Chapter 249: The Little Princess
Regarding the subsequent governance of Nanyang County, the Imperial Court debated for several days, ultimately formulating several proposals.
In terms of civil administration, a large number of officials would be dispatched to Nanyang County to implement comprehensive reforms, dividing it into detailed provinces, prefectures, towns, and townships, identical to Great Xia.
In agriculture, Nanyang would see large-scale cultivation of cash crops such as mulberry, tea, and cotton, with only a small amount of grain planted, ensuring that within ten years, no descendants of feudal lords in the area could stockpile grain and weapons, thus preventing rebellion.
In terms of trade, a harbor would be built in Nanyang County, officially making it a transit point for Great Xia’s sea merchants.
Militarily, the navy would be stationed there, establishing a larger naval base in Nanyang County, enabling them to venture into further seas. Great Xia not only aimed to be the overlord of the East Sea and South Sea but also the overlord of all four seas!
Silver mine extraction would be handled by the Military Industry, reporting directly to the Emperor. Half of the silver mine’s revenue would be used for naval infrastructure, and the other half would be transported back to Great Xia.
At this moment, Gu Changxiao, leading the officials, gazed at the brand-new map of Great Xia. The west had been incorporated with the Thirty-Six Countries of the Western Regions, and the east with Japan.
The map was twice as large as it was during the Former Emperor’s reign. The officials flattered him, suggesting they should announce it to heaven and perform the Mount Tai Fengshan ceremony.
Had Gu Changxiao not seen a world map, he would have proudly agreed and believed the officials’ flattery, considering his achievements comparable to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, worthy of the Fengshan ceremony, ushering Great Xia into an era of prosperity.
But he had seen the world map! After seeing it, he understood that compared to the true world, his great achievements were still too insignificant.
He ordered the entire map of Southeast Asia to be hung up. The officials initially looked at it with confusion, but as they understood it, they gradually quieted down.
So the world was this vast!
Gu Changxiao pointed to the southern region, where various small countries were now clustered. Their merchant caravans had visited, encountering some uncivilized indigenous people.
Because the area was infested with poisonous insects, fierce beasts, and plagued by miasma and swamps, it was neither suitable for marching nor of much value. Apart from expanding territory, it offered no benefit to the nation.
Although there were many precious woods, medicinal materials, and spices there, they could be exchanged for with the local indigenous people using only a very small amount of cloth or goods.
Sea merchants completely treated it as a natural source for procurement. Sometimes, a little fine wine was enough to compel the local indigenous people to gather spices, fell trees, and mine.
Of course, this was the previous perspective.
After Jin Sui obtained the rubber found by Hei Hu in Tianzhu, she set her sights on this land: “This place is most suitable for growing rubber. Connected to Lingnan and Dianzhou, I hope to have this land as our backyard to cultivate rubber and sugarcane.”
To the east, Jin Sui pointed to the small regions of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, and said with a cold laugh: “How can one tolerate others snoring beside one’s own bed!
These small countries have always been capricious. When Great Xia was strong, they bowed as vassal states. As soon as Great Xia encountered any trouble, they would immediately dare to send troops to our northeast.
Now that Nanyang County has a naval base, they pose a great hidden danger and will also obstruct our export sea routes.
Your Majesty, vassal states are still vassal states. Our generation is strong and can keep them at peace. But after a hundred years, when our military might can no longer reach them, will they still be so obedient?
It would be better to completely sinicize them, just like Nanyang County, for long-term stability.”
Gu Changxiao immediately agreed with Jin Sui’s words, causing the historian recording the events to break out in a cold sweat. Everyone said His Majesty was warlike, but it turned out the Empress was the warlike one!
The day Hei Hu returned to the country with the spoils from Nanyang County, the entire nation rejoiced. Our Emperor’s style of celebration was already familiar: he exempted grain taxes for peasant households.
His Majesty said that what truly benefited peasant households was the exemption of grain taxes. Exempting one season’s grain tax could ensure peasant households had enough to eat and wear for a year; nothing else would suffice.
If the court were to provide grain, it would also be necessary to guard against the exploitation by lower-level officials. Only through tax exemption could the benefits truly reach the common people.
Next, the expansion of prefecture cities to build public hospitals and elementary schools was undertaken. Because the national strength was insufficient to build them in every prefecture at once, and the medical and teaching staff were also insufficient.
