Chapter 286: Apricot Grove

Since the peace negotiation storm had stirred up again, the Emperor had rarely made a public appearance, but it only intensified the heavy and tense atmosphere within the Eastern Capital, even spreading it to the provinces.

It must be understood that on the day of the grand banquet at Jingfu Palace, although few were present, there were many consorts of the Retired Emperor who had just returned to the Eastern Capital, and that very night, by the Emperor's oral decree, they were allowed to meet with their own families, so the stories from the feast simply could not be concealed.

And the Emperor's line, "Whenever I oppose Cao Cao, things succeed," spread throughout the entire Eastern Capital almost as quickly as the candles and the hundred sheep.

Among these people, Noble Consort Qiao, who was a sworn sister of Empress Dowager Wei, after seeing her nephew's family that night, felt relieved yet sighed with emotion, saying that the Emperor must be "blaming the Two Sages and all the sisters for Empress Xing's death."

As for Empress Dowager Zheng, after summoning a few daughters who had returned early and her false nephew Zheng Yinian and true nephew Zheng Zao at Yanfu Palace, she also "heaved a long sigh," only saying that the Emperor actually regarded the Two Sages as enemies.

Of course, Empress Dowager Zheng and Noble Consort Qiao both had their status to rely on, so their words still had some reason; as for the other named consorts of the Retired Emperor, their reactions varied... Some had no children, some had daughters who had already returned, while others had sons still in the north... The first two could remain indifferent, but those with sons in the north were clearly in a bad state, afraid that the Emperor would do something to their sons along the way. And out of worry, they overreacted—some dared not say a word, only weeping incessantly, while others spoke all sorts of nonsense, saying that if the Two Sages and the various princes returned, they probably wouldn't survive three to five days.

All kinds of talk, once spread, naturally became even more bizarre and absurd... And among this, there were inevitably vulgar remarks about the Emperor hating these imperial mothers for losing their chastity, so he deliberately humiliated them, along with self-propagating anecdotes akin to slut-shaming.

Then, a few days later, as real conflicts erupted, matters became even more absurd.

To put it plainly, the Retired Emperor had too many consorts. During the Jingkang Incident, over a hundred and forty named ones were captured; more than half were lost or died along the way, yet several dozen still returned. At the same time, the entire palace had only a few hundred eunuchs and maids, most of whom were in Yangzhou. With these several dozen named "imperial mothers" returning, aside from the two empresses dowager and three noble consorts, who was left to serve them?

Although they had all returned from Wuguocheng and could endure simplicity, they had returned after all, and they were "imperial mothers" after all—how could they be made to clean rooms, carry water, and cook for themselves?

So, within two days, the Emperor formally issued an edict, letting the two empresses dowager take charge and allowing all the imperial consorts to return to their own families to live in peace. Of course, those who wished to stay in the capital's palace could do so; those who wanted to retire to Yangzhou or Nanyang could live in the temporary palaces there; and those whose sons had not yet returned could wait until their sons came back before further discussion.

At first glance, this arrangement seemed no different from the previous handling of the princesses, and it appeared unobjectionable. But in reality, anyone with a bit of common sense could immediately see a huge problem: these imperial consorts all had husbands! A married woman should live with her husband... What was the meaning of sending them back to their own families and then having them retire to three different places?

Was the Retired Emperor treated as a dead man?!

That very day, someone submitted a memorial saying it was improper.

Not only that, as the matter spread, soon an official from a wealthy southern family took the initiative to submit a memorial, offering to donate tens of thousands of strings of cash from his family fortune, saying that he had once served by the Emperor's side and knew that the Emperor was frugal and truly lacked money, so he was willing to donate so that the Son of Heaven could fulfill his filial duties.

And this act quickly drew imitators; within just a few days, inside and outside the Eastern Capital, along with the surrounding areas, donations amounted to several hundred thousand strings... It could only be said that since the war had not crossed the Huai River, for the great families and wealthy clans south of the Huai, a century of accumulation was still considerable.

However, to be fair, this was not just about money; it probably also carried the intention of admonishing the Emperor for his line "Whenever I oppose Cao Cao." So the palace remained silent and did not respond.

But soon, the Secretariat, or rather the Privy Council, for some unknown reason, took the initiative to handle the matter. In the name of the Secretariat, they issued a hall order reprimanding these officials for meddling in imperial family affairs, while also actively allocating finances, setting aside a special fund for the placement, relocation, and expenses of the imperial consorts.

According to the Secretariat's intent, the Emperor's arrangement was actually not problematic—it was just a bit stingy?!

Next, something even more baffling occurred: within the Privy Council itself, a fierce conflict soon erupted. The reason was that Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun, the two most powerful councilors, actually wanted to deliberate within the Privy Council and then jointly submit a memorial to the Emperor, requesting that Empress Dowager Zheng move to Nanyang to live!

