At the turn of early summer, the wind in the capital had already shed its spring chill, adding a touch of dry heat.
Deep within the Third Prince's manor, century-old weeping willows formed a shaded grove, completely isolating the estate from the clamor and summer heat beyond its red walls.
A gentle breeze drifted by, and the willow branches lightly brushed the water's surface, sending ripples cascading outward.
Compared to the yellow sands filling the sky in the northern border city of Zhenbei thousands of miles away, this sprawling courtyard at the foot of the imperial city was so tranquil it felt somewhat unreal.
At the end of the long corridor, two figures in official robes walked side by side.
Pei Ji, the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature and Revision, had not yet had time to change out of his scarlet official robes. His perpetually stern face now bore the exhaustion of consecutive days on duty.
Walking beside him was Song Yubai, the nephew of the Vice Minister of Revenue.
He, too, was clad only in his cyan official robes. Faint dark circles shadowed his eyes, and though his pace was brisk, his steps seemed somewhat unsteady.
The two stepped into the lake pavilion, halted in unison, and bowed respectfully to the figure seated in the position of honor.
Your humble servant Pei Ji greets the Third Highness.
Your humble servant Song Yubai greets the Third Highness.
Xiao Jingyan wore a moon-white casual robe. He wore no crown; his hair was loosely held up by a hairpin made of top-quality mutton-fat jade. He did not immediately bid them rise, but instead focused intently on the small red clay stove before him.
The charcoal fire in the stove was burning fiercely, and the spring water in the kettle had reached the crab eye boiling point, bubbling and tumbling with a soft, murmuring sound.
Dispense with the formalities. Sit.
Xiao Jingyan's voice was gentle, betraying no fluctuation of emotion.
The two expressed their gratitude and took their seats.
As soon as Pei Ji sat down, he couldn't help but raise a hand to vigorously rub his aching temples. He had always been rigid, but in front of Xiao Jingyan, he did not deliberately hide his weariness.
Your Highness, the rumors in the capital these past few days have been somewhat chaotic.
Pei Ji picked up the empty teacup in front of him, twirled it half a turn in his fingertips, and complained half-jokingly.
The paperwork from the Six Ministries and the Court of Judicature is piling up so high it's about to crush my desk.
Especially over at the Ministry of Revenue, several large accounts have been moving strangely. The related memorials are being sent to the Court of Judicature in an endless stream. These past few days, I haven't even been able to string together enough hours to close my eyes.
Hearing this, Song Yubai smiled bitterly and agreed from the side, Lord Pei speaks the truth. You read memorials at the Court of Judicature, but I am at the Ministry of Revenue, literally running my legs to the bone.
The accounts from the Earl of Chengyi's side are moving incredibly fast. To verify those items regarding purchasing silver and military pay depletion, I haven't even stepped through the gates of my own residence these past few days.
He paused, a trace of awe creeping into his tone. However, the thunderous methods the Earl of Chengyi employed upon his arrival in the capital truly opened my eyes. To fill such a massive deficit within ten days—I'm afraid you couldn't find a second household in this capital capable of doing so.
Listening to their grievances, the corners of Xiao Jingyan's mouth curled into a faint smile.
He naturally knew why the Ministry of Revenue was so busy. Xu Youde was maneuvering with all his might in the capital, all to preserve a sliver of opportunity for Xu Qinghuan, who was far away in the northern border.
But he did not continue along this topic.
Xiao Jingyan lifted the kettle. The scalding spring water poured from high above into the purple clay teapot. The tea leaves tumbled and unfurled in the boiling water, and a mellow tea fragrance instantly permeated the lake pavilion.
Matters of the court cannot be accomplished in a single day.
Xiao Jingyan filtered out the first brew of tea and poured fresh water over the leaves, gently steering the conversation in a new direction.
I invited you both here today not to discuss state affairs, but to talk of elegance and culture. You have both been exhausted for days; you can use this cup of clear tea to wash away the dust that covers you.
He pushed two cups of clear tea broth toward Pei Ji and Song Yubai respectively.
Speaking of elegance, Xiao Jingyan picked up his teacup, lightly brushing away the floating foam with the lid, and said casually, I heard that the young lady of the Xie manor recently released a new poem at a literary gathering?
Hearing the word poem, the fatigue in Song Yubai's eyes vanished instantly, his gaze suddenly brightening.
Your Highness has heard of it as well? Song Yubai sat up straight, not even bothering to drink his tea. His tone revealed unconcealed excitement. It's far more than just a graceful masterpiece! It is simply a string of pearls, expressing all the joys and sorrows of the human realm!
Song Yubai had always highly esteemed Xu Qinghuan's literary talent. Now that his interest in the conversation was piqued, his exhaustion was swept clean away.
