After the Mid-Autumn Festival, while handling government affairs, Emperor Yongchang officially issued the imperial edict bestowing marriage upon Yao Lin and Li Fuwei.
The marriage edict was divided into two parts—one for the groom’s parents and one for the bride’s parents.
The Duke and Duchess of Zhenguo were both at the Northern Garden, so delivering the edict to them was simple. The one for the Yao family required the eunuch announcing the decree to make a special trip back to Longevity Lane in the capital.
Although Yao Huang didn’t receive the imperial edict, she learned its contents from Prince Hui. In addition to praising both the man and woman respectively, Emperor Yongchang had specially bestowed upon Yao Lin a large mansion with five courtyards.
Land in the capital was worth its weight in gold. If private residences came up for sale among the common people, they would quickly be bought up. However, the capital would occasionally produce officials guilty of heinous crimes whose homes were confiscated. These officials’ mansions would be sealed and turned over to the state treasury. When the emperor wanted to reward new officials, he would select suitable ones from these confiscated properties.
Sealed and confiscated mansions all had issues of disrepair over the years. When the emperor bestowed them, he would have the Ministry of Works renovate and repair them. That’s why Prince Hui, who worked at the Ministry of Works, knew about this news.
Yao Huang breathed a sigh of relief for her natal family and her future sister-in-law. “Father Emperor is truly so considerate. You’ve seen our family’s small courtyard—my father and mother live in the main rooms. After my brother marries, the couple could only live in the east wing rooms. My brother is rough enough as it is, and my father is even rougher than him. I can tolerate them, but Miss Li would definitely not be used to it.”
“With a mansion of five courtyards, my father and mother can live in one courtyard, and my brother and sister-in-law can live separately in another. In the future, they can share a few meals together during festivals and holidays, but usually live their own lives. Neither side will have to accommodate the other.”
From what Yao Huang knew of her parents, they would even prefer to continue living in Longevity Lane and completely hand over the imperially bestowed new mansion to the young couple. However, that would be like dividing the family, which would be bad for both her brother’s and sister-in-law’s reputations.
Prince Hui, who never needed to worry about external matters like money or property, simply listened quietly to his princess consort’s rambling, watching her eyebrows and eyes become increasingly animated with happiness.
Yao Huang didn’t need Prince Hui to respond. She continued asking him, “Does Your Highness know where Father Emperor is bestowing the mansion?”
Zhao Sui replied, “West of the city, three streets away from us.”
Delight flooded into his princess consort’s eyes. “So close?”
Zhao Sui nodded, watching his princess consort excitedly begin pacing around the room. “Father Emperor must have deliberately chosen it near our prince’s mansion. Ah, Father Emperor is so good to me, I must thank him properly!”
If Emperor Yongchang bestowing the mansion was to avoid wronging the Duke of Zhenguo’s precious daughter—after all, he had selected a poor young man for her—then the location he chose for the mansion was consideration for his daughter-in-law.
Taking advantage of the time before the evening meal, Yao Huang left behind Prince Hui, who advised her to go tomorrow morning, and went to the Western Palace with her maids.
Yao Huang wanted to ask Empress Zhou to convey her gratitude to Emperor Yongchang. Unexpectedly, Emperor Yongchang was right there with Empress Zhou, and the Grand Princess was there too—a family of three enjoying domestic happiness together.
Yao Huang looked at Empress Zhou and said quite embarrassedly, “If I’d known Father Emperor was here, this daughter-in-law wouldn’t have come.”
Emperor Yongchang picked up her words. “The way you say that makes it sound more like you’re blaming me for coming at an inopportune time today.”
Yao Huang hastily said, “This daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare.”
After the teasing ended, Emperor Yongchang asked curiously, “Coming to see your mother empress at this hour—what’s the matter?”
Yao Huang smiled. “It concerns Father Emperor. This daughter-in-law just learned from the prince that Father Emperor has bestowed a mansion with five courtyards upon my natal family. I thought to myself, being able to marry into the imperial family and become Father Emperor’s daughter-in-law is already blessing enough. Now Father Emperor has bestowed the same blessing upon my brother. Father Emperor is so good to me, I must come express my thanks. But I feared disturbing Father Emperor, so I wanted to ask Mother Empress to help convey my message.”
