Many ceremonial affairs involved complicated procedures. To make things easier for herself and to reduce the burden on others, Wen Yanran would usually order that everything be simplified. Recently, however, victories from the northern front had been reported in quick succession. In the absence of better means of publicity, the court had no choice but to have the Sovereign personally step forward and put on a grand display – showcasing a great military triumph and the far-reaching prestige of the state.
The court officials did the math and concluded that, just from the initial announcement to the formal departure from Taikang, the Emperor alone would need ten days to half a month to go through all the necessary steps.
Having reached the same conclusion, Ren Feihong chose to slip out and take things easy. She held the honorary title of Middle Grand Master and enjoyed the treatment of a fourth-rank official, but her actual post carried little real responsibility. This made it especially convenient for her to quietly slip away from the ranks of officials at certain moments and wander about at leisure.
Ren Feihong had originally served in Jingyuan and was only later transferred south. Yet after following the Emperor here, she found herself growing increasingly fond of the city.
Taikang City had initially been built in the image of Jianping, but over time it had gradually developed its own distinct character.
The curfew in this secondary capital was set later than in Jianping. In addition to the fixed market areas within the city, many informal street markets without designated locations had begun to appear, and with them came a surge of small eateries specializing in food.
Ren Feihong had overslept today. Seeing that it was neither particularly early nor especially late, she simply headed out beyond the ward to a street stall to buy some chaoshou. [1]
There was a rumor in the city that chaoshou was a court delicacy, supposedly much loved even by the Emperor herself. But Ren Feihong, who had dined in the Emperor’s presence, knew the truth: the first half of that rumor was accurate, but the part about it being a particular favorite of the Emperor was entirely the public’s imagination. The current ruler didn’t seem to have any especially preferred foods – toward most delicacies, her attitude was simply, “it’s alright, nothing special.”
Next to the stall stood an apothecary, and its presence was tied to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
After ascending the throne, the Emperor had encountered several outbreaks of epidemic disease. In response, she designated specific areas within each ward to house physicians, making it easier for common people to seek treatment. Around these medical centers, various supporting businesses gradually sprang up, forming small clusters of related commerce within each neighborhood.
Ren Feihong noticed someone from the ward coming over to purchase Longevity Pills. The medicine had originally been called Muzhong Pills, but after it spread among the common people, it came to be known by another name that was far more widely used.
The pace of commercial development in the south was astonishing. To accommodate students traveling here for the Elevation Examination, early forms of inns had even appeared in Taikang City, known as guest houses.
There were too many people crowded around the chaoshou stall, so Ren Feihong didn’t try to squeeze in and eat there. Instead, she had her food delivered to a nearby eatery, planning to enjoy it with a few pastries and some wine.
In recent years, grain supplies had been abundant, so the court had once again lifted the prohibition on alcohol. In the southern regions, grape wine had also become popular. It was said that this method, too, originated from the palace: fresh grapes were selected, washed, and crushed, then sealed together with zhe sugar. No additional fermentation starter was needed – after waiting patiently for some time, the wine would naturally be produced.
The eatery Ren Feihong chose was called Sun Family Eatery. Its name carried the rustic simplicity of a time when the food service trade had only just begun to develop. Yet to the natives of Great Zhou, it was undeniably something novel. The establishment even provided guests with warm towels to wipe their hands – something the Censorate had seized upon as evidence of the growing extravagance within Taikang. The townspeople, however, didn’t mind in the slightest; on the contrary, the reputation of the eateries in the secondary capital only spread further because of it.
Ren Feihong was a regular at Sun Family Eatery. The moment she stepped inside, she headed straight for a private seat on the second floor.
“…”
Upon spotting Ren Feihong, Wen Yanran couldn’t help but suspect that she had some sort of “incognito outing always leads to running into acquaintances” buff. She gave a slight nod and said, “Since you’re here, feel free to sit.”
Having swiftly adjusted her mindset, Ren Feihong calmly took a seat, even pulling her chair a little closer toward her superior, and asked, “What brings you out on your own today?”
Wen Yanran smiled. “For the same reason you’re able to come out today, I’m able to come out as well.”
The rituals required for leaving the city were so elaborate that, as the theoretical centerpiece, the Emperor actually ended up being less closely watched by others.
