Wen Yanran gestured for Chi Yi to open the wooden box containing the documents. After flipping through the petitions inside, she instructed, “Later, give them a warning to rein themselves in a bit, but don’t make it too obvious.”
Chi Yi bowed in acknowledgment of the order.
She understood the Emperor’s meaning – to carefully gauge the intensity when suppressing the merchant convoys carrying contraband goods. The goal was to make them believe that her extreme caution stemmed from a desire to avoid trouble, rather than from a sense of loyalty to the Emperor in strictly controlling the “goods.”
Wen Yanran placed the petition back into the box and spoke unhurriedly, “‘When weak, feign strength; when strong, feign weakness.’ I don’t think they plan to act immediately, but if the court appears completely unaware, it is possible that they might seize the opportunity to rise.”
In recent times, due to the first imperial birthday since her accession, traffic between regions had noticeably increased, and both the central and local authorities had heightened their vigilance. For those with rebellious intentions, while this could help conceal their activities, the stricter regulations across all regions made it less than the ideal time for action. Even if they were to make a move, it would likely be more of a probe than a full-scale initiative.
Wen Yanran rose from the wooden couch and walked over to the desk. Chi Yi helped the Emperor roll up her sleeves before laying out paper and grinding ink.
She picked up a brush and sketched a rough map of the Great Zhou on the paper.
“Of the twenty-one provinces, there is little need to mention the nine outer ones. Even among the twelve traditionally regarded as the heartland, most have now grown alienated from me.”
Chi Yi had long been aware that although the Emperor was young, she possessed a remarkably clear understanding of the political situation in both the court and the country. As she remained by the Emperor’s side, her authority grew day by day. In her interactions with the outside world, she could sense undercurrents surging in all directions.
The eastern and northern regions have long refused to submit to the central authority. As for the western region, their defiance extends to the current influential noble families. In the southern territories, although they have chosen to submit due to the matter of the Marquis of Quanling, the relationship between both sides remains rather delicate. If the Emperor can continue to defeat other opponents as she did with Wen Jinming, they may truly pledge their allegiance to the court. Otherwise, it is uncertain whether they might gradually drift further apart.
If she had learned of such circumstances a few months ago, Chi Yi would likely have been unable to suppress a sense of fear. Yet at this moment, her heart was at ease. She understood that her ruler was an unwavering individual, and in turn, she too grew steadfast.
Wen Yanran’s lips curved slightly. “The Marquis of Quanling is already deceased, and my uncle surely has plans of his own now. Yet the two of them are different – the Marquis of Quanling’s intentions were practically common knowledge, but he remains a loyal subject of the imperial clan in the eyes of the people, and he was reluctant to part with that reputation of loyalty.”
As she closely observed the situation across the realm, particularly in the eastern and northern regions, she gradually came to understand why the late emperor had insisted on sending Wen Hong to guard the provinces and dispatched Wen Jinming to the southern territories.
The local power structures had become so deeply entrenched that Jianping found it difficult to intervene. At least Wen Hong shared the Wen surname and was of the same clan as the Emperor – in this era, such a bond was a natural connection.
Wen Yanran lifted her brush and drew a circle in the northern region on the map, aligning precisely with the commandery where Wen Hong was stationed.
She studied the map for a moment before speaking slowly, “He is, after all, my elder. Since Commandery Administrator Wen insists on playing the loyal subject, it wouldn’t be right for me to dampen his enthusiasm.”
The northern region, home to so many powerful aristocratic families, was naturally a prosperous area. In sending Wen Hong there back then, the late emperor had also aimed to consolidate central authority and gather wealth for the court.
Since taking office, Wen Hong had conducted numerous investigations into concealed land and hidden households, which earned him the trust of Jianping. He also recommended young officials from local aristocratic families for court positions, using this to win over local powers. Caught between these forces, he managed to navigate skillfully on both sides, thriving in his role. Since the new emperor’s accession, he had become a senior and highly respected official, with significant personal prestige.
Wen Yanran smiled. “Just as I was considering building the canal, my uncle sent stone materials to the capital. His loyalty truly shines as bright as heaven and earth.” She then made another stroke near the Wuzheng Commandery.
Chi Yi, who had been closely monitoring the northern region these days, naturally understood that the Wuzheng Commandery was rich in iron mines. The area the emperor circled was likely one of them.
Since the founding of the Great Zhou, there had been ongoing debates over whether salt and iron should be privately or publicly managed. Initially, they were left to private enterprise. Later, as local powers grew stronger, the central government sought to consolidate wealth and authority, appointing salt and iron officials in each province to gradually reclaim control. However, this effort was not entirely successful. After several generations of emperors, including Emperor Dao and Emperor Li, the court had effectively lost its control over salt and iron.
