From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 210: A Day Out
In the wee hours of the morning, a carriage rattled down the cobblestoned pathway of Zhuque Street. It was early enough that the sleepy ministers heading in to attend morning court didn’t pay it much attention. Those who were of high enough rank to afford the privilege of using a sedan made use of the scant opportunity to catch a little bit more shuteye before they had to deal with their difficult liege. Those who had little choice but to shuffle in on foot were too tired to do much more than put one foot in front of another.
Thus it was that this nondescript carriage carried on its merry way largely ignored except for a couple of envious glances here and there by lower-ranked officials whom it passed by.
There was always someone watching closely in the capital, but they probably still wouldn’t have noticed that the carriage, which was nothing fancy on the outside, had actually exited the imperial city from a small side gate that few knew about. Its outward appearance was humble enough that it fell into the blind spot of the aristocracy; if one’s nose was too busy pointing towards the skies, then it was only natural that one would miss something that was on the ground.
Today, Tang Yuqin was exempt from attending morning court. This was decidedly fine by him. The novelty had been quick to wear off, the exhilarating thrill of stepping past the threshold of Weiyang Hall for an audience with the most powerful man in Great Ye had quickly been dampened by the frustrating politicking that threatened to bring the country’s progress creaking to a halt.
His mission, in contrast, was far more palatable.
If only it didn’t involve a certain most noble of persons.
The main gates of the capital towered majestically over the sparse carts and carriages queued up outside awaiting the end of curfew to enter the city. The carriage was one of few to be granted an exit prematurely. This was after an elegant hand, so pale that it was nearly luminescent in the darkness of the early winter morn, presented a jade pendant to the sentries for inspection. The curious glances from the merchants and tradesmen waiting out in the cold didn’t manage to catch a glimpse of what was inscribed upon it but the swiftness with which the carriage was allowed to depart was testament enough that its rider was not of as common a status as its modest fittings led one to believe.
Once past the main gates, Zhuque Street led straight to the largest official road (1) in the whole of Great Ye. The outskirts of the capital were demarcated by the point where farmlands started to flank this wide dirt path and it was also here where little roadside taverns and rest stops started to emerge.
This was where Tang Yuqin waited, his ordinary chestnut mare tethered to a water trough near the entrance of a shabby little stall. The owners, a middle-aged couple, had already regarded him apprehensively multiple times; they might not recognise the rank of his official garb but it would be obvious to them that this was a patron that they could not afford to offend. It was tough to swallow the sour pang in his chest when he realised he had become that which his family, all simple farmers, feared. No matter how friendly he tried to be with them, there was no denying that his presence was stressful for them.
This kingdom was sick, this ministerial system was rotting. Their emperor was well aware of this. Even better still, their emperor was willing to invoke change. Tang Yuqin could only hope that he would be a crucial witness in history of the reforms for the better.
The people should respect their court officials. But they shouldn’t be terrified of them. The people should trust that their court officials could and would protect them. They shouldn’t need to be protected from the very individuals who should be putting an end to their misery.
The buns that Tang Yuqin had ordered for breakfast were piping hot and filled with a fragrant red bean paste that warmed his belly. But the morning frost that coated the grass coated his hair too; it was too early to be out in the open like this but he had an additional outer robe to tuck tightly around himself in a last desperate bid to ward off the bone-aching chill. The poor couple who had started work preparations already, as well as the few weary travellers who were using this stall and its sparse tables and chairs as a temporary stopover to rest their tired feet, couldn’t afford such luxuries.
From the vermilion doors waft the scent of wine and meat while on the road outside are the cold bones of those who froze to death. (2)
Even the capital, which had accrued the most wealth across the kingdom, suffered in the harsh winter that plagued them this year. If Yue Fengjun hadn’t dabbled in politics, if he hadn’t overstepped his position and recommended to His Majesty that the budget assigned to the Ministry of Revenue ought to be audited...Tang Yuqin only shuddered to think how many more civilians in the more remote towns and villages would have died, sacrificed to the greed of court officials who did little but leech away at those of the bottom ranks.
Yue Fengjun. The feeling Tang Yuqin harboured in his heart at the thought of this most remarkable of noblemen was complicated. On one hand, he admired Yue Fengjun for his resilience; few who had been given his lot in life would have managed to crawl back out of that pit to become a person elevated over all others. Like the myth of rebirth attributed to the phoenix, Yue Fengjun had returned to great heights with even more glory than before and Tang Yuqin believed that it was truly to the benefit of the people that they had an empress who cared about them as much as their emperor did.
But on the other hand, Yue Fengjun scared him. Like a noose that hung limply around his neck, he found it impossible to forget their unfortunate first encounter. Worst still, he was convinced that Yue Fengjun was an intelligent man and an observant one at that. He wasn’t harbouring any hopes that he would have been forgotten by now. With the execution of the Wu Family, the Liang Family lost their crutch and became drastically weakened. With any luck, this meant that Yue Fengjun wouldn’t have to concern himself with covering up the murder he had committed more thoroughly...because that would mean getting rid of any witnesses and he was rather certain he was the most prominent one.
He was under no illusions either of whose side His Majesty would pick should it ever come to that. He wasn’t a worldly man by any means, often felt like the frog at the bottom of the well (3) because there was so much that he had yet to experience, yet to see.
But he had yet to meet two people more in love with each other than the emperor and the lord phoenix.
The carriage came to a halt just outside the stall. There was nothing remarkable about it but Tang Yuqin knew just who it ferried. With each step that he took towards it, he felt like he was dragging his feet through the well-trodden dirt path, each leg as heavy as his heart and sinking even further as he thought about what Yue Fengjun might say to him.
