Chapter 110: The 110th Episode

Chapter 110: One Hundred and Tenth Chapter

Lian Cheng knew nothing of the court's near-constant quarrels—a big blow-up every five days and a little spat every three. All he knew was that he had been exhausted beyond measure the night before, and he had no idea when he had fallen asleep. In any case, he just rolled his eyes back and passed out cold.

He rose from the bed, dazed for a moment. His body felt clean, but man, was it sore. He grabbed his waist, rolled around on the bed a few times, then dragged himself up, and asked, all weak, where the Chief Grand Secretary was.

Lai Qing scurried in and said, "Since he had to run the morning court today, Young Lord Lian went home at the fifth watch to change into his court robes. It's already lamp-lighting time by now, so Young Lord Lian should be at home as well."

Lai Qing dared not look at the emperor. He figured he already knew about the huge thing that had gone down—his life was hanging by a thread. He swallowed hard and said, "Your Majesty has slept through the day. Does your stomach feel hungry? This servant will have the kitchens whip something up."

Lian Cheng lay sprawled on the edge of the bed, not even acknowledging the question. "What was discussed at court today?"

"Nothing of great importance," Lai Qing answered. "The usual reports on border defense stuff, a few cases the Court of Judicial Review couldn't make up its mind on, and then personnel changes among civil officials, along with increases and decreases in various taxes—all the same stuff they yak about every day. But today they spent forever on Your Majesty's enthronement ceremony. Right as court was wrapping up, a censor came forward to impeach the Duke of Han for sneaking his breakfast into the court session. The Chief Grand Secretary fined him a hundred taels of silver and that was that."

Lian Cheng knew the enthronement ceremony meant the coronation, obviously. He sat up, his head spinning, and was lucky Lai Qing rushed over to catch him, or he'd have gone limp and face-planted. He asked, "Since I'm awake now, have the memorials from the Office of Transmission shown up yet?"

"They've arrived, but they've already been filtered twice—only the ones worth reading or not are left."

"The Office of Transmission gives them one pass—which other office takes a look?"

Lai Qing replied, "Young Lord Lian does."

After speaking, Lai Qing stole a glance at the emperor's expression, scared he'd blow his top. The Grand Secretariat could only draft proposed responses, but the final red-ink approval had to be done by the emperor himself.

For the past six months, the court had been seriously pissed at Lian Xiusheng's power grab, but Lian Xiusheng still held sole authority over the red endorsements. Even with the emperor awake, the guy showed no sign of handing the reins back to the emperor. Lai Qing felt uneasy, and thinking back to the previous night, fear crept into his heart—was this Chief Grand Secretary treating the new emperor like his own personal toy and bed warmer?!

Lian Cheng, of course, had no clue the eunuch beside him was a nervous wreck over his situation. He ordered a simple meal, stressing over and over that it had to be simple, no waste, just enough for one person. The kitchens dutifully laid out a modest spread. Qiong Hua came by specially to wait on him when she heard he was up.

Lian Cheng ate the refreshing pickled vegetables and, instead of calling her Sister Qiong Hua, he called her Palace Secretary, which made her blush. "It's fine for the palace staff to call me that, but you're the emperor now, Your Majesty—you can't treat me like before."

After speaking, Qiong Hua noticed a few red marks on Lian Cheng's exposed neck and frowned. "At this time of year, how are mosquitoes still biting you?"

Seeing Qiong Hua staring intently at his neck, Lian Cheng rubbed it awkwardly. "The palace is warm, so maybe mosquitoes have been breeding."

Qiong Hua let the matter drop and served him two winter bamboo shoot and mutton wontons, along with a small bowl of pig-tail mushroom soup. She could not help but whisper, "The palace has far more rules than home. The maids and eunuchs scheme like crazy against each other—one wrong move and they'll stab you in the back. Tong Xue and I have been lucky so far, but I'm scared of slipping up and shaming you and the Lady."

Lian Cheng tugged Qiong Hua's sleeve and said, "Good sister, I'll still have your back—no one's gonna bully you."

