Chapter 234 Who says women are inferior to men...?
Meng Qing strode confidently out of the palace and saw Du Li waiting by the carriage. She jogged a few steps.
Seeing her beaming with pride, Du Li couldn't help but smile as well. "Madam, another reward?"
"You guessed right, I got Meng Chun an official position." Meng Qing said casually.
Du Li immediately stood up straight. "What official position?"
"The Assistant Prefect of Huai Prefecture," Meng Qing repeated. "What kind of official is this? What is its relation to the Prefect of Huai Prefecture?"
Du Li didn't know either. "When I was waiting for you outside, I ran into Minister Yin. He invited us to his residence for lunch, and we took the opportunity to ask him about it."
“Forgot about him. The imperial examinations are being held in Luoyang this year, and he moved here from Chang'an.” Meng Qing remembered that the appointment still had to go through the Ministry of Personnel, and said, “Let’s go buy some things and go there early.”
"Get in the car." Du Li lifted the car curtain for her.
...
The couple arrived at the gate of the Yin residence with generous gifts. Minister Yin was still on duty, so it was his mother who greeted them.
"They're not outsiders, why prepare so many things? We have everything we need at home." Madam Yin had received a letter from Vice Minister Yin sent by a servant an hour ago, and she had been waiting for it for a long time.
"We are the younger generation, this is just a small token of our appreciation," Meng Qing said politely. "Auntie, when did you arrive in Luoyang? We had no idea you were coming."
“Your Uncle Yin came early, at the end of last winter. My son and I only moved here a few days ago. We’ve been busy tidying up the courtyard these past few days and haven’t had a chance to send you a message yet,” Mother Yin explained.
“Uncle Yin didn’t send a letter either. Caiwei probably doesn’t even know her father is in Luoyang. The letter would have to be sent all the way to Chang’an,” Meng Qing said.
Yin's mother looked uncomfortable. She explained, "He's not sure if he can stay in Luoyang for long. What if the letter is sent and he goes back to Chang'an? Wouldn't that make Caiwei happy for nothing?"
"I deliberately didn't send a letter, lest she worry about coming to visit me and something happens on the way, which would be a loss." Minister Yin returned, and he said with a heavy heart, "My good son-in-law has attracted a lot of enemies and become a sitting duck, but he is hiding in Huaizhou and can't see or hear us, so I, his father-in-law, have to take care of everything. I haven't had many good days these past few months, and I don't have the leisure to catch up with the culprits."
Meng Qing was amused. "Uncle Yin, you've suffered."
"I've suffered a lot. I've lived for forty or fifty years, and the suffering I've endured in those forty or fifty years doesn't compare to what I've experienced in these past few months," said Vice Minister Yin, full of complaints.
"It's almost over," Meng Qing said.
"What do you mean?" Vice Minister Yin asked immediately. "What news did you hear in the palace?"
"Is there any news from the court today?" Meng Qing asked.
After thinking it over, Vice Minister Yin shook his head.
"Prime Minister Zheng plans to join forces with various powerful families to concede and sell off some of their land," Meng Qing revealed. "Uncle Yin, I have a question for you. What kind of official position is the Sima Yuanwai of Huaizhou?"
Yin Shilang was speechless for a moment. He stared at Meng Qing for a while before gradually realizing what was going on.
"Whose official title is Huai Zhou Sima Yuanwai Zhi? Your father's? Your brother's? Or your husband's?" Vice Minister Yin asked. "Yuanwai means 'outside the quota,' a sinecure with no rank, no real position, and no real power. It's just a nominal position used to prove one's identity. Is Prime Minister Zheng's change of position related to you? Was this title awarded to you by the Empress Dowager?"
Meng Qing nodded, "That's my younger brother's official title."
After a long silence, Vice Minister Yin said with admiration, "Who says women are inferior to men? You, Madam, have single-handedly transformed your family's status. I admire you."
This praise from an outsider made Meng Qing feel very happy.
