Behind the hanging gauze curtains in the hall, a figure sat cross-legged like a dragon. The caisson ceiling above was painted with the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and by his side were powerful Grand Secretaries and Ministers.

At this moment, Renshou Palace was exceptionally quiet. Everyone was lost in thought due to the sudden turn of events, and for a time, no one dared to speak rashly.

Ordered to suppress the rebellion?

Could it be that His Majesty had long intended to eliminate the Wang family and weaken the Chen family? And so, he secretly issued an oral decree, ordering the Imperial Forest Army—a palace guard unit usually overlooked by everyone—to carry out this task in secret?

If that were the case, then the next step would be to condemn the Wang family, then implicate the Chen family through them, and finally bring down the Crown Prince’s faction?

Grand Secretary Chen sat on an embroidered stool, his eyes shining brightly as if trying to see through the Chen family’s illegitimate son before him. He observed Chen Ji’s calm and resolute face reflected on the smooth, mirror-like green bricks.

Grand Secretaries Xu, Qi, and Hu closed their eyes in deep thought, their thoughts unknown.

No one was willing to declare their stance.

Chen Ji remained quietly prostrate in Renshou Palace.

His master, Yao Qimen, once said that his destiny was “created in chaos, where rigidity and flexibility first meet and life is difficult, moving in danger.” When he asked what this meant, his master summarized it in seven words: “To be reborn from death’s door.”

Chen Ji was gambling.

He had gambled correctly.

A moment later, Grand Secretary Hu slowly spoke: “Your Majesty, may this old subject presume to ask, when did you issue this oral decree?”

Emperor Ning, seated calmly behind the gauze curtains, said: “Chen Ji, you tell Grand Secretary Hu.”

Chen Ji slowly replied: “A few days ago, this humble subject went to Tianqiao to watch wrestling and accidentally overheard that some common ruffians in the outer city intended to gather and rebel, and were even secretly hoarding bows and crossbows. I then informed Minister Zhang Zhuo of this matter. Afterwards, Minister Zhang, on behalf of His Majesty, issued an oral decree, instructing us to act covertly to investigate the rebels’ movements, so as not to alert them.”

Just as Grand Secretary Hu was about to speak, Zhang Zhuo interjected loudly: “Have you thoroughly investigated who the mastermind behind this is? Is it the Wang family?”

Chen Ji understood the implication and calmly replied: “During my investigation, I discovered that the ‘Dragon Head’ Wang Huan was backed by Minister Wang, the Prefect of Shuntian. Wang Huan has now confessed in the imperial prison, stating that the crossbows and the sworn assassins belong to the Wang family.”

Wu Xiu glanced at everyone, then turned and exited Renshou Palace from behind the imperial screen, hurrying off to an unknown destination.

The Vice Minister of War behind Grand Secretary Hu asked: “Wasn’t your Chen family the true mastermind behind the Wang family?”

Chen Ji glanced at him: “It has nothing to do with my Chen family.”

Grand Secretary Chen’s eyelids slightly lifted, and his clenched fist slowly relaxed a little.

The Vice Minister of War continued to ask: “If not the Chen family, then why did Chen Wenren appear in the Eight Great Hutongs? Was he not protecting the Wang family?”

Chen Ji calmly replied: “To answer this lord, Chen Wenren appeared in the Eight Great Hutongs because Li Xuan, the Commander of the Imperial Forest Army, held a personal grudge against Chen Wenren’s subordinate Deputy Commander, whom Li Xuan had executed during the Goryeo envoy case. It was unrelated to rebellion.”

The Vice Minister of War said in a deep voice: “Regardless of the reason, Chen Wenren unauthorizedly mobilized government troops and engaged in private armed combat. He should be flogged one hundred times and exiled to Lingnan. Otherwise, everyone in the army will follow suit, and military discipline will collapse!”