Ren Feihong said, “I didn’t expect you to come to a place like this as well.”
Wen Yanran replied, “This shop is one of Ah-Luo’s businesses. I had nothing to do today, so I came by to take a look.”
Ren Feihong fell into thought – these days, many of the goods and ventures in the ward markets did, in fact, originate from the inner court.
Around the Emperor’s table sat members of the Imperial Guards. Even Yang Dongxi, who had taken up a post in the Ministry of War, was present. She and Ren Feihong were acquaintances, but it wasn’t convenient to talk at the moment, so they merely exchanged a nod from a distance.
The staff of Sun Family Eatery moved quickly, and soon the dish Wen Yanran had ordered was brought up: a carp. After setting the plate down, the server grinned and gave a bow. “May the carp leap the Dragon Gate – wishing the young lord success in selecting worthy talent.”
Because the court had established the Talent Selection Examination and the Elevation Examination, people among the common folk gradually began referring to those who passed as “worthy talents.”
Aside from the original founders of the term, everyone else had grown quite accustomed to this form of address.
After offering such auspicious words, most customers would respond with polite phrases like “I’ll take your kind words to heart.” But today’s guest merely smiled in a reserved manner, gave a slight shake of the head, and then had an attendant at her side hand over a few coins as a tip.
Besides Wen Yanran’s group, there were also quite a few students from the Southern School on this floor. They had noticed her party, but since they had never seen her at the academy before, they didn’t take her for a fellow student. Observing her reserved demeanor now, they immediately felt they had figured something out, and one of them spoke up. “If you’re interested in studying, you could wait outside the Southern School – there are often people selling books and past exam questions.”
These days, aside from the children of privileged families benefiting from hereditary favor, as well as recommended students from official schools across the regions, the Imperial Academy also allowed others to gain admission through examinations. As a result, a trade in past exam questions had gradually taken shape.
Ren Feihong gave a light cough. “No need – her ambitions do not lie in that direction.”
The students were immediately a bit puzzled. These days, even families with their own clan schools would, once the younger generation reached the right age, try to send them to the Imperial Academy or official schools. Moreover, because the Emperor herself placed great importance on education, the Imperial Academy did not only teach the various classical texts, but had also appointed instructors for subjects like mathematics and agriculture. Although the career prospects for these disciplines were not as strong as those for the classics, that was only relative – after all, even among those born into powerful families, not everyone could enter officialdom. To secure even a seventh- or eighth-rank post was already considered quite an achievement. Hearing that this person had no intention of seeking a future through the Imperial Academy, they naturally found it rather strange.
Wen Yanran smiled. “I make my living by inheriting the family business. My family has also hired tutors.”
The students present were all fairly young and casual in their interactions, so one of them readily asked how her family business was doing.
Wen Yanran answered truthfully, “There have been some setbacks, but overall it’s doing quite well.”
Ren Feihong: “…”
Although everything the Emperor said was technically true, somehow it still sounded a bit… subtle.
After everyone had finished eating, seeing that Wen Yanran was about to leave, Ren Feihong also stood up. “Aren’t you going back home?”
Wen Yanran turned her head and replied gently, “I’d like to take a look around Taikang.”
The longer she stayed here, the more she wanted to understand what life was like for the people around her.
Ren Feihong fell silent for a moment, then quite readily pushed the matter of the Emperor going out incognito to the back of her mind and said with an easy smile, “In that case, please allow me to accompany you.”
Wen Yanran said, “You are also an official with duties to attend to…”
Before the Emperor could finish the sort of remark that might easily invite censure from the Censorate, Ren Feihong had already grasped her meaning and replied with a smile, “It’s no matter. Right now, all the officials at court are busy preparing for the return to the capital. Aside from someone like me, who enjoys stealing moments of leisure, I don’t think we will run into many familiar faces.”
Wen Yanran looked at her with a half-smile and said unhurriedly, “That’s exactly what I thought when I first went out.”
As expected of the sagely ruler who had turned the tide when Great Zhou was on the brink of collapse – her foresight was indeed remarkable. Ren Feihong had barely taken a few steps before she ran into Du Daosi.
