Chapter 15: Feeling Good
As soon as the morning court session ended, the emperor immediately issued an order to summon Yang Qianxing, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to the palace for an audience.
Since Yang Qianxing's daughter was appointed as the Crown Princess, he suddenly became half the father-in-law of the emperor. For a time, people who wanted to curry favor with him and win him over were like a swarm of fish crossing the river.
Yang Qianxing understood the emperor's intention in choosing his beloved daughter as the crown prince's consort, so he always kept to his duties and never formed cliques with others for personal gain.
Upon entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Yang Qianxing first knelt down respectfully, then expressed his gratitude passionately and solemnly stated his position.
The emperor listened patiently, and when his eyes fell on Yang Qianxing, he couldn't help but frowned slightly, looking slightly stunned.
Yang Qianxing was a typical scholar, with flowing beard, heroic spirit, and outstanding talent and appearance.
It is also because of this that his eldest daughter Yang Manyan perfectly inherited the advantages of her parents and was born beautiful and gorgeous with an extraordinary appearance.
The emperor laughed at himself and thought to himself, if he had noticed the similarities between Yang's father and daughter earlier, how could things have come to this point today?
He tapped the edge of the table with his fingers and said slowly, "No need to be so polite, Mr. Yang. I summoned you here today because I want you to preside over the land survey in the Zhili area."
In this peaceful and prosperous era, the trend of land annexation has become increasingly serious.
In order to evade taxes, most of the powerful and evil gentry who seized people's land concealed the true status of their land from the government.
The first step of the "taxation based on land area" reform proposed by Yang Qianxing was to accurately measure the number of acres of land and use it as the basis for taxation.
The emperor planned to try out the new law in Zhili first, so naturally he would send Yang Qianxing, who was the first to propose the new policy, to supervise it personally.
Upon hearing this, Yang Qianxing was pleasantly surprised and delighted. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said in a sonorous and powerful voice: "I obey your order! I am willing to do my best for the reform, even if it means sacrificing my life!"
He was filled with emotion and couldn't help sighing: There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers. How lucky he is to meet a wise king!
Unexpectedly, the emperor suddenly changed the subject: "Yang Qing, how old are you this year?"
Yang Qianxing was slightly stunned, and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I am thirty-seven years old this year."
He was only a few years older than himself. The emperor pursed his lips tightly, and a subtle look flashed in his eyes.
"Okay, Yang Qing, please leave. You can discuss the specific matters with the Ministry of Revenue. I will select a few people to go with you."
"Yes! I'll take my leave!" Yang Qianxing bowed respectfully again and expressed his gratitude passionately before leaving.
The emperor raised his hand and rubbed his temples, thinking to himself: How could Yang Qianxing, who talks endlessly in front of me, have a daughter who is so thrifty with words?
No matter how much I asked that night, she remained silent and kept her mouth shut.
After a long pause, the emperor's heart moved slightly, "Chang Ying, summon the Minister of Rites to come over, and order him to bring the archives of female officials who have been conferred titles in previous dynasties."
"I obey your command! Send someone to summon him right away!" Although Chang Ying was full of doubts, he did not dare to ask more questions and hurriedly took the order and left.
**
In the Eastern Palace, the newlywed couple had just finished washing and changing their clothes, and were riding in a sedan chair to the Cining Palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
Even though the two had already had physical contact, they still felt a little awkward and uncomfortable being in the same closed sedan chair.
Xiao Yan noticed that Yang Manyan's hand was trembling slightly, so he gently held it and squeezed it as if to comfort her: "Don't be afraid. Half a year has passed, and the Queen Mother no longer cares about the day of the re-election. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with you. I was determined to choose you."
The warmth from his palm made Yang Manyan's heart tremble.
She lowered her eyes and saw that the man's hands were slender and clean, with distinct knuckles. The veins on the back of his hands were slightly visible, revealing a strong power.
"I'm not afraid, I'm just worried about losing my manners in front of the Empress Dowager." She argued softly, her voice a little timid.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle.
Yang Manyan's cheeks immediately turned red and she turned her head away guiltily.
Xiao Yan said gently, "Besides the Empress Dowager, the Empress of Renshou Palace and the Empress of Shufei might also be there."
The Empress of Renshou Palace was Xu, the empress of the late Emperor Yongshun, while Concubine Wei was the concubine of Emperor Yongshun and also the biological mother of Xiao Yan.
