Chapter 18: Drenched in Sweat

After bidding farewell to Lady Yang, Zhao Su, under the guidance of Grand Chancellor Li Chengyun, took a comprehensive tour of the Secretariat's office areas. Throughout the visit, he held the hand of the Eighth Prince, Zhao Cheng, never letting go for a moment.

“Your Highness, do you find this workspace suitable for your future duties?” Li Chengyun smiled as he gestured toward a particular room.

The room was spacious. Upon entering, a screen embroidered with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum greeted the eye. Beyond the screen stood an enormous desk, equipped with all the necessary writing implements. Nearby, a large bookshelf was lined with various classics, and against the back wall, a couch—a place to rest should fatigue set in during the reviewing of memorials.

“Grand Chancellor, you have been most thoughtful. I am quite satisfied,” Zhao Su nodded.

“That is well. Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I shall instruct the officials to bring you the latest memorials from each province for your review.” With that, Li Chengyun departed.

Zhao Su surveyed the study, then took a seat and asked Zhao Cheng, “Eighth Brother, have you ever been here before?”

Zhao Cheng replied, “This is where Fourth and Sixth Brother stay. I don’t come here often.”

Children are simple; he answered whatever Zhao Su asked. After several questions, Zhao Su gained a rough understanding of what the Fourth and Sixth Princes had done here.

Besides reading the reports submitted by provinces and the military, they also learned how to annotate and approve memorials. After copying them, Li Chengyun and several Grand Academicians would explain the approvals to them.

It was clear the Cabinet invested great effort in these two, grooming them as future monarchs.

“Heh, since I am Regent, you two can only play where you are permitted,” Zhao Su thought coldly.

Little Dengzi entered, bowing deeply, “Your Highness, the officials have delivered the memorials.”

Soon, four clerks carried in two large crates filled with memorials. Seeing the mountain of paperwork, Zhao Su felt a surge of anger.

The Secretariat officials, witnessing Zhao Su’s furious table-slapping, grinned widely, their teeth showing. Their intent was to give the Crown Prince a stern welcome—a show of force. The sheer volume of memorials was meant to remind him this was their domain; even the Crown Prince must abide by their rules.

Leaving the Secretariat, Zhao Su’s expression shifted several times before he managed to quell his rage, inwardly muttering, “If you want to play games, I will play along.”

“Little Dengzi, convey my decree: Divide these memorials among the Six Ministries and instruct them to review and annotate them promptly. By tomorrow morning, I expect a summary report. Any department failing to complete the task will be fined a year’s salary.”

Little Dengzi went to deliver the order, while Zhao Su took the Eighth Prince and rode toward the Privy Council.

The Secretariat held administrative authority; the Privy Council commanded the military.

His tutor had once said that power comes from the barrel of a gun. It was true even in ancient times—control of the army meant genuine authority.

Yu Chi Wei, upon learning of Zhao Su’s visit, arrived early to greet him with his entourage. Behind closed doors, he was the Crown Prince’s maternal uncle; but outside, the Prince was sovereign, and Yu Chi Wei was subject.

After a brief inspection, Zhao Su pulled Yu Chi Wei aside for a deep inquiry: What was the current situation of the court’s military? How many loyalists could Yu Chi Wei mobilize?

The answers were shocking. Zhao Su felt a chill run through him.

The Imperial Guard numbered two hundred thousand. Half were under Commander Meng Yi’s control, more than half under Lady Yang’s brother, Yang Wudi. Furthermore, Yang Wudi not only commanded the Imperial Guard but also the six routes west of the capital, nearly another two hundred thousand troops. It was no exaggeration to say the fate of the Great Qin dynasty rested in the Yang family’s hands.

“Heavens, why would Father allow Yang Wudi to hold half the Imperial Guard?” Zhao Su was bewildered. The former prince had never cared much for military affairs, so Zhao Su was largely ignorant.

Yu Chi Wei gave a helpless smile, “Do you know why the emperor allied himself with the Yang family? Because Yang Wudi’s power is too great to be ignored.”

“If the Yangs truly wanted to rebel, marriage alliances would be meaningless,” Zhao Su sensed a deep crisis.

Alliances by marriage are unreliable; even fathers and sons turn against each other for the throne, let alone in-laws. If Lady Yang had a child, the Yangs might support that prince’s succession, content to wield power as maternal relatives.

But Lady Yang had no children—only the adopted Eighth Prince, Zhao Cheng.

No, something must be done to prune Yang Wudi’s wings, Zhao Su thought to himself.

After Yu Chi Wei’s analysis, Zhao Su felt like strangling the old emperor. The separation of civil and military powers had been ruined, merging the two. The regional commanders now held unchecked authority, their power swelling to dangerous levels, threatening imperial control.

On the surface, the Great Qin seemed peaceful, but beneath, dark currents churned. One misstep could send the realm into chaos.

It seemed some matters would have to wait; solving the military issue was paramount. Without a capable army, any challenge to local interests could provoke open rebellion.

“By the way, Uncle, as Crown Prince, shouldn’t I have the Six Guards of the Crown Prince? Why have I never seen them?” Zhao Su’s eyes brightened as he suddenly asked.

Yu Chi Wei gave a wry smile, “Your personal guard exists in name only. After the suppression of recent uprisings, the emperor transferred all soldiers to the Imperial Guard.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhao Su said, “Uncle, I wish to reestablish the Six Guards.”

Only by controlling a strong army could he truly hold both military and civil power. Without troops, the regional commanders and feudal princes could rebel at any moment.

“Reestablishing them is possible, but the Three Departments likely won’t agree,” Yu Chi Wei said worriedly.

“What does the Cabinet have to do with my guards?” Zhao Su was puzzled.

Yu Chi Wei explained, “Your Highness, building an army requires funds. The Ministry of Revenue is notoriously stingy—they would never approve such a large expenditure.”

Without money, nothing could be accomplished; only with funds could an army be raised.

As Zhao Su pondered how to procure funds, he felt a tug at his sleeve. Turning, he saw the Eighth Prince, Zhao Cheng.

“Big Brother, it’s getting dark. Will you take me home?” Zhao Cheng pointed out the window.

Zhao Su glanced outside—the sky had indeed grown dim. He had been so engrossed in conversation with his uncle that he lost track of time.

He was about to instruct Little Dengzi to escort Zhao Cheng back to the palace, when suddenly a thought struck him—it might be worthwhile to see Lady Yang.

Yang Wudi held command of more than three hundred thousand troops. If Zhao Su could cooperate with the Yangs, he might find some peace of mind. Even if they refused, he needed to placate them.

With this in mind, he bid farewell to his uncle, personally escorting Zhao Cheng back to the palace.