The current Prime Minister of Dachu, Yao Wuhen, looked toward the Emperor. After a moment’s thought, he asked: “Then, Your Majesty — will you or will you not receive that Cao Du?”

“I will not.”

The Emperor said: “If I were to receive him, it would signal my attitude. He would think I’ve already let the Cao family’s affairs go…”

Yao Wuhen exhaled in quiet relief, thinking to himself: as long as His Majesty doesn’t receive that good-for-nothing, there’s still a chance to deal with him.

If the Emperor received Cao Du, it would not only send a signal to the Cao family — it would send a signal to every civil and military official at court. Namely, that His Majesty had decided to let the Cao family’s past transgressions go, and might even grant them special favor.

With such a signal released, every official at court would rush to curry favor with Cao Du.

And once that signal was out, how could Yao Wuhen make another move against him? It would be no different from openly defying imperial will.

Still, he remained uneasy, so he decided to probe the Emperor’s intentions a little further.

“Your Majesty, if you continue to refuse an audience indefinitely, that may not look well either… after all, he is family to the Princess Consort of Prince Wu.”

He looked at the Emperor and spoke in a tone of concern for the realm: “Prince Wu is still engaged in battle against the rebels in the southeast of Jingzhou. If…”

The Emperor’s brow furrowed.

He looked at Yao Wuhen and said: “The Princess Consort of Prince Wu is the Princess Consort of Prince Wu. The Cao family is the Cao family. From the day she married into the imperial family, she ceased to be a member of the Cao family — she became a member of the imperial family. Are you here to remind me that I should bow my head before the Cao family? Or are you trying to sow discord between me and my royal uncle?”

Yao Wuhen dropped to his knees with a thud: “This official would not dare. This official was truly concerned for… was truly thinking of Your Majesty’s interests.”

The Emperor felt a private fury — he could have wished to flay Yao Wuhen alive with words.

This Yao Wuhen was, in matters of governance, an undeniably rare talent. He possessed the genuine abilities of a Prime Minister.

But his pettiness was beyond compare.

In his earlier years at court, he had languished without recognition — seeking the patronage of one man, only to be ignored; seeking another’s, only to be ignored again. No one had taken him seriously.

And then, quite unexpectedly, a single recommendation from Prince Wu had elevated him directly to the office of Prime Minister.

From that moment forward, Yao Wuhen — flush with newfound power — had gone after no small number of people who had once looked down on him.

Strictly speaking, it was the Princess Consort of Prince Wu who had nearly ended his career. And she had done so because of a prior falling-out between Yao Wuhen and the Cao family. That was their enmity, no matter how one looked at it.

But it was also Prince Wu who had recommended him without prejudice — giving rise to all his later success. If the earlier episode was enmity, what followed was indebtedness.

If Yao Wuhen were not truly petty to the core, he would never have raised this matter at all.

Yet the man was a peculiar combination of folly and brilliance. He was capable — court affairs passed through his mind and stuck fast, especially figures and data of every kind. No matter when the Emperor asked, Yao Wuhen could answer without hesitation.

Personnel across every ministry were clear to him, from third-rank senior officials down to seventh and eighth-rank minor clerks.

Whoever or whatever the Emperor asked about, he could furnish an answer on the spot.

If not for this, the Emperor would never have tolerated a man of Yao Wuhen’s vindictive temperament.

“Rise.”

The Emperor said: “I know your mind. I know the Princess Consort nearly ended your career with a word. But you are now Prime Minister — personally recommended by my own royal uncle. Surely you understand how things stand?”

Yao Wuhen hastily replied: “The great grace of Your Majesty, the great virtue of Prince Wu — this official dares not forget them. This official truly was… thinking on Your Majesty’s behalf.”

The Emperor waved a hand in impatience: “Go and keep watch over the affairs of the Grand Hero Assembly. I hear the capital has been receiving more and more arrivals of late, and public order has been deteriorating. You are Prime Minister — you should attend to matters of state… As for Cao Du, I have already placed the matter with Gui Yuanshu of the Court of Judicial Review. You need not concern yourself with it further.”

Yao Wuhen bowed: “This official obeys. This official will never presume again.”

The Emperor nodded. “Go attend to your duties.”

He watched Yao Wuhen bow and retreat from the room, and still felt the urge to curse.

