Chapter 1172: The Book Writer in the Study
Wu Wangcheng found it somewhat difficult to breathe.
Shen Chen was indeed a veteran minister who had weathered over sixty years of officialdom's ups and downs. He merely cast a quick glance at the emperor seated behind the imperial desk.
Wen Er of the Ministry of Works was Shen Chen's student. He lowered his head and took a sip of iced plum syrup—the only one at this minor court session who could enjoy such a privilege; even the pillar state ministers couldn't drink it.
Yan Yongfeng, Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, was the current clan head of the Zizhao Yan family. He was a strikingly vigorous old man, and here he merely went through the motions.
Ma Yuan, Minister of Justice, stood up and tugged at a jade token on his belt. Moments later, a sand table model appeared in the imperial study—miniature buildings in emerald green with golden characters indicating various government offices. Ma Yuan, as if "reaching into his pocket," opened the Ministry of War offices in the Nanxun Ward on one side of the Thousand-Step Corridor, then retrieved a "Prefecture of Han" archive from the "Earth" character repository, and precisely found the "State of Qiu" within. He then pointed to a dossier already prepared on a desk, and the dossier materialized in the imperial study, hovering in midair. Ma Yuan walked over, took it in hand, and looked toward the emperor. Song He smiled and said, "Let the State Preceptor peruse it first."
Ma Yuan handed the dossier to Chen Ping'an. The Minister of Justice did not immediately return to his seat.
The archives of the Ministry of Justice and the shipyards that built sword boats were among the highest military secrets of the Great Li dynasty.
If officials from other ministries wished to consult classified records, they needed to go through layers of approval, with extremely strict verification. Even within the Ministry of Justice itself, the rules were intricate, requiring a series of formalities without the slightest flaw.
Despite the many rules, this did not mean things could be slow.
Abusing power for personal gain, deliberately stalling to collect under-the-table fees, or using more subtle methods to exchange benefits in the shadows? Or perhaps, being in a bad mood that day and giving someone the cold shoulder, purposely making things difficult for officials from other ministries? Or based on different surnames and factional alignments within the bureaucracy, if one's superiors were at odds with someone, and now that person happened to fall under one's jurisdiction, one might deliberately hold things up to prove solidarity with one's allies to the higher-ups?
In years past, Cui Chan would regularly and periodically inspect such documents. But this was merely the surface-level "official formalities." The truth was that in the first three years, Cui Chan had been monitoring all words and actions of every official in every office and bureau under the Ministry of Justice archives.
Human nature is an unpredictable thing, but a person's strong inertia can be trained.
After three years, Cui Chan would bring up all old accounts at once: rewards were given, promotions were made, and punishments came in many forms. Did they enjoy sitting in those chairs and wielding power to the extreme?
First, strip them of their official hats, and make sure they could never achieve anything in their official careers again—their path as officials would be cut off for good.
Those who recommended them would also be demoted. Censorate officials who failed to identify problems wouldn't escape either. If they were from well-born hereditary families, various benefits like Imperial Academy quotas and land grants would be reduced as appropriate. If cuts weren't enough to cover the punishment, then senior family members serving in court would also be reprimanded, have their salaries reduced, or be forced to resign and return to their hometowns. As for what happened behind closed doors in their official residences or family ancestral halls—that was a family matter. In any case, the specific reasons, reward and punishment regulations, and enforcement paradigms would be clearly written in the court gazette issued down to the prefecture and commandery levels.
I, Cui Chan, am a complete solitary figure: no orthodox lineage, no strict students or disciples, no family or offspring, no close friends or relatives, no like-minded literati, no familiar Daoist companions on the mountains. I need not acquire any private property, nor do I accept any court rewards. Year after year, my annual salary is just one snowflower coin.
So if anyone disagrees with me politically, they are the ones in the wrong.
If there are differing opinions on specific matters, one can submit a document, and Cui Chan will read it personally. If there is a reply, it means the point has merit; if there is no reply, the document will be returned as originally sent, indicating the content was all nonsense. But the outside of the envelope would always be stamped with the official seal of the specially established State Preceptor's office. Those with even greater ability could directly seek out Cui Chan and even argue with him face to face. But one prerequisite was that the two official career records that recommended you for cross-level discussions must withstand scrutiny. Another prerequisite was that the high-ranking minister who personally brought you here must guarantee you would not waste the precious time of the nation's State Preceptor.