Therefore, the promotion would be carried out by county. In the next two years, construction would take place in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yandi. Then, Grandpa Ling would carry out a diffusion-based construction in the Central Plains.
As for prosperous regions like Jiangnan, there were donations from local rich merchants, and hospitals and academies were built without the court spending much silver.
The next area to be prioritized for support was the Northwest, the region where His Majesty led troops when he was still the Crown Prince. It was truly poor and had been a key area for tax exemption in recent years.
Gu Changxiao led the officials to the East Sea port to welcome Hei Hu. Our Hei Hu had now become a national celebrity, the hottest new noble in the entire court.
While other generals’ distant campaigns were a drain on resources and manpower, our Hei Hu’s distant campaigns brought back ten ships of treasures. He also opened up the sea route from Great Xia to Tianzhu.
The spoils from Nanyang County were escorted back to the country by him, not ten ships, but nearly a hundred ships.
The scene was grand and unprecedented.
Gu Changxiao, Jin Sui, and Baozhu were waiting for him in the Capital City. Hei Hu was already tall and strong, and after many days at sea, he had become even darker.
As he walked towards them, he exuded an imposing presence. When his face was dark, he looked like a giant bear. The surrounding commoners dared not look at him; it was estimated that from this day on, the name used to frighten children into silence would become General Hei Hu.
However, when he saw the Emperor, he immediately grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. Well, he was still the same simple-minded Hei Hu, unchanged at all.
Jin Sui and Gu Changxiao were not unreasonable people. After hearing Hei Hu report on his achievements in Nanyang County in court and bestowing rewards, they immediately allowed Hei Hu to take his family home for a reunion.
Our Hei Hu was enfeoffed as an Earl, Baozhu received her noble title, and their son was the heir.
When Jin Sui met Hei Hu alone, the man was a bit hesitant to look at Jin Sui. The former Leader Ji had become dignified and elegant. The memories of them often riding out together seemed like a past life.
“Greetings, Empress.”
Jin Sui smiled: “After a few years, General Hei Hu’s might has not diminished!”
Hei Hu shivered: “Your Ladyship, please don’t call me that, it makes my heart creep.”
He dared to look up at Jin Sui, and just as old friends avoid direct eye contact, their gazes met, and they both laughed.
This laugh seemed to bring them back to the past, and they laughed louder and louder.
The three little ones, Shuo Ge’er, An’an, and Hei Hu’s son, Little Tiger Cub, were so scared they kept shrinking back. Little Tiger Cub was the oldest, holding the hands of the other two.
An’an asked in a milky voice: “Is he really your dad? He looks, he looks like one of the Four Heavenly Kings in the temple.”
Little Tiger Cub was a little unsure and looked up at Baozhu: “Mother, is he really my dad?”
Baozhu was happily shedding tears. Hearing her son say such a silly thing, she felt a mix of amusement and exasperation: “He is your dad, quickly, go call him Dad.”
Jin Sui also beckoned him to come in and said to Hei Hu: “Your full name will be given when you return, your nickname is Tiger Cub. Look, your son has grown so big after years away on campaign.”
Hei Hu reached out to Hu Zai: “Come, Dad will have a look.”
His voice was loud, and his palm was as large as a cattail fan. Hu Zai was initially scared and hesitant to approach, but Hei Hu took out a photograph from his embrace, its edges worn from friction, and showed it to him:
“This, Dad looks at every night. I didn’t expect you to be so big.”
Little Tiger Cub no longer doubted and suddenly pounced forward, shouting, “Daddy.” Then he burst into tears, missing his father terribly.
He was almost four years old and had never met his father. Some children would even scold him for not having a dad. Now he wanted to prove to everyone that he had a dad! And a tall, mighty Great General at that!
Jin Sui clearly told Hei Hu: “You are now an Earl, and many powerful people in the Capital City want to form connections with you. You must be discreet and do not drink certain wines carelessly.
Always bring trusted subordinates with you wherever you go, and be vigilant. Han Xing is not here, so if you have any problems, ask Lord Cheng.”
Hei Hu was very confused: “I already have a wife, why would they want to form connections with me?”
Jin Sui felt a headache coming on. Both of these two are simple-minded. If they don’t explain clearly, they might be exploited by those with ulterior motives, which would be very troublesome.
