Xing ChengYu of the Ministry of Revenue had never thought that the gold bricks had ever felt so hard. Actually besides great Imperial meetings, he very rarely knelt, and even more rarely knelt in this way for so long.

He sneakily wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and felt like his lower back was already about to break. In order to find some kind of mental comfort, he sneakily glanced towards his side. Seeing that Military Department’s boss with a defeated expression he indeed felt a lot of comfort, spontaneously raising both his feeling of luck and feeling of fear ——

The Secretary of the Treasury, Qing Yun wanted that area of 47th Street, and also seemed to be the cause of the conflict, but in fact he was just a small little primer. Also even though I knew, I didn’t interfere all along – but you guys in the Military Department waded really deep in this time. That rainy night more than twenty Yu Lin Army troops were rumored to have been killed, and also a Mysterious Cavern realm Enchanter lost his life. With such a situation, how can His Majesty let you off easily?

That middle-aged man atop the Dragon Chair that continued to ring with mockery and anger br.i.m.m.i.n.g in his words, finally let out a very disappointed sigh. “Back then We created such a gang to serve as eyes and ears of the Empire among the people; hiding for over ten years was very difficult. As the result of you group of fellows forcibly forcing it to light for some petty profits, now it has no way of accomplis.h.i.+ng what We want. We call you morons, is that wrong?”

His Majesty heaved a regretful sigh, and the ministers sighed regretfully. By now all of them already knew the Fish Dragon’s help – it was precisely the result of when His Majesty or the Prince were sight-seeing around ChangAn City. Each minister was silently thinking to themselves that this was just a play and that’s all, how could there be so many interpretations?

Just in this moment, His Majesty the Emperor’s voice became deep and cold. The hint of mockery completely disappeared. Staring penetratingly at the group of ministers he questioned, “The question is asked again, were you truly only doing it for those petty profits? We know what you all want to do, but how can Our wife and daughter look at the provocation of you group of death-seeking morons? You all have carried the name of the Empress and the Princess causing trouble in ChangAn City, but you definitely didn’t know that the true Empress was very clear about the relations.h.i.+p between that little gang and the Palace. And when Yu’er was small, We personally took her to Spring Wind Pavilion to play!”

Up to this point of lecturing, the ministers on the floor finally had no way of taking these waves after waves of absurd and cold attacks. The general Huai Hua and the Official of the Yellow Gate had numb legs at the same time, and from a kneeling position they went into basket sitting.

The Emperor coldly looked at the two of them and said, “The Tang Dynasty’s servicemen’s duty is to protect our land and open new territories, and not to be used to help criminal gangs s.n.a.t.c.h territory! What We especially despise is that you actually wanted to s.n.a.t.c.h it and didn’t succeed! As such, Zhong DouHu, go to ChangNing City and train the soldiers well for Us and train for three to five years. Whenever you are sure the soldiers at your command could beat a gang of ChangAn City, then roll back.”

ChangNing City was located at the southwest of the Empire, where spring days were humid and hot and winter days were damp and cold. In between the mountains were a lot of forests, a lot of miasma and a lot of pests – Tang Dynasty officials always viewed it as a dangerous route. In addition to staying for three to five years he also had to beat a criminal gang of ChangAn City……no matter what His Majesty had said himself, if he couldn’t win in that, then why would you come back?

In just casual words, a military chief was a.s.signed to a bitter towns.h.i.+p and also the extreme possibility of never being able to return to central administration. The punishment couldn’t be said to not be harsh, and the ministers of the hall became increasingly scared. But Zhong DouHu himself having heard that his head would stay on, didn’t hesitate to knock his head hard on the ground twice, repeatedly showing his grat.i.tude without stopping.

His Majesty the Emperor had even insulted them as morons tens of times, and was a bit exhausted. Seeing these high ministers that didn’t dare to argue also made him feel a bit weary. Since Li Yu pa.s.sed over a tea cup he drank two sips, and then waved his hand.

Old Sir Lin dodged from the side of the Imperial Seat and went out. His withered thin hands slowly pulled open a bright yellow Imperial Edict, and read without any expression, “Thirteenth year of the Sky Opening Emperor…..Xing ChengYu is to go back to his home and meditate in reflection for three months, We await the memorandum of the discussion of your sins.”

