Wen Yanran shifted her gaze away from the prompt text – as long as she didn’t pin any hopes on this shabby game panel, she naturally wouldn’t feel disappointed.
After the Emperor rose, the palace attendants removed the benzoin incense from outside, then rolled up the curtains inside the hall and quietly moved aside the screens that blocked the light.
The fragrance still lingered in the hall as a eunuch presented a cup of tea.
Wen Yanran held the teacup in her hand.
The utensils of the Great Zhou dynasty were still primarily made of pottery, though porcelain did exist. However, there was no white porcelain; based on her daily observations, most of what she saw were darker-colored celadon pieces.
State affairs kept the court busy. Just as Wen Yanran finished rinsing her mouth, a eunuch from outside came in to report on matters.
“Your Majesty, the tribute from Tai Province has arrived in the capital, and the accompanying tributary envoy is waiting in the outer court for an audience.”
All regions were required to send tributes to Jianping on schedule. Each year, aside from the New Year’s offerings, the most important occasion was the Emperor’s birthday.
Wen Yanran’s birthday fell in autumn, still a few months away. However, to avoid missing the exact date, some remote regions chose to deliver their tributes in advance. The batch that had just arrived in the capital was only the first.
Since Wen Yanran had some free time in the afternoon, she said, “Summon him in.”
Western Yong Palace was situated at the boundary between the outer court and the inner palace, facilitating the movement of officials. The tributary envoy, having arrived as summoned, first solemnly knelt in prostration before the hall, then was led inside by the palace attendants.
Wen Yanran asked, “The conflicts in the western regions have only recently subsided. How is it that Tai Province is still able to send tribute as usual?”
The tributary envoy replied, “The people of Tai Province, blessed by Your Majesty’s grace, all have fields to till. They are prosperous, the governance is just, and the prefectural treasury has gradually accumulated wealth. To repay Your Majesty’s kindness, the western region wishes to present tribute to the capital.”
Wen Yanran smiled faintly, paying little heed to the official’s words of praise.
In truth, when it came to birthday tributes alone, Wen Yanran’s reign was not significantly better than those of Emperor Li or Emperor Dao. However, she had never imposed additional levies under other pretexts, giving Tai Province sufficient time to recover. Moreover, previous rulers had been particularly fond of western brocade, whose production was time-consuming and labor-intensive, causing great suffering among the people.
After Wen Yanran suppressed the rebellion in Tai Province, the output of western brocade did not diminish. But because the Emperor herself rarely used such fabrics, there was less justification for extortion by lower-level officials. Additionally, with the opening of trade routes in the western region, the people could now profit from weaving brocade.
The tributary envoy said, “Inspector He has instructed me to present the commercial tax revenue from the first half of the year.”
Wen Yanran glanced at the figure for the commercial tax and gave a slight nod – in the western region, the poll tax had been replaced with a land tax, so the Imperial Household no longer collected revenue from the head tax. However, a portion of the commercial tax had always been allocated to the Imperial Household. In comparison, the decrease in her income was not particularly significant.
This matter was actually related to Lu Liangcheng. He had a reputation in the comment section for being “the Unrealistically Ambitious One,” yet in reality, he was an official with great aspirations and a pragmatic approach. Although his official position was not high at the moment, he held an extraordinary noble title and had been sent to the western regions from Jianzhou, so no one dared to underestimate him. Lu Liangcheng had discussed with He Tingyun that since the Emperor intended for the people of Tai Province to benefit from commerce, when government caravans transported goods, private merchant convoys should also be permitted to accompany them, ensuring the safety of both personnel and supplies.
Many of the prominent families in Tai Province had suffered severe losses during the war. Now that the court had provided them with a path to profit, they had become somewhat restrained, redirecting the energy they once spent on obstructing officials toward the acquisition of goods. In truth, powerful clans held enormous economic and demographic advantages over commoner households, and their buying and selling inevitably involved illicit activities. However, the current inspector of Tai Province was He Tingyun, a former Censor-in-Chief personally appointed by Wen Yanran. She had once slain the late Seventh Prince, Wen Jiangong, before the late emperor’s spirit tablet. With such a trusted and authoritative prefect stationed there, others dared not overstep their bounds.
In addition to a small quantity of western brocade, Tai Province also presented a substantial tribute of bamboo, iron ore, well salt, and other goods. Among these, well salt was a specialty of the western region. In the past, people would draw brine from salt wells to produce salt as white as snow. However, most of these wells were controlled by powerful clans and served as a significant source of their exorbitant profits.
Cui Xinjing, highly adept at political maneuvering, consulted with her colleagues and proposed that, in the name of the government, certain individuals be permitted to excavate salt wells for a period of ten years, during which they would share the profits with the authorities.
In Tai Province, the majority of salt wells were controlled by the top-tier powerful families, and those without significant connections or influence had no means to access them. Now, with the government acting as a backer for certain individuals, it enabled them to establish their own salt businesses, gradually redistributing the wealth that originally belonged to the elite clans.
