Veteran Heart
The night is as dark as ink, deeply immersing the capital city.
Deep in the alleys, only the sound of the night watchman's clapperboard could be heard in the distance, making the silence outside the red gate even more silent.
Ning Lingyi raised her hand, paused for a moment, and finally pushed the red door open with force.
The door hinge creaked dully, breaking the tranquility of the courtyard, and human voices moved quietly.
The courtyard was not deep, and a single lamp was on in the main hall. The dim light shone through the window lattice, reflecting the gaunt silhouette of an old man.
He was hunched over a pile of scattered ancient books, a pair of crystal mirrors on his nose. When he heard the door open, he thought it was the old servant and didn't look up. He just said vaguely, "Leave the tea here. No need to add more."
It was not until he heard footsteps approaching, which did not sound like the old servant's staggering, that he raised his eyes in confusion.
The flickering candlelight reflected people's faces.
The old man's pupils suddenly shrank, and the scroll in his hand fell to the table with a "bang". He stood up in a hurry and was about to bow with his sleeves brushed.
"No need to be so polite, Mr. Wang."
Ning Lingyi took a step forward and held his arm firmly.
The old man was none other than Wang Jingzhi, the former prime minister.
He was dressed in a half-worn Taoist robe, his hair and beard all white. At this moment, he insisted on bowing: "Your Highness's arrival at this late hour has already made me terrified. Now that Your Highness has entered the capital, you have received the mandate of Heaven and are the ruler of the world. How can the etiquette between monarch and subject be neglected?"
Ning Lingyi's grip remained firm, her eyes calm. "In front of Mr. Wang's family, Lingyi is always a junior. Besides, the emperor is not the ruler of the world, but the public servant of the world. A servant is not worthy of such a great honor from the old gentleman."
Wang Jingzhi paused, and his cloudy yet clear eyes looked carefully at Ning Lingyi in front of him through the lenses.
She was not wearing palace attire, only a plain green dress. Although her face looked tired, her eyes were clear and firm, completely different from the girl in the deep palace in his memory.
He no longer insisted and slowly stood up. After a long moment, he let out a long sigh: "This world is destined for Your Highness to take it away."
Ning Lingyi surveyed the sparsely furnished, even somewhat cluttered, study and whispered, "Emperor Guangqi dismissed the old noble family. He misjudged people and destroyed his own pillars. To be honest, when I was deep inside the palace and heard about state affairs, I sometimes felt that the old noble family was too cautious, even foolish and incompetent. It wasn't until today, when I've even touched upon the weight of that power, that I understand how difficult it was for the old gentleman to persevere amidst the turmoil."
Wang Jingzhi waved his hand, walked to the table and flicked the wick. The flame flickered, stretching his figure longer and shorter.
"I am no more than a pillar of society. I am only a paperhanger. This country is like a dilapidated house with leaks everywhere. All I can do is to find some paper pulp and cover the leaks with a layer of paper, hoping to make the surface look bright and temporarily protect against the wind and rain. No matter how rotten it is inside, I am powerless to save it."
"Even a paperhanger needs the heart of a master craftsman," Ning Lingyi said. "Before, there were paperhangers like the old noble family struggling to hold on. But after you left, Guangqi's empire collapsed overnight. While this was certainly due to his own stupidity and brutality, it's also tragic that no one in the entire court could maintain the situation like the old noble family did."
"Lingyi has taken the liberty of coming here tonight to ask you, old sir, how should the world be governed?"
Wang Jingzhi pondered for a moment, then led Ning Lingyi to a chair beside him and said slowly, "As the ancients said, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. This may not be entirely without truth."
Seeing Ning Lingyi listening intently, he asked, "Your Highness, do you know where the imperial court's decrees can ultimately lead?"
Ning Lingyi was slightly startled: "It has reached all prefectures and counties, even down to the common people in the countryside."
