Chapter 130

【Summary: She was not a listener behind the curtain, but a decision-maker standing before the map.】

【When the Song people were still arguing about "defending against the barbarians," she had already proven with the prosperous age of "harvests recurring and no alarms from the beacons" under her rule that the "virtue" of a virtuous empress lies in allowing subjects of different bloodlines to share in peace.】

"A decision-maker standing before the map... harvests recurring and no alarms from the beacons..."

Li Shimin savored these two sentences repeatedly and finally sighed: "What a 'sharing in peace'! These words deeply touch my heart."

"For those who are monarchs or empresses, if they can make the people under their rule, whether Hu or Han, live and work in peace and be free from the fires of war, then they are truly virtuous and have great merit! This Xiao Chuo is worthy!"

Although Liu Che advocated military expansion in his bones, he had to admit that being able to make a country have "harvests recurring and no alarms from the beacons" was a scene of a governed age that the vast majority of monarchs dreamed of.

This Empress Xiao achieved it, at least in the Liao Dynasty under her rule and on the Song-Liao border.

"Allowing subjects of different bloodlines to share in peace..."

Zhu Yuanzhang muttered repeatedly, lost in thought.

He expelled the Mongol Yuan with the slogan "Expel the Hu barbarians, restore China," but he also needed policies to settle other ethnic groups within his borders.

This concept of "sharing in peace" was worth learning from, although his vigilance against the "Hu barbarians" had not diminished in the slightest.

【The Heavenly Dao Gold List specially bestows the following rewards upon the person on the list:

Ten thousand oxen to assist in reclaiming wasteland;

Ten thousand sheep to enrich the felt tents;

Three years of added lifespan to enjoy the peace she created.】

Xiao Chuo faced the celestial screen and bowed: "The Xiao clan hereby thanks the Immortal for bestowing these rewards."

"Ten thousand oxen! Ten thousand sheep! Three years of added lifespan!"

The rewards were announced, once again causing a wave of exclamation.

These rewards were too practical! Especially the three years of added lifespan; for a ruler who held the reins of state and created peace, being able to see the continuation of her policies and enjoy the fruits of her own creation was undoubtedly the greatest consolation.

"These rewards... are not bad."

Liu Bang began to feel envious again, "Plough oxen and sheep are all solid, good things."

Liu Che held Wei Zifu's hand tightly and whispered: "Zifu, if you make the list, I will definitely celebrate for you properly; these rewards..."

Wei Zifu said softly: "Your servant does not seek rewards, only that Your Majesty and the Great Han may prosper forever."

Li Shimin smiled at Empress Zhangsun: "Guanyinbi, it seems the rewards for this Virtuous Empress List are quite generous."

"However, I feel that you making the list is the greatest reward for me."

Empress Zhangsun smiled and shook her head.

Zhu Yuanzhang said to Empress Ma: "Sister, look, these rewards are so practical! If you made the list, those plough oxen would be just right for the people to reclaim wasteland!"

Empress Ma smiled: "Chongba, you are talking nonsense again. Your servant is just doing her duty; how could she dare to covet rewards."

(In the scroll, the white-haired Empress Dowager Xiao stands at the Luanhe Palace, looking toward the southern frontier and sighing:

"If this alliance can be kept for one hundred and twenty years, then it will not have been in vain for me to bear this infamy."

Behind her, camel bells are ringing on the Liao-Song post road, and the spring breeze has already turned the border prefectures of both dynasties green.)

This final scene and sigh added a complex color to Xiao Chuo's merits.

She insisted on the peace agreement, perhaps also bearing internal pressure and criticism, but she valued long-term peace and the people's recovery more.

"Bearing this infamy... it seems this peace was not easily obtained either."

Li Shimin sighed, "Those who govern sometimes need to have the courage to bear responsibility and the foresight to transcend temporary praise or blame. This Xiao Chuo is not easy."

After finishing the inventory of Xiao Chuo, the celestial screen did not pause for long; golden light flowed, the scene changed, and it turned from outside the Central Plains to the familiar Bianjing palace halls.

【Inventory of the Top Ten Virtuous Empresses in History, Ninth Place—Northern Song, Empress Zhangxian Mingsu Liu (Liu E)】

"Liu E? Empress of the Northern Song?"

The spirits of the various dynasties were lifted again; this time it was an Empress of the Han dynasty, and from the Northern Song at that.

Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin of the Song, who had just experienced the baptism of incompetent rulers like Song Huizong and Song Gaozong, felt complex emotions at this moment; he hoped his own dynasty would produce a virtuous empress to save some face, but he was also afraid it would be another spendthrift woman (although an empress seemed to have limited ability to spend).

"Empress Liu E of Zhenzong?"

In a parallel universe, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng was also watching the celestial screen at this moment, and upon hearing this, he was startled and looked at the much younger Liu E beside him (who was still a beauty at this time).

Liu E herself was also stunned; could she... make the Virtuous Empress List? Ninth place?

Liu Bang was amused: "Oh? I wonder how this Liu E compares to Empress Lv of our old Liu family?"

Lv Zhi glanced at him coldly.

Ying Zheng, Liu Che, Li Shimin, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di, and others also gathered their attention.

Although the Northern Song was often criticized for its military, its economy and culture were extremely prosperous; if its empress could make the list, there must be something worth praising.

【Ranking Reason: From an orphan girl in Shu to an Empress Dowager holding court, she reorganized the court situation at the end of the Zhenzong era with the "talent of Lv and Wu," established the foundation for the prosperous age of Renzong with the "virtue of returning power," and walked the exemplary path of a female ruler in the Northern Song on the tightrope of holding court and returning power.】

"From an orphan girl in Shu to an Empress Dowager holding court... talent of Lv and Wu... virtue of returning power..."

This ranking reason also contained a huge amount of information.

To be born in humble circumstances and ascend to the position of empress was already not easy.

Having the "talent of Lv and Wu" (Empress Lv, Wu Zetian) showed that her political methods and abilities were extremely strong.

But the key lay in the "virtue of returning power," which meant she had the ability to imitate Wu Zetian but did not take that final step, instead returning power to the emperor, laying the foundation for the "Prosperous Age of Renzong."

"To be able to do the deeds of Lv and Wu, but stop before Lv and Wu..."

Li Shimin's gaze focused, "This woman's disposition and wisdom are even more rare. To hold power but not be obsessed with it, to know when to advance and even more when to retreat—for the country and for herself, this was the best choice."

Liu Che nodded: "Not bad. To have the ability to reorganize the court situation is to be a capable minister; to be able to return power to the monarch is to be a loyal minister."

"For an empress, to be able to do this is to be a virtuous empress. This Liu E seems to be a sensible person."

Ying Zheng said indifferently: "Power is seductive; those who can take the initiative to let go are few and far between. Especially when one has the ability to control it. This Liu E is not simple."

Zhu Yuanzhang valued the point of "returning power" especially: "Knowing how to return power to the Zhao family emperor is not bad! Unlike that old witch (Cixi), who held on tight and wouldn't let go."

Empress Ma smiled: "It seems to be an empress who understands the big picture and considers the overall situation."

【Merit Inventory:

1. Ending the Absurd: The "Heavenly Book Sacrifices" in the later period of Zhenzong exhausted the national treasury; after she took over the regency, she immediately dismissed the treacherous minister Ding Wei, stopped all auspicious projects, and melted the gold and silver in the inner treasury to cast "Xiangfu Yuanbao" coins to inject into the market for circulation, which the people called "Empress Liu melted the god's money to exchange for life-saving grain for the people."

2. Iron-fisted Anti-corruption: Established the "Censorate Debt Management Department" to recover the deficits of the Three Departments, and converted the land confiscated from corrupt officials to the "Futian Institute" to provide relief to orphans and widows.

A folk song circulated in Bianjing: "Before Bao Gong arrived, Liu E was there; the mice in the government treasury wore iron shoes."

3. Wisely Stabilizing Imperial Power: Facing the probing of ministers urging her to declare herself emperor, during the Mingdao Palace incident, she tore up the portrait of Empress Wu holding court in public and threw her hairpin to the ground, saying: "I will not do this act of betraying my ancestors!"

Yet she secretly perfected the system of holding court behind the curtain, establishing a legal model for empresses monitoring the country for later generations.

4. Benefiting the People: Promoted "Shu Chu paper" to replace bamboo slips, lowering the price of books for official schools;

Allowed farmers in Jiangnan to "pay taxes in silk," saving weavers in Suzhou and Hangzhou from having to sell raw silk at low prices.

By the time she returned power, the grain stored in the Ever-Normal Granaries in various places was three times more than in the Zhenzong era.】