By the time Yu Xiaozai had reached this point in his story, the tea on the small table had grown completely cold. He continued, “I don’t understand. The students were so harsh toward officials from humble backgrounds at first, yet why did they flock to Xue Xiuzhuo overnight? Could it be that Xue Xiuzhuo, a member of the Xue clan’s collateral line, is better able to serve the interests of the common people than Minister Kong, who hails from Cang Commandery and has devoted himself to public service? The Prime Minister went to great lengths to pave the way for us, yet in the end, the aristocratic clans still gained the upper hand.”
“Xue Xiuzhuo may not necessarily allow the aristocratic clans to gain the upper hand,” Xiao Chiyi said as he poured himself some cold tea. “In this situation, he caught them off guard, leaving both sides unprepared. The Empress Dowager’s previous maneuvering with Chancellor Han was precisely because she had no one on her side. Xue Xiuzhuo clearly did not leak any information to the old-guard aristocratic faction led by the Empress Dowager, and when the late Emperor passed away, he secured Chancellor Han as his pawn. In other words, he has already alienated the aristocratic families, and he understands this better than anyone.”
Yu Xiaozai frowned deeply and said, “I’ve been racking my brain on the way here, but I still can’t figure out what his true intentions are. If he’s merely seeking temporary glory, then with the new emperor’s unstable foundation and the fact that she is a woman, even if the Xue family rises to power, they won’t last long under the pressure from the Empress Dowager and the others.”
A flurry of thoughts raced through Shen Zechuan’s mind. He pondered for a long moment before speaking: “If one wishes to uncover a person’s true intentions, one must not overlook even the slightest clue. During the Xian De era, when Hua Siqian was forced to rebel at the Nanlin Hunting Grounds, the masterminds behind the plot were none other than Grand Secretary Hai and Xue Xiuzhuo. At the time, Xue Xiuzhuo served as Chief Censor of the Household Bureau and had audited their accounts. You mentioned that Grand Secretary Hai had alluded to this matter before he died while petitioning the emperor. Therefore, I suspect Xue Xiuzhuo is also privy to the inside story of the Zhongbo military defeat. The fact that he later collaborated with Jiang Qing Shan, the Provincial Governor of Juexi, to investigate and jointly remove Hua Siqian likely stems from this very matter. From this perspective, this man is not of the same caliber as Wei Huaiyu, for from the very beginning, he has been targeting the aristocratic clans.”
“I once heard Xi Hongxuan speak of him, saying he was constantly occupied with government affairs. Later, when I served as Commander of the Northern Division of the Imperial Guard, I reviewed the case files jointly investigated by the Imperial Guard and the Supreme Court. I discovered that after he was transferred from the Household Department to the Supreme Court, he indeed handled numerous cases. Grand Secretary Hai is a man of integrity and incorruptibility; his repeated promotion of Xue Xiuzhuo was not without reason. Even Magistrate Cen has spoken to me about Xue Xiuzhuo on numerous occasions. From this, it is evident that from the time he entered officialdom to the present, he has achieved remarkable accomplishments among the rising generation.”
Yu Xiaozai was suddenly enlightened. He said, “ “I won’t hide it from you, Deputy Magistrate—this is precisely what puzzles me. Xue Xiuzhuo has always enjoyed an excellent reputation; even the censors of the Board of Censors rarely raise objections against him. His outstanding performance in the Board of Censors is a matter of public record, which is why I find his current behavior so difficult to comprehend. From what I’ve observed in the past, he is not the sort of person who exploits his position to amass wealth, unlike Pan Rugui.”
Xiao Chiyě leaned back slightly, resting his arms on the armrests, and said to Shen Zechuan, “That’s right. We discussed Xue Xiuzhuo when we were in Kuidu. Yao Wenyu once mentioned that although he wasn’t formally taken as a disciple by Grand Secretary Hai, he was very much favored by him. That’s precisely why he was chosen to present the ceremonial cap at Yao Wenyu’s coming-of-age ceremony. In the early years of his official career, the policy essays he wrote were free of the biases typical of the aristocratic clans, expressing the hope that the Imperial Academy, under Hua Siqian’s leadership, might restore the glory of the era of Grand Tutor Yao. As you know, at that time, apart from Hai Liangyi, the Cabinet was composed entirely of officials from prominent families, and the Six Ministries were even more so. In Jindu, the selection of officials was at one point based primarily on family lineage—even the Hu family’s thirteenth son, who couldn’t even read a single character, was able to hold a key position in the Ministry of War and meddle in the affairs of the Imperial Guard. At that time, Kong Qiu was still biding his time in the Ministry of Justice, and Liang Cuishan—whom you mentioned from the Ministry of Revenue—was constantly being demoted back then, with no hope of promotion.”
