On that day, Yun Qing summoned all civil and military officials of Upper Fourth Rank and above in Haocheng. All thirteen of those who recei...
On that day, Yun Qing summoned all civil and military officials of Upper Fourth Rank and above in Haocheng. All thirteen of those who received the summons arrived.
Yuan Ying lowered his voice and asked Feng Dajun, "What do you think this is about?" This was the first time so many people had been gathered since they took control of Haocheng. It felt as though something important was about to happen.
Feng Dajun more or less guessed what it was about, but he deliberately kept them in suspense, replying, "You'll find out in a moment." To introduce Madam to everyone so formally and solemnly, truly showed an extraordinary level of respect and regard for her.
When Yuxi reached the entrance of the council hall, she paused and took a deep breath. Although she had experienced many things, today carried extraordinary significance for her.
Seeing this, Yun Qing's lips curved with a faint smile. He had seen a composed Yuxi countless times, so seeing her so nervous was truly rare. Taking her hand, he whispered, "Don't be afraid; I'm here." With him around, no one could bully Yuxi.
Yuxi hummed in acknowledgement, lifted her chin and stepped over the threshold. At that moment, no one knew what this step of hers represented.
They walked to the seats of honour, with Yun Qing sitting on the left and Yuxi sitting on the right. Quite a few people were startled, but then they understood why Yun Qing had gathered them.
That day, Yuxi wore a long, bright-red gown embroidered with peacocks, her waist cinched with a delicate jade belt. Her hair was arranged in an elaborate updo, and she wore a full set of red-gold and kingfisher-feather ornaments. She looked dignified and splendid.
Standing at the front were Feng Dajun and the Shaanxi Provincial Governor, Du Guoxing. Feng Dajun bent halfway in salute. "Feng Dajun greets Madam." Since Yun Qing intended to elevate Madam's status, as his subordinate, he naturally had to support the occasion.
Yuan Ying and the other commanders immediately understood and, like Feng Dajun, bowed to salute Yuxi. The reason these military men accepted her so quickly was not only because Yun Qing held absolute authority in the army, but also because of the things Yuxi had done—things that earned their respect and admiration.
However, the Provincial Governor, Du Guoxing, refused to comply. Stepping forward, he said, "Great General, this is a council hall, not the inner courtyard." He was implying that the council hall was not a place for women.
Yun Qing replied expressionlessly, "The reason I called you here today is to inform you that Madam will take charge of affairs in the Northwest from now on. From now on, her words are the same as mine." He was placing Yuxi on an equal footing with himself.
Du Guoxing's expression changed. "Great General, this absolutely must not be." No matter how learned Han Shi might be, he could not bear the thought of serving under a woman.
Yuxi smiled lightly. "Tell me—why is it impossible?" She had already anticipated objections, but since Feng Dajun, Yuan Ying, and the others had not opposed her, she did not consider the rest's objections a real obstacle.
Du Guoxing was not foolish enough to say that a woman was unsuitable. "Madam, state affairs are not child's play. Even the slightest mistake can lead to disaster."
Yuxi did not get angry. Smiling, she asked, "Tell me then—what kind of disaster would it lead to?" As Du Guoxing's words had not been overly aggressive or a personal attack on her, Yuxi was willing to give him a chance to speak.
Du Guoxing raised his voice as he answered, "Appointing people based on favouritism, listening only to one side and being short-sighted." If governmental affairs were handed over to the Han Shi, the Northwest would fall into chaos sooner or later.
Yuxi did not argue with Du Guoxing. Instead, she said, "Whether I am biased, prone to favouritism, or short-sighted—let time prove it." Arguing with Du Guoxing was pointless. Her ability and judgement could only be proven by facts.
Du Guoxing stiffened his neck1 and argued, "This won't do. If Madam issues an incorrect order, then…"
Before Du Guoxing could finish speaking, Yun Qing coldly interjected, "I already said that my wife's words are the same as mine. If you have objections, leave now." If he was willing to work, he could stay; if not, he could leave — it was that simple. There was no need to stand there whining.
Du Guoxing looked as though someone had grabbed him by the throat; he was so angry that he couldn't speak. He had heard that Yun Qing favoured Han Shi before, but he hadn't expected the favouritism to be so extreme.
Yuxi waved her hand and said, "If in the future I make decisions you think will harm the Northwest, you may speak to the General." If Yun Qing opposed them, then her decisions would not stand anyway.
Hearing this, Du Guoxing fell silent.
Seeing this reaction from Du Guoxing, Yuxi continued, "Over the past two days, I have discussed with the General the decision to send the convicted criminals to open up the wasteland. What does everyone think?"
Du Guoxing was the first to voice his opposition. "Madam, what if they run away? Also, sending them to open up the wasteland doesn't serve as a punishment—those with ill intentions won't see it as such. Besides, they can't be sent there forever."
Without lifting her eyelids, Yuxi responded, "I think those sentenced to a few years can work the land for exactly that many years. As for death-row criminals and captives, they can be sent to the mines." They happened to be opening iron and copper mines, which required a lot of labour.
Upon hearing this, Yun Qing nodded. "Excellent." In the past, he would have simply k!lled any northern barbarian captives they caught. In the future, he wouldn't need to kill them; keeping them to dig mines would be just as effective.
