Chapter 578: The Situation Escalates

"Your Majesty!"

Stepping into Kunming Hall, passing the bowing palace maids and eunuchs, he made straight for the inner bedchamber, his steps hurried, stirring up a breeze as he went. The bead curtain he flung aside with force swung and clattered in the air. Seeing this commotion, the several palace attendants waiting nearby instinctively lowered their heads.

When Empress Fu saw Liu Chengyou in this furious state, she could not help but feel surprised. She followed him inside, only to see Liu Chengyou collapse face-first onto the couch, legs sprawled wide apart, lying there in a most undignified manner.

Seeing this, the elder Lady Fu dismissed the attendants at her side, then stepped forward with light, graceful steps. She bent down low to help Liu Chengyou remove his shoes, then rose and sat on the edge of the couch with her round, shapely rear, while Liu Chengyou cooperatively placed his feet on her thighs.

Her small hands kneading Liu Chengyou's calves, the elder Lady Fu asked: "Who has such audacity as to make Second Young Master this angry?"

"No wonder there are rumors saying I favor civil officials while slighting military officers. It seems to me some people have heard this rumor and taken it to heart, coming before me to sell their bluntness and buy loyalty!" Liu Chengyou said coldly, his arm draped across his forehead.

Hearing the Emperor speak thus, the elder Lady Fu's phoenix brows knitted slightly as she said: "Second Young Master, those words are too harsh! What exactly has happened to provoke such a temper from you?"

Liu Chengyou seemed to be complaining to himself: "Since the past three dynasties, arrogant soldiers and unruly generals have been hard to control—civil weak, military strong. I have sought to raise the status of civil officials to balance both, but I have no intention of using civil power to suppress the military. I know well that one can conquer the world on horseback, but one cannot rule it from horseback. If I wish to unify the realm, I need generals and soldiers to take cities and seize strongholds, and I need civil officials to plan strategy from within the tent. But as it stands now, it seems that over these years, I have been far too lenient with these civil officials at court..."

The Emperor's tone was exceptionally sharp. Were the civil officials at court to hear it, they would surely be trembling with unease. The elder Lady Fu, being deeply sensible of reason, felt that Liu Chengyou's mood was somehow off, and said in a soft, gentle voice: "What exactly has happened to stir such fury in you?"

His fingers scraping at his eye sockets, Liu Chengyou slowly opened his eyes, and the elder Lady Fu's lovely face came into view. His mood having calmed somewhat, he said: "Nothing major—just that 'loyal words' grate on the ears!"

The elder Lady Fu seemed lost in thought, then ventured a question: "Is it the matter of the hundred officials' memorials of late?"

"Before I knew it, people at court have again begun pointing fingers at my governance and appointments, heaping criticism upon me!" Liu Chengyou said. "So many officials submitting memorials all at once—if no one were orchestrating it behind the scenes, I would not believe it! I have said it before: handle special matters specially! Talk of maintaining the court's institutions and the state's legal traditions—all of it is just pretext.

The realm is not yet unified, and already their minds begin to wander. Not understanding my intentions, not empathizing with my heart, they stir up such a commotion—are they trying to pressure me?"

Beginning to understand the source of Liu Chengyou's anger, the elder Lady Fu could not help but chuckle lightly: "Second Young Master, do you not usually advocate opening wide the avenues of remonstrance and gathering diverse opinions? It is the duty of subordinates to offer admonition, and the right of the sovereign to accept or reject it—that is all. Why must you be so incensed?

This time, with the officials presenting their views in unison, all speaking with one voice, Second Young Master ought to be all the more cautious—after all, the anger of the many is not to be trifled with..."

"Then I must see where their anger comes from!" After hearing Empress Fu's words of counsel, Liu Chengyou muttered: "I am arbitrary and dictatorial? I cannot judge people? I make poor appointments?"

"Some have far-seeing eyes, and some have had their hearts clouded by power..." Liu Chengyou sighed leisurely.

Empress Fu fell silent, feeling that Liu Chengyou seemed somewhat oversensitive.

"Elder Lady Fu, you have always been quick-witted and insightful in matters. Do you think I should heed the officials' advice and recall Wang Jingchong to face trial and imprisonment?" Liu Chengyou suddenly raised his head slightly and asked Empress Fu.

Empress Fu shook her head: "I dwell in the inner palace; I dare not presume to comment on affairs of the outer court!"

"I just want to hear your view," Liu Chengyou said, his tone somewhat inscrutable.

To Empress Fu's eyes, however, it appeared as hesitation. After a moment's thought, Empress Fu asked: "You sent Wang Jingchong out of the capital on business—how did he fare in carrying it out?"

"Acceptably well—it suited my intentions quite well!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Then has Wang Jingchong, in his conduct, disturbed the people, disordered governance, abused his authority, bent the law, or violated regulations?"

