Chen Meng stood there, feeling a long-absent sense of exhilaration wash over him.
The ruler and his ministers all looked at him, and from his stance — neck stiff and head held high — they could vaguely make out something of a “righteously unyielding” bearing.
Luo Sheng grew a little flustered and hurried out to beg forgiveness. With a measure of shame and a measure of grievance, his voice trembling slightly, he choked out: “It is this minister’s fault for failing to offer timely counsel.”
Chen Meng continued to stand absolutely still. He found this Prince Consort rather tiresome — now he grew a tongue? Now he knew to offer counsel? Where had he been before all this? It was all perfectly obvious, was it not?
He slanted a cold sideways glance at the Prince Consort.
However capable Princess Anren might be, she could not attend court. It still fell to Luo Sheng to appear at court bareheaded in her stead, begging the Emperor’s forgiveness on behalf of his mother-in-law. He was an honest man — he offered not a single word of defence.
Luo Sheng was the Crown Prince’s father-in-law. To move against the Crown Princess was to level a sword at the Crown Prince himself, and the Emperor had not yet considered replacing the Crown Prince. The Emperor gave a light cough and said: “I know you have always been gentle and accommodating by nature — you would not do such a thing. Rise.”
Land annexation was not a grave crime. Though Princess Anren was not a person anyone particularly liked, at the present moment, this did not truly constitute a major matter.
The Emperor first commended Chen Meng for “upholding the law impartially,” then spoke in gentle tones: “Minister, you need only adjudicate according to the law. However, Princess Anren is my elder and is getting on in years — do not give her a fright. As for those lands — they originally belonged to the rebel Lu?”
Chen Meng replied stiffly: “They belong to the people!”
The Emperor made a pressing-down gesture with his hand. “Calm yourself.”
In years past, Chen Meng and the Emperor — who had then still been Prince Zhao — had shared something of an acquaintance. Not a particularly deep one, but it existed nonetheless. The two men were not far apart in age; when Chen Meng returned to the capital, he was already a young man in his prime, at the stage where one goes about making friends in all directions. At that time, Prince Zhao had a firmly established Crown Prince elder brother above him and was himself a prince of comfortable leisure. One son of the Emperor, one son of the Chief Minister — it would have been an affront to their fathers not to spend time together.
Chen Meng’s father was not only adept at human relationships but also at official conduct; both father and son had cultivated some acquaintance with this Prince Zhao, and so Chen Meng’s career advancement had been remarkably smooth. He also dared exchange a few words of argument with the Emperor.
The Emperor wanted to say: Wasn’t your temper perfectly good before?
In view of appearances, such words were inconvenient to speak now. He could only urge Chen Meng to calm down.
Chen Meng said with righteous solemnity: “The rebel Lu acted against all proper order, seizing and plundering the properties of the common people, and has already been put to death! By Your Majesty’s grace, those properties were returned to their original owners. Those fields and farmlands are what provide grain and pay taxes to the state! Now they not only harm the common folk but afflict the court itself!”
Then, with an air of sorrowful indignation — seemingly addressing the Emperor, yet also seemingly addressing Luo Sheng — Chen Meng said: “Has Your Majesty not already bestowed more than enough upon the Princess over the years?”
When he finished, he let out a long sigh and said to the Emperor: “Even adjudicating strictly by law, this minister cannot take action against a Princess. Since Your Majesty speaks of proceeding by law, I respectfully request that Your Majesty make the final decision.”
He was the Prefect of the Capital — he could arrest and sentence the powerful households’ servants, but a Princess he truly could not simply move against at will. Hence the impeachment.
At this point, the Emperor had already shifted his thinking. Though he possessed all under heaven, what Princess Anren wanted was but a drop in that ocean. Unpleasant as she was as a person, if one simply gave it to her, so be it. But Chen Meng was right — he had already given Princess Anren more than enough. For the Princess to still behave this way was a touch improper.
