Surging undercurrents

The biggest problem with the daily log is that your handwriting is damn messy. Xu Qi'an thought to himself after asking.

Xu Erlang took a sip to moisten his throat and explained, "The Imperial Diarist is usually a top-ranking scholar who passed the imperial examination. He is a true close minister of the emperor, the most distinguished among the most prestigious."

"The imperial examinations were held every three years, so the Imperial Diarist would be replaced at most every three years, and some wouldn't even last a year. When I was reviewing these records at the Hanlin Academy, I discovered something very strange."

He intentionally kept everyone in suspense, but seeing his elder brother glancing at him sideways, he quickly coughed, abandoning his plan to keep them in suspense, and said:

"The daily records for the 10th and 11th years of the Yuanjing reign do not include the name of the court attendant, which is highly unusual."

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and asked, "Could it be that there was an oversight in the record, and the signature was forgotten?"

Xu Erlang shook his head. "The Imperial Diarists belong to the Hanlin Academy. We are responsible for compiling books and histories. How could we possibly make such a mistake? Brother, you are underestimating the Hanlin Academy too much."

"Furthermore, all the previous court officials signed their names, but not those in the 10th and 11th years of the Yuanjing reign? That's very strange. I suspect that the same person was responsible for both the 10th and 11th years."

The daily records for the 10th and 11th years of the Yuanjing reign are unsigned, and it is unknown who the corresponding court attendant was. If this is not an oversight, then why were the names erased?

If there is a problem with the daily living record, then the record should be revised, not the name of the person in charge of daily living should be erased.

Xu Qi'an's mind raced as he analyzed, "Could it be that the daily records are problematic, and the copy you made was later altered? And that official who recorded those records, knowing certain information, was murdered to silence him and removed from the register?"

Xu Erlang shook his head. "No, according to elder brother's deduction, even if someone were to kill to cover it up, there would be no need to erase the name. The real problem is the daily log, not the scribe's signature. We only need to modify the daily log."

You're right.

Xu Qi'an nodded. The order of importance should not be confused. What is truly important is the daily records. As long as the content is modified, then it is unnecessary to erase the name of the official in charge of recording the daily activities at that time, whether he was dismissed or silenced.

"Then, the problem lies with this court attendant himself," Xu Qi'an concluded.

"Is this court attendant connected to Emperor Yuanjing's secret?"

Xu Erlang lowered his voice. It was late at night, but his eyes were bright and piercing, showing great excitement.

I don't know if he had any connection with Emperor Yuanjing, but something came to mind.

Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples, unexpectedly discovering yet another matter related to Warlock.

If the problem lies with the court attendant himself, and his name disappears on its own, this familiar tactic is exactly the same as the case of Su Su's father, and it's exactly the same as the Warlock's act of concealing the secrets of heaven.

There are signs of manipulation by Warlock behind Su Hang's case, and the name of this court official has also been erased. There must be a connection between the two.

Something must have happened in the imperial court back then, and it must have been an earth-shattering event.

"I feel like I've overlooked something. Oh right, when I left Jianzhou, I asked the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Constable Chen of the Ministry of Justice to check Su Hang's case file."

Xu Qi'an was taken aback. If it weren't for Erlang's daily record, which made him re-examine the matter, he would have almost forgotten about Su Hang's case file.

With his fifth-grade Transformation Realm cultivation, his memory couldn't possibly be that bad.

It seems I need to keep a diary, lest I forget the clues I've worked so hard to uncover, "Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

"How do we investigate this court attendant? What's the most effective and quickest way?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"Naturally, I'll ask senior officials in the bureaucracy," Xu Cijiu without hesitation.

If the secrets of heaven are concealed, no one could possibly remember. Xu Qi'an shook his head. "Is there a better way?"

"Go to the Ministry of Personnel and check. The Ministry of Personnel's archives contain the files of all officials, including all the information on officials in the capital for the past six hundred years since the founding of the dynasty," Xu Erlang said.

