Harmony of the zither and the qin
Mid-Autumn Festival in the fourth year of Taichu.
Inside the palace, the subtle fragrance of osmanthus floats in the air, interweaving with the warm light of various newly hung palace lanterns in the corridors, making the white marble steps look like they are soaked in honey.
In front of the hall, hundreds of banquets were set up, and civil and military officials sat in order, talking and laughing happily, creating a scene of prosperity and peace.
When the eunuch's long voice of "Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived" was heard, all the noise fell silent in an instant.
Thousands of eyes were directed towards the top of the palace gate.
Ning Lingyi stepped out first, still in her bright yellow uniform. She glanced calmly at the people below, then slightly turned sideways and stretched out her hand behind her.
A large hand with distinct joints hesitated in the air for a moment, its fingertips slightly curled, but it finally covered her palm steadily.
Tuoba Hong then appeared.
He was wearing a royal tuxedo that matched Ning Lingyi's. The fabric was luxurious and the patterns were intricate, which made his already fair and handsome face look even more radiant. However, the gloom between his brows was deeper and more restrained than it had been a few years ago.
Just like that, in front of all the ministers in the world, she calmly held his hand and walked down the steps step by step.
Her steps were steady, his were a little slow, and they walked side by side towards the supreme throne. She could feel his resistance, but she held on tighter.
There was a slight commotion among the crowd, like ripples on water.
Surprise, curiosity, sudden realization, even some resistance. The Emperor's Husband, had actually become the Emperor's Husband? And not just a makeshift pawn as they had previously speculated?
The Beishu officials at the banquet, dressed in the official uniforms of the new dynasty, stared in amazement at the Khan whom they once worshipped as a god, now appearing in such a posture, walking hand in hand with the empress who conquered them.
Some people's eyes turned red, and they couldn't help but cry, and tears rolled down, and they hurriedly covered their faces with their sleeves.
Is it a shame? Is it an honor? At this moment, it seems unclear.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty! Your Majesty, long live ...
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shen Qingyan, thunderous cheers of congratulations resounded through the sky. No matter what they thought in their hearts, at this moment, no one dared not to bow their heads.
Ning Lingyi and Tuoba Hong sat down on the imperial throne, and her hand naturally loosened, the warmth of his palm remaining on her fingertips.
She could feel him sigh in relief.
Her gaze swept calmly across the room, lingering briefly on the tear-stained faces of the Beishu officials. She then spoke slowly, her voice clear and steady: "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, when both the moon and the moon are full. My husband and I are here, and seeing you all gathered here is heartwarming."
She paused slightly, her voice growing more serious. "Whether Han or Beishuo, once you've entered our Taichu territory, you're all my people. I hope both tribes will put aside their past grudges and live in harmony, just like my husband and I, who share the harmonious harmony of music and protect this vast land together."
The four words "harmonious music of the zither and the harp" were clearly heard by everyone. Everyone's expressions were different: surprise, contemplation, understanding...
All kinds of emotions quickly flowed through the exchanged glances, but were quickly concealed and transformed into gestures of respect.
Ning Lingyi raised the jade cup in front of her and turned her gaze to Tuoba Hong beside her.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly raised the wine glass in front of him. His movements were a little stiff, but in the end, he held it steadily without hesitation.
"May our country be prosperous and peaceful, and the world be at peace. My dear friends, let's drink this cup together." Ning Lingyi said loudly and drank the wine in the cup first.
"Let's drink this cup together! Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
The nectar was drunk by everyone.
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet slowly unfolded in this seemingly harmonious atmosphere.
*
Soon after the banquet ended, an imperial decree was issued to the world.
The decree clearly stated that the people of Beishuo and the Han people were both citizens of Dachu and enjoyed equal rights. They could participate in the imperial examinations and become officials.
A special imperial examination was set up: starting from the fifth year of Taichu, in the next twenty years, in each imperial examination, in addition to the normal number of admissions, twenty additional Jinshi candidates from the Beishuo area would be admitted. After twenty years, this practice would be stopped.
At the same time, in the prefectures and counties where Beishuo people live, there must be Beishuo official positions in the government. If the people of Beishuo encounter injustice, they can report it to the emperor Tuoba Hong for a decision.
