Chapter 681: Meeting a Precious Gem

In the Bathing Hall of the Daming Palace, located deep within the palace, was the sleeping quarters of Empress Dowager Shen Zhenzhu. Hidden inside was a small, secluded room that she never allowed anyone to enter—her most secret place. Aside from her personal maid, Wen Niang, no one else was permitted to go there.

The room was dimly lit. On a small table lay two spirit tablets, with incense and offerings beside them. clad in a Taoist robe, Shen Zhenzhu knelt before the table, holding two sticks of incense as she prayed silently.

“My son and husband, the wicked will surely face retribution. Those who harmed you have been punished; may your spirits rest in peace!”

She placed the incense sticks in the incense burner. Two crystal tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes. With a sigh, she spoke to her husband’s spirit tablet, “My dearest, though I may have wronged you, I hope you can understand the pain in my heart. I…” Her voice grew faint. “I had no choice.”

“Empress Dowager!” Her maid, Wen Niang, gently urged her, “It’s only natural to remarry after one’s husband dies. How many common women in the Tang Dynasty remain widowed for life? Even princesses can remarry—why should you blame yourself?”

“Common women can remarry, and princesses can remarry too. But an empress dowager cannot. Once she enters the palace, there’s no way out.”

“But Empress Dowager, you agreed to this condition for revenge.”

“A condition?” Shen Zhenzhu smiled bitterly. “If I hadn’t agreed, there would be no condition at all.”

With another sigh, she stood up. “Let’s go! My wish has been fulfilled. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let fate take its course from now on.”

She stepped out of the room. Her maid blew out the light and quietly closed the door. The room fell back into darkness, with only the two incense sticks flickering faintly.

……

In Xucheng County, Sizhou, located west of Hongze Lake, grain ships coming from the Bian River sailed straight into Hongze Lake without passing through Xucheng County. As a result, Xucheng County was the most underdeveloped among the counties along the river in terms of population and economy.

That morning, a dilapidated carriage rushed along the road south of Xucheng County. A woman poked her head out of the window, looking around anxiously. She kept urging the coachman, “Uncle, can you go any faster?”

The coachman smiled bitterly. “Miss, my horse is too old to travel long distances. It can’t go any faster.”

“But if we don’t hurry, the fleet will pass us by.”

“Don’t worry! The waters of Hongze Lake are calm, so the grain ships will never catch up with the carriage. They’re definitely still behind us.”

This woman was Mingzhu, who came from the capital city. She had pretended to go visit her elder brother, Changfeng, and set out alone. Her brother, Dugu Changfeng, had parted ways with Li Qingan in Chenliu County, but instead of going there, she followed Li Qingan’s boat along the Bian River to Sizhou. She was twenty-one years old this year, with a beauty that could compare to flowers and delicate attire. She followed Li Qingan’s fleet all the way, but accidentally overslept in an inn one morning, filling her with anxiety fear that his fleet might have already passed by. The coachman, an old man in his sixties who had been driving for her since Zhengzhou, was impressed by her beauty and noble appearance. He liked her very much and said with a smile, “Miss, I’ve been wanting to ask—do you come from a prestigious place?” “Mm! I’m from the capital city.” “No wonder! I’ve been driving for decades and haven’t seen a woman as beautiful as you. Be careful traveling alone!” “It’s fine! I’ve found the people here to be honest, and I haven’t encountered any bad people yet.” “That’s because you’ve stayed inside my carriage the whole time, not showing your face. It’s chaotic outside—thieves are everywhere. This Sizhou isn’t a safe place; we must be extremely careful.” Mingzhu found this strange and asked with a smile, “Uncle, I think Sizhou is quite nice! There are many kind people like you.” “The locals in Sizhou are good, but I’m talking about the officials. They’re all more corrupt and wicked than the last. Linhuai County is ahead—there are the most officials, and thus the most villains. It’s best for you to stay hidden in the carriage. I’ll take you to the Huai River where you can board a boat and be safe.” “Don’t worry, uncle! I’m not afraid.” Mingzhu touched a gold plaque at her waist—it was Li Qingan’s order granting authority over all troops. Unaware of its significance, she had stolen it from Li Qingan’s study for self-protection, intending to use it if anyone tried to harm her. Fortunately, nothing went wrong along the way, so she never had to use it. Suddenly, Mingzhu saw a town ahead and asked, “Uncle, what town is that?” “That’s Nüshan Town, part of Linhuai County.” “Is there anything interesting or special there?” “I’ve been there a few times. There’s nothing really interesting. As for specialties, Nüshan shrimp cakes are famous, but I think they’re quite ordinary. You don’t need to stop there. Let’s go straight there to reach Linhuai County earlier.” “Okay!”

