In the third year of the Zhengtong era, Grand Secretary Gao Zheng retired, and the selection of his successor sparked a fierce contest among many.
In the eyes of the court officials, there were only three candidates, each backed by a different faction.
The aristocratic clans, the scholars from humble backgrounds, and those from the same region.
In the second month, Gao Zheng left his position as Grand Secretary and was ennobled as the Duke of Wei. As for why he was not made a Grand Tutor, in the Great Zhou, that title was only conferred upon civil officials posthumously.
Yu Jiuzhou had reserved this position for Gao Zheng. To be posthumously named a Grand Tutor and have one’s tablet placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was the highest honor for a civil official.
Gao Zheng had weathered the storms for the new reforms. As a sovereign, it was only right that she grant him high office and great wealth, as well as posthumous glory.
As for whether to shelter his descendants, that would depend on what kind of people they were. If they were law-abiding, they could live a life of wealth and honor. If they were sinister villains who committed evil, then she could not be blamed for being merciless.
Of course, if Gao Zheng’s descendants were capable, she would not hesitate to employ them.
Chi Wan also conveyed Yu Jiuzhou’s intentions. When she saw Gao Zheng off outside the city, both found it hard to imagine that two people with such completely different personalities could have walked the same path.
She and Yu Jiuzhou were the type who preferred to walk the righteous path. Gao Zheng was not someone who dwelled in darkness, but rather in the gray—sometimes righteous, sometimes wicked, all depending on the monarch of the time.
Gao Zheng had handled the reforms exceptionally well, proving to them that he was not incapable, but that the Shengyuan Emperor had simply not known how to use him.
Chi Wan and Gao Zheng stood outside the city gate. “A farewell, though I’ve escorted you a thousand li, is still inevitable. Take care, Your Grace the Duke of Wei.”
He was no longer the Grand Secretary, so addressing him as such was inappropriate.
Gao Zheng smiled. “Thank you for seeing me off, Your Highness. I never imagined that this old official would be able to retire in one piece.”
When he first took charge of the reforms, he had thought he would surely meet a bad end. But as long as he could protect his descendants, he was willing.
Now, to be able to retire fully intact and even receive a noble title gave him a peculiar feeling.
Some might think that the current emperor was trying to show the civil and military officials of the court that as long as they served her well, she would not treat them unfairly.
But Gao Zheng felt that this was simply Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan’s care for him.
Perhaps it wasn’t care, but merely a reward for his diligent work.
Gao Zheng sighed with emotion. “I never thought I would have the fortune to meet a wise ruler in this lifetime.”
Gao Zheng retired to his hometown and passed away in the spring of the fourth year of the Zhengtong era. Before his death, perhaps in a final burst of energy, he rose and wrote the last memorial of his life.
—This subject’s end is near, my life hangs by a thread. I have been bedridden for a long time. I reflect upon the past, when I first became a Jinshi scholar, my heart was set on serving the country and its people, filled with concern for the rise and fall of the state. Yet reality dealt this subject a heavy blow. For the sake of my ambitions, this subject cast aside my original intentions and became a treacherous official of the court.
Fortunately, I was valued by Your Majesty, who ignored my ill repute and entrusted me with great responsibility. This subject’s infamy turned into a good name…
At the very end, Gao Zheng still wrote one more line—Your Late Majesty, this subject is coming.
Indeed, Gao Zheng and the Shengyuan Emperor’s bond was true. After all, the Shengyuan Emperor had recognized his talent, a relationship like that between a swift horse and a discerning judge of horses.
No matter how talented a person was, without a patron to recognize them, it was all for naught.
The Shengyuan Emperor had trusted and supported him, making him a vital minister of the state and the Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. This favor of recognition alone was enough to earn his lifelong gratitude.
…
With the Grand Secretary’s position vacant, various regions sent tributes of beauties. Foreign delegations also brought beauties, and even a prince?
Their intention was to form a marriage alliance with the Great Zhou.
Chi Wan was utterly speechless. The Ministry of Rites had lost its mind, actually arranging for these beauties to be sent to the imperial harem.
Did they think she, the Prince of Qin Yu and Grand Marshal of the World’s Armed Forces, couldn’t lift her sword anymore, or had they simply gotten too arrogant?
Chi Wan was not having it. After confirming that Yu Jiuzhou was unaware of the situation, she stormed into the Ministry of Rites.
She would show the people of the Ministry of Rites what the demeanor of a main consort looked like—it meant fighting and snatching.
She would show the people of the Great Zhou that yes, Yu Jiuzhou was the emperor, but Yu Jiuzhou belonged to her and her alone.
