Chapter 67

The days in Chang'an felt extraordinarily long for Wang Hui (Wang Xiu).

A lengthy talk with his son Wang Ce also left him uneasy.

He felt gratified by his son's growth and achievements, yet worried about his son's future path; the Court is more perilous than the battlefield.

On the battlefield, it's clear who the enemy is; but in the Court, who is a friend, who is a foe, who hides a knife behind a smile, who will shove you hard from behind at your peak—no one can say for sure.

Wang Hui sat in his study, watching the sky outside the window gradually whiten, his mind racing.

This was already the nth night he had spent in his study calculating future developments.

Wang Ce had already established himself successfully in the military, and his position was higher than he had anticipated.

A twenty-something fourth-rank Yunwei General holding real power and valued by Guo Ziyi—this weight is too heavy.

"Concealing clumsiness," this is the self-preservation method he taught his son, and also the foundation for the Wang Family's foothold.

Wang Ce is smart; he understood, began to follow it, and the results have been quite good.

But Wang Ce alone concealing his clumsiness isn't enough; as a father, he must also put on a show.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) clearly understands his current situation: he is an "old minister" who followed the Retired Emperor Li Longji back from Shu Region.

Although the new emperor Li Heng treated him politely on the surface and even promoted him, the distance and vigilance were felt by Wang Xiu clearly in the Court.

One emperor, one set of ministers.

What Li Heng needs are his own people, those who supported him in Lingwu—the "dragons' followers."

And those old timers who followed Li Longji are, in the new emperor's eyes, remnants of the previous dynasty, potential destabilizing factors.

Especially now, the Retired Emperor is not content to stay quiet, often summoning old ministers in Xingqing Palace to talk about this and that; to the new emperor, this is scheming, an attempt at restoration.

"One mountain cannot hold two tigers..." Wang Xiu let out a long sigh. He knew he must quickly extricate himself from this political whirlpool.

Otherwise, once the conflict between the two emperors erupts fully, someone in his awkward position would be the first sacrificial victim.

How to escape?

Feign illness? Retire to hometown?

No, too deliberate. He is only in his forties, in his prime; suddenly saying he wants to retire would be unbelievable—Li Heng would think he's using this to express dissatisfaction with the new dynasty.

He must find a reasonable justification that no one can fault.

Wang Xiu's gaze fell on a court bulletin on the desk, which published the latest Imperial Edict: in one year, the imperial examinations will be reopened, recruiting talents from all over to revive court discipline.

The examinations!

Wang Hui's (Wang Xiu's) eyes lit up instantly; a perfect plan formed in his mind in an instant.

He recalled the letter he had written a few days earlier, when he first heard the news of the examinations being revived, to his wife and eldest son Wang You far away in Jiangnan.

He had written that letter with special care; in the first half he detailed Wang Ce's safe return and his glorious battlefield achievements in suppressing the rebellion, earning him the title of Yunwei General.

In the second half, he shifted tone to mention the revival of the examinations.

"... You You has been intelligent since childhood, taught by renowned scholars, with a solid foundation in learning. Though Jiangnan's scenery is fine, it is no place to linger. A true man should serve the country with his body, establish merit and career, lest he waste his life."

"As your father, I have already mapped out your future; I hope you set off at once, return to Chang'an, and prepare well to take next year's examinations. With your talent, topping the list will be as easy as reaching into a bag."

"Then, when you enter the Court and Ce serves in the military, you two brothers—one civil, one martial—will support each other, thereby bringing glory to our Wang Family's gate and not disgracing our ancestors' name...."

Thinking of this, Wang Xiu's mouth curled into a barely perceptible smile.

According to his estimate, the letter should arrive in Jiangnan any moment now; given eldest son Wang You's {upright and peaceful} nature and the education he received since childhood, he will certainly not refuse.

If things proceed this way, he will have a perfect excuse.

Once his son passes the jinshi exam and enters the Court, he can then, with proper justification, request retirement on the grounds of "making way for his son" and "not wishing to serve alongside his son to avoid criticism," withdrawing from public office.

This reason is upright and honorable; it shows his paternal love for his son and also highlights his noble integrity in not clinging to power.

Even if Li Heng were more suspicious, he could find no excuse to refuse; indeed, to display his magnanimity, he might bestow generous rewards and let him retire in grand style.

And the Wang Family, through this transition, could perfectly shift from "old ministers" to "new nobility."

Wang You is a jinshi personally appointed by the new emperor, a son of the Son of Heaven, a trusted man of the new dynasty; with him standing in the Court, the Wang Family's foothold in the new regime begins to develop steadily.

"Perfect." Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) nodded, then mentally replayed the plan to confirm it was truly feasible.

He carefully folded the letter, placed it in an envelope, sealed it with wax, then summoned his most trusted steward.

Having figured this out, Wang Xiu felt a great weight lift from his heart.

He left the study; the sky was already bright. A new day in Chang'an began again.

However, before he could catch his breath, a little yellow-gate eunuch from the palace arrived at the Wang residence bearing an Imperial Edict.

Wang Hui's (Wang Xiu's) heart skipped a beat; he thought, "Oh no, as an idle official, why would I suddenly attract the emperor's attention?"

Could it be that the matter of sending the letter was discovered by the emperor's spies? Or has the Retired Emperor's side stirred up something else that implicates him?

He had full confidence in the commercial network he had built, yet three generations of the Wang Family had also given him a completely new understanding of the feudal dynasty's Court.

The emperor can truly concentrate myriad powers in one person, with a single word deciding life and death; knowledge that once existed only on paper has now been fully materialized.

With a nervous heart, he led his family to receive the edict.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Remonstrant Officer Wang Hui, of sincere nature and upright conduct, who has merit in following the carriage, has my deep satisfaction. Yet the dynasty is newly established, a hundred undertakings await revival; I labor day and night, fearing to fail the realm."

"Having heard that Minister Wang educates his children well—his son Wang Ce, brave beyond the three armies, a pillar of the state; his eldest son Wang You and third son Wang Qian, also famed talents of Jiangnan—I wish to learn your method of teaching children, to display it to the world. I therefore summon Wang Hui to appear before me at once. Such is the command."

An audience in the palace? To ask about teaching children?

After hearing the imperial edict, Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) was completely dazed.

What medicine is Li Heng selling in his gourd?