Act According to the Rules

"Pavilion Elder Cui..." Emperor Luo spoke lightly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Cui Shifan reacted as if he had been burned by a branding iron. He slammed his head heavily onto the ground, producing a muffled thud. His voice carried a trembling, tearful tone born of extreme terror:

"Your Majesty, please be just! Your Majesty, please see clearly!"

"This old minister has absolutely nothing to do with this matter! The Cui clan of Qinghe is completely innocent; we have never dared to touch a single copper of the imperial merchants' funds!"

"This old minister is willing to immediately seal all properties and accounts under the Cui clan's name and hand them over to Her Highness—no, hand them over to the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Censorate for a thorough investigation!"

"If there is even a sliver of falsehood, this old minister is willing to accept any punishment! I only beg Your Majesty for forgiveness!"

Cui Shifan was truly terrified.

Prostrating on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the freezing gold bricks, he did not dare to look up, yet he could feel it with absolute clarity.

The almost tangible gaze from the throne was sweeping back and forth across his body.

Life or death, the continuation of glory or the annihilation of his clan, rested entirely on a single thought from this emperor.

Do not be fooled by how the Xiao clan commanded the wind and rain in the royal court, seemingly holding overwhelming power, with the Ministry of Personnel practically acting as their backyard.

And do not be fooled by the daily scheming and fighting for interests in the court, as if they could control everything to a certain extent.

However.

Among the Six Ministries of the imperial court, the Ministry of War—including the appointment and dismissal of high-ranking generals, the mobilization of troops, and the manufacturing of armaments—was firmly grasped in Emperor Luo's hands.

The Golden Feather Guards, who protected the Divine Capital, were Emperor Luo's absolute personal army, answering only to imperial commands.

The garrison forces scattered across the various commanderies had their command structures and logistical supplies similarly subjected to the Ministry of War's strict control and regular rotation.

Even in the base camps of the great aristocratic families, such as Lanling Commandery and Qinghe Commandery, the military power of the stationed troops had never fallen into the families' hands.

They were all generals and officials who had no ties whatsoever to the local aristocratic families.

Then there was the most important aspect: military pay.

The personnel and finances of the Ministry of War were completely independent and directly decided by Emperor Luo.

Whether it was the Grand Secretariat or the Ministry of Personnel, no one was allowed to interfere; whoever touched it would die.

Therefore, the distribution of military pay in Great Luo had never been delayed.

Regardless of whether the national treasury was tight, military pay was always guaranteed first, distributed directly into the hands of the soldiers through an independent military supply and supervisory system.

Being a soldier to earn one's pay was perfectly justified.

The loyalty and combat power of a regular army that received its full pay on time were far beyond what any private soldiers or stragglers could compare to.

It could be called the iron rice bowl of Great Luo, and it was one of the most fundamental guarantees for Emperor Luo's control over the military.

In other words, Emperor Luo always held the sharpest sword of Great Luo in his hands.

Whether it was Xiao Song or the other aristocratic families, all their schemes, calculations, and struggles for interests in the court were built within the rules tacitly approved by Emperor Luo.

Once someone dared to cross the line, dared to touch the fundamental interests of imperial power, or dared to harbor even the slightest rebellious intent...

Emperor Luo did not need to play any games of court debate or political infighting.

All it would take was a single imperial edict.

In an instant, a massive army would descend upon them, sweeping across the realm.

Emperor Luo's gaze lingered on Cui Shifan's prostrate figure for a long time.

It made Cui Shifan feel as if he had thorns in his back, cold sweat nearly soaking through his inner garments.

Finally, Emperor Luo spoke slowly:

"Since you came to an audience alongside Zhao'er, I will wait and see your performance."

It was a casually spoken sentence.

But to Cui Shifan, it was no different from the sound of heaven.

The massive boulder in his heart that had almost crushed him finally fell to the ground.

The meaning of these words could not be clearer: for the sake of Luo Zhao bringing you here.

You will not be pursued for the time being; you are being given a chance.

This was a grace, and also a warning.

Ultimately, your fate, Cui Shifan, and the ending of the Cui clan, would depend entirely on your upcoming performance.

