Chapter 200: 135. What I, the Emperor, bestow upon you is yours. If I don’t give it, you can’t take it. (4K Large Chapter)_2
Like his previous ceremonial killing weapon, the Faction was a convenient label; as long as the Emperor wished, he could use it to charge his ministers with crimes. However, the brilliance of Emperor Tiande was that he did not punish Yu Ci, nor did he directly deal with his Faction members. Instead, he deflected the conflict, letting Yu Ci, the Faction leader, punish his own followers.
If Yu Ci acted, their Aristocratic Families’ Faction would become alienated and demoralized, inevitably collapsing.
But if he did not act, he would be admitting to forming a Faction. Then, his words of loyalty, with the Faction’s backing, would become "words of forcing the palace."
With Emperor Tiande’s prestige, it would not be difficult to kill all the ministers in the hall. But such reckless behavior would be tantamount to destroying the political ecology of Fengxi Country, with endless disastrous consequences.
In other words, Xu Xing, Emperor Tiande, had the ability to overturn the table entirely.
But Xu Xing chose to sit at the Chessboard and play chess with them, his ministers. And he played far more brilliantly than they did.
Undoubtedly, the latter approach was more masterful.
Yu Ci took a deep breath, his mind made up.
Better my Daoist friends die than I! he thought grimly. If I contradict Emperor Tiande now... it won’t just be my death. It will be the death of my entire Yu family.
"Your Majesty is right..." Yu Ci first agreed with Xu Xing’s words, then skillfully changed the subject, "However, not all the officials who supported my remonstrance are chaotic ministers and thieves. As the Minister of Criminal Justice, I implore Your Majesty to allow the Court of Judicial Review and the Inspectorate to cooperate with me in handling this case, with the Three Law Divisions conducting a joint trial..."
Emperor Tiande had just declared them *all* to be chaotic ministers and thieves. My current rebuttal isn’t truly opposing him, but rather grounding his words in reality. We can’t actually throw all these officials into the Sky Prison; the Central Axis, the Six Ministries, and the various departments would cease to function. As for who is truly guilty, His Majesty need only add or remove names from a list later.
"Permitted!" Xu Xing declared. "Let it be reviewed by the Three Law Divisions. In seven days, I want to see the results of your judgment." He nodded, agreeing to Yu Ci’s request.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
"We thank Your Majesty for your grace!"
Hearing this, the officials kneeling behind Yu Ci hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude.
Everyone hopes for a lucky break. In this major case, Xu Xing has placed the matter in the hands of their Faction leader. Although they could see this was intended to make them turn on each other, to receive such a handling was already a blessing in their misfortune. Surely Faction leader Yu Ci... wouldn’t resort to mass killings against them. Even if there were punishments, they probably wouldn’t be too severe.
Once the pronouncements were made, the two rows of Court Ranks automatically parted, creating a wide path for Xu Xing.
As Xu Xing walked towards the Dragon Chair, Xu Zhang and Zhao Yunniang, who were seated below it, rose in turn to pay their respects.
"Your son pays his respects to Father Emperor," Xu Zhang said.
"Your concubine pays her respects to Your Majesty," Zhao Yunniang followed.
They dared not show the slightest neglect.
After seating himself, Xu Xing addressed the assembled officials, "Return to your positions. Until the Three Law Divisions’ review is complete, you all remain officials of the Imperial Court." He waved his hand, signaling them not to be so tense.
A sword still in its scabbard is the most intimidating, Xu Xing mused. I won’t deal with these "treacherous and rebellious" officials right now. Instead, I’ll let Yu Ci and his Faction loose to implicate others and muddy the waters of the entire Court. A monolithic Imperial Court is difficult to tackle. But with Yu Ci taking the lead, unraveling things thread by thread will make it much easier to purge the Court.
As for Gongyang Yi, I can’t trust him completely either. A minister who betrays his master once will do it again. Gongyang Yi might even have had a hand in Yu Ci’s current rebellion. Scholars... their minds are devious. And scholar-officials, their minds are even more so. Li Si was a loyal minister when Emperor Qinshihuang was alive. But after Emperor Qinshihuang passed away, Li Si was no longer loyal.
"Long live Your Majesty! May you reign for ten thousand years!"
Once Xu Xing was seated on the Dragon Chair, the former ministers of Mount Siming, led by Gongyang Yi, were the first to pay homage.
Minor matters were discussed in small meetings; grand court assemblies were never the place for deliberating on crucial affairs.
Thus, after addressing Yu Ci’s Faction and hearing a few reports from Gongyang Yi, the day’s grand court assembly concluded around mid-morning.
After leaving the Ziwei Palace, Gongyang Yi waited for a long time at the entrance to the hall, but no eunuch came bearing an imperial edict for him.
