The beauty is unparalleled
"I've heard that Minister Jiang is a descendant of the late Prime Minister Jiang Zhong? His half-day of clearing the wasteland does indeed bear a resemblance to his style." The emperor tapped the scepter with his fingertips, his voice mingling with the fragrance of ambergris as he poured it over the emperor's head.
Jiang Heng lifted the hem of his robe and slowly walked up the golden steps, prostrating himself on a worn carpet at the emperor's feet. The emperor nodded slowly, while Tang Yao gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, somewhat nervous.
"Your Majesty, in your wisdom, my late father, Zhong, was from Taiyuan. He was favored by the previous dynasty and served as prime minister for several years. My beloved mother, Liu, was of humble birth from Guangling and lived as a courtesan." At this, the ministers were in an uproar, but the emperor raised his hand to stop the discussion. "As for the meager achievement of spending fifty li and half a day on flowers—it is truly due to Your Majesty's holy virtue and grace that the displaced people were able to cultivate the wasteland on the frontier. It is not due to my wisdom, but to the strength of the people."
"Hmph, a mere brat trying to stir up trouble? Wishful thinking." "Who knows who might have introduced him to fish in troubled waters? Aren't there plenty of people like that among us?" "No matter how powerful his father was, he's still dead, isn't he? In my opinion, he should just live a quiet life; it's better than trying to rise to the top every day." The group whispered among themselves, their faces full of disdain.
"Who gave you this fifty-mile journey in half a day?" the emperor asked. Fu Qinxiang glanced at Liu Guanhua, who immediately understood her meaning and cupped his hands, saying, "This humble subject sought it out out of gratitude for our friendship. I never expected it to help you achieve such a great undertaking. I am filled with trepidation."
Before the emperor could speak, Fu Qinxiang smiled and said, "I have heard that Lady Liu is a famous courtesan, and her musical and dancing skills are superb. How about we bestow upon her a seven-jeweled pipa and allow her to enter the palace to play elegant music?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor could only nod and say, "Go and find her quickly, and treat her with the same etiquette as an ordinary lady." Jiang Heng knew it was Fu Qinxiang's scheme, so he closed his eyes and pursed his lips.
"Jiang Qing has made great contributions to the reclamation of the fields in half a day, saving countless lives. This merit should be bestowed upon his father a noble title. I wish to follow the example of the Duke of Zhou in establishing a virtuous ruler and bestow upon him the seal of the Unicorn. What do you gentlemen think?" Jiang Heng had made great contributions at a young age, which the emperor greatly appreciated. He was even more willing to have another loyal minister by his side who could withstand the pressure from Fu Qinxiang. If he were to become the prime minister, Jiang Heng would surely devote himself to the cause, and the emperor would also have someone to rely on.
"Hmph, Jiang Heng is a prime minister before he's even thirty, how outrageous!" Guo Zheng slammed his tablet down, not even glancing at Jiang Heng.
"If it's only fifty li away, then we're all just sitting on our positions without doing any work. We should all resign and go back to farming." These words were spoken by Liu Guanhua. He saw Fu Qinxiang holding a string of sandalwood and glass beads in her hand and knew that his gift was appropriate. He was very proud of himself and spoke in a frivolous manner.
"While he's been drawing fish scale patterns, I've already opened up two new fields," Li Yan'an added in a low voice, his scepter trembling so badly that it made him a laughingstock.
"Is this Jiang Heng going to be able to make important decisions just by playing the pipa like that Liu woman in the imperial court?" Liu Guanhua said, and the whole room burst into laughter.
Fu Qinxiang suddenly slammed her prayer beads on the table and sighed with pity, “Young Master Jiang certainly has the talent to reclaim wasteland and manage affairs. Your ridicule is probably inappropriate. However, if Young Master Jiang happens to come across words like ‘refugee’ or ‘musician’ when he is holding the scroll, it would be unfair.”
Jiang Heng sneered, "I am indeed not fluent in the law, and I am indeed prone to showing favoritism, but I do know a little about the farming method of 'those who cultivate the land live.' It is always better to earn grain than to swallow gold, don't you all agree?"
Everyone was speechless.
