Chapter 142
The day after the army departed, Xu Gu’s wife and children, along with Xu Ning’s husband and his family, all arrived in Yingcheng.
Cui Lanyin had been thinking of having Lady Liang bring Xu Ning and Xu Zhen to stay at Luanju Palace for a while and keep Empress Dowager Xu company, but now that was out of the question.
The troublesome part was Xu Ning’s husband’s family. They could hardly leave Xu Ning alone at the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence to face the entire Lin family.
They had not even been married a full year before they began criticizing their daughter-in-law for being unable to bear children. Anyone could tell they were not a kind family.
Xu Ning’s husband was the sort who only wanted to keep the peace. In private, he was considerate toward Xu Ning, but in front of his parents, he was the most obedient and filial son imaginable.
Now that the entire family had come looking for them, their intentions were obvious.
Lady Liang and the other two, however, did not take it to heart. They merely smiled and told Cui Lanyin, “Our in-laws have come to stay for a few days, so naturally we should entertain them properly. It’s just that none of the men in the household are here. We can’t exactly expect Xu Zhi to receive guests, can we? Surely our in-laws will understand.”
Xu Zhi was Xu Gu’s son, and only two years old. If they had him receive guests, it would truly become a farce.
Cui Lanyin knew that Lady Liang, Xu Ning, and Xu Zhen had already made up their minds. The Lin family’s plans would get them nowhere.
Two days later, when they heard what Xu Ning had done, Princess Yongjia and Li Yijin came straight to Cui Lanyin, declaring that it was immensely satisfying.
Xu Ning was actually even more fierce than Lady Liang. She allowed the Lin family to stay at the Xu residence for only one day before asking Lin Changmao in front of the entire family, “Either you stay, and the two of us set up our own household, or you leave with your family and we get a divorce. I’ll give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. If you haven’t chosen by then, we’ll proceed with the second option.”
Then she turned to Madam Liu. “I’ll pay for your journey home. You won’t receive a single additional coin. If you make a scene, you won’t even get the travel expenses.
“And don’t think you can throw your weight around. This isn’t the northern frontier, and the Xu family is no longer what it used to be. Believe me or not, I only need to send someone to make a single word of greeting, and people from the Five City Military Command will come to throw you out.”
She gave Madam Liu no chance to make trouble.
Xu Ning was so forceful and merciless that Madam Liu, who was bold only with the weak, lost all her bluster when she saw that even the servants filling the Xu residence could easily deal with the Lin family.
“What does it mean for Changmao to stay?” Madam Liu hurriedly asked. “He still has to be filial to his parents, doesn’t he?”
Xu Ning said something astonishing. “The fact that I haven’t cast out this good-for-nothing husband is already because I’m mindful of our past affection. What happens after that depends on how we get along. If I’m in a good mood, I might let a little more money slip through my fingers.”
Lin Changmao’s two sisters-in-law and one younger sister-in-law all drew in a sharp breath.
Wasn’t this asking Lin Changmao to live like a little wife, fawning over Xu Ning every day?
Madam Liu hurriedly said, “Changmao treats you so well. You can’t treat him like this.”
“He doesn’t have to follow rules before my uncle and aunt from morning till night. He doesn’t have to endure people pressing him to have children at all hours of the day. He doesn’t have to sew from dawn to dusk. He doesn’t need to worry about food, clothing, or daily expenses. Where else could he find such a good life? If he still can’t be satisfied, then I can’t afford to keep him.”
Seeing that Xu Ning remembered every hardship she had suffered while living with the Lin family, Madam Liu knew they would gain nothing from this visit.
She was decisive enough. In private, she instructed Lin Changmao to slowly coax Xu Ning into changing her mind. Then, taking the travel expenses Xu Ning had given them, the entire family boarded a boat that very day and left Yingcheng.
Xu Gu’s wife, Madam Tian, took what she had seen to heart. She quickly discarded all the habits she had learned in that household and devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising Xu Zhi. She got along with Lady Liang and the other two even better than she had back in the northern frontier.
At first, Lin Changmao could not bring himself to lower his pride and spent two days sulking with Xu Ning.
