Chapter 153 Outside the Taifu Palace, Xie Wenjun is the true...
On the desk lay an unfinished painting, "Spring Hunting." Xie Wenjun held the brush in mid-air for a long time before finally placing the wolf-hair brush back on the brush holder.
The painting was originally intended to depict the hunting grounds in the northern suburbs from over a decade ago, but unknowingly, it has taken on a touch of the dusty, windswept atmosphere of Qianji Plain.
Last night, a cool rain fell in Yongdu, similar to the rain she experienced on the day she saw Chen Liangyu off.
After the spring rain, the weather will warm up.
Xie Wenjun, holding half a freshly peeled loquat in her hand, walked to the corridor once again.
In the courtyard, the pomegranate flowers are in full bloom. The letter from the north should have arrived today, but it has not yet come.
Xie Wenjun ordered that a letter be sent back from the northern border every three days. However, the journey from Qianji Plain to Yongdu was long and arduous, and even with the fastest horse, it would still take several days.
So every time she received a letter, she knew that what was delivered to her was always an old message from Chen Liangyu from a few days ago.
I send my regards from afar, hoping for news from afar.
Is she alright?
Before the echoes from afar arrived, news of the Emperor's return came first.
Rong Jun strode over and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty has returned to the palace, and the imperial carriage has already arrived outside Yongdu City."
Xie Wenjun had a doubt in her heart.
Previously, she had instructed Jiang Bojin to advise the emperor to inspect the fields in the south, but Xie Yuan only set off this spring. Considering the days and the distance traveled, Xie Yuan's entourage turned back halfway through the inspection.
Something must have happened.
Perhaps he encountered trouble along the way, or perhaps he had a health problem, but whatever the reason, he kept it a secret.
The crisp sound of horses' hooves echoed outside the Princess's residence, followed immediately by the high-pitched voice of the imperial eunuch: "His Majesty has decreed that the Princess be summoned to the palace for an audience immediately!"
They only said it was for government business purposes and said nothing more.
The lingering hope has vanished, and in the spring breeze, it seems another upheaval is about to unfold.
Last autumn, the rice harvest in Cangnan was poor, perhaps due to the drought the year before. Although a year has passed, the effects of the drought continue.
In the imperial court, ministers reported one after another about the dire situation of poor harvests in the southern regions. Xie Yuan had already been considering traveling south to inspect the fields and personally observe the people's plight.
Agriculture and sericulture are the foundation of the nation and the lifeblood of the people.
The memorials from the imperial court were ultimately a barrier; he needed to go to the fields and see for himself the drought and the people's livelihoods.
This trip is imperative.
This thought lingered in his mind for more than half a year until the spring of the ninth year of Zhenyuan, when the matter of abolishing government offices had eased up a bit, he finally put aside the complicated entanglements of the court and set off.
Along the way, people lined the streets to welcome them.
The fields stretch out in neat rows, like a green carpet, with newly dug irrigation ditches running along the edges.
The accompanying local official stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, this field suffered from drought last year. Although it was not as severe as the drought in Cangnan the year before last, it still caused hardship for the people. It is thanks to Her Highness the Princess who sent people to supervise the farming, change the planting of drought-resistant seedlings, and build irrigation canals that the crops are growing so well today."
This local official, having been stationed away from home for a long time, was completely unaware of the power struggle that had been brewing between the emperor and the princess. "In the past, this place was mostly barren, but now it is in such good condition, all thanks to Her Highness the Princess who has traversed the fields and personally taught us farming methods."
Xie Yuan withdrew his gaze from the distance and said in a calm tone, "Jiangning is indeed capable. The success of the agricultural administration is also thanks to your concerted efforts with the people."
Then he went on a southern tour.
The closer one gets to Cangnan, the more widespread the drought-related disasters become.
I heard many stories along the way.