Qiong Hua smiled. "You're the sovereign of the realm now, and you're still acting like the mountain king of Penglai Pavilion!"

The two joked around for a bit. After Lian Cheng finished his dinner and had the table cleared, he called for Eunuch Cui to ask about what was going on in the Directorate of Ceremonial. Eunuch Cui was now the top seal-holding eunuch in the Directorate, with four Secretary Eunuchs under him—these five ran the Imperial Inner Court. In theory, they also had the power of red endorsements, but Lian Xiusheng had clearly stripped that away. As they discussed personnel matters, Lian Cheng noticed that Eunuch Chen was no longer present.

"He was not a good man," Eunuch Cui replied. "He liked messing with young eunuchs and maids. He must have pushed someone too far, and one night, walking around, he got shoved into a well."

Lian Cheng said no more of him and asked Eunuch Cui, "The Grand Secretariat now holds great power, and the Directorate of Ceremonial has fallen behind. You feeling bitter about that?"

Eunuch Cui stared at Lian Cheng for a long moment before cracking a smile and saying, "Your Majesty worries too much. I don't get along with the other grand secretaries, but my relationship with Chief Grand Secretary Young Lord Lian is something Your Majesty knows better than anyone."

Lian Cheng pursed his lips. "Times change—who's to say you won't change too."

Eunuch Cui inclined his head slightly. "With my family's blood debt hanging over me, this servant won't change."

"Li Xi is already dead. You..."

Eunuch Cui: "This servant will carry on my father's will—be like water, helping all things without fighting."

Lian Cheng nodded. "In that case, I'll clear your family's name and give your parents posthumous honors—how's that?"

This time, Eunuch Cui lost his cool. He gripped the wooden handle of his whisk, and only after making sure he'd heard right did he drop to his knees and kowtow. "This servant kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace."

Lian Cheng had been sitting cross-legged on the throne. Seeing such a big show of respect, he scrambled down, didn't even bother with shoes, and went over barefoot to help Eunuch Cui up, speaking gently, "No need to kneel for me—I don't do all that formal crap. It's a pain."

After helping him up, Lian Cheng climbed back onto the throne, sat cross-legged, cleared his throat, and put on a wise-old-man voice, "Eunuch Cui, I'll rely on you greatly in the days to come. Do take good care of yourself. You may withdraw."

Outside the hall, Lu Zhen, clad in ceremonial guard armor, saw Eunuch Cui emerge with a smile on his face, his earlier anxiety somewhat eased. He stepped forward to ask, "Grandfather, what did Your Majesty say to you?"

"Nothing much," Eunuch Cui said, standing on the steps and gazing into the vast night. "I simply feel that the people of Dayao have finally welcomed a benevolent sovereign."

Hearing his friend praised, Lu Zhen was naturally delighted and felt a share of the pride. "Your Majesty has a pure heart, gentle as jade. As sovereign of the realm, of course he is benevolent."

Eunuch Cui found Lu Zhen so endearing that he switched his whisk to the other hand and reached to pinch his cheek, but the young man dodged him. "I'll also go speak with Your Majesty. Your subordinate Lu Zhen has a matter to report!"

After Lai Qing announced him from within the hall, Lu Zhen ran in cheerfully, but halfway there his mood soured. "Your Majesty, your subordinate wishes to impeach Chief Grand Secretary Lian Xiusheng for sending men to beat us."

Eunuch Cui let out a long breath and found himself feeling an unprecedented ease and joy.

-

A few days later, on the day of the enthronement ceremony, Lian Cheng went to the southern suburbs before dawn to offer sacrifices to heaven, then returned to the palace to change his robes. He had rested well over the past few days, and even as Tong Xue and the other palace attendants dressed him in the ceremonial crown and robes, and he was escorted by a procession of palace staff and guards stretching like a long dragon to the Gate of Receiving Heaven, he did not feel drowsy.

Looking ahead, the red carpet extended endlessly. Lian Cheng kept his hands tucked in, the five-colored tassels of his crown clinking before his eyes. His elaborate attire no longer made him feel cold—instead, nervousness gripped him.

