Chapter 158: The First Emperor's Final Return
"puff……"
A soft chuckle came from somewhere, and Shen Kuo's first reaction was to glare at the editor standing next to him. But when the latter met his gaze, his expression was blank, without the slightest hint of a smile.
His Highness is the one making the request, and certainly not the one laughing. It's obvious who made the laughter. Although the person who laughed quickly composed herself, sitting upright like a well-educated young lady.
Shen Kuo seemed to understand something. He looked at the first tip he had just jotted down: "Remember to maintain a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere with your interviewee." Could this also be part of His Highness the Crown Prince's plan?
Wow, that's terrifying! As expected of His Highness!
Shen Kuo's doubts vanished, replaced by starry-eyed admiration as he watched the Crown Prince and Su Zhen discuss the invention, principles, and functions of the spinning machine, Su Zhen's family background, and her title of Lady of the County.
When discussing the principles of the loom, Shen Kuo wrote furiously, having no time to ponder interview techniques. This was the main content he wanted to record in his writings, and given that it was a dialogue between the provider of ideas and the actual designer, it was naturally full of valuable insights.
Shen Kuo was so engrossed in writing down even their breathing, that he filled three pages with notes. He only stopped when his wrist started to ache. Just then, the interview entered a more relaxed phase.
The public loves drama. Simply explaining mechanical principles in a dry, uninformed way won't resonate with anyone. To attract attention, it's necessary to introduce some gimmicks and drama.
Fortunately, the protagonist of this interview, Su Zhen, is not lacking in either of these two qualities.
She herself held the title of "Jun Jun" bestowed by the emperor. This was the first time since the founding of the Song Dynasty that a Jun Jun title had not been granted to a member of the imperial clan. Furthermore, her father and brother were both important officials in the court, and they were also the legendary "father and son both Jinshi" (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).
The atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed when these topics were discussed. Shen Kuo listened with great interest to the gossip.
He even overheard the Crown Prince ask Su Zhen, "Now that you've received the title of County Lady, you'll be the highest-ranking person in the entire Su family. Don't you feel any pressure?"
Shen Kuo gasped in surprise: "Can you really ask that? It's obviously not in the interview transcript!"
He held his breath, wanting to hear Su Zhen's reply. Would she find it difficult?
A clear, melodious female voice came through: "There will be some pressure. But I don't think I'm the one under the most pressure at home."
Shen Kuo gasped again, almost coughing. Fusu, however, couldn't help but laugh. He pressed his hand to his forehead: "What an answer with Su Dongpo's flair! I knew it! Although their personalities are different, they are still siblings."
Su Xun, you deserve the pressure. You've really suffered... No, you should be secretly happy to have such a promising child!
But the ones who should be under the most pressure are probably Su Zhenyuan's in-laws, the Cheng family, in Meishan. Their future daughter-in-law has already climbed the ladder of success that they can never reach, soaring to great heights. They're still completely oblivious.
However, Fusu felt no remorse for deceiving them. He even propped his head up, unusually showing a sense of anticipation: what would they think after this interview was published?
Thinking of this, Fusu gestured with his hand as if he were holding a microphone and pointed it at Su Zhen: "At the end of the interview, please say a few words, to whomever you like."
Su Zhen's eyelashes fluttered slightly. After pondering for a long time, he said cautiously, "Heaven helps those who help themselves."
Fusu was taken aback.
Deep down, he hoped Su Zhen would say something encouraging to the woman, or even endorse the mechanical switch, which was considered a "strange and ingenious skill." But since the interviewee was Su Zhen, not him, he couldn't interfere with other people's thoughts.
But Fusu never expected Su Zhen to say something like that. What was he implying? If she herself was the one who, because she didn't want to return to Daomei Mountain, diligently invented the Jenny machine, then who did "heaven" refer to?
...It can only be him, right?
In ancient times, there were very few people who could be referred to as "heaven".
That's not entirely wrong. But Fusu felt it wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. Su Zhen was probably expressing her gratitude, wasn't she? Because under his intervention, all mentions of the "Crown Prince" in the preceding text were deleted, which is why Su Zhen subtly brought it up at the end. She wasn't the type to comfortably conceal the source of her inspiration.