Grand Secretary Chen slowly rose, supporting himself with the embroidered stool, lifting the hem of his official robe, and knelt in Renshou Palace: “Your Majesty, this old subject is blind and deaf to the world, never knowing that a junior member of my family would be so reckless. I humbly beg Your Majesty for mercy, to permit this subject to resign. My only wish is to spend my remaining years teaching the young children of my clan to recite classics and understand right from wrong, thus not failing Your Imperial grace.”

Emperor Ning calmly said from behind the gauze curtains: “Chen Lizun, quickly help Grand Secretary Chen up! The burden of the Ministry of Revenue still rests on the Grand Secretary’s shoulders. If the Grand Secretary resigns, whom can I rely on? The Grand Secretary is only seventy-six; please continue to bear the burden for my Great Ning Empire.”

Chen Lizun quickly helped Grand Secretary Chen up.

At this moment, Wu Xiu emerged from behind the imperial screen, presenting a confession with a bloody handprint: “Your Majesty, this eunuch went to the imperial prison and retrieved Wang Huan’s confession. It is identical to what Chen Ji stated. Furthermore, he also confessed that the Wang family had secretly harbored bandits from Mount Taihang.”

“Oh?” Emperor Ning said casually: “There’s such a thing?”

Wu Xiu looked at the confession and said: “Chen Feng, a bandit from Mount Taihang, once gathered five hundred bandits, controlled official roads, and committed arson, murder, and plunder. Later, he was encircled and suppressed by the Everlasting Army. In the 27th year of Jianing, he secretly entered the capital and hid in Nianzi Hutong. Wang Chong, the Prefect of Shuntian, audaciously forged a household registration for him, changing his name to Chen Zhu. This Chen Zhu had long worked for the Heji group, serving as an executive officer there. A few days ago, fearing exposure, the Wang family silenced him by murder. His body is buried in the mass grave outside the city.”

Emperor Ning did not take the confession, merely waving his hand: “Let the Grand Secretaries see this confession. Immediately apprehend Wang Chong, the Prefect of Shuntian. Check if his home still conceals bows, crossbows, and armor. Arrest all individuals involved in this rebellion. The male members shall be publicly beheaded, and the female relatives sent to the Imperial Music Bureau.”

Having said this, he lowered his gaze to Grand Secretary Chen: “Grand Secretary Chen, as Chen Wangshi is a member of your Chen family, I shall not intervene. You may go back and discipline her thoroughly.”

Grand Secretary Chen cupped his hands: “This old subject obeys the decree. I thank Your Majesty for your grace.”

Grand Secretary Qi, who had remained silent throughout, suddenly reminded: “Your Majesty, Chen Ji and others have rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion.”

Emperor Ning was silent for a moment: “Issue the decree. Li Xuan is promoted to Commander of the Imperial Forest Army, a Senior Fourth Rank official, and granted a dragon-patterned sword. Qi Zhenzhuo is promoted to Director of the Imperial Forest Army, a Junior Fourth Rank official, and granted a qilin jade belt. Ensign Chen Ji is promoted to Captain of the Imperial Forest Army, a Senior Sixth Rank official. All others involved shall be promoted one rank.”

Wu Xiu bowed: “Yes.”

Emperor Ning rose from his throne: “Very well, today’s matters are concluded. If there is nothing else, you may return and rest early.”

Chen Ji suddenly looked up and said: “Your Majesty, Chen Wenren.”

Emperor Ning paused, and the various ministers in Renshou Palace also became solemn.

Emperor Ning stood behind the gauze curtains, a faint, unreadable smile on his face: “Issue the decree: Chen Wenren shall receive one hundred strokes of the rod and be exiled to Lingnan. All Imperial Forest Army soldiers under his command shall be demoted to common soldiers.”

Chen Ji, still prostrate, reminded: “Your Majesty, Lin Yanchu, Li Guang, and others under his command also followed this humble subject in suppressing the rebellion.”

Emperor Ning gazed at Chen Ji’s head for a long time: “Wu Xiu, go investigate who these people are, and do not wrong any meritorious subjects.”

Prince Fu, standing nearby, secretly gave Chen Ji a thumbs-up.

