TGPSAC – Chapter 55

The sixth day of the first month marked the first morning court session of the twenty-eighth year of the Shengyuan era.

While waiting for the session to begin, the assembled officials gathered in twos and threes, whispering about how the Fuma had gone to Qingyuan County to push reforms and ended up getting herself killed.

There had been no news from the Princess’s Residence all day yesterday. Combined with the sight of Chi Wan covered in blood and collapsing outside the residence gates, rumors were flying all over the capital that she might already be dead.

These officials, too, had heard the news.

“Tell me, is the Fuma dead or not?”

“Serves her right if she is. Who told her to go stirring up trouble with reforms in Qingyuan County?”

“But you can’t deny that the Fuma’s actions would benefit the state and its people.”

“What do you know? The one who wants this done is the Grand Secretary. The Fuma was just pushed out to be the vanguard.”

“Elder Gao? Doesn’t that mean this matter is set in stone, even if the Fuma is dead?”

“Not necessarily. We’ll see what His Majesty has to say. When court begins, I ask that you all join me in impeaching the Fuma.”

“Impeach the Fuma? You dare? You’ll be drowned in the spit of the scholars outside.”

“They’re just a few scholars. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Investigating land annexation, surveying the land, and reforming the poll tax based on land ownership—once these policies were enacted, it would be the interests of officials like them that would be harmed. Although officials and gentry were said to be one body, without the officials, what were those country squires worth?

Every major landowner had an official backing them, and it was the officials who reaped the greatest benefits. They would certainly do everything in their power to oppose it.

The group was deep in discussion, and upon hearing that the Grand Secretary was the mastermind, they couldn’t help but mutter under their breath.

“All ministers, enter the hall!” an attendant eunuch called out, seeing that the time was near.

The ministers immediately fell silent. Unlike them, the elders of the Grand Secretariat, even after arriving, would wait in the tea room for the session to begin.

Hearing the eunuch’s call, they finally emerged from the tea room.

But unlike other days, two additional people were attending court today.

Yu Jiuzhou was dressed in the Grand Princess’s formal attire—a magnificent black robe embroidered with gold, radiating dignity and authority.

Everyone’s eyes widened as she emerged with Grand Secretary Gao Zheng. They widened even further when they saw a figure to her left, wearing a black gauze cap and a red court robe. As the group drew closer, the officials finally recognized the person as the Fuma.

The Fuma wasn’t dead? Not only was she not dead, but she seemed perfectly fine and had even come to attend morning court.

The officials instinctively moved to the sides of the steps, watching the trio pass.

One after another, they bowed. “Your subjects greet Your Highness the Princess, the Fuma, and Lord Grand Secretary.”

The three of them stared straight ahead, ignoring the people at their sides. The atmosphere was tense; it seemed they might have argued while having tea.

In reality, nothing of the sort had happened. The three had simply sat in the room drinking tea, each ignoring the others.

Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou had to maintain their act of discord. The moment they left the Princess’s Residence, they had boarded separate carriages.

They acted coldly toward each other. After entering the tea room, Gao Zheng had taken the initiative to greet them.

Yu Jiuzhou had merely replied, “Mm.”

Chi Wan: “Mm.”

And so, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of sipping tea.

It was incredibly awkward. Gao Zheng thought to himself, If neither of you is going to talk, then I won’t either.

Thus, the atmosphere among the three was rather frigid. They walked together, but they radiated a collective chill.

Sensing the coldness emanating from them, the officials exchanged glances. They had a thousand questions but dared not voice a single one.

The three entered the hall. Gao Zheng took his position at the front right, at the head of the civil officials.

Yu Jiuzhou stood just below the Dragon Throne, from where she could look down upon the assembled officials, her expression unreadable.

There were two tiers of steps leading up to the Dragon Throne. Yu Jiuzhou stood on the second tier, slightly lower than the Emperor but higher than the ministers.

Chi Wan glanced to the front left, where the three princes stood. She walked over and positioned herself behind them.

The three princes had already received the assassins’ corpses she had sent. Seeing her approach, they subconsciously lowered their heads, a flicker of guilt in their eyes.

