TGPSAC – Chapter 85

Since transmigrating into this world, Chi Wan had rarely attended court sessions.

Her time was rather flexible. Either the Emperor specifically summoned her to a session, or she went of her own accord.

Today, the Emperor had summoned her, so she had come to the imperial palace with Yu Jiuzhou.

All officials in the capital of the sixth rank and above, and all officials from the provinces visiting the capital of the fourth rank and above, were required to attend.

Titled nobles with actual posts were also generally required to attend court sessions. Most nobles only appeared during the grand court assemblies; otherwise, like her, they acted according to the Emperor’s decrees.

Chi Wan, however, was wondering why she had been summoned to court when it was neither a new year nor a festival.

Standing among the civil officials, Chi Wan found her rarely seen superior, the Minister of Justice of the Grand Court of Revision, Sun Yuzhuo.

She held another official post as the Junior Minister of the Grand Court of Revision, but she was either at the Imperial City Division or running around with Yu Jiuzhou, almost never setting foot in the Grand Court of Revision.

Seeing her, Sun Yuzhuo was stunned. “Fuma, what is the matter?”

Chi Wan flashed a standard smile. “My lord, I am your subordinate. I’ll stand behind you.”

Seeing her insist on squeezing into the ranks of civil officials, Sun Yuzhuo felt her entire body go numb. She never saw the woman, and the one time she did, she made an old woman on the verge of retirement the focus of the entire court.

It was a known fact that she, the Minister of Justice, had not been active for a long time. All she sought was a peaceful retirement. She was a senior third-rank Minister of Justice, with the additional title of Grand Master for Proper Service. Retiring with an honorary senior second-rank title would be no problem.

But with the Fuma acting like this, how many people would now be paying attention to her?

Besides, she had never once considered Chi Wan a member of the Grand Court of Revision.

Sun Yuzhuo gave a dry laugh. “The Fuma jests. You should be standing with the two princes.”

Prince Ying and Prince Bao’an stood at the head of the military officials, and behind them was the Duke of Xin.

Prince Bao’an was the Duke of Xin’s son-in-law, a matter set in stone. The Emperor had already decreed his marriage to a male member of the Duke of Xin’s family, with the wedding to take place after the Qingming Festival.

Meanwhile, the sixth daughter, Dong Zhilan, had been packed off to the Grand Princess’s Residence.

But even for a clever young lady who had received the family’s focused cultivation, she needed to be given time to think clearly about whether she would work for the Grand Princess or continue to long for the Duke’s Residence.

People, after all, must make choices.

In truth, there were only two types of children in the Dong family: those who brought glory to the family, and wastes. Dong Zhilan had shown great talent since childhood, which was why she had been cultivated so carefully. And the reason for that cultivation was so she could marry a good husband who could aid her family in the future.

The Duke of Xin was quite prolific and had many children, but only a few of them were both promising and legitimate.

Thus, the Dong family was very clever, registering all their talented children under the main wife to pass them off as legitimate.

The fourth and sixth daughters, for example, were born to concubines but were later registered under the Duchess’s name.

The sixth daughter’s mother was the daughter of a provincial graduate, a cultured woman. It was precisely because her mother became a favored concubine of the Duke of Xin that her maternal grandfather was able to secure a position as a county magistrate in a remote area.

Otherwise, it would have been difficult for a mere provincial graduate to become a county magistrate.

Normally, the highest office a provincial graduate could hope for was a ninth-rank position, starting from the junior ninth rank.

Not to mention, the Duke of Xin had many concubines, and none of their families were lacking. They were either provincial graduates or minor officials, all for the sake of good genes.

When Chi Wan had read the Duke of Xin’s file, she knew he was a man with an immense sense of family honor.

For the glory of his family, anyone could be sacrificed, and anyone could be killed.

To the Duke of Xin, sending a daughter to serve as a female official in the Grand Princess’s Residence was certainly a good thing. It meant he could hedge his bets.

