After court dismissed, the Emperor would eat breakfast, then come for his lessons.
Today it was still the Vice Minister from the Ministry of Rites teaching. Seeing the young Emperor and Empress approaching, he bowed respectfully.
“Go on, listen carefully to your lesson,” Chu Zhao said with a smile, then looked at the Vice Minister. “Thank you for your efforts, Minister.”
The Vice Minister invited the Emperor to enter the study first before following him in. Before entering, he glanced at the Empress walking toward the other side—that was the Empress’s study. When the Emperor had lessons, the Empress would be there reading, writing, and reviewing memorials.
Though these memorials had all already been handled by the Grand Tutor, the Empress still reviewed every single one without exception. After finishing, she would review them together with the Emperor.
The Empress had first ruled from behind a curtain, but now she had suddenly spoken up in court. Yesterday and today she hadn’t lowered a curtain either. What would happen next?
The Vice Minister from the Ministry of Rites couldn’t help but lose focus, feeling vaguely that some things were about to change—
In his distraction, he suddenly saw three tall, sturdy military guards approaching, dressed exactly like the Imperial Guards on the inner palace side.
The reason for emphasizing “like the Imperial Guards on the inner palace side” was because the inner palace’s Imperial Guards were different from the imperial city’s Imperial Guards.
The inner palace Imperial Guards were the Longwei Army left behind by the late Emperor.
They weren’t part of the regular military system and were under the Empress’s command, responsible for guarding the inner palace. To distinguish them, a year ago, when the Empress was commemorating the late Emperor, she had bestowed upon them robes with pythons embroidered on both sides of the collar. Everyone privately called them the Dragon-Robed Guards as a jest.
At this moment, one Dragon-Robed Guard held a box in his hands—who knew what was inside? The Vice Minister from the Ministry of Rites couldn’t help but look a few more times. The three Dragon-Robed Guards immediately noticed, their gazes sharp as knives turning toward him.
The Vice Minister hastily withdrew his gaze and stepped into the Emperor’s study.
…
…
Chu Zhao took out a ledger from the box and flipped through it.
“This is the list of those who attended the Grand Tutor’s family banquet last night,” Ding Dachui said. “Twenty-five people in total.”
As he spoke, he took out another ledger from the box.
“These are the attendants of those twenty-five people, including serving boys, guards, and drivers—seventy-two people in total.”
Chu Zhao took it and nodded, then seeing several more ledgers in the box, asked, “What else is there?”
Ding Dachui said, “There are also the household members and relationships of the Grand Tutor’s family and these twenty-five families.” He seemed somewhat embarrassed. “Because time was tight, it’s not very detailed.”
Chu Zhao pulled out the remaining ledgers and flipped through them. At a glance she saw entries listing four horses and five carriages in a household. Looking at this page, even the number of trees in the courtyard was recorded. She couldn’t help but smile. “You still call this not detailed? It’s very detailed.”
She looked at Ding Dachui with surprise in her expression.
“Dachui, this palace underestimated you. Besides being able to fight in battle, you’re also this capable at other tasks.”
Ding Dachui’s face turned bright red, like the red pythons embroidered on his collar crawling chaotically.
“Actually this is nothing. Previously when I was a mount—a hunter, when I went down the mountain to hunt—to sell game, I was in the habit of observing people’s homes—” He stammered through his explanation.
Chu Zhao understood. When he was a mountain bandit occasionally going down the mountain to plunder, before taking action they would scout the location—how many people in the household, where the doors and windows were, the storehouses, vehicles and horses—everything had to be investigated.
She smiled and stopped Ding Dachui from explaining further, nodding. “This palace understands. Originally I thought you couldn’t do these things. It was this palace who underestimated you.”
Ding Dachui breathed a sigh of relief, then shook his head. “This subordinate doesn’t dare accept such praise. It’s the people below who are capable. The former brothers taught us quite a lot.”
The Longwei Army had been divided in two. Guarding the palace prohibitions were the old Longwei Army led by Old Bai. Ding Dachui and those brought back from the border army were assigned to the outer perimeter along with a small portion of Longwei Army members, responsible for miscellaneous tasks and awaiting orders. Their mission was to maintain communication with Longwei Army members stationed along the border and in other locations.
