Early morning court session in the imperial capital.
The newly enthroned Emperor Chen Xun, having ruled for nearly six months, sat comfortably on the imperial throne. Over these months, he had begun to develop a measure of regal authority. Once he adjusted to the routine of morning court sessions, he realized that rising early was not as difficult as he had once thought.
Eunuch Yue Dou loved to stand by the imperial throne during morning court and steal glances at the youthful Emperor he had watched grow up. He increasingly felt that Chen Xun was beginning to show the same charisma that his predecessor, Chen Kaiming, had in his youth. Yue Dou had entered the palace at a young age, with neither children nor family of his own. To speak treasonously, he almost saw Chen Xun as if the Emperor were his own child.
After the ceremonial greetings, Chen Xun scanned the grand hall and spoke in a deep voice, "Let my beloved ministers present their petitions." A faint fuzz had begun to sprout on Chen Xun’s upper lip. A trace of youthful innocence still lingered in his distinguished tone.
Su Yi took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I, your humble servant, have a matter to report."
Chen Xun’s eyes lit up, and he gestured eagerly. "Grand Tutor, please speak."
Su Yi nodded and deliberated briefly before saying, "Some days ago, I submitted a memorial reporting a large influx of Northern Qiang martial artists into the Central Plains."
Chen Xun nodded. "I am aware. I personally reviewed that memorial and have instructed the Imperial Guardians and Eastern Depot to investigate."
"There has been progress," Su Yi said solemnly. "According to reports from our spies, these Northern Qiang martial artists are likely private troops of the Northern Qiang Emperor. They are members of the Qihuang Society. They have been stirring up trouble in the Central Plains jianghu. Although their exact purpose is unclear, I suspect that the Northern Qiang would not act without reason. It likely relates to the ongoing border conflicts."
"Hmm..." Chen Xun nodded, deep in thought. After a pause, he looked up and said, "Grand Tutor, your concerns are valid. In that case, I decree that local officials intensify their investigations. Should there be any news of Northern Qiang martial artists, they may dispatch troops to apprehend them..."
From behind Su Yi, a voice rang out, "Your Majesty, this must not be done!"
Hearing it, Su Yi’s heart sank. He recognized the speaker to be Yu Shibang, the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Protectors. Yu Shibang stood beside him in every morning court session. He was a close associate of Ying Gutong, and since Ying Gutong’s fall from grace, Yu Shibang had become the leading figure among the military officials.
Su Yi’s eyelids twitched, but he remained silent. While military officials lacked the convoluted scheming of their civil official counterparts, it did not mean they were fools. In truth, anyone who could stand in this court was no simpleton. The foolish had either been pushed out or were already dead.
Su Yi choosing to remain silent was clear to all.
Last time, when he decided to move against Qi Zongbi, his first move was to manipulate a dispute between the Qi faction and the military officials in court, sitting back to reap the benefits as they clashed.
At the time, few had seen through his strategy, but over time, even the dull-witted had pieced it together. Yu Shibang had been among the first to figure it out, and he had harbored a grudge ever since. It seemed he had finally found his chance to strike.
Yu Shibang’s expression was righteous and stern, his voice booming like a great bell. "Your Majesty, this must not be done!"
"Why not?" Chen Xun frowned.
Yu Shibang cleared his throat and spoke loudly. "The northern border is in a tense situation, so this is the time to stabilize the people's morale. If we rashly deploy troops and enforce strict measures, it will only cause greater panic among the populace. Such an action is ill-advised." After speaking, he cast a sidelong glance at Su Yi.
Su Yi merely returned a faint smile.
Yu Shibang snorted and continued, "Moreover, these martial artists may cause trouble, but their chaos is confined to the jianghu. As the saying goes: what goes on in the jianghu stays in the jianghu. No matter how much they fight, it won’t reach the court. In my opinion, if the Grand Tutor has the spare time to waste on this, he should focus more on assisting His Majesty in governance."
This remark bordered on an accusation, implying, not so subtly, that Su Yi was neglecting his duties as Grand Tutor by meddling in martial affairs instead of properly advising the Emperor.
Su Yi narrowed his eyes and smiled. "The Marshal speaks wisely. I am duly enlightened."
Chen Xun, seated on the dragon throne, exchanged a glance with Su Yi and said calmly, "If that is the case, let the Imperial Guardians and Eastern Depot continue their surveillance. Report any developments promptly. As for deploying troops to apprehend those from the Qihuang Society... let us deliberate further on this matter."
After the morning court session, Su Yi walked alone through the imperial palace's red walls and green tiles, sorting through recent developments in his mind.
During the court session, he had intentionally taken a step back, not because he intended to yield to the military faction, but because his primary target at present was Qi Zongbi. Moreover, his influence was still not fully established, and there was no need to antagonize Qi Zongbi’s faction and the military circle at the same time.
Such a move would only prolong his difficulties. Ying Gutong's downfall was merely a bonus from a prior maneuver. To be honest, after thoroughly understanding Ying Gutong, Su Yi no longer considered him to be a real enemy.
Although Ying Gutong held the position of Grand Marshal, he was ill-suited for a role in governance. He was a typical military man and his lust for fame was an obvious flaw.
For a time, Su Yi couldn’t understand how someone with such glaring flaws could become the Grand Marshal of Three Armies. He only began to understand in the months after assisting the Emperor and adopting the perspective of the imperial family. The late Emperor Chen Kaiming had elevated someone as politically naive as Ying Gutong in order to maintain balance.
Su Yi wasn’t particularly upset about Yu Shibang’s criticism during the court session. When he brought up the matter of Northern Qiang martial artists entering the Central Plains, he hadn’t placed much importance on it himself.
It was only because Ye Fan had seriously mentioned it to him multiple times, that Su Yi decided to pay attention. Ye Fan’s almost absurdly comprehensive intelligence network never ceased to amaze Su Yi. It seemed that whatever the Imperial Guardians and Eastern Depot knew, Ye Fan also knew. Even things that they didn’t know, Ye Fan was aware of.
In recent secret meetings with Su Yi, Ye Fan had frequently brought up topics like the Qihuang Society, the assassinations of renowned martial artists in the Central Plains, and the possibility of a Northern Qiang conspiracy. Unfortunately, neither of them had any clue about the specific intentions behind Northern Qiang’s actions.
Su Yi felt he had already given this matter sufficient attention. With his numerous administrative duties, he couldn’t afford to constantly dwell on this phantom conspiracy.
In truth, there was another key reason, one even Su Yi himself didn’t fully realize. What he considered attention came from his own biases. Born into poverty, he had become a scholar, passed the imperial exams, and immediately entered government service.
From start to finish, he had never been part of the jianghu. Thus, he knew very little about it and had always drawn a mental line separating the jianghu from the court. Deep down, he subconsciously agreed with what Yu Shibang had said. The jianghu, after all, was just the jianghu, it had nothing to do with the court.