Chapter 191 |
Three days after the new emperor ascended the throne, a general amnesty was granted to the world.
The new emperor conferred titles of nobility. He named the Third Prince as Prince Cheng, posthumously honored the Fourth Prince as Prince Yan, and out of pity for his brothers and the bitter cold of Lingbei, he conferred the title of Commandery Prince Dan upon the First Prince, allowing him to return to the capital.
Commandery Prince Dan refused. Taking his wife and children, he wished to remain in Lingbei.
Zichen Palace.
Qu Dubei, wearing his sleepwear, sat cross-legged on the heated brick bed, tinkering with the spices on the small table. Small hammers, little tweezers, and other tools were scattered all about.
The spices were too pungent. His eyes were stung red, yet he stubbornly continued to mix them himself. Beside him, Ye Xiaoyuan and the other palace servants silently covered their noses with their handkerchiefs or sleeves.
The First Prince was also choking from the fumes, his mouth twitching slightly. "Your Majesty, could you please stop ruining these things?"
Qu Dubei let out a massive sneeze. "Cough, cough cough!"
Unaccustomed to referring to himself with the royal 'We', he said, "Most of what I used before was gotten for free. I can mix simple spices, but I still need to learn the complex ones."
The First Prince replied, "It is already good enough that Your Majesty withstood the pressure to name a stripped-title prince like me as a commandery prince. If I returned to the capital, wouldn't I just be an eyesore to those officials who cursed me for backstabbing them? Besides, I am used to life in Lingbei; I live very comfortably there."
The people of Lingbei were generally straightforward, which suited him perfectly.
He was most annoyed by the convoluted, scheming people of the capital, and the Third Prince was also there, which would annoy him even more to see.
Qu Dubei used a small brush to sweep together the incense powder that had been blown across the table, speaking with a look of heartache. "Big brother, how can you throw away your heroic youth in Lingbei, seeking only pleasure? It is truly inappropriate, truly inappropriate."
The First Prince said, "Uh... I don't think 'throw away' is the right phrase..."
Qu Dubei said, "Shouldn't you make a contribution to the great cause of the Great Zhou?"
The First Prince hesitated. "What contribution?"
Qu Dubei replied, "I haven't thought of it yet."
"..."
He stroked his chin. "Lingbei is a treasure trove. On its other side is the ocean, offering both mountain delicacies and seafood. If we could open a shipping route from Lingbei to the inland, the resources there could be utilized."
However, this matter was not urgent. He had looked at the national treasury accounts and it was indeed poor; no wonder Lin Zongping acted like a miser.
The First Prince pondered. "Many people living near the mountains and the sea are self-sufficient. It's just that during the frozen sea periods and when snow seals the mountains, life becomes difficult, and people freeze or starve to death. If it could be connected to the inland, they should slowly become prosperous."
Such was the local situation in Lingbei.
Qu Dubei said, "Then I will have to trouble you, big brother. The situation along the coast and the major mountain ranges of Lingbei needs someone to lead the way and figure it out. I will assign a few people to you. After you return to Lingbei, take them for an on-site investigation. Then write a feasibility... report."
The First Prince's eyes began to glaze over. "Oh, oh." Pausing for a few seconds, he asked in confusion, "I thought I was here to bid farewell?"
"Sigh! Between brothers, why bring this up? Where in Great Zhou is not home? What farewell? Being in Lingbei is the same as being in the capital." Qu Dubei got down from the bed, stepped barefoot on the ground, and slung an arm around the First Prince's neck, walking him outward. "When you work at home, shouldn't you be more serious, more hardworking?"
"Big brother, tell me, isn't that right?"
The First Prince replied, "I suppose so..."
Qu Dubei said, "Exactly!"
"Think about sister-in-law, think about my two little nephews. Since you will be living there from now on, shouldn't you spruce the place up and make it more prosperous? In the future, big brother, you will be the great benefactor of Lingbei's development. Will you ever have to worry about not leaving your mark in the history books..."
Ye Xiaoyuan looked at his own Emperor, who was so busy swindling someone that he forgot to even put on his shoes, and couldn't help but rub his forehead.
