Fish Meat – Chapter 1

WARNING: MTL

The Ninth Year of Shunde

Twin Lotus

In the late spring of the ninth year of Shunde, the capital city was adorned with blooming flowers and lush vegetation. On the streets, civilians crowded together, and the air was filled with the sound of voices.

It was indeed a good season of the year, and the main gate of the imperial palace was wide open. However, it was not the emperor who was entering, but the newly appointed top-ranking officials selected this spring.

More than ten young and promising officials arrived, driving the phoenix carriages themselves. The clear sound of horse hooves echoed on the imperial road, and the majestic Tai Chi Hall was already in sight. These newly appointed officials, dressed in golden belts and splendid robes, exuded confidence and high aspirations.

The grand procession of phoenix carriages entered the forbidden garden amidst the booming sound of bells and drums, stopping outside the Tai Chi Hall. The high-ranking new officials disembarked and entered the Tai Chi Hall on foot to pay respects to the emperor. After the audience, they drove to the imperial garden in the northwest corner of the Tai Chi Hall to attend the Gui Lan Banquet.

The imperial garden, named “Yijing Garden,” hosted the Gui Lan Banquet every two years. This banquet was the inaugural feast for the new top-ranking officials. The young emperor and the empress would also join in the festivities, and the nobles and high-ranking officials would all attend this biennial grand event.

Though three miles away from Yijing Garden, the garden was already prepared with a hundred delicacies, personally supervised by the Minister of Rites Xiang Xu and the Yellow Gate Attendant Liu Shao. The emperor had decreed that this year’s Gui Lan Banquet must be meticulously prepared without any mishaps.

As the group arrived, Xiang Xu patrolled the wine cellar, counting the wine jars carefully, and noticed a missing type. He pulled Liu Shao over and asked:

“Has the Jade Grape Wine been prepared, Attendant Liu?”

Upon hearing this again, Liu Shao’s face immediately wrinkled, and he raised his voice: “You are too nagging! Since last night, you’ve mentioned the Jade Grape Wine at least three times, and now you bring it up again. Although I’m old, my mind still works. How could I forget the Jade Grape Wine specially prepared for the Scribe? It’s already been moved to the front.”

Xiang Xu, hands behind his back, followed the busy maids and eunuchs to the front hall. Seeing the jar of Jade Grape Wine, he smiled and said softly, “It’s all prepared.”

Liu Shao personally poured the wine, placing the jar on the empty table of the Scribe, and then pointed at the jar, emphasizing:

“Do you know how much effort it took to remove the strong taste and keep the aroma of this Jade Grape Wine? Without the strong taste, can it still be called wine? Just because the female officials can’t drink strong wine but must attend the Gui Lan Banquet, I haven’t slept well for several nights. Nowadays, they say men and women are equal, but we always have to consider the preferences of the female officials, making sure they are well taken care of, lest we get a bad reputation for bias. Where’s the fairness in that?”

Xiang Xu smiled apologetically and said no more.

Whenever Liu Shao mentioned “female officials,” it seemed to hit his most sensitive nerve. Everyone knew he wasn’t mocking all female officials, just one woman who made him uncomfortable and even unsettled the entire Da Yu.

Liu Shao, relying on being close to the young emperor, spoke without restraint. Even if no one responded, he would continue endlessly. If Xiang Xu engaged in conversation, he might not be able to extricate himself until sunset. Xiang Xu did not want to provoke this trouble.

However, Liu Shao’s prejudice against female officials was not unique. Women in Da Yu had not been able to enter officialdom for long, and many still held prejudices.

Since the late emperor broke the traditions in the first year of Zhaowu, appointing female officials and granting them noble titles, more and more high-ranking female officials have opened their offices to recruit subordinates, even leading the northern expeditionary army and repeatedly achieving military success. Inspired by this, many women in Da Yu began to study literature. Central academies and rural schools gradually saw more female students. They boldly stepped out of their boudoirs to study Confucian classics, debate 《Laozi》 and 《Zhuangzi》, and pursue official careers. In the second year of Zhaowu, the dynasty’s first top-ranking female official in two hundred years was selected.

This female official, talented and strategic, quickly rose through the ranks. Within twelve years, she was in the Secretariat and ranked among the Three Excellencies, remaining active in the court to this day. Her legendary career has greatly inspired women with patriotic aspirations. Da Yu underwent a significant transformation, with women entering various industries and social strata, gaining respect for their literacy and virtue.

