Chapter 240: The Emperor and Empress Deal with the Disaster
Jin Sui knew very well that before the national treasury was rich enough to allow the Emperor to do as he pleased, building gardens would be criticized in historical records, and using too much for the military would be seen as wasteful spending on war.
If the commotion became too great and caused public outrage, and if bad luck struck with a natural disaster, then the Emperor would have to issue a decree of self-blame, and any subsequent actions for the benefit of the country and its people would be met with suspicion and obstruction, thus shelving reforms.
Simply put, movable type printing is currently disguised within the military industry, but without income and constantly relying on military funds for maintenance, it is extremely easy to bring infamy upon Gu Changxiao.
What’s more, this printing technology is currently used in public academies built by the Empress. The officials are already looking for reasons to criticize the Empress, and before they criticize the Emperor, they will certainly first scold Jin Sui, the ‘politically involved’ Empress, to the point where she dares not leave the palace.
Therefore, the printing technology must earn its own money, not use military funds, and the more it earns, the longer it can be hidden within the military. If it can even subsidize military expenses, then no one will find fault.
Jin Sui gave Cheng Yu another idea: “You can hire some writers to create novels with educational content, and find some great scholars to publish their collected works. Also, more introductory books can be published. This way, you will surely earn enough funds.”
Cheng Yu agreed with this plan and immediately went to the Hanlin Academy to consult with some great scholars. Upon hearing that it was an imperial decree from the Empress, they were extremely excited to help them publish their own works.
One must know that publishing books in this era is much more difficult than in later generations, especially publishing woodblock printed books, which would require discussion in the imperial court. And since the Empress is not printing woodblock books, and is funding their publication, how could the scholars not be pleased?
At the same time, Jin Sui, under the name of the Empress, widely collected rare books from all over the world. She established the ‘Ancient Books Preservation Association,’ and anyone willing to donate a rare book would become a member of the association.
Jin Sui personally designed member badges, point levels, and so on. Members would hold annual gatherings, which the Empress would also attend, and contribution awards would be established.
Surprisingly, this method was immediately popular with young people, who considered joining the association an honor. Their elders, however, were dismissive and even, in an attempt to create difficulties for the Empress, made statements that they would rather burn their family’s ancient books than donate them to the Empress.
However, they could not withstand the enthusiasm of the young people. With the full assistance of aristocratic youths like Yan Shiyi and Jin Zilin, Jin Sui soon received a large collection of ancient books.
She immediately organized manpower to repair, classify, and then print these ancient books, establishing a library and reluctantly lending them out to scholars across the land.
The library also featured a large lecture hall capable of accommodating a thousand people. Scholars from the Hanlin Academy came daily to teach, and all scholars were welcome to attend.
In front of the library stood a massive stone tablet, on which the Emperor himself had written: “To establish the heart for heaven and earth, to establish life for the people, to continue the lost teachings of the past sages, and to bring peace to all generations.”
The scholars praised it as the spiritual pursuit of readers, and for a time, all scholars in the land regarded the capital’s library as a place of pilgrimage. They paid no mind that this was another battlefield between the Empress and the aristocratic clans; they only spoke of the Empress’s kindness.
She recalled her own student days, the many grievances she suffered just to borrow a book from the local aristocratic families. Now, the Empress was offering these books, which they desperately sought, for free lending.
It was said that anyone could get a library card at the library, and even writing materials were provided, accepting submissions. A poor licentiate wrote an article there and received a generous reward, no longer needing to sell calligraphy and paintings.
As the news spread, scholars from all over the land rushed to the capital. Those who were originally studying in private schools of aristocratic families also mustered the courage and determination to stop enduring the humiliation of being borrowed students and set off for the capital to seek knowledge.
They knew that when studying in private schools of aristocratic families, they had to serve as book boys for the family’s young masters, enduring all sorts of bullying, and were often driven away.
This was like pulling the rug out from under them, leaving the aristocratic clans that monopolized educational resources stunned. How to describe this feeling? If before, the aristocratic clans and the royal family were competing for chips at the gambling table.
Now, the Empress’s actions were like flipping the table. She seemed not to seek profit, not to want chips, not to negotiate at all, but directly overturned the table and set new rules.
Some stubborn old aristocrats could only say: “Hmph, just you wait! This woman is so bold and fearless, she will surely bring great disaster sooner or later!”
But this was just self-consolation. As it stands, the Empress is admired by the common people and respected by scholars. The biggest difference from previous Empresses is that she also strangely has the support of the military.
It’s a bit difficult to see her cause trouble and be overthrown!
Throughout April, Jin Sui was fiercely battling these aristocratic clans in a different way, and the Black Feather Camp could not help at all. No, they could help.
At the very least, if someone secretly tried to incite trouble, the Black Feather Camp would come to maintain order and arrest them. If the Imperial Guards or the Imperial City Guard came to maintain order, it was highly likely that there would be spies from the aristocratic clans among them. But the Black Feather Army had absolutely no spies; they were the most loyal royalists.
