According to the laws of the Great Zhou, delivering goods from the provinces to the capital was subject to certain regulations regarding routes and procedures. Although many statutes had gradually fallen into disuse over the previous few generations, since Wen Yanran ascended the throne, the customs in the Jianzhou region had begun to shift away from past practices.
The team transporting stone from the northern territories first needed to stop in Yangchong County for inspection by officials from the Water Management Bureau before proceeding to the construction site.
The person overseeing the transportation from the north was Zhang Weixiu, the niece of Zhang Bingshan. Thanks to her family connections, she had begun serving as a local official at the age of sixteen and, despite being only twenty-seven years old now, already had over a decade of experience in public service, making her both astute and capable.
As she traveled along her journey, Zhang Weixiu had initially felt that the current state of the world was not much different from the time of Emperor Li. However, upon entering the region of Jianzhou, she quickly sensed a distinct shift.
Take Yangchong County as an example – at the very least, the officials Zhang Weixiu interacted with here were notably efficient and capable. From top to bottom, there was an atmosphere of strict adherence to laws and regulations, a stark contrast to the perfunctory attitudes of the past.
Zhang Weixiu observed carefully that, starting from this area, all paths leading to the construction site were guarded – the Emperor, valuing the Liubo Canal project, had not requisitioned local county soldiers but instead dispatched imperial guards from Jianping. Throughout the construction of the Liubo Canal, the entry and exit of all personnel and materials were meticulously recorded. Naturally, the stone materials delivered by Wen Hong also had to undergo inspection. Once the inspection was completed, both Zhang Weixiu and the officials from the Water Management Bureau were required to sign and affix their seals for future accountability.
While the stone materials were being inspected, Zhang Weixiu waited in the official government office. By chance, she caught sight of a person dressed in the attire of a palace eunuch walking briskly across the courtyard, escorted by several clerks in county official uniforms who saw him all the way to his carriage before returning.
Zhang Weixiu took note of this scene. While still in the northern territories, she had heard that the current emperor, much like the late emperor, placed great trust in palace eunuchs. Witnessing this today only confirmed the rumors – in the past, the late emperor had alienated court officials over such matters. If the new emperor were to repeat the same mistakes, internal strife in the Jianzhou region would be all but inevitable.
About a quarter of an hour later, an official hurried over to greet Zhang Weixiu, saying, “My apologies for the long wait,” and handed her the inspection approval documents.
Zhang Weixiu bowed slightly as she accepted them, then replied, “In that case, I will have the stone materials delivered to the Shangshui area.”
The official slowly shook his head upon hearing this. “There is no need to trouble you for that. You may leave the materials in Yangchong. The Water Management Bureau will send its own personnel to receive them.”
From what the other party said, Zhang Weixiu realized it meant outsiders were not permitted to approach the construction site.
This was not part of the plan from the northern territories. After all, without personally going to the Liubo Canal to see for themselves, they wouldn’t know the true conditions of those conscripted for labor. Zhang Weixiu smiled and said, “Since there isn’t much road left anyway, why not let my people deliver the stone directly to the site? It would save time and avoid delays.”
The official in charge of the handover shook his head. “We appreciate your kindness, emissary. However, without the proper clearance documents, not even a high-ranking court official would be allowed to pass through Yangchong. Please do not make things difficult for me.”
Zhang Weixiu was already aware that this place operated under strict regulations, with all matters prepared accordingly – evidence that the local magistrate was a capable administrator. She knew the official handling the handover could not be swayed by words. Her earlier remark was merely to set the stage for what followed; having refused her once, it would be difficult for them to refuse a second time:
“In that case, could the commoners who accompanied me to this county be allowed to rest here for a day or two? Given the hot weather, it would be inconvenient for them to return immediately.”
The official replied courteously, “Shelters have already been set up outside the city walls. You are welcome to take your people there to rest.”
Zhang Weixiu expressed her gratitude – taught by her uncle, she understood well that to grasp the true situation of a place, one must start with the details. Even if the Liubo Canal project was generally well-managed, small oversights were bound to reveal clues.
After Zhang Weixiu settled all the laborers who had accompanied her outside the city, the county deputy of Yangchong arrived with a team to prepare porridge for them.
