Jointly govern Jiangdong
As the daughter of the Zhao family of Wu County, Zhao Lingying has always held a key position in the central government. If Xie Lang were to make her empress now, it would be an effective measure to appease the people of Wu County.
Exhausted, Xie Lang said, "Since I ascended the throne, not a single day has passed without me strategizing and maneuvering, carefully maintaining a balance between various factions. When the Grand Tutor wanted to implement reforms, I tried my best to mend the rifts between him and the powerful clans; as the powerful families of the Central Plains began migrating south, I advised them to go to Fujian and Zhejiang to open up new territories and not to compete with the local clans for existing interests in the Yangtze River basin. Lingying, you can love and hate as you please, and arbitrarily criticize any official, but I have to carefully appease everyone, lest this hard-won unity break down. Do you understand?"
For the first time, Zhao Lingying's beautiful face showed a moved expression, clearly because she had never viewed Xie Lang's life as the founding emperor from this perspective.
After catching his breath, Xie Lang's face turned even paler. He hissed, "I've been so busy that I haven't even had the energy to teach Tiao'er. As a result, he's almost twenty and still has no ability of his own. This is my dereliction of duty as a father. As for now, do you think I'm happy to be this heartless man? Do you think I don't know that Lan Xiu will be heartbroken?"
Zhao Lingying's previously unfocused gaze gradually returned to its senses, and a mocking smile reappeared.
"What Your Majesty desires is nothing more than for my cousins who are still in Wu to cease hostilities. If that is all you ask for, you can still accomplish this without making me empress. It all depends on whether Your Majesty is willing to do so."
A-Qiu immediately perked up her ears, wondering what kind of perfect solution Zhao Lingying could come up with. She asked herself if she were in Zhao Lingying's shoes, she probably couldn't think of a more ingenious solution than this marriage alliance.
By directly integrating the imperial bloodline into the Jiangdong gentry, their interests would naturally be protected for generations to come, providing them with the most direct and tangible promise.
Of course, if Zhao Lingying were to truly become Empress, the current Crown Prince Xie Tiao, her senior brother, would naturally be in jeopardy. The Jiangdong gentry certainly desired more than just an Empress; they desired a future new emperor with Wu blood to ensure that the promise of co-ruling the world would never be broken.
Zhao Lingying suppressed his sarcasm and calmly said, "Your Majesty only needs to let me take the position of Right Chancellor vacated by Lord Shangguan, and I can guarantee that the crisis in Wu will be resolved soon."
Xie Lang's pupils dilated sharply, and he exclaimed, "What?"
Zhao Lingying calmly and without flinching said, "Lingying wishes to be the head of all officials, not the head of the harem. Your Majesty understands this clearly."
Xie Lang understood, and unconsciously gripped the embroidered quilt at the head of the bed, saying in a deep voice, "You want to use your Zhao family, from which you were born, to replace the Shangguan family, which is currently considering retirement, and obtain the position of the head of the Jiangzuo civil official group, the number one aristocratic family?"
In terms of elevating a family's status, both becoming a prime minister and bestowing the title of empress serve the same purpose. However, there are subtle differences depending on Zhao Lingying's special circumstances.
If she were the empress, she would not be able to directly interfere in the selection and appointment of officials of the previous dynasty. Although Xie Lang would certainly try his best to make good use of the Zhao clan, the Zhao clan had no foundation in the central government of the Southern Dynasty. Promoting a few people would not change the established situation in a short time, and they would also be squeezed out in the political ecology of the northern aristocratic families, unable to enter the core positions.
However, if Zhao Lingying were to replace Shangguan You as Right Chancellor, although it would be an exceptional promotion, it would still be considered well-deserved in a certain sense. This is because Zhao Lingying's reputation as the most talented woman in Dayan was already known to everyone in the scholarly community. In addition, she had been drafting edicts and writing documents for the Imperial Library and had served as a Vice Chancellor for ten years. She was a favorite of the Emperor. Although it would still surprise the officials to some extent, it was not entirely unacceptable.
