Klares Wasser und wunderschöne Berge

Kapitel 123

After the emperor's sudden death, the empress kept it a secret, only summoning Zhao Shu to the palace. The next day, she ordered the ministers to come to the Funing Palace for an audience. When Chancellor Han Qi and others arrived at the Funing Palace, they knocked on the curtain to enter, only to be told by the eunuchs, "The empress is here."

Han Qi stopped and stood solemnly. The Empress, weeping behind the curtain, told him about the Emperor's immortality. The officials immediately prostrated themselves and wept. The Empress then suppressed her sobs and asked Han Qi, "What should we do now, my lord? Everyone knows that the Emperor has no son."

Han Qi replied, "Your Majesty should not say such things. The prince is in the Eastern Palace, why not summon him?"

The Empress said, "He is merely a member of the imperial clan and has no title of Crown Prince. If we establish him as the heir apparent, will there be any contenders for the throne in the future?"

Han Qi answered decisively: "The prince was established by imperial decree by the late emperor, and he is also the only heir. What objections could others possibly have!"

Upon receiving this answer, the Empress smiled slightly, gestured for the servants to roll up the curtain, and then spoke directly to Han Qi: "The prince is already here."

As the curtain was lifted, Han Qi and the others were surprised to find that Prince Zhao Shu was standing beside the Empress. The Empress looked calm, while the prince looked worried and fearful.

With the unanimous support of his advisors, Zhao Shu ascended the throne as emperor and honored Empress Cao as Empress Dowager.

Zhao Shuxiu was frail and sickly, and his sensitive and thoughtful nature made it difficult for him to bear such a heavy burden. He developed a heart ailment, often screaming and pacing wildly within the palace, unable to attend court. After deliberation, the ministers requested that the Empress Dowager rule from behind a curtain. Thus, during the emperor's illness, the Empress Dowager, seated in the small hall at the East Gate, faced the assembled court officials and solemnly sat behind the curtain, instructing the late emperor to adopt the temple name "Renzong." On the Jiawu day of the tenth month of the eighth year of the Jiayou era, Emperor Renzong was buried in the Yongzhao Mausoleum.

Many palace officials were attending the funeral that day, and I was among them. By the time I returned to Xuande Gate, it was already late, and the palace gates were about to close. A palace attendant rushed in from inside the palace and said to the gatekeeper, "The Empress Dowager instructed that the gate be left open for a little while longer, until Mr. Zhang returns."

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but ask the eunuch, "Is the Mr. Zhang you're referring to Mr. Zhang Pingfu?"

The eunuch replied, "Of course it is him. Today, the Empress Dowager issued an edict promoting him to the position of head eunuch in the Palace Attendants Department. She sent someone to summon him a few days ago, and it was calculated that he would return today, so she instructed them to leave the gate open for him."

No sooner had I finished speaking than I heard the sound of horses' hooves outside the door. I turned around and saw a man dressed entirely in white riding towards me. He was tall and slender with gentle features. It was none other than Mr. Zhang, whom we had just mentioned.

He dismounted in front of Xuande Gate. The eunuchs inside and outside the palace recognized him and immediately swarmed around him. Some offered their greetings, some led his horse, and some dusted him off, all vying to curry favor. He remained calm as usual, merely giving them a polite smile before raising his head and striding towards Rouyi Hall.

As the sun set, it bathed the rows of green-tiled roofs and red walls in a golden light. I hid in the shadows beneath the palace walls, watching Mr. Zhang walk into the golden glow that enveloped the nine-tiered palace complex, and gradually realized that for the eunuchs in the imperial city, this marked the beginning of the Zhang Maoze era.

The Lonely City Closed (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) Long smoke and setting sun, the lonely city closed, peach blossoms in bloom

Chapter word count: 5626 Update time: 09-07-05 10:48

Peach Blossom

(5152 words)

After Empress Dowager Cao ruled for thirteen months, she withdrew from the regency and returned power to Emperor Zhao Shu, who then began to attend court.