Her arrival threw the entire Ministry of Rites into a state of tension. What was this person doing here?
Those with guilty consciences were especially nervous. They knew what they had done. Beauties had been sent as tribute from various regions, so why hadn’t Her Majesty noticed?
Because the list was very long, and the beauties had been given new names. For example, a beauty from Jiangning was named “Jiangning Cherry Blossom.”
How absurd. Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was a tree. But what was it really? A beautiful flower of a woman.
Chi Wan surveyed the Ministry of Rites and waved for the men of the Imperial City Division to enter.
The Minister of Rites hurried forward to greet her. “May I ask why Your Highness has come to the Ministry of Rites? And this is…”
Everyone knew how powerful the Imperial City Division was, and its jurisdiction was equally vast. It was essentially a department with both supervisory and investigative authority, nearly rendering the Censorate obsolete.
However, there was still a distinction between the Imperial City Division and the Censorate; one was military, the other civil.
There were also differences in power. Things the Imperial City Division could do, the Censorate could not necessarily do. But things the Censorate could do, the Imperial City Division also had the authority to do.
Chi Wan shot the Minister of Rites a cold glance. “Auditing the accounts.”
“Au… auditing the accounts?”
The Minister of Rites was stunned. He had seen people audit the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works. But the Ministry of Rites’ accounts were rarely audited, especially by the Imperial City Division.
The Ministry of Revenue managed money, the Ministry of War handled military logistics, and the Ministry of Works oversaw projects like water conservancy. All of these involved large sums of money. The Ministry of Rites, in comparison, didn’t spend nearly as much. An audit shouldn’t have reached them.
Chi Wan waved her hand, ignoring the Minister of Rites.
She was indeed here because of those beauties, but she wouldn’t say it. She wanted the people of the Ministry of Rites to figure it out themselves. If the Imperial City Division found problems with their accounts, then someone from the Ministry would naturally have to bear the consequences.
Some things were less effective when spoken aloud. The Minister of Rites had to understand for himself just what had gone wrong in his ministry.
Soon, guards from the Imperial City Division brought in a lounge chair. Chi Wan sat down, covered herself with a blanket, and feigned drowsiness.
The Minister of Rites quickly squatted beside the chair. “Your Highness, has some problem occurred within the Ministry of Rites?”
For Chi Wan to suddenly come and personally oversee an audit meant that the Ministry of Rites must have committed some grave offense, one that he, the minister, was unaware of.
He wanted to find out what it was so he could quickly make adjustments. He couldn’t let the Imperial City Division continue to investigate like this. Regardless of whether there were any problems, an investigation by the Embroidered-Robe Guard would make outsiders think something was wrong with the Ministry of Rites.
How could he continue as the Minister of Rites after that? He would be a laughingstock wherever he went.
Only then did Chi Wan open her eyes. She sized up the Minister of Rites, and seeing that he genuinely seemed to be in the dark, she said, “I hear that all the tribute items from the various regions have been accepted?”
Tribute?
Could the problem lie there?
The Minister of Rites quickly bowed. “Thank you, Your Highness. In half an hour, this subject will certainly give Your Highness an explanation.”
“I will wait for you.”
The Minister of Rites hesitated. “Then… these Embroidered-Robe Guards?”
Chi Wan smiled. “You can compete with them. See if you can find out first, or if they can.”
She spoke tactfully, but the Minister of Rites understood.
It was a race to see whether he could figure out how the Ministry of Rites had offended Chi Wan before the Embroidered-Robe Guard found problems with their accounts.
The Minister of Rites hesitated no longer. “Yes, this subject will not keep you company then.”
Chi Wan waved her hand and closed her eyes to wait.
Who could be so bold as to send beauties to Yu Jiuzhou, acting as if she, the main consort, didn’t exist?
Thinking of Yu Jiuzhou’s equally shocked expression made her feel a little better. As long as Yu Jiuzhou was unaware, it was fine.
She waited. It didn’t even take half an hour. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Minister of Rites had figured out the whole story.
For something like this to have happened without his knowledge made him feel as if his diligent work had nearly been sabotaged by his own subordinates.
But this sort of thing was more or less the same every year. Presenting beauties as tribute was normal. Moreover, this time the list had used flowers as substitutes, and he truly hadn’t looked at it carefully.