"I will go to the Ministry of Personnel tomorrow to implement the Emperor's decree as soon as possible and strive to issue the appointments within three to five days," said Vice Minister Yin.
"Thank you for your help, Uncle Yin."
Vice Minister Yin waved his hand, "It's nothing."
"Madam, are you staying at the post station?" Seeing that the two had finished their conversation, Madam Yin started chatting about everyday matters: "Which post station? I'll send a servant to pack your luggage and move you into the manor."
"Aren't you in a hurry to go back?" Minister Yin asked. "If you're going to stay in Luoyang for a few more days, why don't you move here? There's been a change in Prime Minister Zheng's affairs, and your brother has been given a nominal post. It's easy for people to associate this with you. If you stay at the post station, people will inevitably bother you."
"Then I'll trouble you," Meng Qing replied.
Meng Qing and Du Li stayed at the Yin residence for five days before any movement occurred in the imperial court. Prime Minister Zheng, in the name of the Zheng family of Xingyang, volunteered to take on the responsibility of protecting the equal-field system, vowed to alleviate the conflict between people and land, and requested the two emperors to abolish the decree of taxation based on acreage and to stop the reforms.
"The Vice Minister Cui of the Qinghe Cui clan, the Junior Tutor Cui of the Boling Cui clan, and General Wang of the Taiyuan Wang clan, among others, all spoke out in court, and the two emperors granted Prime Minister Zheng's request in court." After returning to his residence, Vice Minister Yin recounted the situation at the court meeting to Meng Qing.
"What were the reactions of the other prominent families?" Meng Qing asked.
"His face was grim, but he didn't object." Vice Minister Yin smiled. "Prime Minister Zheng's influence is quite strong; he persuaded all the aristocratic families to back down."
"Does this mean the land inventory campaign is coming to an end?" Meng Qing asked. "Will the policy of allowing merchants to exchange land for admission to the Imperial Academy continue?"
"Perhaps after some time, once the powerful families have all expressed their stance and ceded a portion of their land, the decree allowing merchants to redeem the land and distribute it to farmers should be cancelled," said Vice Minister Yin.
Meng Qing said nothing more. Although the reform she and Du Min initiated was short-lived, they had achieved what they deserved. She removed a stumbling block for the female emperor, gave Meng Chun an opportunity to change his social class, paved a path for wealthy merchants to rise in status, secured a way for farmers to survive, and most importantly, preserved the equal-field system, thus alleviating the conflict between people and land for one or two decades, or even longer. For Du Min, he not only left a resounding name before the two emperors but also enjoyed great fame among the people; this was a milestone in his career. The only drawback was that although he changed Prime Minister Zheng's stance, it created a rift between him and Du Min.
"Uncle Yin, do you know the former Minister of Works? The Lord Li who lives in Anlefang?" Meng Qing asked. She had inquired in Anlefang near Shangyang Palace these past few days and found that the former Minister of Works, whom she had met five years ago, was still alive.
Vice Minister Yin has been away from Luoyang for four or five years and can't recall him for a moment. "We shouldn't have had any dealings. Do you need something from him?"
“Yes, I want Wangzhou to become his student. Not only can he learn skills, but he can also make friends through his name. Wangzhou can study at the Imperial Academy now, but I’m worried that his background will make him ostracized there,” Meng Qing said. “It seems I have no choice but to go and offend Prime Minister Zheng again.”
“My youngest son is still studying at the Imperial Academy. He’s eighteen this year and can study for another two years. Wangzhou has gone in, and I’ve asked him to take good care of Wangzhou,” said Vice Minister Yin.
"That's wonderful." Meng Qing said gratefully. "Wang Zhou is interested in building houses and city walls, and it seems that his sect has certain requirements in this regard. I'd like to find him a mentor."
"Then you still need to ask Prime Minister Zheng for an introduction." Vice Minister Yin also lacked connections in this area.