The aristocratic clans felt this battlefield was a major event, but for Jin Sui, it was just a light drizzle, not taking up much of her energy, because she devoted more energy to spring plowing.
Whether it was the promotion of new crops, the cultivation of fine breeds of old crops, fertilizer production, agricultural tool improvement, ox rental, or the reorganization of village organizational structures, although it was handled by the Ministry of Revenue.
However, Jin Sui and Gu Changxiao did not trust the Ministry of Revenue’s efficiency. They were influenced by the atmosphere in Chang’an, where it was considered fast if something wasn’t delayed for three months. Therefore, Jin Sui had to personally supervise and issue orders.
The reorganization of village organizational structures changed the previous general divisions of towns, villages, and hamlets to towns, villages, hamlets, and teams. Ten households formed a team, and the captain would rent agricultural tools, oxen, fine breeds, and fertilizers from the government.
Members of the team would help each other complete spring plowing. This way, there would be no isolated or widowed households unable to complete spring plowing within the season due to insufficient labor. And the government’s decrees would be transmitted more quickly and accurately by the captains.
The officials in Chang’an once again witnessed the speed of the border city. With the Empress personally overseeing it and the Black Feather Camp fully cooperating, the decrees were implemented at the speed of a military march.
If this were in Chang’an before, such a reform of the grassroots system would have taken three to five years to complete. But in the new dynasty, it was completed by seventy percent within one spring plowing season. The remaining thirty percent were in some remote prefecture cities, but it was estimated that they would also be completed before the summer plowing.
The officials of the Ministry of Revenue cursed the Empress for treating people like livestock while working, not considering them as court officials at all. They had been officials for so many years without wearing down the soles of their shoes, but in this one spring plowing season, their shoe soles were almost worn through.
Amidst the grumbling, spring plowing was successfully completed, and the Emperor praised the officials of the Ministry of Revenue in court, and everyone received rewards.
Instantly, the officials’ attitudes changed drastically, and no one dared to criticize the Empress behind her back. They were all proud to have participated in this spring plowing reform. During the morning court, they stood tall and proud. Originally, the Censor intended to impeach the Empress for interfering in politics.
However, when the officials of the Ministry of Revenue changed their tune and highly praised the Empress for her tireless efforts for the people, the Censor felt betrayed by the officials of the Ministry of Revenue and dared not submit the prepared impeachment memorial.
After the court, Gu Changxiao said to Jin Sui with a smile, “My Empress is indeed formidable! With her left hand, she deals with the educational monopoly of the aristocratic clans, and with her right hand, she tackles the spring plowing reform of the Ministry of Revenue, turning clouds with a flip of her hand and rain with a wave.”
Jin Sui rolled her eyes: “Your Majesty, stop making fun of me. You already laid the framework in advance, and I just cooperated.”
Gu Changxiao put his arm around her shoulder: “Regardless, I must thank Sui Sui. How fortunate I am to have married Sui Sui.”
Jin Sui nodded emphatically: “That’s right, you are indeed very lucky to have married such an excellent wife! But you are not as good as me.”
Gu Changxiao was stunned: “How am I not as good as you?”
“I have an even more excellent husband! I handle these small matters well so that my husband can focus on building the navy.”
Gu Changxiao looked at her, then burst into laughter: “Sui Sui, your mouth can really coax people! I believe that if you wanted to, you could coax even the immortals from heaven down to earth.”
Liu Yun, standing nearby: …
Your Majesty misspoke. The immortal from heaven has already descended! The one you are holding is she.
In the blink of an eye, it was May. Yan Shiyi set off for Chang’an to pick up Miss Yan. Jin Sui prepared many gifts for him, or rather, for Miss Yan.
A brand new four-wheeled carriage with a spring-added mattress, so long journeys would not be bumpy. Fearing that only the Yan Clan’s bodyguards’ safety could not be guaranteed, a team from the Black Feather Camp was also dispatched to accompany them.
After all, Han Xing had killed many people in Chang’an, and there would surely be those seeking revenge. Jin Sui summoned Yan Shiyi and told him about Han Xing’s situation.
Yan Shiyi said earnestly, “My Elder Brother has also mentioned these matters. Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will definitely bring Miss Yan back safely.”
The saying “extreme joy begets sorrow” perfectly describes Jin Sui and Gu Changxiao’s feeling about May. The smooth spring plowing in March and April had made all the officials in the court want to flatter the Emperor and urge him to perform the Mount Tai Fengshan ceremony.
However, in May, the flood season arrived. Just as it was time to harvest the summer wheat, urgent news came from the Central Plains: continuous heavy rain, and the Yellow River was on the verge of breaking its banks.
The entire court was horrified. The Yellow River had breached its banks many times before, and each time it had caused widespread suffering. In the past, before a breach occurred, local officials dared not report it, fearing that they would be beheaded first to appease the public anger if they were held accountable.