“Your Highness, it was the Director of the Bureau of Receptions. It has nothing to do with this subject. The problem started at the local level. These people conspired to list the tribute items as flowers. The Director of the Bureau of Receptions presented the gift list to me as usual. Seeing that it was similar to previous years, I did not investigate further. After Her Majesty reviewed it, she instructed the Ministry of Rites to follow the customs of previous years. According to custom, these beauties, after being trained, would first be selected by Her Majesty, and then bestowed upon the imperial clan and nobility.”
Chi Wan understood. The local officials had played a word game. After the list reached the Ministry of Rites, the Director of the Bureau of Receptions was likely bribed, so he feigned ignorance and submitted the list, leading to the current situation.
Once those beauties entered the palace, they would be Yu Jiuzhou’s people. To drive them out then would be a death sentence, and they would be responsible for dozens of lives.
But not driving them out would be disgusting to herself.
Another option was to arrange a place for them and imprison them until death, but that would surely stir up another storm at court.
These beauties had to be dealt with before they ever entered the palace.
And so, wasn’t Chi Wan here to deal with it?
“Bring those beauties over. I want to see them.”
The Minister of Rites quickly nodded. “Yes.”
Chi Wan waited a while longer. She then discovered that there weren’t just a few dozen beauties, but over a hundred. There were both Qian Yuan and Kun Ze, all exceptionally beautiful. Even the quality of a beauty pageant couldn’t compare to these people.
It seemed the various regions had spared no effort in gathering them.
Chi Wan’s eyes grew cold, but then a smile bloomed on her face. She rose from her chair and observed the beauties for a moment.
Among them, there was fear, anticipation, and excitement.
It seemed some had been coerced!
Chi Wan announced in a loud voice, “If any among you wish to leave, I will not stop you.”
This was the chance she was giving them. If they didn’t cherish it, they couldn’t blame her for what she did next.
After she spoke, no one dared to make a sound.
She continued, “For those who wish to leave, I will provide travel money. For those who do not wish to return home, you can register a new household and receive my protection. No one can force you to do what you do not want to do. This is your only chance. The choice is yours.”
This time, some were moved. A sweet-looking girl raised her hand. “Can I choose to stay in the capital but not enter the palace? I don’t want to go home; I’ll just be forced again. I want to find work in the capital. I’ve heard that Your Highness’s businesses hire Kun Ze.”
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. So some really had been forced.
“You may.”
With the first, a second followed. Soon, more than a dozen people had stepped forward, all Kun Ze, mostly young women.
The proportion wasn’t high, but to have over a dozen coerced people was already a lot.
There was another thing. Chi Wan frowned. What was with all those handsome Qian Yuan? Did they really dream of competing with her?
A cold smile touched her lips. “Those who have stepped forward, I will make arrangements for you. For those interested, there are many single generals in the army. If you are willing, I can also arrange matchmaking for you. As for those who did not step forward, send them all to the imperial mausoleum to attend to the late emperor’s spirit, lest he be lonely.”
Everyone: “?”
Attend to his spirit? If not entering the palace, shouldn’t they at least be distributed among the imperial clan and nobility? Why were they being sent to attend a spirit?
“Your Highness, I don’t want to attend a spirit! I want to go with them.”
“Prince of Qin Yu, why are you sending us to attend a spirit? We were presented as tribute to Her Majesty by the local regions. Her Majesty hasn’t said anything, so what business is it of yours?”
“Exactly! We belong to Her Majesty. Your Highness is too jealous. Does Her Majesty intend to have only you for the rest of her life?”
Yu Jiuzhou was the emperor. By rights, an emperor should have three thousand consorts in their harem. It was perfectly normal to fill the harem with some beauties. Even if she was the first Kun Ze empress in history, so what? As long as one gained favor, it would be a good thing for both their family and themselves.
Chi Wan let out a derisive laugh, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “What wishful thinking. You think you’re worthy of being Her Majesty’s people?”
“I gave you a chance. Since you didn’t cherish it yourselves, then you can just try and see.”
Some people wanted to use the pretext of tribute to send beauties to Yu Jiuzhou, to stir up trouble between them and divert her favor. If problems arose in their relationship, many schemes could be put into motion.
She and Yu Jiuzhou were an impenetrable offense and defense. Someone had realized this and wanted to do something about it, and the first step was to divide them.
Was their relationship so easily divided?
For this reason alone, Chi Wan would not be polite to these people.
The group was still clamoring, even shouting curses. Some said Chi Wan was unworthy of being with Yu Jiuzhou, questioning why a magnificent emperor should be devoted to her alone.
Chi Wan was completely unfazed. She waved her hand for her guards to take them away, then glanced at the Minister of Rites. “I will be waiting for your report on how you handle today’s matter.”
