Chapter 818: Silent as a Cold Cicada (7)

(The detailed three-person battle will not be included in these chapters of "Silent as Cicadas." That climactic battle will appear in a few chapters.)

Tai'an City's morning court session today was an unprecedented grand occasion.

From the Yonghui to the Xiangfu eras, court sessions, especially the morning court, largely served as a direct reflection of the Liyang Dynasty's political landscape. The number of officials attending often acted as an implicit appraisal of key central ministers. For example, there were noticeable differences in morning court attendance when Chen Zhibao and Lu Baijie successively arrived in the capital to serve as Ministers of War, when Qi Yanglong, the Grand Libationer of Shangyin Academy, emerged from seclusion, when Grand General Gu Jiantang departed the capital to govern Liaoyang, during the posthumous title resolutions for Old Master Song and Yan Zhenchun, upon the initial arrival in the capital of three renowned local generals—Lu Shengxiang, Tang Tieshuang, and Xu Gong—when Chen Wang was promoted to Left Palace Attendant, and during the "exile" of former Minister of Revenue Wang Xiong Gui and former Minister of Rites Yuan Guo to other regions, Han Lin's promotion to an external post as Vice Minister of Justice, and Lu Baijie's quiet departure from the capital.

Besides the civil and military officials required to attend daily morning court, there were three groups who were qualified to attend but not obligated: imperial clan members sharing the ruling family's surname, powerful aristocratic families and meritorious officials who had earned hereditary titles for their contributions to Liyang, and elderly dukes and ministers specially exempted by the Emperor's grace. The greater their attendance at morning court, the more prominent a certain official's status naturally became. Conversely, if court attendance was sparse—as when Wang Xiong Gui and Yuan Guo departed after their farewell appearances, or when the veteran general Yang Shenxing recently left to serve as Jiedushi of Beiliang—it caused no stir, and virtually none of these three groups (imperial clan members, nobility, or elder statesmen) were present.

Despite the sudden gloomy and rainy weather last night, this morning's court session saw the attendance of all distinguished officials.

The continuous autumn rain made many capital roads muddy. In the past, officials who had to traverse half the city to attend morning court might have cursed from horseback or within their carriages. Yet today, almost everyone was in high spirits, showing no sign of fatigue. Some ministers, accustomed to reading by lamplight in their carriages before court, absently flipped through pages, occasionally lifting the window curtains to check their location or directly asking their coachmen about their arrival time.

The street where Chen Wang, the Left Palace Attendant of the Menxia Province, resided was home to top-tier noble princes and dukes of the Liyang Dynasty. Besides his father-in-law, a Prince of a Commandery, his neighbors included retired Liyang grandees like Duke of Yan Gao Shizhi and Marquis of Huaiyang Song Daoning, who had long receded from public view. Their silence did not imply they had lost their sway over the direction of court affairs.

Before dawn, this large residential area was aglow with lights. Servants had long prepared carriages, and high-ranking officials, princes, and marquises, dressed in purple and yellow, successively boarded their vehicles. Amidst the bustling traffic, Chen Wang's humble carriage inevitably seemed a bit meager. However, at a corner, a marquis whose carriage was meant to turn first onto the main street voluntarily slowed down, allowing Master Chen's carriage to pass. Chen Wang gently lifted the side curtain. The marquis, pampered by life and thus showing no signs of age even nearing fifty, saw Master Chen nod in greeting. The old marquis smiled and returned the gesture. After lowering the curtain, he stroked his beard, feeling both a certain satisfaction from having exchanged courtesies with the Left Palace Attendant and a profound sense of regret. Years ago, when the late emperor selected women from the Zhao imperial clan and noble families to marry Chen Wang, his granddaughter had been a strong candidate. But at the time, he had only considered an alliance with a powerful duke. Looking back now, though he had achieved his wish of marrying his granddaughter into a ducal residence, compared to Chen Wang, the true "dragon-riding" son-in-law, he had indeed suffered a great loss.

