The Great Zhou Dynasty: From Imperial Guards to Founding Dukes and Marquises

Chapter 26 The Princess Strives for Success, and the New Emperor Ascends the Throne in the Northern

In the imperial city of Jinling, Emperor Li Jing had just received news that the Sixth Princess had left the palace to take away a prisoner. Out of curiosity, he ordered someone to retrieve the prisoner's registration information from the Jiangning County government office.

The case file had just arrived, and the first thing Li Jing looked at was the conclusion of wrongful arrest. A hint of sarcasm, yet also a touch of relief, played on his lips. Officials were always like this. The reason his father had taken them to flee famine years ago was because officials couldn't distinguish right from wrong and bullied the weak while fearing the strong. They had shifted the burden of other families' taxes onto his family, directly causing their bankruptcy and forcing them to flee overnight.

After reviewing the case file, Li Jing lay on the couch and suddenly chuckled softly, "So it was this Ji. My son has good taste. What a pity, what a pity."

Li Jing laughed as he plotted how to break up the couple. Just then, a eunuch braved the rain and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, the Sixth Princess has returned to the palace. She is weeping bitterly in her chambers, and we don't know why."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing immediately jumped up from the couch: "That bastard, he dared to betray..." He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he needed to protect his daughter's reputation, and swallowed the rest of his words. He put on wooden clogs, summoned a carriage, and braved the rain to rush to his daughter's palace.

Princess Xingguo's bedroom

Before Li Jingren even entered the door, he started shouting outside: "Xingguo, Xingguo, who bullied you? Was it that brat? Father will send someone to beat him up right now."

After a while, Li Lizhi opened the door from inside the house: "Your daughter is unfilial and has worried Father. Please come in, Father."

Li Jing entered the room and closed the door behind him. He then sat down at the table and anxiously asked, "Did that kid named Li Ji bully you? Zhizhi kindly rescued him, and he repaid kindness with enmity. Don't be afraid, your father is here, and he will definitely stand up for you."

Li Lizhi forced a smile and said, "Father, there's no need to worry. Today, I simply said goodbye. I will have no further contact with him."

Li Jing breathed a sigh of relief, but his words were still sharp: "Did he lie to you? Did he bully you? Does he have someone else in his heart? Father won't let him get away with this!"

When her father laid it all out, Li Lizhi could only shake her head and deny it: "That's not true. Those brothers didn't know my identity and thought I was from some official family in Jinling. They brought generous gifts to propose marriage. Who knew it was my family? We are destined to meet but not to be together."

Li Jing feigned surprise and said, "What? They look down on my family? Who are they? How dare they be so arrogant and domineering?"

Li Lizhi sighed, "Their family name is Li, and so is mine. People with the same surname don't marry, so we have no chance to be together."

What's this about not marrying someone with the same surname? The royal family of the Yu Kingdom never actually had the surname Li. They were surnamed Wang in Chu Prefecture, but later, after becoming the adopted son of a prime minister surnamed Xu from Yangwu, they adopted the surname Xu. They were known as the Xu family. After establishing the Yu Kingdom, in order to steal the reputation of the Great Yu Dynasty's royal family, they simply changed their surname to Li. (This is why the people in their hometown village couldn't imagine that the emperor of Jinling was related to them. Other factions didn't know either.)

Li Lizhi was aware of this dark history, so she never felt there was anything wrong with being with Li Ji. It wasn't until Li Ji parted ways with her for the sake of his family's interests that she used the excuse of not being allowed to marry someone with the same surname to appease her father and prevent him from retaliating against Li Ji.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing also thought of his family's dark history. He forced a smile and said, "Alright, alright, child, if you're unhappy, just rest in the palace for a while. That Li Ji seems to know his place. Our family inherited the imperial prestige of the Great Yu Dynasty, so naturally we must abide by the rules of the Great Yu Dynasty. The line of marriage between people with the same surname is indeed off-limits to everyone."

Li Lizhi nodded: "Daughter thanks Father for his concern. It's raining outside, Father, you came in the rain. Please take care of yourself."

Li Jing laughed heartily, patted his chest, and said, "Your father is in good health. I will definitely choose a perfect husband for you, build you a grand princess mansion, and marry you off in style."

Upon hearing about the imperial decree to build a princess's residence, Li Lizhi suddenly recalled Li Ji's disappointment and rejection of his father and the Yu Kingdom.

She boldly asked, "Father, the world is still unsettled, and all nations are using their wealth to support their armies. Our family is building palaces and mansions for our brothers and sisters. We are adopting the systems and standards of the Great Yu Dynasty for our food and daily life. Isn't this too wasteful? If we could save money and resources to support more soldiers, we would surely be able to unify the world sooner."

Li Jing looked at his daughter in surprise and asked with concern, "Who told you these things?"

