Wen Yu said: “If today’s one million five hundred thousand shi of grain were owed by Fengyang to Luodu back when Great Liang was still untroubled, how would you view it?”
Tongque was stunned, thought for a moment, then said: “Fengyang certainly wouldn’t withhold this military grain without reason. There must be some cause behind it.”
Wen Yu looked at her calmly: “Why is it that when this matter involves Fengyang and Luodu, you wouldn’t be so indignant?”
Tongque said: “Because both Fengyang and Luodu belong to Liang territory—they’re both our own domain. Fengyang couldn’t possibly harbor other intentions.”
Wen Yu said: “That one million five hundred thousand shi of grain being transferred from Fengyang to Luodu—from the perspective of all of Liang territory, isn’t it just moving from the left hand to the right hand?”
After thinking briefly, Tongque suddenly understood: “So Lord Qi tacitly approved because he feels that since both Chen territory and Liang territory now acknowledge the Princess as their sovereign, the destination of this grain shipment is, for the Princess, merely a shift from left hand to right. Rather than giving it to Liang territory, why not find a way to keep it in Chen Kingdom?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she frowned again: “But wasn’t this grain withheld because Chen Kingdom’s corrupt officials skimmed it off layer by layer?”
Zhao Bai said: “Even if treacherous ministers rise to positions like the Jiang family held, after all their accomplices are thoroughly investigated and their embezzled silver is confiscated, don’t they have to disgorge it all? The grain appropriated by the aristocratic families—when Chen territory truly needs it and the executioner’s blade falls on their entire clan’s heads, they will naturally make up every single grain without exception.”
“Qi Simiao is a clever man. He wants to preserve Chen Kingdom’s national strength as much as possible before the two kingdoms are unified, while also using this to test whether the Princess truly treats Chen Kingdom and Great Liang with perfect impartiality.”
After all, one million shi of grain was no small amount. If they could save this grain supply, it would greatly benefit Chen Kingdom.
And if Wen Yu became angry over this, it would show that in her heart, the direct line remained the subjects of Liang territory. Chen Kingdom had once marginalized the Jieji tribe and replaced them as master of the southern lands, so they also worried about history repeating itself.
Therefore, whether Wen Yu showed favoritism toward either side was especially important to them.
After understanding the intentions behind this, Tongque was almost shocked into a cold sweat. Looking at Wen Yu, she said: “No wonder the Princess told Lord Qi she would treat Chen Kingdom’s subjects no differently from Liang territory’s subjects. The twists and turns behind this memorial—if this servant had to figure it out on her own, this servant could rack her brains and still not understand it.”
A faint trace of weariness crossed Wen Yu’s brow as she said: “The chaos in this world mostly stems from injustice. The higher one’s position, the more one must uphold that sense of fairness.”
As a minister of Chen Kingdom, it was beyond reproach for Qi Simiao to scheme for Chen territory.
But once the situation of mutual benefit and united external opposition between Liang and Chen territories was broken, the rift sown now might become the fuse for future internal strife.
That one million five hundred thousand shi of military grain was also intended for monthly distribution to Chen troops in Liang territory. Sending it to the Liang camp in advance was merely to allow the Liang camp to use the grain to control the Chen troops advancing into Liang territory.
If Chen Kingdom’s side was unwilling to honor even the conditions initially agreed upon in their alliance, the ministers of Liang territory would naturally be dissatisfied.
The words Wen Yu spoke to Qi Simiao were a warning that preserved his dignity.
Zhao Bai understood Wen Yu’s intentions and said worriedly: “I’m just afraid some court officials won’t comprehend the Princess’s painstaking care. This one million five hundred thousand shi of grain will inevitably be collected amid complaints and resentment. If they feel the Princess is pressuring Chen Kingdom’s ministers in this way only to benefit Great Liang… it may damage the Princess’s popular support in Chen Kingdom.”
Wen Yu recalled the final instructions she had given Qi Simiao. Her slightly lowered long lashes traced a curved arc in the light and shadow: “Qi Simiao knows what to do.”
Zhao Bai’s eyes showed slight confusion.
But Wen Yu said no more, only stating: “The trap we’re setting for Pei Song needs to be deployed quickly. Send word back to Liang territory that on the pretext of the army needing to smelt weapons and requiring large quantities of excavated ore, we should dispatch several battalions of troops to advance along the Jingchu mountain regions to ‘mine the mountains.'”
Zhao Bai recalled Wen Yu’s earlier mention of “openly repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing at Chencang” and instantly understood. She clasped her fists and said: “This servant will immediately instruct the Azure Cloud Guards to send the message by eight-hundred-li express.”
