Chapter 168: 166 — The Mandate of Heaven

"Regional Commander, an urgent secret letter from Nanchang!"

Zhao Han had just received the joyous news and was arranging various affairs, eager to march the army swiftly back to Ji'an, when a secret letter from Xu Ying suddenly arrived.

After decoding it against the cipher, it was only eleven characters: Our army great victory, Raozhou people revolt, seized prefectural city.

Zhao Han immediately burst out laughing. Jiangxi truly was a powder keg — word of the government troops' crushing defeat had barely spread before the peasants of Raozhou Prefecture rose in rebellion.

If one were to speak of the heaviest tax and corvée burdens, in all of Jiangxi, Raozhou Prefecture and Jianchang Prefecture ranked at the top.

The common people of Raozhou Prefecture had to support the Prince of Huai.

The common people of Jianchang Prefecture had to support the Prince of Yi.

Although these two princely fiefs occupied countless fields, the stipends of their imperial clan members (including the princes themselves) had to be supplied by the local government — the central court would not pay a single coin.

With imperial clansmen beyond number, how could the common people possibly afford to support them?

Even when Zhang Juzheng carried out his reforms, the Single Whip Law could not be implemented here. Right up until Chongzhen hanged himself, the peasants of these two prefectures were still delivering grain as tax in kind.

Beyond the grain tax, there were also corvée labor duties.

If the princes wished to build a garden, the common people for dozens of li around would suffer, obediently bringing their own dry rations to perform the forced labor.

Now it's satisfying — the peasants revolted and seized the prefectural city. Who knows whether that Prince of Huai managed to flee.

One can only say that Zhao Han's string of victories gave tremendous confidence to those contemplating rebellion.

By the time Zhao Han returned to the prefectural seat of Ji'an, over a dozen messengers had already gathered there. Even the Secret Secret Sect from Nanfeng County had sent someone.

"Respectful welcome to the Regional Commander's triumphant return!"

At the southern city wharf, officials great and small shouted in unison, and many commoners joined in the shouting.

Perhaps a few months ago, the common folk still feared the imperial court. Now, one enormous victory had instantly soothed their hearts.

Even the gentry and merchants had become far more docile.

The dozen-plus rebel messengers who had come from other regions instinctively moved to kneel and kowtow. But halfway down they froze — the local officials merely cupped their hands in a bow. Kneeling amid the crowd, they instead stood out as the odd ones.

Zhao Han faced Pang Chunlai, Li Banghua, and the others, clasped his hands, and said, "I have been away on campaign for over two months. It is entirely thanks to you gentlemen managing the rear."

"We dare not accept such praise."

"It was merely our duty."

"We exert ourselves to the utmost in the Regional Commander's service!"

"…"

Escorted into the city by the officials, Pang Chunlai spoke as he walked: "Over a dozen righteous army envoys have arrived one after another, saying they wish to acclaim the Regional Commander as the common lord of Jiangxi. The righteous armies of southern Jiangxi in particular, beaten back step by step by the Governor-General of Liangguang and the Governor of Fujian, are begging the Regional Commander to dispatch troops to their rescue."

"We will discuss this matter later."

Zhao Han naturally could not send troops. They had just fought a major battle; provisions and fodder were severely depleted, and the soldiers were somewhat exhausted. They needed at least half a year to rest and regroup.

Moreover, the weapons workshop had already opened. Once the entire force was reequipped, their combat strength would be greatly enhanced again.

Song Yingxing had even urged Zhao Han to seize Ningdu County, because Ningdu possessed sulfur mines — a necessity for manufacturing gunpowder.

Ningdu lay just east of Jishui County. Zhao Han wrote back directly rejecting the idea; he would rather send men to purchase it than continue expanding in the short term.

"Let them wait. I'm going home first to see my wife," Zhao Han said, winking and grinning. "My wife is with child."

Pang Chunlai and Li Banghua exchanged a glance, expressions of delighted surprise appearing on both their faces.

The benefit this news brought was in no way inferior to the great defeat of the government troops. The rebel leader now having an heir would make the internal situation more stable and could reduce many unnecessary troubles.

