Coming out of Weiyang Palace, Master Yan drew a long, deep breath, then let it out heavily — not from any lingering burden in his heart, but from pure joy.

He finally knew how shallow he had been. So shallow that he had still thought of His Majesty as that young student from the Four-Page Academy of years past.

His Majesty had long since stood at the highest point in this world, looking down upon not only the present world, but the world yet to come.

Master Yan was genuinely happy, genuinely at ease, and genuinely proud.

Because this sort of Emperor had once been his student.

This was a new era, and the man who had opened this era was none other than His Majesty himself.

All along the road home, Master Yan kept thinking: good thing, good thing — what fortune, what fortune.

Good thing His Majesty would not change his mind because of another’s words. What fortune that His Majesty’s decisions had always been right.

Master Yan also found himself thinking: if His Majesty were the sort of man who refused to act on anything for fear of bearing some ill reputation — would Da Ning still have the bright future everyone hoped for?

And so Master Yan’s heart was settled. Once settled, the whole of him felt extraordinarily light.

His Majesty had said to wait until Xu Ji returned before releasing him temporarily — so for this period, he would assist His Majesty in managing court affairs properly.

For some reason he could not name, Master Yan had been heading home, but halfway there he changed his mind.

He told the coachman to turn around, and went instead to Chancellor Gao’s residence.

When he arrived, the three elders had just finished a task — they were admiring the wooden cart they had built with their own hands, and the pride on those three old faces was beyond all description.

It was as if this wooden cart brought more satisfaction than all of Elder Zhang Zhenren’s years of teaching the Dao at Longhu Mountain.

As if this wooden cart gave more cause for pride than Chancellor Gao’s single-handed effort to build the Four-Page Academy, which had shaped the culture of the entire north.

As if this wooden cart was more worthy of pride than the Elder with the Long Brows having taught an Emperor like Li Chi.

“You’re back?”

Chancellor Gao looked at Master Yan and smiled. “I rather thought you would come back.”

Master Yan also smiled — the gloom that had shadowed his face earlier was entirely gone.

“After all these years,” Master Yan said with a smile, “whatever I intend to do — it has always been seen straight through by you, Master.”

“You’ve come just at the right time.”

The Elder with the Long Brows smiled. “After a whole day of work, I really can’t be bothered to go out and find somewhere to eat. Let’s just have something simple here — I’ve already told the kitchen to prepare. We’ll have a drink together.”

Chancellor Gao glanced at him sideways. “This is my home — and you’re acting more like the host than I am.”

The Elder with the Long Brows laughed. “Then you’d say I’m wrong about that — I have more presence here than in my own home.”

Chancellor Gao: “Where do you find the nerve? By seniority, you are still a junior. You ought to have a junior’s sense of propriety.”

The Elder with the Long Brows huffed. “Propriety? Propriety means eating your fill while you’re here and not pining for a single grain of rice back home — and propriety also means not just eating your fill, but making sure to look around for something to take away when you leave.”

Chancellor Gao: “And this is how you raised the Emperor?”

The Elder with the Long Brows grinned. “Don’t talk about His Majesty — believe it or not, His Majesty’s children will be like this too someday, and every Emperor of Da Ning that follows. Because that’s the root of it, and the root is already set.”

Meanwhile, at Xu Ji’s residence.

Xu Ji had his servants prepare everything needed for the inspection tour, when a servant came to report that Attendant Minister Guan of the Ministry of Personnel was requesting an audience.

This Attendant Minister of Personnel was a man Xu Ji had recommended himself. His family was in Ji Province; he had later followed Xu Ji to Yue Province and was one of Xu Ji’s most trusted inner circle.

His name was Guan Mo. In his youth, he had earned a considerable reputation in Ji Province, and had come up through the Four-Page Academy.

In fact, when you thought about it, he and Da Ning’s own Emperor were classmates of the same cohort — just not in the same classroom.

When Li Chi entered the Jiazi Hall, Guan Mo had been placed in the Yizi Hall. He was a man of quiet temperament, averse to drawing attention.

As for his true abilities, entering the Jiazi Hall would have been no great challenge for him — only, when he took the entrance examination, he had deliberately gotten a few questions wrong.

