Chapter 112
No sooner had Song Zhang stepped down from his carriage at Xiamiao Bridge than passing officials greeted him.
“Commissioner Song, you seem to have been very busy lately. You’ve been coming in for several days straight.”
Song Zhang responded to each of them with a smile. These past few days had left him deeply moved. He had never imagined that he, too, would one day become someone of consequence.
Although he had previously been promoted to the fifth rank, the Commerce Tax Office was under the Empress’s authority. In the eyes of many court officials, his position had never amounted to much. To them, he was merely the Empress’s steward.
But things were very different now. Even the Minister of Revenue had to go to the East Pavilion to plead with the Empress. Prince Duan and Prince An had only just begun paying calls on her, and the Emperor immediately assigned them duties. In most matters, the Emperor was willing to give the Empress due consideration.
As a result, he—regarded by others as the Empress’s chief steward—had naturally risen in status as well.
Song Zhang did not allow himself to become complacent. He knew full well that everything he had came from the Empress. The Empress still had a long road ahead of her, and her subordinates could not afford to relax.
Once he entered Yan Hua Hall, he did not have to wait like the ministers seeking an audience in the West Pavilion. The eunuch waiting outside the East Pavilion directly pushed open the doors and ushered him in.
“Her Majesty is waiting for you, sir.”
Apart from the first few days after they began attending Yan Hua Hall—when Cui Lanyin had declared that formalities were unnecessary—Song Zhang and Geng Dayou had still insisted on performing the full ceremonial obeisance.
It was not until Cui Lanyin said that she dearly missed the days at the princely residence and hoped they could continue to treat one another as they had before that the two men relented. They had wished for the same thing, after all, and so they returned to the customs of those earlier days.
Here, Cui Lanyin still habitually addressed Song Zhang as “Chief Secretary.”
After Song Zhang clasped his hands in greeting, he reported, “Your Majesty, another payment of commercial tax entered the treasury yesterday. With the figures for the past three months added together, the treasury now holds one million and fifty thousand taels in silver.”
At that rate, the annual total should exceed four million taels.
Cui Lanyin said, “And that is only from the larger merchants who have heard of the Commerce Tax Office and paid their dues. Those in the northern regions and those conducting trade within their own prefectures may never even have heard of us. Or perhaps they have, but felt they had no need of us and simply chose to ignore it. We should collect taxes from all of them as well.”
“Your Majesty is most insightful. That is precisely why I came today—to seek your counsel,” Song Zhang said. “At present, the Commerce Tax Office in Yingcheng alone cannot supervise such distant places. We should station personnel and establish offices in every province.”
After some thought, Cui Lanyin said, “Doesn’t Liu… Liu Xing have a group of men under him? Select those who are capable and put them back to use. And send out the accountants trained by Qiansheng as well, pairing the two groups together.”
“That is an excellent idea, Your Majesty. The two groups can keep watch over one another. Otherwise, once our operation grows too large, there will inevitably be those who see profit and use their positions for personal gain,” Song Zhang agreed.
He glanced up at her, then asked, “Should we first seek His Majesty’s approval before proceeding?”
“There is no need. His Majesty has permitted me to handle the affairs of the Commerce Tax Office at my own discretion.”
Song Zhang’s spirits lifted at once.
“Your Majesty, if that is the case, we may as well take even bolder steps. From what I have seen, the clerks in the various ministries and bureaus—even those in the prefectures and counties below—are a mixed lot. Many purchased their posts with silver. Such people occupy positions but cannot do any real work; instead, they have learned nothing but the tricks of deceiving their superiors, concealing the truth, and lining their own pockets.”
“Why don’t we put up the money to establish a school? Let Qiansheng teach practical mathematics, and have those from the former princely household who understand the day-to-day administrative work teach there as well.
“Once the students have been trained, we can ask His Majesty to assess them, just as he does in the current examinations for filling vacancies. Those who pass can be assigned as clerks to the various ministries and offices—another way to ease His Majesty’s burdens.”
When Cui Lanyin had run her tea shop at the East Water Gate, she had learned that clerks might seem insignificant and hold little status, yet they controlled the crucial workings of every government office. Many matters could not be handled without passing through their hands.
These clerks truly served as the link between those above and below. If the clerks in every government office were trained by the Commercial Tax Administration…
Cui Lanyin looked at him. Song Zhang met her gaze with an open, composed smile.
Then she knew that he was still the same Chief Aide Song. Even knowing that the child she carried was a princess, he had remained steadfastly at her side, wholeheartedly planning for her future.
“We are short of people ourselves. For now, since we lack manpower, we can only send personnel to the provincial offices first. Once we have trained a batch, we can continue by stationing people in the prefectures.”
Song Zhang immediately grasped her meaning. “That would be even better. Once people see how well they work for us, perhaps officials from the various departments will come asking us for staff. That will save us the trouble of recommending ourselves.”
