“This humble woman worries for the Great Emperor warship before us. When my master ordered Di Renjie and this humble woman to install every sharp weapon the academy possessed onto it, I understood that the Great Emperor warship’s fate would certainly not be good. The ancients often spoke of ‘spear and shield, spear and shield’—in truth, one is for attack and one for defense, and neither can be lacking. Master commanded Di Renjie and this humble woman to create the world’s sharpest spear, yet paid no attention to the shield. How could there exist in this world an emperor who only attacks and never defends?”

“Now, looking at this most terrifying weapon of war in the human world, thinking that it cannot gallop beneath a famous general’s command but can only suffer humiliation in the hands of slaves, I cannot help but feel sorrowful. If a dragon cannot stir up waves in the great sea, it should at least churn the waters in rivers. This humble woman’s heart feels as if cut by knives when I think that the Emperor warship will spend its final days in Qujiang Pool. After all, it is the crystallization of many years of Yushan Academy’s painstaking effort.”

Empress Zhangsun took Xiao Wu’s hand and asked in a low voice, “Do you believe the Great Emperor warship should sail the great seas?”

“Absolutely not. The Great Emperor warship can only end its days in Qujiang Pool. If the waterways are too restricted, it should be immediately dismantled. It absolutely cannot be handed over to others. This humble woman previously had some desire to preserve it, but after witnessing its engagement with the Princess vessel and Qing Que vessel, I believe the Great Emperor warship should not have been born into this world at this time, much less appear in an invincible posture. If His Majesty were still the Prince of Qin conquering the realm, he could naturally control it. But now, with singing and dancing at their height, His Majesty is no longer a conquering commander. How can a vital weapon of state be held in another’s hands?”

“How pitiful. At such a young age, you already know to care about affairs of state and can find the best method of disposal. I wonder how your master taught you. What a pity, what a pity you were born with a woman’s body. If you were a man, you would certainly be a famous minister of our Great Tang.”

Empress Zhangsun patted Xiao Wu’s cheek, removed a hairpin from her own hair, inserted it into Xiao Wu’s hair, and continued, “Since your intention lies with Yushan Academy, then this palace will fulfill your wish. Wearing the blue robes and educating the scholars of the realm—such great ambition and aspiration is rare even among men. After returning to the capital, your certificate of appointment will be issued. With Hypatia as precedent, having you, Wu Mei, as well is not so strange. The Great Tang’s heart is like the great sea—it can accommodate you small waves.”

Xiao Wu expressed her gratitude to Empress Zhangsun and returned to the cabin with Xiao Ya. Only Xinyue remained at Empress Zhangsun’s side. Cheng Yaojin, Niu Jinda, and Qin Qiong surrounded Yun Ye, whispering together, with occasional laughter carrying over.

“What are you talking about? Speak louder so we can all share the joy.” Empress Zhangsun took a sip of tea and, seeing the four men’s expressions were interesting, asked.

“Your Majesty, Yun Ye says he brought back several small trees from the south and wants to invite us to see them. This old minister was just saying what’s worth seeing about a few broken trees—it’s Old Cheng’s sandalwood coffin that needs more attention.”

Hearing Old Cheng’s words, Xinyue quietly whispered something in Empress Zhangsun’s ear. Empress Zhangsun asked in surprise, “Is it truly so?”

“It’s naturally so. Otherwise, why would that naughty boy Shou’er ignore his parents he hasn’t seen in three years and go there instead?” Xinyue covered her mouth and laughed softly. When speaking of Yun Shou, her eyes nearly closed into slits from smiling.

“This is indeed novel. Being able to transplant southern fruit trees here is truly extraordinary. This palace has never seen such a thing. I must broaden my horizons. Last time, if little Shou’er hadn’t given this palace two lychees to eat, I truly wouldn’t have known the taste of Lingnan’s fine fruits.”

Xinyue gently supported Empress Zhangsun as they left the cabin and walked toward the rear hold. Cheng Yaojin asked Yun Ye in astonishment, “Don’t tell me you brought lychee trees over, complete with fruit and tree together?”

“That’s natural. There are also banana trees with banana clusters hanging all over them. Yesterday I saw several clusters had already turned yellow and could be eaten. The taste is quite good.” Yun Ye smiled and spread his hands.

Old Niu thought for a moment and said to Yun Ye, “You’re not someone who enjoys extravagance. How are you now doing the same old business as Shi Chong? Doing things this way most invites jealousy and hatred. It’s far too careless.”

“Uncle worries too much. When others can’t get enough to eat, doing this would naturally be inappropriate. But what the Great Tang now worries about is extremely unbalanced development. Guanzhong and Shu naturally have more grain than they can finish eating, but places like Longzhong, Hebei, Shandong, and Huainan barely manage subsistence. Remote poor frontier regions still suffer from hunger and cold. Even Yuezhou, relying on the fertile land around Yunmeng Marsh, has only just begun to have good days. Therefore, the court’s policies must become more diversified. Wealthy places should be encouraged to spend money and develop sources of income. Poor places should emphasize frugality. Moderate places should be encouraged to produce. I want to form an atmosphere of extravagance in wealthy places like Chang’an and Luoyang. Everyone hoarding silver coins everywhere not only causes money shortages but also is unfavorable for the poor to become wealthy.”

Qin Qiong nodded and said, “The worry is not scarcity but inequality—this principle has long existed. Our several families indeed should now spend money vigorously. Only taking in without spending out easily invites disaster to the household. However, little Ye, you must first persuade the Empress. The Great Tang’s wealthiest household is the Empress’s. As long as the palace begins constructing pavilions and buildings, we’ll just closely follow.”