The Emperor said: “Order the Princess to return all the lands she has wrongfully seized. As for the steward and chief administrator of the Princess’s household — how is it that these people don’t know how to conduct themselves? Dismiss them all! And furthermore…”
This was only to be expected. Since the Princess had committed a wrong, how could one move against her? Those beneath her bore the beatings. The most unfortunate ones were the eunuchs of the Princess’s household — the Emperor ordered them flogged forty strokes each and then expelled from the household.
Du Shi’en was already calculating inwardly: that person was now finished; he would need to send another attendant to the Princess’s household.
Yao Zhen was also pondering: now that the Princess’s household was short-staffed, he’d need to find a couple more unfortunate souls to fill the gap.
And with that, the matter of Princess Anren was considered settled on the spot.
Immediately, another person stepped forward. Zhù Ying turned to look — well, well. Chai Lingyuan.
Chai Lingyuan said: “A Princess has broken the law, and yet only her steward and chief administrator are dismissed. But Yu Qingyuan himself has also forcibly seized properties from the common people, while day after day he howls in court demanding we ‘curb land annexation’! The thief crying thief! This is mockery of Your Majesty!”
Chen Meng cast a sideways glance at him, understood perfectly well what he was after, and paid him no mind — Yu Qingyuan did not fall under the Capital Prefecture’s jurisdiction. He even thought inwardly that Chai Lingyuan’s calibre was insufficient — at the very least he should have added “conduct unbefitting his office”!
Was what Yu Qingyuan did merely seizing commoners’ fields? No — he had abandoned his belief in serving all under heaven! He was more contemptible than Princess Anren. At least Princess Anren had never claimed to be a gentleman.
What an idiot who doesn’t even know how to file a proper accusation! Chen Meng held Chai Lingyuan in great contempt.
Matters having reached this point, Yu Qingyuan was beyond saving. At that time, many households in court possessed hidden fields — including Chai Lingyuan’s own family — but now was not the moment to drag others into it. If they truly started pulling each other down, no one would escape.
The Emperor was already somewhat weary of it all. Yu Qingyuan? A single imperial decree dispatched him two thousand li away.
The Emperor promptly dismissed the morning court. Not a single piece of good news had come today — how vexing!
Chen Meng still refused to let him be, following close behind to stay back and find his way to the Emperor. Just then, the Crown Prince, Xian Jing, Luo Sheng, and others remained behind together with Dou Peng.
Dou Peng remained for matters of court governance. He was now the sole Chief Minister, and day after day he had to report major matters to the Emperor. Once the report was given, the Emperor typically had no good ideas of his own; when the report was done, it was done, and Dou Peng could take his leave.
The Crown Prince and Luo Sheng had stayed to beg forgiveness on behalf of Princess Anren. Xian Jing remained to accompany the Crown Prince.
The several men knelt before the Emperor in turn, each saying they had failed to properly manage Princess Anren. The Emperor said: “Do I not know her character? Which of you could actually manage her? Rise — and let this not happen again.”
A single Princess was not a major matter.
Chen Meng waited for them all to finish speaking before stepping forward one pace. “Your Majesty, this minister has investigated and confirmed: the farmlands Princess Anren wrongfully seized are not limited to a single instance. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, the Princess has occupied the farmlands of twenty-three households of common people, totalling a certain number of acres. In addition, she has displaced a certain number of residential households in order to construct a secondary residence…”
When all was tallied, Princess Anren had accumulated quite a number of benefits over these years — particularly after Wang Yunhe’s death, when she had given herself free rein.
Finally, Chen Meng said with heartfelt sincerity: “His Late Majesty and Your Majesty have bestowed gifts upon her time and again — is the Princess still not satisfied? To an uninformed onlooker, it might seem as though the imperial family has been treating the Princess harshly.”
Luo Sheng had barely risen before he knelt down again. The Emperor looked at Luo Sheng with some measure of reluctance, and said: “She has this flaw of hers.”
