Chapter Thirty-Two: Debate in the Imperial Court (II)

Yang Wenyuan also responded with cold indifference, not bothering to argue further with the Marquis of Sacred Might. The Marquis was no longer the man he once was; it was only afterwards that people learned he had been summoned to the Eastern Capital by the Emperor himself. Furthermore, regarding the slaying of Shangguan Qi before the Upper Tomb Garden, not a single punishment had been issued—clear evidence of the Emperor’s great favor.

The Emperor had not yet ascended the throne for morning court, while the Marquis’s gaze swept constantly over the Hall of Supreme Polarity. Most faces present were unfamiliar to him now. The heirs of the twenty-four great ministers of the Pavilion of Lingyan were, for the most part, no longer among the courtiers. The old retainers left behind by the late Emperor had, with the passage of years, grown old and faded from power.

Now, those who filled the hall were largely men in their thirties or forties—remarkably young, in the eyes of the Marquis. His gaze lingered upon them only briefly before moving on.

Suddenly, outside the hall doors, a familiar figure caught the Marquis’s attention. A tall, slender man stepped across the threshold of the Hall of Supreme Polarity, his brow furrowed in deep thought, his mind clearly preoccupied. The aura emanating from him was no less formidable than the Marquis’s own; the accumulated authority of years weighed upon him like the midday sun.

“What troubles you?” the Marquis asked as he approached, his voice low.

“Why have you come today? The Confucian ministers are discussing the disbandment of the garrisoned militia in every commandery—are you aware of this?” The King of Martial Virtue’s sword-sharp brows were deeply knit as he regarded the Marquis.

“What? Are those fools mad?” The Marquis’s face changed abruptly, but before he could say more, a raspy, duck-like voice interrupted him:

“His Majesty arrives!”

At that very moment, a series of chimes rang out. A vast and formidable aura, as immovable as the sea of clouds, suddenly descended, filling the Hall of Supreme Polarity like a swelling tide. In the next instant, before the eyes of all assembled, a golden figure emerged along the imperial path, passing through the beaded curtain and taking his seat upon the Dragon Throne.

“Long live the Emperor! Ten thousand years!”

All the ministers, civil and military, bowed low in reverence, their voices rising in thunderous acclaim that echoed through the grand hall.

“If you have matters to present, speak; if not, court is dismissed!” A plump eunuch with a smiling face appeared before the curtain, his duck-like voice carrying to every corner of the hall. This was none other than Gao Lishi, the personal attendant of the Emperor of Great Tang.

“Your Majesty, I have a petition to present…” No sooner had Gao Lishi’s voice faded than a civil minister, holding an ivory tablet, strode forth and bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, in the recent battle at the Northern Frontier, the might of our empire was displayed for all to see. The surrounding barbarian tribes have sent tributes, expressing their willingness to submit to the Emperor of Great Tang. Even Southern Chu and the barbarians of Tibet have offered to reduce their military forces as a gesture of goodwill. Recently, they have dispatched envoys to the Eastern Capital, seeking to sign alliances and open trade, wishing to reopen the Silk Road across the desert. In this time of peace, I propose: disband the garrisoned militia in every province and commandery, thereby reducing the tax burden on the people and the expenses of the treasury. The funds saved from the militia can be invested into the Silk Road, bringing greater prosperity to our empire!”

At once, the entire hall erupted. All the military officials glared furiously at the Confucian minister.

Disband the army!

This was the first time since the founding of Great Tang!

“Your Majesty, I oppose this proposal!”

“Your Majesty, I oppose it as well!”

“Absurd! Disbanding the militia—this is what you scholars have devised? If there’s ever a border war, where will the court find new recruits for the frontier commands? Are we to rely on you silver-tongued scholars to take up arms and defend the realm?”

“Without soldiers, how will we fend off our enemies at the borders? Damn it! You’re always targeting us generals, but if not for our sacrifices on the battlefield, how could the empire enjoy peace today?”

The hall was in an uproar, a hornet’s nest disturbed. The military faction was beside themselves with rage. Even the Marquis of Valor, who usually opposed the King of Martial Virtue, now showed anger in his eyes.

“If, without the militia, the four great Protectorates cannot guard the borders, then I propose we impeach them all for dereliction of duty!” Very soon, another Confucian censor stepped forward, his voice ringing with severity.

