Character Index
Chen Caichun: Chamberlain of the Court of Judicial Review.
Lord He: One of the capital elites, opposing the reforms.
Lord Cui: One of the capital elites, opposing the reforms.
Zhou Ying: Former Emperor, posthumously titled Emperor Xuanzong.
Zhou Yunqi: The current Emperor, fifth son of Zhou Ying.
Chen Jian: Chen Caichun's older brother, an Imperial Investigator.
Wei Guang: Deceased Imperial Edict Bearer and Kayla's godfather. He was the teacher of Emperor Xuanzong.
Hu Weizhi: Minister of Public Works, a member of the neutral faction. Staunchly traditional.
Zhu Simo: Right Secretariat of Revenue, a conservative politician from Shandong.
Han Daizhi: Director within the Ministry of Personnel, part of the conservative bloc from Shandong and its primary strategist.
Qiu Jinwei: Yunqi's loyal advisor, an eccentric man with an extraordinarily sharp mind and also no sense of social grace.
Secretary Song: A half-Persian young man who used to work in the Ministry of Justice. Kayla tasked him with setting up an intelligence network in Canton to monitor the happenings in Europe and Northern Africa after bluffing to Chuluo Khagan (in Book 2) that they already had an existing entwork in place. Despite Secretary Song's reticence, he has an inexplicable ability to gain people's friendship.
Zhou Kuang: The deceased older brother of Zhou Yunqi and Zhou Xianchun.
Vice-Commander Jiang: Formerly Captain Jiang, an officer of the Imperial Guard. Assisted in Yunqi's assassination of Emperor Xuanzong.
Commander Jin: An old commander of the Imperial Guard, Wei Guang's friend. Now deceased.
Zhao Chao: One of Kayla's retainers, he joined the team early on and stuck around after the Grand Duke's assassination.
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Kayla nodded in satisfaction and handed a document over to her secretary.
Chen Caichun’s new revisions to the charity institutions initiative had taken the edge out of their opponents’ arguments.
The Dowager Consorts would have to become nuns in name, but in practice, they would be laywomen. It was no different than what many widows had done throughout the country, including several of their opponents’ relatives and mothers.
So many men are ridiculously obsessed over the celibacy of these women, Kayla thought with a note of chagrin. They practically froth at the mouth even thinking about a scandal.
Was it because they were projecting their own desires? After all, everyone was Confucian until there was a pretty widow.
Or they really were just that conservative. To her dejection, it seemed to be the latter.
The communication network was great. It set things up for everything Kayla wanted and needed to do, and it had resulted in countless officials being reported and the court cleaned up a bit. But it had also left a power vacuum. And the new people who rose to fill that vacuum were far less inclined towards Kayla’s reforms than she would have liked.
The capital elites were among that group, headed by Lord He and Lord Cui. They were a faction that had stayed beneath the radar for much of the dynasty, using their network of connections to protect their interests without stirring the waters themselves.
But now, they were practically readying to rip Kayla’s throat out. Thanks to the officials who had lost their positions, Lord He and Lord Cui had both made it into the core staff of the Three Departments, the former in the Department of State Affairs and the latter in the Secretariat. They were staunchly opposed to any policies that could change the status quo by principle. The communication network had already been pushing their limits, and that they had only accepted because Zhou Ying had already duly demonstrated his willingness and ability to brutally destroy his political enemies. Yunqi was still unblooded, whether in the succession battle or in court. They felt it their right–even their duty–to block his reforms at every turn.
Then there were the Shandong elites. Shandong, the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, and also of the brilliant Chen Caichun and her older brother Chen Jian. Also the hometown of the most conservative bloc of officials that Kayla had ever seen in her life. And they had no records against them, which is why all of them had gained even more prestige and reputation when scores of their colleagues had been arrested.
Of all the people who didn’t commit crimes against the state, it just had to be these guys.
Stubborn bastards who couldn’t be reasoned with.
I don’t have time to be arguing with them over how to ensure that some widows don’t have sex. There’s serial killers running around murdering people and reforms that need passing, and this is what I’m stuck wasting my time on?
Her opponents were hardliners while her own allies were mostly unenthusiastic. The neutral faction was conservative at core, but they had bowed their heads to Wei Guang, the foremost recognized Confucian Scholar in the country who had taught Emperor Xuanzong. Minister Hu had never been particularly keen to siding with Kayla in the first place–he had conceded thanks to Wei Guang, but with the Imperial Edict Bearer’s death, there was a growing crack between them.
Just relying on those old men won’t cut it anymore. I can never fully win them over, and their support will only continue to weaken with time.
