Wu Wangcheng felt as though he couldn’t breathe.
Shen Chen, worthy of being an old Minister of Personnel who had weathered the official seas for over sixty years, simply cast a quick glance at the Emperor seated behind the imperial desk.
Wen, of the Ministry of Works, was Shen Chen’s student. He lowered his head and took a sip of chilled plum soup, a unique treat for the small court assembly, which those with the family names of the Pillared Statesmen couldn’t enjoy.
Yan Yongfeng, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonials and current head of the Yan clan of Zizhao, was an exceptionally sharp-featured old man. His presence here was usually just a formality.
Ma Yuan, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stood up, pulled out a jade token from his waist, and moments later, a sand table model appeared in the imperial study. Miniature green buildings with golden characters indicating different governmental offices, Ma Yuan, as if “taking something from his pocket,” went from the Ministry of War office in Nanxunfang, alongside the Qianbu Corridor, opened a “Di” (Earth) treasury, found the “Hanzhou Chamber” within it, and then precisely located “Qiu State” from the chamber. Ma Yuan pointed at a prepared scroll on a desk, and the scroll appeared out of thin air in the imperial study, suspended in the air. Ma Yuan walked over and took it, looking towards the Emperor. Song He smiled, “Let the Imperial Tutor examine it first.”
Ma Yuan handed the scroll to Chen Ping’an. This Minister of Justice wasn’t in a hurry to return to his seat.
The archives of the Ministry of Justice, along with the shipyards building swordboats, were top-tier secrets of the Dali Dynasty.
Officials from other ministries wishing to consult secret records required layers of approval and strict scrutiny. Even within the Ministry of Justice, there were numerous rules and procedures that couldn’t tolerate the slightest mistake.
Although there were many rules, it didn’t mean things could be slow.
Abusing power for personal gain, intentionally delaying, seeking to collect informal fees by taking advantage, or using slightly more sophisticated methods, conducting interest exchanges only in the shadows? Or, having a bad mood that day, showing displeasure to someone and deliberately making things difficult for officials from other ministries? Or, being from different families or political factions, with superiors not getting along, and finally having the chance to make things difficult for someone temporarily under their purview, just to prove their loyalty and solidarity to their superiors afterward?
In the past, Cui Chan would regularly inspect such official documents every month, but this was merely the superficial “official routine.” The truth was, in the first three years, Cui Chan had been monitoring the every word and action of all officials in the various departments of the Ministry of Justice’s archives.
Human nature was unpredictable, but a person’s strong inertia could be trained.
After three years, Cui Chan brought out old accounts to settle all at once. Those who were rewarded were rewarded, those who were promoted were promoted, and there were many ways of punishment. Didn’t they like sitting on that chair and using power to the extreme?
First, take away your official cap, and don’t even think about achieving anything in your official career for the rest of your life. The path of officialdom was cut off right then and there.
Officials who recommended them were also demoted. Censors who didn’t find problems weren’t spared either. If they were descendants of good aristocratic families, various family hereditary privileges, such as spots in the Imperial College and the number of Zhuang fields, were proportionally reduced. If after deductions it still wasn’t enough to cover the penalty, they would find the family elders who were officials in the court. They would be reprimanded if necessary, their salaries reduced if necessary, and they would be ordered to resign and return home if necessary. As for what happened back at the official residence or the family shrine, that was a private matter behind closed doors. In any case, the specific reasons, reward and punishment regulations, and enforcement models were clearly written in the court gazette sent down to the prefectural and county levels.
I, Cui Chan, am a complete lone wolf. I have no Daoist lineage, no students or disciples in the strict sense, no family or descendants, no relatives or friends, no literati with shared interests, no acquaintances among fellow cultivators on the mountains. I don’t need to set up any private property, I don’t accept any court rewards, year after year, my annual salary is just one snowflake coin.
So, if your political views are different from mine, then you are wrong.
