Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Riding high on the spring breeze, swiftly taking in the blossoms of Cháng'ān in a single day.

Among the bustling crowd of eager young scholars, Róng Táng stood for a while, soon feeling a bit dizzy from the crush of people.

Su Huaijing led him out, watching from a distance as the current candidates of Lin Yuan Academy interacted with Ke Hongxue and others.

Across the street, where the crowd was less dense, they found a secluded spot and gazed aimlessly.

On one side were scholars in Confucian robes and scholarly caps, and on the other were observing court officials. Occasionally, the scent of cosmetics drifted by, belonging to some of the more renowned matchmakers in the capital.

Whether it was the imperial examination or matchmaking, it seemed to have little to do with women.

Rong Tang, recovering from his dizziness, couldn’t quite place his feelings, sensing a subtle sadness.

Sadness for this era, for the scarcity of educational resources, and for the ignorance in societal beliefs.

He averted his gaze, no longer looking in that direction, but instead focused on a camphor tree by the roadside, its green fruit scattered beneath.

Ants carried food sourced from unknown places, skillfully avoiding the fruits as they made their way to their anthill.

Su Huaijing suddenly spoke softly, "A few days ago, I asked the Imperial Censor a question."

There are two Imperial Censors in the Censorate, and Su Huaijing has not yet reached that position. They are his immediate superiors.

Rong Tang, somewhat surprised, looked up, not quite understanding why Su Huaijing suddenly started this conversation, but still instinctively responded, "What?"

"I asked him, since men can participate in the imperial examination and become officials, why can't women," Su Huaijing said softly.

Rong Tang was startled, looking at him in amazement.

Seeing his reaction, Su Huaijing smiled gently and took his hand.

As mid-spring approached summer, the temperature in the capital hadn't yet become scorching, but the midday light was already glaring.

The entrance to the Imperial Academy was like a bustling feast, with the Jinwu Guards in armor, moving among the crowd.

Su Huaijing continued, "The Imperial Censor said he didn't know, but he mentioned that in the early years of his service, he had seen a woman standing in the court, leading the officials, refuting slanders, clarifying right and wrong, and offering wise strategies."

Rong Tang pursed his lips, knowing who he was talking about, "My grandmother."

Su Huaijing nodded, smiling, "Yes, the Princess."

"Her Highness entered the court twice, once for Emperor Mingzong's accession and second for the former Emperor's reign," Su Huaijing asked, "Tang Tang, do you know how many petitions were filed against her by the officials during those years?"

Rong Tang shook his head.

This was a past not mentioned in the original story. Duan Yi, now mostly secluded in her Buddhist hall and seldom interacting with others, was known to Rong Tang only as a celebrated female prime minister, praised by many great scholars of the era. However, he indeed did not know the answer to Su Huaijing’s question.

They were too far from the crowd. Mu Jingshu glanced over to check they were still there, and upon seeing them, he resumed conversing with the academy students. Su Huaijing spoke softly, “Behind the diligent governance hall, there’s a three-story tower filled with unique books, important government documents, emperors' notes, strategies for governing, and... some memorials that the emperor didn't want to be archived in the cabinet.”

There were honest advices and slanders, sorted into different categories. Perhaps due to family backgrounds or power struggles, history books often concealed the truth.

Some were purely because the emperor didn’t want to see, deal with, or hear them, and definitely didn’t want the cabinet ministers to discuss and then tell him a so-called 'most reasonable' solution.

“As a child, I was mischievous and sneaked in there behind my father’s back. On the third floor of the tower, there were two large chests, each taller than my head. Thinking about it now, they were about this high,” he measured with his hand to his waist. “I was curious about what was inside, climbed a stool to peek, and saw a memorial.”

Su Huaijing paused, his voice light but indistinct in emotion, “It was filled with memorials.”

“One chest had 'Mingde' written on it — the era name of Emperor Mingzong, and the other had 'Yuanxing' written on it,” he said. “I randomly opened one and saw at the very beginning ‘Your servant advises unto death.’”

Su Huaijing smiled slightly, his eyes cold, “I thought it was something significant and got nervous. The person who submitted it was a cabinet elder I knew, renowned for his enlightened and scholarly reputation. If we were to carefully count, half of the officials in the court could trace some connection to him.”