Chen Meng said: “I respectfully request that the Princess return all the estates and farmlands she has wrongfully seized.”
The Emperor said: “Did I not already agree to have this handled just now?”
Chen Meng fixed his gaze intently upon the Emperor: “Just now Your Majesty spoke of one case. Now this minister asks — will all of them be returned in full? Your Majesty, it is your own realm, your own people — do you not hold them dear? If Your Majesty does not care, then this minister and his colleagues need not care either.”
The Emperor finally nodded: “Luo Sheng, this matter is entrusted to you. Return everything in full.”
“Yes.”
Chen Meng at last ceased filing accusations. The Emperor said: “Very well, all of you go and attend to your own duties.”
Everyone withdrew. The Emperor’s expression shifted instantly: “Du Shi’en! Go to Anren’s household yourself! Ask her — have I not given her more than enough? Have that useless maidservant of her household beaten to death — no need to bring the body back!”
——
Upon leaving the great hall, Chen Meng remained in high spirits.
The Crown Prince spoke and invited him to the Eastern Palace: “I must express proper gratitude to the Capital Prefect. Without your reminder, had things been allowed to develop as they were, it would not have been good for the Princess’s reputation either. The Prince Consort has always been of a gentle disposition and does not involve himself in the affairs of Anren’s household. The chief administrator and steward positions are now vacant. I ask that you tell us which twenty-three locations are involved and what has been formally reported, so that we may discuss this in detail at the Eastern Palace.”
Chen Meng did not refuse.
Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, Chen Meng produced a long, detailed list he had compiled. “It is all here. However, can the Prince Consort actually accomplish this? Or would it be better if I handled it myself?”
The Crown Prince was also somewhat reluctant, saying: “The Prince Consort has always been respectful and courteous…”
Chen Meng shot back a question: “The Princess’s accumulated estate — will she take it underground with her when she dies? Will it not be left to her children and grandchildren? They enjoy the benefits but bear none of the consequences — is that it?”
These words cut straight to the heart. Luo Sheng’s face went pale as ash.
The Crown Prince fell silent as well. Luo Sheng sat in utter agitation, unable to settle. Chen Meng found him utterly unbearable in this timid state and wanted even less to deal with him. Chen Meng knew all about the affairs in the northern territories — he understood the business of offering gifts to one’s superiors. But he, Chen Meng, was not Zhù Ying. The circumstances of Zhù Ying’s birth required her to endure a great many humiliations; he, Chen Meng, did not.
In his younger years, had his own father not walked this same path?
Chen Meng also fell silent.
At this moment, Xian Jing spoke: “The Capital Prefect is entirely correct on all counts. However, some matters cannot be resolved simply by following the straight path. For instance, this affair of the Princess — people may inevitably draw connections to the Eastern Palace, which would be damaging to the Crown Prince’s reputation. In the future, please…”
“This is the Crown Prince! The heir apparent whom all under heaven looks to — not the pot rack in your kitchen, assigned to take the blame for everything you do! Have some shame!” Chen Meng leapt to his feet, pointing at the Crown Prince and speaking loudly. “You have not been held accountable for damaging the Eastern Palace’s reputation, yet you still have the face to accuse others of damaging the Crown Prince! Did the Crown Prince instruct you to seize the common people’s fields? Even if the Crown Prince himself had done it, you should have stopped him. You have already worn out Chief Minister Wang — do you intend to wear out the Crown Prince as well?”
The Crown Prince called out to restrain him: “Capital Prefect, Capital Prefect!”
Chen Meng said to the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, do not take every wrong onto your own shoulders. The weight of the realm upon your back is already immense. Those who truly care for Your Highness should not be creating problems for you at the source! Ministers protecting Your Highness are not doing so to wipe up after others!”
Luo Sheng was about to kneel again. This time Chen Meng did not direct himself at Luo Sheng but turned on Xian Jing instead: “Reward merit and reward ability — but you must first have merit and ability. What commendable thing have any of you actually accomplished?”
