Chapter 55 Jinling Cangyue (Part 1) "I will accompany you south to Jinling..."
In the sweltering heat of June, the humidity was oppressive.
The emperor had always disliked the heat. Although he had fans and ice, he was always advised by the imperial physicians not to indulge in the coolness. Each time he tried to cool off, he was never satisfied. As a result, he was irritable and restless all day long, and even his handling of state affairs was somewhat affected by his temper.
Seeing an opportunity, Lan Huaien suggested that the Taiye Pond in the West Garden was refreshing and pleasant, making it the perfect place to cool off and escape the summer heat.
So in mid-June, the emperor took several concubines to the Western Garden for a sightseeing tour. Initially, the emperor only intended to take Consort Ming, but after Consort Ming requested an imperial decree, the emperor agreed to let Consort Jing, Consort Ning, and several new favorites accompany him.
Having left behind the complexities of the inner palace, the emperor, freed from constraints, completely relinquished his grip on state affairs, issuing an edict in advance that no one should be disturbed except for matters of military and state importance.
For three consecutive days, from Linyi Pavilion and Jiaoyuan Garden to Chongzhi Hall, then from Titai Slope and Zhaohe Hall to Lecheng Hall, and finally from Qingfu Hall and Huijing Pavilion to Hanbi Pavilion, the flowers were in full bloom, the shade was lush, and the ponds were clear and rippling. Far from the tedious affairs of daily life, every sight was a beautiful scene.
Feeling refreshed and accompanied by beautiful women, the emperor was quite reluctant to leave. After touring the West Garden, the emperor dismissed all his concubines and sent them back to the palace, keeping only Consort Ming by his side.
Immediately afterwards, news came from the Western Garden that the Emperor would temporarily reside in the Xiangyi Hall on the South Terrace of the Western Garden to escape the summer heat, and would return to the Forbidden City after the heat subsided. During this period, all memorials that needed to be reviewed would be sent to the Western Garden by eunuchs, and daily court assemblies would be suspended, but he would still summon court officials as usual.
When the news spread, it caused an uproar throughout the court.
Since ascending the throne, the emperor has been diligent and conscientious. Although he has occasionally slackened, he has always been able to get back on his feet in time after being advised by his ministers.
This time, however, the emperor refused to listen to the officials' complaints. He stubbornly insisted that he would not stay in the Western Garden for long, and that even without holding court assemblies, it would not interfere with state affairs.
Immediately, everyone began to discuss whether Consort Ming was a femme fatale and Lan Huaien was a sycophantic minister who flattered the emperor. The censors put pressure on the cabinet, but the cabinet ministers' advice was ineffective, so they turned their hopes to the Crown Prince.
Yan Chao had tried to persuade the emperor, but the emperor was in high spirits and no amount of persuasion could change anything.
She's been extremely busy these past few days.
The summer tax collection began in mid-May and is now in full swing. Every year, conflicts inevitably arise during the tax collection process. Dongchang, Yanzhou, Pingyang and other prefectures are suffering from severe drought and famine, and the southern capital is flooded. Some local officials distribute grain for disaster relief before they can even report to the emperor, some are still waiting for the court to make a decision, and some conceal the truth.
The memorials were already somewhat delayed in reaching the central government, and everyone knew this, so no one dared to delay them easily.
But the emperor had to throw a tantrum at this crucial moment.
Yan Chao was quite troubled, so she went to find Lan Huaien and asked him bluntly, "I'll just ask you one question: was this your idea?"
Lan Huaien didn't want to hide it from her, so he lowered his eyes and answered "Yes," but then he suddenly became aggrieved: "I only made a suggestion back then. Your Majesty's refusal to return to the palace really has nothing to do with me. I tried to persuade Your Majesty, but you wouldn't listen..."
Seeing Yan Chao's displeased expression, he tried to salvage the situation by saying, "Your Highness, please don't worry too much. His Majesty is not neglecting state affairs. All memorials are delivered to him daily by eunuchs from the Imperial Secretariat. His Majesty is as diligent as ever."
Yan Chao asked with a cold laugh, "And what about Consort Ming?"
She didn't believe the emperor could truly be single-minded.
Lan Huaien choked slightly and stammered, "It is true that Consort Ming spends more time accompanying His Majesty every day than before, but... but when His Majesty is reviewing memorials, Consort Ming also avoids him."