He immediately shook his head. "These are all confidential. Brother, your current position is very sensitive. The Ministry of Personnel cannot, and dares not, grant you access."

Unless they are completely unrelated.

If Emperor Yuanjing knew, simply packing up and leaving would be merciful; he might even fabricate charges and imprison them.

"The Minister of Personnel seems to be a member of the Wang faction, right? Your future father-in-law can help me out," Xu Qi'an teased.

"Brother, please don't talk nonsense. Miss Wang and I are innocent. Besides, even if Miss Wang and I had a relationship, the Prime Minister Wang has never acknowledged me, and he doesn't even know I exist."

Xu Erlang waved his hand, refusing his elder brother's unrealistic request.

"What use are you?" Xu Qi'an criticized his younger brother.

"If you had seduced Miss Wang earlier and made it a fait accompli, all this trouble wouldn't have happened. I could have gone to the Ministry of Personnel to check the files tomorrow. Erlang, you're not as good as your elder brother in this respect. If it were your elder brother, Miss Wang would already be an old courtesan."

Xu Erlang scoffed and said irritably, "Besides sleeping with the most beautiful courtesan in the Imperial Academy of Music, which respectable woman has my elder brother ever slept with?"

Xu Qi'an's face immediately went blank.

The eldest brother laughed at the second brother, and the second brother mocked the eldest brother, resulting in a draw.

The air remained silent for a long time. The two brothers pretended nothing had happened and continued their discussion.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said, "We must find a way to go to the Ministry of Personnel; this is very important. Erlang, could you help your elder brother check the late emperor's daily records?"

The daily records of emperors throughout history are an important basis for writing history, and the Hanlin Academy was responsible for compiling history. It would be easy for Xu Erlang to check the daily records.

Xu Cijiu didn't ask why, and simply nodded.

How can I get into the Ministry of Personnel? Even Duke Wei couldn't do that unless he had a legitimate reason. Otherwise, Duke Wei wouldn't have the authority to enter the Ministry of Personnel to investigate the files. And I don't have any connections in the Ministry of Personnel. Well, I do have one person, but I've already released that person's nephew, so I can't blackmail him anymore.

Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples, his brow furrowed in worry.

"By the way, does Cijiu know about Xuzhou?"

Xu Qi'an calmed himself down, changed the subject, and, not forgetting the connection to the first supervisor, inquired about information from his knowledgeable younger brother.

Xu Xinnian frowned, thought for a long time, and shook his head, saying, "I've never heard of it. I'll look it up for you when I have some free time. Every dynasty changes the name of its prefectures."

"In addition, the names for the prefectures vary among the common people. For example, Jianzhou is also known as Wuzhou because the Martial Alliance has a huge influence in Jianzhou and has overshadowed the government. So, it was initially jokingly called Wuzhou, and this name gradually became the standard name."

"Main continents are relatively easy to find, as their names change frequently. However, smaller states, with their diverse numbers, require much longer searches."

Jianzhou is also known as Wuzhou, so is Xuzhou also an alias for another state? Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your trouble, Erlang."

The next day, Xu Erlang rode his horse to the Hanlin Academy. Strictly speaking, the position of Shujishi was not an official post, but rather a period of study and work experience.

After becoming a probationary official, Xu Erlang had to continue his studies, with tutors from the Hanlin Academy. During this time, he participated in book editing, assisted the scholars in annotating books, drafted imperial edicts for the emperor, and explained classics to the emperor, princes, and princesses.

Because of Xu Qi'an, Xu Erlang's future was greatly affected, and he was no longer qualified to do things such as drafting imperial edicts and explaining classics to the emperor.

It was also because of Xu Qi'an that he thrived in the Hanlin Academy and was treated with great respect.

