The officials in the hall discussed spiritedly, suggesting that the Empress’s letter be thrown away.
Deng Yi smiled and stopped everyone’s discussion: “Let’s first see what the Empress has to say.”
She could say what she wanted; how they acted was their affair.
The officials stopped discussing. Deng Yi didn’t avoid everyone because of the Empress’s private letter to him, reading and reciting the contents aloud as he went.
From the letter’s description, one could see that this girl had indeed gone to persuade Prince Zhongshan to surrender, or rather, to threaten him.
She had captured the heir Xiao Xun, threatening mutual destruction with Prince Zhongshan and his son, making Prince Zhongshan’s plans come to nothing—in the end, Prince Zhongshan decided to surrender and cease hostilities. But the prerequisite was that his plans couldn’t come to nothing, so—
“The crimes of Prince Zhongshan and his son must be pardoned. Besides the heir entering the capital as hostage, Prince Zhongshan will not be subject to any restrictions.”
Reading this, Deng Yi laughed despite himself: “Isn’t Empress Chu being too polite? She should have also written for the court to reward Prince Zhongshan.”
The officials also clamored in astonishment.
“Truly laughable,” an official holding a teacup scoffed. “Empress Chu must be confused.”
With Prince Zhongshan submitting, they should naturally determine his crime, demote him to commoner status, and eliminate the threat forever—this prince with broken legs actually kept so many troops. Although it was still covered by a thin veil, whose heart wasn’t clear about what he intended?
Another official reached out to pick up a piece of pastry and said: “The court doesn’t fear Prince Zhongshan. Fighting would completely uproot Prince Zhongshan—mm.”
He took a bite of the pastry and immediately praised it, calling everyone’s attention.
“Try this apricot blossom cake—it’s very fresh.”
The official beside him brushed his sleeve and took a piece, saying: “In this battle the court has great odds of victory. How can we not fight, much less talk of letting Prince Zhongshan go?” He ate the apricot blossom cake, nodded in praise, then said to Deng Yi: “Grand Tutor, the old madam loves sweets. Send this to the old madam to try.”
Nowadays, even that blind old woman’s taste preferences were remembered by everyone.
Deng Yi smiled faintly: “Another day you should all try my household cook’s skills—she was sent by Editor Zhang.”
The officials seated throughout the hall all looked in one direction, where a middle-aged official from the Hanlin Academy with a dark red complexion smiled and raised his teacup: “My family shop’s traditional craft—a modest gift, a modest gift.”
This Editor Zhang’s clan operated restaurants and pastry shops that were extremely famous in the capital and even throughout Da Xia. Some unique pastries and dishes weren’t even available in the palace’s imperial kitchens.
When giving gifts, sometimes it wasn’t about spending more or less money, but about matching someone’s taste. Among the officials, some were disdainful, some jealous, some joked—the hall was lively and bustling.
Deng Yi drank some tea, coughed lightly, lowered his eyes to the letter, and read what that girl had written: “Fight, and the world descends into chaos, the border commanderies face danger, military morale scatters, people suffer everywhere, the people’s livelihood collapses.”
War had always been like this—everyone knew this.
An official with graying whiskers clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and said flatly: “Empress Chu has a compassionate heart.”
“A woman’s benevolence,” another official added.
Deng Yi continued reading: “Even though the court’s momentum is strong like a rainbow and troops are plentiful, Prince Zhongshan has accumulated strength for a long time, and additionally the Xi Liang King refuses to let go. Once war starts, the world will descend into chaos—it might not even be pacified within ten years after.”
Where did this girl get such certainty to conclude that Da Xia would enter chaotic times?
Although things were already quite chaotic now, but—
“We have the Grand Tutor, we have the Xie clan, we have His Majesty,” an official said gravely. “Even if Da Xia has chaos, in one year, two years, three years, the world will surely be pacified. But if we leave Prince Zhongshan be, that will never be pacified. Cut the tangled threads with a sharp blade, prolonged pain is worse than short pain—surely Her Majesty the Empress understands this principle.”
She naturally understood. Deng Yi lowered his eyes to the letter: “However, Prince Zhongshan has a rebellious heart but no rebellious backbone. Break his momentum, and from then on he’ll hesitate at every step, allowing the court to win at every step—subduing the enemy without battle.”
Another official laughed and shook his head: “Speaking of all this is useless. His Majesty has already personally led the expedition. Xie Yanfang’s momentum is strong like a rainbow, magnificently eliminating evil—everyone can see His Majesty’s authority.”
Subduing the enemy without battle was like wearing brocade at night—Xie Yanfang would never agree.
And although they didn’t really want to see the Xie clan in glory, they couldn’t prevent it either, since it concerned the nation’s imperial authority and the Son of Heaven’s prestige.
“His Majesty personally leads the expedition, yet we in the rear make peace with Prince Zhongshan—the infamy is easy to imagine.”
Moreover—
He looked at Deng Yi.
“Grand Tutor, Xie Yanfang is watching your past dealings with Prince Zhongshan.”
Earlier he had wanted to force Deng Yi to reveal past incidents of being bribed by Prince Zhongshan. Empress Chu’s family members fled first, revealing their guilty conscience without need for proof, so Deng Yi no longer needed to provide supporting evidence.
But now if they did as Empress Chu suggested, accepting Prince Zhongshan’s confession without punishment or inquiry, making big matters small and small matters disappear—Deng Yi would truly bear the infamy of being Prince Zhongshan’s lackey.
“Let Empress Chu be absurd on her own if she wants—you cannot.”
Deng Yi leaned against his armrest, holding the letter in one hand while accepting hot tea from an attending clerk with the other. In the night, steam rose and danced, making his features somewhat blurred.
Right now he should indeed throw this girl’s nonsensical letter into the brazier and burn it, not read any further.
But—
That girl stopped talking about these grand principles and wrote something else.
“Pacifying the world in chaotic times brings great merit, but preventing chaos and keeping the world peaceful is also great merit. Grand Tutor, do you want to be the Grand Tutor of chaotic times, or the Grand Tutor of peaceful and well-governed times?”
His birth, Deng Yi’s, was humble—no family background, no deep-rooted old friends or marriage connections.
He raised his eyes slightly, looking at the officials seated throughout the hall. Now many supporters surrounded him, obeying his commands, assisting him with people and money, allowing him, Deng Yi, to occupy the court and stand equally against the Xie clan with their aristocratic heritage and imperial connections—this was because he was the late Emperor’s chosen regent, holding the imperial seal and the authority to supervise the government during the regency.
What they attached themselves to wasn’t him, Deng Yi—it was the power in his hands.
Chaotic times were fought for. Even as the chief civil official holding the imperial seal, when campaigns began, generals in the field didn’t always heed the ruler’s commands—it wouldn’t be his turn as Grand Tutor to direct affairs.
When authority became difficult to wield, it would become increasingly difficult to wield.
Deng Yi looked at the letter. Miss Chu came from an ordinary background with a thin family foundation. Although she had troops, she knew that in chaotic times she couldn’t compete with Xie Yanfang, so she came to be kindred spirits in misfortune with him.