That meant she had to push through the reforms as soon as possible. The neutral faction would stick together so long as they were still the winning side, and the charity institutions were pretty much a test run of the reforms. If Yunqi couldn’t even get the court to go along with a decision he made about his own family affairs, then he wouldn’t get the reforms to pass. It was the perfect chance for his opponents to set back the young Emperor’s consolidation of power for a good few years at the least.
On the flip side, it was the perfect opportunity for Yunqi to show his mettle and will. After all, this was a family matter and he was the head of house. Starting out with a smaller matter over which he had a larger chance of victory paved the way for any future moves he would make.
Hopefully, the opposition would back down with Chen Caichun’s concessions–five test sites down to three and a staff full of “nuns”. What did they even have to complain about anymore?
Kayla smiled at the thought. They could use a win to push along the reforms.
Soon, Kayla could no longer bring herself to crack a smile. She stood next to Chen Caichun in the Imperial Hall, unflinchingly facing down the angry officials.
“Lay nuns?! This is unheard of!” One of the officials from Shandong was shouting, his face alarmingly red. If Kayla remembered correctly, his name was Zhu Simu–no, that wasn’t right. Si-si—Simo, that was it. He was a fourth-rank Right Secretariat in the Ministry of Revenue. Just a few months ago, he was still a sixth-rank who technically had no right to participate in debates at court unless explicitly granted permission.
The younger official next to him loudly cleared his throat, and that not working, elbowed the red-faced man in the ribs. Han Daizhi, a lower fifth-rank Director in the Ministry of Personnel.
“This has been in practice since Buddhism entered this country,” Kayla said frostily, nearly shouting to make herself heard. “Countless women of virtue have dedicated themselves to Buddhism in this manner. I am shocked that a learned man like yourself would not know of this!”
The red-faced man shut up as the official next him continued to elbow him.
The still furious leader of the Shandong faction swiveled to glare at his comrade, and the capital elites stepped in to take over.
“Still, I must say that this whole thing is rather contrived,” Lord Cui cut in, his smooth voice and elegant voice instantly pissing Kayla off. “These ladies have dedicated their youths to serving the Emperor with dedication and care, and now they deserve peaceful rest. Why make them feel pressured to engage in such difficult toil? The matter of distributing food, clothing, and medicine to the poor must seem like such an easy act on paper to one such as yourself who has grown up easy at the hands of womenfolk. But in truth, it is difficult, dirty, and exhausting to both heart and mind. Who will take responsibility if the health of the Dowager Consorts were to suffer as a result? Unwittingly, the poor who readily accepted their help would be committing a great sin!”
“It is as Lord Cui says,” Lord He cut in. “Robbing the Dowager Consorts of the rest they are due is hardly filial…would you press our Emperor, whose filial piety is known to all, to commit such an act against his stepmothers?”
A chorus of agreements sounded out from their allies, including among the Shandong faction.
This wasn’t even about the Dowager Consorts anymore. It was just an all-out effort to grind down Yunqi’s attempts to nothing.
“The Dowager Consorts themselves wish to commit to this work in order to amass virtue and good karma for the Wu Dynasty and its people,” Kayla said. “Kind-hearted as they are, they feel that they cannot sit helplessly after all the tragedies that have plagued our exalted Imperial Family. This is the greatest demonstration of piety and loyalty–to Emperor Xuanzong, to our current Emperor, and to all the forefathers of the dynasty. An earnest heart is priceless. How can our filial Emperor bear to deny the requests of these women of virtue?”
“Tragedies…you speak of the tragedies that happened under your term as Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau?” Lord He asked. “I should think that the Dowager Consorts would do better for the country by requesting your resignation rather than by feeding a few peasants.”
“Lord He, you should mind your words,” Han Daizhi jumped in.
The mind of the Shandong faction...this can't be good.
“While it’s true that all of this may have occurred under Duke Zhao’s tenure, it may be hasty to blame him for it,” Han Daizhi said.
Wow. Asshole. He’s acting as if he’s defending me, but he’s just emphasizing that it’s my fault.
Was he trying to provoke her into pulling rank on him? That just opened up the road for one of the heads of the Three Departments to pull rank on her in turn and denounce the reforms. Kayla gritted her teeth and made to bite out a response.
“My father, the esteemed late Emperor Xuanzong, who I miss with each passing day and night,” Yunqi began, raising his voice so that it resounded through the hall. The officials immediately fell silent.
Yunqi’s voice went back to its normal volume. “He was the one who appointed Duke Zhao as Director. And he did not condemn Duke Zhao for the tragedies that have struck our house. Should I take it that you are refuting his decisions now that he is no longer here to defend them?”
The hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Yunqi let it stretch out for an uncomfortably long moment.
“I assume not. You may all continue.”
The argument resumed, far tamer than before and entirely free of personal attacks. Still, two hours later, no resolution had been reached. But the opposition's arguments had also been exhausted, and they were now rephrasing and rehashing everything in their arsenal.
“My dear subjects,” Yunqi cut in. “My father wished for me to cherish and respect my stepmothers. Indeed, I now strive to do so. I am determined to obey their wishes on this matter, but I hear your concerns well. I will move the location of the charity institutions closer to local temples so as to ensure the respectability and reputation of the Dowager Consorts. As for the difficulties that they may encounter in their work, I believe that being earnest of heart is most important. My stepmothers will have amassed the same amount of merit if they remain there for a season or for a decade–if the work is too much for them, I will gladly welcome them back at any time.”
He swept his gaze through the hall.
“Even should they return, the charity institutions would not go to waste–they can be run by local officials. It is a small matter to make that transition. But in the meantime, I wish for the women who have served my father faithfully to receive the filial piety that they rightfully deserve. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager agrees with me on this. Having heard all your concerns, I believe that this sufficiently addresses them.”
“Your Majesty is wise,” Kayla said, bowing towards him.
Reluctantly, the other officials gave their consent. Having had every argument rebutted, there was little more they could say to Yunqi’s words.
Soon after, the court session was dismissed. Kayla and Chen Caichun made their way to Yunqi’s study, following the Emperor’s palanquin on foot.
Qiu Jinwei rode on horseback, staying a good distance away from Kayla. He hadn’t been in sight of the other officials during the court session, remaining just out of sight behind a folding screen behind the throne.
It was only in private that Yunqi let out a sigh of relief.
“The first one is out of the way,” Yunqi said, trying to inject confidence into his weary voice. “The rest will be sure to follow!”
“By blessing of your fortune, my liege,” Kayla said.
Managing a chuckle, Yunqi clapped a hand on Kayla’s shoulder. He took a deep breath and turned to Chen Caichun, forcing good humor into his voice.
“Chamberlain Chen, you have conducted yourself excellently,” Yunqi said. “I am very impressed by your ability! Wenyuan indeed has an eye for talent!”
“But not a talent for choosing his line of argument,” Qiu Jinwei said.
Right, the guy who can’t read the room, Kayla thought drily.
“Jinwei,” Yunqi said in exasperation.
“Your Excellency is well aware of where you have failed,” Qiu Jinwei said, staring Kayla dead in the eye. “Rather than force His Majesty to risk his dignity to defend you, should you not seek to avoid lines of argument that would draw fire to yourself? If His Majesty is forced to constantly emphasize his filial piety, that too will be used against him by his opponents. ‘For three years, one should follow the way of one’s father, such is filial piety.’ What becomes of the reforms then? Do we have three years to spare?”
“Jinwei,” Yunqi said again, a warning note in his voice. “That’s enough.”
“I apologize, my liege,” Kayla said. “Thank you, Advisor Qiu. I will take your words to heart.”
“You have worked hard,” Yunqi said to Kayla. “I was well-impressed with your eloquence today. I am certain that you will only continue to improve until you are peerless in court.”
He turned to Qiu Jinwei.
“Jinwei, what do you think? Will we be able to push through the reforms after this?” Yunqi asked.
Balancing two bowls of water, Kayla thought to herself. Yunqi’s like a nursery caretaker. It was more on Qiu Jinwei than it was on her, but she still felt a little bad for their beleaguered Emperor.
“I think it’s too early to celebrate, my liege,” Qiu Jinwei said. “Until the Dowager Consorts have been successfully operating the institutions for at least a month, we cannot be said to have succeeded. So we will be pushing for the reforms through the scrutiny of the court–if they even let the Dowager Consorts proceed.”
That was true. There were still ways that the court could interfere. Any number of things could go wrong and be used as an excuse to shut the whole operation down.
“We may have to resort to private negotiations with the faction leaders,” Kayla said. “It’s not ideal, but whatever we buy them with, we can keep records of it. When the time comes, it’ll be something with which to bring them down.”
“This early on?” Qiu Jinwei asked doubtfully. “We haven’t even taken the reform proposals to the full court session yet.”
“It may be a battle we cannot win and can scarce afford to lose,” Kayla said grimly.
“Duke Zhao, I think you’re giving in to the temptation of an easy victory too early,” Qiu Jinwei said. “Must the ruler of this nation bribe his officials every time he wishes to accomplish anything?”
