Chapter 396: Surnamed Ji

A round of discussion had just ended inside the imperial study.

The Emperor of Yan had spoken very little. The Crown Prince presided, while the ministers of the various ministries and the senior officials of the relevant offices were all present. In the farthest corner sat Ji Chengjue, nominally serving in the Ministry of Revenue’s Observe Affairs post.

There was no helping it. The previous Minister of Revenue had fallen. The court then appointed a new, highly respected elder statesman to the post—only for an old case to surface at exactly the wrong moment: years ago, while drunk, he had killed one of his concubines.

Ordinarily, that was not even considered some enormous affair. For a powerful senior official of the current dynasty, quietly killing a concubine inside his own household or executing a servant who had committed some offense was hardly unheard of. As long as the aftermath was handled cleanly, the matter usually ended there.

Who could have imagined that three years later, just as word spread that this dignitary was about to be nominated by the court to serve as acting Minister of Revenue, the dead concubine’s family and relatives would gather several dozen people, march to the Yanjing Prefecture yamen, beat the grievance drum, and demand justice?

The case immediately caused an uproar throughout the capital. The official then fell ill. Whether the illness was genuine or convenient, nobody knew. In any case, he stopped attending court.

The Emperor of Yan issued a decree ordering an Imperial Physician to visit and treat him first, while the relevant authorities were instructed to continue investigating the case.

And so the grand Ministry of Revenue of the Great Yan Dynasty had been left without anyone in its chief seat even now. Yet strangely enough, all its work continued in perfect order. In fact, the ministry ran considerably better than it had before.

Every man sitting in that room was an old fox who had survived years of storms in officialdom. How could they fail to understand who stood behind the successive downfalls of both Ministers of Revenue?

At the same time, they were quietly astonished by the Sixth Prince. For years he had shown neither mountain nor water, behaving almost like an idle prince content to live freely and enjoy himself. Yet the moment he received the assignment to Observe Affairs at the Ministry of Revenue, his behavior changed completely. He became hard, forceful, and aggressive.

Political struggle was political struggle, but even political struggle had rules. Digging through old dirt and reopening buried cases like this was equivalent to tearing away the last layer of courtesy and destroying the tacit understandings that normally held court politics together.

Both attacks had also been exceptionally fierce—and rather dirty. Tactics like these made it easy for the entire court to isolate you.

After all, how many men in officialdom truly had clean histories white as fresh snow?

But the Emperor of Yan had never spoken about the matter. And the Sixth Prince’s identity was special. He was an imperial prince, the Emperor’s own son. The Emperor could knead and beat his son however he pleased. He was both sovereign and father.

The ministers, however, were outsiders. Did you truly want to help the Emperor discipline his son? Did you truly want to stick your hands into the Ji family’s domestic affairs?

In earlier years, perhaps certain ministers really would have dared. But the present Emperor’s authority now towered too high. Nobody dared casually reach out and stroke the tiger’s whiskers.

Today’s discussion concerned commercial taxation.

From beginning to end, the Sixth Prince—the man who should logically have been speaking most—said not one word. Instead, the Crown Prince argued strongly in favor of implementing the policy.

At the root of it, almost every large merchant caravan had powerful nobles standing behind it. A caravan capable of conducting long-distance trade on a truly large scale was either directly raised by some noble household or had grown large enough to seek a powerful patron voluntarily.

Commercial taxation therefore meant cutting flesh directly from those people.

But the Great Yan Dynasty was no longer the age when great clans stood everywhere. These days, if the Ji family wanted to do something, everyone else could only pinch their noses and accept it.

To phrase it politely, the Ji family had summoned everyone to discuss affairs of state.

To put it plainly, the Ji family was informing them what would happen.

Unhappy?

Endure it.

Still unhappy?

Then die.

At last, the discussion ended.

The Emperor of Yan lifted his tea and took a sip.

“Crown Prince. Sixth. Stay behind.”

The ministers immediately bowed and withdrew.

Very quickly, the imperial study became quiet.

Wei Zhonghe personally stepped forward and replaced the tea before the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Sixth Prince. Then even he left the room and took up position outside the door.

The Crown Prince lifted his cup and drank slowly. One could tell that he seemed to be imitating the Emperor’s movements when he drank tea.

Ji Chengjue, meanwhile, rested his cup on his knee and wore an expression so harmless that no man or beast could possibly feel threatened.

“Sixth Brother,” the Crown Prince began, “the money and grain the Ministry of Revenue has been sending to Snow Sea Pass has been generous to an excessive degree. This Crown Prince has heard that certain generals below are deeply dissatisfied.”

Plenty of people knew about this matter. Such enormous quantities of money and grain were being transported across an immense distance. This was not one cart or two. Hiding it from anyone who seriously wanted to know was impossible.

So the Crown Prince had to bring it up.

