Chapter 138

Chapter 138

When over a dozen high-ranking ministers followed He Yuanjing into the Imperial Study, they found that, besides Emperor Xingwu, a Court Diarist was also seated there.

The Court Diarist, a member of the Central Secretariat, was responsible for recording the emperor's words, actions, and major state affairs. During events such as Emperor Xingwu presiding over court sessions, sacrificial ceremonies, banquets, military inspections, hunts, or receiving foreign envoys, the Diarist had to be present to perform their duties. However, for daily recreation or meetings with ministers in the Imperial Study, Emperor Xingwu generally preferred not to have the Diarist accompany him, unless he deemed it necessary to have a few lines recorded.

Today, Emperor Xingwu was to decide on the choice of Crown Prince. Such a matter, concerning the next emperor, naturally necessitated summoning the Court Diarist.

Once everyone had gathered, Emperor Xingwu granted a special seat to the Minister of Rites, Xie Xunwen—who, though a year younger than Yan Xizheng, had begun using a cane at work this year—before dismissing He Yuanjing.

Behind Emperor Xingwu hung a map of Great Qi. He turned his chair sideways, carefully studied the map for a while, then looked at the ministers standing in two rows. Pointing at the map, he smiled and said, "Eighteen years—I’ve governed Great Qi quite well, don't you think?"

The ministers all agreed in unison. Yan Xizheng added separately, "I'm not flattering you, Your Majesty’s accomplishments in governance and warfare are in no way inferior to those of Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han."

Emperor Xingwu waved his hand before the other ministers could chime in: "The Left Chancellor gives me too much credit. I dare not compare myself to Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Wu of Han. When I started my uprising back then, it was so that people like me—those who suffered under the tyranny and treacherous officials of the former dynasty—could have enough to eat and sleep peacefully. Now that I’ve achieved that, I haven't betrayed the trust you all and the people placed in me. My heart is at ease."

"But this achievement isn’t mine alone."

As he spoke, Emperor Xingwu stood up and began recounting the contributions of each of the dozen or so civil and military officials present, starting with Yan Xizheng on the civil officials' side. Among them, only the Imperial Censor-in-Chief Nie Ao and the Minister of Rites Xie Xunwen were former officials of the previous dynasty, appointed after Emperor Xingwu ascended the throne. Only the Minister of Works Liu Qi and the Minister of Justice Lin Xian were capable officials of the new dynasty who had risen through merit and talent years after the founding. These four had no merit in supporting the emperor’s initial rise but had contributed to stabilizing the realm, benefiting the state, and securing the people.

The remaining Left and Right Chancellors, three ministry heads, and military officials like Prince Yong were all Founding Meritorious Officials who had contributed to the nation’s establishment.

After recalling and praising each in turn, Emperor Xingwu stopped before the map, tapped the location of the capital Luoyang, and said, "Great Qi’s stability and prosperity today are the result of half a lifetime of effort from me and of your assistance in supporting that effort. Without me, you might not have encountered an emperor who could lead you in founding a new dynasty. But without you, I could never have become emperor on my own."

Yan Xizheng led the ministers in kneeling, tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty is the heaven-mandated Wise Emperor who saves the world. Having been fortunate enough to encounter such a Wise Emperor, how could we not devote ourselves entirely to loyal service? It is only by Your Majesty’s recognition that our small contributions were possible—all merely our duty as subjects. We dare not boast before you."

Emperor Xingwu: "All rise. Today, there are no rulers or subjects here—only me and my old friends. Anyone who kneels again without good reason will be driven out!"

Once the ministers had stood properly, Emperor Xingwu sat back in his chair and sighed, "You may be modest, but surely you, like me, hope for Great Qi to grow stronger year by year. That’s not wrong, is it?"

The ministers nodded.

Emperor Xingwu: "For Great Qi to prosper, we need both wise ministers like you to assist and a Wise Emperor to steer the ship of state. So what kind of emperor qualifies as a Wise Emperor? When I first ascended the throne, I couldn’t put it into words clearly—I only knew I must govern diligently, love the people, and not exploit them. After all these years of governance, I can finally explain it."

