PCA Chapter 127

Su Cen was summoned to the palace overnight. In the Zichen Hall, Left Chancellor Wen Xiu, Right Chancellor Liu Cheng, the Six Ministers, and Vice Minister Huang Ting were already present. Surprisingly, Cui Hao was there too, but Su Cen was too preoccupied to notice much else.

 

From receiving the news to entering the palace, it took half an hour, and Su Cen felt like he had exhausted all his patience. He wished he could have run there, but now, standing in the hall, his legs felt weak.

 

“How’s the Prince?”

 

Su Cen’s question broke the silence. In the face of such a major crisis, he realized he was just a small man, concerned not for the welfare of the world or the common people, but for one person alone.

 

Liu Cheng frowned at him. Among those present, aside from Cui Hao, Su Cen held the lowest rank. At this moment, even the young Emperor hadn’t spoken, so how could it be Su Cen’s turn to speak?

 

But Su Cen seemed to have lost his soul, his usual demeanor gone, staring blankly at everyone, waiting for an answer.

 

After a moment of contemplation, Wen Xiu said, “His whereabouts are unknown, and his life or death is uncertain.”

 

Su Cen’s heart sank like the last breath had been taken from him, his face turning pale as if he might faint at any moment.

 

“It’s not necessarily bad news. When the levee broke, many were scattered. Perhaps he’s just temporarily out of contact,” Wen Xiu, the eldest son of the former Chancellor Wen Tingyan, was technically Li Shi’s brother-in-law. Over the years, he had always stood by Li Shi’s side with the old ministers, naturally not wishing for any harm to come to this pillar of support. He continued to reassure, “The Prince has great fortune, always turning danger into safety. This time, he might just be hiding somewhere, temporarily unfound.”

 

“He wouldn’t leave until the last citizen was safe,” Su Cen said softly.

 

Wen Xiu: “…” Was this man really on Li Shi’s side? Why was he boosting others’ morale while diminishing his own?

 

Liu Cheng said, “Send another dispatch to Xuzhou, tell the Prefect to use any means necessary to find the Prince. Alive…” He waved his hand, “Go.”

 

Alive, we need to see the person; dead, we need to see the body—though he swallowed the last part, everyone understood the implication. Prince Ning’s life was important, but confirming his fate was more urgent. If Li Shi was alive, they had ways to deal with it; if he was dead, they had their methods. The worst was not knowing, which left them all in the dark, groping for a way out.

 

“Will my uncle be alright?” the young Emperor asked timidly. “If something happens to my uncle, then I…” The young Emperor’s lips trembled, tears threatening to fall. He knew that although his uncle was strict with him, it was Li Shi who had pacified the court, coordinated internal and external affairs, and ensured his throne remained stable. If something happened to Li Shi, not to mention the potential actions of the foreign tribes, just the people in the court with their own agendas could devour him alive.

 

Liu Cheng and Wen Xiu exchanged a glance, their intentions clear to each other.

 

Before anyone could figure out how to respond, a clear, firm voice rang out in the hall, neither humble nor overbearing, articulating each word clearly, “Whether the Prince is here or not, Your Majesty is still the Emperor of Great Zhou, and we are all Your Majesty’s subjects. If anyone dares to disobey Your Majesty’s orders, they shall be charged with treason. The Prince has taught Your Majesty to stand on your own, to discern right from wrong, not to be swayed by one-sided words. Although Your Majesty has not yet taken full control, you are exceptionally intelligent. The Prince is only temporarily away, and Your Majesty should show him that you are ready to take charge, to prioritize the welfare of the people, to remain calm and composed, and to rule personally. I believe Your Majesty can do it, and you must have confidence in yourself.”

 

“Lord Su…” The young Emperor looked at the man standing straight below, suddenly recalling why these words sounded so familiar. On the night of the Lantern Festival, he had said he wanted to be an Emperor like his uncle, to rule with benevolence and pacify the realm. At that time, Su Cen had asked him what he would do if someone spoke ill of Li Shi, and he had said he would discern right from wrong, not listen to one-sided words. Now, although no one was speaking ill of his uncle, there were those eyeing his uncle’s position. His uncle had protected him so many times; it was time for him to protect his uncle.

 

Liu Cheng’s brows furrowed. “Your Majesty is still young; how can you let him…”

 

“I am not young anymore,” the young Emperor declared. “I am ten years old, I understand what is right and what is wrong, and I know who is good to me and who is not.”

 

Liu Cheng felt a chill.

 

Cui Hao, who had been silent, quickly stepped forward. “Your Majesty, Chancellor Liu did not mean that. He was just concerned for Your Majesty’s health, wanting to shoulder some of the pressure for you.”

 

“I did not mean to blame Chancellor Liu. Lord Cui, you worry too much.” The young Emperor looked down at the court, his expression calm. Liu Cheng was suddenly surprised to see that this person, who had seemed like a puppet manipulated by others in the court, had learned to hide his emotions.

 

Su Cen gave a faint smile. With Li Shi gone, he couldn’t just watch all the hard work Li Shi had put in over the years go to waste. When Li Shi was here, he had firmly opposed the young Emperor taking full control because Li Shi was there to support him, and the young Emperor wasn’t ready to take on everything. But now, in this special time, he wouldn’t trust anyone else to take Li Shi’s place… nor would he want to. It was better to let the young Emperor take charge early. After all, someone taught by Li Shi couldn’t be too bad.

 

He just didn’t know if what he was doing was right or if Li Shi would blame him when he returned.

 

“Lord Su,” the young Emperor called out, “What do you think we should do next?”

