Chapter 153: In the Silence (Part I)

Longyou Circuit, Didao Commandery, Prefect's Residence.

Yun Hongsi sat with his eyes closed, leaning against a couch, listening to his aide report on the recent developments in the Divine Capital of Luoyang. Turbulence was rising at court, and he only listened attentively to the few matters that might concern him.

"... Assistant Imperial Censor Du Shenyan has been promoted to Vice Minister of the Office of Finance, and immediately submitted a memorial impeaching Li Zhaode for abusing power for personal gain, failing to follow the disbursement procedures of the Finance Office, and pressuring subordinate officials to act in violation of regulations. The court discussed the matter, and many chancellors expressed reservations. The Emperor issued an edict of reprimand, ordering Li Zhaode to properly reflect on himself."

"... Censor-in-Chief Lai Junchen, having achieved distinguished service, is acting as Grand Master in his capacity as Censor-in-Chief. On the day he assumed office, he recommended the newly appointed Investigating Censor Ge Hui to be Palace Investigating Censor."

"... Wang Hui, the eldest son of Princess Gao'an, has married Li Jia, the younger sister of Li Zhaozha, the Duke of Wu'an Prefecture. The ceremony was grand, and many powerful nobles of the court attended in person. Princess Taiping personally visited to offer congratulations, proclaiming the imperial edict of bestowal, which enfeoffed Wang Hui as the Marquis of Jiuqu County."

After finishing, the aide added, "Prefect, subordinates have heard that officials from the Censorate were active in Changle County yesterday, conducting a sudden interrogation of the Changle County Lieutenant before releasing him. The whereabouts of those officials are currently unknown."

Yun Hongsi gave a soft grunt, his brow furrowed deeply, a trace of regret welling up in his heart.

As the current head of the Yun family, when his eldest daughter by his primary wife was to be married out, no one could override his authority to make decisions, neither his uncle Yun Shitai, who managed the household for him, nor the old matriarch of the family. He had been stuck in Didao Commandery for a full six years without making an inch of progress, and seeing himself approaching forty with no prospects in sight, Li Zhaode of the陇西 Li clan had risen abruptly like a dark horse, entering the cabinet and becoming chancellor. His ancestral home and clansmen were all gathered in Didao Commandery; faced with such a heaven-sent opportunity, how could he not seize it? As long as he could latch onto Chancellor Li, let alone Wang Hui, a titleless and impoverished imperial relative, he would dare to renege on the marriage even if it were a high-ranking Vice Minister in the court.

Who could have foreseen that a single miscalculation would occur? While Wang Hui was indeed insignificant, he had an astute cousin who enjoyed great imperial favor and turned around to bring out Li Junxiu, even enlisting Princess Taiping to secure him a peerage. Although they failed to secure an imperial decree bestowing the marriage, they effortlessly covered up the previous matter and even gained a sterling reputation for supporting loyal and virtuous men.

Putting aside these prestigious developments, what worried him vaguely was that Lai Junchen was somehow echoing Quan Ce's forces. There must be an ulterior motive behind this. He himself was in no position to provoke Lai Junchen; the cause must lie within the Divine Capital. Li Zhaode's style was fierce and his actions decisive. Such an approach, while capable of instantly gathering massive momentum, was also prone to the blazing fire consuming the oil, planting the seeds of enmity and disaster. A wave of irritation washed over Yun Hongsi. "Quickly send a pigeon message to my uncle to investigate thoroughly whether there is any impropriety between Chancellor Li and Lai Junchen."

Having made these arrangements, Yun Hongsi's eyebrows twitched as he recalled that Quan Ce had once served in the Plum Blossom Inner Guards and was likely more professional at clandestine operations than Lai Junchen. His muscles tightened. "Over the next few days, tighten the guards within the manor and be on strict guard against anyone stirring up trouble. Report any abnormalities immediately. No one is permitted to speak recklessly or act on their own initiative."

"Understood, Prefect." The aide acknowledged the order and withdrew.

As the night deepened, Yun Hongsi returned to his study, only to find a letter miraculously added to his desk.

He picked it up, glanced only at the cover, and immediately burned it to ashes. That was a letter of communication among the Li-Tang imperial relatives and nobles. When he first befriended Wang Xu, it was because they were in the same trench, but now, he would certainly not play arm-wrestling with a giant and seek his own death.

The light in the study burned all night. Early the next morning, Yun Hongsi went to Huaili County in Lintao, holding back his impatience to accompany the elder of the Li family in playing chess, planting flowers, and admiring fish. He catered to him like a grandson all afternoon until he finally received a definitive word: barring any accidents, he would soon be transferred up to the Divine Capital.

Upon returning to the manor, Yun Hongsi lay back on a reclining chair, letting a maidservant pop a blister on the sole of his foot, and muttered to himself, "As long as I leave this barren backcountry and reach the Divine Capital, anyone who wants to plot against me, Yun Hongsi, will not find it so easy."