Xie Wenjun had the Hezhou rice planted by the Gu family in Cangnan in Xuetun yield a good harvest. Last year, he introduced Hezhou rice with fuller ears to the Huainan area and Cangnan. He also borrowed several disciples from Lingjiu Academy from Yan Nian, who was repairing river embankments and irrigation canals in Zhudong, to go to the disaster-stricken areas in the south to repair river canals.
In the face of natural disasters, there is very little that human intervention can achieve.
Although the drought has eased somewhat, the water level in the rivers and canals is still insufficient, and the fundamental cause of the disaster has not been reversed. Along the way, many people were dressed in rags and clutching empty grain bags. After reaching the Huainan region, the entourage stopped beside a rice paddy with a dried-up ditch. Xie Yuan dismounted from the imperial carriage, squatted down on the edge of the paddy field to check the growth of the crops, his brow furrowed.
A drought lasted from autumn until the beginning of the year; all the suffering of the people is my fault.
This personal experience of the hardships of the people also made him look back on Xie Wenjun's decision to insist on personally inspecting agriculture and sericulture in various places and traveling all over the country.
Even the most brilliant strategies in the imperial court cannot compare to a single step taken in the fields.
Those deep within the palace cannot know the hardships of making a living; the people's plight must be inquired from those working in the fields.
Only by personally experiencing the hunger and cold of the people can the country enjoy eternal peace.
...
Xie Wenjun practiced this strategy of personal involvement for several years, and it was only many years later, when he personally followed the path she had walked, that he truly understood it.
Before I could think it through, a commotion suddenly broke out on the ridge in front of me.
First, three or five farmers stood with hoes in hand. In an instant, villagers who had been scattered gathered at the sound, hoes, sickles, and even broken wooden plows, all shouting and fighting as they rushed toward the bright yellow dragon robe.
In order to get closer to the livelihoods of farmers and to avoid creating a barrier due to the heavy guard of the Imperial Guards, Xie Yuan deliberately relaxed the defenses and did not need to be strictly guarded.
The moment the rioters' hoes struck, Xie Yuan felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder blade.
The Imperial Guards immediately surrounded and protected the emperor.
The disaster victims before him, though still clutching their farm tools, had already shown fear in their eyes. The impulsiveness they had felt earlier had completely transformed into terror at the sight of the blood-stained imperial robes.
Xie Yuan forced himself to sit up, his gaze sweeping over the sallow faces of the refugees. He recalled the year of the Cangnan famine, when he too had been injured on the forehead by starving and freezing refugees.
The old farmer leading the group was trembling uncontrollably.
Xie Yuan said, "I know you have no other choice. This matter ends here." He paused, then emphasized his words to the local officials and Imperial Guards around him, "No one is allowed to mention this again, and no one is allowed to pursue any further action."
After the disaster victims had dispersed, Zheng Hechuan hurriedly summoned the accompanying physician. The physician urgently advised Xie Yuan to stay at the nearest government office to treat his injuries, but Xie Yuan waved his hand to stop him: "If we make a fuss now, we will be investigated endlessly and held accountable. All the previous efforts to appease him will have been in vain."
He boarded the imperial carriage and ordered the physician to treat and bandage the wound from the hoe, saying, "Let's hurry on our journey and discuss this further upon returning to the palace."
The inspection tour was originally scheduled to last three months, with the return not expected until mid-April. However, before even reaching the territory of Cangnan, the team turned back in the Huainan region and returned to Yongdu.
The journey was bumpy, and the wound was repeatedly rubbed against the gauze.
It wasn't until the imperial carriage entered Chengtian Gate that Xie Yuan was carried into Chongzheng Hall by a palace attendant. Only after his blood-stained clothes were removed did they see that his wounds had already festered and become infected.
He had led troops into battle before, and his body was naturally strong; he shouldn't have collapsed from such a blow. However, he had a pre-existing ailment that fluctuated in severity and he had never been able to fully recover. The cut inflicted by the hoe, after being concealed and endured the hardships of the journey, eventually developed into a life-threatening condition.