From the moment his second daughter-in-law entered, the smile on Emperor Yongchang’s face hadn’t ceased. Now, having been flattered so greatly, Emperor Yongchang instead put away his smile and said with feigned disdain, “You’re already a princess consort, yet you’re still so happy about a five-courtyard mansion. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out?”
Yao Huang replied, “It may look like just a mansion, but it’s actually Father Emperor’s magnificent imperial grace. Others can’t envy this daughter-in-law’s family enough—those who would laugh are just sour grapes because they can’t have any.”
Emperor Yongchang couldn’t hold back and laughed again. He simply invited his daughter-in-law to stay and share the evening meal.
Yao Huang naturally agreed, having A’Ji go back and inform Prince Hui so he wouldn’t wait.
Emperor Yongchang asked, “Why didn’t the second prince come with you?”
Yao Huang huffed, “The prince grew up in the palace since childhood, and Father Emperor bestowed upon him such a grand prince’s mansion. If a five-courtyard mansion made the prince as delighted as this daughter-in-law, coming specially to express thanks, Father Emperor and Mother Empress would truly laugh at him for lacking dignity.”
The Grand Princess said, “Second Sister-in-law doesn’t need to explain so much. Father Emperor just misses Second Brother.”
Yao Huang had a sudden realization. “Is that so? Then next time Father Emperor bestows something good on this daughter-in-law, even if I have to push hard, I’ll push the prince before Your Majesty.”
Emperor Yongchang: “…”
The bestowed marriage seemed like a small matter, but from that day forward, everyone from Consort Xian to Consort Rou, Grand Princess Fucheng, and even Zheng Yuanzhen who lived in the same Eastern Quarters—all were secretly watching Yao Huang. Then they discovered that Yao Huang’s life continued just as it had before Emperor Yongchang bestowed the marriage. Either she toured gardens and lakes with the two princesses, or she invited Prince Kang’s wives, concubines, and children to play chuiwan, or she accompanied Prince Hui alone on walks to enjoy the scenery. At most, she would occasionally invite her future sister-in-law Li Fuwei to join them.
Through her daughter-in-law Chen Ying, Consort Xian learned something the others didn’t—when Yao Huang was alone with her, there was an added emotion in her eyes, as if she was very happy for Chen Ying.
At this, Consort Xian also became happy, speculating that Yao Huang had received hints from Prince Hui or the Li family and had confirmed that His Majesty favored Prince Kang!
If even Prince Hui and his wife thought so, how could this be false?
As Consort Xian rejoiced, Consort Rou and Grand Princess Fucheng directed even more hostility toward Prince Kang, only waiting for the right moment to strike.
At the end of the eighth month, a total of two hundred thousand troops that Emperor Yongchang had randomly selected from the Great Qi’s four capital garrisons and sixteen regional military commands gradually arrived outside the walls of the Northern Garden.
Liangzhou had two military commands. Two thousand soldiers were selected. Yao Huang asked Prince Hui if he had seen the roster of these twenty thousand soldiers.
Zhao Sui replied, “I haven’t, but your three maternal cousins were only assigned there this year as military scholars. Father Emperor probably won’t select their names.”
Choosing people one didn’t know—that was what made it random.
Yao Huang wasn’t too disappointed and naturally chatted with Prince Hui about the Grand Military Review. “The four capital garrisons are close by, so it’s convenient for those forty thousand men to come to the Northern Garden. But the ten thousand troops from each regional command traveling thousands of miles to get here, crossing mountains and rivers along the way—both men and horses could fall ill. This requires specially preparing batches of medicinal herbs, including grain, fodder, and military equipment lost along the way. Doesn’t the state treasury have to spend a large sum of silver every three years for the Grand Military Review?”
Zhao Sui said, “It does consume silver, but without the Grand Military Review every three years, the regional military commands easily develop the vice of lax training. When soldiers are weak, the nation weakens, and neighboring countries gain opportunities to exploit.”
He carefully explained to his princess consort the benefits of the Grand Military Review. For instance, before deciding to implement this national policy of the Grand Military Review, the court first built several granaries along the route where troops from various commands marched to the capital. This avoided the difficulty of transporting grain and fodder. In the future, if the borders faced war and needed to deploy troops, the regional commands and the prefectures with supply granaries along the way could all respond promptly.
More importantly, the soldiers—the ten thousand soldiers from each region participating in the Grand Military Review were randomly selected by the emperor. Their review performance was directly related to the promotion of the commanders of each military command. For the sake of their own futures, commanders couldn’t be lax in training. To conduct training, they had to ensure the soldiers’ physical fitness, which meant they could no longer openly embezzle military pay, winter clothing, and other military supplies.