Fortunately, it was only late autumn, and the weather was not too cold yet.
By the time the First Prince was escorted out of the palace by his buddy-buddy brother Qu Dubei, his heart was already surging with enthusiasm.
Indeed, there was no war in Lingbei. The border guards lived in bitter cold but were idle; aside from maintaining public order, they had no place to use their martial skills.
If Lingbei became prosperous and its population grew, the soldiers would also have things to do.
"Your Majesty, rest assured! Leave this matter to me. In three or five years, I will definitely thoroughly investigate the social and geographical conditions of the coast and mountains of Lingbei!"
Qu Dubei also wore a serious expression. "I grant you the authority to supervise officials during your investigation. If there is any corruption or bribery, you may report it directly to the capital."
The First Prince cupped his hands, his emotions running high. "Yes!"
He strode away with large steps.
Qu Dubei stood at the palace doors, belatedly feeling the chill on the soles of his feet. He turned his head and met Ye Xiaoyuan's silent gaze, then coughed lightly and stepped back inside.
On the other side, as the First Prince reached the palace gates, his overheated brain was blown by the cool wind and gradually calmed down.
"..."
Wait a minute.
He was just here to bid farewell.
To go home and continue living his leisurely, carefree little life.
Lingbei was poor, but he wasn't poor! Even if he wanted his soldiers to live a bit better, the price he would have to pay was too great.
Why should he be responsible for the future of so many people in Lingbei?
The First Prince's brain finally turned the corner; he had been swindled into taking on a long-term grueling job!
He immediately turned back, but after taking two steps, a familiar voice suddenly came from the palace gates: "Where are you going?!"
The First Prince froze and turned his head.
Consort De stood at the palace gates, hands on her hips, her delicate eyebrows raised. Behind her were two palace maids who had always taken care of her, currently carrying bags and looking ready for a long journey.
The First Prince said, "Mother...?"
Consort De said, "Did you walk away because you saw me? What, are you unwilling to let me go with you to Lingbei?"
The First Prince quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no, of course I am willing! But, Mother, how did you sneak out?"
An imperial consort, especially a consort of the late emperor, sneaking out was a grave crime.
He began racking his brains to figure out how to put in a good word for his mother in front of His Majesty. At worst, he would just really accept that job... Sigh.
"Of course His Majesty let me go. Did you really think I could sneak out?" Consort De, who was now a Dowager Consort, rolled her eyes. "How old am I? I don't have good martial arts skills like Consort Xuan; where would I get the ability to do that?"
The First Prince was stunned. "His Majesty let you go?"
A palace maid said, "It is indeed true. His Majesty said that your return to Lingbei to build up Great Zhou is a great thing, but since you love your work, you might neglect your family when you get busy, let alone Her Ladyship in the capital. To lessen the pain of parting, he specially permitted Her Ladyship to go with you to Lingbei."
Consort De said, "You have to work hard! Your mother doesn't want to come back here and be cooped up again."
She grabbed the First Prince's arm, beaming with joy.
"Oh my, I just don't know if they have square dancing in Lingbei. I definitely have to find some people to have a good time with."
She had been very young when she entered the palace. Having stayed in the palace for nearly thirty years, she had only gone out a handful of times and deeply yearned for the outside world.
The fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the sparse silver in her hair all spoke of the ruthlessness of time.
The First Prince felt a slight ache in his heart.
He smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
It seemed there was no need to return to Zichen Palace. However, he accepted this assignment completely willingly.
The First Prince cupped his hands in the direction of the Zichen Palace.
Then he took Consort De's hand, Let us go, Mother. Your son will take you to see the mountains of Lingbei.
-
Regarding the arrangements for the Old Geezer's bunch of imperial concubines.
Qu Dubian gave them three choices.
Those without children could choose to return home voluntarily. If their family members had all passed away, the imperial court would help arrange a residence and allocate some silver every month as a living allowance.
Those who had children and whose children were still alive, such as Consort Wen and Consort De, could choose to move into the mansions of the Princes or Commandery Princes.
For those unwilling to leave the palace, the palace would also arrange for them to be treated according to the previous standards for the late Emperor's concubines.
