CH 370: Clever Eyes

Gentle Consort Deng Yun freshened up again, changed into clean new clothes, drank a few sips of sobering tea, and walked a few steps with the support of palace maids. She then paced back and forth on her own and finally jumped twice in place. She smiled at Eunuch Zhang Youcai, who had been standing beside her the whole time, saying, “Look, I’m fine now. Actually, I didn’t drink that much. It was just getting late. The chicken was good, but the duck was a bit greasy.”

“Those were chickens and ducks raised personally by the Empress. Normally we wouldn’t even dare touch them.”

“I know I was wrong. Stop trying to scare me. Take me to see His Majesty – I want to confess my crimes in person.”

“You were just trying to attract His Majesty’s attention, weren’t you?” Zhang Youcai said coldly, having long seen through the Gentle Consort’s little tricks.

Deng Yun replied seriously, “That was indeed my intention at first, but the roasted chicken was so delicious, and with the wine, I unknowingly drank a bit too much. Vomiting in front of His Majesty was absolutely not part of my plan.”

Zhang Youcai believed this statement, but the Gentle Consort kept saying first that she hadn’t drunk much, then that she had unknowingly drunk too much, which made him shake his head greatly, feeling that this consort was truly family with the eccentric Deng Cui.

The Emperor had given prior orders, so Zhang Youcai couldn’t refuse. With a cold expression, he said, “Follow me to see His Majesty. Be careful with your words and don’t cause any more trouble.”

Deng Yun obediently followed behind the eunuch, her steps occasionally still unsteady.

Han Ruzi was sitting in the room thinking when Deng Yun entered. She walked a few steps to the Emperor and knelt down, saying, “Your subject’s conduct was improper. Please punish me, Your Majesty.”

“You know your crime?” Han Ruzi said sternly.

“This consort knows her crime. I… I ate all the roasted chicken wings that were saved for Your Majesty, not leaving a single one.”

One of the palace maids in the room couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Zhang Youcai’s face turned blue, and Han Ruzi was also stunned. After a moment, he said, “Raise your head.”

Kneeling on the ground, Deng Yun lifted her head. It was indeed a beautiful face, but there was one impropriety – her gaze was unafraid, looking directly at the Emperor with a slight smile, as if they were just playing around.

If her gaze could contain a bit more shyness, her beauty would immediately increase by thirty to fifty percent.

Jin Chuiduo was also unafraid, but her “fierceness” had no effect on her beauty whatsoever, though Han Ruzi didn’t know why.

“If you continue this act of feigning madness and playing the fool, We will have you sent back to the palace immediately and report to the Empress Dowager and Empress. You will never be allowed to leave the palace again.”

Han Ruzi understood what diminished the Gentle Consort’s beauty – she appeared too clever.

Deng Yun put away that hint of a smile and said seriously, “Absolutely not. It was all… caused by drinking. My brother reminded me never to drink, but I couldn’t resist. This consort knows her crime. Those were chickens and ducks personally raised by the Empress. I shouldn’t have killed them, much less eaten them. As soon as I return to the palace, I’ll immediately go confess to the Empress and submit to her judgment.”

These words were finally more normal, and even Zhang Youcai nodded slightly – one couldn’t expect too much from the Gentle Consort.

In his heart, Han Ruzi was actually very clear that what Cui Xiaojun loved wasn’t really these chickens and ducks, but rather used them to commemorate those beautiful days at the Weary Marquis’s mansion.

He had summoned the Gentle Consort not to hear her confession.

“How did you know We were discussing strategies for suppressing bandits?”

“Your Majesty thinks about this matter every day. I heard a sentence here and a sentence there, and knew about it on the first day I came to the Weary Marquis’s mansion.” Deng Yun’s expression was changeable, shifting from serious back to easygoing, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned. Even when there was nothing amusing, she brewed a smile.

“You said We shouldn’t only think about using troops. Are there other methods for suppressing bandits?”

There were quite a few people in the room – four eunuchs and three palace maids. They were all surprised to hear the Emperor’s words, especially Zhang Youcai, who never would have thought the Emperor would actually take seriously a drunken remark from the Gentle Consort.

This time Deng Yun didn’t play dumb again and replied, “Great Chu has wanted to eliminate the bandits of Cloud Dream Marsh for more than just a day or two. We’ve sent troops multiple times with far more soldiers than now, yet have never succeeded. This can only mean it’s an impassable road. As for other methods of suppressing bandits…”

Her composure lasted only a brief moment before she suddenly put on a pitiful expression. “Your Majesty, are you really going to make me kneel here like this? There isn’t even a cushion on the floor. If this is punishment for my unauthorized killing of chickens and ducks, fine, I accept it—I can kneel for however long you wish. But if Your Majesty simply forgot to tell me to rise—please, Your Majesty, let me get up.”

Han Ruzi found it difficult to maintain his stern demeanor. He waved his hand, and a palace maid immediately stepped forward to help the Gentle Consort to her feet.

Deng Yun breathed a sigh of relief and broke into a brilliant smile. Even at a time like this, she appeared overly clever rather than innocently charming.

“Speak,” Han Ruzi reminded her.

“Use bandits to control bandits,” Deng Yun replied simply and directly.

Han Ruzi had already thought of this. He needed more than just that answer. “How do you ‘use bandits to control bandits’?”

Deng Yun put away her smile, straightened her posture, and took on something of a general’s bearing. “There is only one imperial court in the world, but countless bandits. To say they all obey the commands of one great leader, with the same respect of hierarchy as the imperial court—surely Your Majesty wouldn’t believe that.”

“Mm.”