Wen Yanran rolled up the first piece of paper with the simplified map and instructed Chi Yi to bring a candle closer. She carefully burned the paper roll to ashes, then discarded all the remnants in a bronze basin. She spread out another sheet of paper to write a letter and simultaneously ordered Chi Yi, “Later, have Minister Cui go to the Wester Yong Palace to draft an appointment decree for me.”
This letter was addressed to Wen Hong. As it was a private correspondence, Wen Yanran courteously referred to him as “Uncle” throughout, expressing her intention to appoint his second daughter as the iron official in the commandery. She hoped he would not decline and stated that if there were any difficulties, she was willing to work with him to find a solution.
As a close aide to the Emperor, Chi Yi naturally understood why Her Majesty was acting this way.
On the surface, it was because Wen Hong had previously sent stone materials to Jianping, successfully delighting the Emperor, who in turn graciously granted an official position to one of his children.
After all, in these times, there was no such concept as avoiding nepotism. Relying heavily on trusted individuals was instead a reasonable method of maintaining rule.
Thinking a little deeper, one might assume that the emperor, like the late emperor, intended to rely on Wen Hong to gradually consolidate local power.
The Wuzheng Commandery is located in Yu Province, where the prominent local aristocratic family has long been the Han clan. Though the Han clan’s influence is formidable, their reputation and prestige fall short of families like the Yuans, Cuis, and Songs. Currently, the highest-ranking official in their clan is only a fourth-grade commandery administrator.
With limited prospects in their official careers and a subtle sense that the realm might descend into chaos, the Han clan decided to focus their efforts on managing their homeland. Salt and iron not only yield immense profits but are also essential resources for anyone aspiring to contend for supremacy.
From what was revealed, Wen Hong himself was unwilling to be subordinate to others and instead intended to carve out his own territory. While he currently maintained good relations with the powerful families in the prefecture, once conflicts of interest arose, harmony between the two sides might not endure as it once did.
Wen Yanran recalled that among the petitions presented by Chi Yi earlier, it was mentioned that merchant convoys transporting goods from the northern regions to the west were carrying a significant amount of ironware. This matter might not necessarily have been orchestrated by Wen Hong himself, but having been rooted in the north for so long, he couldn’t possibly have been entirely unaware of it.
“Ah-Yi, do you think my uncle will allow his daughter to accept this appointment?”
Chi Yi thought for a moment and replied candidly, “Although the City Bureau has some informants in the northern region, we remain as if in a fog, with limited clarity on the various situations. It is truly impossible to speculate on Commandery Administrator Wen’s intentions.”
The City Bureau had been established for only a short time and initially lacked the capacity to gather much effective information. It was only after receiving guidance from the emperor and implementing specific measures that they managed to detect movements from figures like Zhang Bingshan.
Wen Yanran nodded.
In truth, by responding this way, Chi Yi had fully understood why she had made such an appointment.
Appointing Wen Hong’s second daughter as the iron official of the commandery was both a test of his personal ambitions and a probe into the situation in the northern region.
Wen Yanran said, “If the northern region remains stable and no major disturbances are likely to occur within the next three to five years, given Wen Hong’s character, he would likely advise me against competing with the people for profit. However, if the situation has already become so tense that it could erupt at any moment, even if it means offending the powerful families in the province, he would still strive to retain as much authority as possible.”
During this period, the central authority’s prestige existed in a rather precarious state. Although many no longer held the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject in their hearts, they could not openly oppose them on the surface. Instead, they often leveraged the court’s name to enhance their own cohesion.
Neither Wen Hong nor the Han clan of Yu Province was truly capable of opposing Jianping. For Wen Yanran, their fates could indeed be decided by a single thought. However, the court’s resources were limited at this time. If they were all spent dealing with these individuals, there would be no strength left to address other issues.
Wen Yanran wrote half of the letter before setting down her brush. She read it over once, then decisively chose to abandon it. “Better to have Minister Cui draft it instead. I’ll copy it in my own hand later.” She then turned to Chi Yi and said, “Return to the Wester Yong Palace. Summon Captain Zhong in one hour.”
It was not yet the Emperor’s usual time for physical exercise, so summoning Captain Zhong clearly indicated other tasks to be assigned.
Thinking of the recent focus on the western region, Chi Yi suddenly grasped the implication. She promptly acknowledged the order, bowed respectfully, and withdrew to carry it out.