Cui Shifan immediately acted as if he had been granted a grand amnesty. He kowtowed heavily again and said loudly:

"Your Majesty is wise and divinely martial! Your holy light illuminates ten thousand miles!"

"This old minister knows that he has been negligent in the past, an unforgivable crime!"

"Thanks to Your Majesty's boundless heavenly grace, this old minister has been given a chance to turn over a new leaf and redeem himself!"

"This old minister sheds tears of gratitude! I will certainly exert the effort of a dog or horse, pour out the strength of the Cui clan, and fully assist Her Highness in investigating this case thoroughly!"

"We must uproot these vermin who erode the nation's foundation and bring chaos to the court, eradicating all evil!"

"To repay Your Majesty's grace of rebirth, and to rectify the clear winds of the imperial court!"

These words placed him in an extremely humble posture, and his show of determination was ruthless enough, directly labeling the Xiao clan as vermin that must be uprooted.

He had completely positioned himself on the opposite side of the Xiao clan, and also demonstrated his resolve to surrender to Emperor Luo and Luo Zhao.

After hearing this, Emperor Luo did not reply directly. Instead, he looked at Luo Zhao and said:

"Regarding Gu Chengyin..."

Luo Zhao's heart skipped a beat, thinking her royal father was about to give direct instructions regarding Gu Chengyin.

"Since the Department of Scrutiny is verifying the files according to the rules, and the Grand Secretariat has also issued a clear order for six-party supervision."

"Then let things be handled according to the regulations."

"After all, I am also very curious..."

At this point, the corners of Emperor Luo's mouth curled into a complex, hard-to-read smile.

"Where exactly did such a formidable figure pop out from."

Luo Zhao blinked. Her intuition told her that these words were definitely not as simple as their literal meaning.

But since Emperor Luo said so, it meant that, at least procedurally, he would not interfere with the Department of Scrutiny's investigation into Gu Chengyin.

Whether Gu Chengyin could escape his predicament depended on the investigation results on one hand, and on the progress of bringing down the Xiao clan on the other.

"Alright, you may all step down." Emperor Luo waved his hand, signaling the end of the audience.

"This subject-daughter takes her leave."

"This old minister takes his leave."

Luo Zhao and Cui Shifan saluted in unison, then bowed and retreated until they reached the door of the warm pavilion before turning and walking out.

Standing on the white marble steps outside the warm pavilion, the sunlight carried a trace of warmth, but Cui Shifan only felt cold all over.

He took several deep breaths of air, as if he had just been reborn.

He then turned to Luo Zhao and solemnly bowed with cupped hands: "Your Highness's grace of support today, this old minister will never forget for the rest of his life. The entire Cui clan will certainly engrave it in our hearts!"

Luo Zhao glanced at him indifferently, her voice cold and clear: "Pavilion Elder Cui, you are thanking the wrong person, aren't you?"

Cui Shifan paused for a moment, immediately understanding Luo Zhao's meaning.

This was a reminder that while his passing the hurdle today was certainly due to Luo Zhao bringing him along for the audience.

But ultimately, this opportunity was brought about by Gu Chengyin.

Without Gu Chengyin, Cui Shifan might still be watching from the sidelines, or perhaps even dragged down by the Xiao clan without realizing it.

Having figured this out, the gratitude on Cui Shifan's face grew even deeper.

He pondered for a moment before speaking: "Your Highness is absolutely right; Junior Preceptor Gu is indeed our Cui clan's benefactor."

"However, Your Highness does not need to worry too much about Junior Preceptor Gu's safety."

"In this old minister's humble opinion, Junior Preceptor Gu is absolutely not the type to sit and wait for death..."

A strange smile tugged at the corners of Cui Shifan's mouth: "Who knows, right at this moment, he might be eating well and drinking heartily in the Ministry of Personnel, even more comfortable than being on the outside."

"Therefore, Your Highness," Cui Shifan's expression grew serious, "Compared to Junior Preceptor Gu, this old minister believes the matter at hand is much more important."

"As long as the Ministry of Personnel loses its backer, Junior Preceptor Gu will naturally escape his predicament."