TGPSAC – Chapter 36

Yu Jiuzhou had arranged for someone—the scholar in the tavern—to seemingly argue with others while actually informing Chi Wan of the consequences of continuing her investigation.

Although she had sent many people to clear Chi Wan’s name, she had also taken care of other matters. Explaining the harm of the land annexation case to Chi Wan was just one part of it.

Chi Wan wouldn’t be the magistrate of Qingyuan County for long. If she did nothing, she could simply wait for a new assignment. No one would criticize her for it; after all, she had already done more than enough.

After explaining the harm to Chi Wan, the scholars’ emotions would surely run high, and they would demand an explanation from the emperor.

The scholars of Great Zhou were passionate. It wasn’t the first or second time they had staged a sit-in or knelt outside the palace over an injustice to compel the emperor to act. This group was most concerned with right and wrong. To them, black was black, and white was white; they cared nothing for shades of gray.

From one place, then many, scholars converged on the palace, eventually uniting as a single force to petition for justice in the world.

Under these circumstances, if Chi Wan wanted to drop the matter, she would return to her residence. But if she wanted to continue the investigation and prevent the scholars from coming to harm, she would certainly seek out Yu Jiuzhou. If she couldn’t find her, her only option would be to enter the palace.

Yu Jiuzhou didn’t know what Chi Wan would do after entering the palace, but she could predict one of two outcomes: she would either infuriate the emperor or successfully gain the authority to handle the incident of the scholars pressuring the palace.

In the former case, Yu Jiuzhou was in the palace and could send someone to rescue her in time. The latter would mean Chi Wan had earned the emperor’s trust and favor.

To Yu Jiuzhou, both outcomes were secondary. Her ultimate goal was to nail Prince Zhongshan, and entering the palace was primarily for that purpose.

But after Chun Gui’s explanation, Xia Qu’s understanding was skewed. “Your Highness, if you care so much for the Fuma, why don’t you tell her yourself?”

Didn’t caring mean she liked her? At the very least, Her Highness wanted to live peacefully with the Fuma, so she should certainly let the Fuma know her thoughts. Then the two of them could get along harmoniously in the future.

Yu Jiuzhou: “…” She cared for Chi Wan? How was that possible?

After confirming that Chi Wan was not that scoundrel, her recent actions showed that she was a person with kindness and justice in her bones. She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she wasn’t afraid of it either. Her words at the New Year’s Eve banquet had been neither servile nor overbearing.

Furthermore, Chi Wan knew many things and wasn’t selfish with her knowledge. She had said, “As long as it helps people have a better winter.” A person so sincere, decisive, and concerned for the world—Yu Jiuzhou had to admit, she was a good partner for cooperation. That was why she didn’t want Chi Wan to die just like that.

Now it seemed Chi Wan had gained the emperor’s trust. This time, they had gotten off to a good start.

Yu Jiuzhou ignored Xia Qu. “Let’s go see His Majesty.”

Xia Qu was puzzled. “Your Highness, was I wrong?”

“You were,” Chun Gui said, giving her a nudge. “By not saying anything, His Majesty will trust the Fuma even more. Don’t you know? Everything His Majesty did yesterday was to make the Fuma a lone official. But he was also worried that before she could become one, she would be attacked for presenting evidence of her father’s crimes. That’s why he had Her Highness clear her name.”

“But in addition to clearing her name, Her Highness also improved the Fuma’s reputation, which His Majesty felt was going too far. He wanted to protect the Fuma, not turn her into a saint. So now, he’s sent the Fuma to deal with the scholars. If things go wrong, the Fuma will incur the scholars’ wrath. If they become disappointed that the Fuma isn’t the loyal and patriotic minister they imagined, they will hate her even more.”

Xia Qu couldn’t help but worry. “Then isn’t the Fuma finished? What if those scholars get angry and beat her up?”

Chun Gui was speechless. “That’s not the point. The point is, the Fuma can be a pure official, but she cannot be a lone official.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her Highness has her own plans. You should watch more and speak less,” Chun Gui said, losing patience with her.

Xia Qu immediately wheedled, “Sister Chun Gui, sister~ please tell me.”