This was the first time they had received this type of order. The Empress said to monitor the Grand Tutor and the movements of the hundred officials. Fortunately, the previous Longwei Army had laid low in the capital for ten years, scattered in various places with various identities, and they had plenty of means and connections, so they had managed to complete this task smoothly.
“We were able to overhear and record more than half of what was discussed at the Grand Tutor’s banquet,” Ding Dachui continued. “But for some confidential matters, we haven’t yet had the opportunity to get close enough.”
Chu Zhao said, “Don’t rush. This is just the beginning of this work. Take it slowly.”
Ding Dachui hurriedly bowed. “This subordinate understands.”
Chu Zhao said, “Also, from now on don’t call yourself ‘this subordinate.’ Ding Dachui, you are a Colonel commanding seven hundred men. Moreover, you are a Longwei Army Colonel left by the late Emperor.”
Ding Dachui straightened up. “This general understands.”
Chu Zhao looked at him. “So you are acting covertly on this palace’s orders to monitor them. You keep your actions hidden to avoid alarming everyone and creating unnecessary incidents. But if you are discovered, you need not retreat.”
Ding Dachui responded affirmatively again.
Only then did Chu Zhao nod. “You may go.”
Ding Dachui walked out of the inner palace, through the front hall, and arrived at the palace gate. The Imperial Guards at the gate saw them and greeted them one after another. Over the course of a year, Ding Dachui, originally an unfamiliar face, had become known to everyone. Even if they didn’t recognize him as a person, they recognized these clothes.
Ding Dachui walked in front, with two people following closely behind. One was a bandit brother who had come out with him, and the other was an old Longwei Army member surnamed Yin, who served as Counselor in the Longwei Army, assisting Ding Dachui.
“Colonel understood what Her Majesty just said, didn’t you?” Counselor Yin said in a low voice.
Ding Dachui nodded. “Her Majesty told us to act freely.” After speaking, he sighed lightly. “I’m just afraid of failing Her Majesty’s important trust. My origins aren’t good, and I don’t understand anything—”
Counselor Yin said, “Colonel is overthinking. For this matter, besides you, no one else could do it well.”
Ding Dachui turned back. “I know Brother Yin never mocks our origins, but you don’t need to flatter me either.”
Counselor Yin smiled. “Colonel’s origins come from fighting alongside Her Majesty all the way. Who would dare mock that?” He continued, “When I say this matter suits the Colonel’s status, I’m not flattering. What Her Majesty wants us to do is actually what the Colonel has always done before.”
Ding Dachui and the other brother both looked at him.
“Guard the mountain, spy, and plunder.” Counselor Yin gestured with his hand. “We just need to treat the capital as a mountain. The people and things here must all be under our control. Once Her Majesty gives an order, we strike and take that person, packaging up and confiscating everything they have.”
He smiled after finishing.
“See? Isn’t it very simple?”
The brother beside them thought about it and realized it really was like that. Back then, the boss had led them to know every inch of the mountain—the grass, trees, fruits, chickens, rabbits, wild boars, when they could be eaten, when they could be raised a bit more, which fruits were sweet, which fruits could be used as bait to catch prey—they knew everything. Once there was a need, they could obtain it at will. Now these officials were like prey on the mountain. Watch them, understand them thoroughly, and just wait for Her Majesty’s order—he couldn’t help but smile. “After all this, we’ve come to the capital to be mountain bandits!”
Counselor Yin laughed heartily. “Should be: imperially sanctioned mountain bandits.”
Ding Dachui coughed lightly. “Nonsense.”
Though Ding Dachui had bandit origins, when it came to killing people, Counselor Yin, who had been in the Longwei Army for over ten years, might not surpass him. A mountain bandit plus someone who had followed the Empress in killing Xi Liang troops and besieging Prince Zhongshan—when he stopped smiling and his face grew stern, his aura turned cold and solemn.
Counselor Yin’s smile also immediately disappeared as he responded affirmatively.
But Ding Dachui smiled slightly again. “Should be: imperially sanctioned hunters.”
Counselor Yin immediately smiled as well. “Colonel is correct.”
Ding Dachui added, “Moreover, we’re following the late Emperor’s edict.”
