Chapter 14: The Mighty Do Not Remain Mighty Forever
After the new year, Gao Yunqu quietly submitted a memorial proposing a trial run of the Merit Evaluation System in the Censorate. The system would break down the supervisory and inspection duties of each department into detailed articles. Each official would be required to submit a monthly report on their tasks for monthly review. The intent was to guide the Censorate officials toward a clear understanding of their responsibilities, shifting their focus to the grander scheme of supervision and reversing the Censorate's trend of idleness and empty talk, where hearsay was considered a mark of distinction.
Fan Ying studied her memorial in detail and specially invited her to a banquet at her residence. At just over forty, Fan Ying was in her prime, a sharp and capable official serving as the Minister of Revenue, a post of the senior second rank. She had once been a student of Gao Yunqu's grandfather and had looked after Gao Yunqu since she entered officialdom.
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
"Lushuang, you've come." Fan Ying greeted her with a smile. "Come, sit. I've had some Hezhou-style dishes prepared. I hope they are to your liking."
"You are too kind, Your Excellency."
After a few rounds of pleasantries, the two got to the heart of the matter.
"Lushuang, I have read your memorial. It is exceptionally well-written—the foundation of a Triple First is truly evident." Fan Ying offered a few words of praise before adding with some concern, "But is this not too large a step to take at once?"
"As I understand it, Your Excellency has a similar system in the Ministry of Revenue, no? The Merit Evaluation System is not something I conceived on a whim; it has long been in existence. I have merely summarized and refined past experiences."
"That is true, but the Ministry of Revenue deals mostly with money and grain, which naturally demands caution. Moreover, I have managed it carefully for many years. The Censorate, on the other hand, has been excessively favored in the past and was made extremely impetuous under Han Zhongsi's leadership. How confident are you?"
"Even the most difficult tasks must be started by someone. The Censorate's role as a path for remonstrance must never be taken lightly. If it falls into the hands of those who seek only fame, the day the court descends into factional attacks will not be far off. Returning to the Censorate, I feel a pressing sense of urgency and cannot find peace of mind." Fan Ying saw a fire burning in Gao Yunqu's eyes, blazing with a heat that seemed capable of consuming everything.
In her youth, Fan Ying had also been a decisive and vigorous official. She had served in local and court positions, and the more she saw, the more she understood the problems. She had never approved of Left Chancellor Cai Quan's way of inaction. All she saw beneath that inaction was the idleness of officials who were mere placeholders and the unbridled ambition of those who formed cliques for personal gain. Looking at Gao Yunqu, she felt as if she were seeing her younger self. Back then, she too had felt that time was of the essence. But later, she came to understand that many things could not be rushed.
"Lushuang, your grandfather was a benefactor to me, and I see you as my own kin, so let me offer you some heartfelt words. I have observed your memorial; every word is carefully weighed, clearly the result of long deliberation. I only hope that you will proceed with caution and reverence for even the smallest details, and not act with haste." Fan Ying patted the back of Gao Yunqu's hand, her tone warm and encouraging.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. I will remember your words."
"Good. Let this cup of wine be a toast to Lushuang's triumphant beginning!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency!"
Wei Qi quickly approved Gao Yunqu's memorial. She had long wanted to reform the Censorate, and Gao Yunqu's proposal had come at the perfect time. When the memorial was made public, the Censorate was in an uproar. Gao Yunqu immediately began implementing the reforms. He Bishi, Zhou Hui, and others complied, while Gao Yunqu dealt with the obstinate ones one by one. Those accustomed to laxity naturally could not bear such discipline, and so the officials who leaned toward Cai Quan's faction sought out Lu Songnian.
Lu Songnian, the Minister of Personnel, was a student and protégé of Left Chancellor Cai Quan, and had been single-handedly promoted to his position by him. Cai Quan was getting old and no longer involved himself in many matters, leaving them to Lu Songnian, who held a position akin to that of an heir apparent. Subordinates with issues now mostly went to him rather than disturbing Cai Quan.
Lu Songnian had previously expended great effort to infiltrate the Censorate. On one hand, he used his authority over official appointments in the Ministry of Personnel to place his young followers inside. On the other, he cultivated relationships with existing censors who had their own ambitions. In his eyes, every person had a weakness. By seizing that weakness, he could always achieve his goals, whether through coercion or enticement. Thus, he had easily played on Han Zhongsi's thirst for fame and had secretly guided his students when they reported on Zhou Hui's article, enabling them to orchestrate the major incident of the remonstrance officials' strike. And he had done it all with just a few careless words spoken after drinking, without a speck of dirt staining him. He wielded technique and power with consummate skill.