“Hah, General Xia, with a mind like yours, if you were ever sent to the battlefield, the commander would probably worry you couldn’t understand orders or see the battle flags.”

Xia Qu’s dream was to go to the battlefield. Hearing Chun Gui’s words, she huffed, “You’re the only smart one, then.”

Seeing her anger, Chun Gui immediately placated her. “Alright, I’ll explain it to you when we get back to the residence.”

“That’s more like it.”

Listening to their bickering, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved into a smile. It was good that everyone was still alive. In this life, she would protect them all.

She just didn’t know if Chi Wan could handle the matter with the scholars.

After a moment, Yu Jiuzhou still said to Chun Gui beside her, “Have someone keep an eye on the Fuma.”

Xia Qu’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t I go? I’ll definitely make sure the Fuma doesn’t get hurt.”

Yu Jiuzhou: “…”

Chun Gui explained for her, “That’s what Her Highness means, but she’s too embarrassed to say it. However, you can’t go yourself. Just pass a message to our people in the Imperial Guard.”

“Understood.”

Yu Jiuzhou was silent for a good while. Sometimes, she really didn’t need these two around. Perhaps she should just banish them.

Xia Qu grinned and immediately went to carry out the order.

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Having just reached the city gate, Chi Wan felt more and more that something was wrong. Why would Yu Jiuzhou enter the palace at this moment?

The emperor had said he entrusted the matter of clearing her name to Yu Jiuzhou. The scholar in the tavern had revealed the Chi family’s inside story—that she wasn’t Chi Mingwu’s child, but Chi Mingwen’s. She had initially thought the scholar might have heard it from somewhere else.

But if he had heard it elsewhere, how had the news already reached the next location and continued to spread so quickly?

And then there was that Scholar Zhang. She had thought he was unaware of the inside story, but now it seemed more plausible that he was a plant.

One of these two scholars helped explain her situation, while the other stirred up the crowd’s emotions. Their coordination was remarkably smooth. If they were working together, then their words were worth pondering.

Whether they were coordinating or not, Chi Wan decided to assume they were.

According to her speculation, these two were Yu Jiuzhou’s people. Their purpose was not just to clear her name, but also to agitate the scholars, inciting them to go to the palace and pressure the emperor to thoroughly investigate the land annexation case.

Wasn’t Yu Jiuzhou worried that the emperor, in his fury, would have all these scholars killed? She didn’t think Emperor Shengyuan was a good emperor. If he went mad, would he really not kill them?

To disregard the lives of the scholars for her own goals—Chi Wan found herself disagreeing with Yu Jiuzhou’s methods.

But since Yu Jiuzhou had done it, and since she herself had come, she could only do her best to protect these scholars and ensure Yu Jiuzhou’s plan went smoothly, even though she wasn’t sure what the ultimate goal was.

However, if Yu Jiuzhou’s goal was to investigate all the land annexation throughout the realm, it would be incredibly difficult. The only person who could accomplish such a thing would be a regent with absolute power, whose word was law throughout the court, or an emperor with complete control over it.

Clearly, Emperor Shengyuan was not such an emperor, and Yu Jiuzhou was not such a regent.

Yu Jiuzhou’s goal was too grand; it might not be achievable.

Chi Wan felt a tightness in her chest. Knowing full well this was all Yu Jiuzhou’s plan, she took a deep breath and decided to cooperate anyway.

She had already decided to work with her. Even though Yu Jiuzhou hadn’t told her the plan, she still had to play her part.

Chi Wan walked out of the palace gate and saw hundreds of scholars kneeling outside, with many more arriving in a steady stream.

At that moment, Yuan Yiqing, the Vice Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, stood before them. The scholars knelt while he stood in front, appearing lofty and superior.

“You scholars, instead of preparing for this autumn’s imperial examinations, what are you doing here? Are you trying to force the emperor’s hand?”

“Lord Yuan, why do you level such a grave accusation against us? We are kneeling outside the palace gate to beseech His Majesty. Yet you immediately accuse us of trying to force the emperor’s hand. Are we brandishing weapons? Have we tried to storm the palace gates?!”

Yuan Yiqing had been a high official for many years and was now a member of the Grand Secretariat. Besides the emperor, when had anyone ever dared to speak to him like this?

