Chapter 155: Bedrock

Cai Jing, the Grand Academician and Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, had been claiming illness and staying at home for over two months. During these two months, Cai Jing spent his days tending to flowers, raising fish, practicing calligraphy, painting, savoring fine delicacies, and frolicking with his attendant maidens, leading a life of utmost leisure and contentment.

The position of Grand Academician and Chancellor, also known as the Chief Chancellor of the Hanlin, was a stepping stone toward the highest ranks of governance. From this post, one could step directly into the echelons of the ruling ministers—a position almost within arm's reach. Yet Cai Jing had lingered in this very position for several years, still unable to take that final step or cross the threshold into the ranks of the ruling elite.

The reasons for this were intricate and complex, stemming primarily from the suppression by Chancellor Zhang Dun, Grand Councilor Zeng Bu, and other senior officials of the Two Fu ministries.

At this time, although Cai Jing's younger brother, Cai Bian, held the lofty position of Vice Chancellor, alongside another Vice Chancellor named Xu Jiang, they had essentially been reduced to figureheads by Zhang Dun. State decrees emanated almost exclusively from the Chancellor's office, making Zhang Dun the de facto sole ruler of the Song court. Not only that, but the six quotas for executive ministers had rarely been filled to capacity during Zhang Dun's tenure, and he rarely recommended newcomers to join the ruling ranks.

Lately, however, Zhang Dun had been showing signs of favor toward Cai Jing, leaving Cai Jing feeling deeply uneasy.

The ambitions of Sima Zhao are known to all men. At this moment, Cai Jing was still hesitating, unable to make up his mind.

Meanwhile, Zeng Bu had always harbored an aversion toward Cai Jing. The reason was that during the Yuanfeng era, Cai Jing had switched sides at the critical moment, behavior that Zeng Bu found utterly despicable. Zeng Bu held strong grievances against him and naturally did his utmost to check Cai Jing's rise.

"Master, the Third Young Master has returned," the estate's steward reported while Cai Jing was watching the fish in the pond and pondering his own affairs.

Cai Jing had a total of five sons. Two had died young, leaving four surviving. The fifth son, Tao, was still too young and incapable of handling matters. To ensure nothing could possibly go wrong, Cai Jing had arranged for his eldest son, You, to cultivate ties with Prince Duan, Zhao Ji; his third son, Xiao, to quietly build a relationship with Prince Shen, Zhao Qi; and his fourth son, Tao, to befriend Prince Jian, Zhao Si.

"What did Prince Shen say to you?" Cai Jing asked upon seeing Cai Xiao return.

"Prince Shen didn't say much, really. He simply presented this child with a golden Buddha," Cai Xiao replied, taking out the golden Buddha.

"A golden Buddha?" Cai Jing muttered thoughtfully as he turned the golden Buddha over in his hands, then asked, "Prince Shen gave it to you, and you accepted it?"

"Yes... This child... Why? Does Father feel I should not have accepted it?" Cai Xiao asked cautiously.

"A petty gain leads to a major loss. We must never abandon our long-term strategy for the sake of immediate benefits," Cai Jing nodded and said. "When the situation remains unclear, how can one accept gifts from Prince Shen?"

"Father," Cai Xiao argued, "Prince Shen is the eldest. In this child's view, the likelihood of Prince Shen ascending the throne is exceedingly high. Therefore, this is the time to offer timely help in the snow."

"That is a flawed argument," Cai Jing shook his head. "Have the emperors of our dynasty always ascended the throne as the eldest son? Instances of selecting the capable rather than the eldest are not unheard of."

"Father, do you mean...?" Cai Xiao asked tentatively.

"Come with me," Cai Jing instructed Cai Xiao.

The two walked over to a pavilion, where Cai Jing picked up several stones and arranged them on the ground.

"This represents Empress Dowager Xiang," Cai Jing said, squatting down to place the largest stone on the ground.

"This is Prince Shen, this is Prince Duan, and this is Prince Jian," Cai Jing continued, placing three somewhat smaller stones on the ground.

