Chapter 267 Refusing the imperial concubine selection/Preparing to meet the Empress...
"Alright... I grant your permission. Go to Mangling and find a secluded place." Qi Chengming pondered deeply. "I will have Youzi lead a team to protect you. This matter is classified as top secret."
"Oh, keep a close eye on your surroundings...be careful not to blow up anyone's tomb!" On Mangshan Mountain next to Luoyang City, there are layers upon layers of tombs of royal relatives, nobles, celebrities and scholars from all dynasties, totaling at least hundreds of thousands of tombs.
Before his transmigration, Qi Chengming had heard a joke about Mangshan. Someone asked why tomb raiding novels were all about places like Yunnan and Northeast China, instead of choosing Mangshan in Luoyang? Doesn't it also have many famous tomb complexes? The answer was that if they did, there would be no adventure or excitement in the tomb raiding novels, and it would become pure physical labor.
—All you need to do is find a spot on Mangshan Mountain, pick up a shovel, and keep digging down.
Jokes aside, Qi Chengming wouldn't dare gamble on it. According to ancestral precepts, the tombs of both the previous and current Qi imperial families are located on Mangshan Mountain, sometimes even respectfully referred to as the Imperial Mountain.
“…Yes.” Fang Bi knew the seriousness of the matter and answered seriously with a straight face.
Unlike in Liuzhou, a remote and desolate place where it was easy to conduct any experiments, here in the capital, we are much more constrained.
She understands everything.
"Your Majesty, I have not yet expressed my gratitude." Fang Bi paused, then knelt down and performed a solemn salute, her eyes filled with smiling tears. She had never imagined that she could enter the court as an official with dignity, just like the men, and that her name and reputation would spread far and wide.
Previously, Bishu had always stayed quietly in the laboratory, researching various tasks assigned to her by His Highness. She enjoyed these tasks and was content with this kind of life. Whether others knew it or not, His Highness was well aware of her abilities and bestowed upon her honor, wealth, and privileges.
This is already a thousand times better than other women; at least the honors that belong to her have been recognized.
But... it can be even better.
Qi Chengming couldn't help but smile and encourage her: "Do a good job and set an example for others."
Let's start liberating women's labor force from this moment on; even a dilapidated Dingguo needs this force.
"Yes...!" Fang Bi, energized by the encouragement, strode off, followed by Xiao Dezi, who led a group of eunuchs with practiced ease, carrying a large, thick box tightly covered with silk cloth. The box contained the fertilizer that Qi Chengming had just pulled out.
The Minister of Works and the Minister of War, who were waiting outside, watched this scene in astonishment.
Old Master Liu seemed to be deep in thought.
This newly established Research Department... no wonder it was His Majesty's darling before his ascension to the throne; the rewards it receives are so numerous, it cannot be underestimated.
"His Majesty wants you to go in," Eunuch Cheng kindly reminded him.
"Yes." Only then did Old Master Liu regain his composure and step inside.
...
Winter goes and spring comes.
Just as the old year was ending, this New Year's banquet, though hastily arranged, was the first banquet held by Emperor Taiyuan after his ascension to the throne. Because there had been no general amnesty before his ascension, this banquet was even more grand and magnificent, yet it was also very well-organized and without any flaws.
The Emperor Emeritus was said to have fallen slightly ill before the palace banquet and did not attend. The atmosphere at the table of the imperial family members was extremely strange; the families present were all on edge. The Empress Dowager, leading the imperial concubines, sat in a lively atmosphere. In contrast, the newly enthroned emperor was all alone, without a single close confidant, and his presence was quite desolate. This palace banquet was originally declined by the Empress Dowager due to her advanced age, and was ultimately hosted by the Imperial Noble Consort Xue and the three imperial concubines.
At first glance, if you don't look at who the emperor on the throne is, it doesn't seem much different from the scene during the reign of Emperor Hongren.
The new year's reign title was still "Hongren". It was only after the entire eighteenth year of Hongren had passed that the first year of Taiyuan began.
That year, Qi Chengming was seventeen years old. The childishness in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a spirited and vigorous demeanor.
