That day's court assembly ended unusually early, but many experienced old hands knew it was not because there was little business to attend to. On the contrary, something major might have happened!
Some fifth- and sixth-rank minor capital officials, preparing to head home after court, looked at the sedan chairs bearing black qilin outside Vermilion Bird Gate and wondered to themselves.
In the capital, only dukes were entitled to put qilin on their sedan chairs. Nine chairs stood outside Vermilion Bird Gate, meaning all nine dukes still in the capital had come!
Great Jin held grand and minor court assemblies. Generally, capital officials of the seventh rank and above were eligible to attend grand assemblies, while minor assemblies required Subordinate Fourth Rank. Normally, there were two grand assemblies and five minor assemblies a month, and they did not overlap.
Today, not only had they overlapped, but even several dukes who had not appeared in a long time were present. Something extraordinary must have happened!
Officials with a little cunning did not dare discuss it lightly. They bid their colleagues farewell and went home early. Some less worldly new officials eagerly discussed it in private, unaware that palace shadow guards standing in the dark were recording every word clearly with brush and paper...
About an hour later, once the officials below the fourth rank had withdrawn, the remaining high officials of the capital and the newly arrived nobles and military commanders gathered together. The doors of the court assembly closed again!
The illustrious gathering made even the historian recording the proceedings tread carefully. Since the new dynasty's founding, most of the nine dukes stationed in the capital had rarely attended court. At the very least, occasions when all nine assembled like this were exceedingly rare. The last time had been when His Highness the Crown Prince was formally appointed!
The nine dukes wore black qilin robes. Apart from the newly ennobled Duke of Song, Liu Yu, the other eight all came from bloodline Households. Many also knew that these eight Lineages were great Lineages with a thousand years of history. Truly, dynasties came and went like flowing water, while bloodline Aristocratic Clans stood firm as iron!
"Minister Liu, explain what happened..." The emperor rested on his dragon throne with his eyes closed, his tone indifferent, but everyone at court could sense that His Majesty was in a poor mood.
"Yes!" Liu Yu first bowed in acknowledgment, then turned and briefly recounted what had happened in Liuzhou.
Most of the civil and military officials looked shocked. Whether it was Thousand-Faced Fox killing the third-place graduate and infiltrating the Yuchi Household, or Painted Skin Mister controlling Liuzhou's entire officialdom, both sounded far too horrifying!
Most of the older men looked as though they had suddenly remembered something. After over twenty years of peace, many had already forgotten that this was a world with terrifying demons lurking within it...
Countless officials secretly rejoiced that they served in the capital, with its many safeguards. Otherwise, serving elsewhere, they might have ended up like their colleagues in Liuzhou-turned into puppets without their parents, wives, or children even knowing...
"Your Majesty!" An official wearing a second-rank red crane robe stepped forward. "With something so serious happening in Liuzhou, Yuchi Peng remained utterly unaware throughout his five years stationed there. Such negligence must be severely punished!"
At those words, the military officials all sneered. Those who could remain at court now all came from bloodline Households. They turned toward the civil officials like hungry wolves eyeing sheep, and a host of civil officials were so frightened by their imposing presence that their legs buckled and they collapsed!
The disgraceful spectacle immediately sent the military commanders into hearty laughter, while the civil officials flushed crimson with shame and anger.
Of course, some civil officials remained standing. At least the Nine Ministers and the grand academicians of the various halls had not been intimidated into falling. Their gazes were cold as they looked toward the military officials.
"Enough!" The emperor's face darkened. At a time like this, they still had not forgotten to oppose one another!
"Your Majesty..." Among the nine dukes, a dark-faced, burly man with a full beard chuckled, utterly unconcerned by the emperor's gloomy expression. He pointed at the minister of personnel who had just spoken. "This old fellow is no good at all. The Yuchi Household sent its Lineage's most promising descendant to guard Jiangnan, and now even their old matriarch has been murdered, yet this old fellow still insists on splashing dirty water on them!"
