Fish Meat – Chapter 116
by Little PandaThe Eleventh Year of Shenchu
The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (6)
It had been a very long time since Li Yanyi had a good night’s sleep.
She had no time to tend to the numerous wounds on her body. Previously, her mind was entirely focused on squeezing more money out of this impoverished country for the war effort to resist the Chongjin army. Simultaneously, she couldn’t let her guard down, lest she be stabbed in the back during a life-or-death battle. As soon as the great war ended, her thoughts turned to how to restore national strength, reorganize the court, establish a core group, and eliminate remaining factions. Many heavy burdens weighed on Li Yanyi’s shoulders. Although she had the Minister of State Affairs Wei Lun and the Minister of Works Zhangsun Yao by her side, as a newly enthroned emperor, she didn’t feel comfortable entrusting important matters to others. All affairs had to go through her review or approval before they could be carried out.
Li Yanyi couldn’t remember the last time she slept until naturally waking up. She had been charging forward non-stop, not feeling that she couldn’t bear these exhausting tasks. However, physical and mental fatigue were unavoidable. Perhaps the only thing that could make her feel at a loss was Ah Xin.
When Li Yanyi opened her eyes, she saw soft curtains hanging around her. There was a fragrance of flowers in the room, fresh flower scent.
She reached out her hand to feel the edge of the bed, and Ah Xin woke up immediately when touched by her.
“Are you alright?” Ah Xin asked softly.
Li Yanyi didn’t answer, only using her fingertips to lift Ah Xin’s hair.
“…If you’re fine, I’ll leave.” As Ah Xin spoke and was about to stand up, the wounds on her waist and back flared up simultaneously, causing her to break out in a cold sweat. She swayed and was just about to stand up when Li Yanyi pulled her back.
“Where are you going?” Li Yanyi pouted, saying pitifully, “I’ve fainted, and you still want to leave. Aren’t you afraid that I might fall ill again, get bumped or fall, miss you so much that I can’t eat? What should I do then?”
Ah Xin wanted to say “I no longer have the will to live, so how could I care about whether you eat or not,” but after turning this thought over in her mind, she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Moreover, Li Yanyi was clearly being unreasonable and throwing a tantrum, so arguing with her was pointless. She remained silent and sat back down.
“Li Yanyi, we should have a heart-to-heart talk,” Ah Xin said seriously. “No joking around.”
Li Yanyi rolled over, crawled off the bed, straddled Ah Xin, hugged her, and kissed her.
Ah Xin: “…You never intended to have a proper talk.”
“Correct,” Li Yanyi said, sucking on her earlobe. “I didn’t intend to.”
Ah Xin helplessly tried to push her away, but the great battle that night had drained her last bit of strength. Pushing Li Yanyi away was difficult, and supporting the entangled movements of the two was even more challenging. Amidst Li Yanyi’s coquettish laughter, they both fell onto the soft carpet. Li Yanyi controlled her strength and supported Ah Xin’s waist, ensuring her impulsive actions wouldn’t aggravate Ah Xin’s injuries. Ah Xin also held onto her, maintaining their balance.
“We’re still so in sync,” Li Yanyi said, nuzzling Ah Xin’s neck with her kisses. Ah Xin tried to curl up:
“Don’t do this. You know, if I were to do as you say, I would be condemned by thousands and leave a stench for ten thousand years.”
“You are this sovereign’s empress. Who dares to criticize you?”
“You know this is impossible. You can silence others for a while, but can you silence them for a lifetime?”
Li Yanyi laughed against Ah Xin’s chest: “You’ve always cared too much about others’ opinions. Who you are and what you’ve done, what does it have to do with others? This world is no longer an era where sages are perfect in knowledge and conduct, supremely good and true. Those who claim to be great scholars may not be able to ‘set their will on public welfare, conduct themselves with self-discipline, and understand the principles of all things.’ Those who can be called ‘sages’ no longer exist. Moreover, I don’t believe there are people in this world who have never done anything wrong. It might have been unintentional or forced, but people make mistakes throughout their lives. It is these mistakes that have shaped who we are today. Even you, a born talent, have accumulated today’s experience after countless defeats before becoming invincible. Taking a step back, even if it was intentional, so what? You and I both know that some people can become the protagonists of history books, while others are destined to not even have their names recorded.”
