The Divine Capital

The Divine Capital stood majestic like a mountain of the gods, its thick city walls gleaming with a dark, metallic luster under the fading light of the setting sun.

The city gates were wide open. The defending garrison wore bright, polished armor, and their banners fluttered fiercely in the wind. Everything was in perfect order, yet it carried an eerie solemnity that felt far heavier than usual.

Luo Zhao's ceremonial procession slowly entered the city gates. There was no martial law or lockdown as one might have expected, no hostile rebels waiting with drawn swords, and not even many surprised or scrutinizing gazes.

On both sides of the street, the commoners were kept at a far distance. The city defense guards maintaining order stood with stern postures, their eyes staring straight ahead.

The faint sounds of peddlers crying out their wares and the rumbling of carriage wheels echoing from the markets were no different from any ordinary day.

This excessive normality, however, only served to pull taut the final string in the minds of the Golden Feather Guard soldiers, who had just survived harrowing life-and-death battles.

A silent tension permeated the air, resembling the suffocating calm just before a torrential storm.

Sitting upright within the canopy carriage, Luo Zhao gazed out the window through the sheer silk curtains. Her expression was indifferent, devoid of both joy and sorrow.

Her true self had quietly returned to her main body the previous night. At this moment, she was coldly scrutinizing the Divine Capital she had been away from for days, observing it from a perspective that transcended the mortal realm.

Luo Zhao did not immediately break free from her subjugation. Instead, she played along with the ruse, flawlessly maintaining the posture and reactions of someone under hypnosis.

The convoy traveled down the long imperial avenue, eventually pulling into the eastern sector of the Divine Capital and arriving at the exclusive palace belonging to the Eldest Princess.

Inside and outside the palace gates, female officials who had received advance notice knelt in welcome. Their attitudes were perfectly respectful, without a single fault to be found, yet one could sense very little genuine joy from them.

Supported by Shangguan Yunying, Luo Zhao stepped down from the carriage. Her black palace gown, heavily embroidered with gold, trailed along the ground. Her phoenix-like eyes calmly swept over the familiar pavilions and halls. Without uttering a single word, she walked straight into the inner hall.

Gu Chengyin and Shangguan Yunying followed closely behind her. The thirty thousand troops of the Golden Feather Guard were stationed outside the Divine Capital, while Chen Busha was required to head immediately to the Golden Feather Manor to report on his mission.

The inner hall was as warm as spring, with a gilded incense burner exhaling faint, soothing wisps of smoke.

Luo Zhao waved away all the idle servants, leaving only Gu Chengyin, Shangguan Yunying, and two female officials in the room.

Taking her seat at the head of the hall, she looked calmly at Gu Chengyin and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone, "Manager Gu's contributions in escorting me back to the north are paramount. Now that I have arrived safely, it is only natural that I reward you for your merits and fulfill my previous promise."

She paused for a moment, appearing to ponder, before ordering, "Bring the brush, ink, and seal."

A female official quickly presented the pre-prepared royal silk, imperial ink, and a small yet highly authoritative golden seal belonging to the Crown Princess.

Shangguan Yunying stepped forward to act as the scribe. After a brief moment of contemplation, Luo Zhao dictated an official decree appointing Gu Chengyin as the Manager of the Internal Affairs Department.

The document highly praised his loyalty, astuteness, and extraordinary strategic mind. It noted that he had escorted his master north during a time of crisis, rendering a great service to the state. Therefore, he was specially granted this position to oversee all matters of the Internal Affairs Department, reporting directly to her.

At the end of the document, the golden seal of the Crown Princess was stamped squarely. This was not an imperial edict, but rather the sovereign decree of the Eldest Princess.

Within the hierarchy of the Internal Affairs Department, its authority was second only to the personal edict of Emperor Luo, which was more than enough to legally establish Gu Chengyin's position and power.

"Manager Gu, this position involves highly confidential internal matters. I hope you will comprehend its weight and strictly fulfill your duties."

Luo Zhao gestured for Shangguan Yunying to hand the wet-inked appointment silk to Gu Chengyin, her tone remaining as flat as ever.

Gu Chengyin received it with both hands and bowed deeply. "I thank Your Highness for this profound grace. I will do my absolute best and will not fail your trust."

He knew very well that this written appointment was a crucial step. It marked the beginning of cementing his official status and gaining a true foothold within the central power structure of the Great Luo.

As for how much actual power this Manager of the Internal Affairs Department wielded, he would still need to investigate the situation.

Luo Zhao gave a slight nod. Saying no more, she signaled for them to withdraw, acting as naturally as if she had merely completed a routine procedure.

After exiting the inner hall and returning to his temporarily arranged quarters in the side hall, Shangguan Yunying did not immediately leave. She looked at Gu Chengyin with a grave expression.

"Manager Gu."

She lowered her voice, "Since Her Highness has officially appointed you, there are some things about the Internal Affairs Department that I must tell you."

Gu Chengyin invited her to sit. "Master Yunying, please speak. I was just hoping to learn more about it."

Shangguan Yunying gathered her thoughts and spoke slowly. "The Internal Affairs Department nominally manages all internal matters of the Great Luo royal family. This includes finances, meals, palace guards, ceremonial processions, rewards and punishments, and the management of the palace staff."

