Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 115 The Most Favored Consort
Last year, when the Emperor made his eastern tour, all the princes who were of age accompanied him. Prince Zhong, being the Emperor's third son and already married, naturally also came with him.

There were no residences for the princes in Luoyang. The Crown Prince accompanied the emperor in the side garden of the Forbidden City, while Prince Qing, Prince Zhong, and their families were housed in Shangyang Palace on the west side of the Imperial City.

Recently, the women of the six palaces, led by Consort Wu Hui, have been raising silkworms in the palace. The wives of princes and noblewomen are also among them, including Consort Wei, the wife of Prince Zhong. Coincidentally, her brother, Wei Jian, has been demoted for a crime and will soon leave the capital. Consort Wei requested to see him in the palace to say goodbye, which led to the scenes that Zhang Dai witnessed upon entering the palace.

After bidding farewell to her brother, and seeing that her loved ones were about to be exiled to distant places and she was powerless to help them, Princess Zhong was feeling sad on her way back to the palace. Suddenly, she was summoned by a servant of Consort Wu Hui. She dared not delay and hurriedly went to Honghui Palace where Consort Wu Hui was.

Zhang Dai was an official from outside the palace. It was one thing for him to come to the palace to see his aunt, but it was not convenient for him to observe the other ladies of the inner palace at will. So, long before the Princess Consort of Zhong arrived, he retreated to a room on the side of the hall and sat down. He could hear the commotion outside, but he could not see what was going on.

"This concubine greets Consort Hui."

After ascending the throne, Princess Zhong greeted Consort Wu Hui.

She was still a little nervous because there were many rumors circulating in the palace about Consort Hui. The first one was that Consort Hui was the most favored concubine and was very likely to become the empress next year.

There are also claims that Consort Hui received the art of controlling people from Empress Dowager Wu, and that she possessed other extraordinary methods. Even the premature death of her children was vaguely similar to that of Empress Dowager Wu in the past.

In short, the inability to distinguish between truth and falsehood shrouded Consort Wu Hui in a mysterious and awe-inspiring aura, making her someone people dared not offend.

Consort Wu Hui sat on the throne, looking down at Princess Zhong, and said in a deep voice, "All the noble ladies and palace maids are focused on raising silkworms in the front garden. What brings Princess Zhong here?"

"Your Highness, my brother and I have recently been appointed to an official post outside the capital and will be leaving soon. My brother and I are very close, so I invited you here to meet me. I also cannot neglect the silkworm rearing work in the front garden, so I will return immediately after saying goodbye."

Upon hearing this, Consort Hui snorted coldly, and then asked knowingly, "The elder brother you mentioned, is it Wei Jian, who recently held the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"

When Princess Zhong heard that Consort Hui knew so much about her family affairs, she quickly nodded in agreement.

“I have heard of your brother Wei Jian’s deeds. He judged cases in the selection department, but he was unfair in his handling of affairs. He illegally appointed Yan Gongsun to a low-ranking position with the intention of harming him. He also incited the selection personnel to make trouble in various departments and to ruin their futures. Is there such a thing?”

Princess Zhong, sensing the unfriendly tone in Consort Wu Hui's voice, paled slightly and could only lower her head and whisper, "Since I entered Your Majesty's service, I have rarely inquired about family matters, let alone court affairs. As for what Consort Hui is saying, I know nothing about it..."

"You cunning scoundrel! If you don't know, then what did your brother say to you when he entered the palace? If you don't know, I'll tell you today: this virtuous grandson of the Duke of Yan is the son of my elder sister from the same clan. Your brother, claiming to be a member of a prestigious imperial family, dared to deceive him. Now he has been expelled by the court, and he deserves his punishment!"

Consort Wu Hui glared at her with her phoenix eyes and pointed at Princess Zhong without any politeness, demanding, "Women of the inner palace should not ask too much about matters of the outer court, but they can always ask about matters of the inner palace. Are you feeling resentful and aggrieved because you are angry about the unfair treatment by the court?"

