Holding the Emperor Hostage : Chapter 75: Daily Life

A block of tofu unfurled into a perfect chrysanthemum in the rich broth, its petals rippling gently, the soup clear and bright. One glance was enough to tell that the cook’s skill was truly exceptional.

Even though Shentu Yang had eaten Wensi tofu many times already, he still marveled at His Majesty’s ingenuity.

“I have heard that recently, the Yangzhou dishes created by His Majesty have become all the rage at the dinner parties of the great clans and meritorious nobles. If any family hosts a banquet without serving a few Yangzhou dishes, their guests will mock them for it.”

One had to admit, these Huaiyang dishes, regardless of their taste, had conquered those pretentious great clans and powerful families with their appearance alone. Many famous scholars and literati, when pleased by the food, would even compose poems and odes for the dishes. Some went even further, inviting three to five friends to take a boat south, intending to see with their own eyes the Jiangnan that could give birth to such refined cuisine.

Influenced by this trend, the shipbuilding orders at the Water Balance Commandant’s office and the Boat Construction Commission had increased considerably, all thanks to those wealthy sons of great clans with money to burn.

The sum of this money was enough to cover the tower ship navy’s annual military expenses.

“This is a good thing,” Yin Shuhuai smiled. “The court’s development of Jiangnan aims to change customs and transform habits. Now that the young men among the great clans and meritorious nobles have grown curious about Jiangnan and are willing to take boats south, actively learning about the progress of development in various parts of Jiangnan. Perhaps after being influenced by the new policies, they too will develop an interest in reform.”

Yin Shuhuai would never dismiss the curiosity of young people or their determination to change the world. Even if these youths were born into stale and decaying great clans, educated in the rotten belief that family interests came above all else, surrounded by scheming old clan elders. Their vision and understanding were naturally limited to the small patch of land that was the world of the great clans and meritorious nobles. But so what?

“Actually, I do not like eating Yangzhou dishes…” Just as Yin Shuhuai fell into thought, Shentu Yang suddenly spoke.

Yin Shuhuai came back to his senses and saw Shentu Yang stuff the fourth crab roe lion’s head meatball into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, he shook his head and remarked: “The flavor is too bland.”

Compared to these gorgeous but bland refined dishes, Shentu Yang still preferred the bold and unrestrained style of hot pot and roast meat. Especially whole roast lamb and skewers seasoned with frankincense… That way of eating and drinking with big gulps and big bites made Shentu Yang feel thoroughly satisfied.

Yin Shuhuai picked up a Longjing shrimp with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The shrimp meat was crystal clear and translucent, firm and plump, with a refreshing, crisp, and bouncy texture. It carried a faint tea fragrance, making one feel completely refreshed. As for Jiangnan rice, the texture was somewhat inferior, but its powerful yield of three harvests a year could save countless lives. This was a merit far more comforting than delicious taste.

“You have just recovered from a serious illness. The Chief Imperial Physician told you to eat something light. After some time has passed, I will have a lamb roasted for you.” Yin Shuhuai was also starting to miss barbecue.

Recently, while Shentu Yang had been gravely ill, Yin Shuhuai had had no appetite either. He had eaten several meals of Huaiyang cuisine already. Although these dishes were refined and delicious, when it came to being truly tempting, nothing could beat roast meat and hot pot!

Clearly, Shentu Yang had thought the same thing. The moment Yin Shuhuai finished speaking, his eyes shone brightly as he begged: “Could we have hot pot first?”

Shentu Yang felt that hot pot was quite light too. Especially the instant-boiled lamb that His Majesty had invented, slicing plump young lamb into paper-thin slices so transparent you could see light through them, dropping them into the copper pot, then mixing a dipping sauce of sesame paste… Shentu Yang took a deep breath. He could not think about it anymore, or he would faint from the deliciousness.

Shentu Yang sometimes truly felt that Yin Shuhuai was a genius when it came to food. With a turn of his mind, he could come up with so many delicious things.

Yin Shuhuai looked at Shentu Yang’s mouth-watering appearance and could not help laughing, but he still agreed: “We will have hot pot tonight.”

Hearing this, Shentu Yang immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, preparing to save room for dinner.

Yin Shuhuai had eaten his fill as well, so he had the attendants clear away the remaining food.

After the meal, Shentu Yang accompanied Yin Shuhuai for a walk in the Imperial Garden to aid digestion.

