Chapter 28: A Shared Plot
Wei Zhi received a task from Wei Qi: to keep a close watch on public opinion in the countryside and ensure it was guided in their desired direction. She had done similar things before and accepted with full confidence. Wei Qi assigned her an additional team of secret guards to assist her. But once she actually started, Wei Zhi discovered the matter was not so simple. The Petition Drum case had become the biggest sensation in the capital. From the great families and nobility down to the common city folk, everyone was discussing it. The opinions were generally of two types: one sympathized with Zhuo Guanyi, while the other believed that for a child to accuse their father was an act of great unfilial piety. All sorts of things were being said. At first, most people found Zhuo Guanyi pitiful, but slowly, others began to claim with conviction that Zhuo Guanyi was scheming to seize the family property, and that she was unfilial to begin with, often getting into physical fights with her father. The investigators sent by the three judicial offices were still on the road, yet these people spoke with such certainty, as if right and wrong had already been decided. People always pity the weak and despise the strong; once Zhuo Guanyi was no longer seen as weak, some changed their views.
Wei Zhi felt the situation was becoming tricky. She keenly sensed that more than one pair of hands was stirring these waters. She was still vexed by this when Cui Miao arrived. Cui Miao considerately stood behind her, gently massaging her shoulders, and asked what was troubling her. After a moment's thought, Wei Zhi told her.
Cui Miao's massaging hands suddenly paused. "Is this Her Majesty's intention?"
"Naturally."
"What a coincidence. Linshen had also hoped we could help build momentum for Zhuo Guanyi, so I asked my mother to help…"
"So you are one of the other pairs of hands."
"There's more. Another classmate of mine is a niece of Lord Fan Ying. She has a wide social circle and will be exerting influence among the children of officials and literary scholars." Cui Miao explained their side's arrangements one by one.
"Good, this is good. It turns out I'm not doing this alone." Wei Zhi wrapped her arms around Cui Miao's waist and buried her face in her abdomen. The vibrations from her laughter made Cui Miao feel a bit ticklish. Wei Zhi held her tight, not letting her pull away, her voice muffled as it came from against her stomach. "Do me a favor, A'miao. Help me arrange a meeting with your mother. The location is up to her; find a place she trusts that isn't too conspicuous."
"What does Your Highness plan to do?" Cui Miao asked, stroking her hair bun.
"I don't know," Wei Zhi answered frankly. Ignoring Cui Miao's surprise, she continued, "That's why I need your help. I'll also invite Young Lord Gao to join us then. We'll surely be able to come up with a plan."
"Lord Gao?"
"Ha, you didn't know, did you? Lord Gao is very resourceful." Wei Zhi paused, then added, "But you and Lord Gao are court officials, after all. You must act discreetly."
"I understand."
Cui Miao was efficient. The meeting was set at a tailor's shop. Gao Yunqu arrived a bit early and browsed around. The shopkeeper, seeing her extraordinary air of nobility, came over personally to introduce the wares.
"What sort of style is my lady looking for? Our little shop has everything you could want."
Gao Yunqu looked at the dazzling array of clothes in the shop, feeling a momentary sense of confusion. Her wardrobe was mostly managed by Gao Yuan. Gao Yuan was an excellent attendant who always knew what she liked, so she rarely came out to shop for herself.
Seeing her unfamiliarity, the shopkeeper thoughtfully said, "Is my lady choosing for yourself? Or is it a gift for someone else? Shall I make a recommendation for you?"
"A young woman in her twenties…" Gao Yunqu realized her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth, but since they were already out, she let it be, allowing the shopkeeper to show her different dresses and skirts. When she saw a sky-blue skirt with a thousand pleats and a hundred layers, Gao Yunqu's fingers twitched. A thought flashed through her mind: A'jian would look good in this. The shopkeeper, noticing her interest, immediately launched into an endless description of the details.
"My, isn't this Lord Gao?" Someone's voice interrupted the shopkeeper. They both looked up to see a noblewoman on the second floor walking toward them. "A distinguished guest! Please, come up to the private room and take your time looking!"
"Proprietor!"
"Madam Jiang." The newcomer was none other than Cui Miao's mother, Jiang Shu. Gao Yunqu raised a hand in greeting and then followed her into the private room on the second floor.
After a short wait, Wei Zhi also arrived, accompanied by Cui Miao. They acted as if they were friends out together and were also invited up to the second floor.
After they had all exchanged greetings, they sat down. With her mother on one side and Wei Zhi on the other, Cui Miao felt extremely ill at ease, so she took on the role of an attendant, pouring tea for the ladies. The three of them shared a common understanding and laid out the current situation as they each knew it.
