Lately, the palace had been filled with auspicious news. By the Empress Dowager’s decree and with the Sovereign’s approval, a grand banquet was to be held at the Dianluo Garden on the twentieth of July for all under heaven.
There were several reasons to celebrate. First, the arrival of new beauties to the inner chambers was a cause for festivity. Furthermore, General Xue had shown no intention of leaving the Capital since his return; if they could use this pretext to formalize his stay, it would be ideal. Even without that, the return of the Great General of the State after years of guarding the borders was a victory worthy of a celebratory feast in its own right.
However, as the banquet approached, the court was once again thrown into a stir. The cause, as before, was the matter of Jie-yu Si.
As the Lady of Bright Deportment gained favor, her past came to light, and the tragedy of Lanqi Province became common knowledge. With the death of the Lanqi Governor, the border region was effectively leaderless. Lanqi sat on the farthest frontier, adjacent to the Western Wastes—a land as barren as it was perilous. Currently, no official was willing to volunteer for a post there.
Among the citizens of the Capital, rumors were rife. Si Hao’s tragic background evoked great pity, which quickly curdled into rage. The Kingdom of Nanyu was, after all, a great power of its generation; for a provincial governor to be slaughtered by barbarians was a stinging insult to the national pride. The people burned with a desire for vengeance.
Jie-yu Si needed an explanation, and the people of the realm needed one as well.
“Your Majesty, the father of Jie-yu Si was a provincial governor who did not flinch in the face of brutal enemies. He was a true hero,” an official argued passionately, his face flushed. “Those marauders are so bold they must be hunted down and executed. The majesty of our nation must not be usurped!”
Of course, the court was full of many ministers, and where there are people, there are differing opinions.
“It is true that our national dignity must not be shaken,” the Left Prime Minister spoke up, and the hall fell silent. “But everyone knows the Western Wastes have no master. There is no sovereign rule there; instead, it is a chaotic mix of various factions. How are we to know which group raided Lanqi? Do we intend to make enemies of every faction in the Wastes for this?”
The Left Prime Minister continued, “The priority now should be our own people. Lanqi cannot remain without a governor.”
The Western Wastes were indeed a peculiar place. Whether compared to Nanyu or the other two neighboring nations, it stood apart. Located at the extreme western edge, its environment was far harsher than the Central Plains. Because it was ruled by sects and factions rather than a monarch, nearly everyone there possessed martial prowess.
In terms of raw combat power, the Western Wastes were likely the strongest of the four regions. However, because they lacked a unified ruler, they had never launched a national-scale war against another country, and their true potential remained a mystery. It was a land without a master.
Because it was a masterless land, anyone with a bit of ability fought to be the one on top, leading to endless internal strife. For this reason, other nations generally excluded them from traditional military calculations. Thus, it would not be a wise decision for Nanyu to take the lead in stirring up trouble in the Western Wastes.
Ruan Jinyu shared this view. The true strength of the Western Wastes was still unproven, and with two other neighboring countries watching like tigers, a single misstep could lead to ruin.
The Left Prime Minister’s argument stood in direct opposition to the previous official’s suggestion. The first official stepped forward again, hands raised in salute. “The Prime Minister makes a valid point. However, Jie-yu Si’s family died as loyalists. It is truly inappropriate for her to remain in her current state.”
The meaning was clear: if they couldn’t provide a substantive military response to satisfy the people, they could at least provide a symbolic one. Jie-yu Si’s current rank was too low; she needed to be promoted.
Naturally, other ministers disagreed. “Your Majesty, Jie-yu Si entered the palace as a mere Lady of Talents of the fifth rank. She has already jumped two grades to become a Lady of Bright Deportment of the third rank. To jump again so soon… the promotion is too rapid. This servant believes it is improper.”
If her rank were raised again, she would be nearly equal to Consort Shun. Consort Shun held her high rank because her father was the Minister of Justice—a man belonging to the Left Prime Minister’s faction and the camp of Prince Xian. Her position was within the bounds of etiquette. Si Hao, however, was merely the daughter of a minor provincial governor. Compared to the daughter of a Minister in the Capital, she simply could not compete.
Yan Yan had already caused a stir by promoting her to Jie-yu; the fact that he was considering raising her rank again after only three days had the court in an uproar. The factions were sharply divided. The Left Prime Minister’s camp was adamant that the Emperor should not raise Si Hao’s rank any further. They were a powerful group, led by the man who held control over the civil administration and supported by the high-ranking Consort Shun.
