Chapter 72 Princess Jinyun
Wen Yao sighed, looking up at Zhang Yun: "What about you? Why did you call us back in such a hurry? What happened?"
The carriage started moving, and the heavy wheels rumbled forward towards Prince Yan's Palace.
"It's not me who's in trouble, it's the people of the world who are in trouble." Zhang Yun tapped his knee, shook his head and sighed. "Your Majesty has been increasingly devoted to alchemists lately, doing a lot of ridiculous things, taking a Taoist name, building a Taoist temple, and recently he was talking about building a Zixiao Taoist temple... Oh, building a Taoist temple, where's the money? Border repairs, disaster relief in Henan, everything is tight, where can I get the money to build a Taoist temple? You want me to increase the flower and stone tax, and plunder rare treasures from the people, how can I not get the blood of the people?"
But now the emperor had made up his mind and was determined to show his loyalty to the heavens. No one could persuade him, and no one dared to persuade him.
Zhang Yun spoke, reaching out to push open the car window. Splendid Bianliang was a place of great elegance and elegance. Crowds of people surrounded the Prince of Yan's mansion, and carriages and horses streamed in endlessly. The bustling shouts were carried into the carriages by the wind.
These days, which are not very peaceful, will not last long.
"Something happened in Suzhou recently," he said. "Floods have hit all the counties along the Yan River, causing massive flooding. The casualties are numerous."
The imperial court had foreseen the Huai River flooding, but they didn't anticipate its severity. The flood burst its banks, engulfing farmland in over a dozen counties. First, the military commander of Suzhou colluded with his superiors, and other officials followed suit, leading to rampant corruption. When the imperial court ordered the opening of granaries for disaster relief, the Ministry of Revenue sent personnel to count the rice, only to discover it was mostly rotten rice and sand. The regional garrison was similarly destitute, lacking even a few decent swords.
"The Supervisory Commission has already taken charge of the matter. His Majesty has sent Song Mingde to Suzhou with his men. Song Mingde, the Governor, has been very decisive in handling the matter, but he hasn't returned yet and there's been no news."
"What about the disaster relief funds?" Wen Yao mingled with the common people and knew what they were thinking: "People just want to eat. When their stomachs are full, their hearts are at peace."
"That's the problem. The treasury is empty, and money is needed everywhere," Zhang Yun said. "After the court banquet, envoys from the Western Regions offered one million taels of silver in exchange for Tianshui silk. Your Majesty readily agreed, but the current mulberry silk production is far from sufficient. Several large ships sent by the court have reached the river mouth, but someone in the court is proposing to replace farmland with mulberry trees, requiring the people to plant mulberry seedlings instead. Only those who do so can exchange them for grain."
"Who came up with this idea?" Wen Yao was startled and cursed in a low voice, "I've ruined all my good deeds in eight lifetimes."
"Huang Huishu, the son of a censor, you don't know him," Zhang Yun said. "He's only recently entered the officialdom and is probably anxious to gain prominence before the emperor. He actually submitted such a blatantly unpopular idea. He must have a reason."
Of course, Huang Huishu's memorial didn't explicitly state this. The emperor's trusted ministers, including Zhang Yun, circulated Huang Huishu's memorial. He argued that switching from rice to mulberry trees would benefit both the country and the people. The people could grow mulberry trees and weave silk, which they could then sell overseas for money and then use to buy grain from other provinces.
It sounds reasonable, but it's not that simple. When large households merge, smaller ones face hardship. The imperial court levied different taxes on mulberry fields and farmland, leaving countless people taking kickbacks. With land sold at low prices and grain prices soaring, the people ultimately suffered.
Zhang Yun bowed to Zhao Xuanxu, who was leaning lazily to the side. "Your Highness, I beg you to take action and give us a response. It's almost time to plant rice this year. If the stalemate persists, the people of Suzhou will starve again next year. If the mulberry seedlings don't grow, the silk will be for nothing!"
Wen Yao listened and nodded solemnly, then turned to look at Zhao Xuanxu.
