Chapter 270 Rewriting Process

Chapter 270 Rewriting Process

Xi Mei quickly walked to Meng Qing's side and leaned into her arms. "Auntie, you are different from my maternal grandmother and aunts. I prefer what you say."

"Don't care what others say, just follow your own feelings." Meng Qing put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Our children have never suffered from forced hardship. They had a smooth childhood. We can't let them grow up and learn to make things difficult for themselves."

Xi Mei chuckled, "Auntie, having you is the best thing. You are our strong support."

Meng Qing smiled and said, "It's not good to rush into marriage because of age, nor is it good to force yourself into marriage for the sake of social status. But you can do whatever you want. As long as you are willing and willing to take responsibility for your choices, then do it."

After thinking for a while, Ximei vaguely understood that her parents and her aunt and second uncle had different ways of getting along. As an observer who had witnessed it firsthand, she had expressed her indignation on behalf of her mother, but her mother had never expressed her indignation, nor was she angry or tried to change it. It seemed that she was willing to do so herself.

Xi Mei secretly told herself that as long as she was willing to do things, she shouldn't care about what others said.

"I understand." Xi Mei's resentment quietly dissipated, and she nodded solemnly: "I'll remember it."

The three brothers, Wangzhou, Wangchuan, and Wangshan, also looked thoughtful.

"Let's go eat," Du Min said, remaining silent in his obedience to Meng Qing's words.

"Li Niang, go and heat up a pot of pear blossom wine," Xi Mei instructed. "Auntie, the four of us siblings want to toast you three times tonight, to toast our great backer."

“Okay.” Meng Qing laughed heartily. “Bring it on, I’ll take anyone who comes tonight.”

As a result, Wang Zhou, who was new to drinking, got drunk and passed out. He didn't wake up until late the next day, and when he did, he didn't know how he got back to bed the night before.

"Remember your alcohol tolerance of three liang (150ml). Next time you're at the table, make sure you can drink to the point where you can't get off the table," Meng Qing instructed him. "You can pretend to be drunk, but don't get really drunk."

Wang Zhou nodded. Seeing that Meng Qing was dressed in new clothes, he asked, "Mother, are you going out?"

"Yes, go with your father to the cosmetics shop, and then check out the charity school and the paper horse shop." Meng Qing had been invited last night, and today she was to use this as a pretext to accompany Du Li to the cosmetics shop to buy face cream.

“I’ll go too, I have nothing to do anyway,” Wang Zhou said.

Meng Qing waved her hand in refusal, saying, "You stay at home and divine the auspicious day for moving."

"Can we go now?" Du Li appeared outside the courtyard.

Meng Qing didn't give Wang Zhou a chance to ramble on and immediately turned and left.

Wangzhou: ...

When Meng Qing and Du Li went out, they ran into Du Min, who was going to wash the horses. Upon learning that the two were going shopping, he immediately put down his bucket and said he wanted to go too. As soon as he said this, Du Li refused.

"Go wash your horse." Du Li looked disgusted. He took the whip from the groom and spurred the horse out of the manor.

Du Min snorted coldly and shouted, "I was just joking, and you actually took it seriously?"

The carriage drove out of the mansion gate and disappeared in an instant.

"You've really grown wings now. It's not your turn to beg me anymore." Du Min picked up the bucket and muttered resentfully, "Back then, I wondered who was afraid his wife would divorce him because I didn't study. Now he's all high and mighty."

Meng Qing and Du Li wandered around all day and didn't return until evening. They went out again the next day, and this time all four children came along. As a result, Meng Qing took them to the library to count the number of books and copy the book catalog.

These days of lingering between the library and home lasted for seven or eight days, until the Lantern Festival arrived. A banquet was held in the palace, and officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as ladies of noble birth, had to enter the palace in the evening to attend the banquet.

Du Li's ceremonial robes and the imperial edict of investiture had not yet been delivered, nor had Yin Caiwei's; only Meng Qing and Du Min had entered the palace.

The carriage drove into the imperial city and stopped outside Yingtian Gate. As soon as Meng Qing got out of the carriage, he saw ten monks wearing kasayas, led by Kong Hui, enter Yingtian Gate. The person leading the way seemed to be Governor Zheng.

"Second Sister-in-law." Du Min walked over, her gaze also falling on the inside of Yingtian Gate. "It seems there's going to be a good show tonight."

Meng Qing nodded, "Let's go, let's go to the palace too, or we'll be late."

Upon entering Yingtian Gate, Meng Qing suddenly saw a familiar face—the former Commandant of Suzhou.

"Greetings to Lady Wu, and greetings to Prime Minister Du." General Xu clasped his hands in greeting.

"General Xu," Meng Qing nodded, "when did you arrive in Luoyang?"

"Seven days ago," General Xu replied, "only three days after the Madam and the Prime Minister's ship left Yangzhou, I received the Empress Dowager's decree. I dared not delay and immediately set sail north."

"Congratulations, General Xu," Du Min said.

