Chi Yi said, “Your Majesty ordered the planting of zhe trees along the southern coast. The batch planted in August last year was already harvested this April. However, Luonan and Jianping are far apart. If the harvest is to be transported to the Central Plains, I fear the costs along the way would be too great, making it unwise.”
Wen Yanran had previously instructed officials in the southern region to trade grain for sugarcane with Luonan. The exchange between the two sides had been proceeding smoothly. However, due to the large size of the sugarcane and the great distance between the southern coast and the Central Plains, coupled with the poor road conditions of the time, factoring in transportation costs made the trade highly uneconomical.
After Chi Yi finished her report, the Sovereign did not immediately respond. Instead, a thoughtful look appeared on her face as she said:
“The Central Secretariat has only recently been established. I have reassigned the former secretariat to serve as Participating Advisor and participate in deliberating state affairs. Now that both you and Ah-Luo hold the position of Cavalier Attendants-in-Ordinary, you shall take up the concurrent title of Participating Advisor and assist me in handling certain political matters there.”
Upon hearing this, Chi Yi knelt and performed a ceremonial bow, saying, “Your Majesty…”
Wen Yanran gave a slight shake of her head and, before Chi Yi could finish, said with a smile, “It is not as if I am appointing you directly as President of the Department of State Affairs. With just a minor position like Participating Advisor, even if the court ministers are reluctant, their disapproval will be limited.”
In fact, emperors of the previous Zhou dynasty had frequently appointed inner court officials as President of the Department of State Affairs. In comparison, Wen Yanran’s move was not excessive – though once word spread, it would inevitably invite criticism, with some accusing her of repeating the mistakes of former emperors.
“As for how to transport the zhe harvest, you shall handle the matter yourselves.”
If Wen Yanran’s past record had not been so illustrious, both the court ministers and the inner palace would have interpreted her recent move for what it truly was – that inner court officials, if they sought power, must rely on the authority of the throne. By sending Chi Yi and Zhang Luo to the Central Secretariat to oversee state affairs, she was positioning them to rival the outer court ministers and help enforce policies that, while costly and burdensome to the people, would otherwise be easily dismissed by the upright officials.
Since the Emperor had made up her mind, Chi Yi naturally accepted the command with a bow. She then added, “It is not only matters in the southern region. The Ministry of Revenue has been auditing land figures across various prefectures and has found that in the Central Plains, the amount of land dedicated to zhe and hemp has decreased, having all been converted to cotton cultivation.”
Wen Yanran nodded.
This was an issue on which Wang Qishi and others had previously submitted memorials urging her to reconsider, arguing that cotton was more expensive than hemp cloth. If too much land was converted to cotton, they said, it would affect the common people’s access to clothing. However, Wen Yanran had made up her mind and proceeded regardless; no matter how much the upright officials argued, she simply did not accept their views.
The inner palace attendant in the hall heard the Sovereign say casually, “If it has decreased, then it has decreased. It is no great matter.”
Perhaps because a touch of camphor had been added to the incense burner in the hall, the attendant detected a faint, piercing chill in the Emperor’s words.
Among the stack of memorials, aside from those concerning the people’s livelihood, the second most common category dealt with engineering and construction projects. Having confirmed that the “Second Phase of the Grand Canal Construction” was still progressing, Wen Yanran did not inquire further and instead took up the memorials on the appointment and removal of regional officials for closer examination.
A few days earlier, a total of five hundred and twenty-nine individuals had passed the Talent Selection Examination. Among them, four hundred and fifty-eight had accepted appointments from the court and completed their probationary period – including the youngest daughter of Wang You.
The memorials forwarded by the Ministry of Personnel included the resumes of these individuals. Among them, the majority were still from noble families, and a considerable number from powerful local gentry passed as well – though even more were screened out during the probationary period. Next came those from prominent households. As for individuals of ordinary farming background, there were only seven.
Such a small number was hardly enough to cause any upheaval in the social structure.
The Western Yong Palace was silent. After standing in attendance for a while, Chi Yi saw that the emperor did not summon her and withdrew from the hall, returning to the City Bureau. She would wait until the Emperor’s appointments were issued the following day before proceeding to the Secretariat to handle affairs.
Although Chi Yi and Zhang Luo had a far better reputation than the inner court officials from the time of the late emperor, they still came from humble origins. Many senior ministers were not without objections to their new titles; it was simply that, with the Emperor’s authority growing stronger by the day, and in the absence of any serious consequences, they found it inconvenient to voice firm opposition.