In years past, the Embroidered Tiger's only act of relaxation was to leave that tower known as "People Follow What They Hear," slowly walk out of the alley, and go alone to the city wall to look around.
The reason Shen Chen and the other key ministers felt uncomfortable during this meeting was that the previous occupant of that chair—the Embroidered Tiger—whether in the morning court or the imperial study's minor court sessions, would discuss any matter with anyone with almost no emotional fluctuation.
He would never express his emotions as plainly and unmistakably as Chen Ping'an did today. Of course, in the previous meeting, Chen Ping'an had been more like the Embroidered Tiger.
Chen Ping'an flipped through the pages quickly, rapidly perusing the dossier. His expression relaxed somewhat. The dossier was not thick—it was a carefully compiled summary. Beneath many important figures and key events, there were annotations and cross-references... It was passable, nothing more.
So Chen Ping'an still shook his head, directly denying it: "The imperial clan, frontier military generals, hereditary families, martial merit aristocrats, cultivators, the jianghu, and mountain and water spirits—seven major categories in total. Yet the Ministry of Justice has selected and recorded only ninety-three people in their registers. That's too few. You must supplement them."
"Let the Ministry of Justice go back and search through the 'Human' character repository, looking under categories like local gentry, reclusive scholars in the countryside, and so on. Start on this immediately. Pay special attention to searching and collecting literati who are out of office—those who shut their doors to write books and compile biographies, who form societies and give lectures. As long as their words or writings touch on the Great Li dynasty's court politics or impressions of the frontier army, whether favorable or unfavorable, written or spoken, don't miss any."
Ma Yuan's eyes were strange, his mood extremely complicated. Could it be that the State Preceptor had sneaked in for a visit himself? Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with the inner workings of my Ministry of Justice, recounting them as if reciting his own possessions?
A dozen or so young officials who had been buried in their papers, writing rapidly, immediately stood up and began searching according to the map presented. They skillfully inspected and retrieved archives from different bookshelves. Meanwhile, another group of young officials were responsible for screening, organizing, and recording text. Since this information was to be presented directly to the minor court session in the imperial study, it had to be precise and accurate, striving to give the most content in the fewest words.
Seeing the subtle expression of that young hidden official, Ma Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. His own Ministry of Justice still had a few promising seedlings.
Of course, Chen Ping'an had not gone to the Ministry of Justice to play the role of a thief on the roof, but he was too lazy to explain.
It was simply that as the former Hidden Official who had single-handedly completed the classification and re-filing of all materials in the Summer Retreat Palace and Winter Retreat Palace, this kind of know-how came with practice. When a skill was mastered to the extreme, a thousand variations still returned to the same principle. Just the number of paper slips inserted into those dossiers was in the tens of thousands.
Chen Ping'an said, "The six sword boats currently under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works are to be launched immediately and handed over to the Great Li military. They are to proceed to Hanzhou."
"Also, in the form of a Ministry of War document, notify the Qiu court to immediately recall the two frontier armies that have started a rebellion without authorization."
"Order the generals of the Great Li Hanzhou and Weizhou to break camp immediately and transfer a detachment of elite light cavalry. They can decide the specific locations for garrisoning near the Qiu border, and the generals leading the troops can make their own judgments."
"The Ministry of Rites is to issue a notice to all mountain and water spirits within Hanzhou, ordering them to return to their temple statues and await orders from the Great Li military. Anyone who dares to openly violate the prohibition in the near future shall be classified as a cult temple, and their statues shall be shattered on the spot. At the same time, any clues or evidence of collusion between Qiu civil and military officials and another state shall be immediately reported to the Great Li Ministry of Justice, with permission to use flying sword messages without prior approval."
"Within Hanzhou, as well as the three neighboring prefectures, all Great Li civil and military officials, regardless of method or means, are to be thoroughly investigated. Anyone who has had any profit exchange with the State of Qiu in the past five years, even if it's just one tael of silver or one painting or calligraphy, must be recorded in the registers."