This decree was like dropping a huge rock into a seemingly calm lake.
There are bound to be some complaints among the Han people.
"Twenty years, one hundred and forty Jinshi places...is Your Majesty being too lenient?"
"Beishuo has just annexed the country and should be strictly disciplined. If we treat him so generously, I'm afraid he will become arrogant in the future and cause trouble."
Ultimately, these discussions remained private and were not expressed openly in memorials.
Ning Lingyi's great military achievements in nearly unifying the country, as well as the vigorous new policies he had implemented since ascending the throne, had earned him great prestige. Thinking that the northern border indeed needed to be appeased, and thinking of the "twenty-year limit", most people chose to remain silent, at most sighing, "Your Majesty's foresight is beyond the reach of us."
In the hearts of the people of Beishuo, especially the hundreds of thousands of people who had moved into the interior and received land and houses, this decree gave them real hope.
They are no longer slaves! Your Majesty did not burn the bridge after crossing it. Although there is a time limit, twenty years is enough for a generation to grow, enough for them to take root in the soil of the new dynasty and catch up.
Not only that, there must be a seat in the government, where one can directly report to the emperor...
This means that their voices have a direct channel to reach the ears of heaven.
The northern border, which had been turbulent and prone to riots due to changes in dynasties and cultural barriers, has miraculously calmed down and presented a peace that had not been seen in many years.
Occasionally, a few of the old nobles of Beishuo who were unwilling to give up tried to secretly connect with each other and raise their arms to call for action, but they were shocked to find that there were few responses.
Those who were once slaves of the tribe now guard their own fields and houses. Although their lives are still poor, they plant in spring and harvest in autumn, and their sweat drips into the soil, just like the Han farmers inside the Great Wall. But they have food in their bowls, clothes on their bodies, and a place to shelter from the wind and rain at night. They are not beaten or scolded for no reason, and they don't have to worry about being treated like livestock.
They saw that the Han people also lived in the same way, and they felt more at ease. Who would be willing to follow those nobles and risk their lives to live in such precarious circumstances when they could live in peace?
The people's hearts are like water; wherever it is moistened, they will take root and sprout.
The ambition that could not be completely suppressed by war and harsh rule quietly surrendered in the face of a bowl of rice, a house, and a visible way out.
A few days later, it was a clear autumn afternoon.
Ning Lingyi was reviewing memorials in the imperial study when Tuoba Hong walked in.
In his hands he held a somewhat thick memorial and an object wrapped in ordinary blue cloth.
"His Majesty."
He spoke, his voice a little less distant than usual.
Ning Lingyi raised her head, her gaze lingered on the object in his hand for a moment, and then she put down the red pen.
Tuoba Hong placed the memorial and the cloth bag on the imperial desk: "Several naturalized villages and towns in the northern border have jointly written this letter to express their gratitude to Your Majesty for his kindness, and they have also presented us with ceremonial gifts."
Ning Lingyi did not look at the blue cloth package first, but unfolded the memorial.
Her eyes swept over those simple words, describing the green ridges of the fields and the days when she would no longer be whipped. She closed the memorial and then reached out to untie the blue cloth.
Inside was a wooden comb with an eagle totem engraved on it. The wood was ordinary, but the carving was simple and attentive. There was also a bag of plump golden wheat grains, each one round and with the scent of earth.
"Eagles soar across the sky, wheat waves stretch for thousands of miles." She traced the eagle pattern on the comb with her fingertips, picked up a few grains of wheat, and whispered, "It's a generous gift."
Tuoba Hong's gaze fell on the golden wheat grains, his eyes complicated. "They offer these two things as tribute. The eagle symbolizes freedom and strength, and the new wheat is a prayer for a good harvest and peace. It means that they are united in heart and destiny, and are grateful for the virtue of life."
He was silent for a moment, then added, "They're very attentive."
Ning Lingyi raised her eyes, looked at him, and asked directly, "Seeing all this, seeing your people beginning to find a foothold in the new dynasty, have you finally found a moment of peace in your heart?"
Tuoba Hong remained still for a long time before he sighed.
