Chapter 165: The Sage, Cheng Tian Empress Dowager…

Chapter 165: The Sage: Empress Dowager Cheng Tian...

The controversy over the case had barely begun to simmer and had only surfaced during the grand court assembly when it was swiftly suppressed by an edict from the Empress Dowager.

She outright demoted the ringleaders of the opposition to provincial posts.

Among them was a Director from the Ministry of Rites surnamed Xing, who had once taught Ji Xianshan and shared a teacher-disciple relationship with him.

Although Director Xing had not actively sought Ji Xianshan’s help, Ji Xianshan could not stand idly by.

Moreover, these officials had supported him—if he did nothing, it would surely demoralize his supporters.

Ji Xianshan brought the memorials he had reviewed the previous day to the Longevity and Peace Palace.

Huo Ling did not look through them but instead asked whether he had encountered any difficulties and which memorials stood out most. After offering brief comments, she instructed Ji Xianshan to revise them according to her suggestions before having the memorials returned to their respective offices.

Pointing to a new stack of memorials, Huo Ling said, "These are today’s memorials for review. Take them back with you."

Ji Xianshan acknowledged the order but did not leave immediately. "Mother, though the arguments of those ministers during the grand court assembly a few days ago were somewhat extreme, they caused no real harm. Exiling them from the capital entirely—isn’t the punishment too severe?"

Setting down her brush, Huo Ling replied with interest, "Is the Emperor saying my punishment is too severe—or that I shouldn’t have punished them in the first place?"

Ji Xianshan had already prepared his response, speaking in a measured tone. "The women-led household policy has been implemented for years, even Mother herself set an example.

"The merits or faults of a single case cannot prove the validity of an entire system. While those ministers were wrong to attack the policy, I merely believe they should not be punished for their words. A few months’, even half a year’s, docked pay as a warning would suffice."

Huo Ling said, "The Emperor is mistaken. They were not punished for their words. Their offense was cronyism. If I had merely issued a light reprimand and failed to harshly suppress this trend at its inception, who is to say others would not follow suit, gradually corrupting the court’s atmosphere?"

Ji Xianshan’s face tightened slightly.

Before this, two others had been charged with "cronyism"—one named Wen Shengan, the other Huo Shiming.

"Mother, those ministers would never dare to entertain such thoughts."

"You’re not them—how could you possibly know their intentions?" Huo Ling remarked casually. "If they harbored no such intentions, why did these ministers coincidentally gather at the home of the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review just two days before the grand assembly?"

The Great Yan dynasty comprised over two hundred prefectures and more than a thousand counties. Most cases were typically resolved by local officials.

Only particularly thorny or difficult cases, or those involving severe crimes, were escalated layer by layer for review and deliberation by the Court of Judicial Review or the Ministry of Justice.

Censors could impeach based on rumors alone—but where had they heard about a case from a small southern county?

If the information had not come from the Ministry of Justice, it must have leaked from the Court of Judicial Review.

Ji Xianshan was stunned into silence—this was new information.

There was no way to spare all the ministers now. Shifting tactics, Ji Xianshan focused on pleading for Director Xing alone. "Mother, Director Xing is advanced in years and not in the best health. He had already called in sick twice this year. The road south is grueling and hazardous. In light of his years of service, I beg Mother to assign him a different post."

This time, Huo Ling relented quickly and granted Ji Xianshan’s request.

Though he’d gotten what he came for, Ji Xianshan left with a leaden heart.

Director Xing had been his mentor and steadfast ally. The most he could do for him was secure a more favorable posting.

Ji Xianshan ordered a lavish send-off gift prepared and sent to Director Xing.

He did not summon Director Xing for an audience, at a loss for words. But before leaving the capital, Director Xing petitioned for an audience.

After a pause, Ji Xianshan granted the request.

"Your Majesty."

Minister Xing was about to bow to Ji Xianshan when the latter reached out to stop him. "There’s no need for such formalities, Teacher Xing."

Minister Xing said with emotion, "I only taught Your Majesty for a few months. I never expected you would still remember this bond between teacher and student."

Ji Xianshan invited Minister Xing to sit and ordered tea to be served.

Minister Xing said, "I heard Your Majesty pleaded with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager on my behalf?"

Ji Xianshan nodded slightly. "My mother has always taught me to respect teachers and uphold filial piety for the nation. It was only right for me to speak up for you, Teacher Xing."

Minister Xing glanced around, and Ji Xianshan, taking the hint, had everyone leave.

Once the last servant had left the hall, Minister Xing abruptly rose from his seat and knelt before Ji Xianshan.

"Teacher Xing, what is this? Please rise at once."

Startled, Ji Xianshan reached out to help him up but found his arm grasped instead.

