A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 95

On the twentieth day of the fourth month, right during the spring plowing season of Guyu Grain Rain, the last solar term of spring, the rain fell continuously.

On this day, the Censorate presented a memorial to the throne, reporting that successive reports had been made by drumming in Yong’an Prefecture, where many citizens were accusing the grassland mounted bandits of plundering people’s wealth and destroying farmland.

After the Myriad Congratulations Festival, all foreign envoys and contestants had returned to their respective countries, except for the Xi Ma Nou people, who were still lingering at the northwest posthouse in Shangyong City. Since the Xi Ma Nou leader had personally made the trip for the sake of neighboring diplomacy, the Court of State Ceremonies Honglu Temple dared not be neglectful, entertaining them like honored guests with fine wine and good food. However, the true nature of these mounted bandits was not at all restrained; they swaggered through the streets carrying large swords, openly snatching wine, meat, and cloth. When stall owners came forward to ask for money, the bandits became inexplicably provoked, shoving, pushing, and assaulting many people, causing injuries.

The immediate calamities of plundering and injuring people were secondary to the more troublesome issue: seeing that the officials of Zhonglin were unfailingly courteous towards them, the Xi Ma Nou people became even more audacious, going in groups to trample the cultivated fields.

A season’s crop represented the vitality and livelihood of countless people for an entire year.

The wheat in the fields had already headed; in another month, the ears of wheat would be golden. The Xi Ma Nou people drove their iron-shod horses into the farmlands, grazing on and trampling large areas of young crops.

Xie Yuan immediately summoned Li Hezhang, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and demanded, “Why is Ximu Qing still in Yongdu? Didn’t I order the Honglu Temple to send him away early?”

Li Hezhang knelt and bowed his head: “Reporting to Your Majesty, to ensure the Xi Ma Nou people would leave as soon as possible, your subordinate prepared double the amount of generous gifts. However, the Xi Qing leader said the Eldest Princess had agreed to his marriage with the female historian Dai Qing. At present, the female historian Dai Qing is accompanying the Eldest Princess at the Grand Temple to chant scriptures for the late Empress Huixian. Ximu Qing insists on waiting until the Eldest Princess returns from the mountain to officiate his wedding with Dai Qing before leaving.”

“You can’t even handle this small matter!”

“Your humble servant deserves to die.”

Xie Yuan rested his forehead on his hand, his eyes lowered. Initially, when Xi Qing sought to marry Xie Wenjun’s maid, Xie Yuan did not take the matter seriously. It was not a major issue for a grassland tribal leader to seek the hand of a maid in ordinary times. Granting her a title of Commandery Princess, selecting an auspicious date, and having the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies draft the procedures would be considered establishing a marriage alliance with Xi Ma Nou. With this layer of kinship, it would be easier for Great Lin and the grassland tribe to negotiate any future matters.

But right now, he could not allow anyone near Xie Wenjun at the Grand Temple to be released.

Xie Yuan currently harbored an unspeakable, complex emotion towards this imperial sister who had helped him ascend the throne and stabilize the nation.

“There is no need for us, brother and sister, to resort to major conflict.”

These where the words Xie Wenjun had passed on through a messenger.

Upon hearing them that day, Xie Yuan was filled with mixed emotions. While he felt a sense of gratitude, he also harbored an underlying fear of Xie Wenjun’s growing power. With the realm in his grasp, suspicion and calculation quietly arose between them in the escalating contest for power.

Following Xie Wenjun’s reorganization of the Agricultural Affairs Bureau and the peace talks with Dongyin, court officials seemed to rely more on the Eldest Princess than the Son of Heaven for matters concerning the state treasury and grain. Even Su Chasan, the Minister of Revenue, who had previously been the strongest opponent of the Eldest Princess’s intervention in grain and taxation, no longer voiced any criticism.

His feelings toward Xie Wenjun could no longer be called mere suspicion; it was deep apprehension.

