Empress Dowager Xiaoxuan

Chapter 48

Empress of the Khitan - Chapter 89: Warning (Part 1)

Updated: 2008-09-23 16:29:40 Word Count: 1501

During the mourning period, Xiao Xuan did not announce her attendance at court, but secretly replaced many powerful ministers with trusted individuals to fill the vacancies. The speed and secrecy of her replacements shocked everyone. With veteran ministers such as Xie Zhen, Xiu Ge, Han Derang, and Yelü Sha backing her up, many previous disturbances within the Liao territory were quietly silenced.

Once the mourning period was over, the following year, Xiao Xuan ordered a rebirth chamber to be built behind the main hall.

Looking lovingly at the children before her, Xiao Xuan, dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing a phoenix crown, ascended the Hall of Rebirth on a sunny day to perform the Rebirth Ceremony together with her ministers and the Eight Legions.

Under the sunlight, Xiao Xuan looked up at the sun and recited the oath in a clear voice. All the ministers and tribal leaders knelt down and echoed her, solemnly reciting the oath.

At that moment, everyone saw Empress Xiao Chuo standing in the sunlight, wearing a glittering golden phoenix crown, a magnificent red robe embroidered with phoenixes, and a dazzling pearl adorning her chest. Looking at the radiant and imposing Empress Dowager on the rebirth platform, they all understood one thing: Empress Xiao Chuo at this moment was no longer comparable to the former Empress.

After the Rebirth Ceremony, Xiao Xuan changed the reign title to Tonghe and accepted the honorific title of Chengtian bestowed upon her by Emperor Longxu and his ministers, officially taking over the reins of government.

She was diligent and conscientious, even as her belly grew larger, she continued to tirelessly revise memorials. Her earnest and diligent attitude deeply moved the court officials, and in just a few months, Xiao Xuan's prestige among them rose higher and higher, even surpassing that of Yelü Xian when he was alive.

A few months later, in the delivery room, Xiao Xuan was in so much pain that tears streamed down her face, and she cried out every now and then.

Xian, why aren't you here? You always comforted me before I gave birth, and you were with me afterward, but now I'm all alone. Xian, come back, I don't want this. After a period of agonizing pain, a baby boy was finally born—Yelü Xian's posthumous child. Hearing the child's cries and enduring the pain in her body, a desolate smile appeared on Xiao Xuan's face, a mixture of heartache, loneliness, and solitude from the past few months. Xian, even without you, I will raise the children well. It's just a pity that this child will never see his loving father's face.

That night, upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had given birth, Han Derang rushed into the palace and stayed outside her delivery room all night.

After giving birth, Xiao Xuan learned that Han Derang had been guarding her outside the maternity ward. Grateful, she immediately appointed Han Derang to oversee the palace guards, responsible for protecting her and her children. Han Derang was overjoyed; he finally had a formal entry into the inner court and the opportunity to further connect with his children and her. Several months later, as her health improved, Xiao Xuan appointed Yelü Xiuge as the garrison commander of Nanjing, responsible for military affairs in the south and maintaining constant vigilance against the Song Dynasty to prevent Zhao Guangyi from attacking Liao again. She also appointed Yelü Xiezhen as the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, entrusting him with the management of domestic affairs and matters concerning the nobility. Adopting the advice of Han Derang, the Privy Councilor of the Southern Court, she ordered that the princes refrain from hosting banquets for each other and were not allowed to leave their homes without reason, thus secretly stripping some nobles of their military power, gradually stabilizing the newly established Liao Dynasty.

That day, Xiao Xuan was holding Zheng Ge, who had already been given a nickname, in her arms, lost in thought, when she heard a soft call from outside the door: "Empress Dowager, Lord Han requests an audience."

Xiao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Pass it on."

After hearing the message, Han Derang entered the room, smiled slightly at Xiao Xuan, and said softly, "I have a few memorials to deliver to the Empress Dowager. Brother Zheng is still sleeping, so let's wait a little longer."

"It's alright," Xiao Xuan said softly. "Lord Han, please sit down."

Sitting on a chair to the side, gazing at the child in Xiao Xuan's arms, Han Derang's eyes revealed a tender expression. Looking at the memorial in Han Derang's hand, Xiao Xuan pondered for a moment, gently patted the sleeping Zheng Ge in her arms, and looked at Han Derang, saying, "It must be something important, Lord Han, please read it to me."

