The civil officials immediately turned their heads, casting scrutinizing and hostile glances toward Duke Cao.
In this struggle to “seek justice for 380,000 wronged souls,” the radical faction of civil officials had a complex structure. Some fought for justice in their hearts, others to not betray the teachings of sages. Some sought fame and fortune, while others simply followed the trend.
The radical faction was led by Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen.
The opposition’s membership was equally complex, starting with the imperial clan. While there were surely good people among them, sometimes identity determined one’s stance.
If Prince Huai were to be convicted, it would be an unimaginably huge blow to the entire imperial family’s reputation. In common parlance, they would never be able to hold their heads up again.
If ordinary people cared about face, how much more so did the imperial clan?
The Prince of Zhenbei could die, but he couldn’t be convicted.
Next were the noble clans. Nobles were naturally close to the imperial family. Once one understood the nature of noble titles, it became clear that the nobles and the imperial family were on the same side.
In two words: aristocracy!
Civil officials were like leeks, replaced wave after wave, with new forces constantly entering the court. When in power, they controlled the government; when out of favor, their descendants were no different from commoners.
Only the hereditary nobles were born aristocrats, existing in a different class from commoners. The power of hereditary succession was granted by the imperial family.
Therefore, even if some nobles disagreed with Prince Huai or Emperor Yuanjing, most would likely remain silent.
Lastly, there was a group of civil officials who wanted to rise in power, or those in precarious positions, who secretly reached agreements with Emperor Yuanjing to speak for him, becoming his weapons.
The imperial clan, noble clans, and some civil officials formed the opposition.
Now Duke Cao stepped forward, representing the will of the noble clans.
“Your Majesty, in recent years, the court has faced internal troubles and external threats. Summer droughts have been constant, floods have been frequent during the rainy seasons, people’s livelihoods have been difficult, and various regions have been in arrears with taxes year after year. Although Your Majesty has continuously reduced taxes to give the people respite, the common folk still grumble with discontent,” Duke Cao said with deep concern and a solemn voice.
“At such a time, if news of Prince Zhenbei’s massacre were to spread, how would the people of the empire view the court? How would the local gentry and officials view the court?”
“Would they not think that the court has already rotted, and thus become even more ruthless in extorting the people’s wealth? Would they not become even more unrestrained?”
“Outrageous!” Emperor Yuanjing flew into a rage, pointing at Duke Cao’s nose and scolding, “Are you insinuating that I am an incompetent ruler? Are you implying that all the officials here are foolish?”
“Your subject would not dare!” Duke Cao loudly proclaimed:
“But right now, are the actions of the officials not exactly such foolish deeds? They clamor about seeking justice for the people, wanting to convict Prince Huai, but has anyone considered the bigger picture? Has anyone considered the image of the court? As officials serving in court, do you not know that the face of the court is your face?”
The two played their parts in this duet.
The court officials began to whisper and murmur among themselves.
Chief Administrative Officer Zheng’s heart skipped a beat, both shocked and angered. He had to admit that Duke Cao’s words were not far-fetched; on the contrary, they were quite reasonable.
The face of the imperial family alone was not enough to make the officials change their stance.
But what about the face of the court?
In the hearts of the officials, the authority of the court was above all else, because the court’s authority was their authority. The two were one and inseparable.
Even Zheng Xinghuai himself had just been thinking about how the court could salvage its face and image in the eyes of the people.
Emperor Yuanjing sighed deeply with a pained expression: “But, Prince Huai… he was indeed wrong.”
Duke Cao loudly proclaimed: “Your Majesty, Prince Huai… is already dead!”
The discussions suddenly grew louder, some still whispering, but others beginning to argue heatedly.
The old eunuch gripped his whip, about to instinctively strike the floor tiles and reprimand the officials.
But Emperor Yuanjing gave him a cold sidelong glance, and the old eunuch immediately understood the emperor’s intention. He remained silent, allowing the debate to ferment and continue.
Indeed, Prince Huai was already dead. The greatest “noble” was gone, and there were no more military generals who could ride roughshod over them… If that was the case, was it worth tarnishing the court’s authority for the sake of a dead man?
Many civil officials had such thoughts flash through their minds.
Emperor Yuanjing angrily said: “Just because he’s dead, can we erase what happened?”
Duke Cao bowed and said: “We can!”
Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes, sweeping a cold gaze as sharp as a knife over Duke Cao.
Wang Zhenwen took a deep breath, silently sneering.
The two seemed to know what Duke Cao was about to say next.
Emperor Yuanjing asked in surprise: “What do you mean?”
Duke Cao spoke seriously with a solemn expression: “Has Your Majesty forgotten who truly destroyed Chu Prefecture? It was the barbarians. It was the barbarians who reduced Chu Prefecture to ruins.”
