Half a Spoiler Chapter 16

Wen Yanran let the palace attendants wipe her face, while instructing the eunuch at her side, “…Notify the Imperial Kitchen to prepare enough flatbreads, roasted meat, and mutton soup for fifty or sixty people the day after tomorrow.”

After the Emperor had finished giving her orders, Chi Yi and Zhang Luo both knelt and reported what they had discussed earlier – that they intended to give their reward money to their colleagues in the Imperial Household Department.

Wen Yanran listened to their explanation without giving an immediate response.

Chi Yi then spoke carefully, “On that day, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to serve by Your Majesty’s side – it was all thanks to the instruction of the Director of the Imperial Household. Therefore, I dare not keep the reward money for myself.”

Wen Yanran smiled, then turned to the eunuch who had just been recording her words and said, “The food I just mentioned – have it sent to the Imperial Household Department, in the name of Vice Commissioner Chi and Vice Commissioner Zhang.” Then she looked back at the two and added, “The day after tomorrow, around one in the afternoon, you’re granted two hours of leave. Go visit your colleagues.”

At that, Zhang Luo’s heart gave a sudden thump, and he forcibly restrained himself from meeting Chi Yi’s gaze.

Wen Yanran hadn’t made her decision after hearing their proposal; she had already planned to bestow the food. Clearly, she had anticipated that they would choose to mend relations with the staff of the Imperial Household Department.

Thinking of it that way, it was evident that fostering harmony between the old and new factions in the palace was truly the Emperor’s intention.

Zhang Luo had once read the phrase “foreseeing things as though by divine insight” in books – but not until he was chosen to serve at the Emperor’s side did he finally understand what that truly meant!

A palace attendant brought warm water for the emperor to wash her hands. Wen Yanran bent slightly forward, the strands of hair on her forehead falling naturally across her face. As she dipped her hands into the hot water, she asked Chi Yi and Zhang Luo, “How old is the Director of the Imperial Household this year?”

Chi Yi carefully replied, “The Director is fifty-two this year.”

Given the current living conditions and average lifespan in Great Zhou, the Director was already an elder who might at any time go to “serve the late emperor.”

Wen Yanran nodded lightly and said casually, “Since he is of such an age, when you dine together the day after tomorrow, don’t forget the proper courtesies due to one’s elders.”

Chi Yi and Zhang Luo grasped the Emperor’s intent almost the very moment she mentioned the Director of the Imperial Household’s age.

The Director was an inner-court official – all his honor and disgrace tied entirely to the emperor. His position required him to strive constantly for imperial trust, yet his advancing years would naturally make him seek a peaceful path toward retirement.

Wen Yanran had no intention of letting him suddenly fall from power and spend his final years in destitution. On the contrary, she meant for him to retain his current rank and privileges while gradually stepping back from daily affairs. If the Director was wise, he would naturally show cooperation and assist Chi Yi and Zhang Luo in ensuring a smooth transfer of authority.

Chi Yi thought that perhaps the scholar-officials outside the palace would see nothing remarkable in such an arrangement – but for an inner-court servant like herself, the gesture was profoundly moving. That the Emperor would take the trouble to plan a dignified retirement for attendants long regarded as little more than watchdogs – that alone was enough to be called benevolent.

“And also – once the Secretariat has finished using the imperial seal, go to the Imperial Guards to deliver the decree. Remember to console Deputy General Yan, and tell him that I know of his prudence – he mustn’t lose heart. The reason the traitor Ji didn’t choose to fight his way out of Jianping that day was precisely because Deputy General Yan was still in the city. At around three, summon Vice Minister Lu and Censor-in-Chief He; at around five, summon Captain Zhong…”

As Wen Yanran spoke, she stood up and extended her arms, allowing the court ladies to help her into her outer robe.

“…Then notify the Imperial Kitchen – send two of my dishes to the Grand Tutor, and another two to the State Preceptor. Give one dish each to Ministers Lu, He, Wang, and Zheng. Also, send someone to General Xiao’s residence to ask whether she’s free; if so, invite her to enter the palace around six to share the evening meal with me.”

To prevent any leaks of palace secrets, none of the Emperor’s personal attendants carried pen or paper. But that hardly hindered them from keeping records – for people like Chi Yi and Zhang Luo, whose positions depended entirely on talent and the Emperor’s trust, having a flawless memory was simply part of the job.

When Lu Yuanguang was summoned, she followed the eunuch into the palace and happened to meet He Tingyun at the gate. She had already guessed the reason for her summons, and sure enough, once she entered the hall, Wen Yanran questioned her about the measures for dealing with the snow disaster.

Wen Yanran granted seats to the two ministers and said, “Vice Minister Lu, look into the records of past years’ heavy snowfalls – compile a comparison of how each province suffered and present it to me for review.”

Then she added, “This year, in the Jianzhou region, I will not permit a single mistake.”

The “Jian” in Jianzhou came from Jianjing, the imperial capital itself – the very heart of Great Zhou. Even if Wen Yanran meant to play the role of a tyrant, she still had to maintain the dignity of a ruler. Jianzhou was the bottom line that could not be abandoned. She thought: if even Jianzhou were to spiral out of control, then the World Will might well move ahead the next “timeline reset”…

Lu Yuanguang bowed. “There are many officials’ families residing in Jianzhou…”

As someone who had watched her fair share of political dramas – albeit a science major – Wen Yanran instantly grasped the subtext behind Lu Yuanguang’s words. She smiled and said, “If not for the abundance of officials’ families, why else would I have summoned Censor-in-Chief He?”

He Tingyun, hearing this, immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“I will give Vice Minister Lu my full cooperation,” she declared firmly.

From her youth, she had despised the moral decay and corruption that had long plagued Jianping’s bureaucracy. She had once believed that, given her temperament, she would never rise to prominence. Yet she had unexpectedly encountered a young sovereign of such decisiveness and resolve. Since Heaven had granted her this chance, she would seize it – and devote herself wholly to the restoration of the realm.