As the State Preceptor's "handwritten directives" were issued one after another.
In an instant, the imperial study became bustling with activity.
Shen Chen asked with a smile, "Do we need to transfer a group of Qiu nationals serving in the Great Li frontier army back from the Barren Wasteland?"
Zhao Duanjin nodded, "That is feasible."
These men, who had followed the Great Li iron cavalry to the Barren Wasteland battlefield, had a common identity regardless of their birth or official rank: veteran soldiers.
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Not necessary."
Zhao Duanjin frowned slightly, but Shen Chen was truly patient and said nothing.
Chen Ping'an continued, "The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice are to immediately provide a detailed list of all Great Li spies and death-dare operatives currently planted in Qiu: their current identities, where they are hiding, and their intelligence archives over the years. In addition, also provide a list of Qiu military officers and middle-level civil officials who have participated in the Great Li frontier army or the subsidiary capital campaigns. For each of them, indicate their attitude toward the Great Li court—whether favorable, neutral, or hostile. Has the Ministry of War and Ministry of Justice made such clear annotations?"
Wu Wangcheng, the Vice Minister of War, nodded, "The Ministry of War has all of this! Not only that, but for Qiu civil and military officials who hold a neutral stance, we also have corresponding assessments of how their attitude might shift once war begins. And for officials who appear to hate our Great Li with deep loathing on the surface, we have detailed records of their private character and preferences."
Ma Yuan, Minister of Justice, was speechless, but still spoke the truth in a clear voice, "The Ministry of Justice currently has no such measure in place."
But Chen Ping'an did not berate the Ministry of Justice for this. Instead, he said to Wu Wangcheng, "Vice Minister Wu, remember to discuss this matter in detail with the Ministry of Justice afterward, and then send a copy of the meeting record to the State Preceptor's office."
Wu Wangcheng nodded. Ma Yuan was clearly surprised.
Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment, then said, "For that small-scale meeting, we can also include officials from the Ministry of Revenue. It doesn't require the three highest officials of the Ministry of Revenue to attend in person; a section chief is sufficient. It's too easy to make Qiu behave. The difficulty lies in how to clean up the mess afterward. We'll inevitably need the Ministry of Revenue to cough up some silver. Just focus on those powerful eunuchs who love money, mountain immortals, and jianghu luminaries. As for those Qiu civil and military officials who have been sidelined by factional struggles or ostracized by colleagues—those who are frustrated and unrecognized—don't let them off either. If they want money, give them money. If they want official positions, give them those too. If they want fame, give them that as well. Wait at most five or six years, or at most ten years, and we will replace this single-character vassal state entirely with a group of capable ministers loyal to the suzerain."
"This is just one of a series of measures for cleaning up the mess. I will write something in the near future specifically on 'How to Clean Up Messes,' and will send copies to officials qualified to attend the minor court sessions. I hope everyone will respond promptly, with no word limit—the more, the better. Ideally, this will form a regular court precedent that can be followed, so that in the future, when handling similar matters, we can just proceed step by step."
Chen Ping'an shifted his gaze and asked, "Your Majesty, should I go to the Thousand-Step Corridor to discuss the specific matters with the heads of the Ministry of War and Ministry of Justice?"
Song He said, "The State Preceptor need not move; you can discuss matters here. If the State Preceptor feels it would be more efficient there, I can follow you there."
Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then let's go to the State Preceptor's official residence to handle this business."
Song He stood up and smiled, "I can accompany the State Preceptor to have a look there."
Chen Ping'an also stood up and suddenly asked, "Does the State Preceptor's office have similar facilities?"
Song He couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, it's even more spacious than the imperial study."
Chen Ping'an murmured softly, "This senior brother of mine certainly isn't afraid of overstepping."
The assembled ministers, who had not dared to laugh out loud even when the emperor spoke, now burst into hearty laughter at the State Preceptor's self-exposure.
