Volume 3, Chapter 31 – Micromanagement

Outside Yujing, in a manor villa by the North Huan River, Yao Xing jolted upright, back ramrod straight, eyes bulging as cold sweat streamed down his face.

He’d had a nightmare. In it, he was in a pavilion flirting with his concubines, enjoying the way they used their toes and soft, plump feet to feed him fruit and sweet, dewy juice. The next moment, two of the concubines suddenly turned into Xiang Xian and Bai Xiang, and each drove a sword straight through him.

“An ill omen, a terrible omen…” Yao Xing’s voice shook as he braced a hand on the bed and got to his feet. He didn’t call any servants in to attend him, but dressed himself in a robe on his own.

Having a dream like that—being killed by women—was, in Yao Xing’s eyes, utterly humiliating. He didn’t want to tell anyone about it, yet he couldn’t help worrying that it might be a warning sent by his ancestors.

After thinking it over, he summoned someone in after breakfast and ordered, “Go… bring Zhao Wenqin and Zheng Fu here.”

Under normal circumstances, this would have been an utterly unreasonable demand. This place was a fair distance from Yujing; even if the two high ministers flew over, it would still take the better part of half a day. It was clearly forcing things.

But times were different now. Ever since that criminal Xiang Xian had gone mad and issued bombing threats against the entire capital, anyone in Yujing with even a bit of rank had been slipping away with their families in tow.

Take this “Huanshui Mountain Villa,” for instance. It had always served as a pleasure retreat for entertaining ministers, but now it had been forced open to house the families of many high officials. The households of Zhao and Zheng were among them.

No one here dared treat Yao Xing’s words as mere wind in their ears. Before long, in the time it took for half a cup of tea to cool, two bearded elders in dark red court robes and black-plumed hats arrived at the door. Before they even stepped inside, they bowed respectfully toward the room and intoned, “We pay our respects to Your Majesty!”

“Still putting on all that formality in a place like this!” Yao Xing was already impatient and waved at them. “Up, up, hurry and sit down over here!”

This…

The two veteran ministers exchanged a glance, then both bowed again in unison. Only after saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for granting us seats,” did they rise together and sit below Yao Xing.

“I didn’t call you here to drink tea and chat.” Yao Xing turned his teacup in his hand and first looked at Zhao Wenqin. “Zhao Zhangyao, as I recall, the follow-up arrangements for the southern lands, including personnel assignments, are all being handled by you in cooperation with the Prime Minister. So let me ask you—how have the officials of Maozhou been arranged?”

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Zhao Wenqin immediately hunched his shoulders and straightened his posture, answering solemnly, “In reply to Your Majesty, the matter of Maozhou’s officials was discussed at the last court meeting. The discussion was led by the Prime Minister, and in total thirty-eight worthy ministers were recommended…”

“Nothing but useless drivel!” Yao Xing’s face darkened. “Was I not present at that court meeting myself? What use is that number to me! Tell me who is serving as Maozhou’s Prefectural Overseer.”

“This…” At that, Zhao Wenqin instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to answer; it was that the last court meeting hadn’t settled on a specific candidate for Maozhou’s Prefectural Overseer at all.

This was a newly established state. It wasn’t just an empty phrase about being recorded in the annals for all time—subsequent population shifts and the many vacant offices meant there was enormous room to maneuver.

Every high minister at court, Zhao Wenqin included, wanted a share of that pie. Each one had recommended people from their own faction; when it came to the biggest prize—the Prefectural Overseer of Maozhou—they’d argued without reaching any conclusion.

But could he say that?

His Majesty was already in a foul mood and clearly thought they were implying he had a bad memory. And it was obvious His Majesty didn’t remember the details of that court discussion at all. If Zhao dared speak the truth, he might quite literally lose his head.

“Hmm?” Yao Xing glared, eyeing Zhao Wenqin with suspicion. “Zhao Zhangyao… well, out with it?”

At this life-or-death moment, inspiration struck. Zhao Wenqin stepped to the center, knelt before the throne, and cried, “This concerns a critical matter. After much discussion, we ministers dared not make a rash decision. We could only await Your Majesty’s decree and leave the final judgment to Your Majesty—that is the surest course…”

“Knew you’d resort to flattery.” Yao Xing bared his teeth in a half-grin. “Get up already. This is a place of leisure—don’t be so stiff.”

For all his words, his face clearly showed a pleased smile. He was very satisfied with his minister’s tact.

Hoo~

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Zhao Wenqin, still prone on the floor, finally let out a quiet breath of relief. Once he stood, he met Zheng Fu’s eyes, and the two exchanged a look.

Anyone who’d managed to survive in this arena until their hair and beard turned white was, without exception, a master of people and situations. Both could see that Yao Xing’s question was an attempt to interfere directly—and the reason, most likely, was that he wanted to vent his anger.

After all, being threatened by a woman… just hearing about it sounded mortifying.

Which meant this was their chance.

