Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 40

The Princess was persistent, so naturally, the Scholar righteously refused.

Not only did she refuse, but Wei Xiu also said heartlessly, “It seems Your Highness has no urgent matters to discuss. It is late, and I have been out all day and feel quite exhausted. Your Highness, please leave.”

Showing not the slightest sign of being moved, Puyang, holding onto the thought that there was still plenty of time, said, “Then I shall not disturb Sir’s rest. I will come again tomorrow.”

Wei Xiu remained silent.

Puyang looked at her and shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself, Sir is so difficult. If this continues, it will be hard to say who is marrying whom.

She stood up. Wei Xiu seemed annoyed and did not even see her out, pretending not to notice. Puyang did not mind and departed gracefully.

As soon as she left, Wei Xiu leaned back against her chair and wearily pinched the bridge of her nose.

The Princess was driven by emotion. Had she chosen the wrong person? But now, it was clearly impossible to seek another patron.

Wei Xiu was caught in a dilemma, feeling nothing but vexation.

After returning, Puyang, whom Wei Xiu had deemed to be driven by emotion, did not immediately rest. Instead, she took out the treatise Wei Xiu had written and studied it once more.

The treatise was titled 《Discourse on Relocating the Rong》. From its name, one could tell it was written for the purpose of relocating the Qiang and Rong peoples.

Puyang sat under the lamp, studying it character by character. This 《Discourse on Relocating the Rong》 had come at the perfect time. The Qiang and Rong had already aroused the court’s vigilance and animosity; once this treatise was made public, it was bound to be a deafening wake-up call.

As the one who would present it, Puyang naturally could not be ignorant of its contents. After reading it twice, she had memorized it. Puyang then delved into its deeper meaning, and upon doing so, she discovered that the Scholar had a profound understanding of the northwestern terrain and that her arguments regarding the local customs were well-supported.

After reading it a few more times, Puyang picked up a brush and slightly modified the wording in several places.

The Scholar, after all, had never served in the court and did not know His Majesty’s preferences. His Majesty favored grand, majestic prose but detested works that were deliberately ostentatious. Moreover, a monarch, after all, dislikes those who are too overtly domineering. Puyang altered it slightly. The original meaning remained unchanged, and it was still thought-provoking, capable of inspiring sudden enlightenment and awakening. However, compared to the original, the Emperor would clearly prefer the revised version.

When it came to grasping the Emperor’s preferences, even Dou Hui, who had served him for nearly twenty years, was not necessarily Puyang’s equal.

The next day, Puyang sent the revised manuscript to Wei Xiu’s residence. After reading it through, Wei Xiu smiled faintly. Indeed, the Princess’s revisions had transformed the author of the treatise from a lofty scholar dwelling in the mountains with the nation in her heart, to a loyal statesman devising strategies for the country.

As for the change, the former might have earned the Emperor’s goodwill, but the latter would undoubtedly win more of his favor and esteem.

This was no detriment to her, so Wei Xiu gladly transcribed a clean copy and returned it to the Princess.

This counted as her approval. Puyang tucked the manuscript away, waiting only for the right moment to enter the palace and present it before His Majesty.

After the New Year, the Qiang and Rong rebellion grew several times in strength, with the number of insurgents reaching as many as seventy or eighty thousand.

However, their military situation was clearly not as favorable as it had been when they numbered only a few thousand. The imperial court mobilized a large army with General of Chariots and Cavalry Wei You as commander. They also promoted Zhou Qi, who had rendered great merit and was familiar with the affairs of Liang Province, to the rank of general, forming an encirclement with the intent to annihilate the enemy within the borders.

“If Wei You is leading the army, then what about the Tiger Warriors?” Puyang asked.

The Chief Scribe replied respectfully, “The Tiger Warriors are under the temporary command of General Li Huai of the Guard.”

Li Huai? He had originally belonged to the Prince of Jin’s faction, but then she feared he had become part of the Prince of Jing’s. In just a few months, the Prince of Jing had established a firm foothold in the court and had faintly formed a tripartite power balance with the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Jin. His Majesty truly placed great hope in the Prince of Jing. Puyang frowned. Over the past month, the Prince of Dai had gone dormant again, likely having resorted to his old strategy of concealing his strength and biding his time.

But he only knows how to conceal his strength, not how to bide his time. Even if he lay dormant for a lifetime, what use would it be? It would be better to contend with all his might.

