Chapter 19: This Is Political Struggle

At that moment, a palace attendant at the door announced, "Your Majesty, Minister Gao requests an audience."

"Let him in," the emperor replied.

Gao Qiu entered and presented a report, his spirits high, like a student who had just done a good deed and hoped for the teacher’s praise.

"Your Majesty, here are cases of soldiers robbing civilians that I had collected from around the city," Gao Qiu carefully handed over the documents. "By the way, I spoke to the Palace Guard Command; I told them to behave properly. Some of the soldiers caught robbing were immediately punished by me on the spot!"

Gao Qiu was clearly playing to the emperor’s preferences, always eager to please.

"Hmm, you’ve done well," the emperor said.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I am merely fulfilling my duties," Gao Qiu responded humbly.

Zhao Ning opened the report and thought to himself, Goodness, Gao the Grand Marshal’s handwriting is truly atrocious!

Gao Qiu had compiled 22 cases of robbery—undoubtedly only a fraction of the total. It was clear how chaotic the city had become.

In such circumstances, some officials were acting on their own accord.

Zhao Ning’s expression darkened; this matter was likely more complicated than it seemed. Since it involved the Privy Council, was it merely a simple matter of requisitioning grain from the populace?

No, no! Zhao Ning smelled the scent of political intrigue!

First, did certain individuals not realize that collecting grain from civilians would encourage the lower ranks to exploit and plunder?

They knew full well!

Anyone who held office in the capital, especially in core departments, was no fool—they were all shrewd.

So why were they doing this?

This incident happened precisely under the Privy Council’s jurisdiction, and now Zhang Shuye was the Deputy Privy Councilor overseeing all military and civil affairs in the city.

Just after taking charge, such a thing occurred. Did you think it was a coincidence?

If left unchecked, this would likely escalate, with more and more imperial guards extorting civilians.

When the time was ripe, the peace faction’s officials would submit a memorial accusing Commander Zhang Shuye of dereliction of duty, claiming he had incited chaos in the city.

This was political warfare.

Second, the Beijing Armory, a subdivision of the Privy Council, had secretly tipped off some imperial guards without issuing formal orders, thereby catering to the interests of certain officers.

In this confusion, some guards were already misbehaving; the Beijing Armory’s actions only added fuel to the fire.

The absence of formal documents was because any official order would have to pass through Zhang Shuye, who would never approve it and would expose the wrongdoing.

This matter involved the Infantry Command; Zhang Jingwen was just a minor captain, yet two higher-ranking commanders were implicated.

In theory, with a grave external threat looming, troop movements should not be made.

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Of course, they weren’t moving the troops!

Just a small-scale reorganization.

If those few officers weren’t dealt with, there was no justification for punishing the Beijing Armory officials.

But without action, how could the rampant robberies in the city be quelled?

How could they be quelled?

Only with bloodshed!

As long as the interests of the majority of commoners and officials remained untouched, the situation would not collapse.

Besides, the emperor had just granted three months’ pay in one go; his prestige in the army was at its peak. This was the perfect time to act.

But before acting, they needed a scapegoat.

Zhao Ning lowered his voice, saying, "Summon Feng Xie at once."

"Yes!" Wang Huaiji, seeing the emperor’s anger, dared not hesitate and hurried out.

Gao Qiu, sensing the emperor’s foul mood, kept silent.

"Gao Qiu, you are to thoroughly reorganize the Imperial City Command. If I find you using the imperial guards to build your own residence again, I’ll have your head hung from the city tower!"

"Yes, yes! I will heed Your Majesty’s instruction."

"You’ve done well these past days."

"All thanks to Your Majesty’s wise guidance."

"Dismissed. Spend more time on reorganizing the Imperial City Command—I will expand its personnel soon."

"Your servant takes his leave." Once outside the Hall of Cultured Virtue, Gao Qiu exhaled deeply.

Speaking with the emperor was immensely intimidating.

It proved that human potential was limitless. Under Song Huizong Zhao Ji, Gao Qiu had been idle every day. Now, with a sword hanging over his head from Zhao Ning, he instantly transformed into a passionate warrior fighting for ideals.

Returning to the matter at hand, the Beijing Armory was one of the twelve divisions under the Privy Council.

It oversaw the deployment of the Palace Infantry Command, as well as the procurement and management of weaponry, border defense along the Sichuan-Shanxi route, local military organization in the capital region and Fujian route, and personnel allocation for the Imperial City Command.

This was undoubtedly a powerful and influential office.

Before long, Feng Xie, the Privy Councilor, arrived.

The Privy Councilor was essentially the head of the Privy Council.

"I pay respects to Your Majesty," Feng Xie said.

Zhao Ning’s face was grim; it seemed that just after he had promoted Zhang Shuye, the Privy Council was already stirring trouble.

He picked up the confession documents and threw them toward Feng Xie. "Read for yourself."

Feng Xie was startled but picked up the papers and read with a growing sense of unease, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, I—"

"Are you trying to say you didn’t know about this?"

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Feng Xie was momentarily speechless; he genuinely did not know.

But as head of the Privy Council, it was a sign of poor governance if his subordinates acted independently.

"I am guilty."

"You are indeed guilty! The Privy Councilor cannot even control his own subordinates! What use are you to me?"

Feng Xie broke out in a cold sweat.

"What punishment do you suggest?"

"Dismiss Liu Chengqi, the junior official at the Beijing Armory."

Zhao Ning’s voice grew stern. "Dismissal? Is that enough? Do you think merely firing one official will intimidate that lot?"

"Your Majesty, please refrain from further bloodshed. People are already living in fear."

"Living in fear?" Zhao Ning’s gaze grew colder. "Who is afraid? I just returned from outside the palace; I saw the commoners preparing to resist the Jurchens, and the soldiers’ morale is rising. The ones afraid are those officials who do nothing productive and only add to my troubles!"

He slammed the table in anger, grabbed a teacup and hurled it, shattering it to pieces.

Those outside the hall could hear the emperor’s furious voice: "These people have some nerve! Do they truly believe I wouldn’t dare kill them with the enemy at the gates?"

"Your Majesty, if more killings occur, I fear—"

"What? That the world will end if they die? None of them are innocent!"

"Your Majesty—"

The emperor cut him off again. "Enough. You are no longer fit to be Privy Councilor. I will handle Liu Chengqi; someone else will take his place."

Certainly, there was someone else!

The Song Dynasty lacked many things, but officials were not one of them. It had the largest number of officials in ancient China.

Among ten Northern Song officials, seven held sinecure posts, doing nothing while the court supported them.

This was one of the Zhao Song’s ruling methods—co-opting literati across the land and supporting them.

These were the infamous redundant officials of the Northern Song!

Fire one, and another would immediately fill the post; often no replacement was needed because many positions had deputies.

Feng Xie’s suggestion risked damaging the relationship between sovereign and minister and would surely stir unrest among officials again.

But what was more important than defending the capital city?

What was more important than uniting the hearts of all its people?

Feng Xie felt somewhat disheartened. He took out the Privy Councilor’s official seal, placed it on the emperor’s desk, and bowed. "I thank Your Majesty."

Zhao Ning lowered his eyes, avoiding Feng Xie’s gaze.

What could be said about Feng Xie?

A conventional and compliant civil official, utterly unsuited to be Privy Councilor.

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