“I’m just being practical,” Kayla said. “We don’t have three years, remember?”
“Some battles are worth fighting,” Qiu Jinwei replied.
“I–” Kayla gave up and turned to Yunqi. “My liege, what do you think? It may be worth negotiating with the Three Departments ahead of time, at least.”
Yunqi sighed.
“Wenyuan, as much as I approve of your proposals, I’m afraid that if we begin negotiating too early, we will have no choice but to compromise on a great many points,” Yunqi said. “In its current form, the reforms won't be approved. Especially the trade reforms.”
Kayla sucked in a deep breath. Her reforms really just boiled down to two policy packages–one for trade, one for agriculture. The agricultural reforms were straightforward enough. The agricultural loan program allowed small and mid-sized farm owners to borrow from the government in spring to pay back in fall with an interest of two percent, helping to keep them afloat for the first half of each year. Additionally, local governments were to set up agricultural research services to incentivize and broadcast technological developments, as well as the planting of crops best suited to the local climate. Finally, the government set a price floor and a price cap on grain prices, buying surplus grain from major producing regions to be transported and sold to regions with lower yields.
Nothing too difficult to accept–everything either had historical basis or existed on some scale amidst local governments.
It was the trade reforms that really ruffled feathers.
“I understand your concerns, my liege, but to cut it down till it’s all but castrated would render them utterly ineffective,” Kayla protested. “The sales tax and customs tariff will rake in great revenue for the state if we put them into place, but the added costs will dissuade foreign trade unless we provide suitable incentives. The special trade zones would address that problem and take care of uneven regional development to boot. Only if the benefits outweigh the costs can we count on merchants to conduct trade!”
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“I understand as much,” Yunqi said. “Two percent customs and two percent sales, the percentage may not be much, but it could shift foreign business out of the country unless we reduce other barriers. But think about it–special trade zones where foreign merchants do not need to obtain entry papers so long as they remain in the zone, where they do not even need to register their businesses, that’s not something that the conservatives will easily agree to.”
“Entry permits and business paperwork rank among the highest costs for foreign merchants,” Kayla pointed out. “Secretary Song’s investigation among the traders in Canton confirmed as much. So many bureaucrats require bribes all the way from their hometowns to our ports, the costs are far higher than what the taxes and tariffs would pose. If the requirements were relaxed or exempted in a contained area, we can expect to see trade increase rather than dwindle.”
“Allowing undocumented traders to freely enter and exit the country comes with its own risks,” Qiu Jinwei said. “It doesn’t take a staunchly conservative official to be opposed to the idea. And establishing the special trade zones outside of the current centers of commerce is a risk in and of itself. What if traders aren’t willing to go to the new ports and the new trade centers in the West? We would only see a loss of trade overall and our nation would end up more impoverished. I, of course, agree that traders will be willing to take the opportunity. But we do not have the evidence to support that, and it’s difficult to enact test sites without enforcing a sales tariff and customs tax first.”
“We don’t earn much on permit papers,” Kayla said. ‘’Whether for entry or for business registration, we pay more money in salaries than we accept in fees. We need to increase revenue if we want to enact any agricultural reforms–how will we fund it otherwise?”
“Unfortunately, a test run is not possible on such a thing,” Chen Caichun said. “It becomes far too easy for our opponents to engineer a boycott until we are forced to rescind the policy. We would need to be able to shoulder a loss for longer than they’re willing to go without.”
“We can’t afford the decrease in trade for that long. If another country takes the opportunity to establish a new port in the meanwhile, we might never get back the same volume of trade again,” Yunqi said.
“The export zones should be well received,” Qiu Jinwei remarked. “Allowing them to produce items for export for reduced taxes is a good deal for most merchants. Even with the added sales tax, they and their workers would be exempt from the headcount tax, and they’d pay less on the land occupancy tax as well. It'll also reduce the rent burden they'd face in the current centers of production. I approve of it, and I would guess that a good deal of the major clans would too. The problem is simple, Duke Zhao. They only want the export zones and not the special trade zones. Anything that benefits foreign traders more than local traders won’t be taken well.”
“It evens out,” Kayla protested.
“Even if we ignore the matter of papers and registration, allowing foreign traders to take tax cuts for producing or refining their products within the country doesn’t sit well with many people,” Qiu Jinwei said. “They would happily accept the tax exemption on importing raw materials to the special trade zones, but not that the materials have to stay there until they’ve been made into products by a workshop within the area. Even with the requirement of hiring at least three quarters of their workforce from locals, the idea of allowing foreigners to do so rubs people the wrong way.”