“Insolence! Who told you to speak to me in this manner?”

“I am speaking the truth. If Lord Yuan is displeased, you may as well have me beaten to death right here outside the palace gate.”

“Count me in. I am willing to use my blood to awaken the sovereign. Yuan Yiqing, you are Vice Grand Secretary in name, but a treacherous minister in reality.”

“Treacherous minister! The blood of the common people from last night has not yet cooled. Today, we scholars are willing to spill our own hot blood upon the palace walls!”

Yuan Yiqing had been in a high position for so long that he had forgotten his original aspirations, becoming accustomed to viewing others through the lens of officialdom. Facing a group of plainly dressed scholars, he was incapable of speaking to them properly.

The scholars glared at him, their expressions filled with furious passion. If they had swords, the more hot-tempered among them might have already charged forward.

The emperor could say they were ignorant of state affairs and causing trouble, but they would not allow themselves to be branded with the crime of forcing the emperor’s hand and committing treason. Their own deaths would be one thing, but treason was a crime that could lead to the execution of their entire clans.

Yuan Yiqing’s face changed drastically. He had intended to scare the scholars into retreating, but he had instead ignited their fiery spirit. He had thought he would back down in such a situation, and that the scholars would too.

But the scholars present were in the prime of their passionate youth.

Yuan Yiqing asked angrily, “Who is your leader? Step forward and speak!”

“We are all leaders! What does Lord Yuan intend to do to us?”

Just as Yuan Yiqing was about to make an example of someone, Chi Wan’s old acquaintance, the Scholar Zhang she had met in the tavern, stepped forward. As Scholar Zhang took a step, the other scholars rose and took a step forward in unison.

The imposing sight of nearly a thousand people advancing together frightened Yuan Yiqing into taking a step back.

Seeing Scholar Zhang’s actions, Chi Wan became even more certain of her suspicions.

But Gao Zheng had truly chosen the wrong person by entrusting this matter to Yuan Yiqing. It was unclear whether he had been sent to appease the scholars and disperse the crowd, or to provoke their anger and incite them to more drastic actions.

Chi Wan waited a moment, but Gao Zheng still didn’t appear. She was just about to step forward.

Gu Cheng, Commander of the Imperial Guard’s Right Division, walked to her side. “Fuma, Her Highness sent a message: be a pure official, not a lone official.”

Yu Jiuzhou’s meaning was that she didn’t want her to offend the scholars, nor did she want her to offend the emperor. Oh, and it would be best if the court officials couldn’t stand her but couldn’t find any grounds to attack her either.

That would indeed be quite pure.

A lone official and a pure official were not that different in essence. A lone official listened only to the emperor, and so did a pure official.

However, a lone official was a blade in the emperor’s hand—a sharp weapon that harmed others and itself. A pure official was a brush in the emperor’s hand. It could kill or give life; it could expose ugliness, attack the heart and mind, and also inspire great ambition.

The fate of a lone official who served as a blade was never good. If the emperor killed him, he was seen as a wise ruler. If officials impeached him, they were seen as unafraid of treacherous ministers.

But for a pure official who served as a brush, the emperor had to consider the world’s opinion before killing him. If officials impeached him, it was seen as slander. The two were very different.

Chi Wan smiled. “Her Highness truly thinks highly of me.”

If she had to put it that way, did that mean she was supposed to emulate Hai Rui? Scolding the emperor, scolding treacherous ministers; the emperor hated him but couldn’t kill him, and the court officials despised him but dared not attack him.

He was the paragon of an upright official and moral virtue.

Chi Wan understood. She was to become a loyal official who spoke frankly and offered honest counsel. The emperor, to protect his own image, couldn’t kill her. She herself had to remain incorruptible and unyielding. Any official in the court who attacked her would be seen as morally deficient.

Everything she did would be from the people’s perspective. Anyone who opposed her would be opposing all the people under Heaven. It was quite the perfect persona for a gadfly.

Could she interpret this as Yu Jiuzhou’s public rumors being a way to shape her into a good official who was unafraid of power, resolutely opposed corruption, and fought against those who profited at the people’s expense? To make her a byword for integrity?