Encouraged, Deng Yun spoke more quickly. “Bandits come from different backgrounds. Some are driven by hardship, some by official oppression that forced them to rebel, some are lazy and unwilling to work, and some simply refuse to be governed—natural outlaws. These people each claim mountains and waterways as their fiefdoms, naturally harboring different intentions. Using bandits to control bandits means prescribing the right medicine for each case.”

“How do you prescribe the right medicine?” Han Ruzi already had ideas of his own, but still wanted to hear what Deng Yun would say.

Deng Yun raised her right thumb, grasped it with her left hand, and shook it gently twice—looking even more like a man. “First, rather than Your Majesty building strongholds in Cloud Dream Marsh, it would be better to appoint several honest and capable officials to ensure the people have surplus grain. Some of the bandits would naturally return home to farm.”

She raised her index finger. “Second, where there is leniency, there must also be severity—use both kindness and authority. Bandits also have families. Find them and have them persuade their sons and brothers to return. Reward those who succeed, and implicate those who fail.”

“Third, though the bandits are not united as one, they do have a chief who reportedly calls himself the ‘Heaven-Ordained Divine General.’ Previously, the authorities placed a large bounty on his head, but the higher the reward, the higher his status among the bandits became. Better to divide and control them by raising the bounties on other bandit leaders to match his, or come close. If the authorities can create one leader, they can create three or five more, making them compete with each other.”

“Fourth, where there are bounties, there can be bribery. Even if you can’t buy anyone off, it doesn’t matter. Occasionally send troops to attack their strongholds, and if you achieve any success, publicly claim it was due to help from traitors within their ranks. In any case, make the bandits suspicious of each other.”

“Fifth…” Deng Yun had raised all five fingers of her right hand and paused for a moment, seeming to forget what she was going to say. “Fifth… fifth… Using schemes alone won’t work. After a year or two, you’ll still need to use military force, but by then it will be twice as effective with half the effort, with much better odds than simple step-by-step advancement.”

Han Ruzi stared at the Gentle Consort for a while. Anyone else, even important court ministers, would have felt nervous. The gaze itself was nothing special, but coming from the Emperor, it naturally carried authority. Deng Yun wasn’t afraid, however, and smiled again. “I’m finished. Is Your Majesty satisfied?”

Han Ruzi’s gaze turned to Zhang Youcai. “You may all withdraw.”

The Emperor’s authority was quite effective on them. The eunuchs and palace maids bowed and left the room. Once outside, they exchanged glances, never having imagined that the first person to remain for the night would be the Gentle Consort.

Zhang Youcai snorted and shooed everyone away.

Han Ruzi stared at the Gentle Consort again and said, “This was your brother’s idea. You spent quite a bit of time memorizing it, didn’t you?”

Deng Yun didn’t deny it, smiling as she said, “Not really—I memorized it in one go. Only the fifth point gave me trouble. My brother said that transitioning from ‘not using troops’ to ‘must use troops’ needed a bridge to make a deep impression on Your Majesty. I didn’t do that part very well.”

“What has your brother said about Prince Donghai and the Xiongnu?” Han Ruzi was both annoyed and amused. Only Deng Cui would dare do such a thing—clearly guessing the Emperor’s concerns, yet refusing to speak before departing for the Western Regions, instead leaving it for his sister to use to please the Emperor.

“Nothing more. Oh, he said that eliminating the Cloud Dream Marsh bandits would take at least a year or two, and by then… he’ll be back, and he’ll tell Your Majesty whatever he has to say himself.”

Deng Cui had even arranged how he would return to the Capital.

Han Ruzi said coldly, “Are you siblings deliberately toying with Us?”

Deng Yun hurriedly shook her head. “What we siblings have done is indeed improper in terms of etiquette. If it were any other emperor, we would rather remain in Jincheng City and never speak another word before the emperor for the rest of our lives. It was Your Majesty who drew us out. My brother said Your Majesty is an enlightened ruler, and most importantly, Your Majesty has grand ambitions and wishes to achieve great accomplishments, no less than the Founding Emperor. Only an emperor like Your Majesty can tolerate capable and exceptional individuals, rather than relying on ministers who rigidly follow conventions.”

After a pause, Deng Yun added, “So what my brother and I have done is not ‘toying’—rather, we have racked our brains and shamelessly persisted, hoping to attract Your Majesty’s attention and be of use to Your Majesty.”

The strategy for suppressing bandits might have been her brother Deng Cui’s idea, but how to please the emperor was Deng Yun’s own method.

Though Han Ruzi knew this, he still felt pleased by it. He had to admit that being able to tolerate “talents” like the Deng siblings, who behaved so unconventionally, was not easy in itself. In the history of Great Chu, only the Founding Emperor had ever managed to do so.

“Take off your clothes,” Han Ruzi commanded.

“Hm?” Deng Yun was startled—this time genuinely startled.

“Isn’t sharing the imperial bed what you wanted?” Han Ruzi felt a surge of fighting spirit, wanting to conquer this somewhat smug Gentle Consort.

Deng Yun slowly began to undress. Before she had removed even one garment, she asked, “So many women in the palace scheme desperately to share the imperial bed—isn’t Your Majesty very proud of this? I merely got ahead of the others by a step, and I already feel somewhat proud.”

“Any emperor would receive such treatment—that’s not one’s own ability, so what is there to be proud of? The only person qualified to be proud is the Founding Emperor. He left the imperial throne to his descendants; those who inherited it merely enjoy the fruits of his labor.”

Deng Yun stepped forward two paces. “So even Your Majesty is trying to please the ’emperor’?”

Han Ruzi only hoped he could prove worthy of his imperial position, but he didn’t want to tell Deng Yun this. He simply stared coldly at those intelligent eyes.

For once, Deng Yun’s face reddened, and she said quietly, “Could you blow out the candles? This matter… this matter is more difficult than I anticipated…”