Duke of Yan Gao Shizhi and Marquis of Huaiyang Song Daoning were the closest of friends. Curiously, despite their matching social statuses, their two families had never pursued further intermarriages. Truth be told, Gao Shilian and Gao Shijing, the siblings born to the Duke of Yan in his later years, were considered exceptional young talents in Tai'an City. The Marquis of Huaiyang, on the other hand, had many children, and his family's fortunes seemed to improve with each generation. Therefore, it would have been perfectly logical for a marriage to occur between the Song children of similar age to the Gao siblings, even if they weren't the eldest legitimate heirs; such a union would not have been considered marrying above their station into the Duke of Yan's household.

Today, both the Duke of Yan and the Marquis of Huaiyang were not only attending morning court but also sharing a carriage. Within the spacious carriage, though winter hadn't arrived, Duke Gao Shizhi had arranged for a delicate small stove, suitable for burning incense and providing warmth. This thoughtful gesture was for his close friend Song Daoning, who had suffered from an old chill.

Song Daoning was dozing with his eyes squinted. Gao Shizhi gently bent down and softly stoked the stove fire.

Song Daoning was a very light sleeper and quickly opened his eyes.

Noticing Song Daoning's gaze, Gao Shizhi asked, "Is there something you wish to say?"

Song Daoning remained silent, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the heavy curtain separating them from the coachman.

Gao Shizhi asked again, "Has your old coachman finally resigned?"

Song Daoning, who became sensitive to the cold as autumn set in, reached up to adjust his collar and softly hummed in affirmation.

Gao Shizhi smiled, "If that's the case, why are you still hesitant to speak freely?"

Song Daoning's expression was indifferent. "After all these years, it's become a habit."

Gao Shizhi, feeling a pang of sympathy for his old comrade, softly sighed, "So, we should thank that restless young vassal king. Otherwise, even if His Majesty had wished to withdraw the Zhao Gou spies, it certainly wouldn't have happened this quickly."

Song Daoning said hoarsely, "At first, I resented the late emperor's actions, but after all these years, I've found peace of mind. To be honest, in the past, when I occasionally traveled, even knowing an imperial spy was watching, I never felt particularly uncomfortable. Now that His Majesty has withdrawn the spies, Brother Gao, what are your thoughts?"

Gao Shizhi sneered, "My dear Brother Song, I am no novice in officialdom. Of course, I feel precisely as you do—uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. It would be better if both sides simply understood the situation and maintained unspoken mutual understanding, ensuring peace. Now, it's rather convenient: a coachman openly leaves, but will our residences secretly gain more servants and maids?"

Song Daoning, known in Tai'an City for his quiet and reserved nature, smiled meaningfully, "Brother Gao, do you, therefore, believe His Majesty's magnanimity is not as great as the late emperor's?"

Gao Shizhi frowned, "You don't think so?"

Song Daoning shook his head, "In my view, His Majesty's action isn't intended to make us profoundly grateful; he wouldn't be so shallow. Rather, he merely provided you and me with a secret decree that doesn't require eunuchs to convey. If you fail to grasp its deeper meaning, there will be no seat for you at the upcoming grand feast."

The Duke's expression immediately turned solemn. He asked, "What is the meaning of this remark?"

Song Daoning slowly elaborated, "Since the first year of Xiangfu, the political landscape in the capital has undergone dizzying changes. These numerous shifts are not merely about the promotions of a few individuals. On the civil official side, the scholar-gentry families led by the Peng clan of the northern region have begun to rise rapidly. The Jiangnan scholar-gentry families, led by the Lu and Yu clans, experienced a sudden rise followed by an equally sudden decline. The Qing Party has revived from its ashes. The Hanlin Academy has separated itself from the Zhao Family's Urn, effectively severing ties with the Three Departments and Six Ministries. The new Hanlin Academy Scholar is a genuine imperial protégé from an ordinary scholar-gentry family, largely unrelated to Zhang Lu or the two great aristocratic families of Jiangnan and Liaoyang. The establishment of the six academies was also a move to decentralize power from the Three Departments and Six Ministries. On the military side, setting aside the old vassal kings from the previous two dynasties, consider the figures who have entered and exited the capital in recent years: the former Vice Ministers of War Xu Gong and Tang Tieshuang, Jizhou Deputy Generals Yang Huchen and Han Fang, Song Li, who returned to power in Guangling Road, the seven influential military generals in the capital region promoted under General Li Chang'an, and the recently arrived Dong Gong, Huang Tianzong, and Wei Dong."