But then Princess Yongjia came to visit Xu Ning. In the course of their conversation, she kept saying things like, “My Mr. Fan this,” and “My Wei-lang that.” As if that were not enough, Princess Yongjia even urged Xu Ning to accompany her to the Wu-Yang River to watch the male courtesans perform songs and dances.
Only then did Lin Changmao understand that things were no longer what they had been. If he did not want a divorce, he would have to live according to Xu Ning’s wishes.
After that, he softened his attitude. Whenever he was with Xu Ning, the two were even more affectionate than they had been during their newlywed days.
Cui Lanyin heard about Princess Yongjia’s visit and pointed at her with a laugh. “So that’s why I haven’t seen you around. You’ve been off playing at the Xu residence.”
After the emperor left, the court officials continued coming and going from Yan Hua Palace. It was only then that people outside realized that the emperor had not left Grand Secretary Shen and the others to jointly manage state affairs. Instead, he had entrusted the empress with overseeing the government.
Most astonishing of all, the court officials had begun carrying it out without a word of protest. The situation in Yan Hua Palace was no different from when the emperor had been there, and everything proceeded in perfect order.
Those permitted to enter Yan Hua Palace were all high-ranking officials of the second or third rank, with only a handful of fourth-rank officials among them. There were not many people in total, and every one of them kept their mouths tightly shut. Even among fifth-rank officials, few knew the truth, so naturally, no one else had any way of finding out.
Uncle Xuan reported to Cui Lanyin that many people had recently been visiting the Li family to request an audience with Chief Minister Li.
After the emperor’s departure, Cui Lanyin had suspended the regular court assemblies. Every three days, however, she summoned the heads of the various ministries, bureaus, and courts to the Western Pavilion to discuss affairs.
She had also ordered the newly appointed palace graduates who were observing government at the various ministries, bureaus, and courts to submit a detailed report to Hong Ji every five days. In this way, Hong Ji could keep abreast of every matter, large or small, within those offices.
This move was nothing short of masterful. Even Grand Secretary Shen and the others had to admire her.
With the information channels established by Xuanlin, Cui Lanyin received news from the emperor every three to five days.
After the two hundred thousand troops of Great Yong reached the frontier, they did not launch a large-scale attack. Instead, they split into small groups and harassed the various Tatar tribes.
Before leaving, the emperor had only told her to prepare all the weapons and supplies. He had departed without training the troops, which had made Cui Lanyin extremely worried.
She had learned that Great Yong’s military preparations had grown lax over the past two years. The twelve guard armies of the Imperial Guard and the twenty-eight guard armies stationed around the capital had all seen little training. If such troops were taken to the frontier and pitted against the Tatar cavalry, who had spent years raiding Great Yong’s borderlands, they might not withstand even a single charge.
The emperor, however, had said that he had his reasons and told her simply to watch and see.
It turned out that the emperor intended to use the Tatars as live targets for military training.
It was currently the season when water and grass were abundant, the easiest time of year for the Tatars. Their horses needed to be bred and fattened, while the people themselves needed to rest and raise their families. Great Yong’s harassment and training campaign at this time served several purposes at once—exactly the sort of thing the emperor would do.
According to the reports Cui Lanyin received, the training had been highly effective. After several rounds of fighting, the troops’ combat ability had improved considerably, and their morale had risen sharply.
Cui Lanyin promptly passed the news along, and the fear of war that had gripped both the court and the populace eased somewhat.
On this day, Grand Secretary Shen and the heads of the various ministries, bureaus, and courts came to the Western Pavilion for their regular meeting.
Unlike the relaxed atmosphere three days earlier, Grand Secretary Shen and the others all looked worried. Minister Zheng in particular—the former Grand Secretary Zheng—wore such a troubled expression that it was almost painful to look at.
Cui Lanyin asked, “What has happened?”
Minister Zheng replied, “In the past three days, reports have arrived from the three prefectures of Suzhou, Changzhou, and Hangzhou. They say that there has been considerable rainfall recently, and the farmland registered in the records has decreased even further. This year’s land tax will likely have to be cut by half.”
He sighed. “It was already reduced considerably last year compared with the year before. If we cut it in half again, we truly won’t be able to make ends meet.”
