As night descended, the curfew in Wu’an, where Shangxing Pass was located, was imposed half an hour earlier than usual. Guards stood inside and outside the government offices, ensuring that not even a fly could slip through the tightened security.
In the rear office, Chi Yi personally held a lantern, standing quietly by the Emperor’s side.
According to the regulations of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the layout and size of government offices followed strict protocols. Compared to the spacious Western Yong Palace, the rooms in Wu’an were rather cramped. Wen Yanran sat on a wooden couch, with a small desk beside her. On the desk lay a stack of memorials, several books, and a rough map of Tai Province.
Since her arrival in this world, Wen Yanran had grown accustomed to spreading out her belongings in the spacious architecture and furniture of the Taiqi Palace. Now, on official duty away from the palace, her workspace felt suddenly crowded…
Wen Yanran used a vermilion brush to draw a circle around the territory of the Fuhe clan. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled and remarked, “Wang You has grown old. The Li and Lao clans are merely local bandits occupying their hills. But as for the Fuhe clan…”
Although the Emperor did not finish her sentence, Chi Yi understood the implication. The ability to govern a region in the long term does not rely on military prowess but on administrative skill.
While the Li clan was more aggressive and the Lao clan more moderate, the leading figures of both families were excessively indulgent in personal pleasures. Their actions sought only immediate gains, with no clear vision for Tai Province’s future development. As for Wang You, she indeed possessed the ability to govern a region, and it was precisely due to her efforts that Tai Province had maintained basic stability over the years. However, she was now old and frail, and her descendants lacked outstanding figures like those of the Cui clan, who could uphold the family’s legacy. Thus, the clan had gradually lost its former influence.
Compared to these three families, only the Fuhe clan was worthy of concern.
Fuhe Fang was humble, respectful, and gentle in his dealings both within and outside the clan. If he had been born into a scholar-official family, he would likely have earned a reputation for being courteous and respectful toward talented individuals.
Wen Yanran remarked, “The Fuhe clan has the shallowest foundation. To control Tai Province, they must either leverage the momentum of victory to overpower others or wait for rival forces to weaken before seizing the opportunity to rise…” She chuckled softly, placing the document in her hand aside. “Let us see how capable this person truly is.” Turning to the attendant beside her, she added, “Open the doors and windows to let some fresh air in.”
She had now abandoned her previous habits from the Taiqi Palace, setting high standards for the incense used. Since Dan Province bordered Tai Province and shared its humid climate, pungent medicinal herbs were needed daily to ward off insects. If Wen Yanran did not wish to be surrounded by the scents of mugwort and camphor wherever she went, she had to use fragrances to soften the odors lingering on her robes. The palace attendants could not use fruit-based scents either, as fruity aromas tended to attract insects…
Wen Yanran reflected that before her departure, a group of ministers had knelt and pleaded with her, trying to dissuade the Emperor from traveling. Looking back, she thought that if they had shifted their argument from “shaking the foundations of the state” to “the living conditions in Dan Province are far inferior to those in Jianping,” they might have truly given her pause for thought…
Zhang Luo went to open the windows. Fine threads of rain, swept sideways by the southeast wind, drifted into the room. Though the temperature was not particularly low, there was an unbearable dampness in the air. Chi Yi selected a dark cyan robe and draped it over the Emperor’s shoulders.
Wen Yanran walked to the window and asked, “When did the rain start?”
Zhang Luo bowed and replied, “It began during the Wei hour (1PM to 3PM) and has continued until now.”
Wen Yanran extended her palm, feeling the raindrops fall into it. She smiled faintly and remarked, “Though the rain is light, it persists without ceasing. As Marquis Lu noted in his miscellany, the climate of Dan Province resembles that of Tai Province – more humid and warmer than the Central Plains.”
Perhaps due to having rarely traveled beyond the palace since birth, the Emperor had always taken a keen interest in local chronicles and miscellanies from various regions. Lately, during her inspection tour, she had taken the opportunity to inquire with locals about the climate and customs, comparing their accounts with what Lu Liangcheng had written in his books.
Wen Yanran suddenly remembered something and asked, “Ah-Luo, has the batch of alum I requested arrived?”
Alum is similar to realgar in that both were commonly used in ancient times for water purification. Considering the damp and insect-prone environment here, soldiers in the field might not always have the means to boil water before drinking it. To prevent the army from being incapacitated by waterborne illnesses and suffering widespread diarrhea, Wen Yanran had brought a supply along before departure. After arriving at Shangxing Pass, concerned that it might not be enough, she had the Imperial Household dispatch an additional batch.
The reason for involving the Imperial Household rather than the Ministry of Revenue was primarily because, during the previous emperor’s reign, such matters had always been handled by the Imperial Household. Of course, Emperor Li’s original intention in collecting various chemical substances differed from Wen Yanran’s; his focus was mainly on alchemy…
Chi Yi replied, “There is no news yet today. Transporting goods via the Imperial Household is always somewhat troublesome – it will likely take another two days to arrive.”
Wen Yanran was not overly concerned. She opened her panel and glanced at it: the current morale was displayed as “6210 (Profession Bonus),” compared to “5910 (Profession Bonus)” the day before.
After the army had settled in, morale fluctuations within single digits were considered normal. The reason it had risen again today was likely due to generals like Tao Jia and Zhong Zhiwei diligently patrolling the camp every day, maintaining strict vigilance both in the military and administrative areas. Anyone found disturbing military morale, regardless of rank, was executed without exception – after all, the accompanying supplies included a large amount of flammable materials such as oil, grain, and timber. Even with the frequent rain lately, precautions against fire had to be taken.
