Inside the Princess’s Residence, Prince Ying and Prince Bao’an came face to face.
Foes are bound to meet on a narrow road. And they were more than just foes; they were mortal enemies.
The struggle for the throne was just that: either you die, or I live. Well, since everyone wanted to live, they all wished for the other to die. The moment an opportunity arose, they would try to put their rival to death.
The instant they saw each other, the killing intent was palpable.
However, both men were accustomed to putting on an act, so they still greeted each other with a smile.
“Why has Yichen come as well?”
“If my royal brother has come to welcome the Grand Princess back to her residence, then this prince must naturally come as well.”
After Prince Bao’an became emperor, he kept up the pretense for two or three years before dropping it. As an emperor, why was there any need to pretend?
He hadn’t feigned humility for many years, and the lofty air of superiority about him was not something he could conceal at will.
A strange look flashed in Prince Ying’s eyes. What was wrong with Prince Bao’an? He usually pretended to be an upright gentleman, but now he was acting as if he were the emperor, arrogant to a fault.
Arrogant? He was a descendant of Emperor Xiaozong, his bloodline closer to the main line than Prince Bao’an’s. If anyone had the right to be arrogant, it should be him.
“What’s this? Are you saying that if this prince hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have either?”
Prince Ying sneered, “And here I thought Prince Bao’an was so sincere toward the Grand Princess.”
His words further convinced Prince Bao’an that he was here to seek an alliance with Yu Jiuzhou—or perhaps it could even be called submitting to her.
As long as one could become the sovereign of Great Zhou, what did it matter if one wasn’t in charge at the beginning and had to listen to Yu Jiuzhou? The imperial throne would be his; the Mandate of Heaven would be on his side.
Could a Kun Ze woman like Yu Jiuzhou actually become the emperor? No matter how powerful her faction was, even if the new monarch had to obey her every word, she could not become the emperor.
A Kun Ze woman on the throne—no one in the entire world would support it.
Therefore, neither Prince Ying nor Prince Bao’an had ever considered that Yu Jiuzhou’s goal was to become the master of the realm.
Even Emperor Shengyuan himself often lamented, “If only my child were a Qian Yuan.”
It wasn’t just Yu Jiuzhou; Chi Wan knew of examples where women had ascended to power. The method was to kill—to kill until everyone was terrified. As long as you killed enough people, you could take the throne.
This world did not lack people who did not fear death, but it had far more who did.
Those who were truly talented, fearless, and ambitious would not care if the emperor was a Kun Ze woman, as long as she could help them realize their aspirations.
The moment she saw the two princes, Chi Wan sneered inwardly. Where did these two get the confidence that Yu Jiuzhou would accept their overtures after repeated assassination attempts?
Besides, if Yu Jiuzhou agreed so easily, they probably wouldn’t believe it themselves. An incident as major as the assassination at Xuanyang Temple could just be forgotten like that?
They would surely suspect that Yu Jiuzhou had some other move planned—a move intended to kill them.
When the two princes learned that the Grand Princess’s procession was about to arrive, they scrambled to go outside, each afraid that being a step behind would make the other appear more sincere.
What puzzled Prince Bao’an was that Prince Ying only waited inside the gate, not outside. Could he be worried that the people of the Princess’s Residence would lock them out?
Impossible. The Grand Princess valued etiquette and dignity above all else; she would never do such a thing.
But Prince Ying did not move forward. Prince Bao’an pondered for a moment, thinking that Prince Ying might have some scheme in mind, and that he needed to keep an eye on him.
Little did he know what an explosive act Prince Ying was about to commit. He had simply chosen to stay behind the gate because he was unwilling to be humiliated outside.
Thus, because of where the two were standing, Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan saw them the moment they entered.
Chi Wan scoffed. “Those two together means nothing good.”
“Then let’s see what they’re up to now.”
