The Princess Wei Yang Chapter 55
July 19, 2017
This chapter is translated by Angela :)
1Price stabilizing granaries: granaries keep stock of grains to help stabilize market prices in event of famines, to reduce the risk of merchants charging high prices for grains when there are shortages.
1Price stabilizing granaries: granaries keep stock of grains to help stabilize market prices in event of famines, to reduce the risk of merchants charging high prices for grains when there are shortages.
2Imperial mandate: is being conferred an honorary title from the Emperor.
Chapter 55: Light at first glance
Li Wei Yang bowed, she said: “In order to share Bixia’s burden, Father has specially sent a spy to the disaster-stricken areas to understand the situation. He said, those officials, upon hearing that the censors are coming, immediately built a factory stove through the night, used a tall pole to hang a yellow banner, wrote four words “bureaucratic gruel”, waiting for victims to assemble. When the censors arrive, they rang a bell to start distributing the gruels. But when the censors left, they immediately dismantled the stove, the disaster reliefs also ended. Bixia, not only are the officials lining their pockets, even worse is that they also mixed lime mud in the grains to make up the numbers, and in the end even putting barks into the pot. The victims struggled to drink this kind of “gruel”, to the extent that they are starved to death. Such reliefs, how can there possibly be no riots?”
The Emperor listened and found himself dumbstruck. He had never imagined that there were actually such things happening. He did not believe what Li Wei Yang was saying about the officials lining their own pocket, because he himself had sent three groups of patrolling censors and had been unable to uncover the reason for the riots, yet this girl had spoken about the matter so clearly and logically. Even if he tried to force himself to think that this girl was speaking carelessly, it was impossible.
“Nothing came out when I sent someone to investigate! Not only the censors but also the palace spies as well!” The Emperor articulated each word.
Li Wei Yang hung her head. Of course, the Emperor would not find out anything, because the evidence on the surface had been buried by the local officials and they had taken actions to suppress those victims so that they simply could not uncover the truth. But... these issues, each time a disaster occurred in her previous life, she had seen them with her own eyes. These were all kinds of tricks that were habitually practiced by the corrupted officials and dirty clerks.
“Father’s spy did not discover anything initially, because the victims were simply not willing to say anything, full of feelings of resistance. Then I suggested to Father to tell them to disguise themselves, pretend to be a mobster to blend in. Of course, while trying to make the other side believe, naturally had caused some troubles…”
“You….” the Emperor was at a loss for words.
“Fourth policy, which Dajie mentioned, is tax remissions. Bixia has proclaimed the tax exemption order, even dispatch it to the disaster area to administer comfort. This is originally a good thing to appease people. But after the disaster happened, there were some local officials who sped up the tax collections. When the tax exemption order reached the disaster area, the tax collections process was already done. Bixia, your subjects, could only receive imperial grace.”
The Empress Dowager looked to the side at the clerk on the other side who was wielding the brush energetically, recording the words of the Prime Minister’s third daughter without reserve.
“Fifth is the ever-normal granaries1. Bixia, the ever-normal granaries have a reputation of benefitting the people on the outside, but on the inside is infringing upon the common people. The local officials who are responsible for the ever-normal granaries use the power of buying and selling grains to collude with the despots and unscrupulous merchants, to embezzle Bixia’s relief funds, coupling with the usual deduction from the stored grains, measures that benefit the people will naturally become a dispute with the people. This system cannot be carry on. Therefore, the five policies disaster relief, it’s just empty talks on paper, even giving large rats opportunities to corrupt. This is really wrecking the country and bringing calamity to the people!” Each of Li Wei Yang’s words, phrases, and sounds seized the people.
The Emperor sat on his throne for quite a while, did not say even a word.
Everyone was looking at him nervously, not knowing when a word came out of his mouth, would this beautiful little girl lose her head.
However, the Emperor finally drew a deep breath: “These five policies came from your sister.”
Li Wei Yang’s eyes fell, fully respectful: “Bixia, Dajie has never left the house. To be able to come up with solutions is naturally good, unfortunately the implementations, encounter a lot of problems. However, I am different from my sister. Due to my poor health, my father had sent me to the countryside to recuperate, so I knew about the paupers and poor tenants….Bixia, please forgive Dajie’s offense.”
Such thorough insights, precise analytical skills and broaden outlook, all appearing in a young girl. The Emperor looked at Li Wei Yang, the quick and powerful gaze shocking: “You already knew there would be problems?”
Li Wei Yang raised her eyes and said: “Bixia, Wei Yang is only discussing matters on its merits, cannot foresee things.”
She was not an immortal, how could she foresee things? The Emperor nodded and said: “You are young, to be able to have such insights is quite rare. Then in accordance with your meaning, how to solve this?”
Li Wei Yang smiled and said: “Disaster reliefs should start from reorganizing the administration officials. Bixia, please resend censors to punish the corrupt officials.”