The so-called sin memorandum was just a statement. This was His Majesty giving the high ministers of the Court face, to let them take the initiative to resign and return to their towns.h.i.+ps. Xing ChengYu kowtowed in reply, thinking that his own official career was cut short by a gang in ChangAn City because of such a small matter. Supporting his body with both hands, he couldn’t help but tremble.

After Old Sir Lin read the Imperial Edict expressionlessly, one of the a.s.sistant ministers of legal punishment, and the Ministry of Revenue and Transportation in charge of the storeroom, from top to bottom were purged at once. Several ministers of ChangAn’s government were dismissed on the spot, and the magistrate of the capitol’s expression darkened as he was expelled to around Tianshui. The Official of the Yellow Gate was handed a hearing involving charges of crimes, and the Military Department suffered the heaviest attacks – General XiaHou sent an angry letter wanting an explanation from the Military Department about why his capable field officer Zhuo’er would be killed by the Military Department. Consequently His Majesty the Emperor executed seven people from the Military Department as an appeas.e.m.e.nt for the far away general on the border, or perhaps it was an appeas.e.m.e.nt for Chao XiaoShu.

As he was reading the Imperial Edict, demotions and executions of officials proceeded. No matter if those officials kowtowed till they bled, or loudly cried foul, or felt grateful, His Majesty the Emperor from start to finish was silent without speaking a word. Only when the replacements for the Ministry of Appointments and at the same time the magistrate of the capitol were suggested, did he frown and remember a name.

“ChangAn’s Judiciary Army…..that so-and-so called ShangGuan?”

“ShangGuan YuYang.” The minister from the Ministry of Appointments said. He glanced at His Majesty’s expression, trying to guess his thinking. After lightly coughing twice he continued saying, “His official a.s.sessment is considerably good. In his early years in the past, he was of decent Imperial examination background, but only because of his unsightly appearance, so…..”

“We want officials that govern the people, and not select beautiful people.” The Emperor impatiently waved his hand and said, “Then that person.”

In the Hall of Political Discourse, the officials were expelled or sent home, and gradually only the most important figures were left. The whole while with his eyes to his nose, and his nose to his heart, the Prince who had been quietly sitting like a statue, finally had no way of sitting any longer. From his chair he stood up and walked in front of the Imperial Seat, with a ~pa he kneeled down.

The Tang Dynasty’s royal family, or perhaps discussing the present His Majesty the Emperor, always attached great importance on family love. In those history books of internal conflicts of contention within the Imperial Palace, in regards to the Prince’s only brother, His Majesty the Emperor was trusting and more. In front of the ministers he absolutely wouldn’t make him lose face, but the Prince knew that so-called face was all fought for. Today if he still didn’t want face, then his royal brother would especially lose face.

Sure enough today, extremely rarely, His Majesty the Emperor didn’t even tell him to stand up, but rather dominatingly and coldly watched his face, observing just how much grief in between his own brother’s eyes was real, and how much of that hurt was acting. Only after a long while had pa.s.sed and with the Empress’s persuasion beside him did his appearance clear up the anger, and in a cold voice he said, “Lift up your head. Look at me.”

His Highness the Prince slowly raised his head, looking directly at the soulless gaze atop the Imperial Seat.

“w.a.n.g JingLue was consecrated by your Mansion?”

“Yes.”

“We had you examine military effectiveness and you felt it was pathetic?”

“Your minister doesn’t dare.”

“We had him follow Xu s.h.i.+ for polis.h.i.+ng, for his benefit.”

Xu s.h.i.+ is the number one general in the Tang Dynasty, and w.a.n.g JingLue was known as a cultivating genius. Under the command of that metal-blooded general, presumably his temperament could gain some benefit. His Highness slightly paused, then at once showed grat.i.tude.

“No need for grat.i.tude. At the very least, no need for you to show grat.i.tude for him.”

The Emperor looked at his brother, then with a cold voice he said, “For a talent to appear in my Tang Dynasty isn’t easy, thus We want to protect him. But my Tang Dynasty’s talents can only fight for the Tang Dynasty, and definitely cannot become your own personal a.s.set, understand?”