Apart from the tribute, He Tingyun also sent a private letter to Jianping.
Wen Yanran frequently received personal reports from her ministers, most of which were routine greetings accompanied by brief descriptions of local conditions. However, He Tingyun’s latest report carried particular significance. According to her, the ruler of the Qiuche Kingdom might soon submit a memorial to the Great Zhou court.
The Qiuche Kingdom was one of the larger states beyond the western borders.
Just as Wen Yanran read these words, the system once again asserted its meaningless presence –
[System:
The vassal relationship between the Qiuche Kingdom and the Great Zhou has weakened. Specific information on the [Tributary States] interface cannot be displayed.]
In the four directions of the Great Zhou, apart from the east, which was sparsely inhabited, there were numerous external forces in the north, west, and south. They had two things in common: first, they had all once sworn allegiance to the Great Zhou; second, they increasingly disregarded the Great Zhou’s authority. In the original version of Monarch’s Conquest, once the [Tributary States] interface was unlocked, it would provide detailed information on each minor faction. However, Wen Yanran was clearly not entitled to such treatment.
For other issues, there were guides to refer to, but not for the Qiuche Kingdom or the southern coastal states – not because there was no useful information in the comment section at the time, but because Wen Yanran had not read that far in detail before her transmigration. She only vaguely remembered that in this world, the civilizations in the surrounding regions were relatively underdeveloped. If modern civilization were rated at one hundred points, the Great Zhou might score around ten, while the Qiuche Kingdom and its ilk would at most get one – and that was only after rounding up from zero.
In her memorial to the Emperor, He Tingyun mentioned the situation of the Qiuche Kingdom and other small states, suggesting that since the western regions had now been pacified, trade relations with these minor states should be reopened.
With an upright character, she refused to take credit for others’ achievements and explicitly stated in the letter that this was Lu Liangcheng’s proposal.
Wen Yanran remembered Lu Liangcheng, and more importantly, she recalled the comment section’s assessment of him.
He Tingyun was her trusted confidante, so Wen Yanran naturally would not refuse her request. Moreover, this matter would likely end up being handled by Lu Liangcheng himself, so there was no fear of the western regions performing too well.
In the same letter, He Tingyun also noted that engaging with foreign minor states would ultimately require a certain level of military security. Given that Zhong Zhiwei was currently stationed in the Left Camp, she hoped to request that some troops be dispatched.
This request was made partly because engaging in trade with the small states beyond the western regions indeed required military presence, and partly because the Lu family was volunteering to oversee the matter, thereby preventing any suspicion from the emperor that they might be expanding their power in the west.
Wen Yanran folded the letter and dismissed the tributary envoy, instructing him to rest at the official residence.
The matter of the Qiuche Kingdom once again stirred her thoughts regarding the upcoming meeting with the Qingyi envoy the next day.
Although Xiao Xichi commanded troops, she had always valued her tribe and, logically speaking, would not wish to see large-scale external conflicts.
If trade could be established in the west, then the same could naturally be done in the south.
Whether it was the Qiuche Kingdom or the southern coastal states, they were all too distant from Jianzhou for the central government to effectively control them. Moreover, these polities were small in scale and possessed little wealth, making military conquest highly impractical.
Wen Yanran, having made a preliminary decision in her mind, summoned an attendant. “Since these are tributes from the western regions, take some out and distribute them to the Grand Tutor and the others. Also, send a portion to Wang Zizhan.”
Wang Zizhan was the youngest daughter of Wang You, the former inspector of Tai Province, and was currently observing mourning on the outskirts of the capital.
According to the customs of the Great Zhou, during the mourning period, one must refrain from indulging in fine clothing and food. If strictly adhering to ancient rites, even salt could not be added to meals. However, by now, many of these rules had gradually loosened. After the first three months of mourning, a small amount of salt was permitted in food.
Since it would be inappropriate to send Wang Zizhan fine silks, Wen Yanran instead had someone deliver half a kilogram of well salt to her, along with a batch of new books from the Imperial Academy.
Cai Qu remarked, “Your Majesty always keeps Young Lady Wang in mind.”
Wen Yanran replied, “Since I said I would properly nurture her, how could I go back on my word?”
As one of the Emperor’s close attendants, Cai Qu wisely swallowed the words “She’s already over twenty” and withdrew to carry out her orders, distributing the tributes to the residences of the various ministers.
The next day.
The envoy from the Qingyi tribe was led to the front hall of Western Yong Palace and immediately performed the grand ritual of prostration, touching his forehead to the ground.
“The Qingyi tribe is deeply grateful day and night for Your Majesty’s life-saving grace. Our chieftain has just recovered from a serious illness and has sent me to pay respects to Your Majesty on her behalf.”