Zhang Weixiu observed carefully and quickly noticed that the people following the magistrate wore coarse, short garments and moved with practiced ease, clearly accustomed to such labor for some time. Their accents also differed from those of Jianping, so she inquired further.
The county deputy replied, “You are correct. They were indeed conscripted from the southern regions.”
Understanding the situation, Zhang Weixiu exchanged a meaningful glance with her trusted aides.
The laborers worked with remarkable efficiency, swiftly lighting fires in the earthen stoves and beginning to cook porridge in pottery jars. Their leader was tall and sturdy, his skin darkened from labor, yet his demeanor was orderly and composed, reminiscent of a disciple from a distinguished family.
The porridge contained not only wheat and beans but also wild vegetables and cured meat. The laborers, unable to resist the aroma, grew restless and impatient. The person cooking the porridge promptly calmed them down. Once the porridge was ready, he distributed it himself, ensuring everyone was well-fed before taking the remaining portion for his own meal.
Zhang Weixiu’s trusted aides, having been instructed in advance, tried to casually inquire about the Liubo Canal from those cooking the porridge under the pretext of making conversation. However, no matter how they asked, they received no answers. All they learned was that the man’s name was Chen Zhi.
A scholar who had accompanied Zhang Weixiu, hearing this, pondered for a moment before exclaiming in surprise, “Could you possibly be from the Chen clan of Qing Province?”
Chen Zhi bowed slightly. “That is correct.”
The scholar stamped her foot with a sigh. “You come from a prominent family. Why are you performing such lowly labor here?”
Hearing this, Chen Zhi shook his head earnestly. “Constructing waterways benefits the people’s livelihood. If it benefits the people, why should I not do it? As scholars, if we do not understand the hardships of commoners, even if we later serve as officials, we would merely squander our salaries without real purpose.”
Zhang Weixiu observed carefully and noticed the prominent calluses on Chen Zhi’s hands. Unaware of their intentions, his behavior from start to finish clearly stemmed from sincerity rather than pretense. This realization stirred something within her.
In this era, the scholar-gentry enjoyed high prestige, both in court and among the common people. When the laborers learned that Chen Zhi was a scholar, they quickly grew to trust his words implicitly.
After finishing the porridge, Chen Zhi went to wash the utensils. Several children dressed in simple cloth clothes approached, wanting to help him clean the pottery jars, but he gently refused their offer.
Zhang Weixiu guessed that they were servants from Chen Zhi’s household and remarked with a light smile, “Since you belong to the Qing Province Chen clan, surely you wouldn’t travel without attendants, would you?”
The county deputy sidestepped the first question and only replied, “After Young Master Chen arrived here, during their free time in the evenings, they began teaching the local children how to read and write. Though they are not formal disciples, there is still a teacher-student bond between them. The children, grateful for the instruction, stay by Young Master Chen’s side, wanting to repay him in some small way.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Weixiu noticed that the laborers she had brought with her began to look uneasy.
Though Wen Hong was capable of governing a region, the division between the scholar-gentry and commoners remained stark. These laborers were ordinary commoners who had never seen a scholar-gentry member work alongside them with such diligence. Witnessing this scene, they could not help but feel a sense of admiration and longing in their hearts.
As for Zhang Weixiu herself, her thoughts took a different turn. After a moment of contemplation, she silently revised her earlier view – from what she observed, it seemed the prominent southern clans were not only not planning to resist the Emperor’s so-called “tyrannical” actions, but were instead using the construction of the Liubo Canal as an opportunity to enhance their reputations for entering public service.
Take Chen Zhi, for example. He took personal charge of every task and, beyond his labor duties, did not neglect to teach the local commoners how to read and write. Through these actions alone, once the Liubo Canal was completed, he could directly enter government service.
Zhang Weixiu’s expression shifted several times before she finally clasped her hands toward the county deputy and said, “I see.”
After the county deputy and his entourage left, a scholar on good terms with Zhang Weixiu tugged at her sleeve and said quietly, “Given the current situation, what we discussed back in the commandery is likely difficult to achieve. I’m afraid your uncle will hold you accountable when we return.”
Zhang Weixiu replied, “It’s of no consequence. I’ve already decided to take full responsibility – once we return, I will submit my resignation and leave home to further my studies.”
The scholar initially wanted to say it wasn’t necessary to go that far, but seeing her friend’s resolute expression, a sudden realization dawned on her. “…Sister Xiu, you’re not planning to continue your studies in Jianping, are you?”
