I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

After the morning court session, in the Chongzheng Hall.

Zhao Xu sat behind his desk, a vermilion brush in his hand, approving a memorial concerning the canal transport in Hebei.

He frowned slightly as he looked at it.

This year's heavy rainfall has strained several sections of the Yellow River's dikes, slowing down the transport of grain boats and causing grain prices in the capital to fluctuate. This is no small matter.

"Your Majesty, Cai Chengzhi requests an audience." The personal eunuch entered quietly and announced in a low voice.

Zhao Xu paused for a moment, then wrote: "Issue."

Before long, Cai Jing bowed and entered the hall, his steps steady.

Upon reaching the imperial steps, one should perform the proper rites.

"Your subject Cai Jing pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Rise." Zhao Xu put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and asked, "What is it?"

Cai Jing stood up and took out a memorial from his sleeve.

"Your Majesty, General Wang Shan has reported on the land reclamation in Huangzhou in the Northwest. The newly reclaimed land has been verified, and it has increased by 30% compared to last year. However, there are still loopholes in the method of evaluating officials, and there are still those who make false reports and claim credit. I have drafted a memorial for Your Majesty's review."

He spoke calmly, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Zhao Xu to hear clearly without sounding abrupt.

This is Cai Jing's forte—no matter how urgent the matter, he always speaks of it with a touch of composure.

He planned to start with everyday matters and then gradually bring up Xing Shu's letter.

Zhao Xu took Cai Jing's memorial and quickly skimmed through it.

The report was written clearly, with the problems, solutions, and candidates all listed in detail.

He nodded.

"Minister Cai's considerations are thorough. The matter of military farming is of great importance, concerning the stability of the border. The performance evaluation of officials must be rigorous. Therefore, this proposal should be sent to the Three Departments for discussion with the Ministry of Personnel, and processed as soon as possible."

"I obey your decree."

Cai Jing cupped his hands in greeting but did not step down.

Zhao Xu looked up at him: "Is there anything else?"

Cai Jing showed just the right amount of hesitation on his face, as if he had something difficult to say.

He took half a step forward, lowering his voice even further.

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter... I recently came across some old items that involve secrets from the palace during the Yuan You era. I originally dared not disturb Your Majesty's ears, but the matter is of great importance, and after much thought, I finally feel... I dare not fail to report it."

"A secret?" Zhao Xu raised an eyebrow.

In the palace, anything that could be called a secret was generally not a good thing, and Zhao Xu was very wary of this.

Cai Jing, observing the expressions and demeanor, knew that the time was right.

He took out another item from his sleeve, not a memorial to the throne, but several pages of copied paper, the paper yellowed and the edges worn.

It was the letter from last night.

"This is a copy of a private letter that Wen Jifu, a former official of the Yuanyou era, wrote to his friend Xing Shu in his early years." Cai Jing presented it with both hands, his head bowed low.

"The words in the letter... were quite outrageous. When I first read them, I broke out in a cold sweat."

Zhao Xu took the few pages of paper.

The handwriting on the paper was neat; it was a copy, not the original letter. He read it line by line.

The letter began with ordinary greetings, complaints about the hardships of being sent away from home, and lamentations about bad luck.

But as he read on, the contents of the letter made Zhao Xu's face darken.

"...Emperor Xuanren ruled from behind the curtain, and the officials held power, yet they still felt it was not enough and wanted to do more. Sima Zhao's intentions were obvious to everyone. But who would be like Jia Chong?"

Sima Zhao's heart is well known to passers-by.

Who is Jia Chong?

Zhao Xu's fingers gripped the paper tightly, his knuckles turning white. His face, which was pale from years of illness, was now flushed red with the rising anger.

He stared at those two lines of text for a long time, so long that Cai Jing thought he wouldn't speak again.

"Wen Jifu..." Zhao Xu's voice squeezed out from his throat, "Is he related to Liu Zhi by marriage?"

"That's right." Cai Jing lowered his head. "Wen Jifu's sister married Liu Zhi's son. During the Yuan You era, Wen Jifu attached himself to Liu Zhi, Liang Tao, and others, and was quite pleased with himself."

Zhao Xu continued reading.

The letter continued with a few more lines, which were even more explicit.

"...The current emperor is still young, and the empress dowager is already old. If she were to pass away, who could succeed him? This is a matter of great concern to all of you."