Chen Ping'an looked at the taciturn, vigorous old man, Yan Yongfeng, Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, and said, "Later, send someone to have Han E and Liu Wenjin wait outside the gate of the State Preceptor's office. Also, have Yan Jiaoran come over; I have matters to discuss with him."
Yan Yongfeng nodded.
Chen Ping'an said, "Let Cao Gengxin and Zhao Yao come as well."
Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice and Cao Gengxin of the Ministry of Personnel—both young and promising vice ministers—were naturally qualified to attend the minor court sessions, but today they had business to discuss. At the minor court sessions in the imperial study, by regulation, the nine chief ministers including the six ministers, the nine lesser ministers, the six vice ministers, the head of the Imperial Clan Court, the general responsible for capital security, and others could attend, but they were not required to be present every time. For certain minor court sessions, even a minister could "request leave" to be absent.
Wu Wangcheng of the Ministry of War was naturally a rising star in the court, glowing red-hot as a new favorite. Coupled with the fact that the elderly minister Shen Chen was too old—Cao Ping had joked that he was "an old fellow with more breath going out than coming in"—the two vice ministers of the Ministry of War had their hands full. The left vice minister, Xu Wu, who was responsible for coordinating military affairs with the Barren Wasteland, had set up a bedroll right in his office, while Wu Wangcheng, responsible for domestic military affairs, had to attend every single minor court session without fail.
For example, today, Xu Wu needed to discuss military strategy with Yan Jiaoran of the Zizhao Yan family in the office.
And don't think that just because Wu Wangcheng came from the battlefield, he was some rough, uncouth fellow. Everyone present had walked out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood alive.
Among the handful of pillar state surnames in the Great Li dynasty, there was the Guan family of Yunzai Commandery in Yizhou. Guan Yingche, the elderly Minister of Personnel, had a direct great-great-grandson named Guan Yiran, who currently held a relatively low official post as a section chief in the Ministry of Revenue, still several steps away from participating in the minor court sessions. Several senior members of his family sat on the benches of some minor posts among the nine lesser ministers.
The pillar state family of Empress Yu Mian was jokingly referred to in court and among the people as "the Yu family of horse manure." They held no capital officials but had great prestige in the Great Li frontier army.
Yuan Chong, styled Yunshui, had a gaunt, refined appearance with a scholarly air. He was the father of Yuan Zhengding, the prefect of Hongzhou.
Cao Qiao, of imposing stature, was the elder brother of Patrol Envoy Cao Ping. Cao Qiao was also the father of Cao Gengxin, Vice Minister of Personnel.
In Great Li officialdom, there had always been a saying that "Yuan and Cao do not travel the same road."
Su Gaoshan, Cao Ping, and others—there were currently a total of six military generals who had obtained the title of Patrol Envoy in the Great Li dynasty, but only four were still alive.
The title of Pillar State could be inherited, but Patrol Envoy could not.
Rumor had it that there were currently eight "promotion charts" in the Great Li dynasty, representing either overt or covert eight paths to official advancement.
As for the Zizhao Yan family, another pillar state surname, although Yan Yongfeng was the current clan head, the real power was still wielded by the behind-the-scenes Yan Jiaoran. He was responsible for deploying, monitoring, and determining all promotions and demotions of the cultivators attached to the Great Li army.
It was just a pity about General Su Gaoshan, who came from a humble background. He was the first in the Great Li dynasty to obtain the title of Patrol Envoy, and he died in battle.
It was said that Vice Minister Wu Wangcheng, as the trusted general of Luo King Song Mu, had been able to break through the ranks all the way to the capital's Ministry of War precisely because he shared the same humble origins as Patrol Envoy Su. The central government of Great Li had to have a few pillars of support from such backgrounds.
Having an elder at home is like having a treasure.
The same principle applied to a state's court.
Chen Ping'an supported Elder Minister Shen Chen by the arm as they walked out of the imperial study. The Thousand-Step Corridor was not far, but neither was it close.
Emperor Song He had some temporary business and went elsewhere with the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
As the biggest official careerist from Fallen Mountain, the marten-hatted girl clicked her tongue in admiration—these were the people with the biggest official hats on Baoping Continent.
Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "How did the discussion about carving and publishing books go?"
Xie Gou said irritably, "From the old gentleman, I found out that as long as you have a bit of money, you can carve and sell books yourself. That's really no fun."
Chen Ping'an let it go with a laugh.
Shen Chen asked, "Does the State Preceptor need a set of everyday official robes?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "No need, that would be too awkward. I'll be like State Preceptor Cui."
Shen Chen asked again, "No daily uniforms, but what about court robes for major ceremonies and celebrations?"
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile, "I definitely need two sets of court robes. What, do I have to pay for those out of my own pocket?"
Shen Chen laughed, "The Ministry of Revenue isn't that stingy."
Chen Ping'an asked, "I've never asked—what is the State Preceptor's salary?"
Shen Chen replied with a sly smile, "If the State Preceptor still 'follows the old precedent,' then it's one snowflower coin."
Chen Ping'an said, "That's a lot."
Shen Chen said, "That's not a monthly salary; it's an annual salary."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Not that much."
Shen Chen lightly patted the young State Preceptor's hand and said cheerfully, "I'll walk slowly; I can still manage."
The tapping of his walking stick struck the ground.
The old man's rattan cane was thin, making it seem especially vigorous.
Chen Ping'an released his arm and gave a glance to Wu Wangcheng behind him.
Wu Wangcheng quickly replaced the State Preceptor in supporting the elderly minister. Shen Chen did not refuse, but his words were not grateful: "Is Vice Minister Wu in such a hurry to become minister that he hints to the State Preceptor that I am rotten and already half-buried?"
Wu Wangcheng was careful by nature, but he was clumsy with words and didn't know how to respond.
Shen Chen laughed, "For a general leading troops, as long as he's not clumsy with his saber and horse, that's enough. State Preceptor, is that the reasoning?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Earlier in the imperial study, Vice Minister Wu was just one step slower; he couldn't outpace me."
Wu Wangcheng truly couldn't win no matter what.
Shen Chen said slowly, "Generally speaking, rebellions occur in two situations: when the common people outside the government offices feel they truly cannot survive—when people eat people on the roads, no longer just a metaphor—or when treacherous ministers and thieves want to usurp the throne and have a taste of being emperor. As for the Qiu side, I can't quite figure it out."
"At today's minor court session, when the State Preceptor first proposed using troops against Qiu, not everyone present agreed internally. It's just that the State Preceptor's presence was heavy, so they didn't dare speak up. And the mountain enshrined had just advanced to some Fourteen Realm—who would dare say anything. After we discussed further, they probably had a general idea. Every one of them, having grown up listening to their elders, became high officials, long accustomed to trimming their sails. Being oily, no matter how the wind blows or how big the waves, oil stains never sink to the bottom."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "I'm aware of the situation."
Shen Chen said, "Really aware? Those unworthy descendants and tyrannical relatives in my hometown who oppress the villagers—are you aware of them too?"
After State Preceptor Cui Chan resigned and before Chen Ping'an took over, the Great Li dynasty, which occupied half the continent, had grown too large, and Baoping Continent was no longer at war.
Chen Ping'an said, "If Elder Minister Shen is aware of it himself, I am even more aware. I was indeed planning to take the blade to those parasites of the Shen family. But you don't have to do this deliberately to help me, the new official, start my term with a blaze of glory. You can just send a letter back home. First, the elder minister is old, and I still need to discuss your posthumous title with His Majesty in advance. The Ministry of Rites has no say in that. Second, if I really want to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, I'll definitely pick a few bigger ones. A small fuss is no fun."
Shen Chen frowned, "Is Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice planning some major action?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, "I told Zhao Yao earlier—when investigating, go all the way. Time: no 'let bygones be bygones.' People: no upper limit. Whoever is found guilty, that's who it is. If there's any connection by blood or marriage, it's considered lax discipline."
Shen Chen hesitated as if to speak.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "I'll handle it with the right measure. I learned to read expressions from a young age. Begging for meals wasn't easy."
Shen Chen laughed along, "Is it that begging for meals tastes bad, or that it's hard to get them?"
