Chapter 910: Fengshan

Winter had arrived.

Generally speaking, winter held the greatest number of festivals, and their forms were the most varied as well.

The reason was simple.

After laboring for an entire year, Heaven finally showed enough mercy that most ordinary people could put aside work in the fields and rest with a clear conscience.

And if people were going to rest... naturally, they needed more entertainment to fill those days.

Fengxin City was somewhat different.

For one thing, the workshop districts outside the city continued operating through the winter.

This age did not yet possess the concept of a “sweatshop.”

Ordinary commoners—even Standard Household families—were extremely enthusiastic about sending able-bodied family members into workshops to earn wages.

Eastern Jin had not produced any so-called “sprouts of capitalism.”

After all, the dominant system here was still ownership by Prince Pingxi Residence.

But that also meant one thing: wages were not withheld.

At least... not so far.

One only had to look at the endless caravans still entering and leaving even after winter began, and at the wagons waiting to haul finished goods away, to understand that nobody believed these workshops would suddenly fail to pay.

On top of that, Prince Pingxi Residence had organized a number of construction projects after winter began, absorbing a great deal of labor.

This was not corvée conscription.

It was paid employment.

The Residence had money.

Real money.

Years of victories in foreign wars, together with the income from several treasuries, had once left the Residence genuinely worried that if it “spent” too much wealth too quickly, prices across eastern Jin might become distorted.

Now, with the silver mines in the Tianduan Mountains being excavated, coinage implemented, bond revenue flowing in, and bond issuance expanding... the Residence’s finances were extremely comfortable.

That financial abundance triggered a genuine “winter rush.”

Savages from the snowfields.

Refugees from Chu.

Even people from west of the Wang River.

Large-scale population inflows appeared from every direction.

After all, in the current age, with the idea that “all beneath Heaven belongs to the ruler,” compelling ordinary people to work was considered perfectly natural by most people in power.

To them, this was simply the obligation commoners owed the state.

Sometimes... the logic was little more than:

Why not use free labor if you have it?

The Blind Man once joked that future history books might record this year as the first true “migrant-worker wave.”

Absorbing outsiders had long been established policy.

Most people who came during winter were young and strong laborers.

The Residence naturally intended to settle them permanently.

Even if they arrived alone merely hoping to work a short-term job, leaving wives and children behind... the people below Prince Pingxi Residence had ways to make them stay.

Once spring came... their families could be persuaded to migrate over as well.

At the broader level, however, the Residence had begun restraining its impulse to “spray money everywhere.”

First... winter froze the ground.

It was not suitable for launching too many large construction projects.

Second... there was a brutally practical problem.

Building workshops.

Expanding commerce.

Following all the classic routes every transmigrator loved... certainly felt wonderful.

But eastern Jin’s population, while growing continuously through refugee absorption, still remained a finite number.

If too many people left agriculture for other industries during a given period... what happened to the fields?

And the harsher question was even simpler.

Once everyone saw how profitable this was... what if few people wanted to farm the following year?

Eastern Jin needed grain.

Not merely enough to feed itself.

It also had to stockpile for future wars.

During the last campaign beyond South Gate Pass, the Yan army had indeed achieved astonishing results.

But because logistics were so difficult and supplies so inadequate...

Great Yan had only achieved battlefield victories.

It had failed to convert those victories into actual territorial expansion.

After fighting... the army still had to come home.

At the root of the problem... there had not been enough grain.

And for eastern Jin, absorbing more population also meant consuming more grain.

By the same logic, that meant more labor had to be returned to the fields the following year.

The contradiction was obvious.

If eastern Jin were merely one peaceful region in Great Yan’s interior... if it had no external threats and no need to support war... then it could simply develop commerce and industry in peace.

In the worst case, it could become a giant milk cow supplying the central court.

But unfortunately... the Emperor and Prince Pingxi had already reached an understanding.

Eastern Jin received the highest possible degree of autonomy.

In practice... it was almost a state within a state.

At the same time, precisely because Great Yan itself needed to recuperate, the court had stopped providing eastern Jin with grain, military pay, and military equipment.

Unless war actually broke out... the central court would no longer send regular support.