"First, a Wise Emperor must be wise and discerning. They must know how to organize relief efforts when natural disasters strike, how to manage and prevent such disasters afterward, how to deploy troops and arrange defenses when foreign invaders come, how to train and strengthen the military after battles, and how to improve weaponry. Isn’t that right?"

The ministers all agreed, though Qin Hong, recalling his incompetence and headaches during his regency, turned red with shame.

Emperor Xingwu noticed and comforted his eldest son: "Hong'er, there’s no need for shame. Though you lack wisdom, discernment, and the courage to tackle challenges, your willingness to resign shows self-awareness. That you were willing to relinquish an easily attainable throne for the greater good—for that alone, I think more highly of you."

Qin Hong: "..."

It sounded like his father was scolding him, yet also genuinely praising him.

Emperor Xingwu continued: "Returning to the Wise Emperor—second, a Wise Emperor must know how to identify and use talent. With so many state affairs daily, a Wise Emperor would work themselves to death in a few years if they tried handling everything alone. So a Wise Emperor must have the vision to identify capable civil officials to assist in governance and talented military officers to train troops and defend against enemies. Those like Yong Kang, who sold government positions for money, or Hong'er, who dared recommend others just because he trusted his elder sister—such individuals are not fit to be Wise Emperors."

Qin Hong’s face turned red, and the ministers remained silent.

Emperor Xingwu: "Third, a Wise Emperor must be diligent and love the people. Otherwise, no matter how wise or discerning they are in recognizing talent, if they use that wisdom to find ways to be lazy and enjoy themselves—fighting crickets today, sleeping late tomorrow—where will they find time to handle state affairs or promote worthy individuals? In time, the court will fall into the hands of powerful or treacherous ministers, and chaos will inevitably follow."

Qin Hong: "..." Fighting crickets and sleeping late—was his father scolding Second Brother and Third Brother?

The ministers remained silent.

Emperor Xingwu: "Finally, a Wise Emperor must have foresight. The people may only think about this year’s harvest; soldiers may only consider whether their arms and mounts will last the year. But a Wise Emperor must think decades ahead. Only an emperor who keeps in mind decades of good food and clothing for the people and decades of military victories for the troops will not grow complacent in temporary peace. Only an emperor who constantly maintains a progressive spirit can surpass the founding monarch."

The civil officials praised the emperor’s four points as brilliantly summarized!

Now that they knew what a Wise Emperor should be, Emperor Xingwu leaned back in his chair and said to these trusted ministers, "Come, everyone, speak up. Which of my five children is most like a Wise Emperor?"

Five children...

Yan Xizheng closed his eyes and wished for a chair to sit in.

Nie Ao’s eyelids twitched, and his thin lips moved slightly, but he restrained himself for now.

Leaving aside the senior civil officials, even among the military officials—since the emperor’s hint was so obvious—Lv Zan looked shocked and turned to Zhang Jie behind him. Zhang Jie had already lowered his gaze. Hou Wanzhong and Xue Ye stayed quiet. Fan Zhong maintained his usual relaxed attitude, as if he were listening but understood nothing and would certainly not interject.

Perhaps unwilling to speak or waiting for the right moment, the group took a moment to take this in. Prince Yong, who was slow to understand, was the first to speak, looking at Emperor Xingwu in disbelief: "Elder Brother, what do you mean? Why five children? This is about selecting the Crown Prince—what does Yong Kang or Lin'er have to do with it?"

Emperor Xingwu stared at his brother: "I founded Great Qi. I spent half my life clearing internal and external threats. I want to select a Wise Emperor who can govern Great Qi to greater wealth and strength—that’s what puts my mind at ease. So what I value is only the talent of a Wise Emperor. If my son is capable, then my son ascends. If my sons lack ability, then my daughter will."

Prince Yong: "But—"

Emperor Xingwu: "What? Can I not make decisions for Great Qi? Can I not decide for the Qin family?"

