Chapter 109: Sorghum’s Neglect and Yang Min’s Self-Rescue
Chapter 109: Sorghum Neglect and Yang Min’s Self-Rescue
The bamboo paper in Chang’an was still undergoing adjustments. The bamboo currently available had aged and was unusable, yet bamboo paper was inevitably destined to replace other types of paper and become mainstream. The officials did not demand perfection; rather, they accepted imperfection. To show respect, Liu Qun was occasionally invited.
In truth, Liu Qun had said all that needed to be said. The bamboo paper technology was basically handed over to various government offices for management. Many were involved: the Ministry of Works had a hand in it, the Ministry of Revenue was involved, and even the Ministry of Rites extended its influence. Do not ask why—such a grand event of the ages could not lack proper ceremonial protocol. The Ministries of Justice, War, and Personnel were left watching helplessly. There were also the Departments of Agriculture, Finance, the Supervisory Bureau, the Construction Department, the National University, and the Secretariat. Yet the pie was large enough for everyone to share.
With so many offices involved, how many bigwigs were there? Liu Qun’s role was minimal; each time she came, she would stand briefly before leaving.
There were plenty of hands, and the data recordings were even more detailed than Li Wei had expected. The craft gradually matured. Still, many officials made a small fortune in the process. Not everyone was pleased. The major papermaking workshop owners were shaken and sent envoys to Chang’an, seeking ways to obtain the new technology. To acquire it, they resorted to bribery.
After standing a while, Liu Qun, watching the bamboo in the pool dwindling, was about to return to the palace when she noticed Yang Min standing among the crowd, beckoning her over.
She approached and said, “Young lady of the Yang family, why do you summon your humble servant?”
“Could you accompany me for a walk?”
“Certainly.” Liu Qun glanced at Yang Min discreetly; she had grown even thinner.
If bamboo paper failed, perhaps Wu Zetian and Li Zhi would delay matters. If bamboo paper succeeded, a great cause would be established, and the issue of dismissing the crown princess could be brought to the table. Yet no decree was immediately issued. Although dismissing the crown princess was not the same as deposing the empress or crown prince, it was a significant matter with considerable impact.
Thus, Wu Zetian spread rumors, just as with the bamboo paper. When Pei Yuhe was summoned into the palace privately, rumors began to circulate. With Wu Zetian sending out more whispers, the matter spread.
Chang’an was still far, and commoners had not learned of this. Yet some officials and those well-informed gradually found out. The Eastern Palace also caught wind. Yang Min, so slender, had likely heard as well. Alas, though pitiful, the emperor and empress had their reasons. Yang Min’s past conduct had indeed been less than ideal.
Yang Min led Liu Qun to a carriage and told the driver to depart. Liu Qun asked, “Young lady of the Yang family, where are we going?”
“To the imperial estate outside the city to take a look.”
“The imperial estate?”
“It is the crown prince’s experimental sorghum estate.”
It turned out she was longing for the crown prince. Liu Qun did not refuse. They fell into silence for a moment before Yang Min asked, “Liu Sizhe, have you heard any rumors?”
“I have heard some, but they are only rumors. Young lady, you must not believe them. The emperor has not issued an edict.”
“No, Liu Sizhe, have you heard that the emperor and empress have returned to the Western Capital?”
The crown prince’s marriage to the crown princess was no small matter. The procedures paralleled those of the common people—betrothal, name inquiry, auspiciousness confirmation, dowry presentation, setting the date, and welcoming the bride—but on a grander scale. The betrothal was conducted by the Grand Commandant as chief envoy and the Minister of Ancestral Rites as deputy, with many elaborate rites, slightly smaller in scale but more complex than the Great Yu Sacrifice. The day before, civil and military officials and foreign envoys took their places in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The Vice Minister of the Secretariat presented the formal decree, accompanied by numerous rituals. The bride’s family reported their ancestors’ titles and ranks; if noble, this took half the day. Then they announced the daughter’s age and birth details for astrological matching. After confirming the birth dates, the dowry was presented: the dark red silk, six horses, grain vessels, and so forth. Finally, the wedding date was chosen.
Yang Min and the former crown prince had been through all these rituals. Only the last step remained—the welcoming ceremony—which was equally elaborate. The marriage date was imminent. If the union was to proceed, Wu Zetian and Li Zhi must either return to Chang’an or grant a residence in Luoyang for the Yang family to attend. Preparations had to begin.
Yet there was no sign of any movement.
Yang Min’s question made Liu Qun realize this was no longer mere rumor—it was true. She did not know how to reply.
Yang Min’s expression immediately darkened. The clatter of the carriage wheels reminded her of the crown prince calling her to the imperial estate to comfort her. She lowered her head and burst into tears.
Liu Qun sighed helplessly, “Young lady of the Yang family, perhaps things are not as they seem.”
Comforting her was useless. Yang Min cried all the way to the estate, only then drawing out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears before stepping down.
Several new innovations, like the new plow, had quickly gained attention—products of the land registration rituals, hence their rapid promotion. Bamboo paper was Wu Zetian’s desperate attempt at a quick fix. As Di Renjie had predicted, even if it failed, it could share some burden with Wu Zetian. If so, her son might suffer some grievances, which might or might not make Wu Zetian feel guilty. But success—only Heaven knew that. Only this sorghum crop had never attracted much attention from start to finish.
