Chapter Thirty-Six: How Difficult It Truly Is

After returning to his estate from the morning court, Yang Chuan enjoyed a rare few days of leisure. Although there were no affairs of state to attend to, the sting of having just paid out two million taels of gold as compensation still lingered. Even though the money did not come from his own pocket, he felt the loss more acutely than anyone else.

"Three years as a magistrate, a hundred thousand taels of silver."

For some reason, this saying suddenly surfaced in his mind. Although it was a phrase used by later poets to mock the greed of officials, the fact that an honest official could only amass a hundred thousand taels of silver in three years showed just how difficult it was for a nation to accumulate two million taels of gold. In this era, however, resources were severely scarce. Even if he wanted to follow modern principles to open up trade routes, there was nothing of value to sell. Was he truly expected to accumulate wealth one penny at a time? Other nations might be able to afford the slow pace, but the Great Qi could no longer sustain it!

While the territorial concessions and reparations had temporarily eased the tension between the Kang and Qi kingdoms, Yang Chuan knew the woman Yan Wugou too well. She was vindictive, overly emotional, and above all, indecisive! As long as she had a capable minister in court to manage things, she would never bother to think for herself. The previous two campaigns were proof of this. If it weren't for the formidable national strength of the Great Kang, those two wars alone would have been enough to send the kingdom into decline.

Know yourself, and know your enemy. He resolved to earn back the money lost from the national treasury within two years.

With his mind racing, he could not sit still in his room. He walked out into the courtyard to admire the garden scenery and watch the fish in the pond. Before long, a handsome reflection appeared in the tranquil, crystalline water beneath the stone bridge. He cast aside his worries and stared at his own image, falling into a trance. The sight of a few fish swimming by stirred a sense of envy in the young man.

"Oh, to be a fish in the pond, wandering carefree through the world!"

"My, my, Minister Yang is in high spirits. Stripped of your office only yesterday, and here you are today, viewing the scenery and composing poetry. How leisurely and carefree!"

"Could it be that after returning to a life of seclusion, you no longer care for the common people or the fate of the empire?"

After that gentle, slightly chiding voice, a face of breathtaking beauty appeared in the ripples of the pond.

"Your Majesty, your scolding did not startle me, but it did scare away the fish."

Yang Chuan turned from the pond and knelt respectfully, his voice low and solemn: "Your Majesty has graced me with your presence, and I failed to notice. It is my sin. I beg for Your Majesty’s punishment!"

"Pah! Save the flattery. If you truly feel guilty, you should spend more time worrying about the affairs of the court instead of looking for leisure here."

"Your Majesty, please come into the house. I shall pour you a cup of tea myself."

As he spoke, Yang Chuan did not show his usual deference. Instead, acting with the boldness of a husband, he took Tian Yueying by the hand and led her toward the house.

"Yang Chuan, ever since you left the court, the officials have been as they always were—unwilling to help me manage state affairs, instead making excuses. Among all the high officials in the court, there is not a single one I can use!"

"Is Your Majesty intending for me to return to my post immediately? I fear that if I return so hastily, it will only stir further resentment among them."

Knowing how difficult it was for Tian Yueying to manage those mediocre minds alone, Yang Chuan also wished to return to court to assist her. However, the time was not yet right; an early return would only be counterproductive.

"Sigh!"

Watching the uselessness of the hundred officials during the morning court today, only the Duke of State, Sun Xin, had been able to offer any real strategy. But with too few capable hands around her, Sun Xin, while loyal, lacked the brilliance to assist her in major matters. Just one day without him had left her missing Yang Chuan terribly. After the court was dismissed, she had rushed to his estate without even taking a moment to rest.

Looking at the desolate Prime Minister's residence, it felt as if they had returned to the past—only this time, she was the monarch, and he was the subject.

"By the way, did I not remember that when I gifted you this estate, I provided you with over thirty servants? Why do I only see two today?"

She glanced around the main hall; the vast residence was completely devoid of staff! If she hadn't seen two servants at the gate, she would have suspected that his estate had been raided by other officials.

"Unless it is to feed their families, how many would willingly be servants to others?" Yang Chuan replied. "As for the servants Your Majesty bestowed upon me, I took pity on them and gave them some silver, granting them their freedom."

"Heh, I never expected that someone so ruthless and decisive in the court could have such a compassionate heart in private." Tian Yueying looked at Yang Chuan, feeling that no matter how long she gazed at his face, it was never enough.

"Your Majesty has known me for a long time. I have never cared for power or wealth. If one day I can help Your Majesty unify the Nine Provinces, I would gladly lay down my armor, return to the fields, and live as a hermit in the deep mountains, free from the concerns of the world."

Hearing these words, Tian Yueying felt her eyes sting. Indeed, the world was ruled by desire, and even as a monarch with supreme power, she still felt like a bird in a cage, bound to the palace day after day. If her father had not been an emperor, and she were merely the daughter of an ordinary family, would she have already chosen a good husband and lived a life of simple, happy labor?

"How I wish I could abandon this world and be a person without shackles," she murmured. "But unfortunately, the people of this kingdom are counting on me—counting on me to one day bring them that same simple, happy life. Only then could I rest easy and retreat to the mountains with you, to be the most carefree pair of lovers in the world."

Although these words appeared to be for the sake of the common people, they were laced with a hidden confession to Yang Chuan.

Deep affection, never to be forsaken.

Afterward, the two discussed their plans. They agreed that Yang Chuan could not return to court too soon, so staying at his residence for a few days would actually serve Tian Yueying’s interests. As for Tian Yueying, she would select problems that were difficult for ordinary officials to solve. If the court failed to provide solutions, they would eventually come to appreciate Yang Chuan's worth once more.

At the same time, Yang Chuan began to map out his own plans. Beyond managing state affairs, he intended to purge the court of more useless officials. When he was about to be dismissed, it was the Prime Minister, An Xunlu, who had been the most treacherous. Though Yang Chuan had never dealt with him directly, the way Tian Yueying confronted him made it clear that this man was the very bane the Empress wanted to eliminate most.