Chapter 60: Let the Storm Come All the Fiercer

The great hall was utterly silent, so quiet a dropped needle could be heard.

The attending eunuch beside the pillar gave a violent shiver, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Zhao Xu stood on the steps ahead without speaking, his body unmoving, as if carved from stone or wood.

Zhao Ti stood at the center of the great hall likewise motionless, his gaze falling upon the imperial edicts on the dragon writing desk.

Among those edicts there must surely be his own name—restore the New Methods, suppress court officials, silence every dissenting voice in the court, begin with the Huang Sect first, so that no one could find words to object.

Zhao Xu had endured in silence for nearly ten years, from Emperor Shenzong's passing in the eighth year of Yuanfeng to Gao Taotao's death in the ninth year of Yuanyou—a span of ten years, during which there was scarcely a moment he was not thinking of restoring the New Methods.

After Emperor Shenzong passed, Gao Taotao immediately abolished the New Methods and reinstated the old. Yet Zhao Xu showed not a trace of displeasure, instead assisting at her side, speaking of learning the affairs of governance.

But roughly half a year after assuming personal rule, he suddenly began to act—continuing Emperor Shenzong's established laws, suppressing and demoting all officials of the old faction, stripping titles and posthumous names even from the dead, and pursuing them for their crimes.

Zhao Xu naturally wished to restore the New Methods as quickly as possible, but he had no opening to do so. Precisely because he could not find that moment, it dragged on for half a year, until finally he changed the era name to Shaosheng and forced the implementation through.

Zhao Xu had no supporters. Throughout the court, above and below, not a single person knew his thoughts. Even if they had, with the old faction now in power, no one would stand by his side—they would only denounce him, rebuke him, count his faults, count his wrongs!

"King Yan… why this memorial?" Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Ti, his voice low.

"Your subject… believes the New Methods are beneficial to the realm and the people. Compared with the old, the benefits outweigh the harms!"

"Is that all?"

"Your subject… would proclaim his father's will, proclaim the late Emperor's heart of strengthening the realm!"

Zhao Xu gazed at Zhao Ti, his expression strange: "Does King Yan perhaps think I lack the heart to strengthen the realm, lack the will to inherit from the late Emperor?"

Zhao Ti said nothing. Whatever he said would be wrong, so he simply kept his mouth shut.

"The Grand Empress Dowager cast aside the old laws. King Yan…"

"Your subject had not entered court. Personally attending and revering my grandmother is the filial duty of a descendant; petitioning to restore the New Methods is to fulfill my father's aspiration." Zhao Ti said calmly.

Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Ti for a long moment: "Yang Jian, fetch a chair for King Yan to sit."

The eunuch brought over a chair, and Zhao Ti sat down upon it.

"Can King Yan present his memorial before the full court?" Zhao Xu looked at Zhao Ti, drawing a breath as he spoke.

"Your subject can present it!" Zhao Ti said lightly.

"If the assembled ministers attack you, what then?"

"Your subject has practiced Wu Gong in the palace since childhood—how could I care for the few words of literati?"

Zhao Xu said: "Does King Yan not fear offending the entire court, civil and military alike?"

Zhao Ti said: "To restore the New Methods, to fulfill the late Emperor's will—your subject's heart knows no fear."

Zhao Xu was silent for a long time. The great hall was terrifyingly still. The eunuch called Yang Jian pressed tight against the hall pillar, mute as a winter cicada clinging to a tree, his breathing seemingly inaudible.

"If your title were lowered and you were punished, what then, King Yan?"

Zhao Ti, seated in the chair, smiled faintly: "Without title, without rank, a common man may yet cry out his will!"

Zhao Xu nodded, and slowly descended the imperial steps: "King Yan, come with me and see how fierce the wind and rain outside may be."

The eunuch hurried ahead and pushed open the door with his hands.

Zhao Ti rose and followed Zhao Xu toward the hall doors.

The eunuch gently opened the doors. Outside, wind and rain lashed together as if the heavens were collapsing. In the dark night the wind howled, raindrops pelted down in a dense, seamless barrage.

Zhao Xu sighed softly: "What a fierce wind and rain. Tokyo… has not seen such heavy rain in a long time."

