Chapter 18: The Evil Tiger

“Uncle, there’s nothing worth lamenting.

In recent decades, court struggles have grown increasingly fierce; everyone’s bottom lines have been repeatedly shattered in these conflicts. Left unchecked, this will inevitably lead to great chaos.

The current actions of the Pure Stream faction have not only enraged the eunuchs but also offended His Majesty.

Those high-ranking Pure Stream officials in court are unlikely to meet a good end!”

Li Mu said calmly.

Changing a nation is hard enough; changing a declining empire is even harder.

The Da Yu dynasty has endured for over two hundred years, leaving only a few decades before it reaches the three-century cycle typical of feudal dynasties.

As the civil official bloc has grown stronger, it has not only eroded the power of the noble families but also steadily encroached upon imperial authority.

After Emperor Tianyuan ascended the throne, this trend was interrupted—but the drastic shrinkage of imperial power remains an undeniable fact.

On appointments within the Grand Secretariat, the emperor can no longer decide unilaterally; he must go through the court nomination process to gain acceptance from the ministers.

The emperor’s edicts are now called “mid-decrees,” and the Six Censorates can outright reject them without hesitation.

Only after bearing the Grand Secretariat’s seal do they possess full legal authority.

To safeguard imperial authority, emperors have refrained from issuing mid-decrees for the past few decades.

If this continues, perhaps a Da Yu version of constitutional monarchy will soon step onto the historical stage.

Of course, the probability of this happening is minuscule.

Constitutional monarchy arises from the rise of capitalist economies; Da Yu currently lacks the conditions to develop capitalism.

Merchants who appear wealthy are in fact dependent on powerful elites, deeply entangled politically with the bureaucratic bloc, relying on the transfer of benefits to achieve their political goals.

Even if imperial power is locked away, the civil officials’ innate tendency toward internal strife means that if they govern, the empire will accomplish nothing.

When a feudal dynasty’s central government does nothing, it’s actually good for ordinary people; as long as the court doesn’t stir trouble, everyone is happy.

But if the central government remains inactive during the transition to capitalism, great chaos will follow.

Watching imperial power steadily decline, Emperor Tianyuan, a ruler with ambition, could not sit idle.

First, he used political maneuvers to sow discord and dismantle the civil official bloc; then he pitted eunuchs against the Pure Stream faction, promoting reformers onto the political stage.

These political operations cannot be called entirely correct, but their general direction was sound—only the execution went awry.

Forcing reform does not mean Emperor Tianyuan wanted reform; he was forced into it by the empire’s collapsing finances.

In every dynasty’s middle to late period, the cost of rule surges dramatically.

Da Yu’s situation is worse: besides normal cost increases, it also suffers from inflation.

With the flourishing of overseas smuggling, vast amounts of silver have flooded into Da Yu.

As the money supply increases, goods priced in silver inevitably rise in value.

The Wei-suo soldiers are useless in major campaigns; conscripted troops have become a vital pillar of national defense.

Combined with rising prices, defense expenditures have skyrocketed.

Da Yu, which once maintained a million soldiers without spending a single coin, now devotes half its fiscal revenue to military costs.

Central government revenue has not grown, yet the cost of maintaining imperial rule continues to climb. Without reform, the empire will be crushed by its finances.

Li Mu did not choose to join the reformers and save this great empire—this is the core reason.

The emperor supports the reformers merely to preserve his rule; he lacks the courage to smash the existing political ecosystem entirely.

The hastily assembled reformers are a mixed bag; many have joined, but few genuinely support reform—most are political opportunists.

With powerful vested interests blocking reform from outside and a band of incompetent allies dragging them down from within, the reformers’ main force has become the eunuchs.

“They brought it on themselves!

They pretend to strike at the eunuchs, but in truth they’re eroding imperial power—how could His Majesty ever let them off?”

Just wait and see; His Majesty’s counterattack is coming soon.

A dog raised for days must be let loose to hunt—or it’ll grow useless.

Keep your men under control; if things turn chaotic later, soldiers are the foundation of your survival!”

The words that followed carried treasonous implications.

But the current situation is too complex; if Li Yuan didn’t lay the groundwork now, he feared his nephew might be deceived.

In routine political struggles, the civil official bloc controls the narrative.

Once the situation escalates into armed conflict, the civil officials’ advantage vanishes.

Among the many armed forces in the capital, the Five City Military Command’s combat strength ranks low—but its greatest advantage is its location within the city.

Other main capital garrisons are stationed outside the city.

To mobilize troops into the city, both the imperial edict and the tiger tally are indispensable.

“Uncle, rest assured—I understand the stakes.

But the capital is still stable. Will it really come to that?”

Li Mu asked uneasily.

Lord Zhenyuan’s expression suggested he was certain the situation would spiral out of control.

The current struggle’s protagonists are the eunuch faction and the Pure Stream; how could a neutral nobleman possibly foresee the outcome? It makes no sense.

“You’re still too young.

Tearing up the table—this is something the Pure Stream can do, and so can the eunuchs.

A few days ago, His Majesty consulted us on appointing Zuo Guangen as Chief Eunuch of the Office of Supervising Eunuchs.

He simply couldn’t decide who to assign to lead the Eastern Depot, so the appointment was delayed.

After such a major upheaval, His Majesty has surely made up his mind.

Once the reins on the eunuchs are loosened, these mad dogs will surely go out to bite.

In the coming days, the imperial prisons will likely be overflowing.

Targeting civil officials alone would be one thing—but if these bastards grow bold and develop other ambitions, we must prepare in advance!”

Li Yuan said with scorn.

With this confirmed information, Li Mu instantly understood why his uncle had concluded the capital would descend into chaos.

The Eastern Depot has the power to arrest and interrogate officials; the Inner Court has the power to dismiss and convict them.

Combined, they amount to overwhelming authority over the court.

In the coming factional struggle, the eunuchs will be both referee and player.

Releasing such a vicious tiger, no one can feel truly safe. Warning the noble families in advance is Emperor Tianyuan’s preemptive move.

One link chains to another; everyone is the emperor’s pawn, merely occupying different positions.

Some pawns are currently the main force; some remain hidden; some have unfortunately become expendable.

At this moment, Li Mu finally understood what it means to serve a ruler as one serves a tiger.

Aside from himself, the emperor trusts no one completely.

No matter how close one’s relationship, once the emperor perceives even a potential threat, a change of heart is inevitable.

…

“What are you doing?”

“Do you know where this is?”

No sooner had the steward finished scolding than one of his ears flew off.

“Eastern Depot on official business—anyone who obstructs will be killed!”

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(End of Chapter)