Recently, the incessant clamor in the court had mostly been related to the Ministry of Revenue. After all, due to the construction of the canal, the imperial treasury was quite tight – though such tightness was measured by the standards of the Zhaoming era. Unlike the late emperor, the current sovereign was the type who neither raised taxes nor falsified accounts…
Lu Yuanguang, a trusted confidante of the Sovereign, came from a prominent family in Jianping but still got along well with inner court officials such as Chi Yi. Upon seeing her arrive for discussions, she explained in detail, “It is routine for goods to be transported from various regions to the capital. If there is a shortage of silver, conscripted labor inevitably becomes necessary. Under the late emperor’s precedent, such matters were mostly handled by the local officials in charge of transportation.”
Emperor Li had also demanded that various regions present rare and exotic tributes, with absolutely no regard for the costs involved. From the very beginning, he had resolved to shift the burden of transportation expenses from the central government to the local authorities.
Upon hearing this, Chi Yi remarked, “Does this not amount to imposing additional taxes on the common people?”
Moreover, it was not just about increasing financial burdens – what was even more devastating was the conscripted labor involved.
Lu Yuanguang smiled upon hearing this and said with admiration, “Truly the words of one who understands governance with seasoned wisdom. It is no wonder Your Majesty places such trust in you.”
Chi Yi replied with a slight smile, “You flatter me.”
They were getting along well. However, if this scene were captured and posted in the comment section, it would undoubtedly provoke serious discomfort among some players – in certain branching storylines, Chi Yi and Lu Yuanguang, one a de facto chancellor wielding control over the court and the other an outstanding talent born of a prominent aristocratic family, were so fiercely antagonistic that describing their relationship as “mutually incompatible” would be considered restrained…
Lu Yuanguang said, “Although the Ministry of Revenue’s accounts are tight, some of the zhe produce from the southern regions falls under the category of tribute items. As such, the costs of transport can be partially covered by the Imperial Household.”
Chi Yi thought for a moment. If the goal was to avoid placing additional burdens on the common people, then it was only appropriate for the Emperor herself to bear the expense. She rose to her feet and said, “In that case, I shall go to the Imperial Household to discuss the matter.”
The Director of the Imperial Household had only recently returned to the capital. Under normal circumstances, he was expected to remain close to the Emperor’s location at all times, ready to receive orders at a moment’s notice. However, the Emperor placed great importance on Jingyuan, so the Imperial Household had to ensure that Jingyuan continued to operate smoothly even when the Emperor was not personally visiting. As a result, he was required to go there frequently to oversee affairs.
When his subordinate reported that Chi Yi had come to see him, Hou Suo nearly leaped off the couch. Although his official rank was higher, how could he dare to receive such a word as “request” from a trusted confidante of the Sovereign? Barely taking the time to put on his shoes, he went out to welcome her in his socks:
“I have been away from the capital for some time, leaving much of the palace affairs to your capable hands. I heard that Her Majesty has entrusted you with great responsibilities, granting you a role in deliberating state affairs in the outer court, and I have yet to have the chance to offer you a cup of wine in celebration.”
Chi Yi smiled and replied, “It has indeed been quite a while since I last saw you. When the next day of rest arrives, I shall set up a banquet at home and would be honored to have you as my guest.”
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before turning to discuss official matters.
Unlike the late emperor, the current Sovereign was not particularly possessive over the funds in her personal treasury. As long as the purpose was appropriate, spending was permissible. However, upon hearing the words “transporting the zhe harvest,” the Director of the Imperial Household was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and said, “Attendant, you may not realize this, but such trouble is actually unnecessary.”
Chi Yi said, “Please elaborate.”
The Director replied, “Instead of transporting the zhe stalks, we can directly transport sugar.”
The reason the southern zhe stalks commanded a good price was precisely because their juice was clear and sweet – and if they were made into sugar blocks, the effect would be the same.
Chi Yi asked in surprise, “Can sugar be made from zhe stalks as well?”
During this era, sugar was primarily divided into two types: honey sugar, made from honey, and malt sugar, made from grains. As for sugarcane – that is, zhe stalks – the usual method of use was to crush them and drink the juice, which was referred to as “zhe juice.”
The Director laughed heartily and said, “Why would it not be possible?” He then added, “Actually, it is no surprise that you are unaware, Attendant. I myself did not understand it initially – it was only after Her Majesty instructed me that I attempted to produce it and succeeded.”
Hou Suo had once presented zhe juice to Wen Yanran in the evening and received the response, “It could be boiled down a bit thicker.”
Sugarcane in the Great Zhou was not as sweet as in later eras, so Wen Yanran’s suggestion for improvement was entirely reasonable. Moreover, she had misunderstood something at the time. To a modern person, hearing the word “juice” easily leads to the assumption that the liquid has already undergone boiling – especially since the Director of the Imperial Household, concerned that the Emperor might fall ill from drinking a cold beverage, had served the zhe juice warmed.