Once Chi Wan was certain that Yu Jiuzhou was trying to build a persona for her, she immediately cast aside the emperor’s command to become a lone official.

The emperor wanted her to offend people, and she had. It was just that she was offending officials, not scholars.

Just because His Majesty didn’t want to investigate the land annexation case across all of Great Zhou didn’t mean certain individuals couldn’t be investigated.

A flash of inspiration struck Chi Wan. Could it be that Yu Jiuzhou intended to use this to attack someone? Perhaps her goal wasn’t so grand after all, at least not for now.

She would wait and see what Yu Jiuzhou’s plant among the scholars said, and then she would follow his lead.

It was just a matter of offending people. Offending officials was still offending people. As long as she could appease the scholars and disperse them, she would have completed her mission.

Chi Wan smiled at Gu Cheng, acknowledging that he was one of Yu Jiuzhou’s people, then strode toward the scholars.

Yuan Yiqing was still in a standoff with them. “You’ve all gone mad! Calling me a treacherous minister! Then you can kneel! Kneel here until you die, and see if His Majesty will even bother with you.”

Faced with such aggressive pressure, Yuan Yiqing was naturally worried about his reputation being ruined. But in front of everyone, he, the dignified Vice Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, a man whom even the emperor addressed as Lord Secretary—if he backed down now, he would lose all face.

How could he, Yuan Yiqing, issue government decrees in the future? Would he still have a voice in the Grand Secretariat?

The scholars remained defiant. Many from the capital had come, including some from good families. Perhaps they were driven by youthful passion, unaware of their own families’ situations. Perhaps they knew their families were upright and thus had nothing to fear. There were even some who deliberately blended in, pretending their families hadn’t annexed any land, so that if an investigation did happen, they would have a reason to stay out of it.

“With treacherous ministers in the court, the pleas of the people cannot reach the emperor’s ears! We are petitioning on behalf of the people, yet Lord Yuan slanders us! You, Yuan Yiqing, are the greatest treacherous minister of the Shengyuan era!”

“Dismiss the treacherous minister! Remove him from office!”

“Dismiss the treacherous minister! Remove him from office! Thoroughly investigate the land annexation case and give the people a chance to survive!”

The scholars began to shout, and Yuan Yiqing’s face turned ashen with rage.

Chi Wan walked before the crowd. Seeing her dressed in the plain robes of a scholar, they thought she was one of them.

Until Yuan Yiqing bowed. “Fuma.”

At this, the scholars quieted down. Hearing Yuan Yiqing address her as Fuma, their eyes lit up.

“Fuma, it’s the Fuma!”

“We beg the Fuma to seek justice for the people, to seek justice for us!”

“The Fuma is here! We admire the Fuma for risking her own safety to seek justice for the people.”

Chi Wan raised a hand, signaling for them to be quiet for a moment.

Then she looked at Yuan Yiqing. “Lord Yuan, what have you done to the scholars to make them so indignant?”

As soon as she said this, the scholars knew she was speaking up for them, and they grew excited.

Yuan Yiqing’s face was grim. “The Fuma asks what I have done to them. Why not ask what they have done to me?”

“Lord Yuan is the Vice Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. They are merely scholars who will one day enter the court as officials and become your subordinates. What could they possibly do to you?”

As if she couldn’t play with words too.

Before Yuan Yiqing could speak, Chi Wan said loudly, “I heard everything just now. Lord Yuan, you immediately tried to pin a label on these scholars. That label is as heavy as an iron wok. Do you think they can bear it? In my opinion, Lord Yuan, since you’re so good at slinging pots, perhaps you should take up blacksmithing.”

“You…” Yuan Yiqing’s face flushed red and green. He had thought Chi Wan was here to resolve the situation, but it turned out she was here to confront him. Overcome with rage, he found himself at a loss for words.

“What about me? Am I wrong? Who are they? They are scholars, the future officials of Great Zhou. And they are not here for themselves, but to petition for the people. So, in Lord Yuan’s eyes, speaking up for the people has become treason? I too have studied, though I never took the imperial examinations. I know that one must establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, and a destiny for the living people. Lord Yuan is a Jinshi scholar; you have read more books than I. How could you not know this principle? Or has Lord Yuan forgotten his original aspirations?!”

