EES - Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Outside the palace gates, a group of officials heading to morning court were chatting intermittently as they made their way toward the Hall of State. Halfway there, they ran into Minister Ji, who was walking ahead of them. The chatting officials paused, then promptly greeted the haggard-looking Minister Ji.
"Good morning, Minister Ji." This came from a young official, offering a formal greeting.
"Morning, Minister Ji. Off to court?" This was the sort of colleague who, a millennium later, would ask an air-conditioning repairman, "So, what exactly do you do?" It was pure idle chatter.
"Old Ji, you've been working hard lately, haha. I heard your wife wouldn't even let you inside when you got home right at dusk!" came the schadenfreude-laced remark from a senior colleague.
Yet faced with these greetings, Minister Ji's expression remained perfectly calm (his eyes utterly deadpan). He simply replied to them all with a single, "Good morning, everyone."
......
Today's morning court was a special occasion for Minister Ji.
Exactly a month ago today, the Emperor had announced at morning court that the Empress would be chosen based on officials' performance reviews. Since then, Minister Ji, who used to leave duty on time every day to wander around and snack, had fallen into a hell of overtime. He worked himself to exhaustion, kept goji berry water on hand daily, and grew so anxious that his Slick-Shouldered trait was nearly vanishing.
And today, after a full month, the performance review results were finally coming out!
Whatever the outcome, he just wanted that moment to arrive quickly. He could barely hold on any longer!
Standing inside the Hall of State, Minister Ji listened anxiously as the Emperor calmly heard work reports from the various departments. As usual, the Emperor assigned tasks to each ministry, placing particular emphasis on tightening supervision over agricultural and mulberry affairs, as well as the Bureau of Livestock.
Only after finishing those matters did the Emperor signal for the Chief Eunuch beside him to step forward and read out the performance records of all the consort selection candidates' families during this past month.
"The results of this performance review have been finalized. I shall now announce the deeds accomplished by the eleven ministers under evaluation during the review period. Ranked eleventh is..." Wang Xiuwen stepped forward to read.
With his heart already lodged in his throat before the reading began, Minister Ji thought: They're starting from last place? He couldn't take it anymore.
As names were called out in descending order, some ministers looked crestfallen, while others wore expressions of relief, as if thinking, It's finally over.
An Lin watched this unconventional Empress Selection 101 with keen interest, secretly noting a few ministers' names to transfer to different posts later. Some had only barely met efficiency standards during the recent policy of overloading officials to expose the incompetent, but it turned out that once motivated, their productivity was quite decent. They could be utilized more effectively.
Finally, it reached the end. Wang Xiuwen read the final name from the performance document. "Ranked first in this performance review is: the Ministry of Rites, Minister Ji!"
From the judges' panel, An Lin led the applause with sharp claps. The other ministers, though unsure why, instinctively joined in.
"Congratulations, congratulations, Minister Ji!" "Your blade remains sharp!" "Congratulations!"
Minister Ji almost lost himself amid the waves of congratulations, but catching sight of the Emperor's smile above, he jolted back to reality. Remembering how he'd actually secured first place, his mood instantly stabilized into profound equanimity: not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal loss.
Once the performance results were fully announced, An Lin spoke. "In that case, we shall set a date for the Grand Investiture Ceremony. The Ministry of Rites may begin making arrangements."
"This servant obeys the decree," Minister Ji stepped forward to receive it.
Then An Lin continued, "During this performance review, We have seen all Our dear ministers diligently attending to state affairs for the good of the realm and its people. Our heart is greatly comforted. Therefore, We have decided to roll out this performance metric across the imperial court. Henceforth, all officials shall be assessed monthly according to these criteria. At year's end, each ministry shall be ranked as a whole unit. This will encourage you all to accomplish more practical deeds for the state and the people, securing a better future for Xuan. Naturally, departments and individuals ranked at the forefront will receive additional rewards. What do you say, our dear ministers?"
A wave of silence swept the court. Their smiles gradually faded. They stared blankly.
Even the senior officials who had just gloated over Minister Ji outside the palace gates were stunned, their seventy- and eighty-year-old hands trembling slightly.
H-how can this be? Is fortune truly turning? Could this be Minister Ji's curse?
Yet Minister Ji hadn't asked for this either! Who could have guessed that after a month of grueling overtime, he thought the ordeal would simply end once that month passed? He hadn't even gotten a rare chance to relax. Just as he left duty to eat a bowl of long-awaited small wontons, like he used to, he suddenly received this devastating news. Minister Ji's vision went black. What had clouded his eyes? It was the path ahead, devoid of any light.
