A Pawn's Passage

The Imperial City welcomed the first snow of the year. The snow on the main road leading from the Imperial City to the Grand Canal’s pier had been swept to the side, creating a stark contrast in colors.

Every year, 20,000 boats from the Imperial Court and provincial governments would dock at the Grand Canal. At the end of the year, crowds of people would gather at the dock to pick up the goods before the heavy snow arrived. However, this pier was not the end of the Grand Canal. There was also a section of the canal that connected to the moat of the Imperial Capital.

After passing through the watergate, one could directly enter Taiji Lake in the Imperial Capital. However, only authorized boats carrying royal tributes had access to this waterway.

The Grand Canal referred to a canal system that originated before the unification of China. During the Warring States period, the State of Wu was vying for dominance over the Central Plains against the State of Qi. Thus, they excavated a canal near Jinling Prefecture to divert water from the Yangtze River.

Historically known as the Han Canal, the Grand Canal formed the basis of what later became the Grand Canal. Throughout successive dynasties, especially during the Jin Dynasty, the canal underwent significant expansions, eventually connecting the south of the Yangtze River with the Imperial Capital in the north.

The Grand Canal traversed 4 provinces, 11 prefectures, and 23 counties, spanning approximately 1,800 kilometers. The grains produced in Jiangnan accounted for two-thirds of the world’s production. This canal played a vital role in transporting produce to the Imperial Capital, making it the lifeline of the empire.

There was a saying that heavy snow was a sign of the following year’s good harvest. Thus, the officials of the Department of Astronomy were delighted. The Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War were also glad to see such heavy snow.

Only one department in the Imperial Court was vexed and flustered by the snowstorm: the Ministry of Grain Transport. The Imperial City had a population of millions, all relying on this grand canal for the transportation of supplies. The last few batches of grain and silver, as well as all kinds of royal tributes, had to be transported to the Imperial City before the winter solstice. Otherwise, they would have failed in their duties if the river froze before they delivered the goods.

Therefore, in the past few days, the rivers entering the Imperial District were full of boats, causing congestion in the canal.

The snow was getting heavier, blanketing the riverbanks and clouding people’s vision. Thus, it was hard to avoid other boats, and bumps were inevitable. However, most of the people who were rushing at this time were the officials. When their boats were bumped, they would not let up easily.

Although high-ranking officials would not be on the boat, and most of the officials onboard were lower-ranking officials, most of them acted high and mighty. They looked down on others and unleashed their anger on anyone who got in their way. Thus, it was common to hear yelling and cursing.

At this moment, a large ship sailed in amidst the wind and snow. A huge lantern that had “Green Phoenix Guard” written on it and black flags bearing their name fluttered in the wind.

Seeing this, all the boats hurriedly moved to both sides of the river to avoid the ship.

The Green Phoenix Guard’s ship occupied the middle of the canal and was covered with a layer of snow.

A man walked out of the cabin and stood on the deck of the ship. It was the Lieutenant Colonel from the Luzhou Office, Zhao Guangji. He and Jiang Bieyun had jointly planned the execution of County Magistrate Li Hongwen’s family in Fengtai County.

Zhao Guangji looked toward the Imperial Capital through the heavy snowfall, feeling worried. A major of the Green Phoenix Guard approached Zhao Guangji and reported, “Sir, the Imperial Guard’s Office has sent someone to urge us to arrive by today.”

The Imperial Guard was the old name of the Green Phoenix Guard.

Zhao Guangji nodded. “Alright.”

The major did not dare to say anything and slowly retreated, especially when he noticed Zhao Guangji’s glum expression.

Since something went wrong in Fengtai County, the Deputy Commander summoned him to the Imperial Capital to report on the case and hold him accountable.

Zhao Guangji and Jiang Bieyun planned the massacre, but they were not previously acquainted before this incident and only worked together because of their superiors.

He wondered if the Daoist Order’s Taiping Sect had put pressure on the Imperial Guard’s Office.

In the past, the Imperial Capital was shaped like two squares, with the small square stacked on top of the bigger square. The smaller and upper square was the Inner City, which housed the Imperial City, and within that was the Palace City. The bigger and bottom square was the Outer City.

Although the current Imperial Capital was no longer the same shape, it still consisted of the Palace City in the center, which was heavily guarded on all sides. The Palace City was the smallest in area, but it was where the emperor lived. Its entrance was called the Wu Gate.

The Imperial City’s main entrance was known as the Chengtian Gate, symbolizing receiving the mandate from Heaven. Beyond the Chengtian Gate was a vast square surrounded by three walls made of white jade. At the southern end of the square, there was another gate called the Great Xuan Gate, also known as the First Gate of the Imperial City.

The Great Xuan Gate, sharing the same name as the dynasty, was the national gate. Ordinary people were not allowed to pass through it casually. The Emperor’s carriage would pass through this gate only during significant national ceremonies. The Empress could only enter the Imperial City through this gate during the grand wedding ceremony with the Emperor.

The Great Xuan Gate was majestic. It faced south, with three arched doorways in the middle and dark-colored roof tiles with flying eaves and heavy ridges. On both sides of the gate were stone lions and dismounting stone tablets.

In front of the Great Xuan Gate was the Imperial Road. To the left of the Imperial Road was Heaven Street, resembling a chessboard and symbolizing the fortune and decline of emperors. To the right was the Thousand-Step Corridor, named for its 110 east-west corridors on each side.