Princess Zhong, a pampered noblewoman, was still inexperienced even after serving a prince. The fearsome reputation of Consort Hui only amplified her awe. Hearing this question, she nearly burst into tears, immediately knelt on the ground, and sobbed, "I dare not... I dare not... I am only saddened by our separation, and dare not harbor resentment..."

"It would be best if it were as you said! Even if you harbor resentment, you should keep it to yourself and not let it show! The clan chose you as their wife because they appreciate your careful and quiet upbringing, which is suitable for our household. If outside relatives fail to discipline you or cause trouble, you will be the only one who suffers!"

Consort Hui's glare and reprimands carried a certain authority, no wonder the palace servants compared her to Empress Dowager Wu. She then said in a deep voice, "I heard that a palace servant in Prince Zhong's household is going to increase the income of the imperial family. Don't ignore it just because it's not your own business. Go back to Shangyang Palace and wait. Don't enter the palace again unless I give the order!"

"Yes, yes, I will take my leave now. Please calm down, Consort Hui."

Princess Zhong bowed and took her leave, her eyes already blurry with tears. She did not linger after leaving the hall and immediately departed in tears.

Having just played the role of a wicked mother-in-law, Consort Wu summoned Zhang Dai, looked at him with a toothy grin, and said, "Feeling better now?"

Zhang Dai was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this. He had only shared this with Consort Wu Hui, but he hadn't expected his aunt to be so formidable in the inner palace, summoning Princess Zhong for a full-blown attack.

However, this was originally a conflict between him and Wei Jian. If he could really crush Wei Jian, he would naturally be happy to do so. But now he's made the girl cry, which is really pointless.

His aunt was ultimately standing up for him, so Zhang Dai couldn't say anything. He couldn't very well think that Consort Hui was using this as an excuse to make enemies of Prince Zhong, could he? Not to mention that Prince Zhong wasn't the crown prince yet, Zhang Dai himself had limited power and wasn't worth Consort Hui's long-term schemes.

This incident also made Zhang Dai realize a fact: regardless of what the future holds, Consort Hui is currently very powerful. With such an aunt supporting him, he can certainly walk sideways among the imperial relatives.

He himself was previously limited by the prophetic idea that "Consort Wu Hui could not become empress," and therefore had limited development of Consort Wu Hui's network of connections. Now it seems that this is something that needs to be taken seriously.

Ultimately, the future is uncertain, the emperor's true intentions are shrouded in mystery, and he constantly gives misleading hints. In the current climate, who dares to say for sure that Consort Wu Hui will not become empress? Was Li Linfu a smart man? He was still dragged into this mess and can't get off!
Zhang Dai didn't even need to put in the effort to cultivate a relationship; he and Consort Wu Hui already had a natural, close bond. Moreover, the Emperor was using the money-making scheme to fuel the fire, so wouldn't that old scoundrel experience what it meant to invite a wolf into the house? Consort Wu Hui, feeling quite satisfied after giving the Princess Consort a dressing-down, then said to Zhang Dai, "It's getting late, and palace affairs are still numerous. I need to inspect the silkworm rearing in the various palaces. Sixth Prince, you should return first. If anything comes up, send someone to inform me."

Zhang Dai had just come up with an idea to help his aunt gain momentum, and the effect would definitely be better than this self-deceptive practice of raising silkworms in the palace. If it could be handled properly, there might even be other unexpected surprises.

Hearing that Consort Wu Hui was so ambitious, he spoke again: "After hearing my aunt talk about silkworm breeding, I was moved and have a plan to share. Men farm and women weave; all people in the world make a living by doing so."

Recently, torrential rains struck, causing rivers to overflow their banks. Many people in Henan and Hebei provinces were affected, and the suffering masses cried out for mercy. My aunt, leading the women of the six palaces to tend the silkworm rearing quarters, also prayed for divine mercy. However, if this is not done properly, it will all be in vain. It would be better to settle for less and first show kindness to those in need…”

Concerning her own vital interests, Consort Wu listened intently with wide eyes.

After listening to Zhang Dai's account, she immediately showed great interest, but said somewhat shyly, "Sixth Brother, I cannot fully understand everything you have said in this short time, but I can tell that this is a brilliant plan that benefits the country and its people."