Chi Wan had decisively offended a Grand Secretary. There were only five people in the Grand Secretariat, and she had just made an enemy of one.

The scholars all grew excited. “Well said, Fuma! Well said!”

“The Fuma speaks with reason! We scholars should be just so.”

“If the Fuma took the imperial examinations, she would surely place as a Tanhua.”

“You boy, don’t just say that because the Fuma is good-looking. I think the Fuma could be the Zhuangyuan.”

The corner of Chi Wan’s mouth twitched awkwardly. That was quite unnecessary. She believed that with her photographic memory, she could probably pass the Jinshi examination after a few years of study, but becoming the Zhuangyuan would be difficult.

“Chi Wan!!!” Yuan Yiqing roared, then fainted and collapsed to the ground the next second.

Who told Chi Wan not to play by the rules? She had directly pricked Yuan Yiqing with a needle and made him faint. This was no time for chivalry. She had just had her moment in the spotlight; if Yuan Yiqing had said any more nonsense, she wouldn’t have been able to come up with so many retorts.

She quickly stepped forward to support Yuan Yiqing. “Someone, Lord Yuan has been overcome by rage. Help him down and have an imperial physician see to him.”

Gu Cheng waved for the Imperial Guard to come forward. They flanked Yuan Yiqing and carried him away.

Seeing that only Chi Wan remained, the scholars quickly knelt again. “Fuma, we are scholars from all over the country. We came to the capital early, partly to study and see how we compare to the scholars here, and partly to report what we have witnessed on our journeys to His Majesty, should we be fortunate enough to pass the examinations.”

“Throughout Great Zhou, the lands of officials and gentry grow ever larger, while the lands of the common people shrink. Many have even lost their land and become vagrants. They resort to begging or selling themselves into servitude, and many more have become bandits in the mountains. If they had but a single bite of food, they would not do so.”

“We scholars only wish to ask His Majesty one question. In the future, will people say that Great Zhou truly fell during the Shengyuan era, that it truly fell because of the vagrants? If so, then we students dare to ask, where did the vagrants come from?”

This statement was rather treasonous. Chi Wan rebuked him, “Insolence!”

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“Audacious!!!” Upon hearing the report, the emperor slammed his hand on the table in anger. “What did Chi Wan say?”

Cheng Jiao quickly replied, “The Fuma angrily rebuked the scholar for his insolence, and then said…”

“Said what?”

Emperor Shengyuan was somewhat displeased with Chi Wan for berating Yuan Yiqing, but hearing that she had quelled the scholars’ anger, he decided not to say anything. Whether it was offending officials or scholars, Chi Wan had to offend one side.

If he had to choose, Emperor Shengyuan felt that the scholars were of little consequence; they would make a fuss for a while and then disperse. The officials were different. If she offended them, Chi Wan would be isolated and helpless at court, forced to rely only on him.

But Cheng Jiao knelt, trembling. “The Fuma said that His Majesty doesn’t want to deal with the land annexation, but that he cannot.”

“Insolence! Insolence!” the emperor fumed. “What else did she say?”

“The Fuma said that His Majesty is virtuous and loves his people as his own children. But with the crown prince yet to be named, the court officials are unsettled. To enrich themselves, they do not share the sovereign’s burdens, and they seize the people’s land. When His Majesty speaks, the officials feign compliance. The three princes vie for the throne, seeking only to become the supreme ruler of the world. His Majesty lamented to Her Highness the Grand Princess, saying, ‘With my child’s character, if she were a Qian Yuan, she would surely be a wise ruler of a generation.’”

Emperor Shengyuan calmed down, astonished at Chi Wan’s audacity to speak of such matters in public. He was both angry and impressed—what she said was good, for these were indeed the things that troubled him now.

Wait, why was he empathizing with Chi Wan? That scoundrel! How dare she speak of imperial affairs to the common people? It was outrageous! Where would he put his face?

Just as Emperor Shengyuan was about to fly into a rage and summon Chi Wan back, a eunuch reported, “Your Majesty, Her Highness the Grand Princess has arrived.”

“Let her in. Let her see the fine Fuma she found.”

