The Imperial Palace.
Chi Wan had arranged for many flowers to be prepared, hoping to enjoy them with Yu Jiuzhou today, but the Emperor’s urgent summons meant it would have to be postponed.
Fortunately, the Princess’s Residence had a conservatory where the flowers could be kept for a long time. The florists there could even ensure that some of the more precious varieties would not wilt for an extended period.
There was lavender in the conservatory, and in her spare time, Chi Wan had specially made it into an essential oil. A couple of drops of this gave off a pleasant scent when worn.
Lavender sachets, in particular, could aid sleep. Yu Jiuzhou did not sleep soundly, so this was perfect for her.
Yu Jiuzhou was already using the incense made from agarwood, and it was having some effect.
So Chi Wan wondered what other methods could aid sleep without requiring medicine. An essential oil back massage and sachets were the best options.
She just didn’t know if Yu Jiuzhou would let her perform the massage. It would require more disrobing than the internal energy treatments.
Perhaps she could find a Qian Yuan to demonstrate it once? She could have Chun Gui learn it and give Yu Jiuzhou the massage.
But she was a physician. What was the big deal about a back massage? It wasn’t as if she was doing anything else.
However, after the internal energy treatments, Yu Jiuzhou’s body had improved significantly. The first two times, she had been so exhausted she fell asleep immediately. For the last three sessions, Yu Jiuzhou had been able to stay awake until the end.
Each time, she would watch Chi Wan leave the inner chamber before lying down to rest.
During this process, only Chun Gui sensed that something was amiss. Normally, servants only entered Her Highness’s bedchamber to tidy up. In the evening, Chun Gui would personally place the bed warmer.
But that wasn’t the main point. The point was that the Fuma had been on Her Highness’s bed, and even when Her Highness was fully awake, she hadn’t ordered the bedding to be changed.
Even though the Fuma had bathed, if it had been anyone else, a new couch would have appeared in the inner chamber the next day. Oh, if it wasn’t the Fuma, that person wouldn’t have even been allowed into the inner chamber in the first place.
Chun Gui desperately wanted to wait for Qiu Lai to return to the capital so she could discuss her discovery. After all, Dong Ying was cold and aloof, making conversation uninteresting. As for that fool Xia Qu, talking about such things with her would be like a chicken talking to a duck. She missed Qiu Lai so much.
Chi Wan, on the other hand, felt nothing of the sort. She was clean, smelled nice, and was treating a patient. Being on the bed was perfectly normal. In any case, she wouldn’t mind if Yu Jiuzhou got on her bed.
It was just a pity. The flowers she had prepared went unappreciated by the two of them, and the essential oil she had spent so much effort making went unused.
Essential oils were a bit different from medicine. Fortunately, she had experience extracting the essence of medicinal herbs, so producing the oil went smoothly.
Chi Wan had made more than one type, though she had made the most lavender oil. There were also blends that complemented certain medicines, and their effects were quite good.
She had tested them all herself without any issues. The results were unexpectedly good, perhaps because the essence of the plants was purer in this pollution-free environment.
But with the Emperor’s sudden summons, she had to go see him first.
This old man, she thought. He wants me and Yu Jiuzhou to produce an imperial grandchild, yet he’s always interrupting us.
Arriving at the Imperial Study, Wang Hai hurried over to greet her. “Aiyo, Fuma, you’re finally here.”
“What is it?” When had Wang Hai become so familiar with her? And what had happened inside to make him act this way?
Right, Yu Jiuzhou said she was going to pass the information about Autumn Water Pavilion being Prince Bao’an’s intelligence hub to the Emperor. Could it be about that?
She walked in and bowed helplessly. “May Your Majesty be well.”
“We are well.”
Emperor Shengyuan waved her over. “You’re here. Take a look at this.”
Chi Wan walked over, took the memorial from the Emperor’s hand, and opened it naturally.
