Chapter Ninety-One: Xiang Chong Inquires into Governance

Xiang Chong was utterly stunned.

What on earth?

Was Fan Li even speaking human language? Why could he not understand a single word of it?

Although Xiang Chong was a noble of the Xiang imperial clan and born of the Empress Dowager Li, he was not, after all, the son of the former emperor. As a result, he had been sent out of the palace at an early age to cultivate at a sect.

His talent in cultivation was decent enough, but he knew little of the institutions, laws, and customs of Great Chu’s court.

What did it mean to enter court without hurrying?
What did it mean to be excused from announcing one’s name when paying respects?

As for entering the palace with sword and boots on, and being granted audience without kneeling, it took Xiang Chong quite a while to work out the meaning, and the more he thought about it, the stranger it felt.

Who had given Fan Li such authority?

He was Great Chu’s foremost power-hungry schemer, and he was actually allowed to enter the palace armed and booted.

If Fan Li ever meant to assassinate the sovereign, would he not already have his weapon prepared?!

"No! I do not agree. These privileges must be revoked at once!" Xiang Chong said immediately.

Fan Li was not angered in the least.

He merely nodded and smiled. "Very well. Then His Majesty wishes to dismiss this minister from the post of chancellor and strip away this minister’s title as Duke of Jin, is that it?"

"What? I never said that..." Xiang Chong was somewhat dazed.

Eunuch Chen could not bear to watch any longer and quietly reminded him, "Your Majesty, the chancellor stands equal in honor to the Three Excellencies, and the Duke of Jin is a high ducal rank. Anyone holding such titles and offices is indeed entitled, according to Great Chu’s ancestral statutes, to enjoy these privileges. To deny Fan Li those privileges is the same as removing him from office."

"Damn."

Even Xiang Chong knew that if Fan Li were stripped of office now, the entire state of Great Chu would be thrown into paralysis.

The holy lords of the Brahma Sound Pure Land might be able to abduct Xiang Ning, but they could never replace Fan Li and sustain Great Chu’s military, political, and economic affairs.

He waved his hand irritably. "Never mind what was said just now. Count it as though I said nothing."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Fan Li was still smiling.

The emperor’s word was law.

On the very first day Xiang Chong ascended the throne, his words carried no weight. He had slapped his own face before anyone else could.

Seeing this, the civil and military officials looked at Xiang Chong with noticeably less reverence.

Xiang Chong himself also felt wronged.

He muttered under his breath, "Which damned fool laid down such an unreliable ancestral law?"

"Uh..."

Eunuch Chen wanted to explain, but held himself back in the end.

If it was an ancestral law, then of course it had been set by the ancestors.

To curse Duke Xiang Yu as a damned fool, Eunuch Chen suspected, made Xiang Chong the first in Great Chu’s history.

"Well then, since this is my first audience in court today, do my esteemed ministers have any matters to report?"

Since the opening had gone badly, Xiang Chong did not panic.

An emperor ruled the realm and its people by means of great talent, sweeping vision, and imperial majesty.

He believed that so long as he personally took charge of state affairs, he would naturally command the ministers with authority, bestow grace upon the people, and eventually bring the heart of the world to his side.

"Speak freely, everyone. Any troublesome matters of state may be brought to me for instruction." Xiang Chong declared with heroic confidence.

Beneath the imperial steps, the civil and military officials remained abnormally silent.

Aside from Fan Li, who watched him with a smiling face, all the others stood like clay figures and wooden statues.

"What is the meaning of this? Why does no one present memorials? Do you all look down on me?" Xiang Chong barked angrily.

Only after he lost his temper did the Grand Herald, one of the Nine Ministers, step forward.

"Oh? The Grand Herald is in charge of the enfeoffment and reception rites for the feudal kings, ranked marquises, and tribes that have submitted from within and beyond the borders, as well as the ceremonies of court visits, banquets, and imperial welcomes at the outskirts of the capital. Does my dear minister have some matter in that regard?"

During the past few days, Xiang Chong had stayed up late studying and had at least memorized most of the responsibilities and powers held by the court officials.

He had deliberately spoken first, of course, in order to show off a little.

The Grand Herald was nearly a hundred years old, with white beard and hair.

He tottered out of line and knelt beneath the steps.

"Your Majesty, Great Chu enjoys favorable winds and timely rain, peace and prosperity, ample weapons and provisions, and a contented populace... there is truly nothing that needs to be reported."

Hearing only the first half, Xiang Chong had thought the Grand Herald was about to flatter him.

