Chapter 140
For three days, the broad-decked ships at Eastwater Pass Wharf had been lined up all the way to the mouth of the river. With the nine flags of Jiutong Trading House flying high from their masts, it was clear that most of the trading house's fleet had gathered there.
It was obvious that the army of two hundred thousand heading north would be transported by Jiutong Trading House's fleet.
Only now did everyone understand how the Empress had quietly delivered provisions to the northern front earlier. She had used Jiutong Trading House's fleet to transport them.
Those who knew the inside story remarked, "No wonder people in Guangzhou were saying that all the ships Jiutong Trading House sent overseas had stopped sailing. Everyone was wondering whether something had happened to the trading house, since they had given up earning such enormous profits. As it turns out, they were saving everything for this."
In other words, Jiutong Trading House had practically emptied its coffers this time.
Quite a few merchants privately called them fools. "How many precedents are there? In the eyes of the imperial family, merchants are worth less than servants. Even if you offer up your entire fortune, you may not get so much as a grunt in return.
"There have been plenty of cases where the court stripped merchants of their wealth and then exiled their entire families."
The salt merchants of Yangzhou were saying among themselves, "Don't covet what is beyond your reach. We, for instance, buy a few imperial-made goods. That gives us dignity while showing our support for the Empress. Spending a hundred thousand taels of silver to purchase a jiansheng position and protect our wealth is the only way to live peacefully as rich men for generations."
The moment those words had been spoken, the Empress turned around and granted Fang Dai a nominal seventh-rank post as vice commissioner under the Office of Commercial Taxation. She also announced that, from then on, all official maritime transport between Guangzhou and Yancheng would be entrusted to Jiutong Trading House.
In addition, she promised each of Jiutong Trading House's nine principal owners a jiansheng position.
This was no small matter. From that point on, Jiutong Trading House would face no official obstruction wherever it went. The Fang family now had an official title, and its descendants could change the family's standing and enter official society.
Great Ying prohibited merchants from buying official posts or jiansheng positions. Otherwise, the salt merchants of Yangzhou would not have been scrambling to purchase imperial-made goods from Brocade Ward in exchange for a single jiansheng position.
Jiutong Trading House paid only a little over three hundred thousand taels in commercial taxes each year, yet the Empress had granted it nine jiansheng positions.
Fang Dai's seventh-rank nominal post and the maritime transport contract were even more valuable. Jiutong Trading House had made an enormous profit from this undertaking.
Jiutong Trading House had served the Empress without regard for cost. Not only did the Empress refuse to use them for nothing, she also remembered every service they had rendered and repaid them with even greater rewards.
With an Emperor and Empress who always took the first step themselves, one could afford to form higher expectations.
The salt merchants could no longer sit still. They flocked to Yingcheng and sought out the Office of Commercial Taxation, declaring that they, too, wished to make a modest contribution to the army's expedition.
Song Zhang received them on this occasion. He told them that the army's military supplies were currently sufficient and that there was no immediate need for anything. They should wait for now and offer their assistance when something was actually required.
Song Zhang was one of the Empress's trusted attendants, practically a member of her household. Ordinary people could not easily gain an audience with him, yet he had personally received them. The salt merchants felt that this had given them immense prestige.
In the Xuan'ning Dynasty, it was unimaginable for someone to bring money and have it refused.
Afraid they might not get another chance, the salt merchants voluntarily left their names and declared that, should anything be needed, they would spare no expense in donating silver and goods.
Grand Secretary Shen and the others saw that the Emperor had sent Qinglin to Shanxi with an edict dismissing Meng Zhen. Each of the Emperor's four Lin guards possessed a unique skill that made them exceptionally capable. Since the Emperor had sent Qinglin to serve as Meng Zhen's temporary replacement, Qinglin must have had the ability to command the situation. Thus, no one had anything more to say.
Although the Emperor had merely dismissed Meng Zhen from office without any intention of punishing him, Meng Huaizong, as his son, still could not remain calm.
He went to the West Pavilion to request an audience, expressing his wish to accompany the army on its campaign. He likely intended to use military merit to ensure that Meng Zhen would not be held accountable.
"Those who have fought for Great Ying in the past will receive some measure of leniency from Me, so long as their crimes are not unforgivable. You need not worry about your father," The Emperor said in an indifferent tone.
