Martial Cultivator

The words ”this official has the final say” kept echoing in Shen Renshan’s mind. Though he had seen much in his life, this was probably the first time he had ever heard something like that within the Shen Family’s inner residence.

It was simply too shocking.

At the same time, in that room, the members of the Shen Family were also intimidated by Chen Chao’s words. No one had expected that this young Lord Warden Commander would come to the Shen Family today without the slightest intention of observing decorum, and would instead act in such a direct and forceful manner.

Those Shen family members who had just been clamoring about teaching Chen Chao a lesson were now caught completely off guard by his response and did not know how to react.

”Ancestor...this matter...”

Someone was already starting to waver. Though they still believed they held the advantage, they feared that this young Lord Warden Commander might not be interested in playing the game at all, and might simply overturn the board.

After all, the way this young Lord Warden Commander had acted today was absurd enough that no one could predict what he would do next.

The old man narrowed his eyes, his voice tinged with anger. “I don’t believe he can really do anything to the Shen family.”

“Ancestor, why not speak with him? If things blow up, won’t it be even more troublesome?”

Someone sighed. While it was true they had no ties to the foreign lands, let alone collusion, to say the Shen family had no dirty secrets at all would be a lie.

Normally, no one would pay attention to those things. But if the other side started digging, it could become a real problem.

The old man snorted coldly. “No matter. Let him investigate! This old man doesn’t believe he can block the heavens with one hand in this Divine Capital!”

......

......

There were no walls in the Divine Capital that did not leak wind, and even more so when Chen Chao had never intended to keep his actions secret. As a result, the events of today quickly spread.

The first to receive the news was His Highness the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince sat behind the desk in the Imperial Study. Sitting across from him was the Premier, who was gently blowing on the tea bestowed by the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince took the message delivered by Li Shou. After glancing over it, he gave a bitter smile and gestured for Li Shou to show it to the Premier.

The Premier set down his teacup, glanced at the message briefly, and already grasped the full situation.

The Crown Prince said with a bitter smile, ”Regarding this matter, what does Premier think I should do?”

The Premier looked at the Crown Prince, thought for a moment, and said, ”What was Your Highness’ initial stance on this matter?”

The Crown Prince was taken aback, but quickly recalled the memorials impeaching Chen Chao. He had set nearly all of them aside, not forwarding them to any court officials nor issuing a reply.

”Premier is suggesting I also pretend to know nothing about this?”

Though the Crown Prince had matured considerably over these past days, he still fell short of a veteran official like the Premier.

The Premier shook his head and spoke softly, ”What action to take depends on what Your Highness truly wants. What would benefit Great Liang the most? Do you believe the Lord Warden Commander’s current conduct is in the interest of the realm? If Your Highness yourself is uncertain, then we subjects can only be more uncertain.”

The Crown Prince furrowed his brows. He was not in a hurry to answer right away but instead asked, ”Then what does Premier personally think? Do you support reclaiming a portion of the annual taxes for the southern provinces?”

The Premier looked at the Crown Prince and said nothing.

As the Premier of the dynasty, there were matters he could speak of, and some he could act upon, but unless absolutely necessary, there were things he would neither say nor do.

Seeing his silence, the Crown Prince became somewhat dejected. ”There are many times when I wish you court officials would speak more frankly. The guessing games in court politics are truly tiresome.”

The Premier looked at this prince who might only come of age in a few more years. After thinking about it, he finally spoke from the heart.

”Your Highness, in this world, aside from one’s parents, there are very few people who will speak the truth to you wholeheartedly. Sometimes court officials are not unwilling to speak the truth, but are held back by too many considerations. And sometimes, it’s not that they don’t wish to be good officials, but rather that they have no choice. Not being a good official is one thing. But if one becomes a corrupt official, no matter the reason, he should be put to death.”

”As for the way of the monarch, whether weighing interests or people’s hearts, at times one is simply not free. Sometimes you must kill good men, and sometimes you must promote wicked ones. Even a wise emperor like Emperor Taizong would not claim he lived his life without ever making a single mistake.” “But as long as it is for the people’s good, for the realm’s good, then even if it must be done out of necessity, it is still acceptable.”

The Premier spoke softly, “Your Highness...”

He had just begun to speak when he shook his head. Some words reached his lips, but he found himself suddenly unable to say them.

In this world, most subjects who speak with absolute sincerity to their sovereign rarely meet a good end. He did not believe he would be the exception.

The Crown Prince waited a long time, but never heard the Premier continue. After thinking it over carefully, he understood a little. He gave a self-deprecating smile and said nothing more.

Soon after, he saw the Premier out, then sat alone at his desk, silent and unmoving.

Li Shou stood off to the side, wanting to speak. But after a moment’s thought, this eunuch who was now one of the most sought-after palace attendants, merely looked out the window.

It had begun to snow again.

......

......

After finishing her lecture, Xie Nandu walked out of the academy hall. As she stepped into the corridor, she quickly saw someone standing there. Upon seeing her, that person respectfully handed her a slip of paper, then turned and left.

Xie Nandu glanced at it, then crumpled it into a ball and casually slipped it into her sleeve.

Not far away, someone said softly, “If he insists on doing this, he might just be destroying the Great Wall with his own hands. Right now, you’re the only person in the Divine Capital who might be able to persuade him to turn back. And you’re not going to try?”

Xie Nandu gave that person a glance and replied calmly, “Do you take him for a fool?”

That person was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“Since he’s not a fool, then what is there to persuade?”

......

......

At the ancestral shrine of the Xie Family, a light snowfall had not accumulated much on the ground. But the blue tiles of the roof had been dusted with a thin layer, sparse and patchy, contrasting in pale blue and white.

The Xie Family’s ancestor, who had not left the ancestral shrine for days, stepped out carrying a small ceramic basin. It was not large. At a glance, it looked like an ordinary clay basin made of yellow earth; nothing exquisite about its craftsmanship.

Holding the basin, the Xie Family’s ancestor also had a small brush in his other hand. His figure was not particularly tall, but the shrine building was not very high either. He stood on tiptoe and could just reach the blue tiles. Raising the brush, he began to sweep the snow off the tiles, catching it in the small yellow clay basin.

The old man sitting in a chair some distance away chuckled and said, “It’s not the first snow. Why go to all this trouble?”

The Xie Family’s ancestor ignored him. After quietly collecting a small basin of snow, he walked over and stopped a short distance from the old man, then gave a slight cough.

Soon after, someone hurried over, bringing a brazier and a chair. Once the old man was seated, a luxurious fox-fur cloak was draped over his legs.

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