TFSRITA Chapter 80

Even Ji Yecheng lent her a hand, amplifying the situation.

As a result, all of Chang’an knew that although the noble consort was a woman, she had a discerning eye; anyone she casually appointed was of great capability!

People began to echo one another.

When there were negative comments about Yan Qing, no one dared to speak of her good qualities. But now that someone had said something positive, everyone flocked to join in, praising how formidable the noble consort was.

The issue of women interfering in politics seemed no longer a problem.

“I say, you’re all too rigid. If you think about it, the noble consort may be meddling in politics, but has she ever harmed anyone?” A young gentleman scoffed as he listened to their debate over the noble consort’s political involvement.

At this remark, the crowd fell silent for a moment, until a hesitant scholar said, “I haven’t heard of that.”

The young gentleman shrugged, “But I know many things. For example, the noble consort doesn’t allow merchants to hoard goods. Do you know what that means?”

The crowd shook their heads, looking at him expectantly.

The young gentleman, feeling triumphant, continued, “My father says the noble consort does this for the sake of the common people. It’s said that rarity increases value; when merchants hoard goods, the common people can’t buy anything. When they do release some, the prices skyrocket compared to normal. But the noble consort prevents this from happening. Do you see how life has improved for you now? And I heard that last year, the Ministry of Revenue was pressured by her to discover significant loopholes, resulting in a loss of several million taels from the national treasury. Now, hasn’t everyone’s tax burden been reduced a lot?”

For the first time, the young gentleman found himself surrounded by so many people. He eagerly recounted everything his father had told him.

As he spoke, ordinary citizens, refined scholars, and even illiterate butchers gathered around, gazing at him as if he were a great figure, their eyes filled with surprise, repeatedly exclaiming, “Ah! Oh! So that’s how it is!”

By the end of his speech, the young gentleman felt that the noble consort might be a good person after all.

In truth, no one knew that he initially just wanted to ridicule those scholars.

He had never liked studying and his father often compared him unfavorably to others, noting that he hadn’t even achieved a modicum of success.

Thus, as he earnestly shared what he knew, the young gentleman, who initially had no strong feelings about the noble consort, suddenly thought that perhaps her meddling in politics was quite commendable. At the very least, she was genuinely doing good deeds.

Others shared similar sentiments.

After the young gentleman finished, others began chiming in with their observations.

A scholar nodded earnestly, “That’s true. You’ve opened my eyes, young sir; my mother has said…”

“Yes, at least now we don’t frequently encounter shortages or excessively high prices when shopping,” a common young man added.

“I know, I know!” a farmer with a slightly hunched back, rolling up his pants, raised his hand.

Suddenly, everyone turned to look at him, including the wealthy young gentlemen, formidable scholars, and some curious young ladies.

His dark face flushed, and he stammered, “I… I know. The noble consort is wonderful! Now we can all have enough to eat; there were times I went hungry. My wife always says that the policies put forth by the noble consort are good. However, many people criticize her, and we don’t understand why. We believe that as long as we can fill our stomachs, she is a good person.”

His words lacked sophistication and were simple enough that a teacher would have reprimanded him in a classroom. Yet, here, everyone paused for a moment and nodded thoughtfully.

Such scenes were not limited to this one corner.

Previously, Empress Jiang had spread rumors to suppress Yan Qing, but now, everyone was speaking voluntarily.

As time passed, the effects of Yan Qing’s previous actions began to manifest. The national treasury had grown more abundant due to the eradication of several corrupt officials, leading to a natural decrease in taxes. To ensure that the policies reached every corner of Da Qian, Yan Qing established a communications office dedicated to promoting government decrees nationwide.

Additionally, she implemented secret inspections to check for local officials engaging in corrupt practices.

Currently, these were relatively mild policies. Although there were indeed local officials who hadn’t implemented them, most had progressed smoothly. Consequently, Yan Qing, the originator of these seemingly minor policies, had become completely exposed to the public.

As time went on, the benefits of the policies became evident. People began to realize that the noble consort, who initially seemed so rebellious, might be a good person, at least in their eyes, as they were the beneficiaries of her policies.

However, at that moment, no one dared to voice this sentiment until Ji Yecheng took advantage of the situation with Jia Heng.

Everyone knew that Bei Huang was a region facing severe difficulties. The noble consort had an eye for talent, sending a savior to Bei Huang, saving countless lives. The people of Bei Huang jointly wrote to commend their governor, further revealing the noble consort’s contributions.

Especially with Jia Heng helping to spread the word, crediting the noble consort for giving him opportunities, it brainwashed the public and led to a shift in attitude.

Now that the ice had been broken, people were eager to share their thoughts.

Thus, Yan Qing watched as her reputation transformed from an infinitely negative one to a rapidly rising positive one.

Even the palace maids and eunuchs regarded her differently now.

Yan Qing could only experience pain and joy simultaneously.

After all, Jia Heng remained a source of anxiety for her, especially when Ji Yecheng told her, “Your judgment is quite good.”

Inside, she felt like she was bleeding from her heart.

What was going on here?

Yet, she could only smile, unable to risk visiting the Taiji Hall study too often for fear of raising suspicions. Still, she couldn’t shake the worry that Jia Heng might send another memorial claiming he had discovered how Song Yu was plotting rebellion.

Yan Qing was filled with dread and hadn’t slept soundly in a long time. Moreover, the speed of information gathering within the palace lagged far behind that outside it, leaving her uncertain of the situation.