Fusu immediately smiled and said, "Your Highness is right. Only those who help themselves will be helped by Heaven."
So don't just remember to thank me; you should be most grateful to yourself.
——
The interview concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. Everyone gained a lot. Shen Kuo, in particular, accumulated invaluable material for his first written conversation. However, he didn't have time to organize it yet, as it was waiting to be published in the next issue of the "Seeking Knowledge Daily."
The editorial team worked overtime again, revising, polishing, cutting, and formatting the article about the dialogue between Fu Su and Su Zhen. Although they were extremely busy, no one complained. The previous issue of "Seeking Knowledge" had broken sales records because it published the good news of the recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures, which gave everyone a huge boost of morale.
They all hoped that this issue would continue the momentum and achieve even greater success. After all, it contained good news no less significant than the recovery of lost territory.
Is the claim that "a new cotton loom has been invented, with an efficiency up to three times that of the original" groundbreaking enough? If not, what if the inventor was an unmarried woman who was granted the title of Lady of the County, and the interviewer was none other than His Highness the Crown Prince himself?
The editorial team asked themselves, if they were readers, upon seeing these explosive points, they would definitely buy a copy to find out more.
Besides them, Su Zhen, far away at the Su residence, was also closely following public opinion after the newspaper was published. However, unlike the editorial department, her attention was focused on only one household.
Her in-laws, the Cheng family.
What would they think if they read the "Seeking Knowledge Daily" and saw that she had become a fourth-rank county lady and that the emperor had granted her special permission to open her own household?
Unlike the residents of Bianjing, who had the advantage of being the first to receive the newspaper, the Qiuzhi Bao (Seeking Knowledge Daily) experienced delays in reaching other parts of the country. The Cheng family, who lived far away in Meishan, didn't see the newspaper until much later.
Before this, they had vaguely heard that Su Zhen, who was to marry into their family, had been given the title of "Jun Jun" (郡君).
After all, this involved cotton looms, a matter of national importance that required reporting to the official gazette and being copied to various levels of government. The Cheng family was a local scholarly family with several relatives and friends who held official positions, and there were also plenty of busybodies who wanted to see them make a fool of themselves.
That's how news of Su Zhen reached their ears.
The Cheng family's attitude was extremely firm: "Absolutely impossible."
"The Song Dynasty is so vast that perhaps it's just people with the same name, or perhaps you've made a mistake."
They completely disregarded the fact that there were only a handful of families with the surname Su in the entire Song Dynasty who would name their daughters "Zhen".
Because of their unwavering stance, many onlookers who were just there for the spectacle began to wonder: Could it be that they had made a mistake?
The situation even spilled over to Su Zhe's school. He was surrounded by his classmates who said his family was a liar and that his elder sister was a "fake princess." Young Su Zhe was so angry that he cried and ran home to complain.
Madam Cheng, also known as Su's mother, made a special trip back to her parents' home and returned with a livid face. The Cheng family still refused to change their story: there must be a mistake; it could never be their daughter-in-law.
Little Su Zhe leaned against his mother's chest: "Mother, why were my uncles and grandfathers so sure? Did my sister tell them?"
Madam Cheng sneered, "Even we haven't received any letters from home, so what evidence do they have?"
"It's nothing more than looking down on your sister." Madam Cheng didn't say this aloud. She hugged Su Zhe tightly. Her family not only looked down on their granddaughter, but they didn't even consider their young grandson's feelings, and they weren't even willing to change their tune to "can't be sure."
"Then, is my elder sister really a princess?"
Madam Cheng countered, "Zhe'er, do you believe your elder sister is a princess?"
Su Zhe nodded without hesitation: "I believe you!"
"Yes, Mother believes it too," said Madam Cheng. "Just bear with it a little longer. Once the letter arrives, it will be the day we can finally hold our heads high."
"Um!"
To the surprise of the mother and son, before the family letter arrived, the Qiuzhi Bao, which was even more valuable and irrefutable than the family letter, arrived in Meizhou City first.
