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◎ “The eldest sister couldn’t laugh, but she was happy for her younger sister.”◎
The ceremony to enthronize the Crown Princess in Qingyang was scheduled for the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the only auspicious day suitable for holding the ceremony before the New Year. Emperor Xingwu had no choice, but the Ministry of Rites listed more than a dozen auspicious dates for marriage, which went all the way to May of the next year.
Emperor Xingwu called Concubine Li and his daughter over, and the three of them discussed the matter together.
Qingyang knew that her father was looking for another opportunity to tease her, but she still looked at the auspicious dates with a normal expression as if she was looking at memorials. There was one this year, but holding two grand ceremonies in just over half a month was too rushed, and Qingyang didn't need to consider it at all. After the New Year, the first month of the year was also too rushed. Although the auspicious dates in February and March were good, those two months were the time when the Spring Examination and the Palace Examination were being held, and the people in the city were keen on discussing the candidates. Qingyang didn't want to steal the limelight from the new scholars, nor did she want the imperial examination to overshadow her own wedding.
Qingyang looks towards an auspicious date in April or May.
Emperor Xingwu and Concubine Li observed their daughter and, upon seeing her preferred month, Emperor Xingwu said with a smile, "Zhang Su will be twenty-four next year. He's waited for you for so many years, and Lin'er has the heart to make him wait a few more months?"
Qingyang: "If your father loves him, then let's set it for the first month of the year. Although the Ministry of Rites is busy preparing for my wedding and the new imperial examination, as long as your father is happy, I don't mind a more modest wedding."
Emperor Xingwu: "...That won't do. Lin'er's wedding must be held with the utmost grandeur. So, I won't look at this picture. I'll have the Ministry of Rites prepare for another year and set an auspicious date for the year after next."
Concubine Li pushed him gently. He was becoming more and more frivolous as he got older.
Qingyang looked calm and composed, as if he was following his father's orders.
Finally, Concubine Li pointed to the auspicious date of April 5th and said, "Let's choose this one. It's the time of spring when the flowers are blooming, and it's neither too cold nor too hot."
The father and daughter looked at each other and agreed.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites were the first to know about the Crown Princess's wedding date. Before Concubine Li could invite Lady Xu, the wife of Duke Weiguo, to the palace for a short visit and to tell her the good news, Qin Ren could not wait to send someone to call Zhang Su to his palace that evening. While having dinner, he told his good brother and future brother-in-law the good news.
Zhang Su thanked him calmly.
Qin Ren: "...You're really good at pretending. You've been looking forward to this day for years, haven't you?"
Zhang Su did not admit it, but he did not deny it either.
Qin Ren poured him a glass of wine. His glass was small and exquisite, and maybe five glasses would make up a large bowl.
Qin Ren counted the glasses in his mind, one for each meal and one for each chat. When he poured the tenth glass, he still had that natural look on his face as if he was trying to persuade someone to drink.
The wine cup was full. Zhang Su looked at Qin Ren, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.
Qin Ren immediately clicked his tongue twice. "Usually, when Second Brother and the others force you to drink, you always abide by the ancestral precept of no more than three bowls and nine cups, and you always count very clearly. How come you forgot this is the tenth cup this time?"
Zhang Su lowered his eyes and said, "This is to thank His Majesty for announcing the good news for me."
Qin Ren was stunned at first, then he smiled: "I knew you were happy!"
.
A few days before the ceremony, all ministries sent their reports on government affairs for the year to the Secretariat. The report from the Ministry of Personnel included the political achievements of the Beijing and local officials in the previous three years, as well as the recommendations for promotion, demotion, rotation at the same level, and dismissal that the Ministry of Personnel would make next year based on these achievements. Of course, the Ministry of Personnel was only responsible for giving recommendations. The transfer of officials of the fourth rank and below was basically decided by the Ministry of Personnel, while those above the fourth rank had to be discussed between the Secretariat and the Emperor.