The corner of Du Guoxing's mouth twitched. If Yun Qing said it was good, what else could he say? If he said otherwise, wouldn't that cause Yun Qing to lose face? Yun Qing was not as easy-going as Yuxi—once he had made up his mind, no amount of objection would change it. If you angered him, he would beat you with a military stick before throwing you out.
For this reason, the other civil officials no longer dared to voice their objections. With a powerful backer, everything became easier. Yuxi's earlier worries had been entirely unnecessary.
Seeing that no one objected, Yuxi continued, "There's no need for two provincial governors in Shaanxi and Gansu. I plan to abolish the positions of the governor in Lanzhou and the administrative commissioner. In the future, only a prefect will be appointed. This move will save manpower and financial resources. These are difficult times—I hope everyone will understand." However, abolishing Lanzhou's administrative structure and leaving only one prefect would increase the workload of officials in Haocheng.
Administrative Commissioner An Zike stepped forward and inquired, "Madam, your idea of combining the two provinces into one is a good idea. However, the territory will be too large. If the local officials only obey us in the dark but disobey in the light2, then our whip will not be long enough to reach them3."
The discussion lasted for more than a shichen4, and for most of that time, Yuxi was the one speaking. Du Guoxing, An Zike, and the others only expressed their opinions when they had objections. As for Yun Qing, Feng Dajun, and the rest, they were merely listeners.
Seeing that it was about time, Yun Qing stood up and said, "That's all for today. If anything comes up, we'll discuss it this afternoon." It was almost time for lunch anyway.
Du Guoxing and the others left, while Feng Dajun and Yuan Ying stayed behind.
Yuan Ying asked Yun Qing, "General, now that Madam is taking charge, can I hand over my duties?" Having to deal with people like Du Xingguo all day was giving him a terrible headache!
Yun Qing asked him back, "Have you recovered?"
Yuan Ying shook his head. "After taking the medicine you gave me, I feel much better, but I'm not fully recovered yet. Still, I can manage the army's logistics." Fortunately, logistics mainly involved dealing with soldiers rather than Du Guoxing. While Yun Qing was away, every time he discussed matters with Du Guoxing, even the simplest things somehow dragged on for half a day. Listening to them made him want to knock them all out on the spot; it was excruciating.
Yun Qing didn't answer, but turned to look at Yuxi.
Yuxi smiled. "Hold out a little longer. Once Tan Tuo Daren5 arrives in Haocheng and takes over your duties, you can return to the army then."
Yuan Ying exclaimed joyfully, "Thank you, Madam."
Yuxi was in an excellent mood. "Actually, you don't need to go back to the barracks just yet. I've already told Mama Bai to prepare the meal. Stay and eat here." Since the families of Feng Dajun and Yuan Ying had not yet arrived in Haocheng, they were still eating and living in the barracks instead of in their own residences.
Since they often ate at the Yun residence when they were in Yu City, they didn't turn down this invitation either. "Then today we'll really enjoy some good food."
Back in the rear courtyard, Yuxi said, "I thought things would be difficult today. I didn't expect everything to go so smoothly." In the Great Zhou dynasty, there were rules forbidding women from participating in politics. If a woman did so, people would definitely say, 'the hen crows at dawn6'.
Yun Qing said something extremely domineering: "Whoever dares make things difficult for you, I'll take his life." He couldn't bear to let his wife suffer the slightest grievance, and the officials all knew his temperament, so none of them dared to cause Yuxi any trouble.
Yuxi spoke softly, "He Rui, it's really wonderful to have you." With Yun Qing by her side, she could do anything without fear.
Yun Qing placed his hand on Yuxi's back and asked, "These things are tedious and exhausting—what's there to be happy about?" Yuan Ying hated politics, and Yun Qing didn't like it either. But while Yuan Ying could push them away, Yun Qing could not. He had never expected that something he found headache-inducing could seem like a great opportunity to Yuxi.
Yuxi answered in one sentence: "If I can do things that accumulate virtue, how could I not be happy?" Back when she lived on the estate, she often saw the ordinary people living in extreme hardship. She had wanted to help them, but was powerless to do so. Now she had both the ability and the opportunity, so naturally she was happy.
Yun Qing looked confused. "Accumulate virtue?"
Yuxi smiled. "Of course! Think about it: if I can ensure that the people of the Northwest have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear, so that they no longer starve or freeze to death, and they no longer have to sell their children, how is that not accumulating virtue?" What she was accumulating was a great virtue.
After a pause, Yuxi looked up at Yun Qing and said, "Also, being able to put what I've learned into practice is a great blessing." She had learnt so many things, and the fact that she could now apply all her knowledge was another reason for her to be happy about.
Hearing her words, Yun Qing was shaken. He had thought Yuxi simply couldn't sit still, but he had never imagined that this was the real reason.
Footnotes Full List
- 梗着脖子 (gěng zhe bó zi) — meaning acting stubborn, confrontational.
- 阴奉阳违 (yīn fèng yáng wéi) — comply openly but defy secretly.
- 鞭长莫及 (biān cháng mò jí) — meaning a person's power, influence, or ability to help cannot extend to a distant place or situation.
- 时辰 shíchen: 2 hours
- 大人 dàren: title of respect toward superiors
- 牡鸡司晨 (mǔ jī sī chén), a metaphor meaning a woman overstepping traditional gender roles and taking charge, which is often used as criticism.
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