Yu Jiuzhou walked over with a cold expression. Just as Prince Bao’an was about to bow, Prince Ying dropped directly to his knees.
Prince Bao’an was speechless. They were both princes of the blood. Even when meeting the emperor, they didn’t need to perform such a grand salute outside of formal occasions. Was Prince Ying mad, actually kneeling?
So what about him? Should he kneel or not? He was awkwardly stuck halfway through his bow.
He then saw Prince Ying kowtow. When he rose, there was a dagger in his hand.
Just as Chun Gui and the others were about to move to protect her, Yu Jiuzhou waved them away. With Chi Wan present, she didn’t think an ordinary person with a dagger could harm her.
Then they heard Prince Ying say with a sob in his voice, “This subject, a descendant of Emperor Xiaozong, Prince Ying, Yu Nian’an, begs for Your Highness the Grand Princess’s forgiveness. Whether you want to kill me or dismember me, I am at your mercy.”
Kill him?
Heh! Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes remained cold.
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. So he was here to offer a humble apology, was he? Oh, bearing a dagger to beg for punishment.
If he had used thorns, Yu Jiuzhou might have given him a few lashes. But a dagger? Could she really stab a hole in him?
Chi Wan was angry. These people had bullied her princess, and now they were putting on an act, wanting her princess’s forgiveness. It was simply absurd.
Before Yu Jiuzhou could step forward, Chi Wan immediately went to help him up. “What is Prince Ying doing? Although Her Highness is the Grand Princess, you are also a prince. How can you perform such a grand salute? If outsiders were to find out, wouldn’t they impeach my princess?”
“Oh, that’s right. This is the Princess’s Residence; we are all our own people here. I suppose no one will speak of what happened today.”
Her meaning was already clear. Everyone in the Princess’s Residence was one of their own. If word of this still got out, it would be either Prince Ying’s doing or Prince Bao’an’s.
Prince Bao’an quickly declared his position. “Yes, the Fuma is right.”
When did this good-for-nothing become so eloquent? He remembered being tricked by this person into going on a flower boat filled with male courtesans. He had almost not made it out of there.
If the news had spread that Prince Bao’an had died on a flower boat, he would have become the laughingstock of the Great Zhou dynasty.
Prince Bao’an thought again of the Chi Wan from his dream. How could such a useless person possess such a meticulous mind?
Before Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou’s wedding, her behavior had been no different from in the dream. It was only after the marriage that Chi Wan had changed so drastically. Could she have been hiding her true abilities?
It was possible. In the dream, Chi Wan’s true parentage was never exposed, but it had been in reality.
Prince Bao’an was once again in turmoil. Could it be that it wasn’t a prophecy, but truly just a dream?
Impossible. He had experienced every day, every event. It was all so vivid. Everything that had happened in the past was the same. Why did things start to change after Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan got married?
Prince Bao’an couldn’t figure it out. He first felt doubt, then felt that he couldn’t have been dreaming. The feeling of ascending the throne had been so real; it couldn’t possibly have been a simple dream.
At this moment, no one was paying him any attention. Everyone’s focus was on the kneeling Prince Ying.
Chi Wan tried to help him up but failed. Of course, she wasn’t genuinely trying to help him up, just playing a little trick.
He was even playing mind games while offering a humble apology, showing no sincerity at all. If she let Prince Ying walk out of the Princess’s Residence unscathed, she would be letting Yu Jiuzhou down.
Prince Ying suddenly felt a discomfort in his stomach, but he endured the pain and kowtowed again. “I implore Your Highness the Grand Princess to mete out my punishment.”
Yu Jiuzhou suddenly smiled. Meeting the gazes of the others, she said in a calm tone, “I am the Grand Princess of Great Zhou. Anyone who dares to disregard imperial authority and the law, who presumes to disrespect His Majesty and myself, I will certainly execute.”
“Prince Ying asks for my forgiveness. Please, Prince Ying, tell me what you want me to forgive you for. As for punishment, what crime have you committed that requires me to punish you?”
