Chapter 32: Preventing Trouble Before It Happens

  After dinner, Liu Bian returned to the bedroom. Although he was very careful in control, he still drank a bit too much wine, feeling dizzy and disoriented, with the sky spinning around him.

  Tang Ying carried him to the bed, sent someone to fetch water, and busied herself washing and wiping him down until she was drenched in sweat before finally managing to get Liu Bei settled. She stuffed Liu Bei into the quilt, just about to turn around and wash up when Liu Bei grabbed her hand with a unclear voice saying: "Yingzi, Zhang Fei has broken through, Lü Bu...has surrendered, we are...safe."

  Tang Ying raised an eyebrow and looked at Liu Bian, who was drunk: "Your Majesty, do you really feel safe now?"

  "With two great masters guarding, how can it be unsafe?"

  "It's a good thing to have skilled guards, but Your Majesty must not forget that this is the imperial palace." Tang Ying pressed down Liu Bian's restless hands and patiently advised: "Although the people of Xiliang are brave and fierce, they don't understand etiquette. There are many women in the palace, if something happens, what will we do? If you punish them, Your Majesty will lose the hearts of the people. If you don't punish them, the imperial palace will become a place of shame, and Your Majesty will lose dignity. Once someone uses these things to attack Your Majesty, how will you handle it?"

  Liu Bian was dizzy and didn't hear what Tang Ying said clearly. He turned over and fell into a deep sleep.

  Tang Ying sighed and sat up. She got dressed and walked out of the main hall after a moment of contemplation.

  ……

  The Empress Dowager looked at Tang Ying coming and going, and couldn't help but smile: "It's rare for the imperial concubine to have a heart, and she actually came back to see me, bringing food too."

  "Princess, it's hard work, I should keep you company too." Tang Ying said with a smile, while having someone bring up the midnight snack and sitting down beside Princess Wannian. Princess Wannian took a bite, tasted two mouthfuls, and praised: "So fragrant! This is not the taste of the imperial kitchen's Shang Shi monitor. Who made it? I've never had it before."

  "It's the secret technique of the Tang family."

  Princess Wan Year was taken aback, her eyes curved into a crescent smile: "The imperial concubine personally cooks, how can I be worthy of it?"

  "I don't have the knowledge of a princess, I can only do what women can do, and that's also helping Your Majesty share your worries." Tang Ying put away her smile and sighed softly: "Princess, nowadays the aristocratic families are disheartened, they all want to climb up the high branches of the Yuan family, no one is willing to serve Your Majesty anymore, even dragging the princess into doing government duties, it's not a long-term plan after all."

  The princess hesitated for a moment: "You're right, it's time to remind His Majesty to recruit some talents."

  "It's not just the talented ones, but also the eunuchs in the palace are not enough." Tang Ying's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her face was full of worry. "There are many women in the palace, and it's easy to cause gossip. Now with so many people from Pingliang entering the palace, what if..."

  The princess thought for a long time, nodded: "After all, the imperial concubine is far-sighted, I was indeed neglectful of this matter. In that case, tomorrow when reporting government affairs to His Majesty, I will mention it to him and see what ideas he has."

  "It's perfect coming from you, Princess." Tang Ying let out a sigh of relief: "Do you want more? I'll get you another bowl?"

  ……

  "Sister, I didn't know you had such skills." Liu Bian flipped through the memorials one by one, looking at the suggestions written in elegant handwriting by Princess Wan, and was overjoyed. "You are really my good helper."

  "Your Majesty is overpraising me." Princess Wan Nian smiled warmly. "I am only roughly familiar with literature, what ability do I have? Your Majesty wants to govern the country, and still wants to widely recruit talents from all over the world, can't rely on women."

  Liu Bian chuckled and said, "Talents from all over the world? I'd like to recruit them, but they look down on me and go to flatter the Yuan family instead. What can I do? Sister, don't be modest, in my opinion, you're not inferior to men."

