After her bath, Wei Yu wore only a white robe with pink begonia blossoms on the front, her long, thick black hair casually draped over her shoulders, exuding a delicate fragrance.
Emperor Xuande's thoughts stirred slightly. He embraced her fragrant and soft body, inhaling her oily, delicate scent. "I have something to tell you, but I don't want to say it now," he murmured, burying his head in her hair.
With no one else in the pavilion, Wei Yu felt less uneasy. She grabbed Emperor Xuande's hand, which had become unruly, and said, "Please stop fooling around."
The Xuande Emperor took her hand and nibbled at it, then chuckled without saying a word: "Are you a cannibal?"
The beautiful woman smiled charmingly, and Emperor Xuande sat down with her on the jeweled couch, half-embracing and half-holding her. "If you seduce me again, I really won't do my business. I'll take care of you first." He wanted to say that someone had submitted a memorial asking him to take more virtuous women and when she would give him a son, but he swallowed it back. He was still a little cautious in his heart.
She tried to brush it away with her other hand, but met the same fate. He held her hands in his palms and sighed, "Even as the emperor, I cannot do as I please. If the purists outside find out that I have put aside state affairs and taken my concubine into my inner palace, they will start making wild accusations. This daily record is also annoying, it has to specify the time. How hateful."
Without a word, a soft laugh stirred the Emperor Xuande's heart. The beautiful woman under the lamplight smiled and chatted, her beauty as radiant as the moon. He truly did not want to shatter this beautiful moment. "Weiyu, Weiyu, smiling sweetly, is that your name?"
Before she could speak, tears welled up in her eyes. She thought her mother must have felt that way when she was pregnant with her to give birth to her, but she never imagined that her mother, despite her weakened state, named her Weiyu (meaning "unspoken"), hoping that her beloved daughter would always be happy. She hadn't understood, but he had said it so easily. Her eyes were moist, and she lowered her head and nestled into his arms, saying, "Your Majesty."
Emperor Xuande was truly flattered. He had never taken the initiative before and remained silent. Sensing her heartbeat, he patted her back reassuringly, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, you're absolutely right, I'm happy," Wei Yu said sullenly in his arms.
He gently lifted her face, his eyes glistening with tears. He changed the subject; if this continued, he would truly pounce on her like a hungry tiger. "Wei Yu, my Wei Yu. Don't call me Your Majesty, and don't use 'you' or 'you' in your manners. They sound unfamiliar to me. Call me Tianchi. No one has ever called me by my name before. I am so pitiful."
Touched, Wei Yu smiled and said, "Tianchi, Tianchi, legend has it that in ancient times, the Heavenly Emperor lived on Tianchi Mountain. You have been expected to achieve this since you were a child, haven't you?"
"Yes." Emperor Xuande's gaze was distant, as if he were recalling many past events.
Without saying a word, she gently touched his brow. "Tianchi, Tianfang, these are very nice names," she interrupted.
"Just say my name, there's no need to mention that brat." Unusually gentle and tender, Ying Tianchi (that's his name from now on) was jealous that Ying Tianfang had interfered, letting him get away with it. He feigned a stern face, dispelling the lingering emotions in the room.
Ying Tianchi became serious. "Last time you suggested that I have the Ministry of Revenue compile statistics on the poor population in the city. Today, the Ministry of Revenue has submitted its report, and my heart is heavy. I always thought this was a prosperous and powerful era, but I did not expect that there are so many poor people struggling to make ends meet. If it is like this in the capital, one can imagine the situation in other places. I feel guilty. All the people in the world are my subjects, and I have not taken good care of them. It is my fault." As he spoke, he stood up, walked to the desk, and handed her the memorial. "I have already issued an edict to officials in all regions to investigate the people's conditions and report truthfully, and to prepare to allocate funds from the treasury to relieve the poor."
Wei Yu opened the book and read aloud: "...There are 70,000 registered households in the city, with a population of about 630,000...20,000 are extremely poor, either due to illness, or because they have too many family members to support them, or..., especially the former two..." She nodded, "You don't need to blame yourself. This phenomenon is inevitable even in wealthy societies. You have already done very well."
Ying Tianchi was puzzled. "Phenomenon? Affluent society?" He was secretly surprised that the elder had brought up a new term.
