Rumors that the Emperor intended to take advantage of the situation to empower the inner court officials quickly reached Huang Xu himself.
This hypothesis greatly alleviated Huang Xu’s psychological pressure.
Huang Xu thought to himself that the main reason the Emperor kept him in his position was, naturally, that no better candidate could be found for the time being. If he were removed and replaced with someone managing the Ministry of Works who was utterly incompatible with the inner court officials, it would instead trouble the Emperor. Therefore, the Emperor temporarily kept him there.
That being the case, he understood how to act once he recovered from his illness.
First and foremost, he needed to communicate with the imperial guards – the wall construction project was extensive, with a constant flow of people coming and going. Huang Xu didn’t seek merit, only to avoid mistakes, so it was essential to minimize the possibility of any incidents. Additionally, he would trouble them to send someone to Liubo Canal to supervise the conscripted laborers and transport the unused stone materials from the earlier canal construction to the capital for subsequent selection.
Thinking about this, Huang Xu realized that the smooth progress of matters was largely thanks to Wen Hong, the Commandery Administrator of Wuzheng Commandery. If not for his consideration of his superiors’ intentions and his timely increase in the delivery of various building materials earlier, Huang Xu would still have had plenty to worry about.
Then there was the matter of the Imperial Household Department – Huang Xu figured that rather than waiting for them to come and seize power, it would be better for him to take the initiative, adopt a humble stance, and seek cooperation with them in advance.
Just as the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Household were beginning to develop a tacit understanding, the Censorate caught wind of the matter and promptly submitted memorials. Citing various classical texts and employing vehement language, they impeached the inner court officials, arguing that if their power were allowed to grow unchecked, it would likely pose a threat to the state.
The censorial officials’ actions were not entirely due to conflicts of interest with the inner court; they were also concerned about the latter’s low proportion of competent individuals. If among the gentry, one in ten could be selected for their abilities, among the inner court officials, perhaps not one in a hundred could meet the mark. Had it not been for the exceptional skills of Chi Yi and Zhang Luo, and their allegiance to a strong and accomplished emperor like Wen Yanran, it would have been difficult for them to seize power so quickly.
However, although the censors’ memorials successfully reached the Emperor’s desk, they were all retained without any response.
Wen Yanran’s current thoughts shared many similarities with those of the ministers.
She knew that most people in the Censorate were loyal officials, and she believed their assertions that many inner court officials likely did have some intention of seizing power through this opportunity.
Wen Yanran mused that the comment section had once mentioned that Chi Yi and Zhang Luo were both fond of monopolizing power, their daily work involving placing confidants everywhere while simultaneously trying to eliminate dissidents. Now, they certainly wouldn’t let go of the opportunity presented by the Ministry of Works’ city wall construction.
What happened in Jianping was practically under Wen Yanran’s nose; it was truly too difficult to pretend not to see the inner court officials reaching into the Ministry of Works. After pondering for a moment, Wen Yanran, to prevent the inner court officials from fearing her and not daring to boldly seize power, felt it necessary to make them believe that reaching out everywhere was something condoned, or even actively encouraged, by their leader.
During Zhang Luo’s next audience, Wen Yanran chatted with him for a few moments.
Wen Yanran said with a slight smile, “Minister Huang is getting on in years. Although the city wall construction is important, we mustn’t push him too hard. When you leave, Ah-Luo, instruct the Imperial Medical Bureau to pay close attention, lest he fall ill from overwork again.”
The Emperor’s implication was so clear, and its content aligned perfectly with the rumors circulating at court. Naturally, Zhang Luo bowed slightly and replied respectfully, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Sure enough, two days later, Huang Xu submitted a memorial stating that due to the canal construction, many officials from the Ministry of Works had been transferred out. He requested to borrow several artisans and officials from the Imperial Household. Seeing this, Wen Yanran readily approved the request with a wave of her brush.