When Empress Zhangsun arrived at the rear hold, she was so shocked by the scene before her that she nearly couldn’t stand steady. Banana trees with hanging bananas were everywhere, and giant leaves covered the rear hold completely. Near the ship’s cabin interior was a wooden barrel one zhang in circumference and fully five feet tall, with a fruit tree laden with lychees growing on top. A chubby child was climbing in the tree, sitting among the branches peeling lychees, while a rosy-cheeked little girl looked up with her head raised back, constantly begging her older brother to throw down some more for her.

Xinyue, smiling cheerfully, directed the female guards to use small knives to cut down the ripe bananas. Hearing the female guards’ chirping and laughing, Empress Zhangsun herself became interested. Following what Xinyue said, she also cut down a large bunch of bananas. Xinyue helped Empress Zhangsun peel one, and after taking a bite, Empress Zhangsun smiled and said to Xinyue, “So this is how wealthy families live. This palace has been such a wronged empress all these years. Bearing the name of the realm’s foremost family, I dared not wear fine clothes and dared not eat exquisite foods. When your husband made a batch of meat jelly, this palace could eat half a bowl. How embarrassing.”

“Your Majesty, the Yun Family also doesn’t favor extravagance. Although my husband enjoys fine food, what he eats most is noodles. He often says that the five grains also have the flavor of the five grains. Since Heaven bestowed the five grains upon us, it shows that the five grains are the things most suitable for our consumption. He doesn’t particularly like rich meat and fish dishes but never forgets certain exquisite small delicacies.”

“However, my husband told me that Chang’an’s wealthy households have all become misers now. How can not spending money work? The amount of silver in the banks is finite. One portion of people choose to deposit silver in banks, which is correct, but more people like to hoard silver underground. When you hide a cache and I hide a cache, the silver the court refines simply isn’t enough to use. Most detestable are those who hoard copper coins, and those who haul carts full of copper coins abroad to sell—they all deserve beheading.”

“I don’t quite understand why being a spendthrift is good for the nation and people, but since my husband says so, there must surely be his reasoning behind it.”

“Xinyue, although you’re clever, everyone around you is a monster. Your husband counts as one, that Di Renjie counts as one, Wu Mei is one too. Later on, that little fatty climbing the tree will also become a monster. Look—that little girl who’s already holding many lychees yet still encourages her brother to throw down more, plus the two four-year-olds, probably won’t be any fuel-efficient lamps in the future either.”

“Being in such an environment truly makes things hard for you. Do you think your husband told you unintentionally? Isn’t he just using your mouth to first put forth his absurd ideas to test the waters? If it succeeds, it’s his wisdom. If it fails, it was just pillow talk with his own wife that everyone laughs about and forgets—no one will take it seriously.”

Xinyue covered her mouth and laughed, “This concubine is foolish. However my husband speaks, I do accordingly. I am his wife—all this is proper.”

Empress Zhangsun stuffed the last bite of banana into her mouth and ate it, saying irritably, “I will properly question him about what mischief he’s brewing now. Chang’an, Yushan, Lingnan, Yuezhou, and especially that sandy island at the Yangtze River mouth—they’ve deceived everyone under Heaven. Many unfortunate people still cry out in misery even now. His words need careful discernment—which can be heard and which cannot. What can be heard is naturally golden and jade advice. What cannot be heard becomes poison wrapped in honey.”

“Just like this time, spending two hundred thousand silver coins from the national treasury to forcibly create a useless thing—a completely useless thing that still makes His Majesty worry himself sick.”

Hearing Empress Zhangsun’s teeth-gritting words, Xinyue’s face turned pale with fright as she hurriedly defended, “It’s not so, it’s not so, Your Majesty. This concubine personally witnessed the Great Emperor warship’s might on the sea. Although I don’t understand military formations, both the Princess vessel and Qing Que vessel together couldn’t defeat the Great Emperor warship. And just now, that beautiful tower ship was immediately capsized by the Great Emperor warship and pressed down into the water. How could such a formidable large ship possibly be a completely useless thing?”

Empress Zhangsun took a lychee from Yun Mu’s gathered-up hem and peeled the skin resentfully, saying, “What do you know? It’s precisely because it’s too formidable that it’s useless. If the Qing Que and Princess vessels together could defeat it, there wouldn’t be so much trouble. Your husband even established rules for the ship according to the Canonical Documents and borrowed the Five-Oar Water Commander’s banner to have His Majesty assign palace eunuchs aboard, leaving everyone with nothing to say. Who besides His Majesty can command such a massive warship? Who would dare command it? Sending it outside would make people worry. His Majesty is the Emperor and needs to sit in Wanmin Palace governing the nation. How could he have the leisure to sail about everywhere? And you still dare say it’s not useless? Two hundred thousand silver coins just thrown into the water like this. This palace is furious to death!”

Empress Zhangsun rarely concealed herself at the Yun Family’s home. Although she was very angry, she couldn’t resist Yun Mu using his hem to carry lychees and serve them to Empress Zhangsun. Yun Shou also continuously threw lychees down from the tree. The taste of fresh lychees was absolutely wonderful. Before long, Empress Zhangsun had eaten until lychee shells covered the ground all around.

Having eaten her fill, she wiped her mouth with her handkerchief, resentfully pulled Yun Shou down from the wooden barrel, and gave his bottom two slaps to repay the father’s debt through the son. Huffing with anger, she took a basket of lychees and a large basket of bananas and prepared to go see the Great Emperor warship. The assembled ministers had been aboard for quite some time now.