She opened the memorial without hesitation, unlike those ministers who, despite desperately wanting to read it, would pretend they didn’t dare to.
Emperor Shengyuan sized up the woman before him. He didn’t know her well. He had only had her investigated after hearing her name. Although she didn’t meet his requirements for a Fuma, the imperial family’s dignity was paramount at the time.
Besides, he didn’t want Yu Jiuzhou to find a consort from a family that was too powerful. Such a consort would not only be difficult to control but would also obstruct his plans.
He wanted to cultivate a Regent Grand Princess who met his requirements. Anyone who stood in the way had to die.
If one day, Chi Wan’s existence were to obstruct his plans, he would kill her without a second thought.
Emperor Shengyuan lowered his eyes, sipped his tea, and waited for Chi Wan to respond.
Just as Chi Wan had guessed, the memorial was about the Autumn Water Pavilion.
She answered truthfully, “Your Majesty, this subject is aware of the matter concerning the Autumn Water Pavilion and is already investigating it.”
“What are the results?”
“Just as the memorial states, the Autumn Water Pavilion is Prince Bao’an’s property. It is one of the top three brothels in the pleasure quarter. They do not engage in the flesh trade, but rather focus on elegance, attracting scholars and men of refinement.”
“These so-called scholars and men of refinement are primarily civil officials from the court. If some nobles were to visit, they too would have the opportunity to become overnight guests of the ladies of the Autumn Water Pavilion.”
At this point, Chi Wan paused and said no more.
She didn’t continue, but Emperor Shengyuan did. “Presumably, these men are allowed to stay the night at the Autumn Water Pavilion because they possess information that Yu Yichen wants to know.”
Chi Wan nodded. “Your Majesty is correct. The Autumn Water Pavilion is precisely where Prince Bao’an gathers information.”
Emperor Shengyuan’s eyes narrowed, unable to conceal the fury radiating from him. “Then tell me, what has the Imperial City Division discovered?”
He knew about the reorganization of the Imperial City Division. Could it have produced results so quickly?
Chi Wan had already prepared her excuse. “It was not discovered by this subject, but by the previous commander of the Imperial City Division. However, he did not dare to present it to Your Majesty.”
Hearing this, Emperor Shengyuan sat up straight. Something the commander of the Imperial City Division didn’t dare to give him must be no simple matter.
“Speak.”
Chi Wan said in a low voice, “It concerns the Five Army Camps. After discovering this, this subject was also hesitant about whether to report it to Your Majesty.”
“The Five Army Camps?” Hearing that it was related to military power, Emperor Shengyuan became even more attentive.
He didn’t mind the princes running businesses and owning properties. But the Autumn Water Pavilion was clearly a place for gathering intelligence. It was possible they had information that even he, the Emperor, was unaware of. Perhaps even the Imperial Palace held no secrets from them.
Emperor Shengyuan did not like having no secrets, and he detested others meddling with military power even more.
The fundamental reason he had been able to reclaim imperial authority was that he had first reclaimed military authority.
“Continue.”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the former commander obtained a great deal of information from the Autumn Water Pavilion. To prevent leaks, he killed the division guards who knew about it and hid the information away. It was not until this subject became the new commander that I found the notebook where he recorded it.”
Chi Wan wasn’t making it all up. The former commander of the Imperial City Division was dead and couldn’t say a word. And before he died, he had indeed ordered a mission to eliminate “traitors.” Were those people really “traitors,” or were they killed for knowing something they shouldn’t have?
This could be verified by Chen Hubiao, whom she had sent away. He had participated in that elimination mission.
What Chen Hubiao knew was limited, but it was just enough to prove that those “traitors” had been silenced for knowing something they shouldn’t have, which perfectly corroborated Chi Wan’s story.
Yu Jiuzhou had arranged everything flawlessly. Even if the Emperor didn’t trust her and investigated it himself, he would only arrive at this same conclusion.
Chi Wan continued, “The information discovered states that all three princes have been in contact with the Five Army Camps. It is not yet known which specific generals are involved.”