"Your Majesty—arrives!" a eunuch announced within the Gate of Receiving Heaven.

The officials, arrayed in two rows and clad in splendid court robes, knelt in unison to pay homage.

Only then did Lian Cheng walk forward. He wanted to hurry, but the ceremonial robes were a heavy burden, and the two men behind him holding the yellow silk canopy could not move quickly either, let alone the ceremonial officers bearing jeweled caskets with solemn expressions.

So Lian Cheng followed protocol, treading the red carpet in his crimson ceremonial shoes, step by step toward the jade steps where the enthronement would take place.

The great bell of the Hall of Supreme Harmony rang out, shaking heaven and earth.

Lian Xiusheng naturally stood at the head of the two rows of officials. He too pressed his forehead to the ground, only glancing up as the emperor drew near. Lian Cheng was clearly nervous—fine sweat glistened at his temples—but he wore the twelve-tasseled Tongtian Crown, a jade hairpin running horizontally through it, its ends carved into cicadas. He was robed in black ceremonial garments embroidered with golden pheasant patterns and eight emblems, paired with crimson lower garments bearing four emblems and seven panels, bound at the waist with a great sash and a white jade belt carved with dragon patterns. At his side hung a knee-covering ornament with dragon-fire motifs, and jade beads dangled from it, tinkling with every step.

His crimson ceremonial shoes were made specially for the Son of Heaven, each toe adorned with a brilliant jewel—and these were but a fraction of the full ceremonial ensemble. There should have been countless jade pendants, but the new emperor wore only the jade pendant passed down from Crown Prince Jiao at the center. The Chief Grand Secretary's jade pendant that day was likewise one handed down from his grandfather.

Clouds formed the path, bells served as drums; before the white jade steps, the crowned emperor arrived. Even immortals riding cranes on the wind could not compare to the new sovereign of the Yao dynasty.

The midday sun blazed fiercely as Lian Cheng slowly ascended the jade steps. With his ceremonial crown shading the balustrade, he faced the Grand Seal-Bearing Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Chief of the Imperial Clan Court, who held the enthronement edict. He stepped forward, took up the brush, and wrote his somewhat inelegant characters upon the jade register, proclaiming his accession to the imperial throne.

From this day forward, to the outside world he was Li Cheng. Even an orphan had the advantage of choosing any surname.

Afterward, Zhang Shijie of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward to announce the auspicious hour, and the amnesty edict was proclaimed at the Gate of Receiving Heaven. Drums and music rang out together, bells and chimes resounded in harmony, and the assembled officials shouted in acclamation, their voices shaking the heavens.

Lian Cheng stood upon the jade steps, not feeling the least bit elated. He was merely wondering—if he suddenly stripped off all his clothes and ran three laps around the palace, what would they do?

Afterward, Lian Cheng went to pay homage at the Ancestral Temple, and only after the full sequence of rituals was complete did the ceremony conclude.

When it was over, Lian Cheng changed out of his ceremonial robes and returned to the Hall of Heavenly Purity, resting for an entire day. The next day, because there were still many edicts from the enthronement ceremony to be gathered and issued, court was also suspended, and the officials returned to their respective offices.

On the second day, Lai Qing was sent away, and Wei Xiaoyu attended Lian Cheng instead, grinding ink for him. Lian Cheng lay sprawled across the table, earnestly drafting an edict to reduce taxes.

"Your Majesty wishes to reduce taxes?" Wei Xiaoyu asked in a low voice.

Lian Cheng hummed in affirmation. "Reducing them by one-tenth will do."

"The ministers will likely be unwilling."

"They're unwilling no matter what I say or do." Lian Cheng said indifferently.

Wei Xiaoyu: "You're the emperor—whatever you do or say is right. Why would they be unwilling?"

"Though we are lord and vassal, our interests don't align," Lian Cheng thought to himself, barely able to call himself a transmigrator into a book, and barely able to compare past and present. He could chat with Wei Xiaoyu about this. "The sovereign relies on his position to indulge his desires, while the minister wields power for personal gain. On the surface, there is hierarchy and respect, but underneath, it's a yoke of mutual restraint, no better than haggling merchants."