Prince Ying was at a loss for words. Yu Jiuzhou had made it very clear: she would execute anyone who defied imperial authority and broke the law. If he truly confessed his actions, would she really have him executed?
She definitely would. Yu Jiuzhou was a woman of her word.
Prince Ying immediately swallowed his next words, stood up, and declared loudly, “This prince is not guilty.”
Fine. If he admitted his crimes, he would be beheaded. If he didn’t? It was too late.
Watching this scene unfold, Prince Bao’an roughly understood what had happened. Prince Ying had tried to be clever while offering his apology, only to be checkmated.
He had said it before: Yu Jiuzhou was not so easy to deal with.
He quickly said, “I merely heard of the disturbance at Xuanyang Temple and came especially to visit the Grand Princess. Since Your Highness is unharmed, I shall return to my residence.”
Hearing Prince Bao’an’s words, Yu Jiuzhou pondered for a moment, then parted her lips and said, “Your Majesty!”
Prince Bao’an spun around abruptly, his expression seeming to ask, “Is there something?”
Yu Jiuzhou said impassively, “His Majesty has decreed that all those involved in the Xuanyang Temple disturbance shall have three generations of their families exterminated.”
Prince Ying and Prince Bao’an’s hearts skipped a beat. So ruthless?
They were not yet aware that the Imperial City Division now had the authority to execute officials of the third rank and below first and report later.
To put it simply, as long as Chi Wan pinned a crime on someone, she could kill them directly. She could even kill them first and arrange the charges later.
Prince Bao’an was startled. Just now, he had subconsciously thought Yu Jiuzhou was addressing him. He hadn’t expected her to be relaying a message from Emperor Shengyuan.
This wouldn’t do. He had to break free from the state of mind from his dream as soon as possible. He absolutely could not let anyone see through him.
He could act, but he had to change certain habits, like referring to himself as “We.” Otherwise, it would lead to a catastrophic disaster.
As for Prince Ying, upon hearing this, he knew the emperor was furious. He had to hold on.
There was only one way now: kill Prince Bao’an and kill the members of the imperial clan in the Imperial Clan Court. Then, no one would stand in his way of becoming emperor.
Prince Bao’an naturally had the same idea.
The two had arrived with a purpose, and they left in a daze.
Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou returned to Yongning Courtyard, where warm water had already been prepared in the heated chamber for them to wash up.
After washing, Chi Wan changed into a white Daoist robe. With her celestial air, she looked like a banished immortal, making one want to pull her down from her immortal pedestal.
When Yu Jiuzhou, who had also finished washing up, saw Chi Wan like this, she thought that making such a person fall from grace would be truly interesting.
The gloominess in her heart would flare up from time to time—a heretical yet bold idea.
Chi Wan was using her internal energy to dry her damp hair and didn’t notice Yu Jiuzhou’s possessive gaze.
Once her hair was half-dry, she beckoned to Yu Jiuzhou. “Your Highness, let me help you dry your hair.”
Without any hesitation, Yu Jiuzhou walked straight over and sat down in front of her, with her back to her.
Chi Wan’s hands moved through her hair. The warmth was comforting, and Yu Jiuzhou felt an urge to lean back into Chi Wan’s embrace.
Chi Wan, who was diligently serving the Grand Princess, had no idea what the person with her back to her was thinking.
She was still very curious about what the emperor had said to Yu Jiuzhou. She felt that Yu Jiuzhou’s mood was even lower than before she had seen the emperor.
“Your Highness, what did you and His Majesty speak of in the imperial study?”
This was the second time she had asked. She wasn’t curious about what they had discussed, but rather what had caused Yu Jiuzhou’s mood to plummet.
This time, Yu Jiuzhou recounted everything that had happened in the imperial study from beginning to end.
Chi Wan had only one thought: Did the emperor not care if his own daughter was injured? Did he not care how dangerous the assassination at Xuanyang Temple had been?