During the Empress Dowager's regency, Ren Shouzhong, a court official, often spoke ill of the Emperor in front of her. However, once the Emperor assumed power, he changed his attitude to one of flattery and fabricated stories to slander the Empress Dowager, implying that she did not want to return power to the Emperor and even had the intention to depose him. This caused the Emperor to harbor resentment and even stop his daily visits to the Empress Dowager, openly expressing his dissatisfaction with her.

Seeing the discord between the two palaces, high-ranking officials frequently submitted memorials to the emperor, offering advice and reconciliation. Sima Guang, in addition to his admonitions, wrote a lengthy impeachment of Ren Shouzhong, listing ten specific crimes, including forming cliques, accepting bribes, bullying colleagues, embezzling funds, spreading rumors, and sowing discord between the two palaces. He demanded the emperor execute him. Under his guidance, officials like Lü Hui submitted a series of memorials, impeaching Ren Shouzhong, ultimately forcing the emperor to order his demotion and exile to Xinzhou.

Although Ren Shouzhong was expelled, the relationship between the emperor and the empress dowager was not repaired. Zhao Shu treated the empress dowager coldly and moved the four young daughters left behind by Emperor Renzong out of their original palace and put his own daughter in them. This action caused Sima Guang to be heartbroken and furious. He submitted a memorial directly accusing the emperor of ingratitude, saying: "I would like to use a small analogy. Imagine a family in a village with a wife and several daughters, ten acres of land, and a tael of gold. The woman is old and has no children, so she raises a son from her clan as her heir. After the woman dies, the son inherits the land and property and then estranges himself from his mother and abandons his sister, causing her grief, resentment, and lamentation. What kind of person would the neighbors and villagers think of this son? Even a commoner would be despised in his village for doing this, let alone the emperor, who is revered by all under heaven! This is the beginning of why Your Majesty has lost the hearts of the people."

Afterwards, Zhao Shu felt somewhat ashamed, and only after being persuaded by Empress Gao and ministers such as Ouyang Xiu did he resume visiting the Empress Dowager.

While showing coldness towards the Empress Dowager, Zhao Shu also revealed his respect and affection for his biological parents. After the death of his father, Zhao Yunrang, the Prince of Runan, he was posthumously granted the title of Prince of Pu. The year after Zhao Shu ascended the throne, he issued an edict ordering his officials to discuss the rites for honoring the Prince of Pu. Chancellor Han Qi, Vice Chancellor Ouyang Xiu, and others advocated that the emperor address the Prince of Pu as "Imperial Father," because "an adopted son addresses both his adopted and biological parents as 'parents.'" However, officials such as Lü Hui, Fan Chunren, Lü Dafang, and the remonstrating official Sima Guang strongly advocated addressing Emperor Renzong as "Imperial Father" and the Prince of Pu as "Imperial Uncle," arguing that "a country cannot have two rulers, and a family cannot have two respected figures." If the emperor addressed the Prince of Pu as his father, where would Emperor Renzong be placed?

The censorate and the prime ministers were locked in a fierce debate, submitting lengthy memorials and arguments that dragged on for nearly two years, a period known historically as the "Pu Discussion." In the third year of the Zhiping era, the Empress Dowager issued a handwritten edict allowing the emperor to address the Prince of Pu as his father, honoring him as Emperor Pu'an Yi, and granting him the title of Empress to his three wives. Zhao Shu immediately issued a handwritten edict, stating, "The proper etiquette of addressing relatives should be strictly in accordance with Your Majesty's teachings." The censors requested the edict be rescinded, but Zhao Shu ignored them and ultimately demoted Lü Hui, Lü Dafang, and Fan Chunren to exile.

In this debate, the court officials tended to favor the censors and remonstrators, while the prime ministers were often seen as treacherous villains, especially Ouyang Xiu, who cited classical texts in the debate and provided important theoretical basis for the emperor's claim to be related to his relatives.