Late autumn had arrived. The flowers in the garden had withered, and golden and fiery red leaves swayed on dry branches, occasionally drifting down with the wind. It was a scene of austere desolation.

Shentu Yang was wearing a padded jacket stuffed with cotton. After walking only a short while, he felt hot all over and could not help exclaiming: “Who would have thought that cotton from Qiongzhou Island could have such a miraculous effect. His Majesty is truly a sage, born with knowledge, knowing all things. This winter, the common people will be blessed.” The soldiers guarding the bitter cold frontier regions would be blessed too.

Yin Shuhuai cast him a sidelong glance and smiled without speaking.

Just at this moment, a young eunuch announced that the Chancellor of the State of Yan, Yao Wenruo, had entered the palace to have an audience.

Yao Wenruo had come this time to report the good news that the Little Tangshan hot spring palace had been completed. He also invited His Majesty and the Duke of Yan to go to the palace to soak in the hot springs. He had heard the Chief Imperial Physician say that soaking in hot springs was good for the body, especially effective against rheumatism and old hidden injuries. He had not expected that as soon as he reached the palace gates, he would run into Chen Yong, who was also entering the palace to have an audience.

Although they were both court officials, Yao Wenruo had never had anything to say to the great clans and meritorious nobles. Moreover, Chen Yong had now been dismissed by His Majesty and was no longer even the Libationer of the Imperial Academy. Yao Wenruo could not be bothered to engage with him. He exchanged only a few casual words of greeting, and when the young eunuch who had gone to announce him returned, he ended the conversation.

Chen Yong had arrived early in the morning, yet he had waited a full two hours at the palace gates without being summoned by His Majesty. This was something that could never have happened in the past. Even when Huo Yan was alive, Chen Yong, who had been personally selected by Huo Yan as the Emperor’s tutor, had never experienced a time when he wished to enter the palace but could not.

Now times had changed. Even a rebel traitor like Yao Wenruo could enter the palace freely, while Chen Yong himself was blocked at the palace gates by the imperial guard… Chen Yong’s expression was extremely complicated.

“Chancellor, please wait.” Chen Yong spoke up to stop Yao Wenruo before he entered the palace.

Yao Wenruo turned around and looked at the former Libationer of the Imperial Academy, whose temples had turned gray and whose spirit had withered in just a few short months. He smiled slightly: “I wonder what important matter the esteemed gentleman has?”

Chen Yong’s face was grave: “I do indeed have an important matter for which I seek an audience with His Majesty.”

“It seems His Majesty has no time to see you.” Yao Wenruo’s expression did not change, but his tone carried a hint of mockery and displeasure.

As a diehard loyalist of Shentu Yang and a newly minted admirer of Yin Shuhuai, Yao Wenruo was extremely dissatisfied with the petty maneuvers of the great clans and meritorious nobles, who privately tried to drive a wedge between the Duke of Yan and His Majesty. If it were up to him, he would have killed those great clans and meritorious nobles who were jumping around the most, making an example of them to warn the rest. Unfortunately, both His Majesty and the Duke of Yan had rejected his idea.

Yao Wenruo knew that for the sake of stabilizing the realm, His Majesty and the Duke of Yan did not wish to push all the meritorious nobles and great clans to the opposite side. That was why they promoted community schools, introduced the imperial examination system, and carried out new policies in Jiangnan, all to gradually reduce the influence of the great clans and meritorious nobles.

The great clans and meritorious nobles had sensed the danger that the court wanted to support commoner scholars to replace them. They wanted to stop Yin Shuhuai’s reforms. But their chosen method was to drive a wedge between Yin Shuhuai and Shentu Yang. They seemed to believe that as long as they made this pair of ruler and minister turn on each other and fight to the death, regardless of who won or lost, neither would have time to attend to the new policies in the short term. The great clans and powerful families could then seize this opportunity to reclaim the power to select officials.

It was a pity that they had underestimated the bond between His Majesty and the Duke of Yan, and had underestimated even more the intelligence of the Duke of Yan’s direct subordinates. The selection of officials through imperial examination was the trend of the times. His Majesty and the Duke of Yan were bound by ties stronger than gold. How could they be successfully driven apart by mere rumors and gossip?