Observing this turn of events from the sidelines, the court officials found that the situation was developing exactly as they had previously speculated. For a moment, they felt exceptionally clever.
Huang Xu, being worldly-wise, intended to curry favor with Chi Yi and Zhang Luo. He devised a way to arrange a meeting. On this particular day, Chi Yi had entered the palace to attend to duties, leaving only Zhang Luo outside. Huang Xu invited him to his home for tea.
Huang Xu said admiringly, “The year’s end is approaching; the Imperial Household is already bustling with work. Now, having to bear the additional burden of assisting the Ministry of Works, I am truly filled with shame.”
Although Chi Yi and Zhang Luo now held the title of Cavalier Attendants-in-Ordinary, their most crucial official position remained the Vice Commissioner of the City Bureau, bestowed upon them earlier by Hdf Majesty. And regardless of how the Emperor had adjusted the specific functions of the City Bureau, it remained nominally under the Imperial Household Department. Therefore, Zhang Luo was still, in practice, an official of the Imperial Household.
Zhang Luo chuckled and replied, “What are you saying, Minister Huang? You and I both serve Her Majesty. After the earthquake, the Ministry of Works was entrusted with a great responsibility by Her Majesty and hasn’t had a moment’s rest. How would the Imperial Household Department dare to seek ease and leisure?”
Since Huang Xu was intent on currying favor, Zhang Luo and the others were not about to keep this opportunity all to themselves. While at the Huang residence, Zhang Luo recalled that the Emperor had once advised them, as newly prominent inner court officials, to avoid conflicts with the old powers within the palace as much as possible. Therefore, he courteously requested an audience with the Director of the Imperial Household Department, seeking their guidance on the city wall construction.
Hou Suo, being deeply versed in the ways of the world, unhesitatingly said, “The newly appointed Jingcheng Ren is both talented and virtuous. I, Hou, believe that if she were willing to come over, the city wall renovation project would surely achieve twice the result with half the effort.”
It was common practice for them, as officials in the Imperial Household, to boost each other’s standing. Now that Zhang Luo was doing him a favor by enhancing his prestige, he would, in turn, give Ren Feihong a push, gradually forming a united front.
Zhang Luo cupped his hands in thanks, his expression particularly sincere as he said, “If not for your guidance, I truly wouldn’t have known what to do today.”
Naturally, he wasn’t truly in awe, but since they served at court together and Hou Suo was so perceptive, Zhang Luo naturally reciprocated the kindness.
Jingyuan was not far from Jianping. Ren Feihong, who was spending her time at the Office of Metallurgy, received a fast-horse message informing her that the Ministry of Works had invited her to discuss matters.
Before she had even finished reading the letter in the city, Ren Feihong had already guessed Huang Xu’s intentions – since not much time had passed since the earthquake, Huang Xu’s invitation for her to return to the capital at this moment was clearly related to the task at hand. After pondering for a moment, Ren Feihong thought of the Elixir Palace and Nie Palace within Jingyuan. Both palaces were quite grand in scale, especially Nie Palace, which had been newly built by the Emperor just days ago. Although neither the interior nor exterior had been elaborately decorated, the speed of its construction alone proved that there were unique techniques involved.
Without needing anyone to explicitly remind her, Ren Feihong directly brought artisans along on her return journey.
According to reports from Ministry of Works officials, the reason the city wall had deteriorated was actually due to long-term neglect. While its exterior appeared sound on ordinary days, the interior had long since rotted and become unstable.
The main binding agent used in the Great Zhou for building walls was clay. Over the years, combined with the considerable rainfall and snowfall in the Jianping area, the fact that the walls had held up until now was already the result of diligent daily maintenance.
Ren Feihong said, “I once inquired at Nie Palace, and it is said that Her Majesty personally formulated a type of binder called cement. After setting, it can become as hard as rock, and it might be suitable for use here.”
