[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-666":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starlight Professional",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2309326,4512,"Chapter 666: The Skilled Warrior","starlight-professional-chapter-666",666,"\u003Cp>“Your Highness the Crown Prince, your servant Su Chengsheng and Ma Cheng’en request an audience…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To serve the imperial family as a “servant” was something many in Great Qian would die to attain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was an ancient feudal society where people devoured one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In walked Su Chengsheng, the Chief Eunuch of the late Emperor, accompanied by his personal attendant Ma Cheng’en—Fang Xing immediately knew something was amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held a teacup in one hand and skimmed the tea’s surface with the lid in the other, speaking casually yet radiating an undeniable aura of authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the late Emperor’s decree, I have been overseeing the Embroidered Uniform Guard; the roster is complete—please, Your Highness, inspect it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Chengsheng knelt and raised the register above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Embroidered Uniform Guard was merely the Brocade Uniform Guard, answerable solely to the Emperor, with powers of surveillance and arrest, long despised by the nobility and civil officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the new Emperor rejected it, his fate would be grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Ma, what of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing turned to his chief eunuch and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant also holds the post of Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard… I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Cheng’en kowtowed repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing let out a long sigh: “Truly, a long-planned scheme—my own childhood companion, raised alongside me, was part of the Embroidered Uniform Guard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant deserves death, but the late Emperor only sought to protect Your Highness; and since Your Highness is filial, your servant has merely played the villain…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Cheng’en wept uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the one assigned to spy on the Crown Prince, he knew nearly all of the Prince’s private affairs—and indeed, there was no hint of rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Emperor’s death had nothing to do with the Crown Prince.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only blame his ill fortune: he had assumed the Emperor was in robust health and expected to outlive both him and the Crown Prince, never imagining fate was so capricious…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both of you, your deaths are pardoned, but your punishments are not—be sent to guard the late Emperor’s spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing waved his hand, a gesture of lifting high and setting down lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Ma’s eyes overflowed with tears—he had thought this was certain death, yet now there was a glimmer of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbeknownst to him, he was the best proof of the Crown Prince’s innocence; Fang Xing would keep him alive, to satisfy any future inquiries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-sixth year of Jingde.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s court session was unlike any other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princes who had long left the palace to establish their own households—Prince Tai Li Ruzhang and Prince Kang Li Rujin—had both arrived; though they concealed it, their haggard appearances were plain to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers took their places, civil officials on the left, military on the right, nobles and bureaucrats arranged in order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raise the imperial carriage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the eunuch’s cry, a phoenix chair was carried to the side of the imperial throne, sending shock through the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We pay homage to the Empress Dowager!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers bowed hastily as the Empress Dowager entered slowly, supported by none other than the Crown Prince—everyone knew something grave had occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last night… the Emperor suffered a sudden heart ailment and passed away…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Empress Dowager spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ruzhang burst into wailing: “I must see my father! I must see my father!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, Prince Kang, Prince Tai… you will naturally visit him after court. Now, let us discuss state affairs—no realm may go a day without a sovereign. What do you propose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the Crown Prince standing beside the imperial throne, who among the ministers did not know the outcome was sealed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Zhao stepped forward first: “The Crown Prince possesses noble character and the bearing of a dragon and phoenix; his succession is legitimate and proper—he must ascend the throne.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We beg the Crown Prince to inherit the Mandate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers bowed as one, like wheat cut down; Prince Kang and Prince Tai stood out, but soon suppressed their resentment and knelt: “We beg Your Highness the Crown Prince to ascend the throne…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing followed protocol, declining thrice and yielding thrice, then smiled bitterly: “Alas… you’ve made my life miserable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped before the imperial throne but did not sit, remaining standing: “Today, the most urgent matter for the court is the Emperor’s funeral rites… As the ancients said, ‘For three years, do not alter your father’s ways’—this is filial piety. I intend to follow it… Henceforth, while I preside over governance, all appointments and dismissals of officials above the third rank shall be temporarily frozen… until I am fully acquainted with the situation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who have often been Emperor know: the greatest mistake a ruler can make is launching grand reforms upon taking the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Fang Xing, who lacks the prestige of a founding emperor, whose sole legitimacy lies in being the late Emperor’s son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is fragile indeed—if he had not yet come of age, he could be easily humiliated by the Empress Dowager or the Grand Empress Dowager…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had come of age and immediately declared, “I shall enact new policies! I shall seize power! I shall smash pots! I shall smash many, many people’s pots!”—he would still be beaten like a pig’s head. Now, with the new Emperor just seated, grasping military or financial power is the dream of a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military and financial power ultimately depend on people to control them; the most vital power is personnel authority!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s entourage is weak—he has almost no loyalists!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To understand the palace guards and the Imperial Army within three years would be a miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, before becoming Emperor, one must break the deadlock by any means necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After becoming Emperor, one must sit calmly like a fisherman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the newly enshrined Grand Empress Dowager is already so old—time alone will wear her down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To believe that as Emperor, everyone must obey you is the stupidest notion… It’s as absurd as assuming all civil officials will inevitably form factions, united as one, like a hive of insects.