...

“Heh. Back when I studied history, I always thought ‘emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce’ was idiotic. Turns out the idiot was me.”

Zheng Fan looked at the stack of memorials before him containing plans for the coming year and sighed.

“Grain is the foundation,” the Blind Man said.

“Yes.”

Zheng Fan nodded.

“Over all these years, the only campaign we ever fought with genuinely abundant supplies was that year when we simultaneously marched south against Qian and opened Jin. Even then, it was only because the late Emperor had trampled the hereditary clans and plundered so much wealth from them. After that... every major war Great Yan fought was fought with its belt pulled tight.”

Zheng Fan took a sip of tea.

He continued:

“South of Zhennan Pass. South of South Gate Pass. South of Nanwang City. We’ve fought so much in these places that they’ve all become frontiers where the two sides’ influence overlaps. That means when the next true war of annihilation begins, we probably won’t be able to feed ourselves off the enemy anymore. It will come down to national strength. Logistics. Grain.”

“Yes,” the Blind Man agreed.

“All right. In any case, you and Siniang are handling all this coordination and planning. That means I can relax.”

The Blind Man smiled faintly.

One man was used to being a hands-off boss.

The other was used to having everything dumped onto him.

They had both become accustomed to it.

At that moment, Xiao Yibo entered and reported:

“Your Highness, everything at home has been arranged.”

“Good. Then let’s leave.”

“This subordinate will not accompany Master,” the Blind Man said as he stood. “The plan for next year must be finalized in detail during this period.”

This would be their first formal Five-Year Plan.

It was meant to prepare for the coming war of unification.

The targets were high.

The burden enormous.

There could be no carelessness.

“Fine. You’ve worked hard.”

“Master overstates it.”

The Blind Man withdrew.

Zheng Fan returned to his principal courtyard.

With Siniang’s help, he changed into a purple python robe.

The court naturally had standardized python robes made for Prince Pingxi.

Formal court attire.

Daily official robes.

Several sets of each.

Zheng Fan almost never wore them.

He generally wore the robes Siniang embroidered for him personally.

Were they technically overstepping the proper regulations?

Of course.

Siniang’s designs carried a number of distinctive aesthetic touches.

But Prince Pingxi had been arrogant and overbearing for so many years that nobody was going to pick a fight over something this trivial.

Siniang herself was extremely busy.

But tomorrow was the children’s Grasping of Fortune ceremony.

Today... they needed to pray for blessings.

As the child’s mother...

Siniang naturally had to participate.

Before long... everything was ready.

Brocade-Clad personal guards cleared the way.

A massive carriage belonging exclusively to Prince Pingxi Residence rolled out through the Residence gates.

The carriage was enormous.

It had been converted from a mobile command carriage.

The front could be used for work.

The rear could be used for rest.

Naturally... it could hold a great many people.

Pixiu, the Prince’s mount, pulled from the front together with more than ten of his horse brothers.

The formation looked magnificent.

And every single one of those horse brothers... was white.

Not one cheap, gaudy black horse among them.

The entire household of Prince Pingxi Residence sat inside the carriage.

Zheng Fan occupied the chief seat.

To his right sat Siniang.

In her arms was their son.

The Demon Kings had finally agreed on his formal name:

Zheng Lin.

As the biological father, Zheng Fan was quite satisfied.

One character.

Simple.

Clean.

Not flashy.

As for a childhood name... they would call him Lin’er.

It could also be heard as “little qilin.”

Xue San had tried suggesting “Dog Egg.”

Demon Child responded by beating him again.

Other places might believe cheap names made children easier to raise.

Prince Pingxi Residence did not.

Any child growing up in an environment like this... had better possess a fate tough enough to carry a proper name.

To Zheng Fan’s left sat Xiong Liqing, holding Big Girl.

Below her sat Liu Ruqing.

Below Siniang sat the Sword Saint’s wife.

The Sword Saint’s son was already old enough to stagger around on his own feet.

Even so, his mother still held him.

She did not dare let him run around and disturb everyone.

At the outermost positions on both sides of the carriage... sat Tian Tian and Ji Chuanye.