The Emperor’s glabella shook. He waved his hand and said: “Dispatch my orders; all the common people, provided that they have discovered corrupt officials, may tie them up, and send them to the capital for punishment. All the roadblock checkpoint must allow them to pass. If anyone dare to obstruct, they will be put to death immediately.”
Li Wei Yang whispered: “Bixia, please put a boundary on the monetary corruption.”
The Emperor coldly said: “From now on any corruption of disaster relief funds, exceeding 100 taels, all will be killed!”
Li Wei Yang blinked her eyes: “But there are a lot of corrupted people, I’m afraid they cannot be all killed at once, and there are not enough officials to fill the spots.”
The Emperor looked at her, suddenly laughed: “According to you, what should be done?”
Li Wei Yang smiled: “Regarding the issue of filling officials, Bixia will naturally have the Imperial discernment. I can only strive for some time for the officials’ succession.”
The Emperor nodded and said: “Well, I will leave the matter of officials’ succession to your father.”
Lao Furen became overjoyed upon hearing this. Executing corrupt officials would have offended a lot of people. But if the power of appointment was still within grasp, then it didn’t matter if the officials came from the left or right. They would all find ways to fawn over the Li family, to please the Li family, this was a very good thing.
The Empress Dowager laughed: “I have never seen such an intelligent girl. Bixia, you have to reward her heavily.”
The Emperor glanced at Li Wei Yang, shook his head and said: “This girl is still too young, not suitable for receiving imperial mandate2, will have to reward with gold and silver.”
As expected, he was an old fox. Now he was not willing to give an imperial mandate? Li Wei Yang’s heart sank, the smile on her face becoming more magnificent. She bent over without being overbearing or self-effacing, bowed heavily three times, and said with a sincere voice: “I am grateful for Empress Dowager’s praise, I am embarrassed by undeserved praise. I am only lucky, to meet with Bixia’s grace and intelligence, allowing a woman to talk about the state of affairs. I happened to live amongst the common people, therefore able to relieve some burdens off Bixia. I dare not accept the rewards. Bixia, please take it back.”
Her attitude, not conceited nor rash, neither overbearing or self-effacing, had immediately won the Empress Dowager’ good opinion. The Empress Dowager smiled affectionately, beckoned and said: “Silly child, just accept what was given to you. Bixia’s precious words, he will not go back on it!”
The Emperor nodded in agreement, waved his hand. Immediately a palace servant nodded, exited the main hall, and came back after a while, continuously carrying more than twenty trays. On each tray were heavy gold and jewelry, each one extremely rare. Lao Furen who was used to seeing gold and jewelry, also became dazzled.
Such generous rewards, it was a first since the beginning of time.
All of the female officials there looked extremely envious, talking to themselves: This girl is really met with great luck.
Li Wei Yang did not raise her head to look at those gold, only kneeling on the ground quietly. The expression on her face could not be seen.
Gold? She did not want it! The thing that she wanted was far more valuable than gold!
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Translator: Angela
Editor: Panisa
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Gold? She did not want it! The thing that she wanted was far more valuable than gold!
----------------------------------------
Translator: Angela
Editor: Panisa
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21 comments
Go Li Wei Yang Go make all of them realize how brilliant of a person you are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the new chapter!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great sweetie
ReplyDeleteThank you for another amazing chapter. I can't wait to read the reaction or li chang le, her brother, father and his main wife. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA
ReplyDeleteLCL is soooo dead
Thanks for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter 💖💖💖 Can't wait to see how LCL, LMF, and their mother react lmao! I hope LWY can get what she truly wants tho....a title to protect her.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapter~
ReplyDeleteyasss! Go Weiyang!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the translation Angela!
thanks!
ReplyDeletekyaa, so exciting! wei yang, so cool, so cool----! wah----! oh, wonder what wei yang is going to ask for that is more precious than gold?!
Thank you for the update😘😍
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update
ReplyDeleteYas, new update~
ReplyDeleteI wonder what WAY actually wants .
Thanks for your translation yo
Thanks for the chapter
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the chapter...
I cant wait for the next chapter....
Thank you for the update!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to find out how the Li family's reactions.
And now I'm curious to know what actually LWY wanted as she disdained all those gold....
Considering her heart sank when the Emperor said he wouldn't give her a title, she probably wanted a title.
DeleteIf she had some sort of title, her fame would increase more and it would be harder for her family to push her around.
Thanks for the chapter
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you are translating this novel. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat good is gold and silver.. da furen could still take it all away under the excuse that wei yang is too small to manage her own wealth and in the end she'll end up in the same position as before except da furen and li chang le and her brother would be more on guard and more ruthless. If she were to get a title like princess or something, she would at least have more protection. Now some insignificant thing like Wei guo furen could easily bully her, but as a princess it would be 10 times harder...
ReplyDelete