He was Crown Prince, master of the Eastern Palace, foundation of the state. If his own younger brother was privately currying favor with a frontier commander and he sat there like a turtle with his head buried in its shell, saying nothing, then what sort of useless Crown Prince would he be?

Concealing one’s strength and biding one’s time did not mean hiding like that.

For an imperial prince to form private ties with frontier commanders was one of the greatest taboos imaginable.

The Crown Prince had assumed that, after hearing the accusation in front of Father Emperor, his Sixth Brother would immediately kneel in terror, beg forgiveness, and offer a long list of explanations to excuse himself.

Instead, Ji Chengjue merely raised his head slightly, looked at him, and asked with genuine puzzlement:

“Oh? Which general is dissatisfied?”

“...”

The Crown Prince was caught completely off guard.

Was the important point really which particular general had voiced dissatisfaction?

The actual issue was obviously that Ji Chengjue favored Snow Sea Pass and was openly showing goodwill to Count Pingye!

The phrase “certain generals are dissatisfied” was much like the court censors and ministers constantly claiming to “petition on behalf of the people” or declaring that “popular resentment is boiling,” as though they genuinely spent every day living among commoners and listening to their voices. Statements like those could not survive close examination.

More importantly, any dissatisfied general would almost certainly have to be stationed somewhere in Jin territory.

And given Count Pingye’s relationship with the Marquis of Jingnan, who would dare say such a thing?

Even if someone truly dared, then fine. Let him stand up and own the words.

Name him.

Bring him forward.

Then everyone could watch how the Marquis of Jingnan dealt with this deeply dissatisfied general.

The Emperor of Yan remained silent in the chief seat, merely working the last few tea leaves between his lips and teeth.

“Sixth Brother, what exactly do you mean by that?” the Crown Prince demanded.

Ji Chengjue smiled.

“Second Brother, Count Pingye once saved this younger brother’s life. Just treat it as me repaying that favor. Will that do?”

“The state’s vital resources cannot be used to repay private favors!” the Crown Prince rebuked.

Ji Chengjue nodded, rose, and formally saluted the Crown Prince.

“Replying to Your Highness the Crown Prince: supplies for the various garrisons in Jin territory come from three sources. One portion is issued by the court, one portion by Yingdu, and one portion is raised locally.

“In the first half of this year, the money and grain Yingdu sent to Snow Sea Pass were also issued in full.”

This was something the Marquis of Jingnan had promised Zheng Fan from the beginning.

“Sixth Brother, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“This younger brother wishes to say that Your Highness the Crown Prince is correct: military supplies and provisions are vital instruments of the state, and the matter is of enormous consequence. The supplies issued from Yingdu are personally allocated by the Marquis of Jingnan, supreme commander of the Eastern Expedition Army.

“Military affairs are not children playing house. Nor are they the opening of granaries to relieve disaster victims, where everyone receives an equal share of rain and dew beneath the sovereign’s benevolence.

“Different garrisons are stationed in different regions. They shoulder different responsibilities and face different enemies. How can they possibly be treated identically?

“Snow Sea Pass guards against the savages to the north and Chu to the south. One Strategic Pass stabilizes the entire situation in eastern Jin for the Great Yan Dynasty. If its military supplies are insufficient and its money and grain inadequate, then when the savages rise again and Chu enters once more, is Great Yan supposed to fight another Eastern Expedition?

“Your Highness the Crown Prince—you do not understand military affairs.

“So please stop pointing fingers at them.”

“You say this Crown Prince does not understand military affairs. And you do, Sixth Brother? Is that what you mean?”

“This younger brother does not understand them.”

“Then you—”

“But this younger brother does not speak recklessly about them.”

“...”

The Crown Prince.

*I don’t understand warfare, but at least I keep my damned mouth shut.*

Ji Chengjue continued:

“The allocations this younger brother makes basically follow the military-supply proportions issued from Yingdu. Since the Marquis of Jingnan believes Snow Sea Pass should receive its full quota, then this younger brother simply follows the Marquis’s judgment.

“If Your Highness the Crown Prince believes you understand the situation in Jin better than the Marquis of Jingnan, and understand military affairs better than he does, then please issue your instructions.

“This younger brother—would not dare disobey.”

“You...” the Crown Prince began.

“Enough.”

The Emperor of Yan finally spoke.

The Crown Prince and Ji Chengjue knelt at the same time.

“I kept the two of you behind because I wanted to discuss affairs, not listen to you quarrel.”

“This son knows his crime.”

“This son knows his crime.”

The Emperor reached out and picked up a memorial. It concerned draft banks and had been submitted by Ji Chengjue several days earlier.

The Emperor had already read it. Originally, he intended to keep both sons behind and discuss the regulations in the memorial with them privately.

But after lifting it, he eventually set it back down again.

“Get out.”

