Martial Cultivator

These days, the Divine Capital was indeed not quite so peaceful.

But if one really had to say, it seemed that it was not actually that peaceful either, because the common people in the streets had not sensed anything different. Only those high-ranking officials and great aristocratic families sensed that something was unusual.

The world has never belonged to just one person. The world perceived by different people is always different. It has been this way since ancient times.

However, even if most people sensed something, they would not speak up. Only a very small number of people would say something when they sensed that something was wrong.

Among the common people, such people would be called meddlesome, but in officialdom, they became censors. They also had another name: remonstrating officials.

Every dynasty had remonstrating officials. But what was interesting was that the status of remonstrating officials was never fixed. It was only related to the emperor of the current dynasty. If the current Emperor was sufficiently strong-willed, then the remonstrating officials of that dynasty would most likely become idle officials, serving little purpose. Even if there were a few censors who were unafraid of death, they could not accomplish anything.

But if the current Emperor had a mild temperament, or was even somewhat weak, then the status of the remonstrating officials would rise greatly, making them figures that even the important ministers of the imperial court would be unwilling to provoke.

The remonstrating officials of the Great Liang Dynasty had almost no presence during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu Taizu and Emperor Taizong. During the reign of Emperor Lingzong, their status rose rapidly. But after Emperor Lingzong died and the current Emperor ascended the throne, life became most difficult for the remonstrating officials. That Emperor possessed tremendous resolve and had already done things that would be considered outrageous according to the historical records. Naturally, he paid no attention to the remonstrating officials. He made decisions on his own authority in many matters, and no matter how much the remonstrating officials advised and admonished him, it was useless.

Therefore, the remonstrating officials had had a very difficult time over these past dozen years. Only after the Emperor left the capital and His Highness the Crown Prince began overseeing the state did their days become easier.

Only then did the Censorate gradually regain the awe it commanded.

Recently, the atmosphere in the Censorate had been extremely tense.

Censor-in-Chief Han Yue had passed the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Lingzong. One year before Emperor Lingzong’s death, he had begun serving as Censor-in-Chief and overseeing the Censorate. Later, when the Great Liang Emperor raised an army and entered the Divine Capital, many censors wanted to commit suicide to follow that deposed Emperor. It was Han Yue who stopped them, using the reason that ministers served the state, rather than serving any particular person.

At this moment, Han Yue sat in the main hall of the Censorate. On either side of him were censors whose beards had already turned white. The atmosphere was solemn, and no one spoke.

“Everyone.”

After a long while, Han Yue, the Censor-in-Chief, was still the first to speak. “The memorials we submitted several days ago have already been suppressed by His Highness.”

A censor said helplessly, “That is only to be expected. His Highness regards that Lord Warden Commander as an elder brother rather than a subject. He pays little attention to minor matters and suppresses major matters whenever he can. Judging from the authority wielded by the Lord Warden Commander, even throughout the entire history of the empire, it would be difficult to find a second person like him.”

“Although the Lord Warden Commander’s authority is indeed great, he is actually a capable official, isn’t he? One could even say he is incorruptible?”

A censor slowly spoke, still saying something in Chen Chao’s favor.

Han Yue nodded. “This official has never doubted that the Lord Warden Commander is a good subject. But if the institutions of the imperial court are not effective, then what purpose do they serve? The Lord Warden Commander is such a person, so one could say that for the time being, he cannot endanger the state or the imperial court. But can we guarantee that the next Lord Warden Commander will also be such a person?”

“The laws and institutions of the imperial court exist to keep all officials within a certain framework, so that they conduct themselves within that framework. In this way, there is no need to take an official’s personal character into consideration as any kind of standard. Only then can the imperial court and the state endure for a long time.”

Up to this point when Han Yue finished speaking, there were still many who agreed with him.

However, Han Yue soon changed the subject. “Today, we are not here to discuss that Lord Warden Commander. He does not have the authority to mobilize the frontier army, nor did he mobilize the frontier army. Even if he did encourage this matter behind the scenes, that is not the main issue. The issue is the frontier army marching south!”

“Your Excellency, it seems that the frontier army’s march south this time was also carried out under an edict from His Highness the Crown Prince.”

This time, Chen Chao had made quite a few preparations for the frontier army’s march south. He first obtained an edict from His Highness the Crown Prince, but the edict did not explicitly require the frontier army to march south. The final decision remained with the frontier army.

