Chapter Eleven: Bestowal of Honors

Page 1

In the early morning, dazzling and warm sunlight bathed the land, accompanied by a gentle breeze that brought a hint of coolness to the people basking in its warmth. All across the capital, scenes of peace and prosperity unfolded. The busy citizens never suspected that just a few days ago, they had nearly found themselves with a new emperor.

Three days had passed since the rebellion in the Golden Imperial Hall. For ordinary people, these three days were no different from any other, but for others, they were terrifying beyond measure.

With An Yunshan captured and Minister Cai dead, the court inevitably experienced some upheaval, though it quickly returned to normal. Yet the ripple of this disturbance spread slowly but steadily throughout the realm, and for the nation, it was a cause for universal celebration.

Within these three days, the Eastern Bureau, Western Bureau, Six Gates, and Dragon Guard Manor—all four major institutions—mobilized their forces, seizing An’s assets, raiding homes, and arresting all those involved in the rebellion. The combined intelligence of these institutions unleashed a nightmare upon corrupt officials everywhere, with the highest-ranking members of Minister Cai’s faction bearing the brunt, and none other able to escape.

Across the land, the four major institutions counted over a hundred thousand skilled martial artists among their ranks. Most were usually idle apart from basic duties, but lately, manpower was sorely lacking—a situation unimaginable in previous times.

The most direct evidence of this was that the prison cells of the Western Bureau had run out of space! They had to borrow the jails of local magistrates or the imperial prison in the capital to hold all these corrupt officials.

Zhu Yu, too, had been so busy these past days managing the massive reshuffling of officials that he barely touched the ground. As an ordinary man, he’d only slept for two hours on the first day, and since then, had not rested at all.

At this moment, Zhu Yu wished he could slap himself. Why had he pretended? Why had he, for the sake of style and authority, issued the order to purge the corrupt officials from the realm?

He also wondered why, during his own assassination attempt, these four institutions hadn’t been so effective. Now, their efficiency was astonishing. Watching their reports, updated every hour, Zhu Yu seemed to hear the whispering of devils.

He hated even more the fact that the country harbored so many corrupt officials.

Fortunately, he had already prepared a list of alternative candidates and annotated their suitability, so now the personnel adjustments were little more than a fill-in-the-blank exercise.

As for the punishment of the corrupt officials, Zhu Yu had no interest in dealing with it—the laws already prescribed their fate.

He continued mechanically, never knowing how long he worked, until his hand, reaching for memorials, finally found no more. Only then did he stop.

Page 2

With his head heavy and dizzy, Zhu Yu gave a few simple instructions and returned to rest.

...

The next day, at noon, Zhu Yu slowly awoke from his bed.

Wu Gonggong, who had been waiting by his bedside for some time, began assisting Zhu Yu as he rose and said, “Your Majesty, Inspector Yu of the Western Bureau returned to the capital last night. Upon arrival, he knelt before your palace and has been kneeling ever since. Should we summon him inside?”

Still groggy, Zhu Yu waited until he had washed up before asking, “Yu Huatian has returned?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wu Gonggong replied.

“Let him kneel for a while. After all, he’s a martial arts master; let him reflect on how he should conduct himself in the future.”

Zhu Yu decided to let Yu Huatian wait, since the Empress Dowager’s words carried so much weight—if he called him in, Yu might not even comply.

He continued, “Summon Zhuge Zhengwo, Coldblood, Heartless, Ironhand, and Lifechaser to the palace. Have them meet me in the Imperial Library.”

“I will draft the edict at once,” Wu Gonggong replied softly.

Only now did Zhu Yu have a chance to check the system that had been chiming incessantly in recent days.

Everything else remained unchanged, save for one thing: his fortune value had risen from 483 to 749, and was still climbing!

Zhu Yu had noticed this before; after Minister Cai died, his fortune value had soared above 500, and as the campaign against corrupt officials continued, it kept rising.

Though he still didn’t know what use the system had, naturally, the greater the fortune of the nation, the better. If it fell below 500, the consequences would be unimaginable.

...

Soon after, Zhu Yu met with the five men in the Imperial Library.

Page 3

“Your servant greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!” The five men saluted respectfully.

Zhu Yu glanced at them, skipped the formalities for those who had helped save him, and spoke directly: “Zhuge Zhengwo is hereby relieved of his post as Divine Marquis. Surrender the Divine Marquis token immediately.”

As soon as he finished, Coldblood, Heartless, Ironhand, and Lifechaser exchanged startled looks, about to speak when Zhuge Zhengwo stopped them with a glance. He then dutifully took the token from his robe and handed it over.

Watching Zhuge Zhengwo’s actions, Zhu Yu’s eyes flashed with satisfaction more than once. After reclaiming the token, he continued, “Zhuge Zhengwo is appointed as the Seal Keeper of Six Gates, effective immediately, to command Six Gates. Coldblood, Heartless, Ironhand, and Lifechaser are now the Four Great Constables of Six Gates. The current Seal Keeper, Ji Yaohua, will remain with Six Gates; specific positions will be arranged by Zhuge Zhengwo.”

At these words, the shock on the faces of the four constables turned to joy, and all five respectfully accepted the decree.

Once they had finished their bows and stood, Zhu Yu joked, “Now the Four Great Constables of legend have truly become the Four Great Constables.”

The four exchanged smiles but said nothing more; joking with the Emperor was for the bold, and their courage needed more honing.

Seeing their restraint, Zhu Yu dropped the jest and addressed Heartless: “Heartless, you tied me up before, but you also saved me. Your merit cancels your offense. In my eyes, your merit outweighs your fault. As for your reward, I have something in mind, but it isn’t in my possession yet. Once I acquire it, I will see you rewarded.”

Heartless shook his head and smiled. “It’s enough that Your Majesty does not punish me. I need no reward and lack nothing.”

Compared to the others, Heartless was a little less respectful. The annihilation of his family still weighed on him; though Zhuge Zhengwo’s explanations and persuasion had helped him let go, years of enmity were hard to dissolve.

Zhu Yu paid no mind to Heartless’s words. He looked him up and down. “Such a beautiful face, such formidable martial skills—don’t you think it’s a pity to spend your life in a wheelchair? Can you truly display your martial arts when fighting with a cane?”

Before Heartless could reply, Coldblood jumped in anxiously, “Your Majesty, do you mean you can heal Heartless’s legs?”

Heartless quickly answered, “Impossible. Even if such a miraculous medicine exists, my legs have been broken for eighteen years. They cannot be healed.”