In June, Wei Shao ascended the throne in Luoyang, establishing the Yan dynasty with the era name Taihe. Though the realm was unified, years of war had left Central Plains in ruins. The newly founded Great Yan faced numerous challenges.
The Emperor continued his lenient policies from his time ruling the north. He abolished harsh laws from the previous dynasty, and reduced taxes and corvée labor, allowing people to recover. He encouraged agriculture and sericulture and focused on water conservancy, especially Yellow River management. To address the longstanding issue of the elevated riverbed in the middle and lower reaches, which posed a constant threat to nearby settlements, he summoned hydraulic experts and personally visited Mount Dangshan in disguise with the Empress.
The Old Man of White Stone, mentor to Prime Minister Gongson Yang, had retired to this mountain. Last year, Qiao Ping had sought treatment for his eye ailment here. The old man’s benevolence and medical skills cured him, and now Qiao Ping lived in a thatched cottage next to the old man, half in seclusion and half recovering.
The Emperor and Empress visited the mountain not only to see Qiao Ping but also to seek the old man’s advice on water management. The Emperor remembered their first meeting in Huainan years ago when the old man had helped avert a dam crisis, leaving a lasting impression.
As a Mohist disciple, the Old Man of White Stone had traveled extensively, mastering not only medicine but also engineering. He understood the importance of water conservancy for people’s livelihood, especially the Yellow River’s perennial flooding issues. In his younger days, he had extensively surveyed the Yellow and Huai river systems. However, previous governments neglected river management, and during the chaotic warring period, the situation worsened. Though the old man wished to help, he lacked the means. Now, with the new Emperor’s focus on the Yellow River, he felt both moved and pleased. Despite his advanced age preventing him from personally overseeing the project, he shared his lifetime of knowledge with the new Emperor. He also recommended Xu Mian, a local water official he had met in Caoyang, praising his dedication to the people and expertise in water management.
The Emperor, delighted, talked with the old man until dawn. Upon returning to the capital, he immediately summoned Xu Mian to Luoyang.
In the previous dynasty, official appointments were made through recommendations or direct imperial summons. Initially effective in recruiting talent, these methods had become corrupt over time, with nepotism and bribery rampant, leaving truly talented individuals with little chance of advancement.
Xu Mian, from a humble background, had been a minor water management official in Caoyang for half his life. Despite his talent and concern for the people, his previous proposals to the court for river management had been ignored. Disillusioned, he was surprised to receive an imperial summons from the new Emperor.
An imperial summon for a commoner, known as “Zhengjun,” was a great honor. Xu Mian arrived in Luoyang with a mix of excitement and nervousness. After meeting with the Emperor in the Southern Palace, he was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture the next day, tasked with managing the Yellow and Huai rivers.
Finally able to realize his lifelong ambition, Xu Mian knelt and cried tears of gratitude. In the following years, he devoted himself to river management, spending years dredging rivers, reinforcing embankments, and eliminating flood risks in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. His efforts also irrigated millions of acres of land across dozens of counties in eastern Henan and southwestern Shandong, transforming the region into fertile farmland. The local people revered him as Lord Xu, and he received multiple commendations from the court.
In the imperial court, capable ministers like Prime Minister Gongson Yang, Censor-in-Chief Wei Quan, and Minister of the Imperial Household Department Zhu Zeng assisted in governance. Military affairs were managed by Grand Marshal Li Dian in Youzhou, General Wei Liang in Western Liang, Colonel Qiao Ci in Bingzhou, and the Green-eyed General Bi Zhi, who was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jiujiang for his meritorious service in pacifying the south and now guarded the southern frontier.
The Emperor did not take any consorts, instead making Lady Qiao his Empress. They remained devoted to each other. Everyone knew that Empress Qiao was not only stunningly beautiful but also the Emperor’s capable assistant. Years ago, when the Emperor was campaigning in the south and Yuyang faced a sudden Xiongnu attack, it was Empress Qiao who fearlessly climbed the city walls to rally the troops and citizens, ultimately saving Yuyang. This heroic deed is still celebrated to this day.
In January of the second year of his reign, the Emperor introduced a new policy: the imperial examination system. This was in addition to the existing official selection methods. Anyone with talent who wished to serve the court could now participate in these examinations, with the court selecting the best candidates for official positions. A trial examination was held to assess its effectiveness, with plans to completely replace the old recommendation system if successful.