Gao Shizhi scoffed at himself, "My dear Brother Song, just speak plainly. I already know all this, and I vaguely grasp His Majesty's general meaning. Just tell me your true insights. I'm a rough and crude man, not good at beating around the bush."

Song Daoning sighed softly, "Never mind. It's like casting pearls before swine, I might as well save my breath. After all, I haven't attended morning court for so many years; it would be disgraceful if I accidentally fainted from standing."

Gao Shizhi raised his hand and waved it, laughing playfully, "You, Song, don't imagine that just because you're a marquis, I wouldn't dare to beat you!"

Song Daoning suddenly changed the subject, "Tell Shilian and Shijing not to get too close to Yin Changgeng... Oh, and if that girl Shijing isn't too opposed, you might consider arranging a match between her and Zhao Youling's youngest son. They are a few years apart in age, but isn't it said that 'a woman three years older brings a golden brick'? These are all minor matters anyway."

Gao Shizhi retorted unceremoniously, "Brother, why are you acting like those short-sighted fellows? Even if Yin Maochun is a small step behind Zhao Youling, among the Three Departments and Six Ministries, not to mention the Minister of State, there are still the Zhongshu Province and Menxia Province. Yin Maochun and Zhao Youling can each have a 'latrine'—there's no need to fight over anything..."

At this point, Gao Shizhi abruptly stopped speaking.

Song Daoning sneered, "What, have you finally understood? Do you realize that one of them is destined to suffer a terrible defeat? And it's Yin Maochun, who has been the top contender for chancellor for many years?!"

Gao Shizhi, completely bewildered, quietly asked, "Then what kind of marriage would those two families' children even have?!"

Song Daoning calmly said, "Don't forget, the marriage between Yin Changgeng and Zhao Chunyuan was the late emperor's intention. Both Yin and Zhao merely went along with the flow, each ensuring a fallback for their respective descendants."

The Duke clicked his tongue, "These scholars, they have so many twisted thoughts!"

Song Daoning sighed softly, "Scholars are cunning, and military men are insubordinate. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, it has been remarkably challenging. What's truly remarkable is how well His Majesty has managed."

Gao Shizhi stared at his friend, with whom he could discuss anything in depth, and asked in a low voice, "Have you decided? Are you truly going to help His Majesty counterbalance the various civil official factions and military powers?"

Song Daoning, without directly answering, took a deep breath. "Although we, neighbors of various surnames, have been so oppressed by the 'Green-Eyed One' for years that we could barely breathe, one cannot deny the vast difference between a court with and without the 'Green-Eyed One' at its helm. Now that the 'Green-Eyed One' is gone, setting aside considerations for the empire, we should at least live up to the ancestral tablets we worship annually."

Gao Shizhi stretched lazily, "Anyway, whatever you do, I'll do the same. It's that simple; I won't trouble myself with it."

Song Daoning suddenly smiled, "Do you still remember what happened when we were young?"

Gao Shizhi paused, "What? We two brothers accomplished many great feats in our youth. What are you referring to? Ha, these good-for-nothing rascals like Wang Yuanran are miles behind what we were like back then!"

Song Daoning subconsciously rubbed his chest, then pointed at the face of the illustrious Duke before him.

Gao Shizhi's face instantly flushed red. He cursed, and his arrogant demeanor completely vanished.

Song Daoning burst into rare laughter.