"Yet such a high-ranking official, admired by his peers and praised by emperors, wrote in his memorial about 'hens crowing at dawn', 'usurping roles', 'women should not be involved in politics', 'the kindness of a woman is unfit for major responsibilities', 'the Princess Royal frequently stepping into the court and government offices, risking unrest among the people and instability among officials'..."

Su Huaijing's voice was so soft that it barely circled around Rong Tang’s ear before being swept away by the spring breeze.

No further words reached anyone else's ears.

The blazing sun overhead induced a sense of daze. Róng Táng felt lost, while Sù Huáijǐng, holding his hand, shared, “Did you know? The military fortress in Lóngxī was built upon her request; the tax reduction in the mountainous regions resulted from her lengthy discussions with Míngzōng; and the financial aid for the elderly and disabled in Dàyù, allowing them to collect two taels of silver annually from the government, was her initiative. To implement this policy, she even donated most of her savings accumulated over twenty years in the royal family.”

“Why do you think the current emperor respects her so much? Why do you think she, merely an adopted daughter, still securely resides in the Princess's mansion despite the demise of all other royal relatives?”

Róng Táng sank into a deep silence.

In the original text and his previous lifetimes, the Princess was always depicted as an old woman detached from worldly matters, accompanying ancient Buddhas and lanterns.

Despite having children and grandchildren, she seemed utterly indifferent, devoid of desire for fame, fortune, or familial bonds.

The original text even hinted at her being a hidden boss because she lived opposite the residence the male protagonist moved into after leaving the palace, the Xian Guo Gong Mansion. This led readers to speculate about her potential role.

However, until the original story was locked, Rong Tang saw no signs of Duan Yi turning villainous.

Based on the current development, the Princess appeared to be allied with Su Huaijing, which would make her an antagonist in the latter part of the original story, but...

How could she be called an antagonist?

Rong Tang was silent for a long time, and the system too was stunned in its space.

Su Huaijing said, "After the fortresses in Longxi were completed, the local military expenditures were reduced by a quarter; after the taxes in the mountainous areas were lowered, not only did the locals have a little extra money, but the number of women and children missing in nearby states also decreased; as for the living subsidy... Tang Tang, do you know how many peasant uprisings occurred annually in Da Yu before Emperor Mingzong's accession?"

Though not many and they couldn’t cause much trouble, they still existed.

If the common people cannot live in peace, they naturally harbor thoughts of rebellion and revolt, a timeless truth.

Su Huaijing said, "Any of these achievements could have been enough for today's cabinet elders to be remembered in history and loved by the people. But when these policies were proposed by a woman, it turned into 'the hen crows at dawn, fearing the repetition of Empress Dowager Zhang's regency, meddling in government, causing chaos in court affairs, I plead with death to request His Majesty to revoke the Princess's right to discuss state affairs.' Tang Tang, do you think this is fair?"

Rong Tang's heart trembled, and for a moment, the bright sunlight overhead and the vibrant crowd opposite seemed like a bizarre, abstract painting with indistinct faces.

He shook his head, softly counter-questioning, "How could it be fair?"

Su Huaijing held his hand, comforting and reassuring, "Of course, it's not fair. The former Emperor wasn't a very competent ruler."

Rong Tang blinked in surprise, looking at Su Huaijing.

Su Huaijing smiled and nodded, "I'm telling the truth."

He said, "His temperament was mild, not fond of conflicts, and he always held trust in his ministers and brothers, especially those who had been by his side for a long time, treating them even more kindly."

A ruler should not be like this. Emperors should master the art of power and be adept at manipulating people's hearts.

The previous emperor’s indolent nature led him to avoid guessing and controlling his ministers’ thoughts, preferring to enjoy meals personally cooked by his eldest son in the Fèngqī Palace.

The peaceful harem was attributed to his luck in selecting uncompetitive consorts.

The absence of disasters in Dàyù and sufficient official salaries meant that even if the consorts' families were greedy or power-hungry, they never went too far or caused scandals.

The emperor was considered wise because he was a good person who luckily never made significant errors in crucial decisions.

For border unrest, he appointed Xiǎn Guó Gōng to quell the wars.

