Chapter Twenty-Two: Deepening Reform

“Your Majesty, I believe that nothing brings on melancholy more easily than a lack of your affection.”

Who was it, daring to openly tease a man? Gao Buyi glanced over and saw that none other than Consort Yang was responsible.

Her beguiling eyes fluttered incessantly in his direction. Silently cursing her as an enchantress, Gao Buyi spoke, “The noble consort’s words are not without merit. Let us do this: aside from those under eighteen, there are sixty-two left. From now on, I will meet with four of you each day, so we are guaranteed to see each other regularly. You are all my wives; it would not do to favor some over others. As for those under twenty, you will soon be attending school, so we will meet often as well.”

Hearing this, the concubines thought he meant four would share his bed each night. Most felt shy, being unaccustomed to such matters, but as the emperor had spoken, they had no choice but to obey. For some, this seemed a blessing, since many had only been favored once, never to receive further attention. Now, with equal opportunity, it was a boon.

“How can this be? Your Majesty, your health must come first,” protested Consort Wang, surprisingly the first to object.

Seeing Consort Wang stand against the emperor, Consort Yang’s heart filled with glee. This foolish woman still had no idea how to please His Majesty. Before Gao Buyi could reply, Consort Yang interjected, “Why not? We are all Your Majesty’s consorts, here to win your favor. Besides, with the emperor in robust health, isn’t it natural to have many women attend him at night?”

Gao Buyi’s face darkened. What were these two thinking? With his frail constitution, how could he possibly handle four women a night? That would be the death of him.

“What are you talking about? I meant that at each meal or during leisure, four of you will join me for conversation and family talk. Sharing my bed with four every night—do you wish me dead?”

Upon hearing this, all the beauties blushed in unison, realizing they had utterly misunderstood.

Leaving the harem, Gao Buyi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Facing more than eighty wives, he felt immense pressure. As for how to arrange the order—a hot potato indeed—he left that to Consorts Yang and Wang.

Since he had inherited everything from the former emperor, Gao Buyi felt obligated to care for these women—provided they were worthy of it.

There was one he felt no need to trouble over: Consort Yang. Considering how she’d let An Lushan scratch her chest without anger, covering it only with a cloth, he could not believe there was nothing illicit between them. Still, he would not be rash; he intended to see if, after An Lushan called her “mother” this year, those infamous and scandalous rumors would come to pass.

“Your Majesty!—Your Majesty!”

He had not gone far from the harem when Consort Yang called out behind him. Gao Buyi frowned—this was the second time she had defied his orders.

When she caught up, he asked coolly, “Why are you so flustered, noble consort?”

“Your Majesty, General An Lushan, upon hearing you have dismissed him from his post as military governor of Fanyang, is terribly frightened. He is awaiting your judgment in the capital, not daring even to return home.”

“Oh? Is that so? Why did he not report this to the Secretariat?”

“Your Majesty, are you unaware? Wang Sizhong must have forged an imperial decree. By law, that is treason—punishable by extermination of his entire clan.”

“I see. Then, in your opinion, what crime should An Lushan, a frontier general who entered the capital without orders, be charged with?”

“General An had just cause for his actions; his crime may be pardoned at your discretion.”

“Well, you have handled this well.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will relay your response to General An then.”

Consort Yang was surprised at how agreeable the emperor was today, her heart brimming with happiness—His Majesty must still care for her.

Seeing her about to leave, radiant with joy, Gao Buyi called her back, “Where are you off to?”

“To have Wang Sizhong seized and imprisoned for questioning.”

“And An Lushan?”

“To restore his post as military governor of Fanyang, and also grant him Hedong.”

“Impudence!” Gao Buyi’s fury erupted. This foolish woman was becoming ever more reckless—defying imperial orders and meddling in state affairs for a third time.

He glared at her and roared, “You fool! Why not just give the empire to An Lushan? As a consort, you have repeatedly disobeyed and interfered in government. Do you think your head is made of iron?”

Consort Yang had never seen the emperor so enraged. Frightened, she fell to her knees, “Your Majesty, calm your anger—please, calm your anger!”

“Return to your quarters! If you dare enter the front palace or meet with officials without permission again, you will be severely punished. Hui’er, you will personally deliver this order. As for An Lushan—let him focus on serving his lord faithfully and performing his duties. Go.”

With that, Gao Buyi swept away his sleeves and left. Shangguan Peihui helped Consort Yang to her feet and was about to comfort her, but to her surprise, Consort Yang, in a huff, gave a cold snort and stalked off.

After leaving the harem, Gao Buyi did not return to the Hall of State Affairs but went straight to the Secretariat, where Pei An, Li Shizhi, and Li Linfu were present. Seeing Gao Buyi enter, they all saluted.

“No need for ceremony. Since you are all here, I have several urgent matters. Pei, you are busy recruiting talented men, but even so, not all can be given posts at once. The hot spring palace at Lishan has many halls; leave two as imperial residences, and convert the rest into academies. Pei, this task is yours.”

“At your command!”

“Next, I have reviewed our realm’s grain cultivation over the years and found some inconsistencies. Li Linfu, I want you to acquire some rice seeds from Qiongya, south of Lingnan, and plant them on the imperial estates south of the Yangtze. This crop is sown in April and should yield two or three harvests in the south, being well-suited to the region’s abundance of water. See to it immediately—do not miss the planting season. Once you have the seeds, I will instruct you in their cultivation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Also, send an order to Gao Xianzhi to search the Northern Court for seeds of a plant whose flowers are as light and fluffy as willow catkins. Once found, have them sown in Fanyang.”

“May I ask, Your Majesty, what is this plant?”

“Cotton. Once planted and processed, it can be made into cloth for clothing and bandages for healing—the uses are endless. Get it for me as quickly as possible.”

“If such a marvelous thing exists, I will be sure to present it before Your Majesty.”

“These two crops are vital to our empire. When you have acquired them, I will instruct you in their cultivation. First, plant them on state lands; once successful, we will promote them widely.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Li Shizhi.”

“Your Majesty?”

“The realm is now largely at peace, but everywhere there are idle soldiers drawing pay. From now on, you, Li Linfu, Pei An, Wang Sizhong, Fumeng Lingcha, and I will form a Military Administration Council to oversee all troops nationwide, including garrison soldiers at every county and fortress. Divide them into two main groups: those guarding passes and cities will be formed into the Garrison Army. All provincial and Divine Strategy troops will be reorganized under the Divine Strategy Army, which will then be divided into infantry, cavalry, artillery, and navy units. Infantry will include our current broadsword units, spearmen, and archers. Troop deployments will be rationalized according to actual needs in each area.”

End of section.