“We already have a lot of foreigners who reside here permanently,” Yunqi said. “They pay the headcount tax, and I count them among my subjects.”
“If my liege recalls, there were petitions during Emperor Gaozong’s time to rescind the positions of any official who married a foreign wife, with exceptions for concubines,” Qiu Jinwei said. “There are even those who are displeased that you’re taking a Turkic bride as a Consort.”
A silence fell over the room, finally broken by Yunqi’s discontented sigh.
“There needs to be enough incentives for both the local merchants and the foreign merchants to accept a sales tariff and customs tax,” Yunqi said. “Even more so for foreign merchants who have to bear the costs of coming here in the first place. I refuse to believe that my officials, with all their education, can’t understand this simple fact.”
“They just don’t want a sales tax or customs tax at all,” Qiu Jinwei answered. “Once there is one, it’ll become clear how much money they’re making, and how much of it isn’t recorded. So when the time comes for you to ask for contributions to war funds or disaster funds from the court, they can’t pretend they don’t have the money. And they think foreign traders are getting more benefits than them. The latter probably matters just as much, if not more.”
“Positions would be opening up for the tax administrations. And for the oversight and policing of the special trade zones, for all three types of them. That’s a lot of opportunities for their clansmen,” Yunqi said. “Why can’t they see that as a benefit?”
“You’d have to guarantee that they’d get the posts, and then they’d want more concessions as to how they operated,” Qiu Jinwei pointed out. “And we would need to hire a lot of foreigners, especially for dealing with foreign merchants. Would they be willing to have their clansmen work under a foreigner?”
“We already have plenty of officials of mixed blood, and Sogdian officials too,” Kayla pointed out. “We even have high-ranking generals from Goguryeo and Persia.”
“The conservatives are already displeased with that,” Qiu Jinwei said. “Those who would have accepted due to the benefits they could extract from non-Han officials have already been reported for corruption. Duke Zhao, your own patronage network of foreigners doesn’t do you any favors in the matter either.”
Kayla grimaced. “Secretary Song is in Canton on official intelligence work,” she said.
Qiu Jinwei didn’t look satisfied with the explanation.
“If the water is too clear, no fish can thrive,” Yunqi muttered bitterly. “To think that the anti-corruption campaigns would have this side effect! We do need to increase government revenue, and it can’t come at the cost of poor farmers. If our country is to make any meaningful preparations for the future, then we need to tax trade and incentivize it too. That’s the best option for everyone.”
“We must find a way to make the reforms palatable then,” Qiu Jinwei said. “That will be no easy task, especially not with Duke Zhao’s background.”
“What?” What now? Kayla couldn’t help but frown a little.
“Your debt to the treasury, Your Excellency,” Qiu Jinwei said plainly.
“My debt? I have a payment plan that I have been adhering to,” Kayla said. “I have the records for proof.”
“There will be those who accuse you of conjuring outlandish policies so as to swindle the Emperor in order to repay your own debt,” Qiu Jinwei said.
What am I, a Roman senator?
“I don’t even invest in foreign trade,” Kayla said.
“Can that be proven?”
“Yes,” Kayla insisted.
“You can’t prove that none exist under a different name,” Qiu Jinwei said. “They’ll want to audit you. Especially with your dealings in Canton with the Arabs.”
She was starting to get the sense that their political opponents weren’t the only ones who wanted to audit her.
No, don’t let it get to you. Qiu Jinwei’s just like that. Yunqi warned me as much–he was like this even with Kuang.
Chen Caichun’s warning rang in her head.
“I think you should be mindful of him, my lord.”
“I…” Kayla turned to Yunqi.
Yunqi had a troubled look on his face.
No one, other than Qiu Jinwei, wanted to admit it. But Qiu Jinwei had a point. Any of them could imagine Lord He and Lord Cui doing their little tag-team routine on the issue of Kayla’s enormous debt.
“Your Majesty, as you are well-aware, Secretary Song’s dealings in Canton are to gain us better intelligence on the international situation to the West so that we may better protect the security of this country. I am willing to let our opponents audit me as they like. I only wish not to become an impediment to your grand ambitions. If someone else would be more suitable in pushing the reforms forward, I would gladly step aside.,” Kayla said.
“I only ask that the reforms may keep their core. The reason why I proposed the trade policy is to enrich the country and its people, and make possible the agricultural reforms we have in mind within the shortest time possible. That is why I avoided a land reform, even if that would solve the root cause of the current inefficiencies and inequalities in our system. This is already retreating to pursue the secondary option, yet the opposition we are met with is precisely a sign of how necessary these changes are. I beg you of our country’s future and persist regardless,” she continued. “To that end, please use whoever you see fit.”