Inside Chongzheng Hall, the scent of ambergris mingled with the smell of medicine. Xie Yuan lay half-conscious, one arm draped over a bright yellow brocade quilt.
Xun Shuheng held the medicine bowl and watched as the physician removed the gauze from Xie Yuan's chest and back.
The Empress Dowager's voice came from behind the screen, and she turned out, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, "How is His Majesty?"
"Still has a fever."
Xun Shuheng wiped the cold sweat from Xie Yuan's forehead and replied.
"They've rebelled! They've really rebelled!"
The Buddhist prayer beads in the Empress Dowager's hand suddenly snapped, and the round beads rolled off. Several palace maids around the Empress Dowager hurriedly knelt down to pick them up.
"These unruly people! Issue my imperial decree: immediately dispatch troops from the northern suburban camp to Huainan and arrest all those troublemakers!"
The hall was completely silent; the eunuchs and palace maids all bowed their heads and held their breath.
Zheng Hechuan knelt on the ground, forcing himself to plead, "Empress Dowager, please calm down. His Majesty specifically instructed before returning to the palace that this matter must not be publicized, and no one should be held accountable..."
"His Majesty is kind-hearted," the Empress Dowager interrupted him sharply, her eyes filled with both pity and anger. "He already had a pre-existing ailment, and now he has suffered a new injury. These unruly people dared to harm the Emperor. If they are not severely punished, won't everyone dare to defy the Emperor in the future?"
"Mother..."
A weak gasp came from behind the tent. Xie Yuan's chest rose and fell slightly, and his lips were pale.
Xun Shuheng helped him sit up and placed a soft cushion behind him to support his body.
Zheng Hechuan placed a soft stool next to the dragon bed and bowed to help the Empress Dowager sit down.
"My son..."
Xie Yuan said, “The year before last there was a severe drought, and last year the rice ears were empty, yet the government’s grain tax was not reduced by even a single grain! The people sold their oxen and pawned their thatched huts, but still couldn’t raise enough to pay their taxes. It was my oversight that caused them to suffer so much.”
Just then, a palace attendant entered the hall to report that Princess Jiangning had entered the palace to pay her respects.
Upon hearing that Xie Wenjun had entered the palace, the Empress Dowager's expression hardened even more.
"What is she doing here? Is she anxious to see if the Emperor has breathed his last? I advise her to give up now. Even if Heaven does not bless the Emperor, the throne will not fall into her hands!"
After Xie Yuan's southern tour, Gu Heng, the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat, and Sheng Yu'an, the Right Vice Minister, took advantage of the situation and "forced" Xie Wenjun to temporarily assist him, citing that "the Secretariat Minister Cheng Lingdian was busy with the merging of government offices and was preoccupied with handling all the official business of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau, resulting in chaotic accounts."
It turns out that Gu Heng and Sheng Yu'an were also her students.
Subsequently, Xie Wenjun naturally transferred all matters of the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau to the Taifu Temple, which was responsible for the storage and disbursement of taxes, grains, cloth, tributes, and other items, and recommended Yuan Rong to serve as the Left Treasury Director of the Taifu Temple and concurrently as the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau Director.
Not long after, Yuan Rong was promoted to Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, effectively wielding the power of auditing.
The power to control agricultural and grain taxes returned to Xie Wenjun's hands.
The promise that "after the emperor's southern tour, the seven ministers would discuss the matter, the central government would make decisions, and the empress would rule as regent" became nothing but empty words.
The empress's regency was merely a formality, and no one respected her authority.
Whenever court officials encountered political matters, they would first consult the Princess's residence for advice. Only after receiving a satisfactory answer would they dare to submit a memorial to the Empress and implement it. The entire court almost followed Xie Wenjun's lead.
Xie Yuan said, "Mother, it was I who summoned Jiang Ning."
