Chapter 29: Even the father and son, recalled to the capital, harbored suspicions; how much more so the bond between master and disciple…
With two fluttering flaps, the gray sparrow on the eaves couldn't escape, let out a sharp cry, and fell to the ground.
Zi Jing was quite satisfied with the accuracy of his archery skills.
She glanced at the birds on the ground, smiled slightly, but her mood was unreadable.
Xie Cheng gave a wink to the person next to him, who then ran to the opposite corridor, pulled the arrow out of the bird, and cleaned up the ground.
Zi Jing put away his bow and arrows, turned around and glanced at the guard who had rushed over with the urgent report: "Give this to Guard Xie and open Nian Nian."
"yes!"
Xie Cheng took the silk cloth with the yellow dragon pattern from the guard, loosened the red brocade rope and wax seal binding it, and slowly unfolded it. He looked at the writing on the silk cloth and remained silent for a long time.
Zijing glanced at him: "What's written inside that surprised Guard Xie so much?"
Xie Cheng hesitated for a long time, then slowly read aloud the urgent imperial edict:
[Disciples:]
Huan Xun, the commander of the Dingbei Border Army, was gentle, respectful, loyal, and capable, with outstanding abilities, brilliant strategies, and remarkable achievements.
However, the borderlands are harsh and cold, and the long hours spent on horseback are not the proper way to honor meritorious officials or nurture talented individuals. Furthermore, the Crown Prince is young and has been appointed to the throne, and his virtues need to be cultivated in the palace. He requires ministers skilled in both literature and martial arts to assist him in his studies and to instill in him the virtues of respect, gentleness, and refinement.
He was then specially promoted to Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and was allowed to attend the lectures on military strategy and border affairs morning and evening. He was also specially granted the title of Grand Master of the Palace and concurrently appointed as Vice Minister of the Chancellery. He was given twenty guards and was temporarily permitted to bring his sword and shoes into the Eastern Palace.
I urge you to return to Jian'an by express courier, to participate in the affairs of the central government, and to live up to my reliance on you.
The original seal and insignia of the commander of the Northern Frontier Army were handed over to the deputy general Duan Tingxian, and the document was carried out upon arrival.
The proclamation was made known both domestically and internationally.
May 28th, the first year of the Xuande reign
As Xie Cheng finished reading, Zi Jing smiled and turned to walk towards the official chair: "What a clever move, a promotion in name only, a demotion in reality."
He was both the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and the Grand Master of the Three Departments, which seemed like high-ranking positions, but in reality, none of them carried any real power.
"The new emperor is playing a clever game, trying to use a nominal position to neutralize my military power." Zi Jing put one leg on the chair, picked up some fruit from the table, and tossed it high into the air.
Seeing his calm and composed expression, Xie Cheng first waved away the attendants, then asked in a solemn voice, "The new emperor has only just ascended the throne, yet he's already making moves against you, sir. The Xuan Ce Army is your personal guard, which you personally trained. Isn't it a bit too hasty for him to seize your military power?"
Zi Jing toyed with the fruit in his hand, a cool smile on his face: "In a hurry? It's rare for Guard Xie not to remember that when the new emperor was still a child, he was sent to the frontier for training and had a chat with my adoptive father. At that time, his ambition was already vaguely visible. He would not allow any power to threaten the imperial authority. Now, most of the military power in Beiye is in the hands of my adoptive father and me, so naturally he will target us first."
“But the Grand Commander and the new emperor were once master and disciple, so there is some affection between them. The Grand Commander is loyal to Beiye, and you, sir, once took an arrow for the new emperor. He should not suspect you, sir, even if he suspects someone else.”
Xie Cheng frowned, still puzzled: "Now, various foreign tribes are restless, and other small countries are also eyeing us covetously. I've heard that the internal strife within the Southern Yin royal family has ended, and Xiao Chengzun is preparing for the Northern Expedition again. Meanwhile, powerful clans are fighting amongst themselves, forming factions and eliminating dissidents. At this critical juncture... shouldn't the new emperor regard you as a 'Great Wall'? Why is he destroying his own defenses instead?"
“It’s not necessarily that the new emperor wants to destroy his own defenses.” He easily caught the fruit in the air: “Moreover, by doing this now, he has already made me his ‘Great Wall’.”