Ruan Jinyu, as was his habit, remained on the sidelines, neither initiating petitions nor siding with either camp.
The Son of Heaven on the dragon throne made no move to stop the bickering. He simply listened, offering no final verdict. The verbal arrows flew back and forth until they finally landed at the Emperor’s feet. Everyone waited for his decision.
Yan Yan’s expression remained flat. He seemed indifferent to everything they had said. In the end, he didn’t address the issue at all. Instead, he simply dismissed the court, leaving the matter unresolved.
According to the hour, Ruan Jinyu was required to go to the Palace of Ultimate Bliss to assist Yan Yan with memorials and state affairs. As he descended the stairs, he was intercepted.
“The Imperial Preceptor is going to see His Majesty, I assume?” It was the Left Prime Minister, the man at the very center of the court’s power struggle. He fell into step beside Ruan Jinyu. “I shall walk with you.”
Ruan Jinyu did not refuse and nodded, matching his pace. As they walked, the Prime Minister suddenly brought up the earlier court session.
“Regarding what happened in court just now, what does the Preceptor think?”
Ruan Jinyu’s pace remained steady. He spoke softly. “If the Prime Minister is asking which faction I support, I have no answer. If you are referring to the matter itself, the Prime Minister spoke correctly.”
Regarding the decision to launch a military strike against the Western Wastes, Ruan Jinyu believed they shouldn’t attack. Since the Prime Minister had argued the same in court, Ruan Jinyu wasn’t flattering him; he truly agreed with the logic.
“And what of Jie-yu Si’s situation?” The Prime Minister pivoted.
It was common knowledge that the Prime Minister was very close to the Minister of Justice; everyone knew of their deep ties. Ruan Jinyu didn’t hesitate, his voice remaining level. “When all is said and done, Jie-yu Si belongs to the inner palace. How His Majesty chooses to rank the ladies of his harem is entirely up to him, is it not?”
The smile on the Prime Minister’s face faltered for a fraction of a second before widening again as he agreed. “Indeed. The Preceptor is quite right.”
Ruan Jinyu assumed the Prime Minister was also heading to see the Emperor, but the man changed course just before they reached the gates, heading instead toward the Empress Dowager’s quarters. Ruan Jinyu watched him go for a moment, then turned and entered the main hall.
General Xue was not present at the morning court session, but Ruan Jinyu found him here. Upon reaching the hall, Ruan Jinyu entered directly; Yan Yan had granted him special permission to bypass the eunuchs as long as they didn’t explicitly block him.
Inside, he saw Yan Yan in the Sovereign’s seat and General Xue below. They appeared to be discussing something. Ruan Jinyu paused but didn’t leave.
Yan Yan saw him. General Xue saw him as well. Their business seemed finished, as the General cupped his hands to the Emperor and requested to withdraw.
Yan Yan appeared to be in a good mood; the usual gloom in his eyes had lifted. “Sit, Teacher. It just so happens that General Xue will be remaining in the Capital. Help me decide what position should be granted to the Elder Xue.”
Ruan Jinyu took his familiar seat. Yan Yan didn’t rush him, waiting for him to speak.
“By rights, General Xue has distinguished himself in battle. He should be granted a title and a promotion.”
Yan Yan was not stingy. He immediately summoned a eunuch to draft a decree conferring a Marquisate upon General Xue. The Emperor was very keen to keep the General in the Capital; Xue had no factional ties and held military power. His attitude toward the late Emperor had been one of simple duty, meaning he likely harbored no grudges against the new regime. As long as General Xue remained stable, he was a perfect tool for balancing the factions.
Ruan Jinyu expected Yan Yan to ask about the drama in court regarding Jie-yu Si, but as time passed, the Emperor didn’t mention it once. Since he didn’t bring it up, Ruan Jinyu wouldn’t either. In his mind, it was exactly what he had told the Prime Minister: the harem was the Emperor’s private business; there was no need to make such a fuss over it.
He returned his attention to his work. After a long silence, Yan Yan finally spoke. “Why doesn’t Teacher ask me about today’s events?”
“Which events?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ruan Jinyu realized he meant the court session. He added, “Since Your Majesty did not make a decision then, I assume you have already reached a conclusion in your heart.”
The court was split into two clear sides. Since Yan Yan hadn’t given his verdict on the spot, it wasn’t because he hadn’t thought it through—on the contrary, it was likely because he had thought it through that he chose not to speak in court.