Then they thought, The assassins weren’t sent by me. What’s there to feel guilty about?

Meanwhile, Prince Zhongshan, who had actually sent the assassins, thought with brazen confidence: So what if I tried to kill her? She has no proof.

As the three princes looked at her, Chi Wan met their gazes with a blank expression.

It was Prince Bao’an who spoke first. “I heard yesterday that the Fuma returned covered in blood. I was worried for a long time. I wanted to visit in person but feared I would be a disturbance.”

Chi Wan curved her lips slightly. “Many thanks.”

The matter of Prince Bao’an’s salt inspection tour was to be settled today, so the two of them would have to be cordial for a short while.

Prince Ying, ever the smiling tiger, said, “Jinzhao… Fuma, it’s good that you’re all right. This prince was so worried I couldn’t sleep.”

He was still shaken from the last time Chi Wan had rebuffed him. There hadn’t been many people around then. If she were to publicly shut him down in the middle of the court today, he would lose even more face.

Seeing the other two princes greet her, Prince Zhongshan felt that if he alone remained silent, it would look as if he had sent the assassins.

“Fuma…”

But Chi Wan turned her head away, pretending not to see him.

She knew Prince Zhongshan was behind the assassination. Although all three princes probably wanted her dead, he was the first to act on it.

Ignoring Prince Ying and outright snubbing Prince Zhongshan—this reaction made Prince Bao’an’s eyes light up. Recalling that the Grand Princess wanted to recommend him for the salt inspection tour, he wondered, Is the Princess’s Residence preparing to side with me?

It was highly likely. Otherwise, why would Chi Wan have spoken only to him just now?

Chi Wan and the Grand Princess had a poor relationship, but they were both from the Princess’s Residence, so their interests were aligned. No matter how bad their relationship was, they couldn’t undermine each other in public.

As Prince Bao’an was thinking this, Prince Ying was also wondering why Chi Wan had only spoken to Prince Bao’an. It seemed the Fuma still believed he was the culprit behind the flower boat assassination.

Now, it looked like the Princess’s Residence was definitely going to side with Prince Bao’an.

But what if Prince Bao’an were to die?

Prince Ying thought viciously: Accidents are common on the salt inspection route. Many imperial heirs have died that way. What difference would one more person who isn’t even an heir make?

Prince Bao’an was pleased, Prince Ying was filled with malice, and Prince Zhongshan was furious, wishing he could order another assassination.

It was already difficult to gather several dozen secret guards at the foot of the Emperor. To get more men for an assassination would require military authority, but it wasn’t worth exposing his strength within the army just to kill Chi Wan.

Mobilizing troops would be considered treason.

On the other hand, sending out more than twenty secret guards at once was enough to show Prince Zhongshan’s determination to kill Chi Wan.

At the time, Chi Wan had several dozen guards with her, but only a few were elites from the Imperial City Division. The remaining guards would have struggled even in a one-on-one fight against the assassins. The Imperial City Division guards were fine against ordinary people, but facing highly trained secret guards was a fool’s errand.

The assassins were armed with crossbows more powerful than firearms, as well as explosives. Forget killing a few dozen guards; even a thousand-strong army might not have escaped.

Moreover, Chi Wan had only brought two people back with her. If not for her profound internal energy, she would have certainly died in that bamboo forest.

In any case, Prince Zhongshan had suffered a great loss this time. He certainly wouldn’t dare to act rashly again.

Seeing Chi Wan’s favorable treatment of Prince Bao’an, Prince Zhongshan grew even more furious at her for not knowing what was good for her. At the same time, he began to resent Prince Bao’an. If he couldn’t deal with Chi Wan, couldn’t he deal with Prince Bao’an?

In that brief exchange, everyone had determined their next target.

During the morning court session, they could at most exchange information with their eyes. Soon, a eunuch’s voice rang out, “His Majesty arrives.”

“Your subjects respectfully inquire after Your Majesty’s health! Long live the Emperor, for ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!”

“We are well.”

With the Emperor’s reply, the morning court session officially began.