A reformer rarely met with a good end. If the Emperor’s support wasn’t staunch enough, the reformer would become a mere sacrifice on the altar of politics. Even if the Emperor’s support was strong, the reformer would be the target of all resentment while the Emperor would become known for any successes. It was more or less a thankless position. Kayla was only stepping into it because it was necessary. Did Qiu Jinwei think that she wanted it for fun?
“Wenyuan, there’s no need for that,” Yunqi said. “It is just that I would not want to expose you to unnecessary scrutiny. For now, let me think on how to address this issue, but know that I have no doubts in my heart as to your loyalty.”
“Thank you, my liege.”
She bowed slightly. “Then if it would please Your Majesty, I will give you peace to consider the matter.” With Qiu Jinwei, damn it. But that was evidently what Yunqi wanted right now. Behind her, Chen Caichun bowed as well.
“You’ve both suffered toils for my sake,” Yunqi said gently. “Go and get some rest now.”
Kayla deepened her bow.
“Please be mindful of your health, Your Majesty, and do not overwork yourself,” she said.
“The same goes for you,” Yunqi replied.
Kayla left the study, Chen Caichun trailing after.
Shit. Yunqi’s reactions suddenly made sense in hindsight. He was trying to keep Qiu Jinwei’s hostility under wraps.
How had Kayla not realized? Just because Yunqi said that Qiu Jinwei was blunt and unlikable but also incredibly brilliant, Kayla had overlooked any sign of animosity. It wasn’t as if he was less harsh towards others–even to Yunqi.
Yet it was increasingly clear that Qiu Jinwei had a targeted distrust towards Kayla. And she had probably dragged Chen Caichun into the line of fire as well.
Our interests align, so even if he dislikes me…I mean he’s a strategist. He should be able to put up with me professionally at the very least. What a fucking pain.
“Caichun, what do you think?” Kayla asked quietly as they walked through the palace.
“You should be careful, my lord,” Chen Caichun replied, more firmly than she had last time. “Just because Advisor Qiu’s words are good sense doesn’t mean that his intentions won’t direct what he chooses to say or to withhold.”
“I should try to build up a relationship with him,” Kayla said. “He’s not going anywhere, that’s for sure.”
Literally. Qiu Jinwei had barely left the palace since Kayla had brought him over in the tumultuous days when Yunqi had become Crown Prince.
“Perhaps,” Chen Caichun murmured.
“What about the reforms?” Kayla asked. “Is it that strange? I thought that it shouldn’t be. These are all things that can feasibly succeed in this country’s future.”
Chen Caichun nodded. “I agree, my lord. But not everyone will think the same.”
No, seriously–sales taxes and tariffs were fully implemented by the Song Dynasty. I deliberately chose stuff that wouldn’t be too difficult to accept.
It wasn’t as though she could start the whole industrializing process in a country with an economy that was eighty percent agricultural, without any of the technological infrastructure that would take centuries to develop.
Perhaps some of the things were a bit too forward-thinking. The special trade zones, for one. But free ports had existed since antiquity, not just in Delos in Greece, but also in plenty of ports along the southeastern coast of the continent where no permits were required for either marrying a local or conducting business.
It wasn’t as though foreign investment and export zones were pushing it either. There were plenty of foreign-owned workshops, just that they went through a local middleman, and a large percentage of the brocade produced in Suzhou and Hangzhou were exported.
The only thing that was actually out of place here was the hometown tax gift tucked neatly and unobtrusively into the trade reforms–city dwellers in the capital and other major trading centers could receive tax deductions in exchange for “donating” up to twenty percent of their taxes to their home province, or to a province that had suffered a disaster of some sort. That was from the wrong country and wrong time period, but that had also been the least contested measure.
Probably because most of the clans are based in the provinces and not the capital. They wouldn’t laugh for long–how the taxes were used were no longer at the discretion of local officials, but that was an administrative change that didn’t require a reform. That discretion had always been on an unofficial basis because it was practically impossible for the capital to manage every single locality’s budget in real time. With the communication network, that was no longer the case.
Any change will come with backlash. I can’t lose faith so early on.
Kayla was jolted out of her thoughts by a light tap on her elbow.
“My lord,” Chen Caichun said in a low voice. Kayla glanced in the direction of an approaching Imperial Guard.