This was the first time Meng Huaizong had heard the Emperor speak at such length. It was also the first time the Emperor had spoken so much about his family. Meng Huaizong knelt and bowed his head to the floor.
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for Your grace."
When gratitude came from the heart, many words became impossible to say. Meng Huaizong could only add, "Your subject is willing to risk life and limb for Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to permit me to accompany the army."
The Emperor still refused him. "When I go north, I need reliable and loyal men to remain behind and guard Yingcheng. You and Dong Cheng are the ones I have deliberately chosen to stay. The Empress's safety and the security of this place must not be compromised."
After the palace coup in the ninth month of the previous year, Dong Cheng was the commander among the twelve commanders of the Imperial Guard whom the Emperor trusted most.
The Empress was also close to Young Madam Dong, and had later helped arrange her marriage to Jiang Shi. The Dong family had thus entered the good graces of both the Emperor and the Empress.
Meng Huaizong had never expected that the Emperor would not view him differently because of Meng Zhen. Instead, the Emperor regarded him as highly as Dong Cheng.
A ruler like this was someone for whom he could willingly give his life.
"Your subject will obey Your Majesty's command. So long as I remain in Yingcheng, Yingcheng will not fall and the Empress will remain safe."
Although they had made preparations well in advance, all sorts of matters still arose when the departure drew near. The Emperor and Cui Lanyin had no time to spare.
The Emperor no longer had time to sit in meditation on the luohan couch. Every morning, he went to the West Pavilion and received court officials in groups.
Since Cui Lanyin would be left to oversee the state and handle government affairs, most officials, after having seen the Emperor, also had to go to the East Pavilion to report to her and ensure that everything was properly coordinated.
Yanhuadian was in chaos with activity. It was not until the moon had risen that the husband and wife were finally able to return to their private quarters.
The moment they entered, the Emperor kicked off his shoes and slumped against the luohan couch like a wilted eggplant beaten down by frost.
The number of words the Emperor had spoken over the past few days was greater than what he would normally say in an entire year. He had been worn out by all the talk.
Cui Lanyin sat beside him and smoothed the furrow between his brows. "Did you talk too much? Don't say another word now. After you eat, sit in meditation and calm your mind."
"I'll be fine after I rest a little," The Emperor said listlessly. He leaned against her as he spoke, resting his head against her swollen belly. "If I can't talk when I come home, then what am I gaining from coming home?"
Cui Lanyin laughed. "You make it sound as though you use a different mouth to talk outside than you do at home."
The Emperor was about to reply, but she placed a finger over his lips.
"Didn't you say you needed to rest? Don't talk."
Instead, the Emperor took her finger into his mouth and nibbled at it again and again. The prickling sensation sent a tingling numbness all the way to the tips of her heart. Cui Lanyin could hardly bear it. She hurriedly pushed his face away and pulled her finger free.
The Emperor did not pursue the matter. He simply placed his broad hand over her belly and gently stroked it back and forth.
Cui Lanyin gave him an annoyed look. "It isn't bedtime yet. Why are you trying to lull her to sleep so early?"
The Emperor truly was capable of anything. He could even soothe the child in the womb.
He was exceptionally skilled at coaxing Little Fish to move in response to his hand gestures, and even better at soothing her to sleep with strokes like these.
Since the fourth month, Little Fish had become confused about day and night. During the day, she slept, occasionally turning over. But when Cui Lanyin and the Emperor went to bed, she would wake up and begin moving her arms and legs.
At first, Cui Lanyin had not paid it much attention, assuming that it would pass after a few days. She had not allowed the Emperor to speak to her belly, either.
But after three days in a row, not only could she not sleep properly, the Emperor was unable to rest with her.
When he saw that she could no longer endure it, the Emperor naturally refused to let matters continue. He spoke two low words to her belly, then moved his hand back and forth across it like this. Before long, he had coaxed Little Fish back to sleep.
After that, following breakfast, after her midday nap, and again after dinner, the Emperor would encourage Little Fish to move. Then, before bedtime, he would stroke her belly back and forth and lull her to sleep. Little Fish rarely confused day and night after that.
It was not yet time for bed. This was precisely when he ought to be encouraging Little Fish to move, yet the Emperor was trying to lull her to sleep instead.
Cui Lanyin knew at once that he had another motive.
