Human potential is boundless. As a Chief Official of the Ministry of War—even if merely an eighth-rank minor official—Ji Yichang had risen through the ranks by passing the imperial examinations in the proper manner.
Her basic ability to handle paperwork had not been neglected simply because, having become a favourite of the original host, she had casually passed her duties on to other Chief Officials.
Enduring the excruciating pain in her backside, she processed the documents as swiftly as possible and drafted a proper memorial, which she presented to Xu Chen with trembling hands.
Xu Chen, however, showed not the slightest trace of sympathy from start to finish, nor did she care whether Ji Yichang would be rendered useless by working whilst dragging her recently battered backside.
Had it not been for the fact that it was not yet the right time to expose her completely, and had Ji Yichang retained even a shred of usefulness, Xu Chen would not have hesitated to dispose of her outright.
Alas, Ji Yichang was still unaware that, in Xu Chen’s eyes, she had already been sentenced to death.
What her future held, and whether she could escape the fate of being cast aside by Xu Chen, depended entirely on when she realised this.
Xu Chen took the memorial and, finding it well-drafted with no errors, handed it to Xuan Ying before saying, “Let’s go.”
The two walked out of the courtroom, one in front and one behind. Ji Yichang hesitated, unsure whether to follow, but seeing that Xu Chen had not called for her, she remained where she was, her heart pounding, until she had watched Xu Chen’s figure disappear from view.
Seeing Xu Chen leave with his guards, she let out a stifled cry of pain and collapsed to her knees. It took her several minutes to recover, and only then did she rise from the floor, her head covered in cold sweat. Unable to contain herself any longer, she shuffled out along the wall, was helped into a carriage by her own servants, and hurried to the clinic to have her injuries treated.
Meanwhile, just as Xu Chen was preparing to leave the Ministry of War, she collided with Hu Nanqin, who had hurried back to the ministry.
“Princess, please wait!”
“May I ask what urgent business brings the Princess to the Ministry of War today?”
Hu Nanqin had a broad face, high cheekbones, a wide jawline, eyes as sharp as blades, and thin lips that were perpetually pursed. In Xu Chen’s previous life, she would have been the sort of high-ranking female government official Xu Chen, as an ethnic entrepreneur, would have frequently encountered.
Xu Chen hadn’t expected Hu Nanqin to rush back so suddenly; clearly, she should have had other pressing matters to attend to today and not been at the Ministry of War.
However, Xu Chen soon pieced together the reason. Her gaze swept the room, and she noticed an official standing beside Hu Nanqin whose expression was off, instinctively averting her eyes.
It seemed that the moment she had set foot in the Ministry of War, someone had secretly gone to inform Hu Nanqin.
Watching Hu Nanqin’s expression, as if facing a formidable enemy, Xu Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Just how unreliable an impression had the original host left behind in the Ministry of War?
Having pieced together the cause and effect, Xu Chen’s gaze shifted to one of evasion and timidity in the blink of an eye—just as the original host’s had when she saw Hu Nanqin.
Xu Chen’s reaction was so swift that even Hu Nanqin, a woman of exceptional intelligence, failed to detect the change in her demeanour.
Hu Nanqin was well aware that Xu Chen actually feared her somewhat—a mixture of hatred and fear. As she held the rank of Minister and was a pillar of the Great Zhou dynasty, even Emperor Yongji had to take her opinions and views into account; naturally, Xu Chen was even more constrained by her.
Since taking up her post in the Ministry of War, Xu Chen had seemingly committed many outrageous acts, yet in reality, she had not caused much serious trouble, for Hu Nanqin was there to keep her in check.
Whatever she wished to do, as long as Hu Nanqin stood her ground and refused to yield, even if the matter were taken all the way to the Emperor, Emperor Yongji would only reprimand and question Xu Chen, not Hu Nanqin.
But Xu Chen was, after all, the Crown Princess, and with her temperament, surrounded as she was by scheming courtiers like Ji Yichang, her potential for disruption was immense.