Cui Lanyin naturally understood the situation. Earlier, they had not had the time or resources to deal with everything at once, and the emperor had only just ascended the throne. Many matters could be changed only gradually, which was why the emperor had begun with the commercial taxes.
Before leaving, the emperor had told her that after his departure, Chief Minister Li might make an issue of the land tax. Now, sure enough, it had come to pass.
Chief Minister Li’s intention was obvious.
Once the troops at the frontier began training, the campaign would continue for a long time. It would not be a matter of expenses for only a month or two. The commercial taxes collected by the Office for the Administration of Commercial Levies might not be enough to sustain it, in which case silver would have to be allocated from the national treasury.
But over the past two years, the land taxes had failed to come in, and deficits had been piling up everywhere. There were barely a few taels of silver left in the national treasury—there was simply no money to be allocated.
Then they could only pin their hopes on the land taxes due in August. But what if even the August taxes failed to come in?
Wasn’t that exactly why Chief Minister Li had resorted to cutting off the source at its root?
If the Emperor made such a grand show of heading north, only to end in a miserable defeat, his imperial authority would suffer a serious blow.
As one side waned, the other would wax. If the Emperor tried to rule by personal decree again, the court officials would surely resist even more fiercely than before.
Cui Lanyin sneered inwardly. Chief Minister Li was being far too presumptuous. In this world, there was no one who could outscheme the Emperor.
“Buyan,” Cui Lanyin ordered, “invite Lord Song and Lord Jiang over. And ask Director Cui of the Ministry of Works to come as well.”
Buyan hurriedly sent palace attendants to the Eastern Pavilion and the Ministry of Works. Before long, the attendants led Song Zhang and Jiang Shi in.
“From now on, you two will join us for these discussions as well.” Cui Lanyin indicated seats for them.
She then asked, “If I wanted to survey the farmland throughout the various regions, would the people trained at our schools be enough?”
Song Zhang and Jiang Shi immediately understood what this was about.
While Grand Secretary Shen and the others were turning pale with alarm, Song Zhang calmly replied, “They would be sufficient for surveying one or two provinces.”
Cui Lanyin nodded. “There’s no need to rush the other places. Let’s begin with the three prefectures of Suzhou, Changzhou, and Hangzhou.”
“Just those three prefectures will take quite some time,” Song Zhang said after a moment’s thought. “But even if we measure the land, it won’t solve the problem. Most of it has already been registered under other people’s names. We still need to address the issue at its root.”
Grand Secretary Shen could no longer hold back and cried out urgently, “Your Highness, you mustn’t! If you touch this, you’ll be striking at the foundation of every scholar in the empire. It will cause utter chaos.”
Minister Zheng rubbed his hands anxiously, his brows drawing tightly together. “Your Highness may not understand the consequences. Why not ask His Majesty? His Majesty would never interfere with this either.”
Minister Gu and the others also urged her, “Your Highness, please calm down. This matter should still be decided by His Majesty.”
Buyu had sharp eyes and caught sight of Cui Sheng’s figure outside the window. She called out, “Lord Cui is here.”
Only then did Grand Secretary Shen and the others stop trying to dissuade her and turn to greet Cui Sheng as he entered.
Cui Sheng was about to bow, but Buyu quickly supported him and invited him to sit in a chair.
Cui Sheng cupped his hands toward Cui Lanyin. “Your Highness, why have you summoned me?”
Cui Lanyin gave him a faint smile. “I need Director Cui to calculate something for me. If we continue as we are, how many more years of land taxes can we collect? And if the land taxes stop coming in, what will become of Daying?”
Sitting beside them, Jiang Shi quietly explained the whole situation to Cui Sheng. Cui Sheng nodded and replied, “I previously discussed the matter of the land taxes with His Majesty and calculated the figures for him as well. His Majesty was already considering reforming the land-tax system at the time. I presume he entrusted this matter to Your Highness before leaving.”
Who said Cui Sheng wasn’t adaptable? When it concerned his daughter, he was more quick-witted than anyone.
Cui Lanyin almost laughed. As expected, when it came to going into battle, a father and daughter made the perfect team.
Here it is! [Let me take a look.]
I can’t sit down until after nine tonight, darlings. Just read it in the morning—I’m doing my best! [Crying my eyes out]
