In the Golden Throne Room, Xu Youde's recommendation of Commandery Princess Ci'an, Xu Qinghuan, fell on the golden bricks, drawing a wave of astonishment throughout the hall.
Immediately following, murmurs of discussion spilled out from the ranks of civil officials. Ten incorruptible censors wearing xiezhi embroidered robes stepped out of the ranks almost simultaneously, their ivory tablets clattering in their hands.
"Absurd," the leading censor pointed at Xu Youde's nose, his beard trembling. "How can the vital military grounds of the Northern Frontier allow a woman to set foot? Earl Chengyi's words treat the affairs of state as a child's game."
"A hen crowing at dawn is a misfortune for the nation. I beg the Emperor to punish Xu Youde for his lack of decorum before the throne."
As the voices grew louder, Minister of War Qi Enming gathered his wits and took a large step forward, seizing the opportunity.
Holding his ivory tablet high, Qi Enming spoke in a resonant voice: "Your Majesty, Daqian has always had the custom that women do not enter military camps."
"The Northern Frontier is now shrouded in the clouds of war, and the outpost camps are places of clashing blades. Although Commandery Princess Ci'an has a reputation for talent, she is ultimately a woman of the inner chambers."
"If she were to inspect the borders with the honor of an imperial envoy, how could the border soldiers be convinced? If the barbarians knew our dynasty sent a woman to inspect the borders, wouldn't they laugh at us for having no men in court? I implore Your Majesty to reject Earl Chengyi's memorial."
Qi Enming's words brought out the laws of the ancestors and pinned the blame on military morale and national prestige, making his argument watertight.
Xu Youde knelt on the ground, his fat body curled into a ball, but his eyes darted around as he waited.
Sure enough, the old man at the very front of the civil officials' ranks, who had been resting with his eyes closed, moved.
Grand Secretary of the Cabinet Xu Jie slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Qi Enming. Cold sweat broke out on Qi Enming's back, and the mouth that had wanted to continue his speech abruptly shut.
Leaning on his cane, Xu Jie walked step by step to the center of the hall. He didn't look at Xu Youde, but bowed deeply toward the dragon throne.
"This old minister believes Earl Chengyi's proposal is very appropriate."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall was in an uproar. Even Qi Enming was stunned, looking at his mentor in disbelief.
"The Northern Frontier corruption case involves a wide range of people. The Ministry of War is guilty of lack of oversight, and the Ministry of Revenue is responsible for the allocations. Who dares say they don't have disciples and former subordinates at the borders?"
"If a high-ranking court official is sent, it will inevitably lead to officials protecting each other, and nothing will be found out."
He paused, twirling his beard with his fingers: "Commandery Princess Ci'an is different. Although she is a woman, she has no ties to officialdom, much less disciples and former subordinates."
"Moreover, she is skilled in commerce, and I hear she is well-versed in mathematics and accounts. Auditing the deficits in military pay is exactly the right remedy."
"As for the laws of Daqian, the Commandery Princess is the Commandery Princess Ci'an personally conferred by the Emperor. She can indeed represent the royal face, acting as an imperial inspector on behalf of heaven. Where is the talk of a hen crowing at dawn?"
Xu Jie's words seemed to praise Xu Qinghuan, but in reality, every word held murderous intent.
Pushing a woman with no foundation into the Northern Frontier to investigate the corruption of the Ministry of War and border generals. If she couldn't find anything, it was the crime of deceiving the Emperor.
If she found out and the border generals mutinied, the first to die would be her. This was an open scheme, borrowing a knife to kill, and pushing the Xu family to a dead end.
On the dragon throne, Emperor Tiansheng took in all of Xu Jie's calculations. What he wanted was to use Xu Qinghuan to uncover the corruption in the Northern Frontier.
Emperor Tiansheng raised his hand, and the hall instantly fell completely silent.
"Elder Xu's words are very true."
Emperor Tiansheng's voice rang out, making the final decision.
Eunuch Li immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Take my token to the Earl Chengyi's residence and summon Commandery Princess Ci'an to enter the palace for an audience immediately."
Two quarters past the hour of Chen.
The long steps of the imperial palace gleamed white in the morning light.
Xu Qinghuan climbed the steps. Today she wore the formal ceremonial dress of the first-rank Commandery Princess Ci'an.
A crimson gold-woven cloud and rosy glow pheasant-patterned wide-sleeved robe with a jade-colored gauze inner garment, and a dark azure bordered long skirt below.
On her head, she wore a seven-pheasant crown, gold and jade shining together, the buyao hairpins making a delicate clinking sound with her steps.
This outfit was extremely heavy, pressing down on her, but her back was perfectly straight, and every step was taken steadily.
Above the long steps, a dark azure figure was slowly walking down.
Xiao Jingyan had just retired from the morning court, still holding a red-tinted jade plaque in his hand. He watched Xu Qinghuan walking up from below, the calculation in his eyes undisguised.
The two met in the middle of the long steps.
