Chapter Ninety: New and Curious Things

On the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first month, the capital swelled with revelers. Envoys from foreign lands and common folk alike gathered along the imperial avenue, bringing out the lanterns they had made. In an instant, a hundred lights bloomed in rivalry and splendor, like a sea of radiance, a sign of peace and prosperity under heaven.

Things in the northern realm were far more meager. The land was growing weaker by the day, and the danger of ruin hung over it at any moment; the officials and the people had no heart left for lantern displays.

Yet all of that changed with Zhao Yu’s arrival. The Jurchen trouble had quieted, and the northern capital had regained a little of its vitality.

Most of all, Zhao Yu’s decision to open his residence free of charge to the public, allowing them to admire the ice sculptures and snowy scenes, gave the festival in the northern capital a great deal more life.

Within the city, Zhao Yu had unquestionably become the hottest subject among both officials and commoners.

At Xiao Yiyi’s suggestion, even the Empress Dowager came in plain dress, not for any other reason than to savor the feeling of sharing joy with the people.

Since the empress dowager and the emperor had come, Zhao Yu certainly could not let them jostle with the crowd. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and reserved a tall pavilion especially for them, from which the beauty of the entire estate could be taken in at a glance.

From the height of the tower, the translucent ice carvings and snow sculptures, lit from within and without by lantern light, shimmered with an almost magical splendor, as though one had stepped into a fairy tale.

The empress dowager and the imperial consorts could only gaze in rapture for a long while before finally coming back to themselves.

The empress dowager immediately beckoned Zhao Yu over. “You rascal, with such skill, why did you not bring it out sooner? I will not hear of it—you must decorate the palace like this as well. No, it must be even lovelier than here.”

“Rest assured, Your Majesty. After the craftsmen have honed their skills here, when they go to the palace to carve snow scenery for you, it will surely be a hundred times better than here.”

“Brother-in-law, I hear you paid these craftsmen very handsomely. Surely you do not mean to have them paid again for decorating my palace?”

“Your Majesty, human creativity is limitless. Only by fully drawing out a person’s mental powers can the most ideal results be achieved. I merely use silver to stir their imagination and drive. On this matter, I must speak of Prince Xiao. I think he has done quite well in this regard.

“These past few days, Prince Xiao has come to see me, and after learning some of my methods in Youzhou, he kept saying that the people’s interests must come first, because only when the people live well will they serve Your Majesty with greater loyalty.”

When the flowers bloom, the sedan bearers lift one another. Xiao Fengxian had indeed asked Zhao Yu about certain reforms, but his so-called reforms were only on the condition that they not touch the interests of nobles like them in the least; they had nothing whatsoever to do with ordinary folk.

But for Zhao Yu to say such things before the emperor was to elevate Xiao Fengxian to a wholly new height.

In such an important setting, Xiao Fengxian naturally stood nearby as well. Hearing Zhao Yu’s words, his old face smiled like a chrysanthemum, and he repeatedly protested with false modesty, while secretly sending Zhao Yu a grateful glance.

How could Emperor Tianzuo have guessed that Zhao Yu was simply babbling off the top of his head? He let out a faint sigh and said, “If all civil and military officials could be as devoted to the state and the people as Fengxian, I could sleep soundly without worry.”

The empress dowager’s gaze flickered. After glaring at Zhao Yu once, she said to Emperor Tianzuo, “Once the Lantern Festival has passed, the court should return to proper order. The matter of reform that my son mentioned—will it begin now?”

Though it was somewhat out of place to discuss state affairs on a day like today, since his mother asked, Emperor Tianzuo still nodded. “Yes, Mother. Your son has already discussed it with Fengxian. After the new year, we will begin surveying the land, redistribute fields to the people who have none to till, and at the same time abolish certain harsh levies and burdens. We shall strive to restore the Great Liao to prosperity within five years.”

Zhao Yu had been glared at by the empress dowager moments before and felt vaguely that he understood why, though he no longer dared speak carelessly.

As for Emperor Tianzuo’s fervent speech, Zhao Yu could only think: brother, you’d better go wash up and get some sleep. With the beam crooked from the start, how do you expect to govern the country? What are you even thinking?

The empress dowager nodded, then turned to Xiao Fengxian. “Though the inner palace does not concern itself with politics, this matter is far too important. Fengxian, you must be prepared in your heart. Go ahead and act boldly. The emperor will support you in all things.”

Xiao Fengxian was overjoyed. That old woman had always been neither warm nor cold toward him, and if not for Zhao Yu’s arrival, she probably would not have deigned to spare him a glance.

At once he no longer hesitated, bent low, and knelt to the ground, declaring loudly, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty and Your Majesty. For the revival of our Great Liao, I would spill my blood and crush my bones without regret!”

The empress dowager nodded again, then turned to Zhao Yu. “Yiyi says you had someone carve some contrivance called mahjong. Quickly take me to see it. This inner palace is simply far too dull. It is difficult indeed to find someone to keep me company in conversation.”

Though the scenery was beautiful, the cold was still bitter, and Emperor Tianzuo and the others were also thinking of leaving.

Everyone was equally curious: what kind of head did Zhao Yu have, to be able to conjure up one strange novelty after another?

Setting aside mahjong, even hot pot had already quietly become all the rage in the northern capital. When two people met on the street, if neither had eaten hot pot at home that day, they would almost feel embarrassed to greet each other.

When they arrived at Zhao Yu’s inner residence, an octagonal table had already been set in the hall. On it lay a set of mahjong tiles carved from ivory. The workmanship was rather rough, owing to the short time available, but even so, mahjong was unquestionably a novelty to people of this era.

Zhao Yu invited the empress dowager and Emperor Tianzuo to sit down, and the remaining two seats naturally went to him and Xiao Yiyi.

Three-suit simple hand, easy to learn: before long, the empress dowager and Emperor Tianzuo had mastered it. Not only them, but even the consorts watching from behind and ministers like Xiao Fengxian had learned as well.

Zhao Yu knew when to stop while ahead. He immediately signaled Xiao Yiyi to give up her seat, and the newly ennobled imperial consort Xiao Ge and another consort filled in. Xiao Ge was Xiao Fengxian’s own sister, while the other consort was also one especially favored before Emperor Tianzuo.

Naturally, Zhao Yu and Xiao Yiyi could not stand idly by either. One stood beside the empress dowager, the other beside Emperor Tianzuo, offering advice from time to time on what tiles to discard.

By chance, Zhao Yu suddenly felt someone watching him in secret. His peripheral vision swept over, and he saw that it was Prince Jin, Yelü Aoluhan.

The look in his eyes toward Zhao Yu was rather complicated, carrying admiration, dislike, and even a trace of regret.

Zhao Yu knew that Prince Jin was on good terms with the imperial son-in-law Xiao Xian, so he simply did not bother to cling to him. After all, no one could say how long the Liao Empire would hold out. And with Emperor Tianzuo’s build, relying on the yellow-robed one to hold up the state seemed perfectly fine. Better to keep things smooth with him.

The rattling sound of mahjong seemed able to cover everything, yet what each person truly had in mind was something only he himself knew.

Taking advantage of an errand to pour water, Xiao Yiyi leaned close to Zhao Yu and whispered quickly, “Aunt says you must not join Xiao Fengxian’s reforms!”

She spoke so fast that, once finished, she had already returned to the empress dowager’s side. The two were betrothed, so appearing a little close was only natural.

It was that message from Xiao Yiyi that instantly made Zhao Yu understand why the empress dowager had glared at him just now.