The coachman swung his whip and sped up, soon entering Nüshan Town, a large town with over 300 households. The town was in poor condition, and every family relied on fishing and shrimp hunting for a living; the entire town was filled with the fishy smell of fish and shrimp. As soon as the carriage reached the town streets, they noticed something unusual—there were four or five hundred people kneeling on the streets, surrounding a carriage and pleading. Around the carriage were a dozen officials, likely because an official was inside. A few elders held a petition and knelt in front of the carriage, shouting, “Sir County Magistrate, we can’t bear the increased fish tax anymore. If it goes up any further, we won’t have a way to survive.” “I can’t make this decision alone. I need to consult the governor. Please clear the road and stop causing trouble.” Mingzhu heard this clearly and was very puzzled. She asked the coachman, “Uncle, what is fish tax?” “Fish tax is the tax paid for fishing. It’s collected twice a year. It used to be 10% tax, but it’s said to be raised to 30%. No one can bear it.” “Do we have to pay tax just for fishing? Can’t we just pay land tax and household tax?” “Land tax is one thing, household tax is another. Those must be paid, but fish tax is separate. It’s calculated at 10 coins for large fish and 5 coins for small ones. Before, paying 1 coin for a large fish, now it’s 3 coins. In fact, a large fish can only be sold for up to 6 coins. It’s really unjust!” “There’s such a thing in the world!” Mingzhu was indignant. She asked again, “Then, uncle, does the coachman have to pay a carriage tax?” “No carriage tax, but there’s a road fee that must be paid when entering the town. My carriage costs 20 coins, whether there are passengers or not.” “These corrupt officials! I’m going to sue them.” By then, the county magistrate had left, and the villagers had no choice but to go home. Groups of people passed by Mingzhu’s carriage, and she called out to the elder holding the petition. “Sir, give me your petition. I’ll sue on your behalf.” Everyone was nearly desperate, but hearing Mingzhu’s words, they gathered around her. “Miss, do you know our governor?” The coachman beside her laughed, “You really lack insight. This young lady comes from the capital. What’s a minor governor compared to her?” Mingzhu also said loudly, “Don’t worry! I’ll tell my elder brother or brother-in-law. They are high-ranking officials who can execute these corrupt officials. Give me the petition.” Everyone spoke at once. Although the girl seemed young, she had an extraordinary demeanor and was clearly not an ordinary person. Her accent was also from the capital. Since they were at a loss, they thought it might be worth trying!

The old man handed her the petition covered in red fingerprints. “Young lady, I’m counting on you.” Mingzhu took the document, folded it carefully, and stored it safely. “Don’t worry! We’ll hear news soon.” The carriage set off, and as everyone watched her go, they were filled with concern, unsure whether this girl could be trusted.
…
Li Qing’an’s fleet left Chenliu Commandery and, after seven or eight days of travel, arrived at Linhuai County in Sizhou. From there, they crossed the Huai River and entered the Jianghuai region. By then, news of the fall of Southern Tang had finally reached Li Qing’an. Though it was within his expectations, the news still brought him great joy, and he immediately spread it among his three thousand Tiger Guard troops escorting him southward. Instantly, joy spread throughout the area around the Bian River, as soldiers couldn’t help but throw their helmets high into the air.
“Long live! Long live the General!”
Cheers echoed everywhere. Li Qing’an immediately ordered his troops to enter Linhuai County and take over all the taverns there to celebrate their victory. The news spread rapidly, and Linhuai County also erupted in excitement. The fall of Southern Tang meant the unification of the Tang Dynasty and the end of wars. The people rushed into the streets, beating gongs, drums, and pots, singing and dancing to celebrate the end of the war and welcome Li Qing’an’s troops into the city.
Inside Linhuai City, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to welcome the Tang troops as if they were victorious armies. Most of them didn’t even know that the top decision-maker in the battle against Southern Tang was among them, but it no longer mattered. They needed a ceremony to express their joy and excitement, and the troops’ entry into the city was undoubtedly the perfect one.
“Long live! Long live the Tang troops!” Cheers filled the entire city.
The crowd included the old and the young; women held their children, girls wore bright dresses, and groups of children ran alongside the cavalry. Many cavalrymen picked up the children and placed them on their horses, drawing applause.
Sitting in the carriage, Li Qing’an watched the enthusiastic and excited faces around him and felt genuine emotion. He knew this was the people’s longing for peace and their hope for the revival of the Tang Dynasty.
At that moment, the procession stopped. The governor of Sizhou and the county magistrate of Linhuai came forward to greet him. Li Qing’an’s inspection of Jianghuai had been kept secret; the imperial court had not issued any orders, and local officials along the way had been instructed by Li Qing’an not to reveal his southern journey. Therefore, the governor and magistrate of Sizhou had no idea where these troops came from or why they were coming to Sizhou.

