Ying Fusu

"Is the imperial harem still operating under the concubine system from the pre-unification Qin dynasty?"

During their conversation, Fusu had already returned to the inner palace of the central palace.

Instead of rushing into the palace, they stopped at the Liaoyuan Terrace outside the side gate and continued talking with Xia Que.

Once the thought was clear, I asked another question, and Xia Que responded with another answer.

"Yes."

"The old system will still be used, with eight ranks: Junior Attendant, Senior Attendant, Seventh Son, Eighth Son, Good Lady, Beauty, Consort, and Queen."

"The junior envoy is of the first rank, the senior envoy is of the second rank—and so on, with the queen being of the highest rank, the eighth rank."

"After the First Emperor unified the country, a foreign minister once advised: change the rank of queen from eighth-rank to empress."

"If I hadn't remembered, the person who advised him would have been demoted to an official post in Shu by the First Emperor on the charge of 'recklessly speaking about establishing an heir'..."

As Xia Que finished speaking, Fu Su nodded helplessly once again.

—Leaving aside everything else, the fact that the First Emperor refused to establish an empress alone gave Fusu a lot to complain about.

Not only the original owner, Prince Fusu, but also the current Second Emperor Fusu had reservations about the First Emperor's actions.

Despite his complaints, Fusu's feelings were still understandable.

After all, who wouldn't want to be stuck with a mother like that—giving up a perfectly good role as Empress Dowager to insist on dealing with the "strange people and events" of the wheel of fortune...

Cough cough cough...

"Um."

"Let's begin here."

"Once an empress has been established, she will replace the queen as the highest-ranking concubine in the harem."

"The remaining seven categories..."

Halfway through his sentence, Fusu suddenly paused, turned to look at Xia Que beside him, who was still vigorously poking her chest with her chin.

"Are the other seven grades still in use?"

...

"When the First Emperor was still alive, my mother—the current Empress Dowager—was of the rank of Lady, second only to the Empress."

"Yet I have never heard of any other concubines having a rank other than Lady?"

Fusu's words hit the nail on the head, and Xia Que quickly bowed again, answering all his questions without reservation.

During the reign of the First Emperor, all women in the imperial harem who gave birth to princes or princesses were called "Ladies".

"Those who fail to produce an heir will be denied any rank."

"Although no one in the palace dares to treat such a concubine without rank lightly, in terms of social status, she is not even as good as the lowest maid."

"After all, a maid still has the title of 'maid'."

Upon hearing this, Fusu instantly understood: his deceased workaholic father had forgotten to fill in another loophole.

However, this loophole is unrelated to the country or the world, and it does not affect the normal operation of the Qin ancestral temples and the state at all.

The First Emperor may have noticed it, but he was too lazy to care.

Or perhaps they simply can't be bothered to pay attention.

"Those who bear the imperial heir are all called 'Lady';"

"Those who fail to produce an heir will be stripped of their rank."

...

Was this also the case before the First Emperor unified China—such as during the reigns of King Zhaoxiang and King Huiwen?

This time, Xia Que finally stopped banging her head so vigorously and instead gently shook it.

"According to... uh, according to the system during the Qin Dynasty, all female members of the palace—whether concubines or maids—occupied a place in these eight ranks."

Even the lowest-born maidservant would receive the title of "junior maidservant" upon entering the palace.

"Throughout history, kings and queens have bestowed favors upon their maids primarily through promotions in rank, with monetary rewards serving as a secondary measure."

...

"Furthermore, if the king visits one's residence, one may be promoted in rank."

"Unless she gives birth to a royal heir, the highest rank a maidservant can rise to is: Eighth Prince."

That is, the fourth class.

"The concubines who entered the palace as 'concubines' instead of maids began with the Eighth Prince."

"Those who are favored, give birth to imperial heirs, or give birth to princes will all be promoted."

"The highest rank one can attain is Lady, which is the seventh rank."

"The highest queen must be the one whom the King of Qin formally marries and is officially appointed as his principal wife."

"In our Great Qin, there has never been a precedent of a maid or concubine being promoted to empress by a Qin king."

...

After hearing the last part, Fusu finally nodded slowly, completely understanding the situation.

It was pretty much exactly as Fusu had predicted.

—The women in the palace, apart from blood relatives, were indeed all potential lovers of the emperor.

This "unspoken rule" wasn't even considered an unspoken rule in the Qin state in the past.

All women in the harem—whether maids or concubines—were classified according to the eight-rank system of harem women.

Maids such as the junior maid and the senior maid were mostly responsible for doing dirty and tiring work, and there was only a theoretical possibility that they would be favored by the emperor.

The terms "seventh son" and "eighth son" refer to the initial rank and treatment typically given to concubines by successive Qin kings during the Qin period.