These words. .h.i.t the heart, and the Prince suddenly felt tightness in his chest. Sweat like broth seeped out his back, instantly moistening the Prince’s robes. He didn’t know how he should respond, and once again lowered his head with a humble att.i.tude praying for pardon.

“These past years We have bestowed upon you not just a few good things. Lately there’s been some shortages in the warehouse. Do some contributions, and We will note your good deeds.”

“This minister doesn’t dare.”

“In this world is there anything you don’t dare to do?”

The Emperor smiled and said, “A grand prince would actually indulge in opening a brothel. If it weren’t for a simple handkerchief given to the Empress years ago, We don’t know how many years you would’ve hidden it from Us.”

It wasn’t a sneer, and nothing sharp about the words could be felt, but the Prince felt a formless pressure on his body suddenly increased several times. The sweat like broth gushed with a faster and faster speed on his back. Nervously waiting for His Majesty’s decree, but after waiting for a very long time, he didn’t hear it and inevitably was a bit suspicious.

The smile on the Emperor’s face slowly straightened, and calmly looking at him he said, “This time We will not heavily punish you, and not for anything else but because of you opening that one business of watching red sleeves, that I found someone that said the words that he would be absolutely loyal to Us on behalf of you.”

The Prince suddenly realized that day Chao XiaoShu had gone to the Red Sleeves, his head servant had once relayed a report of Cui DeLu. Even though he was loyal to the man on the Imperial Seat second to none, but he wasn’t willing to say much to an underling, always feeling that it was a bit of a loss of face. Today thinking of it, instead he still ought to give many thanks for him saying those words.    ……    ……

In the first year of the Sky Opening Emperor’s reign, the Tang Dynasty’s winds were nice and the rains were smooth. The Court and the fields were harmonious like sunlight and earth, and there also arose two old, comparatively large legal cases. One was that year’s Astronomical Incident, and the other was this incident that happened recently, and the people called it “The Spring Wind Pavilion Case”.

In the case of Spring Wind Pavilion, publicly more than ten officials were demoted or chased from office, and the military department had seven people executed. But secretly, some crucial people in key places were brought forward and purged. Because those positions involved the security of the Imperial Palace and the impact was too negative, so the news was sealed very tightly.

In that rainy spring night, the Yu Lin Army’s deputy general Cao Ning greeted Old Sir Lin from the Palace, and brought about his own death. Previously still imprisoning Chang the Third, known as Chang SiWei and Fei the Sixth, known as Fei JingWei, Old Sir Lin holding His Majesty’s personally written edict, directly had this person beheaded in the rain. Then his sudden death was reported as illness.

In that same rainy spring night, the Fish Dragon Gang’s Liu the Fifth, known as Liu Si, galloping with his spear in the Brave Rider’s camp’s drilling ground, with one spear strike he repaid secret hatred from ten years before towards the vice-commander of the Brave Riders Army, Chu Ren, and completed His Majesty’s a.s.signed mission.

And also after this event in the spring rain, very many people of the Tang Empire’s upper echelons learned of the name Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao, or began to notice this name, and they also very much wanted to know who that youngster from the Yue Lun Kingdom beside him was who killed people like killing weeds – but they had nowhere to go ask.

Chao XiaoShu stood at the bank of a lake in the Imperial Garden, calmly looking at what was a great lake called the Li Sea. The blue robes on him slightly fluttered in the wind of the lake.

With eunuchs and palace ladies behind him, he humbly leaned aside to give way. People already knew who he was now, and knew what he will be in the future, and they didn’t at all hide the envy, curiosity and even admiration in their eyes.

Chao XiaoShu seemed to have felt nothing. His face didn’t have the cold sternness when killing people last night, nor could the nervousness be seen that someone having just entered the Imperial Palace from the wilderness of the JiangHu should have. His expression was natural and calm.

A golden carp leapt from inside the Li Sea, over the Palace maids, and used the garlands to turn into dragon, then cheerfully once again fell into the water.

Very many people saw it. Chao XiaoShu in today’s ChangAn City was like a fish leaping into the current sea, his fame greatly resonating like a rising cloud in clear skies.

But he didn’t think so.