—
Several days later, urgent letters arrived from Chen Kingdom’s western border front line. The army urgently needed a batch of specially-made powerful crossbows for armor-piercing, but Chen Kingdom had no blacksmiths skilled in forging such crossbows, and with the warfare urgent, it was too late for the weapons workshop to rush production.
Liang territory had indeed prepared quite a few such crossbows. Because the Rongque barbarian tribes lived permanently in cold regions and wore thick armor, Liang territory’s weapons workshop craftsmen had developed these armor-piercing crossbows to deal with Rongque’s heavy armored cavalry.
With the front lines pressing urgently, the court officials could only discuss purchasing a batch from the Liang camp.
With Wen Yu making the decisions, the purchase itself posed no problem, but the Liang camp replied that they currently lacked no money. After this batch of armor-piercing crossbows was given to Chen territory, their Liang camp weapons workshop would also have to forge a new batch, which would be quite time and labor-intensive.
Liang territory’s rice harvest also came later than Chen territory’s. This year’s autumn rice had not yet matured, and the Liang camp’s military grain was approaching depletion. They hoped Chen territory would first quickly deliver the outstanding one million five hundred thousand shi of grain to Liang territory, and the payment for purchasing that batch of armor-piercing crossbows could wait until year-end when both ministries of finance did their reconciliation.
The Chen Kingdom officials were suddenly like mutes eating bitter herbs—suffering but unable to speak. Everyone could see that the Liang camp side simply wanted that one million five hundred thousand shi of grain, and by seizing on the army’s urgent need for a batch of armor-piercing crossbows, they made bargaining extremely difficult.
Some did want to seek mercy from Wen Yu and play the victim, pushing this difficult problem onto her, but the palace sent out news that Wen Yu had recently fallen ill from overworking on governmental affairs and was following the imperial physician’s instructions to rest quietly in seclusion, seeing no officials.
This avenue was thus also blocked.
Before the officials could come up with another delaying tactic, the hot-tempered western border general directly wrote an angry letter to the Ministry of Finance with furious curses.
The Minister of Finance also feared delaying military matters, but if they first gave the military grain to Liang territory, what would later be allocated to Chen Kingdom’s western border army would have to come from the portions appropriated by the aristocratic families.
The power of the aristocratic families throughout the court was deeply entrenched—a network even more solid than the former Jiang family. This appropriation of tax grain was not something that had happened for just a day or two, and they had covered their tracks extremely well. It was not something he, a mere Minister of Finance, could shake.
The Minister of Finance became so anxious that blisters formed around his mouth. Truly at his wit’s end, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and ran to the palace to sound out Eunuch Li, who after the change in court rule still steadily held the position of chief eunuch.
Eunuch Li still had his smiling, squinting eyes. He pushed back the tribute the Minister of Finance had offered, untouched, picked up his teacup, and said leisurely: “Minister Lu, even Prime Minister Qi has stamped his seal—what are you still afraid of?”
After the Jiang family fell, Qi Simiao had already taken over the position of Prime Minister from Jiang Hongsheng.
The Minister of Finance initially didn’t grasp the meaning in Eunuch Li’s words, his face still showing some panic and confusion.
Eunuch Li pointed his index finger upward: “Whether or not the remaining tax grain is in the Ministry of Finance, do you think those above… don’t know?”
The Minister of Finance was suddenly enlightened.
The army suddenly needed such a batch of armor-piercing crossbows, and Prime Minister Qi had stamped his seal—this clearly meant that person in the palace wanted to crack down on the aristocratic families who had appropriated tax grain!
Since those above were having their power struggles, his Ministry of Finance just needed to do its proper duties.
He hastily rose and bowed to Eunuch Li: “Many thanks for Gonggong’s guidance! Lu is extremely grateful!”
After the Minister of Finance left, Eunuch Li took another sip of tea, leaned back in his reclining chair and swayed back and forth, letting a young eunuch massage his legs.
The young eunuch said: “Old Ancestor seems to be in good spirits?”
Eunuch Li closed his eyes, and after a while shook his head and said: “In just one year’s time, the court has already completely changed. Our current master is… extraordinary…”
—
Liu Residence.
Remonstrance Official Liu Guangling returned home and flew into quite a rage. “Is that old fool Qi Simiao trying to help that Liang woman usurp the kingdom! Once that Liang woman gives birth to a royal heir, what use does Chen Kingdom still have for her? If the one million five hundred thousand shi of grain is allocated to the Liang camp, will the western border army drink the northwest wind after winter comes?”
Not one of the household’s expensively hired retainers dared make a sound.
Liu Guangling continued smashing inkstones while cursing: “That brute Mu Youliang is the same. We used to fight battles just fine without those worthless armor-piercing crossbows, so why must he absolutely have that thing at precisely this critical juncture?”
