she was also filled with anxiety and inner turmoil.
What secrets are behind Xie Wenjun's indecisiveness and eagerness to win over the grassland forces?
Xie Wenjun asked, "The Imperial Astronomical Bureau once said that the Great Crisis in the court was a sign of a guest star driving out the main star." She asked bluntly, "Do you think this guest star is Father Emperor, or someone else?"
Chen Liangyu paused slightly and said, "Before answering Your Highness's question, I also have a question."
"Go ahead and ask."
"Back then, Your Highness fled Yongdu with the Imperial Seal, and you carried a secret edict. But was that edict truly an order for the retired emperor to abdicate the throne and for the current emperor to ascend the throne?"
Xie Wenjun spoke indifferently, knowing she would ask this question sooner or later, and said, "You've had doubts about that imperial edict for a long time, why are you only asking now?"
Chen Liangyu said, "The world is not yet settled, and a new emperor has just ascended the throne. Digging too deep into the roots will not benefit the court or the people. Why bother asking?"
Xie Wenjun said, "Why are you asking again now?"
Chen Liangyu rested her elbows on her knees, her body involuntarily leaning forward slightly. The warm sunlight falling from the eaves of the pavilion, like a yellow cotton-padded coat, shone on her headdress, yet reflected a cold light. "A good minister chooses his lord."
A good minister chooses his lord.
At that time, Chen Liangyu had chosen Prince Shen as her master. Even though she knew that many details of this sudden decree were puzzling and raised many doubts, she did not ask any questions rashly.
Not only her, Xie Yuan himself also had some suspicions.
When Xie Yuan first ascended the throne, the court was still in turmoil, with undercurrents between the old and new forces and heavy pressure. In order to balance the factions of the new and old emperors, Xie Yuan adopted a compromise: all matters of state and government, large and small, were decided by consulting Emperor Xuanyuan at the Nanyuan Palace. This temporarily stabilized the previous dynasty and Emperor Xuanyuan.
The longer the time is delayed, the more difficult it becomes to maintain balance.
Over the years, Xie Yuan gradually removed the important officials from the Xuan Yuan Emperor's era from Yongdu. As a result, rumors began to circulate among the people that the new emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate.
Chen Liangyu said, "Isn't this why Your Highness came?" The tender smile in her eyes faded slightly, and her lips twitched into a smile, but it didn't look like she was smiling; rather, it seemed like she was mocking herself.
She lowered her head and blankly straightened the sleeve she had messed up.
I thought to myself, thank goodness.
Fortunately, I didn't utter those absurd and shameful words.
She was already fortunate to have a night of bliss with Xie Wenjun, so why should she ask for so much more?
Xie Wenjun said, "The overall situation is already settled, so whatever that secret decree was is no longer important."
Chen Liangyu asked, "What about the guest star? Is it insignificant either?"
Xie Wenjun stared at her silently for a long time, watching her meticulously smooth out the wrinkles on her sleeves, watching her lower her head in deep thought.
She firmly believed in their tacit understanding and that there was no need to make their private conversations too explicit. Chen Liangyu was a rare genius, and since she had doubts about the secret edict from the beginning, Xie Wenjun had reason to believe that she had known who the "guest star" was from the start.
"You should know perfectly well that the 'meritorious service of supporting the emperor and bringing blessings to one's descendants' of yesteryear was merely a temporary measure. Many of the government positions are filled with idle officials who draw salaries from the court but accomplish nothing. The numerous officials in various departments have overlapping responsibilities, often passing the buck between several people, wasting public funds and hindering the implementation of government orders. The bureaucracy is bloated and burdensome, and the Ministry of Revenue's accounts are strained year after year. These incompetent officials have truly reached the point where they must be dealt with!"
"I have no say in the affairs of the world. If I were to draft and issue decrees, they would be difficult to implement. The task of rectifying official corruption must be undertaken by my elder brother, and only my elder brother is capable of doing so."
"With so many matters urgently needing to be resolved, I am fully aware of the affairs of the court, yet I can only stand by and watch. I hope that after I relinquish my position, my brother can clean up this mess."
Xie Wenjun stood up, the hem of her cloak rippling in the sunlight. She stood there, her figure slender, the golden light casting a soft, pale yellow halo around her cloak.