Besides, the Grand Princess would not become the emperor in the future. But what if she became the Regent Grand Princess? Sometimes, the emperor was just a title. Whoever held the imperial power was the true sovereign.

This was why Chi Wan had wanted Dong Zhilan in the Grand Princess’s Residence—to give the Duke of Xin more than one option, so he would no longer throw his full support behind Prince Bao’an.

For now, Dong Zhilan was being kept at a distance under the guise of training, to give her time to think clearly about the path she would take.

She might be willing to stay in the Grand Princess’s Residence, but there was a difference between a confidante and an ordinary female official. A person with ambition and aspirations would never be content as an ordinary female official.

As Chi Wan looked at the Duke of Xin, he even smiled at her.

Then she saw Prince Bao’an’s foul expression. In this life, he was getting a different member of the Dong family, not Dong Zhilan, and he was in a very bad mood.

Although he disliked Dong Zhilan’s meddling in politics, having her in the early stages had saved him a lot of trouble.

So be it, he thought. They are both from the Dong family. I hope the fourth brother is no worse than his younger sister. If I plan it right, making Dong Zhilan my concubine wouldn’t be a bad idea either. It would stop her from always thinking that I, the emperor, can’t function without her.

When Chi Wan’s gaze shifted to Prince Bao’an, the man was lost in thought, a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

Prince Ying, on the other hand, was looking at her fawningly, probably hoping she would put in a good word for him with Yu Jiuzhou.

Chi Wan impassively withdrew her gaze and let it fall upon Yu Jiuzhou’s face.

Yu Jiuzhou sat on a chair below the dragon throne. The dragon throne was pure gold, carved with nine five-clawed golden dragons. Her chair was no less impressive, crafted from golden-thread nanmu, a wood reserved for imperial use.

It was carved with a soaring dragon and phoenix, exuding an equally imposing aura.

Watching Yu Jiuzhou seated there, incomparably majestic, with an overwhelming air of dominance, was captivating. Her expression and eyes were cold, and she looked at everything as if it were a lifeless object, devoid of emotion.

She was like a plum blossom on a snowy peak, growing on a sheer cliff, proud, cold, and aloof, looking down upon all the monsters and demons. No matter who they were, they had to bow at her feet.

She was completely different from the delicate Yu Jiuzhou of the night.

Such a domineering Grand Princess was truly mesmerizing.

Dressed in magnificent black robes embroidered with gold, she sat upright. The hem of her robes was like the dark, heavy clouds before a storm, the golden threads like flashes of lightning, creating a sense of pressure.

Yu Jiuzhou’s posture was ramrod straight, her every move filled with the dignity of a superior. Wherever her gaze swept, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes. The coldness and sharpness in her features were like blades of ice on a winter night.

However, when her gaze swept over to Chi Wan, the icy chill in her eyes thawed slightly.

Chi Wan was different from the others. She stared straight at Yu Jiuzhou, her eyes filled with stars.

She wanted to shout: Sister, please don’t spare me.

She swore she had no special predilections; it was just that this version of Yu Jiuzhou was utterly intoxicating.

As her eyes met Chi Wan’s, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved slightly upward. This hint of a smile was like a plum blossom blooming in a world of ice and snow, so beautiful it was impossible to look away.

“Your Highness, His Majesty is unwell and has asked you to preside over the court session.”

Wang Hai came over to deliver the decree. His words made everyone’s eyes widen. What did this mean? The Emperor wasn’t coming?

As soon as he finished speaking, an official immediately stepped forward. “Since His Majesty is unable to attend court, we shall take our leave for now. We can reconvene when His Majesty has recovered.”

“Insolence!” Wang Hai glared at him. “I relay His Majesty’s verbal edict: today’s court session will be presided over by the Grand Princess of Qin.”

Then he bent down and respectfully spoke to Yu Jiuzhou for a moment before stepping aside.