"Your Majesty, this servant believes..." After digesting the shock, several officials struggled to voice their opposition. But just as they prepared to rebut...
"This servant agrees." A relatively young official spoke up, bowing his head and raising his court tablet with rigid formality. "I believe that not only those ranked at the top should be rewarded, but those at the bottom who act passive should also face punishment. Only balanced rewards and punishments will drive those willing to work hard to strive even further."
That response was like poking a hornet's nest. The other ministers immediately turned to stare at the agreeing colleague in utter disbelief. They didn't yet know a word like "scab"; had they known, they would have silently cursed him to his face and carved the term onto his forehead. You young upstart, disregarding convention! To suggest punishing those ranked low in performance reviews! You're trying to offend everyone!
"Excellent." An Lin nodded in satisfaction, glanced at the young official's name, and filed it away. Though his stats weren't particularly outstanding and his ambition was slightly elevated, any official willing to work diligently was a good official, harboring healthy ambition. "After court dismisses today, We will dispatch the standard regulations for performance reviews to every department."
With that said, An Lin cheerfully dismissed court. Once the affairs of the outer court were settled, An Lin proceeded directly to Resting-Crane Hall to make the announcement there as well.
However, at Resting-Crane Hall, the rankings presented were not based solely on officials' performance reviews. Instead, they combined the candidates' conduct during their stay in the palace with the officials' performance scores for a total ranking. After all, she couldn't let some of their efforts go to waste.
Consequently, the rankings at Resting-Crane Hall shifted slightly compared to the outer court's, but Ji Wanshuang still firmly held first place. She wasn't merely practicing martial arts each day; she also took time to review the financial ledgers of various counties, reorganizing them into tabular formats. This would serve as a reference model for anyone handling accounts in the future.
Besides, Song Ling and Liu Guanglin's information wasn't shared. Neither knew what the Emperor had extracted from the other. Even if the Emperor and Empress occasionally produced items incongruous with ancient norms, no one would suspect that she too was a transmigrator. Plan succeeds.
Among the ten consort selection candidates, the smarter ones had already guessed that the Emperor's true intention in bringing them into the palace lay elsewhere. Thus, hearing their rankings elicited no disappointment, save for one or two who hadn't figured it out and showed a hint of letdown.
"Aside from the Empress, who will remain in the palace, the rest of you may freely choose your own paths and arrange your own marriages. If anyone gossips about you because of your time spent in the palace, We will stand up for you," An Lin promised. "If anyone thereafter refuses marriage or has nowhere to go, you may inform Us, and We will make arrangements for you."
The candidates exchanged glances. Some secretly observed the young sovereign, speculating on the reason behind his words. Song Ling, meanwhile, clenched her palm and covertly surveyed the others.
An Lin smiled, watching them with expectant eyes, particularly focusing on those whose [Politics] and [Governance] stats had risen significantly since entering the palace.
Just as hesitation gripped the group, an unremarkable-looking woman stepped past the others, her eyes exceptionally bright. Ignoring the anxiety of the rest, she bowed deeply before An Lin. "This commoner does not wish to marry, nor return home. I have one request, Your Majesty."
An Lin smiled. "State your request."
She declared firmly, "This commoner wishes to recover Yunzhou Prefecture for Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, the other candidates displayed profound surprise, as if thinking, How dare you? Yet a few, after their initial shock, wore thoughtful expressions.
An Lin studied the girl's stats with satisfaction.
[Lian Xun | Governance: 60 (20↑) | Military: 17 | Learning: 61 | Martial Strength: 14 | Politics: 66 (26↑) | Management: 61 | Ambition: 78 (30↑) | Loyalty: 70 | Mood: 69 | Prestige: 65]
Mere having begun touching upon political matters, her Governance and Politics stats had both surged by forty in a short span, and her ambition had climbed to seventy-eight. This indicated the girl was inherently suited for politics. Intelligent, rational, and fiercely ambitious.
"Lian Xun." An Lin called her name. "Then what method do you intend to use to help Us recover Yunzhou Prefecture?"
"Infiltrate and transform from within," Lian Xun stated decisively. "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. My ex-husband's family were merchants. Since marrying into them, I have managed the business and am reasonably adept at trade. Since the disaster in Yunzhou Prefecture originated from troubles involving traveling merchants, I intend to infiltrate Yunzhou Prefecture under the guise of a merchant. I will secretly stir conflict between the merchants and the Prefect of Yunzhou, depriving the Prefect of merchant support, and endeavor to regulate civilian prices within the prefecture."
An Lin pondered for a long time beneath Lian Xun's calm gaze, which hid underlying tension. Finally, she smiled and uttered a single word. "Excellent."
