Seeing Zhang Ping seated in the main hall, Han Jun stood respectfully to one side of the palace door, not rushing in to disturb the Empress Dowager.
What Zhang Ping was reporting at this moment was that today Emperor Yanling had summoned envoys from Sizhou and Chenzhou in the Political Affairs Hall along with various participating ministers to inquire about the situation of the civil unrest in Sizhou.
Sizhou was a remote small prefecture. Positions such as governor had long been controlled by the Yang clan. The population within the prefecture was only sixty to seventy thousand. When the civil unrest erupted, three to four thousand people had gathered in a very short time. The momentum could be said to be extremely great. With the slightest carelessness, Sizhou could change hands.
Moreover, Sizhou bordered directly on Xuzhou.
Therefore, when envoys from Sizhou and Chenzhou arrived in the capital, Emperor Yanyou, upon receiving the report, summoned the envoys at the first opportunity.
However, regarding how to handle this matter, the participating ministers had major disagreements.
At least today they had not discussed any results.
Now, in addition to Zhang Ping reporting the matter to Changchun Palace, Emperor Yanyou also dispatched fast riders to Shuzhou, Runzhou, and other places to seek counsel from great generals like Li Zhigao and Zhang Han.
“Every single participating minister is a cunning fox. The Sizhou rebels are all shouting about equality of nobility and commoners and that tillers should have their fields. Do they still not dare to break through the window?” Wang Chan’er sat on the phoenix couch, her voice lazy yet full of disdain as she said, “Would the sky fall if they directly said this matter was instigated and encouraged by Han Qian behind the scenes?”
“Tan Yuliang was formerly a Tanzhou spy, expelled from Xuzhou by Han Qian—the enmity runs deep. When Tan Yuliang went to Jinhe to break into the prison, the message was sent at the invitation of a prisoner bound in the county jail. For now, it’s truly difficult to say whether Tan Yuliang was acting under the Marquis of Qianyang’s direction…”
Hearing Zhang Ping speak in such a calm tone, Han Jun couldn’t help but crane his neck to look into the main hall, thinking that some people said Zhang Ping had twice served as Surveillance Commissioner and had an extremely close relationship with that scoundrel. He hadn’t expected him to speak these words without avoiding suspicion.
However, Wang Chan’er had no intention of questioning Zhang Ping. Somewhat impatiently, she said, “Fine, you’re all afraid of this and that. As a mere woman, it’s not proper for me to say much. But since the matter has already occurred and all you officials haven’t deliberated a definite policy, doesn’t this also show that there are no capable people in court?”
Han Jun pondered the meaning in the Empress Dowager’s words, thinking that the Empress Dowager probably just felt that Zhang Ping mainly didn’t want to make things big, but wasn’t truly stupid enough to not see clearly what was happening, or perhaps he was just speaking up for Xuzhou.
Han Jun secretly felt that if all the participating officials held this attitude, his father’s situation would be slightly better. Otherwise, if everyone angrily denounced Han Qian’s wolfish ambitions, it would be wrong for his father to follow along in the denunciation in the Political Affairs Hall, and wrong not to follow along in the denunciation as well.
“What is Prime Minister Shen’s attitude?” At this moment, Lu Qingxia, seated beside the Empress Dowager, asked.
“Whether to suppress or pacify the Sizhou rebels, Prime Minister Shen feels it doesn’t matter much, but the position of Magistrate of Guangde Prefecture cannot remain suspended and undecided any longer,” Zhang Ping replied.
“What does he mean by this? Is he saying that His Majesty learning of the Sizhou civil unrest and summoning ministers for discussion is making a mountain out of a molehill?” Wang Chan’er asked doubtfully with slight dissatisfaction.
“What Prime Minister Shen truly means, Zhang Ping dares not presume to speculate,” Zhang Ping said, consistently not mixing in personal opinions.
“Very well, I now know what happened. While it’s still not dark, hurry back to the palace to attend His Majesty,” Wang Chan’er said. Now somewhat at a loss with Zhang Ping’s attitude, she waved her hand to dismiss him, saving herself from keeping him in the hall where he was an eyesore.