 

Su Cen’s eyes suddenly turned fierce. “I would like to ask Vice Minister Huang of the Ministry of Revenue, didn’t you say the levee would not have problems? Why did it still collapse?!”

 

Each word was forceful, full of accusation.

 

Huang Ting fell to his knees with a thud, trembling like a leaf. “I… I indeed allocated fifty thousand taels last year for the river repairs in Xuzhou. How the levee collapsed, I… I am not sure either.”

 

Since he was on their side, Liu Cheng spoke up for him, “Perhaps it wasn’t completed yet, and with the once-in-a-century rain, that’s why there was an issue.”

 

“The funds were allocated in September last year, and now it’s July. How long is the levee in Xuzhou that it’s not finished yet? Even if it were from Chang’an to Xuzhou, it should be done by now!” Su Cen, now in the right, pressed on, not caring that he was confronting the highly respected Chancellor Liu. “And this ‘once-in-a-century’ rain, Xuzhou is surrounded by water on three sides, at the confluence of three rivers. It rains heavily every year; how could they not consider this when building the levee?!”

 

Liu Cheng’s face turned white with anger. The old ones were gone, and now the young ones were not quiet either. He said angrily, “The river repair funds go through many layers of bureaucracy; the problem might not be with Huang Ting.”

 

“If not here, then it’s in Xuzhou,” Su Cen lowered his eyes, bowing. “I request to go to Xuzhou to investigate the river repair funds and the construction of the levee.”

 

The entire court was shocked!

 

No one knew the current situation in Xuzhou, and at this time, everyone was avoiding it like the plague. Yet here was someone volunteering to go?

 

“Lord Su, you…” The young Emperor was so shocked his mouth hung open. “Aren’t you going to stay in the capital to help me?”

 

Su Cen, head bowed, continued, “Your Majesty is wise and martial, with countless capable officials under your command. I am not skilled in politics; staying would be of no use.”

 

“I won’t allow you to leave!” The young Emperor was reluctant to let go of this newly acquired right-hand man. “You can’t go; you must help me take charge!”

 

“If that is the case,” Su Cen looked up, “I request to resign and leave the capital. Please, Your Majesty, grant me permission.”

 

Everyone: “!”

 

“Has Lord Su forgotten,” Liu Chen said with a cold smile, “you just said that anyone who dares to disobey Your Majesty’s orders shall be charged with treason.”

 

Su Cen ignored him, bowing his head in a kowtow. “Please, Your Majesty, grant me permission.”

 

The young Emperor understood. “In Lord Su’s eyes, my uncle is more important than me, isn’t he?”

 

Su Cen straightened up. “All under heaven is the Emperor’s land, and the people of Xuzhou are also Your Majesty’s subjects. They are now suffering from an unjust disaster, and someone must seek justice for them. My duty at the Dali Temple is to pursue the truth and uphold the law. As for other matters, I truly do not understand nor am I skilled in them. Staying in Chang’an would not benefit Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will see this clearly.”

 

The court fell silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop. There were those who admired him, and those who mocked him, but all kept their thoughts to themselves, waiting to see how the young Emperor would decide on his first act of personal rule.

 

After a long while, the young Emperor waved his hand. “Promote Deputy Minister Su Cen of the Dali Temple to the position of Imperial Envoy to Henan Circuit, to investigate the river repair funds in Xuzhou and uphold the Emperor’s authority.”

 

Su Cen returned and, with Qu Ling’er, packed their belongings overnight. He also summoned two officials from Xuzhou to accompany them. The next day, as soon as the city gates opened, they set off for Xuzhou.

 

They traveled by horse, barely stopping except to eat and sleep, almost day and night. Su Cen, not used to riding for such long periods, could hardly walk when he dismounted, his inner thighs chafed and bleeding. Even though Qu Ling’er was equally anxious, he couldn’t bear to see Su Cen in such pain. He wanted to find an inn for Su Cen to rest, but Su Cen wouldn’t even spare the time for a meal, buying dry rations from the roadside and continuing the journey.

 

Three days later, they finally entered the Henan Circuit territory. They dismounted to rest briefly—the people could still go on, but the horses, having run all night, were showing signs of exhaustion, frothing at the mouth.

 

The rain continued to fall without any sign of stopping. They took shelter under a tree, eating their soggy rations. Su Cen asked the two officials, “How many more days until we reach Xuzhou?”

 

“Following the official road, we’ll be there in two days,” one of the officials said, grimacing as he ate the slightly moldy food. This kind of investigation into corruption was usually a lucrative assignment, but they hadn’t expected this seemingly frail imperial envoy to be so resilient. They, as grown men, were already struggling, yet Su Cen remained spirited.

 

Su Cen ate his meal without tasting it, then stood up to urge, “Let’s hurry; we aim to reach there in a day and a half.”

 

The officials thought to themselves that this meant another sleepless two days, but they could only swallow their complaints, quickly finishing their food and standing up.

 

As they mounted their horses to leave, Su Cen suddenly pointed to a small path beside the official road. “Where does this path lead?”

 

The other official replied, “This path can also lead to Xuzhou, but it’s a mountain trail, not easy to traverse.”

 

Su Cen’s eyes lit up. “Can we go straight through the mountain without taking the detour?”

 

“Yes, but…” The official frowned. “The mountain path is rugged, with several dangerous spots, especially after all this rain…”

 

Su Cen paid no heed. “How long would it take to reach Xuzhou by this route?”

 

“…If the road conditions are good, we could arrive by evening, but…”

 

Su Cen finally showed the first smile in days. “We’ll take this route.”

 

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