Cui Yi received the summons from the palace eunuch, informing him that the Emperor intended to receive him at Tianfu Palace.
Before leaving, he made a point of stopping by Chu Fu’s quarters. He did not speak to him, but simply bowed silently before turning and departing.
Tianfu Palace was originally the residence of the State Preceptor. However, according to the customs of the Great Zhou Dynasty, although the State Preceptor held a lofty position, he wielded little real power. Previous emperors had only visited the palace on important occasions such as ancestral worship ceremonies. Yet, Wen Yanran herself frequently came and went from Tianfu Palace and had vigorously promoted officials who originated from there. It was no wonder that many of her enemies believed that the true power behind the throne was the State Preceptor, Wen Jingmei.
Wen Jingmei himself had actually become aware of this perception, but his authority was insufficient to offer a credible clarification on his own behalf…
Previously, the team of the Marquis of Quanling had also held a similar misunderstanding. Wen Jinming herself was considered a rather shrewd lord, renowned for her ability to read people. However, precisely because of this, she had misjudged certain aspects of the situation in Jianping.
Wen Yanran thought that it was hardly surprising. After all, in this era, even the most brilliant strategists would not consider “possessing insight into the world’s affairs due to transmigration” when assessing an opponent. Moreover, Wen Jingmei was indeed a perceptive and astute individual, making him a perfect candidate to shoulder the blame in various conspiracy theories, even if it wasn’t rightfully his.
Having removed his court cap in advance and changed into plain attire, Cui Yi entered the rear hall of Tianfu Palace with a composed expression, following the eunuch.
Judging by the interior layout, this place appeared to be the study frequently used by the State Preceptor. On the brocade couch ahead stood a wooden desk and an armrest. With a clear understanding of his own position, Cui Yi did not assume that seat was intended for him. After straightening his attire briefly, he knelt quietly at the side of the hall to wait.
He waited for nearly an hour before hearing the announcement of the Emperor’s arrival.
Cui Yi raised his head slightly. He had long been curious about the young emperor who had brought about the defeat and death of the Marquis of Quanling – what kind of person was she, exactly?
As the Sovereign, the new emperor’s entourage could be described as modest. Through the doorway, Cui Yi saw a youth dressed in a black outer robe and a dark gray gauze crown approaching steadily. More than ten reverent eunuchs followed behind, most halting outside the hall door to attend, while only four accompanied the Emperor inside.
The light within the hall was not as bright as outside, yet the Emperor herself seemed to be enveloped in a faint glow, her presence more striking than anyone else in the world. Her appearance differed from all Cui Yi’s previous imaginings – she stood tall like bamboo, refined and elegant, carrying a touch of scholarly grace in her movements. Her bearing even shared a slight resemblance to the Marquis of Quanling. Yet when the Emperor merely glanced in Cui Yi’s direction as she passed him, their eyes met inadvertently for a brief moment, and a thunderous shock seemed to resound in Cui Yi’s heart.
That was the imperial majesty of the Sovereign!
In that fleeting encounter, Cui Yi inexplicably felt that the new emperor was someone inherently destined to be a ruler. Wen Yanran’s earlier obscurity, he sensed, was simply because she had not been placed in the right position. A person like this, once elevated to a position of power, could shake the very foundations of the realm.
Gazing at the Emperor’s face, he couldn’t help but think of his former lord, a pang of sorrow gripping his heart. Turning toward the Emperor, he lowered his head and performed a formal bow of deep respect.
Wen Yanran, seated high upon the wooden dais, glanced over him and smiled faintly. “Cui Yi of Xu Province, renowned for talent since youth, your reputation is unmatched across the provinces. I have long heard of you.”
The Cui clan was divided into two branches – one in Jianzhou and another that later migrated to Xu Province. Originally, the Jianzhou branch was the main line, but over the past fifty years, its influence had gradually waned, while the Xu Province branch slowly prospered. Nowadays, when people spoke of the Cui clan, their first thought was of Xu Province Cui.
Cui Yi smiled bitterly. “In my youth, I too was proud of such things. Only today do I realize that with my limited insight, I was merely a frog in a well, confined to a corner of the world. It was precisely because I knew neither the heights of heaven nor the depths of earth that I took pride in my own home.”