Standing beside the Emperor was Wang Hai. He took out an imperial edict and proclaimed, “We are deeply gratified by the congratulatory memorials from all our ministers. As the new spring begins, We wish for all subjects under Heaven to find happiness, for their families to be safe and healthy, for the farmers to have bountiful harvests…”

Chi Wan wasn’t listening closely, but she was counting the characters. There were several hundred of them. This must have been written by someone from the Hanlin Academy; the Emperor couldn’t have penned it himself.

After all, even Emperor Shengyuan’s ceremonial prayers to Heaven were written by others, for fear the gods would discover his lack of literary talent.

After the edict was read, the ministers responded, “Your subjects kowtow in thanks to Your Majesty! Your Majesty is benevolent and wise.”

After the flattery, business finally began. Wang Hai closed the edict. “Present your memorials if you have them; if not, the court is dismissed.”

“Your subject has a memorial to present.”

The Emperor nodded, and Wang Hai announced, “Speak.”

“Your subject impeaches the Fuma for her reckless actions in Qingyuan County, for violating ancestral customs, disrespecting the laws of Great Zhou, and attempting to implement radical reforms.”

What was bound to happen had happened. She knew many people would be impeaching her in court today.

The first to step forward was Wang Jin, the Prefect of Shengjing Prefecture. He was one of Prince Zhongshan’s men and had targeted Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan at the New Year’s Eve banquet. Now, he was the first to jump out again.

Chi Wan had given him a stomachache that lasted for quite some time back then. It seemed he hadn’t learned his lesson.

The next was the Right Censor-in-Chief, Li Fushou. He had been ostracized for a long time after the “consumption” incident, as no one wanted to be infected by him. It was only after an imperial physician was summoned that it was declared to be a chronic ailment.

“Your subject also impeaches the Fuma. Since she was unharmed, she should have changed her clothes before returning to the capital. Who was that bloody attire for? It disrupted the peace of the capital, and the common people were inevitably frightened and panicked, thinking that it was no longer safe even at the foot of the Emperor.”

These two. It was always them who jumped out first.

Emperor Shengyuan paid no mind to Wang Jin’s impeachment. He had already accepted the idea of a pilot reform. As long as it brought him silver and he didn’t have to bear the pressure, what was there to object to?

But he found some truth in Li Fushou’s words. Chi Wan returning to the capital in blood-soaked clothes with so many assassins had caused a great deal of public discussion. Those who didn’t know better would think the security at the foot of the Emperor was terrible.

Just then, the Censor-in-Chief stepped forward. “Your subject also has a memorial to present.”

“Your subject impeaches Wang Jin, the Prefect of Shengjing Prefecture. Assassins attempted to kill the Fuma at the foot of the Emperor. How is he performing his duties as prefect? According to him, is it the Fuma’s fault that she was attacked? Is it also the Fuma’s fault that she brought the assassins back to the capital and sent them to the Grand Court of Revision for investigation?”

“Then let me ask Prefect Wang, if the people of Shengjing encounter trouble and request the prefectural yamen to handle the case, would you, Prefect Wang, simply ignore it to keep the yamen’s record clean? Now this official understands why, after an assassination occurred in Shengjing, Prefect Wang did not submit a memorial to plead guilty, but instead impeached the Fuma in court. It turns out Prefect Wang was trying to shirk his responsibility and push the blame onto His Majesty.”

The Son of Heaven is incapable of governing Shengjing, and that is why the assassination occurred.

But does that mean you, the Prefect of Shengjing, can escape responsibility?

Emperor Shengyuan: That’s right. Why should this be blamed on Us? We rule all of Great Zhou. If We were blamed for every problem that arose, We might as well spend all day taking the fall.

When the Fuma was attacked in the capital, the first person to be blamed should have been the prefect, Wang Jin. How did the blame get shifted onto him first?

The Emperor came to his senses, his tone turning hostile. “The Censor-in-Chief speaks sense. Wang Jin, as the Prefect of Shengjing, instead of focusing on maintaining order in the capital and apprehending the true culprit, you impeach the Fuma who was the victim of the attack. Wang Jin, don’t think We don’t know what you’re thinking. And the rest of you.”