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In truth, every subordinate has his own agenda—even if you promote a new group to overthrow the old, years later, they too will become vested interests, turning into the very people you despise…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Among civil officials, some are loyal, some treacherous, and some shift allegiances at will… some are merely loyal when the Emperor demands loyalty, treacherous when he demands treachery.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing looked down at the kneeling ministers, beginning with the princes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not a problem: the outcome was settled, the succession confirmed; if they rebelled now, they would be true traitors, to be crushed by all under heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people yearned for stability—no chaos could erupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the nobility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of the nobility, Fang Xing sighed: ancient battlefields were horrifically brutal; survivors, whether common soldiers or generals, often carried trauma—plainly put, they were mentally unstable, unfit for the peace of civilian life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially these nobles—how many rebel kings and false emperors’ heads had they chopped? Naturally, they held little reverence for imperial authority; once they held military power, they became instant destabilizing forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the founding generals of every dynasty met such grim ends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Fortunately, the first generation was a dragon, the second a worm… the third and fourth generations need not be mentioned—just wait them out.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Among civil officials, though some had schemed against rebel kings in turbulent times, they lacked power… once you sever the head, the problem is minor—without a head, a snake cannot move…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The so-called head is the one who controls discourse. Factionalism is normal, but there must be balance—also, if someone has cultivated prestige for decades, revered by scholars and commoners alike as a “sage,” beware: he seeks to seize discourse—let him die of illness, perfectly convenient.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Keep the nobility—it prevents accusations of cruelty and ingratitude, and helps suppress the civil officials… military and civil must be balanced.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Had the Qing not used the Eight Banners to restrain civil officials, how could the Emperor have enjoyed such ease?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Emperor’s realm, before the invention of paper, had to share half with aristocratic clans; after education spread to the poor, it had to share half with civil officials… the common folk had no place at all.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Because only civil and military officials are the foundation of rule.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If you wish to enlighten the people, let everyone read and write, then the Emperor’s crown will fall—and perhaps his head with it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The notion that the Emperor and the scholar-officials jointly govern the realm is fair enough—they only take half. But universal education? The cost would be mountains of treasure; even if ten treasuries could bear it, the outcome would still be the Emperor’s beheading.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As an Emperor, unless you wish to commit suicide, you can never pursue mass education…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ancient feudal dynasties always practiced elite education. Of course, if a peasant’s son studied and passed the imperial exams, he would be absorbed into the elite—the ruling class, to preserve its rule, always welcomed new blood and renewal…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing looked down, his mind made up: ‘The most vital thing about being Emperor is to be the judge, never the player—you will never lose!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And I am more composed than any past Emperor, for my power resides within myself—I can trust others without fear…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If someone has ability, use them fully; do not fear that great merit will threaten the throne, or that the rabbit’s death will lead to the hound’s slaughter…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these thoughts flashed through him, Fang Xing spoke calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise, all of you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Fang Xing received the homage of his ministers in court,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the palace,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mercy, my lord, mercy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several eunuchs were dragged out and beaten to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Hu showed no sign of emotion: “This palace must be thoroughly cleansed—how dare anyone leak information? Unthinkable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Report: ‘Qinghe Palace’ has been cleared…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A guard from the Crown Prince’s household hurried in: “Duke of Ying has received the edict and proceeded to the Imperial Army camp…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. As guards of the Crown Prince’s household, we must now seize control of palace defense…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Hu’s heart burned with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had once been merely a Squad Leader of the Crown Prince’s household, ninth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, even a third-rank General seemed within reach—this was the power of one man’s rise, lifting even dogs and chickens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The skilled warrior achieves no glorious fame; the old Duke of Ying wields great influence in the army. Though the late Emperor tried several purges, he could never fully root him out. Now, by appointing the new Duke of Ying, we leverage noble power to ensure the army remains stable…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the army remains stable, no great chaos can erupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for palace coups, the Xuanwu Gate Incident—all had been secretly arranged, linked, and preemptively neutralized by Fang Xing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, it left no opportunity for the opponent, extinguishing all dangers at their inception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, purging the internal moles within the palace is equally about severing ties between inside and outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Imperial Consort had countless backup plans, now that she has lost control of the palace, most of them are rendered useless; once she is separated from Prince Tai, they become entirely ineffectual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To outsiders, the coup appeared utterly dull, with no military clashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, if actual warfare had broken out, it would have severely damaged the Great Qian’s vital energy and plunged all living beings under heaven into suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1929,"2026-06-20T11:03:23.251Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","127c17fb1ac7eda4eb863e6ff8003c16805c946c7b2c9b358fda7d91ed71d3fa","starlight-professional-chapter-667","starlight-professional-chapter-665",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]