Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 630 - 241 Imperial Court (1/2)

Zhou Fengyue abstained from attending court for several days while indulging in wine. Initially, the court officials pretended not to care, but deep down they all wondered, what exactly is the old gentleman trying to convey?

Many whispered that he was like a turtle withdrawing into his shell in Heaven Capital City, yet this turtle's four legs were akin to massive pillars supporting the heavens—any slight move, and the entire imperial court would be engulfed in turmoil. Perhaps everything was under the control of the Emperor, but for them, it was truly headache-inducing.

The only old scholar in the court who could compare with Zhou Fengyue in seniority sat with eyes closed, silent. No matter who inquired, he would just smile and shake his head, leaving them without any recourse.

This elder, who held Wang Guanchan in high regard and had once predicted the decline of the Yin Yang Family for the next five hundred years, was a figure in the Great Qin Dynasty's court who saw one less minister embrace a pillar to death in remonstrance than Zhou Fengyue. Yet his reputation far exceeded Zhou Fengyue's, the heights of which were immeasurable.

The three heads of the Great Qin's Three Provinces and Six Ministries, led by the Imperial Secretary, along with the Royal Secretaries and undersecretaries, collectively known as the Prime Minister, were typically referred to as "old prime minister." This was undoubtedly directed at this venerable gentleman.

An unconventional man, he, a Royal Secretary at the time, had once corresponded in poetry across vast distances with a Jianghu storyteller, provoking officials to buy his poems and stories to aid their side, only to end up being outmatched.

Even the Emperor had bought a copy, and upon finishing it declared bluntly that it was truly unsightly, that losing was to be expected. Somehow, the elder came to know of this, later casually acquiring a fine ancient inkstone from the Emperor, much to the latter's bemusement.

Nowadays, he would stand with hands tucked in his sleeves, eyes closed as if napping.

Today, the Emperor was unusually late, so everyone stood outside the Tai Chi Hall waiting. Upon closer inspection, there were subtle signs of officials forming cliques. Though they stood close, they merely exchanged greetings and said little more, clearly delineated like the waters of the Jing and Wei rivers.

Mostly, the military officers grouped together, and the civil officials did the same. In the war of the Seven Kingdoms, the military officers had reaped great rewards and arrogantly disdained to associate with the court's civil officials—known for their "lip service" battlefield. The nobility of the Six Kingdoms stood to one side.

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In the past, some had been archenemies who swore they'd never share the same sky, and now here they were, standing under the same new dynasty's palace eaves, banding together.

After subduing the Six Kingdoms, Qin did not continue to oppress scholars with the sword. Instead, officials were dispatched to re-examine cases previously relegated to the prisons, reducing sentences by one degree and remitting taxes for three years to appease the officials from noble clans.

The military generals were headstrong—once, the Grand Protector executed a son-in-law by cudgel and abducted daughters of the imperial family from other nations. Wang Tiance himself had personally beheaded the eldest princess of Yan Country. Yet the old Royal Secretary and Zhou Fengyue, with their venerable status, had personally swept the mausoleums of former sovereigns of various nations and conversed with noble clans, wandered mountains and rivers, seeking reclusive scholars to build the Pavilion of Seeking the Virtuous.

But five years later, thirty-one people who succeeded Qin's nobility and several hundred officials entered the imperial court.

Today, these nobles of the Six Kingdoms only showed respect in the presence of Zhou Fengyue and the old Royal Secretary. They were disdainful toward those military veterans who had annihilated their former countries, to the point where some privately wished they could spit in the Grand Protector's face.

However, they would never dare utter such words in the presence of the Grand Protector.

During the war of the Seven Kingdoms, this Grand Protector had killed more than the Divine Martial Mansion, his hands stained with blood, seen as a deity born solely to slay enemies by both friend and foe. Yet he now commanded all the Protectorate Generals throughout the Great Qin territories, rarely present in the imperial court.

It wasn't just him—some officers from the remaining Divine Martial Mansion also stood on the fringes of the court, arms folded as they coldly observed the other officials conversing, indifferent and distant, not mingling with others. While a few of them appeared amiable, any attempt at conversation was promptly rebuffed.

The old Royal Secretary, seemingly wearied by age, showed signs of dozing off while standing; his head dipped slightly, but he quickly awoke with a start, scanning left and right. A few officials quietly expressed concern, met only with a smile and a shake of the head from him, insisting it was nothing of concern.

After stretching, he gauged that the time was nearly right and moved to his designated place, leaving a spot empty in front of him.