Since the current Emperor was still young and hadn’t assumed personal rule, any mention of imperial edicts referred to those issued by the Regent Grand Tutor. By invoking the late Emperor, Ding Dachui was making their “imperial sanction” unrelated to the Grand Tutor. Counselor Yin thought to himself: the mountain might be a rural mountain, but bandits had always been quite clever and not to be underestimated.
“Yes,” he responded solemnly.
They passed through the palace gate. Outside the gate stood a dozen or so Imperial Guards scattered about. Seeing Ding Dachui and his two companions emerge, they quickly put away their chatter and came forward. “Colonel.”
Ding Dachui’s gaze swept over them. The python embroidery on each person’s military robe gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight. Different from the severity of the palace gate Imperial Guards, yet not appearing frivolous—it added an extra measure of coldness that made people dare not look directly at them.
“Mount up,” he said.
Following his command, over a dozen people mounted their horses. Ding Dachui said nothing more and suddenly spurred his horse. The horse neighed loudly and galloped away at full speed.
The Imperial Guards outside the palace gate were startled. Not many could ride horses in front of the palace gate, and even fewer could ride this fast. Aside from urgent courier reports, only National Uncle Xie Yanlai had done this a few times.
This Ding Dachui wasn’t a national uncle—what madness had suddenly seized him?
The Longwei Army members following Ding Dachui didn’t think so much. If the leader went mad, they just went mad along with him. In an instant, the horses’ neighing before the palace gate was like thunder. From the palace gate to the imperial avenue and rolling toward even more distant places.
On the bustling street, it was as if a fierce wind had been whipped up. The people couldn’t dodge in time. Because they saw the military robes, most people said nothing, but some still couldn’t help themselves—the war with Xi Liang wasn’t over yet, but over the past year they had hardly felt its effects.
With the war situation no longer so tense, surely soldiers shouldn’t be so undisciplined, charging about recklessly.
“These soldiers, what are they running around for!” someone cursed angrily. “Even when the valiant border troops came to the capital for an audience, they weren’t this wild.”
“Probably because they’re not ordinary soldiers,” someone else said with a smile while standing by the wall.
What did that mean? This comment made the idle people around curious enough to ask.
“Look more carefully at the python patterns on their military robes,” that person said. “These aren’t ordinary. Python patterns can only be worn if bestowed by the Emperor.”
Standing to the side, Liang Qiang waved his hand to disperse the stirred-up dust.
“I know—they’re the Longwei Army,” said a clan younger brother beside him, standing on tiptoe to watch the guards rolling away into the distance, speaking in a low voice. “Previously they always guarded the inner palace, rarely seen. Who knew they’d be so imposing when they came out?”
Liang Qiang glanced silently then withdrew his gaze. “Don’t mind others’ business. Have you packed everything?”
The excitement faded from his clan brother’s eyes, replaced with some resentment. “Why must we leave so quickly? Stay in the capital a few more days. We’re not like Xie Yanlai and the others—we’re private citizens, so our schedule isn’t that urgent.”
Liang Qiang said, “What’s good about staying? The business is finished.”
The business was finished, but now was when things got exciting! Invitations were flying at him like snowflakes, nearly burying him. Former relatives and friends had all emerged. Besides banquet invitations, there were gifts being sent. The Liang clan’s house had already been confiscated, but someone had sent them a new mansion.
The capital. New. A mansion.
How much money would that cost!
The Liang clan truly had risen from ruin again!
“That wasn’t sent to me,” Liang Qiang said. “It’s for the Grand Tutor’s sake.”
With that, he lifted his foot and strode forward.
His clan brother said “oh,” not seeing any difference in this, and hurried to follow. He pulled several invitations from his sleeve. “The others are one thing, but for these few people’s banquet invitations, A’Qiang, you really should go. They’re all former good friends. Most importantly, their family backgrounds are prominent. No matter what, they’re showing full sincerity. We can’t ignore them. Otherwise people will say the only one who can summon you is the Grand Tutor.”
Liang Qiang glanced at the invitations. “Lotus Pond Tower—that was my favorite place back then.” His eyes held a trace of melancholy. “They were thoughtful.”
He nodded.
“Then let’s go.”