"Thus, if a ruler wishes to be strong, secure, and content, nothing is better than turning toward the people; if he wishes to win over subordinates and unify them, nothing is better than turning toward governance; if he wishes to refine governance and improve customs, nothing is better than seeking the right people. Rather than playing with power and bargaining with ministers, he should act decisively when dealing with ministers, maintaining his authority, and reforming systems as easily as turning a ball in one's palm."

Wei Xiaoyu was utterly confused, as if he were back at the Imperial Guard Office. "Has my lord read many books lately?"

Lian Cheng raised the edict he had finished writing. "In this role, you do what the job demands. As the sage Xunzi said, I merely borrow his words, and they've done me well for a lifetime."

As they were speaking, Lai Qing entered and saw his own cold-blooded godfather gazing at the emperor with the adoration one might reserve for a deity. He couldn't help but marvel to himself, and no longer worried about the new emperor's situation. The new emperor might be playing dumb, making the Chief Grand Secretary serve his purposes, while the poor man remained none the wiser.

"Your Majesty, Lord Lian, the Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has brought his family to the Empress Dowager's palace. She wants you to come over for tea and a chat," Lai Qing said.

Hearing that his eldest brother had arrived, Lian Cheng shot up from his seat. "Why didn't he come to me first?" he muttered, putting on his ceremonial crown as he spoke.

Wei Xiaoyu and Lai Qing followed Lian Cheng out of the Qianqing Hall. Lai Qing said, "Lord Lian wanted to enter the palace long ago, but Second Brother of the Lian family kept stopping him, saying that one must not let familial affection undermine the sovereign's dignity, lest it cross the line of what a minister should do."

"Then why did he come today?" Lian Cheng asked.

Lai Qing replied, "The Empress Dowager sent someone to invite him."

"Did Second Brother come?"

"He did."

-

When Lian Cheng arrived at Renshou Palace, he first waved off the Lian family and palace attendants from performing the formal bows, then bowed to Zhang Ailian and paid his respects. Turning to Lian Feng and Lian Ying, he bowed to them as well, causing their faces to go pale as they protested he mustn't. Lian Cheng waved his hand. "On the court grounds, that's one thing, but here at home, I still need to pay my respects to my two elder brothers and two sisters-in-law."

Lian Feng then said no more, but Lian Ying objected, "How can this be? Your Majesty has truly gone soft in the head from lying in bed too long, confusing sovereign and subject. How will you govern your subordinates in the future? Now that you are the ruler, you should be as cold as autumn frost—feared, not loved. Let me ask you: if your sister-in-law sought favors for her maternal uncle's family through you, would you grant them or not?!"

The eldest brother at home was long-winded, and the second brother away from home was equally long-winded. Lian Cheng simply kept smiling.

Before Lian Ying could get an answer, his ear got twisted by Fu, who was standing right there. "Why is it for my maternal uncle's family? Why not for your own family? You're a sly one, cherry-picking the worst examples to make your point."

Zhang Ailian gestured for Lian Cheng to take a seat off to the side, and a palace attendant placed a small table before him with freshly brewed tea and two plates of pastries that were noticeably fancier and more delicate than what everyone else got.

"Second Brother has way too many rules," Zhang Ailian said disapprovingly to Lian Ying. "Isn't it a good thing to let him treat the palace like home? Instead, you went and scolded Minzi. I think you're the one people are scared of."

Fu set down her teacup and said, "Mother is right. It's just that my husband's gotten all bookish and rigid from reading too much, and with a big brother's heart, he's worried Minzi won't be able to establish his authority later. He doesn't see how much he actually wants to be close to Minzi. Today, coming to the palace, he put on his best clothes, scared of embarrassing Mother and Minzi."

Lian Cheng thought to himself that Fu, his sister-in-law, was no ordinary clever woman. Zhang Ailian also looked at her with admiration and said, "You are virtuous. In the future, when Ying Geer starts his official career, he'll definitely need your guidance."

