At the Prince of Jin’s residence, the prince was playing the qin with his head lowered.
Halfway through the tune, he overheard his wife and her maid chatting outside.
“Hm? The Prince of Jibei attempted rebellion and was captured?”
His thumb twitched instinctively, causing the string to let out a dull, discordant hum as the note scattered into the air.
Hearing the noise, the princess carefully supported her pregnant belly and walked inside. “My lord?”
The Prince of Jin turned his head toward her. “Did I just hear you say that the Prince of Jibei attempted rebellion and was captured?”
The princess nodded.
The prince studied her expression. “What else? Tell everything at once.”
The princess hesitated before continuing, “His Majesty has sent the Prince of Jibei’s heir to the Nanfeng Pavilion. Many are criticizing this decision, claiming it’s an insult to scholars and asking His Majesty to revoke the order.”
“The Nanfeng Pavilion?!”
The Prince of Jin instinctively glanced at his wife’s five-month-pregnant belly before quickly looking away, muttering, “Thank goodness…”
His voice was soft, and the princess didn’t catch it clearly. “What?”
Feigning relief, the prince said, “It’s fortunate that our household has little connection with the Prince of Jibei’s. We won’t be implicated—especially not you or the child.”
The princess chuckled. “Indeed. Thanks to my lord’s prudence and caution in avoiding factions, we’ve escaped this disaster.”
The prince’s gaze flickered montarily. He didn’t respond, choosing instead to change the subject. “Anything else of interest happening outside?”
The princess thought for a mont. “It might not be ‘interesting,’ but Marquis Yongchang has returned victorious.”
Victorious indeed. He had even hauled back carts full of gold and silver ore.
Xu Yanmiao heard that the Minister of Revenue, who had gone to greet the marquis, turned green with envy at the sight. Smiling brightly at Marquis Yongchang, the minister personally held the reins of his horse and brushed off his clothes, fawning, “It must have been arduous, my lord.”
Lian Hang from the Ministry of War, who had also been part of the welcoming delegation, later vividly recounted, “Xu Lang, you should’ve seen it. Marquis Yongchang was practically trembling with arrogance. Even when the Minister of Revenue held his horse, he didn’t dismount!”
Xu Yanmiao asked honestly, “Is this what they call an overweening general?”
Lian Hang chuckled, “Exactly. That’s an overweening general.”
That evening, at the banquet celebrating the victory, Xu Yanmiao witnessed firsthand just how conceited Marquis Yongchang had beco.
The marquis arrived already drunk, boldly riding his horse straight into the hall.
The entire court was in an uproar.
Several officials imdiately stepped forward to impeach him, accusing him of arrogance and disrespecting the emperor.
However, the emperor smiled and said, “The Marquis Yongchang’s actions while drunk shouldn’t be taken seriously.” He then instructed the attendants to help the marquis to his seat.
But once seated, the marquis looked around, left and right, before suddenly standing up and walking toward Pri Minister Dou’s seat.
The Pri Minister was about to greet him when a fist the size of a bowl slamd into his eye.
“Ah!” Pri Minister Dou clutched his eye in pain.
On the dais, Empress Dou’s smile froze. Even the emperor was taken aback.
After landing the punch, Marquis Yongchang declared righteously, “How dare you sit ahead of when you’re so useless?!”
The old emperor rubbed his forehead. “Soone, sober him up!”
The Jinyiwei prepared to escort Marquis Yongchang out to sober him up. However, the marquis struggled, clearly unwilling, and the commotion threatened to escalate. Left with no choice, one of the guards picked up a nearby teapot and poured its contents onto Marquis Yongchang’s forehead. Luckily, the tea was only warm and didn’t scald him.
“!!!”
Marquis Yongchang jolted awake, his eyes instantly regaining clarity.
“Are you sober now?” The emperor’s calm voice reached him.
Marquis Yongchang imdiately dropped to his knees. “Your Majesty! I know my wrongdoing!”
The emperor chuckled softly. “This is a celebration banquet; let’s aim for auspiciousness. You are pardoned.”
Marquis Yongchang quickly kowtowed, overwheld with gratitude. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!”
