Chapter 855: Iron Cavalry in the Snowstorm Crossing Jiangnan (3)

At today's court assembly, Jin Lanting, who had maintained an extremely low profile as the Minister of Rites until the end of the second Xiangfu year, suddenly became the most vocal official in the imperial court, even overshadowing Tang Tieshuang, the Minister of War.

Based on Jin Lanting's recommendations, the imperial court immediately passed a series of policies without the need for a smaller council meeting. Among these, Xu Gong, the Minister of War who had accompanied the Emperor on his border inspection tour of Liaodong and last year assisted Grand Marshal Gu Jiantang in achieving military victories, was finally able to extricate himself from Liaodong, a place he had likened to a 'cold palace'. He not only successfully returned from beyond the Great Wall but also led two legions of elite troops from the capital region south to reinforce Lu Shengxiang. The recently promoted military general Li Chang'an was appointed Xu's deputy, and young officials from the Ministry of War, such as Gao Tingshu and Kong Zhenrong, also left the capital with the two high-ranking officials to gain experience, finally having the opportunity to distinguish themselves. General Yuan Tingshan of Jizhou led one cavalry legion and one infantry legion from the border, entering the Central Plains through Jizi Pass, advancing alongside Xu Gong's main army. Additionally, an imperial decree was sent to Western Shu, commanding King Chen Zhibao of Shu to deploy another elite legion from his territory to assist in suppressing the rebellion in Guangling Province. This force would be jointly commanded by Xu Gong and Chen Zhibao.

In contrast to Jin Lanting, who appeared utterly devoted and tirelessly resolved issues for the court, Yao Baifeng of the Imperial Academy made a proposal at the end of the assembly that immediately silenced the already somber court. This Neo-Confucian master from the Northwest suggested that regarding the Grand Canal's transportation affairs, since Wen Taiyi, the Administrator of Jing'an Province, had just arrived and was already overwhelmed with administrative duties, the specific tasks should be handled by officials within the canal transport administration, with Minister Wen only needing to oversee the broader picture. In earlier times, countless civil and military officials would have instantly stepped forward to refute the Left Libationer even before the Emperor had to speak. But today, the young Emperor sat high on his dragon throne, silent, his gaze sweeping across the hall. Yet, almost everywhere his gaze fell, he saw only ministers with bowed heads, silent; not one official stood forth, chest out, to speak boldly. Finally, the young Emperor slowly drew his gaze from the distance, pausing for a moment on the high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries. At last, Chen Wang from the Palace Secretariat stepped forward. Chen Wang did not entirely overturn Yao Baifeng's suggestion but instead offered a compromise: first, the Ministry of Personnel would rigorously vet the credentials of key canal transport officials. Once the court approved the candidates, Administrator Wen Taiyi could then be relieved of his burden, with Guangling's canal transport temporarily remaining under his full authority.

After the court assembly, His Majesty the Emperor showed no intention of convening a smaller council. Consequently, all officials exited the grand hall and proceeded directly to their respective ministries.

Jin Lanting, who had been a laughingstock in official circles at the end of last year, could now finally hold his head high. It was obvious that certain officials, who had 'forgotten' to pay their New Year's calls due to 'numerous trivial matters,' would now flock to his residence, queuing outside the Minister's mansion with gift lists that were, of course, as extravagant as possible.

Today, Yao Baifeng found himself without the usual retinue of officials. The old man did not seem to mind, not rushing down the steps. He gazed absently at the imperial path, which seemed confined within the great gate in his sight, lost in thought.

A young voice spoke beside the old man: "Left Libationer, your stove has gone cold. It will be difficult to reignite your influence now."

The old man did not turn. Few young people in the Liyang court dared to address an elder with such a cynical tone, and even fewer of them were qualified to attend court assemblies. It was Sun Yin, a humble scholar from Beiliang, who had already experienced the ups and downs of official life in the capital at a young age.

Sun Yin continued to tease: "Minister Yao, you are truly a scholar full of idealism, choosing this moment to act as a loyal minister. You deserve to find yourself abandoned and forgotten."

The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Must one choose a moment to be a loyal minister?"

Sun Yin nodded earnestly, "Indeed. One must check the almanac for the auspicious time before venturing out."

The old man dismissed it with a smile. "I cannot be that kind of loyal minister."

Sun Yin chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude. "It's actually a good thing that Minister Yao is contemplating retirement. I, Sun Yin, stumbled at the Imperial Academy, and I've been thinking daily about when I can make a comeback. Only when the Left Libationer's seat is vacant will I have my opportunity. For this reason alone, I, Sun Yin, must personally thank Minister Yao."

