Chapter 2186: Peninsula Chronicle: Princess Anping

The Emperor of the Great Han was not merely the sovereign of the prefectures and provinces of Han territory—he was equally the common lord over the many vassal states within the Han imperial system. This remained unshaken even in the Jianlong era; formidable as the Western Pacification Command was, profound as the Eastern Pacification Command was, both had to acknowledge this fact.

Thus, the Emperor's death was not only a world-changing event for the central empire—it was also a matter that shook the courts and public spheres of all the vassal states both at home and abroad. Blood is thicker than water, and combined with various complex webs of interest, as well as the dependence of the vassal states on the central empire's population, culture, and technology, the vast majority of vassal states paid close attention to major changes in the empire, especially matters concerning the policies governing the relationship between the imperial house and its vassals. In this regard, the states of the South Seas were the most active.

And as the emperor who had personally driven and definitively established the current imperial-vassal framework, the passing of Emperor Shizong meant, for every major vassal state, the passing of an old era and the arrival of a new one.

How the new emperor and the new court would treat the vassal states, whether policies would change, whether interests would be affected—all of this was as yet unknown. Everything remained uncertain, and all still needed to be observed and awaited.

But one thing could be certain: without Emperor Shizong, Liu Wenji, the central government's power to deter and influence the vassal states would inevitably decline. This was a law of history, a scientific development.

From the death of Shizong until the enthronement of the Imperial Grandson Liu Weizhen, during this period, aside from the imperial ministers and high officials being busier than they could manage, the various feudal lords and descendants of the Liu clan were also highly active, rushing about with great energy, seeking to secure some benefits for their own states during this transition between old and new, or at the very least, to hold on to the food already on their plates.

Apart from the Court Ceremonial Commissioners permanently stationed in the imperial capital, the various states also, as if by unspoken agreement, dispatched senior ministers and special envoys to personally travel to the Western Capital to conduct their activities. Among these envoys, the most famous was without question the special envoy from Annam—particularly special because she was a woman: Princess Anping, Liu Ying.

Princess Anping, Liu Ying, was the daughter of the late King of Annam, Liu Wenhuan, and the Regent Empress Dowager Liu E. She was now thirty-one years old. She was not an ordinary woman, nor was she merely a princess of the royal house living in silks and fine foods. She was also a political figure, one who could summon wind and rain within the Annam court, regarded as the extraordinary woman of Annam's "peace and prosperity."

Of course, Liu Ying's extraordinary nature came primarily from Liu E's doting affection. She was also Liu E's most important political heir. Liu E had no sons, and as the only daughter born of her own flesh, Liu E naturally doted on her to an exceptional degree. Nor did Liu Ying squander herself in that indulgence.

From a young age she was clever and quick-witted, often forming her own thoughts when faced with matters, never merely echoing others, and frequently offering unusual insights. After the age of thirteen, Liu Ying, who was constantly at Liu E's side, was already able to assess and judge the governance of Annam—and not aimlessly either; she often made startling pronouncements.

And when she discovered her beloved daughter's strong interest and outstanding talent in politics, even though Liu E was perpetually occupied with handling state affairs and contending with political enemies, she still devoted considerable energy to giving her special attention and careful cultivation.

Gifted with exceptional natural endowments to begin with, and having received years of Liu E's personal instruction and example, Liu Ying absorbed the true legacy of Liu E. Once she grew to maturity, it would hardly be surprising no matter what kind of extraordinary woman she evolved into. At the same time, the period of Liu Ying's rapid growth was precisely the time when Liu E had only recently begun her regency and was facing extremely difficult challenges.

It could be said that Liu Ying personally experienced that extremely complex and chaotic political period of Annam's "Empress Dowager regency," and from close range observed and learned from her mother's wisdom and methods, watching with her own eyes as Liu E maneuvered freely across Jiaozhi and the entirety of Annam, eliminating, suppressing, and subduing her opponents one by one.

By the fourteenth year of Jianlong (1031), when Liu Ying was twenty years old, in order to curry favor with Liu E, who had by then completely seized control of the Annam court, the King of Annam, Liu Jidan, enfeoffed Liu Ying as Princess Anping, with the entire Anping County as her fief. Anping County was located on the Red River Plain, rich in produce, a large county of five thousand households.

Although granted generous treatment, Liu Ying was not moved by it. She firmly believed that "who says women cannot match men." She did not go to her fief, instead sending a household steward to manage it. At the same time, she also petitioned Liu Jidan for an official post, declaring that she wished to serve the nation.

Toward this younger sister's fanciful request, the King of Annam, Liu Jidan, was unwilling at heart, even sneering with contempt. He had originally planned to refuse, but a close minister reminded him whether he ought to ask the Empress Dowager's opinion.

And so, without even asking the Empress Dowager's opinion, Liu Jidan directly appointed this twenty-year-old younger sister as Minister, without specific duties, but permitting her to participate in deliberations on military and state affairs. For Liu Jidan realized that the one wielding power in Annam was also a woman—even if that woman was already old.

