New Year's Eve.
Yin Zhong, Pei Ju, and the father-and-son pair Zhou Ming shared a New Year's Eve dinner.
After the meal, Yin Zhong took the initiative to leave, leaving only the father and son behind.
Pei Ju dismissed the attendants and led Zhou Ming on a stroll through the residence, clearly intending to say a few private words.
The guards and servants around them had all departed, but three little fellows who could not read the situation at all trotted after Zhou Ming.
"Are these the three dogs you had ten innate martial artists capture for you?" Pei Ju asked, glancing at the three little fellows by Zhou Ming's feet.
"Yes. The white one is called Meow Meow, the black one is Mimi, and the brown one is Laifu."
"What kind of names are those? What a mess."
Pei Ju picked up Laifu, and the little dog immediately began barking wildly.
Watching the little creature's panicked struggles in his hand, he did not know what he had thought of, but a trace of a smile appeared in his eyes.
He simply tucked it into his arms and said, "Stop spending all your days fishing and teasing dogs. Do something proper. How has the matter I asked you to investigate regarding the Four Great Secret Agents been going?"
Zhou Ming said, "I think the most suspicious place in the capital is the World's Best Manor. But after having people monitor it for so many days, neither the manor lord Shangguan Hai, the financial backer behind him, Wan Sanqian, nor Jiang Jinjiu, the world's greatest detective whom Shangguan Hai values most within the manor, seems to have shown any flaws.
"Godfather, I think we will never uncover their identities by investigating like this. It would be better to actively create opportunities and force them to reveal themselves."
"An opportunity... hmm..."
Pei Ju considered for a moment. "There is indeed an opportunity in court recently that we can make use of."
"What matter is it?"
"There is a court official named Yang Yuxuan. He previously submitted a memorial calling for power to be returned to the emperor, but we rejected it. However, he clearly will not give up."
"This can be used?"
Pei Ju nodded, then began explaining the current court situation to Zhou Ming.
Fourteen years ago, the many princes began fighting for power.
That struggle lasted ten years.
After ten years, the princes were either dead or ruined. Not a single one emerged victorious; they were all losers.
There was naturally something suspicious about it.
The late emperor noticed this and kept one prince he valued by his side, carefully instructing him.
He also provided him with all kinds of political resources.
It was at that time that Pei Ju became the prince's teacher.
Half a year later, the late emperor fell gravely ill.
Before his death, he made many arrangements. First, he elevated the prince to Crown Prince and issued an imperial edict of succession. Then he had Zhu Wushi establish Dragon Guard Manor. Immediately afterward, he promoted Pei Ju to Grand Tutor and appointed him Grand Secretary.
Even Cao Zhengchun, Director of the Eastern Depot, was granted immense authority.
Those were the major powers.
Below them were Jinyiwei Qinglong, the Six Doors' Chief Constable, Dali Temple Guo Juxia, and Zhuge Zhengwo of Divine Marquis Manor.
From this, one could see the late emperor's wisdom.
Zhu Wushi, Pei Ju, and Cao Zhengchun already held high positions and great power at the time, so he raised all three to the same level and made them contend with one another.
Though Qinglong, the Chief Constable, Guo Juxia, and Zhuge Zhengwo were all utterly loyal, their positions and authority had not been high at the time.
No matter how much they were elevated, they could not be raised straight to the heavens in one step.
Thus, they could only be placed in positions with great authority and strong independence.
With three great powers and four lesser ones, the three could balance one another while the four remained loyal, ensuring that the Crown Prince could ascend the throne smoothly. Perhaps even reclaiming power in the future would not be merely a dream.
In truth, aside from the four lesser powers, there was also a fifth.
It was the Western Depot.
But the Western Depot was rather unfortunate. It had been the late emperor's final arrangement, and not long after the edict was issued, he died.
As the various affairs that followed were handled, the matter of the Western Depot was directly delayed. By the time anyone turned back to it, the three great powers already held immense authority and naturally had no desire to add another competitor.
