It was a tranquil summer night. The sky was pitch-black, filled with countless twinkling stars. A bright full moon hung high in the sky, ba...
It was a tranquil summer night. The sky was pitch-black, filled with countless twinkling stars. A bright full moon hung high in the sky, bathing the forest below in its pale light.
Yun Qing was inside the command tent speaking with Feng Dajun and the others when a rustling sound suddenly came from the north. It soon fell silent again, however.
Seeing that Yun Qing had fallen silent, Cui Mo hurriedly asked, "General, what's wrong?" Yun Qing had mobilised all three thousand cavalrymen and brought them here. One had to admit, the feeling of being the master of one's household1 was excellent; he could move troops however he wanted to move them, and there would never be anyone again to point fingers and draw feet at him2.
Yun Qing replied, "Ten li3 north of here, there are dense shrubs and trees, where many birds must be nesting. The sound just now came from behind us—enemies are likely hiding there, startling the birds into flight."
Hearing this, Cui Mo stood up and said, "General, I'll take five hundred cavalrymen to search that forest. If there truly are enemy troops lying in ambush, we'll wipe them out completely." If they dared to ambush them, then those b@stards would never return alive.
To be safe, Yun Qing instructed, "Take one thousand cavalrymen instead!" He had long intended to attack this area and had already sent scouts to survey the terrain in great detail.
A shichen4 later, Cui Mo returned and reported, "General, there were indeed ambush troops hidden in the forest. However, we have completely wiped them out."
Feng Dajun asked, "How many?" Upon hearing that there were over six hundred men, he said coldly, "He's resorted to sneak attacks now. It seems this Timur📹 is scared." Timur📹 was the true power behind Xihai and was known as the King of Xihai.
Yun Qing responded calmly, "We are far less familiar with Xihai's terrain than Timur📹 is. Caution must come first." The terrain in Xihai was complex, and they had brought only 40,000 troops this time, leaving them at a numerical disadvantage.
Back in Hao City, Yuxi was just as busy. On the second day after Han Jianming arrived, she asked him for his opinion. Having spent years in government, Han Jianming was highly experienced and could be of great help to her.
Han Jianming asked, "What do you think would be suitable for me to do?"
After some thought, Yuxi replied, "Dage5, you were once Minister of War. No matter what you do now, I feel it would be somewhat beneath your abilities." The highest available posts were Governor and Provincial Administration Commissioner, but both positions were already filled.
Han Jianming smiled. "No matter what position I held at court before, once I'm in the Northwest, I must start afresh. Whatever assignment there is, you may decide." He could not expect special treatment just because he was Yuxi's elder brother—doing so might be fine at first, but it would put a strain on their relationship over time.
Yuxi thought for a moment and said, "There is still one vacant position—the Judicial Commissioner of the Surveillance Commission. I wonder if Dage5 would be interested?" The former commissioner, Xiong Nanqi, had been dismissed by Yuxi. He was even less knowledgeable about the law than she was and had been appointed entirely at Yun Qing's random discretion. Since his dismissal, the post had remained vacant.
Han Jianming said with a smile, "The Judicial Commissioner is responsible for overseeing all legal affairs in the Northwest, as well as supervision and inspection. Shouldn't you discuss this with Meifu6 first?" Although it was only a third-rank official position, the post carried real authority. Given his status, neither the Governor nor the Administration Commissioner would have any power over him.
Yuxi shook her head. "There's no need. For someone who once served as Minister of War, appointing you as Judicial Commissioner will raise no objections. As long as you don't mind the rank being too low."
Han Jianming smiled and nodded. "Since that's the case, it would be discourteous of me to refuse." Although he had once served as Minister of War, that position had been nothing more than a puppet role.
Yuxi did not hide her thoughts from Han Jianming. She said, "Dage5, actually, I'd like to set up a school in every county in the northwest, to cultivate more capable people."
There were far too few educated people in the Northwest, and consequently, very limited resources. This shortage of educated manpower was why Yuxi wanted to set up public schools: to provide children in the Northwest more opportunities to learn to read and write.
