Yin hour (3-5 AM).
The window lattice of the Hall of Mental Cultivation was only cracked open slightly, yet the hot wind still slipped in silently.
The capital in early May was already unbearably hot, and the cicadas' chirping surged in waves from the old locust tree in the Imperial Garden, making people feel agitated.
Emperor Tiansheng had not slept.
Piles of memorials to the throne were stacked on the imperial desk, with a secret report sealed with vermilion wax pressed on top.
That was a secret line run by the Shadow Guards of the Imperial City Department. It hadn't gone through the Office of Transmission, nor the Grand Secretariat, but was delivered directly to the imperial desk.
When he broke the wax seal, traces of cinnabar were still embedded under his fingernails. After reviewing memorials for half the night, the dark circles under his eyes were so heavy they could wring out water.
The secret report consisted of only two pages, densely written in tiny regular script.
The first page. The Northern Border Supervising Censor Ma Jin'an, in collusion with Deputy General He Minghu, had imprisoned the vanguard battalion commander Xu Zhan and thirty-seven of his soldiers in the border city's death row on charges of hoarding gunpowder and plotting rebellion.
The so-called gunpowder was actually quicklime packets used to heat food in the Xu family army's rations. Xu Zhan had drawn his sword to resist orders and was disarmed and captured. The military authority of the vanguard battalion was entirely transferred to the deputy general.
The second page. According to the Shadow Guards' intelligence, the Left Luli King of the grassland had completed the autumn grass assembly, and 30,000 cavalry were moving south from Mobei to the Yinshan line. The mutual trade caravans had all withdrawn, rendering the border mutual trade virtually non-existent. According to scouts, the barbarian cavalry would strike the passes and head south within a month at the latest.
Emperor Tiansheng read the two pages three times.
After the first time, he closed the secret report.
After the second time, he picked up the ginseng tea at the corner of the desk and took a sip. The tea was completely cold, leaving a bitter taste at the base of his tongue.
After the third time, he tossed the secret report onto the imperial desk. The two thin pages slid half a foot across the golden bricks, almost falling to the floor.
Eunuch Li, standing in the shadows, bent his back so low it almost snapped, and even slowed his breathing. Having served in the palace for thirty years, he knew when to play dead.
Emperor Tiansheng leaned back in the dragon throne, his thumb rubbing the dragon head on the armrest.
"When did the Ministry of War receive this military report?"
Eunuch Li's voice was kept very low.
"To reply to Your Majesty, according to the Shadow Guards' investigation, the 800-li expedited courier report from the northern border arrived at the Bureau of Operations of the Ministry of War five days ago."
"After receiving the report, Director Du Hongchang of the Bureau of Operations locked the original document in the iron cabinet of the duty room..."
"And did not submit it upward."
"Five days."
Emperor Tiansheng repeated the number.
The hall was quiet for a long time. So quiet that the candlewick gave a pop, causing Eunuch Li's shoulders to tremble.
"Ring the bell."
Eunuch Li suddenly looked up.
Emperor Tiansheng had already stood up, the hem of his cloak sweeping across the imperial desk, knocking off two memorials. He didn't bend down to pick them up.
"Ring the Jingyang Bell. Call up all officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital for Zhen."
Eunuch Li's knees struck the golden bricks heavily: "Your Majesty, it is only the second quarter of the Yin hour, the morning court is still an hour and a half away..."
"Zhen said ring the bell."
The Jingyang Bell rang.
Not the rhythm of the morning court, but an urgent, life-claiming toll, one strike overlapping another.
The entire imperial city was smashed awake by the bell in the sultry night.
The capital officials living on Qipan Street bounced up from their beds, some not even having time to put on their court boots properly, rushing out in their slip-on shoes.
The last time the Jingyang Bell was rung outside regular court hours was eight years ago during the rebellion of the southwestern chieftains.
The Golden Luan Hall.
All the candles had been lit.
Officials of the fourth rank and above crowded the main hall, while those of the fifth rank could only stand on the cinnabar steps outside the hall doors.