Hearing this, Yu Jiuzhou clenched her fists inside her sleeves. Who was it that found the Fuma, really?

She took a deep breath and said with feigned anger, “Your Majesty, Chi Wan is simply audacious, spouting such nonsense outside. I request that Your Majesty punish her severely.”

With Yu Jiuzhou saying this, Emperor Shengyuan was perversely disinclined to grant her wish. “What nonsense? The Fuma is right. I have long been troubled by these matters. Let the Fuma speak! Let the world know how difficult it is for me to be emperor, and still these scholars come to pressure me.”

The emperor was truly fickle. One moment he wanted to punish Chi Wan, but the moment Yu Jiuzhou suggested it, he started defending her.

Before Yu Jiuzhou could say more, Emperor Shengyuan gestured for her to wait and asked, “What else did the Fuma say?”

“The Fuma said that the only ones in this world who can and dare to investigate such a major case are either His Majesty or the crown prince. His Majesty is the ruler of the world and has his own difficulties, which leaves the crown prince. But our Great Zhou does not yet have a crown prince.”

The emperor nodded. That made sense. He couldn’t be the one to do such an offensive job; it should be the crown prince. If there was no crown prince, then it could be forgotten.

The eunuch glanced cautiously at Yu Jiuzhou and continued relaying the message. “But the scholars said that since Her Highness the Grand Princess is wise and virtuous, she should investigate. Her Highness is Your Majesty’s only child and the Grand Princess of Great Zhou. Without a crown prince, the Grand Princess is the crown prince of our Great Zhou.”

“Another scholar said that since the crown prince has not been decided, it might not be impossible for the Grand Princess to temporarily act as the crown prince.”

The emperor tapped the table beside him, mulling over these words. “Continue.”

“The Fuma told the scholars that she would come and ask Your Majesty, and that they should wait for a while. She also sent people to deliver hot tea to the scholars.”

Emperor Shengyuan snorted. “She certainly knows how to win people over.”

“Jiuzhou, what do you think?”

Yu Jiuzhou had anticipated the emperor would ask her. “Your Majesty, I believe Chi Wan’s words are meant to attack the heart. The matter of the crown prince is a great affair of the state; how can it be discussed so recklessly? Furthermore, investigating the land annexation across the realm… where does she get the nerve? The nobles, the gentry, the officials… assassination, poison… they will surely find a way to kill her.”

As she spoke, she even smiled, looking as if she couldn’t wait for Chi Wan to die.

Emperor Shengyuan was somewhat satisfied with her attitude of wishing Chi Wan dead, but also a little troubled. If this was the case, when would he get to hold an imperial grandchild?

He felt the ideal situation would be for them to give him a grandchild first, and then, after the child was born, they could start fighting each other. That was the scenario he most wanted to see.

“Jiuzhou, you and Chi Wan are partners. Give me an imperial grandchild soon, while I can still move and help you raise them.”

Yu Jiuzhou lowered her head, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Help them raise the child? Raise them to be as selfish and cold-blooded as him?

“Your Majesty, let us discuss this matter later. Chi Wan has stirred up such a huge mess. Does Your Majesty truly not intend to punish her?”

Just as Yu Jiuzhou finished speaking, a eunuch entered to report, “Your Majesty, the Fuma has arrived.”

“Send her in.”

The first person Chi Wan saw was Yu Jiuzhou. The emperor was seated on a arhat bed, and she was sitting in a chair beside him, pretending not to see anyone enter.

Her Highness the Princess was too good an actress. After digging so many pits for her, she was now pretending not to see her.

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Footnotes:

1. Zhuangyuan (状元): The highest honor in the imperial examination system, awarded to the candidate who ranked first in the palace examination (殿试). The Zhuangyuan received immediate high office, immense prestige, and national recognition.
2. Bangyan (榜眼): The title given to the candidate who achieved the second-highest score in the palace examination. Along with the Zhuangyuan and Tanhua, they formed the top three scholars, known collectively as the “Three Top Scholars” (一甲).
3. Tanhua (探花): The title awarded to the candidate with the third-highest score in the palace examination. The name literally means “to pluck flowers,” evoking the scholar’s role in ceremonial flower-gathering during court celebrations.

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