“Your Majesty.” This time, it was Zheng Fu who rose to bow. “As for the post of Prefectural Overseer… the Prime Minister recommended a man named ‘Han Yu,’ while Grand Commandant Qiu recommended ‘Meng Changliang.’”

“Mm. Han Yu and Meng Changliang.” Yao Xing counted on his fingers. “What about Lord Lü? Did he recommend anyone?”

Zheng Fu lowered his head again. “He did not.”

“That old Lü—he likes to shrink back from everything.” Yao Xing chuckled. “Maozhou is newly established; so many fine offices have opened up. He takes no interest, so the historians can write him down as upright and incorruptible. But what about his family? Won’t they resent him?”

Only Yao Xing could speak that way. Zhao and Zheng didn’t dare respond, merely waiting for him to pick up the thread again.

“Han Yu and Meng Changliang.” After his brief laugh, Yao Xing’s brows drew together. He suddenly turned to Zhao Wenqin. “I seem to recall those two. Han Yu was the one who led the campaign against the eastern Demon Kingdom and forced that ‘Dongqiu King’ to surrender to Great Yu. Meng Changliang put an end to the North Sea troubles. Both are truly capable, worthy ministers.”

“However…” His tone shifted. “I heard the Prime Minister’s first recommendation wasn’t Han Yu at all, but someone named Zhang Xianzhi?”

“There is such a matter,” Zhao and Zheng answered together. “Only, that man declined, so in the end he was reassigned as Watchman of the Chilong Circuit, filling the post previously held by Xu Zhe.”

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“Oh?” Yao Xing lifted his brows. “If he isn’t made State Governor, then the Prefectural Overseer is the highest official in a state. He turned down a benefit that large?”

Yao Xing got to his feet and paced back and forth, then fixed his gaze on the two again. “What is this Zhang Xianzhi’s background?”

“In reply to Your Majesty,” Zhao Wenqin said, “he was originally a commoner. Later, he took first place in the civil examinations in the path of literature and reason, then traveled to Yujing for further study, and graduated in Year Two of Xuanhua.”

Zheng Fu chimed in from the side, “The Prime Minister thinks very highly of him and has long treated him as a foster son. He even tried to arrange him a good marriage match, but Zhang Xianzhi refused and declined it.”

“Interesting.” Yao Xing looked as though he’d found an amusing toy, his face bright with excitement. “He doesn’t want a fine office, doesn’t want a fine beauty. What is this Zhang Xianzhi after, then? And why is he willing to go be a mere lowly Watchman in the Chilong Circuit?”

“It’s said he believes the Chilong Circuit is more in need of straightening out at present,” Zheng Fu added. “He once said, ‘The posts in Maozhou are fine—their benefit lies in the generations to come. Zeqi is in hardship—and that hardship is right now.’ Compared to running off to some newly opened territory of only a few tens of thousands of people just to occupy a seat, he’d rather do some real work next door.”

“I have such a talent under my command?” This time Yao Xing was genuinely delighted. “Some things are best fought for by exactly the sort of man who doesn’t scramble for them! Zhao Wenqin!”

Zhao Wenqin immediately dropped to his knees. “Your minister is here!”

“Help me draft a decree. I want to appoint this Zhang Xianzhi as State Governor of Maozhou.”

What?

Zhao Wenqin and Zheng Fu both went pale with shock and hurried to remonstrate. “Your Majesty mustn’t!”

“Why not?” Yao Xing’s brows creased, and he tapped both their foreheads with a finger. “Are you two jealous of the worthy…?”

That cap, once placed on their heads, made both of them break out in another sweat. They scrambled to protest, “It isn’t that… Your Majesty must understand, there is already one Fang Xiaochun in the southern lands. The authority of a State Governor is too weighty to be lightly granted!”

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“Precisely because there’s already a Fang Xiaochun down there that I want another State Governor to stand alongside him!” Yao Xing snorted. “Fang Xiaochun has grown far too close to Shenming Sword Dao. His conduct this time is displeasing. We need a stern, upright minister like this to keep him in check.”

“Your Majesty—!”

“Enough.” Yao Xing was no longer angry at all. He sat back down, crossed one leg over the other, and said cheerfully, “So I didn’t line your pockets with any benefits this time. If you two beloved ministers have something to say, then say it straight—who were you each hoping to plant in those fine offices?”

This…

Had they just stumbled into achieving their goal, in a roundabout way?

Zhao and Zheng both felt a bit helpless.

By the looks of it, they had indeed gotten their slice of benefit. But they’d also ruined Prime Minister Liu’s arrangements. In rewarding them this way, Yao Xing clearly meant to drag them down into the mud with him and make them carry the blame.

But that was what court struggles were all about, wasn’t it?

If they weren’t willing to carry this black pot for him, there was no way they’d ever be heavily relied upon. The two simply steeled themselves and knelt together. “We respectfully obey Your Majesty’s decree…”

“Good! Hahahahaha…”

Yao Xing burst into hearty laughter, all trace of the gloom from waking gone without a shadow.