With her reputation as the foremost female scholar in Confucian circles, coupled with the Zhao family's existing prestige in Wu County, the Zhao family definitely has the potential to become the next leading family of civil officials after the Shangguan family.
As the head of all officials, one of the most important responsibilities of the Right Chancellor was to select officials and identify talented individuals. This was something the Empress could never do.
If Zhao Lingying were to become the Right Chancellor, he would naturally bring in talented individuals from the major local aristocratic families of Jiangdong to enter the court and cabinet. Even if they might not achieve much immediately, with such a far-sighted Right Chancellor strategizing and patiently managing things behind the scenes, they would eventually be able to form a force that rivals the powerful clans that migrated south from the Central Plains in the court.
This is Zhao Lingying's ideal of the aristocratic families "jointly governing Jiangdong," which is different from political marriages based on blood ties and kinship.
Even A Qiu, who was lying on the beam, was deeply shocked upon hearing this, but he couldn't help but admire Zhao Lingying's great ambition and vision that was enough to maintain the prestige of the Jiangdong aristocratic families for a hundred years.
Emperors may be replaced, empresses may be deposed, and blood relatives may kill each other, but the stories of mutual support and progress among the scholars of Jiangnan will set a precedent for a generation and be passed down for generations.
Zhao Lingying bowed and said, "I dare not. But as Your Majesty can see, the position of Junior Tutor is currently vacant, and Shangguan has retired. Only Pei Yu, Hua Ying, and A Zhao have managed to barely stabilize the Jianzhang Army after Pei Yuanli's departure. If Your Majesty wants to stabilize Jiangdong, you must show sincerity. If the Zhao family and the Jiangdong aristocratic families do not have the ability, even if Your Majesty gives Lingying this opportunity, the Zhao family may not be able to seize it. Why should Your Majesty worry that the Jiangdong aristocratic families will want a share of the spoils a hundred years from now?"
Zhao Lingying's words were blunt, yet not without reason. A family like the Shangguan clan, producing renowned ministers and virtuous wives for centuries, wasn't something that could be achieved simply by the emperor giving them an opportunity. One person's success doesn't guarantee that an entire family will produce talented individuals generation after generation, enjoying smooth sailing. Even if the Zhao family now harbored ambitions to replace the Shangguan family, it didn't mean they would succeed; it would require the actual achievements and prestige built by the clan members. Xie Lang had no reason to reject her suggestion now because of problems that didn't yet exist.
Zhao Lingying gave Xie Lang no chance to refuse, and smiled and said, "Last time His Majesty said that I should carefully consider your proposal, and now I would give the same answer to His Majesty. You don't need to rush to answer, I have the patience to wait."
After she finished speaking, she prostrated herself in a gesture of respect, then rose and slowly withdrew from the hall. Xie Lang did not stop her, but instead fell into deep thought.
This battle with Zhao Lingying had probably exhausted all the energy he had painstakingly accumulated. As soon as Zhao Lingying left, he couldn't hold on for long and lay down on his side, presumably falling into a deep sleep again.
A Qiu immediately sprang to her feet, slid down the roof ridge to the foot of the palace wall, disappeared into the shadows, looked around to make sure no one was there, then slipped into the artificial hill and relayed everything she had just heard to Xie Tiao without reservation.
When Xie Tiao heard that Xie Lang actually intended to make Zhao Lingying his empress, all the color drained from his face.
If Consort Chen were to be made Empress, he would have no objection. Consort Chen was gentle and kind, and had never mistreated him or anyone else, nor had she ever deliberately tried to please him. But it was precisely because of this that her integrity was evident. Consort Chen had been childless for many years, and according to the common speculation in the court and among the public, this should be a tacit understanding and agreement between Xie Lang and Consort Chen, the purpose of which was to protect Xie Tiao's status as Xie Lang's only son.