With this thought, Puyang asked again, “That Zhou Qi, is he the one who rallied over ten thousand Wei soldiers and retreated with composure when Qianwu was defeated?”

The Chief Scribe’s face showed admiration. Stroking his beard, he said, “That is the very man. He remained composed in the face of danger, possessing both courage and strategy. This man has a great and boundless future ahead of him.”

He has caught a good opportunity. Without a war, rising through the ranks on seniority alone, he might never have become a general in his lifetime. Puyang thought for a moment and said, “Make a note of this man. When he comes to the capital to receive his rewards after the war, we shall see what he is like.” She added silently, Then, I will bide my time, cater to his tastes, and recruit him to my side.

Puyang was short of men in her military faction; she was unwilling to let any opportunity pass.

The Chief Scribe agreed, then added, “This month, many worthy scholars have come to pledge their allegiance to Your Highness. As per Your Highness’s instructions, they have been settled in the residence and assigned their respective duties. I wonder…” The Chief Scribe chose his words carefully before continuing, “…with what level of courtesy should they be treated?”

These men are all talented and should naturally be treated with sincerity and courtesy. However, they have also been given positions in the Princess’s residence—and not high-ranking ones at that, managing only trivial matters. It is inevitable that they will be ordered about, which creates a contradiction.

Puyang smiled. “In their positions, they will perform their duties. They are all men of insight and will know how to conduct themselves. You need not worry.” She still needed to observe them for a time before deciding how to use this group of people.

Hearing this, the Chief Scribe smiled. “This servant has overthought the matter.”

This Chief Scribe was the same one from Puyang’s residence in her previous life. He was very talented and astute, but unfortunately, his humble origins had left him perpetually frustrated in his ambitions, unable to even secure a post as a minor official. She had found him and offered him the position of Chief Scribe. Grateful for her recognition of his worth, he wholeheartedly dedicated himself to repaying the Princess and was utterly loyal to Puyang.

Having finished his report, the Chief Scribe withdrew.

Reports of victory from Liang Province arrived frequently. With such irresistible momentum, it seemed they could crush the Qiang and Rong and return to court in triumph within a few months.

The court was victorious in every battle, which naturally pleased Puyang. For the past few days, she had been quite relaxed, spending her time specifically loitering at Wei Xiu’s residence.

She no longer spoke of taking Wei Xiu as the Prince Consort. Whether a good thing or a bad thing, saying it too often would inevitably become tiresome; it was better to be more reserved. But now that her intentions were clear, Wei Xiu was largely unwilling to discuss anything with Puyang unrelated to court affairs, remaining as dense as a stone, utterly unromantic.

Puyang was at a loss with her. For the most part, she would just come to sit for a while and inquire about Wei Xiu’s health. As winter gave way to spring, one could clearly see that Wei Xiu’s complexion had improved significantly with the warming weather. Seeing this, Puyang could rest a little easier. During the New Year, many commanderies and prefectures had presented precious medicinal herbs to the court. Puyang had seen them when she entered the palace and had snatched them to gift to Wei Xiu.

Since Wei Xiu was skilled in medicine, Puyang did not presume to say how they should be consumed, merely reminding her to take good care of her health.

Wei Xiu was truly… un-! bear-! a-! bly! pestered!

But the Princess no longer made flirtatious remarks. She merely came to sit from time to time, sharing amusing stories and gifting her medicinal herbs or other food, all with an open and generous air, seemingly without any ulterior motive.

As a strategist, Wei Xiu could hardly drive her patron away with words, so she could only endure her.

After enduring it for so long, it surprisingly, gradually became a habit.

“The late spring chill is still upon us. Sir, don’t be in a hurry to remove the brazier,” Puyang said with concern, looking around.

They were clearly very proper words, but paired with the Princess’s sincere expression, it was easy for one’s mind to fill in the blanks: “The late spring chill is still upon us. Sir, don’t be in a hurry to remove the brazier. If you were to carelessly catch a cold and develop a chronic illness, what would I ever do?”

In Puyang’s presence, Wei Xiu could not very well close her eyes to rest her mind, so she said faintly, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness.”

So cold. Puyang felt melancholic. She stood up, sat a little closer to Wei Xiu, and said, “That Zhou Qi, the one who rallied the routed army—I wonder if Sir has heard of him?”

“I have heard a little,” Wei Xiu said. “Come to think of it, I once knew a young man named Zhou Qi.”

