The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 132 May You Worry Less
The three princes had been away from the capital for half a year. When they left, they were mere commoners without any notable achievements. Upon reaching their assigned regions, they naturally devoted themselves to governance, eager to make their mark.
The second prince, Zhao Shang, was stationed in Gusu. Initially, he intended to intervene in the affairs of the Silver Pull Division through the Military Silver Exchange Bank, hoping to assist in its operations and improve the local administration. However, things did not go as smoothly as he had envisioned. For some reason, he eventually abandoned his plans with the Silver Pull Division. Instead, the memorial he submitted detailed his efforts in leading troops to eliminate a group of river bandits.
The fourth prince, Zhao Jing, was assigned to Jizhou, a region frequently devastated by floods from the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Each year, floods would turn Jizhou into a vast expanse of water, displacing countless civilians. Zhao Jing sought out skilled craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to reinforce the dikes in Jizhou.
The fifth prince, Zhao Ji, was sent to Liangzhou. Unlike Gusu, which, despite its prosperity, still had occasional bandit activity that could be dealt with for merit, or Jizhou, where fortifying dikes could be recorded as an accomplishment, Liangzhou posed a different challenge. Situated in the heart of the Central Plains, Liangzhou was wealthy and peaceful, free from natural disasters or major calamities. After much deliberation, Zhao Ji followed the advice of his advisors and focused on bureaucratic reforms. Though his work did not yield immediate results, it was far-reaching in its impact and required significant effort—arguably more than what Zhao Shang and Zhao Jing had undertaken.
As the New Year approached, all three princes wished to return to the capital for the festivities and submitted memorials requesting permission. Since memorials from the princes bypassed Qinzheng Hall and went directly to the emperor's desk, there was no one to highlight key points for review.
When Emperor Zhao Fu opened one of the memorials, he was met with a flowery preamble: "Your son, writing from Gusu, has spent sleepless nights longing for Imperial Father, and my heart aches with an unbearable yearning…"
What utter nonsense.
Zhao Fu pinched his nose as he read through all three memorials. However, he did take an interest in the work of the fifth prince, Zhao Ji. He scrutinized the third memorial for a long time before summoning the Minister of Personnel, Shen Yun.
"My sons wish to return to Shengjing for the New Year. What do you think, Minister Shen?" the emperor inquired.
Shen Yun respectfully replied, "At the beginning of each year, officials of the fifth rank and above are required to report to the Ministry of Personnel for their annual evaluations. The three princes returning to the capital is reasonable, given their status. Since they are of imperial blood, they need not adhere strictly to bureaucratic protocols, and their return before the New Year is understandable. In my opinion, it is entirely appropriate."
Zhao Fu nodded. "Then let them return."
News of the three princes’ impending return spread throughout Shengjing overnight. Imperial envoys were dispatched to Gusu, Jizhou, and Liangzhou to deliver the decree, while speculation ran wild among the officials in the capital.
Tang Shen also sensed that this decree carried deeper implications. The return of the three princes was no trivial matter—this homecoming was bound to stir up a storm that could flood the entire capital.
Yet, before anyone could fully process the significance of the emperor’s decision, a peculiar event took place in Shengjing.
Su Wenyun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was being pressured into marriage by his own family!
At twenty-six years old, Su Wenyun was considered past the ideal marrying age, yet he remained unmarried. The Su family, a prominent clan from Northern Zhili, had been patient for years. Given that Su Wenyun was the highest-ranking official among his kin, no one had dared to push him on the matter. Moreover, he rarely returned home from the capital, making it difficult for his family to intervene.
But with the New Year approaching and Su Wenyun turning twenty-seven, his family could no longer stand idle.
His elderly grandmother traveled overnight from Northern Zhili to Shengjing, cane in hand, and forced Su Wenyun to kneel in the ancestral hall before their family’s ancestral tablets. There, she made him recite the family rules while sternly reprimanding him for his irresponsibility.
In the past, it was always Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Su Wenyun, who used convicted officials as live targets for relentless beatings. When had there ever been a time when he was the one being disciplined? This amusing incident quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Shengjing, becoming a joke in the back courtyards of many officials' residences.
"There are three unfilial acts, and the worst of them is failing to produce heirs! Do you not feel ashamed before your deceased parents?"
Kneeling for so long that his knees turned bruised and swollen, Su Wenyun dared not defy his grandmother. Pity him, a third-rank official, forced to kneel at home as punishment with nowhere to appeal.
Even Emperor Zhao Fu caught wind of the situation. Summoning Su Wenyun to the palace, he asked with great amusement, "Is it true?"
The expression on Su Wenyun’s face became truly remarkable. Given the state of his knees, how could it not be true?
Zhao Fu's laughter rang through Chuigong Hall.
Shortly after, Su Wenyun received an imperial decree assigning him to inspect the newly completed official roads in Cizhou.
The moment this decree was issued, officials had mixed reactions.
Tang Shen, however, found it rather intriguing. "The Su family’s marriage pressure was likely genuine—Su Wenyun himself probably never expected his grandmother to show up in Shengjing. But being forced to kneel for an entire day and night… Does that really sound like something Su Wenyun would put up with?"
Tang Shen mused, "Regardless of the truth, this incident provided him the perfect excuse to leave the capital. He’ll likely be away until after the Spring Festival, neatly avoiding the storm that the three princes’ return will bring."
While Su Wenyun successfully made his exit, others were not as fortunate.