Zhao Xuanxu moved his arm forward, supporting Wen Yao's lower back. "Pick a few honest and courageous officials from among the currently unemployed, submit a petition to the Ministry of Personnel to transfer them to flood control. They'll switch from rice to mulberry. Anyone who takes kickbacks and annexes land, regardless of their status, will be executed on the spot by the Supervisory Commission."
"Your Highness truly shares my concerns." Zhang Yun breathed a sigh of relief, the solemnity between his brows dissipating. His fox eyes immediately regained their spirit, and a nonchalant smile spread across them. "Even if this is the case, I'm afraid both the Prince of Yong and the Prince of Qin will be unhappy."
Prince Yong opposed the rice-to-mulberry conversion purely out of opposition to the King of Qin; Huang Huishu was a member of the King of Qin's staff, submitting this memorial to seize the people's land at low prices during the flood. With the arrival of the Supervisory Commissioner and the replacement of the Suzhou County Magistrate, it became increasingly difficult to manipulate the situation and amass wealth.
"Oh." Zhao Xuanxu said expressionlessly, "So what?"
"Nothing, nothing." Zhang Yun, relieved of his worries, relaxed considerably, and slumped down. But before he could lean against the carriage wall, the moving carriage suddenly stopped. The snow-riding horse neighed, and then the voice of the Feather Guard echoed from outside the carriage window: "Master, it's Princess Jinyun."
Wen Yao was puzzled: "Princess Jinyun?"
Zhang Yun stood up straight, clutching his chest, his face pale with fear: "Princess Jinyun?!"
"Wow." Wen Yao was caught off guard, startled by Master Zhang who nearly jumped up from his seat. She had never seen Zhang Yun like this before, and exclaimed in surprise, "What are you yelling about? Is there a story?"
The current Emperor Tianshui had few children. Aside from the heir in Su Concubine's womb and the four princes, he only had three daughters. The two elder ones were already married, and the youngest, Princess Jinyun, had yet to marry a prince consort.
Zhang Yun's voice grew louder, clearly audible outside the carriage. After a brief silence, a resounding "crack" of a whip suddenly rang out from outside, accompanied by a crisp but angry female voice that echoed in Wen Yao's ears: "Great! Sure enough, you're here with my Third Prince! Zhang Yun, how dare you hide from me! Get off here now!"
Outside was Fengming Street, bustling with people at this hour. Wen Yao listened to the powerful shouting, having not expected Princess Jinyun to be so dispositioned. Raising an eyebrow, she turned her head and met Zhao Xuanxu's gaze.
Zhang Yun's eyes widened, and he frantically touched the car wall and his sleeves, wishing he could find a hole in the car to crawl into.
"Evil star! Evil star!" The chariot was specially made for the Prince of Yan's palace, so naturally it couldn't find the hole. Zhang Yun had no choice but to turn around and look at Zhao Xuanxu: "Your Highness, let's go quickly!"
"We?" Zhao Xuanxu raised his thin lips lightly, leaning back lazily, showing a bit of indifference, not buying into the idea at all: "You've already said what you want to say, and you still want to go back home with me?"
The Prince of Yan's Mansion was already crowded enough, and Jiang Qiaosheng was an eyesore, so there was no need for another chatterbox to bother Ayao. It was already very difficult for him to allow Zhang Yun to ride in the carriage.
Zhao Xuanxu raised his chin and said calmly, "Go away."
"Zhang Yun! You shameless bastard!"
Another shout came from outside, followed by the crisp sound of a whip: "Get down!"
Wen Yao couldn't suppress her curiosity, so she leaned back a little, resting her shoulder on Zhao Xuanxu's chest, and turned to look outside through the gap in the window.
After all, there were people coming and going around, so it would be fine if she stood in front of the Feather Guards, but for a princess to speak like this to an important official of the court in the street was really a bit unconventional.
Wen Yao caught sight of a bright skirt, a vibrant red, like a blazing sky. Jinyun, with her dark hair like clouds and bright eyes, led her maids to block the carriage of the legendary man-eating Prince Yan, hurling curses at him. Though her words were mostly accusatory, Wen Yao didn't detect any genuine anger in them.
