Outside the imperial study, snow was falling heavily, but inside, the floor heating burned vigorously, as if afraid someone might freeze to death.
Liang Huan sat upright, his little face tense as he looked at the terrifying Liang Ye before him, clutching the candy in his hand tightly.
Liang Ye was listening to the ministers of the cabinet discuss whether the military examination should increase its quota and whether military strategy should be the most important component. His wandering gaze fell on Liang Huan, and then, under the little rabbit’s terrified gaze, he lazily raised his hand and pinched the two round little buns on top of the child’s head.
Liang Huan hiccupped in fright, and the quarreling ministers suddenly fell silent.
The little boy’s tears were about to fall as he pursed his lips. Liang Ye glanced at him threateningly, with an attitude that suggested he would eat the boy if he dared to cry.
Liang Huan looked to Cui Qi for help.
“……” Cui Qi coldly lowered his eyes.
So Liang Huan turned his pitiful gaze toward Baili Cheng’an.
Baili Cheng’an, who had just been eloquently arguing against three others without changing her expression, gave him a reassuring smile but remained silent.
So His Highness the little Crown Prince then looked toward the stern and imposing Yan Ze and Cui Yun. The two old officials wisely began examining the military examination reform details in their hands. The remaining officials, including Zeng Jie, didn’t even dare to raise their heads.
His Majesty had been acting too crazily lately, and they dared not provoke the imperial wrath. At least when the Emperor bullied the little Crown Prince, he only pinched his hair buns. When he bullied them, he would pinch their heads instead.
One pinch, one head gone.
Liang Ye laughed arrogantly and smugly, while Liang Huan sniffled, hanging his little head in silence.
“Why did you stop arguing?” Liang Ye poked Liang Huan’s soft cheek and said to everyone, “If we don’t settle this today, none of you need to go home.”
To the ministers’ ears, this translated to: “If you don’t argue to a conclusion today, none of you will see tomorrow’s sun.”
Even a donkey turning a millstone gets to rest occasionally, but His Majesty not only denied them rest but threatened to kill them if he wasn’t satisfied.
The heads under the execution platform in the capital hadn’t even been cleared away yet.
Thus, the efficiency of the new court began to rise sharply. After all, no one wanted to lose their head if they didn’t work well.
Even the upright and honest Cui Yun had privately admonished Liang Ye, saying that excessive rigidity leads to breakage, and water too clear has no fish. Such harsh oppression of court officials, tolerating not even a speck of sand, could easily lead to extreme backlash. But Liang Ye not only ignored him but became even more excessive, angering Cui Yun so much that he couldn’t eat for three days.
Baili Cheng’an was so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, being used by Liang Ye as if she were eight people in one. Half of her leave days were deducted, and she was so exhausted that her whole person exuded a gloomy aura. She would fall asleep on the way to court while eating a flatbread. The young women of the capital shed tears of sympathy for her, cursing the Emperor countless times in their letters.
Zeng Jie had previously been warned by Liang Ye and thought the Emperor would no longer make use of him. Who knew he would become the busiest member of the cabinet, running around inside and out until his old bones nearly fell apart. He strongly suspected Liang Ye was retaliating against him, but lacking evidence, he could only resign himself to continue running.
Yan Ze had never imagined that one day he would become the Chief Minister of the cabinet. But when he sat in the position once held by Wen Zong, he understood how difficult it had been for that strong-handed old man to balance so many forces and single-handedly maintain the balance between the outer and inner courts. He also realized that Liang Ye, this madman, truly had some ability, though most people were deceived by his appearance of insanity, not knowing how many difficult tasks he had accomplished decisively under this cover of madness.
Xu Xiude was still confused when he was recalled to the capital before the New Year. By all normal standards, he should have completed his three-year term as county magistrate. Yet not only was he recalled, but he also had the luck to fill a vacancy in the cabinet. Although he only occupied the lowest position, it was still the cabinet! Not only was he perplexed, but his teacher Yan Ze was also puzzled. Yan Ze’s requirement for his plump student had always been not to be too greedy lest he be implicated in prison, but who knew the little chubby not only avoided prison but gloriously entered the cabinet, complaining miserably while rubbing his round belly that he had become skin and bones…
Lu Shu had swiftly cleared up the Western Army, but before he could claim credit, Liang Ye issued an imperial edict keeping him in the west. The Northern Army was replaced by another unremarkable general. Lu Shu didn’t have many complaints, given Liang Ye’s suspicious nature, this arrangement actually gave him peace of mind.