Chen Liangyu, with her back to Xie Wenjun, suddenly turned around and was stung by the sunlight. The sunlight during the moonlit night was always gentle, but Xie Wenjun was cold and aloof, exuding an air of solitude.
She just stood there.
In her eyes, this empty shooting range was nothing more than a cage.
"I am capable of supporting this vast empire." Xie Wenjun gazed at the horizon, where a tiny tower loomed on the mountaintop at the edge of her vision. The spire of the tower was the astronomical observatory of the Imperial Observatory.
"Ah Li, choose me."
***
Below the stone steps of Yongning Palace was a round stone table with a stone stool at each of the four corners. Yuan Rong, Lin Yin, and Bu Ping'er were crowding around the stone table, chattering and asking Dai Qing questions. Perhaps they were pressing her too hard, because Dai Qing angrily pushed the three of them away, saying, "You, what are you asking? You have no shame."
Yuan Rong, Lin Yin, and Bu Ping'er covered their mouths and laughed.
The laughter happened to be heard by Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun. Whether Xie Wenjun thought anything of it or not, Chen Liangyu felt that the three of them were laughing with ill intent.
Lin Yin persisted, "Just how fair-skinned is Lady Daiqing?"
"Oh dear, you..." Dai Qing stomped her foot hard on the ground, covered her mouth and laughed, then turned and ran up the stone steps. When she raised her head, she hurriedly bowed and begged for forgiveness, "Princess, General, this servant knows her crime."
Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun walked down the stone steps side by side.
Yuan Rong also hurriedly curtsied and said, "This servant knows her fault."
Lin Yin and Bu Ping'er bowed deeply, saying, "This humble general acknowledges his guilt."
Chen Liangyu, who had her hands behind her back, noticed that the stone steps were slippery and worried that Xie Wenjun might lose her footing, so she moved her arms forward to support her slightly. "What are you talking about?"
A blush spread across Daiqing's cheeks, her face burning. "They have no scruples when they start spouting nonsense, Your Highness, General, please don't pay them any attention."
Chen Liangyu, who was not usually shy about discussing these matters, was unusually relaxed and chimed in, "It seems that the Princess and I cannot hear this."
Lin Yin was a bandit, and so was his mouth. "Lady Daiqing said that the grassland man's face and body were two different colors. His face was blacker than charcoal roasted by a stove fire, but his body was very white." As if he had let something slip, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "He also had energy."
Bu Ping'er stabbed her with her elbow.
Dai Qing hurriedly apologized again, "I have offended Your Highness and the General's ears. I know I am guilty and beg Your Highness to punish me."
Lin Yin said, "What's the big deal? A woman should marry when she's of age, and a man should marry when he's of age. It's just a small matter..."
Bu Ping'er gave her another elbow strike, this time with even more force, causing Lin Yin to stagger back half a step.
"Okay, I won't say anything more."
In the time it took to say a few words, Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun had already come downstairs.
Xie Wenjun told them to rise, her expression unchanging, seemingly oblivious to the idle chatter around her.
Chen Liangyu glanced at Lin Yin and said, "A woman should marry when she comes of age. What about you?"
Before Lin Yin could speak, Bu Ping'er spoke first, "Ah Yin is quite promising; even the Second Prince of Bei Yong almost became his subject."
Chen Liangyu asked, "Zhai Ji? What does that mean?"
Lin Yin said, "On the day of the banquet in the palace, Ping'er and I were waiting for you at the palace gate. Zhai Ji came out of the palace a little while before you and we met face to face. He asked me how Bo Gong Ridge was, and whether the chief had anyone to offer food and condolences. We talked for a few words. Zhai Ji said that as long as I kill you, he will marry me with the country as his dowry."
"You agreed."
"Of course I agreed to such a good offer."
Chen Liangyu quipped, "Then why haven't you made a move yet?"
Lin Yin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I told him to give me the country first, that I wanted to be the emperor of Bei Yong, and he said I was crazy. He's the one who's crazy."
Without even thinking about it, Zhai Ji's expression turned grim upon hearing those words.
“Don’t just ask us,” Lin Yin said, not daring to joke with the dignified and unapproachable princess, but able to make some jokes in front of Chen Liangyu. “And what about you, General?”
Xie Wenjun answered for her, "Your general is quite fair-skinned too."
Chen Liangyu: "..."
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