Yan Xiansheng sat and thought for quite a long while. The meaning in Director Gao’s and Old Zhang Zhenren’s words — was that His Majesty did not want those who should leave to leave, and those who should be arrested to be arrested?

But that was not how His Majesty did things. Whether in Jizhou or Yuzhou, or later in the Jiangnan regions — when had His Majesty ever not governed with severe law and harsh measures?

The moment the phrase severe law surfaced in Yan Xiansheng’s mind, it was as though a light had come on at the same time.

And right on its heels: a chill ran up his back, traveling up his spine and driving itself into the base of his skull.

The cold sensation rose, and moments later he was drenched in cold sweat.

Ah yes — His Majesty did not want to simply dismiss those who should be dismissed and imprison those who should be imprisoned…

Director Gao watched Yan Xiansheng in this state and smiled. “It seems the understanding has arrived.”

Yan Xiansheng gave a slow nod. His color had not yet returned to normal.

The phrase severe law was still cycling through his mind, as though it had taken on a voice and was reverberating inside his skull.

“You were also involved in assisting with affairs of governance.”

Director Gao, still painting the carriage, spoke in an unhurried tone. “You would of course also know: recently, the most numerous memorials coming to the Censorate have not been those impeaching Xu Ji.”

Yan Xiansheng nodded. “That’s right…”

Director Gao said, “I went to the palace to see His Majesty yesterday. On His Majesty’s desk in the imperial study, there was a stack this high…”

Director Gao gestured an approximation, then continued, “This high — a whole pile of memorials sent up from across the regions. And seven or eight out of ten were submitted by the branch offices of the Prefectural Judicial Courts throughout the land…”

Director Gao looked at Yan Xiansheng. “Which would you say is more alarming — this matter, or the matter of Xu Ji?”

Yan Xiansheng felt the cold sweat on his back grow heavier.

Since His Majesty had returned from his northern campaign, the volume of memorials from across the regions had increased markedly — particularly from the Prefectural Judicial Court branch offices.

The overwhelming majority of those memorials concerned essentially the same subject.

That subject was the meritorious officials.

Great Ning had only just been founded, and a substantial portion of the officials dispatched to local posts were meritorious officials who had followed His Majesty through years of campaigns north and south.

Some had been appointed as prefectural governors; others held even higher posts. Certain men with military officer ranks had become the chief officials of entire counties. While technically a military commander’s rank was above a county magistrate’s, and the assignment might even be considered a step down, in practice they held real authority — the people under their jurisdiction, the territory they administered, the power they wielded was nothing a military commander’s rank could ever have conferred.

These men, their military accomplishments fresh in everyone’s memory, had arrived at their local posts and begun to exhibit a common affliction — a very serious affliction.

Arrogance born of their achievements.

They considered themselves men who had clawed their way out of a mountain of blades, men of meritorious service who had followed His Majesty through every campaign. While in the military there had been regulations to restrain them, and the generals above them had been strict — so they had not dared to misbehave.

But the moment they arrived in local governance, every one of them had become overbearing — overbearing to the point of flouting even the law.

If this were merely one or two individuals, one would simply deal with them according to Great Ning’s statutes.

But it was not. There were far too many such cases — from county magistrates up to prefectural governors and even those holding posts equivalent to military governors, such things were happening everywhere.

What was His Majesty to do?

If he truly applied Great Ning’s legal statutes to make a public example of them, he would likely chill far too many hearts at a single stroke.

It was clearly these people who were in the wrong. Yet if His Majesty were to punish meritorious officials throughout the entire realm in this manner, it would somehow end up making His Majesty look like the unreasonable one.

Director Gao looked at Yan Xiansheng. “So — you want to apply severe law, yet cannot apply it to everyone. What’s to be done?”

He set down his paintbrush and handed Yan Xiansheng a cup of tea.

“His Majesty has already dispatched Judicial Court investigators to go down and inspect, and has also sent Imperial Commissioner Inspectors — drawing on military men for these roles. Liu Ge only just returned to Chang’an and has already been sent back out.”

Director Gao said, “But these Judicial Court investigations, these Imperial Commissioners — they treat the symptom, not the cause.”

Yan Xiansheng nodded. “When the inspectors arrive, they conduct themselves properly. When the inspectors leave, things revert to exactly how they were before.”

Director Gao said, “So this matter is truly not, as you said, urgent to resolve.”

Old Zhang Zhenren murmured to himself nearby, “At a time like this, minor punishment and major warning won’t do any good. And if it’s major punishment… it will shatter morale throughout the ranks.”

Yan Xiansheng now understood completely — His Majesty was in a genuinely difficult position.

Great Ning wanted to transform the governance failures of the previous dynasty, to thoroughly eradicate its lingering ills — and from the very beginning, a group of meritorious officials had already begun to resemble the officials of the old dynasty.

To act hastily — those meritorious officials’ achievements were still right there before everyone’s eyes, clear to see.

Only by pushing back a little further in time, continuing to address symptoms in the interim, and then waiting for the right moment — could the root cause finally be treated.

And that root, was Xu Ji.

To be more precise, Xu Ji was one of the roots.

Director Gao looked at Yan Xiansheng. “When I entered the palace, His Majesty and I spoke at length. His Majesty said: in this matter, no one else is suitable — only Xu Ji.”

He asked, “Do you understand why His Majesty said that?”

Yan Xiansheng shook his head. He truly hadn’t yet grasped the deeper meaning — why no one else was suitable, and why only Xu Ji would do.

Director Gao sighed. “His Majesty may be your student — but fortunately, His Majesty did not learn everything from you. You are still the same stubborn, earnest, pigheaded fellow you were at the Academy.”