Jiao Yan was kept in the capital to command the imperial guards. Although he was friendly with Liang Ye, he also knew that his father Jiao Wenbo’s command of seven prefectures’ troops was excessive. Liang Ye graciously allowed his children to enter the palace to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies. Since Jiao Wenbo had only this one son, and his grandchildren had entered the palace, he understood Liang Ye’s intentions and began to disperse his military power, so that he could retire with some dignity.
The commanders of Liang Ye’s personal troops were scattered and given insignificant positions. Many were naturally dissatisfied, but since Liang Ye was not someone who could be “negotiated” with—if you dared to negotiate with him, he would dare to send you underground to meet your ancestors—they could only bear it unwillingly, cursing Liang Ye behind his back for being ungrateful and killing the hunting dog after the hare was caught. In short, they were extremely displeased.
Chu Geng and Liu Binbai personally executed Xun Yang. At the execution platform, former classmates and good friends met again. Years ago, they had been unrecognized talents who traveled south together to study in Zhao. When Liang was in trouble, they decisively returned to help treat the plague in Guangyuan County with Baili Cheng’an, full of passion and hot-bloodedness, vowing to serve the country unto death. But the sea of officialdom and the unpredictability of life meant that things had imperceptibly changed. As the executioner’s long blade fell, Xun Yao, squeezed in the crowd, withdrew his gaze and clutched his wooden entrance token for the imperial examination.
For the imperial examinations, Liang Ye directly bypassed respected senior officials like Yan Ze and Cui Yun, appointing Cui Qi as the chief examiner. Although the officials were dissatisfied, Liang Ye’s reputation for brutality preceded him, and Cui Qi’s status as the “Sixteenth Brother” was an open secret. Liang Ye didn’t say it, but his actions showed he venerated this brother even more than the former Prince of Danyang had. Such was the favor of the Son of Heaven. And so, Cui Qi’s position as the examination master was established, and all new officials entering the court had to respectfully address Cui Qi as teacher.
The floor heating in the imperial study grew increasingly hot. After finishing the discussion on the military examination, the senior ministers of the cabinet dispersed, but Cui Qi stayed behind.
It was hard to say if there was any brotherly affection between him and Liang Ye. The entanglement of interests between them far exceeded any family bonds, but undeniably, even a small amount was precious for an emperor like Liang Ye.
“Does Sixteenth Brother have something to say to Zhen?” Liang Ye had been freely kneading and pinching the son in front of his father. Now with no one else around, Liang Huan began to sob, red-eyed and softly calling Cui Qi “Father.”
Unfortunately, his father’s heart was even harder than Liang Ye’s, and he remained unmoved by his plea for help. He coldly looked at Liang Ye and said, “Your Majesty has been somewhat hasty lately.”
He spoke euphemistically, but Liang Ye was more than hasty. What Liang Ye had done this year could match what he had done in his previous twenty aimless years. “Your Majesty’s desire to exercise power and make grand gestures is understandable, but extremes lead to reversal. If this continues, I fear—”
Cui Qi stopped speaking as he saw Liang Ye’s smile grow increasingly bright. “Your Majesty, governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish.”
For someone as intelligent as Liang Ye, it shouldn’t have been necessary to speak so plainly. Due to his relationship with Liang Huan, Cui Qi didn’t want to stick his neck out. But the senior ministers of the cabinet had almost taken turns admonishing Liang Ye, only making him more excessive. With no other options, they pushed Cui Qi to persuade him.
It was really necessary to intervene. Continuing like this would not only cause widespread fear and resentment, but it was also unnecessary. The battered nation of Liang needed time to recover, needed a steady flow, not raging fires and endless killing.
Liang Ye turned to look at the heavy snow outside the window. “New Year’s Eve is approaching.”