General Xu smiled and bowed to Meng Qing with clasped hands. Seeing people coming from behind, he took two steps back. "The palace banquet is about to begin. Madam, please. Prime Minister, please."

Meng Qing and Du Min left one after the other. The officials in front and behind them kept a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the two of them, only observing them without speaking to them.

Upon arriving at the Guanfeng Hall, where the palace banquet was being held, the female official guarding outside the hall quickly stepped forward and said, "Lady Wu, Prime Minister Du, the Empress Dowager invites you."

Meng Qing and Du Min exchanged a glance, and then followed the female official away amidst many scrutinizing gazes.

"Your Majesty, Lady Wu and Prime Minister Du have arrived."

"Your subject/woman pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Rise, my two beloved ministers." The Empress Dowager stepped down from the high platform and said, "I summoned you here for no other reason than to reward the righteous men who responded to the suppression of the rebellion last year. These lists were presented by Lady Wu. What do you think is the best way to reward them?"

"Your Majesty, I heard my son mention that Your Majesty intended to reward many righteous men with official positions, but this was opposed by several prime ministers. Is this true?" Meng Qing asked.

The Empress Dowager nodded. "It is indeed true. I would like to hear Minister Meng's opinion."

Meng Qing understood the tug-of-war involved. The Empress Dowager wanted to gain fame and support by lavishly rewarding officials. Some of the prime ministers did not want her to have her way, while others were unwilling to serve in the same court as a bunch of rabble. They also worried that this move would lead to many imitators, resulting in a serious backlog of redundant officials who would become a burden on the court.

"I recall that the list presented contained over eight hundred meritorious individuals, but among them, very few are truly capable, and even fewer are truly competent to serve as local officials. If they are all granted official positions, I fear they will be imprisoned within a few years. After all, sudden wealth can be a great calamity, and most people cannot bear the burden of such sudden riches and power. This also means that many common people will suffer as a result, which will cause public resentment and may give disloyal officials a handle to attack and smear you." Meng Qing spoke slowly. The free school system she had suggested solved the problem of redundant officials, and she did not want to see the very places where the dragon's scales had grown become festering sores.

The Empress Dowager did not get angry. She pondered for a few moments and said, "What Minister Meng said makes sense."

"I believe that giving each person a reward within their means is sufficient. For example, exempting farmers from corvée labor and grain taxes for ten or twenty years, and then appointing some farmers as village chiefs, township chiefs, and neighborhood chiefs by the local magistrate. Only when these people return to their hometowns can their deeds be passed down by word of mouth." Meng Qing added in her mind that this would also allow the local people to know the name of Empress Dowager Wu.

The Empress Dowager nodded. "Continue."

"As for the merchants, the fact that the court can grant them the right to be released from their merchant status and provide them with a full amount of land is a tremendous reward for them," Meng Qing said. "Many of the gentry and landlords who donated grain, money and manpower to quell the rebellion were Buddhists. If they can be enshrined in Buddhist temples and receive incense offerings after their deaths, their lives will be fulfilled."

The Empress Dowager pointed at Du Min and said, "Go and grind the ink and draft the imperial edict."

Du Min smiled, bowed, and quickly walked up to the high platform to spread out paper and write the imperial decree.

"...As for the bodyguards and warriors..." Meng Qing pondered for a moment, then chose to reveal her plan today. "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"Can."

"Seventeen years ago, when I first entered the palace to meet Your Majesty, I proposed establishing free libraries for scholars throughout the land. Now, seventeen years have passed, and I wonder what the status of the libraries in various prefectures and counties is. I would like to request an imperial decree to inspect the libraries. The establishment of the libraries was the result of the Empress Dowager's strong opposition. I must let scholars throughout the land know about this, firstly to assist the libraries in replenishing their books, and secondly to seek out talented individuals who have been overlooked among the common people." Meng Qing explained, "If Your Majesty permits, I can invite scholars and warriors from the righteous cause of suppressing the rebellion to go with me to form an examination team, and together we will search for warriors with the ability to become generals for Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager's expression shifted; she indeed lacked capable assistants in the army.

"Granted." The Empress Dowager smiled. "Lady Wu is truly my confidante. She thinks what I think and feels what I feel."

"It is my honor," Meng Qing said humbly. "After my inspection is over, I will recommend the capable and competent individuals in the review team to you. At that time, you may bestow official positions upon them and appoint them to serve the court."

"Alright." The Empress Dowager was no longer worried. She summoned a female official and instructed, "Wan'er, write this down for me. Take out one thousand books from the Imperial Library and the Chongwen Hall and give them to Lady Wu. She can then distribute these books to scholars throughout the land on my behalf."

"yes."

Meng Qing looked at the female official; this was the famous Shangguan Wan'er.

"This humble servant greets the Lady of Wu." The female official bowed.

"Lady, please don't stand on ceremony." Meng Qing reached out to help her up.

"Your Majesty, last year the Xu family was raided, and among their confiscated possessions were more than five thousand books. Why not give them all to Lady Wu?" the female official said.

