News that Zhou Jing intended to appoint Zhou Yan as the Huang Taidi 1 spread throughout the entire capital instantly. Even the peddlers an...
News that Zhou Jing intended to appoint Zhou Yan as the Huang Taidi1 spread throughout the entire capital instantly. Even the peddlers and footmen2 knew about it.
Lin Fengyuan was now the Minister of War and was highly regarded by Yan Wushuang, so he wielded considerable authority. Upon receiving the news, Lin Fengyuan frowned. "The Emperor is only fifteen this year, yet he actually intends to appoint Zhou Yan as Huang Taidi1?" He could not shake the feeling that something was not quite right.
Gu Jiu replied, "Rumours are going around outside that His Majesty knows his body has been damaged and that he will be unable to have children in the future. That is why he intends to appoint Zhou Yan as Crown Prince."
Lin Fengyuan found the rumour rather ridiculous. "Zhou Jing is only fifteen. He hasn't even got married yet, so how could he know that he can't have children?" Although Zhou Jing already had women by his side, he had not yet formally married a wife or taken any consorts.
Gu Jiu did not quite agree. "Wind does not come from an empty cave3. Besides, Zhou Jing is no fool. He has probably already had the Imperial Physicians examine him."
Lin Fengyuan turned to look at Gu Jiu and asked, "If you were him, and you were told at the age of fifteen that you would never be able to have children, what would you do?"
Gu Jiu replied without hesitation, "Daren4, I already have a daughter." Therefore, the hypothetical situation did not apply to him. He even cast Lin Fengyuan a subtle glance afterwards, as though to say, 'Boss, you're already married, yet you still don't have any children!'
The corner of Lin Fengyuan's mouth twitched, and he decided not to argue with Gu Jiu. "If an ordinary person were told that there was something wrong with their body and that they could not have children, they would certainly seek medical treatment. Even if it were confirmed, they would hide it as though their life depended on it and keep it from anyone else finding out." By appointing his paternal cousin, Zhou Yan, as Huang Taidi1, was Zhou Jing not practically announcing to the whole realm that he could not have children? His behaviour was very strange.
Gu Jiu pondered, "Who knows what he's thinking?" Zhou Jing had an extremely brutal and tyrannical temperament. He had been Emperor for only a little over three months, yet more than ten people had already been beaten to death on his orders. Although he had not yet begun to rule personally, it was already clear to everyone that he was a tyrant.
Lin Fengyuan mused, "What is strange is that Yan Wushuang actually agreed to it. Who knows what sort of scheme he has in mind?" Yan Wushuang's reputation for being extremely shrewd and calculating was too deeply ingrained in people's minds. As a result, no matter what he did, everyone assumed there was some conspiracy behind it.
Gu Jiu shook his head, indicating that he did not know. "We could never guess what Yan Wang is thinking. However, Zhou Jing was taught by Yan Wushuang, so Yan Wushuang should know what Zhou Jing is thinking."
Tie Kui did not care much about Zhou Yan's appointment as Huang Taidi1. That was something for Yan Wushuang to worry about; it had nothing to do with him. However, Tie Kui could no longer remain calm. Qiu Dashan had accidentally let slip that Yan Wushuang intended to use the beauty scheme against Yun Qing. As Qiu Dashan trusted Tie Kui and knew he could keep secrets, he did not hide certain matters from him.
Tie Kui was deeply alarmed, but outwardly he remained composed and pointed out, "Yun Qing has profound love and devotion for Han Shi. An ordinary woman would never be able to drive a wedge between them." He had to admit that Yan Wushuang's move was extremely underhanded, but if it succeeded, it could be more effective than an immense army.
Qiu Dashan responded cheerfully, "There is no cat under heaven that won't steal a taste of fish5. Yun Qing is a man, so there is no way he would not appreciate a beautiful woman. Besides, Han Shi still hasn't given Yun Qing a son. For the sake of producing an heir, Yun Qing will eventually take a concubine." The only difficulty was that the chosen woman needed to have a spotless background that wouldn't arouse suspicion, and she also needed to be cunning and skilful enough to protect herself. Otherwise, Han Shi would have her eliminated in the blink of an eye. Likewise, Yuxi's reputation as both a jealous wife and a vicious woman would be deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Tie Kui nodded. "That's true. But I've heard that Han Shi is very beautiful. An ordinary woman probably wouldn't be able to move Yun Qing, would she?" Everything Yuxi possessed now depended on Yun Qing's support. If Yun Qing developed feelings for another woman, Yuxi's position would become extremely precarious.
Qiu Dashan shook his head. "Finding a beauty isn't the problem. The problem is that we don't know what sort of woman Yun Qing actually likes." It wouldn't be enough for her to be beautiful; she would also have to be capable of capturing Yun Qing's interest.
