Volume One, Chapter 11: Verbal Sparring
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Once Shen Ran had taken his seat in the Imperial Study, Yuanbao sent for Liu Shizhuang and had him brought in.
Liu Shizhuang wore the scarlet court robes of a chief minister. His complexion was fair, his figure neither stout nor lean, and his refined, handsome appearance marked him as the very image of a learned scholar.
When he saw Shen Ran, he did not kneel, merely bowing with measured courtesy.
“Your subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
Shen Ran could not help but knit his brows.
Back then, he had lavished all his favor upon Liu Ruyi, and naturally had shown due respect to her father as well. Thus, he had issued an edict allowing Liu Shizhuang to appear before the emperor without kneeling. Now, it seemed he had truly lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
Though displeased, Shen Ran’s expression remained composed. He smiled.
“Give the Left Chancellor a seat.”
A young eunuch immediately obeyed and brought forward a chair.
After exchanging a few polite words, Liu Shizhuang sat down.
Shen Ran then ordered tea to be served and casually chatted with him about this and that.
The atmosphere in the room was relaxed, the sovereign and his minister appearing perfectly harmonious. They simply did not touch upon any serious business.
Thus, after roughly half an hour, Liu Shizhuang was the first to venture a probing remark.
“I have heard that Her Noble Consort is unwell. As her father, I cannot help but worry. Might Your Majesty permit me to visit her?”
Ordinarily, the families of the women in the imperial harem were forbidden from entering the palace at will. Even when an emperor, out of affection for a favored consort, allowed her family to visit, it was generally the female members who were received. Yet Liu Shizhuang held the exalted position of Left Chancellor and wielded sole authority over much of the court. His status was exceptional, and Liu Ruyi was deeply favored by Shen Ran. Therefore, every ten days or half a month, Liu Ruyi would send someone to bring her family into the palace. The Liu family entered the inner palace as freely as though they were returning to their own home; it had nearly become customary.
For that reason, when Liu Shizhuang made this request, it never occurred to him that he might be refused.
Yet the moment he spoke, the smile vanished from Shen Ran’s face.
He slowly took a sip of tea, then said in an equally unhurried tone, “Does the Left Chancellor doubt My feelings for the Noble Consort?”
Liu Shizhuang paused faintly.
He immediately bowed and replied, “I would never dare. I was merely overcome with longing for my daughter. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
Liu Shizhuang now occupied a position of great distinction at court, yet he was exceedingly amiable and never put on airs. Most of the officials spoke highly of him. They did not know that beneath that smiling face lurked a treacherous tiger and a ruthless wolf. He had carried the principle of rewarding those who submitted and destroying those who resisted to its absolute extreme. Any minister who harbored divided loyalties toward him, civil or military, would be painstakingly removed one by one.
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Shen Ran lazily curved his lips.
“The Imperial Physician just reported to Me that the Noble Consort’s indisposition was caused by the burdens of the inner palace and excessive worry. She naturally needs proper rest and recuperation, lest too many visitors aggravate her condition.”
“When she has fully recovered, I shall send for the Left Chancellor and allow father and daughter to reunite. How does that sound?”
Liu Shizhuang’s face filled with gratitude.
“I thank Your Majesty for Your great kindness.”
At this, Shen Ran nodded.
“The Left Chancellor labors tirelessly for the country and its people. If there is nothing else, you should retire early and rest.”
Hearing this, Liu Shizhuang nevertheless revealed a hesitant expression.
“Your Majesty, forgive me. There is one other matter I wish to raise, though I do not know whether it is proper to speak of it.”
“Oh?”
Having roughly guessed what Liu Shizhuang intended to say, Shen Ran’s smile deepened.
“The Left Chancellor may speak freely.”
Liu Shizhuang said, “I have heard that Your Majesty has appointed Zhao Shoude’s son, the son of a convicted traitor, as an Imperial Guard?”
Shen Ran propped his chin upon one hand, his voice languid.
“That is so. I found his skills quite good, and it seemed a pity to make him a eunuch, so I casually appointed him as a guard. In any case, both positions entail serving Me. Does the Left Chancellor find this improper?”
He seemed just as he had always been: whenever court affairs were mentioned, he appeared utterly lacking in interest.
“Of course it is improper.”
Liu Shizhuang straightened and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, Zhao Shoude committed treason by colluding with the enemy. His entire family deserved execution. Your Majesty, in Your mercy, spared his son’s life and allowed him to enter the palace as a eunuch. That alone is already an immeasurable imperial grace. How could he possibly be appointed an Imperial Guard?
“You must know that in our dynasty, apart from hereditary appointments and those who rise through the civil and military examinations, at least half of our generals are promoted from among the Imperial Guards. By Your Majesty’s action, what should have been a punishment now appears to be a reward. That the son of a convicted traitor should receive such treatment will surely chill the hearts of the court’s pillars.
“Moreover, it was by Your Majesty’s command that Zhao Yuanque was subjected to castration. To change Your decree from one day to the next would only invite ridicule if word got out.”
When he finished, there was no reply.
Liu Shizhuang looked toward the young emperor seated behind the desk, somewhat perplexed.
In the morning light, the young man’s features were breathtakingly beautiful.
Shen Ran lowered his eyes.
They were deep and cold, concealing emotions no one could decipher.
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After a moment, he gave an unconcerned little laugh.
“The Left Chancellor truly keeps a close watch on My every move and is forever thinking of My welfare.”
Liu Shizhuang froze.
Shen Ran continued.
“The Noble Consort fell ill, and the Left Chancellor learned of it at once.”
“I appointed Zhao Yuanque an Imperial Guard without making the matter public, yet the Left Chancellor was the first to receive the news.”
“I truly wonder: in this world, is it My realm, or the realm of the Left Chancellor? And this Great Zhou—is it the empire of the Shen family, or the empire of the Liu family?”
His words could not have been weightier. Liu Shizhuang’s heart tightened at once.
Even though he now held power over the entire court, he was still, in the end, a subject. Moreover, most of the military authority remained in the hands of Xue Yuandao. Should he be branded with the crimes of disrespecting the sovereign or plotting rebellion, it would be no trivial matter.
For a time, the Imperial Study fell so silent that one could hear a pin drop. The young eunuch standing nearby did not even dare to breathe too loudly. Fortunately, wisps of pale smoke drifted from the incense burner, delicate and fragrant, keeping the atmosphere from freezing completely.
Shen Ran’s gaze settled upon Liu Shizhuang’s face, cold and sinister as a thin blade pressed against the skin.
He was plainly a handsome young man, yet hidden within his eyes was a bloodstained violence that inspired terror.
Under the emperor’s smiling scrutiny, Liu Shizhuang could no longer remain seated.
With a heavy thud, he fell to his knees and swore by Heaven.
“Your Majesty, please judge this subject fairly!”
“I am loyal to Your Majesty and devoted to the state. I would never, ever harbor a second thought!”
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