The Empress Dowager and the imperial relatives and ministers below were all stunned, realizing that His Majesty should select a concubine.
The New Year holiday is over.
Qi Chengming, who had long since stopped writing, was finally about to begin dealing with state affairs. He received a flurry of memorials, all requesting the same thing—to hold a selection of concubines to enrich the imperial harem.
But Qi Chengming suppressed it all, keeping it to himself, and instead stared blankly at a memorial in his hand: "..."
That was a memorial from Xie Zhongyun, the salt commissioner of Yangzhou, inquiring about the emperor's health and well-being.
"What do you mean... Did I teach him woodblock printing?"
Qi Chengming recalled how he had neglected this in his younger days, how excited he was to hear about the popularity of woodblock comic books in Yangzhou, and how regretful he was that the boat had to turn back halfway, preventing him from meeting this pillar of the state. He remembered it all clearly, but why did this Lord Xie speak in such a tone—
Qi Chengming wondered if he was just imagining things.
He always felt that Lord Xie's tone was testing him, as if they were very familiar with each other. It was that same feeling of 'we seem to have a tacit understanding, sharing resources' again... just like those other people. But the difference was that Lord Xie was bolder.
Qi Chengming gazed at the white sky outside the window, a strong premonition rising in his heart:
He might be able to uncover something from Lord Xie; it's a great secret that surrounds him.
"Shishuang, grind the ink for me." Qi Chengming waited for Shishuang to finish grinding and leave before writing a reply. He not only tacitly acknowledged the reputation of woodblock printing, but also skillfully questioned Xie Zhongyun about why he hadn't communicated with him in earlier years. His answer was ambiguous, a test in disguise.
A normal person could pull back and forth many times, but Qi Chengming's identity was that of the emperor.
A subject cannot continue to outwit the emperor like this.
Qi Chengming watched as Cui, the secret envoy, took the letter and left, pondering to himself... Perhaps this time, if he received a reply, he would have a result.
In March.
Plans can't keep up with changes. Qi Chengming handed over the task of building the Prince Dun's Mansion and the Prince Ning's Mansion to his uncle, the Imperial Clan Head. As for Prince Ning himself, he only had time to hurriedly offer his opinions on the new mansion before pitifully leaving the city to take up his post in Yanshi County.
The national treasury allocated 10,000 taels of silver.
Even the uncle who received the order was amused by the situation. The old man couldn't help but rush into the palace to request an audience, his eyes glazed over, and asked, "Your Majesty, what can you do with five thousand taels of silver for a prince's mansion?!"
His Majesty is far too stingy!
"Back when I was in Liuzhou, I didn't even spend five thousand taels of silver on buying and renovating my mansion," Qi Chengming reminded him. This wasn't like those banknotes with ever-increasing face values that no one wanted; this was real silver!
He also bestowed upon him two existing princely residences, which only needed some modifications and renovations to be usable!
The Ministry of Works had a custom of repairing the Prince's Mansion, and Qi Chengming couldn't bear to look at the embezzled funds in that process, so he crossed it out with a stroke of his pen. He usually turned a blind eye to embezzlement, but it was absolutely unacceptable to treat the royal family like fools and make exorbitant demands!
The imperial clansman, Uncle Ling, was heartbroken: "Where can we buy those flowers and plants? Those glazed tiles for the princes must have cost a fortune! And then there are the bat-shaped window frames, lintels, partitions, hanging flower gates, and water beasts... It would cost at least ten thousand taels of silver for a single prince's mansion! And there's the grape vineyard that Prince Ning mentioned wanting before he left..."
He knew them all like the back of his hand.
Qi Chengming's expression grew increasingly dangerous as he listened.
With natural disasters and man-made calamities befalling the country, he was incredibly busy every day, with work piled up everywhere. Even the mansion he once lived in was converted from a commoner's house, the Prince Rui's mansion in the capital was only slightly cleaned and occupied, and the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace was delayed and halted by him, never even being built... Why all the fuss? Yet he's putting so much meticulous effort into the two princely mansions?!
"Didn't the Emperor Emeritus enjoy relaxing in the Yao Guang Pond? All those flowers and plants can be taken from the Yao Guang Pond." Qi Chengming made the arrangement coldly without even blinking.