“This son takes his leave.”

“This son takes his leave.”

The brothers left the imperial study. When they passed the small pond in the Imperial Garden, the Crown Prince spoke first.

“If anything is still lacking for the wedding, tell Second Brother.”

“Thank you, Second Brother. Nothing is lacking.”

Because there was almost nothing to begin with.

A prince’s wedding was normally a major state affair. Under precedent, a senior minister would always be appointed to lead the preparations.

For example, during the Crown Prince’s previous wedding, the Emperor of Yan had ordered Chief Minister Zhao Jiulang to oversee everything. Even the First Prince’s marriage to the Barbarian Princess, though intentionally low-key, had formally been led by the Minister of Rites.

But when Ji Chengjue’s turn came, the arrangements were placed under an Assistant Director from the Ministry of Rites.

The man’s surname was Chen. His background carried some old connection to the former great clans. So although he had not been purged, he had been sent long ago to warm a cold bench.

At a prince’s wedding, both the state treasury and the imperial household treasury would normally provide money for expenses.

Compared with the amount discussed for the Crown Prince’s previous wedding, the funds allocated for Ji Chengjue’s wedding amounted to less than one tenth.

In fact, not even one twentieth.

Then there was housing.

The princes’ residence was essentially a collective dormitory where imperial sons lived before establishing their own households.

The First Prince had already been granted another residence inside Yanjing, close to the imperial palace. The Crown Prince had moved into the Eastern Palace.

Ji Chengjue’s wedding date had already been fixed.

Yet nobody had even mentioned a separate residence for him.

Large or small, good or bad, near or far—there had not been so much as a whisper.

If Count Zheng were here and heard about it, he would definitely laugh at Little Sixth: *So after you get married, you’re bringing your wife and child back to live in the factory dormitory?*

That was why, when the Crown Prince took the posture of an elder brother and asked what he lacked, Ji Chengjue replied that he lacked nothing.

Sometimes when you have nothing at all there really is nothing left to lack.

“You’re grown now, Sixth Brother. You’re starting a household. You should act with greater steadiness.”

“This younger brother understands.”

The two exchanged a few more lukewarm words. Then the Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, while Ji Chengjue continued out through the southern gate and climbed into the carriage personally driven by Eunuch Zhang.

The carriage swayed.

Shadows shifted.

Once inside, Ji Chengjue picked up a towel prepared beforehand and carefully wiped his face.

“The Crown Prince mentioned Snow Sea Pass’s money and grain in front of Father Emperor today,” Ji Chengjue said as he tossed the towel into the washbasin.

“Master, the Crown Prince is getting anxious. For him to raise the matter personally was a little too obvious.”

As Crown Prince and master of the Eastern Palace, if he personally handled every confrontation, then what use were the ministers and hounds who had attached themselves to him?

Charging forward himself looked crisp and direct.

But in truth it damaged the dignity of the heir apparent.

Ji Chengjue shook his head.

“He did it deliberately. He was reminding Father Emperor that I am close to Zheng Fan, and that my own wedding is about to happen. The wedding between him and the Commandery Princess was interrupted before, so now it should be placed back on the schedule as well.”

“This slave was foolish.”

Eunuch Zhang immediately admitted his mistake. Earlier, he had been too focused on mocking the Crown Prince before his master and had failed to taste the deeper meaning behind the move.

“Have all the arrangements been made?” Ji Chengjue asked.

“They have, Master. Only...”

“Only what?”

“Master, are we truly going to turn over every card in our hand at once? Would that not be...”

“Zhang.”

“This slave is here.”

“Ever since I returned to the capital this time, I told you I had no road of retreat left.

“In the past, Father Emperor could cut and beat away the people around me because there was no one beside me whom I absolutely could not abandon.

“But now—

“I am going to be a father.”

“Master, the child in Madam’s belly is still His Majesty’s grandchild.”

“The imperial house has no affection.”

“Yes, Master.”

“So we gamble.

“We gamble that the ruler of Qian and the Regent of Chu are not easy men to deal with.

“This wedding is the perfect excuse.

“We turn everything over and let him see.

“The old man himself wants to look.

“Then let him look.”

“Oh, right, Master. Someone from Count Pingye’s residence has arrived. His name is Fan Li.”

“Fan Li? Heh. I’ve long heard that Zheng Fan has a man called Fan Li beneath him—equally accomplished in letters and martial affairs and exceptionally skilled at schemes. He has quite the reputation in the jianghu.

“Where is he?”

“At the residence.”

“Good. Return to the residence. Zheng Fan sent the man himself, so I should at least meet him personally.”

Stories about Fan Li, one of Count Zheng’s great generals, had circulated through the jianghu for a long time already.

There were many versions.

“Your Highness and Count Pingye have not seen each other in quite some time either, have you?” Eunuch Zhang asked.