Li Lizhi was startled by her father's seriousness, but she wouldn't betray Li Ji. She explained, "Daughter witnessed the chaos in Jiangbei during this trip and saw the hardships the people endure. Father just mentioned building a grand princess's residence. I think it would be more meaningful for our family to practice frugality and invest our money and resources in expanding our territory and pacifying the chaotic world as soon as possible, rather than building a hundred princess's residences."

Li Jing relaxed. It turned out that his trip had broadened his horizons and made him more compassionate. He explained, "It's not that Father wants extravagance. Since ancient times, only grand buildings can uphold authority. Father is determined to restore the regulations of the Great Yu Dynasty in order to restore the majesty of the court and stabilize the hearts of the people. As long as the hearts of the people are stable, the fate of the nation will be stable. You are still young and have not studied much, so you don't understand the reasoning behind this."

Li Lizhi seemed to understand but not quite. How could her father make a valid point, and Ji-ge also make a valid point? Who was right?

Li Jing certainly had his reasons for doing so. In today's world, even emperors are figures who could fall at any moment. Anyone with power is inclined to live for the moment, indulging in extravagance and enjoying life to the fullest.

After Li Jing established the nation, his subordinates were all like this. As the leader, he naturally had to lead by example in enjoying life so that his brothers would be content. If Li Jing had practiced frugality and saved every penny, his subordinates would have been dissatisfied with extravagance but resentful of simplicity, and might have even staged a mutiny one day. They had followed him through thick and thin, weren't they just hoping for some enjoyment? Moreover, living in this world, he himself was influenced by the hedonistic mentality.

However, the extravagance of this small group undoubtedly disappointed ambitious individuals like Li Xuan and Li Ji. Perhaps the members of this small group didn't want any ambitious individuals to share their power.

Li Jing remained relatively clear-headed. While enjoying his newfound wealth, he did not forget to promote as many people from humble backgrounds as possible and recruit more descendants of officials from the former Great Yu Dynasty, striving to diversify his power structure. However, this was all he did; he implemented very few genuine reforms to strengthen the government.

Li Ji and the Lychee Girl's fate was severed in Jinling. The bustling city of Jinling was not affected by their great love, and everyone continued to play their respective roles in an orderly manner.

The only change was in Princess Xingguo, Li Lizhi. From that day on, she became humble, polite, diligent, and studious in Jinling, becoming a highly respected and talented woman. She frequently used her official position in the princess's residence to recruit talented newcomers and recommend them to the court. Princess Xingguo herself lived a simple life, personally cultivating the fields, and often encouraged and supported education, earning her an excellent reputation in Jinling.

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In the countryside of Guangling, a deeply disappointed Feng Niaoniao was comforting Li Ji. Li Xuan pulled Feng Niaoniao aside and said, "Let him have some peace and quiet. Brother Ji, this is the countryside, there aren't many people around. You can stay at home, whether you cry or sleep, no one will care. Don't keep it all bottled up inside and hurt yourself." After saying that, he and Feng Niaoniao left Li Ji's room.

Feng Niaoniao walked out the door and sighed, "Why does it have to be his house? Even if it were another house, there would always be a way to deal with it."

Li Xuan sighed, shook her head, and said, "Let's go. Ji-ge is older now, he can pull through. What about Chang-ge?"

Feng Niaoniao said, "The troops are resting today, and Brother Chang took them to the river. Speaking of which, you haven't gone to the market to sell fish for many years. Is it because I've married into your family that you've achieved your goal of selling fish?"

Li Xuan chuckled and said, "The best fish is already in my house, why bother going to the market?"

Feng Niaoniao suddenly remembered that she had once suspected Li Xuan of faking his identity as a hermit from Zhongnan. She asked, "Brother Xuan, why did you personally sell fish at the market back then? If it was business, Brother Chang was already a familiar face."

Li Xuan explained, "Back then, my family didn't have any retainers. Changge was selling fish all by himself, and he always needed help. Yingxun Bridge was a gathering place for merchants and officials from the north and south, and news traveled easily. I could hear strange and wonderful stories from all over the world from under the bridge, so that I could judge the situation and find a way out."

Feng Niaoniao suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. You're not just selling fish, you're fishing too. Speaking of news, we just received it from the north yesterday. After the salt shortage was alleviated, the morale of Zhou's army soared, while the morale of the rebel army collapsed. The rebellion of the military governors of Hezhong and Zhaoyi has been quelled in Bianliang. Now that the rebellion has been quelled, salt will return to the market, and a sharp drop in salt prices is just around the corner."

Li Xuan was not concerned about the plummeting salt prices. His main profits came from the refining of coarse salt. The coarse salt trade was mainly to solidify his sales channels, and the price reduction would not affect the refined salt trade.

He was concerned about the emperor of Zhou: "That King Guo was a reasonable man. After he ascended the throne, he issued an edict to reduce taxes, and took the lead in frugality, prohibiting the presentation of rare goods. He also smashed the precious objects in the palace in public to show that he was different from the previous emperors who loved luxury."