  "Even the strongest woman is still a woman, and cannot be compared to a man." The Empress continued: "Your Majesty, there is now a major matter to be dealt with. The eunuchs in the palace were killed by the Yuan brothers, and only a few eunuchs survived, they are busy beyond measure. In the future, should we re-recruit eunuchs or have scholars replace them? There are many women in the palace, if scholars enter to serve, what if...

  Liu Bian also had a headache.

  There are many women in the palace, and although he doesn't have as many as the previous emperor, there are quite a few reserve forces within the palace. Apart from the numerous young and beautiful palace maids, several of the previous emperors also left behind not a small number of women. These women's ranks are very high, but their age isn't necessarily big. In the past, they were served by eunuchs, so even if they secretly did something, it wouldn't cause any major problems. But if large numbers of young scholars enter the palace and spend day and night together with them, that's a different story altogether.

  Liu Bian also didn't like turning good men into eunuchs, but he was equally clear that if something happened in the palace, it would be a real scandal. If the green hat was put on his head, it would be a big joke.

  "What's your good idea, sister?"

  The princess of Wan Nian was also helpless.

  Liu Bian's head had grown bigger, so he could only send someone to find Lu Zhi and Jia Xiang to discuss. After listening to Liu Bian's question, Lu Zhi first proposed a suggestion. When a new emperor ascends the throne, it is customary to release a batch of palace maids, firstly to show benevolence, secondly to change the bloodline, and thirdly to release the gloomy atmosphere in the palace. After Liu Bian ascended the throne, Empress Dowager and General-in-Chief only fought for power and interests, and never handled this matter. Now they can make up for it by releasing the surplus palace maids from the palace, allowing them to marry freely, which can reduce the financial burden on the palace and also reduce the possibility of accidents.

  Liu Bian expressed his agreement with this.

  Lu Zhi immediately put forward another suggestion: to arrange Zhang Hua and his Western Liang soldiers outside the palace, not allowing them to enter the palace at will, completely cutting off their possibility of causing chaos in the palace, so as to avoid a scandal. Lu Zhi proposed two plans, either to have them stationed in the Northern Army's large camp outside the city, or to set up a temporary military camp outside the Xuanwu Gate.

  Liu Bian thought this suggestion was not bad, but he didn't immediately nod in agreement. Instead, he shifted his gaze to Jia Xun. Lu Zhi's suggestion was good, but the implication of excluding people from West Liang and looking down on them was also very clear. Liu Bian now needed the support of the people from West Liang and did not want to give Jia Xun a bad impression.

  Contrary to Liu Bian's expectations, Jia Xu readily agreed. He said frankly that the Western Liang soldiers were indeed very brave, but they had no culture and did not understand etiquette, living like beasts on instinct. Now that they were away from their hometown and in Luoyang, it was only a matter of time before they missed their wives. With so many women in the palace, it was impossible to say that they would not be tempted. Serving in the palace would eventually lead to trouble.

  However, just arranging for them to leave the palace cannot solve the problem, at most it can only temporarily control the situation, and in the long run, something will still go wrong.

  "What's good about Wen and what?"

  "Let them settle in Luoyang." Jia Xu said: "Those with families can let their families move to Luoyang. Those without families, give them some money and let them marry and settle down in Luoyang..."

  Jia Xian had not finished speaking when Lu Zhi interrupted him: "This matter absolutely cannot be done."

  "Why?" Liu Bian was puzzled, he thought Jia Xu's suggestion was good, it solved the potential trouble of the Western Liang soldiers, stabilized their morale, and bought people's hearts, turning these people into his imperial guards. Why did Lu Zhi oppose?

  Lu Zhi asked in response: "Your Majesty, if you want so many people to settle down, where will the land come from and where will the grain money come from?"

  Jia Xu said calmly: "The fertile land occupied by Zhang Let and Zhao Zhong is not limited to tens of thousands of hectares. It's easy to arrange for a few thousand soldiers to settle down."