If there are different opinions on a specific matter, you can submit an official document. Cui Chan will personally review it. If there is a reply, it means there is something commendable. If there is no reply, it will be returned the same way, indicating it’s all nonsense. However, the envelope containing the official document will be stamped with the official seal of the Imperial Tutor’s dedicated office. Those with greater ability can even go directly to Cui Chan and argue face-to-face. One prerequisite is that your official resumes, both the one recommending you for discussion beyond your rank and the one you hold, can withstand scrutiny. The second is that those who personally bring you over, like the senior and junior Ninth Ministers, must guarantee that you won’t waste the precious time of the Imperial Tutor of a nation.
In the past, the only way the Embroidered Tiger relaxed was to leave that building where people followed the crowd, slowly walk out of the alley, and go to the city wall alone to look around.
The reason why Shen Chen and the other important ministers felt uncomfortable during this assembly was that the owner of the chair before, that Embroidered Tiger, whether in morning court or the small court assembly in the imperial study, discussed anything with anyone with almost no emotional fluctuation.
He would never express his emotions as straightforwardly as Chen Ping’an did today. Of course, in the last assembly, Chen Ping’an was more like the Embroidered Tiger.
So Chen Ping’an still shook his head and directly denied, “Imperial family, border army generals, aristocratic families, meritorious martial nobles, cultivators, jianghu figures, mountain and river spirits. A total of seven major categories. The Ministry of Justice has selected and recorded only ninety-three people. The number is too small, it must be supplemented.”
“The Ministry of Justice will go to the ‘Ren’ (Human) treasury again to search. Just look under categories like local gentry, hidden recluses in the countryside, etc. Start this immediately. Pay special attention to searching and collecting literati and scholars who are out of office, those who are writing books and biographies behind closed doors, forming societies and giving lectures. As long as it involves the Dali Dynasty’s politics and the perception of the border army, what they say, what they write on paper, good words or bad words, don’t miss any of it.”
Ma Yuan’s expression was strange, and his mood was extremely complex. Could it be that the Imperial Tutor had secretly gone in and wandered around? Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with the internal affairs of the various departments of the Ministry of Justice, listing them as if counting his family treasures?
More than ten young officials who were diligently working at their desks, writing rapidly, immediately stood up and began to search according to the clues, expertly flipping through and retrieving files located on different bookshelves. At the same time, another group of young officials were responsible for sorting, organizing, and recording the text. After all, this was information that would be “directly presented to the Heavenly Court” at the small court assembly in the imperial study, so it had to be precise and accurate, striving to provide the most content with the fewest words.
Glancing at the young Hidden Official’s subtle expression, Ma Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. His own Ministry of Justice still had a few promising individuals.
Of course, Chen Ping’an hadn’t played the role of a thief in the Ministry of Justice, but he was too lazy to explain anything.
As the Hidden Official who had independently completed the classification and re-archiving of all the materials from the Summer Resort and Winter Shelter palaces, this kind of skill came with practice. When a certain field of knowledge reached its peak, all changes returned to the fundamental principle. Just the number of slips of paper inserted into those scrolls amounted to tens of thousands.
Chen Ping’an said, “The six swordboats temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works will immediately ascend and be handed over to the Dali military to go to Hanzhou.”
“Furthermore, inform the Qiu State court in the form of a Ministry of War document to immediately withdraw the two border armies that have rebelled on their own.”
“Order the generals of Dali’s Han and Wei prefectures to immediately break camp and select a crack light cavalry force. The military commanders stationed at the border of Qiu State can make their own decisions.”
“The Ministry of Rites will issue an ultimatum to all mountain and river spirits within Hanzhou. They must all retreat to their temple golden bodies and await the Dali military’s orders. Those who dare to openly violate the prohibition recently will all be transformed into Yin shrines and their golden bodies shattered on the spot. At the same time, any clues or evidence of collusion between Qiu State officials and a certain country must be immediately reported to the Dali Ministry of Justice, and transmission by flying sword is permitted as an exception.”
“Within Hanzhou, including the three adjacent prefectures, all Dali civil and military officials, regardless of the method or means, will be thoroughly investigated. Those who have had any financial dealings with Qiu State in the past five years, even if it’s only one or two silver taels or a painting, must be recorded.”
As the Imperial Tutor’s “manual orders” were issued one by one.
In an instant, the imperial study became busy.
Shen Chen chuckled and asked, “Do we need to recall a group of Dali border troops of Qiu State origin from the Savage Desolation?”