Zhang Ping rose to take his leave. As he walked out of the hall and saw Han Jun, he merely nodded slightly, then led the accompanying young servant waiting at the palace door and walked toward the outside of Changchun Palace.
Han Jun then stepped into the main hall. Seeing Lu Qingxia, Yao Xishui, and Chun Shisanniang all attending the Empress Dowager, he came forward and paid respects, saying, “Han Jun pays respects to the Empress Dowager. For the next several days, Han Jun and Du Tao will be on duty at the duty compound. The Empress Dowager need only give her commands.”
According to proper etiquette, after Han Jun had paid respects, Wang Chan’er should have caringly chatted about family matters and asked about some interesting occurrences in the city, then dismissed him to stand duty outside the palace gate. But Wang Chan’er seemed to treat Han Jun as if he didn’t exist, asking Lu Qingxia with slight doubt, “Shen Yang’s attitude is very worth pondering. How do you view his reaction?”
“Zhang Ping is now wholeheartedly devoted to His Majesty. His words may not entirely reflect the true situation. I’ll have to find someone to verify this before I can speculate on his intentions,” Lu Qingxia said.
“Then you all should quickly go inquire.” Wang Chan’er seemed more concerned about state affairs, telling Lu Qingxia, Yao Xishui, and Chun Shisanniang to hurry and investigate the situation in more detail.
The three—Lu Qingxia, Yao Xishui, and Chun Shisanniang—rose to take their leave. Han Jun also came forward to take his leave, saying, “This humble minister will also not disturb the Empress Dowager’s rest.”
Wang Chan’er put away her businesslike expression. Her pale wrists supported her fragrant cheeks as she leaned on the imperial desk, looking over. She didn’t speak at first, waiting for Lu Qingxia and the others to step out of the palace door. Then her beautiful eyes rolled, like spring light spilling out, and she scolded in a low voice, “Have you been too wild and carefree these past few days outside, that you now want to hide from me?”
If not for Lu Qingxia and Yao Xishui having just left the main hall and not yet gone far, she would have been unable to wait and would have crawled over the imperial desk to sit on this scoundrel Han Jun.
“This humble minister’s thoughts are all on the Empress Dowager. Other women compared to the Empress Dowager are like fireflies beside the moon. Even if they were forced upon me, they would be as tasteless as wax,” Han Jun said. The palace door was not closed, and palace attendants passing by could see the situation inside the main hall. Han Jun could only sit before the imperial desk, speaking with Wang Chan’er across it.
The next moment, he saw a jade foot not wearing silk stockings extend from under the desk, probing inside the armor’s restriction. It immediately made his groin rise up like a pillar reaching heaven, urgently straining upward. Han Jun reached out to gently grasp that fragrant, creamy jade foot, asking softly, “Does the Empress Dowager now trust this humble minister?”
“You know what’s good for you,” Wang Chan’er smiled seductively. She didn’t withdraw her foot either, just pressing it there brought her great pleasure. Her beautiful eyes seemed ready to overflow with water, while elsewhere, spring waters had already filled to the brim…
…
…
“The Empress Dowager is becoming more and more unrestrained. We were still in the hall, and she couldn’t wait to mount Han Jun,” Chun Shisanniang pursed her lips and said, “It’s fortunate we live at Changchun Palace. If we were in the Imperial City where the Jinyun Bureau has eyes and ears everywhere, major trouble would be inevitable—we really need to find an opportunity to remind the Empress Dowager to exercise more restraint.”
Keeping matters secret was the leverage they held in their hands. Once exposed, they would find it difficult to control how events developed.
“Why did Shen Yang say the Sizhou matter is small, and that the selection of the Guangde Magistrate must be decided first?” Yao Xishui didn’t pick up on Chun Shisanniang’s topic and was unwilling to discuss matters between Wang Chan’er and Han Jun. Without looking back, she continued walking toward the palace gate with Lu Qingxia and Chun Shisanniang, her thoughts still on today’s debate in the Political Affairs Hall between the officials and Emperor Yanyou regarding the Sizhou matter.
Lu Qingxia furrowed her brow slightly, crow’s feet showing deeply at the corners of her eyes. For a long while, she didn’t answer Yao Xishui’s question.