The emperors who sought refuge from the summer heat at the Xiangyi Palace were generally quite diligent; however, the temptations of indulging in pleasure and laziness were too great, and they inevitably became somewhat lax at times.
The emperor was so troubled by state affairs that he found fault with everything. Coincidentally, the crown prince was visiting the South Palace most frequently, so he took the opportunity to vent his anger on her.
"Last year, the prefectures of Suzhou and Changzhou suffered from snow disasters, and I already granted an edict to waive the autumn grain tax. This year, they've gone even further, complaining that the summer tax is too high. The floods in the southern capital region haven't been resolved yet, and neighboring prefectures are already causing trouble. Are they trying to take advantage of the chaos to rebel?"
"The heavy rain in Nanjing has caused the lake outside the city to overflow five feet into the city, yet some officials still attempted to conceal this fact. This is an heinous crime and they deserve to die! Furthermore, are all the officials in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works in Nanjing dead? Am I keeping those people around so they can do nothing all the time and then shirk their responsibilities when it matters?"
"I knew it even if I didn't want to, that there would be no shortage of corruption and embezzlement involved. It's rotten inside and out, with everyone like hungry wolves waiting for the court to hand over money!"
Yan Chao listened with his head down, thinking to himself that the emperor was just as clear-headed as a mirror. However, making a decision next time would take too much effort and might disrupt the court, just like the case of Bai Cunzhang before, which was really not advisable to investigate too thoroughly.
"Father, please calm your anger."
"You make it sound so easy!" The emperor slammed down his pen, raised his ashen face, and glared at Yan Chao: "Does the Crown Prince have a solution?"
"Your Majesty," she said, pausing briefly to ensure the Emperor's patience, "I believe the six policies proposed by Zhu Yongxing, the Governor of Southern Zhili, in his memorial are feasible." She continued, "The land in western Zhejiang is fertile, hence the taxes have always been more than twice as heavy as in other places. Among the prefectures in western Zhejiang, Suzhou, Jiaxing, and Changzhou bear the heaviest burdens. Official land within these prefectures is heavily taxed, and private land is expensive. Coupled with last year's disasters affecting the harvest, the increased burden on the people has driven them to desperation, leading to the civil unrest. Simply abolishing taxes once will not alleviate the people's suffering. We need to establish a system of equal grain rations and land limits, levying taxes on both official and private land according to the same standards and grades. Furthermore…②"
The emperor finally waved his hand to interrupt her, and said with a light scolding, "Enough with the chiding!"
He said in a deep voice, "I am not blind! I have seen Zhu Yongxing's memorial. Do I need to hear you repeat it again? According to him, what are the grade standards for the equal distribution of grain? What is the basis for its formulation? What problems might it cause? How do local officials evaluate these strategies? You are in the capital, so you naturally think it is feasible, because no one else could have proposed it."
Yan Chao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and bowed down, saying, "Your subject is ashamed."
The emperor glanced at her: "You've been to Nanjing before, have you? Do you really know nothing about it?"
Seeing that she couldn't answer, the emperor grew even angrier and coldly said, "Go to Nanjing and see for yourself."
The emperor issued the decree in this way, which greatly surprised the entire court. However, those matters were indeed the most important things recently, and the officials all believed that the emperor intended to temper the crown prince, so they did not say much.
However, the imperial envoy personally appointed by the emperor was Li Shih-huai, the Minister of Revenue.
This caused Yan Chao considerable distress. Traveling south was already difficult enough, but with Li Shih-huai accompanying him, he would likely have to be even more cautious.
Even Yang Ren and Chen Xiu couldn't help but feel somewhat dissatisfied with this move. The emperor sent the crown prince to show that he attached great importance to it, but the emperor was not unaware that Li Shihuai had always been at odds with the Crown Prince. If a real conflict were to arise in the middle of the journey, wouldn't it be counterproductive?
But no one dared to disobey the imperial decree.
.
After learning of the situation, Prince Xin immediately went to see Li Shihuai.
He had been distressed for months because of the events in the palace at the beginning of the year, and had no choice but to be obedient and patient. Now that he saw a turning point in his life through his uncle, he felt a sense of relief and clarity.
"Has Uncle come up with a solution yet?"
