Jing Xingzhi’s Daily Life in Ancient Times

At court, facing his gathered ministers, Li Yunxi addressed the issue directly. “The primary challenges are governance and education. These two problems need immediate resolution if we are to stabilize the region.”

Turning to the Minister of Civil Affairs, he asked, “You are in charge of appointing officials. Do you have any suitable candidates in mind for these tasks?”

The Minister of Civil Affairs paled slightly, a bead of sweat forming on the tip of his nose. Lowering his head in thought, he replied after a moment, “Your Majesty, the officials sent to Anbei and Dingbei must possess both the prestige and capability to quickly address the chaos and stabilize the cities. Otherwise, the locals’ hostility may lead to unrest, and the foreign tribes could seize the opportunity to retake the cities.”

He paused before continuing, “As for education, the candidate should ideally have relevant experience in teaching and cultural integration. With this in mind, I propose two names: Wen Changchao, known for his balance of literary and martial skills, and Hong Jiyi, who has just completed his period of filial mourning.”

The Minister of Civil Affairs raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said, “But… but Anbei and Dingbei are two cities. At least four people are required to make the decision. I really couldn’t think of any other suitable candidates at the moment.”

Temporarily sending people to the border town to manage affairs was one thing, but when the enemy returned, it would not be a matter of governance but of sending men to their deaths.

The Minister of Civil Affairs dared to propose two specific names only because Li Yunxi’s authority was so imposing that he didn’t dare to deceive him. The requirements were high, and there truly weren’t many suitable candidates among the civil and military officials of the Li Dynasty.

Li Yunxi felt satisfied with the two candidates proposed by the Minister of Civil Affairs, but he still frowned. There simply weren’t enough people!

He asked again, “Does anyone else have a suitable candidate in mind? Or, who is willing to go to Anbei and Dingbei to assist me?”

The ministers lowered their heads one after another, not daring to meet his gaze. Each feared being named with just a glance.

Some lacked the skills and dared not take on such a daunting task. Others, already holding high positions in court with fame and wealth, wouldn’t willingly endure the hardships of a remote frontier.

When no one spoke, Li Yunxi began naming individuals. “I recall Zhang Po’s period of filial piety has ended.”

The Minister of Civil Affairs replied, “Your Majesty, Zhang Po’s period of filial piety for his father has ended, but his mother’s filial piety period has not yet concluded.”

“What about Duan Hanyu?”

“Minister Duan has taken sick leave. As far as I know, his condition is quite serious; he can’t even get out of bed.” The Minister of Civil Affairs rejected Li Yunxi’s suggestion twice in succession, trembling internally with anxiety.

Li Yunxi’s face darkened. “This person is unavailable, and the other one is unavailable? The front lines of the cities have been breached. If we don’t send someone to clean up the situation quickly, are we waiting to hand them back to those reckless foreigners?”

He commanded, “By tomorrow morning, the Minister of Civil Affairs will submit a list to me. Choose anyone you think is suitable.”

The emperor’s decree left the Minister of Civil Affairs no choice but to nod with a grimace. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

He could choose anyone, but he would have to bear the consequences of offending others. The Minister of Civil Affairs wouldn’t take kindly to such a controversial decision.

Meanwhile, Prince Li Jialin sat quietly, listening intently while contemplating who might be both suitable and capable for the task.

The affairs of Anbei and Dingbei were important matters and could not be taken lightly. If Li Jialin could think of a suitable candidate and propose it the next day, he might win his father’s favour and prove himself.

With these thoughts weighing on his mind, Li Jialin went down to Kunning Palace to pay his respects to the empress.

.

Kunning Palace.

The empress was pruning the branches and leaves of the flowers in a pot.

Li Jialin handed her a pair of scissors and began talking about what had transpired in court. The mother and son shared a close bond. Li Jialin had grown up under the empress’s watchful eye, studying and learning by her side. Even as an adult, he rarely left her company.

Seeing the smile on her son’s face, the empress felt a bitter pang in her heart.

Back then, the loss of Anbei and Dingbei had been the loss of her treasure as well.

“Dingbei and Anbei can be recovered,” she said softly, cutting off a vibrant budding branch, “but my Xiao Fei cannot.”

Li Jialin was startled by her words, lowered his head, and dared not speak further.

The empress smiled faintly. “You were still young at the time, so it’s normal that you don’t remember.”

It was said to be nearly twenty years ago, though, if counted carefully, it had been nineteen years.

The late emperor had passed away, and Li Yunxi had ascended to the throne. Faced with internal unrest and external threats, Li Yunxi had no choice but to hastily increase his troops and send reinforcements to the frontier. During that turbulent time, the Zhong family had stepped forward to serve the country with unwavering loyalty.