"This is Chancellor Zhang Dun, this is Zeng Bu, and this is your uncle," Cai Jing then placed several stones slightly smaller than the Empress Dowager's stone.

"These are Consort Zhu, Consort Wu, and the others..." Cai Jing added the smallest pebble fragments.

Stones of all sizes formed a circle on the ground. Finally, placing a pink flower petal right in the center of the stone circle, Cai Jing said, "Countless eyes are fixed upon this very spot. Tell me, where does the crucial point lie at this moment?"

"This child does not understand; I beg Father to enlighten me." Looking at the jumble of large and small stones scattered across the ground, Cai Xiao was utterly dazzled and had no inkling of what Cai Jing meant.

"Go fetch a basin of water," Cai Jing smiled at Cai Xiao.

Though utterly bewildered, Cai Xiao obeyed Cai Jing's command. He brought over a basin of clear water and stared at Cai Jing like a bewildered monk丈二和尚摸不着头脑.

"Pour it onto the pile of stones," Cai Jing instructed.

Cai Xiao nodded, gritted his teeth, and forcefully poured the clear water from the basin onto the stone pile. The two heard a great splash as the water rushed over the stones, scattering countless small pebbles in all directions. Only the massive boulder representing the Empress Dowager and the slightly larger stones representing Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, Prince Shen, Prince Duan, and Prince Jian remained. The Empress Dowager's boulder did not budge in the slightest, while the stones representing Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, Prince Shen, Prince Duan, and Prince Jian were shifted from their positions by the rushing water.

"Do you understand now?" Cai Jing asked Cai Xiao.

Staring blankly at the giant boulder of the Empress Dowager, Cai Xiao nodded with a half-understanding look.

"In our dynasty, the Empress Dowager is like a bedrock. No matter how the wind blows or the rain beats down, she remains entirely motionless. The rest are mere pebbles, easily blown away by even a slight wind or rain. Therefore, the Empress Dowager is the crucial pivot at this time. Her will will determine the entire direction of our dynasty. Whomever she decides shall ascend the throne—that is practically how it will be. Zhang Dun won't do, Zeng Bu won't do, and the rest even less so," Cai Jing explained.

"Father, do you mean...? To cultivate ties with the Empress Dowager? But the Empress Dowager is a person of the inner palace, how can we... ah?" Cai Xiao stammered, stuttering in confusion.

"Heh heh," Cai Jing finally smiled. "Your father made arrangements for this long ago. The Empress Dowager is indeed a person of the inner palace, but she didn't just leap out of a crack in a stone. She has relatives, after all, and your father has long since treated them like brothers."

Cai Jing was referring to Xiang Zonghui and Xiang Zongliang, the two brothers who were maternal kinsmen of the Empress Dowager of the Xiang clan. Cai Jing had long since befriended them, becoming as close as brothers.

Not only did Cai Jing cultivate ties with the external relatives of the imperial family, but he also befriended numerous imperial eunuchs, close ministers, concubines, and even ordinary palace maids and eunuchs. Whenever festivals arrived, Cai Jing would send large and substantial gifts into the palace, behavior that earned him the utmost contempt of his fellow court ministers.

One of the crucial figures in the palace that Cai Jing had befriended was Tong Guan, a palace offering official.

"No matter whom she decides to elevate to the throne, aligning ourselves with her can never be wrong. This is the long-term strategy for the Cai family, and also the safest one," Cai Jing smiled gently.

The Song dynasty was quite different from other dynasties. While the Song strictly guarded against interference in state affairs by the inner court and the overreach of imperial in-laws, it was not nearly as stringent regarding the Empress Dowager. On the contrary, regency by the Empress Dowager had become a customary practice, especially during transitions of supreme power. "Listening to politics from behind the curtain" seemed to have become an unwritten ancestral rule, and court ministers always felt compelled to raise the banner of the Empress Dowager to ensure their actions appeared justified and proper.

"Does Father mean...? Should this child cease all association with Prince Shen from now on?" Cai Xiao asked next.