Emperor Shengyuan looked coldly at the officials below. “We know what you are all thinking. But We are not dead yet!”

Hearing the Emperor’s fury and his mention of the word “dead,” all the civil and military officials knelt. “Your subjects deserve to die ten thousand deaths.”

Chi Wan was just marveling at Censor-in-Chief Dong Shuhan’s eloquence. As expected of a speaking official, his tongue was truly sharp.

She squatted down with the others. Thanks to her voluminous court robe, no one could tell whether she was kneeling or squatting.

The Emperor snorted coldly. “Fine. If you all die, must We do your jobs alone? Then you should at least wait until We have chosen your successors.”

The ministers dared not speak. Emperor Shengyuan turned his gaze to Yu Jiuzhou, who had been standing silently to the side. “Grant the Grand Princess a seat. Minister of Works, by the next morning court, We want to see a qilin chair placed there.”

The Minister of Works hurried forward. “Your subject obeys the decree.”

Emperor Shengyuan was sending a message: he was old, but imperial power would not necessarily fall into the hands of the masters they served. He still had a daughter, and his daughter would give him an imperial grandson.

In the future, couldn’t he pass the throne to his own grandson?

Thinking of an imperial grandson, Emperor Shengyuan looked at Chi Wan, who was currently slacking off and lost in thought. He was at a loss for words.

With the Fuma looking so clueless, when would she ever be able to move Zhou’er to bear an imperial grandson?

He began to wonder if his thinking was wrong. True, if Zhou’er didn’t like the Fuma, it would indeed be difficult for them to have an imperial grandson.

Change the Fuma? No, that wouldn’t work either. As Fuma, Chi Wan was at least on his side. She was just a bit too straightforward and could be easily tricked into doing anything.

What she did in Qingyuan County was reform. These people seemed to be impeaching her for other things, but their main goal was to bring her down so the new laws would collapse on their own.

Perhaps he had been thinking about it the wrong way. For now, he had to play matchmaker for Zhou’er and Chi Wan. After the imperial grandson was born, he could drive a wedge between them again.

Otherwise, at this rate, when would he ever see his imperial grandson?

Then, Emperor Shengyuan announced loudly, “Fuma, regarding the impeachments from Wang Jin and Li Fushou, you may defend yourself.”

We’ve given you a chance. Don’t cause any trouble for Us.

Chi Wan was slightly taken aback. She quickly rose and walked to the center. “Reporting to Your Majesty, your subject is unwilling to argue with fools.”

Emperor Shengyuan: “?”

Wang and Li: “?”

The ministers: “?”

Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved. This person was truly quiet until she said something utterly shocking.

As expected, Wang Jin and Li Fushou were furious.

“Insolent!!!”

“Audacious!”

Chi Wan didn’t even spare them a glance. “Your Majesty, your subject wishes to ask only one thing. Do people dare to carry out assassinations at the foot of the Emperor because they know there will always be someone who blames the victim?”

She was the one who was attacked, yet she was the one at fault. This world was truly insane.

Yu Jiuzhou interjected at the opportune moment. “Your Majesty, your subject has only ever heard that when a ruler makes no mistake, it is the minister’s mistake. I have never heard that the fault lies with the ruler while the minister is blameless.”

Regardless of whether the Emperor was at fault, the blame always fell on the ministers.

If an imperial heir made a mistake, their tutor was punished. The Emperor? The Emperor was never wrong.

Even if the Emperor was truly wrong, a minister had to step forward and take the blame. Looking back at history, how many emperors had ever admitted their own mistakes?

Yu Jiuzhou’s words made the hearts of the ministers sink. Wang Jin and Li Fushou were finished.

Emperor Shengyuan lowered his eyelids, his expression cold. “Guards! Wang Jin and Li Fushou have shown no respect for their sovereign or their fathers. They have slandered the Fuma. Strip them of their official ranks, demote them to commoners, and administer one hundred strokes of the cane.”

For old bones like Wang and Li, one hundred strokes would be a death sentence. Without their official status and rank, they would be nothing.