Before he could even smile, Emperor Ning said coldly: “Prince Fu has committed a lapse in court etiquette. He is fined three years of his stipend, and may not leave the capital without an imperial decree.”

Just as Prince Fu was about to kneel and wail, Emperor Ning said calmly: “It’s rare for you to visit the palace; go see your mother empress. Do not misbehave again.”

This time, Prince Fu sincerely knelt and kowtowed again: “Thank Your Majesty for your benevolent grace!”

He rose, facing the imperial throne, and slowly retreated out of Renshou Palace. Only after stepping over the threshold did he turn and stride away. Chen Ji, still prostrate, secretly looked back, and saw Prince Fu’s steps quicken, gradually breaking into a jog.

He hardly looked like a prince.

Only then, Grand Secretary Chen spoke, reminding: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is still waiting outside the palace.”

Emperor Ning looked at Wu Xiu: “Why has the Crown Prince come?”

Wu Xiu replied: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has come to plead for the Imperial Forest Army.”

Emperor Ning said indifferently: “Tell him to go back. It won’t be too late to plead for them once he understands the full story. The Imperial Forest Army doesn’t need him to save them.”

Wu Xiu bowed his head and acknowledged: “Yes.”

Emperor Ning shook the Sanchan bell beside him: “I am tired. You may all return and rest. We will discuss the Goryeo matter tomorrow.”

After Emperor Ning turned and went behind the imperial screen, the ministers stood motionless, all waiting for the Grand Secretaries to leave first.

Grand Secretary Qi slowly rose, and as he passed by Chen Ji, he said kindly: “My two boys from the Qi family will still need your diligent care.”

Chen Ji looked flattered: “Grand Secretary, you are too kind. It is Minister Li and Minister Qi who look after this humble officer.”

Grand Secretary Qi patted his shoulder: “I know their temperaments well. It’s certainly not a loss for that boy Qi Zhenzhuo to acknowledge you as his master. Tomorrow, my family is hosting a literary gathering, and we’ve invited the master from Yuanjue Temple and the head of Donglin Academy. You and your elder brother Chen Wenzong should come together.”

Chen Ji looked at Grand Secretary Chen and Chen Lizun. Chen Lizun nodded slightly.

Chen Ji cupped his hands to Grand Secretary Qi: “It would be disrespectful not to obey.”

“Young and accomplished, with boundless prospects,” Grand Secretary Qi turned and departed. The ministers looked at the ensign with unreadable expressions.

Grand Secretary Chen and Chen Lizun walked past Chen Ji. Chen Lizun instructed: “When you go back tonight, remember to ask the kitchen to prepare some food for you. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

Chen Ji hummed in agreement: “Thank you, Minister Chen.”

Renshou Palace gradually emptied. Zhang Zhuo waited until everyone had left before pulling Chen Ji to leave. As they passed the Crown Prince, he held Chen Ji firmly, preventing him from speaking with the Crown Prince.

Behind them, young eunuchs, holding long copper rods, extinguished the candles one by one. The magnificent palace gradually fell into darkness.

The light shining on the Crown Prince also slowly faded, until he was swallowed by the darkness.

Two young eunuchs walked ahead, carrying two palace lanterns. Chen Ji and Zhang Zhuo followed silently behind them.

As they passed through the solemn and desolate red walls and grey tiles, Chen Ji couldn’t help but look back towards Zhongcui Palace and Jingyang Palace, but his view was completely obstructed by a Jie Fan Tower.

Zhang Zhuo waited for him where he stood, only continuing forward after Chen Ji had finished looking.

The two exited the Meridian Gate, followed the palace road out the Duan Gate, and then out the Chengtian Gate. Walking along the long vermilion palace road was like emerging from a deep-sea vortex; that vortex tugged at everyone, requiring immense resolve to break free.

Zhang Zhuo turned his face to Chen Ji, teasingly saying: “You’re too audacious. What if His Majesty hadn’t agreed to your request? Wouldn’t you have been dragged out beyond the Meridian Gate for execution?”