The document not only details the entire process of Su Zhen presenting the loom, meeting the emperor, and receiving the title of Lady of the County, but also includes an explosive piece of news: "The emperor has granted the Lady of the County the special permission to establish her own household!"
What's the meaning?
It means that the Cheng family is going to have their son-in-law move in!
The Cheng family, who had sworn "absolutely impossible" just the day before, had no one out today. The reversal was quite dramatic.
But if the mountain won't come to me, I can go to the mountain. The busybodies who had come before came knocking, their door brimming with "Congratulations!" and "What a wonderful thing!" But everyone knew they weren't genuinely congratulating me; it was all sarcasm.
Marrying into another's family is a choice made only by impoverished rural families who can't afford to eat. The Cheng family, a scholarly family, prided themselves on their high standards and naturally looked down on them. Who could have imagined that fate would play such a cruel trick on them, forcing them to suffer this humiliation?
Actually, if the Cheng family hadn't made a fuss beforehand, they might have garnered some sympathy. After all, families in similar circumstances wouldn't want their sons to become live-in sons-in-law.
But their previous pronouncements were so confident, clearly showing their disdain for the prospective daughter-in-law. The subsequent reversal of events only made them a laughingstock.
But the Cheng family wouldn't reflect on their own actions. First, they blamed Madam Cheng for not informing them beforehand, causing them such a disgrace. Second, they blamed Su Zhen for having to go north to Bianjing and present the loom. Couldn't she have pretended it was in her father's or brother's name?!
After the gate was closed, someone muttered a few words about the officials: "Letting someone marry into the family for no reason, what kind of face does this put the Cheng family in?"
The group grumbled and cursed, but their mood didn't improve; in fact, it worsened. This wasn't an emotion that could be dispelled with a few words; it was a stark reality before them.
The eldest grandson of the Cheng family, who was also Su Zhen's "fiancé," clearly understood this and said angrily, "No way! How can a real man live a life of subservience to others?!"
He clenched his fist: "Mom, go find Auntie quickly and make the Su family change their address so that my cousin can marry into the family!"
"Okay, okay, Mother will go right away."
When Madam Cheng heard that her sister-in-law had come to visit, her brow twitched. If she had previously been thinking of using facts to slap her family in the face, once the "Seeking Knowledge Daily" arrived, she forgot everything, carefully read the interview three times, and wore a mysterious smile on her face.
Wow, look at this! My daughter is really smart.
In this passage, she says she's been working day and night to catch up on the work. Does that mean she hasn't been getting enough rest at night?
They completely forgot about the Cheng family.
So when she heard that her sister-in-law from her maternal family had come to visit, she was puzzled: why would anyone be so eager to be humiliated?
Then I realized what it meant. It was probably the words "independent business" that made them anxious.
Madam Cheng was initially reluctant to allow her daughter to find a husband and establish her own household. After all, in this world, a woman finding a husband was an extremely rare occurrence, and it would inevitably attract strange looks from others. Moreover, the husbands who were willing to endure ridicule and come to her door often had ulterior motives and might not be worthy of her talents.
But if this news could make those who previously looked down on her daughter anxious and embarrassed, Madam Cheng would be more than happy. She slowly put down the newspaper: "Quickly, please invite your sister-in-law in."
Compared to the bustling Cheng family, the Su family's courtyard appeared rather empty. At first, Madam Cheng was puzzled, but after figuring it out, she was furious: the Su family in Meishan consisted only of a widow and her child, and men seeking connections couldn't easily come knocking.
Besides, several members of their family hold official positions in Bianjing! If their house is to be bustling with visitors, it's there!
Her expression immediately darkened, and her initial desire to offer a few insincere congratulatory words and curry favor vanished completely. Seeing her sister-in-law's rosy complexion and composed demeanor, she immediately uttered a sarcastic remark: "Shouldn't you be calling her 'Mother of the County'?"
"Jun Jun" is a title for daughters of the Zhao family. Their mothers were mostly princesses of princes or dukes. What kind of inappropriate title is this? It's clearly a sarcastic jab at Su Zhen's title, implying it was "illegitimate."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Madam Cheng's face completely vanished.