Outside the Thousand-Step Corridor, there was a palace wall towering about six meters tall, housing most of the Imperial Court’s government offices. On the east side outside the wall were the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, Imperial Clan Department, and the Department of Astronomy.

On the west side were the Ministry of Justice, the Inspectorate, and the Court of Judicial Review. The Imperial Guard’s Office, which was where the Lord Commander of the Green Phoenix Guard presided, was located inside the Great Xuan Gate and outside the Chengtian Gate, separated by only one gate from the six ministries.

Among the many government offices, there were two exceptions located within Palace City: the Cabinet, located in the Wenyuan Pavilion inside the Wu Gate, and the Taiping Temple, located on the site of the former Directorate of Ceremonies.

During the former Wei Dynasty, the Imperial Court established 24 government offices, with the Directorate of Ceremonies as the leading authority. The chief eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonies held the seal and was revered as the Internal Prime Minister. The external Prime Minister, from the Grand Secretariat, oversaw the six ministries in the court. Together, both exercised the powers and responsibilities of a Prime Minister.

This system of eunuch’s involvement in politics was heavily criticized during the former Wei Dynasty. Thus, the Great Xuan Dynasty abolished the Wei military household system, the Five Armies, and 24 government offices led by the Directorate of Ceremonies. Instead, all powers were consolidated under the Grand Secretariat, where the Prime Minister would discuss and advise the emperor on policies.

However, the Great Xuan Dynasty did not completely abolish the eunuch system that had continued for thousands of years. This was partly due to tradition and partly because the former Wei Dynasty had left behind a hundred thousand eunuchs, many of whom were skilled individuals. The Great Xuan Dynasty could not afford to let them go unchecked and had to take over their management.

At the beginning of the Wei Dynasty, the Green Phoenix Guard and the 24 government offices of the inner court were established to protect the imperial family. The Green Phoenix Guard had 13 Grand Protectors, recruiting talented individuals for their own use.

Eunuchs were trained by the royal family from a young age. A renowned Confucian scholar had bestowed the eunuchs with a secret scripture, and these eunuchs were known among the common people to be masters in the palace. Eunuchs also passed down their knowledge through mentorship, akin to the Daoist sects.

In addition, there were also Confucians in the royal family who excelled in literary and martial arts. The combination of these three elements enabled the former Wei Dynasty to firmly suppress the Daoist Order and the Buddhist Sect for over 200 years.

The eunuchs’ lineage was not included among the lineages of the Five Immortals. That was because this lineage was specifically intended for those with physical disabilities. Although they could still become Heavenly Beings and gain longevity, they would have to undergo castration before practicing this lineage. If a man or woman practiced it, their gender would reverse. Men would become women, and women would become men, which was extremely strange.

With the downfall of the Wei Dynasty, the eunuchs’ lineage fell into the hands of the Great Xuan Dynasty, which labeled them as the Yin-Yang People.

Taiping Temple had a close relationship with the Taiping Sect. The Imperial Preceptor, who was the Great Sage of the Taiping Sect, would stay in the Taiping Temple if he visited the Imperial Capital. The Imperial Preceptor would then discuss the teachings of Daoism with the Emperor.

Since the royal family of the Great Xuan Dynasty adhered to Daoist teachings, the emperors of the Great Xuan Dynasty were bestowed honorific titles. The current emperor was given the title of Great Sage Ziji, governing the Yin-Yang Lineage.

This title was above the three Deputy Grand Masters and was equivalent in status to the Grand Master. However, most people in the Daoist community did not regard the emperor as a Daoist priest and still recognized the Grand Master as the absolute power.

There were dedicated Taiping Sect disciples in charge of the Taiping Temple. Ordinary people, including maids, eunuchs, guards, court officials, and princes, were not allowed to enter.

The original 24 government offices of the inner court were streamlined into the Court of Palace Attendants, divided into the Southern Court and the Northern Court. There were various departments under both courts, with eunuchs serving as the Chief and Deputy Chief.

The Chief was in charge of the Southern Court, presiding over the registration of various internal offices and servants, the organization of sacrificial rituals, court gatherings, and banquets, and the inspection of all royal tributes. The Deputy Chief oversaw the Northern Court and was responsible for governing the Yin-Yang People and guarding the inner court. They only obeyed the commands of the emperor.

The biggest difference between the Northern Court and the Green Phoenix Guard was that the latter could leave the Imperial Capital. The Green Phoenix Guard could investigate cases outside, while the Northern Court could not leave the Imperial Capital unless they had the emperor’s decree.

......

At this time, in a duty room of the Imperial Guard’s Office, a brass brazier was burning red and warm.

The Deputy Commander, Yun Luo, was on duty. She was the only woman in the top three positions of the Green Phoenix Guard. Judging from her appearance, she looked about thirty years old, but few people knew her actual age.

Over the years, she had been in charge of the Southern Military Commission and had lived in seclusion. To outsiders, the Deputy Commander of the Northern Military Commission was more famous. However, within the Green Phoenix Guard, Deputy Commander Yun commanded more fear.

Yun Luo went to the threshold of the duty room and lifted the heavy cotton curtain. She did not cross the high threshold and merely looked out while the snow and cold wind blew at her face.

She had a gloomy and icy expression, comparable to the weather, as she sighed. Sage Qingwei would be arriving in the Imperial Capital soon to perform a ritual for the Emperor, who was also known as the Great Sage Ziji. In fact, the Emperor had summoned Sage Qingwei to the Imperial Capital for an interrogation.

Thinking of this, Yun Luo’s already dismal expression darkened further.