Many years ago, young Marquis Song Daoning and his good friend Gao Shizhi, accompanied by their retinues, rode their horses to the outskirts of the capital. There, they encountered a woman of truly breathtaking, city-toppling beauty. Even the haughty Song Daoning was utterly astounded by her.

Just as they were about to approach and speak to her, and while the woman remained quietly silent, a crude fellow with a Liaodong accent came running from afar. Both sides were young and hot-headed, so a disagreement quickly escalated into a physical confrontation. Surprisingly, Song Daoning and Gao Shizhi, despite being two against one, couldn't defeat him, taking some light to moderate blows. However, being noble scions with numerical superiority, they soon chased and beat the scoundrel, leaving him utterly disheveled. The crucial point was that while this fellow's combat skills were decent, his mouth could hurl a hundred insults without repeating himself. This was no heroic rescue; it was clearly a shameful spectacle. Far from displaying any heroic spirit, it was clearly two groups of ruffians in a petty squabble, none of them respectable.

And then...

Then, Song Daoning was kicked seven or eight zhang away by the sword-wielding woman, and Gao Shizhi was slapped so hard that he spun seven or eight times in the air.

And then the young man from Liaodong rushed to the woman with a face full of "gratitude," grabbed her hand, and spoke effusive, nonsensical words of thanks, refusing to let go.

Gao Shizhi and Song Daoning only much later learned that the scoundrel named Xu fared no better than they did. He was sent flying backward a great distance, and after landing heavily on the ground, he still gritted his teeth, forced out an ugly smile, and strained his voice to yell, "You're going to be my Xu Xiao's wife! Either you kill me, or you marry me!"

In the past, whenever Xu Xiao was in Tai'an City, there was never a dull moment.

Now, with his son in Tai'an City, it seems equally lively.

Grandees like the Duke of Yan and the Marquis of Huaiyang, who usually appeared and disappeared like a divine dragon, were greatly disappointed, as the young vassal king who had caused such a monumental stir did not appear at today's morning court.

In contrast, another piece of news merely gave the civil and military officials a slight boost in morale.

Wu Zhongxuan, formerly the foremost general of the Southern Frontier under Prince Yan Chi Zhao Bing, covertly withdrew from Guangling Road and traveled north, unexpectedly appearing at court in the capital. He was promoted to Minister of War of Liyang. At the same time, he was ordered to immediately return to Guangling Road after the court session to oversee the war, remotely leading the Ministry of War as the Grand General for the Southern Expedition. He would only formally assume his position in the capital upon successfully quelling the rebellion.

Early morning.

A carriage slowly came to a halt at the old site of the Liyang Ministry of War, located about a li from the Zhao Family's Urn. Before its relocation, the Ministry of War, in the Liyang Dynasty—denounced as "Northern Barbarians" by the eight southern kingdoms—held a status within the Three Departments and Six Ministries that surpassed the imagination of all present-day Liyang citizens. Back then, let alone the Ministry of Personnel, unless one held actual military command as a local vassal general, even if you were the Minister of the Zhongshu Province or the Left Vice Director of the Menxia Province, you would not only yield to the carriage of a Vice Minister of War if you met on the road, but also politely make way for a Ministry of War Director, who was several ranks lower. As for the censorate officials who are now so arrogant, their only role back then was to serve as punching bags for Ministry of War officials; it was not uncommon for them to be randomly whipped half to death with a horsewhip.

Two successive emperors, in just over forty years, managed to make the Central Plains acknowledge Liyang's legitimate rule.

Countless aspiring scholars took root and blossomed in Tai'an City, once a border town, growing into towering trees and fostering a flourishing literary scene no less vibrant than that of Western Chu.

The young man who had stepped down from the carriage stood at the foot of the steps, staring blankly at the vermilion lacquered gate, through which almost no one entered or exited.

This place was now merely where low-ranking officials of the Ministry of War's Armory Bureau conducted their duties.

A still sleepy-eyed junior official from the Armory Bureau had just stepped across the threshold. When he saw the black and gold python robe—a sight he had never heard of nor seen before—not far outside the gate, he rubbed his eyes hard, his face etched with bewilderment.

