Delegations of envoys from various nations once again arrived in the capital of Great Zhou. Just like last time, they came with ulterior motives. Before, they sought to probe Great Zhou’s true strength; this time, they hoped to deepen cooperation between their countries through marriage alliances.
They intended to use these alliances to buy their own nations time to rest and recuperate. If a prince sent for marriage could win favor, he could bring benefits to his country.
The things one could access after gaining favor were different. If they could get their hands on Great Zhou’s gunpowder technology, that would be ideal.
According to the Embroidered-Robe Guard’s investigations, every beauty sent by the various nations had a mission, the most important of which was to obtain Great Zhou’s gunpowder technology.
They already knew the basic production and application of gunpowder, as the Central Plains had not concealed this information.
But now, Great Zhou was keeping its firearms, explosive packs, landmines, and cannons under tight wraps. Technological secrecy was essential.
Chi Wan had no intention of letting the technology she had developed leak out, only for others to turn around and use it against Great Zhou. That would be asking for trouble.
She had even issued an order: when using weapons on the battlefield, they were to be brought back if possible. If not, they were to be destroyed.
This would prolong the time it took for other nations to produce their own firearms. The longer the delay, the greater the advantage for Great Zhou.
Right now, Great Zhou’s weaponry was gold-tier, while other empires were still at the bronze level, hacking away with cold steel.
Although the majority of Great Zhou’s army still used traditional weapons, every force of one hundred thousand soldiers was equipped with a Firearms Division. The three thousand soldiers of the Firearms Division were all outfitted with the latest firearms.
One should not underestimate these three thousand Firearms Division soldiers. With cannons, landmines, explosive packs, and firearms, three thousand could face thirty thousand with the advantage on their side.
As long as they bought enough time, by the time the enemy’s weapons reached silver-tier, Great Zhou’s would have advanced again, maintaining a state of overwhelming dominance. In this way, as long as Great Zhou did not court its own destruction, extending the dynasty for another two hundred years would be no problem.
Chi Wan placed great importance on technological secrecy and had issued a strict, life-or-death order to all levels of command. If you didn’t want to die, if you didn’t want your entire clan exterminated, then just try leaking secrets.
Therefore, she did not welcome the arrival of the foreign delegations. These people had the hearts of wolves, each with their own schemes, wishing they could seize everything Great Zhou possessed for themselves.
And worst of all, these people actually wanted to possess her wife. Did they think she was dead?
Chi Wan summoned Li Bao. “Someone must always bear the risk of doing bad things.”
“Beining, Nanyue, Liuli, Hami, Tulu, Bali…”
She counted off the large and small nations. Beining, at least, had been beaten into submission. Dongli Wu had returned to a land without a home, allowing the imperial family to temporarily take the lead in Beining.
No one knew that the force controlling Dongli Wu had been sent by Chi Wan.
With so many tribes of varying sizes in Beining, it was not difficult to control one or two factions.
Upon Dongli Wu’s return, she was immediately controlled by Chi Wan’s people, who used the Son of Heaven to command the nobles.
But the major powers in Beining did not submit to Dongli Wu. So what if they trusted the Beining emperor? They did not recognize her.
It didn’t matter. It was just a title, and that title could be used to do many things.
It was like Boss Cao, who obeyed the Son of Heaven’s orders when they were favorable and ignored them when they were not. It was unimportant; with righteousness in hand, the world was his.
Whether others listened was not important. What mattered was that as long as one had the emperor in hand, anything could be done in the emperor’s name. Thus, as soon as Dongli Wu returned to Beining, she was propped up on the throne by Chi Wan’s people.
However, the delegation from Beining this time was not sent by Dongli Wu, but by the Gunan tribe, which was currently the largest tribe in Beining.
Sending a delegation directly without going through the emperor was proof that the Gunan tribe no longer recognized Dongli Wu’s legitimacy.
Chi Wan remembered that the first person to reject the imperial family and deny legitimacy always met a miserable end, like Yuan Shu during the Three Kingdoms period.
What future could an emperor not recognized by the various lords have?
No matter what, Dongli Wu was the emperor. After Daluoyan’s death, she was the most qualified to inherit the throne. It was perfectly logical for her to become the emperor; there was nothing wrong with it.
The Gunan tribe had sent several beauties, including the daughter of the tribal chief, a Kun Ze.
Using a Kun Ze to seduce Yu Jiuzhou—truly shameless.
Chi Wan was furious, but her anger quickly subsided.
Not only were there Kun Ze, but there were also Qian Yuan, and even men. Who were they trying to disgust? Was she, Chi Wan, not even as good as a man?