Wei Yu was startled, only then remembering that the two elders had mentioned that the Xuande Emperor knew about another time and space, and hurriedly stammered, "It's the Empire." She diverted his attention, "But Wei Yu thinks that helping the needy is worse than relieving the poor." She thought to herself that the information the emperor paid attention to was mostly beneficial to the dynasty's rule, and due to cultural and environmental limitations, the elders would not pay too much attention to contemporary social actions.
Sure enough, "Help? I'd like to hear the details." Ying Tianchi didn't suspect much; he never expected that Wei Yu would be a woman from another time and space.
Wei Yu thought about the practices in China and became more cautious: "I can't say for sure. There are poor people in the city. If we give them money and goods, they will still be poor after they run out of food and supplies. It would be better to tailor our approach to them and find them some ways to make a living. I heard that the East Market, West Market, and North and South Streets all have to pay high shop taxes. If we could designate some areas and reduce or exempt them from taxes depending on their circumstances, and then collect taxes on them when they are able to support themselves, it might be much better than simply giving them money and goods. Besides, those poor families would have more places to buy goods."
Ying Tianchi's heart pounded. "Well said." This was his Wei Yu—kind and intelligent. He doted on her so much, yet she had never asked anything of him. On their return from Jiyun Temple, she recounted encountering a beggar on the road. The spring chill was biting, and she was poorly clothed. He stopped to inquire, only to find she had no property, her husband was dead, and she had only young children. Desperate, she had resorted to this. Wei Yu had no money, so she offered her gold hairpin and bracelet to the woman in exchange for money. When the servant tried to pay, she stopped him, saying she had no intention of encouraging others to follow suit; everyone had their own needs and there was no need to conform. The court and the public praised the Imperial Concubine's virtue and thoughtfulness. This led to the subsequent efforts to collect poverty statistics.
“This method is very good. If we think it through more thoroughly, it can be implemented in all places. However, famine is evident in the cities. If the farmers suffer from chronic diseases or lose their ability to work, their poverty will be even more severe. Although I have issued an edict to support farmers, I am afraid it will still not be enough.” He paced back and forth. “This is a matter of great importance to the people’s livelihood and cannot be delayed. Gao Qing.” He raised his voice.
Gao Qing walked in and said, “Tomorrow at the court meeting, I will discuss this matter with my ministers. The imperial edict will be sent to all officials first thing tomorrow morning. You should send it to the three ministries and summon the Chancellor, the Grand Chancellor, the Minister of State Affairs, and the Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries to the Maoqin Hall immediately.”
Gao Qing replied, "His Majesty often consults me on state affairs late at night. However, the palace gates need to be unlocked, so we usually go to the Maoqin Hall next to Yong'an Gate and spend the night there. But this is the first time since the Consort entered the palace. It seems that everyone has something important to do."
"I cannot return to the palace tonight." Ying Tianchi hugged Wei Yu with regret, admiring her soft and beautiful body. "Can I have both fish and bear's paw? Will you accompany me out of the palace tonight?" He held her hand and suddenly had a whimsical idea.
“No, the censors will be furious. Besides, don’t you think I’m interfering in your politics? You said that the empress dowagers must not interfere in politics,” Wei Yu said.
He looked at her with deep tenderness, "You haven't called me by my name yet. Try calling me, Tianchi."
"Yes, Tianchi." Wei Yu said softly, her eyes as clear as water.
He took a deep breath, hugged her tightly, then loosened his grip slightly. "If it were you, I would be more than happy to have you. You are not a member of the harem, you are my confidante, my beloved. It is the others, not a single word of it is acceptable. They are greedy, driven by materialism, all wanting to take something from me, like leeches sucking blood. Even my birth mother was like that." His voice was filled with pain and weakness.
Unspoken, an unprecedented tenderness welled up in her heart. She hugged him back, placing her hands on his broad waist and abdomen.
The fragrance in his arms was so gentle and beautiful. Ying Tianchi sighed, "Heavens, I must bring Gao Qing back. I will not go to Maoqin Palace."
"The emperor's word is law." Wei Yu smiled, walked into the right main room, took the bright yellow cloak embroidered with golden dragons, and came out. He took it and put it on. Wei Yu stood on tiptoe to tie the silk sash around his neck and smoothed the wrinkles on his shoulders. The two looked at each other, everything was understood without words, and the tacit understanding flowed gently.