"Lord Gao, Madam Jiang, there is something I do not understand. Might I ask you both to enlighten me?" Wei Zhi personally refilled the tea for Jiang Shu and Gao Yunqu.
"Your Highness, please speak."
"In your opinions, who is stirring these muddy waters? And for what reason?"
Gao Yunqu and Jiang Shu exchanged a glance. Gao Yunqu gestured slightly for Jiang Shu to speak first. Jiang Shu nodded and said, "We are making a scene so that everyone knows who is right and who is wrong, to let the entire world know that a woman heading a household is reasonable, legal, and inviolable. But for the conservatives, this is a threat to their interests. Naturally, they are unwilling. To make an unreasonable position seem reasonable, they must first twist the facts."
"But, Mother, with a female emperor in the past and female nobles in the present, this principle should be known throughout the land. Why are so many conservatives causing trouble in secret?" Cui Miao was still confused.
Jiang Shu looked at her, her eyes holding a certain tolerance and indulgence one has for a child. "There are only so many opportunities in this world. If women take a portion, the men will have less. Do you think that if your father had a son, the five of you sisters would still be where you are today?"
A chill went through Cui Miao's heart. Her mother rarely spoke to her so bluntly, but it was indeed a piercingly accurate point.
"This is not the Yongchu court anymore. The Yongchu Emperor conquered this land herself, slaughtering until rivers of blood flowed. In those years, who would have dared to question her? The late Emperor was benevolent and allowed the people to recuperate. The current sovereign is still young and has yet to reveal her methods. Some people think they've found an opportunity again." Jiang Shu sighed. "People… their greed is insatiable."
Gao Yunqu picked up the conversation. "Qinzhou is located in the central plains and was spared the ravages of war, so the power of its great families was never seriously undermined. It is now likely one of the most conservative regions in all of the Great Zhou. If I recall correctly, the major local clans, such as the Chen, Song, and Zhang families, are all headed by men. The Qinzhou-native officials at court are also predominantly men. Although they allow women to leave the home to study and earn a living, the majority of opportunities still go to men. They naturally do not wish to see the day when women all over the land rise up to become masters of their own houses. And that is precisely what Her Majesty intends to do."
Upon hearing this, Cui Miao quickly said, "Then won't Linshen and the others have a difficult time in Qinzhou?"
Gao Yunqu lifted her eyelids to glance at her, her tone indifferent. "That is a matter for them to figure out how to solve."
Wei Zhi listened intently. There were some things she had vaguely known but had not thought through clearly. With Jiang Shu and Gao Yunqu's pointers, she seemed to grasp something. She asked again, "Then what should we do now?"
Jiang Shu straightened her sleeves, refilled Wei Zhi's tea, and said, "Your Highness, do not be anxious. Reason is, after all, on our side. All we need to do is let the common people know the truth. As for right and wrong, the people will judge for themselves."
Wei Zhi was confused again. "But what do the common people know? They are uneducated and have limited perspective. If you tell them the facts are such-and-such today, they will believe it. If someone else tells them tomorrow that it is not so, they will believe that too. Haven't many people been claiming with such certainty these past few days that Zhuo Guanyi is unfilial?"
"Does Your Highness know the way of managing water? A great river surges, rushing downstream. If one wishes to change its course, what should be done? One must dredge in the desired direction to make it change its path." Gao Yunqu casually poked at the charcoal in the small tea stove. "The state is the boat, and the people are the water. If the one at the helm wishes to change its course, they must first make the river change its course. And as for the people, if they can be directed, let them be directed. If they cannot be directed, then let them be informed.1"
"A brilliant view, my lady." Jiang Shu raised her teacup in a toast to Gao Yunqu, then turned to Wei Zhi. "It is not difficult, really. It is merely a matter of using words the common people can understand, in ways they are willing to listen, in more places, so that more people can hear."
They talked for a long time before parting, having helped Wei Zhi settle on a strategy. Wei Zhi thanked them again and again, though neither of them dared to accept her courtesies. When it was time to leave, Wei Zhi and Cui Miao departed first. Jiang Shu's gaze lingered on Cui Miao's back for a moment before shifting to Wei Zhi, her eyes moving between the two of them, lost in thought.
After waiting a short while, Gao Yunqu took her leave of Jiang Shu. She went downstairs and walked a few steps toward the door, then seemed to remember something. She stopped, walked back, and said to the shopkeeper, "That sky-blue dress from before, I'll take it."
Author's Notes
1The phrase "民可使由之,不可使知之" is from the Analects of Confucius. This line is controversial. The interpretation used here is "民可使,由之,不可使,知之" (If the people can be directed, let them be directed. If they cannot be directed, then let them be informed).
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