Chess Hand
The women's school at Kunning Palace was finally established. Lu Qinglan personally inscribed the plaque "Mingde Hall" and selected several simple books, "Female Rules" and "Female Instructions," along with practical bookkeeping and pharmacology knowledge, as teaching materials. Several literate and gentle senior palace ladies taught the classes. Since this project did not involve state affairs and demonstrated the Empress's virtue, Xiao Jingche was pleased to see it succeed and even allocated a small amount of funds. Regardless of their inner thoughts, the concubines in the harem outwardly praised the Empress's kindness.
Yet, beneath this seemingly peaceful harem, Lu Qinglan's plans never ceased. Mingde Hall became her ideal location for observing and screening palace maids. Those with outstanding performance, sharp minds, and relatively clean backgrounds would be quietly promoted or assigned to more important positions. Like a patient gardener, she meticulously nurtured her own seedlings within the deep soil of the palace.
Meanwhile, the power struggle within the previous dynasty intensified. While the turmoil at the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau had temporarily subsided, the old forces' counterattacks continued, though they became more covert. Instead of directly opposing the new policies, they leveraged their complex network of relationships to feign compliance while secretly disobeying them, delaying and shirking responsibility, effectively rendering many of Xiao Jingche's decrees ineffective once they left the capital.
That day, Xiao Jingche had a fit of rage in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The reason was that the Ministry of Revenue had reported that the amount of grain collected this spring was nearly 20% less than the same period last year, and the quality was also uneven. The person in charge of this matter was a doctor from a humble family who had been promoted by Xiao Jingche.
"Useless! All useless!" Xiao Jingche's face turned pale as the memorial was thrown to the ground. "I trust him so much, yet he can't even handle such a small task! It must be those clerks who took advantage of his shallow foundation and teamed up to deceive him!"
The eunuch standing by was silent as a mouse, not daring to make a sound.
When the news reached Kunning Palace, Lu Qinglan was playing chess with Lin Wanru. The black and white pieces scattered across the jade plate seemed leisurely, but in reality, they held hidden wits.
"Your Majesty is angry again?" Lu Qinglan picked up a white piece and put it down gently with a calm tone.
"Yes, I heard it's about the grain tax." Fu Yu replied in a low voice, "That Doctor Li, I'm afraid his position is no longer secure."
Lin Wanru looked at the chessboard, frowning slightly. After placing a piece, she said, "These old clans are truly resourceful. When they can't defeat them openly, they resort to covert tactics. Destroying the foundation of His Majesty's new policies is even more ruthless than directly opposing them."
Lu Qinglan looked at the white pieces on the chessboard that were vaguely surrounded by black pieces, and said lightly: "The foundation is not broken, but the soil is a little loose. Just replace it with someone who knows how to cultivate the soil." She picked up a white piece with her fingertips, and did not drop it in the surrounded area, but instead dropped it in another seemingly unrelated corner of the chessboard.
Lin Wanru was stunned. She looked carefully and realized that the falling white piece had subtly echoed with several scattered pieces on the periphery, forming a counter-encirclement of the black piece in the center. "Your Majesty is very clever."
Lu Qinglan smiled faintly. "It's the same with chess and politics. They want to make a fuss about the grain tax, but we don't necessarily have to focus on it." She turned to Fu Yu and said, "Go get the files compiled by Lingfeng Pavilion on the grain reserves in various places and last year's grain prices. Also, have Chen Xing check the inventory and procurement status of several major grain merchants in the capital over the past six months, especially those with ties to the Yang family or the late Prince An's Mansion."
"Yes." Fu Yu took the order and left.
Lin Wanru seemed to be lost in thought: "Your Majesty, are you planning to... start with the grain merchants?"
"The collection of grain has been ineffective, and the biggest impacts are on the government warehouses in the capital and military supplies at the border. If at this time, there are grain merchants who can 'see the big picture' and take the initiative to sell grain at a fair price to fill the gap, what do you think His Majesty will think?" Lu Qinglan said in a leisurely tone.
Lin Wanru's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty will surely be delighted! Not only does this solve the immediate crisis, but it also demonstrates that your new policies are popular with the people. Even merchants are willing to serve! But... how can those big grain merchants be willing to do something that benefits the country and the people, but not necessarily themselves?"
"There are many kinds of benefits. Gold and silver are benefits, but the favor of the Holy Heart is an even greater benefit, isn't it?" Lu Qinglan picked up the teacup and gently blew away the foam. "Besides, if they don't agree, there are naturally others who will. Doesn't Lingfeng Pavilion have several grain companies under its name? They may not be large in scale, but if they unite and get some support from 'overseas merchants', it won't be difficult to gather a batch of emergency food."
She was no longer the Lu Qinglan who relied solely on Yunshang Pavilion for information gathering. With the help of Shen Chong's caravan and the accumulated experience over the years, Lingfeng Pavilion had already extended its reach into multiple industries. While it hadn't formed a monopoly, it could still play a decisive role at critical moments.
Soon, Chen Xing received a reply. Fengtai Grain Store, closely tied to the Yang family, had experienced unusually high inventories over the past six months and had secretly purchased a significant amount of grain from retail merchants, seemingly intent on hoarding it. Meanwhile, several smaller grain stores controlled by Lingfeng Pavilion, with Shen Chong's covert support, began quietly transferring grain from Huguang, Sichuan, and other regions to Beijing.
A few days later, just as Doctor Li from the Ministry of Revenue was held accountable and dismissed from office, and the old officials in the court were secretly proud, several grain merchants in the capital, led by "Yufenghao" secretly controlled by Lingfeng Pavilion, jointly wrote a letter expressing their gratitude for the emperor's grace, sympathy for the court's difficulties, and willingness to sell large quantities of grain to the government warehouse at a fair price to alleviate the shortage of grain.
This move shocked the court and the public once again! Xiao Jingche was overjoyed and not only approved the request, but also personally issued an edict praising these grain merchants as "righteous merchants," granting them tax exemptions and other preferential treatment. Furthermore, Xiao Jingche found an excuse to relocate Doctor Li, who had been dismissed for "ineffective performance," to a key position in the grain transport system. This was a demotion in name only, a hidden promotion, as a gesture of support for officials from humble backgrounds.
After this incident, the old forces' plan to strangle the grain tax was completely thwarted, and Xiao Jingche became more determined to implement the new policy. Lu Qinglan, on the other hand, once again subtly influenced the direction of the previous dynasty.
Inside Kunning Palace, Xiao Jingche looked at Lu Qinglan with a complicated expression. Although he had no proof, his intuition told him that this act of "righteous business" was likely the work of the Empress. She always found a way to help him break through difficult situations in the most unexpected ways.
"The Queen seems to have quite some insights into people's livelihood and economy recently," he said tentatively.
Lu Qinglan was arranging flowers. She didn't even look up when she heard this. She simply said, "I've been bored, so I've been flipping through some books and finding some insights. I can't compare to your Majesty, who is so busy and knowledgeable."
She took all the credit and remained submissive.
Xiao Jingche looked at her quiet silhouette, and the doubts in his heart eventually turned into a deeper fear and an inexplicable dependence. He needed her intelligence, but he was afraid that this intelligence would get out of control.
The hand playing chess has quietly made its move.
Lu Qinglan knew that she and Xiao Jingche had gradually changed from allies fighting side by side to opponents on the chessboard of power, who were interdependent and wary of each other.
But she was fearless.
Because in this game of chess, she not only wanted to play, but also to win. Win beautifully and completely.
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