Even Hu Nanqin had no choice but to keep a watchful eye on her at all times, feeling as though she were constantly running for her life.
“Minister Hu,” the Crown Princess said as she strolled by.
“I’m merely delivering a memorial to the Ministry of Revenue.”
Xu Chen said, adopting the original host’s tone.
Hu Nanqin’s heart skipped a beat; she had no idea what trick Xu Chen was planning next. Having just rushed back, she was unaware that Xu Chen had ordered Ji Yichang to receive twenty lashes. Her first thought was:
Surely the Crown Princess hasn’t fallen for that scoundrel Ji Yichang’s slanderous advice again, and is planning to cause trouble for someone, is she?
The veins on Hu Nanqin’s temples throbbed; she could only think that the Great Zhou had truly brought a curse upon itself by having such a Crown Princess.
Even though she was a loyal and upright minister who had never entertained thoughts of meddling in the succession struggle, wishing only to do practical work for the Great Zhou, she could not help but wonder at this moment whether supporting Xu Chen as Crown Princess was truly a good thing for the Zhou Kingdom.
Although Xu Chen was the eldest daughter of the legitimate consort and the late empress’s firstborn, by any measure, the Sixth Princess, born to the Consort Chun, seemed a far more reliable choice.
Unconsciously, Hu Nanqin’s inner wavering deepened.
“I wonder what Her Highness the Crown Princess intends to instruct the Ministry of Revenue to do. Might I discuss this with you? Should Your Highness have any proposals, I shall do my utmost to assist, so that your objectives may be better achieved.” ”
Hu Nanqin’s tone was formal and precise; whilst her words seemed to suggest a consultation with Xu Chen, in reality, she left no room for refusal.
It was plain to see that if Xu Chen did not agree, she would not allow her to pass before her.
Xu Chen smiled inwardly; the look she cast at Hu Nanqin concealed an appreciation and satisfaction that the other could not detect.
It was precisely such an upright person whom she wished to win over—someone she could rely upon in the future.
But appreciation aside, the act must continue; at this juncture, it would be unwise to reveal her differences from the original host, lest she attract unnecessary attention and suspicion.
Thus, an expression of anger flashed across Xu Chen’s face almost instantly. “Minister Hu, I hold you in high regard, yet you insist on putting me in such a difficult position?”
Hu Nanqin showed no fear of the threat whatsoever. “Your Highness, the Crown Princess, you speak too highly of me. I am deeply humbled. Please forgive me for my sincere desire to alleviate your concerns.”
Xu Chen’s expression grew even colder, a menacing aura lingering between her brows. The atmosphere between them instantly plummeted to freezing point; whether standing nearby or peering from behind the hall, the officials could not help but shudder inwardly.
They feared Xu Chen and Hu Nanqin might completely fall out and come to blows right there in the Ministry of War.
When gods fight, mortals suffer; should a clash truly occur, Xu Chen and Hu Nanqin would likely emerge unscathed, but the same could not be said for them.
Fortunately, matters did not come to that. After a few seconds of standoff, Xu Chen suddenly said, “Xuan Ying, bring the memorial for the Minister to examine.”
Xuanying immediately stepped forward and handed the memorial to Hu Nanqin.
Hu Nanqin glanced at her; she had no recollection of this guard at Xu Chen’s side. She recalled that Xu Chen had been the target of an assassination attempt a few days prior, and the original guards of the Crown Princess’s residence had likely been replaced for failing to protect her adequately.
That was why the guards accompanying Xu Chen were all new faces.
Hu Nanqin took the memorial and opened it at once, but its contents left her stunned!
She scanned the entire document rapidly, unable to believe this was the memorial Xu Chen intended to send to the Ministry of Revenue. She read it a second time to verify, only then confirming that it was indeed genuine.
Xu Chen: “Well then, Minister Hu, may I send this memorial to the Ministry of Revenue?”
