EMHTC -Chapter 73 The Empress

Xu Yanmiao had barely left the capital with the Imperial Sword when, shortly after, the Minister of Works found himself subjected to a scathing reprimand from the emperor.

“Those who receive official salaries should not compete with the commoners for their livelihood! Do I need to make you copy this phrase ten thousand times and then eat the words?”

“You’ve already risen to the rank of Minister of Works. Is your household really that desperate for money?”

“I know you officials always have some private enterprises in your hands, and I’ve usually turned a blind eye to it—but your wife, she’s something else. Her business acumen rivals that of Tao Zhugong (an ancient business magnate). Should I bestow her the title of ‘The Da Xia Dynasty’s Wealthiest Merchant’ as well?”

The Minister of Works kept his head bowed and gritted his teeth to endure the lecture.

He didn’t dare to explain that his wife had a natural love for commerce and, in order not to cause trouble for him, always concealed her identity. No one even knew she was the Minister of Works’ wife, and she had never leveraged his official position for personal gain. That said, her proximity to him still gave her certain advantages. Even if she never actively asked, nor he actively shared, their daily life together allowed her to glean policy trends from him and seize the opportunity early.

“Your Majesty! I will have my humble wife dissolve her business immediately and present all illicit gains to the court. This oversight is my fault.”

There were numerous ways to punish officials or their families for engaging in commerce: demotion, dismissal, salary cuts, or confiscation of property… The exact punishment was entirely up to the discretion of the ruling power.

The Minister of Works, not daring to hope for leniency, added, “I failed to manage my household and request to have my official hat removed and return to civilian status to atone for my sins.”

“Enough. That won’t be necessary,” the emperor said casually, still holding his brush as he reviewed documents. “Three months of public shaming while wearing a cangue, plus a hundred lashes, to set an example for others. That will suffice.”

The Minister of Works reacted as quickly as lightning. The moment the emperor finished speaking, he dropped to his knees to express his gratitude.

—This was far better than the dismissal he had anticipated.

“Your Majesty is merciful, but I must not take this lightly! Please allow me to use my family’s private wealth to atone for my crime. If Your Majesty channels it for the benefit of the people, it might slightly reduce my guilt.”

The emperor gave him a sidelong glance, understanding that if he didn’t accept the offer, the entire family would remain uneasy. He nodded and added, “If any of your wife’s dowry businesses are involved, they do not need to be handed over.”

While officials and their families were not allowed to engage in commerce, the dowry businesses of their wives were exempt from this rule. However, such businesses were typically modest in scale, managed through ledgers, and never grew as vast as regular commercial enterprises.

Simply put, running a small shop for side income was acceptable; building a nationwide chain and amassing mountains of gold and silver was not.

Hearing this, the Minister of Works felt even more genuine gratitude. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!”

The emperor glanced at the position of the sun.

At this hour, it was time for him to dine with the empress.

“Enough. You may leave now.”

After dismissing the Minister of Works, the emperor hurriedly headed to the Empress’s Palace. Upon seeing Xiangyang present, his cheerful expression immediately turned to one of annoyance. Xiangyang was clinging to Empress Dou with a cheeky grin, refusing to leave.

The Old Emperor: “…”

His own daughter. Endure.

When the dishes were served, the emperor pretended not to see this infuriating third wheel ruining his one-on-one time with his “Empress.” He ate while casually chatting with her about court matters.

“That Xu Yanmiao, honestly, such a headache. Out of all the capable merchants in the world, why did he have to fixate on the Minister of Works’ wife?”

Though he sounded like he was complaining, his expression didn’t show any real dissatisfaction. In fact, his tone carried a hint of amusement and closeness.

The Princess of Xiangyang sat at the table, seemingly well-behaved, lips tightly sealed like a clam. After listening to her father’s words, she glanced at him repeatedly, sensing there was some deeper meaning behind his words, but she couldn’t quite figure it out.

Empress Dou chuckled softly. “Perhaps the child thought, seeing how you brought Hua Chun into court, then made Shengxian an official, didn’t care about the matter of a female consort, and even let Xie Luoshui sail abroad, that you support women entering the court.”

Her words cut straight to the truth. The Princess of Xiangyang suddenly had a moment of clarity, her eyes widening as she stared at her father.

The emperor, oblivious to her reaction, continued proudly, “I knew it—youngsters can’t be relied on entirely. His method is good, but asking the Minister of Works’ wife was not the right approach. It’s up to me to extract the essence and discard the dregs.”

Fire flared in the Princess of Xiangyang’s eyes.

Her father was still her father, after all! Talking about “so many capable merchants in the world,” when what he actually meant was “so many capable male merchants in the world!” He clearly didn’t think women should be involved in politics!

She was about to slam the table in protest when her mother’s glance extinguished her fury. Pouting, she sat back down and stabbed at her food with her chopsticks.

