Chapter 59: Neatly Dressed

In the palace court, it seemed that ever since the Department of Prudence incident things had been calm for a long time. Even the documents presented had much less useless information and were no longer mere perfunctory paperwork. Fang Rui had also secretly ordered people to monitor every move of the officials.

That day during the morning court, Fang Rui called the Deputy Minister forward and casually asked, “Where did you go yesterday? Whom did you meet?”

The Deputy Minister felt a pang of doubt in his heart. He didn’t understand why His Majesty would suddenly ask this. After thinking carefully, he realized he hadn’t met anyone important the day before, so he recounted, one by one, where he had gone and whom he had seen.

After the deputy finished speaking, Fang Rui glanced at Rong Tai and said, “Verify whether what the deputy said is true.”

After Fang Rui spoke, Rong Tai stepped forward holding a small memorandum and read aloud, “The deputy left the court at the third watch of the morning…”

What Rong Tai read aloud was the deputy’s day’s itinerary, precise down to the hour, where he went and whom he met, with nothing omitted, exactly as the deputy had said.

When the deputy heard Rong Tai recite his schedule, sweat beaded on his forehead. He was relieved he had told the complete truth earlier, otherwise the crime of deceiving the emperor, whether great or small, would have brought punishment.

Having verified the deputy’s itinerary, Fang Rui nodded with some satisfaction and said, “Return to your ranks.”

The deputy stepped back into the ranks as if spared by a general pardon.

That brief display left the civil and military officials baffled. Wang Zhongyuan stepped forward and asked, “May I ask Your Majesty what that was for?”

Fang Rui’s thin lips curved slightly before he sighed, “Lately, too many ministers at court have disappointed me. I’ve thought it over and decided it’s because my control hasn’t been strict enough, allowing them to grow lax. Therefore I intend to establish an Eastern Depot to supervise the officials on my behalf.”

Hearing this, the officials below eyed each other warily. A minister stepped forward and asked, “Your Majesty, what is the Eastern Depot?”

Fang Rui glanced at the now-restless officials and explained, “The Eastern Depot will be led by an imperial eunuch as superintendent. The royal guards will be reorganized into the Eastern Depot and report directly to me, appointed solely by me. Matters of investigation will not need to go through the Six Ministries of court but will be reported straight to me. Its primary role is to monitor the officials.”

Upon hearing Fang Rui’s explanation, many ministers widened their eyes, visibly surprised.

Before the officials could object, Fang Rui added, “If any of you would dare to guarantee to me that every civil and military official in the capital and every local officer below is impeccably clean and a true advocate for the people, then I will not set up this Eastern Depot.”

Fang Rui swept his gaze over the officials and snorted, “What, none of you dare to guarantee that?”

He suddenly slapped his hand down on the dragon throne with a sharp pat, his face full of fury. “You dare to stand up and claim it is against principle for me to establish this Eastern Depot, and that eunuchs should not interfere in government? Just look: in less than two months, first Suozhou, then the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, and in half a month even worse, the Department of Prudence! These acts are treating me like a three-year-old child to be fooled. If I don’t strengthen management, more people will treat me like a three-year-old.”

Fang Rui’s words were harsh, and scarcely any minister dared to speak. Who would risk being singled out? Most had avoided siding with the Wang clan and had endured years of their oppression. Though eunuchs meddling in politics is indeed dishonorable, if it could curb the Wang clan’s arrogance and allow His Majesty to firmly hold power, what could possibly be unacceptable about that?

Those who had guilty consciences were even less willing to act rashly. If they dared to speak up, they would be the first to be investigated. There are no walls that are perfectly airtight, so the only option is not to let the draft hit your own wall. So one by one they kept their mouths shut, prioritizing self-preservation.

Wang Zhongyuan retreated as well, his head slightly bowed, a shadow of gloom clouding his eyes.

Fang Rui’s maneuver this time completely confirmed Wang Zhongyuan’s suspicions about the emperor: Fang Rui had indeed started to guard against them. The move was nothing more than an attempt to suppress the Wang clan. Although they could not act rashly now, they could not sit idly by and await their doom either!

Shen Yu had attended the morning court today. Seeing Fang Rui on the dragon throne with a stern expression, she could not at all imagine he was the same person who had played the fool and pretended to bump into a window in her bedchamber the night before. His acting…

Shen Yu was impressed. She thought that even actors in the theater might not match His Majesty’s acting skills.

After some thought, Shen Yu decided to support His Majesty. After all… her situation was not much different from being monitored. The difference was that other ministers would be watched by the Eastern Depot’s royal guards, while she was being watched by a big mongrel.

She stepped out of the ranks, cupped her hands and said, “I, your subject, support His Majesty’s measures.”

Fang Rui’s attention was partly focused on Shen Yu. Watching her bow her head, he wondered what she was thinking, whether she merely wanted the court to end sooner, or whether she was planning how to deal with him.

When he saw Shen Yu stand up in support, Fang Rui felt secretly pleased: indeed, his beloved aide Shen, his Ah Yu, was still on his side.