After everything within reach on the desk had been smashed clean, Liu Guangling finally supported himself against the desk and said: “Pass word to Brother Ouyang and the others—if that Liang woman wants us to forcibly scrape together military grain for the western border army, then this old man will make her unable to firmly hold this regency power!”
When the military grain for the western border army had long not been allocated, and western border General Mu Youliang sent his son and deputy general back to the royal capital to personally demand military grain, before the aristocratic families led by the Liu residence could spread rumors among the people that Wen Yu had given all the grain to Liang territory and didn’t care whether Chen Kingdom’s western border soldiers lived or died, a memorial filed by a hot-headed local official suddenly stirred up tremendous waves throughout the entire royal capital.
The county magistrate’s memorial was written with blood in every word, listing numerous crimes: Remonstrance Official Liu Guangling’s clan’s appropriation of common farmland, embezzlement of tax grain, and clan sons who went hunting outside the city during spring plowing, trampling spring seedlings to death with their galloping horses, then arrogantly trampling farmers to death when the farmers knelt to block them. All who heard were indignant.
Liu Guangling immediately panicked, loudly proclaiming his innocence.
But facing accusations from the entire county population of Qingpu, plus that farming household who had lost relatives bringing their village clan elders and youngsters together to the royal capital to wail in mourning dress at the palace gates, Liu Guangling’s self-defense suddenly became pale and powerless.
For a time, common people everywhere were discussing how court officials embezzled tax grain, causing the western border army to not receive military provisions.
The western border general’s son who had just returned to the royal capital became so enraged that very day he stormed the Liu residence, beating Liu Guangling’s son until several ribs were broken and his face swollen like a pig’s head. Even Liu Guangling’s old bones were chased and beaten by the other’s ancestral golden mace. In the chaos, he fell and broke his bones, immediately becoming bedridden.
This farce only ended when the deputy general came to take the western border general’s son away.
When Wen Yu received the news at the royal palace, she was naturally furious. Before Liu Guangling could recover, his entire family was imprisoned and handed over to the Three Judicial Offices for joint trial and strict investigation of tax grain issues over the years.
Once this news broke, the aristocratic clans in the royal capital were all in danger, secretly selling off properties everywhere, attempting to fill the enormous holes created by years of embezzling tax grain.
They had previously been able to tightly block the mouths of farmers, forcing them to not dare fight with officials for the sake of their entire family’s lives.
But now with the Qingpu county magistrate taking this lead, and the court treating it with such importance, once common people from various provinces saw hope in filing imperial memorials, wouldn’t they eagerly follow suit?
Having weathered the official seas for over a decade, how could they not see that standing behind that Qingpu county magistrate were Qi Simiao and Wen Yu?
This clearly meant that after Princess Hanyang finished cleaning up the Jiang faction, she was coming for them!
Rather than playing dead until disaster struck, better to fill the deficit and seek a thread of survival.
—
Zhaohua Palace.
Zhao Bai leafed through the latest tax grain registers sent by the Ministry of Finance. The more she read, the tighter her thin lips pressed: “This is only the embezzlement of tax grain over the past three years and it’s already so enormous. These so-called aristocratic families are simply like dense leeches clinging to Chen territory’s common people, sucking their blood. If not for the Princess’s diligent governance over this past half year, allowing that taut string throughout Chen Kingdom to loosen somewhat, I fear when Xiling invaded this time, Chen Kingdom would have collapsed completely!”
Wen Yu reviewed the memorials on the desk and said: “That’s why Lord Qi chose us.”
Her expression remained as calm as always. Even at such a gratifying moment, no obvious joy showed on her face. She only continued instructing: “Zhao Bai, you keep watch over the subsequent Three Judicial Offices trial for me. Also compile a roster for me of the humble-born examination candidates who passed this year’s autumn examinations, after investigating their family backgrounds.”
After Zhao Bai acknowledged and withdrew together with Tongque, Tongque said in a low voice: “Sister Zhao Bai, I know that Qingpu county magistrate is Lord Qi’s man, but how did the Princess know the army would suddenly lack such a batch of armor-piercing crossbows?”
Zhao Bai glanced at her sideways and said: “You’ve made considerable progress.”
Tongque blushed and touched the back of her head.
Zhao Bai held her sword and looked toward the horizon: “Several years ago when the Princess and Prince Chen, who was still heir apparent, settled on their marriage agreement, the Prince feared that if anything unexpected happened in the future, the Princess would still have to marry into Chen territory. So when Chen Kingdom borrowed troops, he planted a hidden piece among their army.”
Tongque exclaimed “Ah,” very surprised.