Unexpectedly, the old man did not react with indignant anger. Instead, he nodded and said, "It's fine if you, Sun Yin, go to the Imperial Academy. I now understand that the Imperial Academy is not a place for me to teach, because it has long ceased to be a place for true scholarship."

Sun Yin looked surprised. "Minister Yao, you're not considering resigning and returning home, are you?"

The old man chuckled, "I'm not foolish. Could I possibly return home at a time like this? I just slapped the court's face, and I'd do it again immediately? How many lives does Yao Baifeng have?"

Sun Yin clicked his tongue. "So, Minister Yao, despite all your studies, you're not entirely ignorant of worldly affairs after all. It's not a lost cause yet."

The usually rigid old man, for once, joked, "It's rare to find someone still willing to flatter me. Thank you."

Sun Yin waved a hand. "Don't just say it. When Minister Yao submits your resignation, remember to put in a good word for me."

The old man neither nodded nor shook his head, merely sighing, "Yuan Tingshan of Jizhou, entering the Central Plains through Jizi Pass… Heh. Although I am merely a pedantic scholar who can't even claim to strategize on paper, I understand that those twenty thousand men are not going to suppress the rebellion in Guangling Province at all; they are meant to intercept the Beiliang cavalry. By the time the Jizhou troops are decimated, those ten thousand Shu soldiers will have almost reached northern Guangling Province. It's estimated that simultaneously, Assistant Minister Xu's military tally will have reached the army. One link after another. It's quite something for Jin Lanting, the Minister of Rites, to be so deeply concerned with military affairs, and even more remarkable that all his suggestions were adopted by the court."

Sun Yin whispered, "Minister Yao, do you truly believe that was Jin Lanting's idea? Do you truly believe it's a good thing for Xu Gong to leave Liaodong and lead troops south?"

The old man turned and asked with a smile, "As a mere scholar, I truly don't understand these matters. Is there more to it than meets the eye?"

Sun Yin smiled slyly. "I heard Minister Yao's residence has some good wine hidden away?"

The old man paused, then pulled Sun Yin's sleeve and walked down the steps with him, lowering his voice. "Green Ant wine? I drank it all after hearing the outcome of the Liang-Mang War last year."

Sun Yin merely smiled without speaking.

The old man, not possessing Sun Yin's thick skin, helplessly said, "There are only two or three jars left; don't set your sights on those. Any other good wine, no matter the cost, I'll treat you to."

Sun Yin's face showed disdain.

As the two walked out of the gate side by side, Sun Yin suddenly stopped his teasing and attempts to swindle the old man out of his Green Ant wine, whispering, "Jin Lanting has connected with Tang Tieshuang. That's why Xu Gong was sent to fight the Beiliang cavalry to the death."

The old man was first taken aback, then sighed. He looked around, finally resigning himself completely; this was indeed not the place for him to teach and impart knowledge.

Sun Yin turned and walked away, smiling, "Minister Yao probably won't even receive a posthumous title. I, Sun Yin, won't add insult to injury by drinking your Green Ant wine."

After a few steps, Sun Yin suddenly turned, lightly patting his chest. "There's a bow I wish to offer, not suitable to be given to Mr. Yao in public, but I hold it in my heart."

Twenty years later, in midsummer, Sun Yin had just become the second Minister of Personnel of the new Liyang Dynasty, a powerful and prestigious official of the second rank.

One day, someone unexpectedly called upon the bustling Sun mansion, claiming to be a descendant of the Yao family. The gatekeeper, already overwhelmed with tasks, paid him no mind, too busy to attend to him. It wasn't until dusk, when the Sun mansion was about to close its gates to visitors, that the dust-stained young man still refused to leave. He reluctantly revealed his grandfather's name. Although the gatekeeper was a native of the capital and well-versed in social graces, he racked his brains but could not recall any prominent figure named Yao Baifeng in Liyang's official circles. Eventually, he managed to recall that many years ago, an old man named Yao had served as Left Libationer in the Imperial Academy of the previous dynasty. However, for the past two decades, not a single poem or essay from that Neo-Confucian master had reached the Central Plains. Times had changed, and he was likely less influential than a newly appointed Huangmen Lang who had recently joined the Hanlin Academy of the new dynasty. The gatekeeper gritted his teeth. Seeing that the young man had traveled thousands of miles to the capital, it would be truly pitiful to simply send him away. So, he overstepped protocol and went to report to the Minister.

The Minister, bare-chested and relaxing under a melon trellis, sprang from his reclining chair. Without even pausing to put on his boots, he rushed towards the courtyard gate. But he halted himself at the last moment and casually told the dumbfounded steward to simply have the man leave the items. The mansion did not need to receive him. If the young man showed even a hint of resentment, the items were not to be brought into the courtyard.