Zhao Duanjin nodded, “This is feasible.”
Those who had followed the Dali iron cavalry to the Savage Desolation battlefield, regardless of their origin or official rank, shared a common identity: old soldiers.
Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “No need.”
Zhao Duanjin frowned slightly. Shen Chen, however, remained calm and said nothing.
Chen Ping’an continued, “The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice will immediately provide a detailed list of all Dali spies and dead soldiers placed in Qiu State under their jurisdiction, their current identities, where they are hiding, and their archived intelligence from previous years. In addition, provide a list of those Qiu State military officers and captains who have participated in the Dali border army and the battles of the secondary capital, as well as mid-level Qiu State civil officials. Have the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice clearly marked their attitudes towards the Dali Dynasty, whether they are benevolent, neutral, or malicious?”
Wu Wangcheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, nodded and said, “The Ministry of War has all of this! Not only that, but we also have corresponding evaluations of the attitude shifts of Qiu State civil and military officials who are neutral, and detailed records of the personal character and preferences of officials who appear to deeply hate our Dali on the surface.”
Ma Yuan, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was speechless, but still said truthfully in a loud voice, “The Ministry of Justice does not currently have this measure.”
Chen Ping’an did not reprimand the Ministry of Justice for this, but instead 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 discussion record to the Imperial Tutor’s office.”
Wu Wangcheng nodded. Ma Yuan was clearly somewhat surprised.
Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment and said, “That small-scale discussion, plus the officials from the Ministry of Revenue, will be sufficient. There’s no need for the three heads of the Ministry of Revenue to be present. An Assistant Director is enough. It’s easy to make Qiu State behave. The difficult part is how to clean up the subsequent mess. We’ll definitely need the Ministry of Revenue to spend some money. Just keep an eye on those powerful eunuchs who like money, mountain immortals and jianghu experts. As for those Qiu State civil and military officials who have been squeezed out of power by factional struggles, severely ostracized by their official colleagues, and are generally frustrated, don’t let them off either. Give money to those who want money, give official positions to those who want official positions, and give fame to those who want fame. At most, in five or six years, or at most ten years, we will help this single-character vassal state to replace all of them with capable and honest officials who are loyal to the suzerain state.”
“This is just one of a series of measures to clean up the mess. I will write something soon, specifically on how to ‘clean up the mess’, and send copies to officials who are eligible to attend the small court assembly. I also hope everyone will respond quickly at that time, without limitation, the more the merrier. It’s best to form a regular court precedent so that similar matters can be handled in due course in the future.”
Chen Ping’an shifted his gaze and asked, “Your Majesty, shall I go to the Qianbu Corridor to discuss the specific matters with the heads of the Ministry of War and Justice?”
Song He said, “The Imperial Tutor does not need to move. We can discuss here. If the Imperial Tutor feels it would be more effective there, I can go with you.”
Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment and said, “Then let’s handle this matter at the Imperial Tutor’s official residence.”
Song He stood up and smiled, “I happen to be able to show the Imperial Tutor around there.”
Chen Ping’an stood up and suddenly asked, “Does the Imperial Tutor’s office have similar arrangements?”
Song He couldn’t help but laugh, “Yes, it’s even more spacious than the imperial study.”
Chen Ping’an said in a low voice, “This senior brother of mine is not afraid of overstepping.”
The officials who were still afraid to laugh out loud even after the Emperor spoke, burst into laughter upon hearing the Imperial Tutor expose himself.
Chen Ping’an looked at the taciturn, sharp-featured old man, Yan Yongfeng, Minister of the Court of State Ceremonials, and said, “Later, send someone to bring Han E and Liu Wenjin to wait outside the Imperial Tutor’s office. Also, have Yan Jiaoran come over, I need to discuss something with him.”
Yan Yongfeng nodded.
Chen Ping’an said, “Have Cao Gengxin and Zhao Yao come as well.”
Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice and Cao Gengxin of the Ministry of Personnel, two young and promising Vice Ministers, were naturally qualified to attend the small court assembly. However, there was something they needed to discuss today. According to protocol, the small court assembly in the imperial study could be attended by the senior Ninth Ministers, including the Six Ministers, as well as the junior Ninth Ministers, the head of the宗人府 (Zongrenfu – Imperial Clan Court), and the general responsible for the security of the capital area, etc. However, their attendance wasn’t mandatory for every session. Some small court assemblies could be attended by a Minister while others could “take leave” and be absent.
Wu Wangcheng of the Ministry of War was naturally a rising star in the officialdom, highly favored by the court. Coupled with the fact that the old Minister Shen Chen was too old, humorously called an “old man who breathes in more than out” by Cao Ping, the two Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War were responsible for different matters. Xu Wu, the left Vice Minister, responsible for coordinating specific military affairs with the Savage Desolation, simply set up a bedroll in the office, while Wu Wangcheng, responsible for domestic military affairs, had to attend every small court assembly every day.
For example, today, Xu Wu needed to discuss military secrets with Yan Jiaoran of the Yan clan of Zizhao in the office.
Don’t think that because Wu Wangcheng came from a battlefield background, he was some kind of uncouth person. They were all survivors who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Among the few Pillared State families in the Dali Dynasty, Guan Yiran, the legitimate eldest great-grandson of the old Minister of Personnel, Guan Yingche, of the Guan clan in Yunzai Commandery, Yi Prefecture, currently held a low official position, only serving as a Langzhong (Director) of the Ministry of Revenue’s Department of Clean Administration. He still had several steps to climb before being able to participate in the small court assembly. Several of his family elders were merely minor officials in some unimportant departments among the junior Ninth Ministers.
The family of Empress Yu Mian, a Pillared State family, was jokingly referred to as the “Horse Dung Yu clan” in court and in the countryside. They had no officials in the capital, but they were highly respected in the Dali border army.
Pillared Statesman Yuan Chong, courtesy name Yunshui, had a thin, scholarly appearance. He was the father of Yuan Zhengding, the Governor of Hongzhou.
Pillared Statesman Cao Qiao, of imposing stature, was the elder brother of the Circuit Commissioner Cao Ping. Cao Qiao was also the father of Cao Gengxin, the Vice Minister of Personnel.
In Dali official circles, there had always been the saying, “Yuan and Cao do not walk the same path.”
Su Gaoshan, Cao Ping, and including others, there were currently a total of six military officers in the Dali Dynasty who had obtained the title of Circuit Commissioner. Only four of them were still alive.
The title of Pillared Statesman could be hereditary, but Circuit Commissioner could not.
It was rumored that there were currently eight promotion charts in the Dali Dynasty, which were essentially eight official promotion routes, some explicit and some implicit.
Similarly, the Yan clan of Zizhao, also a Pillared State family, although the current head was Yan Yongfeng, the person who truly managed affairs was the man behind the scenes, Yan Jiaoran. He was responsible for allocating, supervising, and deciding the promotions and demotions of all military cultivators in the entire Dali Dynasty.
It was a pity for that great general Su Gaoshan, who came from a humble background. He was the first person in the Dali Dynasty to obtain the title of Circuit Commissioner and died on the battlefield.
It was said that Vice Minister Wu Wangcheng, as a trusted general of Prince Luo Song Mu, was promoted to the capital’s Ministry of War because he, like Circuit Commissioner Su, came from a grassroots background. The central government of the Dali Dynasty needed several pillar figures with such backgrounds.
Having an elder at home is like having a treasure.
The same principle applies to a country’s court.
Chen Ping’an helped the old Minister Shen to his feet and walked out of the imperial study. It wasn’t far from the Qianbu Corridor, nor was it close.
Emperor Song He had some temporary matters and went to another place with the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
As the biggest official enthusiast of Fallen Leaf Mountain, the marten hat girl clicked her tongue in amazement. These were the officials with the highest positions in Bottle-Necked Continent.
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “How was the discussion about publishing books with woodblock printing?”
Xie Gou said irritably, “I learned from the old gentleman that you can engrave and sell books yourself as long as you have some money in your pocket. How boring.”
Chen Ping’an simply smiled.
Shen Chen asked, “Does the Imperial Tutor need a set of ordinary official clothes?”
Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “No need, it’s too awkward. Just like Imperial Tutor Cui.”