By Zhaowu’s fourth year, driven by a focus on studying sage texts, Da Yu experienced three consecutive years of record-low marriage rates, and many eligible men struggled to find marriage partners, creating significant pressure for family lineage. Continuous wars further exacerbated the issue of recruiting new soldiers, causing the Ministry of Households great concern.

The late emperor, responsible for these societal issues, remained indifferent, continuing her policies. Just as the “foolish ruler” label was about to be firmly placed on her, she unexpectedly and forcefully implemented the new law allowing same-gender marriages.

It was understandable, given that the late emperor was the only female emperor since the founding of Da Yu, who was determined to elevate the status of women. Under her vigorous promotion, the number of female officials in the court increased, and their influence grew, eventually achieving a situation where female officials could almost stand on equal footing with their male counterparts.

The reason for the “almost” was the presence of conservative officials like Liu Shao, whose mindset remained stuck in the era before the late emperor’s reign, when men were superior to women. Additionally, there were hidden interests at play.

Regardless of his views on the current court situation, the laws of Da Yu were clear, and he could only voice his complaints.

In fact, the most notable newly appointed top-ranking official this year was another distinguished woman.

However, the newly appointed Scribe Yao Maolin did not consider herself a hero.

Official appointments in Da Yu primarily considered family background. Those born into noble families could easily be appointed as top-ranking officials, enjoying high salaries and smooth careers. In contrast, those from humble backgrounds, even if highly talented, could only start as low-ranking officials, with little chance of significant promotion.

Yao Maolin benefited from her noble family background, the prominent Yao family of Nanya.

Moreover, Da Yu was not short of heroines. She could name many whose literary and martial prowess exceeded hers. Furthermore, a particular issue blocked her path to heroism—she could not ride a horse.

Since childhood, she had been shuttling between the boudoir and the study hall, familiar with sage texts and excelling in debates, but had developed a delicate constitution.

After each biennial selection, new officials had to drive the phoenix carriage themselves to meet the emperor, demonstrating their extensive knowledge and loyalty. After leaving the Tai Chi Hall, they would parade through the capital before attending the Gui Lan Banquet. This series of events was a tradition that no one dared to change.

A procession of luxurious carriages paraded through the streets, appearing elegant from a distance. However, a closer look revealed the problem.

Yao Maolin clutched the reins, her body stiff as a stone, focused on maintaining balance, afraid of falling from the horse.

As a newly appointed official under public scrutiny, she could not afford to show timidity. Under the gaze of many, she gritted her teeth, holding the reins tightly, watching the large red flower on the horse’s head sway, causing her slender body to sway as well. Her expression was stiff even while conversing with her colleagues.

If she fell off the horse, she would become a laughingstock, bringing disgrace to the Yao family of Nanya.

After a nerve-wracking journey, as she reached the grand gate of Yijing Garden, thinking victory was in sight, her horse suddenly quickened its pace, causing her to lose her stirrup. The gate of Yijing Garden flipped in her vision, and Yao Maolin screamed, about to fall!

If not for Zhen Wenjun’s timely assistance, the new Scribe might have knocked her teeth out in front of the officials, facing lifelong shame.

Just as she was about to fall, a woman below the horse caught her waist, halting her fall. Before she could react, the woman gently lifted her back onto the horse. The strength was just right, not hurting the delicate Yao Maolin. In an instant, she was back on the horse as if nothing had happened.

“Th-Thank you, General Zhen…” Yao Maolin blushed, unable to meet her gaze.

“Horses are wary of strangers, Scribe. Be careful.” The woman, addressed as General Zhen, smiled lightly at her, causing her heart to race.

Yao Maolin had been searching for General Zhen among the officials, overjoyed to meet her idol. She had been racking her brains on how to start a conversation with General Zhen. Discuss Laozi and Zhuangzi or military strategy? Talk about scenery or gossip? How to appear unique and interesting? Yao Maolin was at a loss.

Ultimately, she indeed made a memorable impression, being the first to nearly fall off a horse at Yijing Garden. This embarrassing moment was witnessed and even rescued by General Zhen, leaving Yao Maolin with mixed feelings.