The emperor continued, “I hear that your eighty adopted sons are all exceptional warriors. Since this is a celebration, let them co into the hall as well.”
Marquis Yongchang was overjoyed. “Thank you, Your Majesty!!!”
In these tis, adopted sons were treated almost the sa as biological ones. The emperor’s words suggested potential promotions for them, leaving Marquis Yongchang elated.
The emperor gave him a deep, thoughtful glance but said no more.
One by one, the eighty adopted sons entered the hall. All were tall and robust, and their presence instantly made the space feel crowded.
The emperor smiled and invited each of them forward, asking their nas and observing their appearances. His deanor was approachable and warm throughout the process.
Marquis Yongchang couldn’t stop grinning as he watched.
anwhile, Xu Yanmiao hastily set down his chopsticks and clumsily pulled out a bamboo scroll, scribbling down the nas and descriptions of the adopted sons.
Lian Hang, curious, leaned in and asked, “What are you writing?”
Xu Yanmiao glanced at him and whispered, “I can’t tell you.”
[How am I supposed to explain to you that the emperor morizing their nas actually ans he has no intention of using them?]
Lian Hang: “…”
Oh no.
This was bad.
He quickly lowered his head, pretending to focus on eating cake, hoping the emperor wouldn’t notice his involvent.
On the other side, Marquis Yongchang’s smile faltered slightly, his gaze turning toward the emperor in confusion.
The emperor, true to his imperial composure, remained calm even after being exposed. He continued his warm inquiries with the eighty adopted sons as if nothing had happened.
Xu Yanmiao, while performing his duties as an attendant, silently grumbled to himself.
[The old fox is still the craftiest.]
[That folding screen in the emperor’s chamber probably just gained eighty more nas.]
The ministers nearby perked up their ears.
A folding screen? What folding screen?
The emperor gave them a faint smile but didn’t stop Xu Yanmiao from revealing more.
—In fact, he had long anticipated this issue with the adopted sons and had almost tacitly allowed it.
[Even Pri Minister Dou fell into this trap before. It’s no surprise Marquis Yongchang is following suit.]
Pri Minister Dou, who was still rubbing his eye, felt his heart skip a beat when he overheard this and looked uneasily at his brother-in-law, the emperor.
[When the dynasty was first established, the emperor gathered his old comrades and earnestly praised them as pillars of the nation, saying that the kingdom’s foundation was built on their efforts. He insisted they all submit the nas of their children, relatives, and close associates, promising to reward them generously.]
[Delighted, the ministers rushed ho, combed through their genealogies, and painstakingly compiled lists. They included not only sons and grandsons but also distant relatives and even friends.]
[What did the emperor do next? He had those nas embroidered onto a folding screen.]
[Afterward, every ti the Ministry of Appointnts submitted a list of promotions or appointnts, the emperor would cross-check it against the nas on the screen. Any matching nas were rejected with an excuse.]
[What a sly old dog.]
Author’s Note:
The “na embroidery” tactic is inspired by Liu E:
After Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty passed away, the new emperor was too young to govern, and Empress Dowager Liu E began ruling from behind the curtain.
Right after Zhenzong’s burial, Liu E sincerely thanked the ministers for their hard work. To express her gratitude, she asked them to submit the nas of their descendants and relatives, promising to extend special favors and grand titles.
The ministers, seeing this as a rare opportunity, eagerly complied. They rushed ho, pored over family records, and painstakingly wrote out the nas of not just their sons and grandsons but every relative and friend they could think of.
The ministers eagerly submitted their lists and waited patiently. Once Liu E received the lists, she had them carved onto the wall beside the curtains, creating a massive “Selection Guide.” Whenever a minister recomnded soone for an official position, she would glance at the wall. If the person’s na wasn’t there, she would consider them; if it was, she would resolutely reject them.
Over ti, the ministers realized they had been duped. The lists were indeed Liu E’s “Selection Guide,” but it was the exact opposite of what they had imagined.
As a result, commoners were given opportunities to beco officials.
With this “Selection Guide,” the court promoted many talented and capable individuals, nurturing a wave of outstanding scholars and leaders and ushering in one of the most prosperous periods in the history of the Song Dynasty.(*Excerpted from “Youth of the Tis”)
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