Her family, Zhen'er's future husband's family, were clearly looking for trouble. She immediately retorted indifferently, "Is it too formal for you to call me 'sister-in-law' like that? Besides, aren't you also the maternal aunt of the Princess?"
Madam Cheng's brow furrowed with genuine suspicion, as if she were truly trying to find out: Sister-in-law, do you call me that because you want to benefit from it too?
Clearly, Su Shi's art of verbal sparring had its roots in family tradition. Madam Cheng felt her blood rushing to her head, and her cheeks felt as if they had been pricked by countless needles—she was furious.
Her eyes widened, and she was about to put on her sister-in-law's airs when a gust of wind swept past her. Looking closely, she saw her nephew, Su Zhe, rushing to Madam Cheng's side, excitedly exclaiming, "Mother, I'm done with my studies!"
"As soon as the teacher came in today, he read aloud from the 'Seeking Knowledge Newspaper' in class and praised my sister. He also ordered the classmate who bullied me a few days ago to apologize to me. I'm so happy, Mom!"
"Did the teacher say anything to you a few days ago when you were being bullied?"
Su Zhe pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
“Then he may not be a gentleman.” Madam Cheng put her arm around Su Zhe’s shoulder. “He didn’t lend a helping hand when his student was in trouble, and only tried to make amends after the truth came out. It’s simply because he was afraid of the Su family’s power and wanted to settle things quietly.”
Su Zhe nodded, seemingly understanding, "I see."
After he finished speaking, he turned his head, as if only then noticing the woman who had been left standing there for a long time: "Ah, it's Auntie. Zhe'er greets Auntie!"
Madam Cheng's face twitched: You little brat, I don't believe you didn't see me just now!
Su Zhe secretly stuck out his tongue.
Actually, he...did do it on purpose. But he also genuinely had something he couldn't wait to share with his mother.
But Madam Cheng, ever the one to assume the worst of others, felt that the mother and son were putting on an act to deliberately embarrass her. What was the point of maintaining decorum then? She might as well just tear things apart and speak frankly.
She responded to Su Zhe's greeting in a lukewarm manner, and spoke frankly in front of the children: "I have come to your door today for a matter. The Qiuzhi Bao says that Zhen'er has started his own household. I asked my father and husband what they thought, and they both shook their heads and sighed."
Madam Cheng quickly covered Su Zhe's ears. She gestured for a maid to take him to the back pavilion to play. What kind of behavior is it for adults to argue in front of a child?
After watching her son walk away and making sure he couldn't hear her, she put on an innocent face and pretended not to hear, asking, "What do you mean by that, sister-in-law?"
Madam Cheng felt another lump in her throat: "Father and husband think that Xing'er is getting on in years, and Zhen'er has come of age. It would be better to let her return to Meishan from Bianjing as soon as possible and get married sooner."
They never mentioned the matter of "establishing their own household".
Madam Cheng was almost astonished. She even began to doubt herself, wondering what had gotten into her when she insisted on a marriage between relatives, arranging for her daughter to marry her nephew. Was she out of her mind back then? Her own family, a scholarly family, why did they disregard the principle of "the lowly should not disregard the noble"? Why did they so casually utter the logic of expecting a fourth-rank county princess to accommodate someone without official rank, position, or merit?
"I can't make a decision about Zhen'er's matter on my own," Madam Cheng interrupted her sister-in-law. "Even her father can't make a decision. The one who bestowed the title was the Emperor, and the one who interviewed her was His Highness the Crown Prince."
"..."
Madam Cheng was speechless.
"It was the Emperor who ordered Zhen'er to establish his own household and carry on the family line; this is an imperial decree." Madam Cheng spread her hands, clearly indicating her non-cooperation: "If you have any complaints, sister-in-law, why don't you go to Bianjing and say so?"
"..."
When Madam Cheng returned home, she was furious. Her son was the first to greet her: "Mother, when is Zhen'er returning to Meishan?"
She sneered, "Go back to Meishan? If she comes back, you'll have to get married. Are you willing to do that?"
"What? My aunt didn't say anything?"