But he had not expected that when he pushed Her Majesty, she would dare to threaten self-harm, a single display of force that completely shattered his scheme. His teacher had not approved of his actions, but by the time he found out, the situation was irreversible, so he had unhesitatingly thrown Han Zhongsi to the wolves.
"Bohua, you underestimated Her Majesty," his teacher had said.
And so, regarding Gao Yunqu's reform of the Censorate, he first went to report to his teacher.
Cai Quan was already an old man. He had pursued stability his entire life, balancing the cauldron of the court as if cooking a small, delicate fish. It was precisely because of his stability that the late emperor had entrusted the new emperor to him on his deathbed. And he had done well. The new emperor was still a youth upon her ascension, and all matters relied on the old ministers. They would draft imperial endorsements for memorials and then send them to the new emperor for her reference and approval.
The new emperor trusted him, bestowing upon him the title of Grand Tutor, and the court officials respected him. But the higher his position, the more cautious he became, and the more conservative. He was a believer in the Huang-Lao school of thought, which preached that inaction was a form of action. Sometimes, he even felt that the court was fine as it was. The emperor was revered, but what could a young child understand? Was it reasonable to entrust the vast lands and millions of common people to a child or a foolish ruler? Was it not far better for experienced old ministers like them to draft the imperial decisions?
These thoughts were somewhat treasonous. He told no one, keeping them locked in his heart.
Lu Songnian was his student. In his early years, he had admired Lu Songnian's talent. At his current age, he appreciated Lu Songnian's attentiveness. This student could always accurately surmise his thoughts and help him accomplish them properly. He was old, and his energy was not what it once was, so Lu Songnian handled many things for him. If the ministers of the Council of State were the emperor's agents, then Lu Songnian was perhaps Cai Quan's agent. For this reason, he tacitly permitted some of Lu Songnian's methods—the so-called forming of factions and building of networks.
But Her Majesty was growing up day by day. She was an ambitious young lioness, just coming into her own, tentatively extending her claws. After accidentally touching a sharp thorn, she had come crying back to the gentle elder. But once her wounds were healed, she was again eager to venture out and explore.
Conflict between a young, energetic monarch and an old, conservative chief minister was naturally inevitable. Wei Qi always felt as if she were enveloped by a wall of water; the force she gathered to strike out with would quickly dissipate. She felt trapped by something. So she tried to cultivate her own power base, appointing new blood who were similarly young and energetic, and ministers who preferred to quietly get things done. Gao Yunqu was the former, Fan Ying the latter.
Cai Quan, like a tolerant elder, silently watched her test her skills, neither helping nor interfering, watching her stumble and bloody herself time and again, and then grow. He was not unaware of Her Majesty's dissatisfaction, but matters of state were not a child's playthings. If Her Majesty wanted to bring about change, she would have to pay a much greater price. It was not something that could be accomplished with a mere turn of the hand, making the heavens and earth change color at her whim.
Lu Songnian chattered incessantly in his ear about the shift in power, about how Gao Yunqu was cleaning up the Censorate, and how it would become difficult for them to interfere with the channels of remonstrance, making it even harder to control the political climate. Cai Quan cleaned out his ear, feigning deafness.
"Teacher! The time for a life-or-death struggle has come!" Lu Songnian exclaimed in frustration, tugging at Cai Quan's arm.
The old man with his salt-and-pepper hair and beard waved a hand. "It's not time. Keep waiting."
"Teacher?" Lu Songnian was taken aback.
"Bohua, have some patience. Don't be so impetuous. It's unseemly."
Lu Songnian composed himself, resumed his respectful demeanor, and stood with his hands lowered at Cai Quan's side, handing him a teacup. "Teacher's meaning is?"
"What would you say is the way of the court?" Cai Quan took the teacup and continued, "It is balance. When one advances, the other retreats. When one flourishes, the other yields. But the advancing do not advance forever, and the mighty do not remain mighty forever."
"...This student understands."
The old man watched his student withdraw and let out a sigh.
Whether Lu Songnian truly understood Cai Quan's meaning was unknown, but he certainly felt the situation was tricky. The Censorate had just offended Her Majesty and was currently the object of her annoyance; interfering too much would likely bring disaster upon themselves. He thought for a while, then taught them a strategy of deliberate inaction. He was, after all, the Minister of Personnel, and he saw Gao Yunqu's predicament at a glance—she was only one person, yet she had to oversee the entire Censorate. They could feign cooperation, then revise and adjust things over and over, wasting all her time on official correspondence and running her ragged. When the time came, they could impeach Gao Yunqu for being grandiose but achieving nothing.
He fingered his prayer beads as he watched the officials depart, thanking him profusely. A cold smile touched his lips. He had merely offered a few suggestions. Whether they succeeded or failed, what did it have to do with him?
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