In March, the willows were a soft expanse of green. Stirred by the breeze, they resembled gauzy emerald curtains, setting off the white tower and making it lovelier still.
Yet, as in Ziwei Palace itself and many places outside it, no one at the white tower of Langya Pavilion in the Western Park paid any attention to the scenery outside their workplace. Instead, they all waited with a peculiar attitude, waiting for the outcome of the contest between the Southern Office and the emperor:
Several days earlier, an unmistakable quarrel whose details remained unknown had broken out between His Majesty and the imperial uncle within the inner palace. The two had carried on from afternoon until evening. After Imperial Uncle Cao Lin left, dozens of palace maids and eunuchs who had been present were ordered to die that very night on charges of violating regulations.
For a time, the inner palace fell silent as cicadas in the cold...
Then an explicit decree arrived. The emperor required each of the seven Chancellors of the Southern Office to submit a memorial before the rest day of the current ten-day period, explaining his position on building the Great Golden Pillar and whether he supported having the Northern Office plan it in place of the Ministry of Works.
Moreover, the memorials would be posted inside Duan Gate, the main entrance to Ziwei Palace, for all the civil and military officials to see clearly.
The decree stated plainly that the Southern Office received the sovereign's wishes above and governed the realm on his behalf, while representing the officials below and uniting the hearts of his subjects. If the entire Southern Office deemed the proposal unacceptable, then he was no wayward, tyrannical monarch, and would never wield imperial authority arbitrarily to do as he pleased.
In