As the Qingyi envoy spoke, he raised a box high above his head. A palace attendant took the box and handed it to an attendant of Western Yong Palace, who then passed it to Chi Yi, before it finally reached Wen Yanran’s imperial desk.
Inside the box was a necklace made of beast fangs.
The Qingyi tribe envoy heard the Emperor’s voice coming from above:
“What is this?”
The Qingyi tribe envoy replied, “Your Majesty, these are the fangs of wolves that our chieftain hunted in her youth, along with bones from a whale.”
Xiao Xichi’s tribe originally resided in the northern lands, so before each generation of chieftain formally assumed leadership, they would go hunting for wild beasts. Even after relocating to the south, this tradition was maintained. However, large beasts were scarce in the south, so the chieftain’s successors had to seek suitable prey at sea.
The Qingyi tribe envoy said reverently, “Our chieftain once said that everything she possesses belongs to Your Majesty. Although our tribe possesses only modest strength and courage, we too wish to serve Your Majesty.”
In fact, within the customs of the Qingyi tribe, presenting a necklace of animal bones also carried the significant meaning of pledging allegiance. Xiao Xichi, as the chieftain, was not merely offering her personal loyalty through this act, but the loyalty of the entire tribe.
After the Qingyi tribe relocated to the south, they were often afflicted by Gu illnesses without understanding the cause. The court, in the past, had never shown concern for the well-being of frontier peoples. However, after Wen Yanran ascended the throne, she consistently showed care for the Qingyi tribe’s situation. Upon learning of Xiao Xichi’s illness, she specially dispatched medical officials to teach them methods of prevention and treatment.
If Wen Yanran’s prestige and authority among the Qingyi tribe could be displayed independently, it would show that her approval rating had already surpassed ninety and was continuing to rise.
Wen Yanran looked at the necklace in the box and smiled slightly. Since this ornament was made from hunted prey, it clearly held more commemorative than practical value. However, she did not have many personal items at hand. After a moment’s thought, she removed the hairpin from her crown and had Chi Yi give it to the other party as a return gift.
“When you return, tell General Xiao that I have always thought of her as well.”
In addition to the necklace, the Qingyi tribe envoy also delivered Xiao Xichi’s memorial. In order to keep the Emperor informed with firsthand information about the southern coastal regions, she had described the situation there in great detail.
The southern coastal area had a humid climate with abundant waterways. Among the larger small states in the region was Luonan, which had sworn allegiance to the Great Zhou for generations. In the early years, it had always been submissive, but now it frequently stirred up trouble – though this was not necessarily solely its own fault and was closely related to the governing abilities of the previous few Great Zhou emperors.
The ruler of the state bore the surname Fan, but the sovereign was weak while his ministers were strong. All court affairs were controlled by powerful eunuchs. The Grand General Chen Gudu carried out the deposition of the ruler, poisoning him to death and installing the youngest son of the Luonan ruler as his successor.
When conflict arises, one either resolves internal contradictions through external ones -such as launching military campaigns against border regions – or seeks support from the Great Zhou.
Currently, Grand General Chen was pursuing the latter path. He sent envoys with lavish gifts, hoping that the Great Zhou emperor would formally recognize the young ruler he had installed and grant him the title of regent. If the Great Zhou agreed to his request, he was willing to cede certain interests.
After reading Xiao Xichi’s letter, Wen Yanran said to the Qingyi tribe envoy, “I am now aware of the situation in the south.” She dismissed him and then summoned Yuan Yanshi and others to discuss the matter.
Grand Tutor Yuan, having anticipated something of the sort when he heard that Xiao Xichi had sent an envoy to the capital, replied honestly when the Emperor consulted him. “During the late emperor’s reign, the court primarily pursued a policy of conciliation toward the southern coastal states, often exempting them from tribute and frequently bestowing rewards upon them.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Yanran seemed about to say something, but in the end, she merely smiled and let it pass.
Chi Yi understood that the Emperor had a rather playful temperament and was likely about to make a jest about “the late emperor’s benevolence.” However, since the Great Zhou placed great importance on filial piety, and given that important court officials were present for discussion, it would have been inappropriate to joke.
Given Emperor Li’s nature, he had not genuinely wished to exempt them from tribute. However, the southern coastal states refused to obey commands, and launching a campaign against them would not only require covering great distances but also incur exorbitant costs. Fortunately, with the Qingyi tribe serving as a buffer, no matter how chaotic things became beyond, it would not reach his doorstep. Thus, he simply turned a blind eye to the matter.
Yuan Yanshi said, “According to General Xiao’s letter, it seems that Luonan intends to return to its former allegiance. Your Majesty might consider granting this request.”
Since Chen Gudu sought the support of the Great Zhou, Luonan would likely resume paying tribute to Jianping. In this way, the central court could, in name, regain control over the southern coastal region without expending a single soldier or coin. For any monarch, this would be counted as a great achievement, and for the court officials, it would secure them a place in history.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yanran remained noncommittal.
