The Fallen Nation System, Turning the Tide - Chapter 51: Being Deceived

Chapter 51: Being Deceived

“Now serve His Majesty with your utmost loyalty.”

Amidst the clamor of ongoing renovations, the Imperial Academy and Female Medical Academy officially commenced classes. The imperial scions were assigned renowned scholars as instructors, while the female medical students many illiterate could only learn to identify medicinal herbs through illustrations. Moreover, while the Imperial Academy enjoyed ample study hours, the Female Medical Academy could only hold candlelit classes after work shifts ended.

While passing the Imperial Academy’s temporary classrooms, Gao Yun was struck by the resonant recitations of texts. An idea sparked in her mind. She approached Ministry of Works officials, pointing out several unfinished roads near the Academy and requesting permission to repair them.

Assuming it was an oversight, the alarmed officials granted approval.

Thus, Gao Yun led her crew to work outside the Imperial Academy classrooms. Laborers mended roads while eavesdropping on lessons. At night, Gao Yun would meticulously explain the content to them, followed by memorization drills.

While Xu Lian and others dozed off during classes, beyond the wall countless eager eyes watched intently. Sketches in the dust carried the weight of newfound hope.

Soon afterward, the summoned scholars arrived in the new capital with trepidation.

As Zhao Yingzhong was led into a deserted alleyway, his footsteps faltered. Suspicion gripped him had he been lured here for assassination?

“Scholar Zhao, why have you stopped?” the guiding official asked, turning back.

Zhao Yingzhong trembled. “Aren’t we going to see His Majesty?”

The official chuckled in realization. “This is indeed the path to His Majesty.”

Feeling mocked, Zhao Yingzhong thought bitterly: “Does he take me for a fool? Which emperor is he bringing me to meet? If this continues, I might as well pay respects to the deceased emperors!”

“Scholar Zhao, you may not know,” the official explained patiently, noting his skepticism. “The palace remains unfinished. His Majesty dislikes extravagance and specifically chose sparsely populated Duckweed Street. Just ahead past the turn, you’ll see the Imperial Guards.”

Half-convinced, Zhao Yingzhong advanced cautiously. Rounding the corner, he indeed saw stern Imperial Guards, with patrol units approaching nearby. Spotting the group, a guard stepped forward, weapon raised, and boomed: “Identify yourselves!”

The guide hurriedly produced a Token from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands. “Summoned scholars here for audience with His Majesty.”

Granted passage, Zhao Yingzhong and the others proceeded anxiously. The impending imperial audience made their hearts pound violently.

Passing through several moon gates, they entered a corridor where palace maids and eunuchs moved with solemn efficiency.

Zhao Yingzhong halted before an unadorned building. Expecting grandeur, he found it indistinguishable from common residences utterly unbefitting an emperor.

Soon, a palace maid announced their admission for the audience.

Entering, Zhao Yingzhong knelt with bowed head. An impassive female voice sounded from the hall: “Which of you wrote ‘On Female Physicians’?”

As if struck by an arrow, cold sweat dripped down Zhao Yingzhong’s back.

Fortune or calamity neither could be avoided.

With resignation, he shuffled forward two paces on his knees, forehead pressed to the cold floor, and muffled: “Your Majesty, it was this humble subject.”

With a crisp clap, Xu Ying slapped her hands together. “Excellent, very insightful. I wish to invite you to join the Censorate to point out flaws in governance for correction. Are you willing?”

Zhao Yingzhong looked up in surprise, his neck creaking stiffly. The young empress wore an appreciative smile, but beneath her broad-minded humility lay an implicit authority. Her features were sharply defined, veins prominent on the back of her hands that held power over life and death. Zhao Yingzhong turned ashen with fear, trembling as he thudded his forehead violently against the floor.

“Your Majesty’s great kindness shall not be disgraced!”

Even if it were a pit of fire, Zhao Yingzhong would willingly leap for an official position.

Xu Ying couldn’t help but grimace. The constant kowtowing and bloody head-knocking was terrifying. She hurriedly ordered everyone to rise, assigned them official posts, and began delegating tasks.

Each day, they were to identify ten errors major or minor with failure meaning immediate dismissal. Exceeding quotas earned bonuses from Xu Ying’s private treasury.

After leaving Azure Wave Study, the newly appointed officials were baffled by the empress’s intentions. Who would pay to be criticized?

“Her Majesty personally appointed us and funds this from her own coffers not to silence us, but for the nation’s greater good, to rectify governance errors. Many say she possesses great virtue, and today proves it true.”

They all lamented their past arrogance and felt grateful for the empress’s magnanimity in granting them this chance to serve the country.

Hearing this discussion, Zhao Yingzhong now recognized for his talents realized the empress wasn’t planning a purge. Instantly, fervor ignited within him.

But only when Zhao Yingzhong began his duties did he grasp the difficulty. Criticism was an art, and finding ten justifiable errors daily was no simple task. Initially manageable, they soon stalled after exhausting obvious issues and struggled to identify fresh ones without repetition.

While other Censorate officials leisurely sipped tea, Zhao Yingzhong and his colleagues scratched their heads seeking faults. Having been celebrated with gongs and drums when leaving their hometowns for Youzhou, returning in disgrace after just days would be humiliating!

Daily court sessions became reporting time for Zhao Yingzhong’s group. Officials endured public critiques of their departments, faces burning scarlet as if undergoing public shaming. Those with short tempers often retorted angrily.

