Chapter 665: Three Years
Chapter 665: Three Years
Time flies.
Before they knew it, it was the third year of Emperor Longchang’s reign.
Inside the Diligence Hall, where the emperor conducted his official business,
“Your Majesty, the current prices of rice and cloth are...”
The newly appointed head eunuch, Eunuch Zhang, bowed his head and reported to the emperor, who sat behind the imperial desk. The emperor was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, and Eunuch Zhang knelt before him.
Since Emperor Longchang ascended the throne, he had continued the policies of his predecessors, maintaining a calm and stable court, like a still pond.
However, over these three years, the court and the nation gradually accepted the new emperor's rule, a testament to the consolidation of his authority.
Not that the new emperor had done nothing at all. For instance, he promoted Zhao Hu to the Imperial Guard.
Moreover, he established the Shadow Agents, a new intelligence agency, to complement the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard was tasked with investigating officials, while the Shadow Agents focused on gathering information from the common folk.
The man kneeling before the emperor now was the Shadow Leader, the head of the Shadow Agents.
As colleagues, they naturally did not see eye to eye.
“Enough...”
Emperor Longchang finished a document, looking slightly weary, and then turned to Eunuch Zhang. “What’s happening in the harem?”
Hearing this, the Shadow Leader immediately bowed and said, “Your servant will take his leave!”
Eunuch Zhang watched the Shadow Leader leave, feeling a sense of regret.
This new Shadow Leader was a man of deep thoughts, yet he appeared to be an ordinary, honest-looking fellow. He knew his place, making him a formidable opponent.
“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager Jade went to Heavenward Temple to pray three days ago... Recently, Prince Kang has submitted a petition requesting that Empress Dowager Jade be allowed to leave the palace to reunite with her son.”
Eunuch Zhang reported.
Empress Dowager Jade was the mother of Prince Kang.
After Emperor Longchang ascended the throne, Prince Kang had always been respectful. The Dagan dynasty did not have a tradition of sending princes to govern provinces.
In Emperor Longchang’s view, sending princes to govern provinces was essentially allowing them to wield power in the regions, in exchange for the stability of the court.
This was tantamount to sacrificing the interests of the local people, which was not a good deal.
While keeping the princes in the capital had its risks, they were not significant issues for him.
With the internal strength of his body and the resources of the empire, he could easily live to a hundred without any health issues.
Furthermore, he was confident that nothing unexpected would happen.
“Prince Kang has been respectful since I ascended the throne. Very well... If he petitions, grant his request.”
Emperor Longchang waved his hand.
On the other hand, Prince Tai and his mother, Empress Dowager Virtuous, had been somewhat restless in the past, and there were suspicions that they were investigating the death of the previous emperor, likely planning some mischief.
Emperor Longchang quickly dealt with them. First, he demoted Empress Dowager Virtuous, reducing her status from a noble consort to a mere empress dowager. With so many enemies she had made as a noble consort, she quickly lost support.
Moreover, with the Empress, who was formerly the Crown Princess, now holding the power in the harem, the previous noble consort’s influence rapidly waned, becoming negligible.
If Prince Tai were to petition to bring his mother out of the palace, Emperor Longchang would definitely not agree.
‘These princes’ mothers... They seem to be held as hostages.’
‘Ancient politics... It’s full of subtle intricacies...’
But it's none of my business... I'm just here to cultivate intrinsic spiritual treasures.
Emperor Longchang looked at Eunuch Zhang. “Is there anything else?”
“Your Majesty...”
Eunuch Zhang broke out in a cold sweat and handed over a booklet.
Emperor Longchang opened it and was initially surprised, but then he smiled. “This year’s selection of imperial concubine candidates truly hides many talents...”
As long as he was the emperor, he would inevitably become the focus of conflicts.
And any slight movement would result in someone losing their interests.
This year’s first selection of imperial concubine candidates after three years saw various factions making their moves, filled with countless power struggles and intrigues...
‘If I select a dozen or so, the harem will be quite lively... No, it’s already lively enough.’
Emperor Longchang, with his keen senses and extensive experience, was a master of toxic medicine.
A stroll through the palace made him feel the presence of many wronged spirits in each palace.
The concubines’ plots and schemes against each other were not everyday occurrences, but they were far from rare.
Even the wise founding emperor could not completely avoid such issues.
After all, in this world without magic, everyone was human, with limited energy and inevitable oversights.
Sometimes, Emperor Longchang felt that this world was like a large, makeshift troupe.
‘Hmm, I shouldn’t overestimate the founding emperor. Three years ago, even without my extraordinary abilities, I could have succeeded in breaking the deadlock?’
‘In the worst case, I could have directly rebelled, killed the emperor, and framed Prince Tai... This might not be believed in the capital, but in the provinces, it’s a different story. With proper propaganda, how would people outside know the truth? I am the crown prince, why would I rebel?’
‘Then, the country would fall into chaos, and I would have to start anew. With my accumulated resources and the ability to smelt steel and produce fertilizers... The key is the righteous claim of the crown prince. I could calmly recruit and accept surrender, as long as the defeated acknowledged that Prince Tai had committed regicide. With some luck, I could pacify the country in less than three years, though it would cost many lives...’
‘And such ruthless actions might be tolerable in youth and middle age, but in old age, I might be feared, even by my wife, and if someone were to sow discord, the possibility of father and son turning against each other would be greater...’