Yan Xiansheng smiled bitterly. “And so I have always said — I am not a statesman of great talent.”

Director Gao smiled, then gestured with a nod toward the direction of the palace. “You are not — but Xu Ji is.”

Yan Xiansheng froze again. He understood those words even less.

At the same moment, in the Weiyang Palace, the Eastern Warm Chamber.

Li Chi sat behind his desk reviewing memorials. Xu Ji sat across from him, waiting — sitting with careful restraint, even his breathing measured and deliberately kept quiet.

To speak plainly: when it came to embodying every quality a subject ought to display, Xu Ji was an example to all.

Setting aside for the moment whatever he might be doing in private — whether factionalism was truly occurring and how severe it might be — speak only of how to be a minister, how to be a chancellor. No one was better suited for it, and no one more outstanding.

“I have heard you sleep very little?”

Li Chi set aside one reviewed memorial and, in the interval of picking up the next, asked Xu Ji this.

Xu Ji immediately bowed. “Though Your Majesty is right that I sleep somewhat less, I sleep quite soundly, so my spirits are undiminished.”

Li Chi said, “You are Great Ning’s chancellor — affairs of state are of course important, but your health is equally so. You must not exhaust yourself in service of the realm.”

He pointed to a small wooden box on the table. “These are tonic medicinals I had the Shen Medical Hall send over. Take them home with you.”

Xu Ji immediately rose, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed. “Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your gracious kindness—”

Before he could finish, Li Chi waved him off. “Speak sitting down — no need to be always dropping to your knees. Shen Ruhan personally inspected these medicines. Strengthen your body. Great Ning still has so much that needs your attention.”

Li Chi set down his vermillion brush and looked at Xu Ji. “You have seen the recent memorials as well. There is a matter I wish to ask you about.”

Xu Ji — sharp as he was — immediately surmised what His Majesty was about to ask.

He bowed and replied, “Among the memorials coming up from across the regions, those concerning the meritorious officials who have been dispatched to local posts behaving somewhat… somewhat without restraint have indeed increased.”

Li Chi gave a sound of acknowledgment, then continued, “You are the chancellor. In your view — how should this be handled?”

Xu Ji had long anticipated that sooner or later His Majesty would raise this matter, and had thought long and carefully about how to handle it. Even so, it was genuinely difficult — he himself found it somewhat vexing.

“What is it?”

Li Chi asked, “Difficult to say?”

Xu Ji said quickly, “That is not my meaning. What I wish to say is — this matter is not difficult to handle in itself. The difficulty lies in calibrating the degree. Not enough, and there is insufficient deterrence — too much, and resentment will breed below…”

At this he looked up at Li Chi. “Your Majesty — perhaps… Your servant might step away from Chang’an for a while?”

Li Chi again took up the vermillion brush and opened another memorial, reading and annotating.

“I have been thinking along the same lines. They believe themselves meritorious officials — that nothing under heaven is greater than the achievement of having fought alongside me to found the dynasty. When they were in the military, regulations restrained them and the generals above were strict — they dared not act recklessly. But once in local posts, every one has become overbearing.

I have dispatched quite a number of people to deal with this in the past few days — but their rank and standing are not sufficient to overawe everyone.”

Li Chi looked again at Xu Ji. “You are Great Ning’s chancellor — the head of all officials. As for achievement, who among those dispatched to local posts can claim greater merit than you?”

“So it would do you good to step out and make a circuit. If even Great Ning’s chancellor cannot keep them in line, then I will have no choice but to personally travel to each region myself.”

Xu Ji rose to his feet and once more dropped to his knees. “I receive His Majesty’s command. I… I wish to request His Majesty’s permission — am I allowed — am I allowed to execute a few people?”

Li Chi raised his eyes and looked at Xu Ji. “That is not a question to ask me. Ask Great Ning’s laws. These are the statutes you, Director Gao, Yan Xiansheng, and so many officials deliberated together and established — the legal code I have stamped with the imperial seal. Whatever should be done is written there.”

“I receive His Majesty’s command!”

Xu Ji kowtowed. “Your servant understands.”

Li Chi gave a sound of acknowledgment and returned to his memorials. Eyes still on the page, he said, “Before you leave the capital — go and pay your respects to the Empress. She has invested considerable effort on your behalf for this circuit inspection, personally selecting skilled hands from the Judicial Court to accompany you. You should go and take your leave of the Empress in person.”

Xu Ji bowed. “I receive His Majesty’s command, and I thank Her Majesty the Empress for her gracious favor.”

Li Chi smiled. “Save the flattery for when you see her directly — don’t ask me to relay it. Flattery loses its flavor by the time I pass it on.”

Xu Ji also smiled, and kowtowed again. “Then your servant takes his leave.”

Li Chi gave a sound of acknowledgment. “Go… look after yourself. This is not a matter of three days and two nights. Take care of your health.”

“Your servant will remember.”

After Xu Ji had gone, Li Chi raised his eyes and looked toward the door, then brought his gaze back to the memorial in his hands.

After a moment, Li Chi let out a long, slow breath.

“I hope you can see clearly. If you can see clearly — what a fortunate thing that would be.”

A remark to the air, addressed to no one. Li Chi rose and stretched his arms, then called out toward the door. “Ye Xiaoqian — go and summon Zhang Tang.”

Outside the door, Ye Xiaoqian bowed. “I receive Your Majesty’s command. I will send for Lord Zhang at once.”

Li Chi walked to the window and gazed outside. He let out another long breath, as if trying to exhale some knot from within his chest.

“One Great Ning chancellor, one Great Ning harsh and ruthless enforcer — for this work of treating symptoms, in the end, you two are the most fitting.”