Hami, Tubo, and Bali were famous for their beauties. Regardless of gender, their height, figures, and looks were all outstanding. These three places together had sent dozens of them.
Nanyue was more restrained, sending about ten.
Liuli, on the other hand, was generous. For such a small country, they had sent twenty-eight beauties, all of them young women. They were truly a feast for the eyes.
Chi Wan felt that if she selected these people to form a girl group, they would surely become national idols.
Honestly, setting aside the men, just looking at so many young women improved her mood.
But these beauties had ill intentions. All told, there were nearly a hundred of them, and it was likely every single one had a mission.
That was why Chi Wan had summoned Li Bao. Li Bao was well aware that the matter of various nations sending beauties had thoroughly angered Her Highness the Prince.
Not long ago, when various regions had sent so many beauties, Her Highness had shown not a shred of tenderness.
It was said that the officials involved were now numb. They would go home to find their wives had taken yet another male consort.
And it was by the emperor’s personal decree. What could they do? Their children just had another father.
These officials were utterly disgusted and banded together, accusing the emperor of being unkind and insulting them in such a manner.
Chi Wan had directly sent the Embroidered-Robe Guard to their homes to reprimand them. “You all have so many concubines. What’s wrong with your wife having one?”
Li Bao knew Her Highness was in a foul mood and quickly said, “Your Highness, the things other countries offer as tribute to Great Zhou belong to Great Zhou. How Great Zhou distributes them is no longer any other country’s business.”
“As for those male Qian Yuan, send them to do hard labor. There happens to be a shortage of workers in some projects. Where else can we find free labor?”
“For the remaining beauties, it would be inappropriate to bestow them upon the ministers. Some workshops are in need of people. What does Your Highness think of this arrangement?”
Chi Wan smiled. “As long as they are not placed in confidential workshops, you may arrange it as you see fit. I’m not worried about these beauties.”
The ones who had accompanied them were the princes and princesses of the various nations. These were the troublesome ones to deal with.
Their status was noble; they were the true envoys. They had come for marriage alliances, not as tribute beauties. They did not belong to Great Zhou but were bridges for establishing diplomatic relations.
Great Zhou needed time to develop. It couldn’t afford to offend all the foreign tribes at once. If they united and harassed Great Zhou from all sides, even if they couldn’t conquer it, they would cause a great deal of trouble.
Chi Wan had called Li Bao over not to ask for his ideas. “Inform the Court of State Ceremonial to refuse the Gunan tribe lodging in the guesthouse. The Gunan are not the legitimate authority.”
If Great Zhou allowed the Gunan tribe to stay in the guesthouse, wouldn’t that be acknowledging that they could represent Beining? That would make the true Beining imperial family a joke. Would the other tribal chiefs be willing to accept that?
“As for the people sent by Liuli and the various Western Regions countries, do as you said. For their princes and princesses, give me a list of unmarried members of the imperial clan. Remember, I need the information that isn’t meant for public eyes as well.”
With this, out of nearly a hundred beauties, only a few princes and princesses remained.
And from the sound of it, Her Highness intended to have the imperial clan enter into marriage alliances with these people. It would achieve multiple objectives at once.
Li Bao quickly bowed. “Yes, this subject will see to it immediately.”
Some members of the imperial clan were idle, with nothing to do, living off the support of the Imperial Clan Court. They were the most suitable for marriage alliances.
Chi Wan would never let any capable member of the imperial clan enter into such a marriage. Capability meant the potential for future promotion, which would bring them into contact with Great Zhou’s secrets. If these people were married off, it would be bad if they were swayed.
So, it was best for these princes and princesses to marry idle members of the imperial clan.
Chi Wan rubbed her aching temples and rose, walking toward the inner chamber where Yu Jiuzhou was still reviewing memorials.
“Did Your Majesty hear my arrangements?”
At the sound of her voice, Yu Jiuzhou finally looked up. “They are well-arranged.”
Chi Wan moved closer to her side, looking at the memorial in her hand. “Who have they all chosen for Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat?”
“Dong Shuhan, Wang Shen, and Dou Huiyin.”
Dong Shuhan was the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. He had been one of Yu Jiuzhou’s people from early on and had contributed significantly during the struggle for the throne. He was capable, but overly smooth. After all, he came from a poor background, and to rise to a major official of the junior second rank without any backing was truly remarkable.
Wang Shen came from the Wang family. The Wang and Xie families were thousand-year-old great clans, spread throughout the land. Wang Shen’s ancestors were from the Langya Wang clan, as recorded in their family genealogy. They later moved their family to the capital. He was currently the Minister of Works, having just been appointed two years ago.