"Senior Official," one of his Faction members, a scarlet-robed official standing beside him, frowned and whispered, "His Majesty has returned but hasn’t summoned you to the palace. I fear..."
Such subtle omissions were how signals were sent within the palace, Gongyang Yi thought. With Emperor Tiande’s methods, and with the Empress likely by his side to remind him, it’s impossible that he simply forgot to summon me for an audience to discuss matters of state.
"Wait!" Gongyang Yi declared, his voice firm. "Keep waiting!"
He walked to the railing of the Ziwei Palace’s veranda, gazing down at the sprawling Imperial Palace beneath the Ninefold Terrace.
Scenes from his first encounters with Xu Xing replayed in his mind. Mount Siming and Heyang Mountain had been rivals. Monk Shang had rejected his superior and moderate strategies, opting only for the inferior one. He, who believed a counselor who didn’t look out for his own interests wasn’t a truly capable one, had then gone to Mount Siming and pledged allegiance to Xu Xing, his Ming Gong.
In a flash, sixteen years had passed. For twelve of those years, he had served the Xu Family’s dominion with utmost diligence. However, the taste of power was too intoxicating. He had deliberately allowed Yu Ci to stir up trouble, partly to test if his Ming Gong was still of this world.
The Immortal Path... So, the sharp sword that had been dangling over his head had finally fallen.
Just then, a junior eunuch approached, respectfully holding a fine sable coat. "Senior Official Gongyang," the eunuch said, "This is a sable coat bestowed upon you by His Majesty. I was ordered to bring it. His Majesty said that Autumn will be here soon, and you should have this ready, lest you catch a chill."
"It’s still the height of summer!" one of Gongyang Yi’s Faction members exclaimed angrily. "Why would the Senior Official need a sable coat now?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. It wasn’t the Empress regent anymore, who needed Gongyang Yi as Grand Secretary to control the Court. Flattering Gongyang Yi and slighting the Empress might have been acceptable then, but with Emperor Tiande back, such an outburst was suicidal. His mind hadn’t adjusted quickly enough!
"A sable coat, is it?" Gongyang Yi murmured, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "Yes, a sable coat is good..."
He understood the message. Shaking his head with a self-deprecating sneer, he took the sable coat from the junior eunuch, draped it over his shoulders, and, steadying himself with the railing, began his descent from the hall.
He had just exited the Palace City, not yet having reached his sedan chair, when his eyes closed, and he collapsed, overcome by the heat.
"Senior Official! Senior Official!" The housekeeper from Gongyang Mansion rushed forward, frantically pinching Gongyang Yi’s philtrum.
「Meanwhile, in a side hall of the Ziwei Palace.」
Xu Xing sat on the main seat, Zhao Yunniang beside him. Crown Prince Xu Zhang stood in the center of the hall, his shoulders trembling slightly. The surrounding eunuchs and palace maids were deathly silent, not daring to even glance at the tense scene.
"Father Emperor..." Xu Zhang’s throat was dry, a wave of indignation rising within him. "Your son... did your son do something wrong?"
Since entering the hall, his father had only made him stand there, not uttering a single word. It was as if he, the Crown Prince, was a foundling, of no consequence.
Finally, he could bear it no longer.
"I heard from your mother that you wish to assume full governing powers?" Xu Xing’s elbow rested on the table, his body leaning slightly forward. His towering presence bore down on Xu Zhang.
"I am not dead yet," Xu Xing said, his voice cold, "and you’re already thinking of seizing my power?" He let out a chilling sneer.
As his father’s words landed, Xu Zhang could no longer withstand the pressure. He collapsed to his knees, trembling.
Even though he was Xu Xing’s only son, Xu Zhang dared not act presumptuously before him. Previously, when ignorant of his father’s true pursuits, he had held himself in high regard. But now, knowing Xu Xing had been seeking the Immortal Path, all his pride had crumbled to dust.
It wasn’t that his father *could* only have one son. It was that his father hadn’t wanted to expend the energy on siring more.
"What I bestow upon you is yours," Xu Xing said, sitting upright again, his expression calm as he spoke slowly. "If I do not give it, you cannot seize it. With your current capabilities, you are far inferior to me, your father. You cannot control these officials."
Still, Xu Zhang was his son. Besides, as the saying goes, an unaffectionate father raises an unfilial son. He had enough self-awareness to admit that. He had hardly cared for Xu Zhang growing up; expecting deep affection from the Crown Prince now was pure wishful thinking. He was often strict with others but lenient with himself. No point dwelling on it.
"I will sweep the Court clean for you," Xu Xing stated after a long silence, shaking his head with a sigh. "Only then can you succeed to the throne!"