The realm. The nation. The court…

Things had already come to this pass, and yet the current Prime Minister was still droning on about personal grievances from years ago.

To restore Dachu to greatness — how bitterly difficult.

What stood before the Emperor was not only rebel armies across the land, but these court officials who, even now, in this very moment, thought of nothing but themselves.

The Emperor walked to the window and looked out. His mood had not lightened much, even with the Cao family’s gesture.

He truly needed great sums of silver to expand the army, to restore order to the court — but was this really the sort of response from the Cao family that deserved to be forgiven?

Was this not exactly the kind of compromise an Emperor should never make?

An Emperor should not compromise.

“Hui Chunqiu.”

The Emperor called out.

The commander of the imperial guard, Hui Chunqiu, hurried in and bowed: “Your Majesty, this official is here. Please instruct me — what would you have me do?”

The Emperor said: “Go and tell Gui Yuanshu of the Court of Judicial Review… simply keep an eye on Cao Du. As for whatever resentment the various houses may bear toward Cao Du, do not interfere, do not inquire. So long as Cao Du does not die, let whatever else happens, happen.”

Hui Chunqiu understood the Emperor’s meaning at once.

There was no shortage of people at court who thought ill of Cao Du. Without anyone stepping forward to cut him down to size, how could the Emperor ever bestow a favor that would be felt?

Let someone suppress Cao Du’s arrogance — give him a proper hard time. Then, when the Emperor stepped in and offered a few small kindnesses, Cao Du would remember them all the more deeply.

The Emperor was, after all, the Emperor. Even when forced into a concession, it could not be made cheaply. The people below still needed to understand — the Emperor was Heaven itself.

“This official will go inform Lord Gui immediately.”

Hui Chunqiu turned and left the imperial study. As he walked, he thought to himself: His Majesty truly had it hard.

Dachu today was not merely riddled with decay — the great edifice was on the verge of collapse. Even as a mere official, he already felt a crushing oppression. What then must His Majesty feel?

If the Emperor were like the late Emperor — content to while away his days — it might be a different matter.

But His Majesty was not. His Majesty was devoted to the restoration of Dachu. That was precisely why His Majesty was the most tormented, the most burdened — and the one who could not afford to abandon that burden for even a moment.

—

The Court of Judicial Review.

Dusk had just fallen when those cooks who had come over from the tavern began setting about the evening meal.

Gui Yuanshu sat on the steps watching them, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.

What manner of case was he handling, exactly?

Constables who were supposed to be watching someone in the shadows were now being watched in their own courtyard — their every move conducted under someone else’s eye.

Just then, that same carriage — ornate to a point of extravagant vulgarity — came rolling up again and stopped outside the gates of the Court of Judicial Review.

Li Chi and Yu Jiuling halted at the entrance. They didn’t even ascend the steps — which was, in its restraint, rather more proper than one might have expected.

Gui Yuanshu walked to the gate: “What brings the Young Marquis?”

Li Chi peered inside: “Came to mooch a meal.”

Gui Yuanshu considered a moment, then nodded: “Please come in.”

Li Chi clasped his fist: “Many thanks.”

Gui Yuanshu said: “The Young Marquis is too polite — after all, they are your cooks.”

Li Chi said: “But the land isn’t mine.”

Gui Yuanshu: “…”

As they walked, Gui Yuanshu said: “The Young Marquis has arranged for people to keep watch on us at all hours. I suppose he wants us to see clearly who is watching whom more carefully.”

Li Chi said: “It helps that the Court of Judicial Review only has five people. Easy to keep track of.”

Gui Yuanshu drew a deep breath and reminded himself not to get angry — there was no point getting angry with this sort of idle young lord.

Li Chi, however, without the least bit of self-awareness, continued: “Even a few more people and it would have been considerably harder to manage.”

Gui Yuanshu stopped walking and turned to look at Li Chi: “Young Marquis…”

Before he could finish, Li Chi immediately laughed: “I know, I know — let’s not push it too far. After all, my lord is the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review. Third rank.”

The three of them entered the courtyard. The cooks had built a makeshift stove right there in the yard. Li Chi rolled up his sleeves: “Shall I show the Chief Justice what I can do?”

Gui Yuanshu said: “The Young Marquis can cook as well?”

