The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 164
Chapter 164
In the sixth month, Wei Shao ascended the throne in Luoyang and proclaimed himself Emperor. He named the state "Yan" and set the era name as "Taihe."
Although the world was finally unified, the Central Plains had suffered from years of war, and the people's livelihoods were in ruins. At the very beginning of the Great Yan Dynasty, there were a hundred things waiting to be done.
The Emperor continued the lenient policies he had adopted when governing the North. He abolished the harsh laws of the previous dynasty, reduced taxes and forced labor, and allowed the people to recuperate. He also encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and invested in water conservancy projects. In particular, he attached great importance to the governance of the Yellow River. Regarding the long-standing danger of the riverbed being heavily silted—causing it to rise above the homes of the commoners on both banks and creating the peril of a "hanging river"—he recruited talented experts in river management. Later, the Emperor and Empress traveled incognito to Mount Dang together.
The mentor of Prime Minister Gongsun Yang, Old Man Baishi, lived in seclusion on this mountain. Last year, Qiao Ping had sought him out to treat an eye ailment. Old Man Baishi, possessing both a benevolent heart and superb medical skills, had taken him in for treatment. Qiao Ping still lived in the mountain, building a thatched hut as a neighbor to the old man, living a life that was half-recluse and half-patient.
The Emperor and Empress traveled into the mountain together not only to visit Qiao Ping but also to consult the old man on strategies for controlling the waters.
The reason the Emperor thought to consult Old Man Baishi was that when he first met the old man in Huainan years ago, the dikes were in danger of collapse. At that time, the old man had provided timely advice that helped reinforce the dikes and avert disaster.
Although many years had passed, the matter had left a deep impression on the Emperor, and he had not forgotten it, which was why he had come to pay a visit.
Baishi was a descendant of the Mohist school, and he had spent half his life traveling the four corners of the world. In addition to being proficient in medicine, he had also delved deeply into engineering and technology. He knew that water conservancy was vital to the people's livelihood, especially the Yellow River. Because its middle and lower reaches were winding and tortuous, and combined with soil erosion, it had always harbored hidden dangers; since ancient times, it had breached its dikes and changed course several times, leaving behind endless trouble. Therefore, he had taken the opportunity of his travels in his early years to examine the waterways of the Huai and Yellow rivers extensively. It was just that the previous court had no intention of managing the water, and after the world fell into chaos and was carved up by rival lords, the silting of the river had been left to its own devices. Although the old man had a heart to save the world, he was unable to act alone. Now that a new monarch had ascended the throne and attached such importance to the dangers of the Yellow River, the old man was not only moved but also felt a sense of relief. Although he could no longer venture out to manage the river personally due to his advanced age, he spared no effort in passing on all the insights he had gained over half a lifetime to the new Emperor. He also recommended a local river official named Xu Mian, whom he had met when traveling to Caoyang. He said that although this man was only a minor official, he was deeply concerned for the people's livelihood and had a unique set of skills for water management; the Emperor could promote and make great use of him.
The Emperor was overjoyed. He and the old man talked by candlelight all night, not resting until dawn. After returning to the court, he immediately summoned Xu Mian to Luoyang.
During the previous dynasty, there were two paths to officialdom: zhengbi (imperial summons) and jujian (recommendation). At first, these two methods played a positive role in recruiting talented and capable individuals, but in the later stages, they had long since devolved into mere formalities. Officials in the court used people based on personal connections, and the selling of offices became commonplace. Truly talented people who wanted to do practical work found it difficult to ever get ahead in their lifetime.
Xu Mian came from a humble background and was merely a minor official in charge of river works in Caoyang, a job he had held for half his life. Although he had talent and a heart for the people, he had submitted water management strategies to the court several times in the past, requesting to dig canals and manage the rivers, but the court had always ignored him. Xu Mian had originally become disheartened. He did not expect that after the change of dynasty and the ascension of a new monarch, he did not even know how the Emperor had learned of him, yet the Emperor had issued an edict summoning him to court to serve as an official.
The recruitment of a commoner by the Son of Heaven was known as a "Summoned Scholar" (Zhengjun), which was a great honor for the person called.
