Chapter 316 - 97: Night Talk, Part 2

Chapter 316: Chapter 97: Night Talk, Part 2

"If Empress Chu wishes to be reckless, then let her. But you cannot."

Deng Yi leaned against an armrest, holding the letter in one hand and accepting a cup of hot tea from an attendant clerk with the other. In the night, the steam swirled up, blurring his features.

’He really should toss this girl’s nonsensical letter into the brazier and burn it. There’s no need to read any further.’

But—

The girl had stopped with her grand principles and instead wrote:

"Bringing peace to the world in a time of chaos is a great achievement, but preventing chaos and ensuring peace is also a great achievement. Grand Tutor, do you wish to be a Grand Tutor of a chaotic era, or a Grand Tutor of a peaceful and well-governed one?"

He, Deng Yi, was of humble birth. He had no powerful family, no deep-rooted network of old friends or in-laws.

He lifted his eyes slightly, gazing at the hall full of officials seated around him. So many supporters surrounded him now; they heeded his commands, lent him their aid, and provided men and money, allowing him, Deng Yi, to establish a firm foothold in the court and stand against the Xie family—an Aristocratic Family with imperial ties. This was only because the late Emperor had entrusted his son to him, because he held the Jade Seal and the authority of the Regent.

’They are not loyal to me, Deng Yi. They are loyal to the power in my hands.’

’A chaotic era is forged through war. Even as the head of the Civil Servants, holding the Jade Seal, when battles are being fought, generals in the field need not heed the sovereign’s commands. It wouldn’t be my place as Grand Tutor to direct the course of the empire then.’

’Once authority becomes difficult to wield, it will only become more so.’

Deng Yi looked at the letter. ’Miss Chu’s background is ordinary, her family’s influence weak. Although she has troops, she knows she cannot contend with Xie Yanfang in a time of chaos. So she’s come to me, looking for an ally in a similar plight.’

His fellow sufferer had written more.

"If you cannot help me, Grand Tutor, then I will take the King of Zhongshan and his son down with me. I will do my part to help you bring about an era of peace as quickly as possible."

"Though I wish to fight to stay alive, I have never feared death."

"From the moment I stepped into the Prince Zhongshan Mansion, I was prepared to die."

"My death will bring no regrets—not for the nation, not for the people, and not for myself. And for you, Lord Deng, there will be no regrets either."

"Chu Zhao bids you farewell."

’She was right. If he didn’t help her, she was doomed.’

’No regrets? Then why write so much? So young, yet so candid and sophisticated, so self-serving yet so righteous. Is this not a threat, using her own death to blackmail him?’

’Was he, Deng Yi, a man who cared about the lives and deaths of others?’

Deng Yi set the letter down and looked at the tea in his hand. The girl seemed to have been gone for a long time; he could hardly recall what she looked like.

"Deng Yi, what are you doing here too!"

He vaguely recalled their first meeting. The girl had been so shocked she had called out his name directly. ’Even though it was the first time we met, he could clearly sense her familiarity with him.’

’She feared him and was wary of him, yet she also tried to curry favor with him, praised him, and at certain moments, even trusted him implicitly.’

"Lord Deng is the most capable one."

"Lord Deng is the most capable."

The girl’s voice seemed to echo in Deng Yi’s ears. ’Capable... He was indeed capable. Becoming the one entrusted by the late Emperor was certainly a godsent opportunity, but why did that opportunity fall to him, Deng Yi? It was because he had planned and schemed for it, step by step.’

’He, Deng Yi, had seized that opportunity and had not squandered it. He had held it tight, securing his position in the court in a short amount of time.’

’He was so capable. What was there in this world that he didn’t dare to do, that he couldn’t do?’

Deng Yi put down his tea. "I am going to draft an imperial decree."

The bustling hall, filled with the sounds of laughter, tea-drinking, and snacking, fell instantly silent. The officials looked astonished, as if they had misheard.

"Grand Tutor," a few officials stood up, "you must be cautious!"

Deng Yi scanned the hall. "Are you all telling me you no longer dare to assist me?"

At his gaze, some officials looked away evasively, while others appeared resigned.

Deng Yi watched them, then smiled and swirled the tea in his cup.

"All of you, think for a moment. What good does it do us to eliminate the King of Zhongshan?"

"His Majesty is young. It’s hard to say what accidents might happen in the future."

How audacious! The officials in the hall were stunned—

"The King of Zhongshan is, after all, of the true Xiao Family bloodline," Deng Yi said, his gaze sweeping over them before he changed the subject. "The Prince has been quite friendly to you all in the past, has he not?"

’If the King of Zhongshan would give lavish gifts to a mere Clerk like him, was it possible that these court officials hadn’t accepted gifts from him as well?’

Sure enough, his words caused the expressions of the seated officials to shift even more drastically.

After a moment of silence, an elderly official gave a bitter smile.

"Grand Tutor, if we do this, we will be vilified," he said. "How will we preserve our reputations?"

Deng Yi said, "You all know in your hearts that I have a past connection with the King of Zhongshan. Didn’t you still associate with me? You’ve all managed to live with plenty of dignity so far."

The officials in the hall looked slightly embarrassed.

"That’s not the same thing," an official said helplessly. "The past is the past. Now, you are the Grand Tutor chosen by the late Emperor."

Deng Yi retorted, "Then as long as the King of Zhongshan confesses his crimes, he will remain a Prince of Great Xia. If the King of Zhongshan wants to rebel, the court dares to fight him. If the King of Zhongshan wants to confess, why would the court not dare to accept it?"

He looked at the crowd again.

"You need not worry. I will bear the infamy. All you need to do is appear helpless to stop me."

Helpless, unable to stop him—that made them seem pitiful. The officials looked at one another. If they were seen as pitiful, they would face less condemnation.

At this point, their fates were tied to Deng Yi’s. Not only could they not let him fall, but they also had to rally behind him. With the Emperor so young, this was a prime opportunity for the Aristocratic Families to govern. The officials bowed their heads. "We shall abide by the Grand Tutor’s decision."

Deng Yi set down his teacup and nodded. "My thanks to you all."

With the matter settled, the tension in the hall eased.

"Grand Tutor, are you doing this for the Empress as well?" a young official couldn’t help but ask.

Since her ascension, the Empress had also acted against convention many times, yet Deng Yi had indulged her, turning a blind eye.

And now, after letting the matter with the King of Zhongshan go and allowing the Xie family to take control, he had read one letter from the Empress and decided to reconcile with the King of Zhongshan without even consulting them—

’The Grand Tutor naturally had his own considerations, but surely the Empress was part of those considerations?’

It was said the Empress and Deng Yi had a past connection. There were private rumors that on the night of the palace turmoil, the Empress had shouted at Deng Yi, claiming he owed her something—

The expressions of the officials in the hall flickered with complexity.

Deng Yi’s expression was indifferent as he glanced at the official. "The Empress acts for the good of the realm, and so do I."

He then looked at the Grand Tutor’s Seal and the Jade Seal resting on the desk.

"For now, I am the one who calls the shots in this realm. If I don’t speak up now, I may not have the chance to later."