Chen Ping'an said, "The taste is fine—being able to eat a full meal is the best flavor. But it's hard on the heart."
Shen Chen said, "The State Preceptor should also consider His Majesty's feelings appropriately."
Chen Ping'an said, "Definitely."
Shen Chen asked, "Do you think His Majesty really has business, or is it just a pretext?"
Chen Ping'an said, "It doesn't matter."
Shen Chen looked up at the sun, which wasn't too high yet, like a golden pearl embedded in azure glass.
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Fortunately, no one said something like, 'Why go to all this trouble and waste national resources? Why not let the State Preceptor make a trip to Hanzhou himself?' Or, 'Why not just have the enshrined immortal draw his sword?'"
Shen Chen said, "That wouldn't happen at a minor court session, but it might at morning court. Not that they aren't afraid of you, but in officialdom, there are always a few 'scouts' who test the depth of one's temperament and the bottom line of one's actions."
After a moment of silence, Shen Chen asked, "In Hanzhou, are you going to use sword boats to sweep the battlefield, then send two light cavalry units straight for the Qiu capital?"
Chen Ping'an answered the question indirectly, "Elder Minister, why do you think there are no such people at the minor court session?"
Shen Chen smiled.
The young State Preceptor chatting with the elderly minister as if talking about household matters made Wu Wangcheng, standing beside them, break out in a cold sweat all over.
He wanted to hurry away or cover his ears. But he was still supporting the elderly minister, wasn't he?
Shen Chen said, "Back then, when I was young and hot-tempered, I resigned impulsively. Besides cursing him, Cui Chan, for being an outsider, I also cursed him—a Great Li State Preceptor—for using immortal money to calculate his salary, pretending to be something he wasn't. Actually, I cursed a lot, but my accent was heavy, and some local dialects weren't understood by the capital officials."
"When I later guessed that he was a Nascent Soul immortal—ah, back then, a Nascent Soul on Baoping Continent was truly an undisputed elder immortal on the mountaintop—I got even angrier. If he was the State Preceptor, and he personally reshaped the Great Li frontier army, and those battles were fought so fiercely, why didn't he make a move? So I say, if I were a few decades younger, at today's minor court session, I would have asked those two questions to your face."
"Now, I wouldn't."
To navigate the official world, besides being competent and getting things done, one must be oily, patient, and ruthless—all three are indispensable. And of course, one also needs a bit of official luck.
Shen Chen sighed, "Hard indeed is the cultivation of public service, adrift in the swift currents and sudden waves."
Chen Ping'an clasped his hands in his sleeves and said calmly, "Ups and downs of officialdom, clouds and waves treacherous and strange, yet a single peak suddenly rises, revealing that what remains unmoved is the true mountain."
Shen Chen stopped, shook his arm to make Wu Wangcheng release his hold, and the elderly minister laughed, "State Preceptor, let Vice Minister Wu go discuss business. I won't walk the long way to the State Preceptor's office. I need to go back and catch a nap."
Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile, "The first Great Li office I visit will definitely be the Ministry of War hall."
Shen Chen said quietly, "About the posthumous title, State Preceptor, put in a good word for me with His Majesty. Rate it generously."
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly, "I will certainly act impartially."
Shen Chen tapped Wu Wangcheng heavily with his rattan cane, "Why aren't you moving? Lead the State Preceptor! Time to set off!"
Wu Wangcheng led Chen Ping'an to the separate office specially set up for the State Preceptor, also near the Thousand-Step Corridor.
The most important offices in the capital were all gathered in the Nanxun Ward and Kejia Alley on both sides of the Thousand-Step Corridor.
There were also the "cold stoves" of officialdom, the "cold benches." Of course, those who dared to think so were usually from Yichi Lane or Chi'er Street.
His Majesty truly had important business—he went to the inner court to find Empress Yu Mian. Household affairs, but the emperor's household affairs were state affairs.
State Preceptor Embroidered Tiger, Master Cui Chan, had once walked through the bustling capital streets with the crown prince Song He, whose real name was Song Mu.
