Chapter 109: First Impressions

Chapter 109: First Impressions

The Dog Emperor, on this outing, proceeded openly and aboveboard.

As the Emperor journeyed north, he did not require local officials to welcome him along the way. However, arrangements were made for nightly stays at inns. General Zhang Su of the Right Longwu Army, once the Protector of Anbei, familiar with the route from the capital to the Protectorate of Anbei, led the way. Accompanying them was Zhang Zhi, an advisor experienced in wilderness travel.

Throughout the journey, Zhu Yan found it much smoother and more pleasant than last year’s trip.

Zhang Zhi responded excellently in the Emperor's presence. After accompanying Xu Jie on a mission to the Khitan and returning, the Dog Emperor initially wanted to promote him to a position in the Imperial Secretariat or the Department of State Affairs, but the chancellors rejected him due to his non-imperial examination background. Ultimately, the Emperor assigned him to the Jinwu Guard as a Chief Clerk, also bestowing the title of Lang of Court Deliberations.

This facilitated his service at the Emperor’s side.

He leaped from a rank of Senior Eighth Grade to Senior Sixth Grade, skipping two major levels.

This maneuver left the chancellors green with envy, consoling themselves that it was just a nominal position without actual duties, costing only some salary.

Reportedly, Hua Guang, the Supervisor of the Imperial Secretaries, infuriated, privately wrote to Zhang Zhi's father, Zhang Yao, the Governor and Defense Commander of Lanzhou, scolding him harshly for raising a sycophant, uneducated and skilled only in flattery, leading astray the Emperor.

Receiving the letter, Zhang Yao felt wronged.

Did he not wish for his son’s advancement? Being a degree holder himself, he dreamt of his son taking the imperial examination; even if not for the degree, a qualification in classical studies would have sufficed.

But his son, disinterested in classics and studies from a young age, failed the exams. What could he do?

Since Emperor Taizong established the imperial examination as the national policy, scholars aspired for examination success, with most high-ranking officials being degree holders. The examination became a means of social mobility, and those without such credentials were deemed inferior.

Initially, he sent his son to the Emperor to seek a career opportunity, never expecting such impressive performance, or rather, it was the Emperor’s unorthodox approach in selecting officials.

Returning to the topic of this journey.

The Dragon Martial Army, consisting entirely of cavalry, traveled with two thousand well-equipped warhorses. By the third day, the entourage reached the city of Shengzhou.

Shengzhou City was a major military stronghold closest to the Protectorate of Anbei.

Yuan Yi, the Governor and Defense Commander of Shengzhou, upon hearing that the Emperor was to stay in Shengzhou City, intended to vacate the Governor's mansion for the imperial visit. However, Su Yiquan, the Marquis of Dingbei and General of the Left Feather Forest Army cum Protector of Anbei, stopped him, saying, "Don't bother; the Emperor won't stay at the Governor's mansion. Just find a spacious residence in or outside the city and prepare it for His Majesty's accommodation."

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Yuan Yi hesitated.

"The Emperor prefers simplicity when traveling," Su Yiquan explained. "He dislikes restrictions. When he was the Crown Prince, he even stayed in commoners' thatched cottages. And don’t rush to present the beauties you've prepared."

If Su Yiquan's guess was right, Empress Zhu would likely be accompanying the Emperor.

Yuan Yi’s face showed embarrassment, wondering how his discreet efforts to gather beauties, tailored to the Emperor's tastes, had come to Su Yiquan’s knowledge.

Seeing Yuan Yi's reaction, Su Yiquan knew he had guessed correctly.

These local officials always try to find shortcuts. Just like Yuan Yi, Xu Jie, who currently serves as the touring pacification envoy under his Anbei Protectorate, is no different.

Today, Xu Jie accompanied him to Shengzhou to welcome the royal procession and wanted to bring along two beautiful women, but was stopped by Su Yiquan. Concerned that Yuan Yi might persist, Su Yiquan seriously cautioned, “Governor Yuan, I have been with His Majesty for nearly ten years and have yet to see anyone rise in rank by presenting beautiful women to the Emperor. Please remember this.”

"Governor" is a respectful title for local officials like Yuan Yi.

That evening, as dusk fell, the royal procession entered the city.