Because he knew: those in the Jiazi Hall were either of distinguished family or of exceptional brilliance. With his abilities, he would have been merely average there — never at the top.

But in the Yizi Hall it was different. No one there was his match. He could claim more of the instructors’ favor and practical benefit.

When Li Chi had first begun to rise, Guan Mo dared not admit to being his classmate, and made no mention at all of having attended the Four-Page Academy.

It was only when he felt certain the realm would come to belong to Prince Ning that he began, in conversation, to let slip — with studied carelessness — that he and Prince Ning had been fellow students.

That small detail allowed him to cultivate many connections in Ji Province, including no shortage of those who sang his praises rather eagerly.

After Xu Ji was transferred to serve as Military Governor of Ji Province, he happened to hear of Guan Mo — a man who had been Prince Ning’s classmate — and sent someone to bring him in.

A man like Xu Ji, who calculated everything in terms of future benefit, did not at first think Guan Mo possessed any particular talent. He merely hoped to make use of Guan Mo’s identity — to one day mention before Prince Ning that he had a fellow student of the Prince’s serving under him, and earn a measure of goodwill.

Later, Xu Ji discovered that Guan Mo was far more than merely a little clever. The man’s abilities were not to be underestimated.

And so he had deliberately cultivated him. While Xu Ji served as Military Governor in Ji Province, he promoted Guan Mo to a fifth-rank position.

When Xu Ji moved to Yue Province, he appointed Guan Mo as Circuit Overseer of Three Provinces — a solid third-rank official.

After Prince Ning proclaimed himself Emperor in Chang’an, Xu Ji recommended Guan Mo to Li Chi.

He had expected the Emperor to assess the man’s learning and abilities. What he did not expect was that the Emperor asked nothing at all, and simply approved Xu Ji’s recommendation letter directly.

And so Guan Mo easily became Da Ning’s Attendant Minister of Personnel — still third rank, but wielding far greater authority than he had in the provinces.

Moreover, the Ministry of Personnel was foremost among the Six Ministries. The position of Attendant Minister of Personnel was coveted by many — others could only look on with envy.

Xu Ji had placed several men of Guan Mo’s type throughout the court. By rough count, those who could be called his trusted inner circle numbered seven or eight.

On the surface, Guan Mo appeared to hold the highest office among them. The others were all below fourth rank, with the majority at fifth or sixth rank — so it could not truly be said that Xu Ji had shown excessive favoritism.

In practice, however, while these men held modest ranks, every one of them occupied a critical position within their respective ministries.

The moment Guan Mo entered, he bowed deeply to Xu Ji. Though Guan Mo was considerably older, he had always conducted himself as a student in Xu Ji’s presence.

“Master.”

Guan Mo called out as he bowed.

Xu Ji waved him to a seat, then asked directly, “Your visit concerns the matter of His Majesty sending me to inspect the various provinces?”

Guan Mo immediately nodded. “Yes, Master. That is precisely the matter that prompted this student’s visit.”

Xu Ji said, “Between the two of us, there is no need for such ceremony. Whatever you have thought of, simply say it.”

Guan Mo said, “Master — His Majesty asking you to inspect the provinces at this particular moment… is it not somewhat… inconvenient?”

Xu Ji asked, “Why do you think so?”

Guan Mo replied, “The men His Majesty wishes you to deal with appear, on the surface, to be nothing extraordinary — neither high in rank nor especially formidable. But in truth, these men are only the surface. The powerful figures behind them are the ones truly difficult to handle.”

Xu Ji smiled. “If they were easy to handle, would His Majesty send me?”

Guan Mo said, “Yes, yes, Master is right. This student only worried that His Majesty’s sending you on this errand might be… might be somewhat unfair to you. After all, those men behind them are a crowd of Dukes and Grand Generals — if they speak ill of you before His Majesty, His Majesty cannot entirely disregard it.”

At this, Guan Mo glanced at Xu Ji’s expression. “This student feels that perhaps it would be better for you not to go, Master.”

“Not go?”

Xu Ji laughed, his smile carrying a trace of mockery. “His Majesty has issued an Imperial Decree. Would you dare defy it?”

He rose and began to pace slowly about the room. “Before you continue, ask yourself first — why me?”