The officials of the Hanlin Academy were the most distinguished of the elite, and they held themselves in high esteem. They greatly admired Xu Qi'an's actions and were therefore very polite to Xu Erlang as well.

After listening to the lecture by Ma Xiuwen, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, Xu Xinnian went to the archives and began to review the late emperor's daily records.

The emperor's daily records were not confidential; they were considered official documents that anyone in the Hanlin Academy could access, since they were intended to be recorded in history.

History books are for people to read.

Compared to Emperor Yuanjing, whose future historical records are destined to show more faults than merits and who is destined to be controversial, the late emperor's life can be described as unremarkable. He was neither incompetent nor capable, and during his 49-year reign, he only launched two foreign wars.

It was because the northern and southern barbarian tribes were pressing too hard that they had no choice but to send troops to punish them.

As he flipped through the pages, Xu Erlang came across a dialogue that took place in the 28th year of the reign of Emperor Zhenzong. The main characters in the dialogue were the late emperor and the previous generation's head of the Daoist sect.

The late emperor said, "Those who have received the mandate of heaven since ancient times have not lived forever. Can the Daoist School methods of longevity help them overcome this impending death?"

The head of the Renzong Daoist sect said, "Longevity is possible, but immortality is not."

The late emperor then said, "I have heard that the Daoist master transformed into the Three Pure Ones from one breath, thus beginning the Three Schools. I wonder if these three are one person, or three people?"

The conversation has ended.

"Huh, where did it end?" Xu Erlang muttered to himself as he continued flipping through the pages.

It is said that two hundred years ago, when Confucian School was at its peak, the emperor was not allowed to read the daily records of his emperor's life, let alone modify them. It was not until the establishment of the Imperial Academy and the withdrawal of scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy from the court that imperial power prevailed over everything.

From that time onward, the emperor was able to review and revise the daily records.

Of course, scholars from the Imperial Academy were not without integrity; they would argue with the emperor on reason and, to a certain extent, preserve the truth.

Xu Erlang didn't pay attention to this detail and continued reading, taking notes as he went.

Before we knew it, it was lunchtime.

After leaving the archives, Xu Erlang went to the dining hall for a meal. During the meal, he overheard several scholars of the Five Classics discussing the subject while eating.

"Today's court proceedings were truly spectacular."

"The Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong impeached Chief Minister Wang for accepting bribes, and the Vice Minister of War Qin Yuandao impeached Chief Minister Wang for embezzling military funds. Several other officials from the Six Ministries also submitted impeachments, as if they had planned it all out in advance."

"Ha, because of the massacre of the city by the Prince of Zhenbei, Chief Minister Wang has completely offended His Majesty. This matter is clearly His Majesty's way of targeting Chief Minister Wang and forcing him to resign."

"Wei Yuan must be overjoyed; he and Chief Minister Wang have always disagreed on political matters."

"Today is just the beginning; the real killer moves are yet to come. Prime Minister Wang is in serious trouble this time; it all depends on how he retaliates."

"Unless he can unite the officials in the court, but the royal faction cannot control everything in the court."

Xu Erlang frowned, feeling inexplicably irritated.

First, I thought of Wang Simu, and then I realized that the factional strife was intense during the year of the Capital Evaluation Capital Evaluation, and it has remained intense in the six months since.

Party strife followed by more party strife, and then more party strife.

How many of them are truly working for the people and for the court?

The one who caused this situation was none other than the emperor who was obsessed with cultivating Daoism.

The next day, things indeed escalated.

Left Censor-in-Chief Yuan Xiong once again submitted a memorial impeaching Chief Minister Wang, detailing six major crimes of corruption committed by Chief Minister Wang, and listing a total of twelve officials from Wang's faction involved.

Qin Yuandao, the Vice Minister of War, continued to impeach Chief Minister Wang for embezzling military funds, and also compiled a list.

Emperor Yuanjing was "furious" and ordered a thorough investigation.