It seems quite interesting... a scenario where the crown prince assassinates the emperor? And then, while carrying the suspicion of patricide, cleans up a huge mess?
Forget it, I’ll stick to being a good ruler without making grand gestures...
Fang Xing looked at Eunuch Zhang. "For this year’s selection of concubines, you must be prepared in advance. Keep a close eye on the empress, the concubines, and even the candidates... I don’t want to see any chaos in the harem, with abortifacients flying around and eunuchs and maids framing the concubines..."
Bang! Bang!
Eunuch Zhang was so frightened that his legs turned to jelly, and he started banging his head on the ground, blood appearing on his forehead. "Your Majesty, such a thing will never happen..."
Abortifacients? The imperial physicians have strict rules; every time they prepare medicine, there must be someone to supervise, and the medical records are kept in multiple copies. How could such harmful substances ever enter the palace?
As for eunuchs and maids framing concubines or plotting to harm the imperial princes? That would mean they do not want to live, let alone their entire clan.
Even if they were orphaned assassins, how many could be trained, and how high could they rise?
Eunuch Zhang felt that the emperor’s words carried a deeper meaning, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. He was almost scared into preparing to take his own life by poisoning.
"Oh? If it won’t happen, that’s fine..."
Fang Xing nodded. In this mortal world, as long as the rules and procedures are well-established, most problems can be solved.
The chaos in the harem is ultimately determined by the emperor.
As long as the emperor does not favor one person exclusively and is not swayed by emotions, the harem will not descend into chaos.
The bizarre cases of emperors who doted on a concubine to the point of personally strangling their only son, leading to the throne being inherited by a nephew, are not within the realm of normal considerations.
Perhaps, having only one empress and no other women would be the best solution...
Either love one exclusively, or be a polygamist; any slight distraction will inevitably lead to chaos.
Fang Xing shook his head, deciding to leave the management of the harem to the empress, while he would just keep a watchful eye.
The power of titles and status in ancient times is almost unimaginable.
To put it bluntly, even if the empress cannot directly deal with a concubine, she has the ability to completely purge the concubine’s servants.
With such an advantage, it is almost impossible to lose.
"Being a wise ruler is actually quite simple, and sometimes letting go is an advantage..."
"Is what restrains me the evaluation of my descendants?"
Fang Xing thought about it. Even if some emperors were extremely wise and powerful, and even outlived their own descendants, problems often arose with the next generation.
This is the tragedy of short-lived dynasties.
He dismissed Eunuch Zhang and continued to handle official business.
Suddenly, a memorial caught his eye.
"Yuan Zhao, are you preparing to retire?"
Fang Xing felt a bit sentimental.
This commoner who rose to become the prime minister had worked diligently, but he was indeed very old.
Especially three years ago, when the founding emperor, Emperor Wu, died suddenly from heart disease, it deeply affected this elderly man’s spirit.
He had stayed on for the new emperor, barely managing for three years.
Now that everything was running smoothly, it was time for him to retire.
'He's quite clever, after all, the best strategist of his time... Retiring now is mainly because his health is really failing, and secondly, staying longer could lead to problems.'
Fang Xing shook his head.
The prime minister is the head of all officials. Whoever holds the position will have a group of disciples and gradually form a faction.
It could even become a nuisance!
After all, in the Eastern Palace, the scholars who support Fang Xing are definitely eyeing the position of prime minister.
If Yuan Zhao does not leave now, he will likely face criticism and attacks from all sides.
'For officials, the most important thing is their relationship with the emperor...'
'Yuan Zhao has a history with the previous emperor, but not much with me. If he doesn’t want to be executed for treason, he should retire.'
Fang Xing smiled and directly approved it with his vermilion pen: "Approved."
Of course, the retirement of the prime minister would not be so simple. At the very least, he would be promoted to a higher honorary rank and given a generous pension, ensuring both sides save face.
'I hope he doesn’t end up like Xu Jie of the Ming dynasty, suddenly acquiring tens of thousands of acres of farmland... otherwise...'
...
Yuan Residence.
This was an imperial residence, supposedly rebuilt from a previous dynasty’s prince’s mansion. Although many of the grand structures were removed, the courtyard was still deep and extensive.
At this moment, Yuan Zhao, dressed in his daily attire, was playing with a parrot.
Compared to three years ago, he looked even older, but his spirit was still strong.
"Father..."
A middle-aged man came up behind Yuan Zhao. "Once that memorial is submitted, there’s no turning back."
"Ha ha, I am old. If I cling to power any longer, the younger generation will resent me."
Yuan Zhao grabbed a handful of birdseed and then said with satisfaction, "Moreover... our current emperor, although he does not show it, is a formidable figure. I can rest easy now."
"A formidable figure?"
The middle-aged man remained silent.
"Do you think that his three years of inaction and non-interference could be achieved by just anyone?"
Yuan Zhao smiled and shook his head. "A young man must control his impulses. Our emperor, having been a crown prince for so many years, has managed to restrain himself after ascending the throne, which is quite remarkable... Now that the imperial guards are gradually under control and the emperor’s position is unshakable, isn’t this proof? You must tell our descendants to avoid close ties with the princes, or disaster will be imminent..."
(End of Chapter)
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