Volume Two: The Great and the Small Chapter Eighty-Four: The Emperor’s Strategy, Thunder and Rain (Part Two)

A sudden gust of wind stirred, lifting the bamboo blinds by the window and bringing a cooler breeze into the hall.

Qi Changfeng appeared somewhat absent-minded. He truly had not expected such intricate considerations and hidden schemes to be involved in the personnel reshuffling within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Yet, hearing Huang Ming’s explanation, he found himself in full agreement; indeed, the situation should be just so.

Huang Ming took another sip of wine to soothe his throat and glanced with a smile at Huang Bingkun, who had already slumped over the table: “You’re quite something—came to celebrate my great victory but got drunk first.”

Huang Bingkun seemed to hear something, though his eyes were barely open. His hand fumbled about as he mumbled, “Young Master Huang, let me... let me toast you once more...”

Huang Ming chuckled before turning to Qi Changfeng with a serious expression: “If it were just internal personnel changes within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I wouldn’t dare attribute it to the emperor’s Machiavellian strategy. After all, the Guard has always been a palace institution; personnel shifts there are no one else’s business. But this time, the emperor took the opportunity to punish the Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, and Shuntian Prefecture all at once, resulting in officials being dismissed, demoted, or even imprisoned and interrogated. That’s what makes me realize the emperor is truly extraordinary.”

Qi Changfeng nodded with some emotion. “Yes, I thought taking down Liao Kui alone was difficult enough, but this time even his immediate superior—the Censorate’s Deputy Chief Inspector—was implicated, along with the Prefect of Shuntian and the Vice Minister of Rites...”

Each name uttered made the muscles on Qi Changfeng’s face twitch.

This military general, who had fought bravely at the border, disregarding his life, finally understood many things after a year in the capital.

In the Datong army, the punishment or promotion of officials and generals was no small matter, let alone here in the Beijing court.

Those caught up in this scandal were all powerful high officials; the Jiajing Emperor’s light-handed demotion and reassignment without sparking backlash from the civil bureaucracy spoke volumes about his political skill.

Qi Changfeng’s understanding was limited, but Huang Ming had truly studied these matters.

The Vice Minister of Rites, Wu Yipeng, and the Deputy Chief Inspector of the Censorate, Zou Wenyuan, who were severely dealt with by Jiajing in these cases, had recently been the foremost advocates petitioning to recognize the Hongzhi Emperor as their father.

Seizing this opportunity to topple those who disagreed with him not only affirmed the emperor’s stance but also sent a clear signal to all ministers, waiting to see who would heed it.

The newly appointed Vice Minister of Rites, Jia Yong, and Deputy Chief Inspector Peng Siwei were among the few officials who had not yet submitted petitions regarding the succession.

Reflecting on these details, Huang Ming could not help but praise again: “The emperor is truly formidable, deeply versed in imperial strategies—his thunder and rain, his rewards and punishments, all bend to his will.”

“And he is only sixteen years old. It’s astonishing...”

When it came to intelligence and political acumen, from Qin Shi Huang to Puyi, among the hundreds of emperors spanning thousands of years, Jiajing could easily rank in the top ten, perhaps even the top five.

But alas, this brilliant man ultimately did not apply his talents in the right place...

Huang Ming’s sigh earned him a sideways glance from Qi Changfeng, who was nearly ready to retort.

“You, a seventeen-year-old boy, have the nerve to speak so gravely about a sixteen-year-old emperor’s brilliance? Aren’t you just as much a prodigy?”

Of course, he did not know that Huang Ming’s true psychological age was already well over thirty.

...

“I heard Yang Dun has returned?”

After expressing sentiments much like Huang Ming’s, Duke Xu Guangzuo posed a question.

Jiang Yunhao nodded lightly. “Yes, he returned secretly last night. Few know this.”

“Old Secretary Yang must have sent someone to fetch him, right?”

“Yes, he’s still at the Yang residence. What will happen next, no one knows.”

“What do you think Old Secretary Yang will choose to do?”

“Well...” Jiang Yunhao hesitated but answered truthfully, “There are two possibilities. One is to keep him hidden at home, not letting him go outside, which would ensure his safety. That’s better than letting Yang Dun roam freely.”

“The other possibility... is to hand him over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for interrogation and sentencing!”

Jiang Yunhao’s tone betrayed his doubts about the second option.

“You don’t think Old Secretary Yang would choose the second?”

“After all, he is his own flesh and blood; even a tiger won’t eat its cub.”

“On the contrary, I believe handing him over is the only way to truly protect him. Not just Yang Dun, but Old Secretary Yang himself and the entire Yang family!”

...

Jiang Yunhao seemed puzzled but, after pondering, came to understand: “This is Old Secretary Yang’s strategy of advancing by retreating—the only way to ensure self-preservation?”

“Exactly. Your idea of a tiger not harming its cub applies among ordinary people. But Old Secretary Yang’s status means he sees much further; he wouldn’t limit himself to such narrow thinking.”

“Yang Dun is indeed in danger outside, but does hiding him at home ensure safety? If one day the Embroidered Uniform Guard presents new evidence, what then?”

“Better to admit defeat proactively, hand over the investigation to the Guard or palace authorities, and then prepare for what comes next in peace.”

Jiang Yunhao listened and nodded thoughtfully before asking, “Then isn’t Yang Dun finished? He might even lose his life...”

“His future is truly ruined; with these charges, even his title as a scholar candidate will be stripped. But his life is safe.”

“The current emperor is wise and knows when to stop. As long as Old Secretary Yang yields this step, the emperor won’t push too far—he has to leave face, doesn’t he?”

“So, handing him over actually makes Yang Dun safer?”

“Yes. Then the whole case can finally conclude. I believe even the emperor wants to settle this swiftly and move past the turmoil—his goals have been achieved, no need for further complications.”

“I understand. Then, Your Grace, what can we do in all this?”

“Nothing, and there’s no need to do anything—just watch. That’s how noble families like ours have managed all these years.”

Xu Guangzuo smiled wearily.

Perhaps to this duke, the political storm in court was no different from the plays performed on the stage before him—something to observe from afar, never to participate in.

This, perhaps, was the greatest sorrow for noble military families in an era where civil officials were prized above warriors.

Just as Xu Guangzuo leaned back lazily again and a maid brought lychees to his lips, a servant approached along the winding path outside the pavilion and reported, “Master, Xu Xingzhi is here seeking an audience.”