Shen Chen asked again, “No ordinary official clothes, what about court attire for grand ceremonies and celebrations?”
Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, “I definitely need two sets of court attire. What, do I have to pay for this myself?”
Shen Chen smiled and said, “The Ministry of Revenue isn’t that stingy.”
Chen Ping’an asked, “I haven’t asked, what is the Imperial Tutor’s salary?”
Shen Chen smiled and said, “If the Imperial Tutor is still ‘as before,’ it’s one snowflake coin.”
Chen Ping’an said, “That’s quite a bit.”
Shen Chen said, “It’s not monthly salary, it’s annual salary.”
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Not much.”
Shen Chen gently patted the back of the young Imperial Tutor’s hand and said with a chuckle, “I can still walk, just slower.”
The clacking sound of the crutch echoed on the ground.
The slender rattan cane in the old man’s hand looked particularly sturdy.
Chen Ping’an released his hand and gave Wu Wangcheng behind him a look.
Wu Wangcheng quickly stepped in to help the old minister in place of the Imperial Tutor. Shen Chen did not refuse, but his words were not very appreciative, “Is Vice Minister Wu in such a hurry to become a Minister, hinting to the Imperial Tutor that I am corrupt and have one foot in the grave?”
Wu Wangcheng was indeed meticulous, but he was clumsy with words and didn’t know how to respond.
Shen Chen smiled and said, “When leading troops in battle, as long as your sword and horse are not clumsy, that’s enough. Imperial Tutor, isn’t that right?”
Chen Ping’an said, “Just now in the imperial study, Vice Minister Wu was just one step slower and couldn’t compete with me.”
Wu Wangcheng was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
Shen Chen said slowly, “Generally speaking, there are only two situations for rebellion. Either the common people outside the yamen feel they truly cannot live anymore, and people eating people on the streets is no longer a metaphor. Or rebellious officials and traitors want to usurp the throne and experience the life of an emperor. As for Qiu State, I can’t quite figure it out.”
“During the discussion in the imperial study today, at first, there was no disagreement among those present regarding the Imperial Tutor’s decision to use troops against Qiu State. It’s just that the Imperial Tutor’s presence was overwhelming, so they didn’t dare to say anything. The mountain guest had just entered the Fourteenth Realm, who would dare to say anything. As the discussion goes deeper, they will probably get the general idea. Each and every one of them has been influenced by their elders since childhood, and by the time they become high officials, they are all old hands who are used to adapting to circumstances. Since they are oily, no matter how the wind blows and the waves crash, the oil slick will never sink into the water.”
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I have a plan.”
Shen Chen said, “Do you really have a plan? Are you also aware of some of the unfilial descendants and relatives in my hometown who have been domineering and exploiting the common people in recent years?”
After Imperial Tutor Cui Chan resigned and before Chen Ping’an took office, the Dali Dynasty, which occupied half of the country, was truly vast, and Bottle-Necked Continent was no longer at war.
Chen Ping’an said, “Since old Minister Shen has a plan, I have an even better one. I was indeed going to take action against those corrupt officials in the Shen family. However, old minister, you don’t have to deliberately do this to help me start my tenure with three fires. You can just write a letter and send it back. Firstly, the old minister is old, and I still need to discuss the matter of Shen Chen’s posthumous title with His Majesty in advance. The Ministry of Rites is not qualified to make suggestions. Furthermore, if I really want to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, I will definitely choose a few bigger ones. Small skirmishes are meaningless.”
Shen Chen frowned and said, “Is Zhao Yao from the Ministry of Justice going to make a big move?”
Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “I told Zhao Yao before that if he investigates, he must investigate thoroughly. There is no statute of limitations for time, and no ceiling for people. Whoever is involved is involved, and if they are related by blood or marriage, it means they have failed to educate their subordinates properly.”
Shen Chen hesitated to speak.
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I will keep things in proportion. I learned to read people’s expressions and colors since I was a child. The food from a hundred families is not easy to eat.”
Shen Chen also smiled and said, “Is it that the taste of the food from a hundred families is bad, or that it’s not easy to get the food from a hundred families?”
Chen Ping’an said, “It tastes good on the tongue. Being able to eat a full meal is the greatest flavor. But it feels bad in my heart.”