However, for people of this era, “juice” could simply refer to the liquid itself.
In other words, what was called zhe juice had actually not been boiled at all. Based on her misunderstanding, Wen Yanran had proposed a method of processing that the Director had never even considered.
Had anyone else said such a thing, the Director might have assumed the person had merely stumbled upon a creative suggestion by accident. But the current sovereign understood an extraordinary range of matters, possessing knowledge that seemed to span from the heavens above to the earth below. This was especially true after he had visited the Elixir Palace, where he learned about concepts such as “concentration” and witnessed the process of obtaining highly concentrated solutions through evaporation by heating. Afterward, he became even more deeply convinced that when the Emperor had spoken those words, she was entirely guiding him on how to improve the art of sugar-making.
Like salt and iron, sugar production was also a highly profitable commercial endeavor. Hou Suo made a rough estimate and concluded that even if the Imperial Household covered all the costs of transporting the zhe stalks from the southern regions, there would still be a profit in the end.
The Director said, “Zhe stalks are heavy and long, making them difficult to transport. But once they are boiled down into sugar, they become small and square-shaped – light enough even for a child to carry. Would that not make transportation far easier?”
Chi Yi rose to her feet and exclaimed, “So that’s how it is!”
No wonder the Emperor, who had always cherished the common people as her own children, was not particularly concerned this time about the transport issues surrounding the southern zhe harvest, instead leaving the matter for her ministers to handle with seeming indifference. It was naturally because the Sovereign had long known that the zhe stalks could be boiled down into sugar, thereby reducing transportation costs.
Chi Yi stepped forward and offered a bow, saying, “Thank you for your guidance, Director.” With a slight smile, she added, “I will certainly report this matter to Her Majesty so that she may know of your contributions.”
The Director shook his head and said with a serious expression, “This was all thanks to Her Majesty’s instruction. What merit do we have to speak of?”
Hou Suo had grown accustomed to such words of praise during the late emperor’s reign, but back then they had been nothing more than flattery. Now, however, every word came from the heart.
The Director continued, “You and I, Attendant, both come from the inner palace. So I will speak plainly: the matter of transporting the zhe stalks is something Her Majesty could have entrusted to anyone. The reason she has given this responsibility to the two Attendants is precisely because she places her trust in you.”
Chi Yi nodded. “I understand.”
They had to see this matter through successfully and make certain that the court ministers recognized the soundness of the Emperor’s appointments. They must not let Her Majesty down.
The Imperial Household had been conducting research for many years and had already managed to produce square-shaped sugar blocks. However, there were still some shortcomings in color – the finished product was not as clear as malt sugar but rather had a reddish hue. As a result, it had not yet been presented to the Emperor. But with the southern regions eager to transport the zhe stalks, even if the processing technique was somewhat crude, they had to make do for the time being.
With the issue of transporting the zhe stalks smoothly resolved, the remaining matter was the reduction in land dedicated to zhe and hemp. Chi Yi pondered privately that her own knowledge was limited, and she had yet to grasp the Emperor’s deeper intentions – she would need to carefully reflect on it.
Since both Chi Yi and Zhang Luo had been appointed to the position of Participating advisor, they were naturally able to attend the Central Secretariat and deliberate on state affairs alongside the ministers.
The animosity between the aristocratic families and inner court officials had a long history. On one hand, this was because the aristocratic families had monopolized state affairs, leaving emperors feeling constrained at every turn; on the other hand, it was also due to the unbridled arrogance of inner court officials, many of whom were greedy and tyrannical. After Chi Yi and Zhang Luo entered the Central Secretariat, they inevitably encountered cold looks from some court officials. Although these individuals did not openly oppose the Emperor’s confidantes, they still subconsciously sought to marginalize them.
However, Chi Yi and Zhang Luo were indeed two intelligent individuals. Moreover, they were exceptionally eager to learn, possessed keen judgment of the political situation, and exercised strong self-restraint, never behaving recklessly despite their sudden rise in power.
During today’s deliberation, a Participating Advisor inquired about the matter of transporting the zhe stalks.
Chi Yi smiled slightly and said, “This matter has already been entrusted to the Imperial Household.”
The other court officials understood that this meant the Imperial Household would allocate the funds. Still, some were rather surprised. Although the Emperor’s personal accounts did not need to be disclosed to the ministers, why was she willing to spend such a large sum of money just to transport these food items?
Some were also concerned that the funds allocated by the Imperial Household might be embezzled. Wang Qishi, for one, planned to discuss the matter with Song Wenshu after the meeting – after all, the Censorate was precisely the institution responsible for upholding discipline and supervising officials, making it the appropriate body to address such concerns.