Chen Ji looked at the night scenery of the capital: “Didn’t you, Minister Zhang, teach me all this?”

Zhang Zhuo chuckled heartily: “I certainly didn’t teach you to gamble with your life. Tell me, what gave you the confidence to bet that His Majesty would step forward to protect you?”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied: “Since ancient times, emperors have cared most about three things: silver, people, and who covets his throne. Everything else is secondary. His Majesty uses Grand Secretary Xu because he can help His Majesty earn silver. It’s the same principle for him empowering Minister Zhang now. I suppose Zhang Xia has already sent the Wang family’s silver to the imperial treasury. With silver, things become easier to negotiate.”

“Secondly, His Majesty views powerful aristocratic families as hidden threats. If someone hands him a knife, there’s no reason for him to refuse.”

There was another reason Chen Ji didn’t voice, but that was the most crucial.

Zhang Zhuo stood outside Chengtian Gate with his hands behind his back: “You’re right, but not entirely. Is sixty thousand taels a lot? Yes, it is. For the Ministry of Revenue, it’s ten days’ rations for border soldiers, requiring careful calculation. For the Ministry of War, it’s five hundred muskets and cannons. Among the common people, it’s a death warrant forged from the sweat and blood of farmers in eight counties. But for the Imperial Treasury, it’s nothing significant.”

Zhang Zhuo chuckled heartily: “There’s more than sixty thousand taels of silver behind this matter. The vacant position of the Prefect of Shuntian alone is worth sixty thousand taels of silver.”

Chen Ji asked curiously: “Is it that blatant?”

Zhang Zhuo squinted at him: “Do you know how the current Minister of Works got promoted? The year before last, he presented His Majesty with eighty thousand taels of ‘Longevity Gold,’ and shortly after, he was promoted to Minister of Works. Of course, few people respect him. And those eighty thousand taels of silver will only allow him to enjoy the minister’s position for three years.”

“Furthermore, regarding the confiscation of the Wang family’s assets: Wang Chong served as Prefect of Shuntian for nine years and secretly harbored bandits—he’s a fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered. The Jiefan Guard will surely squeeze him dry, and even his female relatives will fetch a good price in the Imperial Music Bureau.”

Chen Ji asked again: “Why did you, Minister Zhang, just now imply that I should stop at the Wang family? Wouldn’t it have been better to target the Chen family’s second branch?”

Zhang Zhuo irritably replied: “His Majesty doesn’t only care about silver. He also needs to keep the Chen family’s second branch to check the first branch. For years, Grand Secretary Chen has supported the Crown Prince, while the second branch has secretly curried favor with Prince Fu, already locked in bitter rivalry. If we were to help Grand Secretary Chen eliminate the second branch, he would probably wake up laughing in his dreams.”

Chen Ji mused: “That Prince Fu…”

Standing on Chang’an Avenue outside Chengtian Gate, Zhang Zhuo sighed with emotion: “Prince Fu is a smart man, much smarter than the Crown Prince, at least. If he had made even one mistake tonight, it would not have ended well for him.”

Chen Ji sincerely said: “I’d like to hear the details.”

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard: “Firstly, as it is said in The Doctrine of the Mean, ‘Utmost sincerity is like a divine power.’ For him, not lying before His Majesty is the way to preserve his life. Secondly, before entering the palace, he completely cleared out Fu Ruixiang without hesitation, honestly handing over all the silver. Thirdly, he acted boorishly and ruined his own image. Where in this world is there an emperor who loses composure? He was merely demonstrating that he had no ambition for the throne, effectively cutting off his own path to becoming Crown Prince. As for the Crown Prince, he has enough ruthlessness but lacks intelligence.”

Chen Ji nodded.

Zhang Zhuo looked at him: “You truly are ruthless. His Majesty didn’t even intend to bother with that fool Chen Wenren, yet you wanted to utterly destroy him. How dared you make such a request to His Majesty?”