Xian Jing’s face also flushed red. He said: “This minister would never dare ask the Capital Prefect to act against the law. Only — when the Capital Prefect means to act with such forthright resolution, might you give advance notice?”
As for the Chen family — they too accepted gifts, and they too possessed considerable property. How could he have the face to criticise them?
Chen Meng grew angrier still. His accusation swung back to Luo Sheng: “Did I not inform him? Oh — you mean Yu Qingyuan? Has he no awareness of what he himself has done? Am I supposed to go to his door and beg him to abide by the law?”
The Crown Prince looked at Luo Sheng in surprise: “How so?”
Luo Sheng’s expression said everything. He had not anticipated that Chen Meng would give only a single day — persuading Princess Anren in that time would have been quite difficult.
The Crown Prince said: “Capital Prefect, please calm your anger. It is they who were thoughtless in this matter. The Capital Prefect is not at fault.”
Chen Meng heaved his chest up and down several times with agitated breaths. Then he respectfully begged forgiveness of the Crown Prince: “This minister has been improper in conduct — please Your Highness impose punishment.”
The Crown Prince stepped forward to support him and praised him as a pillar of the nation.
The two exchanged courtesies for a while. Chen Meng left the account ledger behind, saying: “If the Princess refuses to make restitution, I will help her make it.”
With that, he took his leave of the Eastern Palace with head held high, feeling thoroughly vindicated.
The Crown Prince looked at his father-in-law and his Chief Advisor with an expressionless face. Luo Sheng lacked quick thinking. Xian Jing drew a deep breath, first begging the Crown Prince’s forgiveness and indicating that he had not handled matters properly.
Then he offered a suggestion to the Crown Prince: “The plan for now is to request that Your Highness or the Crown Princess dispatch a palace attendant — with a presence that is neither too imposing nor too slight — to go to the Princess’s household, in the name of the Eastern Palace, to supervise — that is to say, to gently persuade.”
The Crown Prince nodded: “Hao Dafang.”
——
On the other side of things, Chen Meng was unaware that both father and son had dispatched capable eunuchs to add to Princess Anren’s misery. He had been intercepted by Chief Ritual Officer Lu, who invited him to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for tea.
Chief Ritual Officer Lu had once been Chen Meng’s superior. Chen Meng now held a higher rank than him, yet he still maintained courtesy in Chief Ritual Officer Lu’s presence.
The two sat down. Chen Meng’s face showed no trace of his earlier anger; with a faint smile he asked Chief Ritual Officer Lu: “You are… is there something on your mind?”
Chief Ritual Officer Lu said: “Cannot I simply invite you for tea without there being something on my mind? What came over you today in court?”
Well! He had invited Chen Meng for tea precisely because there was something on his mind.
Chen Meng said: “How can a single person possibly please everyone on all sides — pleasing those on the left while also pleasing those on the right? Better to disregard both sides entirely, concern myself only with the law of the land, and be loyal to His Majesty alone.”
Chief Ritual Officer Lu said: “As long as you see things clearly, I will say no more. Only — do not let both sides come to view you as their enemy.”
Chief Ritual Officer Lu made a gesture, pinching his thumb and forefinger together: “Gauge the proper measure.”
The polite smile faded from Chen Meng’s face, and his tone became considerably more sincere: “I have never wished to become a person like Chief Minister Wang — I know my own nature well enough. That path would be very difficult to sustain given my temperament. I have the foundation laid by my forebears; being a reasonably adequate official is sufficient. So although I deeply respect him, I have never thought to imitate him.”
Chief Ritual Officer Lu nodded: “Chief Minister Wang is a paragon for our generation — truly beyond the reach of ordinary men.”
