Chapter 172: The Crown Princess

Virtually every Military Governor maintained a residence in the Eastern Capital, complete with property holdings, managed on a daily basis by their relatives, staff aides, or even household servants, so as to facilitate their entry into the capital for audiences, reporting duties, or any other activities.

Fu Yanqing, naturally, also had a mansion in the Eastern Capital—and a stately one that had stood for decades. From the Tang down to the present Han, generation after generation, the Fu clan had been treated with generous favor by those in power.

When he left the palace and returned to his residence, Fu Yanqing's face still bore a complexity visible to the naked eye. Shedding his heavy official robes and settling into his seat, he continued to mull things over. He was, of course, well aware of Liu Zhiyuan's intentions—at the founding of the state, this Great Han realm was far from stable, and a marriage alliance with the Fu clan was meant to shore up his regime.

As far as Fu Yanqing was concerned, being able to form a marriage tie with the Emperor was naturally something to welcome; there was no need and no reason to put on any affected display of reluctance. It was just that he had already betrothed his eldest daughter to Li Shouzhen's son—and, as luck would have it, the one Liu Zhiyuan had set his sights on was precisely that eldest daughter.

"Father, you're back." Amid his brooding, a clear, bright voice sounded at his ear.

He looked up and saw his eldest daughter appear before him in a gauze skirt, a gentle, refined smile hanging on her lovely features. Pretty, good-looking—that was merely the most basic qualification of the elder Lady Fu. It was that gentle confidence, that poised and graceful bearing, that was truly the most captivating.

"Mm!" Fu Yanqing acknowledged with a grunt.

The elder Lady Fu sat down unhurriedly, offered her father a cup of tea, and said with a serene, faint smile: "The Son of Heaven must hold Father in high regard and be doing everything to win you over."

Seeing his eldest daughter's keen intelligence, he could not help stroking his beard and replying: "Indeed! And not only that—he's also set a difficult problem before your father!"

The elder Lady Fu was somewhat surprised: "What difficult problem? Would the Emperor actually put Father in a difficult position?"

Looking at his eldest daughter's modest and quick-witted demeanor, Fu Yanqing found himself increasingly convinced that Li Shouzhen's son was unworthy of his young lady. Of course, had Liu Zhiyuan not suddenly pulled this move, he would likely have soon sent the elder Lady Fu off to Puzhou to be married.

Meeting his eldest daughter's curious gaze, Fu Yanqing said: "There is going to be a change in your marriage!"

A trace of astonishment spilled across her fair features, and then she asked with a hint of tension: "What happened? Could it be related to the Son of Heaven?"

This young lady was truly very clever, quick to react. Fu Yanqing lowered his head and took a sip of tea before speaking: "The Son of Heaven intends to make you the Crown Princess!"

The moment these words fell, the elder Lady Fu's face showed immediate astonishment, but she quickly recovered her composure, lowered her head, furrowed her delicate brows slightly, and sank into thought. Seeing her reaction, Fu Yanqing asked: "What are your thoughts?"

The elder Lady Fu raised her head, her expression already restored to calm: "Father probably finds it hard to refuse the Son of Heaven as well."

Fu Yanqing smiled bitterly: "The Emperor told your father to think it over carefully, but in truth he left not a shred of room for consideration!"

At this moment, they suddenly heard the elder Lady Fu murmur softly: "Your daughter has heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is brilliant and martial, upright and filial, praised by all the world......"

Hearing the elder Lady Fu say this, Fu Yanqing understood that this daughter of his was clearly more inclined toward Liu Chengyou. This was only natural—either way she was marrying someone; on one side was the son of a mere prefectural military governor, on the other a proper Crown Prince. Any woman would know which to choose, let alone the elder Lady Fu. Moreover, they seemingly had no room to choose anyway.

Fu Yanqing was not overly surprised by his eldest daughter's reaction. He had always known this girl to be ambitious, broad-minded, well-bred, and discerning. Both were men she had never met—compared to the Crown Prince Liu Chengyou, whose fame had spread across the realm, that worthless Li Chongxun had not the slightest point of comparison, no appeal whatsoever.

"The Emperor would rather forcibly dissolve a betrothal and invite criticism than give up matching you with the Crown Prince. I suspect that the words of that fortune-teller that day have already reached his ears!" Fu Yanqing said in a speculative tone: "Still, as things stand now, my daughter truly does have that destiny!"

Hearing Fu Yanqing say this, the elder Lady Fu also caught on, her delicate brows lifting as she said: "Then those Li Shouzhen and his son in Hezhong—are they not in great danger?"

"That is precisely why, though we are regional governors commanding our territories, we truly cannot act with reckless abandon. Now, the realm is increasingly moving toward unification and order; to contend against the imperial court is, in the end, an unwise move!" Fu Yanqing unexpectedly let out a sigh of reflection.

"As for Hezhong, your father will have to take the initiative and send a written notice to dissolve the betrothal. The one breaking the contract will have to be your father—after all, we can't really let the Emperor issue an edict......"

Toward the elder Lady Fu, Fu Yanqing was clearly very indulgent and trusting, even more so than toward his several sons; when there were important matters, he did not shy away from discussing them with her. Father and daughter chatted, and time passed quickly. A bit later, a servant came to report that His Highness the Crown Prince had come to call!

This startled both father and daughter considerably—he had come in person, was he really in that much of a hurry?

They hurried out to receive him. Liu Chengyou brought a pair of jade tablets as betrothal gifts, but when he proposed to betroth the Fu family's second daughter, Fu Yanqing was utterly dumbfounded, his expression shifting between shades, a faint anger at being toyed with rising within him.

However, what came next was even more outrageous—Liu Chengyou asked to see his future Crown Princess. This father-and-son pair of the Liu family, they had no regard for propriety at all!