Shen Chen said, “The Imperial Tutor should also take care of His Majesty’s mood appropriately.”
Chen Ping’an said, “Definitely.”
Shen Chen asked, “Do you think His Majesty has something important to attend to, or is he just pretending?”
Chen Ping’an said, “It doesn’t matter.”
Shen Chen looked up at the sun, which wasn’t too high yet, like a golden bead embedded in azure glass.
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Fortunately, no one said something like, why bother making such a fuss and wasting national resources? Why doesn’t the Imperial Tutor just go to Hanzhou personally? Or why not just let a guest cultivator draw their sword?”
Shen Chen said, “Certainly not in the small court assembly, but perhaps in the morning court. It’s not that they aren’t afraid of you, but in officialdom, there are always some ‘scout’ figures who are pushed out to test the depth of one’s tolerance and the bottom line of one’s actions.”
After a moment of silence, Shen Chen asked, “In Hanzhou, are we going to sweep the battlefield with swordboats, and then send two light cavalry forces directly to the capital of Qiu State?”
Chen Ping’an answered with a question, saying, “Old Minister, why do you think there won’t be such people in the small court assembly?”
Shen Chen smiled.
The young Imperial Tutor and the old Minister talked casually, but it sent chills down Wu Wangcheng’s spine.
He wanted to leave quickly or cover his ears. Wasn’t he still helping the old minister?
Shen Chen said, “When I was young and impetuous, I resigned impulsively. Besides calling him Cui Chan a foreigner, I also cursed him, the Imperial Tutor of Dali, for deliberately calculating his salary with immortal coins, what was he pretending? Actually, I cursed a lot, but my accent was heavy at the time, and there were some local dialects that the officials in the capital couldn’t understand.”
“When I guessed that he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, haha, at that time, Nascent Soul cultivators in Bottle-Necked Continent were indeed well-deserved old mountain immortals. I got angry again. Since he is the Imperial Tutor and personally reshaped the Dali border army, those battles were so tragic, why didn’t he take action? So, if I were a few decades younger, I would really ask those two questions face-to-face in today’s small court assembly.”
“Now, I won’t.”
To survive in officialdom, besides being capable and doing practical things, one must be oily, patient, and ruthless. Of course, good official luck is also important.
Shen Chen sighed, “Cultivation in the official world is difficult, amidst the turbulent waves of officialdom.”
Chen Ping’an clasped his hands in his sleeves and said calmly, “Amidst the ups and downs of officialdom, the waves are treacherous, but suddenly a peak rises high, only then do you know that stillness is the true mountain.”
Shen Chen stopped, shook his arm, and motioned for Wu Wangcheng to let go. The old minister smiled and said, “Imperial Tutor, let Vice Minister Wu attend the discussion. I won’t go the long way to the Imperial Tutor’s office. I need to go back and take a nap.”
Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, “The first Dali office I will visit next will definitely be the main hall of the Ministry of War.”
Shen Chen whispered, “Regarding the posthumous title, Imperial Tutor, please say a few good words for me before His Majesty and give me a high evaluation.”
Chen Ping’an smiled slightly and said, “I will certainly act justly.”
Shen Chen struck Wu Wangcheng heavily with his rattan cane, “Still not moving? Lead the way for the Imperial Tutor! It’s time to go!”
Wu Wangcheng led Chen Ping’an to the separate office specially set up for the Imperial Tutor, also near the Qianbu Corridor.
The most important offices in the capital were gathered on both sides of the Qianbu Corridor, in Nanxunfang and Kejia Alley.
Apart from these were the cold corners and unpopular positions in officialdom. Of course, those who dared to think this way usually came from Yi Chi Alley and Chi’er Street.
His Majesty the Emperor had truly important matters, but he went to the inner court to see Empress Yu Mian. These were domestic affairs, but the Son of Heaven’s domestic affairs were state affairs.
The Embroidered Tiger, Imperial Tutor Cui Chan, had once walked with the Crown Prince Song He, whose real name was Song Mu, through the bustling and prosperous capital city.
