Chapter 146

Chapter 146

In mid-February, while the new imperial examination candidates were still diligently writing in the examination halls, Jia Fangping, having received his transfer order to Tianshui Commandery, passed through the capital. He was summoned to the palace for an audience with the Crown Princess.

Qingyang now had her own office in the Zhongshu Sheng, though she usually worked alongside the two chancellors, only using her private office for breaks or afternoon naps. The office comprised an outer study and an inner resting chamber. Upon learning of Jia Fangping's arrival, Qingyang had him escorted to her office to wait while she finished reviewing the memorials in hand before heading out.

The distance was short, and Qingyang soon saw Jia Fangping, dressed in the pale crimson robes of a fifth-grade civil official. Almost all capital officials knew Jia Fangping had been recommended by the Crown Princess and considered him one of her trusted inner circle. However, Qingyang had only met him a few times when she was ten. Now, at eighteen, and Jia Fangping at thirty-four, he sported a short beard. His appearance hadn't changed much, though he was darker than she remembered, and still lean and upright, not having gained weight despite serving as a prefect for several years.

"Your subject Jia Fangping pays respects to the Crown Princess. May the Crown Princess live a thousand years in good health."

As Qingyang observed this nominally trusted official, Jia Fangping prostrated himself, barely concealing his emotion.

Qingyang smiled and bade him rise, leading the way into the office. Jia Fangping followed a few steps behind. The office door was open, but Jie Yu stood guard outside, ensuring no official could approach to eavesdrop.

Qingyang took the main seat and granted Jia Fangping a seat. She first inquired about his journey to the capital and his governance accomplishments in Kuaiji Prefecture. Once he seemed less tense, she said casually, "Actually, according to the Board of Personnel’s recommendation, you should have been promoted to Right Vice Minister of Revenue this year. But I felt your qualifications were still insufficient, so I changed your appointment."

Jia Fangping knelt in shock and trepidation: "Your subject, from an impoverished provincial graduate to a prefect in just a few years, has already benefited greatly from Your Highness’s favor. Although I have achieved some modest successes locally, it is only to not betray the trust from Your Highness and His Majesty. I have no merit to be promoted further to Right Vice Minister of Revenue. Fortunately, Your Highness saw clearly and spared me from criticism by the officials."

Qingyang: "What, are you afraid the officials will label you as part of the Crown Princess’s faction?"

Jia Fangping: "I am not afraid for myself, but I fear being inadequate and tarnishing Your Highness’s reputation."

Qingyang smiled: "You fear it, and I fear it too—I fear being criticized for nepotism. So, the more I consider an official a confidant, the more I require them to achieve significant accomplishments that will convince the people. Though I have halted your meteoric rise today, when you succeed, I will naturally reward you with a higher position."

In other words, she indeed regarded Jia Fangping as a confidant.

Jia Fangping understood and kowtowed: "Your Highness, whatever task you assign, I will carry it out even at the cost of my life."

Qingyang asked him to sit back down and looked at him: "Have you considered why I transferred you to Tianshui Commandery?"

Jia Fangping: "I have repeatedly studied Your Highness’s 'Southern Tour Travelogue' and know of Your Highness’s determination to manage the silt of the Yellow River. Tianshui Commandery is located where large amounts of loess enter the river upstream. So I presumptuously speculate that Your Highness intends to send me to manage soil erosion in Tianshui Commandery?"

Qingyang was pleased with his insight: "That is the intention. However, I have other experts for sand control. Your strength lies in fiscal management and austerity. Sand control requires massive manpower and resources, so I want you to improve the livelihoods in Tianshui Commandery within three years, increase the able-bodied population, survey the commandery’s topography, identify suitable crops and trees for the loess highlands, and promote the necessity of sand control among the people. Of course, if you have good strategies for sand control or can recommend talented individuals, I will credit you accordingly."

Jia Fangping now understood his task and pledged to do his best.

Qingyang, noting his lean frame, showed a trace of compassion: "The Liangzhou region is largely barren, far less prosperous than Jiangnan. To achieve results, you will have to endure far greater hardships than previous prefects. I want to use you but have little to offer except allowing you to bring your household along, so someone can care for you."

Jia Fangping’s eyes warmed, and he knelt: "Your Highness shows such consideration for your subject. If I cannot restore the mountains' greenery in Tianshui Commandery, I vow not to return to the capital!"

Qingyang went behind her desk, took an envelope from a lower drawer, and handed it to Jia Fangping: "This is the savings I've set aside over more than ten years as a princess. Use it. Though it may be a modest sum, it should alleviate some of your difficulties."

Before her coming-of-age ceremony and entry into court, her father gave her fifty taels monthly. Afterward, she received an annual stipend equivalent to that of a prince or married princess—five thousand taels—plus rewards for her contributions in the northern campaign. Qingyang kept some pocket money and prepared twenty thousand silver taels for Jia Fangping.

If this were a personal reward, Jia Fangping shouldn’t have opened it in front of the Crown Princess. But since it was for sand control, he respectfully opened it, took out a stack of silver notes, and trembled upon seeing the first one was a thousand taels. When he finished counting and realized the Crown Princess had personally contributed twenty thousand silver taels, tears fell freely: "On behalf of the people of Tianshui Commandery and the millions along the Yellow River, I kowtow in gratitude for Your Highness’s kindness."

After putting away the silver notes, Jia Fangping performed three full kowtows to the Crown Princess.

Qingyang: "I can only give you silver. Whether this kindness reaches the people depends on you."