She waved her hand: “Go talk to Lord Cheng, then go home to be with your wife and children. Tomorrow, you are the main guest at the palace banquet.”
Compared to finding Cheng Yu, Hei Hu wanted to find Yan Shiyi more, but he learned that Yan Shiyi had gone to the Northern Frontier and had not yet returned.
The warmth and sweetness of the family of three returning home is self-evident. Hei Hu’s attitude also put Baozhu’s heart at ease; Hei Hu was not a lecherous person, but a devoted one.
On the day of the palace banquet, Jin Sui hosted the female guests, with Baozhu as a distinguished guest. Since she became Empress, she had hosted palace banquets very rarely due to her numerous duties.
It was said that in Chang’an, the palace held flower appreciation banquets several times a month, which were large matchmaking events for the powerful men and women of all of Chang’an.
Jin Sui’s banquets, however, were always used for ‘product promotion’. The entire set of tableware was from a new kiln, along with various new tea sets and tea pets, down to the napkins and tablecloths, chair cushions, dishes, fruits, snacks, and dim sum.
It could be said that anything appearing at the banquet, including the toothpicks used after the meal, was a ‘product’. After every palace banquet, the same items would become bestsellers.
Clothing was not easy to promote, as there was only one Empress in the harem, and she could not use palace maids for promotion, because if palace maids wore them, noble ladies would not buy them.
So Chen Yunniang, along with the female officials, wore them, all new styles from Miss Yan’s shop, and their makeup was also from Rouge Shop’s new products.
Jin Sui’s principle was that each palace banquet held should increase the sales of her affiliated industries tenfold; otherwise, the banquet would have been held in vain.
In those days, there was no online live streaming for product promotion. Fashion items were spread through palace banquets. They would first become popular in the Capital City, then spread to Jiangnan a month later, and throughout Great Xia in three months.
Then it would spread to the Northern Frontier and overseas. Jin Sui had deeply grasped the sales methods of modern electronic products; updates and replacements needed to be fast! Every new product released, every popular element, was money!
We earned money with one hand and built hospitals and elementary schools with the other, so no one could accuse the Empress of extravagance.
With the prosperity of the Capital City, various competitions also increased. In addition to the various investigation of things and mathematics exams held by Jin Sui to recruit talented youths, there were also sports competitions organized by wealthy young masters.
Because gambling was strictly prohibited in the Capital City, only during polo matches could gambling be openly held. The two annual tournaments in spring and autumn had become the most anticipated and favored events for young gentlemen, even more exciting than hunting.
At the autumn polo match this year, Hei Hu led the Black Feather Camp onto the field. Other teams claimed it was cheating; who could possibly defeat General Hei Hu!
As expected, Hei Hu won first place. During the championship match, Gu Changxiao and Jin Sui brought Shuo’er to watch. Hei Hu held the trophy in one hand and Little Tiger Cub in the other, looking as proud as he did when he held Baozhu back then.
That evening, Jin Sui felt unwell upon returning home, thinking she had caught a cold from the wind during the day. She entered her space to check herself and discovered she was pregnant again.
Gu Changxiao was overjoyed and said to Shuo Ge’er: “You’re going to be a big brother. Do you want a brother or a sister?”
Shuo Ge’er clapped his little hands: “I want a sister! A sister as beautiful as Mother Empress.”
Unexpectedly, the day after she was diagnosed as pregnant, Liu Yun brought back good news: the rebellion in the Northern Frontier had been quelled, and Batel was preparing to relocate the capital further north.
The Hetao Plain was completely incorporated into Great Xia’s territory. The local herdsmen followed Batel north, and the peasant households who remained were registered as citizens of Xia.
General Huang led fifty thousand troops to garrison the border. Gu Changxiao laughed heartily, saying that the child in Jin Sui’s womb was a lucky star, bringing him good news even before it was born.
Jin Sui was speechless. How could this be attributed to the child? The news from the Northern Frontier had been arriving continuously, and Liu Yun and his men had gone to assist with gunpowder. Quelling the rebellion was only a matter of time.
However, with the Emperor’s words, the historian would surely record it. If this child turned out to be a daughter, history would record that the princess was a lucky star or something similar.
Since Jin Sui became pregnant with her second child, Gu Changxiao liked to take Shuo Ge’er to the Imperial Study, so as not to disturb Jin Sui’s rest in the harem.