“She said that if we have any complaints, we should go to the officials to reason with them; it’s none of her business.”
Now, it seems that the Cheng family only has two paths before them. Either accept their son's marriage into the family, or simply sever ties with the Su family. Although they might lose a daughter-in-law of high status, at least they could gain a reputation for not being greedy for fame and fortune.
Madam Cheng's analysis was logical and reasonable, but it was dismissed with the dismissive remark, "It's just womanly talk." She glared at her suddenly appearing husband and continued with a cold laugh, "You're not a woman, so what do you suggest?"
“Ignorant woman, do you know how difficult it is to reach the fourth rank? Even the local prefect is only a fourth rank.”
In other words, if they could marry Su Zhen, they would be able to do whatever they wanted in the area.
"!"
Madam Cheng was startled: "What should we do then? Are we really going to have to let Xing'er..."
"No, there might still be a chance for this to turn around. The Emperor may not know that Su Zhen is already engaged. Even the Emperor himself cannot just ruin someone's marriage for no reason."
"...Are you trying to cause trouble for the officials?"
Mr. Cheng did not deny it: "Why not?"
Madam Cheng was about to say, "Are you crazy?" But when she thought of the high-ranking women from all over Meishan, and even Sichuan, surrounding her and flattering her with "Grandma Junjun"... she simply couldn't bear to part with such a dreamlike scene.
"Then, shall we go to Bianjing?"
Going to Bianjing to plead for a future daughter-in-law seems absurd. However, considering that three members of the Su family are prominent, while the most illustrious member of the Cheng family is not even a fifth-rank official, it makes sense. The Cheng family isn't gambling on Su Zhen, but on the possibility of their entire family rising to prominence.
They used to think that they could rise to prominence simply by virtue of their kinship. But now they had to travel a long and arduous journey from Meizhou to Bianjing. It took them much longer than the Qiuzhi Daily traveled to Meishan to reach their destination.
According to the plan, they should first stay at the Su family's house and ask Su Zhen to act as a go-between, or go to the Kaifeng government office to appeal their grievances and thus be able to see the emperor.
Legend has it that the Emperor was a benevolent ruler with a kind and gentle nature, who treated scholars with respect. Therefore, the Cheng family always believed that their plan had been quite successful. Unexpectedly, after finally stepping through the gates of Bianjing and arriving at the Su residence with great difficulty, they were stopped at the gate.
"Who are you?" The gatekeeper of the Su residence stared suspiciously at the Cheng family group. "Do you have a visiting card?"
The Cheng family members immediately felt insulted. The eldest patriarch of the Cheng family raised his arm: "I am a cousin of your master. You can go and inform the 'Cheng family brother-in-law' that he has arrived, and you will know."
"But my master is not at home."
Not here? The Cheng family members exchanged surprised glances. "Then let your young lady come out. She recognizes me, her uncle!"
Even though Zhen'er is now a fourth-rank county princess, she still has to come out to greet her uncle in person!
The gatekeeper looked at them like they were idiots: "Isn't Miss here either?"
"What? Where did they go?"
The gatekeeper said coldly, "Youzhou?"
Seeing that the Cheng family still looked confused, he kindly added, "They all went to Youzhou to offer sacrifices to Heaven with the Emperor."
"That official?"
"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince also went."
In other words, the entire city of Bianjing is now deserted, with only idle people remaining. Those who are slightly capable or have some status have all gone north to accompany the Emperor and His Highness in offering sacrifices to their ancestors.
"..."
Why did they travel so far?
"..."
Three months is enough time for many things to happen. For example, the Cheng family made their arduous journey to the capital. For example, the Zhenni machine was mass-produced and officially put into use. For example, the Liao Kingdom fulfilled its treaty and ceded the seven prefectures in front of the mountains. As a result, the plan to go north to worship their ancestors was also put on the agenda.
Emperor Renzong was the most enthusiastic about this matter. He visited the Fengxian Hall three times within ten days, talking incessantly to the portraits of his ancestors, hoping that their spirits in the afterlife would know this good news.