He was truly an irresponsible father.
She roughly understood the reason for Yu Jiuzhou’s low spirits. Even if she had long held no expectations for such a father, it was inevitable that she would feel down.
It wasn’t disappointment, but rather the feeling that such a person was truly unworthy of being a father.
Yu Jiuzhou leaned back. Chun Gui had someone bring in two basins of water for soaking their feet, with medicinal packets placed inside.
They placed their feet in the water together. The water, slightly warmer than body temperature, felt very comfortable as it soaked their feet.
They both leaned back against the cushions, comfortably enjoying a tranquility they hadn’t experienced for many days.
The conditions at Xuanyang Temple were much worse. Home was still the best.
They were not even the most indulgent. Emperor Shengyuan’s cushions were always the laps of palace maids, or he would have a maid lie prone so he could find a comfortable position to lean against.
It should be said that all imperial relatives and nobles were like this.
In winter, two palace maids would first warm the bed. When the emperor got into bed, they would then hold his feet in their arms.
The indulgence of the imperial relatives and aristocratic families went far beyond this.
They had reached the pinnacle in their pursuit of pleasure.
There was nothing you couldn’t imagine, and nothing they couldn’t do.
Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had seen the extravagance of the great clans and the hardships of the common people. To them, only by grasping absolute power could they change the current situation.
Right now, they just wanted to get a good night’s sleep to make up for the exhaustion of traveling through the night.
But then, the cold-faced maidservant from before walked in. Chi Wan now knew who she was.
Dong Ying, one of the women Xia Qu feared most.
After entering, Dong Ying first reported on the situation in Wucheng. “Your Highness, the plague in Wucheng has been brought under control. The commoners traveling to the capital to file a complaint have been properly settled. They carry a blood petition signed by ten thousand people, accusing Prince Ying.”
Those people had acted under the authority of Prince Ying, making no effort to hide it. They thought they could control the situation in Wucheng. At worst, they could carry out a massacre. Once all the people of Wucheng were dead and it became an empty city, they could just migrate people from other places to repopulate it.
Yu Jiuzhou moved her fingers, signaling for her to continue.
“The Wucheng army is completely under control, and since Wucheng is within the territory of Yanbei, reforms will be implemented.”
The content of the reforms had been compiled by Chi Wan—reforms from ancient times that were applicable to Great Zhou.
They focused on three areas: economy, military, and officialdom.
On the economic front, they would assist farmers with cultivation. During the lean season before the harvest each year, the government would provide low-interest loans or grain to the farmers. This way, the common people would not be forced to sell their land or take out high-interest loans from the local gentry.
There was also market balancing. A trade bureau would be established to purchase unsold goods and sell them during market shortages. It would also provide loans to merchants to prevent monopolies and ensure commercial development, which would increase Great Zhou’s wealth.
Another measure was for the court to send people to purchase supplies in places where prices were low, or to sell purchased supplies in places where they were scarce, thereby balancing prices while saving on expenses.
The above borrowed from the reform policies of Wang Anshi.
Speaking of reforms, many of the policies from Wang Anshi’s and Zhang Juzheng’s reforms could be used.
As could those from the Yongzheng era, such as apportioning the poll tax into the land tax, remitting meltage fees to the public treasury, and having gentry and officials serve duties and pay taxes just like commoners.
There was another very important point: the Grand Council. In the future, it could be called something like the Secretariat. Its main purpose was to divide the power of the Grand Secretariat.
By dividing the power of the Grand Secretariat and having the emperor balance it from the middle, it would prevent a situation where all power was concentrated in the Grand Secretariat, making it difficult for the emperor to be sidelined.
In the history of Great Zhou, there had been many instances of emperors being sidelined by the Grand Secretariat.
Of the measures mentioned above, some could be used, and some could not. For example, having gentry and officials serve duties and pay taxes just like commoners could not be implemented right now.