"Not necessarily," Cai Jing shook his head. "Earlier you mentioned the concept of offering timely help in the snow. What your father wishes to say now is that adding flowers to embroidery is still adding flowers; having it is better than not having it."

"Ginger truly grows hotter the older it gets. Father's words have suddenly enlightened me," Cai Xiao said, before asking, "That being said, who does Father think has the highest probability of ascending the throne?"

"Prince Duan, Zhao Ji," Cai Jing answered with certainty after taking a sip of fragrant tea.

"Why does Father think so? Prince Shen is the eldest by age, and Prince Jian is the Emperor's own brother. Why does Father believe that Prince Duan, who seems unrelated, can ascend the throne?" Cai Xiao asked in bewilderment.

"The Empress Dowager has no son, and Prince Duan has no mother," Cai Jing replied with a smile.

The birth mothers of Prince Shen (Zhao Qi) and Prince Jian (Zhao Si) were still alive, serving as imperial concubines in the inner palace. How could the Empress Dowager ever tolerate them climbing above her head? Standing on equal footing with such humble women would make the Empress Dowager profoundly uncomfortable.

However, all of this was predicated upon the assumption that the current Emperor Zhao Xu of Song had not designated a successor to the throne. If Zhao Xu were to suddenly designate a successor and leave behind a posthumous imperial decree before his death, things would turn out entirely differently.

Yet, tampering with imperial decrees was not unprecedented throughout various dynasties, which was precisely the core reasoning behind Cai Jing's strategic planning.

Suddenly recalling something, Cai Jing asked, "How is the Immortal in Exile? Any news?"

"Father," Cai Xiao replied, "This child has received word that Immortal Sister has escaped danger and is currently on her way back."

"Then your father can rest easy," Cai Jing nodded. "I wonder if she suffered any humiliation in the bandits' lair?"

"She should be fine, right? What does Father mean...?" Cai Xiao asked, glancing at Cai Jing.

Frowning deeply, Cai Jing shook his head in silence.

How could Cai Jing not know that Cai Rongxue was peerless in both beauty and talent? The reason Cai Jing was so deeply concerned about Cai Rongxue's plight was that he intended to marry her off as a secondary consort to one of the three commandery princes currently vying for the imperial throne, thereby increasing the Cai family's political leverage.

The Cai family had long harbored this plan. The only reason it hadn't been put into action was their hesitation and inability to make a final decision. If Cai Rongxue were to lose her chastity at this juncture, this bargaining chip would lose its utility; not only would it become useless, but it would also turn into a heavy burden, giving Cai Jing a splitting headache.

...

"Drive on... whip the horses... make way!"

Along a post road stretching from Lingnan to Kaifeng Prefecture, hundreds of stout Song soldiers on battle-steeds escorted a carriage, galloping furiously along the highway and kicking up billowing clouds of dust that filled the sky.

"Ouch, how bumpy! Elder Sister, my body hurts all over," Xiao Qin, Cai Rongxue's personal maid inside the carriage, rubbed her sore backside, which had been battered by the speeding carriage, and complained.

"Bear with it a little longer. Once we reach the relay station, we can rest," Cai Rongxue smiled faintly, her lips pressed together.

"Elder Sister, why are you in such a rush? Traveling back in such a hurry... couldn't we take our time?" Xiao Qin pouted and said.

"If I said I miss Master, would you believe me?" Cai Rongxue smiled.

Xiao Qin had been Cai Rongxue's maid since childhood, and the two had long been as close as sisters, sharing every thought without reservation.

"I certainly don't believe that," Xiao Qin said with a disdainful curl of her lip. "Are you rushing back for him...?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Cai Rongxue's cheeks instantly flushed crimson as she hastily retorted, "Who is 'him'?"

"Elder Sister, stop pretending. Although this servant is young, I am not blind; I know everything, hee-hee."

"What on earth could you know?"

"Xiao Qin just knows! Elder Sister, you care about him so much, but does he care about you?"

"Alas... how could he possibly care about me?"

"If he doesn't care about you, then he's completely blind, an utter blockhead, humph!"