After leaving the palace, Qingyang didn’t establish a separate estate but used the western side courtyard of the Marquis Changxiang’s estate as her residence.
Seeing her elder brother fall asleep without any other discomfort, only then did Qingyang return to her quarters with an anxious heart. She dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids, spread out paper, lifted her brush and soaked it in ink, writing on the snow-white rice paper:
“The great river flows east, waves washing away, a thousand ages of distinguished figures…”
At this time the snow had stopped and the night was clear. A crescent moon shone through the window onto the desk. Qingyang stared at this new verse line on the rice paper, always feeling her brushwork was too weak, unable to inscribe the magnificent spirit of this new verse. She tore away a layer of rice paper, stood before the desk, and began writing again.
After several attempts, Qingyang felt she had written it with some meaning before stopping. Her beautiful eyes gazed out the window, as if the great river floated in the sky with countless heroic figures rising and sinking within it.
Her slender white hands like the bright moon supported her snow-white cheeks as she contemplated—what kind of person could write such magnificent verse lines that actually fell into that scoundrel Han Qian’s eyes? And besides this opening line, what was the complete form of the entire verse? If she humbled herself a bit and got close to Han Qian, that calculating and secretive fellow, would it be possible to learn who the true poet was and glimpse the complete form of this Niannu Jiao?
Qingyang sighed lightly, then took out the stack of materials Han Qian had given them today to look through.
These were all intelligence regarding the Wu Liao of Ba south. Han Qian had given them to Marquis Changxiang so that when the Marquis memorialized Shu Master Wang Jian about managing Ba south, he could make more thorough preparations.
Her elder brother was drunk now, so Qingyang took these materials to look through first.
Perhaps after she married Yang Yuanpu, Han Qian would be her only ally, but strangely, she always felt Han Qian was calculating and secretive.
From childhood her appearance had been stunningly brilliant. As she grew slightly older, she possessed beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall. She didn’t know how many men’s eyes she attracted, which gave her another ineffable confidence beyond her identity as princess.
Even Yang Yuanpu was captivated by her to the point of losing his soul. Even if others minded propriety, they couldn’t help stealing glances. But after all this contact, Han Qian had never really looked at her properly—what was this if not calculating secretiveness?
And Han Qian had presented a pile of materials with both hands, yet deliberately didn’t include the antimalarial medicine formula and scorpion cannon diagrams he kept saying he would produce. In the end, he still wanted their side to walk step by step along the path he had marked out.
Did this scoundrel Han Qian have schemes others couldn’t fathom?
Qingyang couldn’t see through it, yet always felt it wasn’t that simple. With nothing better to do, she leafed through the large stack of documents on the desk.
Though Qingyang was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and prose—all without exception—she was only limited to that. In the palace she had absolutely no opportunity to learn practical governance skills. Only after moving into Marquis Changxiang’s estate could she encounter some things that couldn’t appear in the palace, but the time had been short.
She had only half-understood much of the various strategies Han Qian spoke of today. Taking the materials over, she hadn’t expected that after leafing through just a few pages, she would feel drowsy…
…
…
“I noticed Marquis Changxiang and Jing Qiongwen weren’t as excited as imagined, even quite doubtful?” Xi Ren stood behind Han Qian, looking at the new moon appearing in the night sky after the snow cleared, recalling Marquis Changxiang Wang Yong and Jing Qiongwen’s reactions during the night banquet as she spoke with some hesitation.
“They’ve most likely obtained information that my father went to Jinling to assume the post of Capital Governor. I keep saying great chaos will erupt in Jinling, yet my father is now going to Jinling to take office. With their mentality, how can I explain to them to make clear my father’s resolve to wholeheartedly serve country and people?”
Han Qian sighed lightly and said.
“However, no matter how suspicious they are, aside from the strategies I’ve offered, they’ll find it very difficult to open up the situation they need to see. And when Shu Master Wang Jian summons me, regarding troop withdrawals from both Xia and Jing, they must provide a final answer. If they don’t use this opportunity to memorialize about managing Ba south, they’ll also miss this chance. So it doesn’t matter—even if this really is a pit I’ve dug for them, they’ll still have to obediently jump in!”
“…” Xi Ren looked at Han Qian’s resolute and confident lean face and asked in a low voice, “Did you truly just think of the opening line of the new verse, and haven’t yet completed what follows?”
