By the time they reached the military camp, darkness had fallen.

Que Wu dismounted and bowed to everyone. “My lords, please wait a moment. This subordinate will go inform His Majesty.”

Zhu Yushen’s military tent stood by the Funan River. At first glance, it appeared no different from an ordinary tent, only several times larger. Upon entering, one discovered its hidden depths—above sat a coiled dragon throne and imperial desk, while on the left hung a three-zhang-long map of the Great Sui’s territory.

Zhu Yushen wasn’t wearing imperial robes but military attire, his bearing still upright and imposing. He stood with hands clasped behind his back before the territorial map, seemingly contemplating something. Hearing everyone pay their respects, he responded with “Rise.” Only when his concerns reached some conclusion did he turn around. His gaze swept over Shen Xi as he asked, “Why have you come?”

Shen Xi had gone to the Regional Military Commission last night. This morning, after seeing off Zhu Nanxian, he had returned to Jinzhou government office out of concern for Su Jin’s safety and hadn’t yet come to have audience with Zhu Yushen.

Shen Xi stepped forward and bowed. “In response to Your Majesty, Your Majesty has established circuits in Yunnan-Guizhou and designated Annan as Jiaozhi Province. Therefore, all the Yellow Registers and Fish Scale Registers in the Southwest region must be examined and revised accordingly. Your subject feared those below might not handle the task well and delay Your Majesty’s important affairs, so came personally. Your Majesty may rest assured—before leaving, your subject arranged court affairs properly. With the Tenth Prince and Minister Qian managing things, nothing will go wrong.”

Hearing him spout complete nonsense, Zhu Yushen didn’t hold it against him too much and merely said coolly, “With both Liu Yun and Shu Yu absent from the capital, you leaving like this—do you want to work Old Ten to death?”

Shen Xi started to explain further, but Zhu Yushen waved his hand. “Enough. One year’s salary forfeiture. After returning to the capital, submit a memorial of apology to me.”

In truth, how could Zhu Yushen not know why Shen Qingyue had appeared in Sichuan-Shu?

However, the realm was currently at a critical juncture of sweeping away the old and establishing the new. The Ministry of Revenue was the foundation of reform. Zhu Yushen was unwilling and would not touch this capable and intelligent Minister of Revenue.

He looked toward the others. “I’ve heard that Ministry of Revenue Director Lu has died. Which of you will give me an explanation?”

Zhai Di, who had been waiting in the tent earlier, stepped forward. “In response to Your Majesty, this Ministry of Revenue Director Lu was… killed by your subject’s own hand. At the time, Director Lu intended to take away the Cuiwei Town residents for punishment. Who knew chaos would erupt at the inn, causing disaster for innocent common people. The situation was urgent, and your subject had no choice but to kill him.” Saying this, he lifted his robe and knelt. “Your subject requests Your Majesty’s punishment.”

The reason Zhai Di killed Lu Dingze was actually singular—to help Zhu Nanxian conceal his identity.

Zhu Yushen said coldly, “The Imperial Censorate decides small matters independently and memorializes about major ones for judgment. Now, in the eyes of you censors, has the life of a court official become a trivial matter of no significance that can be disposed of at will?”

Zhai Di bowed his head. “Your Majesty, in this matter your subject was rash and impetuous. Your subject is willing—”

“I understand this matter better than you do,” Zhu Yushen interrupted. “After returning to the capital, the case of Ministry of Revenue Director Lu will be handled by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. As for you, effective immediately, you are suspended pending investigation. A disposition will be made after the matter is clarified.”

Zhai Di kowtowed. “Your subject thanks Your Majesty for his grace.”

Zhu Yushen’s gaze fell on Liu Chaoming. “Liu Yun, I hear you’ve again unauthorized mobilized the Embroidered Uniform Guard today?”

Liu Chaoming only responded, “In response to Your Majesty, yes.”

Zhu Yushen laughed. “This Embroidered Uniform Guard is truly accustomed to heeding your orders. Aren’t you afraid I’ll charge both you and the Imperial Censorate together with the crime of treason?”

His tone was flat, yet every word carried weight, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

However, after Zhu Yushen said this, without waiting for Liu Chaoming’s answer, he instead clasped his hands behind his back and walked before the territorial map, staring intently at the northern corner.

After a while, he said, “Northern Liang’s ambitions remain undying. After I return triumphant to the capital, I fear it won’t be long before another personal campaign is needed. In recent years you’ve managed court affairs very well. I acknowledge your merit and won’t hold against you the offense of unauthorized mobilizing the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I’ll temporarily preserve your position as Chief Minister of the Cabinet.”

At these words, everyone present was shocked.

Shu Wenlan said in astonishment, “Your Majesty, many witnessed Lord Liu’s unauthorized mobilization of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If Your Majesty doesn’t punish him, it may be difficult to convince…”

But before he could finish, Zhu Yushen raised his hand to stop him.