Zhang Weixiu smiled without answering.
The scholar fell silent for a moment.
She understood. Although their mission to the northern territories had not yielded the conclusion that “the central government is tyrannical,” this journey had at least helped some people choose their future paths. However, as both a colleague and a close friend, and having been assigned this task together, she couldn’t simply watch her friend leave the northern territories on her own…
The scholar coughed twice, took her friend’s hand, and said earnestly, “We’ve worked together for many years. Since this assignment has not gone well, it wouldn’t be right to let you shoulder the blame alone. Once we return, I will resign from my post alongside you!”
Inside Tianfu Palace.
News of the arrival of the northern stone materials reached Jianping that same day. After reviewing the submitted report, Wen Yanran smiled and remarked, “Commandery Administrator Wen truly lives up to his status as a key imperial clansman. His thoughtful gesture has genuinely touched me.”
Wen Jingmei glanced at the Emperor – he recalled her using the same tone when discussing Marquis of Quanling before.
“Under Commandery Administrator Wen’s governance, the region is prosperous and has ample capacity, allowing him to naturally ease Your Majesty’s concerns.”
Wen Yanran nodded. “Commandery Administrator Wen is not yet fifty. He likely still has plenty of time to help resolve my worries.”
She had been speaking while looking at the State Preceptor, but her gaze suddenly shifted. The long-silent game interface began flashing frequently again, and moments later, a line of small text only she could see appeared:
[System: The [Liubo Canal] project is progressing too quickly. Achievement [▇▇▇▇] unlocked. Overall project speed increased by 5%.]
Wen Yanran: “…?”
It felt as though the system had censored something, but not entirely.
Wen Yanran considered for a moment. Although some information was missing, judging from the current feedback, the system seemed to support her plan of misusing grand projects to ruin the country.
If the confident Wen Yanran could access the log files, she would discover that the four characters censored by black boxes were actually “united in purpose.” Moreover, as her chosen path deviated severely, certain functions that had been removed from the “Guide to Becoming a Tyrant” were slowly beginning to reawaken…
Wen Jingmei sensed that the Emperor before him seemed lost in thought, though he wasn’t sure what was on her mind. He could understand her pensive mood today – with the imperial birthday approaching, the central region was bustling with travelers and activities. To prevent any disturbances, checkpoints across the land had been reinforced with additional personnel, all to ensure Jianping remained undisturbed.
Just then, Chi Yi entered carrying a wooden box filled with documents. Not wishing to interfere with court affairs, Wen Jingmei excused himself under the pretext of brewing tea and left the hall.
Wen Yanran leaned against an armrest and gestured for Chi Yi to sit beside her, smiling as she said, “Vice Commissioner Chi, your success in opening the market is truly commendable.”
She was determined to bolster the influence of palace eunuchs, and Chi Yi and Zhang Luo had not disappointed her. The City Bureau had always been linked to commerce, and under their private initiatives, they gradually consolidated control over certain merchant convoys. Given the eunuchs’ traditionally poor reputation, outsiders, though aware that Chi Yi and Zhang Luo were close attendants of the Emperor, assumed they were merely exploiting their authority for personal gain.
Chi Yi lowered her head. “As Your Majesty foresaw, the northern and western regions have recently engaged in frequent exchanges, many of which involve prohibited items.”
The trade taxes in Great Zhou were relatively high, so many merchant convoys sought protection under influential figures. Recently, due to heightened security in the central region for the imperial birthday celebrations and the political reshuffling following the new emperor’s ascension, those seeking to transport “goods” inevitably turned to Chi Yi and Zhang Luo for patronage.
Through careful investigation, Chi Yi gradually uncovered individuals harboring rebellious intentions.
To convince others that she was no different from the eunuchs of previous eras, Chi Yi acted with deliberate audacity. Outsiders, witnessing her behavior, would not blame the emperor but rather attribute it to the moral failings of the eunuchs themselves.
Chi Yi reflected that she was merely an ordinary palace maid who had gained authority solely because the Emperor had noticed her and brought her to Western Yong Palace. Having received such great favor and trust from Her Majesty, even if she were ultimately reviled by court officials as a deceitful and sycophantic schemer, bringing ruin upon herself, she would accept it willingly.