Emperor Zhao Shu was sickly and died after less than four years on the throne. His temple name was Yingzong. His eldest son, who was twenty years old at the time, ascended the throne. He is now known as Emperor Zhao Xu.

Shortly after Zhao Xu ascended the throne, his political enemies, who had a grudge against Ouyang Xiu over the "Puyi" incident, launched an attack on him.

First, Xue Zongru, a cousin of Ouyang Xiu's wife Xue, had a private grudge against Ouyang Xiu and spread rumors in the court that he had an affair with his eldest daughter-in-law, Wu Chong's daughter. Censors Peng Sizhong and Jiang Zhiqi then used this rumor to impeach Ouyang Xiu.

However, the evidence they presented was weak and unconvincing. Since Wu's childhood name was "Chunyan," they found several poems by Ouyang Xiu, claiming that the words "chong" (舂) and "yan" (燕) contained hidden Wu's name.

Emperor Zhao Xu firmly supported Ouyang Xiu on this matter, and even rebuked Jiang Zhiqi to his face, saying, "You don't discuss important matters, but love to meddle in other people's private affairs!" He then expelled the officials who impeached Ouyang Xiu from the court one by one, but some officials continued to talk about Ouyang Xiu's "private daughter-in-law" affair. Ouyang Xiu was disheartened and asked to be reassigned, but the emperor refused. He then repeatedly submitted memorials to plead for a promotion.

In March of the fourth year of the Zhiping era, I delivered a scroll depicting Emperor Yingzong's portrait, completed by a painter from the Imperial Painting Academy, to the Secret Pavilion for display. I happened to run into Ouyang Xiu as he came out of the Baowen Pavilion. Despite not having seen him for many years, he recognized me at a glance and greeted me warmly, "Mr. Liang."

He had always shown me and the princess a kind of elder's care, and even when we were fiercely criticized by the censors, he never joined the crowd in criticizing us even once. Now, hearing his greeting, my heart warmed, and I immediately bowed to him, saying, "It's been a long time since we last met. How are you, my lord?"

The Vice Chancellor was a deputy prime minister, and people usually addressed him respectfully as "Prime Minister." But Ouyang Xiu shook his head upon hearing this and smiled, saying, "From today onwards, I am no longer a Vice Chancellor, and you may no longer call me 'Prime Minister.'"

I blurted out in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Ouyang Xiu said, "The Emperor has accepted my resignation and relieved me of my post as a councilor, appointing me as the prefect of Haozhou. I will be leaving the capital tomorrow, which is why I went to Baowen Pavilion just now to bid farewell to Emperor Renzong."

The Baowen Pavilion houses Emperor Renzong's calligraphy and also displays his portrait. Officials of Emperor Renzong's reign would usually come to pay their respects before leaving the capital.

I knew that the matter concerning Ouyang Xiu had caused quite a stir among the officials, and hearing him say this now, I couldn't help but feel deeply regretful. I said, "The Emperor has already investigated the matter mentioned by the officials and found it to be a false accusation, and has demoted the person who framed him. Why do you still want to leave, sir?"

Ouyang Xiu did not elaborate on the reason, only saying briefly: "I just feel tired."

Upon hearing this, I was moved and recalled the incident when the censor accused him of "stealing his nephew." So I sighed and said, "Your Excellency was straightforward and never shied away from public resentment, but unfortunately you were burdened by those who spoke out against you."

Ouyang Xiu smiled upon hearing this and said, "When I was young, I had a monk read my face. The monk said that my ears were whiter than my face, and that I would be famous throughout the land; and that my lips would never touch my teeth, and that I would be slandered without cause." Now it seems that his words have come true.

After listening, I looked him over carefully and indeed found that his ears were whiter than his face. His lips did not cover his teeth, which was not visible from his appearance. I did not know what it meant, and I did not dare to ask him. So I just smiled.

He smiled at me for a moment, then his smile faded, and he said to me seriously, “In my life, I have indeed suffered from rumors and gossip, which have damaged my reputation twice and left me physically and mentally exhausted and miserable. However, I am still very fortunate that my official career was spent in this era of open communication.”