Hongshi, who was Fu's sister-in-law, seeing Fu get praised, couldn't help but want a kind word from Mother too. But before she could speak, Zhang Ailian smiled and asked her, "You put together the gifts brought into the palace today, didn't you? No one else has such attention to detail."

Hongshi nodded eagerly. "Yes, I prepared them, and I started way ahead of time."

Lian Cheng sipped his tea. "Big Brother, you all should stay for lunch."

Fu laughed. "You don't know—when we left, your Second Mother and the others wanted to come along, but your Second Brother wouldn't allow it, saying it would be improper for the whole family to rush in at once, fearing ridicule. He told the other mothers to come another time. You know your Second Mother—just letting us come to gawk was a stretch for her. When she hears we're dining in the palace, she'll have a lot to say about it."

"Second Mother really is—" Lian Cheng began, then caught himself, "Second Brother really is."

With that, he looked at Lai Qing. "Send someone to bring the other mothers from the Lian residence. Tell them it's time to eat."

Lian Ying tried to object, but Fu pulled him back and shoved a cup of tea at him. "Drink your tea and keep your mouth shut."

After finishing his tea, Lian Cheng's expression turned oddly sheepish. Zhang Ailian glanced at him and knew he was up to some mischief, so she deliberately asked if he was feeling unwell.

"I wanted to ask Aunt," Lian Cheng said, scooting his chair way back before continuing, "Aunt, are you at all interested in remarrying? I have a young friend, Zhang Xian by name..."

Before Lian Cheng could finish, Lian Biyun's face was already flushed crimson. She glared at Lian Cheng and looked to Zhang Ailian for help. Zhang Ailian was also puzzled and asked Lian Cheng, "That young friend of yours is barely older than you. When did he ever meet your aunt?"

Hearing Zhang Ailian's question, Lian Cheng seized the opportunity to express Zhang Xian's feelings. He rose, bowed to Zhang Ailian and Lian Biyun respectively, and said, "We met once at the Lantern Festival last year. Siqi was smitten at first sight. He mentioned it to me then, but I didn't take it seriously, thinking he was just lusting after beauty, and I scolded him. But months later, he wrote a letter to Aunt and had me deliver it, and Aunt scolded us both."

"More time passed, and a few days ago, he brought it up again. Seeing his unwavering devotion despite my harsh words, I came to ask. If Aunt truly doesn't fancy him, I'll simply arrange a marriage for him and pick a date for the wedding. After all, I'm now the Son of Heaven—even if he threatens to die, I have nothing to fear." Lian Cheng flicked his sleeve dismissively.

"Wait!" Lian Biyun couldn't help speaking out. Seeing everyone in the hall turn to look at her, she unconsciously lowered her head. "It's just that I've already forgotten what he looks like. If he's shifty-eyed and rat-faced, I'd find even sharing a table with him disgusting."

"That's easy enough," Lian Cheng said. "Nephew will summon him to the palace, and Aunt can meet him." With that, he sent a young eunuch out to deliver the message.

The family chatted for a while longer. Lian Ying had his own birth mother, so his respect for Zhang Ailian outweighed his affection. Lian Feng, Hongshi, and Fu—especially Lian Feng—treated Zhang Ailian as their own mother.

After such a long separation, now that they had become sovereign and subject, meeting again was harder than climbing to heaven, and tears were inevitable. Lian Feng wept the most, wiping his face with his sleeve between every few words.

Lian Cheng no longer played the coy child as before, sitting obediently in his chair, until a palace attendant outside announced someone's arrival. The voice was too distant to hear clearly. Thinking it was the Second, Third, Fifth, or Sixth Mother, he rose to greet them, but it turned out to be Zhang Xian.

Zhang Xian had rushed over from the Imperial Guard Office, still wearing his brocade uniform and a coarse cloth futou. He had dropped his usual playful demeanor, looking remarkably handsome.

Upon entering, he paid respects to each of the nobles. Lian Cheng watched his nervous hands and feet. "My aunt wants to see you."