The Five Army Camps were mostly composed of infantry, supplemented by some light cavalry. They weren’t like the cavalry camps, where even the horses were armored.
But the sheer number of soldiers in the Five Army Camps was overwhelming. A force of two hundred thousand. If the Five Army Camps were controlled by the three princes, the capital would be in peril.
Fortunately, it was controlled by three princes. The three were already at odds with each other, which meant the Five Army Camps were not under the control of a single prince. Still, with two hundred thousand troops, the capital might not be able to hold.
A chill ran down Emperor Shengyuan’s spine. For the first time, he felt he had made a disastrous decision. It was he who had told the world that the crown prince would be chosen from among the three princes. This had certainly led many to follow them, seeking the merit of backing the right horse, hoping to continue their lives of wealth and luxury after the new emperor ascended the throne, or even to leap to the pinnacle of officialdom.
He regretted it. If he had summoned a dozen or so members of the imperial clan to the capital back then, given each of them a certain amount of power, but not too much, then even if people still chose sides, their power would have been much more dispersed.
Emperor Shengyuan couldn’t help but wonder what he should do now if the Five Army Camps were lost.
The troops of the Five Army Camps were drawn from the capital guards, the garrison troops of the three surrounding provinces, and levies from garrisons all over Great Zhou, rotated every ten years.
The Five Army Camps were not concentrated in one place but were distributed around the capital, forming a protective encirclement.
The soldiers of Great Zhou might know their centurion, but not necessarily their general. To solve the problem of the Five Army Camps being controlled, he would have to conduct a thorough investigation and replace the officers in the camps.
The common soldiers just wanted to be fed. They generally wouldn’t follow a rebellion. The ambitious ones were the generals.
The soldiers only followed their leaders. They did whatever their leader told them to do, without knowing if it was rebellion or not.
Back then, Emperor Taizong had told his men to “cleanse the sovereign’s side,” and hadn’t he become emperor? It was quite possible the soldiers below would genuinely believe they were just cleansing the sovereign’s side.
But there was one problem. Great Zhou owed a great deal of military pay. In the twenty-seventh year of the Shengyuan era, pay had been issued only once. With that small amount of silver, he still owed the soldiers of Great Zhou eight months of back pay.
Without issuing pay, how could he expect the soldiers to be loyal?
Emperor Shengyuan was old. A little bit of thinking made his head throb and swell. After a long pause, he said, “Summon the Grand Princess.”
At this moment, the only person he could think of was Yu Jiuzhou.
So many things had happened recently, and Yu Jiuzhou had handled them all for him, even bringing him a considerable amount of silver, which had eased his burdens significantly.
It was becoming apparent that the current Emperor Shengyuan was growing more and more reliant on Yu Jiuzhou.
After giving the order, Emperor Shengyuan looked at Chi Wan. “If the three princes truly control the Five Army Camps, what do you think We should do?”
This question was a test, but also a genuine desire to hear a different answer.
In truth, one could not directly answer any of the Emperor’s questions. The answer had to be acceptable to the Emperor without revealing one’s own ambition. It had to be conventional yet strike a chord with him. As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger.
Hearing that Yu Jiuzhou was also coming, Chi Wan breathed a sigh of relief. This was the sense of security Her Highness the Grand Princess brought.
Regarding Emperor Shengyuan’s question, she thought for a moment. “Your Majesty, this subject believes we cannot alert the enemy now. If we make a move on the Five Army Camps at this time, it will certainly provoke the three princes and cause them to unite.”
“In this subject’s opinion, we cannot leave the Five Army Camps untouched, but we also cannot make any major moves.”
Emperor Shengyuan was satisfied yet somewhat disappointed. He knew all this. That Chi Wan could see this much showed she was competent, but she hadn’t proposed a solution.