But that was the might of Empress Dowager Liu E in Annam—the prestige accumulated over more than a decade of regency, such that even Liu Jidan, who had long since reached adulthood and begun personally grasping the reins of power, dared not lightly defy or challenge her.

From that year on, the subjects of Annam gradually grew familiar with and accustomed to the arrangement: above, there was Empress Dowager Liu; below, there was Minister Liu; and squeezed in between was the King of Annam. However, this configuration did not last very long.

Although Empress Dowager Liu E was formidable—a woman who, with her own strength, had forged an "era of women's power" in Annam—time is fair to everyone. As she advanced in years, her health gradually failed, and finally, in the nineteenth year of Jianlong (1036), she passed away in the royal palace at Jiaozhi.

Of course, before her death, Liu E had given full consideration to and made arrangements for what came after. Summed up, they really came down to two aspects: first, returning governance to Liu Jidan; second, passing the mantle to Liu Ying.

And Liu Jidan, only at the full age of thirty, truly began his career of personal rule. It must be said, it was a stifling situation. As a king—a king who should stand tall between heaven and earth—his entire life had been influenced and constrained by women.

If Empress Dowager Liu E was unavoidable—not only did she hold the late king's deathbed decree and the central court's investiture documents, but she also had the grace of having raised, nurtured, and taught him—then the rise to power of Princess Anping, Liu Ying, made Liu Jidan deeply depressed.

Of course, this outcome was not only a historical legacy of the Empress Dowager Liu era; Liu Jidan's own problems were also considerable. In the period right after Liu E's death, Liu Ying, following her mother's deathbed instructions, chose to lie low and bide her time, reducing her interference in court affairs and yielding power to her brother.

Empress Dowager Liu's instructions had been very clear, explicitly pointing out that during her more than a decade of regency, the nation had developed progressively well and the political order had trended toward stability, but beneath this peace and order lurked many contradictions—and the sharpest contradictions, precisely, originated from her regency.

After her death, there would inevitably be reversals; the resentment suppressed for over a decade would eventually erupt. Based on this, Liu Ying chose to step back and observe. And the development and changes in Annam's situation unfolded exactly as Empress Dowager Liu had predicted.

The moment Liu E died and Liu Jidan assumed personal rule, for many of Annam's powerful elites, this was the revival of royal authority and a golden opportunity to set things right. And so, after only three months of calm, the Annam court launched a campaign to settle accounts with Empress Dowager Liu.

Of course, it could not target the Empress Dowager herself, but the policies she had implemented and the talents she had promoted—these were all targets for attack and adjustment. "Every new reign brings its own ministers" was an unassailable truth, but if carried too far, it often bred problems of its own.

As the political counterattack unfolded, the Annam court inevitably plunged into a period of chaos. When the scope of attack expanded beyond control, counterattacks from the vested interests followed in turn.

Liu E had governed the nation for over a decade. While striking down enemies and consolidating her authority, she had also promoted and cultivated a large number of talents and factions. Among them were powerful nobles, military men, the literati, and the landed gentry—and backed by the Empress Dowager, they had accumulated formidable discursive power within Annam.

And these people ultimately all chose to rally under the banner of Princess Anping, Liu Ying, asking her to lead them in expelling the treacherous villains, setting things right, and restoring order. Liu Jidan, lacking wisdom in employing people and lacking skill in grasping the situation, watched helplessly as court order fell into disarray—so different from what he had envisioned—and he too was greatly troubled.

But when Liu Ying, as their spokesperson, came pressing in with full force, he actually felt a sense of shame at facing her. And so, without any particularly fierce confrontation, Liu Jidan acceded to her request, dismissing in full the cluster of "petty men" gathered around him, and at the same time appointing Liu Ying as Director of the Chancellery, assisting him in handling state affairs. Thus began Liu Ying's career as the "female chancellor."

To this day, more than twenty years later, the functioning of the Annam state still ran on the track of "cannot do without women."

Of course, Liu Ying's hold on power was not as legitimate and aboveboard as her mother's had been, and the powerful elites of Annam—even those "confidants of the Empress Dowager's faction"—were not necessarily truly willing to live once more in the shadow of a woman.

Therefore, the situation Liu Ying faced was far more complex, and the challenges and pressures she bore were also greater. It was fortunate that Liu Jidan was king and could tolerate her, and she too was very careful to show "respect" toward her royal brother.

At the same time, in coordinating relationships and winning hearts, Liu Ying, who had deeply inherited Liu E's true methods, performed quite admirably. One landmark example was that she kicked her husband Liu Kai to the curb and instead formed a marriage alliance with Zhao Congzhi, grandson of Zhao Defang, thereby mending relations with the Zhao clan.

Over the years, no matter how Liu E had suppressed the Zhao clan, the Zhaos had always remained one of the most elite powerful families in Annam—a status determined by the influence of the imperial Zhao clan. And if even the Zhaos could be brought to compromise, the rest were hardly a major problem.

One more thing worth mentioning: that Liu Kai was the grandnephew of Liu Kai, the famed minister of the Kaibao era, and was himself a celebrated scholar in Annam. Even after being kicked aside by Liu Ying, he still loved her deeply and continued, steadfastly, within the Annam court, to support his former wife...