"It's difficult." Wang Jingzhi shook his head. "Even reaching the level of prefecture and county officials is already a difficult task. As for the common people, they often experience government orders that have been layered on top of or distorted. Therefore, governing the country is actually governing officials in seven out of ten cases. Why have so many emperors throughout history always prioritized the governance of officials? This is the reason."
"But if all our energy is spent on balancing the two sides with the ministers," Ning Lingyi frowned, "how can we truly accomplish anything and benefit the people?"
"This is the difficulty of being an emperor." Wang Jingzhi's tone was flat, but it expressed endless vicissitudes of life.
"Have all emperors since ancient times been wise and virtuous? Have all been men of great talent and vision? No. Most emperors have spent their entire lives consumed by the strife and factionalism of the court. Maintaining the stability of their government is a rare feat. Only those gifted with extraordinary talents, whose minds and skills have reached the pinnacle, can break through this quagmire and accomplish a few concrete things."
"Take Emperor Guangqi, for example. When he first ascended the throne, didn't he ever dream of being a good emperor who worked hard to govern the country? Yet, he was hampered by numerous obstacles, and his inner demons gradually grew. He eventually became insane, died, and his country was destroyed, becoming a laughing stock for the world."
At this point, the study was completely silent, with only the occasional crackling sound of lamplight.
"Then in your opinion, sir, what should we do in the current situation?" Ning Lingyi broke the silence.
Wang Jingzhi looked up at her. "The Southern Dynasty is now an absolute mess. It's supposed to be the third year of the Guangqi reign, but some counties have already collected taxes as far back as the tenth! Border troubles are even worse. The Western Qiang, newly defeated, will not give up. And Tuoba Hong in Northern Shuo is eyeing them covetously. Your Highness, do you want to clean up your internal affairs first and start anew with the people, or do you want to devote all your efforts to the Northern Expedition to recover your lost territory?"
Ning Lingyi didn't hesitate: "We must first launch a northern expedition to recover Hebei. Even if we have a thousand issues to deal with domestically, if we are unable to resist foreign aggression, we will ultimately be prey on others' chopping blocks. How can we even talk about governance?"
Wang Jingzhi nodded slowly. "That's right. Why do historical records often say that great order follows great chaos? It's not necessarily because the new ruler is necessarily wise, but rather because after years of war, the population has dwindled, the old powerful forces have suffered heavy losses, and the trend of land annexation has been temporarily slowed, giving the surviving people a chance to breathe and find a glimmer of hope."
"The Northern Expedition will, firstly, deplete the population. Secondly, it will allow us to strike at the local tyrants under the pretext of war. After the war, the situation may become clearer, and the new policies will face less resistance. This is how the current situation will gradually improve."
Ning Lingyi was deeply shocked, but she tried to remain calm: "Is this the way to govern a country?"
"Heaven and earth are unkind, treating all things like straw dogs." Wang Jingzhi's tone remained calm. "The world sometimes operates in such a naked and direct way. Or there are other ways, such as expanding territory and using the enemy's resources to support our own people. But in the end, it only delays the process. Looking at the rise and fall of things over the past thousand years, it is generally impossible to escape this cycle."
Ning Lingyi was silent for a long time, her fingertips feeling slightly cold.
Wang Jingzhi spoke again, asking, "The money, food, and military supplies needed for the Northern Expedition are astronomical. Does Your Highness have any plans?"
"I was just about to ask the old gentleman for his advice."
"If we regard the output of the world as a big pie." Wang Jingzhi stretched out his skinny fingers and drew in the air.
"The imperial family takes at least one or two cents for themselves; the royal family, the hereditary nobles, take another one or two cents; the officials, ministers, gentry, and merchants throughout the country, exploiting them at every level, take another two, three, or even four or five cents. Ultimately, what's left for the common people who scrape by in the fields is only one or two cents, barely enough to keep them alive."
He paused, then looked at Ning Lingyi with a deep gaze. "So, if the emperor can restrain his own desires, and can restrain his relatives and intimidate his ministers, the people may have an extra grain of rice in their bowls."