“Rather than standing here wasting time, the esteemed gentleman would do better to go home and properly teach his son to obey the law, so as not to bring disgrace upon the Nanyang Chen clan’s gate.” Yao Wenruo said with utter contempt.

Chen Yong’s face stiffened at the blatant mockery in Yao Wenruo’s tone, but he still patiently requested of Yao Wenruo: “I beg the Chancellor to pass on a message to His Majesty when you see him, saying that I have an important matter for which I seek an audience.”

Yao Wenruo could not be bothered to deal with Chen Yong, who was being deliberately mysterious. He asked with feigned ignorance: “I wonder what exactly this important matter is?”

Chen Yong’s expression hesitated. While he was still pondering, he saw Yao Wenruo let out an impolite snort of laughter and say with great seriousness: “The esteemed gentleman wants me to put in a good word for you before His Majesty and my lord, yet you will not say what your business is. How am I supposed to speak to His Majesty and my lord about it? What if you say something treasonous and rebellious? Would that not drag me down with you?”

Chen Yong was furious in his heart, but he dared not show it on his face. He could only put on a troubled expression and say: “The Chancellor jests. My Nanyang Chen family has served as high officials for generations. How could we commit treasonous and rebellious acts?”

As Chen Yong defended himself, he could not help but complain inwardly: A rebel traitor like you actually dares to call a deer a horse and accuse others of treason and rebellion. Truly the biggest joke under heaven.

Yao Wenruo could not be bothered with Chen Yong’s hypocrisy. “You great clans and meritorious nobles, your words sound better than songs. It is precisely because you are so good with words that you have deceived the whole world. But you cannot deceive yourselves, can you?”

Speaking of serving as high officials for generations, serving private interests for generations was more like it.

Yao Wenruo was no saint who served only the public good either. He became an official to live a good life, to become a man above other men. There was nothing he dared not admit, nothing shameful about it. Yet those great clans and meritorious nobles, their bellies full of profit-driven schemes, spoke of selfless public service on their lips. It was nothing short of nauseating.

Yao Wenruo could not endure it and rolled his eyes. When words do not agree, half a sentence is too many. He did not even have the patience for false pleasantries. After firing off a couple of retorts at Chen Yong, he turned and left. When he had his audience, he did not even mention this matter. He wished His Majesty would cast all those great clans and meritorious nobles from his mind, and simply give orders to them when there was business to attend to.

It was the young eunuch who led Yao Wenruo into Chongde Hall who, staying true to his original duty, reported that Chen Yong was still waiting at the palace gates.

Shentu Yang was lying on a rocking chair beneath the window, basking in the sun. Hearing this, he snorted with laughter: “This old man, he does still have some perseverance.”

Although Chen Yong, Wang Su, and the others’ scheme to sow discord had not succeeded, Shentu Yang still harbored a grudge against these great clans and meritorious nobles. As the saying goes, one would rather tear down ten temples than break up one marriage. Yet these great clans and meritorious nobles, for their own private gain, had actually tried to break up his good marriage with His Majesty. The only reason Shentu Yang had not killed them to vent his anger was that he feared it would ruin His Majesty’s grand plans. But even so, Shentu Yang had not forgotten to retaliate.

Exposing the true face of Chen Yong’s son, who cruelly killed slaves, and using this as a pretext to dismiss Chen Yong from his post as Libationer of the Imperial Academy, was merely an appetizer. What Shentu Yang truly wanted to do was to use open schemes to drive wedges among the great clans and meritorious nobles, making them turn on each other and fight among themselves too.

Shentu Yang was indignant, but Yin Shuhuai did not take it to heart. If Chen Yong lacked even this much patience, the Nanyang Chen clan would not have been passed down for hundreds of years. These great clans and meritorious nobles prided themselves on sharing the fate of the state, even delusionally imagining that their families would survive when the state perished. Yin Shuhuai was perfectly clear about their thinking.

The struggle between the great clans and imperial power had always been a zero-sum game where one advanced as the other retreated. If Yin Shuhuai wanted to consolidate imperial power, it would inevitably harm the interests of the great clans and meritorious nobles. If the great clans and meritorious nobles wanted to endure for ten thousand generations, it would inevitably squeeze imperial power. Yin Shuhuai had never harbored the fantasy that both sides could coexist peacefully. But before he had the ability to flip the table, Yin Shuhuai had no choice but to patiently engage in false pleasantries with them.