Chapter 1644: Zhao Kuangyi Panics Too

Lu Duoxun's imprisonment was, without question, an extremely grave political incident for the Great Han, and the impact and shock it brought were likewise enormous.

At the root of it all lay what the court officials had mentioned — the Great Han had gone too many years without calling a chancellor to account. The Great Han had no such saying as "punishment does not reach the high-ranking," and over the years it had executed no small number of officials, including major figures in the various ministries. But the men of the Hall of State Affairs were, after all, somewhat special, for they were among the most powerful and highest-placed ministers within the court.

Having reached such a position, one could already represent the court itself; each of them was a pillar of the state, not to be lightly shaken. Once shaken, the impact was enormous — a wound to the very bone.

And it was easy to foresee that the affair of Lu Duoxun could never be confined to the inner court; its spread throughout the entire realm was inevitable.

At the Guangyang Earl's residence, Zhao Kuangyi returned directly home after court, though he seemed rather hurried. Today was supposed to be his day off, but Emperor Liu had issued an edict for an extraordinary court session, and as Vice Director of the Secretariat, he naturally had to be present. Even though he had anticipated beforehand that something major might occur, he never imagined he would witness such an entire spectacle.

The one taken down was Lu Duoxun, but those who were startled were the honored nobles and senior ministers like themselves... Not only Zhao Kuangyi, but Zhao Kuangyin as well — his presence had been specially arranged by Emperor Liu's personal order. Unlike Zhao Kuangyi, however, Zhao Kuangyin found it somewhat difficult to discern the hidden intricacies of the matter.

In the Zhao family today, the one standing at the forefront was undoubtedly Zhao Kuangyi, but the true pillar of the clan remained Zhao Kuangyin. Although the brothers had grown somewhat distant over the years, when it came to major affairs, they could still work in unison.

Zhao Kuangyin did not go straight home either, but simply followed along to Zhao Kuangyi's residence. He too had questions, and observing Zhao Kuangyi's reaction only deepened his suspicions.

In the study, Zhao Kuangyin sat calmly to the side, holding a cup of tea he did not particularly care for, taking an occasional sip, his face expressionless, his gaze as placid as an ancient well, silently watching Zhao Kuangyi's movements.

On the floor sat a brazier of charcoal, its flames burning fiercely. The bright firelight cast its glow upon both brothers' faces, bringing with it a heat more intense than the height of summer.

Zhao Kuangyi was somewhat busy, feeding official documents and letters into the brazier, making frequent trips back and forth as he searched through the study. Only after the final letter was cast into the fire did Zhao Kuangyi let out a great sigh of relief, his forehead drenched in sweat from the scorching heat.

Only after watching everything burn to ashes did Zhao Kuangyi reach up to wipe the sweat from his brow. He took a towel from the rack, and while wiping his hands, called out toward the door: "Someone come!"

"Here!" The attendant outside entered, not daring to raise his head, and answered respectfully.

Pointing at the brazier, Zhao Kuangyi ordered: "Dispose of this!"

The servant withdrew, leaving only the two brothers in the room. The tense atmosphere eased considerably as Zhao Kuangyi sat down. Picking up his teacup, abandoning all pretense of decorum, he took a great gulp, then looked at his long-silent elder brother and let out a sigh.

Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin frowned deeply and asked: "Will burning these letters of correspondence really do any good?"

Zhao Kuangyi replied with some helplessness: "They have become a curse now. If I do not burn them, I fear they will be used as evidence against me!"

"You've burned yours here, but can you guarantee that Lu Duoxun hasn't kept anything on his end?" Zhao Kuangyin asked again.

To this, Zhao Kuangyi fell silent, his brows knitting tightly: "He shouldn't be able to leave behind any solid evidence — I've been vigilant about that!"

"Why did you have to get entangled with Lu Duoxun in the first place? I warned you — that man is too ostentatious and knows nothing of restraint. Sooner or later he was bound to bring disaster upon himself!" Hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin's expression turned very sour.

Facing his elder brother's rebuke, Zhao Kuangyi pondered for a moment, then replied slowly: "I had thought I could make some use of him to topple Zhao Pu. I never expected Lu Duoxun to be so useless — before he could even launch an attack on Zhao Pu, he landed himself in a cage. What a pity..."

At the mention of this, Zhao Kuangyi felt a sense of frustration. Of course, there was also no small amount of anxiety — the fear that this affair might truly implicate him. Judging from the circumstances of his imprisonment, Lu Duoxun would be lucky to escape with his skin intact this time, and might not even keep his life. As for how far the fallout would reach, that would depend on Emperor Liu's attitude.

Yet it was precisely this situation — completely beyond his control — that left Zhao Kuangyi unable to sit still. Lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet — Zhao Kuangyi felt the truth of that saying keenly.

"A shrewd man like Lu Duoxun — you wanted to use him, but wasn't he using you in return? Now that he's been exposed, do you think you can come through this unscathed? Do you believe your collusion can escape His Majesty's eyes and ears? Even matters from over a decade ago can be enumerated one by one today — do you think your movements are so secret?" As Zhao Kuangyin lectured, his graying beard trembled.

Zhao Kuangyi, himself no less shrewd, could not help but feel deflated under this barrage of rebuke. After pondering for a while, he said: "I only intended to go along with the tide of events, and my involvement was not deep. Besides, serving in the same court, some social intercourse is unavoidable. With His Majesty's magnanimous breadth of mind, surely he would not hold this against me..."

Even as he said this, Zhao Kuangyi himself sounded rather unconvinced. After thinking it over, he added: "For now, the only course is to distance myself from the affair as much as possible and avoid being implicated!"

"Do you also think Lu Duoxun was imprisoned because of those matters Wang Yucheng impeached him over? Who knows how deep and murky Lu Duoxun's waters run. You think your involvement is shallow — but how does His Majesty see it?

With His Majesty's extraordinary talents, when it comes to ministers privately colluding — and two chancellors wielding real power at that! You are now joining forces to deal with Zhao Pu. If one day you were to join forces in rebellion, do you think His Majesty would not entertain such suspicions?"

Hearing this, Zhao Kuangyi smiled bitterly: "In all the realm today, who would dare rebel?"

Zhao Kuangyin: "Lu Duoxun was blinded by lust for power — I'd say you're not much different!"

Having vented his anger through the scolding, Zhao Kuangyin's mood eased somewhat. Looking at Zhao Kuangyi, who was still frowning in deep thought, he sighed: "I know you have great ambitions, but you have already risen to the rank of chancellor, serving in the Hall of State Affairs. How many in the court stand above you? You are only just past forty — why can you not exercise a little more patience? Everyone knows how highly His Majesty regards you. Since he summoned you back to the capital, it is because he intends to use you. Why can you not be a bit more patient?"

"What difference is there between my position as Vice Director of the Secretariat and an ordinary ministry official, without the title of Chief Minister?" Zhao Kuangyi said in a low voice. "Besides, there is only one seat in the Hall of State Affairs. If Zhao Pu does not fall, where is my opportunity?"

"Second Brother, you said it yourself — I am already past forty. If I keep waiting, how long must I wait?"

"If Zhao Pu falls, does it mean the turn comes to you?"

"If Zhao Pu does not fall, then he will occupy that position forever! He has held the chancellorship for so long that the court officials have long grown weary of it!" Zhao Kuangyi said.

"Wait and see. This affair will implicate who knows how many people. Let us hope that, as you say, you can keep yourself clean of it!"

Zhao Kuangyi's face was dark and gloomy as he silently pondered. Yet no matter how calm he appeared on the surface, the fear in his heart lingered on, impossible to set aside.