Entering the Regional Commander's residence, they immediately went to handle official business, not delaying Zhao Han's return home to see his wife any further.

Fei Rulan was standing at the entrance to the inner courtyard, gazing out. She had not gone to join the bustle at the wharf — partly for fear of disturbing her pregnancy, and partly because she did not wish to show her face in public too much.

Seeing Zhao Han approach, Fei Rulan smiled and said, "Congratulations to my husband on his great victory and return."

Fei Rulan was about to perform a formal greeting, but Zhao Han hurriedly supported her. He helped his wife inside and sat her down. "Now that you're pregnant, you must take extra care. Have you hired an experienced old nursemaid?"

"We have," Xiyue said, bringing over tea. "Master, please have some tea."

Zhao Han gulped it down like an ox, then reached out to stroke his wife's belly, which was already slightly swelling.

The pregnancy had been confirmed at the beginning of the fifth month; it was now the beginning of the seventh. Counting the time before the diagnosis, the child was at least four or five months along.

"Are you still vomiting often?" Zhao Han asked.

Fei Rulan smiled and said, "Occasionally I still feel nauseous, but not as badly as last month."

"Be careful when walking normally, and don't bend over casually — be careful not to disturb the pregnancy," Zhao Han admonished.

Fei Rulan felt sweet warmth in her heart, but at the same time found it amusing. "Alright, alright. You've never been pregnant either."

Zhao Han also summoned the old nursemaid and asked a number of questions about prenatal care, to make sure Fei Rulan wasn't eating anything she shouldn't.

He had absolutely no faith in the level of ancient obstetrics!

When Zhao Han had read novels before, he had learned of a type of obstetrical forceps, but unfortunately he had no idea what they looked like. And even if he could invent them, he would not dare use them when his wife was giving birth — because if operated improperly, they could very easily cause brain damage to the infant, even leading to mental retardation. Some countries had already banned their use.

That day, Zhao Han was utterly restless at home, terrified that Fei Rulan might bump into something or fall.

In the end, he simply retreated into his study and began writing down some basic medical knowledge. He didn't know anything too specialized, only that cleanliness must be maintained during delivery, that everything should be boiled in water, and that during the postpartum confinement month, the room must be kept well ventilated.

The day after returning home, Zhao Han still did not go to the office. He merely had people bring the official documents that required his handling to the study in the inner courtyard.

Many things needed his signature and seal, though in truth the officials of the various bureaus under the Regional Commander's residence had already dealt with them. Minor matters he could ignore; certain major matters required his seal to be affixed. Zhao Han had carved himself a great seal reading "Regional Commander of Jiangxi."

Qixi Festival — admiring the moon, watching the stars.

Fei Rulan sat beside him, gently waving a round fan in her hand. Gazing at the Herdboy and Weaving Maid stars, she said, "They meet but once a year. Who knows when they might stay together forever."

Zhao Han lay sprawled on a bamboo recliner and said with a laugh, "Does my wife know — a day in heaven is a year on earth."

"There is such a saying," Fei Rulan nodded.

Zhao Han pointed at the starry sky. "Then wouldn't the Herdboy and Weaving Maid be able to meet every day?"

Not only Fei Rulan, but even Xiyue beside them was tickled into covering her mouth and giggling, finding Zhao Han's reasoning far too amusing.

Yet if the Herdboy and Weaving Maid met every day, it seemed to lose some of its romance.

"Slap!"

Fei Rulan slapped a mosquito dead with one palm.

Zhao Han said quickly, "There are too many mosquitoes in the courtyard. Let's go back to the room and sleep."

Fei Rulan was just about to stand when Zhao Han and Xiyue already steadied her from both sides. Fei Rulan laughed in amusement. "It's really not that serious. With you two like this, I don't even know how to walk anymore."

Back in the bedroom, Xiyue fanned and swatted around for a while. Only after making sure there were no mosquitoes inside the bed-curtain did she help Fei Rulan onto the bed to rest.

The husband and wife leaned together. Once Xiyue had left, Fei Rulan suddenly said, "Husband, go to Xiyue's room."

"Time to sleep." Zhao Han pretended not to understand.

Fei Rulan spoke again. "My body is inconvenient right now. If you feel the need, you may go to Xiyue's side tonight."