"Cough cough," Gao Qing coughed lightly outside the palace. He had just turned back to report when he saw the harmony between the emperor and the concubine, which made him step outside the palace to wipe away his tears. The emperor had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, but he still had to be the spoilsport.
Wei Yu blushed and pushed him away again, "You go ahead, I'll make some snacks tomorrow morning." Wei Yu was very good at cooking; she was taught by her aunt. After learning, she was in charge of all three meals on weekends. She had shown off her skills a few times here, making the emperor and his ministers in the East Warm Pavilion drool. Perhaps it was because they were indebted to her, or perhaps it was because the snacks were served at the right time, but from then on, the emperor and his ministers no longer mentioned His Majesty's family affairs as state affairs.
Ying Tianchi inside the hall and Gao Qing outside both brightened up. Ying Tianchi swallowed hard and said cheekily, "Since we can't have the beauty tonight, how about we have some snacks to satisfy our cravings?"
"Long live the Emperor!" Gao Qing, ears perked up, cheered and rushed into the hall. "This servant will come and get it." At worst, he would just lose a few small pastries to bribe the eunuchs guarding the palace gate.
Ying Tianchi and Wei Yu glared at him at the same time, and he quickly backed away, covering his mouth and chuckling.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
A few days later, Ying Tianchi issued a series of decrees, which brought joy to the people throughout the empire.
If Ying Tianchi's previous reforms were top-down, affecting the interests of the powerful and wealthy, then these reforms were accompanied by harsh laws to suppress discontent and crack down on wrongdoing. This time, however, the reforms concern the interests of the vulnerable and ordinary people. For example, national medical clinics were established in various places, where ordinary people could enjoy basic medical services by paying a tax on time each year. The poor could apply for tax reductions or exemptions. Although the number of tax items increased, the amount was small, so the applicants were enthusiastic. Special streets and funds were allocated to provide a place for craftsmen and merchants with skills but unable to start their own businesses to make a living, and they were exempted from taxes under certain conditions. Of course, there were strict approvals, and anyone found to be fraudulent would be forced into service for life. To increase scholarships for impoverished students, merchants were encouraged to donate to medical clinics and official schools, with the amount offsetting their annual tax. Those who donated the most received rewards from the court and priority in official large-scale trade. Nobles and officials were even permitted to use their donations to offset corvée labor. Landless farmers were encouraged to cultivate barren hills and wastelands. After registering with the court, if they had three years of harvest and paid taxes to the court for the next three years, the land and forests would belong to them. However, the destruction of forests and wetlands was strictly prohibited, as was the use of land ownership to seize land. If any such attempt was discovered, the land would be confiscated. Furthermore, the national crop tax rate was reduced to one-eighteenth of its original value, and the poll tax was abolished. The whole country cheered, and all social classes benefited, making the implementation of the new policies smoother. By the summer of the twenty-first year of the Xuande reign, the national treasury was full, the granaries were overflowing, and the summer examinations produced many talented individuals. Everyone in the capital knew that the emperor's new policies originated from the imperial concubine's carriage, and thus the concubine's virtuous reputation quickly spread throughout the country.
Good news also came from Ying Tianfang in the Northeast. The State of Xu, unwilling to become a vassal state, sent beauties to seduce and steal Ying Tianfang, but failed. The radical faction then hired assassins to try and kill him, but the plot was exposed and the attempt failed miserably. Taking advantage of this, Ying Tianfang launched a military campaign, advancing rapidly and storming the capital. The people of Xu, already suffering greatly, heard of Emperor Xuande's benevolent rule and hated their tyrannical ruler. They opened the city gates and surrendered. The State of Xu was thus destroyed, becoming the thirty-third prefecture of the empire—Xu Prefecture. Ying Tianfang remained in Xu Prefecture to pacify the people and wrote a memorial to Liu Chuang. They were brought back, and the royal family of Xu were escorted to the capital. When the news of the victory reached the capital, the emperor was overjoyed and bestowed generous rewards upon the generals at the front. He also sent a messenger to inform Liu Chuang that he had presented the prisoners to the summer palace. He dispatched a special envoy with more than a dozen newly recruited talents to serve under Prince Rui in the northeast. He also conveyed an imperial edict that the wives and children of several meritorious officials were also among those who had come to the summer palace for summer vacation. His Majesty would summon the meritorious personnel to the summer palace in several sessions and request Prince Rui to make arrangements for them. His Majesty had already departed from the capital, and the imperial entourage was heading straight for the location of the summer palace—Liushan Island in Bohai County.