One was His Highness the Heir Prince Jingnan.

The other...

His Highness the Crown Prince of Great Yan.

Like two little door gods.

Only inside Prince Pingxi Residence could an arrangement like this possibly exist.

Even the Crown Prince no longer felt he had lost dignity by being seated this way.

He had long since become accustomed to the strange atmosphere of the household.

Outside the carriage rode Chen Xianba, Zheng Man, Liu Dahu, the Sword Saint, and Xu Chuang.

Farther out...

Brocade-Clad personal guards formed a dense protective cordon.

Once the procession left the city, additional escort troops would join them.

As the entire princely household traveled out, commoners lining both sides of Fengxin City’s roads dropped to their knees in worship.

Originally, many households had wanted to set up incense tables.

Zheng Fan worried the smoke might bother the children.

So he had ordered the streets “cleared” in advance.

In this case... the road was truly cleared.

The people were not.

The commoners were enthusiastic.

The Prince had to emerge from time to time and wave.

Siniang and Xiong Liqing also occasionally carried the children out to show themselves.

A blessing ceremony... appeared to be conducted for Heaven.

In truth... it was still performed for living people.

Heaven was too far away.

The people... were directly beneath your feet.

Only after the procession traveled a long way beyond the city did the accompanying crowds gradually thin.

Putting on a show... was genuinely tiring.

Soon, tea and refreshments were brought into the carriage.

Everyone began eating a little.

Big Girl could already eat some pastries.

Xiong Liqing broke them into small pieces and fed her carefully.

Siniang fed Zheng Lin as well.

He was younger than Big Girl.

But there was no concern about digestion.

A baby born already at Ninth Grade was hardly going to suffer indigestion.

The problem was...

Zheng Lin had clearly been fed alcohol by A’Ming before.

He liked food with flavor.

The pastries in Prince Pingxi Residence’s rear household were relatively mild.

They were not coated with thick layers of frosting the way pastries outside often were.

So Zheng Lin resisted.

Put a piece in his mouth... and he deliberately spat it back out.

Then look at Big Girl.

One bite offered.

One bite eaten.

And every so often... she rewarded you with a brilliant smile.

What a sensible daughter.

This son... really...

Mm.

Siniang was starting to get annoyed too.

Nobody in this world was truly omnipotent.

Siniang was outstanding at business and administration.

But when it came to motherhood... her practical experience ended with successfully giving birth.

Maternal affection.

Care.

Parent-child bonding.

Did she understand them?

Of course.

But her understanding was much like Zheng Fan casually spouting grand principles and somehow causing the Sword Saint to achieve enlightenment.

She understood the theory.

That was all.

The child on the other side behaved so obediently.

The one in her arms acted so troublesome.

He had embarrassed his mother.

Worse... he had irritated her.

Siniang raised her left hand.

A silver needle appeared between her fingers.

She slowly waved it before Zheng Lin’s face.

“...” Zheng Lin.

Zheng Fan saw the scene from where he sat.

His eyelid twitched.

Very soon...

Zheng Lin began eating with astonishing obedience.

Pastry offered?

He ate pastry.

Tea offered?

He drank tea.

Perfectly well behaved.

The journey was not far.

Only about half a day.

Before long... they reached their destination.

A mountain stood there.

Compared with the endless Tianduan Mountains... the mountain called Mount Feiyuan was more like a large mound of earth.

Still... it at least looked vaguely like a mountain.

An imperial envoy had already been waiting there.

The man leading the delegation was an old acquaintance:

Eunuch Huang.

And among Eunuch Huang’s party... was the entire household of Prince Fu Residence.

After the last war ended and the army returned to South Gate Pass, Zheng Fan had gone directly back to eastern Jin to accompany the Princess through childbirth.

Afterward, he had traveled to Snow Sea Pass and Zhennan Pass to reclaim military authority.

Then he returned again for Siniang’s childbirth.

Round and round... quite a bit of time had passed.

Prince Fu Residence, meanwhile, had remained at South Gate Pass for a long while.

The reason was ritual.

For Zhao Yuannian to submit internally, he first had to memorialize Great Yan from South Gate Pass in his capacity as a Qian vassal prince, requesting permission to enter Great Yan’s allegiance.