Not unless Yu Jiuzhou held absolute power.
The reforms in Yanbei were mainly focused on the economy. Whether it was measuring land or controlling the market, the goal was to achieve balance.
Once the economy was balanced, Great Zhou would be balanced.
They would touch upon the interests of the local gentry, but not directly upon the interests of the officials behind them, so as not to provoke too much resistance. Then, they would proceed with the reforms step by step.
Reforms had to be slow, not too rushed. Once the results in Yanbei became apparent, even if other regions didn’t want to reform, the common people there would not agree.
Throughout history, rebellions by the great clans and aristocratic families had rarely succeeded. But true peasant uprisings had overthrown dynasties.
Chi Wan knew the famous saying from the Qin era: “Are kings and nobles born to their station?” Although it didn’t directly overthrow the Qin regime, it successfully threw Qin into chaos, giving others the opportunity to topple it.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Han dynasty did indeed fail, but most people say that the Han dynasty fell because of it.
Huang Chao’s “The entire city is clad in golden armor,” and the Red Turban Army successfully overthrew the tyrannical rule of the Yuan dynasty and established the Ming dynasty.
And the Ming dynasty fell only when Li Zicheng stormed the capital. In truth, the power of the common people was invincible.
The reforms in Yanbei of Great Zhou were primarily aimed at uniting the power of all the common people of Great Zhou to put pressure on the gentry and aristocratic clans, thereby ensuring the success of the reforms.
Once the people of Yanbei started living better lives, wouldn’t the people in other regions be envious? The Yanbei reforms would be like a single spark that starts a prairie fire, gradually spreading throughout all of Great Zhou.
Among the cities in Yanbei, only two had not undergone reforms. Dragon City belonged to the Dragon Guard Army, and Wucheng was suffering from a disaster. There was no need for reforms in these two places.
The snow disaster in Wucheng was almost over. Reforms had to be implemented immediately, using the reforms as a pretext to deal with those who had committed evil deeds during the disaster.
Chi Wan suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Dong Ying. “Who is the person sent to Wucheng to carry out the reforms?”
“Reporting to the Fuma, it is Lu Zhen. She has been appointed as the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner of Yanbei.”
Senior fifth rank?
Chi Wan tapped the back of Yu Jiuzhou’s hand with her finger. “Was this Your Highness’s arrangement?”
“Yes.”
That was a fast promotion.
Yu Jiuzhou continued, “It’s time to place our own people in the Yanbei reforms. And we can’t just place them for the sake of placing them; they must be capable of getting things done.”
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow, also thinking of something. “Has Gao Zheng been showing signs of wanting to back down recently?”
“Yes. But it won’t be so easy for him to back down. I will have people compel him to continue with the reforms. Otherwise, there will be no need for his Gao family to exist.”
In this world, if she wasn’t ruthless, others would be ruthless to her.
History is written by the victors. Yu Jiuzhou was the villain because the victor was Prince Bao’an.
Chi Wan tilted her head. “What about Qingyuan County?”
“Weren’t you the one who took a liking to Lu Xin?”
Yu Jiuzhou met her gaze. “She has done well. Although it’s a step down for her to go from being a chief administrator to a county magistrate, it’s already a great fortune that she wasn’t implicated in Prince Zhongshan’s rebellion.”
Lu Xin was the chief administrator of Prince Zhongshan’s residence. Everyone in the residence was executed, and the main conspirators had nine generations of their families exterminated. This referred to the tutors and advisors in Prince Zhongshan’s residence.
Lu Xin had left Prince Zhongshan’s residence ahead of time. Her resignation was still with the Ministry of Personnel; she was willing to give up her official position just to resign.
Furthermore, she was a member of the Lu family. Exterminate nine generations of the Lu family? How many officials in the court were from the Lu family? It was impossible to exterminate nine generations.