Evidently, the Emperor had sent him here to watch over things—not because he feared Yu Jiuzhou would be bullied, but to monitor the court.

The official who had just objected spoke up again. He was the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. “This servant implores His Majesty to retract his command. It is already improper for Her Highness the Grand Princess to preside over the court as a Kun Ze. To have Her Highness conduct state affairs is even more contrary to reason. This servant requests that His Majesty terminate the court session and reconvene on another day.”

“We second the motion.”

A portion of the ministers stepped forward in agreement.

Outside, a light rain had begun to fall, threatening to grow heavier. Suddenly, a clap of thunder resounded, startling everyone.

The first spring thunder of the year had arrived, awakening all living things, and awakening certain people as well.

Chi Wan strode forward. “Your Highness, this servant requests that the guards of the Imperial City Division be summoned to the hall to drag these bastards who disrespect both His Majesty and Your Highness away.”

“Insolence! Insolence!”

“Fuma, what is the meaning of this? Since when has the imperial court become the Fuma’s personal domain?”

“Great Zhou belongs to all under heaven, not to the Fuma alone.”

Chi Wan’s words stirred up a storm, and countless accusations were hurled at her.

Yu Jiuzhou glanced at her helplessly, knowing she was trying to draw fire away from her. She could only give her own people a look, signaling them not to act rashly for now.

This was why Chi Wan had spoken first. It was to prevent the Emperor from growing wary of Yu Jiuzhou and restricting the growth of her power. Her true strength could not be exposed too much.

She had many people in the court. If they were all revealed, the Emperor would likely become frightened.

But she was very worried about Chi Wan. One misstep, and she could easily be attacked. If certain words got out, all the efforts she had made to build her reputation might be for naught.

But seeing Chi Wan’s confident expression, she trusted that Chi Wan could handle these matters well.

Chi Wan sneered. These people probably didn’t know that despite her social anxiety, she was no pushover when it comes to arguing with those old men and women of traditional medicine, and she never gave them any leverage.

A ruler need not enter the fray personally. Since she wasn’t going to be the emperor, she didn’t need to worry about such things.

“How interesting. When I don’t listen to you, it’s a one-person show. But when you do it, it’s not?”

Before they could respond, Chi Wan’s voice rose. “His Majesty has already issued a decree for Her Highness the Grand Princess to preside over the court session. According to protocol, if His Majesty is unwell, the crown prince acts as regent. If there is no crown prince, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, or the Grand Princess may act as regent. Her Majesty the Empress is unwell and has never involved herself in court affairs. What is wrong with the Grand Princess acting as regent?”

“Besides, she is merely presiding over the court session. His Majesty has already issued the decree. You are all defying a decree and disrespecting the Grand Princess. If I couldn’t command the Imperial Guard, would I need the Imperial City Division to drag you away?”

The moment she finished, Wang Hai immediately said, “Where is the Imperial Guard? From this moment on, anyone else who defies the decree will be dragged outside the palace gates, have their trousers removed, and be given thirty strokes with the rod.”

Wang Hai held great power in the inner palace. He and Cheng Jiao were the two powerful eunuchs of the Directorate of Palace Secrets.

The difference was that Cheng Jiao managed the inner palace eunuchs, while Wang Hai managed the palace maids. Furthermore, the red seal of the Directorate was in his hands.

Ever since the Emperor had grown suspicious of Cheng Jiao, Wang Hai’s power had steadily increased. Commanding the Imperial Guard was just one of his powers.

The entire court finally fell silent. No one wanted to be beaten with their trousers down at the palace gates. If that happened, they would either have to stay home for the rest of their lives or simply die of shame.

The spring rain continued to fall.

The court session, presided over by Yu Jiuzhou for the first time, began in the Xuanzheng Hall in Daming Palace.