Then there was Dou Huiyin. She came from a humble background, a zhuangyuan at twenty-one. After three years in the Hanlin Academy, she concurrently served as a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, wielding absolute power. The position of Supervising Secretary was only of the seventh rank, but the power it held was comparable to that of a third or fourth-rank official, making it a fast track to promotion.
Coming from the Hanlin Academy, she was already held in high esteem. After returning from a tour of duty outside the capital, she would be promoted. As long as no accidents occurred, entering the ranks of the Nine Ministers after the age of fifty was a certainty.
Moreover, she also held the post of Supervising Secretary, making her not only esteemed but also powerful. If she continued on this path, her future would be limitless. She was also the son-in-law of Grand Elder Zhang Weisi, so her future development was easy to imagine.
However, she had submitted a memorial to Emperor Shengyuan discussing the “Eight Elements.” Every sentence, while not explicitly mentioning reform, was about reform.
Emperor Shengyuan was very resistant to reform, so how could he agree to any “Eight Elements”? He had her leave the capital for a local post, first as a prefect, then later returning to the capital as a Junior Supervisor of the Household, a demotion in rank but at least back in the capital.
Within two years, she was promoted to Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, a junior third-rank position. Unfortunately, after Zhang Weisi was demoted, Dou Huiyin was pushed out by political rivals. She had been on the verge of entering the Grand Secretariat as soon as Zhang Weisi retired, but now she was serving as an Administration Commissioner in a local province. Although it was still a high-ranking post of the senior third rank, it was a far cry from the Grand Secretariat.
After Yu Jiuzhou ascended the throne, Dou Huiyin submitted a memorial outlining a new version of the Eight Elements.
It was much improved from before, clearly refined by her experience in local governance, presenting new ideas. At the time, the new reforms had not yet stabilized. Both Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had reviewed Dou Huiyin’s Eight Elements, but unfortunately, they couldn’t be implemented immediately. They could only wait for the new laws to stabilize before discussing modifications and implementation.
Generally speaking, the court was divided into three factions. One was composed of those who had followed Yu Jiuzhou from the beginning; they had the merit of aiding her ascension. Among the three candidates, Dong Shuhan was a senior figure with authority among Yu Jiuzhou’s initial supporters, so his support was not low.
Next was Wang Shen, who was clearly being pushed forward by the great clans.
Finally, there was Dou Huiyin, the representative of the commoner officials. Some officials who were not from humble backgrounds but lacked backing also followed her.
In the beginning, it was the commoner and farmer-born officials, represented by Zhang Weisi, who united to oppose the great clans.
Now, a new faction had emerged, which could be considered a new party.
Neither Chi Wan nor Yu Jiuzhou supported factionalism, but these people had naturally gathered together. Of course, there were also those who did not form factions and acted independently, but they were in the minority.
Looking at these three people, and knowing Yu Jiuzhou as she did, Chi Wan had a good idea of who Yu Jiuzhou favored. “Wang Shen is definitely out of the question. Are you torn between Dong Shuhan and Dou Huiyin?”
Yu Jiuzhou nodded. “Dong Shuhan is good at handling people and affairs. He can ensure the stable continuation of the new laws. Dou Huiyin is a reformist. She will certainly want to implement her Eight Elements, and I worry that in doing so, she might obstruct the new laws.”
Indeed, it was a difficult choice between the two.
“Make Dong Shuhan the Grand Secretary and bring Dou Huiyin into the Grand Secretariat. The two can complement each other. After the new laws have been in effect for two or three years and are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, Lao Dong can step down. He can be appointed Junior Mentor or Junior Tutor to teach the children, and when he reaches the right age, he can return to his hometown to retire in honor.”
Their idea was to implement the Eight Elements on the foundation of the new laws, not to replace them or disrupt their progress.
The new laws and the Eight Elements were not in conflict, but the new laws had to be primary, with the Eight Elements as a supplement.
The Eight Elements were indeed good, but they could only be the icing on the cake; they couldn’t fundamentally change Great Zhou’s situation. This was a limitation of the era, but it didn’t negate Dou Huiyin’s ability.
In any case, the Grand Secretariat could have three to five members, or even seven or eight; it was all up to the emperor.
Power had to be divided. The Grand Secretary could not be allowed to possess the true authority of a chancellor. A Grand Secretary with a chancellor’s power would inevitably encroach upon imperial authority.
The relationship between imperial power and ministerial power was always a struggle for dominance, like the east wind prevailing over the west wind, or vice versa. Neither Chi Wan nor Yu Jiuzhou would allow their own power to be suppressed.