The other girls looked at one another. At that moment, another woman stepped forward, approached Lian Xun, and bowed her head. "This commoner wishes to travel to Yunzhou Prefecture alongside Miss Lian."
Song Ling covered her mouth in surprise. Shan Lanze?! How is she involved too?! She remembered clearly that in history, none of the three who went to Yunzhou Prefecture bore the name Shan Lanze! Had she misremembered? No, she recalled it distinctly: the trio consisted of Lian Xun, who would become Prefect of Yunzhou; Wei Tongling, a military commander's daughter who volunteered to protect them; and someone named Lanshu... Wait. Lanshu. Shan Lanze. Both names indeed share a character. She hadn't heard of anyone named Lanshu at Resting-Crane Hall... Could Shan Lanze be using an alias?
An Lin also caught a glimpse of the stats hovering above Shan Lanze's head. Shan Lanze's volunteering came as no surprise. Her Governance and Politics stats had risen considerably, making her the second-highest improver among the candidates this season, surpassed only by Lian Xun. Furthermore, due to her lineage from a Grand Secretary's household, her Learning stat exceeded Lian Xun's, matching the original Song Ling's at seventy points. The selection camp truly lived up to its name.
An Lin gave her approval. Now the remaining candidates began to sense the implications. Aside from Lian Xun and Shan Lanze, however, others hesitated. Even without a keen sense for politics, they had all heard rumors of Yunzhou Prefecture's chaos, bandits roaming the roads, and danger lurking everywhere. After a long pause, one person stepped forward, speaking with some trepidation. "Your Majesty, then... this commoner will accompany them as well. I've heard Yunzhou is highly dangerous, and neither of them is particularly skilled in combat. I will go to protect them." Wei Tongling, the military commander's daughter who had volunteered.
The team was complete. An Lin was quite satisfied with this lineup, though she certainly wouldn't send just the three of them into Yunzhou Prefecture alone. She would dispatch guards disguised as escorts for their merchant caravan. As for the other girls, though she verbally allowed them to choose their own paths, she had already decided their futures. Once the Universal School was established, she naturally intended to admit students of both genders. Since it was a public school open to all her subjects, female students would be necessary. These girls hadn't improved much in Politics, so their Learning shouldn't go to waste. She would have them take examinations for teaching posts. Utilize everything to its fullest, employ every person to their capacity.
Thus, as they prepared to depart, An Lin instructed the palace attendants seeing them out to give each a set of Imperial Examination textbooks, advising them to study diligently as it would prove useful later. She then summoned Lian Xun, Shan Lanze, and Wei Tongling to the study for a private audience.
Lian Xun's plan was viable, but it lacked certain elements. An Lin recalled the appointment warrant for the former Prefect of Yunzhou that Xinzhu had recovered from the bandit stronghold. She relayed this to them, handed the warrant over for them to utilize as they saw fit, and then drafted a new appointment warrant for Lian Xun.
"This is your new appointment warrant as Prefect of Yunzhou." An Lin handed it over. "Naturally, We advise against presenting it immediately upon arrival in Yunzhou Prefecture. If you ultimately succeed in recovering the prefecture for Us as you've stated, you will be the legitimate Prefect of Yunzhou. If you fail, it will merely be worthless paper."
"This commoner understands." Lian Xun bowed her head and accepted it.
"Furthermore, what do you intend to use to penetrate Yunzhou Prefecture's market?" An Lin asked again.
"My former husband's family dealt in silk and brocade. I possess some knowledge of supply sources."
An Lin shook her head with mild skepticism. "Since your goal is to restore order to prices in Yunzhou Prefecture, the goods you bring should ideally be irreplaceable."
"But..."
"Do not worry. We can lend you such an item." An Lin smiled and said to Wang Xiuwen, who stood nearby, "Xiuwen, go fetch Song Ling."
Once Song Ling was brought into the study, meeting her bewildered gaze, An Lin said, "Use refined salt as your passport into Yunzhou Prefecture. Song Ling, cooperate with their mission by advancing the production schedule for refined salt. We had already sent personnel to Guxian County, a coastal area, to build a salt farm. It should be nearly complete by now. Depart with them for Guxian County. Once a sufficient batch of refined salt is produced, you will return to Qiong'an. Lian Xun, you three may depart directly from Guxian County with the refined salt, taking the route through Quxian County toward Yunzhou Prefecture." Refined salt was both a luxury and a necessity. It could open both high-end and low-end markets in Yunzhou Prefecture.
"As you command!" Song Ling realized she was genuinely participating in a historical event this time, perhaps even to be recorded in the annals. Her spirits lifted, and she answered loudly.
"This commoner obeys," Lian Xun and the others echoed.
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