The position of Sheng'an Magistrate could be considered the absolute peak of the Standard Third Rank. Due to its unique location, it was the most critical role among the capital's officials. Traditionally, it was always entrusted to the Emperor's most trusted confidants—men who remained strictly neutral, unaffiliated with any political cliques.
In the vast capital, the magistrate served as the direct superior to every grassroots official.
Not only that, but the position held control over a particularly sensitive institution.
The Capital Prison.
While the Court of Judicial Review served as the nation's highest prison, it primarily housed political prisoners.
The Capital Prison was different; it was the holding cell for all common criminals.
Whenever a coup occurred in the capital, it was rarely the grand armies that could be mobilized on short notice.
Instead, the pieces on the board were personal guards, deathsworn soldiers, and death-row inmates.
After all, those prisoners were already facing execution. If they joined a rebellion, the worst-case scenario was dying in battle. But if they survived and succeeded, they would secure their lives and, much like the deathsworn, earn the rewards of a merit of succession.
Given the choice, what would any desperate man do?
"Your Highness, it seems His Majesty is determined to treat you as the Heir Apparent."
Ye Changqing spoke without reservation, exposing the true nature of the Emperor's actions.
"I... I know." The Prince of Wu's expression mirrored the one Wusheng had worn when he knelt before him days ago. It was as if he could already see the Dragon Throne shimmering before his eyes.
It was only a single step away!
"But Your Highness, you must remain vigilant." Ye Changqing had no intention of celebrating prematurely. He grasped the Prince of Wu's hand and spoke with gravity, "The moment our influence is at its peak is also the moment the Prince of Jin's faction will strike back with the most ferocity."
When two sides were evenly matched, they would test one another with subtle probes.
But the moment one side was wounded and saw blood?
Adrenaline would take over.
Furthermore, the Prince of Jin's faction remained a massive, formidable entity.
"I understand. I will proceed with the utmost caution and consult with all of you before making any decisions." The Prince of Wu knew the current situation was hard-won. He couldn't afford to repeat his previous reckless behavior. However, a thought occurred to him. "Then, regarding my plan to petition the court to grant Wusheng a princedom... should I still go through with it?"
This had been his biggest point of hesitation earlier.
Zhao Yi was also pondering this question.
"Your Highness, the arrow is on the string; it must be shot."
Ye Changqing made a decisive judgment. "If you hadn't mentioned it before, it wouldn't matter. But since you have already reached an agreement with His Majesty, there is no turning back."
One did not simply stand up the Emperor.
"And if I may be so bold as to say something potentially offensive," Zhao Yi added, hedging his words first.
"Speak freely," the Prince of Wu said.
With that permission, Zhao Yi spoke bluntly, "The reason the Sixth Prince hasn't been titled is something we all know. By all rights, he should have been titled long ago. This shouldn't actually be seen as a reward."
The Prince of Wu didn't quite catch his meaning.
Ye Changqing clarified the point immediately. "Your Highness, if you don't speak up, His Majesty has no way to broach the subject himself."
The Prince of Wu suddenly understood.
Of course. Wusheng lacked a title not because of merit, but purely because the Emperor despised him, viewing him as a child of misfortune. Now, to grant him what should have been his all along, the Emperor needed a graceful way out of his previous stance.
The Prince really did have to be the one to suggest it.
"Fine, then we do it." The Prince of Wu no longer wavered.
If people called it factionalism, so be it. They were already in the thick of a heated struggle; there was no point in pretending to be pure anymore.
"Your strength is the strength of those of us who follow you," Ye Changqing affirmed.
It was time to fuel the fire of success with everything they had!
"But you are still young and lack seniority. Can you really maintain control in that position?" Zhao Yi asked, looking at Ye Changqing.
Ye Changqing's father was the Minister of Agriculture, one of the Nine Ministers. Combined with his own second-place finish as a Bangyan, he had risen like a rocket to reach the Standard Fourth Rank before the age of thirty.
However, his previous post had been a high rank with low actual authority. The power dynamic was completely different now.
Now, he would be in charge of over a thousand officials in the capital.
"Isn't Song Shian's father about to become the Vice-Director of the Department of State Affairs? He'll have the authority to recommend officials. Should we swap some of the key positions, like the Commandery Commandants, for our own people?" the Prince of Wu suggested.
"No, absolutely not." Ye Changqing waved his hand dismissively. "A new official can set three fires to show his authority, or use a mix of kindness and severity, but you cannot change the landscape too quickly."
As the new top leader of a powerful department, how could one expect to sit securely if they immediately replaced all the mid-level management?
It was a recipe for disaster.
The officials transferred away from their positions of power would be resentful.
The new officials brought in wouldn't be able to command the respect of their subordinates.
And the rank-and-file, seeing their new leader engaging in blatant cronyism, would realize that no amount of hard work would lead to promotion. Their morale would plummet.
"Then what should we do? The Sheng'an Magistrate is a vital post. If you can't get everyone to follow your lead, your power will be severely curtailed," Zhao Yi reminded him.
Song Jing had held that position for years by relying on a fair system of rewards and punishments, showing no favoritism. Everyone respected him and was willing to work for him.
During his tenure, the capital had never seen a major disturbance. Even when fires inevitably broke out, they were handled with extreme efficiency.
After a moment of reflection, Ye Changqing said solemnly, "We spend some money."
The simple solution: financial persuasion.
Once those words were out, the other two were instantly convinced.
It wasn't exactly a brilliant insight, but it was practical. Bureaucracy had been this way since ancient times; a leader willing to spend money was a good leader, and people would flock to him.
"Can you afford it?" the Prince of Wu asked.
"I'll try. I'll have to scrape it together." Ye Changqing finished speaking and slowly turned his gaze toward Zhao Yi. "Or, I could borrow from a wealthy friend."