The minister of personnel remained cold-faced. "You hold noble titles and share the nation's fortunes. Serving the court is only natural. Are you justified in failing at your duties?"
"Heh..." The burly man sneered. "You make it sound as though you civil officials don't draw salaries. By your reasoning, Mu Hongqing, Jiangnan's education commissioner, is responsible for unusual affairs in Jiangnan. Shouldn't he bear the greatest responsibility?"
"Enough!" The emperor interrupted their argument, somewhat helpless. "I summoned you here today to resolve this matter, not to argue over who should bear responsibility."
"This subject proposes a complete purge of Liuzhou's officialdom!" A tall, lean, fair-skinned middle-aged man stepped forward. He was handsome, and his build looked utterly out of place among the broad-shouldered, thick-waisted commanders around him. Yet every military commander fell silent when he spoke. Clearly, his prestige was immense.
The emperor looked toward him, a meaningful look in his eyes.
The Duke of Qin: Lu Ming!
Among the former followers of the King of Qin, his prestige had been the greatest. It was because of that prestige that most of the military commanders had not revolted after the King of Qin's death. It was also because he had no intention of continuing the struggle that the Xiao Household... had been able to ascend the throne!
If there was anyone the imperial family feared most now, it was this man. Even the founding emperor, whose prestige surpassed all others, ordinarily had to treat him with a measure of courtesy. At the dynasty's founding, he had even been willing to grant him the standing of a prince, but Lu Ming had refused.
Some powerful figure in the capital must have had a hand in this Thousand-Faced Fox incident. As for who had that kind of influence, the man before him was highly suspect.
The emperor paused. "A purge?"
"Yes..." Lu Ming, Duke of Qin, bowed. "Although, according to the deputy chief of the Court of Judicial Review, all the puppet officials in Liuzhou revealed their true forms after Painted Skin Mister died and became immobile wooden puppets, we cannot rule out suspicion toward Liuzhou's other officials. To be safe, this subject believes every official under Liuzhou's jurisdiction should immediately be recalled to the capital for a thorough investigation, while new officials should be dispatched to take over their posts!"
"This..." The emperor frowned. This was rather too sweeping a move, but Lu Ming was right. After something like this, Liuzhou did indeed need a purge. Perhaps the entire Jiangnan region would require rigorous investigation as well.
If there could be a Painted Skin Mister, there could be other things too. Jiangnan was a major source of the court's tax revenue. Nothing else could be allowed to go wrong there!
"You make it sound simple, Duke of Qin!" The minister of personnel sneered. "Liuzhou is a directly administered major prefecture, with nineteen counties under its jurisdiction and no fewer than three hundred officials involved. Where am I supposed to find that many new officials for you?"
The civil officials all nodded. The dynasty had only recently been founded, and capable civil officials were what it lacked most. Everywhere was short of officials, making transfers from elsewhere impossible. Liuzhou was such an enormous hole that even sending everyone from the Hanlin Academy would not fill it...
The Duke of Qin courteously bowed to the minister of personnel before saying, "Did His Majesty not just hold a special imperial examination? Are there not over three hundred successful graduates awaiting appointments?"
"Those... those were intended for the north..." The minister of personnel frowned. "If we give them to Liuzhou, what happens to Yanyun?"
"This subject believes Yanyun can remain under the administration of the Northern Yan Kingdom's former officials for now..." Lu Ming cupped his hands again. "With a large army stationed there, and the Yan Kingdom too gravely weakened to invade, there is no need to worry about unrest for the moment. Your Majesty can dispatch inspectors to supervise how those former Northern Yan officials conduct their duties. If they serve capably, our dynasty can generously accept them as formal officials, demonstrating Great Jin's magnanimity!"