"The current emperor was young and immature" - referring to Zhao Xu's youth and lack of understanding at that time.

"The Empress Dowager is advanced in years"—this implies that Empress Dowager Xuanren's life is nearing its end.

"Who can succeed to the throne?"—are they discussing changing the emperor?

A loud "bang!"

Zhao Xu slammed the paper down on the table, the sound particularly jarring in the silent hall.

The eunuch standing nearby trembled in fright and lowered his head even further.

"Good! What a fine 'who can succeed me' question!"

Zhao Xu stood up, paced back and forth behind the imperial desk a couple of times, then stopped and stared at Cai Jing.

"How did this letter end up in your hands?"

"Your Majesty, it was Xing Shu who presented it," Cai Jing replied cautiously.

"Xing Shu was ostracized by the old party during the Yuan You era and was sent to a remote post for many years. He harbored resentment and recently received this letter. Knowing that the matter was of great importance, he dared not conceal it and therefore entrusted me to forward it to Your Majesty."

"Xing Shu..." Zhao Xu remembered the name; it seemed to have a bad reputation and was unpredictable.

But at this moment, Xing Shu is not important.

The important thing is the content of the letter.

"Where is Zhang Shiliang?" Zhao Xu suddenly asked.

Cai Jing lowered his eyes and spoke even softer.

"Zhang Shiliang was a former servant of Empress Dowager Xuanren. He was quite trusted during the Yuanyou era. After the Empress Dowager's death, he left the palace and lived in seclusion. However, he knew a great deal about the old affairs of the palace."

Cai Jing didn't say it explicitly, but the meaning was quite clear.

Zhang Shiliang likely knew the inside story of what Wen Jifu said in his letter, and may even have been involved in it.

Zhao Xu sat back on his throne, tapping his fingers on the table, each tap sending shivers down one's spine.

The gloom and depth in his eyes were not at all like what a young man should have.

In the first year of the Yuan You era, Zhao Xu was only nine years old.

His father, Emperor Shenzong of Song, had just passed away, and before his coffin had even been placed in the mausoleum, his grandmother took his hand and put him on the throne. With the curtain drawn, he stood behind her, like a mere decoration.

Those veteran officials—Sima Guang, Lü Gongzhe, Liu Zhi, and Liang Tao—knelt below, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" but their eyes were fixed on what lay behind the curtain.

Before ascending the throne, Zhao Xu studied for eight years, listened to the admonition that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed" for eight years, and watched as new laws were abolished one by one during those eight years.

Later, Empress Dowager Gao fell ill and was near death.

Those veteran officials, on the contrary, started visiting the Funing Palace even more frequently.

What are they discussing?

Are they discussing "who can succeed to the throne if there is any unforeseen circumstances"?

Do you feel that Zhao Xu is disobedient and want to replace him with someone more "sensible"?

The more Zhao Xu recalled these things, the more terrifying he felt; the shadows in his heart were magnified many times over in his suspicions.

"Sima Zhao's intentions..." Zhao Xu murmured, then suddenly laughed, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"What a blatant scheme by Sima Zhao! Should I, this 'Cao Mao,' also learn from him and lead troops to storm their residence?"

What a scathing statement!

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger." Cai Jing knelt down, prostrated himself on the ground, and pretended to tremble.

"Such outrageous words must be the result of Wen Jifu's drunken ramblings. However... there is no smoke without fire. I humbly request Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter in order to rectify the court and bring peace to the world."

Zhao Xu didn't call Cai Jing to get up, but stared at his back lying on the ground for a long time.

"A thorough investigation...how?

"Wen Jifu and Zhang Shiliang are both key figures in this case," Cai Jing's voice came from the ground, muffled.

"Your Majesty, I request that these two be arrested and imprisoned immediately, and handed over to the relevant authorities for strict interrogation. The Tongwen Academy..." He paused, "...is the most suitable place to handle the imperial prisons."

Zhao Xu stopped pointing.

He knew what Tongwenguan was.

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, ministers would occasionally go in, and when they came out, they would either be tricked or unable to leave.

"What does Zeng Bu mean by that?" Zhao Xu suddenly asked.

Cai Jing's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on his face.

"Privy Councilor Zeng... recently discussed the matter of the old party with me, and often said, 'Most of the officials of the Yuanyou era are old and dying. Your Majesty should show leniency and not implicate too many people.'"