Then the Yan Emperor and Ministry of Rites had to formally reply... asking him to reconsider.

Zhao Yuannian then had to submit another memorial.

This one expressed his unwavering determination to submit.

The Emperor and Ministry of Rites, left with “no choice,” could then reluctantly agree.

Only after that could Zhao Yuannian’s household travel to Yanjing and receive formal rewards.

In truth...

Prince Fu Residence no longer possessed any real fief.

It was simply one family coming over to surrender.

But the war was finished.

Everyone had time.

So... why not follow the full ritual?

Great Yan needed the ceremony.

It demonstrated that Heaven’s Mandate had returned to Great Yan.

That the fortune of All Xia lay with Yan.

Ji Old Sixth needed it too.

Since taking the throne, he had first inherited the benefit left by his father—the destruction of the Barbarian Royal Court.

Now a vassal prince of Qian had voluntarily submitted to him.

Future histories already possessed plenty of material for praise.

As for Zhao Yuannian... he had no other option.

He could only obediently accompany everyone through the entire performance.

In the end, Ji Old Sixth probably knew about the relationship between the Princess Consort of Prince Fu and Zheng Fan.

So while retaining Zhao Yuannian’s title as Commandery Prince Fu of Great Yan... the Emperor also assigned him a small county near Fengxin City as his nominal fief.

The map the Emperor used was probably an old one.

In reality... years of war had devastated eastern Jin so thoroughly that nine houses out of ten had once stood empty.

Most of the old counties and population centers had long since become wasteland.

Prince Pingxi Residence had since replanned the region almost from scratch.

It was entirely possible the so-called fief granted to Prince Fu Residence was already covered with workshops... or had already been divided into farmland.

The Emperor understood that perfectly well.

He did not care.

The fief was symbolic.

The main purpose was simply to provide a respectable excuse to send Zhao Yuannian... or rather, Zhao Yuannian’s mother... right to the doorstep of that bastard surnamed Zheng.

Ji Old Sixth had even written Zheng Fan a private letter halfway through the process.

One might call it a secret decree.

He specifically marked it for Prince Pingxi’s personal opening.

Because the Emperor knew that sometimes letters addressed to Zheng Fan... were not actually read or answered by Zheng Fan himself!

The Blind Man delivered the letter marked “personal.”

Inside...

Ji Old Sixth was unbelievably filthy.

Yes.

Even Prince Pingxi had not expected that after becoming Emperor, Ji Old Sixth could still act this shameless when he wanted to.

The Emperor actually asked in the letter whether Prince Jin might also miss his homeland.

Should he perhaps grant Prince Jin a fief in eastern Jin too?

Naturally, this was not an attempt to plant political nails.

Two powerless vassal princes tossed into eastern Jin... right under Zheng Fan’s eyes... could hardly create any trouble.

Back when Zheng Fan had not even been a Prince, he had already slapped around Prince Cheng Residence whenever he felt like it.

Ji Old Sixth’s meaning was simple.

Since you’re already taking in the Princess Consort of Prince Fu... how about taking in the Princess Dowager of Prince Jin too?

I’ll do you another favor.

Fortunately...

Zheng Fan was not that ridiculous.

He directly mocked the Emperor in his reply.

The Princess Consort of Prince Fu was different.

Zheng Fan had promised her.

Zhao Yuannian had also done useful work for him.

The woman herself had served him before.

If she wanted to stay... then she ought to stay.

As for the Princess Dowager of Prince Jin... forget it.

Prince Jin Yu Ciming himself would probably have been delighted if the arrangement succeeded.

But was Prince Pingxi really that kind of man?

And now... when the procession of Prince Pingxi Residence reached the foot of Mount Feiyuan... the first man to come offer greetings was not Eunuch Huang with the imperial decree.

It was Prince Fu, Zhao Yuannian.

Zhao Yuannian stopped outside the carriage.

The Princess Consort of Prince Fu entered first.

The moment she climbed aboard and saw the entire household gathered inside... she became visibly nervous.

She knelt immediately.

Not a trace of airs remained.