Only with absolute power could they do what they wanted to do. For now, even Dou Huiyin’s Eight Elements could only be considered a way to enrich the state, not the people.
Therefore, it would be better to implement them after the new laws had strengthened the nation and enriched the people.
Yu Jiuzhou also felt that, for the time being, making Dong Shuhan the Grand Secretary and bringing Dou Huiyin into the Grand Secretariat was a good choice.
“Then let it be so.”
The Great Zhou dynasty was already two hundred years old. According to the dynastic cycle, the first hundred years were a period of prosperity, while the middle hundred would see a sharp decline, plunging the dynasty into a period of turmoil.
Natural and man-made disasters were both possible. At such a time, a ruler of restoration might appear, or a powerful minister might emerge to lead the dynasty into a brief period of resurgence.
By Emperor Shengyuan’s reign, Great Zhou was plagued by constant disasters, its finances were perpetually in the red, its army was ineffective, and its ministers were locked in fierce struggles. Even the Grand Secretariat was consumed by factional strife for power and profit. If this continued, Great Zhou would plummet into decline and eventual collapse.
To be precise, the Great Zhou led by Yu Jiuzhou had already entered a new era.
It could be called a new dynasty, albeit one built on the foundation of Great Zhou. But with the success of the new laws, the fundamentals of Great Zhou had been completely transformed. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a new dynasty.
The most important thing now was to give the Great Zhou court a transfusion, to let all the civil and military officials know that the old ways were no longer effective. If you had ability, you stayed; if you didn’t, you retired.
The Great Zhou court was a place for the capable, whether they were from great clans or humble backgrounds. And it was no longer limited to Qian Yuan; Kun Ze also had to stand in the court.
In the beginning, there would certainly be more Qian Yuan, and even if Kun Ze became officials, they would face suppression.
So, when discussing this matter, Chi Wan’s suggestion was, “Let Kun Ze occupy more of the lower-level official posts. Similarly, even as clerks, when we open the Kun Ze imperial examinations in the future, they won’t be restricted from advancing. But by occupying the grassroots positions, they will have more opportunities when officials are selected from above.”
“Additionally, assign duties to Kun Ze from good families, like Commandery Mistress Jiacheng. Once they have official duties, they will gradually become officials and can stand in the court.”
Kun Ze from good families received an education no worse than that of Qian Yuan from a young age. All they lacked was an opportunity.
“I hear that Lao Dong’s wife is a very capable person. How about we start with her?”
Yu Jiuzhou let out a soft laugh. “You little devil.”
Chi Wan: “? I’m not a devil at all. Lao Dong is about to become the Grand Secretary. Let his wife take on an official duty. In the future, the couple can dominate in all directions.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Hearing the indulgent tone in her voice, Chi Wan chuckled. “So, what kind of duty would be good?”
“The foreign delegations have all arrived. The nobles among them need to be received. Some of them want to do business with Great Zhou. It’s a perfect opportunity to sell those novel gadgets you had people make, as well as the porcelain, tea, and silk that the foreign tribes love most.”
That was true. She had come up with many little trinkets that had low production costs but could be sold at high prices. It was a perfect time to engage in import-export trade.
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Let’s establish a Foreign Trade Division and a Maritime Trade Division. The Foreign Trade Division will manage land-based trade, and the Maritime Trade Division, as its name suggests, will handle sea trade.”
Great Zhou’s warships were currently undergoing testing and would soon set sail. Once they opened up maritime trade, it would be another source of income.
The year before last, Xu Chenlu had wiped out the wokou pirates. It was a good time to patrol the seas. In a word: “Mine, it’s all mine.”
Like a puppy, they would mark their territory everywhere. It was all Great Zhou’s sea. When the coastal nations learned that Great Zhou had reopened maritime trade, they would have to pay a toll if they wanted to come.
Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment. “Great Zhou has a precedent. Maritime trade was managed by the Maritime Trade Commission, but in reality, both the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue could interfere, so the Commissioner of Maritime Trade was only a junior fifth-rank official. Since we are separating land and sea, let’s call one the Land Trade Division and the other the Sea Trade Division. The highest official will be a Director of the senior fifth rank.”
After all, this was essentially business. Setting the rank too high would certainly provoke opposition. Their goal was to establish these two departments first; they couldn’t get bogged down in the ranks of the officials within them.
But Chi Wan still said, “When the time comes, say it will be junior third rank. Then you and I will be forced to compromise and set it at senior fifth rank.”
Yu Jiuzhou smiled helplessly. “And you say you’re not a devil.”