This went far more smoothly than Lian Cheng had imagined. At first sight, Lian Biyun no longer voiced any objection, only saying they would discuss the wedding date after Ceng Gui's spring examination.

There was still work at the Imperial Guard Office. Though Zhang Xian was overjoyed and wished to stay longer, he had no leisure and hurried away. Shortly after he left, Wu Huajie and the others arrived by sedan chair. Before their figures appeared, their voices rang out.

"Yah yoh, yah yoh! This courtyard is nearly as big as half the Lian residence! And these maidservants' clothes—finer than what I'm wearing!"

Wu Huajie strode in, followed by Fan Shi and the others. After each paid their respects, she stepped forward and took Zhang Ailian's hands. "Eldest Sister, you should have seen that official reading the edict today. Mother! What a spectacle!"

Lian Cheng watched from the side with a warm smile. Nearby, Fifth Madam Fan Shi brought up Lian Yi's marriage—no need for Lian Cheng to arrange it, as it had already been settled with Third Lang of the Xie family. Lian Cheng asked why Lian Yi hadn't come. Yu answered, "Seventh Sister has a bit of the wandering knight about her. Last night, she heard that her fifth sister had been mistreated at her husband's home. This morning, without telling anyone, she rode off alone to the Fu family, saying she'd give them a taste of their own medicine."

"Wandering knight, my foot—that's just barbarism," her birth mother Fan Shi quickly said, then added to Lian Cheng, "Just now, we passed by the Fu residence and sent someone to call her out to come to the palace. She refused, saying she wanted the Fu family to properly serve their auntie. With her behavior, I fear the Xie marriage might not hold."

"Minister Xie is a man of integrity," Lian Cheng reassured her. "His second son, Xie Qia, is capable in the Hanlin Academy and a good friend of Sixth Brother. The family's character can't be far off. I doubt they'd easily break off the engagement. Rest assured, Fifth Mother."

Fan Shi secretly sighed in relief and smiled. "Now that Sixth Brother has achieved great success and upholds the family name, I trust no one would dare slight our daughters."

"Great success indeed," Wu Huajie said, settling into her own small table as they were set up. "He's quite the authority at home now, not mincing words with his two elder brothers. Feng Geer, now Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—when the court worked with the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory to prepare the enthronement ceremony, something went wrong somewhere. Yah yoh! Sixth Brother came home and gave Feng Geer a thorough dressing-down, so much that Feng Geer couldn't eat a bite that day."

Lian Cheng was surprised. "Is that so?"

"Feng Geer has the grand title, but the important family matters are mostly handled by Sixth Brother," Wu Huajie said with relish, though her tone turned sly. "The other day, he went to see the Duke of Han and placed the eighth and ninth brothers under his tutelage. Sixth Sister was overjoyed, but I wonder how she'll face the Lian ancestors."

Tao, the birth mother of Lian Tao and Lian Xiao, had also come today but had barely spoken since entering. Now, provoked by Wu Huajie, she quickly rose and bowed to each in turn. "Sheng Geer holds no grudges, doesn't dwell on my past mistakes, and treats my two sons with care. In the future, I will burn incense and pray..."

"Enough," Yu interrupted. "Back then, Li Xi was determined to make an example of the Lian family. As the head of the household, if he didn't die, would he have let others die? Even if he died, it would have been in vain."

Lian Cheng saw the mood turn cold and tried to lighten it, asking why Sixth Brother wasn't there—was he busy at his office?

"He holds many important posts and has many critical duties," Yu said, looking at Lian Cheng. "Tomorrow is your first court session. Don't pile your own burdens onto others. Over time, someone might harbor treacherous thoughts."

Lian Cheng was taken aback and nodded.

Wu Huajie let out a "Yah yoh!" and said, "Third Sister, do you suspect even your own family?"

The two began bickering again, and Lian Cheng took the opportunity to overhear plenty of amusing anecdotes from the court and household. When he'd heard enough, Tong Xue entered to ask when to prepare the meal, and another palace attendant rushed in to report: The Chief Grand Secretary had been attacked on the street and was now unconscious, unaware of anything.