Upon reaching her residence, Zhu Yan parted ways with the Dog Emperor and settled in with her two female soldiers, unconcerned with how the Emperor was receiving ministers or socializing. The Dog Emperor did not return that night.

After three days away from the summer palace, Zhu Yan found herself missing her son Ah Ji. Since this departure wasn’t a secret, her son tearfully clung to her as she left, almost making her relent and stay. But her longing for the world outside the palace was too strong, and such opportunities were rare.

In the end, she hardened her heart.

Upset, she ignored the Dog Emperor for the entire three-day journey.

The two female soldiers she chose were sisters, Huang Ruyi and Huang Jixiang. These names seemed to have been taken later; their original names were Xiao Zhi and Xiao Ya. They came from a family with a history of serving as garrison soldiers. Their father died in the line of duty, and with their younger brother too young to serve, they enlisted when the left and right guards recruited female soldiers.

Both sisters were tall and agile.

The older sister, Huang Ruyi, was lively, while the younger, Huang Jixiang, was more reserved.

The next day, Zhu Yan woke up early, feeling her sleep was lighter than usual, likely due to the preciousness of time outside the palace. After grooming and dressing in men's attire, applying yellow face powder and thickening her eyebrows to disguise as a man, she left her bedroom.

Huang Ruyi, who came in to serve breakfast, immediately chattered, “Master, an old woman named Wang Po has arrived outside. She was sent by Duke Dingbei, Su Yiquan, to be your guide. She's a local from Shengzhou, speaks the official language, and is very familiar with the layout of Shengzhou City. Master, if you plan to go out, you can take her as a guide.”

Outside the palace, Zhu Yan maintained the identity of Master Xu, purportedly the Dog Emperor’s cousin. To avoid suspicion, she instructed the Huang sisters, who knew her true identity, to address her as "Master" both in public and private.

“Where is she?”

“Still waiting outside. I told her to come in, but she didn’t dare. She said she would wait for me to report to you first.” Huang Ruyi was also surprised. For Wang Po to make it to the front of the main residence, she must have passed at least two security checks outside.

One checkpoint was the personal guards outside, and the other was Yang Xin, the Imperial Attendant serving at the Emperor’s side.

Zhu Yan couldn't help but reflect on how those close to the Dog Emperor were efficient and adept at handling affairs. Everyone said that Su Yiquan, the Duke of Dingbei, was honest and straightforward. She couldn’t judge that, but at the very least, he seemed practical and considerate of his superior, which explained why he was favored by the Dog Emperor.

She had been thinking about asking Yang Xin to find her a guide.

But Su Yiquan had already sent someone over.

It was like falling asleep and finding a pillow – exactly what she needed.

"Thank them for me, bring in Wang Po, and tell Yang Xin later that I plan to leave at the beginning of the hour of Si (9-11 am)," instructed Zhu Yan.

Huang Ruyi set down the breakfast and quickly went out to bring the person in.

While Zhu Yan was halfway through her breakfast, the Dog Emperor arrived. Seeing Zhu Yan's attire, he was visibly displeased. "Why have you dressed up so early?"

"I plan to go out and stroll around the city soon."

The Dog Emperor, itching to pinch Zhu Yan's cheek, hesitated upon seeing her yellow-tinted face, worried about ruining her makeup and possibly aggravating her further. He hadn’t forgotten that she was upset with him over their son.

At times like this, he didn’t dare provoke Zhu Yan further.

"Why don't you stay with me for a couple of days? I'll have a free day the day after tomorrow to accompany you around the city."

Hearing this, Zhu Yan knew the Dog Emperor was too busy for the next two days. She shook her head repeatedly, "You do your work. What fun is there for me to watch you meet with ministers and discuss state affairs?"

"Then I’ll have Ren Fashan and Lu Yu bring a team to follow you. This time, don’t refuse."

Reluctantly agreeing to a team of eight people, Zhu Yan accepted.

The Dog Emperor didn't linger long after breakfast at Zhu Yan's residence. Shortly after he left, Ren Fashan and Lu Yu arrived and waited outside the main residence.

Zhu Yan thought, since everyone was already there, she might as well leave early, regardless of the specific hour of Si.