Xu Mian arrived in Luoyang with a heart full of surprise and trepidation. After a conversation between the monarch and his subject in the Southern Palace, the Emperor issued an edict the next day promoting him to Grand Minister of Agriculture (Da Sinong), in charge of the water affairs of the Huai and Yellow rivers, and he assumed his post immediately.
After half a lifetime of unfulfilled aspirations, Xu Mian was finally able to put his skills to use. He knelt and shouted "Long Live the Emperor," moved to tears of gratitude. Afterward, upon reaching the region, he displayed his talents fully and devoted himself entirely to water management. He spent years clearing silt, widening rivers, and fortifying dikes, finally eliminating the danger of the Yellow River overflowing and breaching its banks in the middle and lower reaches. At the same time, the dikes and water diversion projects irrigated dozens of counties in eastern Yu and southwestern Lu, covering millions of mu of farmland. From then on, the fields were fertile for a thousand li, and the people lived in peace and contentment. Xu Mian was not only revered by the locals as "Lord Xu," but he was also repeatedly commended by the court.
In the court at this time, there were virtuous and wise officials assisting in government, such as Prime Minister Gongsun Yang, Censor-in-Chief Wei Quan, and Minister of the Imperial Treasury Zhu Zeng. In the military, there was Grand Marshal Li Dian stationed in Youzhou, General of the Guard Wei Liang guarding Xiliang, Commandant of the Qiang-Pacifying Division Qiao Ci guarding Bingzhou, and the Green-Eyed General Bi Zhi. Because of his great merit in "following the dragon" during the pacification of the south, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Jiujiang and stationed in the southern borderlands.
The Emperor did not take any concubines, but instead installed the Lady of the Qiao clan as Empress, remaining with his original wife and keeping his vow.
Everyone knew that Empress Qiao was not only stunningly beautiful but was also the Emperor's wise helpmate. When the Emperor marched south and was ambushed by the Xiongnu at Yuyang, facing a perilous situation, it was Empress Qiao who had feared not death, personally climbing the city walls to encourage the troops and the people to fight courageously, eventually saving Yuyang. Her heroic deeds remained a popular story widely told by people to this day.
In the first lunar month of the year after the Emperor's ascension, the court promulgated a new policy, announcing the addition of an Imperial Examination system to the existing official selection mechanism. Any person in the world, as long as they had talent and were willing to serve the court, could enter the examinations and participate in the selection process. The court would select the best and appoint them to official positions. Initially, a trial examination was held to observe the results. If this method proved effective, the recruitment and recommendation systems would be completely abolished in the future, and the Imperial Examination system would be implemented as the sole method of talent selection.
The unfamiliar term "Imperial Examination" quickly became a hot topic of discussion on every street corner from the very first day the decree was issued. Countless poor scholars from humble backgrounds were incredibly excited and sleepless the night they heard the news. This was because it meant that from then on, they no longer needed to spend their lives bitterly waiting for the slim chance of a local official's recommendation to gain even a minor official position. Many people with true talent might never live to see the "summons" or "recommendation" they dreamed of. Now that a pioneering way of selecting talent existed, they could not say they were certain to achieve their dreams, but at least, they were a giant step closer.
Not long after the decree was issued, the court held the first trial examination that same year. It was said that the total number of self-recommended candidates from various regions exceeded ten thousand. After selection level by level, the final palace examination was held at the Qianqiu Hall. The Great Yan produced its first batch of successful scholars since the founding of the dynasty, and indeed in history.
These successful scholars were all overflowing with talent and active in their thinking. After being appointed to official posts, the vast majority performed remarkably well during their tenure, and the outstanding ones among them later became key ministers of the court.
Several years later, the Imperial Examination system completely replaced the Chaju (Selection by Observation) system, which had been in use for a thousand years, and became the only way for the dynasty to select talent.
It was said that the person who first proposed the Imperial Examination system and persuaded the Emperor and ministers to accept it was Empress Qiao.
Therefore, for a long time afterward, Empress Qiao became a legendary figure in the hearts of scholars across the world, like a goddess. Many people vied to write poems and essays for Empress Qiao, many of which spread widely. Being able to pass the Imperial Examination and finally receive wine bestowed by Empress Qiao at the imperial palace banquet became the dream of many scholars.
