Longing for Love (Twice Reborn) - Chapter 17
In the Eastern Capital, night veiled the sky, yet the Phoenix Pavilion remained brightly lit.
Juchen sat at the desk alongside several classmates, her left hand flicking across the abacus while her right gripped a brush.
At Jifang Academy, aside from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, arithmetic was the most crucial subject. The abacus was an instrument Juchen and her peers had mastered so thoroughly they could practically make it sing.
Not only that, they were skilled in mental calculations, surveying, and interpreting hand drawn engineering diagrams. They could even estimate agricultural yields based on farming conditions.
They understood cultivation processes, knew how to raise silkworms, grow mulberry trees, and were versed in shop management, logistics, and contracts.
When Palace Attendant Shen took them out of the capital for practical training, she repeatedly emphasized that while they might not make a living from these skills in the future, they must never remain ignorant of them.
Later, Juchen came to realize how deeply this knowledge was intertwined with the livelihood of the Great Liang.
The Empress Dowager neither wished for them to be confined to the inner chambers nor to ascend to high positions while remaining utterly clueless.
Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Revenue sat on the other side, poring over the ledgers they had compiled. The more he read, the more astonished he became. Flipping through the meticulously organized accounts, he could not help but look up and cast an approving glance their way.
At last, he understood why the ever-wise Prince Pengshan had suddenly agreed to let these young women assist the Ministry of Revenue.
If not for Minister Wang’s strict orders to limit their involvement to disaster relief matters and reveal nothing else about the Phoenix Pavilion, he would have seized the chance to have them sort through all the ministry’s accounts for the year. It would have saved him so much trouble.
Lost in his daydream, he noticed Juchen, at the head of the group, finally set down her brush and close her eyes, rubbing her temples in a rare moment of respite.
After several sleepless nights, Juchen had managed to reconcile all the disaster relief treasury transactions.
She had also painstakingly calculated the third batch of emergency relief funds from various expenditures.
With the task finally reaching a temporary conclusion, Juchen stared at the towering stacks of old Ministry of Revenue ledgers before her, a simmering frustration tightening her chest.
In her past life, she had longed to reform the ministry and had begged the Empress to grant her oversight of it. The Empress had only smiled and said, “If Prince Pengshan agrees, I have no objections.”
Gritting her teeth, Juchen had steeled herself to approach Song Mi, only for him to stubbornly refuse.
“Minister Li, are you… begging me?” Sunlight had cast sharp shadows along his chiseled jawline, his eyes teasing, his expression practically spelling out: Ah, so this is what it looks like when someone asks for a favor so stiffly.
Clenching her jaw, she lifted her chin. “I merely thought to lighten your load, seeing how busy you are so busy you barely have time to eat. Your Highness would do well not to mistake kindness for weakness.”
“Concerned about me?”
“Obviously.”
He seemed to hear the grinding of her molars, a derisive snort escaping him.
“You want it? Then I’ll make sure you don’t get it.”
Recalling his infuriatingly handsome face at that moment, Juchen bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on the brush in her hand.
She simply could not fathom it these fragmented, trivial accounts, where even a single property was broken down into hundreds of line items. Was this really necessary?
Who, when reviewing the general ledger, would care how many kitchens, halls, or latrines a residence had?
It only added unnecessary pressure to the final calculations and delayed progress.
Didn’t he ever get tired of it?
In just a short while, the clerks from the Ministry of Revenue brought another stack of the latest accounts before her.
Juchen, still simmering with old grievances, picked up the ledger and gave it a sharp glance, tapping the desk absentmindedly before speaking out, “Where is Wang Zhi?”
How dare he present such accounts to her was he courting death?
Her voice carried such authority that the moment she spoke, the entire chamber fell into a silence so deep one could hear a pin drop.
Vice Minister Liu gaped for a long moment before hesitantly replying, “Minister Wang… should still be in the cabinet?”
Juchen suddenly coughed loudly and hurriedly rose from her seat, standing before Vice Minister Liu and bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle, nearly prostrating herself to beg him not to report this.
“What I meant was, could you kindly introduce me to Minister Wang? I have urgent matters to discuss with him.”
In her past life, a plague had broken out in full force in the capital, causing severe financial strain on the national treasury.
At the critical moment, Song Mi, without the approval of Prince Sui, privately diverted funds originally allocated for the prince’s lavish mausoleum construction.
As everyone knew, Prince Sui was the elder brother of the late emperor and had once been a strong contender for the throne. Though he later fell out of favor and was granted only a princely title, his influence in the Liang Dynasty ran deep.
After being removed from the Eastern Palace, his temper grew increasingly erratic petty, ruthless, and tyrannical to the point where few dared to cross him.
Yet at that time, the treasury had only that one substantial sum of liquid funds left, leaving Song Mi with no other choice.
This earned him Prince Sui’s lasting enmity.
Later, when war broke out in the northern frontier and Song Mi was commanding the front lines, Prince Sui deliberately delayed the supply of provisions as revenge. Fortunately, Juchen managed to uncover the hidden stockpile in time and delivered the supplies to the front before it was too late.
In this life, Juchen had requested early training in the Ministry of Revenue precisely to monitor the capital’s situation through it.
In her past life, she had only heard fragments of this incident. This time, at the very least, she would ensure he had no worries on this front.
But Wang Zhi, that blockhead, had taken her advice about early planning to heart only to decide once again to withhold Prince Sui’s allocated funds in this life.
Did he truly think his superior’s life wasn’t hard enough?
Juchen had no choice but to seek out Wang Zhi overnight, engaging him in lengthy discussions in the cabinet. She pointed out that the ministry currently had far more movable funds than just Prince Sui’s allocation, proposing several more feasible alternatives.