Counterarguments exposed flaws in the critiques, which Zhao Yingzhong’s team couldn’t accept, leading to immediate rebuttals.

The court devolved into a marketplace of heated debates, breaking the usual drowsy atmosphere with spectacular daily arguments that Xu Ying watched with relish.

Zhao Yingzhong grew proficient in his role, thriving as an official who could vociferously criticize in court. Riding high on success, he finished drafting the next day’s court report early and headed home lighthearted.

Nearing his residence, Zhao Yingzhong turned a corner when darkness suddenly engulfed him a sack thrown over his head. Before he could react, blows rained down: clubs, fists, and kicks making him yelp in pain.

After the storm of strikes, Zhao Yingzhong lay half-dead, curled on the ground, too weak to remove the sack. He could only listen helplessly as the footsteps faded into the distance.
After a while, the pain gradually subsided. Zhao Yingzhong slowly recovered, pushed himself up from the ground, and dragged his battered body to beat the drum at the government office entrance.

News of Zhao Yingzhong being ambushed and beaten quickly spread. Court officials secretly rejoiced at his misfortune. When the authorities failed to identify the perpetrators, with constant whispers pointing fingers behind his back, Zhao Yingzhong began suspecting they were all in cahoots, deliberately covering up for the culprits. Burning with rage, he went straight to Azure Wave Study that same day to complain, accusing the government office of incompetence.

Seeing Zhao Yingzhong’s face swollen beyond recognition, Xu Ying barely suppressed her laughter and solemnly turned away, saying, “This is a serious matter that cannot be lightly dismissed. Let the Court of Revision investigate.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” This show of concern moved Zhao Yingzhong deeply.

But upon leaving, a scholar who had entered the Censorate with him suddenly changed expression upon hearing this and said, “Brother Zhao, you may not know – the Assistant of the Imperial Music Bureau you criticized at court the day before yesterday is the Minister of the Court of Revision’s nephew. How could the Court of Revision possibly help you find the real culprits!”

It was quite possible the Minister had ordered the attack to avenge his nephew, hence the boldness. Even if the government office knew something, they wouldn’t dare speak up.

Zhao Yingzhong suddenly realized he had unknowingly offended nearly everyone at court. A chilling sensation swept through him as if he’d fallen into an ice cellar.

It’s over! He had been tricked!

“Those destined for destruction must first be made mad” – he had lost himself in reckless impeachment sprees, walking the path of an isolated official. Now his only reliance was the emperor. If he lost imperial favor, the relentless retaliation would continue until his death.

Others realized this too, but it was too late. Having come this far, there was no turning back.

Zhao Yingzhong shuddered. However much he had once desired official rank, that’s how much he now wanted to escape. The female emperor was truly terrifying.

“Just serve Her Majesty faithfully. Under imperial protection, they won’t dare act recklessly,” someone patted Zhao Yingzhong’s shoulder.

Zhao Yingzhong walked in constant terror, his soul seemingly departed. He constantly felt followed, feared ambushes around every corner. Within days, he grew increasingly emaciated until he collapsed into bed, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Hearing Zhao Yingzhong had taken sick leave, Xu Ying sent imperial physicians – she didn’t want her daily entertainment ending, as Zhao Yingzhong’s fault-finding was quite amusing.

The physician examined Zhao Yingzhong at home, administered acupuncture, and fed him herbal concoctions until he gradually regained consciousness and some clarity.

A friend visiting advised, “You must recover quickly. Don’t take too much leave – losing your position would be disastrous!”

Zhao Yingzhong’s eyes widened. The warning proved effective – next day he mustered strength to attend court, his deathly pale face startling everyone and provoking impeachment from senior censors.

Xu Ying found it hard to watch. What a workaholic, insisting on working while ill. She gently suggested, “Perhaps rest a couple more days?”

But Zhao Yingzhong misinterpreted this as intention to abandon him. Straining to widen his eyes and straighten his posture, he feigned vigor.

“Your Majesty, this humble official has recovered. I beg not to delay my duties – please permit my return to position.”

Xu Ying sighed deeply and let him have his way, later instructing physicians to check on Zhao Yingzhong regularly. She genuinely worried he might suddenly drop dead.

The court officials gazed with resentful eyes at Zhao Yingzhong, who had returned to the imperial court. Their barely concealed disgust poured forth, piercing through him like nails. They bitterly regretted that the ambusher hadn’t taken his life.

No had they known things would come to this, they should have thrown Zhao Yingzhong and all the other political scholars into prison earlier. Then they wouldn’t be facing this calamity today.

Those who had already received official appointments were untouchable, but there remained many unappointed scholars outside attempting to follow Zhao Yingzhong’s example of skyrocketing to success. The ministers privately sought out Liu Xu for discussion, plotting to find excuses to capture those scholars and intimidate them lest more Zhao Yingzhongs emerge and disrupt their peace.

Liu Xu himself had grown thoroughly vexed by Zhao Yingzhong’s provocations and agreed to the plan.

Without delay, the officials leveraged their connections, writing letters to former classmates and old friends serving in various regions.

Author’s Note:

The night owl gets the worm.

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solutions between 2023-05-10 18:47:51 and 2023-05-11 02:23:46~

Special thanks to 17622433 for the 2 bottles of nutrient solution~

I’m deeply grateful for everyone’s support. I’ll continue striving!