Without warning, Cui Qi’s heart suddenly sank heavily. Liang Huan had wiped away his tears and slid off the chair, pitter-pattering on his short legs to the door to look at the snow, saying in his childish voice, “Heavy snow. Uncle promised to build a snowman for Ah Huan.”
In a flash of insight, Cui Qi suddenly understood something and looked at Liang Ye in shock. “Your Majesty?”
He had originally thought that Liang Ye’s unrestrained delegation of power to him was intended to balance the remaining old officials in the court with Baili Cheng’an, Chu Geng, Liu Binbai, and other new officials. New and old counterbalancing each other would bring stability. But thinking more deeply, the power Liang Ye gave him far exceeded what Wang Dian had once held. Perhaps he wasn’t delegating power but… transferring it.
Liang Ye lazily rested his head on his hand, watching the snow and smiling at him. “Sixteenth Brother, Zhen remembers one New Year’s Eve, Zhen went to play in the imperial garden, and you gave me a plate of pastries to eat.”
Cui Qi lowered his eyes and said flatly, “This minister doesn’t remember.”
“Zhen’s memory is poor, but Zhen does remember the taste of those pastries. Zhen had been hungry for several days and almost choked to death. You patted Zhen’s back and told Zhen to eat slowly.”
Cui Qi remained silent.
“But later Zhen never saw you again. They said you died of a serious illness.” Liang Ye’s eyebrows slightly moved. “You were handsome since childhood, and a good person… No wonder… people like you.”
No wonder Wang Dian called him “Sixteenth Brother” with such intimacy. Probably like himself, he remembered the taste of those pastries.
Liang Huan grabbed a snowflake and hurriedly ran in, showing it to Cui Qi, but only water droplets remained in his palm. He stared blankly with reddened eyes for a while, then ran outside again to catch more, going back and forth several times. His little face was frozen red, but he still couldn’t catch the beautiful snowflakes. He hung his head dejectedly. Cui Qi took his cold little hands and wiped them, which quickly cheered him up.
Liang Ye and Cui Qi silently watched the child run back and forth playing with the snow. Liang Huan finally learned a lesson; he made a small snowball, held it, and waited for a long time until he caught a beautiful snowflake. He ran to show it to Cui Qi, who responded with a sound of acknowledgment. After hesitating for a while, he slowly walked to Liang Ye and said, “Liang Ye, flower.”
Liang Ye looked at the snowflake, already melting from the warmth, and chuckled, “Little fool.”
Liang Huan sniffled with his reddened nose, observed Liang Ye for a long time, then squatted down to place the snowball at his feet. He reached into his sleeve with wet little hands and pulled out a piece of candy, placing it on Liang Ye’s knee.
Liang Ye raised an eyebrow looking at him.
Liang Huan stood up, keeping his little face tense and holding his breath for a long time before gathering the courage to ask, “Liang Ye, when is Uncle coming back? They all say Uncle went to a faraway place and that I have to wait a long time.”
Cui Qi’s face changed, and he was about to stop him, but Liang Ye raised his hand to stop him.
“Do you miss him?” Liang Ye asked, picking up the candy.
“Mmm.” Liang Huan thought that his acceptance of the candy meant he had agreed to his request and nodded vigorously. “Uncle broke his promise. He didn’t come to meet me when I returned to the capital, and the story he was telling me isn’t finished yet. I want him to come back so I can ask him for more candy.”
That way, he wouldn’t be angry with Uncle anymore.
“What story was he telling you?” Liang Ye unwrapped the candy, looked at the partially melted sweet inside, and put it in his mouth.
“A story about many, many years in the future,” Liang Huan said seriously. “With tall buildings, flying birds, and common people who all have enough to eat. I haven’t heard the end yet.”
Liang Ye chuckled softly, crunching the candy in his mouth with a crisp sound, his tongue filled with bitterness.
He flicked Liang Huan’s little hair bun and narrowed his eyes, saying, “Your Uncle doesn’t act without profit. When you conquer the Huadong Prefecture and give him all the gold mines, he’ll come back to continue telling you stories.”
“Really?” Liang Huan’s eyes brightened.
“Mm.” Liang Ye pinched his soft cheeks. “Little rabbit, this New Year’s Eve, Nineteenth Uncle will give you a big gift.”