Guan Mo said, “Because Master is Da Ning’s Chancellor, foremost among all ministers. If Master has determined a matter, no one else would dare question it lightly. Moreover, Master is Da Ning’s founding meritorious official, also holding a Ducal rank — you need not consider too many others’ sensitivities.”

“That is still only the surface of what you see.”

Xu Ji spoke in an even tone. “You say my status as a Duke means I need not fear the Grand Generals — but have you considered, would Yan Qingzhi not be more suited than I for this?”

Guan Mo was startled, and thought it over. It did seem, by that reasoning, to be true.

“Yan Qingzhi’s ties with those men are far closer — by all reasoning, he would be the most suitable choice. Yet His Majesty does not use him — and that is precisely because Yan Qingzhi’s ties with them are too close.”

Xu Ji smiled. “I know what you are worried about. You fear that in time, those Dukes and Grand Generals will join hands against me… but have you thought about this — could His Majesty not see all this as well?”

Guan Mo bowed his head. “What this student fears is that His Majesty is doing it deliberately.”

Xu Ji said, “Of course His Majesty is doing it deliberately.”

He moved to his writing desk and sat down, gesturing at the pile of memorials on the table. “Do you know what these are?”

Guan Mo immediately shook his head. “This student does not.”

Xu Ji said, “These are memorials from local yamens, branch offices of the Court of Justice, and various other parties — all reporting against me.”

Xu Ji patted the stack. “Every last one accuses me of building a personal faction.”

Guan Mo was alarmed — the color drained slightly from his face.

Xu Ji continued with a smile, “From the very first of these memorials, I have not allowed a single one to go undelivered — each has been presented before His Majesty. These are the ones I know of. There are also the ones I do not see — the Imperial Censors have direct access to the throne; they need not send memorials through my hands. Think: when those gentlemen of the Imperial Censorate go after me, do you suppose they hold anything back?”

Guan Mo did not dare speak.

Xu Ji said, “And what happened after? Later — all these memorials came back to me. At first His Majesty personally wrote replies. Gradually, His Majesty stopped bothering to read them at all, and simply told me to handle them at my own discretion…”

Xu Ji smiled. “Tell me — what is this?”

Guan Mo immediately replied, “It is His Majesty’s trust in you, Master. His Majesty’s high regard for you.”

Xu Ji said, “Yes, exactly so.”

His fingers tapped lightly on the pile of memorials — the sound had a peculiar rhythm to it.

“You said just now that His Majesty may be deliberately putting me in opposition with those Dukes and Grand Generals — that much you guessed correctly.”

Xu Ji smiled. “Only you guessed the direction wrong. So many people say I am building a personal faction, yet His Majesty never once asks me about it — is that meaning not plain enough?”

Guan Mo suddenly understood. It struck him all at once.

Xu Ji said, “What faction am I building? I am building His Majesty’s faction, of course!”

Xu Ji rose again, and his voice rose with him.

“His Majesty sends me to clash with those Dukes and Grand Generals, and takes no notice of these memorials accusing me — because His Majesty is deliberately giving me the power and the footing to clash with those Grand Generals. He is deliberately letting me stand higher, high enough to suppress them on his behalf — do you understand now?”

Guan Mo, hearing this, was struck with a sense of wonder that left him without words.

He immediately asked, “Master — did His Majesty say all this to you directly?”

Xu Ji gave him a sidelong look. “Are you genuinely foolish, or merely pretending? Would His Majesty ever say such things aloud?”

Guan Mo bowed low. “Yes, yes — this student spoke without thinking.”

Xu Ji said, “His Majesty may not have said it in plain words, but his meaning is already clear enough. No one in this world can do anything without His Majesty knowing — every official in court resents the fact that my power keeps growing, yet they can do nothing about it. And that is precisely the situation His Majesty wishes to see.”

He laughed — the satisfaction in his heart was showing openly on his face.

“His Majesty will never personally fall out with so many meritorious ministers. This you must always remember.”

Xu Ji pointed at himself. “Who am I?”

Guan Mo immediately answered, “His Majesty’s most trusted minister — Da Ning’s Chancellor!”

Xu Ji shook his head. “Not only that. Sometimes there are things His Majesty cannot do himself that need me to do them. And so at times — I am His Majesty’s heart, and His Majesty’s voice.”

—