Empress Dowager Zheng was the principal consort of the Retired Emperor, her political status beyond doubt. For her to also move to Nanyang carried such shocking political implications that it immediately provoked backlash from many Confucian officials. Not only the expected Censor-in-Chief Li Guang, but also Minister of Personnel Liu Dazhong, who had always followed Zhao Ding's words without question, Judge of the Directorate of Palace Buildings Zhang Jie, Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Jin, and Vice Minister of Rites He Chang, all of whom had been promoted by Zhang Jun, opposed it.

Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun were actually helpless. The return of the two empresses dowager, coupled with that line "Whenever I oppose Cao Cao," had almost made them further recognize a certain danger. Their move was fundamentally to avoid that danger, but they simply could not explain the reason, which led to the dispute.

In the end, utterly frustrated, they simply wielded their authority as councilors, bypassed the Privy Council, and submitted the memorial directly. Not only that, they personally requested an audience with the Emperor and Empress Dowager Zheng in the rear palace, hoping to persuade them face to face.

When the matter spread, the court and the public were shaken, and rumors among the people once again ran rampant.

"What do you say?"

Perhaps because his appearance that day had broken his seclusion, Zhao Jiu did not refuse the audience this time. The two councilors met with the Emperor together, but this time, the meeting place was changed to the Military Academy, the westernmost area of Yanfu Palace.

However, it was clear that when the ruler and ministers met, the Emperor's attention did not seem to be on the two councilors.

"Your servant..."

Zhao Ding, taking the lead without hesitation, was about to speak the words he had long prepared, but for some reason, both he and Zhang Jun beside him could not take their eyes off the large, sprawling object in front of the Emperor.

It was a set of wooden three-dimensional maps, still crude, but with the major rivers, main cities, and mountain ranges clearly present. The two councilors, learned as they were, naturally recognized that it was clearly based on the "Tribute of Yu Map."

"You two gentlemen find it interesting too?"

Zhao Jiu rarely showed a look of pride. "This came to me when I was supplementing the 'Tribute of Yu Map'... I only realized when I was filling in the map that the large maps previously used in the palace were all woodcuts, stored in pieces and assembled when needed. Back when I was in Guanxi, I had thought of making something similar, following Ma Yuan's method of piling up rice to form mountains. But at the time, Guanzhong and Henan were too devastated, and I couldn't find suitable craftsmen. Unexpectedly, in my recent leisure, it came together. I call it a sand table!"

Of course the Emperor would be proud, because according to some high-end web novels, once this thing came out, combined with the implementation of the military medical system, the entire Song army would immediately gain a super buff of plus five to organization, making even the destruction of Western Xia a trivial matter.

Of course, it did give a bit of a "carpenter emperor" feel.

However, Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun looked at it for a long while, only feeling that the Emperor was hinting at a northern expedition again. So, although they didn't know why it wasn't called a "map tray" or "rice tray" or "wood tray," they could only nod, unable to offer remonstrance.

"There's another good thing."

Seeing this, Zhao Jiu grew even more pleased, and he led the two councilors to one side of the hall.

Here there was only a simple large wooden table, its edges raised on all sides, covered with cloth, looking like a dedicated table for holding those woodcut maps. But on the table were no woodcuts, only a few wooden rods and a pile of polished stone balls of different colors...

"Your Majesty, your servants... your servants are ignorant." Zhao Ding looked for a long while, exchanged glances with Zhang Jun, but could not figure out what this was for.

"This is billiards!" The Emperor's face lit up with excitement, as if a series of inventions had brought him immense joy. "An idea I got while making the sand table map. Two players take turns striking black balls with a white ball, scoring when they fall into pockets! If you find it too simple, you can add more colorful balls, or even mark scores on the balls..."

"Your Majesty, please do not indulge in frivolous pursuits!" Zhao Ding could no longer bear it. "The sand table is one thing—it is a military instrument. What is this thing?"

Zhao Jiu immediately laughed with his hands behind his back, then walked straight out of the side hall. Only at the door did he stop and say with a smile, "Why must you be angry, Councilor? I haven't done anything for over a month, and haven't you handled the court affairs perfectly well?"

With that, he again clasped his hands behind his back and continued walking out of the hall.

Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun, seeing that the Emperor was only joking, each breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed him out.

Behind this side hall occupied by the Military Academy was a small hill, neatly covered with mature apricot trees transplanted there, not a single weed in sight. It was summer, and the trees were heavy with fruit. In the dappled light, the wind rustled the leaves, setting the red-orange fruits swaying in clusters, while the natural fragrance of the fruit permeated the cool grove.