But then Chi Wan’s next sentence was: “Therefore, this subject believes in capturing the ringleader first. Instead of rushing to deal with the Five Army Camps, it would be better to deal with the three princes directly.”
“The evidence of Prince Zhongshan annexing commoners’ fields is conclusive. This subject requests that he be dealt with according to the law. As for Prince Ying, he can be placed under house arrest for now. When Prince Bao’an returns, he too can be confined, and then an investigation can be launched into whether the two princes have violated the laws of Great Zhou. If not, they can be released.”
Emperor Shengyuan: “…” He shouldn’t have asked. What kind of terrible idea was this?
Out of the blue, punishing one prince and confining two others—wasn’t this just forcing them to rebel?
Furthermore, the entire court of civil and military officials would not agree. It would inevitably trigger turmoil in the court.
But seeing Chi Wan’s bizarrely righteous face, Emperor Shengyuan couldn’t bring himself to scold her. “Do you have any idea what consequences this would bring?”
Of course, Chi Wan was saying this on purpose. To be a pure, remonstrating official, one had to attack indiscriminately.
“Your Majesty, a moment of chaos is better than a military coup. That would only lead to greater chaos. Your Majesty cannot place yourself under a crumbling wall. Once the three princes cause turmoil, the common people will suffer even more.”
Her righteous and awe-inspiring appearance made Emperor Shengyuan seem as if he didn’t love his people.
Before Emperor Shengyuan could speak, Chi Wan continued, “Your Majesty, indecisiveness will lead to disaster. In the past, the land was carved up by regional military governors, and war raged in all directions. The three princes already have their own power bases. It would be even worse if they returned to their fiefdoms and raised the banner of rebellion. If the three princes were to revolt, it would surely create a living hell, with widespread death and destruction.”
“Although the three princes have power now, it is still manageable. We absolutely cannot wait for them to stage a coup. Your Majesty should act decisively.”
Chi Wan rattled on and on, and Emperor Shengyuan had only one thought: I’ll wait for Zhou’er to arrive before deciding.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know Chi Wan was right, but it wasn’t the best strategy. He couldn’t think of a better one, but he didn’t want to adopt Chi Wan’s middling plan.
Fortunately, the Princess’s Residence was close to the Imperial Palace, and Yu Jiuzhou arrived quickly.
When Yu Jiuzhou arrived, Chi Wan bowed respectfully. “Your Highness.”
Then she rose, and their eyes met. Yu Jiuzhou understood.
Before coming, Yu Jiuzhou had already guessed why Emperor Shengyuan had summoned Chi Wan and had told her how to respond.
Of course, she hadn’t coached her word for word. She had simply told Chi Wan: Just play tai chi.
Before entering the palace, Yu Jiuzhou already knew what Chi Wan had said in the Imperial Study. She knew that Chi Wan had seemingly said everything, but in reality, had said nothing of substance.
Because what Chi Wan had said was known to many. Especially the way she said it, so earnest and righteous, it made Emperor Shengyuan look like a fatuous ruler.
Yu Jiuzhou was an excellent actress. No matter how much she wanted to laugh inside, the moment she entered the Imperial Study, her face showed no other expression, remaining as calm and cold as ever.
Chi Wan had discovered that a cold face was really easy to act. The aloof persona was great; it required no other expressions.
When Yu Jiuzhou walked to Emperor Shengyuan’s side, Chi Wan silently stepped aside.
She moved a few steps away from Emperor Shengyuan, and as if unintentionally, stood behind Yu Jiuzhou, bringing her closer to the princess.
Immediately, the conversation between Emperor Shengyuan and Yu Jiuzhou reached her ears.
Emperor Shengyuan repeated the same things and showed the memorial to Yu Jiuzhou.
Then she heard Yu Jiuzhou say, “Although what the Fuma said has merit, this subject believes we can first adopt a policy of appeasement to divide the power of the three princes.”
“Prince Zhongshan’s crimes are well-documented. Prince Ying is eager to bring him down. Your Majesty might as well see what he will do, and if necessary, just give him a push.”