Zhao Bai said: “However, back then the Grand Empress Dowager and the Jiang family also guarded tightly against our princely manor, so that hidden piece couldn’t infiltrate the Jiang family army.”
—
Outside the royal capital, having obtained the military grain, the western border grain escort army set out to return to the western border.
The young general held an armor-piercing crossbow, saying spiritedly to the steady middle-aged man riding beside him: “Uncle Xing, fortunate that you had seen that Liang territory had good things like armor-piercing crossbows. Otherwise, facing Xifan’s Iron Pagodas, we’d have quite a battle ahead!”
The middle-aged man looked back toward the royal capital’s direction and smiled somewhat awkwardly, as if not good with words: “Young General flatters me.”
…
That autumn’s end, Wen Yu gave birth to a daughter.
She had publicly claimed her pregnancy five months later than actual. Because routine governmental affairs were all handled by Zhaoyun Pavilion, and all the aristocratic families had just been given a warning, with all court officials currently behaving cautiously, when Wen Yu used the tax grain matter as reason for being angered into endangering her pregnancy and claimed she needed to rest quietly for a period, no one in the court suspected anything.
By the time Gu Xiyun escorted the batch of armor-piercing crossbows that Chen Kingdom’s western border army wanted to the royal capital and used reporting military intelligence as an excuse to see Wen Yu in the palace, the child was already a month old.
She sat by the small bed, using a rattle drum to play with the soft little infant girl inside: “Auntie said she’d come see you after autumn, and Auntie keeps her word, right?”
The infant in the crib with her five delicate, soft fingers instinctively reached out trying to grab the rattle drum. After several attempts, she became somewhat drowsy and yawned.
Gu Xiyun gently poked the child’s warm, soft face with her fingertip and asked curiously: “Is she going to sleep?”
Wen Yu was looking at the latest letter delivered from Liang territory on the side. Hearing this, she looked up. Her loosely arranged hair bun had several large hairpins inserted diagonally from below. The aura around her compared to before had, beyond that coolness, added a touch of gentleness, as if bathed in divine light.
She said: “She sleeps for a while at this time every day. Let the wet nurse carry her down.”
Gu Xiyun said: “I often go to Minister Xiao Zhou’s place to help him coax his child. I’m skilled at lulling children to sleep—leave it to me.”
As she spoke, she gently rocked the crib while humming a little tune.
Wen Yu looked at the letter, occasionally glancing over or lowering her voice to instruct Yang Baolin, who was holding a brush to record notes beside her.
Yang Baolin nodded and wrote it down in the scroll.
Gu Xiyun seemed to want to say something to Wen Yu, but Wen Yu was too busy today, constantly surrounded by many people, so it wasn’t convenient to speak. When she had almost lulled the child to sleep, she asked: “Has Little Hemiao’s childhood name been chosen yet?”
Yang Baolin, who had already finished reading through the accumulated letters with Wen Yu and was organizing the writing materials, smiled and said: “Previously the little princess cried and fussed insistently. Mother sang a Liang territory lullaby before coaxing the little princess to sleep. The Princess then took ‘lili banban’ from the lullaby’s line ‘lili banban, leap over Southern Mountain’ and used the two characters ‘lili’ as the princess’s childhood name.”
Wen Yu’s former title “Wengzhu” was specially requested by Prince Changlian using the old system.
The reason was that in ancient times, when vassal princes married off their daughters, they all personally presided over the marriage, hence calling their daughters “Wengzhu.”
To demonstrate their doting love for their daughter, Prince Changlian and his wife exceeded proper etiquette and used the ancient term for a prince’s daughter.
“Lili banban, leap over Southern Mountain…” Gu Xiyun hummed along, not noticing Wen Yu’s slight distraction upon hearing this children’s rhyme. She covered little A’Li who had fallen asleep with a soft blanket and said: “The name Lili is good—one can tell she’ll be as ice-bright and clever as her mother…”
Yang Baolin could tell that Gu Xiyun seemed to still have some private words she wanted to say to Wen Yu. She tidied up the writing materials and said to Wen Yu: “Princess, then I’ll take my leave first.”
After Yang Baolin left and only Wen Yu and Gu Xiyun remained in the hall, she finally stopped gently rocking the crib. After a moment of silence, she asked: “A’Yu, do you know news about that person recently in Liang territory?”
Wen Yu was slightly stunned, realizing Gu Xiyun was speaking of Xiao Li.
She asked: “What happened to him?”
Gu Xiyun’s lips pressed extremely tight. After quite a while she finally said: “I heard that for the sake of a courtesan who was captured by Pei’s camp, he slaughtered twenty thousand of Pei Song’s surrendered troops.”