The emperor, holding a teacup, said, "I hereby appoint you as the Half-Day Flower Farming Supervisor. You may be promoted after further evaluation!" He then looked at Fu Qinxiang, winking and glaring at her, "There are other matters to attend to. Please submit a memorial to the emperor!" Fu Qinxiang smiled back, her expression even more sinister.
“Soldiers stationed for farming have always been hard to find, especially now that there is much unrest on the border and new farmland has been added. I’m afraid it will be difficult to mobilize troops,” Zhao Chen said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Report—" A person knelt in from outside the hall, but was stopped by the guards on both sides.
The emperor gestured for him to enter, and the man knelt down and said, “Your Majesty, Governor Zhao has sent a letter. The cavalry has escaped death and will return in five days!”
"What?!" people couldn't help but exclaim. Jiang Heng frowned—it must be that the communications had been exposed, forcing the cavalry to return to the capital.
“The Sa Ta cavalry were originally defeated and fled. For the first half of the month, they must have been hiding out of fear of punishment. Now that their supplies have been cut off, they have no choice but to return to the court to confess their crimes. It would be better to let them make amends by sending them to Banrihuatun Garrison for the winter. That way, they can have something to show for themselves,” Fu Qinxiang said, raising an eyebrow.
“No, the Sa Ta Cavalry is a major force of the Great Zhao Dynasty. How can we just use them whenever we want? In my opinion, it would be better to gather convicts and send them to Banrihua Garrison.” Yue Fengren said. Nowadays, there are endless disturbances among the people, the prisons are overcrowded, and the expenses are huge. If we can send some of them away as soon as possible, it will be better to keep things peaceful.
“There are many scoundrels among criminals. If they go to the border, wouldn’t they cause chaos? They might even defect overseas!” Qian Ruinian said.
"Jiang Tiju and Zhao Qing have never met, so how can we know if they are on good terms? We'll discuss this further when Zhao Qing returns to court," the emperor said, slamming his seal on the imperial seal. He still harbored some fear of the Sa Taqi. If they could be sent to the border, he would feel at ease, but he also feared invasion by barbarian tribes, leaving him isolated and helpless. Thus, he wavered in his resolve.
—————
"This is your 'Number One Flower'?" The official looked her up and down, raised an eyebrow, and exchanged a smile with his companion. "She doesn't look particularly outstanding, haha."
Liu Zhiluo was still carrying her pipa, the jade inside of which was damaged and had lost its luster. She also had a famous red and dark purple striped cloth band tied around her head. Noticing the scrutinizing gazes of people, she was not afraid. She simply pushed the silver hairpin in her hair further in, lowered her eyes, and looked submissive.
"Let's go!" The maids on both sides helped her up without saying a word, snatched the tattered pipa from her arms, and she drifted eastward like a floating duckweed.
"She's enjoying her success, but what will become of our business? Without her, business will decline again." The manager whispered to himself, "She signed a contract! What a waste of effort."
"Mother, don't be angry with yourself. This way, her son won't have a chance to redeem her, right? If she falls out of favor one day, she'll be stuck in the brothel for life, forced to perform as a street performer." This young woman was so thin that her bony frame was striking.
"I forgot she has a son! Perhaps that boy has ascended to the Golden Steps. Ha—truly, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." The steward was dressed in a flamboyant and elegant manner, and although he was old, his speech was still exceptionally clear—after all, a storyteller's voice naturally resonated louder than gold.
Normally, only high-ranking officials and nobles could afford to see her, but today she has entered the palace as a musician, and the streets are already packed with people eager to see if this "famous flower" is appropriate for the occasion.
Once inside the sedan chair, the maids and the crowd dispersed. Seeing no one around, the sedan chair bearers quickly turned into a narrow alley. At the end of the alley was a red wall, with peeling paint already visible. Sensing the sudden darkness inside the sedan chair, Liu Zhiluo hurriedly lifted the curtain. After looking to both sides, she finally realized she had entered a dead end.
The sedan chair came to a shaky stop. The sedan bearers said a few words in their dialect, then tilted the chair forward, throwing Liu Zhiluo out. Before the two could react, she pulled out a silver hairpin, pointed the tip at her neck, and stepped back, saying, "If you are disrespectful, I'm afraid you will have difficulty explaining yourselves to the Emperor."
The two men looked at each other and burst into laughter: "Hahaha, we're all outlaws, so your life or death is none of our business. After carrying sedan chairs for others for so many years, we should enjoy ourselves before we go on our way!"