Zhu Yushen looked at Liu Chaoming and continued, “Though I preserve your position as Chief Minister, as Shu Yu said, you unauthorized mobilized the Embroidered Uniform Guard and indulged your subordinate Zhai Qiguang in wantonly killing court officials. Ultimately, this is because you, as Chief Censor, failed to fulfill your supervisory responsibilities, thus causing grave error. I have decided that effective immediately, your position as Chief Censor is revoked, and all your positions in the Imperial Censorate are revoked. From today onward, you will no longer serve as a censor.”

Hearing these words, Liu Chaoming’s usually calm and undisturbed eyes surged with shock.

For a moment he was disoriented, looking at Zhu Yushen in disbelief. “Your Majesty?”

He had studied law with the old censor at age eleven and entered the Imperial Censorate at seventeen. After so many years, the two words “censor” had long been carved into his bones and blood.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered the consequences of unauthorized mobilizing the Embroidered Uniform Guard. But urgent matters require urgent action. Even if Zhu Yushen punished him, at worst he wouldn’t be Chief Minister or Regent anymore. Even if he no longer served as Chief Censor, even if he went back to being a seventh-rank investigating censor conducting regional inspections, he would be delighted to return to basics. But he never imagined Zhu Yushen would revoke all his positions in the Imperial Censorate.

Liu Yun had no obsessions in life. Even if he’d had any, he had chiseled them into ash and buried them deep in his heart.

Only in serving as a censor had he never wavered.

Li Qiong couldn’t help but say, “What does Your Majesty mean by not allowing Lord Liu to serve as censor? Lord Liu has been in the Imperial Censorate for over a decade, always upright and selfless, a model for all censors.” He lifted his robe and knelt. “Your Majesty, this humble subject dares to stake his life as guarantee for Lord Liu. I request Your Majesty restore Lord Liu’s censor position.”

Zhai Di also said, “Your Majesty, this subject’s killing of Lu Dingze was entirely this subject’s error and has absolutely nothing to do with Lord Liu. If Your Majesty must revoke a position, why not revoke this subject’s instead?”

Shen Xi paused slightly and said, “Your Majesty, now that Zhao Yan has retired, even if you revoke Liu Yun’s position as Chief Censor, there is no one in the Imperial Censorate capable of bearing such responsibility. In this subject’s view, why not keep him in the Censorate, publicize his crimes to all officials, and allow him to perform meritorious service to atone for his crimes?”

But Zhu Yushen didn’t answer.

His gaze swept over everyone one by one, finally settling on Su Jin. He said coolly, “Su Shiyu, you too once served as censor in the Imperial Censorate and could be said to have been promoted by Liu Yun. How do you view this matter? Do you also think I shouldn’t revoke his position?”

Su Jin hadn’t expected Zhu Yushen would actually ask her this question. She opened her mouth to answer, only to discover that though her heart held a thousand words, at this moment she couldn’t speak even one.

It was Liu Yun who had personally led her onto this path, guided her aspirations, taught her the responsibilities of serving as censor.

She had once regarded him as teacher, as elder brother, as confidant, as fellow traveler, as guiding light and bright moon. But later, discovering his unscrupulous side that violated principles, she had been disappointed. They had parted ways, gradually growing more distant.

What did it mean to be a censor?

Or taking a step back—what did it mean to set disorder right and maintain constancy of heart?

This question—Su Jin still hadn’t fully figured it out to this day. Nor did she believe she had done particularly well. When she and Liu Yun fought each other to the death years ago, she too had been unscrupulous. Only in the end, the victor becomes king and the vanquished becomes bandit.

That Liu Yun had unauthorized mobilized the Imperial Guard was fact. That Zhai Di had wantonly killed a court official, and that Liu Yun as Chief Censor had failed to fulfill his supervisory responsibilities—this too was fact.

Any single one of these was sufficient to convict Liu Yun of a capital crime. One could say that by preserving Liu Yun’s position as Chief Minister and only revoking his positions in the Censorate, Zhu Yushen was already showing excessive favoritism and extraordinary grace.

Even though Su Jin knew that for Liu Chaoming, he would rather be stripped of office, be convicted of crimes, even imprisoned with nine chances of death in ten, than remain in court this way.

Su Jin opened her mouth, her voice somewhat hoarse. “This guilty subject believes that since Lord Liu assumed the position of censor…”

“No need to continue.”

Before she could finish, Liu Chaoming interrupted.

Outside the military tent was quiet night. The Funan River’s waters flowed murmuring. Liu Yun’s eyes held a mass of fog, making it impossible to discern the joy or sorrow within. He folded his sleeves and seemed to bow calmly to Zhu Yushen.

“Your subject Liu Yun accepts this punishment and thanks Your Majesty for his grace.”