As Qu Dubian's adoptive mother, Consort Xuan was honored as Empress Dowager Xuan, and the Empress was honored as Empress Dowager An. They were in charge of the arrangements for the late Emperor's concubines.
If they were willing to leave the palace but did not know what to do afterward, Consort Xuan mentioned that they could go to Yangzhou. The orphanage managed by her and Noble Lady Guo was getting a bit too busy to handle.
Qu Dubian handed this matter over to Consort Xuan to manage.
With this order, most of the palaces in the imperial palace became vacant. After all, except for those who were truly homeless and too lazy to go out, most of the concubines still yearned for life outside.
Five days after ascending the throne, he was not idle.
The Fifth Prince was still locked up in the Eastern Depot prison. Qu Dubian wanted to release him, but after all, the late Emperor had given a strict order to imprison him for life. Right now, the late Emperor had been dead for less than two months. If he were to release him immediately, the imperial court would be turned upside down. He needed an excuse.
This excuse had not yet arrived.
He could only let the Fifth Prince continue to lie idle in prison for a while longer before pulling him out to work.
After Qu Dubian sorted out this mess of affairs and familiarized himself with the daily political affairs, he finally had the intention to hold court.
Yes, he had not held court at all for these five days.
The memorials to the throne were piled up like small mountains.
When Fang Hechuan entered the Zichen Palace, he saw Qu Dubian sitting on the carpet, surrounded by memorials divided into three piles. He read the memorials extremely fast: open, glance, and quickly categorize.
Occasionally, when he frowned at what he read, he would just toss it aside.
Fang Hechuan had never seen an emperor read memorials like this. ...Ahem, Your Majesty?
Qu Dubian looked up. Teacher is here? Have a seat.
He called Fang Hechuan teacher, and the smiling expression on the latter's face softened even more. He gathered the hem of his robe and sat casually on the carpet as well.
Fang Hechuan looked around. Since Your Majesty has already started reading the memorials, why not hold court? The ministers asked me to come and ask Your Majesty when court will be held.
Qu Dubian: Before holding court, I always have to figure out their style and habits of speaking and doing things.
Otherwise, he would be led by the nose.
He did not think that the officials in the court were all honest.
Fang Hechuan: Then have you figured it all out?
Qu Dubian: I finally know why the late Emperor's memorials kept increasing the more he reviewed them.
He pointed to the three piles of memorials in front of him and explained them one by one to Grand Tutor Fang.
The largest batch was actually flattering greeting memorials, babbling about trivial matters of life, subtly gossiping about their peers, and expressing their daily longing for him.
They missed him when they ate, missed him when they went to the latrine, and still missed him before going to sleep.
The writing style and wording described their feelings of longing and respect for the sovereign in such a lingering and touching manner. There was even one who wrote that he saw red clothes for sale in a tailor shop on the street, remembered that His Majesty once wore red, felt his longing for the sovereign rise again, bought the clothes, and went home to kneel and carefully wipe them.
...Unbearable!
Qu Dubian got goosebumps all over.
The second batch shrank by half directly. It consisted of normal government reports on handling matters. Some required his decision, but the polite greetings at the beginning alone could take up one or two hundred words. It was extremely lengthy and dragging, and it took a long time to summarize the key points between the lines.
The third batch surprisingly only had five or six books. They were important events that required him to personally handle and reply to recently.
Rectification! Must be rectified!
Fang Hechuan stroked his increasingly white beard and sighed. It will not be easy to change. The ministers have been used to it for decades. Moreover, there is no specific regulation.
Qu Dubian: I just asked Xi Zixing to make a chart. He shouted outside.
Xi Zixing came in and gave the prepared chart to Fang Hechuan.
He had now nominally entered the Chief Surveillance Bureau and was a minor investigating censor, but in reality, he worked by Qu Dubian's side, acting as half a secretary. He had self-proclaimed himself as the most capable person under the new Emperor.
Xi Zixing: The chart drawing was taught by His Majesty. From now on, the memorials will be divided into three categories, each with its own different cover paper to distinguish their urgency. The first category is greeting memorials. They will be submitted to the palace, and His Majesty will read them in his spare time. They will not be replied to or returned.