He had told the youth about what the histories often wrote and officials often muttered in private—"imperial heart and nature"—what it truly was. It wasn't about deliberately eccentric temperament, harshness, and ruthlessness, making one's thoughts always unfathomable to ministers. Nor was it about simple broad-mindedness, indecisiveness, and tolerance.
The essence was only in the word "deep." Being able to hold many things, including anger and grievance, deep in the heart, and then... killing them!
Walking along, listening to the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial talk about travel notes on mountains and waters, the emperor smiled, "Did you get along well with that Miss Xie, the second seat of Fallen Mountain?"
The old eunuch immediately said, "This old servant has overstepped the rules."
The emperor waved his hand and asked curiously, "She deliberately engaged you in conversation—was it calculated strategy, or sincere?"
Although the old eunuch had a conclusion in his heart, he still said, "This old servant cannot say."
The emperor raised his hands and stretched a few times, shook his head, and opened his chest. He was actually in quite a good mood.
The Great Li State Preceptor's office was actually a mansion, but Cui Chan never stayed overnight there. He would return to that alley every night.
In principle, the evaluation of capital officials and local officials was the top priority for ensuring the orderly operation of the state's administration. But State Preceptor Cui Chan, after personally overseeing it for the first ten years, handed it over to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites to take turns managing, with the other two offices providing routine support. Only the self-inspection of the censorate, as part of the court's evaluation system, was never a decoration under Cui Chan's hand; it was always personally monitored by the State Preceptor's mansion.
In this three-courtyard mansion, the second courtyard had left and right wing-rooms where more than thirty literary secretaries handled government affairs. It was thus hailed as the "Little Hanlin Academy" of the Great Li dynasty.
The "gatekeepers" were two young women in their early twenties, both pure martial artists, said to be orphans of two generals.
Chen Ping'an and Wu Wangcheng went straight to the main hall for discussion. About half an hour later, the various department heads returned to their respective offices.
Six sword boats had already departed for the Hanzhou-Qiu border. They were like six seas of clouds, casting enormous shadows on the ground below.
Two elite cavalry units, all clad in talisman armor, were also on the march. On the official roads of Hanzhou, iron armor gleamed, and dust flew.
The two individuals "invited" here by the Court of State Ceremonial—one big, one small—had waited at the mansion gate for a full hour.
Along the way, they had not seen any layers of checkpoints or heavily armed crack soldiers. Standing at the gate, no one paid them any attention.
The young prince, who should have been enfeoffed and sent to his domain, Han E, stood dumbly in the sun.
Beside him was Liu Wenjin, the Minister of Rites of the State of Qiu. He was in his prime, with a straight back and an expressionless face.
The young prince was first led by a young woman with a resolute expression and heroic bearing to the door of a wing-room in the third courtyard, which looked like a study in a well-off household in the Qiu capital.
She turned silently and left, leaving only the youth.
The room was somewhat empty. Light filtered through the windows, sticking to the blue brick floor, revealing countless specks of dust floating lightly in the sunlight.
That Embroidered Tiger, State Preceptor Cui Chan, had once presided over the Great Li state affairs here?
Who had sat on those chairs, now empty, which were used to receive guests?
Breathing rapidly, Han E steadied his mind. He could only use his peripheral vision to take in the scene inside the room, not daring to move his head, afraid that the master of the house might find some excuse like "spying on Great Li intelligence." There were such stories in the histories.
A warm, mellow voice emerged from inside, "Come in."
The youth quickly lowered his head and stepped over the threshold. Lifting his head, he followed the sound toward a row of bookshelves against the wall that stretched to the ceiling.
A man with a jade hairpin in his head, dressed in a blue long gown and cloth shoes, had a gentle expression. He smiled, "State Preceptor Cui's study is elsewhere. This one has just been set up."
Probably on the way here, the young prince had imagined countless scenarios: the thunderous fury of some high official from the Great Li Ministry of War or Ministry of Rites, harsh words and stern looks, or flashing blades and rolling heads—either his, Minister Liu's, or both hitting the ground together.
But he had never imagined such a quiet and peaceful place. Han E was a bit at a loss.
The man was not wearing Great Li official robes. He looked more like a frustrated scholar who had failed the imperial examinations, a teacher plying his trade.