Tie Kui turned the matter over in his mind, then deliberately said regretfully, "It's a pity Han Yuchen is already Wangye's woman. Otherwise, if she were sent to the Northwest, faced with such an incomparable beauty, Yun Qing would certainly be unable to resist." Then he added, "Besides, it would be like Ehuang and Nüying🔗. It would even become a romantic tale worth telling."
Qiu Dashan was displeased when he heard this. "You must never say anything like that again. If Wangye were to hear you, you would certainly be severely punished." Han Yuchen was now Wangye's woman. Using Han Yuchen as the subject of such speculation was disrespectful toward Wangye.
Tie Kui hurriedly said, "I was only making an offhand remark."
The two talked for a long while, and even by dusk, Tie Kui still had not left. Deliberately wearing a troubled expression, he requested, "General, may I stay here for the night?"
Qiu Dashan immediately laughed when he heard this. "What? Did you quarrel with your wife?" Only a quarrel with one's wife could make a man unwilling to go home.
Tie Kui answered irritably, "Alas. Ever since Lu Shi became pregnant, there hasn't been a moment's peace at home. I work outside until I'm half dead from exhaustion, and when I get home I still have to listen to them constantly whining or weeping. It's utterly aggravating." Tie Kui's former flaw had been his greed for money. Now domestic discord in the inner household had to be added to the list.
Qiu Dashan laughed loudly and patted Tie Kui on the shoulder. "Hiding from it isn't a solution. You simply can't spoil women too much. If they dare cause trouble, just give them the cold shoulder. Ignore them for a while, and they'll become obedient again." This was Qiu Dashan's advice born of experience.
In the end, Tie Kui still failed to stay overnight at the Qiu residence and returned to the Tie residence with a gloomy expression. As soon as he entered the estate, he saw a maid hurrying toward him anxiously. "Master, Concubine Lu's stomach is hurting. Master, please go and see her!" Recently, because Tie Kui had shown that he valued the child in Lu Shi's womb, Lu Shi had not been willing to remain quiet for even a moment. Even Xiao Shi was now giving her considerable leeway.
Tie Kui responded coldly, "If her stomach hurts, call a physician. I'm not a physician." With that, he went to his study.
The young maid was dumbfounded.
Five days later, Yuxi received a painting from Tie Kui. Yun Qing stared at it for a long time before saying gloomily, "He sends us a painting of a beautiful woman. What sort of cryptic riddle is he posing this time?" If Tie Kui had something to say, why didn't he just say it? Constantly making people guess riddles was exhausting.
Yuxi smiled. "I think Uncle is trying to tell me that Yan Wushuang may intend to use the beauty scheme on you, so he wants me to be careful." She was smiling outwardly, but inwardly her vigilance had risen. The fact that her uncle had deliberately sent such a painting indicated that Yan Wushuang had already begun making his move.
Yun Qing looked at the painting again and felt that Yuxi's interpretation made a great deal of sense. He could not help laughing. "You and your uncle have never even met. How can the two of you understand each other so well?"
Yuxi gave Yun Qing a sidelong glance. "This is pretty easy to guess, isn't it?" Women were naturally perceptive, and Yuxi was particularly so. Moreover, the painting had been sent by Tie Kui. Other than a warning about the beauty scheme, Yuxi could think of no other meaning.
Yun Qing wondered, "Has Yan Wushuang really run completely out of ideas? Does he actually intend to use the beautiful woman scheme against me?" It seemed that Yan Wushuang did not realise that this strategy would be ineffective against him.
Yuxi no longer did foolish things such as reminding Yun Qing or testing him. "Yan Wushuang himself is fond of beautiful women, so he assumes that every man under heaven is the same as he is." Momo Quan had never married, but she had plenty of theoretical knowledge. She had taught Yuxi that when dealing with a man, a woman needed to humble herself a little, coax him into a good mood, and then build him up with flattery. Only then would a husband and wife enjoy a harmonious relationship. Over the past year or so, Yuxi had done this very well. Though outsiders often called her domineering, Yun Qing had never seen her as such.
Yun Qing admitted, "Now that you mention it, that's true. Since Yan Wushuang likes your San Jie6, why doesn't he marry her as his wife? Why take her as his Ce Fei7 instead?"
Yuxi looked down on Yan Wushuang considerably. "I suppose he wants to marry a noble young lady of pure and untouched status8 as his wife!"
Yun Qing tactfully knew better than to continue that line of conversation with Yuxi.
Yuxi frowned. "I still don't understand why Yan Wushuang would agree to appoint Zhou Yan as Huang Taidi1." Zhou Yan was being appointed Huang Taidi1, yet his biological mother, Yuchen, had become Yan Wushuang's Ce Fei7. For Zhou Yan, this could be described as an intolerable disgrace. Once he grew up, he would certainly never let Yan Wushuang off. Of course, Yuxi also knew that Zhou Yan might not even live to adulthood. Still, the way Yan Wushuang conducted himself was somewhat difficult for her to stomach. She had always considered herself unafraid of the wandering words and flying speech9, but compared with Yan Wushuang, she was nowhere near his level.
