Chapter Thirty-One: Debates in the Imperial Court (Part One)

In just a few days, the atmosphere of the Eastern Capital had completely transformed. Countless undercurrents surged: the Imperial Martial Marquis was crowned king, the Sacred Martial Marquis entered the capital, conflicts erupted along Chang'an Street, and the wine blessing ceremony was held in the Imperial Temple. News spread of these figures who had not surfaced for centuries.

With their arrival, invisible ripples began to stir in the silent lake of the Eastern Capital, which had lain undisturbed for a hundred years.

Just a few days earlier, word had come from the Sword South Protectorate, far in the southern regions of the Great Tang, responsible for guarding South Chu and Nanzhao.

Zhang Chou Jianqiong had been transferred to the Ministry of War!

Once this news was confirmed, it struck the nobility and aristocracy of the Eastern Capital like a thunderclap.

Zhang Chou Jianqiong was the Grand Protector of Sword South, one of the few generals in the Great Tang who wielded real power, at the same level as Gao Xianzhi and Wang Zhongsi.

Such a man, suddenly summoned to the Eastern Capital, would not be given a trivial post by the court.

“A fierce tiger is about to break in!”

This thought flashed through the minds of every prince, duke, and marquis in the Eastern Capital.

In the current imperial landscape of the Great Tang, all important positions had long been fixed—a balance forged through a century of contest and intrigue among various factions. If a fierce tiger were to enter the Eastern Capital, it would inevitably disrupt the established order, impacting all sides.

Furthermore, Zhang Chou Jianqiong had no power base in the Eastern Capital. If he were to be transferred, he would either join one of the existing factions or establish his own, an event that would profoundly affect the political situation.

Strangest of all, this command was issued directly by the Emperor, bypassing the Crown Prince, who was regent. The document bore not the ancestral imperial seal, but the Emperor’s personal jade seal.

Once the news spread from Sword South, the winds shifted in the various marquis’ mansions. The crowning of the Imperial Martial Marquis as king and the transfer of Zhang Chou Jianqiong to the Eastern Capital were both orchestrated by the Emperor himself. This signaled that His Majesty intended to return to the court, and that the Crown Prince would soon step down from his regency.

The Crown Prince had acted as regent for several years. During this period, all decrees and policies emanated from his hand, with the Emperor all but absent from court affairs. Yet in the past two years, the Crown Prince had aggressively built his own power base. Now, with the Emperor’s sudden resurgence and the arrival of the Sacred Martial Marquis in the capital, it was only natural that the senior ministers wondered at the underlying reasons.

The Emperor had only established the Crown Prince, without formally declaring him heir apparent. This meant the other princes still harbored hope, with the Fifth, Third, and Seventh Princes commanding the largest factions. Many senior ministers supported these contenders.

The struggle for the heir apparent had always been the most perilous affair in court.

No need to look far; even in the present dynasty, when the illustrious Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, how many nobles fell before the slaughter of Tian Ce’s blade at the gates of Xuanwu? In Taizong’s later years, the struggle between Crown Prince Li Chengqian and the future Emperor Gaozong even swept up the most eminent ministers—Zhao, Duke of the State, was exiled to Qianzhou, and his grand mansion faded into obscurity overnight.

Such is the conflict of princes.

Any contest for imperial power is ruthlessly cold and cruel.

When a new emperor ascends, those who once supported rival princes can rarely escape extermination.

…

A few days later, Zhang Chou Jianqiong, Grand Protector of Sword South, finally entered the capital. That night, many great figures of the Eastern Capital tossed and turned, sleepless until dawn. Half a month had passed since the decree was issued by the Secretariat, but no news of Zhang Chou Jianqiong’s appointment had emerged. The court factions had debated the matter repeatedly, but the Emperor remained silent about the position Zhang Chou Jianqiong would hold in the capital.

At the hour of the Tiger, ornate sedan chairs gathered before the Gate of Heavenly Grace. The Great Tang’s morning court typically convened at the hour of the Rabbit; most officials arrived at the Tiger hour. Those who could stand here were all pivotal figures in the Tang court. Before the Imperial Martial Marquis assumed command of the Ministry of War, he could not attend the morning assembly without an imperial summons.

When the hour arrived, the Dragon Martial Guard opened the Gate of Heavenly Grace, proceeding along the divine path toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Rows of fierce Dragon Martial Guards stood solemnly on either side of the sacred way, each radiating an aura no weaker than the Court Dew realm.

“The rites are in ruins! His Majesty actually conferred the title of ‘Emperor’ upon him. If it were merely ‘Marquis of Martial Virtue’ I could accept it, but to be granted a princely title—such audacity! This Imperial Censor must memorialize this matter!”

“What you say is true, brother Wen Yuan. The title ‘Emperor’ is reserved solely for the sovereign. How can a prince possess it? This is a transgression against the law!”

“Even so, the ‘Emperor’ title was decided in consultation between the Wine Blessing Master and His Majesty. We cannot fathom the reasons behind it. Since the Wine Blessing Master raised no objection, perhaps we should not speak further.”

“Zhou Chong, are you saying that if the Wine Blessing Master is silent, we as ministers should refrain from advising His Majesty? As censors, our duty is to the state. The title ‘Emperor Martial King’ exceeds the bounds of ceremony; we must urgently remonstrate. How can we pretend not to see?”

Watching the figure of the Emperor Martial King ahead, the group of Confucian ministers and censors showed various expressions, most filled with hostility.

Over the years, the Emperor Martial King had commanded the Tian Ce Army, waging campaigns on all fronts, leaving the treasury depleted. In the northern border battle, he bypassed the court and forcibly levied taxes from the three southern prefectures. Many censors were deeply dissatisfied with this. Tian Ce House had always possessed authority to mobilize troops, exempt from the Ministry of War’s constraints—a privilege granted by Emperor Taizong when he founded Tian Ce House.

There had been controversy over this special privilege since Taizong’s reign, and opposition persisted to this day.

“Hmph! A bunch of pedantic scholars. The nation comes first, the state above all. The art of war serves the people of the Tang. Without Tian Ce House and the four great protectorates defending the borders, how could you dare utter such wild words here today?”

A cold voice echoed in the ears of the censors nearby.

A bright red ceremonial robe draped over the speaker. He wore a purple-gold crown, and the golden dragon token at his waist revealed his identity.

“Sacred Martial Marquis, your words are far too bold!”

A great scholar, enraged, let his booming voice resound along the sacred path.

“So it’s you, Yang Lord Censor. I hadn’t thought you were still alive. Since you’re old, don’t try to compete with us younger men. If your eyesight is failing, retire early and enjoy your twilight years. The mobilization rights of Tian Ce House were granted by Emperor Taizong himself. If you can’t even remember that, why bother rising so early and laboring each day to attend court?”

The Sacred Martial Marquis sneered, casting a cold glance at Yang Wen Yuan, the Censor-in-Chief, his disdain plain in his eyes.