He told the young man what “imperial temperament,” which was often written about in historical records and often privately discussed by officials, truly meant. It wasn’t about deliberately acting strange and callous, making it difficult for officials to guess all his thoughts. Nor was it about being overly magnanimous, indecisive, and tolerant.
The essence lay solely in the word “deep.” Being able to hold many things, including anger and grievances, deep in one’s heart, and then… kill them!
Walking on the road, listening to the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial talk about the mountain and river travelogue, the Emperor smiled and said, “Did you have a congenial chat with that Miss Xie, the second in command of Fallen Leaf Mountain?”
The old eunuch immediately said, “It was this old servant’s violation of rules.”
The Emperor waved his hand and asked curiously, “Did she deliberately chat with you, was it a tactic, or was she sincere?”
Although the old eunuch had a conclusion in his heart, he still said, “This old servant does not know.”
The Emperor stretched his arms a few times, shook his head, and puffed out his chest. In fact, he was in a good mood.
The Dali Imperial Tutor’s office was actually an official residence, but Cui Chan never stayed here overnight, returning to that small alley every evening.
Reasonably speaking, the evaluations of officials in the capital and in the localities were of paramount importance for ensuring the orderly operation of the country’s government. However, Imperial Tutor Cui Chan, after being solely responsible for the first ten years, handed it over to the Ministries of Personnel and Rites to take turns managing, with the other two offices assisting as a routine. Only the self-inspection of the Censors, as part of the court’s evaluation, was never a mere formality in Cui Chan’s hands. It was always personally overseen by the Imperial Tutor’s office.
At the official residence with three courtyards, in the side rooms of the second courtyard, there were over thirty literary secretaries handling government affairs. Hence, it was known as the Small Imperial Academy of the Dali Dynasty.
The “gatekeepers” were two young women in their early twenties. They were pure martial artists, reportedly orphans of two military officers.
Chen Ping’an and Wu Wangcheng went directly to the main hall for discussion. About half an hour later, the heads of the various ministries went back to their respective residences.
The six swordboats had already arrived at the border of Qiu State in Hanzhou. They were like six seas of clouds, casting enormous shadows on the ground.
Two crack cavalry forces, fully clad in talisman armor, were also on their way. On the official road in Hanzhou, the iron armor glittered, and dust was flying.
The one large and one small person “invited” here by the Court of State Ceremonials had waited outside the office gate for a full hour.
They hadn’t seen any layers of checkpoints, heavily guarded armed soldiers along the way. Standing outside the gate, no one paid attention to them.
The young prince, Han E, who should have been enfeoffed as a prince, stood blankly under the sun.
Beside him, Liu Wenjin, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Qiu State, was in his prime, standing straight with a poker face.
The prince was first led by a resolute and heroic young woman to a side room in the third courtyard, which resembled the study of a well-off family in the capital of Qiu State.
She turned around and left silently, leaving only the young man.
The room was slightly empty. Light filtered through the windows, sticking to the green brick floor. Countless dust particles could be seen floating lightly in the sunlight in the air.
Was this where that Embroidered Tiger, Imperial Tutor Cui Chan, had presided over the state affairs of Dali back then?
Who had sat on those chairs that were used to receive guests, now empty?
Han E, breathing rapidly, steadied himself and could only observe the scene in the room with his peripheral vision. He didn’t dare to turn his head, fearing that the owner of the room would casually find an excuse, such as spying on Dali’s intelligence. History books had written about such stories.
A warm voice emerged from the room, “Come in.”
The young man quickly lowered his head and stepped over the threshold. He raised his head and looked towards the row of bookshelves reaching the ceiling along the wall, following the sound.
The man had a jade hairpin in his hair, wore a long green gown, cloth shoes, and had a gentle expression. He smiled and said, “Imperial Tutor Cui’s study is elsewhere. This is newly arranged.”
Perhaps the young prince had imagined countless scenarios on the way here: the thunderous rage of someone from the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Rites of Dali, sharp words, or even flashing swords and rolling heads, either his own, or Minister Liu’s, or perhaps both heads falling together.
But he had never imagined it would be such a quiet and peaceful place, so Han E felt a bit lost.
However, the man was not wearing Dali official clothes, but more like a frustrated teacher who had failed the imperial examinations.