I was taken aback and began to ponder his words, while he continued: "The effective remonstrances of the censors can prevent the emperor from abusing his power and the prime minister from acting arbitrarily, and can also monitor all officials, maintain discipline, and leave no place for corrupt and treacherous individuals to hide, thus preventing the corruption of the government. Furthermore, those who speak out emphasize the character and morality of those in high positions, to the point of not tolerating even the slightest flaw, and frequently submit their opinions to the censors. This is actually a sign of political integrity, although in the struggle between the two factions, they are not mindful of minor details and are often used by the opposing side as pretexts for framing and convicting. While there are certainly petty people in the censors of our dynasty who use their power to settle personal scores and eliminate dissidents, there are far more gentlemen who are unafraid of the powerful, do not seek personal gain, and are upright and outspoken. With them around, powerful ministers like Xia Song cannot control everything, and female favorites like Wen Cheng cannot bring disaster to the country." Opportunities abound. A powerful relative like Zhang Yaozuo, bound by imperial connections, cannot rise to prominence through the influence of the harem, and a treacherous eunuch like Ren Shouzhong cannot wield power and interfere in politics… While hearsay has its drawbacks, it is still better than having no channels for free speech. If one day, the censorate becomes a mere formality, the emperor acts arbitrarily and without restraint, allowing his concubines, close attendants, and powerful officials to access confidential information and interfere in politics; or if high-ranking officials monopolize power, disregarding kinship ties, resulting in entire families holding high office, even servants receiving gold and purple robes, morality declines, customs deteriorate, and those who speak out fear the powerful, unable to speak independently or criticize the faults of those in high positions; even if the people have grievances, they cannot express them openly, only turning their dissatisfaction with those they serve into private grumbling… then the Song Dynasty will be nearing its end.”

At this moment, he solemnly turned around, gazing at the Baowen Pavilion behind him, his eyes filled with emotion and longing. Then he said, "Fortunately, the monarch I encountered feared both the changes in the heavens and the opinions of the people. He was strict with himself, yet also discerning, good at recognizing and employing talent, courteous to the virtuous and humble, and receptive to advice. The country had open channels for communication, and everyone was subject to the supervision of those who spoke out. No one could act arbitrarily or arbitrarily. Therefore, I am very fortunate to have been born in this era of peace and prosperity..."

He paused slightly, looked at me intently, and then continued, "Although we have all been wrongly harmed by the times."

xxx

Whether in the last year of Emperor Renzong's reign or under Emperor Yingzong's rule, the princess lived with her mother, even though she had a nominal husband in her residence outside the palace. However, this situation changed after Zhao Xu ascended the throne.

Zhao Xu was the princess's beloved nephew, and they had a harmonious relationship since childhood. Shortly after ascending the throne, he bestowed upon the princess the title of Grand Princess of Chu, granting her the highest fiefdom among all the princesses of the time. His attitude towards the princess suddenly gave Lady Miao new hope, and she repeatedly asked others to persuade the emperor to allow her aunt to divorce her uncle and remarry. However, Zhao Xu refused, and directly addressed the princess and her mother: "When Emperor Renzu restored Li Wei's title of Imperial Son-in-Law and Commandant, it was because he hoped that you, my aunt, could continue to be a daughter-in-law of the Li family, uphold the virtues of wifely conduct, spread filial piety throughout the land, and demonstrate the virtue of a noblewoman, thus setting an example for our imperial family. You, my aunt, have served Emperor Renzu with utmost filial piety, and therefore wish to obey your father's wishes and continue your previous relationship with Li Wei to strengthen your bond with your maternal family. How can you now disregard your late father's instructions and have the intention to marry another just because Emperor Renzu has ascended to heaven? If you insist on doing so, I dare not stop you, but I urge you to think it over. The discord between you and your uncle has already caused Emperor Renzu some regret. If you were to further sever ties with the Li family, how heartbroken would Emperor Renzu be if he knew this in the afterlife?"