Volume 1, Chapter 42: The Storm

In the prime minister's manor, within a heavily guarded secret chamber, Liu Shizhuang was conferring with a man entirely enveloped in a dark, sweeping cloak.

Liu knitted his brows tightly and asked, "Is what Lord Zhou said true?"

"Could there possibly be any falsehood in this?"

Lord Zhou's expression was grave. "Although His Majesty has not issued an imperial decree to strip the Imperial Noble Consort of her power to assist the Empress in managing the inner court, and her corresponding privileges remain unchanged, he has quietly replaced the majority of the guards and maids in her palace. This clearly shows that he has grown suspicious of her. I am only coming to the Prime Minister with this intelligence out of regard for the enduring ties between our two families, braving immense danger to do so. I implore the Prime Minister to make preparations early, lest a terrible disaster befall us in the near future."

After a long silence, Liu Shizhuang let out a heavy sigh. "Viewed in this light, His Majesty has truly been deluded by treacherous villains. Lord Zhou's profound loyalty and deep affection are things I shall never forget. Please, accept my bow."

As he spoke, he actually made as if to rise and bow deeply.

Lord Zhou was startled and hurriedly stopped him.

He said, "The Prime Minister is of the same generation as my late father; you must never do such a thing. Now that matters have reached this point, devising a countermeasure is the most pressing task. We certainly cannot simply sit here and await our doom."

"To think that I, Liu Shizhuang, have poured out my heart and soul for the imperial court and for His Majesty, only to be met with suspicion now—it is truly disheartening. That being the case, from this day forward, I shall merely attend to my own duties, and as for everything else, I shall ask His Majesty to make his own decisions."

Liu Shizhuang shook his head, leaned close to Lord Zhou's ear, and whispered a few words.

Hearing this, Lord Zhou's expression shifted slightly.

He pondered for a moment, appearing somewhat disapproving of Liu's idea. "If the Prime Minister were to employ such a tactic against the late Emperor, it would naturally be effective. But, if I may be so bold as to speak irreverently, the current Emperor is essentially a madman. Otherwise, many of the things he has done would simply be out of the question. If the ministers at court were to truly submit leaves of absence en masse, what if he flies into a rage and strips them of their offices, or simply has them executed outright? What would we do then? Would we not be walking straight into a dead end?"

"He will not."

Liu Shizhuang said indifferently, "Shen Ran is mad, but he is not a fool. If he truly desires to seize absolute power, he must understand that he currently has no one he can rely upon; even the most clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice. The moment he carries out mass dismissals or executions of court officials, the imperial court will inevitably plunge into utter chaos."

Lord Zhou hesitated. "What if he simply acts recklessly and kills a chicken to scare the monkeys? Your Excellency has witnessed with your own eyes how many unpredictable things he has done over the years."

"Then we will have the students of the Imperial Academy petition His Majesty. If the students of the Academy are still not enough, we will have every single scholar and candidate across the realm do the same. Let us see how many blades he holds in his hands, and how many lives he is capable of slaughtering."

A gloomy light flashed in Liu Shizhuang's eyes. "Just as Lord Zhou said, you and I are undeniably loyal, but we cannot simply sit by and wait to be slaughtered."

***

According to custom, the end of the month and the first few days of the new month were when Shen Ran held court. Yet when he ascended the throne to hold audience the very next day, more than half of the court officials took sick leave.

Looking out over the desolate and empty grand hall, Shen Ran said not a word. With a flick of his sleeve, he summarily dismissed the court.

The third and fourth days were exactly the same.

However, while the number of attending officials had plummeted by more than half, the volume of state affairs had not decreased by even the slightest fraction. Over these past few days, the memorials piled upon the desk in the Imperial Study grew higher and higher.

They were easily several times greater in volume than usual.

If one were to genuinely read through them one by one, one could read straight from the dawn of one day until the dawn of the next.

At first, Shen Ran read a few symbolically, but later on, he stopped reading them altogether. Vital affairs of state were scattered like needles in a vast ocean of trivialities, and even with careful scrutiny, omissions were easily made.

Moreover, with the majority of civil officials currently on leave, even if he issued strict orders, Liu Shizhuang had countless excuses to drag his feet and stall.

By the fifth day, Shen Ran "gently" dispatched imperial physicians to the residences of every single minister who had claimed illness, ordering the doctors to diagnose and treat them at their own homes. Then, leaving behind a crowd of ministers staring at one another in dismay, he flicked his sleeve and dismissed the court once more.

However, no sooner had he returned to the Imperial Study than Yuanbao hurried in to announce that Her Majesty the Empress requested an audience.

Shen Ran had just seated himself and was holding a scroll of books, reading with half a mind, when he looked up and smiled at the news, "Then why haven't you invited the Empress in immediately?"

Yuanbao let out an assent in his high-pitched voice and scurried out to escort Xue Wu inside.

Shen Ran had not visited Xue Wu's Yikun Palace for two or three days, and Xue Wu was fully convinced that his mood must be foul during this period. She never expected that the moment she stepped through the doors of the Imperial Study, she would see Shen Ran greeting her with a radiant smile.

He caught Xue Wu's hand and said with a smile—

"Awu, you have arrived at the most opportune moment."

"The imperial kitchens have just prepared a few new varieties of pastries. Come quickly and taste them with me."

Xue Wu was slightly stunned.

Given the current circumstances, even if Shen Ran was not enraged, he certainly should not have been in high spirits. Yet he had truly acted as he originally promised, not venting his anger upon her in the slightest.

A complex flash of emotion darted swiftly through her eyes. Xue Wu gently pressed her lips together and said, "It just so happens that this concubine has also personally made some pastries for His Majesty."

Shen Ran smiled. "Then I shall have to eat a few more pieces."

The two of them sat beside the desk, each eating a few pieces of pastry and exchanging idle pleasantries. After a moment, Xue Wu asked, "Your Majesty, are there still many ministers taking leave in the court today?"

At the mention of this, the air grew slightly heavy for a brief moment.

Not until he had finished a piece of pastry did Shen Ran reply leisurely, "Indeed. But do not worry, it is not a major issue."

His tone was exceedingly nonchalant.

Hesitating for a moment, Xue Wu said, "Still, if this goes on for long, I am afraid it is hardly a solution, and furthermore..."

She paused. "Just now, this concubine heard Grand Eunuch Yuanbao mention that Your Majesty has dispatched imperial physicians to diagnose those officials at their estates. I wonder how Your Majesty intends to deal with the situation?"

Shen Ran let out a soft laugh.

Resting his chin on one hand by the desk, bathed in the morning light, he looked as flawless as white jade. "And what does Awu think?"

Not a trace of anger or anxiety could be discerned from his posture.

Xue Wu murmured, "It couldn't be that whoever is examined and found to be in perfect health will simply be executed, could it?"

Zhao Yuanzhu was right: fighting violence with violence was a method, but it was by no means the best method.

If used too often, the nation would inevitably be thrown into turmoil.

"Of course not."

Shen Ran continued to smile. "Since I promised my wife that I would be a wise and benevolent ruler, I will not go around executing people at will. I am merely expressing a monarch's concern for his subjects."

Xue Wu: "......"