“The issue is not whether there was an edict. The issue is whether the frontier army should have marched south. You must know that when His Majesty raised his army in rebellion back then, that deposed emperor ordered the frontier army to march south several times, but all of them were refused by that Great General Xiao. The reason was simple: the defense of the Northern Frontier was of paramount importance, and he dared not relax it in the slightest.” “But what about now? Compared with the Northern Frontier back then, is the Northern Frontier now somehow in better condition? If it isn’t, then why was the frontier army unable to march south back then, yet must march south now? And if it marches south now, does that mean that in the future it can march south whenever it pleases?” “As for the battle strength of the frontier army, you all know it well. If one day a Great General of the Northern Frontier develops disloyal intentions, could he use this great army to overturn the realm?”

Han Yue slammed his palm onto the table, sweeping his gaze across everyone present. He said calmly, “This time, what we must do is make His Highness establish a rule: from now on, the frontier army must not march south. We must turn this matter into an ironclad law!”

”Good!”

In an instant, all the censors stood up, agreeing with the Censor-in-Chief’s idea.

Han Yue said in a deep voice, “His Highness suppressed our memorials before, so we will write another one. We will wait outside the palace gates for His Highness the Crown Prince to approve it. If His Highness does not give us an answer, we will smash our heads against the palace gates and die there!”

......

......

Just as the censors at the Censorate were seething with anger and beginning to write their memorials one after another, a minor clerk had already run out of the office. After passing through several streets, he arrived in front of an inconspicuous pastry shop, took out several Great Liang copper coins, and said, “One portion of osmanthus cake... Censor-in-Chief Han Yue has decided to go to the palace gates and remonstrate unto death... Yesterday’s batch, please. It’s more flavorful.”

The pastry shop assistant glanced at the minor clerk before skillfully beginning to package the osmanthus cake. “You really know how to eat, sir. This one is definitely better... Is it just Han Yue, or the entire Censorate... We can even give you twenty percent off today.”

“That would be great. It’s the entire Censorate, with Han Yue leading them. Quite a few people. Next time I come, I’ll definitely buy two more portions.”

The minor clerk took the osmanthus cake, then conveniently took back the money he had placed on the counter and turned to leave.

The shop assistant sighed. He did not seem to care about that portion of osmanthus cake at all. Instead, he turned around and went through the inner door. A man dressed like the shopkeeper was waiting there. The shop assistant recounted what had happened, and the shopkeeper immediately said, “Find a way to pass this information to the palace and have His Highness the Crown Prince make preparations early.”

The shop assistant nodded and then left through the secret door.

At this point, someone said, “I’m afraid His Highness doesn’t have many means at his disposal either. If these remonstrating officials aren’t afraid of death, then they certainly won’t stop until they achieve their objective.”

The shopkeeper said with a headache, “I know that too. These censors have always been troublesome, and they’ve truly been suppressing this for far too long.”

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone present became somewhat strange. They naturally knew that throughout the previous decade and more, while His Majesty the Emperor was in power, what voice had the censors ever had in court? For remonstrating officials to be unable to speak was itself an unprecedented torment for them, yet they had no way around it and could only endure.

They were not afraid of death. If they could use their deaths to make those in power change their minds, they would certainly do it. But before this, the Great Liang Emperor had made it clear that he would not change any of his ideas because of whether they lived or died. Thus, apart from repeatedly submitting memorials, the censors could do nothing else.

But things were different now. Compared with that Emperor, His Highness the Crown Prince was far gentler and much more open to persuasion.

The shopkeeper smiled. “Making remonstrating officials unable to speak, isn’t that like making a cat unable to eat fish?”

Someone said, “It’s just that with them making such a fuss, things will really become troublesome.”

That person was deeply worried. They did not want to face the changes in the situation either.

The shopkeeper said, “Some things cannot be stopped, so we have to see how they can be dealt with. If His Highness the Crown Prince cannot resolve it, the Lord Warden Commander should be able to resolve it as well.”

Mentioning the Lord Warden Commander, someone asked, “I heard Your Excellency is currently in Qingshan Prefecture. If he learns of this matter, will he return to the Divine Capital?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “I don’t know. How would we know where Your Excellency is going?”

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