Li Shihai raised his hand to signal him to calm down, and then said, "The Crown Prince is still young and inexperienced, and there are many things he can't take into account. His Majesty ordered me to go there because those matters in Southern Zhili must be handled properly. If they are handled well, everyone will be happy, but if there are any mistakes, I will bear the blame for the poor handling. As for the Crown Prince, the extent to which he will be angered is not something you or I can decide."
Prince Xin remained silent for a moment, then his relaxed brows turned cold again: "In any case, this is an opportunity for us."
"Yes. The waters in Nanjing are not shallow; I'll make sure he falls flat on his face this time."
Considering the situation in the capital, Li Shihai pondered for a long time, but gave only one instruction: "Your Highness, while you are in the capital, everything should be done with His Majesty and Consort Li in mind. If you can find an opportunity to persuade His Majesty to lift Consort Li's confinement, that would be even better. Otherwise, you must not act rashly."
Prince Xin nodded: "I understand."
When Yan Chao went to bid farewell to Consort Ning, Consort Lin was also in the palace. She was nearly nine months pregnant and about to give birth. Her face was swollen, and she looked much more haggard than before.
Consort Lin, with her large, protruding belly, was not in a position to take her leave, so Consort Ning kept her in the palace.
"How long will this trip take?" Consort Ning asked.
“It will take at least two or three months,” she estimated, then added, “We still don’t know the specific situation in Jiangnan, so we’ll have to go there to make any plans.”
Consort Ning nodded, and as she gave her further instructions, she couldn't help but feel very worried. Finally, she added, without getting tired of it, "In short, be careful in everything you do and take care of yourself."
"Your Majesty, I understand. Please take good care of yourselves."
As she was taking her leave, she glanced at Lin Jieyu's belly one last time, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Many years ago, the last time she saw her mother left a deep shadow on her, so that whenever she saw a pregnant woman, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
.
The journey from Yanjing to Nanjing was over two thousand li (approximately 1,000 kilometers), and the land route was too slow, so the group chose to travel by water, heading south along the Grand Canal. It was the height of summer, and the sun blazed fiercely, the heat intense. Fortunately, the wind on the boat provided some relief from the heat.
On the third day after leaving Beijing, Lan Huaien caught up with him.
He brought very few people with him; he was practically traveling light, and quickly arrived in a few small boats. After sending someone ahead to inform the Crown Prince, he hurriedly entered the Crown Prince's cabin.
The Crown Prince, Li Shihuai, and several other accompanying officials were all present. Upon seeing Lan Huaien, their expressions changed.
"But what is His Majesty's decree?"
Lan Huaien took a breath and bowed, saying, "His Majesty has ordered me to accompany you south."
Li Shihai secretly observed the Crown Prince's expression and saw that he had indeed frowned. He thought to himself that the Emperor sending the Director of the Imperial Workshop to accompany him was undoubtedly another great trouble for the Crown Prince. If the two of them were to start a fight, there would be quite a show to watch.
But Yan Chao didn't say much, only instructing him to behave himself and do his job well. Only when she met Lan Huai'en privately did she ask in detail, "What exactly did His Majesty send you to do?"
Lan Huaien said, "Your Majesty has granted my request to come and assist Your Highness."
"you……"
“With Grand Secretary Li here, Your Highness must have realized the danger. My presence here serves two purposes: firstly, to provide support for Your Highness, and secondly, to help him lower his guard.” He made no mention of how he had persuaded the emperor, only reassuring her, “Your Highness, rest assured, I have also left people in the capital to keep an eye on things, so nothing will go wrong.”
Yan Chao gazed silently at the riverbank outside the small window, refusing to speak. She understood what Lan Huaien was saying, but she didn't like him always following her around.
"There have been many precedents of the Crown Prince residing in Nanjing. Now that I'm going, I don't know when I'll be able to return. If the Director of the Eastern Depot comes along like this, what will happen to the Eastern Depot?"
Lan Huaien poured her tea: "The Eastern Depot is, after all, the Eastern Depot. Your Majesty can leave what needs to be done to Cheng Tai. As for Nanjing, I will accompany Your Highness."
Author's Note: ① Nantai, also known as Titaipo, was used as a royal summer resort during the Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Yingtai (yes, the one where Emperor Guangxu was imprisoned).
② Relevant policies can be found in the "Treatise on Food and Commodities" in the History of Ming Dynasty.
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