Governor Zhou Bingyi felt somewhat uneasy. He had already noticed that this army was different from others. Although it was not large in number, its appearance was extraordinary—completely made up of cavalry. Their warhorses were not of the Central Plains breed; they were tall, strong, with long legs and agile builds. All the soldiers were tall and robust, wearing shiny armor. Their weapons—long swords, round shields, crossbows, and lances—were all the most advanced ones of the Tang Dynasty. Each of them exuded a majestic presence. Though there were only three thousand men, their momentum seemed like that of tens of thousands.

Moreover, there was even a carriage pulled by twenty-four horses in the army. Such high standards made Zhou Bingyi extremely nervous. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, “I am Zhou Bingyi, the governor of Sizhou. May I ask who your general is? What brings you to Sizhou?”

One of the bodyguards dismounted and whispered something to him. Zhou Bingyi’s face turned pale with fear. He hurriedly tried to kneel, but the bodyguard pulled him back, saying, “Didn’t I tell you? The general doesn’t want his identity revealed.”

“Yes! Yes!”

Zhou Bingyi quickly agreed and spoke a few words to the county magistrate and other officials. Everyone followed him, trembling, to the carriage. Zhou Bingyi bowed and said, “I, Zhou Bingyi, governor of Sizhou, pay my respects to Your Highness!”

“I, Wang Jiaju, the county magistrate of Linhuai, also pay my respects to Your Highness!”

There was no response from inside the carriage. Li Qing’an seemed a bit distracted. He had seen a familiar woman’s figure among the crowd earlier—she seemed to be Mingzhu. But he couldn’t believe it. This was Sizhou—how could Mingzhu be here?

The woman had left the crowd and headed toward an inn. Li Qing’an watched her enter the inn before coming back to his senses. He chuckled and said, “I’m sorry for disturbing you all.”

“Not at all! Please go to the government office and rest, Your Highness.”

Li Qing’an declined politely, saying, “I’m just passing through Sizhou and have no plans to inspect it. You should go back to your duties. We’ll have lunch at the inn and then leave.”

As Li Qing’an was about to leave, Zhou Bingyi and the other officials secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But he still pleaded earnestly, “Since Your Highness is visiting Sizhou so rarely, please allow me to offer a simple meal as a token of my gratitude.”

“Hehe! I have three thousand soldiers—your meager offering isn’t enough. Never mind. I appreciate your kindness. We’ll handle it ourselves. You go back to your work!”

Zhou Bingyi and the county magistrate exchanged a glance, secretly delighted. He stopped insisting and said, “Then I shall take my leave!”

“Go ahead! As officials, you must treat the people well.”

“I’ll remember that!”