The beautiful name of Empress Qiao was known to everyone in and around Luoyang. However, as the stories spread, not long after—and no one knew where the rumors first started—what the people of Luoyang enjoyed gossiping about most was not how virtuous the Empress was, but that the Emperor was henpecked.
It was said that before the current Emperor ascended the throne, when he was still the Marquis of Yan in Youzhou, he already had a reputation for being henpecked. Because Empress Qiao forbade it, he did not dare to take beauties into his household. Now that the inner palace was empty and there was only the Empress, and he had no crown prince, the Emperor still did not fill his harem. In nine cases out of ten, he was probably not only henpecked, but deeply so.
If this rumor were true, then the founding Emperor of the Great Yan was not only the greatest man in the world but also the most henpecked man in the world.
The people enjoyed gossiping about such rumors concerning the Emperor and Empress. They certainly did not dare to—nor did they intend to—harbor malice; it was merely out of astonishment and the little bit of love for gossip that everyone possesses. Besides, these were the private affairs of the Emperor and Empress high above, behind closed doors—who wouldn't be interested? The rumors became so rampant that they eventually began to circulate back into the imperial palace, even to the point where every court official knew of them.
The old generals and ministers who had followed the Emperor to win the empire were actually divided into two camps regarding the affairs between the Emperor and the Empress. Officials like Gongsun Yang felt that the reason the Emperor did not fill his harem was largely due to his love for the Empress. Officials like Wei Quan, however, secretly felt that the Emperor was truly henpecked. It was one thing in the past, but now that even the commoners knew, it somewhat compromised the dignity of the Son of Heaven. However, although these people had different ideas, they all understood the secret matters involved, and none were foolish enough to run to the Emperor to bring up this matter and court disaster.
However, there were a few officials from the previous dynasty who did not know that a tiger's backside should not be touched. Driven by the desire to send their own daughters into the harem, they actually went so far as to jointly submit a flowery, formal memorial. In the memorial, they quoted classics and cited ancient precedents, using the reasoning that "The Son of Heaven should take twelve women, representing the twelve months, three wives, and nine concubines," and the fact that the Emperor and Empress had so far only had one princess, to request that the Emperor select consorts and fill the harem.
The next day, the memorial was returned with a single line written in vermilion ink by the Emperor's own hand: Are you cursing Me, that I cannot produce a son?
The officials were horrified and hurriedly submitted a letter of confession, begging for mercy.
From then on, no one in the court dared to mention harem matters again.
According to other hearsay, the Emperor actually took the process of how he handled this matter to Empress Qiao to curry favor and claim credit. When the Empress learned of it, she merely smiled and let it pass.
The Emperor and Empress both held deep feelings for Xindu, as this place had special significance for them. The Emperor ordered people to renovate the Tan Terrace at the Xin Palace and renamed it "Jiaxin Palace" to serve as a location for an imperial palace outside of Luoyang. Since then, each time they traveled out of Luoyang to tour the nine provinces, the Emperor and Empress always stopped and stayed in Xindu.
From the day of its founding, the Great Yan Dynasty entered a prosperous era of political clarity and social harmony. Later historical records did not hesitate to use such flowery terms as "enlightened monarch and wise queen" to describe the founding Emperor and Empress of the Great Yan Empire.
As for the common folk, the founding Emperor was young and heroic, and according to those lucky enough to have caught a glimpse of Empress Qiao, the Empress was peerlessly beautiful, and at first glance, she looked like a celestial being. Such a pair of immortals was inherently legendary. Coupled with the widely circulated rumor of the "henpecked Emperor," what life was like for the imperial couple behind closed doors—hidden behind the high walls of the palace—was impossible to know, which only added a layer of mystery.
Busybody writers of unofficial histories and folk storytellers, in order to satisfy the public's desire for privacy, made up all sorts of fabrications based on nothing. But no matter how they imagined it, how could they ever know the truth?
Everything recorded below is taken from the Emperor and Empress's Daily Records. The author has not added or deleted a single word, selecting and transcribing them truthfully in chronological order to share with the readers.
This first story begins with the first trial examination of the Taihe year.