"The first document is about Tacigan Naiwanshi."

Xiao Xuan frowned upon hearing this and asked softly, "Tacigan Naiwanshi? Isn't he a palace guard? Why is he mentioned in this memorial?"

"Your Majesty, a few days ago, Talaigan Naiwanshi drank several cups of wine and began to talk nonsense, talking about private matters of the inner palace to show off his difference from other guards. Now the rumors have spread like wildfire throughout the city. Some ministers have submitted a memorial stating that Talaigan Naiwanshi has disrupted the court's discipline and request Your Majesty to order his execution to set the record straight for the people."

Empress of the Khitan - Chapter 89: Warning (Part 2)

Updated: 2008-09-23 16:29:59 Word Count: 1446

Xiao Xuan frowned upon hearing this, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What about the other memorials? Are they all about this matter?"

"This memorial was written by Yelü Ameili, the Envoy of the Northern Court. He wrote in the memorial that the law of our Great Liao Dynasty, which punishes the innocent by association, is extremely cruel and often implicates the innocent and involves many people. He hopes that the Empress Dowager can abolish this evil law."

After listening to the memorial, Xiao Xuan paused, gently patting the child's hand, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Collective punishment" was a common form of punishment in the Song and Liao dynasties at the time. However, its origins can be traced back to the Warring States period, a brutal punishment devised by Shang Yang for the Qin emperor. To ensure the emperor's absolute and unparalleled power, collective punishment was implemented. Essentially, to ensure a society free of evil, even spouses and relatives could not conceal each other's wrongdoings. Those who deliberately concealed wrongdoings were punished collectively, thus ensuring domestic stability. The ultimate goal of collective punishment was to encourage mutual supervision and denunciation among the people; otherwise, if one person was guilty, several others would be implicated. To put it more bluntly, even if one person was innocent, they could be implicated and imprisoned simply because of a connection to a criminal. This punishment evolved to the point that if someone in a family committed a crime, their siblings and other relatives, even unknowingly, would also be punished. In the Liao Dynasty, due to the vast difference in status between the Khitans and the Han Chinese, Khitans often had their crimes resolved by minimizing the severity of the offense, while Han Chinese were often held accountable for their crimes, sometimes even facing the execution of their entire family.

Xiao Xuan found the punishment quite abhorrent, and upon hearing Yelü Ameili's memorial, whose main points aligned with her own, she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing that Xiaoxuan already had a plan in mind, Han Derang changed the memorial again and said, "This memorial requests the Empress Dowager's approval to execute the people. They were cooking in the mountains when they accidentally started a fire, burning down the sacred Muye Mountain of our Great Liao Kingdom. We beg the Empress Dowager to punish them."

After glancing at the memorial in Han Derang's hand, Xiao Xuan asked, "Are there any others?"

"Yes, the last letter is Lord Shiro's letter of resignation."

Xiao Xuan yawned lightly and said, "Put them all on my desk. I will deal with them at the morning court tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Han Derang walked to his desk, put the memorial down, and looked at Xiao Xuan, who was holding Zheng Ge.

"Have you been sleeping well lately?" Han Derang asked softly. "I asked the children, and they said they've been sleeping very well. How about the Empress Dowager?"

"Yes. I slept very well, thank you for your concern, Lord Han." A wave of drowsiness washed over her, and Xiao Xuan quickly covered her mouth with her sleeve as she yawned. Seeing this, Han Derang said with concern, "I will return now. Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself. Don't worry about politics all the time." Xiao Xuan nodded, watched Han Derang leave the room, instructed the servants to close the door, and then lay down on the bed with Zheng Ge.

The children all adored him, enjoying his lectures and playing with him. Being with him always made them carefree, as if their father had returned and was playing with them. Since Xian's death, Han Derang had been exceptionally respectful, never overstepping his bounds, whether in front of ministers, children, or even Xiao Xuan herself. After Xiao Xuan's lonely and painful birth of Zheng Ge, Han Derang tirelessly cared for her, and his actions made her feel increasingly guilty.

Lying in bed, Xiaoxuan drifted off to sleep, her mind hazy. She began to dream, and in her dream she saw him—Tianye! It was Tianye, and Kangxuan, and Ye Tong too. In her dream, she sat beside them, chatting and laughing. In her dream, she held a book and said, "The Khitan people lived in what is now Inner Mongolia and Northeast China. Could they be the modern-day Mongols? Or Manchus?"

