Chapter 1177: A Contest of Wits Between Ruler and Minister

Emperor Jian Shi pressed down his fury. "Are you accusing Us?"

The Brocade-Clad Guards were the Emperor's hounds; accusing them was tantamount to accusing him of failing to keep his own dogs in line.

The previously pleasant atmosphere instantly turned tense and Solemn.

"Your Majesty, the Brocade-Clad Guards flout all law and discipline — they cannot be indulged any further."

"How dare you!"

Emperor Jian Shi flipped the writing desk outright, sending an entire table's worth of Zou Zhang crashing to the floor.

"Your Majesty, hounds and hawks must be leashed — this is a timeless truth! Your Majesty must beware the day the hawks turn on their master!"

Those words were already laid utterly bare, with no attempt to disguise the venom within. In ordinary days, the ministers spoke in roundabout, restrained ways — they were great Confucian scholars, they had to keep up appearances.

But at this moment, they had torn off the mask of decorous, refined, gentle countenance, becoming poisoned blades and swords, laying everything out in the open. Leaving not the slightest room for retreat, they meant to force the Emperor to make up his mind and stop indulging the Brocade-Clad Guards.

This was an excellent opportunity. Though these ministers had not openly conspired, they shared a tacit understanding in their hearts.

Once the chance was in hand, it could not be missed.

Those who could climb to the very pinnacle of being a subject — which of them was not clever, which of them was not skilled at seizing opportunity?

Their minds turned through a thousand calculations; each had long since decided what stance to take, what words to speak, when to step forward. No need to conspire — each man had his own tacit understanding.

"What immense audacity you have!"

Emperor Jian Shi nearly lost his composure.

Don't think these ministers were doing it for his sake.

Clearly they meant to seize the chance to suppress the Brocade-Clad Guards — the fundamental purpose being to rein in the expansion of imperial power. Once the Brocade-Clad Guards were restrained, imperial power itself was restrained.

After all, the Emperor's will often needed the Brocade-Clad Guards to carry it out and extend it! In the course of execution, naturally it was imperial power's special privilege — act first, report after.

The court ministers had long been discontented.

This time the Brocade-Clad Guards had earned universal wrath; if they did not seize the chance to beat them half to death, it would be a disservice to the official hats on their heads.

Emperor Jian Shi refused — he would not agree even to the slightest restraint.

Because he knew clearly: compromise once, and there would be a second, a third, a fourth…

In the end, the Brocade-Clad Guards would be dismembered by these civil officials, turned into useless pawns, no longer able to serve him, unable to keep watch over officials across the realm.

Picturing that scene, Emperor Jian Shi trembled all over with rage. "What difference is there between you and that pack of scholars outside the palace gate? You are all creatures without lord or father — do you still have Us in your eyes?"

"Your Majesty, the Brocade-Clad Guards flout all law and discipline — is that something we fabricated out of thin air? The Brocade-Clad Guards act without the slightest scruple — is that false? The Brocade-Clad Guards torture people into false confessions, persecute officials — have we wronged them? The Brocade-Clad Guards' reputation has long since stunk to high heaven, everyone fears them as tigers — did we make that up? Over these years, the evils committed by the Brocade-Clad Guards are truly too numerous to record even were all the bamboo in the world exhausted. Should they not be leashed? Your Majesty has indulged the Brocade-Clad Guards for years — should you not reclaim a little of that power?"

"We beg Your Majesty to see clearly, and not to commit a grave error."

"We beg Your Majesty to restrain the Brocade-Clad Guards, and not continue to indulge them."

"We beg Your Majesty not to be willful — in all things, place the family and the realm first!"

"The Brocade-Clad Guards are the very root of calamity that ruins the realm and harms the people. In this old minister's opinion, simply disband them and be done with it."

"Disbanding is not necessary, but restraint is. We beg Your Majesty to think thrice!"

The ministers pressed in unison, respectfully requesting the Emperor to issue an edict strictly restraining the Brocade-Clad Guards.

The Brocade-Clad Guards were the Son of Heaven's private soldiers — hawks, hounds. Their disbanding, their establishment, their personnel appointments — none of it required the approval of the Zhengshitang. They acted entirely according to the Emperor's will.