Han Qian turned to see Xi Ren, who had changed back into women’s clothing, beautiful as an immortal in the moonlight, and smiled: “Trivial skills—what’s worth your such anticipation?”
“The great river flows east, waves washing away, a thousand ages of distinguished figures,” Xi Ren recited softly. “Just as the new verse says, over thousands of years how many heroic figures have emerged in succession, yet how many distinguished persons can be sung about by the world? I still remember when I was young hearing my father say that those who can truly unite the barbarians under one rule, heroic figures with hands stained in blood may be indispensable, but what truly makes people look up and want to merge into it is still the Chinese orthodox tradition—the famous Chinese writings passed down through thousands of generations are its brilliant radiance…”
Xi Ren’s father had been an assistant official when Ma Yuanrong served as Administrator of Xu Prefecture, later dying after being framed by Ma Yuanrong and Feng Changyu. Xu Prefecture had very few memories and rumors about such a figure. Han Qian hadn’t expected Xi Ren’s father had actually proposed the concept of cultural fusion during his lifetime.
Xi Ren’s wisdom was related to her difficult life over these years, but surely was also inseparable from her father’s earnest teachings since childhood.
Only thinking about plagiarizing Su Shi’s verse to capture Xi Ren’s heart, Han Qian felt himself somewhat shameless.
“What are you thinking about?” Xi Ren raised her head and asked.
At this moment Xi Fa’er knocked and entered, presenting a letter and saying: “Intelligence report from Jinling!”
Han Qian took the letter and eagerly opened it.
The Shu capital was over four thousand li from Jinling. If taking waterways entirely, a messenger departing from Jinling would need at minimum a month and a half to deliver a letter into Han Qian’s hands.
Although from Jinling to Yiling in Xia Prefecture, and from Fengjie in Kui Prefecture to the Shu capital, one could travel by fast horse, the over four hundred li of waterway through the Wu Mountain Long Gorge from Xia Prefecture to Kui Prefecture inevitably required ten days to traverse. Adding the horse journeys before and after, at fastest it still required twenty-six or twenty-seven days to successfully deliver a letter from Jinling into the Shu capital.
Han Qian opened the letter. It was sent by someone dispatched by Feng Liao, indeed written by Feng Liao the first moment after learning his father Han Daoxun had assumed his post in Jinling one month ago. In the letter Feng Liao was also extraordinarily shocked—for the moment he didn’t know how to respond to the situation of Han Daoxun assuming his post in Jinling.
Information transmission in this era was too slow, personnel and material transport too slow. Han Qian secretly felt that Zhao Wuji going downstream would be faster than going upstream, but to rush to Tan Prefecture to see the Third Prince, plus gathering personnel, perhaps he had only just reached Jinling!
Now he would be delayed about a month before learning of the latest situation changes in Jinling. No matter how supernaturally capable he was, with schemes beyond mortal ken, regarding the rapidly changing situation in Jinling he was beyond reach.
Now he could only hope Feng Liao and Zhao Wuji could adapt to circumstances, hope that after receiving his letter, the Third Prince could promptly arrange for three to five thousand elite troops to return to Jinling in the name of rotation duty to ensure complete safety!
…
…
Jinling’s winter also saw withered branches and leaves, a scene of desolation.
Rain had fallen during the night. In the mud lanes outside the courtyard walls, whenever carriages and horses occasionally passed by, one could hear squelching sounds. When cold wind blew through, by dawn it would freeze solid, then by noon after being sunlit and trampled by carriages and horses, it would become increasingly muddy.
This was probably the most troublesome traffic problem in Jinling city during this season.
Even though Jinling was a prosperous place in Jianghuai, throughout the city’s streets and lanes, very few were truly paved with brick and stone.
In the eighth year of Tianyou, someone proposed paving the ten-li Imperial Avenue connecting the imperial palace to the southern city with stone slabs, but after calculating, the cost was too great and it died without result—in the end they just paved it with a layer of fine sand.
Today was the eighth day of the twelfth month, also the Laba Dharma Treasure Festival. In the Mingjutang hall of the Han clan’s great estate, bright candles burned high. After Old Master Han Wenhuan finished his banquet, he sat in high spirits at the head of the bright hall.
