Chapter 53: World Three [13] Part 2

“Your Majesty suspects the would-be assassins of Princess Yong’an aren’t just the Jiangnan Aristocratic Families?” Shu Heng ventured her guess.

Li Jianwei nodded. She hid little from Shu Heng. “Zhen has repeatedly rejected the Ministry of Rites’ proposals for selections. Anyone with brains can guess where Zhen would pick an heir.”

“Zhen’s favor for Wanwan is enough to drive overly ambitious sorts mad.” Li Jianwei slowly exhaled, her tone calming.

“Wanwan’s child and others’—to Zhen, they are never the same.”

“But Zhen didn’t expect them so hasty. Less than three years since the new dynasty, and they plot for Zhen’s throne.”

Shu Heng pursed her lips, then offered, “Your Majesty, You could actually…”

“I know.” Li Jianwei cut her off. “But Zhen won’t. No interest in men, nor wasting resources on grand selections.”

“Some clansmen are fools, some wise.” Li Jianwei rose from the pool, grabbing a dry towel to wipe down.

“If all fools, Zhen needn’t pass to blood kin—can emulate Yao and Shun, select the excellent.”

Shu Heng followed out, quickly dried herself, ready to dress her Majesty.

But Li Jianwei moved faster, unfolding an inner robe toward her. Shu Heng couldn’t refuse, becoming a doll for her Majesty to dress.

“How long have the new jinshi been in Hanlin?” Li Jianwei suddenly asked.

Shu Heng: “Over a month.”

Li Jianwei leisurely tied the sash with an easy-pull knot. “Have you spoken with Qi Changping? What do you think of her?”

Shu Heng’s breath hitched slightly. “Practical, good relations with colleagues.”

Li Jianwei: “Photographic memory?”

Shu Heng nodded lightly. “With her, history compilation has sped up.”

“Mm, sounds like a well-rounded talent.” Li Jianwei assessed. “Has she brought family to the capital?”

Shu Heng shook her head. “This humble subject hasn’t checked that closely. Tomorrow, this humble subject will ask.”

“Good. If background check is clean, appoint her deputy director in the Ministry of Personnel to assist you.” Li Jianwei said. “Train her, see if she seizes the chance.”

Shu Heng scrambled to note all her Majesty’s words, urgency surging. “Yes, this humble subject will diligently train Qi Changping.”

“There’s no need for you to deliberately train her. Occasional pointers will suffice. Your most important task is to help Zhen handle state affairs,” Li Jianwei emphasized.

She had transferred Qi Changping over to lighten the pressure on her own Little Shu Daren. She couldn’t put the cart before the horse.

Upon hearing Li Jianwei’s words, Shu Heng’s eyes flickered slightly, and her panicked heart gradually calmed.

Indeed, she was an old vassal who had followed Your Majesty in conquering the world—one below tens of thousands above. Qi Changping couldn’t catch up to her anytime soon.

Moreover, if Qi Changping could grow, why couldn’t she? It was just a two-year difference! She was still young! Still full of vigor!

…

Actually, she wasn’t all that vigorous. Once was relatively easy, twice barely manageable, but by the third time, she clearly felt powerless to continue.

Once she had a bit of free time, she definitely had to strengthen her physical training. She absolutely couldn’t let Your Majesty hold her and do this and that without any power to resist again!

Shu Heng silently vowed in her heart, then nestled into Li Jianwei’s embrace and slowly fell asleep.

–

The assassination attempt on Princess Yong’an was no small matter. Even though Li Wan hadn’t been injured, the Jiangzhe Governor still shouldered immense pressure to launch the investigation.

Li Jianwei had given him two months. To not miss this golden opportunity, the Governor exerted two hundred percent effort in cracking the case. From fragmented clues, he locked onto two aristocratic families that had endured for over three hundred years—even longer than the Previous Dynasty.

But the Governor didn’t stop there. He expanded the search, methodically unraveling to uncover a third-party force.

The detailed case report was compiled into a memorial and delivered to Li Jianwei’s hands. The related suspects were en route to the capital under escort.

The Governor could command local garrisons when necessary. Upon discovering the leads, he decisively surrounded the estates, controlling all servants and laborers on the spot.

After preliminary interrogations, he sent the suspected masterminds to the capital for joint trial by the three judicial offices, to extract more clues and evidence.

This time, Li Jianwei didn’t rush to behead them either. She awaited the Supervisory Guards’ investigation results.

The shadowy hands behind the prior assassination of a juren’s family had already yielded considerable evidence to the Supervisory Guards. With the Jiangzhe Governor drawing attention, they captured three extremely key individuals.

But the clues the Supervisory Guards ultimately delivered to Li Jianwei proved tricky. An unexpected other faction emerged, involving her own mother’s family.

Unlike Father Li from a military aristocratic family, Madam Li was merely the daughter of a vice prefect. After Father Li became Grand General, Madam Li’s brothers slowly climbed to prefect via nepotism.