For example, the historically renowned Mi Ba Zi started as a fourth-rank "Ba Zi" (a title for a concubine), and eventually rose to power as the Queen Dowager of Qin because of her son.

All of this is based on the premise that Qin Junshang is not yet the "King of Qin" but still the "Duke of Qin".

Simply put, these were the concubines of the "Duke of Qin," starting with seven or eight sons.

The concubines of the "King of Qin" would then be upgraded to at least eight concubines or good wives.

Historically, when the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty selected concubines to fill their harems, the starting rank was "Liangren" (良人). Depending on whether they conceived an heir—especially a prince—they would be promoted to Meiren (美人) or Furen (夫人).

For example, Empress Dowager Wang Zhi, the birth mother of Emperor Wu of Han, held the rank of "Beauty" before giving birth to Liu Zhi, the tenth son of Emperor Jing of Han.

It wasn't until she gave birth to the tenth prince, thus continuing the Han dynasty's lineage, that she was promoted to the rank of Lady, second only to the Empress.

As for a good man—he is a son of a good family.

In terms that are easier for people of later generations to understand, it should be interpreted as: a respectable woman.

This corresponds to the base of the Liu Han Dynasty, and even most feudal dynasties: good families.

Today, Fusu's conversation with Xia Que once again illustrates that principle.

Policies and systems cannot be formed simply by issuing an official document.

Governing a country is not a game of strategy.

You can't achieve the results you want just by clicking the mouse and changing the settings.

Take, for example, the current chaotic state of the Qin Dynasty's harem;

If he hadn't asked on a whim, Fusu wouldn't have even known that such a problem existed in the harem.

And this is the daily reality faced by the vast majority of those in power.

—Let alone proposing effective solutions to existing problems, even the process of 'identifying problems' is not always satisfactory.

Unless it concerns the safety of the ancestral temples and the state, or even their survival, and the matter is of paramount importance, emperors rarely pay attention to it.

The officials below were too busy turning the emperor's grand plans into reality to remind him of this minor issue that His Majesty should pay attention to.

Fortunately, the problems in the harem were not major issues, nor were they difficult to resolve.

No wonder the First Emperor didn't pay attention to it.

"Therefore, what I should have issued was not the edict to establish an empress."

"Instead, the first order was to change the Queen to Empress and to classify all the women in the harem into eight ranks."

"Only after the changes are made should the principal wife be formally appointed as empress."

Fusu seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps seeking advice, but Xia Que did not rush to speak.

—Through their brief time together, Xia Que had calmed down from her initial panic and unease.

Next, it was the innate talent of the eunuch that drove Xia Que to quickly construct the character of "Emperor Fusu the Second".

Easygoing and emotionally stable;

He had previously shown obvious aversion to eunuchs, but now seems to have improved—at least he is willing to talk to them;

It was clearly stated that eunuchs should only concern themselves with matters within the palace and need not concern themselves with matters outside the palace—this shows that Fusu strongly resisted the involvement of eunuchs in court politics.

Taking all of the above into account, Xia Que quickly determined his own code of conduct for serving this second emperor.

—Answer whatever you are asked, and say as much as you know;

Only objective facts are stated, and subjective suggestions are never mentioned;

Always responsive to requests, coming at a moment's notice;

If you have no demands, remain silent; if you dismiss someone, they will leave immediately.

Who is the current Eunuch Commander?

The brief silence was broken by Fusu's abrupt question, and Xia Que quickly bowed again.

"It is indeed this old servant..."

...

The low-pitched response only made Fusu feel embarrassed, and he couldn't help but cough lightly twice, seemingly deliberately.

Then he asked, "Compared to the rank of two thousand shi, what is the actual salary?"

After a moment's hesitation, Xia Que decided to tell the truth.

"Uncertain number".

According to the system, the monthly salary should be 120 shi, and the annual salary should be 1,440 shi.

"Sixty shi of millet will be provided from the Prime Minister's treasury, and the equivalent of sixty shi of millet will be provided from the Imperial Treasury's funds—half for money and half for grain."

"However, in recent years, the government treasury has often reduced or deducted funds at its discretion, citing a shortage of money and grain."

...

"Sometimes, the Prime Minister's residence would only provide twenty shi of millet, while the imperial treasury would provide enough money to buy forty shi of millet."

"Sometimes, the imperial treasury would only provide enough money to buy ten bushels of grain, while the national treasury would provide thirty bushels."

"At the lowest point, the national treasury didn't provide a single grain of rice, and the imperial treasury only provided seven or eight shi of millet."

"At most, they would only give half the money and half the food."

Xia Que spoke calmly, as if she were talking about other people and things, without revealing any resentment or dissatisfaction in her expression or tone.

Fusu frowned slightly: "Are all the eunuchs in the palace like this?"

Xia Que nodded slightly: "Most likely."

"Those in the eunuch's office and the painting studio have no official rank or salary; they are content as long as they have food to eat."