In the past, Luoyang City boasted a large royal garden renowned for its water features, filled with classical architecture and exquisite landscaping. After the ravages of war, only a small portion remained, about fifty acres in size, named Yaoguang Pond. Because the area was so vast, and due to his constant busyness, Qi Chengming had yet to visit it.
Such a large garden is just sitting there doing nothing; even just removing some flowers and plants from it would be worthwhile.
“Glazed tiles are simpler. There are glass factories in the suburbs anyway, and they are all just flashy and impractical. We’ll switch to glass tiles from now on. We’ll remove all the remaining bat patterns and just use the normal auspicious patterns. It won’t make any difference.”
Qi Chengming said firmly that if his uncle, the Imperial Clan Commander, asked again, he would retort, "Do I look like I have bat markings?"
If the Prince's Mansion wants extra things, fine, they'll have to pay for it themselves! Don't count on the national treasury, there's none.
“…Yes.” The Imperial Clan Commander’s uncle thought of the mansion where Prince Rui returned to the capital, opened his mouth, but finally sighed and stopped arguing.
Even His Majesty is so frugal and sets an example, so who would dare to be extravagant?
In mid-March, even the Empress Dowager couldn't sit still this time. She invited the Emperor over and subtly inquired about matters related to the imperial concubine selection.
"...The girls are all getting old, and we can't delay any longer," the Empress Dowager said with a sigh.
Rumors were circulating in the city that the new emperor disliked very young women, causing many promising young ladies to remain unmarried for the past two years, their marriages dragging on... some were now twenty, others sixteen or seventeen. The emperor wasn't worried, but the eunuchs were; everyone was anxious! But the imperial family remained tight-lipped...
"I remember that Father Emperor allowed each family to marry as they wished last year." Qi Chengming was not affected by the manipulation at all, but he did have a plan in mind, so he did not mind revealing a little bit now. "The selection of concubines is waived. I do not like to be near women. I have already made up my mind about the Empress. Grandmother, just wait."
The Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically; she seemed somewhat bewildered and at a loss, yet in her struggle, she seemed to have suddenly realized something.
She hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively, "...There are quite a few fine young men in the capital."
Qi Chengming was caught off guard and lost his composure. He hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to be even more open-minded than him. His face was full of astonishment, and he hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "Grandmother, what are you thinking?! I don't love either men or women."
He said solemnly, "With the Empress managing the household affairs and ensuring the continuation of the family line, that is enough."
Having said this, Qi Chengming rose to take his leave. He was informing the Empress Dowager, not discussing it further. Regardless of what others thought, he intended to do so.
Regarding the selection of the Empress...
Qi Chengming did indeed have a plan in mind, which is why he finally revealed a few details.
A figure appeared in his mind.
She was a girl in a light green dress, with a gentle appearance, but her speech was not like that of a typical well-bred young lady. At the lotus appreciation banquet held by the Third Princess, Qi Chengming noticed that she was arguing with a girl in a lake blue dress.
Both men were on the final list provided by Grand Secretary Mu and his colleagues, and both met the age and temperament requirements. Qi Chengming had only glanced at them out of curiosity that day, but Shen Shuzhi had secretly made a note of them. For the next six months, he continued to keep an eye on these two families. When the court officials requested to select candidates for the imperial concubine selection after the New Year, Shen Shuzhi's eldest son, who was staying in the capital, quietly submitted the list of candidates under observation.
Neither of them came from a prominent family; one was the daughter of a fifth-rank official, and the other was the daughter of a renowned scholar.
However, Qi Chengming was not clear about the specifics.
He knew even less about the other women, so Qi Chengming naturally intended to hold another banquet to see the girl in the green dress first.
However, the selection of the empress will be based on the final list – all at the flower viewing banquet.
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Author's Note: Next up is the selection of the Empress; nothing special. Qi Chengming can't date and date for a while like in modern times before deciding if it will work out, and if it doesn't, they can break up.
Basically, it was still an arranged marriage, with the couple choosing one person and then secretly getting to know each other and cultivating feelings.
(Second update)
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