No one whispered to each other; everyone sensed that something was wrong.
Emperor Tiansheng sat on the dragon throne, the two pages of the secret report resting by his hand.
He did not speak.
According to convention, the morning court should begin with the Office of Transmission singing the memorials, followed by reports from the various ministries in order.
But today, Emperor Tiansheng simply lifted his chin and looked at Eunuch Li.
Eunuch Li took the secret report with both hands and walked to the front of the imperial steps.
"... The Northern Border Supervising Censor Ma Jin'an, in collusion with Deputy General He Minghu, fabricated charges of rebellion, framed many soldiers, and has now imprisoned them in the border city's death row."
Someone in the hall drew a sharp breath.
"... The Imperial City Department has ascertained that the Left Luli King of the grassland has assembled 30,000 cavalry and moved south to Yinshan. The mutual trade is completely closed, and they will strike the passes and head south within a month at the latest."
"... The above military intelligence was received by the Bureau of Operations of the Ministry of War five days ago."
When Eunuch Li read the last four words, he dragged out his tone.
Received five days ago.
These six words fell into the Golden Luan Hall louder than the Jingyang Bell.
The eyes of all the officials uniformly focused on the column of the Ministry of War.
The blood visibly drained from the face of the Minister of War, Qi Enming, who stood at the very front of the military officials, and a layer of fine sweat broke out on his forehead.
But he was, after all, an old slicker who had mingled in the court for twenty years.
After three breaths, Qi Enming stepped out of the ranks, lifted his robe, and knelt on the floor, his forehead pressed against the cold golden bricks.
"This subject, Qi Enming, is extremely terrified." His voice was terrifyingly steady. "The Ministry of War indeed did not receive this military report."
"This subject believes it might be due to delays in transmission at the post stations along the route from the northern border to the capital, causing the military intelligence to be held up. This subject has already ordered people to investigate the post transmission system and will certainly give Your Majesty an explanation."
Pushed away cleanly.
The highest rank of a post station courier was only the eighth rank.
The Minister of War used a group of post couriers as a shield without even blushing.
No sound came from the dragon throne.
Qi Enming knelt on the floor, the official uniform on his back already soaked with sweat, sticking to his flesh, stuffy and sticky.
He dared not look up, only able to see the candlelight reflected on the golden bricks in front of him.
A roll of something smashed down from above.
It wasn't thrown; it was slammed. The file slapped the back of Qi Enming's head with a rush of wind, the pages scattering and falling all over the floor.
"Pick it up and take a look." Emperor Tiansheng's voice came from above the imperial steps.
Qi Enming reached out to pick it up.
His hand was shaking, taking two tries to pinch the nearest piece of paper.
The paper was stamped with a vermilion official seal.
The Bureau of Operations of the Ministry of War.
It was a complete document receipt record, clearly stating the date of receipt, the name of the handler, and even the personal seal of that petty clerk Du Hongchang was stamped on the perforation.
Qi Enming's fingertips stiffened, and the hand holding the paper dropped.
"Post station delay?" Emperor Tiansheng's tone was exceptionally flat. "Beloved Subject Qi, the receipt book of your Ministry of War has a red seal clearly stamped in black and white, and you tell Zhen it's a post station delay?"
Qi Enming's forehead hit the golden bricks heavily.
"This subject... this subject failed to investigate, this subject is guilty."
The Golden Luan Hall was so quiet one could hear someone swallowing.
At this moment, an old figure stepped out from the ranks of civil officials.
The Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, Xu Jie.
He was already seventy-two, walking slowly, every step steady and firm.
He didn't look at Qi Enming, nor at the scattered files on the floor; he merely bowed toward the dragon throne.
"Please quell your anger, Your Majesty." Xu Jie's voice was unhurried. "The Ministry of War's failure to investigate naturally deserves severe punishment, but at present, the military situation at the northern border is urgent, and the barbarian cavalry are about to strike the passes. The matter of accountability can be discussed later."
The Emperor thought to himself: Old immortal, smoothing things over again!
Xu Jie paused, as if weighing his words.