Meng Qing could only enter the Prime Minister's residence. These days, the Prime Minister's residence was full of guests. After she and Du Li entered, they encountered two groups of departing visitors, each of whom glared at her angrily.
Upon entering the study, Meng Qing was shocked to see Prime Minister Zheng's face; he looked much older than he had seen in just a few days.
"You haven't left yet?" Prime Minister Zheng pointed to the seats next to him, gesturing for the two to sit down.
"There's still one thing that hasn't been resolved, that's why I've come to ask you for help." Meng Qing sat down and inquired, "Wasn't the matter already resolved? Why do you still look so worried?"
Prime Minister Zheng rubbed his forehead. He was now alarmed at the mere mention of Meng Qing's name, and seeing that she still had something to ask of him, he instinctively felt something was amiss.
"You've come to me for help? Go find the female saint." Prime Minister Zheng wanted to get rid of her quickly. "Speak, what is it? I may not be able to solve it."
“My eldest son is interested in house and city construction, but he needs a mentor. Could you help him find a teacher? Does the former Minister of Works still accept apprentices?” Meng Qing could tell he wasn’t welcoming to her, so she didn’t beat around the bush.
“You do have good judgment, but he comes from the Li family of Zhao County. Do you think he would take the nephew of Governor Du and the son of the Lady of the County as his disciple?” Prime Minister Zheng found it amusing. “In this struggle, all the aristocratic families have suffered heavy losses.”
"Aren't you selling land or donating it?" Du Li couldn't help but question. "If you've received the money, what's the point of talking about losses? You might even be making a profit. There's a village in Hanoi County that suffered from three consecutive years of natural disasters ten years ago, resulting in reduced or even no harvests. They suffered losses every year, and after paying the grain tax, they couldn't even feed themselves after discarding the remaining seeds. To survive, they had to eat wheat and bean seeds. By the fourth year, most of the villagers had run out of seeds and couldn't plant anything, so they could only stare helplessly at their fields. At this time, the Sima family came and promised to distribute wheat seeds free of charge every year. The farmers would be responsible for cultivating the land, and after the harvest, they would receive half, on the condition that the land belonged to the Sima family. From then on, the farmers in this village became tenant farmers. Your Excellency, please judge this case clearly: how much money did the Sima family pay for a dozen or twenty hectares of land?"
Prime Minister Zheng was speechless.
“Not a single penny was spent, but last year, these eighteen hectares of land were sold for five strings of cash per mu, making a profit of ninety thousand strings of cash!” Du Li sneered. “This kind of land consolidation case is not uncommon.”
“There are always officials who can distinguish right from wrong. If Lord Li also believes that we have harmed the aristocratic families, then let’s pretend we were never here today,” Meng Qing said.
Prime Minister Zheng remained silent for a few moments. He had visited this old man the day before. The old man did not resist the government order for aristocratic families to cede land, but because he was old and no longer in charge of affairs, he refused his request.
"I'll go for you another day. You can go back and wait for news." He agreed.
"Thank you." Meng Qing stood up. "We won't bother you any longer."
As Prime Minister Zheng watched the two figures walk away, he spoke before Meng Qing stepped out of the study, "Madam, please wait."
Meng Qing turned around in confusion.
"Never mind." Prime Minister Zheng swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "I owe you a thank you, and I'll make it up to you today."
"Prime Minister, please take care of yourself." Meng Qing nodded in acknowledgment and stepped out.
Having finished their last task, Meng Qing and Du Li, accompanied by the guards who had escorted them there, rode away from Luoyang.
*
Meng Chunxian left Hanoi County half a day before Meng Qingxian, and returned to Hanoi County half a day before Meng Qingxian. After reporting Ren Wenqiu's situation to Du Min, he did not leave, but instead practiced calligraphy with Wang Chuan and Xi Mei in the school. When he was feeling bored while writing, he heard the fawning barking of a dog and subconsciously said, "Wang Chuan, your parents may have returned."
The scholar at the head of the table coughed lightly.