A Rong, who was standing in attendance at her side, froze for an instant. In the blink of an eye, she resumed her demure and obedient posture.

Puyang was very interested and quickly asked, “Could it be the same person?”

“Perhaps it is, and perhaps it is not,” Wei Xiu said. “The Zhou Qi I knew was a hot-tempered, pugnacious wandering swordsman who was a menace to his hometown for many years. Later, however, I heard he joined the army. After that, there was no more news of him; even his neighbors did not know if he was alive or dead.”

Puyang pondered for a moment, then murmured, “Then it is highly likely they are one and the same.”

With this prior connection, approaching this General Zhou would not be without a pretext. Puyang’s expression changed to a smile. “Sir, you are truly my lucky star!”

Her words implied that she had all but concluded they were the same person.

Wei Xiu raised an eyebrow. “And what if I end up disappointing Your Highness?”

Puyang’s expression remained unchanged. “Sir, you are my lucky star, and that is not limited to this one matter.”

Wei Xiu shook her head. Sophistry. The Princess was truly born the wrong s3x. If she were a young master, who knows how many young ladies would flock to her.

Finishing this thought, she glanced at Puyang again. Puyang let her look, smiling, the affection in her limpid eyes completely undisguised.

Not being born a young master wasn’t so bad, either. She was perhaps a natural-born romantic. As Wei Xiu looked at Puyang, a thought surfaced in her mind: could she use the Princess’s affection to gain something for herself?

The moment this thought appeared, a strong sense of resistance surfaced along with it. Wei Xiu did not know why she felt such resistance. But after a moment’s reflection, she concluded that of the countless paths in the world, affection was the most unreliable. Who could guarantee that a sincere heart would remain unchanged forever? Relying on the Princess’s fleeting affection was too precarious and dangerous.

Puyang did not know what she was thinking. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the Chief Scribe running in from outside, panting for breath.

He would not be in such a state unless something major had occurred.

Puyang stood up, watching him run closer.

The Chief Scribe ran near, caught his breath for a moment, and after bowing in salute, said, “Your Highness, His Majesty is in a great rage. Someone has come from the palace to request that Your Highness go and try to placate him.”

Puyang knew he was a thorough man and would have certainly inquired about the reason. She asked, “What has caused His Majesty’s great rage?”

“It is still the matter of Liang Province.” The Chief Scribe wiped the sweat from his brow and relayed what he had learned from the palace messenger.

It turned out that although the Wei army had won successive victories and triumph seemed imminent, the Qiang and Rong forces seemed inexhaustible. Wei You had dispatched men to investigate and only then discovered that within Liang Province, non-Han peoples who were already subjects of Great Wei and lived intermingled with the Han were continuously joining the Qiang and Rong ranks. Despite knowing that the rebels were suffering defeat after defeat, these people still enlisted with them daily.

This clearly meant the rebel army had won the hearts and minds of the non-Han tribes.

Puyang was greatly alarmed. In the Guanzhong region, the various tribes—the Qiang, Hu, Rong, Di, and Xianbei—numbered over four hundred thousand in total! Wei Xiu also realized this. Her expression darkened as she looked toward Puyang.

Puyang forced a smile. “After waiting for several months, it is time for Sir’s treatise to be presented before the imperial throne!”

Wei Xiu nodded. She and the Princess were of the same mind. In light of this reality, the 《Discourse on Relocating the Rong》 would be all the more persuasive.

“Sir, await my good news!” Puyang strode away.

Because of this, the court would likely send more troops to Liang Province. If these non-Han tribes wished to remain in Guanzhong, their future would likely be difficult. But the soil of Guanzhong was fertile and its resources abundant, while the lands beyond the frontier were impoverished and bleak. Having lived so long in a land of plenty, how could they be willing to relocate?

As Wei Xiu pondered a solution, A Rong asked in a low voice, “When the Princess asked about Zhou Qi, why did you acknowledge knowing him, Sir?”

Wei Xiu was contemplating how to pacify the Qiang and Rong, ideally ensuring they would not cause trouble again for several years. With her eyes closed, she said, “Zhou Qi has no roots or foundation, so the various princes and the Princess will surely want to win him over. The Princess is a cautious person; by now, she has likely already sent people to investigate Zhou Qi’s background. My few public interactions with him cannot be concealed. It is better to acknowledge them. By making it seem plausible yet uncertain, the Princess is less likely to grow suspicious.”

A Rong understood. Seeing that the room was a bit stuffy, she opened a window on the side.