Zhao Ti gazed into the night sky, black as some primordial beast, his expression calm and indifferent. Since wind and rain had come, let them strike all the harder…

The Great Song held three grand court assemblies each year, on New Year's Day, the first day of the fifth month, and the winter solstice.

At the grand assembly, officials of the court came to pay homage; each prefecture dispatched tribute-bearing envoys with gifts to attend. Examinees in the capital who had not yet received official rank could also take their places in proper attire.

The first grand assembly of the ninth year of Yuanyou had already passed. The second was originally to be held in the fifth month, but because Grand Empress Dowager Gao Taotao had passed away and Zhao Xu had assumed personal rule, this second grand assembly was moved up to the thirtieth day of the third month.

Fast horses were dispatched from the capital region to deliver the news, and the various circuits and prefectures had long suspected and prepared. Envoys from distant prefectures had already set out for Jingcheng ahead of time.

After returning that night, Zhao Ti did not enter the palace again. By day he went out to enjoy the scenery; by night he diligently cultivated his internal Wu Gong.

The weather was fine now, the season of warm spring blossoms in the third month. Within Wang Fu the scenery was pleasant. Zhao Ti sat in a lakeside pavilion drinking tea, watching a little maid scatter feed to the carp in the water.

The fish seemed to understand human nature. When Zhao Ti approached, they never gathered or opened their mouths to beg for food; but once the little maid went over, they all swarmed around her, the lively ones even leaping from the water.

In the distance, Tong Guan carried a hoe, busy tending the flower beds. Wang Fu already had a great garden, but Tong Guan had said building a few smaller flower beds would make the scenery even lovelier.

Zhao Ti had ordered him to handle the matter, but once Tong Guan had built them, the plant he grew most was the hollyhock.

The hollyhock bears purple-white blossoms, opening toward the sun, chief among mallows. The Book of Songs and Erya contain many praises of it. It can be used as medicine, cooling in shade, dispelling heat, greatly benefiting the lower body.

The "mallow" in the Mallow Manual refers to this mallow, not the common sunflower. The sunflower only entered the realm in the late Ming—the timing does not match, and its form bears no resemblance whatsoever to the manual's Cultivation Technique.

Zhao Ti saw Tong Guan planting hollyhocks and paid no mind. Perhaps he missed Li Xian, or perhaps it benefited his own practice. In any case, he let him do as he pleased, so long as the sight was pleasing.

At this moment the little maid had finished feeding the fish. Zhao Ti said: "Ruyi, call Captain Tong over."

The little girl answered and went to call him. A moment later Tong Guan came running with his flower hoe, stopping outside the pavilion: "Your Highness seeks me?"

Zhao Ti said: "How goes your Wu Gong practice now?"

Tong Guan said: "Your Highness, this servant's Wu Gong has progressed extremely fast—I have already reached minor completion."

Zhao Ti nodded: "How far behind your godfather are you?"

Tong Guan shook his head, blushing: "Your Highness, I am far behind him. It would take ten or twenty years to catch up."

Zhao Ti said: "There's no rush. The martial path values accumulation above all—practice slowly. Change your clothes, summon Zhou Dong, and come with me out of the city for a stroll."

Tong Guan acknowledged and turned to run off. He feared most that Zhao Ti would mention Wu Gong, dreading that Zhao Ti would ask him for the Mallow Manual. He wanted nothing more than to become a sinner.

Later they left the residence, exiting through Tokyo's south gate. Outside the southern city, many tourists were flying kites. Zhao Ti bought a large centipede kite; Tong Guan and Zhou Dong carried and launched it behind him. For a time it hung fierce and menacing in the sky, swaying its head and tail, frightening the smaller kites—spring swallows and butterflies—around it into fleeing.

In the evening he returned to the residence to continue practicing his Wu Gong. The next day he went strolling again. Unknowingly time passed, and in the blink of an eye the thirtieth day of the third month, the day of the grand assembly, arrived.

This grand assembly differed from those before, involving Zhao Xu's assumption of personal rule. There were many rites to perform, as well as examinations of the tribute envoys from the various regions. It dragged on and on, stretching all the way to the shen hour of the afternoon.

Once the inner rites and outer affairs were complete, the court officials began to offer their remonstrances. Zhao Ti stepped forward directly from the front of his rank, slightly raising his court tablet toward the dais above, and said: "Your Majesty, your subject has a memorial to present!"