“Vice-Commander Jiang!” Kayla greeted him with great affection. Commander Jin, the old friend of Wei Guang who had helped them to get rid of Emperor Xuanzong, had passed away soon after Wei Guang’s death. In the string of promotions that followed, Captain Jiang, who had solidly stood on Kayla’s side throughout the prior ordeals, had become a Vice-Commander. It was befitting of his contributions in making Yunqi the Emperor.
“Duke Zhao, Chamberlain Chen,” Vice-Commander Jiang said with a broad smile. “Please allow me to escort you to the gates.”
“Why, the Vice-Commander himself?” Kayla said in exaggerated disbelief.
Vice-Commander Jiang laughed, falling into step with Kayla.
“How are you faring, Your Excellency?” He asked.
“Well enough,” Kayla replied. “And you?”
“I’m very well,” Vice-Commander Jiang said, then added bashfully, “My wife is with child.”
“Why, congratulations!”
“Thank you,” Vice-Commander Jiang said.
“Are you sure you have the time to be walking us around then?” Kayla asked. “Shouldn’t you focus on your duties so you won’t have overtime?”
“This is part of my duty,” Vice-Commander Jiang said, his tone suddenly growing somber. He lowered his voice. “You are the Emperor’s cousin and a Duke, and your escort should reflect the respect you are due. Ensuring that is also part of my obligations.”
Alarm stirred in Kayla’s chest.
“Is there something I should be worried about?”
“Not particularly, my lord,” Vice-Commander Jiang said. “It's just that the Emperor's advisor takes a great many liberties, so it shouldn't be made to seem as if you are falling behind in the Emperor's favor. The palace can be very capricious. If they sense an imbalance in His Majesty’s favor–even if it’s inaccurate–they will flock to the heavier side.”
Kayla’s heart sank.
“I didn’t realize it was such a problem,” Kayla muttered.
“It’s not a problem,” Vice-Commander Jiang hastily assured her. “Yet. I just think it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.”
Not a problem? You’re escorting me, publicly, just to make sure that people see it. That’s a statement, not a precaution. People are already taking sides.
“Is it already happening?” Kayla asked quietly. “Vice-Commander, is the Inner Palace already starting to sway towards Advisor Qiu?”
“No, his personality does no favors for him,” Vice-Commander Jiang replied. “But opportunists don’t care about that. After all, he has the advantage of always being close at the Emperor’s hand. My lord, more overt displays of trust and favor from the Emperor would not hurt you. You have Imperial permission to wear a sword and ride a carriage within the Inner Palace since Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, but you do not make use of these privileges.”
“You think that I should? It would only make me look arrogant,” Kayla said. “I would invite criticism for the Emperor.” And for the reforms. Which they fucking needed and were running out of time to implement.
“Please consider it,” Vice-Commander Jiang said. “Here we are.”
They had already reached the carriage.
“Thank you, Vice-Commander,” Kayla said.
“Please have a safe trip,” he replied, stepping back to see the carriage off.
“Come on, Chamberlain Chen, I’ll give you a ride back,” Kayla said, mindful of how she addressed Caichun before the guards.
“Thank you, my lord.”
Kayla climbed into the carriage with a nod to Zhao Chao and the guards, hiding the storm inside her mind. She waved absentmindedly at Vice-Commander Jiang as the carriage pulled away.
Wow. Fuck.
While Kayla had been busy paving the path for Yunqi’s new reign, working herself to the bone until her head was spinning each night when she took to bed, Qiu Jinwei had grown in influence in the palace. And he had a bone to pick with Kayla. Careful as Vice-Commander Jiang had been, that was the gist of his warning.
People already seemed to consider the two of them rivals. For what? Influence over Yunqi? Gentle as the Emperor was, nine oxen could not drag him back from something he was truly resolved to. Their “influence” was basically just appealing to what Yunqi already wanted or that which he wasn't solidly against yet.
No, Qiu Jinwei sees me as a threat, which means that he can justify escalating the conflict at any time.
Kayla couldn’t let this develop into outright animosity. They were already in a bad enough position, with only a small portion of the court actively in support of the reforms while the others either staunchly opposed them or refused to take a stance. A public rift in the Emperor’s supporters would only weaken them further.
I’ll start sending Qiu Jinwei gifts or something, Kayla thought wearily. Trust could be built, and suspicion slowly ground to dust. It was just a matter of time and effort.
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Cultural Notes
带发修行/Lay nuns: Refers to the practice of taking vows of chastity and dedicating oneself to Buddhism, but not altogether leaving the lay world for religious life.