Although Han Qian had gone as envoy to Shu, and Han Jianji, Han Chengmeng, Qiao Weiyan and others served in Tan Prefecture, today the Han family’s great estate was still full of descendants.
Han Jun and Han Duan knew they weren’t favored by Han Qian. During the feudal reduction campaigns they hadn’t thought they could serve under the Third Prince’s command, but at this moment before Third Uncle Han Daoxun they were extremely warm and respectful, serving tea and water, making it impossible for Han Daoxun to show a cold face.
Now Han Daoming was Vice Minister of Personnel, having entered the ranks of great ministers, while Han Daoxun’s position as Capital Governor was even higher than the various vice ministers. The Han estate could be said to be at its peak, its glory already surpassing the Feng family of years past.
However, from the moment Han Daoxun was unexpectedly transferred to the capital by His Majesty to serve as Capital Governor, everyone’s hearts were very clear—right now was not yet the Han clan’s most prosperous moment.
After the Third Prince ascended the throne, only then would the Han clan welcome its true peak.
At that time, let alone one family with two vice ministers—one family with three ministers or three dukes wouldn’t be anything hard to imagine.
Even more rare, the Han clan, starting from Old Master Han Wenhuan, each generation was stronger than the last. Han Qian at only twenty-two years old was already the rank 5A Consultant Military Aide to the Prince of Tan’s estate, representing Great Chu as envoy to Shu to escort the bride. Possibly by the time the Third Prince ascended the throne, he would be qualified to directly enter the Privy Council or Government Hall to serve before the throne. After all, having repeatedly established extraordinary achievements and truly being a trusted intimate minister of the Third Prince—how many such people were there?
“The residence in Lanting Lane is too cramped. Father instructed me this month to prepare the southern courtyard, and additionally we’ve purchased the two residential properties east of the southern courtyard, opening a separate entrance!”
Han Daochang urged Han Daoxun to move into the great estate, saying.
“Father’s age is now advanced—he only wishes for descendants gathered around his knees!”
Though Second Brother brought out filial duty and righteousness, Han Daoxun still didn’t want to gather over there. Just as he was thinking how to phrase his refusal, Feng Liao standing behind him interjected: “The residence in Lanting Lane currently doesn’t feel crowded to live in, but when the young family head returns to the capital from his Shu mission, everyone will inevitably need to arrange his marriage. That Lanting Lane residence won’t be adequate no matter what. If preparing separately, it would take a year or two minimum to build a proper residence!”
Feng Liao saying this surprised even Han Daoxun. He didn’t know that Feng Liao made this suggestion because when Zhao Wuji led fifty elite retainers into Jinling yesterday, Han Qian’s letter he brought had mentioned these matters.
Han Qian naturally hadn’t so easily set down the enmity in his heart, but considering that once chaos erupted in Jinling, even if the situation greatly deteriorated, with his father’s temperament he truly might not protect himself wisely and evacuate the city to withdraw into the Taowu military headquarters for refuge. Feng Liao, Zhao Wuji and others couldn’t go against his father’s will. At that time, more and stronger people would be needed to persuade his father to extricate himself from the chaotic situation.
Han Qian could guess that after his father assumed the post of Capital Governor, everyone in Jinling would realize that abolishing the heir apparent and establishing a replacement was imminent. His eldest uncle Han Daoming and second uncle Han Daochang would ingratiate themselves. In his letter he told Feng Liao to strengthen connections with the great estate when opportunities arose.
This way, once chaos erupted, Old Master Han Wenhuan’s words would carry far more weight than Feng Liao and the others.
After the Feng family met disaster, the Feng clan members had moved with Han Qian to settle in Xu Prefecture. Feng Liao was currently no longer the Feng family’s young master. From letters sent back by Han Chengmeng and Qiao Weiyan, Han Daoming and Han Daochang both knew Feng Liao was now extremely valued and trusted by Han Qian as a confidant.
Since Feng Liao actually suggested Third Brother move into the great estate, Han Daoming and Han Daochang thought Han Qian finally intended to set down past enmity and use the Han clan’s family influence to rise even higher. Both were very pleased and said in unison: “Third Brother, don’t refuse any longer—we now truly need to arrange Han Qian’s marriage. At Han Jun’s age, he’s already fathered two sons.”