The Great Zhou's memorial reply system worked like this: officials submitted memorials, the emperor replied and returned them to the officials, but the officials could not keep the memorials to avoid tampering with the contents of the emperor's replies on them.
They needed to return them to the imperial palace within a specified time, and the Memorial Office would collect them uniformly again.
Qu Dubian cut out the process of returning greeting memorials and sending them back to the imperial palace.
Xi Zixing: The second category, daily official business, will be handed over to the three Grand Secretaries of the Wenyuan Hall to handle and reply to, and then presented to His Majesty. The third category is urgent and important events, which His Majesty will personally handle.
The chart turned a page, and on the back were the writing standard requirements for official business and urgent memorials.
After Fang Hechuan finished reading, he pondered for a long time.
At first, it will be very troublesome, and many people may not be willing to change, but once they truly get used to it, it will indeed greatly improve office efficiency.
Qu Dubian lay back, lying straight on the carpet.
Whether he was in the Prince's Mansion or the Prince Yong's Mansion, he loved doing this, so on Ye Xiaoyuan's first day as the head eunuch, he replaced all the places where he loved to lie down and play with thick carpets.
If they are unwilling to change, I will help them change. Otherwise, this life will be unlivable in the future.
If he could not control the situation with the first thing he planned to change upon holding court, then there would be no need to mention the future.
-
The next day.
The new Emperor held court.
He announced the changes to the memorial regulations.
The standard regulations for memorials were distributed to various departments by Xi Zixing.
In the Qianji Palace, the ministers discussed in low voices. It was not until they had passed it around one by one that someone stepped forward and said, Reporting to Your Majesty, this... is it not inappropriate to exempt greetings and well-wishes from the memorials? We subjects very much want to care about Your Majesty.
Yes, another minister stepped forward. And if greeting memorials are not replied to, will it not hurt the sincere hearts of the ministers who care about Your Majesty?
Xi Zixing glanced over. What is the use of sincerity if it is only written well on paper?
...
Xia Fuyang could not help but hook the corner of his mouth.
Damn it, when this guy's mouth mocked others, it sounded really satisfying.
The ministers below stopped talking. After all, it was just a change in the memorial system, not a major event.
In short, this matter was settled like this.
However, although it was settled, there were still some people who did not follow the rules and mixed a series of mushy words like greetings and concerns between the lines.
Perhaps they were truly too lazy to change, or perhaps they were testing the temper and handling style of this new Emperor.
Qu Dubian waited patiently for seven days. When he found that the number of non-compliant memorials was gradually increasing, he knew what these ministers were thinking.
They were probably just thinking that His Majesty wouldn't punish them with the paddle over such a trivial matter anyway. The new emperor had just ascended the throne and still needed a good reputation.
Qu Dubian gathered these memorials together, packed them into a chest, and had Ye Xiaoyuan carry it to the very front of the grand hall during the court assembly the next day.
With a heavy thud, the chest was set down.
The civil and military officials looked at each other in dismay.
Qu Dubian raised his hand. Read them.
Xi Zixing nodded. Yes, Your Majesty.
He picked up a memorial from the chest and read, Respectfully submitted by the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision: Your Majesty's divine might descends from heaven. Whenever I am in your presence, my heart trembles and my affection flows continuously; I wish nothing more than to serve Your Majesty even unto death. The Court of Judicature and Revision has a multitude of affairs, and my superiors have many social engagements, making it difficult for them to attend to...
The Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision flared up, pointing at the Deputy Minister's nose and scolding, Well, well! What are you writing in your memorials?! When have I ever had so many social engagements that I couldn't attend to official business?!
Who was he badmouthing behind their back?! Wasn't he just coveting the Minister's position, trying to hint to His Majesty that he was incompetent so he could step on him to climb the ranks?
The Deputy Minister sweated profusely, wishing he could die of shame.
Qu Dubian picked up the fruit platter on his desk and started eating.
Xi Zixing read with great emotion. As expected of a top scholar, he perfectly conveyed the flattering tone within the memorial.