Xie Cheng remained silent, his face clearly showing confusion.
Zijing continued, “My adoptive father has been in charge of all military affairs, both inside and outside the capital, and has commanded the military power of the entire Beiye for six years. In these six years, my adoptive father has already established a deep foundation, and many of the generals in the army are his protégés. As you and I both know, my adoptive father has no intention of forming a faction to establish his authority. The promotion of generals and the reorganization of military affairs in recent years are simply to select good talents for Beiye.”
“But the new emperor… won’t think that way.” His words made Xie Cheng gradually understand the current situation.
Regardless of their true intentions, for the emperor, it is a sin, a threat, and a nightmare that keeps him awake at night if his ministers' merits surpass his own.
Zi Jing raised his eyelids and continued, "Just as Guard Xie said, we are surrounded by wolves on all sides. The four great clans have controlled the government for a long time. In order to suppress the various clans, the late emperor proposed measures such as the 'policy examination' and the 'military examination' to give scholars from humble backgrounds the opportunity to serve in the court and become prime ministers. From the moment these policies were introduced, the various clans complained and cursed. The new emperor has only just ascended the throne, and he has been the crown prince for twenty years. His political experience is not enough to make the clans bow down."
"Besides his in-laws, he probably has no other direct lineage to rely on. While he fears the crisis, he also harbors the ambition to unify the world. To unify the world, the only way is to cultivate his own power. The new emperor has also seen this point."
Xie Cheng continued, "The Grand Commander was once the Grand Tutor of the new emperor. If he wants to cultivate his power, why doesn't he try to win over the Grand Commander? Instead, he wants to strip you of your military power. What is the reason for this?"
Zi Jing stood up, took the imperial edict, and examined it for a moment. His gaze swept over the words, his expression indifferent: "He's already trying to win me over. His summons of me back to the capital doesn't necessarily mean he really intends to do anything to me."
"If a wise ruler wants to realize his grand ambitions, he will inevitably need to find a powerful minister to serve as his backer."
"He wanted to win over his adoptive father, but he was also worried that his adoptive father would betray him, using the emperor to command the feudal lords, and that the tiger would turn on him. Everyone knows that my adoptive father only has me as his adopted son, and no other biological children. Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs, and you have to catch a snake at its vital spot. That's why the new emperor transferred me back to the capital, ostensibly for promotion, but in reality as a hostage." He revealed the hidden meaning behind the edict in one sentence.
"But they are, after all,..."
Before Xie Cheng could finish speaking, Zi Jing raised his hand to stop him: "Even fathers and sons can doubt each other, so what is the value of a master-disciple relationship?"
Throughout history, powerful ministers who wield military authority have been the most feared by emperors—an unchanging ironclad rule. The new emperor, stubborn and suspicious by nature, and also prone to arbitrary decisions, would certainly not allow the military power held by him and his son to threaten the imperial family.
Friendship can be the bond that binds power, or it can become the root of disaster that overthrows an empire. No matter how deep the friendship, it is vulnerable in the face of power. The new emperor, who has been taught the art of tyranny since childhood and is well-versed in literature, understands this principle better than anyone else.
As soon as he finished speaking, only the gentle breeze outside the window could be heard.
After a moment of silence, Xie Cheng hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Then, sir... do you want to issue an edict to return to Jian'an?"
Returning to Jian'an meant abandoning the Xuan Ce Army, which he had painstakingly built over the years, and becoming a caged beast.
Losing the position of commander-in-chief of the northern border army is secondary; the real problem is that once power is lost, it's very difficult to regain. Xie Cheng pondered to himself that his young master, who wouldn't suffer any loss, might not actually accept the imperial decree.
If they refused the imperial edict, they could find other excuses, and there were some readily available. They could submit a memorial stating that the Rouran invasion had not yet been quelled, and that they could use the pretext of pressing military affairs to quell the border troubles before discussing other matters. Border affairs were of paramount importance to the nation, and even if the new emperor knew this was an excuse, he couldn't do anything about it in the short term.
Just as he was thinking that Zijing wouldn't return to the capital, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Return, of course you'll return."