Upon hearing Ren Feihong’s words, the first thought that popped into Huang Xu’s mind was, “They all study alchemy, so why is it that our current emperor’s skill surpasses the combined total of all previous emperors?”
Wen Yanran, who was thought of countless times every day by various court ministers, actually didn’t have much energy left to focus on the situation at the Ministry of Works. Since she intended to let the inner court officials seize power, she couldn’t possibly oversee everything herself. Therefore, she delegated many matters to Chi Yi and others to worry about.
Chi Yi did not disappoint the Emperor’s expectations.
She had already discussed privately with Zhang Luo. “If the Minister of Works were to be suddenly replaced, the candidate would most likely still be chosen from the noble families. The post of Minister holds significant power, so we must act cautiously. During this time, let’s do our best to assist Minister Huang, to spare Her Majesty any worry.”
Zhang Luo understood immediately that Chi Yi was reminding him to avoid giving the Censorate too much ammunition for impeachment during this period. He smiled and replied, “Thank you for the advice, Sister Yi.” Then, lowering his voice, he added, “Speaking of which, those whelps under our command are indeed quite worthless. Let’s deal with a few first, to prevent them from causing too much trouble.”
Having prepared themselves accordingly, the lesser inner court officials under them dared not act recklessly. The Censorate, maintaining close surveillance, found no particularly excessive behavior and had to let the matter rest. They also heard that Chi Yi and Zhang Luo, braving the snow every few days, personally went to inspect the city wall construction. Leaving aside other matters, this at least demonstrated their complete loyalty to the Emperor, and the censors couldn’t help but feel a trace of admiration.
The progress of the city wall repairs was not fast, not because of difficulties, but because the artisans from Nie Palace were quite innovative, determined to build the most sturdy and solid city wall possible for the Emperor. Therefore, progress couldn’t be pushed too quickly at the start.
The original city wall consisted of earth, small stones, and sand on the inside, with a brick facing on the outside for stability. As years passed, the relevant architectural drawings had become blurred and incomplete. The artisans first had to carefully study the original structure before they could formulate a repair plan.
A young official brought along by Ren Feihong said, “Minister, please do not worry. In my estimation, it can be repaired in about half a year.”
Huang Xu was startled by this statement – although his abilities were mediocre, having spent so many years in the Ministry of Works, he still possessed basic experience and judgment. He knew that given the scale of Jianping, even if they rushed the work without regard for manpower or materials, it would take at least seven or eight months to complete the repairs, and even then, quality would be difficult to guarantee.
“Jianping is the capital of the Great Zhou. Do not rush things just for the sake of speed and end up being perfunctory.”
The young official replied proudly, “When I was at Jingyuan, I served in Her Majesty’s presence and personally witnessed Her Majesty formulating the cement binder.”
Huang Xu suddenly understood.
Since it involved the Emperor, no matter how fast the speed, there was nothing strange about it.
This young official came from a humble background and carried himself without much air of authority. He personally led the artisans in continuously experimenting with new formulas. They all remembered that when the Emperor conducted experiments, he would constantly adjust the proportions of ingredients, meticulously record the data, and engage in continuous comparison and standardized procedures.
Although they had never studied in a modern society, the scientific habits from the modern era had already begun to influence the people of Jingyuan. They started trying to mix cement with other substances, carefully documenting the types of minerals needed and the ingredient ratios, preparing to send these formulations to various regions once developed, so that other damaged cities could also be repaired according to these standards.
The craftsmen of the Great Zhou had traditionally relied on empirical methods, but this tradition slowly began to change with the arrival of Wen Yanran.
Huang Xu and others also noticed that the measuring instruments used by the people from Jingyuan differed from those used elsewhere.
The young official smiled and said, “These, naturally, were also made by Her Majesty.”
Wen Yanran needed to conduct experiments, which naturally required various tools with markings. She initially intended to let the artisans use their own ingenuity, but the old-style measuring instruments produced by the Imperial Household were not convenient to use. Wen Yanran had no choice but to step in and provide comprehensive and detailed technical guidance, instructing the craftsmen to produce items such as set squares, rulers, and compasses according to the shapes and standards she provided.