After the Imperial Guards surrounded the Yongning Palace at the Grand Temple, a massive stone seemed to weigh on Xie Yuan’s heart. He was waiting to see how Xie Wenjun would attempt to maneuver. More than that, he hoped she would dutifully complete the two-month Buddhist ritual, and henceforth remain compliant, restrain her ambitions, and cease interfering in court affairs. If she did so, the relationship between them as siblings would naturally not deteriorate further.

However, if Xie Wenjun were to show herself to be insensible to the bigger picture this time, employing any means in the court, especially if she involved Chen Liangyu to extricate herself from this predicament, then he absolutely could not keep this imperial sister.

Compared to the vast empire, the bond of brother and sister was too slight.

“Do not make things difficult for me.”

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, Li Hezhang, was kneeling beneath the dragon throne and heard Xie Yuan’s words clearly. Since no one else was kneeling there, Li Hezhang assumed Xie Yuan was speaking to him and quickly said, “Your Majesty, your humble servant is incompetent. I report that the many cases of plundering and destruction of fields by Xi Ma Nou have been forwarded by Governor Cheng of Yong’an Prefecture to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. Personnel have been dispatched from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to conclude the cases as quickly as possible. As for the trampled young crops, Director Sheng Yu’an of the Ministry of Agriculture has already rushed to the outskirts of the city to calculate the acreage destroyed by the Xi Ma Nou as soon as possible, and will then report to the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds for relief.”

Xie Yuan said, “Enough. Your Honglu Temple cannot handle its own duties, yet you require the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Revenue, Court of Judicial Review, Ministry of Agriculture, and Yong’an Prefecture to all rush to clean up your mess.”

Li Hezhang kowtowed again. Although he was a fourth-rank court official, the Honglu Temple was merely the agency responsible for receiving foreign guests, court assemblies, and grand ceremonies, tasked with entertaining emissaries and guests for the Emperor. He appeared to be an official, but firstly, he controlled no money, and secondly, he could not mobilize troops. Facing the disturbances and civil unrest caused by barbarians like the Xi Ma Nou, he had no recourse but to persuade. He dared not offend anyone.

Li Hezhang said, “Your Majesty, your servant deserves ten thousand deaths. I have another matter to report.”

Xie Yuan slightly raised his face, motioning for him to speak.

“The Xi Ma Nou people at the northwest posthouse are all unreasonably aggressive and unruly. Your servant fears they will continue to cause trouble, but ordinary soldiers hold no weight in their eyes. I humbly request Your Majesty to decide if troops can be mobilized?”

“Mobilize troops?” Xie Yuan said, “Do you want everyone to know that after the Xi Ma Nou traveled thousands of miles to Great Lin, I sent troops to drive them out?”

“Your servant dares not!”

“If you cannot handle even this small matter, you may as well remove the hat on your head. You may withdraw.”

Li Hezhang left the Chongzheng Hall with lowered eyes and a depressed spirit, hurrying down the imperial steps. He quickly ran past the Chengtian Gate. After crossing the Jinshui Bridge, he walked briskly towards his carriage, not noticing that he had run straight into a purple robe coming the other way. Standing opposite him were three men, all wearing golden jade belts and purple official robes. Without even looking up, he knew which high-ranking officials of the third rank or above these were.

Li Hezhang recognized the faces: it was the Vice Minister of the Censorate, Jiang Xiantang, the Minister of War, Sheng Xiuyuan, and the Minister of Revenue, Xun Shutai. The person he had bumped into was Xun Shutai. He repeatedly bowed and cupped his hands, “Lord Vice Minister, Lord Minister, Lord Xun, I apologize, I apologize.”

Xun Shutai’s expression was very grim, but not directed at Li Hezhang. At the moment of collision, Xun Shutai first protected the memorial he held tucked in his arms, clearly indicating he had urgent business to report.