That Shen Yu stood with Fang Rui was known across the court, her support was expected by the officials. But when even a conservative old man in the court also supported the measure, it surprised Wang Zhongyuan.

Fang Rui’s proposal passed with no votes in opposition.

“The superintendent of this Eastern Depot will be Rong Tai. Does anyone have any objections?”

The ministers replied in unison, “We have no objections.” Who could object? Never mind His Majesty—regarding the appointment of the superintendent, even if they opposed it, the post would ultimately go to His Majesty’s most trusted Rong Tai. It was better not to offend anyone now and instead plan how to respond later.

After the court adjourned, Fang Rui did not ask Gu Changqing how the final investigation into Lu Shangqing was going, he only had gifts delivered to each minister’s residence. Many received flowers taken directly from the imperial garden, and some received tribute items submitted in past years from various regions.

While the ministers speculated that Fang Rui was offering both a carrot and a stick, Shen Yu received a brocade box, inside which lay an exquisitely crafted vermillion hairpin…

The golden vermillion hairpin had white pearls and small red agate beads as its stamen and blue jade as the petals, very delicate indeed. But Shen Yu’s focus was not on the floral motif. It was that… the hairpin was made of gold.

Why not jade, why not silver, but gold… was it telling her that…his love was stronger than gold?

Shen Yu snapped the brocade box shut with a pop, and thanked the attending eunuch, “You’ve worked hard. Come into the hall for a cup of tea before you go.”

The eunuch respectfully declined, “Lord Shen, there’s no need for that. Aside from delivering this gift, His Majesty also sent a message through this servant to Lord Shen.”

Shen Yu lifted her eyes, a hint of puzzlement on her face. “What else did His Majesty say?”

She thought that if it weren’t something important, Fang Rui would bring it up himself. If it was important, it would be done in this manner, so she could not take it lightly.

“His Majesty only said to ask Lord Shen to meet at the teahouse at midday.”

Shen Yu frowning slightly asked, “Did His Majesty specify which teahouse?”

The eunuch shook his head. “His Majesty said, Lord Shen would know.”

Shen Yu didn’t ask further questions.

After sending the eunuch away, Shen Yu thought for a while and then remembered that once when Fang Rui had left the palace he had taken her to a teahouse to watch an opera. If no other location had been specified, it was probably there.

Speaking of that time at the teahouse, he had staged and acted out a scene himself, instructing her on how to find a wanderer from the jianghu to carry out tasks for her… one had to admit, His Majesty put on a lot of theatrics.

Shen Yu’s understanding of Fang Rui deepened. This man was simply deceiving the world with a straight face.

She placed the cinnabar hairpin and those bamboo slips into the same drawer. Aside from the fact that it was a gift from the emperor, she rather liked it. It was the only piece of jewelry she had had in twenty years.

Fang Rui had indeed used a diversion, but not merely to give Shen Yu a gift. He also used the delivery as a pretext to send messages to Shen Yu and Gu Changqing.

He felt it was time to make things clear.

Only Gu Changqing was already being watched and couldn’t come out conveniently. Any movement he made might be met with the same assassination attempt Shen Yu had faced earlier. Even if he openly fell out with them, it didn’t mean they would restrain themselves. When they needed to be ruthless, their methods only grew more brutal.

Shen Yu and Gu Changqing both knew Fang Rui used this method to send messages, so they realized it was to be done covertly. Therefore when Gu Changqing left his residence, the attire of the servant he switched into allowed him to depart unnoticed.

Shen Yu had an easier time leaving the house, even though she too, wore ordinary clothes. Since Shen Yu’s assassination attempt, Wang Zhongyuan did not want to be caught with too many blemishes, so he withdrew the men he had sent to watch her.

Gu Changqing arrived first, and Shen Yu came afterward. Meeting in a private chamber, Shen Yu was slightly surprised.

“Lord Shen, what brings you here?”

Seeing Gu Changqing, Shen Yu roughly guessed, “Did His Majesty summon you, Lord Gu?”

Gu Changqing nodded, “It seems Lord Shen was summoned as well.”

After they sat, both wondered what His Majesty wanted from them. They waited for a short while.

Suddenly frantic shouts from the street below rose up. Shen Yu and Gu Changqing exchanged a glance and rose to the window. Looking down, they saw a carriage careening wildly down the street as if spooked, knocking over many stalls. A young woman had lifted the curtain of the carriage window, her face pale as she cried for help, and the driver who should have been in control seemed to have been thrown off somewhere.

Just as Shen Yu and Gu Changqing were worrying for the girl, two figures, one in dark clothing and one in lighter clothing, leaped onto the carriage step. They glanced at each other and, with tacit understanding, one vaulted onto the horse’s back while the other seized the reins.

Shen Yu looked closely: the figure in dark clothes was unmistakably Rong Tai, and the one in light clothing, whose skills seemed no less than Rong Tai’s, was surprisingly a young woman!