Before he could finish speaking, Tianye lightly tapped his own forehead with a book and said, "Idiot, you really dare to mix things up! The Khitan people were extinct long ago. In 1125, the Khitan Liao dynasty was defeated and destroyed by the Jurchen Jin dynasty, and there was no more Liao. The Khitan leader at that time, Yelü Dashi, led a group of people westward and established a new regime in Yemili, historically known as the Western Liao, which was also destroyed by the Mongols in 1128. It is said that another Khitan tribe fled to Iran, established the Qiman dynasty, converted to Islam, and assimilated into the local population. The Khitan ceased to exist in history after that."

Empress Dowager of the Khitan - Chapter 90 Memorials (Part 1)

Updated: 2008-09-23 16:30:16 Word Count: 1451

"Oh!" Xiaoxuan answered dejectedly, scratching her head.

Kang Xuan chuckled lazily and said, "You never know. Maybe some Khitans infiltrated the Jurchen ranks and continued the Khitan bloodline."

Before Kang Xuan could finish speaking, Ye Tong said, "It's time for rehearsal, let's go!" Watching Xiao Ye, Kang Xuan, and Ye Tong walk out of the room, Xiao Xuan anxiously called out, "Wait for me, wait for me!" But her body seemed to be stuck in place, unable to move. Amidst the shouts, Xiao Xuan woke up and heard Zheng Ge crying in her ears.

Holding Zheng Ge in her arms, Xiao Xuan gently patted and comforted him, her mind filled with the dream from moments before. Xiao Ye, Xiao Kang, Tong Tong, can I go back? If I go back, will I be alive or dead? Will I still be with everyone? Lost in thought, she saw Zheng Ge in her arms and shook her head painfully. Wait, the Khitan are destroyed, they no longer exist—is this really true?

A shiver ran through her body, and she tightened her grip on Zheng Ge's arm, burying her head against the baby's swaddling clothes, unwilling to lift it. That night, she pondered deeply. She didn't want Xian's bloodline to be completely extinguished like in the legends; she wanted it to survive, even if there was only a sliver of hope. That would be the only way to repay the man who had always been so gentle with her.

Another long, sleepless night passed. Xiao Xuan kept looking at the memorials on the table, lost in thought.

As the sun rose, Xiao Xuan, having finished washing and dressing and changed into new clothes, ascended the main hall, accompanied by Long Xu, Han Derang, and the guards.

Looking around at the assembled officials, Xiao Xuan picked up the memorials on the table and said, "The first memorial in my hand is the resignation letter of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

Upon hearing this, Shi stepped forward from among the officials, knelt down, and said, "Your Majesty, I am old and frail. I hold this position in the Liao Dynasty but am unable to accomplish anything. I feel ashamed and have therefore prepared a letter of retirement. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

"I forbid it!" Xiao Xuan's clear voice echoed in the court.

Shi looked up at Xiao Xuan in astonishment, and heard Xiao Xuan say, "Since the passing of the late emperor, our Great Liao has been in crisis from time to time. Fortunately, we have veteran ministers like you who have made contributions to our Great Liao at critical moments, which has brought stability to the country and made progress in all aspects. Now is the time when the court needs people. How can you, Lord Shi, so easily say that you want to retire? I do not approve of your memorial."

These words praised the senior officials in the court, affirmed their actions, and pleased them greatly. The official prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty, I respectfully obey your decree." He then took out a long remonstrance from his person and said, "This is my remonstrance written in the 'Wu Yi' chapter of the Book of Documents. Please have Your Majesty review it."

The eunuch took the advice from the room and brought it to Xiaoxuan's side. Just as he was about to hand it over, Xiaoxuan said, "Read it!"

"yes!"

The eunuch opened the scroll of remonstrance and read it aloud to the assembled officials. It was a treatise on governing the country, written with profound wisdom. The officials, moved by the eunuch's words, were deeply touched by his dedication to the nation and its people. After he finished speaking, Xiao Xuan sighed and said, "Lord Shi, you must have poured your heart and soul into writing this remonstrance. With your understanding of governance, how can you so easily resign yourself to old age? I will reward you handsomely!"