“Can we not look at this matter from a different perspective? The allied forces of the demon and barbarian tribes captured the city, while Prince Zhenbei fought to the death in resistance, guarding the national gate for Great Tang. In the end, the city fell and lives were lost, resulting in a heroic sacrifice.”
At this point, Duke Cao’s voice suddenly became impassioned: “But Prince Zhenbei’s sacrifice was not in vain. He single-handedly fought against the leaders of both the demon and barbarian tribes, killing Jili Zhigu and severely wounding Zhu Jiu.”
“By causing the death of one and injury to another of the two powerful rulers dominating the north, this battle will bring peace to the northern border for ten or even several decades to come. Prince Zhenbei died a worthy death and is a hero of Great Tang.”
As he spoke the last sentence, Duke Cao’s voice was filled with deep emotion and boiling blood, echoing throughout the great hall.
Duke Cao gave the officials two choices. One, stick to their original stance and convict the already fallen Prince Huai. But this would greatly damage the imperial family’s face and cause a crisis of trust among the people towards the court.
Two, perform a sleight of hand and change the story to say that the demon and barbarian tribes destroyed Chu Prefecture, while Prince Zhenbei died heroically defending the city.
All the officials had to do was clear the name of a deceased prince. This way, not only could they salvage the court’s face, but they could go a step further and establish the court’s prestige and strength.
At this moment, a bitter laugh rang out in the great hall.
Zheng Xinghuai looked around at the silent, pondering officials, scanning the faces of Emperor Yuanjing and Duke Cao. This scholar was both grief-stricken and furious.
“Your Majesty, Duke Cao, have you forgotten that it wasn’t just this official who witnessed everything? There were also the members of the diplomatic mission, the twenty thousand soldiers of Chu Prefecture, as well as the countless citizens in the capital who know about this matter, and the young students at the Imperial Academy.” Zheng Xinghuai suddenly let out a cold laugh:
“Can you silence all these countless mouths?”
Emperor Yuanjing looked down at him from above, with deep mockery in the depths of his eyes, and said calmly: “Court is dismissed. We shall continue this discussion tomorrow!”
……
Huaiqing Manor.
In a pavilion in the back garden, Princess Huaiqing was playing chess with Xu Qi’an at a stone table.
“The day before yesterday, I heard that Linan went to question Father about the truth and was blocked outside the imperial study. Given her stubborn nature, she refused to leave and was fined two months’ allowance. I thought she would go again, but the next day, the Crown Prince was assassinated,” Princess Huaiqing said casually as her slender, fair fingers held a white chess piece, her expression cold.
“The Crown Prince shouldn’t be dead, right?” Xu Qi’an stared at the chessboard, taking a long time to make a move as he asked offhandedly.
“He just suffered some minor injuries,” Huaiqing said indifferently.
After playing for a while, she seemed to find playing chess with Constable Xu uninteresting and found another topic: “Have you heard about what happened in court today?”
Xu Qi’an nodded with a gloomy expression: “The officials were frustrated, but His Majesty didn’t gain any advantage either. It will likely be a long, drawn-out battle.”
Huaiqing raised her clear, otherworldly face, her eyes as dark and bright as an autumn pond, staring at him. She mocked him, saying, “You aren’t suited for court politics.”
“?”
Did I say something wrong for you to criticize me like this… Xu Qi’an frowned.
“This chess game is also uninteresting. I don’t have much interest in continuing. Why don’t we review today’s court proceedings instead?” Princess Huaiqing gently tossed the chess pieces into the bamboo chess box.
Xu Qi’an’s spirits lifted.
“Today in court, they discussed how to handle the Chu Prefecture case. The officials demanded that Father confirm Prince Huai’s crimes, demote him to a commoner, and hang his head on the city walls for three days… Father was overcome with grief, lost control of his emotions, overturned the great table, and bitterly rebuked the officials.”
Huaiqing smiled and continued: “What a clever move of feigned suffering. First, he closed the palace for several days, avoiding their sharp edge, letting the angry civil and military officials punch into cotton.”
“After they calmed down and their emotions stabilized, they also lost that unstoppable momentum. At the start of the court session, he pulled such a move again, not only dissolving the officials’ last bit of courage but even turning the tables, making the officials wary…”
This is like two people fighting, and suddenly one of them goes berserk and starts hitting himself with a brick. The other person will instinctively become wary, thinking the first person has gone mad. The tactic isn’t sophisticated, but it’s effective… Xu Qi’an had to admit that Emperor Yuanjing had some tricks up his sleeve.
“Then, the Giving Office Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Yao Lin, jumped out to impeach Prime Minister Wang. Prime Minister Wang could only beg to retire. This was Father’s plan to kill two birds with one stone. First, he knocked down Prime Minister Wang, removing a major enemy for this court session. Moreover, it could intimidate the officials, killing the chicken to scare the monkey.”