The hall and the area outside were filled with people. The Emperor had clearly planned for Yu Jiuzhou to preside over the session, having summoned so many officials.

He had specifically summoned Chi Wan to court to help Yu Jiuzhou achieve her goal.

The officials of the various ministries stood in order of rank. Those of high rank were allowed inside the hall, while those of lower rank could only stand outside in the rain.

From beginning to end, Yu Jiuzhou had not said a single word, no matter how much the officials argued. A ruler must not defend themselves; others would handle it.

If she, the monarch, had to do everything herself, then she might as well not fight for the throne.

There was nothing that required a monarch to personally enter the fray. Once or twice was fine, but any more and she would lose her authority, and with it, her ability to command awe from the officials.

When a monarch can no longer command awe from the officials, how can the court be considered stable?

The Emperor was suspicious and capricious, an extreme lover of power. That was how he had gone from a puppet emperor to gradually seizing power, taking back the imperial authority that had been scattered among the Grand Secretariat.

To the common people, he was certainly not a good emperor. But to the Yu family, he was a good Son of Heaven.

Chi Wan’s gaze swept across the court officials. Some had their eyes closed, as if everything happening before them had nothing to do with them. Some watched coldly from the sidelines, some were full of schemes, and still others were jumping up and down, trying to profit from the chaos.

Chi Wan stood in the ranks of the civil officials, next to the Right Junior Minister of Justice.

Many eyes were on her. She knew that she was among the targets of many people’s schemes.

But so what? She had plenty of ways to make people shut up. Did they really think she was training the Imperial City Division for fun?

The purpose of the Imperial City Division was to strengthen imperial power, which was why the Emperor was willing to grant her authority. Since she had power in her hands, it would be a shame not to use it.

The Emperor had said that regarding the Xuanyang Temple case, the Imperial City Division had the authority to execute officials below the third rank first and report later. After court today, she ought to make the skies over the capital a little darker.

Under the gloomy sky, an indescribable atmosphere permeated the Xuanzheng Hall.

Chi Wan could even hear people whispering. It wasn’t that their voices were loud, but that her hearing was simply too good.

As a master with profound internal energy, no discussion in the entire hall could escape her ears.

“Look at Prince Ying’s face. Something is definitely not simple today.”

“The matter of the rebel prince’s treason has not yet completely subsided. Every day, officials are arrested and families are ruined. Now Xuanyang Temple has been destroyed, and the Grand Princess was assassinated at the royal temple. One wave has not yet settled, and another has risen. His Majesty has even granted the Imperial City Division the power to execute officials below the third rank first and report later. Do you think the Fuma will cause a river of blood to flow just to show her loyalty to the Grand Princess?”

“Probably not. Although the Imperial City Division has the power to execute first and report later, they still need evidence. How can they kill people indiscriminately without evidence?”

“Fool. Once the person is dead, does the evidence still matter? To protect the Fuma, His Majesty will say there is evidence even if there isn’t.”

“Isn’t that the truth? His Majesty hasn’t ordered a major purge in years. With Xuanyang Temple destroyed, His Majesty is furious. And this incident also involved the assassination attempt on the Grand Princess, which is why His Majesty granted the Fuma such great power.”

“The Fuma was also at Xuanyang Temple. I heard she fought off a hundred men to protect Her Highness. This incident also threatened the Fuma’s safety. She will definitely hunt down everyone involved.”

“These are troubled times. You and I must be careful. We should protect ourselves and not get involved in the succession struggle.”

“I heard the Lord Grand Secretary lost his temper in the Grand Secretariat. What, are the reforms not going well?”

“Hmph, isolating himself from the world.”

Hearing this, Chi Wan’s lips curled into a cold smile. These people were truly hypocrites, always equating themselves with “the world.” If others disagreed with their political views, it was “isolating oneself from the world.”

The reforms in Yanbei were for the benefit of the common people, and the people of the world rejoiced. Were they not part of the world? The reforms were about taking the interests concentrated in the hands of the nobles, gentry, and powerful clans and distributing them to the common people.