“Even if propriety and music have collapsed and villains run rampant, I still have my principles to follow. I won’t become like them just because others are fighting and competing fiercely. Otherwise, how could I have the face to criticize them? It would be a waste of reading the sages’ books,” Ah Xin said. “I have no intention of leaving my name in history. My only wish is to see phoenixes soar and the world at peace in my lifetime. Li Yanyi, with countless common people in the world, it’s not easy for you to stubbornly try to silence others.”
Li Yanyi sneered: “I can’t and have no interest in silencing the endless chatter of others, but I can choose to kill them all.”
When Li Yanyi said this, she saw Ah Xin’s throat bob.
“Are you afraid of me like this? Or do you like it? You know our fate in this life is hard to sever. If it could be cut, it would have been long ago. It’s just like how you always shout about wanting to kill me, but in the end, you always risk your own life to save me. Ah Xin, I never want to force you, so why do you force yourself? We’ve long anticipated today’s situation. Let me ask you this: if I were defeated and died, would you follow me to the yellow springs?”
As Ah Xin was about to speak, Li Yanyi rushed to say: “Even if you’re willing, have you ever asked if I would agree to you dying with me? Would your father want you to perish along with the Xie family? If you were to die too, who would protect the mountains and rivers of Da Yu?”
Previously, no matter what Li Yanyi said, Ah Xin remained silent, her mind elsewhere. But when it came to this point, the light in her eyes was undisguisable.
“You know that Da Yu’s talented generals are declining. The Hu barbarians in the frontier have lived in poverty for generations in the year-round cold lands, and they can’t help but covet the vast Central Plains. Today’s retreat is only temporary; they will surely return. If you die today to accompany the Xie clan in death, you would be fulfilling the Hu barbarians’ wishes. Ah Xin, is this really what you want to see? You often say that I am treacherous and a rebellious minister, but I also bear the surname Li. It is my body that carries the purest blood of the Yu royal family. Why can’t I be the emperor? Just because I’m a woman? When Li Ju was on the throne, evil forces ran rampant, and villains prospered. He was a man, the crown prince personally passed the throne by the previous emperor, but so what? He wasn’t a tyrant, but he also didn’t accomplish anything. It’s now the eleventh year of Shenchu, and in Li Ju’s eleven years on the throne, he couldn’t even produce a single general capable of fighting the Hu barbarians. The national treasury is as empty as his brain. Is this the Da Yu we want? The empire built by generations, the territory defended with great effort, is it to be wasted in the hands of such a person? Can you be content with that? I can’t.”
Li Yanyi stood up from her body, still feeling a bit dizzy and hungry, but her chest was full of nausea.
“In the end, the previous emperor was quite wary because of the Ruan clan incident, so he explicitly prohibited women from holding official positions. Along with the thousand-year-old concept, this has given incompetent people all the advantages. However, all of this will be rewritten in this sovereign’s hands. Whether man or woman, whether from noble or humble families, only one thing can determine their future, and that is talent. There will no longer be thresholds in the world, nor will there be injustice. Only talent is the path to a prosperous era. At least girls born during the Zhao Wu era can all have names and surnames, no longer just casually given a “little name” (“xiao zi”). It’s a pity you weren’t born in Zhao Wu. The name Ah Xin is also good, but it’s still a “little name” after all. You should have a name more suitable for you.”
Ah Xin smiled and said, “Governing a country is not that simple. Let alone governing a country, even managing the army has many difficulties. If you’re too radical, it will only backfire.”
“How long has this decaying country been stagnant without any signs of improvement? Crushed by the Hu tribes and facing rebel uprisings, how long do you want me to wait?” Li Yanyi put on her own clothes, fastening the yellow dragon belt tightly.
“I wish you could stay in the palace as my empress, away from danger, enjoying flowers in spring and gazing at the moon in summer with me. But I also understand that your ambition lies on the battlefield, and you don’t want to be just a bird in a cage. As long as you don’t seek death, I have no objection to whatever you decide to do.” Li Yanyi, fully dressed, turned back and held her shoulders, “Ah Xin, don’t let your lifetime of talent be buried in the yellow earth. Your path as a general has just begun.”
Li Yanyi had always known what her weakness was and what she desired most.
If Li Yanyi wanted to be above ten thousand people and wanted to change this country single-handedly, then Ah Xin’s lifelong wish was to protect the country and defend the homeland. She loved this land, loved her close relatives and friends here, and would never allow foreign invasion.
If she died, only Wei Jing’an would be left to resist the Hu tribe, and he was still from the Wei family.
Ah Xin covered her face and sighed helplessly.
