This was the spring season — precisely the time for sowing.

The “cotton” that Princess Yongning had presented to the court, after a year of trial planting in several different prefectures and counties during the sixth year of Kaiyuan, had yielded extremely satisfying results. As early as the end of the previous year, all prefectures and counties had been distributed with seeds, awaiting this year’s sowing for large-scale promotion.

Only in the third month of this year, the court additionally issued a document, once again exhorting each prefecture and county regarding the matter of cultivating cotton. But at the end of the document, it casually and understatedly mentioned the origin of this cotton — that it had actually been brought back from Mobei by Princess Yongning, carefully researched and studied, and then presented to the court.

At this point, the Emperor’s intentions had not yet been noticed by anyone.

In the middle of the third month of the seventh year of Kaiyuan, the Da Mu dynasty held its first imperial examination. The result was, as expected, no surprise — among those who passed, the sons of noble families won by an overwhelming margin.

Many noble family lineages had been passed down for longer than any single dynasty. Their foundations were simply deep-rooted. But both the Emperor and the Prime Minister were exceedingly patient men. In their own generation, it was enough to first tear open a crack with the imperial examination. The matters that followed would be left to the next generation, or even the generation after that.

The Da Mu dynasty’s first imperial examination was considered a complete success. The next examination was preliminarily scheduled for three years hence — only, the next time it would not be nearly so simple a matter of coming straight to the capital to sit the examination. The tiered examination system planned by Prime Minister Mo would push forward layer by layer, until a complete talent selection mechanism had been established for Da Mu.

Prime Minister Mo came from commoner origins. The aspiration of his entire life was to ensure that the court’s selection of talent would no longer be confined by birth and surname — that ability alone would be the determining criterion.

The Emperor held a banquet in the Grand Polar Hall. The newly admitted candidates from the imperial examination, who had passed but not yet been assigned official posts, were all in attendance.

During the banquet, the court scholars posed questions to test the new candidates, presenting various topics in turn. When it came to Academician Mao’s turn, he said, “Our dynasty has not yet established an Empress. Let us take this as our topic — to argue what qualities and virtues a woman must possess to be worthy of being Empress.”

Most of the new candidates were young and did not yet have sufficient political acuity. Each expressed their views freely, writing down their thoughts and presenting them to the Prime Minister and the Academicians.

The Emperor asked Prime Minister Mo, “What does the Minister think?”

Prime Minister Mo smiled and shook his head, then said to the new candidates, “Most of you have fallen into the same old rut. You cannot go beyond the common virtues of gentleness, courtesy, thrift, and submission. An Empress of a nation — how can she be viewed as merely the mistress of a common household? If what you say is the standard, then most of the not-too-shabby mistresses in this capital could be Empress.”

Prime Minister Mo said, “One who is to be Empress — beyond ordinary virtue, must have fortitude. Must have decisiveness. Must have the courage to remonstrate with the monarch. Must have the breadth of heart to care for all living people.”

Prime Minister Mo said little more, offering only a brief commentary. Everyone present declared agreement.

But after the banquet, an essay bearing Prime Minister Mo’s name, titled “A Discourse on the Empress,” began to circulate. The great Confucian scholar and Prime Minister of the court argued, with incisive eloquence, what qualities of character an Empress should possess.

At the end of the essay, however, the old man jokingly added that if there happened to be such a woman who was, in addition to all these qualities, blessed with beautiful features and an air of distinguished elegance, then whoever was Emperor — though his face would certainly remain stern — would surely harbor a measure of private delight in his heart.

The Imperial Tutor teasing the Emperor — readers who reached the end all could not help but roar with laughter.

At the beginning of the fourth month, the inner guard of the capital exchanged their uniforms for a new design. The fabric for this batch of uniforms had never been seen before — it was called cotton cloth. Breathable, sweat-absorbing, durable, and long-lasting. Cotton thereby entered the public eye. The discovery and promotion of new crops was always met with high praise, for it was a matter of benefit to both the nation and the people.

The name of Princess Yongning, Xie Yuzhang, was thereby mentioned again in connection with this matter.

Those with clear eyes said to others, “If one were to hold Princess Yongning against Prime Minister Mo’s ‘Discourse on the Empress,’ this Princess Yongning is precisely the right person to be Empress.”

Several days later, at the court assembly, the Vice Minister of Personnel, Lin Zi, remonstrated with the Emperor to establish an Empress and produce a legitimate heir early, so as to stabilize the foundation of the realm.