“Civil ministers govern, military men defend the borders—this has ever been the way. If you generals are so capable, why not govern the empire yourselves? We ministers would gladly retire to our hometowns. Since the founding of Great Tang, there’s been endless war, the people’s strength depleted, and the treasury exhausted. Now that the barbarians wish to submit, trade, and reopen the Silk Road, there is no more war. The strength of the four Protectorates is more than enough, so why spend lavishly every year to maintain a militia of little use? This is a rare opportunity—why not nurture the people and strengthen the nation?”

One censor echoed this loudly, and soon more civil ministers stood in support.

The battlefield and the court were worlds apart. On the battlefield, those frail scholars were of little use, unable to stand against even the lowest soldier. But in the court, martial strength mattered nothing, and the military men could gain no advantage.

The Marquis of Sacred Might stood at the head of the military ranks, watching as the censors attacked the generals, his pupils slowly contracting, his gaze growing ever colder.

Though the northern nomads had retreated and the Protectorate of Anbei was rebuilding the northern defenses, that did not mean war would never return. As the censors claimed, the barbarians wished to submit and sign treaties, but to the Marquis, those treaties were worth less than toilet paper.

Their submission was due only to the overwhelming strength of Tang’s armies. A tiger in the mountains commands respect, but what of a toothless, clawless beast? Would the animals still bow in fear?

The garrisons of the border protectorates were limited in number. In the event of war, elite troops could be rapidly drawn from the local militia to reinforce the front lines. If the militia were disbanded, and war flared up, there would be no reserves to replenish the ranks—a grave crisis, a threat to the very foundation of the empire. Whoever suggested the disbandment was a fool—worse than a fool!

The conflict between the civil and military factions only grew more intense. As the generals were about to be overwhelmed by the censors’ relentless attacks, a powerful voice rang out through the hall:

“Your Majesty! I object!”

At that voice, a sudden hush fell over the great hall. All debate ceased at once, and every general turned to look toward the Marquis of Sacred Might.

“The Marquis of Sacred Might!”

Within the military, the four great marquises held supreme influence. The Marquis’s standing was beyond question: a royal scion, Grand Protector of Annan, guardian of the critical pass at Tongguan. All these honors were not merely due to his birth as the late Emperor’s son, but earned through countless battles and acts of selfless valor on the field.

“Marquis, what do you mean by this? Was I wrong?” The censor who had first proposed the measure fixed his eyes on the Marquis, as did all the civil ministers present. The atmosphere grew ever more charged.

“Your Majesty, I believe the proposal to disband the militia holds no merit whatsoever. The one who put forth this idea is nothing but a useless wretch. I suggest stripping him of his rank and title, and barring him from ever holding office again!” The Marquis did not even glance at the censors, but gazed straight toward the Emperor behind the beaded curtain.

“Marquis, the endless wars among the barbarians have already brought the people great suffering. Do you wish for more? Or do you simply want to keep power in your own hands?” The censor, his face flushed with anger, was utterly incensed by the Marquis’s words.

“Oh? So you’re saying that the soldiers who give their lives at the border do so not to protect their homeland, but for the sake of us generals? For our positions?” The Marquis turned his head, casting a frosty glance at the censor, his intent to kill laid bare.

Under the Marquis’s gaze, the censor felt a chill to his very bones and could not utter another word.

“Your Majesty! I impeach these treacherous ministers, who must all be dismissed and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for strict interrogation. I suspect these men of collusion with the enemy, endangering the security of Great Tang!” The Marquis spoke with icy gravity.

His words sent the civil ministers into an uproar, all deeply aggrieved by his near-insulting accusation.

“Marquis! You go too far! The right to remonstrate is a sacred tradition passed down through the ages. In the times of the Grand Ancestor and Taizong, it was decreed that no remonstrating official should be punished for his words. In the reign of Taizong, even the Duke of Zheng spoke harsh truths, and Taizong never once rebuked him. And yet today you would strip us of office and brand us as traitors! This is to silence all remonstrance, to blind the sovereign, and bring disaster upon Great Tang! Your Majesty, I impeach the Marquis of Sacred Might for his outrageous conduct, for silencing his critics, and for amassing personal power. He has violated the late Emperor’s command that he never set foot beyond Tongguan. I beg Your Majesty to strip him of his rank, revoke his royal status, and reduce him to commoner—either exile him to Lingnan or consign him to the Imperial Clan Court, his descendants forever barred from office!”

Suddenly, an aged voice rang out in the Hall of Supreme Polarity.