As a second-rank official, General Zhen was also attending the Gui Lan Banquet. This time, dressed in plain clothes, she looked different from the valiant figure Yao Maolin saw last year at the city gate.

For the Gui Lan Banquet, General Zhen had changed from her cold military attire to plain clothes. She wore a dark green peony dress with a gold-inlaid hairpin, looking delicate and beautiful. Her goose-egg-shaped face with a gentle smile, and scars from years of battles, did not diminish her beauty. With eyes bright as stars, General Zhen saw that the Scribe had more to say and waited patiently.

Just a smiling glance made Yao Maolin feel her thoughts were transparent to General Zhen. Despite their similar age, she felt inexplicably inferior, unable to speak, only feeling her face flush.

General Zhen was naturally a military general.

Da Yu had always valued literature over military prowess. Since the founding emperor, few could independently lead troops to victory, and female generals were extremely rare.

After the late emperor’s death, the current emperor once considered abolishing the law allowing women to enter officialdom. If not for General Zhen’s repeated military successes, the court might have closed its doors to women again.

After renaming the era to Shunde, in the third year of Shunde, Zhen Wenjun led three northern expeditions, ultimately defeating the fierce northern tribes that had plagued the northern borders for over forty years. When the great general returned to the capital, it caused a city-wide celebration, with tens of thousands of people flooding the streets to catch a glimpse of her.

Yao Maolin, participating in the selection in the capital, was among them, holding flowers bought from a florist, excitedly chasing General Zhen’s horse for three streets without being able to present the flowers, eventually getting pushed out and knocking over a noodle shop, covered in noodles.

The flowers scattered, and her teenage heart shattered.

That year, General Zhen’s fame spread across the nation, her unparalleled bravery and beauty capturing many hearts.

However, they were all too late.

By the fourth year of Zhaowu, General Zhen was already married.

Yao Maolin admired only one person, naturally the righteous, loyal, brave, and beautiful General Zhen.

Conversely, she deeply hated one person.

Despite her scholarly background, understanding the principles of tolerance and forgiveness, there was one person in the court whom she could not like or tolerate, even cursing in her dreams—the treacherous minister Wei Tingxu.

Wei Tingxu was not just anyone but the first female official of Da Yu, laying the foundation for their development. She was now a high-ranking official, serving as Minister of Personnel, the only female among the Three Excellencies.

Wei Tingxu came from an illustrious family, the Wei family of Pingcang County, whose ancestors followed the founding emperor in establishing the nation. By her generation, the family remained prosperous, being one of the four major families. She entered officialdom at 23, served as Deputy Minister of War at 27, and was promoted to Minister of Personnel at 28. In the sixth year of Shunde, she became a minister in the Secretariat. Within a few years, she eliminated loyalists and consolidated power, almost controlling the entire court. The young emperor was her puppet.

Everyone knew she aimed to usurp the throne.

With power and influence, Wei Tingxu was a treacherous minister, deserving of severe punishment.

No one anticipated that the nation’s pride among women would become a malignancy after entering officialdom.

In Da Yu, whenever the name “Wei Tingxu” is mentioned, everyone secretly curses her. It is rumored among the people that the Wei family, which brings disaster to the nation, is actually an ancient fox spirit. However, this fox spirit is not like the seductive demons in legends who bring ruin to emperors by corrupting the harem. Instead, she genuinely covets the throne.

What troubled Yao Maolin the most was that Wei Tingxu was the closest person to her revered General Zhen.

This malignant figure, entwined with General Zhen, was like twin lotuses. Upon hearing this, Yao Maolin was sleepless, lamenting for months.

Ignoring their political identities and ambitions, Wei Tingxu and Zhen Wenjun embodied the late emperor’s decree, being the first same-sex couple under the new law. Without their pioneering efforts, the nation’s situation might be different.

They, a scholar and a warrior, significantly advanced women’s liberation in Da Yu.

However, including Yao Maolin, a group of upright officials who admire General Zhen have an unresolved concern — why does General Zhen, a loyal minister of Da Yu, fail to see clearly and get entangled with the insidious Wei family? Could it be that she is being coerced, and there is some hidden truth?

The author has something to say:

Starting a new story~

Please note this is a fictional setting.

1v1, strong characters, political intrigue, palace drama, slow-burn romance, happy ending.