Secondly, there's the excitement of going out. Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong both conquered the empire on horseback. His father, Emperor Zhenzong, at least offered sacrifices at Mount Tai and traveled far. Su'er even personally went to Yunzhou to provide relief. Looking back through generations, the Emperor himself is the only one who hasn't seen much of the world.
He subtly suggested that the sacrificial ceremony should be conducted further north. Unexpectedly, Su'er was very understanding: "Then let's go to Yanshan to offer sacrifices to Heaven and stay in Youzhou."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Renzong's eyes lit up: "The one who truly understands me is Su'er."
What?
Fusu turned his head away uncomfortably. Youzhou, wasn't that ancient Beijing? He just wanted to see the place where he went to university in his previous life. He didn't intentionally want the Emperor to visit more places.
Because the person most enthusiastic about this trip was his own father, he unusually became a hands-off manager, leaving everything to the Emperor to plan. Therefore, Fusu was completely unaware of the Emperor's plans.
What plan?
It was naturally something the government had been planning for a long time.
The Emperor summoned his most trusted ministers to the Chui Gong Hall. In broad daylight, the eunuchs closed the doors. He surveyed the familiar faces of his ministers: "My esteemed ministers," he said, "I wish to emulate the deeds of Yao and Shun. What do you think?"
The story of Yao and Shun... the emperor wanted to abdicate?
Even though they sensed something was amiss from the previous events, everyone was still terrified by this bombshell statement. Historically, there have only been two successful abdications, but both were essentially acts of usurpation! How could their peaceful dynasty have fallen into such a predicament?
Fan Zhongyan, being the oldest and most experienced, remained the most composed. He asked bluntly, "How is the Emperor's health lately?"
Emperor Renzong was both amused and exasperated: "I am perfectly fine!"
"Fan Qing, since you are Su'er's master, you must share a similar mindset with me, right? I am only afraid that if I remain in power for too long, I will overshadow Su'er's brilliance."
These words silenced all the ministers.
That's right, it's been like this for a long time. It was their young crown prince who constantly devised state affairs, coming up with new ideas one after another. The emperor indulged and even condoned everything, without showing the slightest anger at being deprived of power.
Take the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun for example. If we're talking about who deserves the most credit, who would dare not mention His Highness's name? If you think about it carefully, his contributions in the court could even account for more than half.
The Emperor showed no negative emotion at the silence of his ministers. He smiled slowly and said, "Since you all understand, then lend me a hand."
"But with you gone, how can the court be stable?"
The Emperor stroked his beard calmly: "I have only become the Retired Emperor, not passed away."
"..." You can't just say that carelessly.
The officials, observing the emperor who showed no reluctance and was genuinely and sincerely discussing matters with them, along with figures like Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi who remained silent, finally realized that the emperor wasn't trying to set a trap for them, but genuinely intended to do so.
"So what should we do?"
The Emperor said, "There's no need to prepare anything in advance; just adapt to the situation as it unfolds."
The ministers suddenly realized: Oh, so they were asked to act as shills.
Fusu was completely unaware that he had been tricked again. On the day of departure, as he casually flipped through the travel list, he murmured, "Huh?"
Curious, he asked those around him, "Is this person's courtesy name Zijing?"
"Is that so?" The attendants replied respectfully, "This man was just released from Baling and returned to the capital. Does Your Highness know him?"
"It's just a one-sided understanding."
Teng Zijing is from the same series as Wang Lun, Li Guinian, Cen Fuzi, and Danqiu Sheng. How could I not recognize him?
“I remember he had a past relationship with my master.”
"It turns out that Zijing is fortunate enough to have caught His Highness's eye and have his name remembered. This is truly his great fortune."
Fan Zhongyan happened to be passing by and said, "I will tell him the news in a little while."
Fusu touched his nose, and said in a defiant tone, "Then Master, you can take your time praising me later."
He soon discovered that what he had just witnessed was not an isolated incident. It wasn't just Teng Zijing and Fan Zhongyan, close friends, who were reunited; many others were also taking advantage of the time when the officials were traveling north together to exchange feelings. If one didn't know that the purpose of the trip was to offer sacrifices to Heaven, one would think it was a grand family reunion among the officials.