Shen Zechuan nodded slowly and said, “The fact that he was appointed as Chief Censor of the Ministry of Revenue at that time was also Hua Siqian’s way of getting rid of him. The Chief Censor is a key position with direct access to the Emperor, but since Emperor Xiande was unable to rule at the time, whether one could achieve anything in that role depended entirely on Hua Siqian, who was in charge of the Imperial Secretariat. Xue Xiuzhuo’s conduct also began to shift during that period—from his earlier radicalism, he temporarily became subdued, eventually becoming the figure we all came to know.”
Yu Xiaozai grew increasingly alarmed as he listened and said, “But since he’s aligned with the humble-born faction, why didn’t he consult with us? As for Chancellor Han…”
“He, too, had devoted himself wholeheartedly to Li Jianheng’s ascension to the throne, but he soon realized that Li Jianheng lacked the boldness to make sweeping reforms. At the time, Li Jianheng kept wavering amid the tug-of-war between various factions; the officials of the Hanmen, led by Grand Secretary Hai, were not even able to remove the Empress Dowager.” Shen Zechuan turned his head; the small jade bead on his right earlobe was obscured by a shadow. He said, “The students of the Imperial Academy repeatedly mentioned ‘weakness’ in their attacks on the Hanmen officials this time—this is likely why Xue Xiuzhuo no longer trusts the Han scholars. Grand Secretary Hai’s conservative strategy allowed the Great Zhou to survive, but he also gave the aristocratic clans a chance to catch their breath. The clans support one another—just as in this instance, Wei Huai-gu has fallen, and Han Cheng has risen. This is not the outcome Xue Xiuzhuo desired—”
Shen Zechuan suddenly stopped, narrowing his eyes.
“No wonder he took the Master away.”
Qi Huilian was the leading figure among the radicals. Even during his time in the Eastern Palace, he had been a man of action. Though the Crown Prince’s reign was brief, he managed to accomplish matters such as the registration of the Yellow Register—all thanks to the Eastern Palace officials who heeded no criticism and worked tirelessly day and night. If Xue Xiuzhuo wished to alter the steady, conciliatory policies of Hai Liangyi’s administration, he would inevitably have to seek Qi Huilian’s assistance.
But Qi Huilian refused, so Xue Xiuzhuo handed him over to Han Cheng.
Shen Zechuan pressed his lips together; his profile, bathed in candlelight, looked utterly cold. He said, “He’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. This man trusts no one. He still intends to rely on the new emperor to sustain the Great Zhou, and for that, he’s willing to offend the old aristocratic clans. He wants to purge the capital. We have defeated Wei Huigu and his faction in the capital, and now those positions are vacant for him to fill. Minister Yu, you are mistaken. What moved the scholars across the realm in the memorial he submitted was not the virtues of the Imperial Princess, but his final sentence.”
“There is no law in this world that mandates selecting court officials based on legitimacy or family lineage first! The aristocratic clans have monopolized the highest offices, turning the Great Zhou into a court dominated by the Eight Great Clans. Whether the Li emperors are strong or weak determines whether commoners can break through the siege of the Eight Great Clans. They entered an ice age in the late Yongyi era, This period has lasted far too long. What they desperately need is a ruler whose heart is with the commoners—regardless of gender. As long as he can inspire the commoners and shoulder their hopes following the successive deaths of Qi Huilian and Hai Liangyi, he will be embraced by the masses.
After the Empress Dowager took power, she brought the commoners not only intensified marginalization but also the deeply ingrained perception of the Li emperors’ weakness. The reason the students were so harsh on Kong Qiu and Cen Yu was that they could no longer tolerate the court’s repeated concessions. Hai Liangyi, who had endured a lifetime of oppression, had resolutely chosen to die in protest—why should Kong Qiu continue to endure? Reform for the realm was right before their eyes—it was now! Inaction was tantamount to occupying a post without contributing!