The two of them looked at Zhao Yi simultaneously.
The wealth of the Qinzhou Meritorious Nobility was legendary. Even the Prince of Wu couldn't compare.
"I know, I know. But don't expect me to cover everything," Zhao Yi said irritably.
"Of course. Since this is for my career, I'll pay you back. Don't worry, brother."
After brushing that issue aside, Ye Changqing continued, "Actually, Your Highness mentioned something very critical just now."
"What was it?" the Prince asked.
"Having Song Jing help us plant our people," Ye Changqing said.
"True. We spent so much money rewarding the army, and Your Highness put in so much effort," Zhao Yi added. "It's time Song Shian repaid us."
"We can't just push others out of their seats, but when the military farming begins, a large number of new low-ranking positions with actual power will open up," Ye Changqing pointed out. "If Your Highness doesn't make a demand, then the people Song Jing recommends will all be loyal to Song Shian or the Sixth Prince."
"Agreed," the Prince of Wu nodded. "At least half of those positions must be filled by our people."
Wusheng was indeed part of the Prince of Wu's faction, but they couldn't allow him to grow so powerful that he slipped out of their control.
"As for the other half, a portion of them will be hand-picked by Song Shian himself," Ye Changqing said seriously. "Even if Your Highness shouldn't be too overbearing, you must at least maintain the appearance of following proper procedure."
"Yes." The Prince of Wu nodded slowly. "Everything they do must be reported to me, and I will grant the final approval."
The distinction between ruler and subject had to be maintained.
Even if he couldn't interfere with every single detail, they had to inform him before taking action.
"But I believe Wusheng and Shian won't overstep," the Prince of Wu added, still holding a favorable opinion of them.
"If they don't overstep, you must also be careful," Ye Changqing warned. "If you have matters to discuss, you shouldn't bypass the Sixth Prince to go directly to Song Shian."
One had to respect the chain of command.
After a moment of careful consideration, the Prince of Wu nodded. "Very well."
A vassal's vassal was not his own vassal.
Just then, Jia Guihao, the West Commandant, entered the estate. After finding the group, he hurried over and bowed to each of them. "Greetings, Your Highness, and greetings to the two lords."
"Aren't you on duty? Why are you neglecting your post?" Ye Changqing asked teasingly.
"Huh?" Jia Guihao was stunned.
"Meet the new Sheng'an Magistrate, your direct superior," Zhao Yi said, gesturing with his hand.
"Oh! Lord Ye has been promoted!" Jia Guihao beamed, quickly offering another salute. "When will you be holding a banquet, my lord? I need to go back and prepare a gift."
"So you only came here to ask about giving gifts?" Ye Changqing laughed.
"Well, you could say that."
Jia Guihao gave an embarrassed smile.
"What do you mean?" the Prince of Wu asked, confused.
"I didn't know Lord Ye had been promoted to Sheng'an Magistrate. But my previous superior, Lord Song Jing, has been made a Marquis. I was planning to go and present a gift. Then I thought, since Lord Song is one of Your Highness's people, I wanted to ask how much you and the two lords were planning to give so I could follow suit." He smiled brightly.
It was another unspoken rule of the workplace.
One's gift could never exceed the boss's in value.
"Ah, so he's been made a Marquis," the Prince of Wu remarked, surprised but not entirely shocked.
The three of them had already predicted that the merits from this war would surely result in a marquisate.
"You must be quite wealthy," Zhao Yi couldn't help but snark. "Worried that your gift might outshine the Prince's?"
"I wouldn't dare outshine His Highness," Jia Guihao said, waving his hands frantically.
The implication was that he might very well outshine the other two.
Jia Guihao lived up to his name; he was a man of great wealth and somewhat questionable moral character.
"We definitely have to send something."
The Prince of Wu felt this was the perfect time to win over the capital's officials and signal his stance.
This new upstart noble was a member of the Prince of Wu's faction.
"Not only must we send a gift, but it has to be a grand one," Ye Changqing suggested.
Rubbing his forehead, the Prince of Wu gave a subtle nod. "I know, I know."
The Prince of Wu wasn't a particularly wealthy man, and what money he did have was usually spent on buying people's loyalty.
"In that case..."
Suddenly, an idea struck Ye Changqing. "Your Highness, when you go to present the gift, why not go together with the Sixth Prince?"
...
The rise of a new Marquis's house was an event even more significant than a high-profile wedding.
Even though Song Jing was a man of modest and clean habits, he couldn't maintain a completely austere lifestyle in this situation.
How could he not hold a banquet for such a massive occasion?
Did he not want to maintain good relations with his colleagues?
And if there was a banquet, there would naturally be gifts to receive.
On the day after the title was granted, a constant stream of nobles and dignitaries arrived at the gates of the Song Estate, their servants transporting a dazzling array of luxurious and precious gifts.
On the twenty-eighth day of the third month, a massive amount of capital flowed into the Song Estate.
I will carefully check the glossary terms: "Tales of the Strange", "Imperial Forest Banquet", "Little Baron", "Sixth Prince", "Prince of Wu", "Ling Cheng", "Madam Cui", "bedchamber maid", "listening to music at the brothel", etc.
All good.
I will output the HTML.
No markdown.
Done.
Proceeds.
Output generation.
(Self-Correction/Refinement during thought)
Wait, the prompt says:
`
"This dress given by Mrs. Lingcheng is really graceful and luxurious. "Standing in front of the maid, she slowly turned around, her face full of unabashed joy.
`I will translate it as:
`
"The clothes Madam Ling Cheng sent are truly elegant and luxurious." Standing before the maid, she slowly twirled, her face beaming with unhidden delight.
`