Chastity of widows in Confucianism: This wasn't actually such a big deal until after the Song Dynasty, but some hardliners called for widows to be chaste after losing their husbands. In any case, a chaste widow was seen as a moral paragon and often held significant honorary status in her community, sometimes being honored with an official plaque by the government to acknowledge her virtue. It is worth nothing that nothing in Confucius' actual quotes supports the whole moral scare over widows' chastity, which has not stopped anyone pushing for more conservative values. After the Northern Song Dynasty, (and notably after repeated invasions and widespread sexual violence in these conflicts), the chastity of women became more and more of a moral issue highlighted in social consciousness. In the last century or so, the whole idea of preserving one's chastity even at the cost of one's life has been broken down and heavily criticized.
孔孟之乡/Hometown of Confucius and Mencius: A phrase referring to Shandong.
吏部郎中/Ministry of Personnel Director: So this Director is a sub-director within the Ministry, but not for a specific department. That's just the title. It's a different rank than Director of the Imperial Investigation Bureau. Unfortunately the titles were complicated and confusing back then.
从五品/Lower Fifth Rank: In Ancient China, there were further subdivisions within each of the Nine Ranks between the official and the lower sub-rank. So Fifth Rank, Lower Fifth Rank; Third Rank, Lower Third Rank, Ninth Rank, Lower Ninth Rank, etc. The lower sub-rank still counts within the broader category of the rank, but is lower on the hierarchy than the proper rank itself.
长于妇人之手/Grown up [easy] at the hands of women: This is actually the second half of an Ancient Chinese quote, "生于深宫之中，长于妇人之手、Born within the deep palace, raised at the hands of women". Essentially, calling someone coddled and sheltered, similar to modern-day insults of saying a man grew up soft without a father figure.
积德求福/Amass virtue and good karma: An Ancient Chinese proverb influenced by the rise of Buddhism. It was believed that doing good deeds would accumulate good karma.
日思夜想/Miss with each day and night: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
心诚则灵/Being earnest of heart is most important: A common saying used for good deeds and prayers, that being earnest inspires the best effects.
托您的福/By blessing of your fortune: A Chinese saying.
三年无改于父之道，可谓孝矣/For three years, one should follow the way of one’s father, such is filial piety: A quote by Confucius, there have been various interpretations as to what it meant.
两碗水端平/Balancing two bowls of water: A Chinese saying referring to someone (usually a parent) who tries to treat their two children/whoever fairly.
关税商税/Customs tariffs and sales tax: While the Silk Road had been around for a while, systematic sales taxes and customs tariffs were only fully implemented in the Song Dynasty. Despite being extremely rich, the Song Dynasty prioritized civil officials and suppressed the military officials to avoid a repeat of the widespread civil strife in the late Tang Dynasty originating from granting military officials too much power. Unfortunately for the Song, they were in the same time frame as the Liao Khitans, the Jin Jurchens, and also, the Mongolians. Very bad timing for such a policy, though it's unclear how much it would've helped since the Song Dynasty's military wasn't as ethnically diverse as the Tang Dynasty military, which had allowed for continuous absorption of all kinds of military technologies and techniques.
人头税/Headcount tax: A type of tax levied on every individual.
地税/Land tax: A type of tax paid on land holdings in Ancient China. Unfortunately, the land holdings of large landlords were often under counted.
Canton: An ancient port in the Silk Road, modern-day Guangzhou. In Ancient China, there were thriving communities of Arabian, Persian, and Southeast Asian traders in the city. They would later be joined by the Portuguese and other Europeans.
Sogdia: An Ancient civilization of Iranian people. Many officials in the Tang Dynasty were Sogdian.
Goguryeo: An ancient Korean state. Historically, the Tang Dynasty invaded Goguryeo, allying with Silla, another ancient Korean state. After Goguryeo was forced into submission, another war broke out between Silla and Tang over the spoils, and eventually Silla gained control over the Korean Peninsula. In this timeline, the Wu hasn't even considered such an invasion yet because the Turkic Khaganates are still thriving and a massive threat to the North and Western borders. The pattern in Ancient China is that due to geographical factors, Emperors usually (if they're not stupid) don't consider any wars towards the East unless the North and West are not currently a threat.
水清则无鱼/If the water is too clear, no fish can thrive: A common phrase used by officials, sometimes to justify allowing corruption and bribes in order to stimulate economic growth.
退而求其次/Retreating to pursue the secondary option: An Ancient Chinese proverb.
Hometown tax system: A system in modern-day Japan to address urbanization and unequal distribution of the population. Taxpayers can choose to "donate" part of their tax returns to a different place other than the city where they live, usually in exchange for a gift of local delicacies or specialties. Kayla's world doesn't have overnight shipping, so she's sticking with tax benefits instead.