Wang Zhi frowned. “But Prince Sui is still alive why rush his posthumous arrangements? His mausoleum is far less urgent than other matters. The retirement settlement funds you mentioned for Grand Tutor Sun and the other elder statesmen are far more pressing. They’ve served the Liang Dynasty tirelessly delaying their rewards would only breed resentment.”
After a silent moment, Juchen replied softly, “Better to offend a gentleman than a villain. With the nation in crisis, Minister Wang, who do you think cares more about the people of the capital Grand Tutor Sun or our dear Prince Sui?”
Wang Zhi fell silent, forced to acknowledge the wisdom in her reasoning.
Fortunately, in the end, Song Mi never needed to use the pre-allocated disaster relief funds. Leading the imperial troops, he managed to contain the epidemic in time.
This time, the capital’s citizens weathered the crisis safely, with nearly no casualties.
Meanwhile, Prince Pengshan coordinated defenses across all fronts. Amid his busy schedule, he found time to ask Yuan Zheng why he had arrived so promptly.
Yuan Zheng: “I was originally suppressing water bandits in the Yangzhou region and maintained correspondence with Li Juji from the Phoenix Pavilion.”
He was focused on giving an honest account and didn’t notice the man at the desk darkening expression.
“Li Juji was recently promoted to a female official position. Not long ago, I sent her congratulatory gifts, and in her reply, she mentioned assisting the Ministry of Revenue with flood relief efforts in Shangdu. She also expressed concerns about potential plague outbreaks.”
Song Mi’s eyes sharpened. “She told you there might be a plague?”
Yuan Zheng paused before explaining with clasped fists: “The young lass is new to the Phoenix Pavilion and inexperienced in court affairs she’s learning as she goes. While organizing accounts, she reviewed past disaster relief records and noticed plagues often followed Yellow River floods. Her worries made her mention it casually in the letter certainly not to spread baseless rumors or incite panic.”
Song Mi realized her observations aligned perfectly with his own thoughts.
Yet why hadn’t she mentioned this to him?
Yuan Zheng chuckled, “Later letters urged me to quickly suppress the bandits so I could come reinforce flood defenses with sandbags. By coincidence, we arrived just as the plague emerged right when Shangdu needed military support most.”
After thoughtful silence, Song Mi nodded.
Knowing Li Juchen now worked under Song Mi, Yuan Zheng seized the chance to praise her: “Don’t let Li Juji’s youth fool you, Your Highness she’s remarkably astute.”
“I’ve known that girl since childhood. Any task entrusted to her will be handled flawlessly.”
Song Mi lifted his gaze. “You know her well?”
“We grew up together practically shared the same pair of trousers,” Yuan Zheng laughed heartily.
Yuan Zheng had entered the capital at eight, raised alongside Xuyang and Juchen under Princess Xianning’s care. The straightforward military man’s booming laughter faded when he noticed Song Mi’s unsmiling lips.
The prince’s gaze lingered on Yuan Zheng’s cloak sleeve before remarking tonelessly: “Fine outerwear, General. Where was it purchased?”
Having left his own mud spattered cloak behind while inspecting levees, Yuan Zheng didn’t realize they shared matching fabric. “A gift,” he answered after hesitation.
Song Mi’s eyes dimmed.
When Yuan Zheng’s deputy summoned him for city gate deployments, the general took his leave. Lu Feng entered as Yuan Zheng exited, nodding in passing.
Exhausted from nonstop work, Song Mi poured himself water at the round table.
Lu Feng glanced back at Yuan Zheng’s retreating figure. “Your silhouettes are quite similar,” he remarked, intending to compliment Song Mi’s dual refinement as scholar and warrior.
The cup in Song Mi’s hand cracked abruptly at the rim. Though his expression remained neutral, Lu Feng inexplicably sensed smoldering fire in those calm eyes.
Juchen wrote to Yuan Zheng with the intention of using his voice to remind Song Mi about the plague.
She trusted that his cautious nature would lead him to carefully consider the matter.
However, with the two cities separating them, Juchen had no way of knowing that he had already taken preventive measures in advance. It was only through Yuan Zheng’s later letters that she learned he and his troops had arrived just in time, and the plague had been effectively contained.
Yuan Zheng was highly skilled in martial arts and an excellent military leader. With him by Song Mi’s side, Juchen felt at ease.
Later, in her subsequent correspondence with Yuan Zheng, she subtly inquired about his collaboration with Prince Pengshan, using it as a way to glean updates on Song Mi’s recent state.
Yuan Zheng shared many impressions of the prince, praising him as a model of capable governance and a pillar of the state. Between the lines, it almost seemed as if he were painting Song Mi in a divine light, as though he were a savior sent by the heavens.
Yet, when it came to personal interactions, he sighed lightly and wrote, “Prince Pengshan is more aloof than I expected. If not for his prompt responses on official matters, I might have suspected he didn’t think much of me.”
Juchen blinked at the letter, pondering for a long while before replying with slight partiality: “He might just be overwhelmed with duties lately, so he speaks less. Eat well, rest well, and don’t take it to heart don’t hold it against him either.”
From Juchen’s perspective, she comforted Yuan Zheng only to ensure he wouldn’t develop any resentment toward Song Mi, nor slack in his duties over minor grievances and cause unnecessary trouble.
Yet when Song Mi happened to pass by Yuan Zheng and caught a glimpse of the letter recognizing her handwriting at once he couldn’t help but glance at it.
A cold laugh echoed in his heart.
What, was she afraid he’d suffer any grievances here?