She left with the Imperial City Division. It wasn’t just about the Ministry of Rites conducting an internal investigation; it was also about finding out who had orchestrated this whole affair.
Some people were always trying to be clever, thinking their plans would succeed. Well, Chi Wan would make them lose the bait as well as the fish.
…
Upon returning to the imperial palace, Chi Wan did not go to see Yu Jiuzhou. She went back to her bedchamber, and the first thing she did was wash up.
With so many beauties just now, their various scents had clung to her. The mixture of so many pheromones was chaotic, and she disliked it immensely.
Chi Wan was soaking in the bath when Yu Jiuzhou walked right in and began kneading her shoulders. “How was it?”
With her sharp hearing, she had of course heard Yu Jiuzhou approach, but she had no intention of opening her eyes.
Hearing Yu Jiuzhou’s question, she feigned ignorance. “What was how?”
Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved. This one was still fuming.
She wrapped her arms around Chi Wan’s neck from behind. “What do you think?”
Her lips drew near Chi Wan’s ear. If Chi Wan didn’t say what she wanted to hear, she would bite it.
So this was a threat.
Chi Wan tilted her head with an amused smile, letting her ear escape the tiger’s maw. “A group of people tried to drive a wedge between us. What does Your Majesty think of how this subject handled it?”
She had been back for a while. Yu Jiuzhou must have already learned what happened at the Ministry of Rites.
Yu Jiuzhou’s brow twitched. She held Chi Wan’s head still, not letting her escape. “Not good.”
Chi Wan’s eyes flew open. “Does Your Majesty think this subject was too harsh?”
Yu Jiuzhou shook her head. “No, you weren’t harsh enough.”
“Attending a spirit? They should be so lucky. The Qian Yuan should be gifted to the partners of the officials who sent them. Only the Kun Ze are fit to attend a spirit.”
Uh…
That made a lot of sense.
In this world, Qian Yuan could take multiple partners, but Kun Ze could not. Not only could they not, but there were also many rules, and many widows were not even allowed to remarry.
Now this was perfect. The officials who did this would have their partners receive an extra husband. They probably wouldn’t be able to show their faces in public anymore.
Why could Qian Yuan have multiple partners, but Kun Ze couldn’t?
Chi Wan expressed her agreement. Since they sent beauties to her wife, then these beauties should be returned—to their wives.
This group of people deserved it.
She was thoroughly impressed by Yu Jiuzhou’s decision. “You truly are the best, sister.”
Just a moment ago it was “Your Majesty,” and now it’s “sister”?
Yu Jiuzhou bit her ear playfully. “Fool.”
“How am I a fool?” She just hadn’t thought of playing it that way.
Speaking of which, the way she had stormed into the Ministry of Rites to settle scores today, all puffed up and looking like she’d drunk a whole vat of vinegar, Yu Jiuzhou must have been laughing her head off.
Chi Wan cleared her throat, pretending she wasn’t the jealous one today.
Yu Jiuzhou wouldn’t let her escape, her lips brushing directly against her earlobe. “What’s wrong, fool? Don’t worry, I only want you.”
She was still talking. Any more and Chi Wan was going to explode from the heat.
She simply turned her head and sealed Yu Jiuzhou’s lips with her own. Kissing her, she stood up and swiftly lifted Yu Jiuzhou into her arms.
Yu Jiuzhou naturally kicked off her shoes, and the next second, she was in the bath.
Chi Wan flipped them over again, pressing her down underneath. “Sister, you can rest assured too. I only want you.”
“Ah?” Yu Jiuzhou let out a surprised cry. A cool sensation on her body told her what had happened.
Then she was submerged in the pool by Chi Wan, the water rising past both their shoulders, leaving only its gentle embrace.
The water in the pool sloshed against itself, the sound of wave hitting wave was pleasant and mesmerizing.
Water slapped against the sides of the pool, making pattering sounds. The ground near the pool was soaked through.
The wet ground made the nearby plants look all the more fresh and tender, with crystalline water droplets clinging to them. Accompanied by the sound of churning water, it painted a beautiful picture.
Outside, a torrential downpour made the room seem exceptionally quiet. Slowly, the rain lessened, and a light drizzle pattered down, eventually returning to tranquility.
At this moment, Chi Wan was admiring the beautiful scenery before her, a satisfied smile on her face. “Sister, what do you think of my technique?”
Yu Jiuzhou shot her a look. “Hmph.”
“Sister still has the strength to hmph at me?” Chi Wan looked at her own wrinkled fingertips and muttered to herself, “Could it be that I’m still not working hard enough?”
Yu Jiuzhou: “…Shut up.”