“I still have my son — you have met him. His aptitude is quite good, and he has been carefully guided since childhood, unlike me, who wasted many years. With father ahead of me and son coming after, why should I need to clash with anyone? But these people go too far!” Chen Meng gave a cold laugh. “My not competing and contending is because I recognise I am not equal to virtuous men like Chief Minister Wang. But below the level of the Council of State, not just anyone gets to push me around! Putting on airs with me? What sort of thing is that?”
I have no chance against those cunning operators — but surely I can deal with these other worthless trash?
Blast it all!
I’ll go back and file another impeachment against these dogs! Impeach them for “showing disrespect to the Crown Prince”!
Chief Ritual Officer Lu laughed despite himself, with the broad tolerance of an older man. “I only said a casual word and it’s drawn out all this from you. When you are attending to official business, do not let it be done with anger.”
“I won’t,” Chen Meng said, composing himself once more. “Many thanks for your concern.”
Chief Ritual Officer Lu said: “Of all the people I know, only you and Zhù Zi’zhang are different from the others. But the further one goes, the more cautious one must be. I have said all I have to say.”
Chen Meng thanked him again before taking his leave of Chief Ritual Officer Lu.
Having been reminded of Zhù Ying, Chen Meng glanced in the direction of the Ministry of Revenue. He hesitated a moment, then ultimately did not go that way, instead going straight back to the Capital Prefecture.
Today had been very satisfying — on to work!
——
Chen Meng had set off a firecracker in court. Zhù Ying was not alarmed by it.
Chen Meng had been right in this matter and would be able to withstand whatever came. When someone moved against Chen Meng, it would not be too late for her to lend a hand then. She was very composed right now. She had watched Chen Meng’s recent experiences with attentive eyes, knowing full well that she too would inevitably have to make her own position clear one day.
A confrontation would come eventually. Until then, attending diligently to her work and steadily cultivating her own network of capable people was the correct course — far more reliable than leaping about impulsively at this stage.
At the moment, she was reading through official documents sent from Yanzhou.
Jiang Zheng and Chen Fang had already arrived in Yanzhou, and the two of them were doing quite well. Because of the civil unrest, a number of local minor gentry had been killed. Upon taking office, the two men had begun a fresh investigation of land and population. They had brought along the Ministry of Revenue’s data from previous years, using the figures up to the last census as the baseline — all annexation of land and concealment of fields that had taken place after that point, the two of them refused to recognise.
Indeed, it was only in the aftermath of wartime disorder that conditions were right for equalising land distribution. Under other circumstances, nothing would work.
Zhù Ying made annotations and notes on the documents, then pulled another sheet of paper over to record her thoughts.
Next, she reviewed and approved applications from the Imperial Academy of Learning.
Xiang Le was still investigating the matter of the granaries. Zhao Su was assisting with the covert investigation of land and population across the various regions — this work was proceeding very slowly. Even with the cooperation of the local authorities, it was not something that could be completed in a short time.
Zhù Ying was relatively unhurried just now.
In stark contrast to Zhù Ying’s composure was Princess Anren’s situation.
Princess Anren had never suffered such an indignity in her entire life. The Emperor had sent someone to her household and had her head eunuch beaten to death right then and there. Du Shi’en had delivered the Emperor’s reprimand — and since Du Shi’en was inherently sharp-tongued and cold, his stern rebuke was especially unpleasant to hear. Princess Anren’s temples throbbed as she listened.
Following this came Du Shi’en, speaking in that flat, neutral tone of his, reading out the Emperor’s edict, which dismissed her household’s chief administrator and steward from their positions. The two men had no choice but to remove their caps on the spot and accept the punishment.
That was Du Shi’en.
Then came Hao Dafang.
As a eunuch of the Eastern Palace, he brought not comfort from the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, but instead the Crown Prince’s words: “I ask the Princess to place the interests of the state first.” He urged her to return the seized lands.
In a hoarse voice, Princess Anren demanded: “What crime have I committed, that I should be treated like this? Does he know who I am?!”