Li Wei was slow in temperament. He gave instructions as needed and left the rest to fate. Di Renjie and other officials, including Wu Zetian and Li Zhi, had heard about it. Some even skimmed the “Essential Techniques for the Common People,” finding it complicated. Intensive cultivation was indeed intricate, but the current method was rather rudimentary. Besides, if it were truly excellent, why hadn’t the Northern Wei promoted it? Everyone thought it was simply the crown prince’s personal interest in agriculture.
So Di Renjie turned his attention to salt, realizing something was amiss. He cried out in alarm and wanted to enter the Eastern Palace, but never once considered those few acres of sorghum.
The sorghum itself had no thoughts or grievances; it simply grew vigorously. It thrived so well that from afar it looked like a small forest, lush and pleasing to the eye. The better it grew, the more care those at the imperial estate devoted to it. With limited manpower, the other crops elsewhere suffered and withered. The contrast was striking.
Liu Qun gestured excitedly, “Young lady, look how tall these sorghum stalks are.”
“That’s because the crown prince devised the planting method. Of course they grow well,” Yang Min said, then suddenly recalled her own blindness and leaned on the sorghum stalks, sobbing again.
“Hey, young lady, what are you doing? These are the crown prince’s sorghum; you can’t break them,” two estate workers shouted from afar, running over. They looked at Yang Min in surprise and bowed, “So it’s Young Lady Yang. We didn’t know, we didn’t know.”
They had not heard any rumors but recognized Yang Min and apologized repeatedly. Yet they wondered why the crown princess was crying here.
“It’s not your fault,” Yang Min whispered.
An old farmer tenderly stroked the sorghum and said, “It’s a pity the crown prince has gone to the Eastern Capital. Otherwise, seeing how well the sorghum grows, he would surely be pleased. Perhaps this autumn, one acre will yield three to four shi of sorghum, just as the crown prince predicted.”
People’s hopes these days were modest; three to four shi per acre was considered a miracle.
“Hmm,” Yang Min replied absentmindedly, then said to Liu Qun, “Liu Sizhe, could you take me to the Eastern Palace to see Dahei and Xiaohei?”
Liu Qun hesitated but seeing her pitiable state nodded at last.
The Dahei and Xiaohei now were not just two swallows but several little ones. The younger ones had not yet fledged; the parents were incubating a second clutch.
The little swallows, bolder than their parents, had grown up watching the palace staff. When they saw Yang Min stop, one, probably tired from flying, landed directly on her black hair, using her head as a perch. The others followed, chirping merrily.
Watching these playful little creatures, Yang Min let out a soft laugh.
Yet she immediately thought of something else. If the crown prince truly married Pei Yuhe, then the future mistress of the Eastern Palace would be Pei Yuhe, and she would never have the chance or right to enter. She bowed over a rock in the garden, sobbing anew.
“Where have you been all this time?” Yang Sijian asked, annoyed.
“Father, I was just with Liu Qun, the palace steward of the Eastern Palace, going out to the imperial estate, looking at the sorghum, then back to the Eastern Palace to see that pair of clever swallows.”
“Now that the whole city is abuzz, don’t run around so recklessly. Wasn’t it because you went to Zhongnan Mountain that all this happened?”
“What happened? The emperor and empress haven’t issued a decree. Don’t scare your daughter. And what about Zhongnan Mountain? That was the crime of Helan Minzhi, a beast. What does Min’er have to do with it? Didn’t the rumors say they wanted to choose a girl from the Pei family? Wasn’t she there at Zhongnan Mountain that day?” Mrs. Yang finished, then suddenly realized she had let something slip and covered her mouth.
“Still mentioning Zhongnan Mountain! If you hadn’t always treated that Helan Minzhi like a treasure and brought him home, would this have happened?”
“He is the Duke of Zhou; how can I neglect him? After all this, Min’er was the victim. Why must she bear these insults and blame? Besides, the crown prince also bears responsibility. If he hadn’t pressured Helan Minzhi to madness, how could such a crime have occurred?”
“How can you still blame the crown prince now?” Yang Sijian almost fainted with anger. It was his wife’s complaints about their daughter marrying that sickly man that caused her to develop disdain for the crown prince. The Zhongnan Mountain incident was just a pretext. The main issue was the daughter’s earlier attitude toward the crown prince, which displeased the emperor and empress. He added, “You can blame everyone in the world, but never the crown prince.”
Who would dare speak ill of the crown prince after the bamboo paper was introduced? Those who did not believe the emperor would depose the crown prince would likely kneel from Chang’an to Luoyang, begging for the decree’s retraction.
“Father, mother, please don’t quarrel. I will handle this myself.”
“How will you handle it?” Both parents asked in unison. The royal family chose the crown princess; not even Yang Min or the crown prince himself could decide.
“Could you give me some money?”
“Why do you need money?”
“I want to go to the Eastern Capital.”
“To the Eastern Capital?”
“Yes, to meet the emperor and empress, confess my faults to them. If they still want to dismiss me, I will die there and never disgrace you again.”
“You dare threaten the emperor and empress with death?”
“No, I only want to confess my faults. Nothing else.”
“How will you see the emperor and empress?”
“First, I will ask the crown prince to introduce me.”
“That’s impossible. The emperor and empress are strong-willed. Begging them will be useless.”
“Since I cut this lock of hair, I’ve vowed to give my heart wholly to the crown prince alone.” She touched her remaining hair at the back, still growing after her illness. Then her gaze hardened. “Either success or death!”
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