Liu Zhiluo frowned, then rushed forward and stabbed the larger man to death with a hairpin. The other man froze for a moment amidst the blood, his eyes darkening, and he growled, "Crazy woman!" before lunging at Liu Zhiluo. He pinned the man to the ground, snatched the hairpin, and stabbed him repeatedly in a vital spot. Liu Zhiluo turned her head to dodge, her eyes equally fierce, her lips bleeding from being bitten.
The sedan bearers, never having seen the woman with such an expression, were both surprised and amused. He suddenly stroked the black hair of the "defeated" woman beneath him, and said with a touch of tenderness, "You have some beauty. Why don't you go with your grandfather and leave this place of trouble?" Liu Zhiluo suddenly said softly, "Young master, can you really keep your word? I have already been deceived by men, and I absolutely cannot give myself to someone so easily again."
The sedan bearers became interested upon hearing this, readily got off Liu Zhiluo, pulled her up and hugged her, jokingly saying, "Do you think your grandfather is heartless? I'm used to being good to women." Then, he thought for a moment, frowned, "Have you had children? Don't get me into trouble again."
Liu Zhilu snorted and said, "My son has long since stopped recognizing me as his mother."
Upon hearing this, the sedan chair carriers were relieved and carried the person to the alley entrance.
Liu Zhiluo raised her hand and gently stroked his face, while her eyes examined the veins on his neck, measuring the depth of the insertion. As the other man basked in his triumph, she flicked her finger, and the sharp end of the ring pierced straight into his thick neck. The man cursed and threw her down, the silver hairpin he was holding also falling to the ground with a thud. Liu Zhiluo picked up the silver hairpin, clenched it in her fist, and plunged it in again, instantly causing blood to bloom all over her face.
Seeing that all was lost, Liu Zhiluo took off her gold-embroidered robe and stumbled towards the alley entrance. Only then did she feel a burning warmth on her neck and arms. The morning market had already closed. She rushed towards the stalls, tears and blood smeared all over her face, her hair sticking to her face and neck, making her look somewhat ghostly in the daytime.
People nearby were astonished and shouted that they would report it to the authorities; some even grabbed sticks to beat him.
Liu Zhiluo stopped, raised her hand to brush aside her long hair, and her hair tie fell out. "They're from the music troupe!" A murmur rippled through the crowd. She calmly looked up and said, "Aren't you going to make way for the musicians?"
The shadow of her earring fell on her neck, at first glance resembling a knife scar. Her gaze was even more intense, sharper than a sword.
The crowd immediately fell silent, realizing that this woman was not to be trifled with. At this moment, the official arrived with his men, and Fu Qinxiang personally led a carriage to pick them up. The crowd dared not discuss it any further and dispersed.
“I often hear Jiang Heng mention you. Although he doesn’t see you often, he thinks of you frequently.” Fu Qinxiang instructed a maid to lead Liu Zhiluo up, gesturing to the people on either side while observing her expression.
Liu Zhiluo curled her lips and narrowed her eyes, saying, "That's excellent."
"I'll have someone bathe and change you later, and you can come with me to court tomorrow morning." Fu Qinxiang wasn't sure about the mother and son's attitude, so she didn't ask any more questions. But their forced smiles were exactly the same.
Before leaving, Fu Qinxiang paused and said, "If the Emperor bestows upon you the title of Consort because of your appearance, you must not refuse. Remember that."
Liu Zhiluo washed herself and examined her reflection in the mirror for a moment. Fu Qinxiang's words kept echoing in her mind. She didn't know the tall woman's identity, but judging from her demeanor and attire alone, she knew that this person was definitely of high status. She gently stroked the face that could win favor and wealth, but also bring trouble and humiliation. She examined the gold and silver hairpins on the dressing table, running her fingers over the tips of each one. She carefully selected one with a jade pendant at the top and the sharpest point at the bottom, and played with it back and forth in her hand.
She clutched the hairpin in her hand, then looked up at herself, her eyes already brimming with tears, yet she appeared pitiful—her appearance softened her anger. The hairpin was worn into a spiral shape, painfully sharpening her hand, but this time, she was in control.
She murmured "Ah Zhong" softly, closed her eyes, and raised her hand to pick up the hairpin.
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