No sooner had Fusu finished his sigh than his relatives and friends arrived. When they passed through Yunzhou, the officials there—Wang Anshi, Su Shi, and Fan Chunren—were all friends of Fusu. They took this opportunity to meet with him.
Su Shi complained without any hesitation: "Your Highness led my elder sister to do such a big thing, how could you not inform me at all? This is really too much."
Having not seen each other for almost a year, when he spoke to Fusu, it was as if they had only been apart for half a day, without the slightest sense of estrangement: "Now that my elder sister has become the person with the highest status in the family, my father must be under a lot of pressure, right? Hahahahahaha!"
Fusu: "..."
Hmm, the familiar flavor of Su Dongpo.
Suddenly, he felt a cool sensation on his neck. He looked up at the sky, but it wasn't raining. A quick glance around revealed the truth: Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were at odds. So, that chilly feeling must have been the murderous aura drifting over.
Fusu whispered, "Let's move aside."
Su Shi: "?"
He didn't understand what it meant, but he did it anyway.
Fusu: "We must give our old rivals room to maneuver when they meet."
Su Shi: "Hahahahahaha!"
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, which naturally attracted the attention of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang. The former twitched the corner of his mouth, clearly used to it, but when his gaze fell on Fusu, his eyes darted around, and he walked over leisurely.
"Your Highness, I have met you. I wonder if Your Highness is aware that Judge Su said that when he entertained the Crown Prince of Liao in Yunzhou, he lavished praise on him and even showed the Crown Prince your statue. When I tried to stop him, he said that he would take full responsibility for the matter himself."
Has he mentioned this to you?
Su Shi's smile froze on his face in an instant. He looked at Wang Anshi with grief and disbelief: "Lord Wang, you've ruined me!"
"I was just telling the truth."
Wang Anshi said calmly.
Fusu: Oh right. I almost forgot about that.
"So, Zizhan, the first thing you did when you met me was to criticize me. You really wanted to cover this up, didn't you!"
Su Shi: "..." He's been found out.
Su Shi: QAQ
——
The journey north was spent in a very relaxed atmosphere. Not only were the officials having a great time, but the common people along the way were also quite at ease. Wherever the emperor passed through, taxes were waived for a year, allowing the people to rest and recuperate.
According to the official plan, all sixteen prefectures of Youyun were exempted from taxes for a year. The local people were overjoyed, and those in other places, having heard the news, eagerly awaited the emperor's arrival.
The scale of the relief efforts was so great that they feared the local people might not develop a sense of belonging to the Song Dynasty.
Fortunately, the Song Dynasty's domestic technology had advanced significantly, more than doubling its productivity. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to sustain the generous treatment and financial support provided to the northern prefectures.
Otherwise, even if the homeland is recovered, it will be difficult to govern.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the imperial carriage finally arrived at the foot of Yanshan Mountain. This was not Fusu's first time here. The scene of his and Di Qing's mutual guessing and eventual reunion a few months ago was still vivid in his mind. "I remember that Su'er once used a trick here to set the mountain ablaze, ultimately breaching Juyong Pass. Is that true?"
Fusu: "Uh, it wasn't a fire from heaven burning the mountain. We just put a few Kongming lanterns up there, which contained spontaneously combustible materials."
The emperor smiled and said, "Then, Su'er, could you prepare a few Kongming lanterns so that we can release them into the sky when we reach the top of the mountain?"
"Okay, okay." Fusu imagined the scene and found it quite beautiful. So he nodded in agreement.
Ancient people have always worshipped mountains, believing that standing on high places allowed them to communicate with gods and ancestors.
Fusu didn't understand before, but he understood after climbing the pristine Yanshan Mountains once.
It was the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and summer had already arrived in the north, but it felt especially chilly on the mountain even while wearing long sleeves. A cold wind blew gently, and there were frequent rustling sounds. A misty fog spread out, as if at any moment, the hidden figures of gods would truly appear.
The Ministry of Rites had already set up an altar on the mountaintop. As the second offerer, Fusu only needed to follow the emperor's example. The moment he reached the summit, he couldn't help but look down. All he saw were densely packed headscarves, jostling and bumping against each other on the mountain path.
