Chapter 24: Keeping Public and Private Matters Separate

Confucianism emphasizes the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, among which is the principle that the sovereign is the guide for the subject. As an emperor, one should not be so tyrannical toward officials and members of the imperial clan, as such behavior easily invites the collective use of "Spring and Autumn brushwork"—the subtle, critical wording of historians—from the scribes under his command.

Yet, when an emperor desires to act, no one can truly restrain him.

As to how events within the palace would unfold, Wu An could no longer say. The Lady of the Pei clan had been left behind in the palace, and it was said that the Empress was currently there comforting her. As to what the Emperor and Empress truly intended, Wu An felt the twists and turns were too complex to fathom for the moment. However... he knew what he had to do next.

"Captain Wu, please don your armor."

Several eunuchs led him into a small hall, then joined forces to present the armor, respectfully requesting Wu An to cooperate.

At the hall entrance, as Wu An stepped out slowly in his black armor, he discovered that the soldiers of the Hundred Riders Department he had previously commanded were lined up outside, and their numbers were clearly double what they had been before.

At least sixty or seventy men?

It was said that the Hundred Riders were the Emperor’s personal cavalry escort, so this was likely the Emperor’s direct mandate.

As Wu An emerged, the soldiers all raised their heads in unison to look at him. The old eunuch beside him, expecting the young man in black armor to be intimidated, was about to speak up to help him command the scene, but Wu An, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade, met the soldiers' gazes and spoke:

"Who are your leaders?"

Immediately, two soldiers stepped forward. They were sturdy and wore indifferent expressions. Each reported his name and background; both held ranks equivalent to captains of the Imperial Guard, each commanding dozens of men.

One was named Zhang Wu, who looked honest and simple; the other was Liang Xin, whose eyes were cold.

"Greetings, Captain!"

Although he understood that these men had likely been briefed on what to do beforehand, Wu An still drew a silver fish-shaped tally from his robe to show them. "This is the Hundred Riders tally bestowed by the Empress. By this token, I am to mobilize the Hundred Riders. You may verify it."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wu immediately reached out to take it, but Liang Xin took a step back and bowed to him, saying, "This subordinate would not dare."

Hearing the latter’s words, Zhang Wu’s hand paused, and he gave an awkward laugh.

Liang Xin appeared cold and completely detached. Yet, it was he who had been ordered to follow Wu An with troops last time and knew the latter's background. Even so, he had watched impassively as his colleague made a fool of himself in front of a superior.

Realizing that this tally represented the Empress, the two captains became as docile as quails. Wu An said no more; his gaze swept past them, and he commanded loudly:

"Hundred Riders, hear my order!"

He paused. Without offering promises or further instructions, he simply said:

"Move out!"

...

Eighty warhorses were brought out from the imperial stables, and the soldiers swung into their saddles.

Captain Liang Xin personally led a black horse forward and, deliberately under the gaze of the Hundred Riders, bowed to Wu An and said, "Please mount, Captain."

The soldiers had varied expressions. Those who had received rewards from Wu An did not think much of it, but Zhang Wu, seeing this, felt that Liang Xin, who was usually quite sensible, was being overly sycophantic today.

After the troop set off, he glanced at the young man in black armor riding in the lead, then turned to Liang Xin beside him and whispered:

"He is going to ransack a Prime Minister’s residence this time. By the time this is over, there will be no shortage of people in the imperial court who want him dead. You still dare to cozy up to him?"

The Hundred Riders held a special status; on the surface, they were the Emperor’s personal guards and had no need to fawn over an upstart.

Liang Xin glanced at him and, surprisingly, agreed: "Thank you, brother, for your concern. I am only thinking of having a nodding acquaintance with him. Not to mention creating a future path, I just want to complete today’s task well. How would I dare to get too close?"

Hearing this, Zhang Wu finally set his mind at ease.

Dozens of armored cavalrymen rode openly through the streets. When some Golden Guard members or street patrols stopped them to verify their identities, they would instead take the initiative to clear the way for them.