The emperor originally only wanted to retire, and he wrote this remonstrance out of a kind heart. He did not expect that the Empress Dowager would not only listen to his remonstrance, but also reward him handsomely. He immediately knelt down and said, "Thank you for your grace, Empress Dowager."

Xiao Xuan smiled slightly and said, "Rise." Watching Shi stand up and return to the ranks of ministers, Xiao Xuan picked up the second memorial.

"This memorial was submitted by Yelü Ameili, the Envoy of the Northern Court. In his memorial, he wrote that the system of collective punishment was too harsh and cruel, harming the innocent, and requested that I abolish it!"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Ameili hurriedly stepped out of the ranks, about to kneel down, when Xiao Xuan said, "I think his memorial is very well written, and I will reward him handsomely. Furthermore, I will abolish the system of collective punishment and record it in the law." "Very well."

"Great, that's wonderful!"

A considerable commotion immediately arose among the officials. Everyone knew the harm of collective punishment, but emperors of past dynasties had ignored its cruelty in order to maintain their imperial power. Now, hearing Xiao Xuan's bold decision to abolish this law, they all praised it.

Empress Dowager of the Khitan - Chapter Ninety: Memorials (Part Two)

Updated: 2008-09-23 16:30:36 Word Count: 1418

Yelü Ameili stood there, stunned. He hadn't expected Xiaoxuan to make her decision so quickly. Looking at Xiaoxuan, and then at the Empress Dowager sitting high in the court with a slight smile, Yelü Ameili suddenly realized what was happening and knelt down, saying, "Your subject Yelü Ameili thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace."

"Rise," Xiao Xuan said, then looked at the memorial in her hand and said, "There are two more memorials here. One is about Ta La Gan Nai Wan Shi's drunken ramblings, and the other is about my people accidentally setting fire to the sacred mountain. Guards, bring the criminals to the main hall."

"yes!"

Watching the guards leave with the imperial decree, Xiao Xuan turned her gaze to the two memorials in her hands. The assembled officials looked at Xiao Xuan, who was intently focused on the memorials, with bright, eager eyes. The Empress Dowager was indeed wise; she had handled these two matters with utmost respect. As for the matter of Tarazan Naiwanshi and the Holy Mountain, there was nothing inherently wrong with not investigating them. These were heinous crimes, deserving immediate execution.

A moment later, the guards led Taragan Naiwanshi and his people into the main hall. Taragan Naiwanshi and his tribesmen knelt far from the throne, kowtowing repeatedly and crying out, "Empress Dowager, spare our lives! Empress Dowager, spare our lives!"

"Come forward, all of you, so I can have a good look at you," Xiao Xuan said.

Upon hearing this, the ministers were somewhat worried. These people, having committed such crimes in the past, had only one fate: death. They would be summoned to the palace, berated, dragged out, and immediately executed. Why, then, did the Empress Dowager want to examine them closely? Furthermore, if these people, condemned to death, were too close to the Empress Dowager, they might harbor some ill intentions. Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone someone facing imminent death. Immediately, the palace guards also showed signs of tension.

Looking at Tarazan Naiwanshi and his people, who had been brought to a place not far from the main hall, Xiao Xuan scrutinized their faces. After a long silence, she looked at the people and asked, "Are you the herdsmen who burned down my sacred Konoha Mountain?"

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty! Please spare my life, Your Majesty!"

A chorus of cries erupted from the main hall.

"Do you know the terrible mess you've made? Because of your carelessness, trees that have stood for thousands of years have been destroyed in an instant. I really want to punish you severely, but the Minister of the Imperial Household advised me that mercy should come first to the people. You did not intentionally burn down the sacred mountain; it was just an accident. I intend to punish each of you with fifty strokes of the cane as a warning, so that you will remember this lesson and be more careful and meticulous in your future actions. Do you accept this?"

"I submit! I submit!" The people thought they were doomed this time, but they didn't expect the Empress Dowager to only give them fifty strokes of the cane. Everyone was unwilling, and they all shouted "I submit!" while kowtowing to express their gratitude. The minister in the room, watching this scene, felt an indescribable joy.

As Tarazan Naiwanshi watched the herdsmen leave the hall after expressing their gratitude to receive their punishments, he felt a mixture of envy and fear. He envied those who had committed heinous crimes yet escaped with their lives, but he feared his own guilt and the intrigues of the inner court, matters always taboo to the royal family.

"Tartar Gan Nai Wan Shi?"