Ren Feihong was thoroughly puzzled. “Weren’t you serving as inspector in Wu Province?”
Du Daosi explained, “My term of office has already ended. I’ve just returned to Taikang.”
Her previous post had reached the end of its term; she had come back to the Secretariat a month ago to report on her service. As for whether she would be assigned to another regional post or retained at the central court, there was not yet any definite word. At present, she was in her most leisurely period, making it an ideal time to go out for a stroll.
After speaking, Du Daosi bowed to the Emperor, who was traveling incognito, and then straightforwardly took her place at the ruler’s side.
Running into Ren Feihong and Du Daosi was only the beginning. Wen Yanran gradually realized that quite a few familiar faces had been out wandering these past few days. No sooner had they turned a corner than they spotted Zheng Yinchuan shopping outside.
Zheng Yinchuan: “…”
Should he step forward to pay his respects, or pretend he hadn’t seen anything?
Wen Yanran didn’t make things difficult for him. She only felt that her earlier judgment – that “most ceremonial procedures tend to create underutilized workloads” – was entirely correct.
Zheng Yinchuan was currently serving as a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Personnel. After him, Wen Yanran also spotted several officials from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and even the Grand Court of Revision. These were only the ones she recognized; as for the lower-ranking officials, although they too were on the government roster, they didn’t leave much of an impression on the sovereign. All things considered, there were indeed quite a number of people out idling away the day.
Ren Feihong laughed. “So many people know your movements – won’t someone submit a memorial to impeach you once you return to the palace?”
After being bumped into repeatedly, Wen Yanran had already reached a state of indifference. She shook her head and said, “Why wait until we return to the palace? If we just filter through the people in the wards and markets, the officials from the various ministries could probably be rounded up entirely.”
Ren Feihong nodded in agreement – if you also included the Emperor’s own attendants, it would essentially cover every step of the process, from submitting remonstrances to delivering memorials and reviewing replies.
Many of the officials seen in the ward markets, like the Emperor, were simply out for leisure. Yet some were seriously shopping, preparing to bring back southern specialties to their hometowns in Jianping.
It was no surprise that so many officials had taken an interest in shopping. Recently, the markets had indeed received a large influx of seafood from Qingyi, sold at prices about ten percent cheaper than in previous years. According to private reports, this was because the court had commissioned the construction of many new sea-going vessels.
Every year, the southern coastal region experienced significant grain shortages, causing many people to migrate into Great Zhou territory. Even some less well-established aristocratic families were now forced to pledge allegiance. Xiao Xichi had selected capable individuals from among them and, taking advantage of their long residence in southern coastal region and familiarity with the sea routes, had them build ships and venture out to sea – successfully enriching both the variety and quantity of seafood available in the market.
A passerby sighed, “Seafish aren’t exactly expensive now, but if you wait until next month, they might be even cheaper.”
Hearing this, Wen Yanran couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Ren Feihong felt that the Emperor’s expression seemed to carry some hidden meaning.
Noticing the glance from the person beside her, Wen Yanran lowered her voice. “Those sea-going vessels have recently been repurposed, so the prices of seafood on the market won’t drop anytime soon – Minister Ren, do you know what those ships have been transporting to the mainland?”
Ren Feihong also lowered her voice. “Since Your Majesty asks, it must be something even I could not have guessed.”
Wen Yanran glanced at Chi Yi, who bent slightly and then wrote two characters in Ren Feihong’s palm: ‘bird droppings’.
After setting out to sea, those ships had soon discovered some uninhabited islands teeming with birds. The crew had initially been disappointed, but then received orders from the court: bring back the bird droppings to be used as fertilizer.
Bird droppings were an excellent natural phosphorus fertilizer.
Ren Feihong looked at the Emperor. Without knowing about the plan to use the bird droppings as fertilizer, she might have thought it was purely a matter of luck. But with this arrangement in place, she realized that the Emperor truly seemed to know all things – even the situation overseas could be anticipated in advance.
Noticing her gaze, Wen Yanran felt that her minister had once again slipped into one of those strange, hard-to-read modes of behavior.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] Chaoshou is a type of traditional Chinese dumpling, most commonly associated with Sichuan cuisine. It is very similar to wonton in shape and preparation but is usually quite spicy.