Chi Wan’s gaze turned cold. Sometimes, a proper show of force could also bring about stability.

At that moment, Wang Hai took a step forward. “Court begins. Officials, kneel.”

“We respectfully inquire after His Majesty’s health.”

Wang Hai announced loudly, “We are well.”

The officials bowed again. “We respectfully inquire after Her Highness the Grand Princess’s health.”

Yu Jiuzhou scanned the crowd. “I am well.”

“Rise.”

Wang Hai shouted, and the surrounding Imperial Guard echoed in unison, “Rise.”

The sound reverberated throughout the Xuanzheng Hall.

After the officials had risen, Wang Hai announced loudly, “Present your memorials if you have business, or court is dismissed if you do not.”

For a moment, the atmosphere paused. Some wondered if it would be inappropriate to step forward now, or if they should wait for the next court session.

Many did not want Yu Jiuzhou to preside over the court. It was a known fact that some still objected to her participation in Grand Secretariat meetings and her high seat next to the throne.

Her trip to Xuanyang Temple had temporarily quieted the matter, but no one had expected that the first thing she would do upon her return was to directly preside over the court. Wouldn’t the next step be to act as regent?

At least for now, it seemed the Emperor had this in mind.

After a long moment, to the shock of many, the Left Vice-Minister of Revenue, Bai Xingyun, stepped forward. “Your humble servant, Bai Xingyun, Left Vice-Minister of Revenue, has a memorial to present.”

“I impeach the Minister of Revenue, Liu Kuo, for neglecting his duties, corruption, and breaking the law. To highlight his own achievements while serving as a prefect, he used violence against disaster victims, leading to a popular uprising that the court had to suppress with the army. He was promoted to Director of the Ministry of Revenue for his ‘merit’ in suppressing the uprising. He abused his power for personal gain. While serving as the Director of the Ministry of Revenue in Wuyue, he embezzled flood relief funds for personal profit. After becoming Minister of Revenue, he earned the nickname ‘the Skinner.’”

“No matter what funds passed through his hands, a layer would be skinned off.”

“Recently, for the disaster relief in Wucheng, hundreds of thousands of silver taels flowed into the city, but less than a tenth was actually used for relief. This led to a ten-thousand-person blood petition from Wucheng and the deaths of countless commoners under the blades of Great Zhou soldiers. Of the hundreds of thousands of people in Wucheng, the city has become nearly empty in a short time, with nine out of ten households vacant.”

Bai Xingyun’s powerful voice echoed in the Xuanzheng Hall. Everyone knew that the Minister of Revenue, Liu Kuo, was not someone to be trifled with.

And Minister of Revenue Liu Kuo was one of Prince Ying’s men. Bai Xingyun was seemingly impeaching Liu Kuo, but his real target was Prince Ying.

Furthermore, Bai Xingyun was Liu Kuo’s subordinate. For a subordinate to impeach a superior could easily lead to their own death.

According to Great Zhou law, if a subordinate’s impeachment of a superior was found to be slander, the subordinate would be punished with the same crime they had accused their superior of.

That is to say, impeaching someone from a different department might not be as risky, but if a subordinate from the same department impeached their superior and the evidence was insufficient, the subordinate would be charged with the same crime they had alleged.

That was why many were shocked by Bai Xingyun’s audacity. Prince Ying would surely protect his greatest pillar of support.

Everyone knew that among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel belonged to Prince Ying. The Ministry of Rites had belonged to Prince Zhongshan, but since his death, the minister had been replaced and was currently unaffiliated. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War belonged to the Grand Secretary, and the Ministry of Justice had not taken a side.

The son of the Minister of Personnel, Peng Xiaozhuang, had just recently tried to frame Chi Wan at the Spring Banquet.

