Chapter Twenty-Three: Recommending a Halberd-Bearer

Qin Yong had no desire to look at Song Qi’s memorial and waved his hand, signaling for him to continue.

"I nominate Halberd-Bearer Xiao Zhi!" Song Qi declared.

Who?

Xiao Zhi was bewildered. He had been bracing himself for impeachment, so this turn of events felt completely off. Moreover, he noticed a discrepancy. Generally, high-ranking officials like Ministers would not lead the charge themselves; they would have their subordinates propose a plan first, allowing them to follow the tide and retreat or advance with ease. Since Song Qi had already prepared the memorial, it meant he had premeditated this nomination of Xiao Zhi.

Xiao Zhi frowned, considering the possibilities. No matter how he looked at it, Song Qi could not possibly have good intentions. There was a trap here.

Shi Weigong, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I also endorse Halberd-Bearer Xiao Zhi."

"I second that."

"I also second that."

…

This time, even the Emperor’s expression turned peculiar. Xiao Zhi had killed Bai Yan and Xiao Chan; at the time, Shi Weigong had ventured out in a torrential downpour to retrieve people, only to return with Xiao Chan’s corpse.

Shi Weigong was endorsing Xiao Zhi? This was far too disingenuous.

*Shi Weigong, you are the Minister of Revenue; could you at least pretend, or hide your true intentions a little better?* The Emperor was tempted to point out the hidden agenda of Shi Weigong and the others directly.

Xiao Zhi scratched his head, unable to process the situation for a long time. What was going on? This script was not what he had expected. Wasn’t the plan supposed to be a collective impeachment? How did he suddenly become so popular, gaining friends in the imperial court? The Sixth Prince had recommended Xiao Zhi for seizing assets, and now several Ministers were joining forces to urge him to handle the disaster relief.

Furthermore, the fact that Shi Weigong would nominate him was as suspicious as a weasel wishing a chicken a Happy New Year. Perhaps this flood was not simple? There must be some insurmountable problem. Or perhaps, they wanted to transfer him away from the capital so they could safely plot things in the city that Xiao Zhi would absolutely oppose.

Regardless of the reason, Xiao Zhi did not want to give them what they wanted. Moreover, he truly did not know how to handle floods or manage refugees; he wasn't sure if the methods he’d read about in novels from his past life would even work.

On the dragon throne, Qin Yong looked at Xiao Zhi, wishing he would stand up and declare, "I have a plan," and then, as if performing a miracle, simplify the complex situation. But Xiao Zhi stood there calmly, as if asleep, showing no intention of participating. The Emperor knew that with the officials behaving this way, he likely wouldn't be able to involve Xiao Zhi.

The disaster in Shandong and Jiangsu could not be delayed another day; a massive civil uprising was just a spark away. Qin Yong did not name names or force an appointment, instead ordering the ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Disaster relief, after all, meant distributing money, handing out grain, and repairing river channels. The ministers spent most of the day debating, but the suggestions remained the same old trio of measures. Finally, Qin Yong issued an edict: several officials in the Shandong and Jiangsu provinces were dismissed and escorted to the capital, while others were kept under observation. Two individuals from the Six Ministries were promoted to temporarily oversee political affairs in the two provinces, Jiang Xinghai was tasked with leading the disaster relief and flood control efforts, and a Prince was appointed to temporarily manage military affairs in the region.

A slew of other positions, large and small, were filled by temporary appointments or promotions from the Six Ministries. There was nothing for Xiao Zhi to do, and no one impeached him. Xiao Zhi was happy to be idle, feeling quite pleased with himself.

However, he was unaware that the ministers were even happier. He had failed to see through the crux of the matter; his political awareness was still too low. The political maneuvering that the children of noble families and high-ranking officials grew up immersed in was not something he could match with his small cleverness.

As the Emperor, Qin Yong naturally understood the intentions of these people. Personnel appointments were not that simple; disaster relief was not a task that one or a few people could accomplish. It was a matter of balancing various interests and making compromises. Now that Qin Yong had just regained the right to speak in the court, he would never allow one faction to dominate or allow these aristocratic families to form a single, unbreakable knot.

He was not intentionally leaving the most capable man, Xiao Zhi, unused; he was forced to do so. Did he really think the ministers were truly endorsing Xiao Zhi, or that he could hold the big picture? Even if Xiao Zhi were a god descending to earth, it would be impossible.

Disaster relief involved such complex affairs that if one or two officials were disobedient, one could simply execute them, but when the majority of officials were merely filling posts and taking pay, was Xiao Zhi expected to handle every single thing himself? They were forcing the Emperor to make a choice: either Xiao Zhi or them. Without that choice, all the officials would simply go on strike.

After the court session, Shi Weigong and a secretary from the Ministry of Revenue walked away laughing loudly. That secretary met Xiao Zhi’s gaze, sneered, and walked off with his head held high.

"Damn, why does it feel like they won?"

Xiao Zhi’s feeling was correct; Shi Weigong and the others had indeed won. To stabilize these people and ensure the smooth flow of disaster relief, the Emperor had not assigned Xiao Zhi any duties.

Disaster relief in two provinces involved astronomical sums of money and grain. From the collection of grain to its transportation, from the number of refugees to the thickness of the porridge, from the conscription of laborers to the repair of levees, not to mention the threats from bandits—every single item and every word in the documents represented money and grain.

Disaster relief was a piece of fatty meat; anyone who handled it would inevitably skim some profit. Moreover, Xiao Zhi had just extorted such a large sum from the aristocratic families. Now that he had money, he spent it without reservation. The opportunity to profit from a national disaster had arrived; would they let a troublemaker like Xiao Zhi interfere?

Poor Xiao Zhi remained in the dark, thinking to himself that if he were ever in a bad mood, he would find an excuse to raid that secretary’s house.

"Lord Xiao, please stay," a palace maid blocked his path.

"Does the young lady have some instruction?" Xiao Zhi looked her over, his tone quite friendly.

The maid wore a thin, embroidered jacket and had a refined and delicate appearance. *Would an ordinary person be able to use a palace maid with such an ethereal air?* The best servants went to the most noble masters; ordinary landlords could only command old and ugly tenants, while only the young masters and misses of great families deserved young, clever, and smart attendants.

Perhaps it was because Xiao Zhi was so polite that the maid revealed a sweet smile. "My master would like to invite Lord Xiao to view the flowers in the Imperial Garden."

"The Imperial Garden?" Xiao Zhi was startled. As a sixth-rank official, he was not allowed to enter the Imperial Garden without an edict. After all, that area was the territory of the inner palace.

"And who is your master…?"

The maid curtsied. "My master is Princess Changping."

"This… I do not know the face of Princess Changping, and furthermore, I cannot enter the Imperial Garden without an order."

"Then…" The maid pondered for a moment. "In any case, my master wants to see you. Is there a place you think is suitable?"

This left Xiao Zhi confused. By the sound of it, meeting in the Imperial Garden was the maid’s own idea, and she didn't seem to realize that external officials were not allowed in the inner palace; the Princess just wanted a meeting.

"There is a restaurant in the East Market called Tianfu Tavern. The food is quite decent."

Xiao Zhi felt that the Princess would likely not agree to go to a bustling market, and safety concerns, as well as the reputation of a man and woman meeting alone, had to be considered.

"That will do. I will go and report back." The maid smiled. "You can go ahead to… what was it called again?"

"Tianfu Tavern."

"Oh, right, right, right. Tianfu Tavern. You can go wait at Tianfu Tavern first."

With that, she didn't pay any more mind to Xiao Zhi, turned around, and ran off in the direction of the inner palace.