This would be their first face-to-face meeting since they made coincidental acquaintance in that bloodied alleyway.
"This lowly one greets Young Master Yue," he said, bowing towards the closed windows of the carriage. There was only one driver in sight, a fresh-faced youth with an intelligent glint in his eyes that was at odds with the greenhorn innocence of his features.
Tang Yuqin knew better than to be taken in by the geniality of his smile as he saluted Tang Yuqin. This had to be the second godson of the formidable Nine Thousand Years, Supervisor Liu.
There was no one else in sight but Tang Yuqin didn’t believe that the empress’ carriage would be travelling unescorted out of the city.
"Young Master Tang is too polite." After a moment’s pause, the refined soft lilt of the lord phoenix spilt past the soft curtains within the carriage and through the paper windows that remained firmly shut to all prying eyes. There was an edge of amusement to its tone that made Tang Yuqin fidget. He wracked his brains for a suitable way to branch the conversation into their main business but before he could formulate a reply, another voice interjected.
"Young Master Tang is too frightened, Langjun."
The intimidating familiarity of this second speaker’s voice startled Tang Yuqin so badly that he knocked his knee into the side of the carriage, jostling it hard enough that should the horses be any less trained, they would have champed uneasily at the bit.
He paled. ’Frightened’ was now an understatement.
"This sub—this lowly one’s wrongs deserve ten thousand deaths." To lose one’s composure in front of these two individuals was an actual punishable crime. If they so wished, he would be the shortest-lived principal graduate.
A gentle sigh. A low chuckle.
Then, "Young Master Tang frets for nought. You ought to know that Young Master Yue here is a busy man and cannot spare much thought for little insignificant details."
Tang Yuqin couldn’t help but raise his head in astonishment. Did this mean what he thought it meant? It certainly sounded like the little dark secret he shared with Yue Fengjun was not much of a secret at all...but also that it wasn’t going to be a knife to stab him in the back when he least expected it.
"This lowly one...humbly begs for more clarity." He needed to be sure. He was loyal to the dragon throne and shared the same vision as the man who sat upon it but he didn’t want this blade hanging over his head for the rest of his life, feared that it would one day come crashing down, driving an irreparable rift between the liege that he respected and himself.
"What makes Young Master Tang memorable is, of course, your capabilities and not where you choose to go on your evening walks. Or at least, this is what Langjun thinks, is that not right?"
"...Young Master Huang speaks my mind, of course."
...
Tang Yuqin wasn’t sure if he was reading the mood right but...it almost felt intrusive for him to be a part of this conversation. If nothing else, he was certain ’Young Master Huang’ wasn’t using the title ’Langjun’ in the context of referring to a concubine, since that would make no sense given that they had gone to great lengths to conceal their identities.
Emperor Xuanjun was taking advantage of the situation to call his empress ’husband’ as much as he wanted without incurring censure for informality. He just couldn’t believe he was being forced to sit through it.
And apparently, he wasn’t the only one.
A quiet but deliberate throat-clearing cut through the thick awkwardness that Tang Yuqin was stewing in before a third speaker joined in.
"...Masters, if this lowly one could please excuse myself to sit outside, I would be grateful for the chance to discuss the matters we are attending to with Young Master Tang."
"By all means."
The door behind the carriage driver was pushed open straight away and another young man with a scholarly air came scrambling out, still managing to retain a careless sort of grace while looking like he was fleeing a pack of wild boars. He met Tang Yuqin’s eye and gave him a bright smile.
"This lowly one has long since heard of Brother Tang’s literary talents and has desired to make your acquaintance."
Tang Yuqin was quick to return the greeting.
"Not at all, it is Brother Hua whose literary reputation far precedes yourself."
This unfortunate soul who had been trapped within the carriage with the mandarin ducks (4) was someone whom Tang Yuqin knew of but hadn’t been personally introduced to. Should they have taken the imperial examinations in the same sitting, there was a chance that Tang Yuqin might not be the principal graduate.
Emperor Xuanjun’s desire to allow his concubines to partake in the imperial examination had been causing an uproar ever since the decision was announced. To date, Tang Yuqin was still fairly certain that the ministers who didn’t have a vested interest in this new development—namely, they didn’t have a daughter or son who was a suitable candidate—were waiting for the chance to sabotage this policy of equality.
It was going to be a slow process too. The gentlemen stood a better chance as many of them, such as this Lord Hua Zhixuan, would have been educated before they entered the inner palace.
The ladies, however, had a longer way to go, just as the children of craftsmen, farmers, and merchants would.
And this was where they were headed today. There was only one school set up for women so far and that was located directly in the capital, limited temporarily to the noblewomen from families that supported the right prime minister. This was because they had no choice but to slowly roll out the reforms; even if they wanted to include all women in the country of all ages and backgrounds, the truth was that not everyone would be able to accept it. For every person who jumped for joy at the opportunity of sending their daughters to school—one more child who could bring the family glory, after all—there was another who frowned upon such radical thinking, scorning the emperor for his impracticalities; who would bear sons who could tend to the crops? Who would launder the clothes and cook the meals when the men were off to work? Everyone had a role in society and a place in life.
Yue Fengjun had termed this trial girls’ school a ’pilot’ project. This other school that they had built on the outskirts of the capital was another. This was the one Tang Yuqin was personally responsible for.
In the north, there was a war waging on and the imperial coffers were tight. Up at the borders, there was suffering, and even here amidst a growing hope, Tang Yuqin could still feel the lingering unease, borne of an uncertainty about the future.
But he firmly believed that, with the guidance of Emperor Xuanjun and Lord Phoenix Yue, Great Ye was slowly but surely starting to heal.
