Only when the complaints gradually died down did the authoritative elderly voice from earlier speak again. "We've all run into trouble. That's why we're doing something taboo today."
"I don't want to say much more," he said. "We need to agree on what to do."
A few seconds later, someone said, "Whatever happens, the Reform cannot continue!"
"Exactly! This can't go on!"
"There has to be a limit to the Reform!"
"You can't put a 'limit' on something like this. The Reform benefits the Petty Officials, and they let a little trickle through their fingers to those peasants. Naturally, everyone's delighted—as for the long term, the Second Prince won't have to govern the realm anyway!"
"Exactly! He's acting so recklessly because he'll never be emperor and won't have to clean up the mess!"
"If this goes on, we'll suffer. Does anyone think the Imperial Court will fare any better?"
"Think of it as water. The Imperial Court is a mighty river, and we common people are its smaller streams. If all the streams run dry, can the mighty river remain untouched?"
Before long, someone had to urge them again, "Everyone, stop complaining. However much you complain, it won't solve anything!"
"That's right. We've complained countless times over the past two years. What good would one more time do?"
The secret chamber fell quiet. After a while, someone asked softly, "Then... what do you all think we should do?"
Silence continued. A deathly silence.
Discussions like this had taken place countless times over the past two years, and every one of them had ended here.
Complaining was one thing. Finding a solution was another.
The Imperial Court could tolerate complaints, but it would never allow people to go beyond complaining and work out how to solve the problem.
Only the Imperial