Chapter 279 My Favorite is General Wen. ...
When Prince Qi of Chang'an was brought to the capital, it caused a great stir among the imperial clan.
Several collateral relatives, who could barely claim to be His Majesty's uncles or great-uncles, surrounded the Imperial Clan Court, demanding an explanation.
"How can they bring this here to be questioned?" "We...we didn't do anything!"
“Your son was a tutor to the Crown Prince back then, so of course he had no worries. But our family can’t even afford to eat a meal every day!” a carefree old man complained. “Now we have to live in constant fear, worried that His Majesty might just chop off our heads for no reason. Isn’t this just too embarrassing?”
“That’s right! We’re all honest and law-abiding citizens, just trying to make a living. His Majesty asked us to lend a hand a few months ago, and we all did our part, didn’t we?!” Another old man lamented, beating his chest in regret. “Who would have thought that before this year was even over, things would turn out like this…”
These words subtly imply that His Majesty is cruel, ungrateful, and ruthless.
The Imperial Clan Commander, Uncle, gathered his strength, thinking to himself that he had to share the Emperor's burdens, maintain his image, and reason things out. His tone was neither warm nor cold, and with a stern face, he began to name names: "Those who have committed acts of oppression against the people will be severely punished by His Majesty, without leniency! Those of you who haven't done such things need not worry; His Majesty's rewards and punishments are clear, and he sees everything perfectly well—"
"Fifth brother, did your grandson lose his job overseeing the factory? And second brother, if you think His Majesty has given you too much favor, I can also swallow my pride and beg His Majesty to take back your son's official position."
The two old men, who had been named, were embarrassed and speechless.
Only that unruly old man was still unwilling to make a fuss. Anyway, his family was not taken seriously by His Majesty. They had no official position or title, and had been idle members of the royal family for half their lives. Now, they could risk their lives to make money. If they didn't make a fuss now, were they going to wait until they were inexplicably arrested themselves?
He continued slamming his fist on the table, his anger escalating as he demanded, "Making a little money is considered doing something wrong? Is this oppressing the people? Your Majesty is far too right! My nephew also issued an edict, it's not like he forbade them from minting coins... I think Your Majesty is..."
He didn't say what he meant to say next, but everyone understood the unspoken message.
The clan elder was furious and could no longer contain himself. He grabbed a paperweight from the table and began chasing the old man around the table, yelling, "I think you've gone too far, Qi Zhennan! You just want to bully His Majesty because he's young and newly enthroned! What would you have done if it were your younger brother or your nephew on the throne?! You wouldn't have made a scene! If you'd dared to utter a single word, you would have been sent down to keep your brothers company!"
With each clenched syllable he uttered, the paperweight in his hand would strike the old man's shoulder and back hard, causing him to howl in pain and flee in terror.
"You think your nephew is out making moves again, so you can profit from stirring things up?" The Imperial Clan Commander was getting on in years, and even a little movement left him panting heavily. He stopped to catch his breath and leaned against the table. "Don't underestimate His Majesty's methods! Even if your nephew becomes the Retired Emperor, he won't be able to control him!"
His words warned the others, who looked fearful and realized that the new emperor was probably not a kind person either, and they all considered retreating.
The old man, his face bruised and swollen from the beating, wiped his face, relented, and complained, "So we're just going to give in like this? And we'll be implicated for what we did before?"
The Imperial Clan Court official gave him a meaningful look: "So your family got involved too? Isn't this an obvious solution? Just hand over all the money you earned. Before His Majesty questions you, with that kid Chang'an taking the fall, your minor offenses can be wiped clean."
"..." The people present fell silent for a moment.
If they weren't so stingy with money, would they have come to cause trouble?
The clan elders gave them a deep look and made a decision in their hearts.
The next day, Prince Qi was escorted to the Imperial Clan Court and imprisoned by his uncle, who then treated him as a cold, indifferent person. The members of the imperial clan who had been causing trouble these past few days were somewhat at a loss; what did this mean?