These words made Yang Manyan even more uneasy.
Not to mention that the Empress of Renshou Palace behaved strangely, more importantly, she was the mastermind behind the attack on him that night...
When the sedan chair arrived at the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Jiang was already sitting upright in a large nanmu carved armchair, with Concubine Wei sitting below her.
Seeing that Empress Xu was not there, Yang Manyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension in his heart also relaxed a little.
The two walked hand in hand into the hall and bowed respectfully to the two elders.
Queen Mother Jiang smiled kindly: "I've been waiting for you to come for a long time. Get up quickly." As she spoke, she waved to Yang Manyan.
Yang Manyan's heart tightened, and he walked forward with his head lowered.
Queen Mother Jiang took her hand, took off the delicate and warm Hetian jade bracelet on her wrist, and gently put it on her wrist: "Good child, this is a reward from me."
Yang Manyan was surprised and said cautiously, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for the reward."
Just as the prince had just said, Queen Mother Jiang did not pursue the matter of being rejected that day.
In fact, she had no choice - the rift between her and the emperor was too deep to be bridged, and the Jiang family had long lost its former glory. Now she could only try her best to maintain her relationship with her grandson.
Concubine Wei Shu, who was standing by, smiled and said, "In the blink of an eye, the prince has started a family and established a career. That's great."
Her tone was gentle and soft, and her eyes were full of kindness, making people feel like they were in the spring breeze.
Yang Manyan couldn't help but feel a liking for this real mother-in-law.
It was almost noon when Queen Mother Jiang asked the young couple to leave.
As soon as the two of them stepped out of the Cining Palace, a young eunuch from the Qianqing Palace hurried over and said, "Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned you to the Qianqing Palace immediately."
When he heard the word "Your Majesty", Yang Manyan's heart suddenly hung in the air, as if it was grasped by an invisible hand.
Xiao Yan turned around and said in a low voice: "I will go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. You can take the sedan chair back to the East Palace first."
She nodded absentmindedly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt.
Seeing her cute silly look, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with a smile.
"Please suspend your studies for the next few days. When I come back, I will take you around the East Palace and familiarize you with it."
These words brought Yang Manyan back to her senses suddenly. Her cheeks flushed and she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "Yes, I am waiting for Your Highness to return in the East Palace."
Xiao Yan raised the corners of his lips slightly, nodded, and left with his hands behind his back.
Inside the Qianqing Gate, the rectangular square is long and narrow from east to west. The emperor holds a huge bow with ten forces in his hand, and the arrows fly through the air as the bowstring vibrates, piercing the heart of the bull.
This strong bow that required a pulling force of 120 kilograms seemed like a child's toy in his hands. When it was fully stretched, his breathing was steady and his posture was calm and confident.
The footsteps came closer and closer. The emperor turned around suddenly, the bowstring sounded suddenly, and the arrow flew out with a sharp whistle.
Xiao Yan reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side. The sharp arrowhead was only a millimeter away from his handsome face, and sparks flew on the blue bricks.
The emperor put down his bow and arrow and smiled with satisfaction.
Xiao Yan also understood what he meant - this was a tacit understanding between father and son. He bowed and saluted: "Father, why did your Majesty summon me?"
The emperor handed the Ten Power Bow to his son and said, "Come, let me see if you have made any progress recently."
The two men stood side by side, one as steady and majestic as a mountain, the other as tall and handsome as a green bamboo.
Xiao Qi currently uses an eight-force bow, which has a pulling force of 90 kilograms and can hit the target from a hundred paces away. For him, a ten-force bow can be pulled open with brute force alone, but it is difficult for him to hit the target accurately.
He stood firmly on his horse, put on the arrow, pulled the bowstring with all his strength, and aimed at the center of the bull with one eye.
Just as he was about to let go, the emperor suddenly reached out to stop him: "Zi'an, your final point of force is wrong."
He patted his son on the shoulder and said earnestly: "In the final analysis, it is still a lack of strength. Governing a country is like drawing a bow. Only with a strong body can you calmly deal with complicated government affairs."
Xiao Yan looked ashamed, and his admiration for his father increased: "I will remember your teachings and practice diligently."
After a brief silence, the emperor casually asked, "Did you and the Crown Princess consummate your marriage last night?"