Finally, the steward carefully brought a cloth bag into the small courtyard.

The Minister smiled with delight.

Since the old man's descendant was not hoping to use this as a stepping stone for an official career, that was good; very good, in fact.

In the twilight, two jars of Green Ant wine, clearly covered in years of dust, sat on the stone table in the small courtyard. Sun Yin had not brought himself to open them and drink heartily.

At the court assembly the next day, a long-forgotten elder from the previous dynasty suddenly became renowned throughout the land.

Yao Baifeng, a native of Beiliang Province, was granted the posthumous title Wenjie.

Despite having reached the pinnacle of officialdom, Sun Yin, the Minister of Personnel, still known for his unconventional nature throughout the court and beyond, walked out of the grand hall after the assembly and stood at the top of the steps for a while. Then he walked alone to a spot beside the imperial street. Even though no one else was there, Sun Yin still bowed respectfully. This incident quickly became a strange tale whispered throughout the capital.

For some unknown reason, today the Emperor of Liyang not only did not convene a smaller council but also returned to the magnificent grand hall. Song Tanglu, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, stood guard alone outside the door.

The young Emperor stood near the dragon throne. Behind him, the grand hall's floor was paved with 'golden bricks'. Therefore, even with the doors closed and windows covered, as it was dawn and light filtered through the window paper, the hall did not appear overly dim.

On either side of the dragon throne were four pairs of majestic displays: auspicious elephants, Luduan (mythical beasts), cranes, and incense burners. Together, they symbolized the countless monarchs' dream of "a perpetually stable realm and an enduring dynasty."

The young Emperor descended the steps and stood in the grand hall. The so-called 'golden bricks' beneath his feet were not actually made of gold but were tribute bricks from the Guangling Manufacturing Bureau, renowned for their reputation of "silent footsteps and a chime like a jade chime stone when struck."

Zhao Zhuan looked up. The grand hall's pillars were crafted from nanmu wood felled from the deep mountains of Nanzhao. In earlier years, Liyang censors had bitterly complained of 'a thousand entering the mountains, only half returning'. Later, under the previous emperor, the wood used for the pillars in Liyang imperial palace halls was uniformly replaced with more easily harvested Liaodong pine.

Zhao Zhuan walked up to a pillar, reaching out to stroke the magnificent column, adorned with gilded cloud-dragon patterns. He murmured, "Father Emperor, you had Zhang Julu, the 'Green-Eyed Child'; Yuan Benxi, the 'Half-Inch Tongue'; and Han Shengxuan, the 'Human Cat'. What about me? Just a dragon robe, a dragon throne, and this grand hall?"

"Cannot this world grant me a moment more to strive for good governance? Ten years, no, just five years! I could make Beiliang, Nanjiang, and Beimang vanish into thin air! I could leave those rebellious ministers and treacherous villains with no place to stand, and let my Liyang people enjoy eternal peace."

"Father Emperor, I no longer trust anyone. I don't trust Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen within the court, nor Gu Jiantang and Lu Shengxiang outside it. Even the young people you deliberately suppressed and left for me to promote and employ, like Song Li and Sun Yin—I trust none of them."

"The only one, Chen Wang, is still too young, lacks prestige, and has no foundation in the Liyang army. Even if he wished to turn the tide, he would be powerless."

Zhao Zhuan suddenly withdrew his hand, his face contorted in a grimace. He clenched his fist and slammed it hard against the pillar.

The young Emperor was panting, a biting pain radiating from his hand.

He glared at the pillar, angrily declaring, "You dared to openly dispatch troops to Guangling Province just because I had two lackeys cause a slight difficulty with the canal grain, after you had already ruined the fortune of my Zhao imperial house in the Imperial Observatory?! How is this any different from rebellion?!"

Zhao Zhuan punched the pillar again; this time, blood stained its surface. "Do you truly think my Liyang dares not fight you, Beiliang, to the death?!"

The young Emperor lay on the grand hall floor, gazing at the coiled golden dragon carved in the center of the coffered ceiling. Its head dipped down, holding a massive pearl in its mouth.

Looking at the enormous luminous pearl, the young Emperor inexplicably thought of his sister, Princess Sui, Zhao Fengya.

Princess Sui of the Liyang Zhao imperial house was dead, but Zhao Fengya was still alive.

This was likely the only thing that young man from the Beiliang Xu family had done that Zhao Zhuan didn't entirely hate.

The exhausted young Emperor closed his eyes, then remembered the clumsy parrot kept by the Empress.

So, the so-called Nine-Five Supreme sovereign was also just a bird in a cage.