Li Chi turned to look at him and said, in a somewhat peculiar tone: “I know how to deceive people, and deception is considerably harder than cooking.”

Gui Yuanshu said: “You’re quite right — if a dish turns out poorly, the worst that happens is it tastes bad. But if a deception is handled poorly, the consequences can be considerably more severe.”

Li Chi said: “The Chief Justice makes an excellent point. Which is precisely why I never deceive people.”

Curiously, Gui Yuanshu found himself believing it — at least somewhat.

Someone like Cao Du, with his background, his standing, his manner of conducting himself — he genuinely had no need for deception.

“Young Marquis, what dish are you making?”

Gui Yuanshu asked.

Li Chi answered: “A one-pot clear-out.”

Gui Yuanshu smiled: “And what is a one-pot clear-out?”

Li Chi laughed: “I may be misremembering — it might be called a one-pot cook-up. The idea’s the same.”

The one-pot cook-up was a northern country dish: a pot of braised spare ribs, or fish, or chicken, with a layer of steamed buns, or flatbread, or cornmeal cakes laid over the top. By the time the meat was done, the bread was done too — each infused with the savory richness of the broth. Wonderfully satisfying.

Gui Yuanshu watched Li Chi busying himself, and then something caught his eye — Li Chi’s hands.

Those were absolutely not the hands of someone who was truly a good-for-nothing. They looked steady and capable. It wasn’t as though Gui Yuanshu hadn’t seen his share of pampered noble scions, with their feeble, unmarked palms.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Young Marquis, do you practice martial arts?”

He asked.

Li Chi said: “A little.”

Gui Yuanshu smiled and asked: “Someone of the Young Marquis’s background need only step outside to have countless bodyguards and attendants at his side — wherever he goes, he is perfectly protected. And yet he still trains diligently on his own. That is not easy. How has the Young Marquis maintained such discipline?”

Li Chi turned and looked at him with a smile: “Two reasons. First — if all my guards were taken down by someone, I can still handle myself for a while. At the very least, I can run. Second… when it comes to hitting people, there’s really nothing quite like doing it with your own hands.”

Gui Yuanshu nodded: “That makes sense.”

He asked: “Does the Young Marquis hit people often?”

Li Chi smiled: “Does the Chief Justice think I hit people often?”

Gui Yuanshu said: “Presumably not — the Young Marquis is a refined sort of person…”

“I am not.”

Li Chi turned to face Gui Yuanshu and said, in a strange but perfectly earnest tone: “I am not refined. I believe that if you can use your hands, you shouldn’t waste time arguing. Arguments are tiresome. Oh, and by the way — since hitting people falls under the purview of the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, you would naturally know the law well. So I’d like to ask my lord to enlighten me: to what degree must a person be beaten such that it can be settled with money, and no imprisonment is necessary?”

Gui Yuanshu’s eyes narrowed slightly: “When the Young Marquis was in Yuzhou, I presume you didn’t need to consider such things.”

Li Chi said: “In Yuzhou, no. But here in Daxing, I do. Just in case… the people I end up hitting have some standing and background, and things become difficult to resolve. So it pays to have a better understanding of the law.”

Gui Yuanshu said: “That’s actually quite complicated to explain. Young Marquis, given your position — surely you’ve beaten people to death before? And you’re still standing here perfectly fine, aren’t you?”

Li Chi said: “I have never beaten anyone to death. That would be a grave crime…”

He asked: “Chief Justice, if you have a moment, you really ought to help me understand — how badly does someone need to be beaten before silver alone settles the matter?”

Gui Yuanshu said: “That would depend on the specific circumstances, the specific injuries. It’s not as if I can give you an example out of thin air…”

Li Chi said: “You have one.”

Gui Yuanshu paused: “What does the Young Marquis mean?”

Li Chi said: “You said you have no example to offer — I have one. I can provide my lord with an example.”

Li Chi turned to Yu Jiuling: “Have them all carried in. Let my lord take a look and determine how each case should be judged.”

Yu Jiuling smiled: “All of them carried in?”

Li Chi said: “Carry them all in. There’s room.”

Hearing that exchange between Li Chi and Yu Jiuling, Gui Yuanshu felt his heart give an uneasy lurch.

He looked toward the gate, curious to see just what this Cao Du had been up to.

—