"This old subject believes that the most urgent task is to dispatch an imperial envoy to the northern border to investigate the corruption in the army, verify the movements of the barbarian cavalry, and pacify the border soldiers."
"Only in this way can we pacify the interior and resist foreign aggression, without delaying military opportunities."
The words were spoken flawlessly, first suppressing the flames of accountability, and then tossing out the position of an imperial envoy to shift the conflict.
Emperor Tiansheng did not respond immediately.
He glanced down at the secret report resting near his hand, tapped his fingers twice against the armrest of the dragon throne, and sighed inwardly.
Granted.
My beloved ministers, who is willing to go?
Inside the Golden Throne Room, among the hundreds of officials, not a single person moved.
The Northern Frontier. The embezzlement case. Barbarian cavalry attacking the borders. Imperial envoy.
When these four things were stacked together, it was no longer an errand; it was a death warrant. Going to the Northern Frontier meant clashing head-on with He Minghu and Ma Jin'an.
Everyone present knew exactly who stood behind those two men. Investigating the embezzlement meant entirely falling out with the Ministry of War and the Xu faction.
If nothing could be uncovered, the moment the barbarian cavalry attacked, the imperial envoy would be the very first scapegoat sacrificed to the flags.
No one in the ranks of the civil officials made a sound.
No one in the ranks of the military officials made a sound either.
Even their breathing became cautious.
In a corner of the back row, the Third Prince, Xiao Jingyan, turned his body slightly. His gaze swept past Chen Anbang, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of War standing ahead of him, and his right index finger flicked twice inside his sleeve.
That was their pre-arranged secret signal.
Receiving the signal, Chen Anbang bowed slightly, his right foot already taking half a step forward.
This subject, Xu Youde, has a matter to report!
A gruff voice exploded within the Golden Throne Room.
Xiao Jingyan's finger froze in mid-air.
Xu Youde's plump body squeezed out from the ranks of the civil officials, dropping to his knees with a heavy thud right in the center of the great hall.
He did not even raise his court tablet, knocking his head directly against the golden floor tiles with two muffled thuds.
Your Majesty! This untalented subject, Xu Youde, is willing to make this trip on Your Majesty's behalf!
The gazes of the entire hall pierced toward him.
Kneeling on the ground, Xu Youde raised his head. His face was flushed red, and upon his usually shrewd, merchant-like visage was a reckless, earnest honesty:
This subject manages the purse strings for Your Majesty. The military pay for the Northern Frontier was dug out from those cellars by this subject, coin by coin!
As this silver is dispatched to the border, whoever swallowed it, intercepted it, or fed it to the dogs along the way—if this subject does not keep a personal eye on it, my heart will not be at peace!
He patted his chest, his loud voice echoing and buzzing throughout the great hall: This subject wishes to recommend a candidate to escort the first batch of newly raised military pay from the Ministry of Revenue to the north.
Wherever the silver is sent, the accounts will be audited there. Whoever has embezzled the imperial court's money, this subject will gouge it out of them, principal and interest included!
The Golden Throne Room was deathly silent.
A few people in the civil officials' ranks secretly glanced toward Xu Jie.
They only saw the old Grand Secretary with drooping eyelids, completely expressionless, his entire body unmoving.
On the dragon throne, Emperor Tiansheng's fingertips ceased their tapping.
He looked at Xu Youde kneeling in the center of the hall.
This fat man was covered in sweat, his official robes were wrinkled, and his kneeling posture was entirely improper, with his knees splayed outward.
But he was the only person who had stepped forward.
Beloved Minister Xu, Emperor Tiansheng finally spoke, his tone very slow. The Northern Frontier is a long journey. If you, a Vice Minister of Revenue, go to inspect the borders with your family in tow, the people in the Ministry of War will say that We are using an amateur to direct the experts.
Who do you propose to send?
Xu Youde straightened his back. He looked up directly at the emperor upon the dragon throne, his lips moving.
This subject recommends Commandery Princess Ci'an, Xu Qinghuan, to inspect the borders.