Then she heard her mother speak in a gentle tone: “You’re right. Men govern the outside, women manage the inside. It has always been so.”

The Princess of Xiangyang blinked, suddenly recalling something Xu Yanmiao had said to her once during a conversation.

“Has always been so… is it really true?”

Her mother continued, “However, Your Majesty, can you truly trust these other merchants?”

Her father’s hand paused mid-reach for a dish, startled. “Trust? What do you mean trust?”

Her mother replied, “Merchants prioritize profit. If they’re allowed access to administrative channels, they might openly amass wealth, potentially creating colossal entities that could destabilize the nation. Besides, in the end, they’re not one of our own…”

The Princess of Xiangyang was filled with admiration.

Her mother was amazing! She had hit the emperor’s weak spot precisely—her father trusted family above all!

Just as she thought this, she noticed her father’s expression sour, his brow furrowing. “True. But within our own family, we don’t have anyone skilled in business. It’s too late to cultivate someone now.”

Her mother didn’t respond further and simply picked up her chopsticks to continue eating, leaving the emperor murmuring to himself. “Family… family…” Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. “Come to think of it, the wife of the Minister of Works is actually the perfect choice!”

The Princess of Xiangyang blurted, “Huh?” Startled by her outburst, her father turned to her, prompting her to ask directly, “Father, why is she the perfect choice?”

The old emperor smiled slightly, pleased with the opportunity to educate his daughter. “Although she’s not exactly ‘family’ to us, she is to the Minister of Works. If she takes on the role of zhuoqian lingshi—hmm, the name will probably change since the functions differ, but let’s call it that for now—if she assumes that role, she’ll have to constantly consider her husband’s position as Minister of Works. Any misstep on her part would implicate him and her son…”

As he spoke, Empress Dou placed a piece of his favorite braised pork into his bowl—a truly virtuous wife.

This gesture strengthened the emperor’s resolve. “Exactly! With her husband and son both serving in court, how could she not act in their best interest?”

The Empress looked at him gently, smiling as she nodded in agreement.

The old emperor returned her smile before continuing, “Of course, Shengxian, remember this: whether it’s men or women, everyone has their little schemes. Your task is to control those schemes.”

The Princess of Xiangyang tilted her head. “Like using the Minister of Works to keep his wife in check?”

The emperor said, “Not necessarily foolproof, but it’s better for her to have concerns than to act without any.”

The Princess of Xiangyang was deep in thought when her mother laughed and said, “Your Majesty, why not appoint a few more women as zhuoqian lingshi?”

The old emperor was surprised. “Why?”

Empress Dou replied, “Women have some cunning but are ultimately less capable than men. If you want to use her, it’s best to give her a few allies. Moreover, having multiple zhuoqian lingshi ensures they aren’t united, making it harder for them to deceive the emperor.”

The old emperor was swayed but still hesitated. “But bringing so many women into court might unsettle women across the empire.”

As if recalling something, his tone hardened. “Lately, women have been growing arrogant, refusing to enter the kitchen. It’s an affront to proper conduct.”

The Empress calmly replied, “And wouldn’t that reveal who the virtuous women are? It’s better to find out before marriage than to discover their scheming hearts afterward.”

She softened her tone and added, “Your Majesty, a truly virtuous woman would never neglect her family.”

The old emperor suddenly sat up straight. “Empress, you’re absolutely right! Just like you—back then, you held a title, and I was willing to let you enter the court. But with the country newly settled, you laid down your armor and donned a hairpin to manage the inner palace for me. A woman who isn’t content in her place will cause trouble no matter where she is, even if confined to her home. You two finish the meal—I’m heading to the Hall of Martial Valor!”

After making his decision, the old emperor stormed off in a flurry of activity.

Empress Dou was just about to lower her head and eat when she noticed her daughter staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes.

“Shengxian?”

“‘Back then, you also had a position, and if you wanted to enter court, I would have allowed it—’” The Princess of Xiangyang mimicked the old scholars, shaking her head and wagging her finger, then parroted like a cheeky bird, “Mother, you had a position? And it was a military one?”

“It wasn’t exactly a military position,” the empress explained with a soft smile. “During the days when we were fighting to unify the country, I led a group of women to manage logistics for your father. We sewed clothes for the soldiers, learned how to defend cities, and those with more strength even helped transport grain. Your father jokingly called us the ‘Women’s Battalion.’”

The Princess of Xiangyang listened with rapt attention. “And then what happened?”

“Once the nation was stabilized, both men and women longed for family life. Those women returned to their homes—some reunited with their husbands, while others prepared to marry.”

The Princess of Xiangyang nodded enthusiastically, “Oh, oh. Then what about Father saying he wanted you to serve as an official in court?”

“Your father saw that I was troubled and indeed asked me. But I declined.”