Chi Wan leaned forward and planted a sudden kiss on her lips. “I’m a very, very good person.”
“Mother, Mama~”
A familiar voice rang out, making Chi Wan jump in surprise.
“Alright, the little devils are here.” Their voices arrived before they did.
This was something Chi Wan had instructed them to do. From now on, when they came over, they had to call out first to let her know they were coming. Otherwise, if they pushed open the door, who knew what she might be doing? It would be so awkward.
She wanted to be intimate with Yu Jiuzhou all the time and couldn’t have the two little ones seeing it.
A moment later, Chenchen and Guiyi ran over quickly. “Mother, Mama, we’re done with class.”
That’s right. Now three years old, they had officially begun their elementary education with several tutors.
Their education was divided into language enlightenment, arithmetic enlightenment, music enlightenment, painting enlightenment, and equestrianism and martial arts.
Of course, they were still small, and holding a brush too early would be bad for their wrists, so they mostly listened and watched.
For language and arithmetic, there was no way around it; it was about strengthening their memory and giving them a general understanding.
Music involved listening to masters play, and painting was mostly outdoor doodling, so as not to stifle their natural creativity.
As for equestrianism and martial arts, they couldn’t really learn them yet. It was mostly their master taking them for a run and some play.
Chi Wan would never admit that she just wanted their time to be occupied so they wouldn’t disturb her and Yu Jiuzhou’s intimate moments.
It was now their lunch break. The two had to come back to eat and rest. The afternoon was for “physical education.”
Chi Wan ignored Yu Jiuzhou’s flushed cheeks, reached out to grab her hand, and even tickled her palm, all while maintaining a serious expression. “What did you learn today?”
Chenchen spoke first. “The Hundred Family Surnames. I know them all.”
Guiyi: “Me too.”
The Hundred Family Surnames, the Thousand Character Classic, and various little stories—Chun Gui and the others had told them these before. Now it was just formal instruction.
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “You still have to listen carefully.”
She wanted to laugh. She never thought that one day she would be so sternly supervising children’s studies.
After all, she hadn’t been a well-behaved child herself. She was the type who usually slacked off but could still get good grades by cramming for a few days before an exam.
Her grandmother and teachers used to tell her not to rely on her cleverness and neglect her studies.
She would agree readily but continue to do as she pleased. It wasn’t until high school that she started to study seriously.
Hearing her say this, Chenchen asked curiously, “What was Mama like when she was little?”
Guiyi nodded; she wanted to know too.
“Me? I started school when I was three.”
The kindergartens of Chi Wan’s time didn’t preach happy education. They had to learn language and math; it was only English that started in elementary school.
“But it was a school, not like this. I had many classmates. I don’t remember them now, but I know it was a lot of fun.”
It really was fun. There were no exams in kindergarten. Whether you learned or not, you played more. A group of little kids, not yet so scheming, had a great time playing together.
Chenchen’s eyes lit up. “We want classmates too.”
Guiyi: “We want them too.”
Uh…
Chi Wan suddenly felt like she had shot herself in the foot. Where was she supposed to get them classmates?
She looked at Yu Jiuzhou for help, but Yu Jiuzhou was just enjoying the show, a smile on her lips, looking utterly delighted.
An idea suddenly struck her. “Your mother was just about to select companion-students for you. So, we won’t select companion-students; we’ll select classmates. You will all study together.”
They would call it the Imperial Palace Kindergarten. The people who received an education alongside them would become their future base of support.
Yu Jiuzhou would have to retire eventually, and the position would have to be passed on. They couldn’t have a situation where the new boss was bullied by the old employees. Having one’s own base would make things much easier to handle.
Only, Yu Jiuzhou had a questioning look on her face. When had she said that?
Knowing that Chi Wan was diverting the trouble onto her, Yu Jiuzhou still nodded. “I will take this matter to heart.”
“Yay! Thank you, Mother! Thank you, Mama!”
The two little ones cheered and were led out by Chun Gui to eat.
Chi Wan immediately pounced on Yu Jiuzhou, pushing her down under the desk. “Was my lady just enjoying the show?”
Yu Jiuzhou wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, she lifted Chi Wan’s chin. “And what are you going to do about it?”
Well now, quite bold.
“Then it’s time for some midday exercise.”
When both parties in a relationship fall deeply in love, they always wish they could stick together constantly, and their passion for matters of the bed grows even stronger.
Chi Wan could never control her lust for Yu Jiuzhou. Of course, she didn’t need to control it either.
She even felt that Yu Jiuzhou lusted for her too, always using such methods to entice her into bullying her.
Get instant access to all chapters now.