But her life had been saved by Chi Wan, and her ability to continue serving as an official was thanks to Yu Jiuzhou’s efforts.
Chi Wan smiled. “Your Highness is so good to this subject. I truly don’t know how to repay you.”
Glib again. Yu Jiuzhou wanted to roll her eyes at her, but thinking that a subordinate was present, it wouldn’t be proper to make such an ungraceful gesture. So she just let out a soft huff. “Didn’t the Fuma say your homemade essential oils are good? Then use them on me.”
Chi Wan was confused. Hadn’t she already taught Chun Gui how to use them?
Dong Ying raised an eyebrow. What were essential oils?
The Fuma’s face flushed slightly. “Your Highness, we just got back. Isn’t it a bit soon?”
Yu Jiuzhou said, “…I was talking about an essential oil massage.”
“A proper one?”
“What else?”
Yu Jiuzhou really wanted to open up this person’s little head and see what on earth was inside.
Chi Wan had previously said that an essential oil massage could soothe the body. She had stayed up all night, rushed down the mountain, and endured a long horse ride, only to go straight to the palace upon her return.
Just now while soaking her feet, she had almost fallen asleep.
This scoundrel, always thinking about improper things.
Yu Jiuzhou cursed inwardly, but her face remained perfectly composed. “What did the Fuma think it was?”
The smile on Chi Wan’s face froze, and then she gave a dry laugh. “This subject didn’t… This subject’s thoughts are very pure.”
Pure? Pure about what?
She didn’t dare say that she thought she was being summoned to attend to her in bed.
An essential oil massage was a proper matter. No, wait, who said attending to her in bed wasn’t a proper matter?
Yu Jiuzhou gave her a meaningful look. “The Fuma had better let me know that your medical skills are not just empty boasts.”
Fox!
Those two words appeared in Chi Wan’s mind. What a scheming fox, simply too alluring.
She snorted to herself. She couldn’t stand being provoked. “Then this subject must let Your Highness experience what is called a traditional Chinese massage.”
As the two bickered, Dong Ying was speechless. No wonder Xia Qu had said, “You’ll know when you go back and see. Although our princess has become more human, it’s become even harder for others to survive.”
She now understood why it was hard to survive.
If Chi Wan knew, she would tell them that this was what it felt like to be force-fed dog food. You eat until you’re stuffed to death, so of course you can’t survive.
Dong Ying cleared her throat, interrupting the two of them, and continued reporting on official business in a cold, emotionless, machine-like voice. “Regarding Prince Ying, all evidence of his evil deeds over the years has been collected. A portion will be submitted by the Censorate, and the rest will be submitted by the Imperial City Division.”
Most of the personnel in the Imperial City Division were out training, so they were still weak in investigative work. Even if they had found some evidence, it wouldn’t be as detailed as what Dong Ying had gathered.
Dong Ying didn’t give them a chance to speak, reporting on her own. “There has been unusual activity in Prince Bao’an’s residence. Prince Bao’an punished several of his advisors and flew into a great rage. It was related to Your Highness.”
She repeated the words Prince Bao’an had said in his residence.
Yu Jiuzhou raised an eyebrow with a disdainful, playful expression. “As expected.”
Only after Dong Ying had finished her report and left did Chi Wan ask, “As expected of what?”
“Prince Bao’an has returned.”
Chi Wan’s eyes slowly widened in disbelief. No wonder Yu Jiuzhou had suddenly called out “Your Majesty!!!” She had thought it was to announce the emperor’s decision, but now it seemed it was a test.
And Prince Bao’an was famous for being courteous to his subordinates. Why would he punish his own advisors? Even if he disagreed with an advisor, he would at most give them enough money and let them leave.
So that was it.
“How does Your Highness plan to respond?”
Yu Jiuzhou suddenly smiled. “My defeat was due to my own poor judgment of character, not because I lost to him, Prince Bao’an.”
Get instant access to all chapters now.
