The Secretariat Office Holds Its Ground, Waiting for Them to Come Knocking

"The Marshfolk uprising in the Southern Border was very likely meant to coordinate with those Barbarians! I just don't know how these two sides got tangled up together."

In the Privy Council's Secretariat Office, several clerks were conversing in low voices. But the moment they saw Qiu Yan enter, they immediately fell silent, reined in their thoughts, and lowered their heads to their work.

Half a month had passed since Qiu Yan had taken up residence in this office. During that time, many things had happened. One of them was that the entire Secretariat Office had been completely brought under Qiu Yan's control.

After Qiu Yan and Wang Jing reached their verbal agreement, the officials and clerks in the office all understood the stakes. The officials realized that the methods they had relied upon were utterly useless against Qiu Yan, while the clerks understood that whether they remained or left was no more than a thought away for him.

Thus, Qiu Yan did not need to win anyone over or sow division. With sheer pressure and coercion, he easily forced the entire office into complete submission.

In the days that followed, it was not as though no one harbored ulterior intentions. But whenever the slightest sign emerged, Qiu Yan did not probe or beat around the bush. He simply replaced them outright.

As for those removed, Qiu Yan recited every deed they had committed as though recounting his household treasures, often leaving them drenched in sweat and departing in shame.

Qiu Yan did not even need to deliberately investigate the replacements. It was as though every clerk in the entire Imperial City had been imprinted in his mind. He could readily name who suited which position and what work.

Under the usual procedures, however, clerks newly entering the office would