Chapter 161.1: Nothing You Can’t Know

Jing Wan didn’t know why she blurted out his name, to the point that she quickly forgot the awkwardness brought about by Yun Niang lifting her sleeve. And what was even more unbelievable was that Jin Qinwang’s heart was that easily pacified by her. Seemingly, her influence towards him was deep to the point of unimaginable. Jing Wan pressed down the doubt and suspicion in her heart, nodding her head.

Yun Niang narrowed her eyes and keenly looked to Li Hong Yuan. Afterwards, she meaningfully glanced at Jing Wan again, though she didn’t insensibly disturb their meal anymore, nonchalantly getting up, “Come find me after finishing your meal, regarding the western border’s state of affairs.” Afterwards, she left gently swaying as before.

“Jiao Jiao, don’t bother with her, she’s just a rouge store owner, that’s all.”

If she hadn’t mentioned the border’s situation, she indeed was just a rouge store owner. But for matters involving the Qi Yuan dynasty, she was the Princess Heyang that killed the Northern Xiongnu King, and for a time, reversed the deadlock between Qi Yuan and Northern Xiongnu.

Also, he seemingly intended to let her(JW) know even more, even more matters regarding himself, those secrets that were not known to anyone. The moment one saw the tip of the iceberg, then it was already destined that between them, it was impossible to separate again, unless she died.

Prior to marrying, something like cancelling the engagement, en, in the future, don’t need to think about anymore.

Jing Wan calmly continued to eat.

As for truly being calm due to open-mindedness, or pretending to be calm, only she herself knew.

Li Hong Yuan wholeheartedly concentrated on having Jing Wan fed full. Everything else, regardless whether it was Princess Heyang, or the situation at the borders, were all placed aside. What he changed were mainly the matters within Qi Yuan’s imperial capital. Aside from matters regarding Jing Wan, the rest were just gathering power in the dark, secretly changing the state of the imperial court———On the surface, the imperial court was actually not too different from his past life.

The biggest change was probably just Luo Pei Shan. In his past life, Luo Pei Shan remained low-key in conduct from beginning to end, and for the most part, didn’t participate in the battle for the throne. Outside of the imperial capital, there were naturally also mobilization of officials, but everything was also within control, temporarily not having any issues appearing.

Other than that, it was just the various countries outside of Qi Yuan. He had planted quite a few spies, but these people just collected intelligence, and without an order, were not allowed to act blindly. Moreover, for these people, even they themselves didn’t know who their true master was. And so far, the situation outside of Qi Yuan, for the most part, hasn’t changed.

That’s why, the state of affairs at the western borders, no need for Princess Heyang to say, he already knew what was going on. It was nothing more than a small problem, just this small problem nevertheless occurred within the interior of Qi Yuan. In his past life, this problem wasn’t resolved properly, and this small problem led to a disaster.

It was nothing more than just the problem of embezzling military funds and provisions, exploiting layer upon layer, and what landed in the hands of the soldiers in the end was practically nothing. As a result, these soldiers joined with the locals and established two three generations of military households, becoming the local tyrant, oppressing the ordinary commoners. Because the uproar was quite big, it reached up to the imperial court.

His old man dispatched people to take care of the matter, and old nine and old ten, who’d just joined the imperial court to take on official duties, became the imperial envoy. Just, these two people, one casted himself under the eldest prince (Kang Qinwang), and one casted himself under the third prince (Rui Qinwang). Their age weren’t considered small either, and their respective in-law family (wife’s family) were also ambitious. With all kinds of urging in the dark, they naturally produced thoughts.

Thus, on this matter, their opinions didn’t match, and as a result, because they were ultimately unable to reach an agreement, they were slow in resolving this issue. Then, because of people with ulterior motives inciting disharmony, it brought about an insurrection. The Emperor’s sons, Qi Yuan’s qinwangs, one sustained injuries during the insurrection, and one got caught.

The imperial court was divided into two, one side advocating appeasement, and one side advocating suppression. Le Cheng Emperor, on the surface, was an Emperor that didn’t like going to war, so he ultimately decided on appeasement. Just, towards the main culprits that caused the insurrection, absolutely must not appease. After all, this matter had made him lose all his face. But, when the imperial envoy that was once again dispatched was still at halfway, the conflict at the borders once again escalated. The angered mob had chopped off one of old ten’s arm, and the local garrison decided on their own without permission to carry out a bloody suppression.

Where there was suppression, there was naturally rebellion. Just, in the end, the other side were still just ordinary commoners. It was just in the beginning that they posed a bit of a threat towards the garrison troops, but the aftermath was nevertheless self-evident. Moreover the commander of the garrison troops was one with a violent temper. In the end, he issued an order to have the old, the weak, women and children, killed altogether. As one can well imagine, how big of a tremor this caused.

What was even more crucial was that this matter, from the start, just got leaked out. And under deliberate arrangements by people with ulterior motives, it was just like having grown wings, causing this matter to be practically known by all throughout Qi Yuan, thereby leading to the citizen’s morale becoming unstable. Even the Li imperial clan’s position and rule were all called into question. When it rains, it pours, and not long after, a large flood occurred in the south, with more than millions of commoners suffering from the disaster. Because of the government officials’ inaction, the dams in the various places that didn’t have problems arising were very few.

The heavens rained disaster, yet in the end, it was still Le Cheng Emperor that shouldered the blame.

But before Le Cheng Emperor’s imperial edict of one’s fault[1] could be issued, the disaster victims took hold of poles and rose up, robbing the local granary. Moreover, those wealthy households, as well as numerous officials, not a single one met with a good end.

In the end, it was naturally to send troops, though it didn’t take long either, more or less a month or so before the chaos settled.

Fortunately, the other areas have long made preparations, and the enemy countries didn’t use this opportunity to invade Qi Yuan either. After all, even if civil unrest occurred in Qi Yuan, it was still within a controllable scope. Qi Yuan, speaking from a certain degree, was also a huge monster. Wanting to bite down a piece of meat, one still needed to see whether or not one had that ability.

After this matter, Le Cheng Emperor’s complexion was heavy for a very long period of time.

He originally thought that it was the enemy country stirring up trouble from behind, but the final outcome from the investigation showed that it was completely the interior causing unrest.

Li Hong Yuan, in his past life, wasn’t nearly as unrestrained and favored like now. Because he was talented, his reputation was also not bad, having the qualifications to fight for the throne. But his old man, who originally ought to feel guilty towards him, because of his prominence, instead didn’t like him all that much. Because he was a ghost child, thus deemed as ominous, he simply didn’t have the rights to think about that position, but he himself didn’t know, and for a time, was even quite heartbroken.

And after this incident, his old man just disliked him even more. At first, he was even baffled, what did this have to do with him? But gradually, some rumors regarding his birth mother quietly spread. His birth mother was Jiangnan’s number one influential family, the Pei family’s, di branch’s di daughter. The Pei family was loyal to the previous dynasty’s imperial family. The Pei clan was unwilling to pledge loyalty to the new master, and thus reached an agreement with the new Emperor, returning back to Jiangnan.

(T/N: Some of the information about LHY’s birth mother were revealed in chapter 87, and in that chapter it explains why LHY doesn’t know about his maternal clan.)

Reportedly, starting from the border inhabitants’ riots, to the rumors that stirred up trouble, to the later uprising, all had the Pei clan’s shadow. But there weren’t any actual evidence for all of this. One must know, the Great Ancestor[2] that year personally issued an imperial decree stating, unless the Pei clan commits a major crime like rebelling, otherwise, Emperors of the Li clan must not trouble the Pei family.

Without evidence meant that they can’t touch the Pei family. And even if they wanted to secretly do something in the dark, it all wasn’t that easy, because the Pei family, in the Jiangnan region, had ‘expansive branches and dense leaves’. Aside from not entering the imperial court as officials, everything else, in all aspects, all had their touch. In particular, the Pei family produced quite a few renowned great scholars. These people all had numerous disciples, and of these disciples, the ones that entered the imperial court as officials were quite numerous. You think that the Pei family, by not entering officialdom, therefore won’t have any influential power? Too naive!

Moreover, the Pei family’s prestige among the commoners was also very high. Touching the Pei family was equal to shaking up the entire Jiangnan region, and might even cause a large batch of officials to resign. They were even harder to deal with than the Sun clan, that kind of large clan, who even possessed a Ding Duke title.

Not a single Emperor would like this kind of enormous yet uncontrollable clan. Li Hong Yuan, this son that possessed the Pei clan’s bloodline, at this time, naturally suffered in their place.

To a certain degree, this can be considered the beginning of Li Hong Yuan’s change in fate.

[1] In ancient times, when disaster or some other major shit happens, the Emperor will come out an issue an ‘apology’ to the people, reexamining themselves and reflecting on their ‘fault’. I was actually trying to think of a proper term for this but all I could think of was apology letters.

[2] Posthumous title for the founder of a dynasty; aka the first emperor of the dynasty.

T/N: Have I mentioned how much I love the politics and history in this novel, these are exciting moments for Jen. No really this was my favorite chapter to translate so far, just because I really really love history. If you’re not here for the history and politics you won’t have as good of a time as Jen with this novel lol, because it’s like 80% politics and history. The politics and history are really the selling point of this novel. Honestly why can’t novels copy from history more, the novel would practically write itself. There’s so much material from actual history.

Also, remember how LHY constantly mentions that the country is unstable and if he were to cause a coup, it will destabilize the foundation. The part about the Pei family is very important, so remember it for future chapters.

This chapter reminded me of an ancient chinese history joke, where every time the Yellow River floods, a dynasty falls. Did you know that there’s an entire wiki page dedicated to rebellions in ancient China, and that at least four were because of the Yellow River flooding, though the list is incomplete. The events in this chapter are very realistic to actual history.

Also, do you know what the most ironic thing about this chapter is, remember back in chapter 5 where it explained the basic history of Qi Yuan and how the Li clan came into power. The Li imperial family’s founding Emperor, the Great Ancestor, was a commoner that rebelled and overthrew the previous dynasty, becoming Emperor himself. Low-key wondering if it was also because some river flooded. History constantly repeats itself.