Zhao Han had no choice but to explain the matter clearly. "I've already thought it over. If I become emperor, I will certainly have consorts — that is a necessity, or else the court will easily become unstable. But I must establish a rule: the emperor cannot have three palaces and six courtyards. At most, one empress and two consorts, just enough to ensure the continuation of the imperial bloodline. Before I become emperor, I absolutely cannot take a concubine. Otherwise, wouldn't I be the first to break the rule?"

Fei Rulan also began discussing the matter seriously. "If there is one empress and two consorts, and they all bear daughters, what then? Even if there are sons, what if they die young?"

Zhao Han was instantly speechless. He had forgotten the level of pregnancy and childbirth in ancient times, and had also forgotten the shockingly high child mortality rate.

One empress and two consorts truly could not guarantee that an imperial prince would reach adulthood in good health.

Zhao Han was definitely going to become emperor — partly out of personal ambition, and partly out of public-mindedness.

If he tried to implement some overly outlandish political system, never mind actually putting it into practice — the moment word got out, there would be chaos. China's situation is far too complex. No political system from Europe or America can be directly copied and applied here.

Besides, are the political systems of Europe and America really that perfect?

Zhao Han thought it over carefully. "One empress and five consorts — that should be fine, right?"

"Who knows?" Fei Rulan said.

"Then it's decided. One empress, five consorts. No more are permitted, and no such thing as lesser concubines or the like!" Zhao Han made the decision on the spot.

As for eunuchs — should that institution exist or not?

If Zhao Han proposed abolishing eunuchs, the civil and military officials beneath him would probably explode. Civil officials detest eunuchs, but they only detest eunuchs holding power. The day someone actually tried to abolish them, they would do everything in their power to preserve the eunuchs.

The surface reason is to ensure the purity of the imperial bloodline, to prevent some Old Wang, Old Li, or Old Zhang from appearing in the rear palace.

But the deeper reason is likewise to maintain court stability.

What if, one day, some schemer with malicious intent emerged and accused the Crown Prince of not being the emperor's trueborn son, or outright questioned the emperor's own legitimacy, using that as a pretext to launch a coup or rebellion?

The emperor's family affairs are no longer family affairs, but matters of state.

The slightest misstep could plunge the realm into misery, with war shedding blood until it flows like a river!

Zhao Han continued pondering and decided to reduce the number of eunuchs, using them only within the inner palace. Within the imperial city, so long as one was not inside the inner palace, normal men could be employed for labor.

The number of palace maids must also be reduced. Palace maids who have served for a set number of years may be released back among the people and permitted to marry. A small number of old matrons unwilling to leave the palace could also be retained.

Turning it over and over in his mind, Zhao Han grew more and more agitated. In the end, he simply buried his head and slept, leaving it to be dealt with later.

After a full three days of rest at home, Zhao Han finally went to work formally.

The first person he met with was not any of those rebel envoys, but Wang Tiaoding, who specialized in theoretical research.

"I hear you've written another essay?" Zhao Han asked.

Wang Tiaoding presented several pages of manuscript. "I have not yet made it public, nor do I know whether it should be made public."

Zhao Han took it and looked it over, frowning. "The Theory of Changing the State and Changing the Surname?"

"It derives from the Gongyang school of Confucianism's theory of changing the state and changing the surname, but with some alterations. 'Heaven's mandate is not constant; it aids only the virtuous.'" Afraid that Zhao Han might not understand, Wang Tiaoding explained in detail. "These two lines come from the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents. They are not heretical or treasonous, but orthodox Confucian discourse. Heaven's mandate is impermanent and cannot be eternally fixed. The Son of Heaven is born in response to Heaven's mandate, and his virtue lies in carrying out benevolent governance and nurturing the myriad people. The present Son of Heaven of the Great Ming can neither carry out benevolent governance above, nor nurture the myriad people below. This is called losing virtue, and thus losing Heaven's mandate. If one who possesses virtue ascends on high and cries out, carries out benevolent governance, and nurtures the myriad people, then he attains that virtue, and Heaven's mandate shall rest upon him!"

(End of chapter)