Considering that the Crown Princess worked in the Ministry of Personnel before coming to the Secretariat and was more familiar with the Ministry of Personnel, Yan Xizheng gave the task of reviewing the work report of the Ministry of Personnel to the Crown Princess.
Qingyang first looked at the list of promoted officials. As she flipped through the pages, she came across several names that left a lasting impression on her. These were officials she had admired during her father's southern tour the year before and had mentioned in her Southern Tour Notes. The Southern Tour Notes consisted of two versions: one was the manuscript Qingyang kept for herself, in which she used the full names of each official; the other was the published book, in which she mentioned officials simply by their surnames before their titles.
Qingyang didn't criticize any officials in her published travelogue. Even if they deserved criticism, she didn't want them to be forever infamous for two or three years of bad governance, which would affect their careers. After all, some of them might recognize their mistakes and make great achievements in the future. Similarly, Qingyang didn't lavishly praise officials she admired, lest they rely on their temporary fame to rise too quickly and reach positions that exceed their actual abilities.
Qingyang only gave the due recognition to a few officials with the best political achievements at that time.
Unexpectedly, the Ministry of Personnel actually picked out each one of them and listed them in this promotion list.
Admittedly, some of them deserved promotions, but others were too inexperienced or too highly qualified. For example, Yang Jie, who had only been magistrate for three years and had been praised by her for developing terraced fields, was suddenly promoted from a seventh-rank magistrate to a prefecture governor at such a young age? And Jia Fangping, whose father had even mentioned him in the imperial edict appointing the Crown Princess, was suddenly promoted from a fifth-rank prefect to a third-rank Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?
Well, Jia Fangping does have the qualifications, but since he is a talent recommended by himself, Qingyang has the right to decide how to use him.
Qingyang picked up her pen and wrote her recommendation after the official titles of these "acquaintances".
The Crown Princess was writing with great concentration. Yan Xizheng and Dai Lun both glanced over here a few times, then exchanged glances with each other.
The former crown prince would never write directly on these performance reports, and would always ask them first if he had any ideas.
After the Secretariat completed the initial review, piles of memorials were sent to the Imperial Study.
Emperor Xingwu always attached great importance to the memorials from the Ministry of Personnel. The more he attached importance to them, the more seriously he looked at them. After recognizing his daughter's handwriting, Emperor Xingwu smiled and sent someone to call his daughter to the imperial study.
The Secretariat was close to the Qianyuan Palace, so Qingyang arrived quickly.
Emperor Xingwu first asked Jia Fangping, "Yangzhou is a prosperous place. You transferred him to Tianshui Commandery in Liangzhou as prefect. It may seem like a rank change, but it's actually a demotion. Is this because Lin'er, having just become the Crown Princess, is trying to avoid suspicion, or is it for your long-term plan to cleanse the Yellow River?"
Qingyang smiled and said, "As expected, nothing can be hidden from Father. This minister did this because he wanted to make use of Jia Fangping."
Her second brother once laughed at her idea of river control as a fantasy. Qingyang was annoyed with her second brother, but she also knew that turning the loess slopes in Liangzhou and Jinzhou into green mountains would not be a one-time task, and she might not even be able to accomplish it in her entire lifetime. But all things are difficult at the beginning, and she had to try before she could judge whether this path was feasible.
The ruler sets national policies and then selects wise ministers to implement them. Jia Fangping is the wise minister that Qingyang is optimistic about.
Emperor Xingwu nodded and said, "Jia Fangping should be able to improve the livelihood of the people in Tianshui County, but Yang Jie is more adept at transforming barren hills into green mountains. Why don't you transfer Yang Jie to help Jia Fangping, but instead let him continue to serve as the magistrate of Lu County?"
Qingyang: "Yang Jie has only helped the people of Lu County develop over 3,000 mu of terraced fields over the past two years. He's still over 60% of his planned 10,000 mu. Furthermore, the terraced fields don't necessarily mean increased grain production for the people. I want to observe him for another three years. If the terraced fields he develops can maintain their yields over the next three years, then he'll prove to be a capable official. During these three years, Jia Fangping will thoroughly investigate the rivers, hills, and topography of each county in Tianshui Commandery, as well as the crops, trees, and flowers that are suitable for growth in each area. He should also educate the people and find ways to increase the labor force. Otherwise, even if Yang Jie leaves, he'll be useless."