Just like the Eunuchs and palace maids within the palace, the Brocade-Clad Guards were a private armed force, a violent instrument, belonging wholly and solely to the Emperor, subject to no government office and no official's control.

Such a violent instrument, moreover one possessing formidable armed might — how terrified the court ministers must have been.

No wonder the court ministers naturally dreamed of disbanding them.

Disbanding was unrealistic, so they would find ways to suppress, dismember, and in the end turn the Brocade-Clad Guards into useless pawns, with not a single one capable of handling affairs. Then the ministers could rest easy, and boldly embezzle and pervert the law without fear!

The mere thought of it was intoxicatingly sweet.

Emperor Jian Shi understood these ministers' scheming all too well. He had climbed up step by step from Crown Prince, and in those years had thoroughly hated the Brocade-Clad Guards, who had ruined his plans time and again.

Now that he himself had become Emperor, only then did he know how truly fragrant the Brocade-Clad Guards were!

With the Brocade-Clad Guards in hand, the court ministers were nothing to worry about!

No Emperor whatsoever could, under the ministers' coercion, sever his own arm.

Absolutely not!

At this moment, Xiao Xiao Jincheng stood just outside the great hall, respectfully awaiting summons.

Inside the hall the argument raged without end. He, as a martial artist — a peak eighth-rank martial artist — could hear every movement within the hall with perfect clarity. Which minister had said what, he could tell apart by voice alone, noting each one down in his little black book.

The Brocade-Clad Guards were perhaps a professional habit — every one of them a person who would return a grievance for a glance. Especially the Commander of the Brocade-Clad Guards: whoever sat in that seat was the very cream of the crop, the most dangerous among the twisted.

That was precisely Xiao Xiao Jincheng himself!

His face was expressionless, as though he had entered meditative trance like an old monk.

The little Eunuch beside him, glancing at him once, felt his calves give a shudder — terrified to death.

Xiao Xiao Jincheng lifted an eyelid slightly, casting a glance at the little Eunuch. The little Eunuch nearly stopped breathing on the spot and dropped dead!

One could see from this the force of his intimidation, the ferocity of his reputation.

The argument inside the great hall continued, yet he was not in the least worried about his own situation. He firmly believed that the Emperor, no matter what, would not restrain or limit the Brocade-Clad Guards — that would be tantamount to severing his own arm.

Without the Brocade-Clad Guards' deterrent power, that pack of ministers could poke a hole right through the heavens! The realm of Great Qian would sooner or later be buried by those ministers!

The chief Eunuch Wang De hurried over.

With such a major incident occurring, he could not continue resting. Hurrying over, he saw Xiao Xiao Jincheng standing at the great hall's entrance, awaiting his summons.

"Why does my lord Xiao not go wait at Piandian? The sun is beating down — why not come with this servant to Piandian for a cup of tea."

"Many thanks, Eunuch Wang. As I understand it, today is Eunuch Wang's day of rest."

"With such a major incident, how could this servant sit still? My lord Xiao, please come with this servant to Piandian and sit for a while."

Xiao Xiao Jincheng nodded, and the two entered Piandian. A junior palace attendant served tea, then bowed and withdrew.

"Inside they are still arguing — I'm afraid it won't be settled anytime soon. My lord Xiao need not be overly worried; His Majesty has his own views."

Xiao Xiao Jincheng picked up the teacup, took a sip, moistening his parched throat.

"I'm not worried! It's the scholars outside the palace gate who are in trouble!"

"A bunch of fools — used by others and they don't even know it." Wang Defa gave a cold snort, with more than a hint of schadenfreude. "Still, the way you Brocade Guards have been handling things these past years has made people increasingly wary. Even if Your Majesty says nothing, Lord Xiao ought to take stock of himself. As a minister, causing Your Majesty such a great headache is truly improper. One ought to be sharing the sovereign's burdens, yet instead one has made the sovereign worry — the way this matter has been handled…"

A flicker of disapproval crossed Wang Defa's face — he was somewhat dissatisfied with the Brocade Guards.

Xiao Xiao Jincheng set down his teacup. "Rest assured, Eunuch Wang. I've already learned my lesson. From now on, I will keep the lads under me on a much tighter leash."

"Don't wait for later — take action now."

"Please, Eunuch Wang, enlighten me!"