Cui Lanyin also let him in on the truth. “His Majesty has permitted me to involve myself in matters around him, and he has told me to build more goodwill with others. So we need not conceal anything. Once you return, you may begin making arrangements.”
Song Zhang’s confidence swelled. Spreading his hands, he said, “Since that is the case, we must not disappoint His Majesty’s intentions. Your Highness need not be overly cautious.
“There is one matter already at hand—one Your Highness may begin with.”
“Which matter?”
“Empress Dowager Xu.”
“The Xu family? Empress Dowager Xu has helped me greatly with affairs in the palace. I had already intended to ask His Majesty for a favor—at the very least, to allow Empress Dowager Xu to resume contact with the Xu family.
“Do you mean that I should urge His Majesty to pardon the Xu family?”
Song Zhang nodded. “Great Yong and the Tatars are bound to fight a major war sooner or later. Meng Zhen in Shanxi and Wang Xiao in Gansu and Shaanxi are said to be fierce and skilled in battle, but before Xu Xian, they would have to bow their heads. He was one of Great Yong’s finest generals—the kind who made the Tatars tremble at the mere mention of his name. If he had been guarding the border, why would the capital have needed to move to Yingcheng three years ago?
“His Majesty may not yet have had time to turn his attention to this. But once he has set the court in order, he will likely summon Xu Xian back. Why not secure this favor in advance?”
“What happened to the Xu family back then?”
“Your Highness should know that the Chen family once controlled the military. They forced the Xu family to risk their lives in battle, while blocking the advancement of Xu family descendants. The Li family persuaded the late emperor to place greater trust in the Xus. But after the Xu family replaced the Chens, the Lis grew wary of the Xus becoming too powerful and incited the late emperor to suspect them of disloyalty. During the Battle of Wuling, he withheld reinforcements.
“Yet even in a situation where ten thousand faced a hundred thousand, Xu Xian still drove back the Tatar forces and held Wuling without yielding a single step. From then on, the army revered him as Great Yong’s God of War.
“The late emperor had always been suspicious by nature. After that, he found Xu Xian and the Xu family even less tolerable. A year later, he accused the Xu family of commanding troops with excessive autonomy and showing contempt for the Son of Heaven, then exiled them.
“The northern frontier is bitterly cold. Within a few years, the Marquis of Pacifying the North and his eldest son both passed away. Xu Xian alone was left to support the descendants of two branches of the family in those northern wastes. Great Yong’s God of War of a generation—who knows what he has become now?”
“Xu Xian is Empress Dowager Xu’s younger brother?”
“Yes. The Marquis of Pacifying the North had two sons and a daughter. Now only the sister and brother remain. As for the next generation, who knows how many there are? When the Xu family was exiled, Xu Su had a son and a daughter, while Xu Xian was still unmarried—an outstanding young man of eighteen. Back then, how many young ladies in Yingcheng dreamed of marrying him…” Song Zhang trailed off.
Cui Lanyin sighed as well. The northern frontier was bitterly cold; what respectable family would be willing to send a daughter there? It was easy enough to imagine that Xu Xian had found no suitable match.
Having heard of the Xu family’s fate and of Xu Xian’s circumstances, Cui Lanyin could not help feeling deeply moved. Solemnly, she said, “Even if it were not to repay the debt I owe Empress Dowager Xu, as the Empress, I should speak up for the Xu family.”
Song Zhang bowed deeply to her. “Your Majesty is wise and righteous.”
Cui Lanyin did some quick reckoning. “The Chief Historian must have greatly admired General Xu’s bearing in those days, no? You were about the same age, after all.”
A wistful look entered Song Zhang’s eyes. “At that age, who would not have admired him?”
Now that the Emperor and she had laid everything bare between them, Cui Lanyin felt that she could speak to him openly about anything.
She truly disliked beating around the bush. “I’ll bring up the Xu family’s matter to His Majesty tonight.”
She had promised Grand Empress Dowager Chen that she would have lunch at the Palace of Fortunate Peace. After Song Zhang departed, she took Buyu with her to the Grand Empress Dowager’s residence.
Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Concubine Wan were also in the Palace of Fortunate Peace, so Cui Lanyin knew that Grand Empress Dowager Chen had invited the two of them to dine as well.
Aunt Gao read out the dishes she had ordered from the imperial kitchens. “There are the crispy vegetable rolls Your Majesty likes, Dragon Well tea shrimp, sweet-and-sour fish pieces, and steamed dumplings with three delicacies. Would you like to add anything else?”
Everyone at the Palace of Fortunate Peace knew which dishes she favored. Whenever she came to dine, the kitchens would generally be instructed to prepare them in advance. If there was anything else she wished to eat, it was quick enough to send someone to add it to the order.
The Palace of Fortunate Peace was as comfortable to her as her own home; she no longer stood on ceremony over what she wished to eat or use.
“They’re all things I’ve been craving these past few days,” she said. “There’s no need to add anything.”
Before long, the eunuchs returned with the dishes. Aunt Gao and her attendants arranged them on the table and helped the women take their seats.