Emperor Xingwu leaned back in his chair unconsciously, watching his daughter speak with confidence and the bright light in her eyes, and he felt as comfortable as if he had taken a panacea.
He has the ambition to achieve great things but is not in a hurry to do so; he has talented officials but is able to observe and investigate calmly. Such a wise ruler is truly a blessing from heaven!
After secretly laughing for a while, Emperor Xingwu frowned and said, "It will take at least three years for Jia Fangping to govern Tianshui County. Yang Jie is gone. Even if he has the talent to accomplish your wish, he can only focus on one county first. It may take three to five years to see initial results. However, Tianshui County already has six counties, and Liangzhou and Jinzhou have at least three hundred counties affected by Huangqiu. Lin'er, have you ever considered that in the end, your subjects might criticize you for wasting money and manpower for nothing?"
Can turning loess hills into green hills in one county significantly reduce the sediment in the Yellow River? That's impossible. Even if my daughter won green hills in several counties, officials would still blame her if they didn't see any results, especially those with ulterior motives.
Qingyang smiled and said, "The Yellow River has been flooding since ancient times. Building canals without controlling the sand will only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. This minister's strategy is correct. Even if I toil my entire life for this, it will be in vain. Future rulers will always emulate me. Hundreds, thousands, and even millions of years from now, the Yellow River will eventually clear its waters, and future generations will then vindicate me."
Emperor Xingwu waved to his daughter. When she stood before him, he patted her shoulder vigorously and said with relief, "Although your father may not see that day, your father is confident that your daughter's achievements will surpass those of your own reign."
He was able to conquer the world, but in terms of his ability to govern the world, he had already lost to his daughter.
Qingyang looked over his father's shoulder, then into his eyes and said, "I will definitely surpass you, Father. You only inherited a lifetime of gambling debts from my grandfather, but I have inherited a dynasty of peace and prosperity from you."
Because she has such a wise and powerful father, she can stand higher than her father.
Emperor Xingwu turned his daughter around, quickly wiped his eyes, and smiled before changing the subject. "No more praise! If you continue praising us father and daughter, it will never end. By the way, I intend to ask your mother to choose a gentle and virtuous cousin from among yours and marry her to Lu Chaoliang. What do you think?"
Lü Chaoliang, the second son of Lü Zan, Duke of Cheng, was only nineteen years old.
Qingyang instantly understood the profound meaning behind his father's decision to grant the marriage.
Lu Zan was a founding hero and the father-in-law of the former crown prince. Now the crown prince has been replaced. Even if Qingyang tells Lu Zan in person that she will not doubt him, will Lu Zan dare to believe it?
Letting the Lu family marry into his own maternal clan is the simplest and most reassuring way for Lu Zan. It can also make some forces who are trying to win over Lu Zan and oppose the Crown Princess hesitate.
As for whether Lu Chaoliang likes the girls of the Luo family, and whether the girls of the Luo family are willing to marry Lu Chaoliang, compared with state affairs, that is not important. After all, the marriages of the eldest sister, eldest brother, second brother and third brother were all directly granted by the emperor for state considerations. Since Qingyang is the crown prince, he must learn from his father to put state affairs first. At most, he can ask his mother to choose a cousin who is sensible and willing to marry into the Lu family to arrange the marriage.
Emperor Xingwu asked: "What arrangements have you made for your uncles and cousins, Lin'er?"
Luo Pan has too many descendants. Now the Luo family has become more prosperous due to the influence of Concubine Li and his daughter. If they don't use any of them, it would seem that their daughter is too heartless. Let's use them. The Luo family has only produced one Juren, Luo Wanqing, this year. The younger generations can continue to study and take exams, but those uncles in their forties have basically no hope.