***

After Jia Fangping left the capital, the palace examination rankings were announced in mid-March. Qingyang’s cousin Luo Wanqing, whom she had met only the year before last, achieved the Second Class Jinshi.

Consort Li breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Although Lü Zan was excited about the marital alliance, and both Lü Chaoliang and her beautiful, gentle niece were satisfied with each other after meeting, the Luo family—having raised twenty sons and grandsons over two generations with only one provincial graduate—was still marrying up into the Lü family. Now, with a *jinshi* in the family, her niece wouldn’t have to rely solely on her daughter to save face.

Consort Li had little affection for these long-separated nephews and nieces, but she genuinely hoped those who could assist the Emperor and her daughter would live fulfilling lives.

Qingyang summoned her sixty-eight-year-old grandfather Luo Pan and Luo Wanqing, who at twenty-six had finally achieved *jinshi* after long assisting the old man in governance, to her office in the Zhongshu Sheng. She explained her plan to assign Luo Wanqing to Luzhou County in Yizhou as an assistant magistrate under Yang Jie, with future transfer to Tianshui Commandery.

She told Luo Wanqing: "You earned Second Class *Jinshi* on your own merit. Assigning you as an assistant magistrate is truly beneath you, so sending you to Luzhou is purely for my personal initiative of sand control. I allow you to refuse and follow the Board of Personnel’s standard bureaucratic track. I will never hold this against you or hinder your career."

Great Qi had fourteen provinces, and young officials with talent could find prosperous places to make achievements. Going to Tianshui Commandery might mean years of hard work with little visible success. Qingyang didn’t want to force this cousin, who had gained little from her influence.

Luo Wanqing knew the Crown Princess wasn’t petty, but if he refused, he would never become a trusted core minister under the new emperor. After all, between two capable ministers—one willing to overcome difficulties for the new emperor, the other only adding icing on the cake—any fool knew whom the emperor would value.

Moreover, Luo Wanqing wasn’t afraid of challenges. In his youth, he had stepped forward to advise his mediocre grandfather, not for family promotion but to serve the people to the best of his ability.

"Your servant is willing to go," Luo Wanqing replied succinctly.

Luo Pan selected his two youngest sons and two thirty-year-old grandsons with scholar status to assist Luo Wanqing. These four would not have official positions or salaries.

Qingyang gave Luo Wanqing five hundred taels, enough for the round trip and three years of living expenses in Luzhou County, though certainly not for luxury.

***

After handling these two matters, she attended her nephew Rui Geer’s first birthday celebration at Prince Xian’s manor in late month. Finally, Qingyang could focus solely on her duties in the Zhongshu Sheng.

Emperor Xingwu, silently observing his daughter: "..."

At night, he complained to Consort Li: "Do you think Lin'er truly understands romantic love? It seems to me her heart and eyes are full of governmental affairs."

He wasn’t like this in his youth—hunting and drinking with Deng Chong and others had been joyous. He only became busy when planning the rebellion. But his daughter? At three, she reminded him to eliminate Yuan Zhaoxiong, who might rebel!

Consort Li was also worried. Before the three imperial daughters-in-law married, she could tell from their shyness that they were satisfied with their imperial prince fiancés. But with her daughter? Qingyang had been embarrassed about missing arrows initially, and about Zhang Su...

Consort Li hadn’t witnessed it, but her daughter’s temperament and status differed from ordinary girls, so she couldn’t judge whether her daughter had truly developed romantic feelings based on this alone.

Emperor Xingwu: "When Lin'er was fifteen, we went to the Western Park to escape the summer heat. I wanted to see if the grown-up Lin'er and Zhang Su would show any intimacy, but wherever Lin'er went, she brought Jie Yu along. Even when riding horses with Zhang Su, Jie Yu followed behind..."

He wasn’t sure if his daughter had no desire to be close to Zhang Su or if she restrained herself due to protocol and imperial dignity. If he were in her place, he certainly wouldn’t have been able to suppress the urge for physical intimacy with Consort Li.

Consort Li: "...Her third brother wouldn’t do such things, let alone Lin'er."

Emperor Xingwu: "Hmm, both take after me."

Consort Li: "..."

Their daughter was too proper, and the parents couldn’t deduce much. But some things still needed to be taught.

The palace matrons learned how to teach future princess consorts to serve their princes, at most instructing imperial consorts on serving princesses. Consort Li had already sent a matron to Zhang Su. As for their daughter, even if she only needed to be served by Zhang Su, she should still understand certain matters. Otherwise, what if she misunderstood Zhang Su’s intentions on their wedding night?

Emperor Xingwu reminded Consort Li to teach their daughter.

Consort Li had long remembered this. On the fourth day of the month, the eve of her daughter’s wedding, Consort Li brought two booklets—one chosen by herself and one by the noble consort—to Jiuhua Palace.

Qingyang, who had studied male and female meridian charts in the Imperial Hospital since childhood: "..."

The daughter wasn’t embarrassed, but Consort Li felt awkward and whispered, "Zhang Su definitely won’t bully you, but when alone at night, Lin'er, don’t always maintain your Crown Princess demeanor. Otherwise, you might scare Zhang Su."

If scared, consummation would be difficult.

Qingyang assured her mother she knew her boundaries. Unless Zhang Su angered her, she always treated him well.

Seeing was believing. Consort Li handed the two booklets to her daughter and left.

Qingyang flipped through them, feeling both flushed and amused. She wouldn’t scare Zhang Su, but would he really dare?

She slept well that night. The next day, the fifth day of the fourth month, was the Crown Princess’s imperial wedding!