The Empress Dowager stood up, the hem of her phoenix robe sweeping across the stool legs. "The emperor is not an emperor, the ministers are not ministers, the harem is not a harem—what kind of court is this!"
The Empress Dowager, supported by the eunuch, had just taken two steps from the imperial couch when she suddenly stopped and turned around, as if to give some instructions.
The position of Crown Prince is vacant; it's time to establish a new heir.
Looking at Xie Yuan's weak and frail appearance, urging him to establish an heir at this moment would be tantamount to killing him.
She only said one sentence: "Your Majesty's most important task now is to recover from your injuries and not to worry about matters of the court." She then instructed the people outside the hall: "Bring the ginseng soup that has been prepared and let Your Majesty drink it while it's hot."
Xie Wenjun stood outside Chongzheng Hall waiting to be summoned. When he saw the Empress Dowager come out of the hall, he was about to step forward to pay his respects, but he was met with the Empress Dowager's undisguised cold face.
With a nasal hum, the Empress Dowager turned and left.
After Xie Wenjun entered the hall, the medicinal atmosphere in Chongzheng Hall seemed to freeze for a moment.
Xie Yuan dismissed everyone around him, and even the Empress, who was guarding the bedside, was quietly instructed by him to "go to the outer room and wait."
Xie Wenjun performed the courtier's salute, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Xie Yuan leaned back on the cushions, straightening his posture slightly, and said, "I know you've been investigating the spies that Bei Yong planted in Yongdu. Have you found their hideout?"
Xie Wenjun said, "We have found some clues, but we don't know how these people are communicating. I am ashamed."
Previously, Gao Guan had captured that prison doctor, who was on a one-way street, only communicating with the high priest who came with Zhai Yu as part of her dowry. In order not to alert the enemy, he quietly disposed of this person.
Xie Yuan said casually, "The Imperial Concubine plays the harp quite well."
Then he added, "Jiang Ning, what is it that you seek by running around in agricultural administration and navigating the court?"
Upon hearing Xie Yuan's question, Xie Wenjun remained calm. "Your Majesty's question fills me with trepidation. The shackles on women in this world are so heavy. As a mere woman, all I think about and plan is to secure a future for the people."
The hall fell silent instantly after he finished speaking.
The person inside the tent seemed to chuckle.
She wielded immense power, controlling the Taifu Temple, the Sinong Temple, the Sixteen Southern Guards, and half of the Zhongshu Province. She had countless princesses' protégés in the Six Ministries, and even Chen Liangyu bowed to her. Yet, she still managed to portray herself as a virtuous minister.
But she was right about one thing.
A woman.
Even with outstanding achievements and popular support, he was ultimately excluded from the throne by orthodox rules.
Even with her many talents, she could not cross the line.
Xie Yuan said, "The disaster situation in the Huainan area still shows no signs of abating. You understand people's livelihoods and know about agriculture. Only you can stabilize the situation."
He coughed lightly twice, his tone now carrying a hint of solemn entrustment, "I will issue an edict authorizing you to oversee agriculture. The hundreds of thousands of people in Huainan and Cangnan who have suffered from the disaster now depend entirely on you."
In this way, the power of the Imperial Treasury, which controls the nation's finances, and the power to manage agriculture, sericulture, and grain taxes are relinquished to her.
Xie Wenjun bowed and gave a solemn salute to the emperor's tent, her posture humble, "Your subject receives the decree."
The sky outside Chongzheng Hall was an extremely clear blue, with wispy clouds drifting by.
Xie Wenjun rode out of Chengtian Gate in his carriage and looked at the unobstructed sky, suddenly feeling a sense of vastness.
The palace walls form a boundary, separating the inner and outer worlds.
The six armies of the Northern Army guarded every part of the palace, leaving no stone unturned, even the corner gates leading to the Cold Palace were guarded by soldiers with halberds standing at attention.
Once outside Chengtian Gate, the scenery suddenly changed.