Zijing spoke lightly and confidently: "Why not go back?"
Xie Cheng was taken aback, a look of surprise crossing his face: "My lord... you're willing to abandon the Xuan Ce Army?"
Zi Jing smiled and said, "I don't want to."
Before Xie Cheng could ask another question, he changed the subject again: "But compared to fulfilling my adoptive father's loyalty, my unwillingness will become my willingness."
He calmly stated, “If I insist on not returning to Jian’an, the Emperor will surely find another pretext to strip my adoptive father of his military power and instead support someone else. Leading the army south from Beiye to unify the nine provinces has always been my adoptive father’s lifelong wish. I cannot allow my attachment to power to cause the new Emperor to doubt him. Moreover, there are still those in the court who are dissatisfied with my adoptive father; his position cannot be lost. My return to the capital this time will allow me to become a pillar of support for him in the court. Why not?”
Xie Cheng had considered all possibilities, but he never imagined that he would have such thoughts.
There is no father or son in the face of power; his ability to delegate power so gracefully truly shocked Xie Cheng.
Over the past twelve years, the young master in his eyes has been exceptionally talented and treats his soldiers like family. However, his cold-hearted and willful nature gives him an uncontrollable quality.
He couldn't help but admire her for being able to do this.
Xie Cheng's usually composed face now showed an excitement that he could hardly contain: "If the Grand Commander knew that the young master had sacrificed so much for him, how heartbroken he would be, and he would surely consider the young master his greatest pride."
Zi Jing smiled, but his dark eyes remained as cold as the ice that had never thawed at the summit of Qishan Mountain. His voice carried the warmth that should have been there: "My godfather took me from a pile of dead bodies, taught me poetry and books, and passed on his martial arts. If it weren't for my godfather, where would I be today? I should repay such kindness with my life. What does returning to the capital matter?"
Xie Cheng nodded repeatedly in praise, his eyes filled with admiration.
He had made up his mind, and he didn't say anything more.
After a while, he remembered that the case of Zhao Shuhuai was still unresolved. If they accepted the imperial edict, and Duan Tingxian sent someone to take the seal of office, they would set off soon.
It's uncertain whether the person who takes over later will be deterred by Zhao Shuhuai's status as a member of the imperial family and thus let this parasite go leniently.
He was worried that the talented person in front of him had been stripped of his real power and was probably feeling somewhat annoyed. He pondered whether or not to ask.
With the matter of the imperial edict settled, Zijing looked at the spy's corpse on the ground and said, "Send someone to give him a proper burial."
Xie Cheng followed his gaze and replied, "Yes."
After giving his instructions, Zi Jing prepared to leave.
"Then Zhao Shuhuai..." After thinking it over and over again, Xie Cheng finally asked.
Zi Jing didn't turn around, his steps unwavering: "Kill him before you leave."
As the figure in black disappeared into the distance, Xie Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Zhao Shuhuai couldn't escape.
This case will not be like the one he had in his hometown when he was a child, where the perpetrators were not prosecuted because of their prominent family background.
With Zhao Shuhuai's case concluded, Xie Cheng summoned his guards, who carried away the spy's body. After instructing them to bury it properly, he also left the council hall.
That night, he wrote a letter in his room, went to the outskirts, tied the letter to the leg of a carrier pigeon, and the pigeon flew to the military headquarters of the governor-general, disappearing into the night in an instant.
In the dead of night, a white dove flew into the military residence. The people inside took down the secret letter and presented it to the man's bedside that very night.
The person on the couch had a swallow's jaw and a tiger's neck, with eyes like hanging pearls. He put down the medicine bowl in his hand, picked up the envelope, and unfolded it.
The letter contained only a few brief sentences:
The young master's loyalty to the governor is truly unwavering. Despite holding power, he willingly released the governor from his bonds and burned his coffin to fulfill the governor's long-cherished wish. In my opinion, the governor's concerns are unfounded. Although the young master is an adopted son, his filial piety and brotherly love surpass even that of his own sons, and he harbors no disloyalty.
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Author's Note: Another chapter of the story, setting the stage for the next one.
Ahhh, I've received the thirty-seventh one, thank you everyone! (bows [doge head with rose in hand])
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