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The Divine Capital of Luoyang, the Residence of Princess Gao'an. The grand wedding banquet had come to an end.

Quan Ce wore the attire of a best man, stepping over the red paper scraps scattered across the ground, bending down to search and see if there were any unexploded firecrackers. If there were any, he wanted to clear them out beforehand to avoid accidentally injuring anyone.

The latest evolution of this firecracker had nothing to do with him; it was Wuchongmin's idea. Having spent a long time in the Directorate of Palace Buildings, Wuchongmin had learned a few whimsical notions from Wu Youxu. He thought red was more auspicious, and if gunpowder packets were wrapped in red paper, it would surely be both festive and lively. Thus, the primitive version of the firecracker was born.

"Elder Brother!" A single cry carried a dual tone as Wuchongmin and Quan Zhu emerged together. Today's firecrackers had saved face for the Princess Gao'an Residence. The surrounding congratulatory guests sighed in admiration, remarking that the imperial style was truly unique. Many people sought out Wang Xu to inquire about this new type of firecracker. As a minor contributor who had greatly distinguished himself, Wuchongmin's face was flushed red as he recovered a measure of confidence and composure.

"Mother and the two aunts are asking for you."

Quan Ce answered casually, leading the two of them into the manor. "Chongmin, Erlang is starting his education along with you. He is a bit younger, so you must look after him well."

"Don't worry, Elder Brother, I will certainly do a good job."

This sentence sounded somewhat familiar. Quan Ce smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"My child, come over quickly." Princess Gao'an hastily beckoned Quan Ce over and pulled him into her embrace. This nephew of hers truly had not been doted on in vain; after all, only he was capable of getting things done, far more competent than her husband who only knew how to bully others at home.

"Aunt, the younger brothers are all watching." Quan Ce felt rather awkward.

Princess Gao'an simply ignored him, hugging him tightly without letting go, her smile as brilliant as a flower—it was clear she was happy to her core.

When the time was right, Princess Taiping rose to leave, stopping the family from making a grand fuss, and singled out Quan Ce, asking him to escort her alone.

"Not bad, this wedding was managed quite decently. At least half of the Li family's face has been preserved." Princess Taiping walked in front, speaking in soft tones. "Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Quan Ce shook his head calmly. "This child does not want a reward; I only ask that Aunt keep her eyes open. In a few days, the position of Director of the Selection Department in the Ministry of Civil Office will likely become vacant."

Princess Taiping's expression tightened slightly, the corner of her mouth curling down. "Very well, it is time for a vacancy. Minister of Civil Office Shi Wuzi once owed me a favor. If needed, you may go find him."

"Thank you, Aunt." Quan Ce bowed solemnly and expressed his gratitude.

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Princess Taiping stared at the back of his head for a long moment and gently helped him up. "Do not say thank you. If you have the ability, come and help your Aunt. The Taiping Musical Score you gave me—I listen to it every day."

Quan Ce's entire body stiffened, and he remained silent.

The first day of the seventh month in the second year of Tianshou, the New Moon Grand Court.

Shi Wuzi, Minister of the Ministry of Civil Office, presented a joint memorial by dozens of officials of the seventh rank and below, including Attending Gentleman Lin Gu and Historiographer Xiao Jing, impeaching Yun Shitai, Director of the Selection Department of the Ministry of Civil Office, on the grounds of abusing power and favoring close relatives.

Such trivial matters were originally not intended to be addressed by Empress Wu, who was about to casually wave it off with an edict instructing the chancellors to handle the matter at their discretion, when she caught an unusual surname: Xiao. This was the Xiao of the Lanling Xiao clan, the maternal lineage of Quan Ce's mother, Princess Yiyang. A slight association brought to mind that Lin Gu and the others were none other than Quan Ce's partisan faction who had passed the imperial examinations in the first year of Tianshou. Was this an attempt to turn a nominal accusation into a solid reality?

Empress Wu revealed an unfathomable smile. "Minister of Civil Office, how do you intend to dispose of this?"

Shi Wuzi was well-prepared. "Your subject believes that this official should be ordered to vacate his post pending investigation, and another capable official should be temporarily assigned to handle the affairs. Once the truth is ascertained, a judgment can then be rendered."

Empress Wu was naturally very familiar with this tactic. Vacating the post pending investigation meant someone else would take over the position, and the truth would naturally not be so easy to investigate; it was tantamount to an acquittal without charges. "Oh? Who would be appropriate to take over?"

"Your subject believes that Taibian Doctor Cen Xi is suitable." Shi Wuzi blurted out a candidate. Whether it was Li Zhaode, who wanted to plead for leniency, or Wu Chengsi and others, who harbored alternative thoughts, they all simultaneously fell silent.

Cen Xi was the biological nephew of Cen Changqian and was also widely recognized as a partisan of Her Highness Princess Taiping, a veritable hornet's nest of a figure.

Empress Wu delivered the final verdict: "Request granted."

(End of this chapter)

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