Every time he finished reading one, someone would lower their head, blushing furiously, wishing they could find a hole in the ground to hide in.
It was as if the people who wrote those mushy, sycophantic words weren't the same officials who usually appeared so elegant and aloof.
Fang Hechuan looked up at the young emperor on the dragon throne. He was still leisurely eating fruit, watching the good show below with great interest.
His expression still revealed his old petty temper and personality, loving to watch a commotion and see people make fools of themselves.
...He probably couldn't leave the palace, so he found his amusement in tormenting his ministers.
For the civil officials in the court, this was even more ruthless than being beaten with a paddle.
The old man kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, pricking up his ears to carefully listen to this public execution.
After about half of them were read, the awkward and shameful atmosphere in the hall was so thick it was almost suffocating.
Only then did Qu Dubian call a halt: Alright, my dear young minister Xi.
The courtiers were on the verge of tears as this long and suffocating execution finally ended.
Xi Zixing cupped his hands and returned to his ranks. The moment the words my dear young minister Xi entered his ears, his mood became absolutely sunny.
He glanced at Xia Fuyang.
The latter did not look at him, his expression as usual.
Qu Dubian said, My beloved ministers, you all know that my health has been poor since childhood. After returning from the Northern Frontier, I went blind, and my eyes are still not very good now. I cannot read too many complicated, tedious words.
He set down the fruit platter, the amused look on his face vanishing, and said calmly, I do not like to repeat my orders a second time, much less emphasize them over and over. Once I have spoken and given an order, you are to carry it out earnestly.
Regarding the reform of the memorial format, I gave you seven days to get used to it. Within these seven days, very few memorials fully met the requirements, while the unqualified ones have only increased. Are you testing my temper, or do you feel that because I am too young, not even twenty yet, I must yield to you in everything and rely on you to properly govern the court and the empire?
The officials' hearts skipped a beat, and they hurriedly said, We would not dare!
We would absolutely never dare!
Qu Dubian replied, I am not angry, so what are you nervous about.
The officials remained silent.
Qu Dubian smiled faintly. From this pile of memorials, I will select a few typical examples and post them in front of the government offices where you work. From today onward, if any submitted memorials are still non-compliant, long-winded, or overly complicated, they will be posted on the city's notice boards so that the commoners and scholars can also witness the elegant demeanor of our Great Zhou's ministers.
The hearts of the civil and military officials leaped into their throats. If that really happened, they would be thoroughly humiliated in the streets!
We will certainly obey Your Majesty's decree and standardize our memorials according to the new regulations!
Only then did Qu Dubian nod in satisfaction.
After the memorial reform, the frequency of court assemblies could also be adjusted based on the volume of affairs. There was no need for a daily assembly; holding court once every three or five days would be much more reasonable.
After court was dismissed, Fang Hechuan and Xi Zixing did not leave, calling the civil and military officials forward.
My lords, these are the outstanding memorials personally selected by His Majesty. His Majesty asked me to show them to everyone.
Fang Hechuan unfolded his own memorial. As the courtiers looked over, they were unanimously drawn to the top right corner. What is that?
Fang Hechuan raised his eyebrows and said with a chuckle, It's a little red flower given by His Majesty. It's a commendation.
The old man was a bit smug. This one of mine is the very first flower since the founding of the dynasty!
Ah... a little red flower stamped by His Majesty.
Hearing this, Xia Fuyang brought over Xi Zixing's memorial as well. Sure enough, there was also a stamped little red flower in the top right corner.
He remarked, Censor Xi is very outstanding.
Xi Zixing leaned in and whispered with a smile, I do alright, General Xia.
Xia Fuyang snorted. Who cares about this.
That night.
Ye Xiaoyuan brought in a memorial. Your Majesty, it is a memorial of greetings from Young General Xia. He said I must hand it to you personally, claiming it concerns a major matter.
Qu Dubian grew curious and reached out his hand. Let me see.
He unfolded the memorial and took a look. The first line read:
Your Majesty, why do you call him Xiao Xi, but call me Lao Xia?
The second line read:
I want a little red flower too.
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