The drizzling rain was not enough to soak a person, but the ground was damp. If the memorial had hit the ground and been stained with mud and water, he would have had to return to the Six Ministries to re-copy it, causing delays and potentially jeopardizing official business.

Xun Shutai said, “Ah, it’s Lord Li. No matter, no matter.”

Although Xun Shutai was currently only the Minister of Revenue, the real power of the Ministry of Revenue was firmly in his grasp.

After the case of tampering with the tax registry, the Minister of Revenue, Su Chasang, although he had completely escaped punishment, had been scared witless. He fell gravely ill and was bedridden. Court officials had visited the Su Residence, and rumors had surfaced that he was feigning illness. Xun Shutai was the Empress’s own brother, and Su Chasang’s position as Minister of Revenue would sooner or later pass to him. Now that such a huge handle as the tax registry tampering had emerged, he could hardly sleep peacefully. It was better to retire and return home sooner, preserving his dignity.

Since Su Chasang reported sick and was bedridden, all matters concerning the Ministry of Revenue were decided by Xun Shutai. That was why he was entering the palace today with the Vice Minister of the Censorate and the Minister of War.

Li Hezhang bowed again, drew in a breath, and consciously backed away to the side of the road.

Xun Shutai held back his urgent need to present the memorial: “Lord Li, what is the matter? You bumped into me, why are you crying?”

Li Hezhang briefly recounted the sequence of events regarding the Xi Ma Nou’s plundering, injuring, and destruction of fields, and then poured out his grievances, “…What can your subordinate do? His Majesty forbids mobilizing troops to clash with the Xi Ma Nou. Your subordinate can only cautiously wait upon those barbarian masters from the grasslands. Fine, I will shed this body and take the Xi Ma Nou’s blade for the sake of the common people. I don’t want to live anymore.”

Upon hearing this, Xun Shutai spread his hands and said, “Why is it so difficult to handle? It hardly requires Lord Li’s life.”

Li Hezhang’s eyes lit up: “Lord Xun has an idea?”

“What idea could I possibly have?”

“My official hat is at risk, Lord Xun, please don’t tease me.”

Xun Shutai moved closer to Li Hezhang, “The General of State Protection has secretly returned to Yongdu. He is currently at the Xuanping Marquis Residence. Does Lord Li know?”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

“What are the grassland people most afraid of?”

“General Chen’s Eagle Head Army. But His Majesty said, no troops are to be mobilized.”

Xun Shutai was annoyed by his obtuseness. He also had urgent business that could not be delayed, so he stopped beating around the bush and said directly, “Why bother mobilizing troops? You just need Chen Liangyu to show her face in front of the Xi Ma Nou people, and won’t the problem be solved?”

“Will that work?”

“In any case, Chen Liangyu is currently an idler, but her salary is still being paid. How can she not do any work? Lord Li will know if it works once, you send an invitation.”

Li Hezhang glanced at the three officials walking together, and cautiously asked, “What matter requires all three Lords to seek an audience with the Emperor together?” Anything that could simultaneously alarm the Censorate, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue must be a much greater incident than the Xi Ma Nou causing trouble in Yongdu.

The Vice Minister of the Censorate, Jiang Xiantang, cleared his throat.

The meaning was clear: this was not a matter for a small official from the Honglu Temple to ask about.

Xun Shutai could not delay any longer. The three high-ranking officials hurried into the palace. Li Hezhang could only bow from afar behind them, “Thank you, Lord Xun.”

The dragon’s saliva incense in the Chongzheng Hall was nearly burnt out. A palace maid came in and replaced the burner.

Xie Yuan: “Yan Feng.”

A sword-bearing guard entered from outside the hall: “Your subordinate is here.”

“What has Chen Liangyu been doing since returning from the Grand Temple? Who has she been in contact with?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Great General only briefly visited the Central Drafting Office and the Six Ministries. The Xi Ma Nou envoys are settled in the northwest posthouse and have mostly caused trouble and disturbed the citizens in the west, north, and outskirts of the city. The Great General has not gone to see Xi Qing.”