Another half month passed, and news came from Sichuan and Chongqing that a wealthy merchant had been convicted and his vast fortune confiscated, and he was about to be escorted back to the capital for execution in the autumn. Several members of a prominent family in Taiyuan were also imprisoned and convicted, and all their workshops were destroyed... Then came news that His Majesty had personally come to the Imperial Clan Court to inquire about the trial of Prince Qi.
The members of the imperial clan panicked completely. Only Qi Zhennan managed to maintain his composure, though he was already considering retreating: "We've all held on... Could he really dare to kill a member of the imperial clan? What about his reputation? If we unite, we can at least protest!"
That's what they say, but the first two emperors killed quite a few people too!
The imperial clansmen secretly sent money to the Imperial Clan Court at breakneck speed, managing to smooth things over before His Majesty arrived and could deliver a result. They watched helplessly as Prince Qi's title was completely stripped away, his wealth confiscated, and his entire family was sent from Chang'an to Jizhou, far away and forgotten.
...At least he survived.
The royal family members fell silent, not uttering a single complaint.
The clan elder, Uncle, smiled without saying a word: "..."
But in reality, the suppression of various regions was far from as easy as the royal family had imagined.
Qi Chengming dared not be careless. After sending Qin Liusong and Yang Shou, he dispatched General Tao, Yang Shou's former superior, with troops to Bashu, and sent Wen Zhongnan, who had finally returned home, to Taiyuan. With the three armies watching closely, Qi Chengming's orders could summon reinforcements from surrounding garrisons no matter where trouble arose. They caused quite a few disturbances along the way before finally managing to subdue these tough enemies and prevent further rebellions from breaking out within Dingguo.
“…It’s done.” Qi Chengming rubbed his eyes wearily and leaned back in his chair.
These past few days, he hasn't dared to look away from the system map for a moment, judging the situation by the changes in red, green, and yellow colors and the distribution of people. If there is any rebellion or conspiracy, he will immediately send a message to suppress it. If there is any suspected feint or desperate act, he will record the data and quietly send it over without giving any orders.
When a general is in the field, he may disobey some of the emperor's orders.
Qi Chengming is not a general, and his combat experience lags far behind that of his cousin, General Tao, and Wen Er. Instead of giving orders, it would be better to pass on the intelligence and let them decide for themselves what to choose.
...that finally calmed them down.
"It's time. Announce it: abolish those privately minted, inferior coins, and issue the exchange terms publicly announced by the money shops." Qi Chengming took out the regulations he had previously discussed with the Minister of Revenue and put Grand Secretary Cao in charge of the matter.
None of the Grand Secretaries who were secretly discussing matters with him raised any objections.
Qi Chengming nodded secretly.
Because the groundwork was laid so well, his imperial edict, which defied the emperor's will, would be issued without causing any disturbance. The retired emperor had made a deal with him and would remain silent, letting him clean up the mess. The suspicious officials in the court were completely obedient to him, and the Grand Secretaries, knowing the seriousness of the matter, would step in to help him resolve any opposition.
Aside from the slight blemish on his reputation that might cause some gossip among the people, those upright officials who considered themselves loyal to the emperor and dedicated to serving the country must have been pleased that he had finally set things right.
Grand Tutor Wu calmly twirled the walnut in his palm and offered his advice: "Your Majesty, it would be best to change the order of these two decrees."
"oh?"
Grand Tutor Wu began to speak slowly.
The leaders of several private minting operations have fallen, a time of widespread panic and rumors, leaving the people desperate. If, at this moment, it is announced that the government is prepared to bail them out and stand up for the people, losses can be mitigated as much as possible—the people will surely be grateful. After publicly clarifying how much wealth they have plundered from the people, their crimes can be announced, and His Majesty can then punish these scourges and abolish the right to mint private coins.
At that time, the people would not complain; on the contrary, they would hate those people to the bone and applaud them.
