Chapter 286

The death of a palace maid might have gone unnoticed, but when it was a consort who hanged herself, rumors began to swirl. Especially among those ministers who were in the dark; each one grew anxious, and those with relatives favored in the harem hurriedly sent messages home. They wanted, first, to find out what had happened, and second, to urge their families to keep out of trouble. Now was not the time to stir up any incidents. Of course, if one could seize this opportunity to elevate their status, that would be ideal, though it was important to strike the right balance.

Those who had survived in the harem for years were no fools; none dared act rashly, fearing that a single misstep might bring disaster upon their families. It wasn’t a matter of shared glory, but certainly of shared ruin. After the Empress Dowager took charge following the incident, she summoned everyone in the harem and gave them a stern warning. The princess under the deceased consort’s name was taken under the Empress Dowager’s care.

The Emperor did not immediately arrange for burial. Instead, he ordered his close attendants to find a suitable pretext and thoroughly search the consort’s residence. He wanted to ascertain whether she had been involved in the affair with the enemy. The truth was chilling, leaving the Emperor with a deep sense of distrust towards his consorts; he found fault with them all. Remembering that the consort had borne him a daughter, he did not subject her to a pauper’s burial, but neither did he grant her entry to the imperial mausoleum. She was buried with the rank of a Talented Lady.

From consort to Talented Lady—those women in the harem who had been watching events unfold wore strange expressions.

It is often said that good news travels slowly, but ill tidings traverse a thousand miles. Before the year’s end, word of a consort’s suicide in the Emperor’s harem spread rapidly. When Wang Xiujin heard the news, he merely raised an eyebrow; Li Linshan, who was flipping through a book, paused momentarily. Both independently concluded that the consort’s death was connected to the enemy nation’s affair and were surprised to see the issue reach the harem. Would the Emperor dare touch those women again?

Once investigations had yielded results, from the capital to Feng’an, many were found implicated. Around ten officials, both high and low, and several enemy spies living in the capital—hundreds in all. The Emperor looked at the long list, closed his eyes, and decided not to spare a single one. No need to wait for autumn—these people would be sunk in the sea.

When Wang Xiujin received the imperial summons, he felt as though he were heading into battle. He changed into his official robes and hurried to the palace, his face pale as a wall upon arrival. The Emperor, seeing Wang Xiujin’s complexion, quickly invited him to rise, then sighed deeply. The enemy was ruthless, aiming to destroy his financial sources and military leaders, and sow discord between ruler and ministers. He was fortunate their plot hadn’t succeeded. “Wang, before autumn, how many large ships can the shipyard produce?”

“Your servant is anxious. Under normal circumstances, three at most. If we recruit skilled craftsmen from across the realm and work in shifts, ten at most. If gun turrets are added, we’d need to test and train with the cannons, which might delay the schedule.” Wang Xiujin had not personally visited the shipyard, but he understood their pace.

The Emperor nodded silently, his eagerness to flatten the enemy nation growing; only then could he relieve his pent-up frustration.

Wang Xiujin was sweating profusely, partly from the Emperor’s intimidating presence, partly because his wound was aching. It had not been stitched and would take longer to heal naturally. He suspected he had aggravated it while bowing. As the Emperor’s silence stretched on, Wang Xiujin’s pain intensified. He recalled the last days of his previous life, when he had to endure pain from wounds; now, he was more precious.

“The gun turrets must be installed, they must,” the Emperor declared after deep contemplation, his face fierce. He preferred to encircle the enemy’s little island with ships and bombard it endlessly, hoping to sink it altogether, rather than send troops ashore for slaughter.

Wang Xiujin did not know what the Emperor imagined; even if he did, he would not comment on the Emperor’s wild schemes—unless he no longer valued his life. Upon leaving the palace, Wang Xiujin collapsed in his carriage, which was driven straight into his courtyard. He was carried out and summoned a physician to examine his wound; as expected, it was bleeding.

Li Linshan held Wang Xiujin’s hand, her face pale. Wang Xiujin gently squeezed her hand in return, saying nothing. There was no need for words; anyone with eyes could see he was enduring pain. Sweat poured from his forehead, his face ghostly pale, lips devoid of color, the healthy flush recently restored now vanished. Thoughts flickered through his mind, all related to food. He feared he would have to return to those dreadful bowls of gruel.

After the doctor bandaged his wound and washed his hands, he explained the situation: the wound was nearly healed, but had reopened, so pain was inevitable. However, with a couple days of rest, it should be fine. If he recuperated well, he could move freely after the new year. Hearing this, Wang Xiujin gritted his teeth, unsure whether to be relieved or frustrated at having to lie in bed again.