Although the late emperor's edict was followed and the Western Depot was ultimately established, it was nothing more than an empty shell.
The Crown Prince ascended the throne under the reign title Zhengde. He was only thirteen and held no power at all.
All authority was completely controlled by Zhu Wushi, Pei Ju, and Cao Zhengchun.
They had held it for three years!
Now, in the blink of an eye, the emperor was sixteen—seventeen by nominal age, practically eighteen—and naturally wanted to reclaim power.
At the same time, with authority controlled by the three great powers and divided among the four lesser ones, the other court officials were naturally dissatisfied and wanted a share of power as well.
Thus, Yang Yuxuan was pushed forward.
They claimed they wanted power returned to the emperor, but in truth, they too wanted to fight for power and profit.
Yet Yang Yuxuan, the man pushed forward, did not know this.
He was a loyal and upright minister who sincerely wanted the emperor to hold power.
He was merely being used by those people.
After all, the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. Even if this succeeded, the three great powers would at most be weakened somewhat. They could not bear the retaliation that would follow.
If it failed, there was even less to say.
Yang Yuxuan was willing to step forward, and they could not have been happier.
"So that was it..."
After Pei Ju's analysis, Zhou Ming immediately gained some understanding of the court situation.
"Godfather, then the emperor's plan to hold a grand celebration for True Man Zhang's hundredth birthday was also for..."
"Correct. He wants to use this to gain True Man Zhang's support!"
"If so, then although His Majesty is young, his mind is not lacking in the slightest. To think he found such an ingenious way to break the deadlock..."
Zhou Ming praised him.
Since ancient times, reaching seventy was rare. Those over seventy were already considered blessed with longevity, let alone one hundred.
Not to mention that this hundred-year-old was True Man Zhang, a top Grandmaster with an extraordinary status in the Ming State.
The emperor wanted to hold a grand birthday celebration for True Man Zhang.
No one could find fault with such a matter, nor could anyone possibly oppose it.
The only person who could oppose it was likely True Man Zhang himself.
But...
"True Man Zhang will likely see through its deeper meaning as well."
Pei Ju nodded. "Naturally."
Zhou Ming smiled. "Then does that mean the grand gathering on Wudang Mountain on the nineteenth day of the fourth month next year is one hundred percent certain?"
"Correct. True Man Zhang stands apart from worldly affairs and does not concern himself with mundane matters. As long as he sees through the deeper meaning, he will certainly agree."
Thus, the current emperor had chosen an exquisite angle, a direction that would almost certainly proceed as he wished.
Once this succeeded, it would represent True Man Zhang's recognition of the new emperor.
Secondly, it would allow the new emperor to use True Man Zhang's hundredth birthday to make a proper appearance before the entire nation, letting people know that the new emperor was no longer too young and could take power.
At that time, paired with Yang Yuxuan's memorial calling for power to be returned to the emperor, it would form an offensive both inside and outside the court.
If Pei Ju and the other two refused, their reputations would suffer once word spread.
But if they accepted, the emperor would gain power.
In short, whether good or bad, it would benefit the emperor. The only difference lay in how much he gained.
"Then what does Godfather intend to do?"
"Heh heh," Pei Ju said with a smile. "I am the emperor's teacher. Naturally, I stand on the emperor's side. If the emperor wants it, how could his subjects refuse to return it?"
"Oh?"
Zhou Ming did not believe that his godfather would truly hand power back.
But Pei Ju clearly had no intention of telling Zhou Ming what he planned.
Let Zhou Ming figure it out himself... Heh. Today was the first time he had learned roughly of the current court situation from his godfather. How could he possibly guess Pei Ju's thoughts?
"Tomorrow is the first day of the first month, the grand court assembly. It is quite a good opportunity."
Pei Ju said, "I wonder whether Yang Yuxuan can realize that... Hmm, I should have someone remind him."
Before you continue