"Yes, yes, yes." The Empress Dowager nodded.

Meng Qing smiled gently, "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Lady Official."

The lady-in-waiting noticed a palace maid peeking out from outside the palace and whispered a reminder: "Empress Dowager, the palace banquet is about to begin."

"Minister Du, has the decree been drafted?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"Your Majesty, the imperial edict has been prepared."

"My two beloved ministers, please come with me to the Guanfeng Hall for the banquet."

"yes."

Du Min stepped down from the high platform, landing a step behind Meng Qing, and followed her out of the Immortal Abode Palace.

Upon arriving at the Guanfeng Hall, Meng Qing and Du Min followed Empress Dowager Wu through the hall gates under the watchful eyes of everyone, passively enjoying the homage of civil and military officials. After walking from the end of the hall to the beginning, the two happily followed the palace maids back to their respective positions.

The Empress Dowager has arrived, and the palace banquet has begun.

After only a few rounds of drinks, an official requested that His Majesty attend the banquet, but the Empress Dowager refused, saying that His Majesty was having a headache. Immediately afterwards, a minister volunteered to visit His Majesty to check on his health, and many others responded.

At this moment, Governor Zheng rose and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Please speak, Zheng Qing."

"Recently, ten eminent monks from Baima Temple have frequently received dreams from the Buddha. In these dreams, the Buddha said that the Empress Dowager is the reincarnation of Maitreya. With the Buddha in the world, all evil spirits can be suppressed. Your Majesty's headaches are due to evil spirits entering your body. We are not remedies, so what use would it be for us to visit you? In my opinion, I urge the Empress Dowager to visit you more often when she is busy with state affairs," said Governor Zheng.

"Oh? Ten eminent monks have been repeatedly seen in dreams by the Buddha?" Empress Dowager Wu asked in surprise.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I lack the wisdom to receive the Buddha's warning in my dream, and therefore my words are not clear. Tonight, I will invite ten eminent monks who received the dream to the palace, and I request that the Empress Dowager summon them to inquire about the details," Governor Zheng requested.

"Please invite ten eminent monks into the hall," Empress Dowager Wu ordered.

The people in the hall had different expressions; some looked angry, some looked down at themselves, and some looked out of the hall with curiosity.

Meng Qing and Du Min were busy observing the expressions of the officials in the hall, trying to distinguish between friend and foe.

Footsteps sounded outside the hall, and then ten eminent monks entered the hall. Three of them were old acquaintances of Meng Qing: Kong Hui, Kong Zhi, and Hui Jue.

“Master Konghui, please describe the details of the Buddha’s dream to the Empress Dowager and the officials,” said Governor Zheng.

"Seven days ago, while I was meditating, I received a summons from the Buddha. My consciousness entered a magnificent hall, where a golden statue of Maitreya Buddha was enshrined. Beneath the statue, the Buddha was reciting the Great Cloud Sutra," Master Konghui recounted with his eyes lowered.

After saying this, Master Kongzhi said, "My spirit entered a dream in which the Buddha told me that the Empress Dowager was the reincarnation of Maitreya and ordered us to write a sutra and a biography for her."

The words of the remaining eight eminent monks were not much different from this.

"Did the Empress Dowager dream of it too?" Prime Minister Liu asked.

"No," Empress Dowager Wu replied frankly.

"Your Majesty is the reincarnation of Maitreya, and Buddha is his disciple. How can a disciple enter his master's dream?" Governor Zheng immediately retorted. "Your Majesty, Buddha has frequently appeared in my dreams to tell me that you are undoubtedly the reincarnation of Maitreya. I request that you issue an edict instructing the eminent monks to compose scriptures for you and protect the Dharma, and to establish a temple to enshrine the scriptures. I request permission to take charge of the temple construction."

This move was opposed by many ministers in the palace, and no conclusion was reached until the end of the palace banquet.

That very night, the main hall of the White Horse Temple spontaneously combusted without a fire, burning all night long, and the Buddha statues collapsed all over the ground.

Governor Zheng shouted at the morning court that the Buddha was angry and once again proposed building a temple to enshrine scriptures, but was suppressed for the second time.

Six days later, news came from Chang'an that the main hall of the Great Ci'en Temple had also spontaneously combusted during the night.

By this time, the people of Luoyang were already familiar with the rumors that the Empress Dowager was the reincarnation of Maitreya. After the news of the burning of the main hall of the Great Ci'en Temple spread, Buddhists gathered on Tianjie Street to petition the Empress Dowager to issue an order to rebuild the temple.

With the will of the people in mind, Empress Wu issued an order to build Dayun Temples in various prefectures and counties.

When Meng Qing heard this news, she was stunned for a long time. She clearly remembered that Dayun Temple was built because Xue Huaiyi, a favorite minister of Emperor Wu, presented the "Commentary on the Dayun Sutra". Now, there was no trace of Xue Huaiyi.

Will things proceed faster because she expedited the process?