He also abolished many oppressive policies and cruel punishments that had been invented at some unknown time. Furthermore, he vigorously promoted the restoration of agricultural production; it is said that in just two years, the number of registered households under his rule increased by more than 30,000. Unlike typical military governors, he heavily relied on a group of capable civil officials, making him a stark contrast to the other warlords since the collapse of the Tang Dynasty.

Feng Niaoniao nodded: "Indeed, it's a pity he's getting old; I don't know how many more years he has left. Supporting an army of 100,000 in the devastated Central Plains will take at least five years of recuperation before anything significant can be accomplished. Is Brother Xuan interested in Bianliang?"

Li Xuan hesitated for a long time, then sighed and said, "If this Emperor Guo were twenty years younger, I would definitely go to him for refuge. But he is already fifty years old. Once he leaves, who knows what kind of person will succeed him? Wouldn't that just leave me in a predicament?"

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As if a prophecy had come true, while Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao were still discussing Emperor Guo, Emperor Guo, who had returned triumphantly from Zhaoyi Town, fell seriously ill in the army. There was no cure, and he barely made it to Bianjing to arrange his affairs before passing away.

Emperor Guo had no sons, and his relatives had all perished in the chaos of the times. He could only adopt his wife's nephew as his adopted son and, with the support of his generals, ascended the throne.

In accordance with Emperor Guo's will, the funeral was conducted very simply, perhaps because he had witnessed too many tragedies of chaotic times. Emperor Guo was indifferent to his own affairs after death. He only requested to be buried with his wives.

His first wife was someone he married when he was down on his luck; she died young and poor. After Emperor Guo found her remains, he didn't add any more treasures as burial goods. What use are countless treasures if you can't enjoy life while you're alive?

Furthermore, who knows what the future holds? No matter how good the burial goods are, they'll only benefit future tomb raiders. Or even warlords in chaotic times. Guo Jing, in his campaigns, saw far too many criminals and military figures who dug up graves for money. The more burial goods one has, the more likely one is to be disturbed and cause trouble by future generations.

Because of this understanding, the joint burial pit of Emperor Guo and his several wives contained no burial goods whatsoever, as shabby as that of an ordinary family. He only wanted a bronze plaque with an epitaph, detailing the life stories and family structure of Emperor Guo and his wives. This served as a marker of his identity, a proof of identity to take to the underworld.

Guo Rong deeply understood that this was Emperor Guo's true wish—a wish born of helplessness, simplicity, and magnanimity. He also understood the profound meaning behind Emperor Guo's simple arrangements for his affairs after his death. In chaotic times, Confucianism had vanished, and clinging to rituals was meaningless. Instead, keeping things simple, frugal, valuing the people's resources, and saving expenses were the true ways to strengthen the nation and consolidate its foundation. This was Emperor Guo's final lesson to his adopted son, Guo Rong.

The mausoleum was hastily constructed in just over a month by conscripting only six hundred laborers. The total cost of the funeral was less than a thousand strings of cash. Even the main hall was not built; a dilapidated local temple was temporarily converted. Instead of bringing in the local earth god and his wife, the emperor's portrait was placed alongside the earth god's image, fully demonstrating the emperor's simple yet magnanimous outlook on life, which was shaped by the hardships he endured.

Guo Huang's simple funeral had just ended when Guo Rong, standing before the Hall of Offerings, was hailed as emperor by officials and imperial guards under the gaze of Guo Huang's brand-new statue. The new emperor announced that the reign title would be changed to Xiande the following year, a general amnesty would be granted, and the imperial treasury would be opened to reward the imperial guards.

The death of the powerful Emperor Guo had far-reaching consequences for all parties. Emperor Li Jing of the Southern Kingdom of Yu breathed a sigh of relief. According to the custom of the Northern court, when a powerful old emperor died, the young successor often could not stabilize the situation.

Perhaps this year, perhaps next year, the Zhou Dynasty in the north will be replaced by a new, makeshift dynasty. Who knows which military governor will become the future emperor? Li Jing, a ruler of chaotic times, has already witnessed the rise and fall of several regimes; he has even begun to fantasize about how he could launch a northern expedition to claim a share of the spoils after the Zhou Dynasty collapses.

The Han court in Jinyang in the north was overjoyed. After a fierce battle, the military governors of Hezhong and Zhaoyi, who had previously defended Han territory, were weakened and unable to withstand their attack. Guo Huang was fierce and skilled in battle, and his imposing presence was something Jinyang had never dared to provoke. But with Guo Huang gone and a young man with little military merit in his place, wouldn't they seize this opportunity to launch a southern expedition?

If all went well, they could capture Bianliang and revive the Han dynasty. Even if things didn't go smoothly, they could at least seize the two key positions of Jiedushi (military governor) of Hezhong and Zhaoyi, greatly increasing their national strength. So, while mobilizing the entire nation, they also sent a letter to the Liao dynasty, requesting that the Liao army march south to jointly attack Zhou.