With the soldiers’ physical fitness and training guaranteed, the long journey every three years became a real-world troop deployment drill. The more they drilled and the more experience they gained, the overall military strength would significantly improve.
Only with strong soldiers could border security be guaranteed. With secure borders, the court could concentrate its efforts on bringing peace and prosperity to the people.
Yao Huang didn’t like reading obscure and difficult texts like the Four Books and Five Classics or military strategy treatises, but she loved hearing her father and brothers chat about military affairs or trivial matters in the barracks. She also loved hearing Prince Hui explain things to her in such clear and understandable terms.
“Who first thought of the method of the Grand Military Review?” Yao Huang asked.
Zhao Sui said, “The late Marquis Cen of Weiyuan proposed it. Shortly after the late emperor adopted it, he passed away. After Father Emperor ascended the throne, he officially implemented this national policy.”
The Duke of Zhenguo’s Li family had been a famous military family since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty. The Marquis of Weiyuan’s Cen family rose to prominence with the previous old marquis and was a newly prominent military family across two reigns.
Yao Huang said admiringly, “The old marquis was impressive, and Father Emperor is very impressive too.”
Thirty years ago, the state treasury was still very tight, yet Emperor Yongchang dared to allocate silver for the Grand Military Review. Who knew how much pressure he bore, fearing that silver would flow out like water yet the troops still wouldn’t be properly trained.
Zhao Sui nodded. Father Emperor and the late emperor fully deserved to be called the two revitalizing sovereigns of this dynasty.
This year’s Grand Military Review was set for the sixteenth of the ninth month, lasting three days.
On the thirteenth of the ninth month, Prince Qing’s three months of confinement and reflection finally ended. Early in the morning before dawn, Prince Qing came to the entrance of Emperor Yongchang’s bedchamber and knelt to beg forgiveness.
After kneeling for half a double-hour, Eunuch Wang led him inside.
There was no small court audience today. Emperor Yongchang was preparing to eat breakfast. Looking at his third son who knelt on the ground upon entering, appearing even thinner than when he’d just returned from Jingzhou, Emperor Yongchang said, “Tell me again where you went wrong in that bandit suppression campaign.”
Prince Qing spoke at length with heartfelt remorse, still repeating the mistakes Emperor Yongchang had scolded him for in the great hall—underestimating the enemy and losing too many soldiers.
Emperor Yongchang nodded with satisfaction. “You’re still young. Learn from this experience. Just don’t stumble in the same place again in the future. Come, eat with me.”
At this, Prince Qing’s tears truly flowed. Father Emperor had finally forgiven him and was willing to dine with him!
In addition to dining together, Emperor Yongchang also gave Prince Qing a new assignment, having him serve as deputy commander for the ten thousand selected soldiers from the capital’s Southern Garrison. The main commander was Cen Jun.
Fighting spirit immediately reignited in Prince Qing’s eyes.
When Consort Rou, Grand Princess Fucheng, and Zheng Yuanzhen learned of this, though they didn’t immediately believe Prince Qing had hope again, being able to receive important duties was cause for celebration no matter what.
On the evening of the fifteenth of the ninth month, Emperor Yongchang held a banquet at the traveling palace. In attendance, besides the twenty commanding officers who had led troops there, were Prince Kang, Prince Hui, and Prince Qing.
After the twenty generals entered the hall, they first paid respects to Emperor Yongchang and his sons.
Two commanding officers had come from Liangzhou. Marquis of Weiyuan Cen Lianshan was one of them.
Everyone saw that when Cen Lianshan paid respects to Prince Hui in his wheelchair, his eyes reddened.
During those three years of war against the Wu, the other commanding officer from Liangzhou, as well as the commanding officers from Jinzhou, Jizhou, and Liaozhou, had all fought alongside Prince Hui or gathered together to discuss tactics. This included Luo Heng, the commanding officer from Nanzhou, who had also jointly defended against barbarian enemies with the eighteen-year-old Prince Hui.
These five generals didn’t lose composure like Cen Lianshan, and even treated Prince Hui as they treated Prince Kang and Prince Qing.
But Emperor Yongchang knew—in the hearts of these commanders, his three sons absolutely did not carry equal weight.