Hao Dafang was considerably more polite than Du Shi’en. With perfect decorum he said: “You are a Grand Princess. Were you not a Grand Princess, it would be the Capital Prefecture coming to take you away.”
Hao Dafang carried the task of building the Crown Prince’s good reputation, so he naturally would not be very deferential to Princess Anren. He pressed her: “The common people are displaced and homeless — the Crown Prince is deeply grieved. I respectfully urge the Princess to step back from the precipice. It is never too late to turn back from a mistaken path.”
That despicable creature — he’s learned to use proverbs now! Princess Anren was furious: “You contemptible creature, how dare you come here and coerce me!”
While she was still in the midst of her tirade, Luo Sheng returned.
After Chen Meng departed, the Crown Prince had taken Luo Sheng aside to say a few more words — delivered with neither too much weight nor too little: “You wouldn’t want to be slow off the mark again, would you?”
The Crown Prince had previously had a good impression of this father-in-law. Luo Sheng was a reasonable man, unlike Princess Anren. But in this matter — Chen Meng had already notified him, and he still had not hurried to resolve things? This father-in-law truly was not equal to great responsibilities.
Still, the Crown Prince remembered how the late Emperor had arranged the Crown Princess match for him. The Luo family — or rather, Princess Yongping — had at some point been of assistance to him. The Crown Prince urged Luo Sheng: “The Grand Princess is advanced in years and has become muddled. You are a grown man — you should shoulder your responsibilities. Go back and get this resolved properly.”
Luo Sheng hurried home. Princess Yongping had already heard the news and rushed over to Princess Anren’s household. After hearing what the two eunuchs had said and then asking how matters stood, she learned that Princess Anren had landed herself in serious trouble.
Princess Yongping was also very concerned about her daughter and son-in-law. On one hand she pressed gifts of money into the eunuchs’ hands, while on the other she counselled Princess Anren: “Bear with this for a moment. Even if not for Ayi’s sake, you must consider His Majesty.”
Princess Anren’s eyes blazed with fury: “And what of our dignity?”
At this point, Luo Sheng returned and launched into another round of persuasion with Princess Anren: “We were in the wrong to begin with. If we keep making a scene, it will only be worse for you.”
Princess Anren still refused to listen. Princess Yongping suddenly rose to her feet and issued orders to those outside: “What are you all standing about for? Cross-reference the farmlands and residential properties and track down the original owners! Once they’ve been located, the chief administrator will take them to the Capital Prefecture to re-register their household records and contracts — to give the court a proper account!”
Then, speaking softly to Princess Anren: “Whatever losses you suffer, I will make up the difference. I still have some fields and properties.”
Hao Dafang quietly asked Du Shi’en: “Senior Du, shall we… take our leave?”
Du Shi’en nodded.
With the visitors gone, Princess Anren fell ill from the rage of it all. The Emperor sent an imperial physician to examine her — nothing seriously wrong, just the accumulated effects of her age and the agitation.
With Princess Anren confined to bed, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. At least she had quieted down and would cause no further trouble for the moment.
Before long, another cold sore appeared on Dou Peng’s lip — a civil uprising had broken out again, this time in a different location.
——
Yanzhou had been pacified, but land annexation continued unabated elsewhere.
The Emperor had believed that after surviving the rebellion of Prince Lu, the incursion of the northern troops, the civil unrest in Yanzhou, and the disasters in both north and south, he had experienced every possible misfortune and that his luck must surely be turning. Yet here the civil unrest came again!
His luck had turned — but not in the right direction.
It was the height of summer. Not long after the court had distributed rice dumplings to its officials for the festival, the Emperor had been in reasonably good spirits and had even attended a dragon boat race.
The very next day, a favoured beauty had given birth to a little daughter for him. The baby girl was born pink and perfectly formed — nothing like the red, wrinkled appearance of other newborns. The Emperor was overjoyed and elevated the beauty to the rank of Lady of Excellence.