"This way, there will be no ripples," Grand Tutor Wu concluded gently.
"Lord Wu's plan is brilliant!" Grand Secretary Cao was astonished and praised him sincerely, accepting the plan.
Qi Chengming tacitly agreed.
After the imperial edict was issued by him and received by Grand Secretary Cao, a reminder appeared before him:
[Infrastructure Task: Abolish other privately minted currencies (Completed)]
"Let's do it this way." He said, standing up and stretching his stiff limbs as he watched the Grand Secretaries leave. Although the right to privately mint coins had been abolished, old silver notes and Liuzhou tokens would continue to circulate alongside the Taiyuan coin for five to ten years before gradually becoming a unified currency.
This is the essence of meticulous craftsmanship.
"Your Majesty, General Wen has arrived," Xiao Dezi called out loudly from outside the door.
Qi Chengming quickly brushed off the wrinkles in his clothes and shifted to a more casual sitting posture. Thinking of this popular young general from the original book, who was also his pen pal of several years, Qi Chengming suddenly felt a little nervous: "..."
But there was no time for him to be nervous.
A tall, dark-skinned military officer strode in, knelt down respectfully, and said, "This humble general, Wen Zhongnan, greets Your Majesty."
Qi Chengming: "..."
Wen Zhongnan: "..."
Compared to the day when all nations paid tribute, Wen Zhongnan was much more robust, his long hair tied up high, and his face no longer fair and delicate. He didn't look like a dashing and righteous knight-errant in the martial world, but rather a muscular man who had clearly gained muscle after consuming eight hundred tubs of protein powder.
Qi Chengming couldn't bear to look at him and looked away: "Wen Er, what's wrong with you... Get up quickly, pfft!"
Wen Zhongnan rolled his eyes in frustration, his composure crumbling instantly. He scrambled to his feet and complained, "I knew it, Wuyou, stop laughing... War is too taxing! Being a general is even worse. I have to eat and train like crazy, and that's how I ended up like this."
Qi Chengming's worries vanished, and he felt very comforted. He was no longer afraid of others raising their voices at him; what he feared was that all those who were once close to him would become overly respectful, leaving him completely alone.
Wen Zhongnan still called him by his courtesy name "Wuyou" and treated him like a brother. Despite his gloomy expression, Qi Chengming felt all the exhaustion and burden he had carried for the past few days vanish. He laughed even more heartily, without any attempt to hide his feelings: "I know everything, but... hahaha! Now that the war is over, if you want to continue being your chivalrous knight, I won't stop you. Just don't refuse when there's another war."
Qi Chengming made no attempt to hide his mischievous expression, as if he were watching a good show.
He knew that Wen Zhongnan's dream was simply to be a chivalrous knight-errant, roaming the world freely. His decision to join the frontier was merely a helpless act born of the nation's peril; if he had a choice, he would have done so without hesitation.
As expected, Wen Zhongnan readily agreed without even blinking, and immediately beamed with joy, as if he had struck gold. He didn't even suspect whether this was the new emperor's way of discarding him after he had served his purpose: "Great! Wuyou, you really understand me."
Qi Chengming trusted his trust, but still had to add a word of caution: "Don't try to make me take the blame when we're out there!"
"Yes, yes, yes, yes," Wen Zhongnan replied repeatedly, patting his chest with even more pride, and preparing to go out and show off.
"Leave it all to me. I'll make sure everyone knows that His Majesty favors me the most; this is a special favor bestowed upon me!"
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Author's Note: Qin Liusong: ...
Song Gu: ...
Lu Yu: ...
Shen Shuzhi: ...
Everyone: ...
(Updates will be unstable for the next two weeks, and I might not be able to write at all. I'll put a leave notice in the text.)
I'm going to my cousin's wedding, and I also need to fly to Hainan to settle down. I plan to spend the winter there while it's cold to prevent myself from being sick and lethargic all winter again... If I get this sick again, I really feel like I'm going to die.
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