The crowd gradually dispersed, and the army took over more than thirty taverns in Linhuai County. Li Qing’an ordered that drinking was allowed, but getting drunk was prohibited; meals could be ordered as desired. He took out 100 taels of gold to cover the food and drinks for 3,000 soldiers. The soldiers went to various taverns, usually in groups of about ten, with one tavern per group. Li Qing’an himself led 100 bodyguards to the tavern they had been at earlier. At that moment, his personal officer Han Jin whispered, “General, I think there’s something odd about this governor.” “What’s odd about him?” Li Qing’an was inside the carriage and couldn’t see the officials’ expressions. The officer replied, “I can tell Governor Han is forcing himself to keep a straight face. And the secretary behind him showed joy when he heard the great general was leaving soon.” “Perhaps they’re just scared because of our arrival and don’t know how to entertain our 3,000 troops. You’re overthinking it.” “But, General, haven’t you noticed that as soon as those officials came out, the enthusiasm of the people diminished significantly? Many people just spat and left. Isn’t that strange?” Li Qing’an stopped in his tracks and said to him, “Han Jin, I understand what you’re thinking. You believe there are corrupt officials in Sizhou. Whether there are or not, if there are, it should be the censors who investigate them. If I had to handle everything, then the Censorate wouldn’t be necessary. Do you understand?” “Yes! I understand.” Seeing that he seemed depressed, Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Of course, since you’re willing to act as an envoy to understand the people’s conditions for me, I won’t let you down!” Han Jin was overjoyed. “Thank you, General! I’ll go right away.” “Aren’t you eating?” “I’m not hungry!” Han Jin rushed off. Seeing his eagerness, Li Qing’an shook his head with a smile. Han Jin had followed him for many years. He was from Chuzhou, and his father had died at the hands of a corrupt official. Therefore, he had always loathed corrupt officials. It was rare to see him so enthusiastic. Li Qing’an stopped paying attention to him and went into the tavern. On the second floor of the tavern, Mingzhu was sitting alone at a table eating. Li Qing’an hadn’t mistaken her earlier—she really was it. She had seen Li Qing’an’s carriage but didn’t know how to approach him. If Li Qing’an asked her about it, what excuse would she have? Had her sister asked her to take care of him? But she herself needed care—her sister would never ask her to do that. How could a sister-in-law take care of her brother-in-law? Mingzhu was in a dilemma and sat there drinking alone in sadness. “I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you!”

Li Qing’an appeared before her. Mingzhu shuddered in fear, as if she had done something wrong. She lowered her head and stood up, calling out in a faint voice, “Brother-in-law!”
“Sit down!”
Li Qing’an sat down across from her and ordered the waiter to bring him a pot of wine and several dishes. He shook Mingzhu’s wine pot—it was already half empty. How little time had passed?
“Mingzhu, since when can you drink so well?” Li Qing’an teased her with a smile.
Seeing that Li Qing’an didn’t seem to blame her or ask why she was there, her tension eased slightly. She smiled sweetly and said, “I lived in Anxi for half a year a couple of years ago and learned how to drink there.”
“You little girl, why are you sneaking around following me?”
“You…”
Mingzhu’s face turned red. Li Qing’an pressed further, “I… Who’s following you? I just happened to pass by here on my way to Yangzhou. I was eating here by myself. It was you who came looking for me, wasn’t it?”
“Okay! Okay! Okay!”
Seeing her quick-wittedness, Li Qing’an laughed and said, “Even if I did come looking for you, then what are you doing in Yangzhou?”
“I’m going to Yangzhou for fun. Is that wrong? Hmm!”
Suddenly, Mingzhu thought of an excellent excuse. She said proudly, “You forgot! Didn’t I come to Yangzhou that year? I went to Dayun Temple and asked Master Jianzhen to teach me about Buddhism. He said I could make a wish in front of the Buddha, and once my wish was fulfilled, I had to return to make another vow. So this time I’m going to Yangzhou to fulfill that vow.”
“What vow? Did you find your ideal husband?” Li Qing’an laughed mischievously.
“You’re so mean!”
Mingzhu was extremely embarrassed. Realizing she had blurted out too much, she quickly covered her mouth. Seeing that no one else had heard, she pinched Li Qing’an’s arm hard and said in a fierce whisper, “What vow I’m going to fulfill is none of your business!”
“Very well, then I won’t interfere. If your sister asks, I’ll just say it’s none of my business.”
“It is! You’re a general and a prince—you should focus on matters of state. Leave my little matters alone… Ah!”
Mingzhu suddenly screamed. She hurriedly turned around to rummage through her bag, looking flustered. Li Qing’an was startled and shook his head, laughing, “What’s the rush? What’s wrong?”
“I almost forgot.”
Mingzhu searched through her bag for some documents. With a clatter, her gold medal fell to the ground. Li Qing’an froze. He slowly picked up the medal and looked at Mingzhu in surprise. “This gold medal… You took it from my study, right?”