By the time he heard the rest, he nearly leapt up to curse at the man!

"Rubbish!"

Xiang Chong cursed inwardly, but remembered that the Grand Herald was also of the Xiang imperial clan and, by seniority, practically of his grandfather’s generation, so he had to swallow the words.

"What the Grand Herald has said is not right, is it? Great Chu has a vast realm and hundreds of millions of people. How could there be nothing to report? Step aside and let me ask myself!"

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the grandfather-aged Grand Herald and began calling names.

"Where is the Grand Commandant?"

He deliberately ignored Fan Li, the chancellor, and instead looked for one of the Three Excellencies.

Only when the words left his mouth did he see Fan Li’s smile grow faintly strange, while the civil and military ministers began whispering among themselves.

"What is going on?"

Xiang Chong also realized something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, our court has not had a Grand Commandant for many years." Fan Li said with a smile.

"What?"

Xiang Chong’s old face flushed red.

No wonder the ministers’ reactions were so odd. Had he not just embarrassed himself badly?

Annoyed, he said, "The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice and war! If our court does not appoint a Grand Commandant, then who is to be responsible for all those military and political matters?!"

"This minister is responsible."

Just three words from Fan Li were enough to deflate Xiang Chong completely.

Still, Fan Li dutifully reported, "This minister has been exercising the powers of the Grand Commandant since the reign of the emperor before the last."

Xiang Chong gave him a resentful glance, feeling that this fellow was like a bodhisattva in a temple: impossible to provoke, impossible to touch, and only fit to be offered up with utmost care.

"Cough! Let us set military affairs aside for now. Where is the Chief Censor? The Chief Censor leads the censors, bearing the weighty duty of supervising all officials and overseeing criminal cases and the laws. I have questions about state affairs for the Chief Censor!"

As he spoke, Xiang Chong moved his gaze away from Fan Li and searched through the civil and military officials.

Yet he found that the ministers’ expressions were still just as strange.

Damn?

No way.

The corner of Xiang Chong’s mouth twitched as he watched Fan Li step forward.

"This minister is responsible. Since the reign of the emperor before the last, this minister has also exercised the duties of the Chief Censor." Fan Li said with an easy smile.

"...Aren’t you tired?" Xiang Chong could not help asking.

Fan Li shook his head. "For the sake of the Great Chu imperial dynasty and its foundation for ten thousand generations, this minister is willing to devote himself entirely and serve until death."

Devote yourself entirely, yes, but please die at once.

That was Xiang Chong’s true thought at the moment, though what he said aloud was still, "The chancellor has worked hard."

"Thank you for Your Majesty’s praise."

Fan Li could tell just how unhappy Xiang Chong was, but he did not care.

As a powerful minister, holding all the authority of the Three Excellencies in one body—was that not perfectly reasonable?

"Your Majesty, if you have any questions regarding the powers and duties under the Chief Censor, you may ask this minister directly." Fan Li said.

Xiang Chong shook his head.

No more questions. Just seeing Fan Li made him irritated.

The Three Excellencies could not be relied upon, but there were still the Nine Ministers.

Xiang Chong suddenly remembered that the high officers among the Nine Ministers all had other men in those posts. Fan Li could not possibly hold those offices as well.

"Then... has the Minister of Revenue come to court today?"

At last Xiang Chong had become a little more cautious, asking softly and carefully so as not to make a fool of himself again.

A middle-aged official stepped out from among the court ranks.

"Your Majesty, this minister is here." The Minister of Revenue knelt and bowed to the ground.

Not Fan Li. It truly was not Fan Li. Xiang Chong was almost moved to tears.

"My dear minister, rise. You are... what is your honorable surname?"

Xiang Chong wanted to build rapport properly with this Minister of Revenue so as to show the closeness of ruler and minister, but found that he could not even remember the man’s name.

He almost wanted to slap himself.

What was the point of asking anything else? Why had he gone and asked for the man’s surname?

Hearing this, the Minister of Revenue bowed again and replied, "How dare I claim honorable in Your Majesty’s presence? This humble minister is Sang Yang."

"Oh, oh, Minister Sang!"

Xiang Chong quickly cast away his embarrassment and began showing off once more.

"This, this matter... the Minister of Revenue oversees the finances. In recent years, Great Chu’s treasury has been full and the people prosperous. Your contributions are truly immense!"

No sooner had he spoken than he saw the old minister Sang Yang flush red.

"Your Majesty, this minister was only appointed by the court to serve as Minister of Revenue a month ago..."