Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 92 : Anxiety

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The sky was already dark when the rain stopped, with a few thin rays of fading light leaking out amongst the thick clouds. Black boots that came and went trampled on the water on the ground, sending them splashing, with the puddles reflecting the fractured dome of heaven. It was clearly the beginning of summer at this moment, but Qudu still seemed to be soaking in the rainy season; it had already been days since the capital last saw clear skies. 

Having only gotten some free time now, Hai Liangyi sat on the taishi chair and drank strong tea. He was old, and it was hard for his spirit to keep up. He was already feeling fatigued. But there were officials moving all around him attending to their duties, and the document exchanging hands also needed his perusal and approval. He was not at liberty to rest.   

“Secretariat Elder.” Kong Qiu took a temporary rest from the cases on his desk and said respectfully to Hai Liangyi from where he was seated below the latter, “The Ministry of Revenue must be held responsible for the incident with the military provisions this time. This pupil has already submitted the request for the Joint Trial by the Three Judicial Offices to His Majesty yesterday. This matter can’t be delayed. What do you think if this pupil gets started on the arrest tonight?”  

Hai Liangyi was slow to answer as he stirred aside the tea foam. He looked at the window and only said after a long time had passed, “I’ve been sitting for so long it makes me tired. His Majesty is still having his meal at present. Come with me for a walk outside.”  
  
Kong Qiu personally took Hai Liangyi’s overcoat from the junior eunuch and put it on for him. Both men walked out of the office. It was already dark outside. Kong Qiu carried a lantern and followed Hai Liangyi along the small garden of the office compound. 

“You want to arrest Wei Huaigu, and there is nothing wrong with it.” Contrary to expectation, Hai Liangyi felt a little more comfortable bathing in the night wind. He took a few more slow steps and said, “This incident concerns the stability of the frontier. You mustn’t be too lenient with Wei Huaigu. Just handle it in accordance with the law.”

Kong Qiu guessed that Hai Liangyi still had something to say to him, so he lit the way for Hai Liangyi. Already changing his form of address, he said, “I shall do as Teacher says. This pupil thinks the same too. He’s so audacious this time that it won’t work even if the Empress Dowager wants to shield him. This pupil can see that he’s been increasingly acting out of line this year. Someone should have given him a warning a long time ago. Military affairs are not like other governmental affairs. This matter must never be tolerated and condoned.”    

“That the Prince of Libei put on his armor once again to head into the battlefield is an admonition to Qudu.” Hai Liangyi stopped. He could no longer see the light between Heaven and Earth. He stood still in silence for a long while before he said, “Xiao Fangxu is the alpha wolf. In the power struggle between Libei and the Hua Clan all these years, he has never once stepped out of Libei due to ill health. He watches Xiao Jiming exhaust himself mentally and physically, and watches Xiao Chiye trapped in the imperial city. He places both of his sons in dangerous circumstances. Why do you think he did that?” 

Affected by Hai Liangyi’s tone, Kong Qiu subconsciously grew more heavy-hearted. He said, “Concession. The Prince of Libei is making concessions with his sons. The longstanding noble clans have established themselves into a fortress in Qudu, and he broke the ‘rule’ from the frontier. Perhaps he once had the opportunity to advance, but he retreated.”

“He retreated. Yet the Empress Dowager didn’t understand.” Feeling physically and mentally exhausted, Hai Liangyi said, “The Empress Dowager didn’t understand, neither did Wei Huaigu or the noble clans. Xiao Fangxu broke the rule, and he backed off not because of fear, but because he was willing to accede to the sovereign-subject relationship between Dazhou and Libei. But as they say, things will reverse in the opposite direction when they hit their limits. Chasing after the Xiao Clan this urgently to beat them down is like urging Xiao Fangxu to turn back. Since time immemorial, power struggles have always been unavoidable. But when it comes to wars, it’s often an ominous sign that the situation is hopeless. The Zhongbo troops suffered a defeat in the era of Xiande. Back then, the entire imperial court was full of corrupt officials who trampled upon the governmental affairs and made a mess of it! We have now regained the mess, and we are in trouble both internally and externally.”