Mingzhu stuck out her tongue. “I’m sorry for not asking your permission first. I was afraid of being bullied by bad guys on the road, so I took this gold medal for protection.”
“Oh, my goodness!”
Li Qing’an was both amused and exasperated. “Why didn’t you take anything else but this gold medal? It’s a military deployment medal! With this medal, you can summon an army of ten thousand at will.”
Mingzhu was shocked. She hurriedly explained, “Brother-in-law, I didn’t know. I saw only ‘General’s Order’ written on it, so I thought it was just an ordinary gold medal. If I had known it was for deploying troops… I would never have dared to take it. And don’t worry! I won’t use it along the way.”
Li Qing’an put away the medal and shook his head with a wry smile. “It’s only useful for the army. For the government, it’s just an ordinary gold medal. Forget it. Don’t sneak out again. You’re already so grown up, yet you still sneak away. I won’t scold you anymore; if I do, you’ll cry again.”
Seeing that Li Qing’an wasn’t angry with her, Mingzhu felt relieved and said cheerfully, “I won’t cry! I’m very happy to see you!”
Then she found the petition and handed it to Li Qing’an. “Look, this is a petition from over 300 fishermen in Nüshan Town. The officials in Sizhou are too outrageous to impose taxes without permission!”
Li Qing’an took the petition and glanced at it. It contained the pleas of the people of Nüshan Town asking the local authorities not to raise fish taxes. The bottom of the petition was covered with red fingerprints. Li Qing’an’s expression darkened. He had never heard of a fish tax before.
There were several reasons for his eastern inspection, one of which was to rectify the officialdom and clean up the bureaucracy in the Jianghuai region. Cui Ning had discussed this in depth with him after returning to the capital. Due to the long-term instability of the court and frequent changes in power, the Jianghuai area had been in a state of lack of supervision for years. Corruption was rampant among officials, who imposed local taxes under the guise of recruiting civilian militias, but most of the money went into their own pockets.
The fish tax in Sizhou was just one example; there were also tea taxes, new tea fees, silk taxes, silkworm seed taxes, and so on. They came up with various pretexts, most of which were excuses to recruit civilian militias.
The economy of the Jiangnan region was crucial to the Tang Dynasty. If the bureaucracy wasn’t rectified in time and turned into a system or unwritten rule, it would eventually become an intractable cancer.
Nothing could wait; action had to be taken soon.
Mingzhu kept watching Li Qing’an. She leaned in and whispered, “Brother-in-law, why not send troops to arrest them all now? They’re definitely corrupt officials upon trial.”
“There’s no rush. They can’t run away.”

Li Qing’an put away the petition, handed it to his bodyguard, then picked up his wine cup and said with a smile, “Tell me about you! How are you going to Yangzhou?”
“I’ll go by myself, of course. Would I go with you?”
Mingzhu pointed smilingly at the staircase. “Look! My coachman is here.”
Li Qing’an turned around and saw a thin old man approaching. He gave Mingzhu a worried look, as if asking when they would leave.
“This uncle is very kind. He’s brought me here all the way from Zhengzhou. I owe him a lot for his protection.”
Li Qing’an peeked out the window and saw an old, dilapidated carriage parked below. He smiled and ordered his bodyguard, “Give him two hundred silver coins and let him go back!”
Unexpectedly, the old man refused the money. He waved his hand and stepped forward anxiously, “Miss, your father is waiting for you downstairs. Go and see him!”
Both Li Qing’an and Mingzhu were stunned. Suddenly, they understood. Li Qing’an couldn’t help but smile. The kind old man thought he had kidnapped Mingzhu.
Mingzhu also laughed heartily, bending over. She pointed at Li Qing’an and said, “Uncle, this is my brother-in-law. He’s not a bad person.”
“Oh!”
The old man’s face turned red. He bowed and said with a smile, “If that’s the case, I’ll go back. Take care on your journey, miss!”
The old man had heard from Mingzhu that her brother-in-law was a high-ranking official in the capital, so he felt a bit scared. As he turned to leave, Mingzhu called out to him, “Uncle, I haven’t paid you for the ride yet!”
She reached for her money bag, but Li Qing’an stopped her and ordered his bodyguard, “Give this old man a hundred taels of gold!”
A hundred taels of gold was equivalent to a thousand silver coins. The old man was stunned. Suddenly, he tried to kneel in front of Li Qing’an, but Li Qing’an caught him and said with a smile, “There’s no need to be polite, old man. You’ve protected my family along the way, and I should thank you properly.”
Seeing that Li Qing’an had given her face by not letting her go alone, Mingzhu felt a hint of sweetness in her heart. It seemed this guy still cared about her.
“I told you first! It was you who asked me to go with you. It wasn’t my choice.”