The unfamiliar term “imperial examination” quickly became a hot topic of discussion throughout the realm. Countless scholars from humble backgrounds were elated, unable to sleep at night. This meant they no longer had to wait for the slim chance of a local official’s recommendation to obtain a position. Many talented individuals have spent their entire lives waiting for such opportunities. Now, with this groundbreaking selection method, their dreams seemed much closer to reality.
Shortly after the announcement, the first trial examination was held. It was said that over ten thousand people applied from various regions. After multiple rounds of selection, the final palace examination produced the first batch of successful candidates in the history of Great Yan.
These successful candidates were all exceptionally talented and innovative. Most of them performed admirably in their appointed positions, with some eventually becoming important court officials. Years later, the imperial examination system completely replaced the thousand-year-old recommendation system, becoming the sole method for selecting talent for the imperial court.
It was said that Empress Qiao was the first to propose the imperial examination system and persuaded the Emperor and ministers to adopt it. Consequently, for a long time afterward, Empress Qiao became a legendary figure among scholars across the realm. Many wrote poems and odes in her honor, with numerous works becoming widely circulated. Being able to pass the examination and receive wine from Empress Qiao at the palace banquet became the dream of many scholars.
Empress Qiao’s reputation for virtue was known throughout Luoyang and beyond. However, as rumors spread, the most popular gossip in Luoyang was not about the Empress’s virtues, but rather about the Emperor being henpecked.
According to these rumors, even before ascending the throne, when he was still the Prince of Yan in Youzhou, the Emperor was already known to be henpecked. It was said that he dared not take any concubines due to the Empress’s prohibition. Now, with only the Empress in the imperial harem and no Crown Prince, the Emperor still refrained from taking concubines, suggesting he was not just henpecked, but deeply so.
If these rumors were true, then the founding Emperor of Great Yan was not only the most powerful man in the world but also the most henpecked.
The public’s fascination with these rumors about the imperial couple stemmed not from malice, but from curiosity and a touch of gossip-mongering. After all, who wouldn’t be interested in the private affairs of the exalted Emperor and Empress? As the rumors intensified, they eventually made their way back into the palace, to the point where even court officials became aware.
The old ministers who had followed the Emperor in his campaigns were divided on this matter. Gongson Yang believed that the Emperor’s refusal to take concubines was due to his deep love for the Empress. Wei Quan, on the other hand, secretly thought the Emperor was truly henpecked, and now that even commoners knew about it, it might damage the Emperor’s dignity. However, these men were well aware of the sensitive nature of this topic and were not foolish enough to bring it up with the Emperor.
Yet, a few old ministers from the previous dynasty, unaware of the danger and harboring hopes of having their daughters enter the imperial harem, jointly submitted a lengthy memorial. Citing historical precedents and the fact that the imperial couple only had one princess, they urged the Emperor to take concubines to fill the harem.
The next day, the memorial was returned with a single line of imperial criticism: “Do you curse me for being unable to produce a son?”
The ministers were shocked and hurriedly submitted letters of apology. From then on, no one in the court dared to mention the matter of the imperial harem again.
According to another rumor, the Emperor even boasted to Empress Qiao about how he handled this matter, to which she merely smiled.
The Emperor and Empress held a deep affection for Xindu. As it held special significance for them, the Emperor ordered the renovation of Xingong Tantai, renaming it “Jiaxin Palace” to serve as an auxiliary palace outside Luoyang. During their subsequent tours of the nine provinces, the imperial couple always stopped at Xindu.
From its inception, the Great Yan Dynasty entered an era of good governance and social harmony. Later official histories did not hesitate to use phrases like “enlightened emperor and virtuous empress” to describe the founding imperial couple of the Great Yan Empire.
For the common people, the founding Emperor was young and valiant, while those fortunate enough to have seen Empress Qiao described her beauty as otherworldly, like a celestial being. This legendary couple, combined with the widespread rumors of the “henpecked emperor,” added a layer of mystery to their relationship behind palace walls.
Some mischievous unofficial historians and storytellers, catering to public curiosity, invented tales about the imperial couple’s private life. However, no matter how much they speculated, how could they truly know the reality?
The following accounts are all taken from the imperial diaries, without any additions or omissions by the author. They are chronologically arranged and selected to present to the readers.
The first incident begins with the inaugural imperial examination in the first year of the Taihe era.