Huaiqing took a sip of tea and said calmly:
“Fortunately, Lord Wei intervened in time. If they wanted to deal with Prime Minister Wang, then they shouldn’t hold back. But this went against Father’s original intention. He didn’t want to dismiss Prime Minister Wang, as that would allow Lord Wei to become too powerful. Heh, for Lord Wei, taking this opportunity to remove Prime Minister Wang was also a clever move.”
… Xu Qi’an swallowed and unconsciously sat up straighter.
“The plan to intimidate the officials failed, so Father immediately had Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong step in, bringing up the face of the imperial family… You should know that since ancient times, the dignity of the imperial family has been second only to the dignity of the court, naturally pressuring the officials,” Princess Huaiqing said solemnly.
As officials, wholeheartedly wanting to drag the imperial family’s face through the mud would undoubtedly put psychological pressure on the officials… Xu Qi’an nodded slowly.
The struggle between people is nothing more than a battle of force and psychological warfare.
It reminded him of a term he often heard before his transmigration: “PUA” (Pickup Artist manipulation techniques).
“This was laying the groundwork for Prince Li’s subsequent appearance. After all, Yuan Xiong wasn’t a member of the imperial family, and it wasn’t appropriate for Father to be the one cursing. The respected Prince Li played the best role in this. Although this move was countered by Lord Wei.”
Huaiqing continued while tidying up the chess pieces: “But Prince Li’s outburst still had some effect. And all of this was setting the stage for Duke Cao’s later appearance.”
“Using the face of the court and the imperial family to appeal to emotions. Using the outcome of killing barbarians and demons to reason with them. Although Chu Prefecture was lost, it was all done by the demon and barbarian tribes.”
“The common people have long been accustomed to the brutality of the demon and barbarian tribes, and it would be easy for them to accept this outcome. And the demon and barbarian tribes didn’t gain any advantage because Prince Zhenbei killed the leader of the barbarian Qingyan tribe and severely wounded Zhu Jiu, the leader of the northern demon tribe.”
“Tell me, if the common people hear this news and are willing to accept it, how will things change?”
Xu Qi’an said hoarsely: “The fall of Chu Prefecture would not be so unacceptable. Because all the blame would be placed on the demon and barbarian tribes, on the war.”
“Prince Zhenbei would also change from a mass murderer to a hero who defended the national gate for the Great Tang. Moreover, he killed a third-rank powerhouse of the barbarian tribe, achieving an enormous merit.”
Princess Huaiqing nodded and asked in her clear voice, though the topic was particularly soul-searching: “If you were one of the officials, what choice would you make?”
Xu Qi’an didn’t answer.
Prince Zhenbei was nothing more than a dead man now. If he were alive, the officials would certainly do everything in their power to bring him down.
But he’s dead now, and what threat does a dead man pose? As such, the core motivation of the officials was halved.
If it really could be as Duke Cao said, to reverse the truth of the Chu Prefecture massacre, to turn this scandal into a great victory worthy of praise and commemoration.
Then why not?
Huaiqing said: “Father’s next move will be to promise benefits. In court, benefits are eternal. To change the outcome, besides the above strategies, he’ll have to make enough concessions. The officials will think, if they can turn a scandal into something good, and there are benefits to be gained, would they still be so insistent?”
Xu Qi’an’s expression grew increasingly gloomy.
“And once most people’s thoughts change, Lord Wei and Prime Minister Wang will become the ones facing the rolling tide. But they can’t close the palace gates, they can’t stop the surging momentum.” There was a hint of mockery in Huaiqing’s cold smile.
Xu Qi’an couldn’t tell for a moment whether she was mocking Emperor Yuanjing, the officials, or Wei Yuan and Prime Minister Wang.
Or perhaps all of them, or maybe she was also mocking herself.
“No, this matter has become so big, it can’t be resolved just by the court issuing an announcement. Rumors are rampant in the capital, and to reverse the rumors, there must be sufficient reason. He might be able to silence the mouths of the court officials, but he can’t silence the mouths of everyone in the world,” Xu Qi’an shook his head.
“Father, he still has cards up his sleeve…” Huaiqing sighed: “Although I don’t know what they are, I’ve never underestimated him.”
The two fell silent for a while, and then Huaiqing said softly: “This matter has nothing to do with you, don’t do anything foolish.”
She doesn’t think I can play any role in this matter. Indeed, I’m just a small viscount, a small constable who can’t even enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony. How can I contend with the emperor of a nation?
I’m still too green when it comes to power struggles, and Huaiqing also thinks I’m not up to it… Xu Qi’an grinned, revealing an ugly smile.
But I’m the real hero who killed Jili Zhigu.
……
At the Constabulary Office, in the Tower of Righteous Qi.
After lunch, Wei Yuan took a short nap, then was awakened by an entering clerk.
“Lord Wei, His Majesty has sent someone to summon you to the palace,” the clerk bowed with his head lowered.
… Wei Yuan remained silent for a few seconds, then said in a gentle voice: “Prepare the carriage.”