The older the Emperor grew, the more ruthless he became. No one was unafraid of death, especially the ministers of the Shengyuan court, few of whom had much backbone. Besides, this time, Wang Jin and Li Fushou were clearly in the wrong.

Chi Wan looked up at Yu Jiuzhou on the high platform, but the other woman didn’t even spare her a glance.

She snorted softly. She’s a good actress.

Next, the Emperor ruled on the matter of Chi Wan bringing the corpses back to the city. “To assassinate the Fuma outside Shengjing is utterly audacious. This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, We give you seven days to give Us an answer. No matter who it is, arrest them without fail.”

“The Fuma has suffered a shock. Have an imperial physician examine her after court is dismissed.”

This was a clear message to everyone: dare to use the assassination to attack the Fuma again, and see what happens.

But some were still unwilling to let it go. “Your Majesty, what about the Fuma’s reckless actions in Qingyuan County and her violation of Great Zhou’s laws? Will that be ignored?”

Emperor Shengyuan frowned. This matter was indeed difficult to brush aside.

Yu Jiuzhou’s icy gaze fell upon Gao Zheng. Feeling the stare from above, Gao Zheng assumed it was the Emperor looking at him, displeased that he hadn’t yet stepped forward to admit he was the mastermind behind the reforms and was still letting the Fuma bear the pressure. This was a warning.

Gao Zheng lowered his head, walked to the center of the hall, and knelt with great ceremony, beginning the main event of the day. “Your subject, Gao Zheng, Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, has felt deeply ashamed since assuming this post. I have failed to achieve any real accomplishments for my sovereign or the people. In this court, Your Majesty has often been troubled by the hardships of the populace, and as your minister, I have done little to alleviate them. Every time I think of this, I toss and turn at night, unable to sleep. I only hope that in the little time I have left, I can devote all my energy to doing something that will benefit the state and its people.”

“In my capacity as Grand Secretary, I ordered the Fuma to implement the new laws in Qingyuan County. It was indeed my fault for not seeking Your Majesty’s permission first. However, as the Grand Secretary of Great Zhou, this matter falls within the scope of my authority.”

The Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat assisted the emperor in decision-making, managed the affairs of the Grand Secretariat, pushed for the implementation of policies, and maintained the stability of the court.

If Gao Zheng was the one who ordered the actions in Qingyuan County, then no one could find fault with it.

Such was the power of the Grand Secretary. He wasn’t implementing new laws across all of Great Zhou, only in the single county of Qingyuan. A decision on that scale was well within his authority.

Even if a policy were to be implemented nationwide, his authority as Grand Secretary would be sufficient.

This was why Yu Jiuzhou had pushed him to be the vanguard—because he had that power.

A Grand Secretary at the height of his power could fully exercise the authority of a chancellor. All national affairs would be managed by him, with no need to consult the emperor.

It was only during the Shengyuan era that the relationship between the Emperor and Grand Secretary Gao Zheng was relatively good, not having reached the point of tense confrontation and power struggles between ruler and minister.

Emperor Shengyuan was angry, but remembering the consensus they had reached yesterday, he remained silent.

Gao Zheng continued, “The Grand Secretariat has resolved to use Qingyuan County and Yanbei as pilot areas to thoroughly investigate cases of land annexation while simultaneously implementing the new laws.”

A resolution of the Grand Secretariat? Without going through His Majesty?

The ministers were scared out of their wits. Since when did anyone dare to speak to His Majesty like this? The older officials in the court were reminded of the Grand Secretary from when Emperor Shengyuan first ascended the throne. That man had been just like this, implementing decisions directly without ever asking for His Majesty’s approval.

Although His Majesty had not yet assumed personal rule back then, he was still His Majesty. And the current Emperor had been on the throne for twenty-eight years.

It was unclear whether Emperor Shengyuan was truly angry or just pretending. “Your Grand Secretariat has already decided everything. Why are you still asking Us?”

“Your subject is terrified.”

“Terrified? It seems to Us you’ve had this planned for a long time.”

The Emperor and the Grand Secretary went back and forth, leaving no room for anyone else to speak.