Whenever he had some free time, he would hold Shuo Ge’er and look at the world map. When he learned that our Great Xia only occupied such a small portion of the world, Shuo Ge’er was very disappointed.
“Wherever the sun and moon shine, it shall be Han territory. Father Emperor, are there no sun and moon in these places? Why are they not Great Xia’s territory?”
The innocent words made Gu Changxiao’s heart yearn. If the banners of our Great Xia were planted in all these places, then he would be worthy of performing the Mount Tai Fengshan ceremony!
When Liu Yun returned to the country with troops and gifts from the Northern Frontier, Jin Sui was six months pregnant. She saw her senior sister’s belly bulging again.
Liu Yun was very impressed. Senior Sister was really going all out for the sake of cultivating merit and immortality! His Majesty was truly blessed to have a celestial maiden bear him children.
Gu Changxiao had long noticed that Liu Yun’s gaze towards Jin Sui was not right, which made him very displeased. Yan Jiu had already been sent to the East Sea by him, and she only saw Sui Sui three times a year.
You fellow, who was the leader of the Imperial Guards before and could see Sui Sui every day, has become even more unrestrained now.
Gu Changxiao immediately bestowed a mansion upon Liu Yun and asked him to leave the palace. If not for his firm opposition and Jin Sui’s strong disapproval of him randomly bestowing marriages upon his subordinates, he would have wanted to bestow a wife upon Liu Yun.
Liu Yun found it amusing. He didn’t live in the mansion he was bestowed and instead ran to Grandpa Ling’s Taoist temple after court, claiming to be Taoist Master Ling’s eldest disciple and even asked Jin An to call him Senior Brother.
Grandpa Ling was very fond of Liu Yun, saying he had good comprehension and would achieve enlightenment in time.
Han Xing returned with the navy, and Jin Sui was just reaching her due date. She still gave birth to her second child in the hospital. True to Shuo’er’s wish, she gave birth to a baby girl.
Gu Changxiao once again declared a general amnesty, this time exempting half of the prefecture cities’ agricultural taxes throughout the land. The entire Capital City celebrated for three days with singing and dancing, and officials and students were given holidays.
People joked that the princess had earned them three days off. Our little princess, from the moment she was born, received the blessings of all the people in the country.
Hei Hu took over from Han Xing as the Prefect of Nanyang County for three years. Hei Hu brought Baozhu and Hu Zai with him.
Grandpa Ling also wanted to go, saying that the local people there truly needed the orthodox Taoist teachings. But how could Jin Sui let Grandpa go! It was too far, and the sea voyage was too risky.
Liu Yun, as the eldest disciple, requested to go in place of Grandpa Ling, and Gu Changxiao immediately approved. He was the first Great General to concurrently serve as a Taoist priest, a unique position in history.
On the little princess’s first birthday, Gu Changxiao and Jin Sui took their two children to the Great Wall, ascending to the highest peak. The family of four looked at half of the Capital City to the south and the borderlands scenery to the north.
A sense of pride welled up. Gu Changxiao said emotionally: “Since Mother Empress passed away, I have endured many hardships. I thought I would never know happiness again in this life.
Fortunately, I met Sui Sui. To be able to marry Sui Sui is my good fortune!”
Jin Sui also said softly: “To be able to marry you is also the fortune of my life. Because my heart is too big and I want to do too many things, without Your Majesty’s support, I cannot accomplish anything.
Thank you, Your Majesty, for your constant tolerance and support. The rest of our lives are still long, and I hope Your Majesty will continue to support me.”
Gu Changxiao said solemnly: “Everything Sui Sui does is beneficial to the country, the people, me, and the world. I will naturally support you with all my might!
The world is so vast, and there are still many things we need to do.
I have always remembered Sui Sui’s words: let us together create a brand new era of peace and prosperity, making Great Xia’s civilization the pinnacle of the world!”
Jin Sui held his hand and smiled gently. She had once thought of herself as an anomaly in this era and had tried hard to play the role of Ling Jin Sui.
Fortunately, there is you, allowing me to be myself.
Looking at the daughter in Gu Changxiao’s arms, looking at the son by her side, I will use my entire life, in this land, in this time, to leave behind my legend.
（ End of Main Text ）