Then, belatedly, Fu Yanqing realized that this Crown Prince actually wanted both sisters together, wanting his two daughters to emulate Ehuang and Nüying.

Still, on careful reflection, it seemed quite feasible. Two daughters—double insurance!

As for the first meeting with the elder Lady Fu, we won't pad it out, or else this chapter would be thoroughly padded out right here......

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On the ninth day of the first month, Liu Zhiyuan, who had been bedridden for a long time, appeared once more to hold court. He displayed a fairly decent complexion before the assembled ministers, but Liu Chengyou knew that his old father had applied some powder—it was just that the palace attendant who applied it was highly skilled, and ordinary eyes could not detect anything amiss.

Liu Zhiyuan held court not only to receive the ministers' homage but also to change his personal name to Liu Gao. After all, the characters "zhi" and "yuan" were far too common among officials, scholars, and commoners alike; all would have to observe naming taboos, which was truly too disruptive to the people. Of course, who knew—changing one's name might just change one's fortune.

However, Liu Zhiyuan's body truly could not hold out any longer. After managing state affairs for barely three days, he retired to convalesce once more, with Liu Chengyou again serving as regent.

During the three days the old Emperor governed, he issued only a single edict: Deputy Military Commissioners of all circuits and the two Administrative Assistants of the circuits were not permitted to make recommendations for appointment. Military Governors bearing the Chancellor-Governor title were permitted to recommend Secretaries, Fiscal Aides, and Circuit Judges; those without the Chancellor-Governor title were permitted to recommend Secretaries and Circuit Judges. Defense and Militia Commission Administrative Assistants, Military Administrative Assistants, and the like were permitted to make recommendations. For recommended prefectural and county officials: Military Governors with the Chancellor-Governor title could recommend three; those without, two; Defense Commissioners, Militia Commissioners, and Prefects, one.

This was a "restriction on appointments" edict, prompted by the fact that the realm's officials had become so numerous that incompetents often slipped in among them, and the military governors and army commanders of the various circuits and prefectures were wantonly promoting their own relatives and favorites.

Of course, this edict was still merely a statement of the court's attitude—the explicit decree was now on the books, and later, once the court found the energy, it could use this as the basis to purge those officials who did not conform to procedure and had not received the court's recognition. The precondition was that the Great Han court actually had the strength to do so; essentially, it would fall to Liu Chengyou to deal with the headache in the future.

"Your Highness, these people?" In the Hall of State Affairs, Chancellor Li Tao looked at a list Liu Chengyou had given him, his eyes showing hesitation.

In the two metropolitan areas of the Central Plains—the regions and prefectures under the court's direct control—there were still many substantive official posts unfilled, and the court intended to promote people to fill the vacancies. But where could one find so many people at once? Liu Chengyou was inclined to hold the imperial examinations, but that could not be accomplished overnight, so in the short term, internal promotion was the only option, and each minister had put forward some candidates.

With such an opportunity, Liu Chengyou naturally had to plant some people of his own......

"As for the officials listed above, Chancellor, you may have them investigated and promoted according to their abilities!" Liu Chengyou said candidly.

"Yes!"

These people Liu Chengyou had provided were the "white list" recorded in his little notebook over the past year or more. From Hedong to Luzhou, then to Chengde, all the way to the Eastern Capital and Yedu—just over twenty people in all. Perhaps none of them possessed world-shaking talents, but they could get things done. And in this world today, what was lacking was precisely people who could do solid work.

"Your Highness, there is news from Guanzhong!" Guo Wei came personally to report.

"Speak!" Liu Chengyou's spirits lifted greatly—since the start of the year, he had been focused almost entirely on the situation in Guanzhong.

"The Shu general Li Tinggui led troops to attack Ziwu Town, intending to strike at Chang'an. Wang Jun personally led cavalry in a flanking maneuver to their rear, and together with Jinchang Army Military Governor Zhao Kuangzan, they struck from both sides and routed the Shu army. Over two thousand heads were taken, and the Shu forces on the Ziwu Road collapsed in defeat!" Guo Wei reported: "The two Shu columns at Longzhou and Sanguan, upon hearing of the defeat, halted their advance and did not move. Fengxiang Military Governor Hou Yi has reported that he has closed his walls to hold against the Shu troops, but fearing his numbers are too few, he requests court support!"

"This is the most heartening news I have heard since the start of this year!" Liu Chengyou's expression could not hold; for once, joy showed plainly on his face.

"Fan Zhi!"

"At Your Highness's command!" Fan Zhi, who had already been transferred to the Hall of State Affairs by Liu Chengyou, responded immediately.

"Draft a commendation edict and send it to Guanzhong!"

"Yes!"

Events proved that sending Wang Jun to lead the army west had indeed been the right choice—this man truly had some real skill. After defeating Li Tinggui at Ziwu Town, he responded to Hou Yi's "invitation" and swiftly led his troops west, arriving directly at Fengxiang and entering Chencang.

From the moment the imperial army entered Chencang, the precarious situation in Guanzhong stabilized at once. Though the Shu army was still unwilling to retreat, things no longer felt as dangerous as before—the Shu army's fighting power truly posed little threat to the Central Plains' elite troops......

As the situation in Guanzhong improved, back in the Eastern Capital, Liu Zhiyuan's illness showed signs of worsening; a chance exposure to cold wind sent him into a faint.

On the twentieth, Liu Zhiyuan issued an edict granting the marriage, conferring upon the eldest daughter of Fu Yanqing—Military Governor of the Taining Army, Acting Grand Preceptor, Director of the Chancellery, Duke of Qi—the title of Crown Princess.

It was, in a sense, using the Crown Prince's taking of a bride as a means to ward off ill fortune.