This upheaval began without warning, swiftly and fiercely, just like the sword in a swordsman's hand.

The Wang faction was caught off guard by the massacre, and undercurrents were surging in the officialdom.

Xu Erlang took half a day off and rode his horse to the Wang Mansion to visit Wang Simu, the eldest daughter of the Wang family.

The gatekeeper of the Prince's mansion was already familiar with Xu Erlang. He said, "Please wait a moment," and quickly went inside. After a while, he returned jogging and said:

"Lord Xu, please follow me."

Xu Erlang was led to the reception room, where he met the dignified and gentle Miss Wang.

She remained as beautiful and lively as ever, but a deep sorrow lingered between her brows.

After Wang Simu dismissed the servants in the hall, Xu Erlang said in a deep voice, "I've heard about what happened in court these past two days. It's probably not just a simple warning; His Majesty is going to get serious."

"Erlang is indeed intelligent." Wang Simu forced a smile and said:

"Father pondered deeply in his study all night yesterday, and I knew then that something terrible was about to happen."

"The Grand Secretary is shrewd and experienced; he must have a solution," Xu Erlang reassured him.

Wang Simu shook his head with a wry smile, "This crisis came on suddenly and fiercely, and I'm afraid there's no time to prepare. Today a group of officials were imprisoned, and tomorrow it might be my father. His Majesty won't give my father a chance to react."

"I heard from my father that His Majesty summoned Qin Yuandao, the Vice Minister of War, and Yuan Xiong, the Left Censor-in-Chief, the day before yesterday. They came prepared."

"In the massacre of Chuzhou, Father and Wei Yuan, along with the officials, forced His Majesty to issue an edict of self-reproach. Now His Majesty has taken revenge."

Xu Erlang paused for a moment, then said, "Why doesn't the Grand Secretary join forces with Duke Wei?"

Wang Simu shook his head. "Duke Wei and my father have different political views and have always been enemies. We should be grateful that he didn't take advantage of our misfortune."

Xu Erlang was speechless for a moment. This was not the situation of the Chuzhou case back then, where all officials were on the same side against the imperial power.

For other officials, including Wei Yuan, the downfall of the Wang faction was a welcome development, as it meant more positions would become vacant.

These are tangible benefits, real benefits.

By taking advantage of the downfall of the Wang faction to strengthen themselves, they can gain greater influence and accomplish more.

"Non-Self father can unite all the parties in the short term, there is only a glimmer of hope. But for the parties, waiting for His Majesty to suppress my father is their greatest interest." Wang Simu sighed and said softly.

"Erlang, what should we do?"

Xu Erlang opened his mouth, but was speechless.

Haoqi Tower.

Nangong Qianrou sat beside him at the coffee table. The beautiful woman, with her cold demeanor, smiled and said, "Father, even if the Wang faction doesn't fall this time, it will suffer heavy losses. From now on, no one can stand in your way."

Wang Zhenwen and her adoptive father disagreed on political views, and Wang Zhenwen obstructed her adoptive father's promotion of new policies at every turn. After so many years of fighting, this stumbling block is finally about to be removed.

"It was never Wang Zhenwen who stopped me," Wei Yuan said, head bowed, examining a geomantic map.

"But it's good that they've fallen. With the Wang faction down, I'll have at least five years left."

He suddenly fell silent, and after a long while, he sighed softly, "In two months it will be the autumn harvest. My battlefield will no longer be in the imperial court. Let them be."

"My godfather is planning to regain control of the military." Nangong Qianrou's spirits lifted.

He immediately realized something was wrong. The plan to attack the Witch God Cult after the autumn harvest was something his adoptive father had planned long ago, but what he meant by these words was that he would not be in the court for a long time to come.

This means that fighting the Witch God Cult is no small matter; is the adoptive father planning a protracted war?

A question flashed through Nangong Qianrou's mind.

What's the reason?

P. S.: I had some writer's block, hence the late update.