Wen Yanran chuckled softly, then skipped further pleasantries and got straight to the point. “Since you sought an audience with me, naturally you have something to say.”
Cui Yi responded, “I wish to discuss with Your Majesty the matters following my lord’s passing.” He continued, “With Your Majesty’s unfathomable prowess, you defeated my lord in the Northern Park. For Jianping, this indeed removed a formidable threat…”
Hearing this, Wen Yanran already understood what he was about to say and interrupted, “However, the stability of the realm does not rest solely on the Marquis of Quanling. In fact, with her sudden demise, various regions may become unsettled as a result.”
Before ascending the throne, Wen Yanran had no network or foundation to speak of. Although she held the authority of the sovereign, many across the realm remained unconvinced. These individuals were not unwilling to stir trouble – they were simply waiting to see the outcome of the struggle between the Emperor and the Marquis of Quanling. After all, Wen Jinming had reached a point where she could no longer abandon her pursuit of the throne. Precisely because of this, her conflict with Jianping was the most irreconcilable. Thus, those with divided loyalties waited for the Marquis of Quanling to make the first move. This way, no matter which side emerged victorious, they could rally under the banner of supporting the other, seizing the chance to fish in troubled waters.
Cui Yi paused, then said, “Your Majesty is most wise.”
Wen Yanran nodded slightly and added calmly, “However, those individuals are not entirely united among themselves either. Otherwise, the trouble they could have caused me would likely have been far greater.”
Her tone remained gentle, but to Cui Yi, it carried a sharp, chilling edge.
Both individuals present understood that the ideal outcome for those onlookers would be for the Marquis of Quanling to eliminate the Emperor at a great cost. This way, they could then rally under the banner of quelling rebellion to attack Jianping. Precisely because of this, before a clear outcome emerged from the conflict between the two sides, although they might secretly provide some assistance to the Marquis of Quanling, they would not overdo it. On one hand, they feared depleting their own strength and jeopardizing their subsequent plans to turn against her; on the other hand, they did not want the Marquis of Quanling to easily defeat Jianping’s young emperor – who was rumored to be not particularly astute – with an overwhelming advantage.
Thanks to the backward communication standards of the current era, even though Wen Yanran’s authority had grown weighty enough to earn the genuine respect of court officials in Jianping, the perception of her in the outer provinces remained stuck in old impressions.
Wen Yanran looked at Cui Yi. “You have come here today specifically surely with some insight to share.”
Cui Yi first demurred politely, then addressed the main matter. “To the south of Great Zhou lies Qingyi, to the north borders Wuliu. The western region is dominated by mountains and the eastern by waterways. The west is occupied by barbarian tribes, while the east is crowded with powerful local magnates – all these are sources of instability.”
Wen Yanran nodded slightly and added, “It must be said, we owe thanks to the Marquis of Quanling. Had she not chosen the timing appropriately, Jianping might not have remained as stable as it has until now.”
Cui Yi lowered his head. “Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have pardoned taxes and grain levies across the realm, enabling the common people to live in peace and winning the hearts of scholars and populace alike. Although there are those with divided loyalties now, for Jianzhou, they do not pose a major threat.”
There was reasoning behind both of their statements. The so-called “lean spring months between green and yellow” refer to the season when old grain is exhausted and new grain is not yet harvested – a time most prone to producing displaced refugees. Moreover, after years of turmoil under the harsh reign of the previous emperor, many regions were already on the brink of widespread hardship. Local magnates could easily gather a crowd of starving commoners with minimal incitement. The Marquis of Quanling deliberately chose the spring hunt to come to Jianping so that, once the matter was settled, even if news spread outward, the perilous period of scarcity would have already passed. The summer grain in the south was nearly ready for harvest, and the magnates, harboring their own concerns, would lie low for a while longer, stockpiling more provisions.
