That night, in the Eastern Warm Pavilion of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The lamps blazed brightly. Several appointment documents lay spread across the Imperial Desk, their drafts already prepared by the Grand Secretariat.
Each had been written with meticulous care, every procedure duly completed.
They needed only the emperor's endorsement in vermilion ink to become final the next day.
"Heh." Emperor Jing of Zhou gave a cold laugh as he surveyed the documents.
"Kou Yuan took the Ministry of Revenue, the Upright Officials took the Censorate, and Feng Yan took the Selection Bureau.
The three sides traded among themselves and divided my official posts quite neatly.
Shen Duan wants Wei Nisheng in the Selection Bureau, and Feng Yan wants him there too.
One has a debt of gratitude to repay; the other wants to place a piece in the Ministry of Personnel.
Once the two put their heads together, there will be neither dispute nor competition at tomorrow's Court Recommendation.
They have delivered this vacancy smoothly into my hands.
It seems that all I, the emperor, am permitted to do is nod!"
Hearing the wrong note in the emperor's voice, Wang Cheng briefly stilled the hand grinding ink. Choosing his words carefully, he said,
"Your Majesty, Department Secretary of the Selection Bureau is merely a minor Principal Sixth Rank post.
The Grand Secretariat submitted two candidates, as the rules require.
Grand Tutor Feng and Grand Secretary Shen...
Presumably, each is serving his own side. They would not necessarily dare strike bargains before Your Majesty.
Grand Secretary Feng has stayed away from court on grounds of illness these past days, while Grand Secretary Shen has returned home to await impeachment proceedings. They cannot even meet, so how could they coordinate..."
"They have no need to meet." Emperor Jing of