Yao Xishui continued speculating, “Perhaps Shen Yang simply feels that even if Han Qian annexes Sizhou, it would only add thirty to fifty thousand people and a barren wasteland, which wouldn’t matter much. By comparison, Guangde Prefecture is close to the capital region, and the three counties have a population as high as three hundred thousand. If chaos erupts there, it would damage Great Chu’s vitality. Or perhaps Shen Yang’s thinking is more direct—now that we know Han Qian has ambitions to annex Sizhou, Guangde Prefecture cannot have any trouble at this time…”
“Han Qian is indeed a man with wolfish ambitions, and your speculation is reasonable, but I always feel something isn’t quite right,” Lu Qingxia said pensively as she walked out of the palace gate with Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang at this moment.
Chun Shisanniang interjected, “According to Xishui’s speculation, wouldn’t it be more reasonable for Han Qian to wait until chaos erupts in Guangde Prefecture first and the court is too busy to attend to too many matters, then take Sizhou?”
“If Guangde Prefecture falls into chaos, the implications would be extremely widespread. No matter how deeply Han Qian calculates, he might very likely end up making wedding clothes for the Liang Kingdom,” Yao Xishui said. “Perhaps the Empress Dowager’s side should also support Shen Yang in this matter.”
Her elder brother had already successfully replaced Du Chongtao in presiding over the campaign against the Shouzhou rebels. Yao Xishui also didn’t want chaos in Guangde Prefecture, at least not at this time.
Otherwise, without a stable rear providing soldiers and supplies, how could her elder brother possibly achieve victory in the campaign against the Shouzhou rebels? Not to mention that beside Shouzhou was Chuzhou with its sinister intentions, and to the north was the Liang Kingdom whose national strength was rapidly recovering after quelling internal unrest.
Of course, previously because of the assassination case, the situation in Guangde Prefecture had taken a sharp turn for the worse because Yang Yuanpu and almost all the aristocratic families were behind it, fanning the flames. Only a very few people like Shen Yang and Yang En wanted stability in Guangde Prefecture. They actually had no possibility of changing anything.
Now the situation had undergone some subtle changes. Yao Xishui felt it was time for them to have the Empress Dowager take a position on this matter. She believed that some people stirring up trouble in Guangde Prefecture should now have some patience and wait until the situation in Sizhou calmed down first.
This should also win more time for her elder brother.
“That’s true, but we also cannot let Han Qian’s intention to annex Sizhou succeed. I wonder what kind of response that group of old foxes in the Political Affairs Hall will make?” Chun Shisanniang said with some doubt. “Will they directly deploy troops from Chenzhou or Shaozhou to enter Sizhou to assist in the suppression?”
“Shaozhou’s forces need to deal with the rebels who withdrew to Yongzhou. They can’t spare many troops. If Yang Yuanpu really wants to deploy Shaozhou forces to Sizhou, he might as well announce that Xuzhou has committed treason.”
“If Shaozhou forces don’t move, the combined forces of Chenzhou, Yezhou, and Sizhou may not be able to restrain Xuzhou,” Yao Xishui said. “If Chenzhou’s tribal camp elite troops go out in full force and Han Qian has the opportunity to annihilate them completely, he may not be unwilling to tear off the mask ruthlessly!”
For Sizhou alone, Han Qian might not dare to easily tear off the mask. But if he had the opportunity to simultaneously annex Chenzhou, Yezhou, and Sizhou, and the court wanted to campaign against Xuzhou without Chenzhou’s tribal camp providing internal support, it would become quite perilous. Yao Xishui felt Han Qian might not be unwilling to take the risk and gamble.
No matter what, from a more stable perspective, Shaozhou didn’t have many troops to deploy, and Chenzhou’s tribal camp needed to hold the key node of Chenyang so it wouldn’t fall into Han Qian’s hands.
Otherwise, if Han Qian just divided his forces to defend Chenyang and Wukou Fort, he could block the passage for the court’s army to campaign.
“Military and state affairs—Zhigao and the others are more skilled in such matters,” Lu Qingxia said to Yao Xishui. “You personally make a trip to Shuzhou and see what views Zhigao has on restraining Han Qian from annexing Sizhou! Only if Zhigao has some ideas can we coordinate our actions accordingly on this side…”