At that moment, the Emperor, in plain white robes, led the way, with the two councilors in purple robes following behind, climbing the stone steps to the hilltop. From there, they gazed at the surrounding pavilions and towers, half-hidden by the apricot trees, their outlines half-revealed... To be honest, if not for Yang Yizhong and the Imperial Guard standing by, and the sound of Military Academy students practicing archery from the shooting range on the other side of the hill, this place would seem almost otherworldly.

In fact, even Zhao Ding, who had long navigated officialdom, and Zhang Jun, a wealthy man from Shu, had never been to such a place, and for a moment, they were utterly captivated.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" After a long silence, Zhao Jiu, seated in the pavilion at the hilltop, finally spoke.

"Your servants are ashamed." Zhang Jun snapped back to reality and quickly bowed, while Zhao Ding also shook off his daze. "We lost our composure for a moment."

"Please, both of you, sit." Zhao Jiu pointed to the stools in front of him. This was usually where he chatted with the Imperial Guard or Military Academy students. "Where were we?"

"Your Majesty said that we have done well this past month or so," Zhao Ding said awkwardly after sitting down. "But if I may speak frankly, Your Majesty, we have actually made many improper decisions this past month, leading to internal and external conflicts and troubles. I humbly believe that it would be the right path if Your Majesty would personally attend to affairs."

"I just don't want to get involved in the peace talks; it's not that I'm not managing affairs at all." Zhao Jiu smiled dismissively. "After all, a great nation must have a head of state to resolve disputes and make major decisions. But I wasn't being flippant just now—I truly believe that if you put me in charge of routine matters, I would certainly not be a tenth as good as you... So these past days, whether it's you gentlemen or the Privy Council, I think you've done quite well... In my opinion, the weight of the state ultimately requires all of you to help me bear it."

Upon hearing this, although they still had matters on their minds, Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun couldn't help but relax a little.

Of course, praise was praise, but the problem still had to be raised. After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Ding cupped his hands and continued with the purpose of their visit: "Your Majesty, I have come to request that Empress Dowager Ningde move to the temporary palace in Nanyang."

"Move Empress Dowager Ningde (Empress Dowager Zheng) to Nanyang?" Zhao Jiu seemed thoughtful.

"Yes."

"I don't think it's necessary." Zhao Jiu shook his head, then pointed to the apricot trees beside him and sighed. "Do you see these apricot trees?"

"These are..."

"These were planted when the Retired Emperor found the palace too small, so he enclosed the area from the north of the palace to the inner city, creating Yanfu Palace. Later, he still found it too small, so he took the land further north of the inner city, making Jingyuan. Still later, he found it too small, so he expanded eastward, enclosing land for Genyue and Jinghua Yuan, and even built Xiaoqujiang to connect these four areas, incorporating them all into the imperial palace..."

Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun both sighed in unison... If it hadn't been for this, there would have been no Song Jiang or Fang La, and no Jingkang Incident.

And Zhao Jiu continued to speak slowly: "Later, Genyue was thoroughly smashed by Yuansheng. After the Jingkang Incident, Jinghua Yuan and Jing Yuan fell into disuse, and Yanfu Palace was also vacant for a time. But because the buildings in Yanfu Palace were adjacent to the palace city, they were properly preserved. The trees and forests in Jinghua Yuan and Jing Yuan were even more so preserved... Have you two been to Qingfeng Tower to drink their apricot wine?"

The Emperor's topic shifted abruptly, but the two exchanged a glance and still honestly admitted:

"We have."

"Been there twice."

"Their apricots are all sold from here," Zhao Jiu said with a smile. "If I hadn't seen the mountain full of apricot blossoms in spring, I almost wouldn't have thought the palace had such a source of income..."

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

The two felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles.

"I am not complaining," Zhao Jiu waved dismissively. "What I mean is, Yanfu Palace has two main halls, seven side halls, and several dozen pavilions. Although the Military Academy occupies thirty percent of it, the rest is more than enough to house the two Empresses Dowager and three Senior Imperial Consorts. As for Jing Yuan and Jinghua Yuan north of the city, Jing Yuan is adjacent to the palace city. With some development, building some elegant properties—some to be granted to you all as rewards, others to be sold—would be enough to make a windfall. Jinghua Yuan is located in the bustling city center. Level it and build shops, taverns, and warehouses; the rent alone would be enough to support several Empresses Dowager and Senior Imperial Consorts, and could also assist the former princesses and the loyal officials' sons whose fathers and brothers died on the northern expedition. Why must it be so harsh? All my previous words, said over and over, only meant freedom to come and go. There was no intention to drive them away or ignore them."

Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding exchanged glances, feeling their minds were like paste, yet they didn't know what to say. The Emperor's earlier posture and now this posture were contradictory and unsettling.