To revive Confucianism, he allowed the imperial tutor to leave the palace to teach.

During people’s suffering, he would open the state treasury for relief efforts.

……

If all officials could remember their days in the imperial examination halls, writing treatises under the sun and moon for three days and nights, thinking of the people and the nation’s fate, perhaps Dàyù, under such a ruler, might have walked towards a brighter future.

However, once someone harbored ulterior motives, even a giant tree could fall bit by bit, eroded by termites.

Sù Huáijǐng had pondered many times how things had come to this. As a child, he was oblivious, but as he grew older, the clarity increased.

An emperor cannot secure his throne with just a kind heart.

He smiled, finding it surprising that he could now set aside hatred and casually converse with Róng Táng about such matters.

Returning to the point, Sù Huáijǐng remarked, “So, even if he wanted to protect someone, it wasn't that easy.”

All he could do was exceptionally grant Duān Yì the title of Princess, ignore all the impeachment memorials against her, and, like a student, seek advice from his aunt and teacher on unclear political matters.

But the Princess had already withdrawn once from the court; another withdrawal wouldn't have been surprising.

She entered the court to assist her brother and nephews, retreating without attachment when her presence became a burden or unnecessary trouble for them.

The former Emperor could ignore the petitions, but he couldn't actually bind Duan Yi and force her to discuss state affairs in court.

Still, after the uprising in the 25th year of Yuanxing, there were loyalist ministers who went to the Princess's residence to scold her for causing chaos in the court and not adhering to women's roles, leading to a rebellious son.

Those ministers were all executed by Emperor Renshou, but their words pierced through the wooden doors of the Buddhist hall and were heard by the ancient Buddha and sandalwood incense.

Su Huaijing said mockingly, "Don't you find it ironic? When the country is stable and prosperous, they accuse her of usurping power; when there is turmoil, they blame her for it."

"I can't even understand their logic," Su Huaijing said.

Rong Tang's lips felt dry, his gaze fixed on the ants beginning to frantically move the fruits of the camphor tree.

Su Huaijing said, "Compared to the former Emperor, my brother was actually more suited to that position. He once said his first act after ascending the throne would be to establish schools for girls. If men can become officials, why can't women take the imperial examinations and serve?"

Rong Tang was taken aback and looked across, where Mu Jingshu and the others were surrounded by a mix of young and older students.

"Is it Mu Jingshu?" he asked in surprise.

Su Huaijing nodded and then shook his head, "It was my elder brother, but the third brother shared many of his views. They used to say if the eldest became the emperor, the third would be the wise king, content to assist his brother in leading Da Yu to prosperity."

Although the third prince would always joke about this, saying, "Then I'll have to rely on my crown prince brother's kindness to grant me six to nine months of leave each year, so I can travel around with Ah Xue and Xiao Qi."

The fourth princess would then join in, wrapping her arms around his neck, playfully threatening, "And me too! You have to take me! Or I'll put bugs on you!"

The crown prince, about to reprimand his brother for his irreverence, glanced around at his siblings' expectant faces and resignedly waved his hand, "Father said he's going to test your strategy today."

The third prince then panicked and hurried to the Imperial Library to catch up on his studies.

Cicadas chirped outside the hall, the sunlight dense and ancient.

As Su Huaijing spoke, he paused, and Rong Tang glanced at him, noticing his distant look. He didn’t interrupt, just waiting for him to come back to the present.

A gust of wind blew, scattering the fruits the ants had laboriously moved under the tree. Su Huaijing blinked, awakening from those fading memories, and smiled at Rong Tang.

"Tang Tang, I originally just wanted to seek justice for my parents and family, but now I've changed my mind."

Róng Táng, feeling an inexplicable tightness in his chest, asked hoarsely, “What?”

Sù Huáijǐng said, “What my elder brother didn’t accomplish, I will do it for him. What do you think?”

He suddenly realized those words to Kè Hóngxuě might not have been mere deceit.

He seemed to understand a bit more.

Standing in the bright spring sunshine, Sù Huáijǐng's smile was slightly lifted, “One day, not only scholars but also women will stand in front of this imperial college.”

“Táng Táng, would you like to try harder and see it with me?”