Everyone in the imperial city had a sense of what had transpired in the Emperor’s rear palace at the end of the previous year. It was true that this imperial palace was in need of a genuine mistress.

All the assembled ministers expressed their agreement.

The Emperor asked, “Which young lady could be worthy of being Empress?”

While everyone was whispering among themselves, Prime Minister Mo stepped forward from the ranks. “Our dynasty has a young lady — with fortitude and decisiveness, and meritorious service to the nation. She is currently unmarried, and is precisely worthy to be Empress.”

The Emperor asked, “Who?”

Prime Minister Mo smiled. “Princess Yongning.”

The court immediately erupted into an uproar.

Someone immediately objected, “How can Princess Yongning be Empress?”

Prime Minister Mo asked, “Why not?”

The objector said, “She carries the bloodline of the previous dynasty.”

Prime Minister Mo said, “All lands under heaven are the sovereign’s lands. All people within the realm are the sovereign’s subjects. Never mind that the Xiaoyao Marquis household is no more — even if it still existed, they would be subjects of the current sovereign. A subject’s daughter — why could she not be Empress?”

The objector said, “Princess Yongning is somewhat advanced in age.”

Prime Minister Mo said, “His Majesty’s rear palace has three Imperial Princes and three Imperial Princesses. Their mothers are all women of low rank who are incapable of shouldering the responsibility of raising the Imperial Heirs. The Heirs are in urgent need of a woman of vision, responsibility, and broad perspective to serve as their legitimate mother and bear this responsibility. Indeed, a young lady of sixteen may be lovely, but His Majesty is not establishing an Empress out of a fondness for beauty, is he? What His Majesty needs is a woman of talent, virtue, and ability.”

Once these words were spoken, the expressions on the faces of the entire hall full of men became exceedingly nuanced.

For Princess Yongning, though she had some years on her, remained to this day at the top of Yunjing’s list of beauties — universally acknowledged as the greatest beauty in Da Mu. Any sixteen-year-old girl would pale in comparison beside her.

To argue with righteous confidence that the Emperor’s appointment of Princess Yongning as Empress was proof that he was not a lover of beauty… Prime Minister Mo had spent several decades cultivating his renown — and it would appear that what had been cultivated, in addition to reputation, was the thickness of his skin.

You crafty old fox!

The Emperor opened his mouth. “What does the Minister consider?”

The Supervisory Secretary Yang Changyuan was the first to step forward. “Prime Minister Mo’s words are entirely correct. This minister expresses agreement.”

The objector said, “But isn’t Princess Yongning precisely the Supervisory Secretary’s niece?”

Supervisory Secretary Yang smiled with restrained dignity. “One recommends the worthy without avoiding one’s own kin. My family has produced three generations of Empresses in the previous dynasty, all of whom enjoyed a reputation for virtue. My niece, though not a member of my family by name, possesses the character to be Empress. This being so, as Prime Minister entrusted by His Majesty with heavy responsibilities — should I, for the sake of protecting my own reputation, refuse to recommend a truly virtuous young lady?”

Xie Yuzhang had been ennobled as a princess through her meritorious service. Her character and capabilities were beyond question. Only, since the Emperor intended to establish an Empress, the various factions would naturally need to scheme for their own interests and fight for position.

But in truth, the other factions were not what mattered most — what mattered most was the Hexi faction and the Yunjing old-guard faction.

Though Princess Yongning stood independent of any faction, the leader of the Yunjing old-guard faction, Yang Changyuan, was her own blood uncle on her mother’s side. Since Princess Yongning no longer had her paternal family, her maternal family could be regarded as her family of origin. Yang Changyuan would without question support her rise to power.

It remained to be seen, then, what position the Hexi faction would take.

The argument had reached this point, but the Hexi faction had not yet uttered a word. For in the past, the Hexi faction had been built around the founding nobles and the Deng and Cui families as its main pillars.

Only, after the palace upheaval in the twelfth month of the previous year, of the Cui and Deng consorts only a single Cui Junior Consort remained. In the matter of establishing an Empress, the Cui and Deng families had already lost their voice.

The eyes of the assembled court turned toward the Hexi nobles.

At this time among the Hexi nobles, Li the First Son was in Mobei supervising the construction of the Grand Protectorate General’s administrative offices. Li the Fifth Son was on the southern frontier standing guard. Those present at court were Li the Seventh Son, Li the Eighth Son, Li the Tenth Son, and Jiang Jingye.