Minister Xing took a deep breath, his expression grave. "After the grand court assembly, I accidentally saw Minister Ding Jinghuan of the Ministry of Justice visiting the Ministry of Rites for a private discussion with Minister Li. After Minister Ding left, I deliberately took a document to Minister Li for his signature and noticed he seemed distracted.

"I couldn’t uncover what the two ministers discussed. Perhaps I’m being overly suspicious, but the entire court knows Minister Ding is the Empress Dowager’s confidant. I beg Your Majesty to be on guard."

Ji Xianshan pressed his lips together. "I’ll remember this. The floor is cold—please rise, Teacher Xing."

Minister Xing shook his head. "Your Majesty, let me remain kneeling. The Empress Dowager’s teachings about respecting teachers and upholding filial piety are not wrong in principle. But there are things I must say, even if they displease you."

Without waiting for Ji Xianshan’s response, Minister Xing continued, "In the tenth year of Celestial Reign, the Empress Dowager established a separate treasury outside the national coffers, funneling profits from regional trade offices into it. These funds were earmarked for a future northern expedition against Great Mu to reclaim lost territories.

"The idea was good in principle, but the treasury is managed by the Empress Dowager’s own people. The money could fund the northern expedition—or be misused when not immediately needed.

"In the fourteenth year of Celestial Reign, the Empress Dowager introduced the Phoenix Seal alongside the Tiger Seal, ordering that troop movements required both seals. Failure to comply would be treated as treason.

"In the fifteenth year of Celestial Reign, the Empress Dowager allowed Your Majesty to read petitions—but only after her approval could they be implemented.

"All confidential documents are sent directly to the Palace of Eternal Tranquility, completely skipping Your Majesty. What reaches your hands are merely routine matters. Financial, military, and political authority all rest with the Empress Dowager. It pains me to say, Your Majesty has the title, but the Empress Dowager holds the real power—"

"Enough!" Ji Xianshan suddenly snapped, cutting him off.

Minister Xing continued as if unheard. "I’ve spoken my mind. The relationship between the imperial mother and son is not for outsiders to meddle in. For the sake of our past teacher-student ties and considering your recent demotion, I’ll let this slide. Leave now."

After Minister Xing departed, Ji Xianshan stood alone in the empty hall. After a long silence, he slammed his fist against a pillar, then leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cold stone.

"Absurd. Must others tell me what my own mother is like...?"

His mood, already grim after talking with Minister Xing, grew even darker.

He brushed off Minister Xing’s warning about Ding Jinghuan meeting Minister Li Hansong. Both were high-ranking officials with overlapping duties—such meetings weren’t strange.

Even if he took it seriously, what could he do? He didn’t even know what they had discussed.

But soon, he would find out.

Ten days later, at the next grand court assembly, Minister of Justice Ding Jinghuan stepped forward with a petition.

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, consort of the late emperor and mother of the current sovereign, has nurtured Your Majesty for over a decade, quelled internal and external threats, and rendered immense service to both dynasty and state. Now that Your Majesty has wed, it is fitting to grant the Empress Dowager an honorary title to honor her achievements."

Ding Jinghuan's words carried undeniable weight.

The title of the Empress Dowager Regent often serves to show her authority and political power.

Amidst the lingering unrest from the sister-killing-brother scandal, Ding Jinghuan's proposal to confer an honorific title upon the Empress Dowager was, in essence, an attempt to reaffirm her authority and suppress those restless ambitions.

Everyone understood this implicitly, yet none could openly refute it.

The Empress Dowager had rendered great contributions to both the imperial family and the state—a fact the courtiers had to acknowledge, and the Emperor even more so.

Not only must he acknowledge it, but Ji Xianshan also had to speak up and admit his own oversight: "It was my negligence. Given the Empress Dowager's merits, an honorific title should have been conferred long ago. After the grand court assembly concludes, the Ministry of Rites shall promptly deliberate and propose a suitable title for the Empress Dowager, to reflect my filial devotion."

Ji Xianshan's words served as a reminder to many.

The act of conferring an honorific title upon the Empress Dowager could be subtly reframed—from a display of her majesty to an expression of the Emperor's filial piety.

Thus, the Empress Dowager's title might incorporate characters such as "Filial," or positive terms like "Benevolent," "Longevity," "Prosperity," or "Kindness."

However, Li Hansong, the Minister of Rites—who stood right in the eye of the storm—did not take the escape route Ji Xianshan offered. Instead, he stepped forward into the tempest.

"The Empress Dowager, who has assisted the young sovereign with frugal and diligent governance, stands as a model for the ages. She may be honored with the title 'Heaven-Sustaining.' In governing the state and securing its peace, her wisdom shines brightly, setting an example for posterity. Thus, she should be addressed as 'Sage Empress.'"