Without waiting for his son's response, he continued, "I insisted on facilitating this marriage. I am sorry for putting you in such a difficult position. If you don't like it, you can live in a separate palace from her. Xian'an Palace is a good choice."
Xian'an Palace is located in the far west of the imperial palace, far away from the East Palace in the east. The emperor thought this arrangement was perfect and appropriate.
In addition, he also wanted to imitate the old system at the beginning of the founding of this dynasty and re-establish the first-rank Shangyi position, allowing Yang to hold the empress's seal as a female official and manage the affairs of the six palaces.
In this way, it can not only serve as compensation for her, but also cleverly downplay her identity as the Crown Princess and minimize the embarrassing impact of the accident.
Xiao Qing's ears instantly turned red. She never expected her father would ask about such a private matter.
He lowered his voice and said, "Father, I have consummated my marriage with the Crown Princess last night."
Before he finished speaking, the emperor's face suddenly turned gloomy, with complex and indistinguishable emotions surging in his eyes.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan added, "Father, don't worry. The Crown Princess is gentle and virtuous. I am willing to live with her in the East Palace. If we rashly separate the palaces, we may be criticized."
The emperor narrowed his eyes and stared at the spirited young man in front of him.
At this moment, he suddenly felt that this child, whom he had personally raised for more than ten years, seemed a little strange.
How could two people who had no contact before their wedding become husband and wife on their wedding night?
But on second thought, didn't he almost lose control when he first met Yang in the Imperial Garden?
The emperor's face became increasingly gloomy. If he had known this would happen, he should have kept the person by his side that night, and would not have ended up in such an embarrassing situation today.
Seeing his father's chilling expression, Xiao Yan was confused, but still said earnestly: "Since the Crown Princess is my son's wife, I will treat her well."
These words were like adding fuel to the fire, completely igniting the emperor's suppressed emotions.
He took a deep breath and suppressed his surging anger: "I understand, you step aside first, I need to discuss matters with the cabinet."
Xiao Yan was confused, but he could only bow and leave.
Looking at his son's receding back, the emperor suddenly clenched the Ten-Force Bow. Veins bulged on his strong arms and his knuckles turned white.
At the same time, in the main hall of the East Palace, Yang Manyan had changed out of her elaborate wedding dress and was now leaning against a soft couch in plain casual clothes, sipping tea leisurely.
The maid Xingyun came forward holding a few books and said, "Master, these are some books sent by the inner court to relieve boredom. Would you like to take a look?"
"Bring them all here." Yang Manyan nodded.
Xingyun is an old servant of the Yang family. She used to serve the sisters Yang Manyan and Yang Jingzhen at the same time.
The two sisters grew up in the countryside and did many things by themselves, so Xingyun didn't have to work too hard.
Now the Yang family moved to the Minister's Mansion and had many servants. Xingyun, as a dowry maid, followed Yang Manyan into the Eastern Palace.
Most of the books sent from the inner court were classics on disciplining women, such as "Female Rules", "Female Training" and "Female Instructions", except for one book, "The Book of Songs", which was slightly special.
Yang Manyan felt very bored and just casually flipped through the "Book of Songs" which he had already memorized.
When he was bored, the prince came back.
He sat down beside her, his eyes smiling: "Can you read?"
The man's warm breath suddenly approached, and Yang Manyan's heart beat like a drum: "Yes, I have studied."
Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he continued to ask: "What books did you read before you got married?"
This question made Yang Manyan hesitate. She knew that she should answer with some books like "Female Commandments" that taught women the Three Obediences and Four Virtues.
But she couldn't even pretend to agree with the dogmas that imprisoned women.
After a moment of silence, she mustered up the courage to say, "Your Highness, I have read the "Records of the Grand Historian", "Zizhi Tongjian", "Shangshu", "Spring and Autumn Annals", and "Zuo Zhuan".
"They are all history books?" Xiao Yan was surprised, "You can read them all?"
He casually asked a few classic anecdotes, and Yang Manyan had no choice but to answer.
Then, he threw out some obscure historical materials, but the girl's eyes suddenly lit up, her words became lively, and she answered fluently.
Her photographic memory was fully demonstrated.
Xiao Yan was surprised and delighted. He looked up and happened to meet her sparkling eyes.
A tingling sensation passed through his heart, and his Adam's apple rolled unconsciously a few times.
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