Well, it's kind of funny.
Fusu gave a brief laugh, only to see the Emperor looking at him with a smile: "How do you feel now that you've climbed up, Su'er?"
Fusu stretched out his arms and took a breath of the fresh mountain air: "I feel as if I can truly communicate with heaven and earth."
"Is that so?" Perhaps it was the sound of the wind, but the Emperor's voice sounded unusually unreal: "I think so too."
"And Su'er, would you like to see this desolate scenery from time to time in the future?"
Fusu felt that something was off about the Emperor today. But he didn't think much of it, assuming it was just excitement.
“Yes, I am,” he said.
A natural oxygen bar, and it's cool too, isn't that great?
The officials, however, seemed to have made up their minds.
The auspicious time for the sacrifice was 1:15 AM. The faint sound of drums and music echoed from the mountaintop, causing nearby wild beasts to howl and birds to scatter in fright. But the officials stood in solemn rows, dressed in ceremonial robes and wearing turbans, their faces all bearing a similar solemnity.
They piled up earth and arranged stones to form an altar.
This is a respectful message to our ancestors, offered as a tribute.
The golden edicts and jade tablets were used as a register.
The merits were inscribed on stone to commemorate them.
...
They cooked beef and slaughtered sheep as offerings.
"Heaven above, Earth below. Your unworthy descendant Zhao Zhen respectfully pays homage to all your ancestors with a sincere heart."
"In the past, due to the calamity of the Later Jin Dynasty, the homeland of Youyun was occupied by the Hu people for more than 120 years. Now, thanks to the dedication of civil officials and the bloodshed of soldiers, the sixteen prefectures have finally returned to the territory of the Han Dynasty. This is not the achievement of Zhen alone."
Amidst the gentle drumming and rustling wind, people in the mountains appear as insignificant as ants, while the official stands prominently atop the altar. His voice sounds exceptionally ethereal and otherworldly, almost shrouded in a faint divine aura. Fusu, listening, couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that the ancestors could actually hear him?
He immediately shook his head, his materialistic mind ultimately prevailing: How could that be? All the rituals in this world are performed for the living.
He'd better hurry up and think of something to say, because he'll need Ya Xian to say something that doesn't repeat what the Emperor said, otherwise he'll lose face big time.
Meanwhile, the Emperor's words continued to arrive.
"Now that the clouds have cleared, my mind is clear. I know that my virtue is insufficient to rule the world, and my talent is too shallow to benefit the people. I am always afraid that I will fail the trust of the late emperor and my ancestors. Now I wish to abdicate the throne to my eldest son, Su, and hope that Heaven and Earth will bestow blessings upon him..."
Fusu opened his eyes.
What happened? Did he mishear? What did his father just say? That he was going to abdicate the throne to him? How could that be?
Fusu's emotions contradicted himself. Reason, however, told him it wasn't impossible. It might not be possible now, but several generations later, starting with Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, the Northern Song Dynasty saw five consecutive abdications.
But after the emperor finished speaking, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and looked at him with a smile: "Su'er, come quickly."
Fusu stood there, stunned.
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, why not seize it?"
Suddenly, a voice that hadn't been heard for a long time rang in Fusu's ears. His eyes widened in surprise: "Father—!"
"Yes, it is me." The First Emperor said in a deep voice, "Go up quickly, let me see you ascend the throne with my own eyes and fulfill a wish of mine."
On the other hand, in reality, the emperor didn't find anything unusual about the address "Father Emperor." He simply assumed that his son had changed his way of addressing him on a formal occasion.
"What's wrong? Are you unwilling?" he said. "But Su'er, you promised me that you would show me what a true peaceful and prosperous world is like."
"If you were to ascend the throne after my death, how could I possibly witness it?"
Two fathers, two irrefutable reasons.
Fu Su gave a wry smile: So both of his premonitions were correct.
First, offering sacrifices to Heaven here can truly summon your ancestors.
Secondly, all rituals are prepared for the living.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Just one more chapter to complete the main story! [starry eyes][starry eyes][starry eyes]
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