“Why did I have to be born into the Xie family? And since I was born into the Xie family, why did I have to meet you…”
Li Yanyi lowered herself and kissed her tears.
“I once asked myself why I wasn’t born a man. But now I no longer question it. Nothing in this world is absolutely ‘impossible’; it all depends on how you handle it. Ah Xin, you are loyal to Da Yu and to the Son of Heaven of Da Yu. This world has not changed its surname, and now I am the Son of Heaven. You should be loyal to me.”
Li Yanyi’s gentleness lasted no more than three sentences, each revolving around power.
And Ah Xin asked herself, what did she really like about Li Yanyi? Was it her beautiful appearance or was she attracted by the undeniable air of royalty about her?
Perhaps it was the latter.
To show respect, Li Yanyi changed the era name to Zhao Wu after her ascension to the throne, but the eleventh year of Shenchu was still under the Shenchu era name until the following year when it truly entered the Zhao Wu era.
Although this show of respect was just a high-sounding excuse, just like when the Liu clan wanted to pass the throne to her, she repeatedly declined until the officials and the Liu clan recommended Li Yanyi three times before she “reluctantly” agreed.
The golden autumn in Runing was the best season of the year, with ginkgo trees throughout the city turning yellow. Looking down from a high place, it was like pots of gold.
“If only it were real gold, this old man wouldn’t have to worry about money to the point of heartbreak,” Wei Lun stood on the city wall overlooking the entire Runing city. Wei Tingxu followed behind him, listening to him ramble on about how empty the national treasury was, not even able to pay out rewards to the soldiers who had greatly defeated the Chongjin army. Li Yanyi was even stingier, directly using land grants as compensation. Although these lands were awarded to meritorious officials, taxes couldn’t be reduced by a single coin, and all mountain and sea resources within the fiefs belonged to the central government. They had to find people to cultivate the land themselves, only exempted from head tax and three years of military service.
Wei Tingxu had personally seen Li Yanyi almost scratching her head over money, gathering important ministers to discuss how to solve financial problems. First, they couldn’t increase agricultural taxes as soon as they ascended the throne. Having just gone through a great famine, the surplus grain that the common people finally had in their hands was certainly precious, and taxes couldn’t be increased. Zhangsun Yao originally advocated for reducing or exempting agricultural taxes to win people’s hearts, but Li Yanyi was the first to jump up and oppose:
“Don’t even think about it! I can maintain a thirty percent tax, but it absolutely cannot be reduced further, let alone exempted. Don’t even think about it! Yes, the central government is not bloated now, and even if we collect less agricultural tax, we can still feed all of you. But you need to know how difficult the road ahead is. The mess left by Emperor Huai is not as simple as having no money and no troops. To walk the path ahead well, finding ways to fill the national treasury is the foundation.”
Li Yanyi, who once casually spent tens of thousands of gold at a single elegant gathering, now had her day. Wei Tingxu recalled that yesterday, the emperor was still “extorting” in the palace, bringing along Empress Dowager Geng, gathering all officials of fifth rank and above along with their families to compose poems on changing themes. Whoever couldn’t compose would be fined ten taels of silver, and if they didn’t have silver on hand, they could use accessories as collateral. Li Yanyi was like a gambling house owner, winning big, happily taking back a pile of gold, silver, and jewels to fill the national treasury, already planning what excuse to use next time to gather the officials again. Li Yanyi felt happy and proud, walking with a spring in her step, while Wei Tingxu held back her laughter for a long time before finally bursting out. Even now, remembering it, she couldn’t hide her smile.
Li Yanyi glared at her: “Zizhuo, you laugh at me today, but tomorrow when it’s time for official selection and court entry, you’ll have your turn to worry!”
When the morning court session ended, it was already night. Li Yanyi had no appetite for dinner, but Empress Dowager Geng insisted she must eat something. She picked up her chopsticks but felt nauseous at the sight of everything. However, Empress Dowager Geng kept nagging, giving her a headache, so she reluctantly drank a few sips of soup. Empress Dowager Geng recounted a series of examples of previous emperors who worked themselves to death out of diligence, telling her that it wasn’t wrong to care about state affairs, but Her Majesty should also use the right methods. If her body broke down, she wouldn’t be able to do anything, and it would only fulfill the wishes of treacherous people.
Li Yanyi understood that Empress Dowager Geng was concerned about her, but she didn’t feel tired. She was in her prime; if not now, when?
For every sentence Empress Dowager Geng said, Li Yanyi had three waiting behind it. Empress Dowager Geng looked at Huai Qin with great fondness, unable to truly scold her.
