CHAPTER 34
The Northern Rong was very far from the capital. Even after the envoys finished their preparations, the journey itself would take one or two months of slow travel. It was said that this time, in addition to the usual diplomats, the newly-appointed Divine Lady of the Northern Rong Emperor would also be arriving. Rumors claimed she had the ability to communicate with the heavens, and she was hailed as a messenger of the gods, praised as unparalleled both in heaven and on earth.
The people of the Rong Dynasty found these claims hard to believe. Setting aside whether gods and spirits even existed, even if there were a Divine Lady, how could she have descended to a desolate place like the Northern Rong? The Rong Dynasty was a flourishing and prosperous empire, peaceful and filled with music and dance—if a Divine Lady were to come down, surely she would choose the Rong Dynasty! Clearly, this so-called Divine Lady must be some common woman, favored by the ignorant Northern Rong Emperor, who got lucky and was granted a fancy title.
The Rong Dynasty and the Northern Rong had been at odds for over a hundred years, with deep-seated hatred between the two. When Rong citizens talked about the Northern Rong, they would always spit in disgust before cursing them. The envoy hadn’t even entered the capital yet, and the citizens were already riled up, their fists clenched in anger. Since they couldn’t physically attack the Northern Rong envoys, they would at least badmouth them to their hearts’ content.
As a result, the so-called Divine Lady of the Northern Rong had already been labeled a “wild chicken” before she even entered the capital.
Meanwhile, Lu Shaoyou was solemn as he spoke to Song Yuanzhi. “This Divine Lady might actually be the one who developed the telescope and explosives. If that’s the case, her abilities are no small matter. I can’t believe the Northern Rong Emperor is willing to send her to the capital.”
Such a formidable figure, especially one from the enemy’s camp—was the Northern Rong Emperor not afraid that the Rong Dynasty might just eliminate her?
Song Yuanzhi’s expression grew serious as well. Was this fellow time traveler really coming to the capital? Considering their current positions, it seemed likely they were about to have a hostile reunion, where one would stab the other in the back.
The days grew colder, as the northern winter often arrived early. By late October, snow had already begun to blanket the ground.
It seemed the envoy hadn’t chosen the best time for their journey. No matter how well-prepared they were, traveling in such weather couldn’t have been pleasant.
Let’s hope they make it to the capital safely.
Song Yuanzhi had mixed feelings. Part of her was looking forward to seeing her fellow time traveler, but another part was anxious. She was determined not to reveal her identity to the other person, and her conflicting thoughts could have filled a book.
Emperor Yongkang, on the other hand, had been acting more erratically. For the past two months, he hadn’t attended court, leaving all important government matters to the cabinet, while he secluded himself in the alchemy chamber, saying he was using his sincerity to move the heavens and ask for an elixir to prolong his life.
To emphasize his commitment, Emperor Yongkang ordered that no one disturb him unless there was a dire emergency.
Oh, and to show his satisfaction with Changqing Daoist, he granted Prince Wu unrestricted access to the alchemy chamber and even placed him in charge of the Ministry of Personnel.
(Ministry of Personnel (吏部 lìbù): Responsible for court appointments, merit ratings, promotions, and demotions, and granting honorific titles. – So basically, your modern-day HR department.)
The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the appointment and promotion of officials, and any official transfers had to go through this department. By putting Prince Wu in charge, Emperor Yongkang was clearly showing his favor.
Of course, the emperor didn’t turn his other sons into mere figureheads. Prince Ning was placed in the Ministry of Revenue, which was also a key department. Prince Jing and Prince Hao, on the other hand, were sent to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice, respectively. But since their influence wasn’t as strong as Prince Wu’s or Prince Ning’s, their roles in these ministries were more perfunctory. Their attitude seemed to be, I’m just here to check in—don’t bother me.
(Ministry of Finance or Revenue (户部 hùbù): Responsible for gathering census data, collecting taxes, and handling state revenues.
Ministry of War or Defense (兵部 bīngbù): Responsible for military appointments, promotions, and demotions, the maintenance of military installations, equipment, and weapons, as well as the courier system. During wartime, high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense would serve as strategists and advisors to frontline commanders, if not as frontline commanders themselves.
Ministry of Justice or Punishments (刑部 xíngbù): Responsible for judicial and penal processes but had no supervisory role over the Censorate.)
As a result, Prince Ning and Prince Wu stood out even more.
One had the status of the eldest son, while the other had the Emperor’s favor. They had been competing openly and secretly for nearly a decade, and both had built considerable power.