"Although the rank is low, the authority and responsibilities are immense. Its highest-ranking official was originally the Chief Minister of Internal Affairs, a post usually held concurrently by a grand eunuch who reported directly to His Majesty."

Her tone grew slightly cold. "But after Her Highness took over the current Internal Affairs Department, the former grand eunuch, Lyu Fang, voluntarily stepped down from the position of Chief Minister. He has served for many years and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. Furthermore, his web of influence inside and outside the palace is deeply entrenched and complex. Most importantly, they lean toward supporting the Second Prince."

Gu Chengyin's eyes flickered, though he wasn't surprised. The eunuch faction clinging to imperial power and choosing to back a prince was a tale as old as time.

"After Her Highness established her own estate and was named Crown Princess, His Majesty handed the Internal Affairs Department over to her. Her Highness has always been at odds with the eunuch faction. Therefore, she established the Female Officials Bureau, selecting women of exceptional talent and virtue to enter the Internal Affairs Department as female officials to help share the burden of palace duties."

Shangguan Yunying continued, a hint of pride befitting a female official weaving into her tone, "I am the first Chief Female Official of the Female Officials Bureau."

"Over the years, with Her Highness's backing, we have gradually taken over portions of the financial accounting, documentation, etiquette, and the discipline of certain palace staff. We now stand as equals against the eunuch faction. Although we are still the weaker side, the eunuchs can no longer blot out the sky with one hand."

She glanced at the silk decree in Gu Chengyin's hands. "As for the position of Manager of the Internal Affairs Department, it is quite special. It is not part of the old system but was specifically created by Her Highness. Nominally, it has the power to coordinate the affairs of both the eunuch and female official bureaus, answering only to Her Highness."

"Her Highness originally wanted to cultivate a junior Chief Minister with the intention of weakening the eunuchs' power."

Shangguan Yunying offered a bitter smile. "However, this position has been vacant for years. Even when someone did take the role, they were hastily ousted not long after."

"The reason is quite simple. Lyu Fang's roots run too deep, his cronies are numerous, and he takes orders directly from His Majesty. Even though Her Highness is the Crown Princess, within the small territory of the Internal Affairs Department—especially concerning key positions that involve actual benefits and personnel—the resistance is overwhelming."

"It is commonplace for the eunuch faction to feign compliance while secretly acting in opposition, or to pass the buck and delay matters. Without His Majesty's support, this Manager position often exists in name only. That is why it has remained vacant for so long. Now, we can only fight for control bit by bit through our Female Officials Bureau."

Gu Chengyin understood completely. This Manager of the Internal Affairs Department sounded incredibly powerful, but in reality, it was a blade Luo Zhao was thrusting into the eunuch faction.

Unfortunately, this blade was neither fast enough nor ruthless enough, which was why it met with fierce resistance and secret sabotage from the eunuchs.

"I understand," Gu Chengyin nodded, his expression remaining calm. "What about the Golden Feather Guard?"

At the mention of the Golden Feather Guard, Shangguan Yunying's expression turned even more solemn. "The Golden Feather Guard is the Emperor's personal army. They protect the Divine Capital and ensure His Majesty's safety. Their status is transcendent."

"Their supreme commander is the General of the Golden Feather Guard, Xue Tian. He never involves himself in any factional disputes, maintaining a distance from both Her Highness and the Second Prince. He is loyal only to His Majesty himself."

"Beneath him are two Vice Generals, the Left and the Right. The Left General is General Chen Busha. Coming from a lineage of military commanders, he recognizes Her Highness's capabilities, virtues, and legitimate right to rule. He is Her Highness's staunch supporter within the military."

"And the Right General, Zhao Wuji." A trace of apprehension flashed through Shangguan Yunying's eyes. "This man has a complex background. On the surface, he supports no one, but in secret, he backs the Second Prince. He is a figure we must be wary of."

"During the recent rebellion in Luoshui Commandery, the Golden Feather Guard failed to mobilize and provide support in time. Zhao Wuji's interference was a factor in that."

Gu Chengyin quickly sorted through the information in his mind: In the Internal Affairs Bureau, the eunuch faction (enemy) and the female official faction (ally) were in opposition.

And his own role as a Principal of the Internal Affairs Bureau made him the sharp blade Luo Zhao would use to strike at the eunuch faction.

The Golden Feather Guard: the supreme commander remained neutral, Vice General Chen Busha supported Luo Zhao, and Vice General Zhao Wuji supported the Second Prince, creating a balance of power between the two sides.

These were merely the internal factions. Outside, there were the imperial relatives, and in the royal court, there were high-ranking officials and ministers.

The situation in the Divine Capital was indeed far more complex and treacherous than the open clashes of swords and spears in Luoshui Commandery.

The various factions were deeply intertwined. On the surface, they maintained order and tranquility under the imperial power, but beneath the surface, dark undercurrents surged, fraught with unpredictable perils.

"I understand," Gu Chengyin said to Shangguan Yunying. "Thank you, Master Yunying!"

Just then, a female official hurried over and respectfully reported from outside the door:

"An oral decree from Her Highness: Principal Gu is ordered to accompany her into the palace tomorrow to have an audience with His Majesty."