The man asked, “Han E, did you come here willingly as a hostage, or were you forced to?”
Han E answered without hesitation, firmly, “Of course I came willingly!”
Chen Ping’an, with the book tucked under his arm, dragged two chairs to the window and said, “Sit down and chat. Tell me, why did you come here willingly.”
Han E dared not sit down casually and tentatively asked, “May I know your name, sir?”
Why could this person appear here? Was he an important official who was not as he seemed, a descendant of a Pillared State family with high hopes placed upon him? Or was he a close attendant or dead soldier of Imperial Tutor Cui Chan, skilled in maintaining his appearance? Is that why he could occupy a room alone? Or was he a Dali literary secretary temporarily handling miscellaneous affairs here?
Moreover, books often featured white-clad strategists who hid behind the scenes, devising schemes, planning and directing the affairs of the nation, and leaving after the matter was concluded.
There were various rumors about the whereabouts of the Embroidered Tiger, all very mysterious. Han E had heard so many of them in the Qiu State palace that his ears were calloused.
Chen Ping’an simply said, “Han E, do you know that Qiu State is going to have a war again? War means many people will die.”
Han E was puzzled. Weren’t these two sentences nonsense? But then he thought that the other party was very likely a trusted subordinate of Imperial Tutor Cui, and he felt that these two sentences held a profound meaning, which he couldn’t understand for the time being.
The man said, “Of course, among the dead, you and that Minister Liu Wenjin, who is bent on leaving his name in history, are included.”
Even though Han E had long known his fate, when he heard this from the mouth of a “Dali Imperial Tutor’s Office official,” his face instantly turned pale, his scalp tingled, and chills ran down his spine.
Han E saw that the man still had a smile and a warm voice, but the content of his words made the young prince feel as if a chill was running straight up his head.
“Precisely because you are also a dead man, and you happen to be in the capital of Dali, and coincidentally not very old, I will talk to you a bit more.”
Han E was, after all, a genuine noble. He had never seen such a scene, especially without his main support, Liu Wenjin, by his side.
The young man tried his best to appear braver, but sitting there, he was not just on pins and needles, he couldn’t help but tremble, shaking like a sieve.
The man said, “However, I just became an official and I’m not very familiar with Dali’s military and government affairs, especially the local customs of Hanzhou and the internal affairs of Qiu State, so I was even more in the dark. I’m done with official business, so I’ll chat with you for a bit.”
“Next, I’ll ask and you answer? If you have questions, you can certainly ask me. There are only over thirty vassal states north of the Great Canal that retain their vassal state title, and Qiu State is still a single character. As the suzerain state, the Dali court has treated your Han clan not too badly. It’s just that Imperial Tutor Cui and Liu Qingfeng deliberately wanted you to jump out yourselves. If it were me, I might not have indulged you from the beginning.”
Han E remained silent.
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Liu Wenjin is not by your side, so you don’t dare to speak? I’ll invite this spy from the former Old White Frost Dynasty here.”
He spoke towards outside the room, “Bring Liu Wenjin here.”
Soon, Han E saw Liu Wenjin.
The young woman was carrying a bloodied head in her hand.
Chen Ping’an shook the rolled-up book in his hand, and she left with the head. Han E quickly covered his mouth, almost throwing up.
Chen Ping’an shook his head and smiled, “You’re not old, but you have good acting skills. You clearly recognized my identity at first glance, but you pretended quite well. However, you still can’t be sure whether Chen Ping’an of Fallen Leaf Mountain is the new Imperial Tutor of Dali?”
Han E’s eyes suddenly became sharp. He wiped the corners of his mouth with the palm of his hand, slowly stood up, bowed his head, and said, “Vassal Han E greets the Imperial Tutor of Dali.”
Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Qiu State is no longer a vassal of Dali. So your idea of seeking wealth and glory in danger and betting on becoming a new vassal king has fallen through.”
Han E suddenly looked up, his face full of disbelief. “Is the Imperial Tutor really going to kill wantonly in Hanzhou, enter the country with troops, and slaughter innocent people?”
Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “Yes and no. I only kill those of you who think that even after a war and the border army is wiped out, you yourselves won’t die.”