Chi Wan, meanwhile, was behaving herself, her eyes fixed on Yu Jiuzhou. She thought Yu Jiuzhou looked stunning in her formal robes—graceful, magnificent, and peerlessly elegant. Just by standing there, she captured everyone’s attention.

She had no idea that the tips of Yu Jiuzhou’s ears were red, not from the heat, but from her intense stare.

In the middle of the court, how can this person keep staring at me like this?

Fortunately, just as the Emperor and the Grand Secretary were about to get truly heated, Yu Jiuzhou stepped forward. “Your Majesty, your subject volunteers to serve as the chief official for the investigation into land annexation.”

Emperor Shengyuan looked at her coldly. “You want to get involved with the new laws too?”

“No, your subject will only investigate the case.”

This answer made Emperor Shengyuan feel much better. This was what he had intended from the start.

Our daughter is still the most considerate. She knows what We want.

In reality, because of the deception by Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou, both Emperor Shengyuan and Gao Zheng harbored resentment toward each other. As they spoke, they were on the verge of a real argument.

Gao Zheng had been acting tough today and had nearly forgotten it was all an act.

Hearing Yu Jiuzhou provide him with a way out, which also served as a splash of cold water to bring him to his senses, he quickly added, “Your subject requests that Prince Ying serve as deputy official.”

“Then it is settled.” The Emperor’s face was grim. “It has been over a decade since the salt routes were last inspected in this Shengyuan era. Who should be sent for this task?”

His gaze fell on Chi Wan, but she kept her head down, stubbornly refusing to look at him.

Once again, Yu Jiuzhou came to the rescue. “Your Majesty, the salt inspection has always been undertaken by an imperial heir. Your subject is already occupied with an important matter, so let us choose from among the three princes. Since Prince Ying will be serving as my deputy, how about selecting Prince Bao’an for the salt inspection tour?”

Prince Zhongshan was speechless. I thought the choice was from among the three princes. Am I being ignored?

It seemed his assassination attempt on Chi Wan had been discovered.

Emperor Shengyuan looked at Prince Bao’an, noting the weary, weathered look on his face from his travels between Wucheng and the capital. After a moment of thought, the Emperor agreed to Yu Jiuzhou’s recommendation.

Among the three princes, Prince Bao’an had the least power. Perhaps it was time to support him a little to make the other two princes restrain themselves. As expected of Our daughter, her judgment is sharp. What a pity Zhou’er is not a Qian Yuan. Otherwise, the empire would have a worthy successor.

But the matter was far from over. Hearing that the new laws would only be implemented in two locations, many officials backed down. However, those whose interests were directly at stake continued to impeach them in court.

The strength of Gao Zheng and his faction of officials was not to be underestimated. The two sides argued back and forth until finally, Gao Zheng used his authority as Grand Secretary to settle the matter with a single word.

Emperor Shengyuan remained silent throughout. No one knew what he was thinking. After the court session was dismissed, he summoned Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan to the Imperial Study.

On the way, Yu Jiuzhou still rode in her palanquin, with Chi Wan following below on foot.

In court, all their plans had come to fruition. Once these matters were set in motion, not even the Emperor could stop them.

At that moment, Yu Jiuzhou felt the satisfying thrill of changing history, while Chi Wan felt the joy of seeing her progress bar fill up.

The successful launch of these major initiatives gave her a glimmer of hope, a vision of early retirement.

Suddenly, a voice came from above. “Fuma, do you know what this Princess is thinking right now?”

“What?” Chi Wan looked up, just in time to see Yu Jiuzhou’s perfect profile. Such a beautiful woman—once you looked, you didn’t want to look away.

The next second, Yu Jiuzhou said calmly, “Would the Fuma be willing to play a piece of music for this Princess?”

Play music? Chi Wan did indeed know how to play instruments. Guitar, drums—she had learned them all in college. But her most proficient instruments were the ones she had learned since childhood: the guqin and the suona. Her Highness wouldn’t want to hear her play the suona, would she?

She was chuckling at the thought when Yu Jiuzhou spoke three words that she never expected: “Phoenix Seeking a Mate.”

---

Get instant access to all chapters now.