As for the Marquis of Quanling’s ability to plan this way, it was also due to Wen Yanran’s actions since ascending the throne. Following custom, she pardoned a year’s taxes, refrained from building imperial tombs or palaces, avoided indulging in extravagance or pleasures, prohibited local tributes of exotic treasures and animals, and, not yet of marriageable age, required minimal expenditure – fully demonstrating just how frugal a reclusive person could be. While local exploitation did not entirely disappear, and regions still made token offerings to the central authority, these were drastically reduced compared to previous years.
Wen Yanran leaned back against the armrest and spoke unhurriedly, “What you have said does reassure me. However, with your capabilities, I doubt you came merely to tell me that I can rest easy from now on?”
Cui Yi closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again and spoke solemnly, “Though Your Majesty may have no immediate worries, there are long-term concerns. The Wuliu in the north have long harbored disloyal ambitions; the barbarian tribes in the west cause frequent disturbances; and the powerful magnates in the east cannot be relied upon either. Since Your Majesty has not long been on the throne, you may temporarily regard the southern region as your core support.”
Wen Yanran raised a brow slightly.
The area in Jianzhou bordering the south was, in fact, originally Wen Jinming’s base of power.
Cui Yi’s perspective was actually quite close to Wen Yanran’s own view. Moreover, as someone who had previewed the plot, she knew even more than he did. According to the normal progression of events, war would break out in the east before long. The reasons for the conflict varied across different storylines. Meanwhile, the Wuliu tribe in the north would inevitably rebel, and the western region – never particularly fond of the central authority – would also stir up trouble, heavily draining the court’s manpower and resources.
In the corresponding plot, if a player wanted to swiftly quell the rebellions, they would need to impose heavy taxes. However, this would significantly increase the probability of triggering the event where “one uprising is not yet suppressed before another breaks out.” If heavy taxes were not imposed, the war would stagnate, and the frequent conflicts would directly cripple Great Zhou’s finances.
Out of the four directions, three were decidedly unreliable. Wen Yanran thought to herself that the choices left to her by fate were indeed not broad…
Cui Yi noticed the Emperor on the wooden dais, clad in black robes, seemed to smile faintly as she asked gently, “According to your words, how should I deal with the Qing and Yu Provinces?”
Since entering the hall, the Emperor’s attitude had remained consistently courteous and respectful throughout. Yet, Cui Yi inexplicably felt that although he possessed a profound understanding of the realm’s situation, the Emperor’s own comprehension surpassed his.
Moreover, the Emperor already had a plan in mind for handling the southern prefectures. Her current inquiry was not truly a question but more of a test.
He had a premonition that the fate of his entire Cui clan depended on what he said next.
Whether before Emperor Li or the Marquis of Quanling, Cui Yi had never experienced a sense of hanging by a thread, as if a blade pressed against his skin. Now, having steadied his mind, he spoke slowly, “I am of shallow talent and learning, truly unfit for strategy. However, since Your Majesty inquires, in my humble opinion, now is the time to leverage the prestige of victory and treat them with severity. Yet because the prestige of victory cannot last long, it must be acted upon swiftly.”
Wen Yanran neither agreed nor disagreed but added, “Speak to me further about the situation in the east.”
Cui Yi thought for a moment and replied, “The eastern provinces share some similarities with the northern ones.”
The current situation in Great Zhou is that the central and northern regions are the most critical, followed by the eastern prefectures. The south only began to develop gradually after the migration of major clans like the Cui family.
In the central region, the Wen clan’s authority naturally holds the greatest weight. In the north and east, however, powerful local magnates abound. Although Great Zhou had an examination system similar to the imperial civil service exams, educational resources were largely monopolized by influential families and clans. Ordinary people had no means to pursue education, let alone the funds for exams. Consequently, most officials were still selected through recommendations and summons. According to convention, the chief administrators of commanderies and counties mostly came from prominent families. However, their capabilities varied significantly.
In the east, there was once the Ma clan, a powerful family with imperial consort connections, whose tyranny and arrogance during the reign of Emperor Li even provoked a widespread popular uprising. Although that rebellion was eventually quelled, it directly led to an exceptionally militant local culture in the region. Practically every few steps, one would encounter a fortified manor or estate.