"They can finally choose to offer gifts like human beings, rather than being forced to pay tribute." He paused for a long time, his eyes finally meeting hers.
“This path, perhaps, is truly more worthwhile.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ning Lingyi looked at him and saw that the gloomy ice in his eyes that had not melted for years finally cracked a little, revealing a little light.
She also felt relieved.
"That's good."
*
One afternoon a few days later, the autumn sun was warm.
Shen Qingyan asked for an audience in the imperial study.
Ning Lingyi was reviewing memorials. When she saw him come in, she put down her red pen and asked, "What's the matter, Mr. Shen?"
Shen Qingyan bowed, his expression filled with consideration and worry. "Your Majesty, since ancient times, being too lenient has led to the fear that those being pacified will become arrogant. If they become powerful and repeatedly cause trouble, it will become difficult to control and we will suffer the consequences. Throughout the dynasties, newly annexed territories were often intimidated by thunder and lightning, or even massacred to eliminate them, in order to prevent future troubles and facilitate the expansion of the government. Your Majesty is so lenient, I am afraid..."
He didn't say anything else, but his meaning was clear and his worry was evident.
Ning Lingyi listened quietly, with no emotion on her face. She just raised her eyes to look at the high sky outside the window, where a lone goose was flying south.
She sighed softly, "No matter how sharp the blade is, it can chop off heads and sever rivers, but can it possibly sever the hardness of a human heart? Can it sever the will to survive of these countless lives?"
She retracted her gaze and looked at Shen Qingyan, her eyes sharper: "Mr. Shen, you are now the Prime Minister, in charge of the center, and have great power in the court. Do you still remember what you said to me in Mingzhou that when you are an official, you should put the people first and help them out of their distress?"
"Have you lived in this nine-story palace for too long, become accustomed to the political maneuvers, and forgotten your original aspirations?"
Shen Qingyan suddenly knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I was temporarily confined to outdated ideas and was not thorough enough! I will reflect deeply on this and guide the court. I will not allow such remarks to confuse your Majesty."
Ning Lingyi looked at his crouching figure with a complicated expression, and finally softened her tone, "Stand up. I know you're also planning for the country and your heart is with it. But, Qingyan, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; a slight mistake can lead to a huge error. Being tough can easily break, while being gentle can easily weaken. You and I need to carefully calibrate the balance between the two."
"I understand. I will take my leave."
Shen Qingyan bowed again, and when he stood up, his steps were a little unsteady. He bowed and left the imperial study.
Ning Lingyi's last few words.
“Forgot the original intention”
"Living in the Nine-Layered Palace for Too Long"
Did she feel that he, the Prime Minister, had become a stumbling block to her integration into the Four Seas? Was she beginning to be suspicious of him?
Your Majesty, has she already decided to... depose the Prime Minister?
Shen Qingyan looked up at the golden eaves of the palace roof. Under the high autumn sky, they separated the inside and the outside, and seemed to blur the friendship that they once had in Mingzhou.
How many years has it been since he returned to the capital?
Shen Qingyan couldn't remember clearly, so he needed to calculate it.
I left the capital in the third year of Jinghe, one day of Zhaoxi, and three years of self-reflection. Now it is the fourth year of Taichu.
It turned out that he had been serving as an assistant minister for ten years. He was only in his thirties, but he had served as an assistant minister for ten years, and his power was growing day by day.
What then? How long would His Majesty tolerate him continuing to serve as Prime Minister? If he lived to be sixty, that would mean he still had nearly thirty years to go. Would His Majesty continue to favor and trust him?
Shen Qingyan walked on the long palace road. The autumn sun warmed his body, but his heart was cold.
In the imperial study, Ning Lingyi picked up the red brush again, but did not put it down immediately.
She looked in the direction Shen Qingyan left, silent for a long time, then whispered to herself: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The way to control it is to guide it, to give it a glimmer of hope, rather than simply blocking and suppressing it. Qingyan, I hope you can truly understand this. Don't... let down the people of this world."
She lowered her eyelashes and her gaze fell on another pile of memorials on the desk. There, there were countless chess games related to the national economy and people's livelihood, waiting for her to consider and make moves.
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