A few days later, Consort Yan of the Crown Prince’s household had given him another grandson — counting them all, he now had four grandsons. His family tree flourished with abundant branches!
On the twenty-third day of the fifth month, news of the civil uprising arrived.
Dou Peng maintained his usual practice of informing the Emperor privately. This time there were no salt workers involved. The trouble had begun with an armed clash between two villages. Because the harvests had not been as good as in previous years, the competition for water during the spring and summer planting seasons had grown especially fierce. The common people lived in clan communities and were easily united. The local official had taken money from one clan to suppress the other. When the government sent men to suppress the situation, lives were lost.
Under ordinary circumstances, with everyone busy with their farming, the matter might well have passed. Then came the drought. The seedlings withered and died, and there was no longer anything left to cultivate. The local official was consumed with ambition for advancement and feared that reporting the disaster would affect his performance evaluation — so he made no report to the court at all. The court, knowing nothing, naturally provided no disaster relief.
With no crops to farm and clan members dead, and with the official making no move even as they faced starvation, their close-knit clan community transformed into a gathered band of outlaws.
The government, reasoning from past experience, believed it could suppress the matter without difficulty. It would quietly put things down, the court would be none the wiser, and the official’s career would be unaffected.
He proved unable to suppress it. What had begun as a trifling matter at last ignited a great upheaval. The official himself died in the chaos.
It was only when the neighbouring county noticed something was wrong — why are people from the next county flooding into mine and making things worse? — that the matter was reported upward.
The Emperor was furious beyond measure and summoned those who had pacified the Yanzhou uprising to discuss countermeasures.
Everyone was well-versed in the routine by now. Though they were reluctant, when Zhù Ying had been drawing up the budget — at the point when the Yanzhou unrest had already erupted — she had been prudent enough to set aside reserves for two to three additional uprisings of comparable scale.
Young General Leng had already gone once to pacify an uprising. This time he wanted to go again. General Ye contended with him for the assignment and also wanted to go.
The Emperor consulted Marquis Leng’s opinion and dispatched General Ye as the primary commander with Leng Pinghui as his deputy.
Only at this point did the majority of those in court learn that there had been yet another outbreak of unrest!
Though the military officers were angry that someone had stirred up trouble, their spirits were not bad — having battles to fight meant they would receive not only money but also merit, which would benefit their descendants as well.
Their faces wore expressions of anger, yet beneath that anger lurked an eager restlessness. Even Chai Lingyuan had some anticipation about it, and he submitted a request to go to the front himself. Zheng Xi’s cousin — the regional governor of the western frontier — had earned merit by defending his city, and everyone praised him, saying “the nephew takes after the uncle,” evoking the manner of the late Marquis Zheng.
Chai Lingyuan had heard this said so many times that he began to think: his own mother was also a daughter of the Zheng family. Others called him a prodigal — perhaps his strengths lay not in writing poetry or governing, but in charging across the battlefield?
Chai Lingyuan also jumped forward to request assignment.
These expressions were quite cutting. A ministry of rites bureau chief could not hold back a jeer: “The state is in misfortune, yet all you see is the ladder to promotion and fortune!”
Chai Lingyuan retorted: “Is the state not in misfortune precisely because of your incompetence?”
This too was quite cutting — not only to the rites bureau chief, but to many others besides.
Both sides then began to quarrel. With Zheng Xi absent, Chai Lingyuan was like a monkey that had been let off its rope — leaping about to argue with people until the quarrel escalated into blows.
One becomes accustomed to repeated occurrences. Having already come to blows twice before, everyone had grown used to it. Now that the third fight had broken out, no one held anything back.
Dou Peng shouted loudly: “Everyone stop!”
His reaction was faster than before — drawing on past experience, when he saw that his shout had not brought things under control, he immediately appealed to the Emperor: “Your Majesty, please summon the Imperial Guard to the hall — Your Majesty?!”
Against the backdrop of flying fists, the Emperor pressed a hand to his chest and fainted from the shock of it all.