Xiao Jingyan stopped and looked at her, the morning breeze lifting his cloak, bringing a touch of royal nobility.
Xu Qinghuan paused, glanced at Xiao Jingyan, and gave a slight nod.
...
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the scent of ambergris was strong.
Xu Qinghuan stepped over the high threshold, knelt, and performed a grand obeisance: "Subject daughter Xu Qinghuan pays respects to the Emperor, long live the Emperor."
"Rise," Emperor Tiansheng's voice came from behind the imperial desk, betraying no emotion.
Xu Qinghuan stood up, lowering her eyes and keeping her gaze down.
A scroll of paper bearing a vermilion wax seal was casually tossed by Emperor Tiansheng, flying over the imperial desk and landing precisely on the golden brick at Xu Qinghuan's feet.
"Take a look," Emperor Tiansheng leaned back in the dragon throne, "This is the secret report the Imperial City Department sent in last night. The Ministry of War suppressed it for five days."
Emperor Tiansheng stared at her: "Xu Jie protected you in court because he wants to borrow a knife to kill you. I called you here to see if you really have the ability to solve the Northern Frontier problem for me."
Xu Qinghuan glanced down at the secret report by her feet, bent down, and picked it up.
She spoke in a clear voice: "He Minghu and Ma Jin'an dare to monopolize power at the border, relying on the missing silver intercepted at these three breakpoints."
"They use this silver to maintain private soldiers and bribe those above and below. As long as the flow of money from these three places is cut off, the military heads at the border will be vulnerable."
Xu Qinghuan looked up and met Emperor Tiansheng's gaze: "This subject daughter's father is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. What this subject daughter takes to the Northern Frontier is not the deployment orders of the Ministry of War, but the account books of the Ministry of Revenue."
"If they dare to draw their swords, this subject daughter dares to cut off their provisions. The army cannot move without provisions moving first. This subject daughter wants to see whose knife is faster, or if the Ministry of Revenue's methods are tougher."
Emperor Tiansheng stared at the red circles on the map, his fingers slowly tapping on the armrest of the dragon throne.
This girl not only saw through Xu Jie's flattery to kill her but also accurately pinpointed the weakness of the border generals. Using money and provisions to balance military power was a truly drastic measure.
"Such big words," Emperor Tiansheng gathered the map, leaning forward slightly, "What do you want?"
Xu Qinghuan lifted her skirt, kneeling on both knees, her back straight.
"This subject daughter is willing to sign a military pledge. Within sixty days, this subject daughter will definitely behead the main culprits of corruption, sort out the military supplies in the Northern Frontier, and present clean account books of the border to the Emperor."
"If delayed by a single day, or if it causes mutiny at the border, the lives of the entire Xu clan will be at the disposal of the national law."
These words carried the resolve of burning one's boats.
Emperor Tiansheng didn't speak; the only sound in the hall was the ticking of the water clock.
"But this subject daughter has one condition," Xu Qinghuan continued without pause.
"Speak."
"This subject daughter is going to investigate the accounts of the Ministry of War and kill the generals at the border. If everything must be reported to the Ministry of War for layers of approval, these sixty days won't even be enough for an official document to make a round trip."
Xu Qinghuan looked up: "This subject daughter wants the power to be free from the control of the Ministry of War, and the power to not require the approval of the Three Judicial Offices."
She slowly extended her right hand, palm up, flat in the air.
"This subject daughter wants a token of imperial power that can make the head of a third-rank military general fall."
What she wanted was not the empty title of an imperial envoy, but the actual power of life and death.
Eunuch Li, listening on the side, broke out in a cold sweat. A Commandery Princess born of merchants daring to openly demand the power to kill before the Emperor was simply treasonous.
Emperor Tiansheng looked at that hand.
The hall remained silent for a full moment.
Suddenly, Emperor Tiansheng stood up. He didn't call Eunuch Li but personally walked down the imperial steps to the weapon rack.
On the rack rested a long sword, its scabbard crafted from pure gold and inlaid with southern pearls, while a golden dragon was carved into the hilt.
Emperor Tiansheng reached out, grasped the hilt, and took down the sword that symbolized the supreme imperial power of the Great Qian Dynasty.
He walked over to Xu Qinghuan and looked at her.
"The founding emperor used this sword to execute rebel generals, and the late emperor used it to slay treacherous officials."
He pressed the gold-adorned Emperor's Sword into Xu Qinghuan's open palms.
"Today, I bestow it upon you. Those of the third rank and below who see this sword see me. You are granted imperial permission to execute first and report later."
Xu Qinghuan gripped the blade with both hands, the cold touch of the metal seeping through her palms. She raised the Emperor's Sword high above her head and pressed her forehead against the golden brick floor.
"I receive the decree and thank Your Majesty for your grace."
Emperor Tiansheng turned and walked back up the imperial steps.
"Take this sword and go. Show those people in the Northern Frontier just how unyielding your methods can be."
"I kowtow in gratitude for Your Majesty's heavenly grace!"