Hu Nanqin closed the memorial. “Chongzhou lies directly opposite the various tribes of the grasslands; the army’s pay and provisions must not be compromised. Your Highness has come personally to attend to Chongzhou’s affairs; I am sure General Yun will be most gratified.”
She was filled with doubt, wondering why Xu Chen had suddenly seen the light.
However, as Xu Chen’s actions aligned with her own plans, Hu Nanqin would naturally not stand in her way—indeed, she would offer her full support.
The matter of Chongzhou’s military pay had been a source of great anxiety for Hu Nanqin in recent times. As the heir apparent was still a sovereign, Xu Chen’s status left her in a bind: she could neither be too firm nor too lenient. Memorials from Chongzhou arrived one after another, yet not a single tael of silver had been disbursed.
Who would have thought that the greatest obstacle to resolving this matter—Xu Chen—would actually take the initiative to submit a memorial to the Ministry of Revenue?
“Minister Hu is quite right. I admit I was indeed short-sighted earlier. Why not accompany me, Minister Hu, and personally request the Ministry of Revenue to disburse the military rations for Chongzhou? That would put my mind at ease.”
Hu Nanqin could not fathom why Xu Chen had suddenly changed his stance so drastically.
But whatever the reason, she realised that it had not been easy to persuade Xu Chen to relent; causing further complications would be unwise.
It would be best to agree to make the trip and personally oversee Xu Chen in seeing this matter through.
So Hu Nanqin nodded. “Very well, then. This servant shall accompany Your Highness on this journey.”
“It will also show everyone that Your Highness has always had Chongzhou at heart; those buzzing flies had best keep their mouths shut.”
And so, with Xu Chen and Xuan Ying in tow, the two of them formed a party.
Two carriages travelled from the Ministry of War to the Ministry of Revenue. Upon seeing Xu Chen and Hu Nanqin alight one after the other, the Minister of Revenue hurried out to greet them. The Minister of Revenue
The Minister of Revenue was surnamed Zhao, given name Zhao Yu, and was slightly older than Hu Nanqin.
She appeared to be a kind-hearted, good-natured person who consulted others on every matter; in reality, however, it was no easy task for anyone to actually obtain silver from her.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Princess!”
“And Minister Hu, what wind has blown you here?”
“Come into the main hall, come into the main hall.”
As Xu Chen led the way, his gaze caught sight of a familiar figure. The person stood far off, outside the crowd, eyes cast down, avoiding Xu Chen’s gaze.
She possessed a face of remarkable grace and dignity, with fair skin and an upright bearing; clad in her blue official robes, she stood out like a slender green bamboo.
Yet she deliberately kept a low profile, unlike the other officials who eagerly drew near to exchange pleasantries.
Xu Chen withdrew her gaze; she knew who the woman was, but now was not the time to engage with her.
Soon, Xu Chen, Hu Nanqin and Zhao Yu entered the room, closed the door and spoke in private.
Hu Nanqin produced the memorial, handed it to Zhao Yu, and cut straight to the chase: “Minister Zhao, the reason Her Highness and I have come today is simple. The military pay for Chongzhou has not been issued for two quarters, and Commander Yun has sent multiple documents petitioning for a resolution to this difficulty.”
Her Highness is deeply concerned about Chongzhou and has come specifically to urge the Ministry of Revenue to disburse the military pay for Chongzhou.”
In the prefectures of Chongzhou, Huizhou and Songzhou, where border troops are stationed, military pay is prepared quarterly and distributed on schedule.
As soon as the memorial from the Ministry of War arrives, the Ministry of Revenue organises its dispatch to the respective prefectures.
Logically speaking, although Chongzhou had not requested its military pay for half a year, the Ministry of Revenue should have had Chongzhou’s portion ready long ago, awaiting only the Ministry of War’s memorandum.
Consequently, Hu Nanqin’s tone was very relaxed; she felt that resolving this matter would not require much red tape.
Yet she never could have imagined that, upon hearing Xu Chen and her own purpose, a fleeting look of unease would cross Zhao Yu’s face.