Han Jianming nodded. "That's a very good idea. We can draw up a plan and strive to make it a reality within five years. If you're willing, you can leave this to me."
Yuxi hesitated slightly. "Dage5, that would be too exhausting."
Han Jianming responded with a smile. "What's so tiring about it? It's just one more assignment." At this point, he wasn't afraid of having too much to do—he was afraid of having nothing to do.
Yuxi nodded. "As long as Dage5 is not afraid of wearing yourself out, I couldn't wish for it more!" There were simply too many matters at hand—she was eager for someone to share the burden.
Xu Wu walked in from outside and presented the news from the capital for Yuxi to read.
After reading the message, Yuxi's expression turned extremely grim. She asked Han Jianming, "Dage5, has the Han family expelled our branch from the clan?"
Han Jianming replied calmly, "From the day I decided to leave the capital, I knew this would be the outcome. By the way, was the Han family's noble title given to San Shu7?"
Yuxi nodded. "The Emperor gave the title to Han Jingyan." She loathed Jiang Hongjin to the extreme, but hated Han Jingyan even more—he had pushed her into the Jiang family's fire pit and then, regardless of her life or death, forbade her from divorcing Jiang Hongjin.
Han Jianming spoke with mixed emotions, "San Shu has finally gotten what he wished for."
Hearing this, Yuxi was quite puzzled. "Gotten what he wished for? Are you saying Han Jingyan had coveted the title all along?" But, knowing Han Jingyan's character, it was only natural that he would covet the title.
Han Jianming nodded. "San Shu believed he was superior to my father in every respect, and that passing the title to him would revive the Duke's household. But Grandmother refused, and once he had spent three years in the Hanlin Academy, she sent him to an external post."
Yuxi had never known the true reason behind Han Jingyan's reassignment. She spoke emotionally, "Fortunately, Grandmother sent him away—otherwise, the Duke's household would have collapsed long ago." Although Grandmother favoured Han Jingyan, it was understandable that she did not want brothers to destroy each other, since both the palm and the back of the hand were still her flesh8.
Han Jianming responded with a soft grunt. "By the time San Shu returned to the capital, I was already eighteen and capable of standing on my own."
Yuxi reminded Han Jianming, "Dage5, our branch has already been expelled from the Han clan. From now on, we have no ties whatsoever with the Han family in the capital."
Members of the Han clan lacked ambition and only sought pleasure. With nearly a thousand people in the entire clan, fewer than five had passed the jinshi9 examination in three generations, and fewer than ten had become juren10. Those who sought a future through military service were even rarer. Consequently, most clan members lived in poverty. Whenever festivals approached, many would turn up to take the autumn wind11 from others. Such a clan was, in truth, nothing but a heavy burden.
Han Jianming replied, "I know."
Han Jianming did not hate Han Jingyan. Although Han Jingyan had once coveted the Duke's title, he had never actually harmed him. As for being expelled from the clan, Han Jianming did not feel it was unjust. It was just as when he had once expelled Yuxi; it had all been forced upon him by circumstances. He also knew that Yuxi despised Han Jingyan and thought poorly of the clan, so he chose not to say much.
Just as Yuxi had said, nobody expressed any dissatisfaction with Han Jianming's appointment as Surveillance Commissioner. No one in the entire northwest region was more senior than Han Jianming.
A few days later, Yuxi received a letter from Yuchen. After reading it, she smiled slightly and told Xu Wu, "The Imperial Court is preparing to appoint the General as Governor-General of the Northwest. What do you think?" Yuchen's wording in the letter was tactful, but essentially it was saying the same thing.
Xu Wu's expression changed slightly as he responded, "Madam, for the Imperial Court wanting to appoint the General as Governor-General of the Northwest right now is surely like a weasel paying New Year's respects to a chicken12—there's no good intention behind it. We must not agree." Having already suffered enough at the hands of the d@mned Imperial Court, and having only just enjoyed a few peaceful days, they were unwilling to return to the past.
Yuxi shook her head. "If the Emperor agrees to hand over full authority of the Northwest to us, and additionally bestows the General with a Wang13 title to hold, I think we can agree."