What Tang Shen didn’t know was that the day before Su Wenyun’s departure, a memorial from Youzhou had arrived at the emperor’s desk. It was submitted by Wang Zhen, the Senior Grand Secretary of the Left, who detailed the arduous nature of the Silver Pull Division’s operations, emphasizing that its tasks could not be accomplished overnight nor by a single individual. The underlying message was clear—he was subtly requesting the emperor to send additional manpower, specifically Tang Shen, to Youzhou to assist with the Division’s work.
Zhao Fu was well aware of the close relationship between Wang Zhen and Tang Shen. The final line of the memorial even contained a personal note expressing how deeply Wang Zhen missed Tang Shen—words that only a favored minister could say to an emperor, unintelligible to outsiders but fully understood by Zhao Fu.
Unfazed, the emperor skimmed through the beautifully written memorial and replied with a single phrase:
"I am aware."
That very day, Zhao Fu appointed Yu Chaosheng, Xu Linghou, and others to Youzhou—but not Tang Shen.
When Tang Shen later heard about Wang Zhen’s request, he immediately grasped the implications. His heart warmed at Wang Zhen’s concern. In response, he penned a succinct letter to Youzhou, quoting an old poem:
"May you worry less,
as green plums ripen beyond the western window.
Let the golden autumn rain pass,
so we may meet in joy and peace."
Once the letter was sent, Tang Shen fell into deep thought, pondering Zhao Fu’s true intentions.
As Right Deputy Imperial Censor of the Silver Pull Division, it was only logical for him to be sent to assist Wang Zhen. Yet, the emperor had deliberately kept him in the capital while sending others in his stead.
As winter deepened and thick clouds hung over Shengjing, Tang Shen furrowed his brows.
The shifting tides of the imperial court meant little to common folk.
With the New Year approaching, Aunt Yao and Tang Huang had been busy stocking up on festival goods, decorating their home with couplets. On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Yao San returned to Shengjing, bringing unexpected news:
"Little boss, the item you were looking for—it has been found in Liao!"
Tang Shen was astonished. "Truly?"
Yao San nodded. "Would I lie to you? At first, you said this material should be abundant in the north and might not even require venturing into Liao. But after searching for over a year, I never found enough of it—at most, only small amounts that were insufficient. I don’t understand why you need so much of it. The locals say it’s just a fuel source, mainly used for smelting iron. Is that really worth all this trouble?"
Tang Shen asked, "What do they call it?"
Yao San had long been accustomed to Tang Shen reading about something in ancient texts, not knowing its name, yet still insisting that he go and find it. He responded, "Locals refer to it as 'graphite.' It's completely black and quite hard, but I don't see why it's so important."
Tang Shen sighed in realization. "So, it’s called graphite… How fascinating." He chuckled. "Its significance is something even I do not fully grasp yet. Perhaps, in my lifetime, it will remain nothing more than a tool for smelting iron. Or perhaps, it will one day be as precious as gold."
Yao San was stunned. "That valuable?"
Tang Shen smiled. "This reminds me—when I first entered the court, I had a dream of the kind of official I wanted to become."
Yao San, “Little boss, what kind of official do you want to be? A high-ranking one, like Minister Wang, a first-rank official?”
Tang Shen’s gaze gradually calmed, and he let out an exasperated laugh. “Like Wang Zifeng? The Senior Grand Secretary of the Left? Or like Right Prime Minister Wang Quan, the Left and Right Prime Ministers, wielding immense power? A first-rank official... I’ve never really thought about it. Who would have known that on the day I placed third in the imperial examination, as I rode a fine steed through Xuanwu Gate, my eyes landed on Yuan Mu, Yuan daren.”
Yao San, “Who is Yuan daren?”
Tang Shen replied earnestly, “Minister of Works, Yuan Mu, Yuan daren.”
Yao San was taken aback. “Little boss, the position you most desire is Minister of Works?”
“It was just a thought I once had. Once you enter the court, what you can do and what the future holds are no longer up to you. Is it fate? No—it’s the ruler who decides.”
As Tang Shen reminisced, lost in thought, five carriages entered the capital through the western gate.
The Fifth Prince, Zhao Ji, was the first to return.
On the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Second Prince, Zhao Shang, also made the long journey back to Shengjing from Gusu.
That very day, Tang Shen feigned illness and stayed home, refusing all visitors.
The three princes, newly returned to the capital, were all anxious and uneasy, wary of making any rash moves. However, the emperor, absorbed in his prayers and Buddhist devotions, only met with them briefly. After asking a few casual questions—Have you been eating well? Staying warm?—he dismissed them without further concern.
The Fourth Prince, Zhao Jing, first visited Liu Quande, the Intendant of the Capital. As longtime friends, their meeting was natural and unremarkable. Using this visit as a test, Zhao Jing observed the emperor’s reaction. When Zhao Fu remained indifferent, he grew bolder and began visiting other officials. Seeing this, the other two princes also loosened their restraints, gradually reaching out to court figures.
By the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the night before New Year's Eve, the emperor hosted a grand banquet in Yanchun Pavilion with his ministers.
On New Year's Eve, the palace would hold a private family banquet attended only by the imperial clan. Thus, every year on the preceding night, the emperor dined with the officials in celebration.
Such a grand occasion left Tang Shen with no excuse to remain absent.
As night fell, hundreds of carriages lined up outside the palace gates like a long, winding, dragon. Officials clad in their formal robes dismounted and proceeded on foot into the palace. Any official of fourth rank or higher, regardless of their post, was entitled to attend the banquet at Yanchun Pavilion.
Walking along, Tang Shen recognized a few familiar faces among the officials, but most were strangers to him.
Palace ladies lit the lanterns, and beneath their glow, the three princes entered Yanchun Pavilion, each surrounded by their own people.