Yun Qing speculated, "Perhaps he truly cherishes your San Jie6 very deeply, which is why he agreed to appoint Zhou Yan as Huang Taidi1."
Yuxi laughed derisively. "My San Jie6 is very beautiful, so it isn't surprising that Yan Wushuang took a liking to her. But to truly cherish her? That is absolutely impossible. If he genuinely cherished her, he would never have taken other concubines." If one truly cherished someone, one should behave like Yun Qing.
Yun Qing was most afraid of discussing relationships between men and women with Yuxi. One careless remark and he might bring the fire down upon himself10. "I heard Tan Tuo say that the results of this preliminary Imperial Examination were not very satisfactory." The examination had been held simultaneously in three provinces, yet only 567 candidates had passed. And this was merely the first round. After the second round, there was no telling whether even one-tenth of them would remain.
Yuxi commented, "The Northwest has a vast territory and a sparse population. Unlike Jiangnan, it lacks a flourishing literary and scholarly culture. Having more than five hundred people pass this preliminary examination is already fairly good." In truth, the standards had been lowered. Otherwise, they would not even have had that many successful candidates.
Yun Qing remarked, "The Imperial Court gives preferential treatment to scholars. Those who pass as xiucai11 can exempt twenty mu12 of land from taxation; juren13 can exempt two hundred mu12; and jinshi14 can exempt one thousand mu12. These rules need to be abolished." After the Northwest fell under Yun Qing's control, all the privileges previously enjoyed by scholars disappeared. For example, government-supported students had once received a monthly living allowance from the Imperial Court, but this ceased after Yun Qing took control of the Northwest.
Yuxi nodded. "They cannot be abolished. If you abolish them, who will still take the Imperial Examinations in the future? However, the amount of land eligible for tax exemption can be reduced appropriately." One reason people flocked to the examinations like ducks15 was not merely that passing allowed them to become officials, but also the opportunity to own tax-exempt land.
After a moment's thought, Yun Qing recommended, "Five mu12 for a xiucai11, fifty mu12 for a juren13, and two hundred mu12 for a jinshi14. And if they open shops, they should still have to pay taxes, albeit at a lower rate than ordinary merchants." Merchants had even more money than corrupt officials, so Yun Qing believed they should be taxed more heavily.
Yuxi nodded. "The first part can be done as you suggested. The latter part cannot be implemented for the time being." Government policy was not something that could be enacted merely through an empty mouth and white teeth16, especially when taxation was involved. They had to proceed even more cautiously. One careless move could cause many problems in the future.
After the husband and wife had finished discussing the matter, Zaozao also returned from the front courtyard. During the first half-month, Zaozao had felt that living was worse than dying17! But by now, she had grown accustomed to it and had even begun to enjoy it. Each day, she wouldn't return to the rear courtyard until nearly mealtime.
Footnotes Full List
- 皇太弟 (Huáng Tàidì; Imperial Great Younger Brother) is a formal succession title. It refers to the Emperor's younger brother who has been officially designated as heir to the throne. It is comparable to 皇太子 (Huáng Tàizǐ; Imperial Great Son/Crown Prince), except that the heir is the Emperor's younger brother rather than his son.
- 贩夫走卒 (fàn fū zǒu zú) — peddlers and footmen; ordinary people of the lowest social ranks
- 空穴不来风 (kōng xué bù lái fēng) — wind does not come from an empty cave; rumours generally arise for a reason
- 大人 (dàren) — title of respect toward superiors
- 天下没有不偷腥的猫 (tiān xià méi yǒu bù tōu xīng de māo) — there is no cat under heaven that does not steal fishy food; a cynical saying implying that men will be tempted by sexual opportunities
- 三 (sān) — third, 姐 (jiě) — elder sister
- 侧 (cè) — side, 妃 (fēi) — consort
- 清白之身 (qīng bái zhī shēn) — a pure and unstained body; here, a woman regarded as chaste and without a prior s3xual or marital relationship
- 流言蜚语 (liú yán fēi yǔ) — wandering words and flying speech; malicious rumours and gossip
- 烧火上身 (shāo huǒ shàng shēn) — bring fire onto one's own body; bring trouble upon oneself through one's own words or actions
- 秀才 (xiùcai) — a person who has passed the county-level imperial exam (historical)
- 亩 (mǔ) — classifier for fields/unit of area equal to one-fifteenth of a hectare.
- 举人 (jǔrén) — successful candidate in the imperial provincial examination
- 进士 (jìn shì): the highest and most prestigious scholarly degree in imperial China, earned by passing the top level of the imperial civil service examinations.
- 趋之若鹜 (qū zhī ruò wù) — rush toward it like ducks; flock eagerly toward something
- 空口白牙 (kōng kǒu bái yá) — an empty mouth and white teeth; merely saying something without sufficient basis, preparation, or concrete support
- 生不如死 (shēng bù rú sǐ) — living is worse than dying; suffering so badly that life feels unbearable
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