Chi Wan chuckled. “Isn’t it my lips that sister likes the most?”
It wasn’t just her lips.
She had clearly heard, and felt, what Yu Jiuzhou liked.
When it came to things she enjoyed, Yu Jiuzhou would unreservedly make sounds to let Chi Wan know of her pleasure.
This woman, Yu Jiuzhou, was proud and stubborn, but it was precisely this that attracted Chi Wan.
Yet, there was one exception—when the two of them were intimate.
And as it happened, Chi Wan loved this contrast in her, loved it to death.
Meeting Yu Jiuzhou’s glare, Chi Wan’s smile grew wider. She lifted Yu Jiuzhou out of the pool.
After drying off, they changed into nightclothes and returned to the bed together.
However, neither of them was sleepy now.
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Sister, who do you think orchestrated this whole thing?”
To actually try and drive a wedge between her and Yu Jiuzhou, what was their goal? To end the reforms? That was impossible now.
Yu Jiuzhou pondered for a moment. “Kun Ze entering officialdom. Someone must have felt threatened.”
To allow Kun Ze to gradually participate in more affairs, they had hired Kun Ze in many of the new departments they established.
But these Kun Ze were not yet officials, only clerks. They were grassroots functionaries who had not yet been ranked as officials.
For example, regarding ranks and positions, a county magistrate might hold an honorary official title of a higher rank. The next time they were promoted, their substantive post would be based on the rank of their honorary title.
Kun Ze would start as clerks, and once they had meritorious achievements, they would first be granted honorary titles, and then they could hold substantive official posts.
This way, more and more Kun Ze would become officials, and then they could open the imperial examinations to Kun Ze.
They were all human. Why should only Qian Yuan be allowed to take the examinations? Not just Qian Yuan and Kun Ze, but He Yuan as well.
Since they were born human, if they were going to make a change, they might as well make it a thorough one.
Recently, they had indeed promoted a dozen or so Kun Ze to official posts, all ninth-rank minor officials. Those with sharp senses must have realized what they were trying to do.
The first Kun Ze empress in history had already appeared; it wasn’t impossible for Kun Ze to become officials.
Besides, there were precedents in history of Kun Ze holding official posts.
Perceptive people, having sensed their intentions, sought to drive a wedge between them, to weaken Yu Jiuzhou’s power as much as possible. Then, the matter of Kun Ze becoming officials would be easier to handle.
The two of them together were too well-coordinated, completely unassailable. This way, whatever they wanted to do, they could just implement it step by step, and their opponents would eventually have no power to resist.
In the future, when Qian Yuan, Kun Ze, and He Yuan stood together in the same court, setting aside the issue of Qian Yuan discriminating against Kun Ze and He Yuan, just from the perspective of interests, one more person to share the cake meant they would get a smaller slice. By keeping Kun Ze and He Yuan out of the court, they could secure greater power for themselves.
Chi Wan took a deep breath. “Since they don’t want us to do this step by step, then we’ll have to use extraordinary measures.”
Direct promotions, placing Kun Ze in higher positions. The faster Kun Ze and He Yuan occupied the court, the less damage the voices of opposition could do.
Yu Jiuzhou turned to look at Chi Wan’s profile. “Those who have discovered this are only a minority. If we let more people find out our intentions, we might face even greater resistance.”
“That may be true, but what can be accomplished in our generation should not be left for the next.”
Chi Wan still felt that if those people wouldn’t let her use gentle methods, then she would use drastic ones. If she cut a bloody path forward, eventually some people wouldn’t dare to speak out.
Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment. “Let’s first place the few we’ve trained in important positions. The rank doesn’t have to be too high.”
That meant the Six Ministries, the Six Offices of Scrutiny, and so on. The official ranks in these positions were not high, but they held considerable real power.
“Alright, let’s test the waters first and adjust our strategy as needed.”
Although Chi Wan felt they should deal with these people forcefully, Yu Jiuzhou was right. Even if Kun Ze could participate in the imperial examinations, they would still have to climb up slowly from being a Jinshi scholar. Ascending to heaven in a single step was never a good thing.
As she spoke, she rolled over and pressed down on Yu Jiuzhou again. “Sister, in a couple of days, the foreign tribes will also be presenting beauties, and there’s that marriage-seeking prince. How does Your Majesty plan to handle them?”
They had even sent a marriage-seeking prince. It was simply outrageous.
Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t help but laugh. “However you wish to handle it.”
Chi Wan could barely suppress the smile on her lips. This was the status of the main consort.
Get instant access to all chapters now.