Sure enough, with The Emperor stroking Little Fish, he soon drifted off. Then he sat up, lifted Cui Lanyin onto his lap, bent down, and covered that tender crimson mouth with his own.
She had almost forgotten the pain of it, but after who knew how long, the sting returned, and Cui Lanyin realized just how much force The Emperor was using. It was as though they had returned to the days when he had only just begun learning and, lacking any finesse, charged ahead without the slightest sense of rhythm.
The Emperor was still running his hands over her. Cui Lanyin pulled one of them free. “You’re using too much force. Even the baby can feel it.”
“She’s lazy. Once she falls asleep, there’s no waking her.” Though he said this, The Emperor still restrained himself, merely holding her tight and repeatedly pecking at her lips, clearly reluctant to stop.
He complained rather aggrievedly, “I’ve only just learned a little technique, and then she came along. I haven’t had my fill even once since. Most of the time, I get one meal and then go hungry for the next.” As he spoke, he lightly touched her swollen lips with a finger. “You’re bleeding. See? I’ve gotten rusty.”
He began to feel insecure. “When I come back, I’ll be even worse. You won’t despise me, will you?”
The court physician Cao had calculated that she would give birth sometime between late June and early July. Once April arrived, he began reminding them that they had to abstain from intimacy.
From then on, every two or three days The Emperor would bring it up. If he said too much, Cui Lanyin would push him away and refuse to let him come near.
But this time, instead of pushing him away as she usually did, Cui Lanyin nestled obediently against him. “I’m already so out of shape. By the time I’m ready to give birth, I’ll probably look even worse. I don’t want you to see me.”
The Emperor, who had still been looking at her with wounded reproach, suddenly brightened. “You miss me after all? You’re finally willing to say such things to me.”
Cui Lanyin pouted and bit his chin, leaving a tooth mark. “Yes. Don’t you like it, Uncle?”
“How could I not?” The Emperor brought his face close to her lips. “Bite me as much as you like. Leave a few more marks—enough to keep me thinking of you for a while.”
“What, so all the court officials can stare at your face? Then everyone in the north will know I’m a shrew.”
“You’re already known as Cui the Fierce. Do you really care about that?”
They were wrapped up in tender affection, their hearts softening toward each other. Without realizing it, Cui Lanyin asked, “Uncle, I heard that wealthy families in the north sometimes send beautiful women to the commanders of the army?”
The Emperor’s smile grew especially dazzling, springtime warmth filling his eyes and brows. “Are you jealous? Worried they’ll give me one of their beauties?”
Cui Lanyin said nothing. She only looked at him through eyes glistening with tears.
The Emperor could never resist that look. He bent down and kissed her for quite some time before finally pressing his lips to hers and murmuring the words into her mouth. “You silly girl. I was afraid you’d think that. Even if I jumped into a river, I might not be able to prove myself innocent. With Liyan accompanying me, you can rest easy.”
Only then did Cui Lanyin understand that this was another reason The Emperor had chosen to bring Cui Su along.
After calming his ragged breathing, The Emperor shifted her to his side and held her there with a sigh. “We’d better sit like this.”
With their parting drawing near, Cui Lanyin wanted to be especially kind to him. “Once the baby is born, I’ll do whatever you say, Uncle.”
The Emperor’s eyes lit up. He took her hand. “I’ll be writing that down in my ledger. You won’t be allowed to go back on your word.”
That ledger of his contained everything imaginable. Cui Lanyin could hardly bear to think about it. Now she was wondering whether, once The Emperor had left, she should simply tear the thing to pieces.
The Emperor saw through her at once. “Don’t even think about it. I’m taking it with me.”
If it happened to fall out one day when no one was looking, how could she ever show her face again?
“You’re not allowed to take it!”
The Emperor hurriedly drew her attention back to more serious matters. “Once I leave, Uncle Bai and the others will be stationed at Yan Hua Palace. No matter what difficulties arise, they will protect you and the child, the Grand Empress Dowager, and your family. With that arrangement in place, you needn’t hold back in anything you do. Follow your heart. Even if you make a mistake, don’t be afraid—I’ll take responsibility for it.”
“I’ll listen to you, Uncle.” Cui Lanyin nodded. Then she pointed toward the west. “Will the Li family make a move?”
She immediately spread out her five fingers and pressed them down. “Then I have nothing to fear either. Let’s see who wins this tug-of-war!”