But regardless, since the Emperor himself was prepared to fulfill filial and fraternal duties, they had only reasons to speak well of it, not reasons to speak ill.

"Is there anything else?" Zhao Jiu urged them proactively.

"No."

Zhao Ding looked at Zhang Jun, then nodded to the Emperor.

After all, these two had originally come over the matter of the Empress Dowager's relocation. Who would have expected the Emperor to already have an idea? And after thinking it over, they truly couldn't think of anything else, so they could only be so forthright.

"Since you two have nothing, I have something to tell you," Zhao Jiu said, gesturing as he spoke.

And Yang Yizhong quickly stepped forward and handed over a document.

"The Jin Dynasty's Wanhu Elubu led three thousand light cavalry across the river, straight into the Jinan Prefecture palace city, and captured Liu Yu, who was preparing for some unusual move, without a single sword being drawn. All the civil and military officials of the puppet Qi were absorbed into the Jin court," Zhao Jiu said, handing over the document. "Intelligence from a hidden post at Jinan's Lingjiu Temple... It was supposed to be delivered to the Privy Council this afternoon. You may take it now."

The two were startled inwardly, but felt it was only to be expected, so their expressions didn't change. Zhang Jun stepped forward to receive the document.

And so, the ruler and ministers chatted idly for a while, with none of the earlier fierce words like 'always doing the opposite of Cao Cao.' Instead, it felt relaxed and casual... It wasn't until the two left Yanfu Palace's Military Academy, returned to the palace city, and were about to enter Chongwen Institute to prepare for that day's Secret Pavilion meeting that they gradually came to their senses on the way.

"The Emperor intends to treat the Empresses Dowager, Imperial Consorts, Princesses, and meritorious officials well to seal the mouths of the realm, and then target the Two Sages!" Zhang Jun, impatient, blurted out while clutching the Jinan intelligence. "We finally got to see the Emperor for a moment, and we've been brushed off again!"

Zhao Ding was also dazed, yet felt utterly powerless.

At the afternoon Secret Pavilion meeting, the Court of State Ceremonies Minister Zhai Ruwen proactively informed them: The Jin envoys had said that upon receiving the news in Yanjing, they had immediately set out to welcome the Two Sages. Therefore, in about half a month, in the latter part of the sixth month, the Two Sages would return south. If slower, it would definitely not be later than the start of autumn. If faster, they might arrive in ten days.

The entire Secret Pavilion was thrown into panic and hurriedly discussed the reception arrangements.

Three days later, Emperor Zhao accepted the joint petition from the Secret Pavilion to personally welcome the retinue at the riverbank.

Seven days later, before any news of the Two Sages and the various Imperial Princes' retinues arrived, Han Shizhong and Wu Jie first led three thousand cavalry from Guanzhong to the Yuetai Camp, rendezvousing with the Imperial Camp Cavalry and Central Army.

That same day, the Secret Pavilion submitted another joint memorial, citing the ongoing peace negotiations as a reason not to mobilize troops excessively, and requesting that the Emperor bring as few soldiers as possible.

Emperor Zhao followed the advice and formally issued an edict: All civil and military officials in the capital were to accompany him to welcome the retinue. Commandery Prince of Yan'an Han Shizhong and all other marshals were limited to leading two hundred cavalry each as guards. Controllers were limited to fifty cavalry each. In total, it was not to exceed two thousand cavalry.

Another three days passed, and the Two Sages' retinue arrived at Great Ming Prefecture. The Secret Pavilion submitted a third joint memorial, and Zhao Jiu formally led the crowd north to welcome them.

Another three days passed. On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, both sides arrived at the north and south banks of Baima Ford respectively, sending messengers back and forth across the river to communicate continuously.

On the morning of the twenty-sixth, Imperial Camp Navy Commander-in-Chief Zhang Rong piloted a newly launched thirty-wheel steamship capable of carrying eight hundred people northward. Guided by Wulinda Zanmo, he formally received the Two Sages and the various Imperial Princes from the army of Gao Jingshan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Jin's Great Ming Prefecture Marching Army. At noon, the Retired Emperor, Daoist Emperor Zhao Ji, Yuansheng Emperor Zhao Huan, and over a dozen Imperial Princes, having changed into large red robes on the ship, nervously stepped onto Baima Ford, returning to the land south of the Yellow River after five years of absence.

Before they could even weep, Zhao Jiu, who was also dressed in a large red robe and had been sitting for a long time under the dragon banner a hundred paces away, suddenly turned his head and earnestly asked the Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei beside him:

"Minister Zhu, do I need to kneel?"

This was an extremely simple question. However, Zhu Shengfei, who had reluctantly come with the main force to welcome the retinue four days ago, was drenched in sweat under the gaze of several thousand cavalry behind the Emperor. For a moment, he was tongue-tied and at a loss for words.