Prince Yong had a backbone. In other matters, he could listen to his elder brother, but on this, he had to speak his mind—and he did so righteously: "Of course Elder Brother can decide. You should decide everything. But I’ve never heard of any family passing their legacy to a daughter. A married daughter is like water under the bridge—if you really make Lin'er the Crown Prince, will Great Qi still be surnamed Qin or will it become Zhang?"

As he spoke, Prince Yong glared openly at Zhang Jie.

Zhang Jie knelt and kowtowed: "This subject dare not interfere in the selection of the crown prince. I only swear that my family has no rebellious intentions. I beg Your Majesty to judge clearly."

Emperor Xingwu neither excused Zhang Jie’s courtesy nor grew angry with his brother. Smiling, he said, "It will naturally be surnamed Qin. If Lin'er becomes Crown Prince, her children will only be surnamed Qin. If the Zhang family is unwilling, I will not force them—I can cancel the marriage arrangement."

Zhang Jie bowed his head: "This subject dare not. For Zhang Su to carry on the royal bloodline is his fortune and my family’s great honor."

Prince Yong: "Pah! Of course it’s your Zhang family’s fortune! Even if Lin'er’s children are surnamed Qin, they’ll still be your Zhang family’s seed. My elder brother’s hard-earned kingdom would easily be seized by your Zhang family’s descendants! Your Zhang ancestors would laugh themselves back to life in the afterlife!"

Emperor Xingwu remained calm, even teasing Prince Yong: "I asked you to choose which of my five children has the qualities of a Wise Emperor, and Prince Yong immediately assumed I would choose Lin'er. Does that mean, in Prince Yong’s heart, Lin'er is the most fitting to be a Wise Emperor?"

Prince Yong grew anxious: "Elder Brother, don’t laugh! Fine, I admit Lin'er most resembles a Wise Emperor. But if she becomes Crown Prince, Great Qi will change its surname to Zhang. How about this—choose Third Brother? Let Third Brother be Crown Prince, and Lin'er can assist him as his sister. Third Brother listens to Lin'er the most—if they work together as one, they can still govern Great Qi well!"

Emperor Xingwu looked at the ministers: "What do you think? Could Prince Xian be Crown Prince?"

Yang Zhimin looked left and right, then took the lead: "I’m afraid Prince Xian would not be diligent in governance."

Nie Ao: "More than that—in my observation, Prince Xian has no interest in governance at all. Without the heart to rule, how can he have the ability to rule?"

The Minister of Rites, Xie Xunwen—sitting in his chair clutching his cane—noticed the emperor’s gaze and shook his head helplessly: "Prince Xian is pure-hearted, kind, and respectful to scholars—he would make a virtuous prince but cannot handle the heavy responsibility of a Wise Emperor."

Aside from Prince Yong, no one supported Prince Xian, so Prince Xian was eliminated from crown prince consideration.

Prince Yong: "If Third Brother won’t do, there’s still Second Brother. Second Brother directly attacked the royal court this time—his military achievements are outstanding..."

Yan Xizheng didn’t even let Prince Yong finish. Stepping forward, he sternly refuted: "Prince Jing is brave but reckless, stubborn and self-willed. Noble Consort and I repeatedly advised him to focus on his studies, but Prince Jing ignored us all. If even his closest relatives cannot advise him, how could he as sovereign? He would shut out dissent and act arbitrarily—Great Qi would be in peril!"

Emperor Xingwu looked at the Minister of War, Tan Shixun.

Tan Shixun glanced at the Minister of Rites, Xie Xunwen, then could only reply impartially: "Prince Jing is brave and martial—he would make a fierce general. However, he favors flattery and rejects honesty, exactly as the Left Chancellor said."

Emperor Xingwu then looked at Hou Wanzhong, who had accompanied his two children on the northern expedition.

Hou Wanzhong: "...During the northern expedition, the princess explicitly forbade the eastern and western surprise troops from killing elderly, weak, women, or children among the nomads. Later, I heard from the western surprise troops that Prince Jing, angry about not finding nomad tribes, once killed indiscriminately. If even military orders could not restrain Prince Jing, I fear any advice from us would be equally unpersuasive."