"Even if they go hungry for a couple of meals, it's not a big deal—aside from this old eunuch, nobody cares whether they live or die."

"The commanders and assistants are said to receive a thousand shi, or even six hundred shi, but their actual salaries are barely enough to make ends meet."

"As time went on, they stopped relying on their salaries and started thinking about how to win the favor of the concubines and noble ladies in order to get some rewards."

"Even worse..."

"Well……"

Xia Que paused abruptly halfway through her sentence, her face filled with a conflicted expression of wanting to say something but holding back.

Before Xia Que could say it outright, Fu Su had already guessed the unspoken second half of Xia Que's sentence.

"Secret dealings?"

Fusu spoke succinctly, but Xia Que nodded hesitantly.

"When people travel between palaces and halls, they inevitably need to communicate, receive guests, or pass on messages to plead for mercy."

"Eunuchs with even a little power would often take the opportunity to ask for rewards."

"The nobles were used to it, and before the eunuchs could even speak, they would offer money and gold as expenses for their efforts."

"Among the eunuchs, those of low rank often used money to pave the way, smooth things over, or make friends with those of high rank."

Xia Que spoke these words with an inexplicable heaviness.

It wasn't that Xia Que, as the eunuch magistrate, had an overflowing sense of justice and was heartbroken by such chaos.

On the contrary—Xia Que, the head of all the eunuchs in Xianyang Palace, was precisely the biggest beneficiary of this corrupt practice.

The lower-ranking eunuchs, whether seeking promotion or transfer, or requesting favors or protection, could not bypass Xia Que, the eunuch official.

Xia Que dared not hide these things from Fu Su—and knew she couldn't hide them anyway.

Let's just speak frankly and see how Fusu reacts.

If Fusu were mature enough, he would understand that this kind of thing is not caused by a single person or event, but rather by a systemic trend.

If Fusu had considered this, he wouldn't have punished the palace eunuchs so simply and brutally.

Instead, they will try to change this trend, or simply let it go and accept it as default.

Conversely, if Fusu were a hothead who hated evil, then Xia Que's voluntary disclosure would at least have earned him leniency for confessing.

—It can't be hidden anyway.

"Having no other way out, the maidservant only longs for the emperor's favor."

"Since the eunuchs had nothing to gain, they could only engage in petty scheming and secret dealings."

"—Using money and gold to make connections, it seems, is nothing more than a way to get closer to the more favored concubines and noble ladies in order to seek more rewards?"

This question prompted Xia Que to nod again, and Fu Su fell into deep thought.

It's not a big deal;

The lives of palace eunuchs and maids were difficult, as it had nothing to do with the ancestral temples, the state, or the normal functioning of the court.

But as the saying goes: governing a large country is like cooking a small fish.

Under normal circumstances, the Qin Dynasty would not be affected by these eunuchs and maids who were struggling to make a living.

But if any unforeseen circumstances arise, it might truly be a case of "a thunderclap in the silence."

Making these unfortunate people live a better life doesn't require much effort or money.

But when it comes to life-threatening situations, these seemingly insignificant, unfortunate people might cause a great deal of trouble.

I'll say it again;

Eunuchs and maids, if you expect to get things done through them, you're giving them far too much credit.

But if you don't guard against their bad deeds, then you're overestimating yourself and underestimating them.

"so."

"Tomorrow, summon the Minister of the Imperial Household to me."

"Then summon the Grand Secretary, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the Director of the Imperial Seal, and others to wait in the side hall."

"I have questions for them."

The Second Emperor gave the order, and Xia Que naturally obeyed without question, immediately bowing once more.

Secretly, a hint of anticipation also arose.

—It seems that Fusu doesn't intend to punish or take action against the palace eunuchs.

It seems more like a problem-solving approach?

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

But then Fusu waved his hand gently, dismissing the eunuchs, and stood alone on the distant platform, his elbows resting on the stone railing, letting out a long sigh.

There are many problems to be solved;

There are still many unrepaired loopholes and many institutional systems that need to be improved.

Let's start with something simple, like the harem where the emperor has the most say.

As for receiving Zhang Han, the Junior Chamberlain, tomorrow—those matters are secondary.

At most, it would be a matter of Fusu giving a heads-up and Zhang Han accepting the order.

On the contrary, Fusu should deal with Zhang Han, the Junior Steward of the Imperial Household Department, carefully tomorrow.

On a smaller scale, the Imperial Household Department was the emperor's most solid and substantial source of confidence.

Many things that Fusu needs to do next will require the assistance of the Imperial Household Department, and even their support.

To put it more bluntly—that Fusu really did a lot of useless work, and it really will be the day when Mou Sheng and Mou Guang gather together in righteousness?

Fusu also had to rely on Zhang Han, the Junior Steward, to work with him to turn the tide and save the collapsing empire.