If Consort Chen wanted to harm him, she wouldn't need to do anything; she could simply give birth to Xie Lang's child.
Thinking about it this way, although Xie Lang and Consort Chen were busy with court affairs and palace matters over the past ten years and did not have much energy to devote to him, and seemed indifferent and distant towards him, their original intention to protect him never changed.
Zhao Lingying was clearly not as troublesome as Consort Chen, because she had the entire Jiangdong aristocratic family and the territory of eight counties behind her.
Seeing his dejected expression, A Qiu comforted him, "The situation isn't that bad. Consort Zhao didn't agree. Instead, she proposed becoming prime minister as a condition for Wu to stop rebelling. In my opinion, although Consort Zhao is shrewd, she is a loyal person. Just for the sake of Consort Chen, she would definitely not be the empress."
Xie Tiao seemed to remember something, and suddenly his face showed shame. He said, "It is because I am incompetent that Father Emperor had to personally lead the way to win over Consort Zhao."
A-Qiu asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"
She truly couldn't believe that Xie Lang's desire to make Zhao Lingying empress had anything to do with Xie Tiao.
Xie Tiao let out a heavy sigh and said, "A few days ago, Miss Shangguan officially returned the jade ruyi that Father Emperor had bestowed upon her. Even the Right Chancellor expressed his support and was willing to resign his post for it. That means she doesn't want to be my Crown Princess. Do you understand?"
A Qiu was stunned for a moment.
She had long suspected that Shangguan Yuqi had no interest in becoming the Crown Princess. But even from Xie Tiao's evasive words, she could sense that things were not as simple as he made them out to be.
No matter how uninterested Shangguan Yuqi was in marrying into the Crown Prince's palace, unless Xie Lang issued an imperial decree forcing her to marry, she would never personally go to Xie Lang and ostentatiously return the jade ruyi that Xie Lang had given to the Shangguan family. But Xie Lang certainly couldn't completely disregard her and the Shangguan family's attitude and forcefully issue an imperial decree, only to make a fool of himself.
In such matters, the decree is always issued only after both parties have reached a tacit understanding and agreed on the terms. Shangguan Yuqi didn't need to return the jade ruyi in person; she only needed to delay, and Xie Lang would naturally understand her meaning and wouldn't force her.
Such a public and abrupt break with the enemy must have occurred something extremely significant. The fact that even the Right Chancellor, Shangguan You, was willing to resign over this matter clearly indicates something even more extraordinary.
She wanted to ask Xie Tiao a few more questions, but seeing his state, she knew he wouldn't know anything more, so she decided to swallow all her guesses.
Xie Tiao said in a muffled voice, "As soon as Miss Pei heard about this, she immediately requested to leave the East Palace and lead troops to garrison Guangling. You understand what that means, right?"
Looking at his senior brother's dejected appearance, A Qiu didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or to find it funny.
Shangguan Yuqi openly declined the position of Crown Princess, and the entire Shangguan family, led by Shangguan You, decided to withdraw from politics. At this time when the court was in a state of limbo, Wu was in turmoil. Pei Yu immediately expressed his willingness to lead troops to blockade the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which was undoubtedly another expression of "I would rather fight for the emperor than be the crown princess".
No wonder Xie Lang blurted out in his rage: "None of you are willing to marry into the imperial family, so is it that you can't even enter the Xie family's door?!"
After racking her brains, A Qiu finally said, "This is none of your business. Both Miss Shangguan and Miss Pei are very opinionated. Miss Shangguan has no intention of getting married because of her obsession with swordsmanship. As for Miss Pei, her father has just passed away, so it's normal that she doesn't have any thoughts of getting married right now."
Although she said that, she knew something else perfectly well.
Because Shangguan Yuqi and Pei Yu are both very opinionated people, if one of them really falls in love with Xie Tiao, she will not care about the difficult times or her family's ambitions, and will stay for him.
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