At this moment, Jiang Jingye was still deliberating, while Li the Eighth Son and Li the Tenth Son both turned their eyes toward Beyrong Marquis Li Weifeng.

The Emperor also turned his gaze toward the Minister of War, Beyrong Marquis Li Weifeng.

Yet this Minister simply stood with the composure of an old sage, utterly unmoved.

The Emperor glared daggers at him.

Li Weifeng had played at airs long enough. At last he stepped forward from the ranks. “This minister expresses agreement.”

The moment Li Weifeng expressed agreement, there was no longer anyone who did not understand — all the maneuvering, sending Lin Zi first to open the scene, then having Prime Minister Mo hold the line, and then Yang Changyuan to guard the flank — the appointment of Princess Yongning of the Xie family as Empress had always been the Emperor’s own intention!

For who in the realm did not know that Li Weifeng’s conduct and choices at court followed wherever the Emperor’s heart pointed?

The Hexi nobles hesitated no longer and all stepped forward together. “This minister and the others express agreement!”

Lin Zi and Chen Liangzhi stepped forward simultaneously. “This minister expresses agreement.”

The Mao brothers also expressed agreement. The main Yunjing old-guard followers of Yang Changyuan all expressed agreement.

The objectors, knowing the tide had turned and there was nothing to be done, had no choice but to follow along and express agreement as well.

Li Gu’s gaze swept across the great hall.

Now, if he wished to do something and made up his mind to do it, there was no longer any force in the court that could stop him.

If he were truly set on establishing an Empress, he could entirely disregard all opposition and directly appoint Xie Yuzhang as Empress. Only, in that case, all the resentment of those who objected, and the surging torrent of accusations, would fall upon Xie Yuzhang.

All this extensive maneuvering was, in truth, entirely aimed at clearing all obstacles for Xie Yuzhang.

He was determined that her position must be legitimate, that she must enjoy the wholehearted support of the realm.

The Emperor immediately appointed Prime Minister Mo and Li Weifeng as chief and deputy matrimonial envoys — laughably, the imperial clan originally ought to have had a Clan Administrator, but Li Gu the Emperor was a man utterly bereft of any kinsmen, not a single relative to his name. And so this most trusted sworn elder brother of his would temporarily serve in the Clan Administrator’s role.

Li Weifeng had been holding this concurrent title for several years and had never had a single matter to handle in that capacity. Today, for the first time, he performed actual duties as Clan Administrator — and that duty was to go and bring back the new wife for the Emperor.

Once the chief and deputy matrimonial envoys had been appointed, the Emperor rose to his feet. Clasping his hands behind his back, he said, “We have already fasted for three days. Tomorrow We may offer sacrifices to heaven, earth, and the ancestral temples, to beseech the matrimonial blessing.”

One did not simply go and offer sacrifices to heaven, earth, and the ancestral temples at a moment’s notice — a period of fasting was required in advance. The Emperor had completed his fasting ahead of time, and had everyone accompany him in going through the complete formalities. And this was the very man who, upon his enthronement, had not been willing to go through the ceremonial three refusals and three entreaties.

The assembled officials all put on the composure of old sages, yearning very much to fold their arms in their sleeves and gather together to gossip.

The Emperor, with brisk and decisive efficiency, settled on the candidate for his Empress.

From beginning to end, not even the objectors had raised the matter of Xie Yuzhang having been married twice before — and to a father and son, no less.

If the Emperor intended to establish an Empress, one was free to attack the candidate’s abilities and moral character — that was public business.

If the Emperor intended to marry the woman he cherished, to say that she had been married to two men who were father and son — every man present knew that this was the path to incurring the Emperor’s personal enmity. No one who could stand in that great hall was a fool.

The twice-married history that Xie Yuzhang had believed would certainly be used to attack her — not a single person raised it. It was selectively forgotten by the assembled civil and military officials. What men fought for was political benefit; since the Emperor himself did not care, who would concern themselves with such minor details?

In her previous life, the reason Xie Yuzhang had been mocked and ridiculed by the people of Yunjing was fundamentally because the most distinguished woman in Da Mu — Empress Zhang — had led the way in crushing her underfoot.

But in this life, Li Gu had held firm and refused to establish an Empress, so there was not a single woman who could stand above Xie Yuzhang and trample upon her.