The Hao Residence.

When the cavalcade arrived, they hadn't even dismounted before they saw the seals plastered across the main gates of the Hao residence. The family members living inside had just been taken away under guard, but Wu An was only here to go through the motions.

He stroked his warhorse’s mane and pointed at the main gate of the Hao residence.

"Smash it."

"Captain Wu," Zhang Wu asked, "there is no one left in the residence. If we openly smash the doors and destroy the seals of the Ministry of Justice, I fear we will be held accountable later."

The sound of hooves rang out beside him. Liang Xin rode forward without hesitation, followed by several Hundred Riders. They dismounted and, without a second thought, joined forces to ram the gate, bursting it open with a thunderous crash.

"The Ministry of Justice has taken all the culprits away, but there may still be contraband within the Hao residence," Wu An said, riding past Zhang Wu and giving him a cold look. "Captain Zhang, take your men and wait outside. Captain Liang and I will go in to search; we will be out shortly."

Zhang Wu wanted to continue, but the look in the other’s eyes chilled him to the core.

The Hundred Riders were elites selected from thousands in the Imperial Guard, each one a hardened veteran chosen from a hundred, yet they were now utterly suppressed by the aura in the man's eyes.

After walking through several courtyards, Liang Xin came up to him and whispered:

"Captain, shall we plant some evidence?"

Wu An was somewhat surprised by the man's eagerness. His own position was precarious; in truth, he didn't even count as an upstart. A dignified emperor would not suddenly change his mind because of a few words or a favor from the Lady of the Pei clan. He must have had his own schemes; the destruction of the entire clans of Hao Chujun and Xue Zhen surely involved significant political considerations.

To intimidate the court?

"Do it," Wu An nodded slightly.

The soldiers of the Hundred Riders first "found" an unknown jade seal in Hao Chujun’s study. Its specifications and style were standard, but it had subtly carved inscriptions, each of which was treasonous.

Following that were various so-called account books and treasures, serving as evidence of bribery. These were not hard to find; Hao Chujun was a man of literary habits and loved collecting such things. The Hao clan was wealthy and powerful, and given his status as a Left Prime Minister, his private collection was indeed somewhat luxurious.

"Captain," Liang Xin approached Wu An again and said, "I have not allowed the brothers to touch the assets in the residence or the seals on the inner gates."

Wu An pondered. In truth, during this raid, he and these soldiers could have lined their own pockets and made a fortune. This would fall under the category of "reasonable income," and the imperial court would not even inquire about it afterward. When the Hao residence fell, everyone would feast; since everyone would get a share, there would naturally be no disagreement.

But this money was too filthy...

Just as Wu An was about to speak, Liang Xin coughed, reminding him: "It is not that this subordinate and the brothers want the money, but this raid was ordered personally by His Majesty."

Just as one must be stained with blood during a rebellion, if one were to act timidly and half-heartedly when carrying out the Emperor's orders, who was this hypocrisy meant for?

"Send a few men to take the contraband to the palace immediately." Wu An pointed to the items on the table and added, "Call Zhang Wu in. Say that the wealth seized at the Hao residence today is my gift to you all. You take four parts, he takes six; and make sure you say it nicely."

Deliberately taking less for himself?

Liang Xin knew that Captain Wu was no fool. There must be a reason for this, and he only needed to convey the orders to the men below.

"Are you not angry?" Wu An asked.

"I am on official duty today. In all matters, I follow only the Captain's orders."

"When we return to the palace today, I will reward you with more wealth."

"Thank you, Captain, for your grace!"

"But we still have to go to Master Xue's residence later, don't we?"

Wu An mused for a moment. Then, the words he spoke made even Liang Xin look up in sudden, chilling horror.

"After we arrive at the Xue residence, let Zhang Wu take his men in first. Anyone who dares to obstruct them in the Xue residence is to be treated as a traitor... and executed to the last man."