As is customary, the emperor would stay at the Summer Palace for about a month, during which the revival of the court would take place, before returning to the capital before June 12th to preside over the family sacrifice at the Daming Palace. A massive procession of imperial carriages slowly made its way along the official road from the capital to Liushan Island, their armor gleaming, banners blotting out the sky. The carriages of the concubines and wives of meritorious officials followed behind, accompanied by the Tiger Guards. Ying Tianchi intended to take only Wei Yu; Empress Dowager Zhou had made it clear she would go to Haiyi Garden, not the Summer Palace. However, Gao Qing advised: "In previous years, the concubines could go, but not this year. I fear that officials who are dissatisfied with the exclusive favor shown to the Consort but who has yet to bear children will raise objections. It would be better to let them choose freely—the Imperial Palace, the Summer Palace, or Haiyi Garden are all acceptable." In the end, many concubines still chose to go to the Summer Palace, especially those who had only entered the palace there.
Because when traveling, the concubines could only bring two maids with them. Those of lower rank had to ride in the same carriage with two maids, and the maids had to sit in the back of the carriage. So, apart from resting in the palace, they had to take care of themselves, whether it was a short nap or getting ready in the carriage. Some of them couldn't help but feel resentful.
"The Imperial Concubine Zhai in the front carriage isn't here at all. I saw that girl Jinyun. She's enjoying herself in the carriage with the Imperial Concubine's lady-in-waiting. I have to do all the work just to have tea with you," Lin Yuzhen said to Qiu Linglong.
"Jinyun is the Emperor's own flesh and blood, and now she's latched onto the Imperial Concubine, she's all the rage! What are you and me? Unfavored concubines, we should be grateful to even be allowed out here," Qiu Linglong said resentfully.
"If you had known it would be like this, you would have stayed put and accompanied the Empress Dowager to Haiyi Garden. What's the point of coming out? It only makes you angrier and more upset," Lin Yuzhen said sullenly.
Qiu Linglong scoffed inwardly, wondering who had so eagerly sent someone to register their names in the Inner Palace. But what she said wasn't wrong. Normally, in the palace, one could only occasionally see the Emperor on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month at the Cining Palace, and even then, it required luck. If the Consort was present, one had to kowtow several times before the Emperor would give a curt "hmm" and leave. Now that they were out, it was fine if they didn't see him, but what was infuriating was that their carriages were behind the Emperor's, mingling with the wives of noble ladies and meritorious officials. This only fueled her resentment. The Consort's carriage was just for show; the Consort had been on the Emperor's dragon carriage since the start of the journey. Ironically, Consort He had eagerly approached Jinyun during a short rest, her face beaming, urging Jingyuan to call Jinyun "sister." The other ladies looked at them with pity, secretly gossiping about the Consort's attire. Now, everyone inside and outside the palace was imitating the Consort; high buns and elaborate clothes were no longer fashionable.
Lin Yuzhen didn't like her cousin either; she was hypocritical, pretentious, and thought herself clever. They lived in the same side hall of the Chenxiang Palace and often secretly competed over jewelry, clothing, and decorations. However, after the Empress Dowager moved to the Cining Palace and Consort De was imprisoned, everyone in the harem knew they had lost power. Consort Hua and others, who had initially been polite to them, later stopped even bothering with formalities. To have another disagreement now would only make them a laughingstock. She bit her fingernails, gazing at the magnificent carriage of the Imperial Concubine ahead. She wasn't afraid. So what if the Imperial Concubine was at the height of her power? Either way, they were destined to live a life of widowhood. She had to find a way. Only when the Imperial Concubine fell out of favor or ceased to exist would they have a chance to rise. Once the Imperial Concubine secured her position as Empress, they would only die of old age in the palace.
Qiu Linglong glanced at Lin Yuzhen, who would bite her nails whenever she had a thought. "Stupid woman." Let her make a scene, the bigger the better, the more trouble she could cause.