If I may be so bold, the new works recently composed by those self-proclaimed scholars and beauties in the capital, when placed alongside Princess Xu's poetry, are like rubble compared to a bright pearl—completely eclipsed and truly difficult to even look at!
The world says Princess Xu acts eccentric, but they do not know the profound depths of her mind! The verses she left for Miss Xie may seem to sing of romance and scenery, but between the lines, they are filled with compassion for the common people!
She traveled far to the bitter cold of the northern border, clearly sacrificing her own family's wealth to relieve the nation's distress, wishing to toil for the Great Qian Empire! Such noble character, such breathtaking talent—every time I recite her works, I feel ashamed of my own inadequacy!
Pei Ji sat upright to the side, quietly listening to Song Yubai's impassioned speech.
If it had been a few months ago, he would have coldly rebuked Song Yubai for being absurd. But today, even Pei Ji's eyes could not help but be tinged with a degree of respect.
He could not forget the stormy waves that surged in his heart when he personally witnessed the miracle of a yield of four shi and three dou per mu in the rice fields of Taoyuan County.
Lord Song's words are absolutely correct. Xiao Jingyan nodded slightly, a flash of approval passing through his eyes. Princess Xu's talent is indeed rare in this world. It's just...
He changed the subject, looking at Song Yubai with a half-smile. How is it that I've heard the capital's nobles and dignitaries have nearly trampled the threshold of the Xie manor flat in their quest for a single piece of Princess Xu's calligraphy?
Hearing this, the excitement on Song Yubai's face instantly dissolved into a helpless, bitter smile.
Your Highness sees clearly; this is exactly what frustrates me so. Song Yubai sighed and picked up his teacup to take a sip, as if to suppress the gloom in his heart. I don't know where the young lady of the Xie manor learned such tricks.
Princess Xu clearly left behind many masterpieces, yet Miss Xie insists on keeping them tightly under wraps, stingily leaking only one poem every half month.
Song Yubai shook his head repeatedly, his tone full of torment. Nowadays, the famous scholars and nobles in the capital are willing to spend thousands of gold pieces just to be the first to see it. Miss Xie calls this method... oh, right, she calls it 'hunger marketing'!
Hunger marketing?
Hearing this, Pei Ji, who had been silent all along, slightly raised his long eyebrows. He chewed over these four words in his mouth, and his mind couldn't help but recall Xu Qinghuan's style of creating sky-high prices for soap and the Glazed Pavilion back in Taoyuan County.
Hoarding a rare commodity... starving their bodies and emptying their minds, so that they will thirst for it. What a brilliant trick of playing hard to get! Pei Ji, who was usually solemn, unexpectedly clapped his hands and burst into laughter.
Such a cunning method that points straight at human nature—apart from that audacious Princess Xu, I'm afraid no one else in the world could have thought of it! Pei Ji smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of admiration.
Using merchant tactics to manipulate the lofty pride of all the scholars in the world, Princess Xu's move truly calculates human nature to the very marrow.
The atmosphere in the lake pavilion became much more harmonious due to Pei Ji's rare burst of laughter.
Seeing that Pei Ji also highly praised Princess Xu, Song Yubai nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Xiao Jingyan watched the two men quietly.
One was the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicature, who controlled the penal system of the Great Qian Empire; the other was a rising star in the Ministry of Revenue from the pure stream faction.
And this was exactly what Xiao Jingyan valued the most.
She not only knows how to generate wealth and pioneer new lands, but she also truly understands how to win the hearts of the people across the realm.
Xiao Jingyan set down his purple clay teacup. The gentle smile on his face gradually faded as his gaze pierced through the dense weeping willows outside the pavilion, looking off toward the distant sky.
"The world dictates that women are inherently weak, only fit to be confined within the four walls of the inner courtyard to serve their husbands and raise their children."
"Yet the great talent and profound vision of Princess Xu outshine all the high-ranking men in the imperial court."
He withdrew his gaze and looked steadily at the two men before him.
"In Taoyuan County, acting as a mere merchant, she performed the agricultural miracles of the Divine Farmer. In the capital, she stirred up such political storms that even the Chief Minister of the Cabinet grew wary of her."
"Now that she has traveled far to the northern frontier, even when faced with arrogant soldiers, fierce generals, and the treacherous, wolf-like scoundrels of the borderlands, I firmly believe she can still turn the tides with a mere flip of her hand."
Such extraordinarily high praise startled Song Yubai and Pei Ji, causing them to subconsciously hold their breath.
The curling fragrance of tea swirled and rose among the three of them.
Xiao Jingyan reached out his long, slender fingers and nonchalantly toyed with the lid of the teacup.
Ding—
The light tap against the white porcelain produced a clear, crisp chime.
The gentle elegance on Xiao Jingyan's face vanished entirely.
"I am only wondering..."
"If Princess Xu were to place a piece in this chess game for the Eastern Palace's throne, what would become of this world?"