Xu Wu immediately broke into a smile. "Madam, nothing could be better than this." Whether the Wang13 title existed or not was irrelevant—the key point was that the Imperial Court must no longer be allowed to interfere in the Northwest.
Yuxi wrote a reply, had Mr Chen revise it slightly, then copied out a clean version and instructed the messenger to take it back to the capital.
By the time Han Jianming learned of the news, it was already the next day. He smiled and said, "A Wang13 title? That's not excessive." With the entire Northwest already in Yun Qing's hands, a single Wang13 title was truly no great matter.
However, Yuxi felt a tinge of melancholy. "I never imagined that Yuchen and I would one day become enemies." The twists and turns of life were indeed impossible to predict.
Han Jianming still harboured deep feelings for Yuchen; moreover, she had helped him greatly over the years. "Although Yuchen has become the Empress, she may not necessarily live as comfortably as you do." Yuxi's life was now smooth and satisfying in every respect. Well, if she were to have a son as well, everything would be complete.
A smile appeared on Yuxi's face. "When the marriage was bestowed back then, I never imagined it would turn out to be such a fine match." Then, thinking of something else, she asked, "Yan Wushuang has killed all the members of the Song family. Do Dage5 think he will spare Empress Dowager Song?"
Han Jianming shook his head. "No. Not only will he not spare the Empress Dowager Song, I fear he won't even spare any of the former Emperor's children."
Yuxi agreed with this assessment. Yan Wushuang had once been heaven's favoured son14, only to see his world overturned overnight. After living under an assumed name for more than a decade solely to seek revenge, how could he possibly spare anyone who had harmed him? "Our people in the capital still haven't found the right channels—the news they receive is always delayed." Those whom Yuxi had sent to the capital could only learn of events after they had already happened.
Han Jianming offered proactively, "Although I've left the capital, I still have some connections there." In other words, he could have his remaining people in the capital to gather intelligence.
Yuxi smiled and said, "That would be excellent."
As they were speaking, Xu Wu hurried in and announced loudly, "Madam, the General has taken Dezhou City!"
Yuxi was also delighted upon hearing the news.
Han Jianming said, "Xihai is vast and home to many non-Han tribes, so it's difficult to govern. Yuxi, I think that if Xihai were divided into eastern and western halves, it would be easier to administer."
This issue was highly complex and could not be resolved in just a few words. "We'll discuss whether to divide it into two administrative regions once Yun Qing returns." If the non-Han tribes were governed directly by Han officials, it would be difficult to manage them effectively. Yuxi believed that the best approach was to follow the Imperial Court's existing system, which allowed the tribes to recommend their own leaders for local governance while the Imperial Court retained overall control. Otherwise, unrest could easily be provoked.
Footnotes Full List
- 当家作主 (dāng jiā zuò zhǔ): to hold real authority and make independent decisions
- 指手画脚 (zhǐ shǒu huà jiǎo): to meddle, criticise, or give unsolicited directions.
- 里 (lǐ): a traditional unit of length, equal to 150 zhang (市丈), and equivalent to 0.5 kilometre or 0.311 mile
- 时辰 (shíchen): 2 hours
- 大哥 (dàgē): eldest brother
- 妹夫 (mèifu): younger sister's husband; brother-in-law
- 三 (sān): third, 叔 (shū): father's younger brother; uncle (on father's side)
- 手心手背都是肉 (shǒu xīn shǒu bèi dōu shì ròu): Means one cannot truly favour one side without hurting the other; both are loved.
- 进士 (jìnshì): successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations
- 举人 (jǔrén): (in the Ming and Qing dynasties) a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level
- 打秋风 (dǎ qiū fēng): adiom meaning to freeload or seek handouts, especially from relatives.
- 黄鼠狼给鸡拜年 (huángshǔláng gěi jī bàinián): someone pretending to be kind while harbouring malicious intent.
- 王 (wáng): king
- 天之骄子 (tiān zhī jiāo zǐ): someone exceptionally gifted or favoured by fate.
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