However, Prince Wu had recently made a poor move by supporting Changqing Daoist, causing his reputation to plummet. This was especially true among the civil officials. The Censorate submitted daily reports denouncing him, and after the Imperial Censor had been demoted for repeatedly advising the emperor to expel Changqing Daoists, the scholars turned on Prince Wu. Now, they were openly hostile, making life difficult for him at every turn. They were on the verge of abandoning him and running over to Prince Ning’s camp to wave banners in support of the eldest son.
Even Xuanyuan Guifei, Prince Wu’s mother, had begun to complain. “Why did you have to bring in that Daoist? Now not only has the emperor abandoned the court, but he’s also forgotten about the harem. In the past two months, he’s only visited the palace a handful of times!”
Prince Wu, having already heard enough complaints in court, nearly lost his temper at Xuanyuan Guifei. “Do you think I’m happy to be blamed for this? How was I supposed to know things would turn out this way? I only kept Changqing Daoist around for half a month before the emperor’s chief eunuch came to my residence and ran into him by chance. After chatting for a while, the eunuch recommended him to the emperor! The chief eunuch recommended him to the emperor! The emperor personally requested him—how could I refuse?”
And so, things turned out the way they did. Emperor Yongkang became obsessed with alchemy, and Prince Wu bore the brunt of everyone’s anger. The burden was too heavy for him to bear, and it felt like he had shot himself in the foot. With his head full of worries, Prince Wu couldn’t help but grumble to Xuanyuan Guifei, “If you hadn’t fallen out of favor all of a sudden, I wouldn’t have listened to those rumors and gotten involved with Changqing Daoist in the first place.”
Xuanyuan Guifei’s expression turned awkward at this, and she hesitated for a while before sighing. “Forget it. This may be for the best. Now that your father isn’t handling government affairs and you’re in the Ministry of Personnel, you should use this opportunity to place more of your own people in key positions. If you do that, why will we have to fear from Prince Ning?”
A bitter smile crept onto Prince Wu’s lips. “Let’s hope so.”
Meanwhile, Song Yuanzhi was counting down the days, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Northern Rong envoy. She was quite curious to finally see what her fellow time traveler looked like.
It wasn’t until the end of November that the Northern Rong envoy finally arrived in the capital.
The so-called Divine Lady, who had been praised by the Northern Rong people as being heavenly, didn’t make a public appearance. When the citizens of the capital gathered to catch a glimpse of her, all they saw were four Northern Rong women, dressed strangely in flowing white robes, standing by the Divine Lady’s carriage. The four women had aloof, dignified expressions, their ethereal beauty and aura making them seem otherworldly. This left the onlookers wondering: if the maids were so beautiful and refined, just how remarkable must the Divine Lady inside the carriage be?
However, the Divine Lady remained incredibly low-key. After entering the capital, she stayed inside the residence arranged by the Ministry of Rites and didn’t go out. Rumors trickled out occasionally, all claiming that the Divine Lady was extraordinarily beautiful, far beyond the ordinary women of the world.
These whispers only added to her mystique, making her seem like a celestial being, untouchable by the mortal world.
When Lu Shaoyou met with the Northern Rong envoy, the atmosphere was tense, almost as if they were ready to draw swords. Every word exchanged was filled with veiled threats, and if it weren’t for others stepping in to ease the situation, it seemed both sides might have resorted to violence right then and there.
Of course, considering Lu Shaoyou’s formidable reputation on the battlefield, the Northern Rong envoys didn’t dare to push him too far. They walked a fine line, never quite crossing into outright disrespect.
It was only after this confrontation that Emperor Yongkang finally emerged from his alchemy chamber. He casually set a time to meet with the Northern Rong envoys and instructed his officials to attend the banquet, bringing their wives with them.
For the first time, Song Yuanzhi donned her formal First-Rank attire, paired with jeweled hairpins and accessories. She looked absolutely stunning.
Lu Shaoyou couldn’t help but tease, “They say the Northern Rong’s Divine Lady is unparalleled in beauty, but I’d say they’ve never laid eyes on my wife. In front of you, she’d pale in comparison, like a firefly next to the bright moon—she wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Song Yuanzhi gave him a playful glare. “You’re full of flattery.”
Lu Shaoyou, ever quick to adapt, grinned and corrected himself. “No, no, I’m just speaking the truth.”
Song Yuanzhi finally couldn’t help but laugh, and the two of them made their way to the palace banquet, chatting and laughing along the way.
At the banquet, when the mysterious Northern Rong Divine Lady finally appeared, the entire room fell silent for a moment. Then, all eyes subtly shifted to Song Yuanzhi, scrutinizing her. No one seemed to notice, however, that when Xuanyuan Yu caught sight of the Divine Lady’s face, he was so startled that he accidentally knocked over his wine cup.