The Ministry of Personnel was the head of the Six Ministries, followed by the Ministry of Revenue. These two most powerful ministries were both in Prince Ying’s hands, which showed just how much his power had grown.

Fortunately, the Emperor kept a tight grip on military power, and Prince Ying, unlike Prince Zhongshan, was not a military general and had few commanders under him.

Still, it was very rare for a subordinate to impeach a superior in court. Everyone waited for Yu Jiuzhou’s decision.

Before any dissenting voices could arise, Yu Jiuzhou said with a calm expression, “Investigate.”

Yu Jiuzhou’s voice was not loud, but to the ears of the officials, it was even more explosive than the clap of spring thunder just moments ago.

The ministers in the hall looked at each other in dismay. No one had expected the Grand Princess to not even allow for discussion and directly order an investigation.

Or could it be that she already had evidence?

When did Her Highness the Grand Princess obtain the evidence? And how much did she have?

No one dared to speak, their minds racing.

But the accused, Liu Kuo, had no time to think. He immediately stepped forward and knelt. “I have been wronged! I implore Your Highness to investigate clearly.”

Bai Xingyun produced a memorial from his sleeve. “The evidence is all here. I ask Your Highness to verify it. Furthermore, the Grand Court of Revision has also received the ten-thousand-person blood petition from Wucheng. I request the Minister of Justice to present it.”

The Minister of Justice: “?” That never happened.

Sun Yuzhuo was completely bewildered. She was at most a month away from retirement. Why were so many major incidents happening at such a critical time?

If she had known, she would have retired before the new year instead of waiting until now.

But then, Chi Wan, the Left Junior Minister of Justice, stepped forward. “Reporting to Your Highness, the ten-thousand-person blood petition has already been presented to His Majesty. The Lord Grand Secretary has also seen it.”

The named Grand Secretary, Gao Zheng, had no choice but to step forward. “Yes, I have seen it. It is indeed a ten-thousand-person blood petition.”

At a time like this, it was best to drag as many people into the water as possible.

Now, the Ministry of Revenue, the Grand Court of Revision, the Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and Chi Wan, who held multiple posts, were all involved.

Everyone could see that Bai Xingyun was the Fuma’s man. With Bai Xingyun starting it and the Fuma assisting, did this mean Her Highness the Grand Princess was the mastermind?

Realizing this, even more people dared not speak.

The clever ones had long understood who held the most power in the court now. It used to be the Emperor, with the Grand Secretary and the three princes on equal footing. But things were different now. Now, the Grand Princess ranked above the Grand Secretary and the princes.

Sun Yuzhuo was completely numb. No wonder Chi Wan had stood next to her and claimed to be from the Grand Court of Revision. So that was why. So that was why.

The Fuma was trying to drag the Grand Court of Revision into this. But what could she do?

She could only step forward and say, “Reporting to Your Highness, the Grand Court of Revision has investigated and found conclusive evidence of Minister of Revenue Liu Kuo’s corruption and law-breaking. I was about to write a memorial to submit to the Grand Secretariat. It seems I shall present it after court is dismissed.”

Evasion was useless now. There was only one option: join the Fuma in taking down the Minister of Revenue, Liu Kuo. That way, she could still retire peacefully.

Chi Wan smiled. It was just as her princess had said. Sun Yuzhuo might be laid-back, but when provoked, she was merciless.

Everything that had happened in court had been planned by them. The Emperor was also aware of it. But the Emperor did not want to make things too tense, so he had Yu Jiuzhou preside over the court session.

If the situation could be controlled, he would emerge to reap the rewards. If the situation spiraled out of control, then the fault would all be Yu Jiuzhou’s.

But Yu Jiuzhou was not one to be easily manipulated. Did they really think her goal was merely to remove a Minister of Revenue?

Chi Wan’s gaze shifted to Yu Jiuzhou, and their eyes met in mid-air.

They both smiled knowingly. The real show was just beginning.

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