Hot flashes

Zhou Heng walked in and stood in front of him.

The two looked at each other, neither of them speaking.

After a long while, Zhou Heng spoke.

"Did you do this?"

Xiao Jue nodded.

Zhou Heng looked at him.

"Do you know I'm almost there? Do you know that if I just give myself a little more time, I can dismantle the Xie family step by step? Do you know why I've been holding back? It's all for you!"

Xiao Jue remained silent.

Zhou Heng continued, "And now? Everything's ruined. Solar eclipse, dragon robe, rebellion—who can't see it's a frame-up? What will the world think of you? What will posterity think of you?"

Xiao Jue remained silent.

Zhou Heng looked at him, her eyes slightly red.

"Xiao Jue," he said, "what exactly do you want?"

Xiao Jue stood up and walked up to him.

The two were very close, close enough to hear each other's breathing.

Xiao Jue spoke.

"What I did," he said, "was to kill those who wanted to kill you."

Zhou Heng was stunned.

Xiao Jue looked at him with a deep gaze.

"You said you wanted me to be a wise ruler, and I listened to you. You said to use gentle methods, and I listened to you. You said to endure, and I endured." He paused, "But they harmed you."

Zhou Heng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Xiao Jue reached out and pulled him into his arms.

Zhou Heng pressed his face against his chest, hearing the steady, powerful heartbeat there.

Xiao Jue's voice came from above.

"Aheng," he said, "I can't take it anymore."

Zhou Heng remained silent.

He leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat, for a very long time.

Then he spoke.

"Xiao Jue".

"Um?"

Zhou Heng's voice was muffled.

"You're such a jerk."

Xiao Jue remained silent.

She just hugged him even tighter.

The snow started falling at night and hadn't stopped by dawn. The snow on the imperial road outside Chengtian Gate was half a foot thick. The eunuchs who were sweeping the snow had been doing so all night, but they couldn't finish, so they simply gave up.

When the drums sounded at the morning court session, officials emerged from their carriages and horses, trudging through the snow towards the palace.

No one spoke. The usual greetings, whispers, and small talk were all buried under the snow.

All that could be heard was the crunching sound of boots on the snow.

Zhou Heng stood in the queue, looking at the people in front of him. Those faces that were usually so arrogant were all bowing their heads and walking unsteadily today.

Not a single adult male member of the Xie family remained. The women were enslaved by the government, and the children were exiled three thousand miles away. Their family property was confiscated, their land was seized, their banks were shut down, and their pawnshops were closed.

Those who were related to the Xie family through marriage, friendship, or business dealings suddenly became extremely nervous.

We've arrived at Chengtianmen.

The officials filed in and took their places according to rank. Zhou Heng stood in his place and glanced up at the throne.

empty.

A moment later, the eunuch's shrill voice rang out: "His Majesty has arrived!"

Xiao Jue walked out from the back hall.

Wearing a black dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown, he walked step by step up the imperial steps and sat down on the throne.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

All the officials knelt down.

As Zhou Heng knelt down, he caught a glimpse of the person beside him out of the corner of his eye. That person was from the Ministry of Rites, surnamed He, from Jiangnan, and had a somewhat roundabout kinship with the Xie family. He knelt there, his forehead touching the ground, his whole body trembling.

Xiao Jue's voice came from the throne.

"Rise."

The officials stood up.

The man surnamed He's legs went weak, and he almost couldn't stand up.

Today's morning court session was about personnel matters.

The Xie family was purged, leaving too many vacant positions. There were over twenty vacancies, including the Prefectural Magistrate of Jiangling, the Magistrate of Jiangling, the Assistant Prefect of Jiangling, the Deputy Transport Commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit, the Chief Clerk of the Grand Canal Transport Office, and several Assistant Directors and Vice Directors of the Ministry of Revenue.

The Minister of Personnel stepped forward, holding the register, and read out the names one by one. Each person whose name was read stepped forward to express their gratitude.

The first one, the Prefectural Magistrate of Jiangling, was originally a protégé of the Xie family and was executed. The one who replaced him was surnamed Liu, from a poor family, who served as the County Magistrate of Jiangling for ten years. He was honest and capable, but he just couldn't get promoted.

The man surnamed Liu stepped out of the queue and knelt down to express his gratitude.

The second was the magistrate of Jiangling County, a distant relative of the Xie family, whose property was confiscated and he was exiled. The replacement was surnamed Wang, from a poor family, who served as a registrar in a neighboring county for eight years, consistently receiving excellent evaluations but never being promoted.

The man surnamed Wang came out, knelt down, and his voice trembled.

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

As Zhou Heng listened to those names, he slowly began to understand.

Xiao Jue had already prepared these people.

They weren't just some last-minute replacements. They were people we'd already chosen, people we'd already vetted, people we'd been waiting for this day for a long time.

As soon as the Xie family fell, they stepped in.

The officials finally understood.

As the names of the aristocratic families were read out one after another, the color drained from the faces of those from humble backgrounds.

The morning court session has ended.

The officials left, their steps even faster than when they arrived. No one dared to linger, no one dared to whisper, and no one dared to glance at anyone else.