“My child has grown up and truly achieved the first great feat in ancient and modern times. I am grateful to Your Majesty. When Your Majesty gives birth to a prince, this old woman can close her eyes in peace after a hundred years,” Empress Dowager Geng said, her eyes glistening with tears, unable to help wiping them with her handkerchief.
Hearing the first half of the sentence, Li Yanyi felt particularly heartbroken, but when the ending was suddenly added, Li Yanyi’s sour heart immediately fell back, coldly watching Empress Dowager Geng wipe her tears alone. Seeing that Li Yanyi didn’t respond to her, Empress Dowager Geng secretly glanced at her while crying. Li Yanyi picked up a few slices of lamb and ate them with a fierce look in her eyes, clearly having her own considerations.
Empress Dowager Geng put her handkerchief aside, stopped crying, and continued: “Thirty-some years ago, when I gave birth to you, it was in the twelfth lunar month. It was the coldest year I can remember. You were sickly as a child, and there were several times when it seemed you couldn’t be saved, but in the end, you grew up healthy and strong. Now you’ve reached the age to be a mother. Huai Qin, you’re already thirty-two. If you don’t consider the issue of offspring now, I’m afraid you’ll regret it deeply in a few years.”
Li Yanyi remained silent and continued eating. As she ate, her appetite actually improved.
“I’ve thought it all out for you. Male emperors can have three thousand concubines, so can you. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin selecting young men, presenting the most handsome and robust men from all over the world to our Huai Qin for you to choose from. Huai Qin, a country cannot go a day without a ruler, and you cannot be without an empress consort. Select a handsome and excellent male empress consort as soon as possible, and give birth to a prince early to continue our Li family lineage and extend our ten-thousand-year foundation.”
“Mother has thought this through for a long time, hasn’t she?” Li Yanyi said while picking up food. “Which family’s young man have you set your eyes on?”
Seeing that she seemed to be compromising, Empress Dowager Geng immediately said: “I think Wei family’s second son, Zilian, is not bad. He’s handsome and a capable general who can repel enemies, making him an excellent choice. Moreover, he’s the legitimate son of the Wei family. Marrying him would bring the increasingly powerful Wei family entirely under our control, firmly restraining them and eliminating any thoughts of rebellion. Or perhaps a few young men from the Zhangsun family would be good too. I find them all quite clever and handsome, and they could be brought into the palace as consorts…”
Li Yanyi burst into laughter after hearing this.
Empress Dowager Geng had been seriously discussing this with her, but seeing her laugh, she knew she had been tricked. She stopped talking and straightened up, saying: “Could it be that Your Majesty intends to give away the hard-won empire again? Huai Qin, are you really such a muddleheaded person?”
Li Yanyi shook her head: “Mother, leave this matter to you. Whoever you fancy, just bring them into the harem. Whether it’s Wei Zilian or the Zhangsun clan, bring them all. When I have time, I’ll select them one by one.”
Li Yanyi’s words were half-true and half-false. Someone else might easily be fooled, but a mother knows her daughter best, and she knew exactly what her daughter was thinking.
“This matter shouldn’t be delayed any further. Huai Qin, the people of the Xie family cannot be trusted,” Empress Dowager Geng revealed her crucial trump card. “Not to mention that she’s a woman, and you and she can’t possibly give birth to children for the Li family. Just consider that she’s the daughter of Xie Fuchen, his legitimate daughter. How can you not fear that one day she might turn her sword against you again if you keep such a person as your bedfellow? How deep was the wound from that sword last time? The scar is still there. Why don’t you learn from your mistakes?” Empress Dowager Geng pleaded earnestly. “You’re no longer the Grand Princess who can act on whims. You’re the ruler of a country, bearing heavy responsibilities. Do you understand? I’ll take a step back – I can turn a blind eye to whatever games you play with Xie Ah Xin, but you must establish an empress consort, and it must be a man! A man who can give birth to an heir apparent for you!”
“Oh, I see,” No matter how excited or righteous Empress Dowager Geng became, Li Yanyi responded calmly. “Mother, I’ve thought about all these things you’ve mentioned. Let’s go with Wei Zilian then, I think he’s quite good. But don’t rush to establish him as empress consort; we can first confer him the title of Noble Consort. Mother, test him thoroughly. Don’t let the situation of powerful in-laws controlling the court happen. You wouldn’t want Wei Lun to become the second Feng Kun, would you?”
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