"However, if Your Highness wishes to raise the vast sums of money for the Northern Expedition, you will be snatching food from the tiger's mouth, which is only about 80% of the pie. Once this is accomplished, Your Highness will no longer be the savior that the people look up to, but a public enemy who steals people's money. Then, open and covert attacks, slander and defamation will come like a tide."
Ning Lingyi took a deep breath, a look of enlightenment flashing in her eyes. "Thus, since ancient times, the more capable a ruler was, the more criticism and slander he received."
"Who would be willing to spit out the fat meat that has already entered their mouth?" Wang Jingzhi asked in return.
The candlelight cast Ning Lingyi's shadow on the wall. She was silent for a moment, and when she looked up again, her eyes were no longer hesitant. "Even so, this matter must be done. Lingyi respectfully requests the Wang family to help me."
*
The next day, at dawn, the solemn sound of bells and drums awakened the imperial palace, which had been silent for several days.
All the officials, dressed in court robes, lined up in front of the newly restored Zichen Hall. Everyone held their breath, with their eyes lowered, undercurrents surging, as they all waited for the first grand court meeting of the new dynasty.
Ning Lingyi sat upright on the throne, wearing a black robe and a purple skirt. Although she did not have the imperial crown, she had an unquestionable majesty.
The eunuch unfolded the yellow silk and his shrill voice pierced the hall:
"By order of His Highness:"
"Promote Xue Cheng to the position of General Protecting the Nation, First Rank, to command all military operations in the Northern Expedition; establish the Military Affairs Office immediately to oversee military affairs. Promote Su Qingfan to the position of Minister of Military Affairs, Second Rank, to oversee military logistics and the dispatch of food and wages; promote Jing Zhao to the position of Prime Minister of Military Affairs, Third Rank, to assist in the daily affairs of the Military Affairs Office."
"The Minyou Palace will be established immediately as the central administrative center of the imperial court. Shen Qingyan and Nong Zishi will both be promoted to Grand Secretaries of the Minyou Palace, serving as advisors to the cabinet. Shen Qingyan will also serve as the Minister of Personnel, in charge of personnel selection and examinations; Nong Zishi will also serve as the Minister of War, in charge of selecting and granting military officers maps and carriages."
At this point in the decree, His Highness was already slightly agitated.
Everyone sighed inwardly. Although this arrangement was expected, it cleverly brought together the forces of all parties, which showed the new master's methods.
But the next sentence startled all the civil and military officials in the court, and they almost thought they had heard it wrong.
"Promote Wang Jingzhi to the position of Minister of Rites, and give him the title of Chief Minister of the Minyou Palace, in charge of the overall government affairs."
Wang Jingzhi?
The old minister who had been dismissed by Emperor Guangqi and returned home to remain silent for a long time? The Prime Minister who had experienced the ups and downs of the two reigns of Emperor Guangqi and Emperor Retired?
The palace was suddenly silent, and all eyes were directed to the previously unnoticed corner at the end of the train.
Wang Jingzhi straightened his slightly loose court robes, paused for a moment, and slowly stepped out of the procession. When he reached the imperial steps, he lifted his robe, knelt, and touched his forehead to the ground. His voice was old but clear: "Old minister Wang Jingzhi, I kowtow to thank Your Highness for his grace! Long live Your Highness, long live His Highness, long live His Highness!"
The sound echoed in the silent hall.
Ning Lingyi's gaze swept across the ministers, all of whom had different expressions on their faces, and finally landed on Wang Jingzhi's snow-white head. She said calmly, "My Lord, please stand up. The state will face difficulties in the future, and we will rely on your hard work."
“As an old minister, I will devote my remaining years to repaying Your Highness’s kindness.” Wang Jingzhi bowed again before standing up and standing at the head of the civil servants’ class with his head bowed.
The whole court was in complete silence, and many people had not yet recovered from this earth-shattering appointment.
The new dynasty had just been established and such an old minister was appointed to the post. The chess game played by Princess Mingzhu seemed to be more profound and unpredictable than they had imagined.
The court meeting was still going on, but everyone's mind had changed.
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