Lin Zizai, dressed in coarse blue cloth without any official position, stood in front of the officials, just behind the old Royal Secretary. For the past decade and more, he had entered the hall only behind the Imperial Secretary and the old Royal Secretary, even before the undersecretary from the same rank of prime minister.

If the Imperial Secretary and Royal Secretary were replaced by two others, or perhaps even standing further forward among the officials.

Last year, when the Imperial Grandson toured Fufeng County according to ritual, it was this same Lin Zizai who accompanied him on the side. The other person by the Imperial Grandson's side was the Great Eunuch Li Sheng, who had been close to the Emperor since his youth, a testament to the deep trust from the Emperor.

Some speculated in private that this was almost the function of the Minor Instructor of the Imperial Grandson; if he could follow in the footsteps of the elder figures like Zhou Fengyue and witness three generations of emperors, perhaps he could become the first Grand Preceptor in the Great Qin for decades, an indication of great ambition.

Yet such remarks were met with scoffs and seen as baseless conjectures. With the current Emperor and Crown Prince in their prime, and Lin Zizai already advanced in years, even if his martial arts prowess remained unmatched, it was unlikely he would live to see that day.

But as a court official, daily vexations meant that his martial arts could hardly advance any further.

After all, the Imperial Court was not a place suited for practicing martial arts. In Jianghu, there were peerless top experts who roamed the world unmatched, while the number of masters in the court's military paled in comparison.

At this moment, the scholar of humble cloth on the court, whose reputation was mixed, looked at the tall figure ahead and said,

"Did the old Secretary get enough rest yesterday? Today, your complexion seems a bit fatigued. I happened to receive some fine tea these past days, the very best of spring tea picked before Qingming. I've long heard the elder is adept at tea-tasting. How about I send some to the elder?"

The old Secretary chuckled and waved his hands,

"No need, no need."

"I have quite a few students, and there's never a shortage of tea during the holidays. As for Mr. Lin, now ranked among the highest officials, you still attend court in plain clothes, which shows your integrity and disdain for material gifts. You needn't concern yourself with an old man like me."

Lin Zizai merely smiled lightly in response and said,

"I don't rank among the highest officials."

The old Secretary stroked his beard and laughed, "That's true, after all, this old man is still around. Whether in the world of the court or Jianghu, seniority matters everywhere. I've witnessed three Emperors, so His Majesty wouldn't send this old man home on account of face."

He paused, then continued,

"However, there is another who should rank even higher."

Lin Zizai nodded his head. Suddenly sensing something, he turned around to look towards the Tai Chi Gate and saw Zhou Fengyue, who had disappeared for several days and not received any visitors, wearing official second-rank purple attire, complete with a purple gold jade belt and fish talisman, walking slowly.

Wherever he went, even the arrogant military officers who once slaughtered their way through battlefields, causing rivers of blood, had to bow their heads and respectfully greet him as the elder. He did not find it troublesome and nodded his head in return.

In Great Qin, the old Secretary had the best reputation among the common people, but officials in the Imperial Court regarded Zhou Fengyue as their leader.

The old Secretary laughed and sighed,

"Now there's another ahead of this old man. I'm afraid Mr. Lin will have to settle for third place."

Lin Zizai shook his head, indicating it was no trouble, and gave a slight bow to Zhou Fengyue. His eyes watched as Zhou Fengyue confidently took his place at the very front of the civil officials. The position of Grand Preceptor, the highest rank of the first-rank civil officials in Great Qin, had been vacant for a day, and therefore the head of the civil officials fell to be the Imperial Secretary.

The position of Grand Preceptor had been vacant for decades.

Amidst the strife of the Seven Kingdoms and Qin's sweeping conquests, in these tumultuous decades, it was unknown who would ultimately take that spot.

Lin Zizai remained calm in his demeanor.

The Great Eunuch, known as the Laughing Tiger in Jianghu, stepped out of the Tai Chi Hall, took a casual glance at Lin Zizai, who stood out among the many officials, and announced that the court assembly was to begin. Those who had been talking promptly split into distinct groups of civil and military officials, forming two lines as they slowly stepped into the grand hall.

PS: Presenting the first update of the day, sorry for the delay...

Lin Zizai made his entrance in chapter eighty-nine, seeing Wang Tiance as his rival. Accompanying the Imperial Grandson on inspections, he was an old man who had plotted against Wang Anfeng, aiming to disrupt his state of mind.

PS2: Tomorrow is Father's Day...