The people in Jingyuan thought that although the Emperor had never explicitly said these tools should be used for the city wall repairs, judging from her various arrangements beforehand, this was clearly her intention.
The Grand Annual Assembly was moved to the Gui Palace as previously decided. The process was no different from previous years, but because the Gui Palace was luxuriously decorated, it exuded an even greater air of opulence and elegance.
Of course, after hearing that the Great Zhou had been struck by an earthquake, many envoys from vassal states used the excuse of admiring the splendor of the superior state, hoping to enter Jianping and observe the situation firsthand. Since Wen Yanran had already begun to adopt a laissez-faire attitude, she naturally wouldn’t stop them. She readily granted these requests.
Among them, the envoy delegation from Quiche took a thorough tour of the city. Upon their return, their expressions were rather unsightly.
The envoy from Qiuche sighed, “No wonder the Great Zhou Emperor has gained popular support in less than three years of reign.”
They had seen the common people whose homes were damaged, and precisely because they had seen this, they understood all the more that Wen Yanran’s rule was truly unshakable.
The damage to the houses mostly affected ordinary citizens within the city. The Emperor did not think it would be undignified to cordon off an area within the capital to accommodate these people; instead, she made proper arrangements for them. During the previous emperor’s reign, they would likely have simply relocated the homeless commoners to the outskirts, out of sight and out of mind.
Another member of the envoy delegation said, “Although it was done well, it may not necessarily be the young emperor’s own idea.”
The previous speaker sighed and replied, “If it was the idea of the ministers, that would be even more remarkable.”
In a vast country like this, how could there be a shortage of talented people? During the reign of Emperor Li, were there truly no ministers in the court willing to work for the common people? However, some members of the envoy delegation had witnessed the situation back then. That the current ministers could perform so well was clearly inseparable from the Emperor’s support.
If the system were willing to report good news to Wen Yanran as well, during this period she would probably constantly receive prompts of “[Stability +1].”
An important function of the annual assembly was to hear reports from the local fiscal commissioners from various regions, and for the Ministry of Revenue to verify the performance records of local officials, thereby adjusting individual official positions accordingly.
This matter was primarily deliberated by the Ministry of Revenue, with the final approval resting with the Emperor.
By this year, the content requiring Wen Yanran’s approval had more than doubled compared to usual. The main issues still originated in the eastern regions. The officials there had been selected through the Talent Selection Examinations, and a considerable number of them came from powerful local clans.
Although the proportion of talented individuals from powerful clans was lower than that among the gentry, it was still higher than among the humble families. Unfortunately, after their sudden rise to prominence, illegal activities were inevitably common. Now that this new batch of officials had been appointed in the east, naturally numerous problems had emerged. Wen Yanran dismissed more than three hundred officials of various ranks in one go, deciding to organize another Talent Selection Examination after the new year.
Yuan Yanshi had specifically advised, “The prestigious families can naturally be appointed to office based on their reputation and prestige. Why must they compete in the same examination hall with the children of powerful local clans?”
The Emperor was always willing to listen to the Grand Tutor’s words, but after listening, she did not adjust her arrangements. She only smiled and said, “Since the talented individuals from prestigious families are all virtuous and excellent, and their reputation is outstanding, I imagine they will not be afraid of competing in the same hall.” She added, “Moreover, when local figures like Dian Wue and others rebelled, many in the eastern region abandoned their cities and fled. It seems they have rarely encountered dangerous situations before. This time, let them also undergo some tempering.”
Since the Emperor had seized upon the pretext of officials previously abandoning their posts, Grand Tutor Yuan naturally had nothing more to say. Since he did not publicly refute her, other officials found it even harder to speak up. Thus, the Talent Selection Examination for the following year proceeded smoothly according to the Emperor’s wishes.