In Tai'an City, directly under the Emperor's nose, who would dare to show even a hint of transgression regarding official robes and uniforms? And especially a python robe!

The fellow, merely a low-ranking official from the Armory Bureau, stiffened. He dared not take another step forward, nor dared he simply turn around and ignore it.

A rough voice sounded behind the junior official: "Huang Qianshan! Aren't you going to the Ministry of War to report to Director Hong?! Are your boots stuck in dog shit?"

The junior official swallowed hard and turned, saying, "Master Yang, someone is here."

The tall man behind the junior official, who likewise hadn't risen from the "turbid stream" to join the "pure stream" (i.e., hadn't ascended to higher official ranks), walked around Huang. After seeing the young man, he took a few hard looks, then quietly turned, and swiftly ran into the gate, disappearing completely.

A seamless motion.

This was likely why Huang Qianshan addressed him as "Master Yang."

With Master Yang's escape, Huang Qianshan's retreat path was completely cut off. If he were to run now, Huang Qianshan himself would find it inexcusable.

The junior official bravely hurried down the stone steps, bent over, and asked, "May I ask..."

At this point, he suddenly choked up. In his panic just now, he hadn't dared to carefully discern the number of claws, toes, or wave patterns on the black and gold python robe. How was he supposed to know whether to address the young man before him as "Duke," "Marquis," or "His Royal Highness the Heir Apparent"?

There were simply too many intricacies to being an official in Tai'an City. Just the residences of officials were categorized into five types: powerful, noble, clean, poor, and wealthy. In each locale, one had to burn a different kind of incense; otherwise, entering the wrong temple and burning the wrong incense, violating rules and taboos, would be a minor matter compared to being sidelined in the yamen for several years.

Xu Fengnian chuckled softly, "I, the King, have merely come to look around. You don't need to report anything to the yamen."

"I, the King."

Hearing this shocking "self-designation," the junior official's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

In the vast Liyang Dynasty, the number of individuals authorized to refer to themselves as "I, the King" was already small among those enfeoffed by the late emperor, and several had since passed away. Furthermore, the so-called "Princes with the same-rank title" enfeoffed after the current emperor's ascension were, according to the Zhao imperial clan's regulations, still prohibited from entering the capital at will.

Therefore, the identity of the young prince before him, wearing a vassal king's python robe, became clear.

Officials in Tai'an City all knew what kind of character Prince Jing'an Zhao Xun was. Far from strutting around in a python robe, he preferred to stay hidden deep within his mansion, avoiding all visitors.

The junior official's teeth chattered as he stammered, "Prince... Prince... Prince of Beiliang, is there anything this humble official can do for you?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Didn't Master Yang just tell you to go to the Ministry of War?"

The junior official, sweat beading on his forehead, stammered fearfully, "It's nothing... it's nothing. Your Royal Highness's first visit brings too much glory to our humble yamen..."

Xu Fengnian waved his hand and said, "Go on."

Just as the junior official, bowing, was preparing to slip away, he heard the infamous Northwestern vassal king quietly say, "Huang Qianshan, right? Before you leave, remember to say loudly, 'This is an important government office. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted entry without the Ministry of War's permission.'"

The obedient Huang Qianshan's mind went blank. It was only after he had dutifully shouted the words and walked a considerable distance away that this slow-witted junior official of the Armory Bureau suddenly came to a frightening realization, so terrified that he could only walk tremblingly, leaning against the wall.

He thought, "Am I trying to get myself killed?"

But after he had walked a considerable distance further, he suddenly seemed to realize something. He froze, looked back, and saw the young vassal king still standing in the original spot—the very young man he had often cursed and ridiculed with his colleagues just a few years ago.

Huang Qianshan's gaze was complex. He sighed and turned to walk on.

The minor official, who would likely never be qualified to participate in a court session in his entire life, gradually lost his fear and suspicion.

But for some reason, he felt a bit unsettled.