Liang Huan’s mouth was so squeezed that drool came out, and he said indistinctly, “Liang Ye, no lying.”
“Zhen is the Emperor and never lies,” Liang Ye chuckled softly.
A piercing cold wind blew in, and Cui Qi’s heart sank completely into the ice.
In the nineteenth year of Northern Liang’s peace, deep winter, New Year’s Eve night.
The court officials, who had been enslaved by Liang Ye for a long time, finally ended court at noon and hurried to change into festive clothes, rushing to attend the palace banquet without stopping.
The entire palace was decorated brilliantly, with lanterns everywhere, and an atmosphere of joy pervaded the air. Since nightfall, firecrackers and fireworks had not stopped, as if determined to completely dispel the gloomy darkness that had shrouded Great Liang for decades.
The officials, who had worked hard all year, finally felt the dignity of being court ministers. Exquisite delicacies arrived in a continuous stream, music and drums played without pause, dancing girls twirled to the beat, and outside the hall, fireworks burst brilliantly, illuminating the bustling capital and the myriad lights of Northern Liang’s households.
This dynasty, which had endured many hardships, had finally emerged from suffering into sweetness, returning to its original destiny. The nearly collapsing edifice had been silently supported by the brutal and insane emperor, who then used an iron-blooded approach to eliminate the tumors, settling it securely back in place. Although there was still a long way to go before people could live in peace and prosperity, at least those living inside could now eat and barely make ends meet.
As midnight approached, the sun of dawn would finally rise.
In the expectant gazes and music of the full hall, they finally awaited the arrival of their long-delayed sovereign.
Grand Eunuch Yun Fu, dressed in bright red new clothes, ran into the council hall, his high-pitched, urgent voice drowning out everything else.
“His Majesty—has passed away!”
The noisy hall suddenly fell silent.
Yun Fu looked around woodenly and cried out loudly, “His Majesty—has passed away!”
Bang!
The most brilliant firework bloomed over the capital, countless sky lanterns surged upward, illuminating the pitch-black firmament as bright as day.
As if fervently bidding farewell to this ill-fated emperor.
Amidst the cheerful congratulations throughout the capital, Emperor Liang Ye of Northern Liang completed his ill-fated and extremely brief life.
In the nineteenth year of Northern Liang’s peace, on New Year’s Eve, Emperor Liang Ye passed away. He was posthumously titled Emperor Wuzhao. He was twenty-seven years old. Following his final edict, the ministers established Crown Prince Liang Huan as Emperor, with Regent Cui Qi and Imperial Preceptor Baili Cheng’an jointly assisting him. The era name was changed to Yuanxing.
Later generations had great controversy about Emperor Wuzhao, even questioning whether his posthumous title matched his virtue. During Emperor Wuzhao’s reign, the entire Northern Liang suffered from poverty and military unrest, but it was indeed Emperor Wuzhao who saved the great edifice from collapse.
He used an iron-blooded approach to clear away the accumulated problems of aristocratic families in Northern Liang, implemented bold reforms, and laid the initial foundation for the rise of Northern Liang in the Yuanxing era. Numerous capable officials and generals emerged during the late Anding period. The Six Heroes of early Yuanxing Northern Liang and the later celebrated Three-Dynasty Female Minister Baili Cheng’an were all cultivated by him. However, he himself was brutal and capricious, suspicious and jealous, labeled as a tyrant by countless scholars. Wild histories even described the private relationship between this emperor and the short-lived Prince of Danyang in absurdly exaggerated ways. With his reputation divided, people gradually ceased to care.
The heavy history book lightly turned a page, along with it turning over the dark bloodshed of the Anding era, welcoming the bright glory of Northern Liang’s Yuanxing era. Beginning with the recovery of Huadong Prefecture, that was the golden age people eagerly recounted and relished.
Emperor Wuzhao’s brief life settled into a few lines of text, buried among countless outstanding and famous emperors, ministers, and generals.
It was only occasionally flipped through, and no one knew who, perhaps after reading too many unofficial histories, the person added two small lines of annotation beside this madman.
-Deep love leads to short life, extreme wisdom leads to injury.
He had them all.