The last time Eunuch Zhang had gone to Litian City under orders, the Marquis of Jingnan’s wife had just suffered disaster. Zheng Fan arrived one day later with Tian Wujing, so Eunuch Zhang had seen him then.

“I envy him,” Ji Chengjue said. “Forget all that talk about savages on one side and Chu watching like a tiger on the other. That place of his truly is where the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away. He lives freely.

“Now he has freedom.

“And I still have to remain trapped in this capital.

“Sometimes I think about it and feel genuinely cheated.”

“Master wishes to go to Snow Sea Pass?”

Ji Chengjue shook his head.

“Why would I go to Snow Sea Pass?

“To create some grand tale of brothers joining hands?

“Hehehe.

“Then in the future—whose surname will this realm bear?

“Ji?

“Or Zheng?”

...

Inside the imperial study, the Emperor of Yan continued holding the memorial concerning draft banks.

Wei Zhonghe stood beside him grinding ink and pretended not to notice.

“Back then, the Min Clan once proposed to the late Emperor that Great Yan establish official draft banks. The late Emperor rejected it. I never expected my son to raise the idea again.”

The Emperor paused.

“Wei Zhonghe.

“Tell me.

“Do merchants everywhere always believe themselves far cleverer than everyone else?

“Do they always assume the people around them are fools?”

“Your Majesty, His Sixth Highness surely would not dare harbor such a meaning.”

“He wouldn’t dare? Heh. In the past, perhaps he did not dare. Now he has become harder than anyone.”

“Your Majesty, this slave has heard that some regions of Qian also use things like these. The locals call them **jiaozi**. When people conduct trade there, they save themselves quite a few difficulties.”

The Emperor of Yan shook his head.

“This thing—

“I cannot use it.

“At least, not for now.

“I have only just trampled the great clans flat. I have no desire to see Great Yan fall into the hands of wealthy merchants and merchant magnates several decades from now.”

With that, the Emperor leaned slightly backward.

Wei Zhonghe’s hand paused over the inkstone.

“Your Majesty, men below have reported that many merchants have entered the capital recently. Even certain old men who had already withdrawn from affairs have returned to Yanjing.

“Among them are no small number of...”

“People of the Min Clan?”

Years ago, the Emperor of Yan had ordered the Marquis of Jingnan to lead troops and flatten the Min Clan. Inside the palace, Consort Min—the Sixth Prince’s birth mother—was thrown into the Cold Palace and, a month later, granted white silk with which to end her life.

The Min Clan had long since been exterminated under the charge of rebellion.

And precisely because the punishment had been personally decreed by the Emperor of Yan, the Min Clan could never be rehabilitated.

An emperor did not make mistakes.

“Replying to Your Majesty—remnants of the Min Clan.”

The Min Clan had been destroyed.

But outsiders might never understand how terrifying its wealth and power had once been.

On the surface, it had looked like an ordinary great clan.

But wealth could reach the gods.

Using silver and commercial interests as binding cords, the relationships the Min Clan created had formed an enormous and terrifying web.

If the old great clans spread across Yan had once controlled more than half the land and population of the state then the Min Clan had once controlled nearly half of all circulation and trade in Great Yan.

Yan–Chu.

Yan–Jin.

Yan–Qian.

Yan–Barbarian.

Even trade routes stretching all the way into the distant West.

Across those immense roads great merchant caravans flying the Min Clan’s banner could be found everywhere.

That was why, when Consort Min first entered the prince’s residence years ago, the Min Clan patriarch had dared offer such an absurdly extravagant dowry.

Never display your wealth openly.

The head of the Min Clan could not possibly have been ignorant of that principle.

He simply believed he had nothing to fear.

Unfortunately he misjudged the Emperor of Yan.

And he was not alone.

The great clans that had rooted themselves in Great Yan for centuries had all misjudged this Emperor.

“Your Majesty, these remnants of the Min Clan fail to recognize the vastness of imperial grace. This slave requests permission to mobilize the Secret Intelligence Department and—”

Mobilize the Secret Intelligence Department.

Purge the surviving Min remnants.

The Emperor raised one hand and interrupted him.

“Wei Zhonghe.”

“This slave is here.”

“Do you know why, back then, I ordered Wujing to destroy the Min Clan itself but never ordered a complete purge of every surviving Min remnant?”

A great mercantile family was not like an ordinary landed clan.

Destroying its ancestral household was like crushing a spider while ignoring the enormous web it had already woven.

The web and every knot tied across it were the true foundation.

“This slave is foolish. I ask Your Majesty to instruct me.”

“Because before—their surname was Min.”

The Emperor lifted his teacup and took a drink.

He slowly chewed several bits of tea leaf that entered his mouth with the liquid.

Then continued:

“Now—their surname is Ji.”

————

[End of Chapter 396]