Chapter 43: The Book Official

  A cold voice with a hint of metallic friction echoed through the grand hall, proclaiming an inexplicable majesty.

  The old eunuch's body shook, and he didn't dare to lift his head. He made a great effort to knock it down, and the stone floor responded with a loud "dang dang". After several knocks, his forehead was covered in blood. Although his head hurt, it couldn't compare to the fear in his heart right now. As he knocked his head desperately, he said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong..."

  This eunuch named Li Xin is none other than the current Grand Eunuch of the Western Qin Imperial Palace, holding a fourth-rank official title, and can be said to be a person of high position and great power, who is most trusted by the current Zhengde Emperor.

  As for the inner court, it is relative to the Nan and Bei courts that manage the forbidden army. The Nan and Bei courts both originated from the Tang system. When the Western Qin dynasty was founded, there were 16 Wei fu in the Bei court, all of whom were old soldiers who followed Emperor Taizu when he established the country. By the time of Emperor Taizong, the 16 Wei fu had gradually become divided, and many problems arose. Therefore, Emperor Taizong reformed the military system for the first time, assigning soldiers who guarded the borders to border towns, led by trusted generals. They no longer belonged to the forbidden army and did not have to take turns serving in the capital. In reality, they had already become a separate system. Later, six armies were established in the Bei court to guard local areas and exert control over the border towns.

  As for the Nan Ya, it was responsible for the defense of the capital, the palace guard, the left and right Shence armies, as well as local militia, all under the jurisdiction of the Nan Ya. Most importantly, the evaluation and assessment of the northern Ya's military leaders were also managed by the Nan Ya, with almost half of the power of the Zhongshu Institute concentrated here. Its head was Wang Daostore, Vice Envoy of the Imperial Secretariat, who could be said to have more authority than the Northern Ya.

  As for the inner court, it is much more complicated. It not only manages the palace guards and eunuchs but also serves as the emperor's eyes and ears in private. Along with the Censorate, it plays a role in supervising officials in the imperial court. This is not surprising, given the changes of dynasties and the improvement of government functions. The emergence of such an institution as the inner court is reasonable. For example, during the reign of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, the Kontrol Office was managed by cruel officials like Lai Junchen. Similarly, there are institutions like the Messenger Office in the Later Zhou and the Imperial Guards in Southern Tang. Although their functions vary in importance, they all engage in some shady and improper activities that cannot be made public.

  This Li Xin is the head of Western Qin's intelligence, in charge of most of the power within the imperial court, a true and unadulterated powerful official.

  However, the current inner court is still in its initial stage as an intelligence agency, with many imperfections and it's impossible to compare with the Jin Yi Wei of the Ming Dynasty in terms of power. The emperor can kill him with just one word if he gets angry.

  The lights in the hall flickered, casting a reflection on Zheng De's face, making it impossible to discern his expression. However, his eyes gleamed with an icy coldness, shining brighter than the lamps above by at least three degrees.

  After watching Li Xin kneel there in a sorry state for a long time, Zhengde's gaze gradually turned gentle and calm. After all, he was an old man who had followed him for decades. He sighed inwardly and said softly: "Get up..."

  Li Xin listened, and his heart suddenly relaxed, almost collapsing to the ground. This time's mistake was indeed too big, and he also knew that he couldn't escape punishment. He only hoped to keep his head on his shoulders and would be satisfied with that. Having served the emperor for a long time, he naturally understood the emperor's temperament. Now, hearing the emperor's tone, he knew that the emperor had taken into account their relationship, and it seemed that his life was saved. His eyes grew hot, and he choked out: "Thank you, Your Majesty..."

  "Li Xin, how long have you been following me?"

  Li Xing's heart skipped a beat, and he stood stiffly beside the desk, not even having time to wipe away the fresh blood on his forehead. He stole a glance at Zhengde, whose face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to discern his expression. However, his head of hair, which had already turned white, was faintly visible. The emperor is no longer young either, Li Xing thought to himself before quickly suppressing the notion. His heart felt a pang, and he didn't dare hesitate, immediately lowering his head deeply and answering sincerely: "This old slave has served Your Majesty for 51 years."

  "Yes, it's been so many years. You and Zhang Ze entered my Taizi Fu together, right? I remember that year... Alas, in the blink of an eye, everyone has already grown old... The faintly melancholic voice was tinged with a hint of regret, and also... unwillingness."

  "The Emperor is not old, but this old slave has no learning. If it weren't for the Emperor seeing that this old slave still has a bit of loyalty, there wouldn't be today. This old slave doesn't know about national affairs, but over the years, I've come to understand one principle: the world of Western Qin cannot do without the Emperor..."

  "A while ago, Zhang Ze told me that his body was getting weaker by the day and he feared he wouldn't be able to serve the Emperor much longer. I scolded him on the spot, telling him to hold on until the Emperor brings peace to the land... But I'm so ashamed, I messed up the task entrusted to me by the Emperor, I deserve to die...". By this point, tears were streaming down his face and his voice was choked with sobs.

  Zheng De let out a sigh, his voice becoming even softer, "It's rare that you still have such thoughts, in this regard, you're actually better than others... but the matter of Qingyang is so big, and as the one in charge of the inner court, you didn't have any inkling at all, it's really unforgivable..."

  At this point, Zhengde's tone also turned severe and stern, scaring Li Xing so much that his legs softened again and he knelt on the ground. "Yes, I have failed to live up to Your Majesty's kindness. No matter how you punish me, I will not complain..."

  "You are the one by my side, in terms of emotions, you are no different from others, but the more it is so, the more I am unable to forgive you. Can you understand my predicament?" Zhengde said slowly.

  Li Xin was deeply moved, with the emperor speaking to him in such a manner, how many people could be worthy of this? "This old slave understands, if it's just to make Your Majesty feel difficult, then this old slave should die ten thousand times..."

  With a wave of his hand, Zhengde stood up and walked back and forth several times, saying in a low voice: "What's all this nonsense about dying? As long as I'm around for one day, you old folks can rest easy. I'm not someone who forgets past favors. You're getting on in years too, so it wouldn't be bad to take off some of that burden. The South City Imperial Villa still lacks a manager - go and manage it for me. Whenever I feel tired, I'll go there to chat with you..."

  However... The tone of Zhengde's voice also became serious, "Before that, you do one more thing for me, find that surnamed Cui bookkeeper for me, I want to see who has the guts to empty the military rations of a 100,000-strong army, this is a big deal, you should understand the severity of it. If it's not done well...

  "It is this old slave's understanding, I will definitely get things done properly and won't let Your Majesty down."

  He waved his hand, "Understood, go down, I'm waiting for your good news." After finishing this sentence, Zhengde turned around, and in the moment he turned around, Li Xing suddenly felt that this back seemed to be filled with fatigue and helplessness for an instant, giving people a sense of desolation.