Although the political status of the various families in the eastern region was inferior to that of those in the central region, each family possessed far more concealed households and private troops than their central counterparts. Some magnates swallowed up population and land through various means, causing many families to see explosive growth in their numbers – those with clear registered households alone numbered in the tens of thousands.
In this era, while the children of prominent families could reach impressive heights, their shortcomings were often painfully glaring. Many local administrators lacked the ability to handle governance at all. Not only were they unable to curb land annexation, but they also had to rely entirely on commandery and county clerks to manage all affairs. These clerks were locally born and raised. For instance, during the Ma clan’s time, there was a period when three commandery deputies and twenty-seven county deputies emerged simultaneously, effectively monopolizing all local governance.
As for the southern regions, Wen Jinming’s reliance on prominent families to pursue the throne naturally meant she would not heavily suppress them. However, apart from these families, there were also local magnates to be dealt with. Coupled with the fact that these areas had experienced little warfare in recent years and that clans like the Cui family had taken the lead in submitting to the court, the situation there was actually more stable than in other regions.
While at the Northern Park, Cui Yi had already sent several urgent letters to various relatives and old friends. On one hand, he urged his family to expedite sending valuable hostages to the capital; on the other, he sternly warned them that regardless of Jianping’s measures against the Cui clan, they must cooperate honestly.
If the Emperor could easily defeat the Marquis of Quanling, it was not impossible for her to further pacify the four corners of the realm. Although they were now in a position of guilt, if they could assist the emperor in stabilizing the empire, who was to say they could not once again become important ministers in the court? Compared to leaving a name in history, not only official positions and wealth, but even life itself could be cast aside.
Wen Yanran mentioned a name without warning. “Do you know Commandery Administrator Wen Hong?”
Upon hearing this, Cui Yi paused noticeably, and when he spoke again, his tone carried clear admiration. “Your Majesty is most wise.”
Wen Yanran gave him an expressionless glance – she suspected that in this era, to become a qualified strategist, one needed two things: genuine substance in their mind, and a communication style that leaned infinitely toward cryptic remarks…
Having read the comment section, she had some understanding of Wen Hong. Judging by his surname, he was clearly a member of the Wen imperial clan. Though he held no noble title, by seniority, he would be considered an uncle to both her and Wen Jinming. He was also a rare figure among the imperial clan with genuine talent for pacifying the people and administering governance.
During the reign of Emperor Li, Wen Hong was frequently dispatched to the provinces and was praised as a man of both virtue and capability. His demeanor was respectful and mild. After the Ma clan rebellion, when the eastern situation remained unstable, he was sent to serve as commandery administrator. At the time, many felt Emperor Li had been less than generous to Wen Hong, always assigning him the most difficult tasks.
Great Zhou strictly guarded against imperial relatives with noble titles, and local princes were restrained from holding any military power whatsoever. However, successive emperors were willing to trust those relatives without noble titles. Wen Hong’s record was nearly impeccable; even toward the temperamental former emperor, he voiced no resentment. Yet it was precisely such a person who, once the plot progressed to the stage of widespread chaos in the realm, would decisively begin carving out his own territory and, in some storylines, even ascend the throne as emperor.
Wen Yanran then asked, “Tian Dongyang also resided in the south for a long time. I imagine many of his disciples sought refuge with the Cui and Chu families?”
Cui Yi replied, “Tian Dongyang traveled extensively across the realm and had friendly connections everywhere. Before coming to Xu Province, he lived in Cheng Province for a long time.”
Cheng Province was also located in the east.
Within the Marquis of Quanling’s faction, those who most fervently believed in the Great Master Xuanyang were from the Chu family. As for Wen Jinming herself, she mainly sought to leverage his reputation to prove her own mandate from heaven compared to Jianping. Cui Yi himself did not place much faith in such mystical matters. Since the Emperor inquired, he decided to provide more details. “After Master Xuanyang himself was executed under Your Majesty’s clear laws, his disciples did not linger long in Xu Province. They likely returned to the vicinity of Cheng Province by now.”
Wen Yanran nodded slightly. “Is there anything else you wish to inform me?”
Cui Yi’s throat tightened, but he remained silent. He simply composed himself, bowed solemnly to the Emperor before him, then rose and requested permission to withdraw.