He spoke very calmly, as if repeating an ordinary sentence.

However, the words "be lenient" and "do not implicate too many people" sounded extremely harsh to Zhao Xu at this moment.

Kindness? Kindness to whom?

Was he lenient towards those who wanted to depose him back then?

Zeng Bu's leniency towards the old party was like a provocation to Zhao Xu.

It was as if Zeng Bu had spoken directly to him.

"Your Majesty, I will protect those who bullied you back then; they cannot be investigated further."

Of course, Zeng Bu certainly wouldn't dare to say it so directly; these were all Zhao Xu's thoughts.

Zhao Xu suddenly remembered the imperial student named Zhao Mingcheng who had asked questions in the Chuigong Hall a few days ago.

When Zhao Mingcheng spoke of his strategies to refute the old party, his eyes were clear and his tone was firm.

That's the kind of person Zhao Xu wants—someone who dares to think and speak, and has a sharp edge.

Unlike Zeng Bu, who believed everything should be "delayed" and "lenient," even daring to be lenient in the important matter of cracking down on the old party.

"Cai Qing." Zhao Xu opened his eyes, his gaze icy and sharp.

"You are in charge of this case, and you shall cooperate with the Censorate in the investigation. Wen Jifu and Zhang Shiliang shall be arrested immediately and sent to the Tongwen Guan. I want confessions, concrete evidence, and a clear and transparent result."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Cai Jing kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground.

"Also," Zhao Xu's voice drifted down from above, "keep an eye on Zeng Bu. He's the Privy Councilor, in charge of military affairs. This case involves the palace, so he doesn't need to get involved. If he says anything... you know what to do."

"Your subject understands."

When Cai Jing left Chongzheng Hall, his inner robe was soaked with cold sweat.

The sunlight outside the hall was blinding, so he squinted and slowly walked down the steps.

His plan succeeded.

With Wen Jifu and Zhang Shiliang imprisoned, and the Tongwen Guan (a school for learning and discussion) opened, there was no fear of not being able to extract information from them.

At that time, Liu Zhi, Liang Tao... none of them will be able to escape.

There was also Zeng Bu.

The official's original words, "If he talks too much, you know what to do"—this was tacit approval of Cai Jing, a delegation of power to him.

As for Zhao Tingzhi's side...

A cold smile appeared on Cai Jing's lips. "A fence-sitter, bending whichever way the wind blows."

Now that the wind is blowing in his favor, if Zhao Tingzhi, this opportunist, were smart, he would know which side to lean towards.

Cai Jing straightened his robes and walked towards the Hanlin Academy, his steps steady as he stepped on the bluestone slabs.

He had never been in such a good mood.

Inside the Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Xu was still sitting behind his desk.

He clutched those copied letters in his hand, they were already crumpled beyond recognition.

"Sima Zhao's intentions... cough... cough..." He read it again, then suddenly crumpled the paper into a ball, threw it hard on the ground, and coughed repeatedly.

The eunuch was so frightened that he knelt down and lay prostrate on the ground, too afraid to move.

Zhao Xu stared at the crumpled paper on the ground, his chest heaving. After a long while, he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Issue the decree," he said, his voice regaining its calmness, yet colder than before.

"The Tongwen Academy shall be put into operation immediately, and all instruments of torture and prison guards shall be prepared at once. I... want to hear the truth."

"This servant obeys the order," the eunuch replied in a trembling voice, and scrambled out of the room.

Zhao Xu was left alone in the hall again.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, rows of palaces with their flying eaves and brackets stood silently in the afternoon sun.

He recalled the day his grandmother, Empress Dowager Gao, passed away. It was a cloudy day, and the smell of medicine in the Funing Palace was so strong it was hard to breathe.

Empress Dowager Gao held his hand; it was dry and cold, and she was barely breathing.

"Sixth Brother...you must...be a good emperor."

Zhao Xu did cry at that time; he cried genuinely.

But now that I think about it, was there any other meaning behind Empress Dowager Gao's words?

Is this implying that he needs to be "obedient" and "sensible," otherwise...?

Otherwise what?

Zhao Xu closed his eyes, trying to stop thinking about these things.

"I am not Cao Mao."

Zhao Xu said in a low voice, as if telling himself.

"I am the Emperor, the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty."