Chapter 15: Mutual Restraint Leads to Entry into the Game
"You mean, the Empress has been poisoned?"
The emperor's words were full of anger. Shen Yujiao knelt before him, the emperor's imposing presence making it hard for her to breathe. She held her breath slightly and calmed herself before answering, "Yes."
"What poison?"
"Father, it wasn't poison, but rather food that clashed with my diet."
Shen Yujiao explained, "Your Majesty, I have reviewed the menus for the past few days and found that there are dishes made with goose meat. During the New Year, persimmons are often served among the fruits in Kunyi Palace. Eating the two together caused an acute illness."
The emperor remained silent upon hearing this. After a moment of pause, Chen Yujiao continued, "When I was in Jiangnan, I worked in the fields with my grandfather. As a result, I ate many of the fruits and vegetables grown in our own land since I was a child. I also ate goose and persimmon together when I was young because I was unaware of this taboo. So when I saw the menu of the Empress Dowager, I thought of this."
"How serious is it?" the emperor asked in a deep voice.
"My mother has been in charge of the inner palace during the New Year holidays. Perhaps due to overwork, she has not been eating much these days. Fortunately, she has not overeaten, so it is not too serious. According to the records in the ancient books, I have had someone boil mung bean water for my mother to drink. Now my mother is fine."
"If he didn't eat much, how could he have become so ill that the entire Imperial Medical Academy came to consult him?"
"This is what I have to report," Shen Yujiao said, her head bowed but her expression solemn. "Although it is winter now and there are fewer kinds of fruits than in summer and autumn, persimmons are appearing in Kunyi Palace every day in different ways, such as fresh persimmons, crisp persimmons, dried persimmons, and so on. The same goes for goose meat."
It was as if they were afraid the Empress wouldn't get to eat these two things.
"These two dishes and fruits are not inherently problematic, and eating them separately would be fine, but they cannot be eaten together for a short period of time. My grandfather searched extensively in medical texts and eventually found an ancient book that said goose meat is a hot food and persimmons are a cold food. Eating them together can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death. Therefore, although the Empress Dowager did not eat much during the New Year, she ate these two dishes every day, and the toxins accumulated from them were not comparable to those from just one or two meals."
Jiang Chen's original words were: "Goose meat is a complete protein. When it comes into contact with the tannic acid in persimmons, it easily coagulates into tannic acid protein. This coagulates in the stomach and turns into an indigestible mass that accumulates in the intestines and stomach, leading to symptoms of food poisoning such as abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. In severe cases, it can even lead to death."
Shen Yujiao lowered her eyes. She had said everything she could. The emperor would understand what she meant even if she said anything more.
Sure enough, after a moment of silence, the emperor spoke: "The Crown Princess has rendered meritorious service in attending to the sick and deserves a reward. Is there anything the Crown Princess desires?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao placed her hands on the ground and kowtowed respectfully, replying, "Serving the Empress Dowager is my duty. I dare not claim any credit. I only wish that the Empress Dowager can recover soon and be healthy. That would be a blessing for our Great Xia. I beg Father Emperor to grant me permission to stay in the palace for a few days until the Empress Dowager recovers before returning to the Eastern Palace."
"Alright, since you're so filial, then so be it."
The emperor came and went quickly. Shen Yujiao and a group of palace maids saw him off. She knelt at the front, watching the shadow disappear little by little. Her hands relaxed and slowly opened. When Mu Jin helped her up, she was shocked to see a row of purplish-red fingernail marks. She quickly covered them with her sleeve.
Shen Yujiao knew very well that with the emperor's departure, the harem would no longer be peaceful. She wanted to leave the palace immediately and escape the center of this treacherous vortex, but considering the empress's current health condition, she really dared not entrust the harem to anyone else.
Now, Kunyi Palace and the East Palace are interdependent. If the Empress doesn't wake up, it's unknown whether she or Jiang Chen will be the next to fall. Just one night has passed, yet she has clearly felt the danger of being in the royal family.
This is a game of chess that she underestimated. If she makes a single careless move, she will lose the whole game, and those of them in the game are very likely to be shattered to pieces.
Upon learning that Shen Yujiao had successfully stayed in the palace, Jiang Chen finally felt relieved. He instructed Zhu Yu to inform Mu Nan that the Crown Princess's change of clothes could be sent to the palace once they were packed. After Zhu Yu left, Jiang Chen sat alone behind his desk, lost in thought.
He originally disagreed with Shen Yujiao's decision to stay in the palace.
In Jiang Chen's eyes now, the palace was no different from a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. Moreover, he didn't know what she had gone through last night. When he saw her this morning, she looked haggard. When they shook hands before leaving, her hands were ice cold, while his inner robe was even soaked with sweat in the Kunyi Palace.
But in the end, he was persuaded. Shen Yujiao’s exact words were: “If I leave, and something happens to the Empress, no one can bear the risk. Besides... we are in a very passive position right now. Even if you are the Crown Prince and Miss Shen is destined to be the Empress, it seems that no one is afraid of you.”
"I need something to rely on to establish my status as the Crown Princess."
The palace's greatest support came from the emperor.
So she stayed in the palace. The Empress's illness was a double-edged sword. As long as she survived the crisis, no one would dare to treat this Crown Princess from Jiangnan as a mascot anymore. But at the same time, she would no longer be able to extricate herself from the treacherous struggles of the palace.
The teacup, with its extremely thin walls, shattered easily when Jiang Chen applied slight pressure, leaving his hand covered in shards. He stared at the memorials on the table, his eyes surging with barely concealed rage. Shen Yujiao's words made him realize that the two of them had already been drawn into this game, and only now did he feel the helplessness of being trapped in a quagmire from which he could not escape. He had never been so out of control before.
After sitting quietly for a long time, Jiang Chen looked at the blood on his palm and his heart had returned to calm. He threw away the broken porcelain shards, casually took a handkerchief to bandage his hands, picked up his pen and pondered for a moment, then began to write the memorial on the Two-Tax System with great care.
The next day, the morning court session began.
"Your Majesty, according to reports from local officials and the tax collection reports compiled by the county clerks for this quarter, many areas in the northern border regions, Liaodong, and around the Bohai Sea have been severely affected by snow disasters since the beginning of winter, while the southern regions have also experienced a decline in harvests due to floods during the autumn harvest season. The taxes set in previous years have brought a great survival crisis to the people this year. I still maintain my position from yesterday and believe that taxes should be adjusted now to appease the people."
As expected, the officials were most concerned about tax adjustments. As soon as they entered the court today, they read through yesterday's debate, with both sides sticking to their own arguments.
"Your Majesty, although this year's harvest was not good, His Highness Prince Huan led the officials to provide charcoal for the people before the New Year, and the court also allocated funds and grain to comfort the people. As a result, the people had a relatively good winter last year. Taxes are related to the foundation of the country, and I believe that they should not be adjusted rashly. Not to mention how much of the national treasury the court used to bestow favors last year, just the fact that the tax adjustment would likely cause an imbalance between agriculture and commerce."
The emperor sat on his dragon throne, watching the crowd discuss amongst themselves without offering any opinion. It wasn't until the argument between the two sides grew increasingly heated, and some officials even began to behave inappropriately in the main hall, that he finally spoke calmly: "What does the Crown Prince think?"
Jiang Chen stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the current tax rate of our dynasty is acceptable and there is no need to reduce it drastically. If it is reduced too much, although it will ensure the livelihood of the people, it will not be able to replenish the national treasury. If our dynasty faces war or natural disasters, it will not be able to respond in time."
“Winter is bitterly cold and coincides with the agricultural off-season, so the fields are not productive at this time of year. In addition, there are many natural disasters in the north during winter. Collecting taxes at this time of year has a great impact on people’s livelihoods. At the beginning of spring, people start to plant grains, which will ripen in summer and autumn respectively.”
"Therefore, in my opinion, it would be better to unify the collection of taxes in the summer and autumn seasons each year. Firstly, this would ensure that there is a surplus by the end of the year in winter, so that people do not have to worry about taxes and can have a good New Year. Secondly, people are relatively well-off during the summer and autumn harvests, so collecting taxes at this time will not affect their current quality of life."
After saying this, Jiang Chen bowed again: "What you gentlemen have said are all issues that the court needs to consider. I believe that the original tax system does not need to be changed. We only need to modify it based on the issues you have raised and the actual situation of people's livelihood."
After the words were spoken, the hall fell silent. The emperor pondered for a long time before revealing an approving expression: "When the Crown Prince returns, he should write a detailed report on these adjustments."
"yes."
Jiang Chen straightened up, turned his head slightly, and met Huan Wang's gaze. Both of them seemed to have expected this, and simultaneously gave a polite smile.
After the morning court session ended, Jiang Chen did not leave the palace with the others, but went directly to the Imperial Study.
Upon hearing the report from the young eunuch, Eunuch Feng, who was serving in the Imperial Study, immediately tiptoed out. He couldn't help but think: "For so many years, the Crown Prince has only come to the Imperial Study because His Majesty summoned him. This is the first time the Crown Prince has taken the initiative to request an audience. His Majesty will surely be pleased."
“Your Highness,” Eunuch Feng said with a respectful smile, “His Majesty is inside right now. You can go straight in.”
Jiang Chen gripped the memorial concerning the Two Taxes Law, his hand tightening involuntarily, before stepping into the hall.
The emperor finished reading the memorial in his hand, slowly placed it aside, and looked at Jiang Chen with full approval. He stroked the texture on it and nodded, saying, "The content is detailed and the organization is clear. Since the Crown Prince's wedding, he has not only made progress in calligraphy, but also in politics. It seems that it was right to settle down before establishing a career."
If these words of praise had been spoken a few days ago, Jiang Chen might have felt uneasy, but today, he felt no nervousness at all.
"Yes, I learned from a conversation with the Crown Princess a few days ago that she had worked in the fields with the old Duke Shen when she was young. Although I have never been personally involved in farming, I have learned a lot about the key points of farming after talking with the Crown Princess."
Although Jiang Chen nodded in response, his tone was calm and composed. Seeing this, the Emperor was even more pleased and beckoned to Jiang Chen, saying, "Come, Crown Prince, accompany me to see this place..."
As evening fell, Jiang Chen had just come out of the Imperial Study when a young eunuch carrying a reward escorted him to the carriage at the East Palace. As Jiang Chen walked towards the palace gate, he could feel the sidelong glances from all directions, even without looking specifically. When he reached the carriage, he gave Zhu Yu a look and then got into the carriage.
The carriage quickly drove away from the palace gate. Jiang Chen sat in the carriage, his hands unconsciously playing with the thumb ring on his thumb. Thinking of the emperor's praise, the attention of the crowd, and the carriage full of rewards, he slowly closed his eyes.
He stayed today to tell the emperor that he was no longer the Crown Prince Chen of the past, and he didn't care whether the emperor's crown prince was intelligent or just pretending to be simple.
All he wants now is the ability to protect Shen Yujiao; he wants them both to live well.
A note from the author:
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Food incompatibilities are generally considered biologically related. While eating geese and persimmons together might not cause the severe reaction seen in the Queen, it can indeed lead to food incompatibility, discomfort, and in severe cases, food poisoning. There are quite a few foods that should not be eaten with persimmons, so please be mindful of your diet during the holidays!
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