However, because of the incident in Minzhou, where the Japanese Pirates had plundered several villages, they quickly reported it. They did not understand the new Emperor’s temper and feared that they would also be beheaded after reporting it, so they promptly reported to the court during the rainy season.
Gu Changxiao immediately sent people to scout and discovered that the breach was unavoidable, and at least hundreds of thousands of people would be affected. The investigation into the officials responsible for repairing the embankment would have to wait; the immediate priority was disaster relief.
Natural disasters would always lead to people blaming the Emperor. As expected, a new round of lobbying began in Chang’an, claiming that the Emperor’s relocation of the capital had affected the national destiny, and this was divine punishment!
Such news spread from Chang’an to the disaster areas, causing unrest among the people, and a peasant revolt was on the verge of breaking out.
Then, this time, Gu Changxiao and Jin Sui worked together to show the world how the new Emperor and Empress handled disasters.
Let all the people in the land see clearly that the new Emperor was different from the former Emperor, and the new capital was different from Chang’an.
The Emperor chose Cheng Yu as the Imperial Commissioner for disaster relief. Without a doubt, Cheng Yu was Gu Changxiao’s most trusted and capable official.
At the same time, the Black Feather Camp was dispatched to assist Cheng Yu. All the officials objected, stating that dispatching troops from the outset would cause panic among the people. Gu Changxiao directly said, “The people are never afraid of the army, but of the army that exploits and oppresses them! My Black Feather Camp is different.”
The Black Feather Camp proved the Emperor’s words with their actions. They disregarded their personal safety and rescued the people during the flood, using gas lamps to transfer disaster victims in the dead of night.
They formed a human barrier in the floodwaters, allowing the people to step over their shoulders…
From the initial rejection and fear of the army by the people to later trust and respect, a natural disaster turned the past saying of “bandits pass like combing, soldiers pass like shaving” into history.
From then on, our Black Feather Camp became not only the most loyal royal army but also the people’s army.
Due to the timely evacuation of the disaster areas, the number of affected people was less than expected, with only a few thousand casualties, completely different from the past situations where the Yellow River breach resulted in corpses everywhere.
The Black Feather Camp lost hundreds of soldiers in this disaster, each of whom was posthumously honored as a martyr. Their remains, along with those of the civilians who died in the disaster, were interred in a cemetery by the Yellow River to commemorate this flood.
A natural disaster that should have been a blow to the Emperor and Empress, and triggered a peasant revolt, instead made the people trust the Emperor even more.
If the Emperor’s appointed Imperial Commissioner provided powerful rescue and saved the lives of the people, then the Empress was responsible for post-disaster comfort and guiding them towards a new life, saving their spirits and souls.
The Empress dispatched Chen Yunniang and the medical team from the Women’s Academy, along with all the students from the Investigation of Things Academy. They brought a large amount of supplies, which also included the help of merchant caravans led by the Yan Clan.
The cement and steel brought were invaluable tools for repairing the river embankment. Because the water flow was diverted in time, although three counties in the downstream area were sacrificed and completely submerged, the people were evacuated in advance, preventing large-scale casualties.
The court decided to convert these three counties into canals and re-plan the Yellow River’s flow. All the residents of the three counties were relocated, and the court provided resettlement allowances. The Empress provided seeds, agricultural tools, clothing, and food.
The people were relocated to the Northwest and Northeast, which also served to disperse the overly concentrated population of the Central Plains, increasing the amount of land per person.
Those in Chang’an were waiting to instigate a peasant revolt from the shadows, but found that it was impossible to do so. In fact, their reaction speed was slower than the court’s disaster relief efforts.
During this period, Huo Zi’an and Han Xing cooperated to eliminate another wave of rebels who intended to usurp the throne, including many imperial relatives and powerful figures. Chang’an was completely deprived of its ability to cause trouble.
After a major disaster, a major epidemic is inevitable. Jin Sui had people send a large quantity of epidemic prevention medicine from the capital to the disaster areas overnight. Unexpectedly, the first public hospital was not established in the capital but in the Central Plains.
Jin Sui originally wanted to personally go to the disaster area to comfort the people, but Gu Changxiao disagreed. Jin Sui then said that if an imperial relative were to visit after the disaster, the disaster victims’ morale would greatly increase, and it would also consolidate the image of the royal family in the hearts of the people.
This person’s role would be different from that of the Imperial Commissioner; it would be best if it were a member of the royal family. Gu Changxiao did not allow Jin Sui to go, but other imperial princes were either in Chang’an or lacked sufficient prestige.
Unable to help, Gu Changxiao had killed too many imperial relatives in Chang’an. At this time, it would be best to have a trusted princess inspect the area, but no suitable candidate could be found.
Gu Changxiao felt a bit guilty: “It is my mistake that I did not promote a member of the imperial clan.” It should be said that his relationship with the imperial clan was too poor, having killed too many before.
Jin Sui comforted him: “It’s alright. If there is no princess who can do this job now, we will have one when our daughter grows up.”
Their daughter was not even a thought yet, and she was already shouldering heavy responsibilities.