At this question, Liu Chengyou glanced sidelong at Empress Fu. This woman was not simple—she likely kept an eye on affairs of the outer court as well. A flicker of hesitation passed across Liu Chengyou's face, and he said in a low voice: "His conduct has been hasty and impetuous, some of his methods overly aggressive. That he has crossed legal boundaries is likely unavoidable, but the results he achieved—I am quite satisfied with them!"

Toward Empress Fu, Liu Chengyou had essentially spoken his true thoughts.

"I know that Second Young Master has always had his own opinions and likely already has plans in mind. What the ministers seek is surely not unreasonable troublemaking—they have their own grounds—and you ought to give it further consideration. The only advice I can offer is that this storm needs to be quelled as quickly as possible, lest it affect the stability and unity of the court!" Empress Fu's words carried a sense of saying just enough and stopping there.

Liu Chengyou sat up straight, withdrawing his feet from Empress Fu's plump, jade-like legs, and sat cross-legged. Looking at his Empress seriously, he said: "I am not one to refuse loyal words. Standing in the ministers' shoes, I can understand their considerations. But I am the Emperor—I have my own deliberations. What angers me is not their remonstrance, but that they choose this moment to stir up chaos and disrupt the court's stability!"

"With Second Young Master's wisdom, how could you ever fly into an unjustified rage?" The elder Lady Fu smiled faintly and said: "Have you reached a decision, then? No longer troubled?"

"Have someone prepare some food—I'm hungry!" Liu Chengyou said with a grin.

Empress Fu immediately rose to go out and give the order, but Liu Chengyou grabbed her hand and pulled her back. With a tantalizing, startled cry, Empress Fu tumbled into Liu Chengyou's embrace, skin against skin. Liu Chengyou pressed his lips to her ear and said: "Just call out to the corridor—why go in person?"

Even as he spoke, his hands had already begun to wander, while a intoxicating flush gradually spread across Empress Fu's jade-like cheeks...

"Your Majesty, a submission from the Wude Office—a memorial from Wang Jingchong!" Zhang Dejun respectfully presented a memorial.

Liu Chengyou took it with a perfectly calm expression, and while flipping through it, asked: "Where is he now?"

"He has already reached Jinzhou!"

His brows unconsciously knitted together. Jinzhou was under Wang Yan, Military Governor of Jianxiong, and Wang Yan was a "first-rising" governor of equal renown with Zhao Hui—no ordinary figure. He immediately snapped: "Who told him to go to Jinzhou!"

And after reading Wang Jingchong's memorial, his vexation only grew, and he tossed it directly onto the desk. What Wang Jingchong's memorial contained was a report enumerating the "crimes" of Wang Yan, Military Governor of the Jianxiong Army.

It said that Wang Yan vented his wrath indiscriminately, framing people to their deaths—including his own friends and subordinate officers—and that anyone who offended or angered him was subjected to fabricated charges and false accusations that sent them to their graves, even bringing calamity upon their families. A list of those persecuted by Wang Yan was attached, with times, places, and reasons laid out in extraordinary detail.

At the same time, Wang Jingchong reported to Liu Chengyou that Wang Yan had treated the imperial envoy with contempt, mobilized troops to resist arrest, and secretly harbored treasonous designs...

"This Wang Jingchong—has he got water in his brain?" Liu Chengyou could not help but curse: "Calling him arbitrary and self-willed would not wrong him in the least! Does he take my warnings as wind past his ears?"

"Your Majesty, calm your anger!" Zhang Dejun said in a fearful manner, offering gentle counsel.

"Issue the decree—have Wang Jingchong return to the capital!" Liu Chengyou said directly.

When alone, Liu Chengyou's expression gradually relaxed. He was not nearly as irascible as he had appeared. Regardless, Wang Jingchong's journey beyond the capital had produced its intended effect, and it had shown Liu Chengyou just how far the central authority's influence reached over the regions.

Of course, Liu Chengyou truly had no intention of letting Wang Jingchong continue stirring up waves in the provinces—after all, one must know when to stop.

The next day, another memorial was presented to the imperial desk, quickly snapping Liu Chengyou to alertness. Wang Yan of the Jianxiong Army submitted a memorial impeaching Wang Jingchong, accusing him of borrowing the court's authority as a pretext to run rampant through prefectures, harming governance and disturbing the people. He had dispatched troops without authorization to attack the governor's headquarters in Jinzhou, and had only been restrained when Wang Yan mobilized his yabing guards. He begged the Son of Heaven to punish him severely.

Through the memorial, across several hundred li, Liu Chengyou could imagine the conflict that had erupted in Jinzhou. The words in Wang Yan's memorial were neither humble nor haughty, yet they carried a note of unyielding toughness.

If it were only Jinzhou, it would not have been enough to shock Liu Chengyou. What truly made him take notice was that, following in succession, the Jingnan Army of Binzhou, Hezhong Prefecture, the Anguo Army of Xingzhou, the Yongqing Army of Beizhou, and other prefectures all sent in memorials impeaching Wang Jingchong.

The situation had escalated—it seemed he had poked a hornet's nest!