Chen Ji seriously said: “Minister Zhang, people usually prefer those they have helped, rather than those who have helped them. Owing His Majesty a favor is not a bad thing.”

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily: “Finally, you’re acting like a true capital resident!”

He then changed the subject: “It’s just that with all this commotion you’ve caused, the outer city businesses won’t be earning much silver.”

Chen Ji turned to look: “How so?”

Zhang Zhuo casually said: “If you could have handled this matter yourself, then according to our previous agreement, my Zhang family would take five parts, and you would take the rest. But if you couldn’t handle it yourself and it came before the Emperor, then my Zhang family takes ninety percent, and you take ten percent. Of course, you must have guessed that this silver doesn’t come into my Zhang family’s hands; it goes directly to the imperial treasury. The Zhang family won’t take a single cent.”

Chen Ji hummed in agreement: “I’m not greedy. As long as I get some silver, that’s fine. Even if it’s only ten percent from the Eight Great Hutongs and Liulichang, it’s still a considerable amount.”

Zhang Zhuo looked at Chen Ji with interest: “Ninety percent of the territory you worked so hard to gain has been taken away, and you’re not angry?”

Chen Ji calmly replied: “Minister Zhang, the things I want to accomplish cannot be achieved by silver alone. I need the shade of a dense, sky-covering tree… By the way, that arrow tonight, His Majesty didn’t send someone to shoot it, did he?”

Zhang Zhuo chuckled: “What are you thinking? Why would His Majesty need to do something like that? He only needs to sit on his throne behind the gauze curtains, act as a competent arbiter, and wait for everyone to seek his judgment and decision. Power will naturally return to his hands. Lad, the so-called ‘art of the emperor’ is not that mysterious. His Majesty only needs to always be that superior arbiter, and he will already be invincible.”

Chen Ji suddenly understood.

That’s right, the judge never loses. He only needs to watch others contend for victory or defeat.

Zhang Zhuo patted his shoulder: “Let’s go. I’ll also be at the Qi family’s literary gathering tomorrow. We can talk then. How to handle the Goryeo envoys will be another headache.”

He walked towards the Zhang family’s carriage, stepped onto the small stool, and climbed inside. The carriage slowly departed along the blue brick road of Chang’an Avenue, disappearing among the undulating, continuous grey-tiled buildings.

Chen Ji gazed at the deserted, chilly Chang’an Avenue, rubbed his cheeks, and walked into the night.

In Baishun Hutong, within Baiyu Garden, Brother Pao and Duke Qi sat in a pavilion, playing chess.

Duke Qi looked at his general, doomed by a horse sacrifice thirteen moves ago, and fell into deep thought. Brother Pao, meanwhile, sat opposite him with his legs crossed, humming a tune.

Duke Qi looked up at Brother Pao: “Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover.”

Brother Pao scratched his scalp with his little finger, then turned to Second Blade: “Is this old geezer cursing at me?”

Second Blade honestly replied: “It’s a mix of praise and scolding.”

As they spoke, a man from the Sanshan Society ran in, and whispered into Duke Qi’s ear.

Duke Qi raised his eyebrows, and then his expression gradually grew serious.

Brother Pao didn’t wait for him to speak, but rose with a smile: “Second Blade, let’s go! We have a foothold in the capital now!”

Duke Qi was silent for a moment: “Liulichang and the Eight Great Hutongs can both be yours, but you must teach us the Mandarin Duck Formation in exchange.”

Brother Pao nodded: “Deal.”

Having said that, Brother Pao walked out of the pavilion.

Duke Qi asked curiously from behind him: “I hadn’t even said anything, yet you were so sure your reckless boss would get away unharmed?”

Brother Pao turned back and grinned: “Before I knew him, I didn’t really believe in him either, but now it’s your turn to get to know him. Perhaps you think we are reckless, but we are simply not very familiar with this place yet.”

Brother Pao walked out, waving casually to Duke Qi with his back turned:

“It’s fine, we’ll get familiar with it sooner or later.”

End of Volume 5, Prologue.