Meng Chun realized what was happening, smiled apologetically, picked up his brush, and continued practicing calligraphy.
After finally enduring a class, Wang Chuan dashed out, only to encounter a servant who asked, "Have my parents returned?"
"He's back. Madam went back to her room to change her clothes and asked me to call Young Master Meng over."
"Uncle, it's my mother who's back!" Wang Chuan shouted as he turned around and ran off.
Meng Chun and Xi Mei followed, and when they arrived at the main courtyard of the second courtyard, they found that Du Min and his wife were also there.
“Brother Du, you’re here too. If I had known you would explain the situation to my sister, I wouldn’t have rushed over,” Meng Chun said.
"Why aren't you in a hurry to come over? It's been almost half a month since we last met, don't you miss me?" Meng Qing walked out mysteriously with her hands behind her back.
"I've thought about it." Wangchuan rushed over. "Mother, why did it take you and Father so long to come back?"
"What's the situation in Luoyang? Ren Wenqiu has been found. He was knocked unconscious and thrown into a deserted ditch. After waking up from the cold, he fell ill and wandered off in the wrong direction, ending up outside Xingyang County." Du Min hurriedly reported the situation. "After he recovered, he found his way back on his own. We are still looking for the person who beat him."
In other words, they could throw dirty water at the Zheng family of Xingyang at any time.
Meng Qing smiled and said, "Prime Minister Zheng petitioned in the name of the Zheng family of Xingyang to abolish the decree of taxation by mu and took on the responsibility of protecting the equal-field system. The two emperors agreed."
"What are the specific details?" Du Min pressed.
"He was responsible for persuading various aristocratic families to cede a portion of their land, which would then be redeemed by merchants and distributed to farmers," Meng Qing said. "After a while, news should come that the decree to investigate households and land ownership and allow merchants to redeem land in exchange for their children's admission to the Imperial Academy will be abolished."
Meng Chun sighed with a bitter expression, “Ah! The policy that allows merchants to redeem land in exchange for their children’s admission to the Imperial Academy is not being implemented permanently? I met Wang Bu, a cloth merchant, in Xingyang County. They were discussing working even harder to make money so that they could leave their wealth to their children and grandchildren who were merchants, and then have them exchange their wealth for places in the Imperial Academy.”
Meng Qing stared at him intently for a few moments, then tentatively asked, "Are you tempted too?"
Meng Chun sighed dejectedly, "What if, I mean what if, my wife gets pregnant again after giving birth to a son? Should she have an abortion? If she gives birth to a daughter and a son, and the son can study at the Imperial Academy, I can leave my property to my daughter so that her children and grandchildren can also have the opportunity to study at the Imperial Academy. Unfortunately, these are all just wishful thinking."
Just as Du Min was about to suggest that if he had too many sons, they could be adopted, he saw his second sister-in-law walk over with a smile.
"Look, what's this?" Meng Qing handed the official document hidden behind his back to Meng Chun.
Meng Chun was stunned. He looked at the bright yellow official document, then at Meng Qing. Under her joyful gaze, the guesses in his heart gradually took on a clear shape.
"What is it?" Du Min asked curiously, reaching out his hand without any sense of propriety. "Let me see..."
Meng Chun quickly took the official document. His hands trembled as he eagerly opened it. When he saw the words "Meng Chun," tears welled up in his eyes.
Du Min peered in to get a clear look, "Huai Prefecture Sima Yuanwai Post... Meng Chun, you've taken office?"
Meng Chun stared at the official document, tears streaming down his face. He had never dared to dream of this day.
“Young man, you no longer need to worry that your background will hinder the future of your descendants,” Meng Qing said.
“Sister…” Meng Chun choked up, unable to speak. He hugged Meng Qing, “Sister, I don’t know how to thank you. Thank you so much. It’s so good to have you. I’m so grateful. I will be your brother again in my next life and the life after that, and you can do whatever you want with me.”
"Ha!" Du Min sneered, "You're quite greedy."
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