Grayfeather, who had been dozing by the window, suddenly flew over and landed on Cui Lanyin’s shoulder. Stretching out its neck, it inspected every dish on the table one by one.
Grayfeather had been doing this frequently of late, and everyone in the Palace of Fortunate Peace was used to it. Grand Empress Dowager Chen smiled at Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Concubine Wan. “I don’t know what has gotten into it lately, but every dish on the table has to pass its inspection first. If this goes on, there’ll soon be nothing it doesn’t concern itself with.”
Grayfeather nodded solemnly. “This household can’t do without me.”
Remembering how, as soon as Cui Lanyin’s pregnancy had been confirmed, Grayfeather had flown off to report the news to the Emperor, Grand Empress Dowager Chen burst out laughing. “Indeed. Without you, this household would fall apart.”
Cui Lanyin picked up a small dish filled with diced carrots and greens, specially prepared for Grayfeather by the imperial kitchens. Buyu took it from her and set it on the edge of the heated platform. “Grayfeather, please enjoy your meal as well.”
Only then did Grayfeather leave Cui Lanyin’s shoulder and fly down to the platform, where it began eating its own food.
The others also raised their chopsticks. Cui Lanyin took a bite of a crispy vegetable roll. “I have to say, no one can truly imitate another person’s signature dish. Cao Liang’s crispy vegetable rolls are still the best.”
Aunt Gao smiled. “Now that a small kitchen has been set up in Yan Hua Hall, Cao Liang feels rather bereft. He even came to me, hoping I might put in a good word for him and let him serve in the small kitchen at Yan Hua Hall.”
Cui Lanyin said in surprise, “Why would he give up being the chief steward of the Imperial Kitchen to work in my little kitchen, where there are barely even two people? Isn’t that a waste of his talents?”
Empress Dowager Xu explained, “To the eunuchs and palace maids, serving at the Emperor’s side is the most promising path.”
As they spoke, the eunuch attending the meal brought over bowls of shredded-meat and vegetable soup that had been cooled to the proper temperature. It was Empress Dowager Xu’s favorite. Since becoming pregnant, Cui Lanyin could no longer stomach soups, and Grand Empress Dowager Chen did not care for them either, so the eunuch served bowls only to Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Concubine Wan.
Just as Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Concubine Wan lifted their spoons to their mouths, Grayfeather—who had been lowering its head to peck at diced vegetables by the edge of the kang—suddenly swooped over with startling force. Beating its wings wildly, it knocked the spoons from their hands, then swept the bowls of soup onto the floor as well. The bowls shattered, and soup spread across the ground.
Having caused such trouble, it did not flee. Instead, it circled the dining table, crying incessantly, “Don’t eat it! Don’t eat it!”
Grayfeather was mischievous, but it had never acted so willfully before.
Still crying those words, it saw Cui Lanyin extend her hand toward it. “Grayfeather, come here. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Grayfeather continued to watch her expression. Only when it saw that she had no intention of blaming it did it cautiously land on her arm, still chattering anxiously, “Don’t eat it, don’t eat it…”
All creatures possessed some spirit, but Grayfeather was exceptional—even uncannily so.
Cui Lanyin smoothed its feathers. “What will happen if someone eats it?”
Without warning, Grayfeather flopped over on her arm. Its little claws twitched twice, looking exactly like a bird that had suddenly dropped dead.
At once, not only Cui Lanyin but also Grand Empress Dowager Chen, Empress Dowager Xu, and Dowager Concubine Wan understood. If it truly was poisoned, then without Grayfeather’s intervention... Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Concubine Wan turned deathly pale.
Without waiting for Grand Empress Dowager Chen’s orders, Aunt Gao called for the eunuchs to detain the kitchen eunuch who had delivered the meal.
Cui Lanyin instructed Buyu, “Go and summon Chief Imperial Physician Cao.”
No one had the appetite to continue lunch. They all moved to sit on the kang or on chairs beside it.
After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Buyu returned with Chief Imperial Physician Cao.
On the way, Chief Imperial Physician Cao had already heard what had happened from Buyu. He had also sent Buyu to Yan Hua Hall’s small kitchen to bring back a live chicken.
The moment he entered, he forgot even to pay his respects and rushed straight toward the half-bowl of shredded-meat and vegetable soup that remained. After examining it, he came back and reported, “It is poisoned. As for how potent the poison is, we will need to test it to know.”
He ladled out half a small bowl of the soup and fed it to the chicken. In less than half a quarter-hour, the chicken convulsed and collapsed. Its body quickly stiffened.
There was no need for Chief Imperial Physician Cao to say more. The shredded-meat and vegetable soup had been laced with a deadly poison.
Empress Dowager Xu was, after all, the daughter of a military family. Having prepared herself mentally, she remained fairly composed. But Dowager Concubine Wan could not bear it. She trembled like a leaf. “I have never wronged anyone. Who would want to harm me?”
Tomorrow is the college entrance examination. Wishing every candidate the best of luck and the results they hope for. [Kiss]
