Ding——
As the first ray of sunlight illuminated the glazed tiles at dawn, the sound of the morning bell echoed through the deep palace walls of crimson.
Inside the San Yang Palace, fragrant sandalwood smoke curled in the golden-beast qilin incense burner, bringing the carved birds and beasts on the red beams to life.
In front of the dragon table, Emperor Jingtai awoke to the bell’s toll. With his majestic crown atop, his eyes opened, revealing not just authority but also a hint of weariness, as he gazed down at the officials below—clearly defined as scholars and soldiers alike.
“The North Sea suddenly revealed a mysterious ‘sea eye’ that is bottomless; several ships from the North Seal have gone missing nearby, only to reappear in the Eastern Sea,” reported one official.
“The Western Region’s Buddhist kingdom has sent an envoy, hoping to establish a temple here in the Imperial Capital,” another added.
“And we are short on grain provisions in the South Border…” yet another chimed in.
A eunuch dressed in a black gauze hat and a grand red robe boisterously read out these grand matters, all of which implicated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, the very foundation of the empire.
After covering the important updates, he finally asked, “Gentlemen, do you have any proposals?”
Silence reigned in the grand hall.
The ministers sat with their eyes on their noses, their noses on their hearts—no one spoke.
Such grand matters were not usually discussed in the court; typically, discussions came from established party consensus, merely observing the attitudes and movements of the officials.
In simpler terms, the court wasn’t a place for proposals; it was a dance of power and influence.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Emperor Jingtai finally broke the stillness: “Well then, there’s no reason to delay. We shall disband the court.”
“Your humble servant does have a proposal to present to His Majesty,” at that moment, Minister Song stepped forward and bowed.
“The Qianlong Conference has just concluded; I believe we can hold another grand celebration before entering the City of Divine Beings—one to reward our esteemed talents and bring joy to the people.”
The ministers exchanged puzzled glances, unsure about the sudden, odd suggestion from the Minister of Rites.
With guileless intentions still probing, silence consumed the court.
Then, a few officials spoke against it:
“A celebration? It’ll just burden the citizens and deplete our finances.”
“If Your Highness is lost, what’s the point of celebrating?”
“Look, it’s completely unnecessary.”
Out of nowhere to throw a celebration!! Not to mention other matters, who wants to get roped into another day’s work at a party?
But Minister Song simply smiled and said, “The celebration I propose is the Hundred Flowers Festival. We would invite those stunning women from the Hundred Flowers List to enter the capital and showcase their talents, like playing music or singing, and such…”
A mix of gasps filled the hall.
Those pretending to sleep suddenly woke up, and even the elderly with waning energy perked up, while Confucians from the Royal Academy had their expressions slightly solidified.
“Hey, I’ve always said Old Song has been doing well in the Ministry of Rites; he must have something smart up his sleeve! I think this idea is pretty good!”
“Since ancient times, where there are talented scholars, there will be beautiful maidens. After the Qianlong Conference, a Hundred Flowers Festival makes perfect sense, elevating the nation and benefiting the people!”
“Exactly! This showcases our Da Yu’s flourishing culture; it’ll be peace and prosperity!”
“Ding ding ding! Just thinking about this scene gets me poetic! Remember, ‘An old man sets his youthful spirit free, where one note’s worth more than six!’”
“Ting-a-ling…”
The court suddenly burst into excitement, united as one.
Emperor Jingtai had never seen such a scene since ascending the throne.
Often, he witnessed ministers bickering in court, leaving them bruised and battered. But this jubilant atmosphere was something new!
Not all felt the exhilaration, however.
The Minister of Revenue stepped forward decisively: “I oppose!”
“Huh?”
The officials shot him unwelcoming glares, preparing to unleash their fury. A few doughty generals rolled up their sleeves, ready to teach this old man a lesson in reality.
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“Listen, the treasury is empty! Keeping the Dragon’s Watching Tower costs a fortune! How can we afford yet another Hundred Flowers Festival? Where’s the money?!”
“I don’t mean to dampen your spirits, but every coin has its destination.”
“Should we take from the fund for the Dragon Watching Tower, invest in building ships in the North Seal, or dip into the military provisions from the South Border?”
The Minister of Revenue threw out these daunting questions.
Then, he turned to the King of South Border.
The King slightly nodded: “Military matters are no joke; we cannot touch the military provisions.”
The royal family members remained silent—there was no need to add to the conversation.
The ships in the North Seal had already been constructed; were they supposed to dismantle them and sell them off?
At that moment, the Minister of Rites appeared to have a plan up his sleeve: “How about this—we can ask wealthy merchants to sponsor the event, they’ll front the costs, and we get our celebration!”
“When the time comes, they gain fame, and we spend no coins; isn’t that a win-win?”
“Hey, Minister Song, you really are a genius!”
Thus, the entire court agreed without objection.
Emperor Jingtai had no reason to refuse, so he picked up the Eight Desolation and Six Harmony Seal and stamped it with authority.
That very day, a proclamation announcing the summoning of the famous women from the Hundred Flowers List to the capital went out, along with a call for generous sponsors with enticing conditions.
In no time, the wealthiest in the land flocked towards the court.
After all, organizing a court event could get one a title without actual power!
Don’t underestimate the weight of that title.
From then on, regardless of whatever affairs came up, as long as they were tagged with ‘organized by the court,’ it held legitimacy, sanctioned by imperial power.
And as the summer approached…
In the Hall of the Imperial Capital, a peculiar ‘bidding session’ had unfolded. Chiefly hosting this meeting were officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, gathered among those wealthy merchants whose cash could speak volumes.
The four leading merchant associations were present.
Among them was the prosperous Hongtong Merchants, represented by our old friend, Sun Gui.
Then there was the well-known Qingmu Association famous for selling medicinal herbs—out of every three pills in the world, one was crafted by them, and their representative was a master alchemist.
Of course, some appeared to be representatives of the Qingmu Association but were actually members of Xueliantang…
The other two associations were Gold Coin Gang and Fortune God’s Money Shop.
With fragrant tea wafting through the air, the merchants waited for the officials to emerge.
“Brother Sun, long time no see! Didn’t expect you’d be assigned to the Imperial Capital—your fortunes are ever on the rise!” the Xueliantang member in blue remarked with a grin, no longer wearing the half-face mask.
“Just fortunate to encounter a benefactor! How about you, brother Lu? You seem to have promising prospects in alchemy,” Sun Gui replied, showcasing his cheerful jowls—he had a lot of collaborations with Qingmu Association.
Representative Lu gestured at the sprawling merchants and whispered, “There are just too many people here, yet none really stand a chance. In my view, only your Fortune God association will truly seize the Emperor’s favor.”
Catching the hint, Sun Gui quickly countered: “I’m just fortunate; the one who truly holds power is that benefactor who guides me. Too bad he didn’t come today.”
“Oh? Now you’ve piqued my curiosity—who’s this benefactor?”
“Why, I think you know him too. It’s…” Sun Gui was about to speak when—
Just then, a modest bronze carriage pulled up at the entrance, standing out sharply among the glittering luxury of the accompanying carriages.
Everyone paused, then watched as several individuals clad in sunglasses disembarked, exuding an undeniable coolness.
If they had a suitable theme song from a heist movie playing in the background, that would have been spot on; they looked like ultimate five-star citizens.
And at the forefront…
“Little Li?!”