Wen Yanran instructed a nearby attendant to escort Cui Yi out. She closed her eyes, leaning back on the wooden dais for a moment before speaking to those beside her. “Ah-Qu, have someone prepare a coffin and deliver it to the Grand Court of Revision.”
Ah-Qu’s full name was Cai Qu, another palace servant Wen Yanran had previously selected to serve by her side. Though her abilities were not on par with Chi Yi and Zhang Luo, as Chi and Zhang increasingly took on important court duties, many of the attendant tasks had shifted to others. Cai Qu, with her clear and lively speech, diligence, and eagerness to learn, stood out as particularly bright among the rest.
Cai Qu responded clearly and crisply, then asked, “Is the coffin for that honorable guest of the Chu family?”
Compared to Cui Yi’s compliance and cooperation, Chu Fu’s attitude was as stubborn as a rock. Even after defeat and capture, he maintained a cold, unyielding silence.
Wen Yanran shook her head. “It’s for Cui Yi.”
Cui Yi’s earlier urgency, explaining the realm’s situation to the Emperor in detail without resorting to cryptic language, wasn’t for seeking an official position himself. Rather, it was to secure his family’s future as best he could before his death, allowing him to remain loyal to his former lord with a clear conscience.
When the Marquis of Quanling perished, Cui Yi was already heartbroken. Moreover, Cui Xinbai, who had taken an arrow for Wen Jinming that day, was his sister’s only child and the most talented among the younger generation of the Cui family. After the defeat at the Northern Park, Cui Yi felt remorseful toward both his lord and his family. Unable to reconcile these feelings, he ultimately found himself cornered with no way out.
As Wen Yanran had accurately surmised, after his audience with the Emperor, Cui Yi left a letter for his family, entrusted his wife and children to his friend Chu Fu, and then took his own life by striking his head against a wall. Afterwards, while the court condemned him as a rebel, it also commended his loyalty and righteousness, allowing him to be buried near Wen Jinming. As for the advisor surnamed Chu, his family lacked the numbers and influence of the Cui clan. If he had followed his former lord in death, his descendants would have had no support to rely on. Heartbroken, he adopted such a cold and aloof demeanor.
Ten days after Cui Yi’s death, Chu Fu finally persuaded his cousin and clan leader, Chu Cong, to pledge the clan’s allegiance.
Wen Yanran accepted the submission of both the Cui and Chu families and even granted an official position to Cui Xinjing, a member of the Cui clan. She was Cui Xinbai’s cousin. According to the original plans of the Cui elders, she would have needed several more years of study before entering public service. However, with the successive deaths of her uncle and cousin, although young, the experience of loss had naturally tempered her resolve compared to before. Without hesitation, she now shouldered the heavy responsibilities of her family.
Just as many officials from influential families at court began to believe that the Emperor was being particularly magnanimous toward the scholar-elite clans, Wen Yanran delivered specific judgments for those major families involved in the incident.
Instead of caring for the younger generation of the Cui family as his late colleague had requested, Chu Fu placed his own children under the care of the Cuis. He requested removal from his own clan and then assisted the central government in investigating the local magnates and prominent families in the southern prefectures implicated in the Marquis of Quanling’s rebellion. Most of these families were accustomed to following the lead of the Cui and Chu clans. Seeing that even the assets and private troops of these two families were ruthlessly confiscated and appropriated by the court, they naturally dared not resist. Of course, some remained defiant, but they failed to stir up any significant trouble. Instead, they faced ruthless purges by Song Nanlou and others.
Song Nanlou’s performance greatly satisfied Wen Yanran – since his title in the comment section was “Gentle and Amiable,” he evidently belonged to the more compliant type of minister. Wen Yanran specifically wrote to him, earnestly instructing him to deal strictly with rebels who refused to surrender. Subsequently, he indeed handled matters perfectly in line with her intentions.
Those rebels did not know what the emperor had instructed Song Nanlou. Otherwise, they would have surely pointed out that his ferocious conduct, completely at odds with his outward appearance, bore no resemblance whatsoever to being “gentle and amiable”…