With their extraordinary service, the emperor could hardly afford to treat the last surviving member of the Zhong family lightly. Thus, someone who had never entered the emperor’s eyes became a noble concubine overnight.

The cruel irony was that both the empress and Concubine Zhong were pregnant at the same time. Li Yunxi, overwhelmed by his duties as emperor, had favoured Concubine Zhong, who had risen in prominence. For the empress, who had accompanied Li Yunxi to the throne and endured countless hardships by his side, the shift in his affection was unbearable.

The vows they had once exchanged were as good as discarded. The empress felt as though she bore only the hollow title of empress while enduring the burden of managing a troubled harem. All the privileges and affections were given to Concubine Zhong.

Had her family’s sacrifices for the empire meant nothing? Was her unwavering support and careful assistance behind the scenes worthless?

At that time, while the empress grappled with emotional instability during her pregnancy, she found herself competing with Concubine Zhong for the emperor’s favour. However, Li Yunxi saw the empress’s struggles as a nuisance rather than a cry for help. He defended Concubine Zhong on multiple occasions, inadvertently wounding the empress further.

In the end, the empress’s child, born fragile and weakened by her grief, succumbed to illness and died of a cold.

Even in death, her son was denied recognition. The child was never formally acknowledged as the second prince, and Li Jiarui, the third-born son, took that title, becoming known to all as the second prince.

Li Jialin had been only a few years old at the time. He only remembered that it had been a difficult period—he could rarely see his father, and his mother had been left to endure everything on her own.

“Mother, it’s my fault,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It doesn’t matter,” the empress replied, her voice calm but tinged with sorrow. “I’ve long come to terms with it. It only makes me sad when I think about it occasionally. After all, he was a piece of my own flesh.”

The empress pinched a flower delicately and turned to Li Jialin. “Is this flower beautiful? Your wife would like it, wouldn’t she?”

At the mention of his wife in front of his mother, Li Jialin smiled shyly and admitted, “She does like flowers.”

“Then I’ll have a few pots sent to your palace before you leave,” the empress offered. “There aren’t many flowers in the palace since most have been sent to me.”

There was no empress dowager in the harem, and the empress had full authority over it. Naturally, the rules under her management were strict and orderly.

The empress couldn’t help but find it ironic how she now relished the power she had once dismissed as burdensome. The influence she had initially disdained had become something she appreciated and even enjoyed.

“By the way,” the empress continued, “you mentioned that your father is looking to send people to Anbei and Dingbei for governance and education, but there’s a shortage of capable candidates?”

A faint smile crossed her lips. “Listen to me, my son. It doesn’t always have to be the experienced ones. The new ones can be tested as well. I’ve heard that Jing Xingzhi, the top scholar of the recent imperial examination, possesses exceptional literary talent. Surely, his abilities must be equally remarkable.”

Li Jialin frowned. “But, Mother, Jing Xingzhi is a complete newcomer to the officialdom. He doesn’t even have an elder who understands the intricacies of being an official!”

He couldn’t help but wonder if his mother was being narrow-minded again, perhaps wanting to suppress Jing Xingzhi because of his prior assistance to Li Jiarui, the second prince.

However, the empress remained firm. “Here’s what you’ll do. Take your beloved son to Jing family’s residence this afternoon. Spend some time there and see how he responds to you. If he voices his support for you, leave it at that. But if he expresses other thoughts, you’ll mention his name in court tomorrow.”

“What’s the benefit of this?” Li Jialin asked bluntly.

“There are benefits, but I can’t explain them to you right now. Just trust me and follow my advice,” the empress said with finality.

Managing this situation was a minor matter to her. Even if Jing Xingzhi’s name was mentioned in court, it would only earn him a reputation as a daring and ambitious young man.

Li Jialin, thinking he had already upset his mother about his late younger brother, decided to comply to placate her.

Li Jialin nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll take Mingguan to have a look later. I’ve always heard from the fourth prince that Jing family’s snacks are delicious, so I’ll go and try them.”

The empress felt much relieved when she saw that Li Jialin had agreed without hesitation.

“What is the use of a man?” she thought. “He is not as reliable as the son I’ve raised. After all, a man can have many women, but a son can only have one mother.”

However, after all these years, the empress was certain that she was the one who understood Li Yunxi best when it came to the civil and military affairs of the Li Dynasty.

She had admired all his virtues and had seen through all his vices.

Note

In case people forget, just like me, Li Jialin is the eldest and crown prince. The one we often read are Li Jiading (the third prince), Li Jiarui (the second) and Li Jiafu (the fourth).