After burying his wife, Wang Xiubo received a letter sent urgently from the capital. Reading its contents, he wasted no time resting and immediately set out for Feng’an, while his three sons were escorted to the capital by the steward, to ensure their arrival before the year’s end.

Wang Xiujin lay in bed for two days. When his wound hurt less, he had to get up; the end of the year brought many responsibilities, and he could not afford delays due to injury. Hundreds awaited their annual bonuses. Outside the capital, shops and workshops had already been notified to distribute profits as usual. As for those in the capital, Wang Xiujin intended to increase the bonuses, since most of his enterprises were now based there. Naturally, the treatment differed. He also noticed prices rising slightly. If wages didn’t keep up, workers would feel dissatisfied and lose motivation, diminishing productivity and profits. Wang Xiujin had dug plenty of holes for himself, but he refused to make less money.

He met with managers from various workshops and shops in the capital to discuss bonuses and inquire about recent developments. Hearing their reports reassured him; operations had not been disrupted by his injury. Everything ran smoothly, which was just as it should be. After issuing further instructions, Wang Xiujin kept the chief manager behind, not only to distribute bonuses but also to hand out other items. This required coordination.

The carriage workshop, which was to begin operations before the year’s end, had been postponed due to Wang Xiujin’s injury; the shipyard was also idle. Wang Xiujin and the chief manager discussed compensating workers who were off duty or affected by the stoppage. The chief manager felt paying the shipyard workers was reasonable, but compensating those at a workshop yet to open was unprecedented and might provoke other merchants’ discontent.

Wang Xiujin was unconcerned about others’ opinions; he wasn’t robbing anyone, merely distributing his own money. Even if reported to the Emperor, no fault could be found. Seeing that the master’s mind was made up, the chief manager did not argue further. Fortunately, Wang Xiujin was not extravagant—he gave only the minimum compensation for each workshop. Once the matter was settled, the chief manager did not linger; with the new year approaching, he needed to visit the shipyard and hurry back in time.

After the assassination attempt, the capital appeared calm, but beneath the surface, currents swirled. The gates of the military camp remained tightly shut, silent drills intensified the atmosphere. The Emperor secretly visited the camp twice, never revealing his identity. Watching the bare-chested soldiers on the drill grounds, their murderous aura palpable, the Emperor’s expression remained grim.

The Emperor also visited the workshop in the military camp, and seeing the cannon tests, his dark mood eased somewhat. But upon learning that the cannons had yet to be tested on river or sea water, his face grew even gloomier.

Progress reports on the construction of the naval defenses lined the desk in the imperial study. The Emperor now attached great importance to coastal security, though he felt the pace was too slow. Shipbuilding was urgent, but Wang Xiujin was still recuperating at home, and it was uncertain whether work could resume after the new year. As for the enemy nation, which had dared to provoke his authority, the Emperor wished nothing more than for its immediate obliteration.

The vacancy among the harem’s consorts became a prize eyed by many, yet the Emperor now distrusted all women in the harem. He ordered thorough investigations into their backgrounds, determined not to let another disaster occur. As for the ministers of the front court, the Emperor canceled this year’s imperial garden banquet, his hands itching at the sight of them.

On New Year’s Eve, the steward from Wang Village arrived in the capital with the three grandsons. The journey had worn the children thin. Wang Xiujin, upon receiving news, simply sent prepared new clothes—not in festive colors—to them. Later, Zhiyuan and Zhizhuo came to visit their uncle, while Zhize, who was less close to Wang Xiujin, stayed at the family home. Wang Xiujin said nothing, merely patted his nephews’ heads and sighed silently.

After seeing them off, Wang Xiujin felt a tightness in his chest. During the family’s New Year’s banquet that night, he watched others eat fish and meat, while he drank meat broth, feeling thoroughly unsatisfied. Li Linshan accompanied him, but even after a whole bowl, he was not full.

After dinner, General Li summoned his eldest grandson and Wang Xiujin to the study. He needed to discuss the assassination attempt, and the matter of the Wang family’s eldest daughter-in-law being incited by the enemy nation—such things could not be concealed. The Wang family agreed; the children would learn eventually.

Wang Xiujin listened and remained silent for a long time. The enemy’s tactics were simple, but full of loopholes—yet they managed to exploit certain weaknesses. His sister-in-law was one, and Minister Liu of the Secretariat was another. Liu’s plan was childish; did he really think his private soldiers could stand against those merciless men from the enemy nation? If their scheme had succeeded, the enemy would have moved inland, and might have triggered all sorts of atrocities—massacres, scorched earth policies.

Thinking of this, Wang Xiujin’s gaze hardened, his heart echoing the Emperor’s resolve: the enemy nation must be annihilated. Even if it meant inflicting great pain, once they gained the power to resist, their target would always be the heartland. Only their destruction could eliminate this grave threat once and for all.