Emperor Xingwu sighed: "In this, Prince Jing is exactly like his royal uncle in his youth. Someone must be able to restrain him; otherwise, he’d dare puncture the heavens and then blame the heavens for not being sturdy enough."

Since no one supported Prince Jing, Prince Jing was also eliminated.

Prince Yong, still unwilling to give up, pointed at Qin Hong: "Hong'er..."

Qin Hong dropped to his knees with a thud: "Your nephew is untalented and sick. I beg you, Uncle, stop making things worse for me!"

After successfully silencing Prince Yong, Qin Hong turned to his father and said: "Earlier, Your Majesty spoke of the qualities of a Wise Emperor. Princess Qingyang came up with ten ways to run the country during her exams and now has military achievements from the northern campaign, showing she's got both brains and bravery, wisdom, and insight. In the eleventh year of Xingwu, Princess Qingyang recommended the impoverished scholar Jia Fangping for an official post, and he later successfully implemented policies, showing her ability to recognize and employ talent. During her southern tour with Your Majesty, Princess Qingyang talked politics with officials all day and wrote books to educate regular folks at night, demonstrating diligence and love for the people. In the Southern Tour Travelogue, Princess Qingyang proposed solutions to the recent Yellow River floods and big ideas to turn the loess hills of Liangzhou and other regions into green mountains, reducing the sediment carried by the Yellow River—proving she thinks ahead. Therefore, I recommend Princess Qingyang as the Crown Prince of Great Qi!"

Before today, he had never truly considered that his father might intend to appoint his sister. But once his father spoke the words aloud, Qin Hong immediately felt that his sister was indeed worthy!

The ministers also knew that Princess Qingyang truly possessed the qualities of a Wise Emperor, a point they could not refute. As for why she might not be right for the role, Prince Yong had already voiced all their concerns on their behalf. The most critical issue was whether the Great Qi imperial family would truly bear the Qin surname or, in practice, the Zhang surname once Princess Qingyang’s descendants inherited the throne.

And on this point, Emperor Xingwu had yet to respond directly.

Emperor Xingwu looked at his brother, who was furious and anxious as if the Zhang family were about to seize the Qin family’s empire at any moment, and said with a smile: "I bear the Qin surname, but I'm also half Guo through my mom's side. So, while I ostensibly bear the Qin surname, I could also be considered a Guo. Of course, the common people are more accustomed to tracing ancestry through the paternal line. Once I appoint Lin'er, I will ensure her descendants inherit the Qin paternal surname. Then, they will solely be descendants of the Qin family, and this empire will remain the Qin family’s domain."

Prince Yong: "Brother, you are resorting to sophistry!"

Emperor Xingwu: "If you think so, let me explain a truth that everyone must acknowledge throughout the ages: since ancient times, imperial power has always rotated among families. No single family can monopolize this empire forever. If I have the ability, I can pass the empire to Lin'er. If Lin'er has the ability, she can pass it to her Lin'er. But one day, the Qin family will produce a screw-up who runs the country into the ground. One day, Great Qi will become a former dynasty, existing only in the annals of history."

"The Great Qi before its fall will have nothing to do with me. My reach is not long enough to extend two or three hundred years into the future. The only thing I can do is leave behind a second-generation Wise Emperor for the people of Great Qi in my time—one who is willing and capable of protecting them."

"No matter how the Qin family’s last ruler is cursed, it will not tarnish my reputation. But if I choose the wrong second-generation ruler, allowing him to bring disaster upon the empire and its people, I will surely lose my integrity in my later years and be mocked by posterity."

"Therefore, I care not what surname this empire will bear in the future. I only care that I and my successor are both Wise Emperors. As long as the people of Great Qi under Lin'er’s reign live better than they did under mine, I'll have done my job as the founding emperor. I will have no regrets in my heart and no shame before anyone."

Seated alone before the map of Great Qi, Emperor Xingwu spoke these words to his brother, eldest son, and meritorious officials as casually as if he were discussing everyday matters.