“When Prince Bao’an returns from his salt inspection, Your Majesty can place him in an important position, making his power equal to Prince Ying’s. The two will inevitably enter the final struggle for the position of crown prince.”
“Your Majesty can implement the new laws in their two fiefdoms. They will surely not refuse. First, we cut off their foundations, then they will be confined to the capital. Within the capital, Your Majesty’s word is law.”
Once their fiefdoms were stabilized, dealing with the two princes would be much easier. The Imperial Guard could simply surround their residences. Whether to kill or confine them would be up to Emperor Shengyuan’s word.
But the fiefdoms were the two princes’ foundations. They surely had many loyal followers there. If any accident occurred, the outcome would be hard to predict.
At least half of the civil and military officials at court had already chosen sides. If they couldn’t be taken down in one fell swoop, it was best not to act rashly.
Who could be certain that they didn’t have people within the Imperial Guard?
Only when they had no escape could a move be made. Otherwise, with the capital as leaky as a sieve, even Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t guarantee they could be kept here.
Chi Wan didn’t know about the others, but Prince Bao’an was the protagonist, after all. Without a one hundred percent guarantee of success, it was best not to act, unless he could be killed directly.
But Prince Bao’an had survived assassination attempts by so many people during his salt inspection. It was said he had been stabbed more than a dozen times and had miraculously survived. He was still staying at Lin Qianduo’s place now.
This damned protagonist’s halo. Only death by being drawn and quartered would be safe.
After saying all this, Yu Jiuzhou clearly had more to say. Seeing this, Emperor Shengyuan said, “Speak freely.”
“Your Majesty, this subject requests that you strengthen the capital’s defenses and, at the same time, have the Five Army Camps conduct a large-scale military drill. Your Majesty should find someone who can inspect them on your behalf, to attend this drill at the capital camps. It would be best if they brought silver with them.”
Emperor Shengyuan’s heart was bleeding. Why did he have to spend money again? “Zhou’er, it’s not that We don’t want to give them their pay. It’s that the Ministry of Revenue truly has no money.”
The Ministry of Revenue had no money, but the Emperor’s private treasury, the Shaofu, did. But Emperor Shengyuan was a miser.
Yu Jiuzhou cupped her hands. “Your Majesty, the soldiers of our Great Zhou are very loyal, but they also have families to support. If the ones giving them silver are the three princes, how many people in the Five Army Camps do you think will remain loyal to Your Majesty?”
“Insolence!” Emperor Shengyuan was furious.
He was a classic case of someone who didn’t want to spend money but expected people to work for him for free, and to be utterly loyal on top of that.
Where in the world could one find such a good deal? Yu Jiuzhou had originally planned to advance the silver herself, but Chi Wan had disagreed. The money had to come from the Emperor. Otherwise, with the Emperor’s suspicious nature, he would think they were trying to buy people’s loyalty.
If it was being sent to the Five Army Camps in the Emperor’s name, why should the Princess’s Residence foot the bill?
Once the Emperor knew the Princess’s Residence had money, wouldn’t he be eyeing it every day?
The army of Great Zhou numbered around one and a half million. The annual military pay was about fifty million taels of silver. How much was Great Zhou’s annual fiscal revenue?
In short, Great Zhou’s finances were always in the red, and military pay was in arrears every year.
The annual pay for the Five Army Camps required six to seven million taels of silver. In reality, a common soldier’s monthly salary was about 1.5 taels. For two hundred thousand troops, that was 3.6 million taels a year. Adding the pay for generals and officers, let’s count it as four million taels.
So where did the remaining two to three million taels go?
Even by a realistic calculation, Great Zhou’s annual military pay would require thirty million taels, which was still not enough. But the silver that was skimmed off rarely reached the common soldiers. Unless the Ministry of Revenue could actually allocate fifty million taels, the common soldiers would never get their money.