Led by Gao Guan, the silver-armored soldiers of the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Court lined up in every street and alley of Yongdu, and Yongdu was under martial law. The issuance and removal of seals of the Six Ministries and Nine Temples, and the implementation of government orders, all depended on her word.
Rong Jun led the Changning Guard to guard Chengtian Gate, where carriages awaited the emperor.
What difference does it make whether she ascends the throne or not, even if the emperor sits high on the throne in the Golden Palace?
Outside the palace, she is now the true ruler of Yongdu, and even the entire world.
The humility between Xie Wenjun's brows vanished without a trace. "Summon the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of Agriculture, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War to the residence for a meeting."
Rong Jun said, "The esteemed officials are already waiting."
Xie Wenjun nodded and then asked, "Among those who accompanied His Majesty on his southern inspection tour of the fields, is anyone missing?"
Rong Jun said, "Your Majesty, the guard Yan Feng who has been by your side since the Prince's residence did not return to the palace with you, and the Imperial Guards are also missing a few men. I have already ordered the spies in the south to keep an eye on him. Whenever Yan Feng shows his face, someone will be watching his movements."
Xie Wenjun said, "Feimeng, send a letter to Chen Liangyu, instructing her to stop any troop movements in Xiling and Zhudong!"
Chengyang Earl Yue Dun and Feng Jiakun are leading troops in the field and need to be protected by dikes.
As for the south, the most important thing to guard against is the garrison of Linxia, which consists of Xie Yuan's old troops from when he took up his fief.
Xie Wenjun said, "If Yan Feng shows up in Linxia territory, there's no need to keep an eye on him. Just send someone to intercept him and kill him."
Aside from such a significant matter as mobilizing troops under the guise of guarding Yongdu, Xie Yuan would not send his trusted confidant, whom he had never left his side, in person. Yan Feng must have an imperial edict to mobilize troops.
"Furthermore, order Zhao Mingqin to lead the Xuanjia cavalry to guard Yongdu. If they encounter the Linxia army on the way, they shall be regarded as rebels and be wiped out."
Rong Jun said, "I understand."
Xie Wenjun glanced at the palace behind her again.
With the Emperor injured and returning home, and the Great Lin in the midst of internal strife, even if Zhai Yu could usually remain patient and discreet, at this critical juncture, if she couldn't restrain herself from sending messages outside the palace, her whereabouts would inevitably be exposed.
"If there is anything suspicious inside or outside Zhaohua Palace, compile it into a secret report and submit it to this palace."
"yes."
Outside Chengtian Gate, a carriage was parked by the Outer Jinshui Bridge.
The carriage was completely different in style from those in the palace.
The vehicle was covered with a scarlet velvet blanket, adorned with silver bells, and decorated with colorful peacock feathers at its four corners.
Xie Wenjun glanced at it, and Rong Jun immediately reported, "It's a carriage from Bei Yong."
Zhai Yu wrote to her motherland, urging the two countries to cease hostilities. Regardless of her ulterior motives, this action at least gave the border people a brief respite from the chaos.
Xie Yuan, grateful for her contributions and understanding her longing for her homeland, sent envoys to Beiyong to bring Zhai Yu's relatives from the old capital to the palace to accompany her.
The carriage curtain was lifted by an attendant, and a little girl dressed in a Hu-style robe embroidered with gold thread, high boots, and a sash stepped out, looking up curiously at the palace gate.
Her black hair was braided into several small braids, with a few rubies and sapphires adorning the ends of the braids.
She stood on the carriage shaft, hands behind her back, her ethereal beauty undeniable.
Xie Wenjun glanced at it again and said, "He looks a bit like someone."
“Zhai Ji is her biological father.”
No wonder.
The eldest princess left the palace in her carriage.
Author's Note: Zhai Zhaoyang: This princess has arrived! Chen Huai'an, come out to greet me!
Actually, we didn't get along from the moment we met.
The eldest princess is the younger one.
Thank you for reading this far!
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