The emperor nodded slightly. "Minister Lu's proposal is indeed a solution. But Liuzhou is a directly administered major prefecture. The magistrates and county commandants of its nineteen counties can be drawn from the new graduates, but what of the officials in Liuzhou's prefectural administration?"
The other civil officials nodded as well. "Exactly. Even Liuzhou's assistant prefect holds Principal Sixth Rank. The circuit intendants and the new education officer are all fifth-rank officials. Are we to pull up seedlings to help them grow and appoint new graduates directly?"
Lu Ming's expression did not change, and his tone remained calm. "The Ministry of Personnel can fill the circuit intendants' posts by promoting officials from other regions as appropriate. For the education officer's post, this subordinate recommends sending two academic officials trained as spellcasters. All spellcasters our dynasty posts outside the capital serve as education commissioners. First, this is because spellcasters are rare and there are too few of them; second, it is because their stability must be observed, and we dare not lightly send those who are too young out of the capital."
"But Liuzhou's circumstances are now exceptional. Moreover, after the recent Painted Skin Mister incident, this subject believes that place must still harbor sinister beings that have not been eliminated. Mu Hongqing, Jiangnan's education commissioner, and his few apprentices alone will likely be unable to cope."
The emperor considered this for a while, then nodded slightly. "Minister Lu's arrangements are sound. I approve!"
He then looked toward the minister of personnel. "As for Liuzhou's chief official, Minister Yan, do you have anyone to recommend?"
The minister of personnel's expression immediately turned pained. The shortage of personnel throughout the realm already had him frantic. Several memorials requesting an increase in the number of successful examination graduates had been rejected. Where was he to find a suitable candidate to transfer there?
"Perhaps... the new top graduate?"
"That would be inappropriate..." Before the emperor could speak, Liu Yu, Duke of Song, shook his head first. "Even after two years of study at the Hanlin Academy, a new top graduate can receive no higher than a sixth-rank posting outside the capital. That rule cannot be broken..."
Though Liu Yu held a duke's title, he counted as one of the civil officials. Once he spoke, none of the Nine Ministers, including the minister of personnel, objected.
"This subject does have someone in mind..." Lu Ming raised his head and smiled.
"Oh?" The emperor looked at him with interest. "This is the first time I have heard you recommend an official. Let us hear it."
"This subject read Deputy Chief Wang Ye's memorial. That new graduate named Chen Qing seems to have rendered considerable service in this incident?"
"Chen Qing?" The emperor and the other ministers all paused. Wang Ye's memorial had mentioned him. It seemed Wang Ye's escape from danger this time had largely been thanks to this man.
"Well..." Liu Yu frowned. "Wang Ye's memorial did indeed praise him highly. When my unworthy disciple was in peril, this new graduate named Chen Qing handled matters with quick wits. He was indeed extraordinary, but appointing him directly as the chief official of a prefecture is still..."
"Your Majesty..." Lu Ming smiled as he spoke. "May I ask whether the crown prince's consort selection will take place as scheduled?"
At those words, the entire court fell silent. No one had expected this most sensitive matter to be raised first by the usually reserved and silent Duke of Qin.
Thousand-Faced Fox had yet to be found, but His Majesty's explicit decree had already been proclaimed. Whether to prioritize safeguarding the foundation of the state or the principle that a sovereign's words were no jest was indeed a sensitive dilemma.
The emperor narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. "What are you suggesting, Minister Lu?"
Lu Ming cupped his hands. "According to the deputy chief of the Court of Judicial Review's memorial, the graduate named Chen Qing is unaffected by Thousand-Faced Fox's influence on memory. If he can find Thousand-Faced Fox, it will be a great achievement. Combined with his contributions in the Liuzhou incident, promoting him to the fifth rank would just about be defensible."
"Chen Qing..." The emperor looked at the Duke of Qin's calm, smiling face, then glanced at the other dukes, whose expressions betrayed nothing. Then he, too, smiled. "Very well. We shall do as you suggest!"