“Greetings to all my elder sisters.”

Liu Ruqing stood first and moved aside to avoid receiving the full salute.

Xiong Liqing held her child and said nothing.

The Prince sat there.

To claim he felt absolutely no awkwardness would have been a lie.

After all... in front of his wives and children... the pretty widow he had abducted from outside had now arrived.

A man had to feel at least a little embarrassed.

The happiest person present, however... was Siniang.

The rear residence of Prince Pingxi Residence was nominally the Prince’s.

In practice... it belonged far more to Siniang.

And Siniang possessed tremendous enthusiasm for collecting “sisters” who came with various noble titles.

Holding Zheng Lin, Siniang stood.

She smiled.

“Aiyo. Little Sister, you finally made it.”

“We were delayed on the road. Elder Sister, please forgive me.”

“Now that you’ve entered this household, we’re family. There aren’t many rules in the rear residence. Scheme against each other if you like. Fight for favor if you like. Fight for authority if you like. It’s wonderfully free.”

“Heh-heh. Elder Sister is right,” Xiong Liqing said with a smile.

“Little Sister, rise.”

“Thank you, Elder Sister.”

The Princess Consort stood.

Then...

Siniang immediately handed Zheng Lin into her arms.

“We’ve been waiting for you to come help raise the children.”

“...” the Princess Consort.

Zheng Fan coughed lightly.

“All right. From now on, we’re family.”

He did not say anything about having her live over at Prince Fu Residence while he visited when convenient.

He simply placed her directly into his household.

The censors at court would probably have no objection.

They would be thrilled if Prince Pingxi behaved like this every single day.

The more beastly and licentious he appeared... the happier they would be to believe he was losing popular and scholarly support.

“Let’s go pray.”

...

The Prince stepped out of the carriage.

Tian Tian held Ji Chuanye’s hand and followed beside him.

Looking at the mountain, Ji Chuanye seemed puzzled.

“This mountain isn’t high at all. It’s very ordinary.”

He could not understand why Godfather had chosen such an unknown mountain for the blessing ceremony.

Tian Tian recited something the Blind Man had taught him long ago:

“Little Brother, a mountain need not be high. If an immortal dwells there, it becomes famed.”

He did not recite the second half.

Ji Chuanye immediately nodded.

“Big Brother is right. It may be an ordinary mountain today, but after Godfather comes here to pray, naturally it will become a famous scenic place in the future.”

Soon afterward... with Eunuch Huang accompanying him, Prince Pingxi led his family up Mount Feiyuan.

An altar had been prepared at the summit.

The blessing ceremony began.

It was solemn... but not extravagant.

The Prince held a wine vessel.

He offered three libations.

“The first... to the founding of Great Xia, when the Three Marquises opened the frontiers and shaped the magnificent realm of All Xia.”

“The second... to the late Emperor, Prince Jingnan, and Prince Zhenbei, who forged the vast momentum of Great Yan.”

“The third... to every loyal warrior of every people who has followed this Prince since Hutou City and died for this Prince. May your heroic souls rest in peace.”

The blessing ceremony ended.

As everyone prepared to descend the mountain...

Eunuch Huang stepped forward with a smile and offered a suggestion.

From this day onward, the mountain would become famous because Prince Pingxi had prayed upon it.

Why not take the opportunity to bestow a new name?

Ordinarily speaking... only the Son of Heaven possessed the authority to rename mountains and rivers.

To do so implied rewriting the registers of the local mountain and river gods.

But Eunuch Huang did not believe the Prince before him lacked that qualification.

Nor did he believe His Majesty would become angry upon hearing about it.

Prince Pingxi listened to the suggestion.

Then... he stared at Eunuch Huang for a long time.

So long that Eunuch Huang’s scalp began to prickle.

He almost wondered whether he had said something terribly wrong.

Then... the Prince burst into loud laughter.

He ordered brush, ink, paper, and inkstone prepared.

He left a piece of calligraphy.

Then he ordered the inscription carved into stone and erected at the summit.

The mountain was formally renamed.

From this day forward...

Mount Feiyuan would be called...

Mount Tai.

[End of Chapter 910]