The man asked, "Han E, did you come as a hostage willingly, or were you forced into it?"
Han E had no hesitation and said firmly, "Of course willingly!"
Chen Ping'an tucked the book under his arm, dragged two chairs near the window, and said, "Sit down and talk. Tell me why you came willingly."
Han E didn't dare to sit casually. He probed, "May I ask, sir, who are you?"
Why was this person here? Was he some high official who didn't match his appearance, a pillar state descendant placed under high expectations? Or someone with cultivation that preserved youth, a close attendant of State Preceptor Cui, a death-dare operative? That would explain why he could occupy a room alone. Or was he a literary secretary of the Great Li court temporarily handling miscellaneous matters?
Moreover, books often had those white-robed strategists who hid behind the scenes, devised plans, directed the country from behind a curtain, and then left without a trace once their work was done.
There were many rumors about the whereabouts of the Embroidered Tiger, all mysterious and enigmatic. Han E had heard so many in the Qiu palace that his ears were calloused.
But Chen Ping'an just said, "Han E, do you know that the State of Qiu is about to go to war again? War means many will die."
Han E was puzzled—wasn't this just two obvious statements? But then he thought that the other party might be a trusted confidant of State Preceptor Cui, and he felt that these words carried great meaning, just that he couldn't understand it for now.
The man said, "Of course, among the dead will include you and Liu Wenjin, that minister who wants nothing more than to leave his name in history."
Even though Han E had long known his own outcome, when he actually heard this from the mouth of a "Great Li State Preceptor's office official," he still turned pale instantly, his scalp tingling and his back chilled.
Han E saw that the man was still smiling, his voice warm and mellow, but the content of his words made the young prince feel as if cold air was rising from the top of his head.
"Precisely because you are also a dead man, and you happen to be in the Great Li capital, and coincidentally not too old, I am having a few more words with you."
Han E was a genuine son of the imperial house. Where had he ever seen such a scene? Especially when his pillar of support, Liu Wenjin, was not by his side.
The youth tried desperately to show more courage, but sitting there, it was more than sitting on a bed of nails. He couldn't help trembling, shaking like a sieve.
The man said, "But I've just taken office. Before, I wasn't very familiar with Great Li military politics, especially the customs of Hanzhou and the internal affairs of Qiu—that's even more of a blind spot. After finishing my official business, I'll have a few words with you."
"Next, I ask, you answer? If you have questions, of course you can ask me. North of the great river, there are only a little over thirty vassal states that retain their kingdom titles. Qiu is a single-character state. As the suzerain, the Great Li court hasn't treated your Han family badly. It was State Preceptor Cui and Liu Qingfeng who deliberately wanted you all to jump out on your own. If it had been me, I might not have indulged you from the start."
Han E remained silent.
Chen Ping'an smiled, "Don't dare speak now that Liu Wenjin isn't by your side? Then I'll have this former spy of the old Baishuang dynasty brought here."
He said toward the door, "Bring Liu Wenjin here."
Soon, Han E saw Liu Wenjin.
The young woman was carrying a bloody severed head.
Chen Ping'an shook the rolled-up book in his hand, and she left with the head. Han E quickly covered his mouth, barely suppressing the urge to vomit.
Chen Ping'an shook his head and smiled slightly, "Not old, but good acting skills. You recognized my identity at first glance, but you played the part well. You just couldn't be sure if Chen Ping'an of Fallen Mountain was the new Great Li State Preceptor."
Han E's eyes suddenly sharpened. He wiped the corner of his mouth with his palm, slowly rose, bowed with his hands clasped, and said, "Han E of the vassal state pays respects to the Great Li State Preceptor."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "The State of Qiu is no longer a Great Li vassal. So your plan to gamble on a storm and gamble on becoming the new ruler of a vassal state has failed."
Han E abruptly raised his head, his face full of disbelief, "Does the State Preceptor truly intend to slaughter within Hanzhou, invade with troops, and kill the innocent indiscriminately?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "Right and wrong. I only kill those like you, who think that even if the border armies are decimated in war, you yourselves will not die."