“What about the people around her? The other people in the Xuanping Marquis Residence?”

The Xuanping Marquis Residence only had four inhabitants left. The Marchioness of Wu’an was far away managing the flood control in Zhudong. A young daughter was in the palace playing and learning calligraphy with Princess Roujia. Besides Chen Liangyu, the “other people” Xie Yuan referred to could only be Chen Xingqian.

Yan Feng said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Xuanping Marquis has also been conducting himself as usual. The secret agents around the northwest posthouse report that Xi Qing goes out early and returns late every day, strolling around Yongdu as if he has never seen the world, finding everything incredibly strange.” He paused here, slightly amused.

Xie Yuan glared at him.

Yan Feng immediately suppressed his smile and said, “Xi Qing is only accompanied by people from the Honglu Temple and the posthouse. He has not been in contact with anyone else. The female historian Dai Qing, who is by the Eldest Princess’s side, is employed by the Honglu Temple. Your Majesty, do you wish to investigate the Honglu Temple and the northwest posthouse?”

Xie Yuan considered it, “Forget it, let’s wait and see.”

Just then, Zheng Hechuan entered the hall to announce: “Your Majesty, Lord Jiang Xiantang, Lord Sheng Xiuyuan, and Lord Xun Shutai are requesting an audience outside the hall. They have urgent matters to report.”

“Grant them an audience.”

Three memorials were presented in succession, along with a military dispatch from Heng miao in the Southern Territory.

The Minister of War, Sheng Xiuyuan, reported: “Marquis Heng has captured the envoy sent by Dongyin to Nanzhou. Liu Mo took the opportunity to escape back into Nanzhou territory, where he is propping up the nine-year-old heir to succeed as the King of Nanzhou, gathering troops and ships to fully engage our army.”

The memorial detailed the provisions and military supply allocation for the Southern Territory forces. Since Great Lin and Nanzhou were separated by a bay, waging war with Nanzhou would require the additional construction of warships and military crossbows for naval battles.

Xun Shutai said, “The military provisions required by the Southern Territory have been verified by the Expenditure Division and the Treasury Division of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Minister’s seal has been affixed. I ask Your Majesty to examine it.”

The Vice Minister of the Censorate, Jiang Xiantang, said: “The Censorate has investigated the case of illegally transporting iron ore at Mount Bogong. The iron ore was being sold to the Xiling region. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and only a small portion of the iron ore had been mined. Recently, military trouble has begun to appear in Xiling. It is not merely simple banditry. Some people have listened to folk rumors and are openly proclaiming… that the current Son of Heaven is not legitimate, raising the banner of ‘Anti-Xie’ to plot rebellion.”

Xie Yuan asked, “Who is leading this?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, since Lu Renxi was executed after plotting rebellion with Prince Qi in Xiling, there has been no great general stationed to defend the border. The military forces in several prefectures and counties are currently dispersed. Your subordinate has dispatched several censors in plain clothes to investigate this matter. News will arrive shortly.”

Xie Yuan’s heart suddenly pounded violently a few times.

He had a premonition that this was the precursor to the coming calamity of war.

He picked up the cinnabar brush. He only needed to draw a stroke on the Ministry of Revenue’s memorial approving the military supplies for the Southern Territory. Xie Yuan paused. The commencement of war in the Southern Territory would be a tough fight. Approving this memorial was not difficult; the difficulty was that countless subsequent funds for provisions and military expenses would have to be poured into it. If the Xiling forces grew strong and the rebels marched directly on Shangyong City within days, could the national strength of Great Lin withstand the depletion?

In an instant, Xie Yuan put down his brush and said, “Summon Chen Liangyu to see me.”

His brows were furrowed, his expression betraying an unspeakable sense of helplessness.

In times of peace and prosperity, he suspected her of disloyalty. But once a great enemy was at hand, he found that the person he could discuss strategy with was still Chen Liangyu.