Could you please stay in the palace for now? I will request an audience with the Emperor on your behalf, and through you, I will convey this plan to him.

Zhang Dai, of course, would not refuse, and upon hearing this, he quickly nodded in agreement.

So Consort Wu Hui left him there while she hurried off to find the Emperor. Although she was the most favored concubine in the harem and had a harmonious relationship with the Emperor, they could not live like an ordinary couple. Even if she wanted to introduce someone, she had to ask permission first and could not introduce them rashly.

Zhang Dai waited here from day to night before he was finally granted an audience. He was led by two eunuchs through the inner palace before arriving at a magnificent hall.

He didn't know where he was, but after entering the hall, he saw the Emperor and Consort Hui sitting together in the hall, and he quickly bowed down in worship.

"Consort Hui suggested that Zhang Dai should present a brilliant plan that would benefit the country and the people. I would also like to hear what plan Zhang Dai has to offer."

The sage waved his hand, indicating that he could dispense with the formalities and be offered a seat, then asked with a smile.

Zhang Dai glanced at the emperor and noticed that he was much thinner than he had seen before. He wondered if the emperor had died from injuries to his limbs, was overwhelmed by natural disasters, or perhaps both.

He dared not keep them in suspense and immediately said, "I have heard that Consort Hui was ordered to lead the palace women in raising silkworms, and I also feel that the Emperor wishes to achieve harmony between Yin and Yang and orderly farming and weaving. Recently, natural disasters have ravaged the people, and tens of thousands of people in Henan and Hebei have lost their jobs. If the people do not receive help, the country will be in turmoil. Farming and weaving have been abandoned, and countless people have fled."

In the past, disaster relief efforts, besides providing food rations, mainly consisted of measures such as providing labor and loans. While the wisdom of our predecessors was not lacking, their methods were still not entirely effective. Searching for and conscripting men and households was insufficient for effective relief.

Every man has a mother, and every scholar has a wife. Although able-bodied men may receive loans for their work, their wives and daughters often struggle to find food. Therefore, after a disaster, many households flee and are difficult to control, hiding outside the registered households, making them impossible to apprehend.

Now, the six palaces are raising silkworms, and the work is done perfectly. But the women of the common people are unemployed; what will be done to help them? Therefore, I, your subject, advise Consort Hui to allocate 100,000 strings of cash from cosmetics funds to set up looms and spinning wheels along the river, and to build a charitable institution where women can gather to continue their work. Through their labor, they can produce cloth, half of which will be used for food, and the other half for the institution's profits.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression immediately became serious.

The recent natural disasters have indeed caused him considerable distress, and he has issued an edict ordering all officials, both inside and outside the capital, to submit memorials, which are essentially secret reports on governance. Some of these memorials involve personnel struggles, while others advise respecting Heaven and honoring the virtuous; of course, the majority of them concern disaster relief.

Although the emperor had reviewed many disaster relief strategies, Zhang Dai's suggestion to set up weaving workshops to employ the wives and daughters of ordinary people was still an area that no one else had explored. They may have mentioned it, but no specific and appropriate resettlement strategy was provided.

Disaster relief typically focuses on controlling the population and quickly restoring production. Controlling the population can help prevent the breeding and spread of riots, while restoring production can help mitigate losses.

Whether it's disaster relief through work or loans, the government targets the male heads of households, who are both the main labor force and the key individuals requiring close control.

However, Zhang Dai pointed out that the lack of relief for wives and daughters in households was a major problem and an important reason why, even though the government implemented timely disaster relief measures after the disaster, a large number of people still fled.

People like Zhang Jun would definitely abandon their wives and children to fend for themselves when faced with disaster.

However, most people still cared about their families. Since their wives and daughters were not provided with relief, they were unwilling to submit to the government's management and hoped to escape to other places with their wives, daughters, and families to find a way to survive, becoming exiles outside the registered population.

After some deliberation, the emperor agreed with the suggestion, but soon noticed another problem and frowned, saying, "Where did Consort Hui get such a large sum of money for cosmetics?"

(End of this chapter)