Shengzhou City, a key town on the border, shares a similar style with Lanzhou City, which Zhu Yan had previously visited. The city walls were built high, and the streets were crudely planned. However, it differed in that Shengzhou City was located beside the Yellow River, with water from the river used to irrigate the crops outside the city, turning it into a famously prosperous area.

It is said that the millet grown there could supply the entire Anbei Protectorate.

Along the way, Wang Po, the guide for Zhu Yan, proudly mentioned this fact, and even took Zhu Yan up to the city walls to see the moat that directly connects to the Yellow River.

Zhu Yan preferred the lush, endless fields outside the city, a symbol of a prosperous era without famine.

In such a time of prosperity, she hoped that one day she might have the chance to leave the palace without fear of encountering war, drought, or hunger.

As she knew, the Dog Emperor focused not only on military expeditions but also on developing remote areas. With Qiu Yuyang's rise to prominence in the capital after his achievements in suppressing bandits in Chenzhou, many local officials, especially those in remote areas or those not from the imperial examination background, took him as a role model.

They were eager to make a significant impact.

Many regions saw clearer governance, with some even experiencing the phenomenon of lost items remaining unclaimed on the roads.

At noon, Zhu Yan didn't return to her residence but entered a restaurant in the market for lunch. Sitting by the window on the second floor, she saw a group of aggressive men with sticks confronting a woman with a kitchen knife in front of a liquor shop across the street.

The scene was quite intimidating.

“Those damned Guo family people are always making trouble every few days, disrupting Mrs. Lin's business,” the talkative Wang Po explained when she saw Zhu Yan looking worriedly across the street. “Don't worry, they won't actually do anything. They just don't want Mrs. Lin to run her business.”

Zhu Yan looked up and asked Wang Po, “What happened?”

“Mrs. Lin is quite a figure in Shengzhou City. Her parents died early, and due to some connections, she became a child bride in the Guo family, which has been brewing liquor for generations. But in this generation, the Guo family's son couldn’t brew liquor, whereas the child bride, Mrs. Lin, learned the craft. The head of the Guo family decided to let his son study while his daughter-in-law took over the brewing and running of the liquor shop, securing a future for the son and continuing the family business.”

Wang Po sighed, “Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. The young Guo lad got drunk outside, got into a fight, and lost his life. The head of the Guo family, already over fifty, lost his only son. Upon hearing the news, he had a stroke and passed away soon after. Mrs. Lin, having no children after several years of marriage, was left alone when her father-in-law died. The Guo family relatives then started causing trouble, wanting to divide the inheritance and spreading rumors that Mrs. Lin was a jinx who caused the deaths of her parents, husband, and father-in-law.”

“Mrs. Lin, with her boldness and a kitchen knife, defended her property. Over the years, she and her mother-in-law have relied on each other. But the Guo family relatives, like persistent pests, keep showing up to make trouble and insult Mrs. Lin for being unable to protect her home.”

Zhu Yan frowned upon hearing this.

The world was often much harder for women, “Doesn’t the government intervene?”

“They haven’t resorted to physical violence, just quarrels. The government doesn’t have much ground to intervene,” Wang Po quickly replied.

Zhu Yan hesitated about whether to intervene and help Mrs. Lin resolve the issue once and for all, but then she saw the Dog Emperor passing by. The troublemakers from the Guo family were quickly dispersed.

Below, Yuan Yi, the Governor of Shengzhou, followed anxiously, sweating profusely. He cursed the Guo family internally for causing trouble at such an inconvenient time. Just two days prior, he had strictly enforced security in the city, warning everyone.

Yet they still dared to cause a scene.

Just as he was about to apologize, he saw Mrs. Lin put down her kitchen knife and come out of the liquor store to express her gratitude. “I, Lin, the widow of the Guo family, thank you, young master, for your intervention.”

She bowed gracefully, her movements elegant.

Raising her head, she revealed an exceptionally beautiful face.

The Emperor was momentarily stunned by the striking beauty of this woman, surprised to find such allure in this remote place. Beyond her beauty, she seemed to possess a deep cunning.

In the past, he wouldn’t have minded being entangled with such a young and beautiful widow for a night.

A fleeting spring romance.

Author’s note:

Thank you for liking today’s update~~ Kisses~~