Great Zhou had two very serious problems: too many officials, with few doing actual work, and too many soldiers, with few being usable.
It was said that Great Zhou could raise an army of a million in a short time, but in reality, it would be good if even half of them were battle-ready.
Fortunately, the local garrison armies were supported by the local regions, which greatly reduced the pressure on the capital.
The garrison armies were different from the stationed armies. The stationed armies had to be supported by the capital. After all, they listened to whoever fed them.
There were too many things in Great Zhou that needed to be changed. The annexation of commoners’ fields was just one of them. Many other things had to be addressed step by step.
But issuing the pay for the capital camps was an urgent matter. The capital camps protected the capital. If they weren’t paid enough, who would work for you?
The Five Army Camps hadn’t been paid in ten months. The stationed armies in the outer provinces and on the borders hadn’t been paid in thirteen months.
As soon as the new year was over, people from all regions would be sent to the capital to demand military pay. If they couldn’t get the money, they had agreed to kneel outside the Imperial Palace until they died.
If these people knelt to their deaths, what would the stationed armies think? What kind of turmoil would that cause?
The Shaofu had money, at least twenty million taels of silver. If Emperor Shengyuan took out half, it could solve the immediate crisis.
Hearing Emperor Shengyuan’s fury, Yu Jiuzhou just said coolly, “This subject attends the political discussions in the Grand Secretariat, mostly listening and speaking little. Those Grand Secretaries all cry poverty, all demand money from the Ministry of Revenue. This year’s taxes haven’t been collected yet, and even when they are, it won’t be enough to be divided among the various ministries.”
“But that is all for later. The military pay cannot wait. The Five Army Camps have not been paid in ten months, the stationed armies in thirteen. How much longer do you think they can endure, Your Majesty? Or rather, if the three princes give them money, how will they choose?”
“Your Majesty, this subject is not being an alarmist. This subject is Your Majesty’s daughter and will always stand with you. I am speaking so plainly only to tell Your Majesty that the military pay can be delayed no longer.”
As soon as Yu Jiuzhou finished, Chi Wan immediately interjected, “Your Highness need not paint such a dire picture. Once the new laws are implemented in Yanbei, the Grand Secretariat will receive a large sum of silver. We can issue the military pay then.”
“Chi Wan, what do you know? We cannot wait! The three princes are watching like tigers. If we cannot stabilize the capital camps, are we to rely on the Imperial Guard and the Jinwu Guard to defend the capital? Do you think the Imperial Guard and the Jinwu Guard don’t have the three princes’ people in them?”
Yu Jiuzhou’s sharp rebuke silenced Chi Wan.
The two pretended to argue, which annoyed Emperor Shengyuan so much that he threw them out. He had summoned them for advice, but they had only come to vex him. Yet, what Yu Jiuzhou said was absolutely right, without a hint of exaggeration.
After leaving Daming Palace, Chi Wan finally spoke. “Your Highness was so fierce just now.”
Yu Jiuzhou: “…” Weren’t we just acting?
Chi Wan feigned a wronged expression. “I’m hurt. I’m sad.”
“Stop fooling around,” Yu Jiuzhou said in a low voice. It wasn’t a reprimand, but a tone of helpless fondness.
Satisfied, Chi Wan said no more on the topic and instead asked, “Your Highness, do you think His Majesty will agree?”
“He will.”
If even Prince Ying could make a choice between money and the throne, Emperor Shengyuan was even less willing to have his own throne snatched away.
Chi Wan nodded. “That’s good.”
Yu Jiuzhou turned her head slightly to glance at her profile. “You should prepare to go to the Five Army Camps.”
“Ah? Another business trip?”
“What?” Yu Jiuzhou didn’t know the meaning of “business trip.”
Chi Wan shrugged. “It just means I’ll have to be separated from Your Highness again.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? It’s not as if you’re not coming back.” Yu Jiuzhou pressed her lips together, but found she couldn’t suppress the upward curve…
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