She turned to look at Zhang Yun. Seeing the young and capable official who, amidst the undercurrents of the court, still managed to prioritize his own interests over those of the state, her face turned pale with anxiety, she suddenly felt a sense of urgency. "Master Zhang," she said urgently, "the princess is outside and wants you to leave. Why are you hiding?"
I won’t hide. Is it okay if I don’t hide?
"She's so unreasonable!" Zhang Yun couldn't help but whine. "I just bought a jade pendant. Why is she blocking me for so long? Isn't it always the highest bidder that wins in business? Besides, I didn't know she was Princess Jinyun at the time. She...she can wield a whip. It really hurts when she whips you!"
Zhao Xuanxu, impatient, sat up slightly, pressing down on Wen Yao's shoulder blades with his long legs, pushed the car door open, grabbed Zhang Yun by the collar with one hand, and threw him out. Zhang Yun was so frantic that he was supported by the feather guards and barely landed on the ground. Before he could react, Jinyun snorted and waved his hand. Two guards immediately came up and held him in the middle, one on each side.
When the Lingyu Guard was about to ride forward, Zhang Yun immediately threw away his image and held his waist to pull at the Lingyu Guard's clothes.
Jinyun slapped his hands away twice, turned his head and raised his chin slightly, looking at the magnificent carriage in front of him, and thanked him frankly: "Jinyun thanks my royal brother."
Zhao Xuanxu said nothing and kicked the door. The feather guards immediately whipped their horses and rode away, leaving Zhang Yun, who was suffering, behind.
The shouting faded far behind. Wen Yao approached the window and opened it a little. He watched the people on the street gradually gather around to join in the fun and began to laugh: "You are really not kind."
"I was wondering why he insisted on getting in the car today." Zhao Xuanxu snorted, "He was using me as a shield."
"Then Princess Jinyun and him are—"
"Back then, when Zhang Yun won the top spot in the imperial examination, Jinyun proposed marriage to the emperor, but Zhang Yun swore to die rather than obey." Zhao Xuanxu had never paid much attention to these matters. When Wen Yao asked about this, he frowned and thought carefully before saying, "He was young and impetuous at the time, and his words were somewhat harsh, nearly leading to the emperor's beheading. Jinyun intervened to save Zhang Yun's life, and he personally engaged in daily conflict with Zhang Yun."
At first, Zhang Jun was unyielding and stubborn, and he would not back down from his confrontation with Princess Jinyun. But later, for some reason, he became more and more like a mouse seeing a cat, neither retaliating when scolded nor hitting, and became extremely obedient.
"Oh." Wen Yao understood and relaxed instantly: "So that's how it is."
Convinced that Zhang Yun wouldn't really suffer any hardship, Wen Yao quickly and confidently put him behind him. Unexpectedly, upon returning to Prince Yan's Mansion and entering the courtyard after passing the garden, a knife came swiftly at him, as fast as a phantom.
Wen Yao reacted faster, quickly raising his hand to the side and clamping the knife. With a twist of his fingers, he shifted the knife into the palm of his hand. He looked at Jiang Qiaosheng and Hao Chunhe standing opposite him in front of him with full of doubt: "What are you doing? Are you guys going to fight too?"
Xue Ke stood beside Jiang Qiaosheng, still the cool guy, wearing a mask and holding a sword in black. Hao Chunhe and the other side of the tree were squatting with secret guards, their eyes shining, and they were obviously very excited.
"I've killed many people in my life, and I consider my Qinggong skills to be among the best." Jiang Qiaosheng twisted his wrist, his eyes fixed on Hao Chunhe, licking his lips, still looking ready to strike. "But I can't even compare to him."
"This..." Wen Yao persuaded gently: "After all, he is a Feiye guest. Sometimes we don't need to be so stubborn."
"That's right. Let's compete in Qinggong, but you come up and use hidden weapons. How can an old man like me withstand such a torment?" Hao Chunhe didn't want to continue to toss with this ruthless girl. Seeing Wen Yao coming back, he quickly said, "Stop fighting, stop fighting. It's time to eat! Eat! It's time to eat!"
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