But was now truly the right moment?
Shen Zechuan did not think so.
Why did Hai Liangyi endure? Because the aristocratic clans had become a cancer on the Great Zhou. A radical cure should have been administered as early as the Yongyi era. Yet before Hai Liangyi could act, the Zhongbo campaign ended in defeat. The Great Zhou, like an elderly man in his twilight years, was kicked in the gut—spitting blood. Not only were the external wounds difficult to heal, but the internal injuries were even harder to mend. Before offering his death-bed counsel, he had confronted the court, declaring that it was the fault of “all of you” for fanning the flames. But did that “all of you” include himself?
If only he hadn’t pressed Hua Siqian so relentlessly back then.
If only he had adopted a more conciliatory approach.
Would the Zhongbo massacre have been avoided?
Hai Liangyi did not know, but this incident directly influenced his governing style during the later years of the Xian De era. He adopted a more measured approach to infiltrating the court; he dared not act rashly anymore. He possessed the foresight and awareness born of navigating the political landscape—qualities that the inexperienced students could not comprehend.
Xue Xiuzhuo may not have had the power to sway the sentiments of scholars across the land, but he was undoubtedly a fisherman, standing amidst the stormy waves and gauging the best moment to cast his net. Having navigated the bureaucratic world for many years, he did not return empty-handed; he understood the entanglements between impoverished scholars and court officials even better than Shen Zechuan. Now that the old guard’s war has been ignited, the sparks flying from it have set ablaze those who share their lineage.
Xue Xiuzhuo had repeatedly sought to become a disciple of Hai Liangyi, but was refused. He eventually turned to Qi Huilian for help, but was still rejected. He seemed like a boulder caught in the struggle between the two sides, destined to carve out a bloody path in his own way—a ruthless figure who spares no one, not even himself.
A look of ruthless determination flashed in Shen Zechuan’s eyes; he tasted the bitterness of defeat. Expelled from Kuidu, he was like a stray dog with its tail between its legs, beaten to the point of being almost defenseless.
Xue Xiuzhuo’s ability to immediately abandon Xi Hongxuan at the right moment—and to siphon off the Xi family’s treasury before Shen Zechuan could act—proved he had long been preparing for this day. But what was Shen Zechuan doing at that time? He still naively believed he could divide the aristocratic clans with mere words, even though Xue Xiuzhuo had already shown his sharpness during the Imperial Guard Silk Case.
Shen Zechuan had already suffered one defeat. Since he was still alive, he was determined to fight this battle to the end; he could not accept that he, having inherited all of Qi Huilian’s life’s work, would suffer defeat after defeat. They had journeyed from the smoke-free capital to the fractured, crumbling frontier. He had to rise to his feet immediately; otherwise, there would be no place for him in this chaotic world. Among the rising stars watching him with predatory eyes, there were no weaklings. The prerequisite for sitting down calmly to discuss beliefs was that he possessed the qualifications to stand toe-to-toe with his opponent.
Xiao Chiyě gazed at Shen Zechuan’s silent profile and suddenly asked Yu Xiaozai, “Have you met the Empress?”
Yu Xiaozai was just pulling the letter Cen Yu had written to Shen Zechuan from his bosom when he heard the question. He paused for a moment and replied, “Not yet. Before I left Kuidu, the Ministry of Rites had already begun preparations for the coronation ceremony. The Empress Dowager wanted to summon the Princess, but Xue Xiuzhuo refused.”
Xiao Chiyi’s fingers, hanging at his side, twitched slightly. “It seems he isn’t a sure thing after all. We’ll just have to wait and see—whether the Empress he’s raised in these short four years is truly a paper tiger that crumbles at the slightest touch, and how long she can keep Guandu in check.”
Shen Zechuan snapped back to reality, paused for a moment, and said, “I only hope she isn’t another Li Jianheng.”
Xiao Chiyě, tired of leaning back, sat up slightly and asked Yu Xiaozai, “We still don’t know her name. If she’s to be included in the imperial genealogy, will she be called Li Jianting?”
Yu Xiaozai gave him a strange look. He extended his finger and traced the characters stroke by stroke on the mat: “That is her name, but it’s not the late emperor’s courtesy name. It’s Jianting—Li Jianting.”
Shen Zechuan looked quite surprised and exchanged a glance with Xiao Chiyě.