Hot flashes

News flooded into the Qianqing Palace from all parts of the capital like a tidal wave.

Xiao Jue sat at the desk in the East Warm Pavilion, with a list of victories sent by Zhao Ting, a list of prisoners sent by Zhao Heng, and a list of confiscated family properties sent by Han Zhang from Jiangnan spread out in front of him, one after another, covering the entire rosewood desk.

Zhou Heng sat on the couch next to him, holding a bowl of freshly brewed ginger soup in his hands, and slowly drank it.

His feet were still wrapped in the quilt, warmed by Xiao Jue for a long time, and finally they were no longer cold, but Xiao Jue wouldn't let him get out of bed, and even when he went to the bathroom, someone followed him.

When Chen Shen entered, he brought in a gust of cold wind.

He knelt outside the curtain, his voice much calmer than before, but still hoarse from not having slept all night: "Your Majesty, Cui Yin, Lu Yuan, and Zheng Yun have all been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice prison. The presiding judge for the joint trial by the three judicial departments has been decided. The Minister of Justice, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review have jointly submitted a memorial, requesting Your Majesty's instructions."

Xiao Jue picked up the folded document, flipped through it, and then put it down.

"Have the residences of the Cui, Lu, and Zheng families in the capital all been sealed off?" he asked.

"It's sealed off. All family members have been taken into custody. A total of 473 people, including men, women, and children, have been registered and placed in several vacant official residences under the guard of the Imperial Guards. No one is allowed to enter or leave."

Chen Shen paused for a moment, then continued, "The news from Lord Han Zhang in Jiangnan has also arrived. The properties of the Cui, Lu, and Zheng families in the seven prefectures of Jiangnan have all been seized. The account books, land deeds, and correspondence have all been sealed and packed, and are being escorted to the capital by the Imperial Guards. Every manager, shopkeeper, and accountant in each prefecture whose name is on the register has been apprehended."

Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair, looking at the horizontal beam above his head. The beam was painted with golden cloud and dragon patterns, which flickered in the candlelight, like a real dragon traveling through the clouds.

"What about the Shen family?" he suddenly asked.

Chen Shen lowered his head: "The Shen residence... there has been no movement since last night, the gates are tightly closed. The Imperial Guards have already surrounded the Shen residence."

Xiao Jue did not respond. He remained silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly twice on the edge of the table. The sound was very soft, but in the quiet hall, each tap was as clear as if it were striking the heart.

"Step down," he said.

Chen Shen agreed and silently withdrew.

The hall fell silent. Zhou Heng placed the half-finished ginger soup on the small table and looked at Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed. The furrow between his brows was deeper than usual, like a wrinkle that could never be smoothed out.

Zhou Heng threw off the covers, walked over barefoot, squatted down next to Xiao Jue, reached out his hand, and gently pressed the furrow between Xiao Jue's brows with his fingertips.

Xiao Jue opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him.

"What do you want to do?" Zhou Heng asked.

Xiao Jue grasped his hand, pulled it down from between his eyebrows, and held it in his palm.

"I gave them chances." His voice wasn't loud, but there was no hesitation in his tone, as if he were stating a fact that had already been settled. "When Wu Huai-ren went south, they could have stopped. When Han Zhang disbanded his private army in Jiangnan, they could have stopped. They could have even stopped before Li Xun opened the palace gates. But they didn't."

Zhou Heng looked at him.

He recalled everything that had happened in the past few months—Wu Huai-ren's trip south, Han Zhang's inspection tour, the smashing of grain shops in Jiangnan, the overturning of soup kitchens, the rioting of disaster victims, the gathering of private armies by powerful families, the spread of rumors, the fire that broke out in the palace, and Li Xun opening the palace gates—each of these events, viewed individually, seemed like an accident, like something out of control, like the incompetence of the court and the arrogance of the powerful families.

But when you string them together, he sees another line, a straight and sharp line deliberately buried beneath the chaos and noise.