After Li Jianwei ascended the throne, their family’s status rose accordingly, leaping from prefect to the enviable cushy post of Lianghuai Salt Transport Envoy.

From the Supervisory Guards’ findings, they weren’t content with this cushy post. They seemed to aim higher, toward becoming one of the Nine Ministers and entering the Grand Secretariat.

Tsk, such voracious appetites. In just a few years? If they truly became one of the Nine Ministers, would the next step be scheming for the throne?

Li Jianwei put away the evidence from the Supervisory Guards, left Shu Heng in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and went alone to the Palace of Compassionate Peace to pay respects to the Mother Queen.

The Mother Queen’s complexion was markedly better than in previous years, her health improved under the imperial physicians and ladies-in-waiting.

This allowed Li Jianwei to save much time. She didn’t need much preamble to lay out the truth.

The Mother Queen was first incredulous, even dropping her teacup lid. “This was uncovered by the Jiangzhe Governor?”

“It was jointly investigated by the Supervisory Guards and Wanwan,” Li Jianwei said truthfully. “Zhen could turn a blind eye to embezzlement under ten thousand taels a year, but Zhen didn’t expect their appetites to grow so insatiable.”

After three deep breaths, the Mother Queen made a wise decision. “When your brother was murdered, they didn’t step forward. When you raised troops with swords pointed at the capital, they showed no stance.”

“You granting them the Salt Transport Envoy cushy post was already utmost benevolence. Since they’ve gone utterly mad to target Wanwan, you need show no extra mercy in dealing with them.”

The Mother Queen paused. “Spare one or two innocent girls. Handle the rest as you see fit—all according to the law.”

Li Jianwei considered before speaking. “If Mother Queen can’t bear it, Zhen can spare their lives.”

The Mother Queen wavered but shook her head. “Follow the Great Li Imperial Law. As the realm’s exemplar, I cannot lead in bending the law for private gain.”

“More than them, I hope you and Wanwan stay well, sisters supporting each other to the end.” The Mother Queen sighed deeply. “I’ll recover in a few days. No matter.”

The Mother Queen had long resided in the capital and knew the Previous Dynasty princes’ madness for the throne all too well. She had witnessed the last emperor’s ruthless power consolidation, so she remained clear-headed.

Li Jianwei was her daughter, yes—but also the world’s sovereign. No one tolerated their possessions being coveted, let alone the throne.

“If they truly persist, I will spare more than three female relatives,” Li Jianwei promised. “Mother Queen needn’t worry over bloodline continuity.”

The Mother Queen nodded lightly. Such an outcome was already excellent.

A Previous Dynasty emperor would have exterminated at the first hint, not waited for full evidence before striking.

–

That Your Majesty would strike at the southern aristocratic families was something the court officials had long anticipated.

But hearing that Your Majesty’s maternal and paternal kin were arrested together sparked inevitable panic that events spiraled beyond control.

They dared not probe palace news directly, so they cozied up to Shu Heng repeatedly, trying to glean useful tidbits.

Shu Heng showed no special reaction, her replies utterly official—leaving guilty officials sleepless.

In the eighth month of Taiping Year 3, a time for moon-gazing reunions, the southern scholar clans rebelled, claiming thirty thousand elite troops.

In the ninth month of Taiping Year 3, Li Wan led local garrisons alongside the Jiangzhe Governor to swiftly quell the uprising, executing over two thousand traitors on site—main culprits and accomplices totaling over eight hundred.

The so-called thirty thousand elites proved a ragtag mob, mostly coerced commoners who knelt in surrender before blades clashed.

They had never seen monarch Li Jianwei, but they knew their Your Majesty ascended for the common people’s sake!

The aristocratic families might have dismissed Li Jianwei’s words that Great Li belonged to common Li folk, but the true commoners engraved them in their hearts from the first hearing—and willingly gave their lives for them.

In the eleventh month of the same year, Li Wan oversaw the beheading of 362 rebel ringleaders. Remaining accomplices were exiled three thousand li, descendants forever barred from office.

Before year’s end, Li Wan arrived in the capital with five little radish heads aged seven or eight, and cartload after cartload of silver—making the Minister of Revenue grin ear to ear.

The Jiangnan Aristocratic Families were dripping with wealth indeed; this confiscation exceeded three years’ treasury income! Enough to glimpse Jiangnan commoners’ dire straits!

Soon, the Minister of Revenue watched half of these tens of millions taels flow away like water, bulk to military pay and river works.

The rest funded field remeasurements and household registers, refugee settlements, wasteland reclamation—all costly, especially post-fire consumption returned to public treasury, ballooning expenditures.

Training the navy guzzled silver, particularly building long-voyage warships. The Minister of Revenue clutched her chest at the thought, needing three deep breaths to steady.

It’s okay, it’s okay. Lord Shu said the Wokou homeland brimmed with silver mines. If seized successfully, annual treasury income would swell by at least five million taels!

The Minister of Revenue could only console herself thus, awaiting the day of a brimming treasury—when she might disburse funds burden-free.