Qingyang: "Next year, if Luo Wanqing can pass the imperial examination, I would like to arrange for him to bring his uncles who are willing to help him to Lu County to study under Yang Jie, and then transfer them to Tianshui County together in three years."
She couldn't give official positions to the Luo family for free, but if they were willing to listen to her and make political achievements, Luo Wanqing Qingyang would use them. Qingyang could also give those uncles who failed to pass the imperial examination a position or two to allow them to slowly gain experience.
Emperor Xingwu became more and more relieved about his daughter. Since he had already asked about the Luo family, he simply asked about Zhang Su's future as well: "What arrangements do you plan to make for Zhang Su?"
Throughout history, the Crown Princess and Empresses had been confined to the palace, caring for their husbands and raising their children. Emperor Xingwu hadn't yet decided what to do with Zhang Su, the unprecedented consort of a Crown Princess. He was a talented general, and keeping him in the palace was a waste. If he were allowed to continue serving in the Beijing camp, how would he serve his daughter with all the hustle and bustle? As for whether Zhang Su had any ambitions, that's a question for another time.
Qingyang was silent for a moment, then said, "Transfer him to the Imperial Guards."
If Zhang Su stayed idle in the palace all day, Qingyang would be displeased with him, but letting Zhang Su go out of the palace and leave the palace every day was also against the rules of the harem.
Being in the Imperial Guard Department was just right. Zhang Su had something to do and was close enough to her so he could come whenever she called.
If there is a war in the future, Qingyang will let Zhang Su lead the troops when Zhang Su is needed, because she likes the Zhang Su who is both civil and military, not a dull Zhang Su. Moreover, Qingyang is sure that Zhang Su will still be loyal to her even if he gains temporary military power and prestige. But when Qingyang is not even sure of this... Zhang Su will no longer be Zhang Su, and she does not need to show mercy.
.
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the palace held a ceremony to enthrone the Crown Princess.
Qin Hong and his wife brought Zheng Ge'er to the palace early to watch the ceremony. The eldest princess Yongkang, who was under house arrest for a year by Emperor Xingwu, was also granted permission to enter the palace to watch the ceremony today.
Fu Kui told Yongkang about the matter of appointing the Crown Princess, and Qin Hong also went to comfort his eldest sister. Yongkang was of course unwilling to accept that her brother had completely lost the position of Crown Prince, and unwilling to accept that she would no longer be powerful. She was also unhappy that her father scolded her again in the imperial edict appointing the Crown Princess, and she was even jealous that her sister could become the first Crown Princess in history. However, Yongkang could not bring herself to insult her sister for being unworthy out of jealousy.
Why is she unworthy, because her sister is a princess? But Yongkang is also a princess. Yongkang has never felt that she is inferior to her brother. The only difference is that her brother is the son of their father, the emperor, and she is just a daughter.
As for my sister's talent, after the great victory of the Northern Expedition, no one had the nerve to question her anymore.
In the final analysis, it was all her brother's fault for being incompetent and for not being as diligent as her sister when she was young. Otherwise, she would have also ranked first in the palace examination and would have been valued by her father!
He couldn't hate it, nor could he be happy. Add to that the shame of being scolded and confined by his father, Yongkang didn't want to enter the palace at all.
But she had to come.
After paying his respects to his father and the two concubines with an expressionless face, Yongkang followed the three princesses to Jiuhua Palace to watch the Crown Princess dress up, change her clothes and put on the Crown Princess's crown.
Qingyang was hesitant to move and met his elder sister's gaze in the mirror.
Yongkang's eyes suddenly turned red. He stood behind his sister, put his hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "I can't laugh, but I'm happy for you."
If the second and third brothers were the crown prince, Yongkang would hate their incompetence even more, because their younger brothers were obviously more worthy than them. However, Yongkang had to recognize his younger sister.
【Author’s words】
Here I come, I’ll just update it one by one today, and see if I can finish the wedding in one go tomorrow!
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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