Chapter Twenty-Nine: Promoted Just Like That

Pei Min returned home and had dinner with Xue Na.

Xue Na shared some good news with him: "If my estimation is correct, your mother should be resting in Luoyang right now, and she will arrive in Chang'an in six or seven days."

"That's wonderful!" Pei Min had not seen his mother for half a year, and he missed her dearly. However, due to his mother's advanced age, she could not withstand the bumpy journey of ten thousand miles. Traveling all the way by carriage, she moved extremely slowly. Having yearned for her day and night, he finally had accurate news. He hurriedly said, "No rush, no rush, take it slow, take it slow. My mother has never traveled such a long distance before, her health is what matters most, her health is what matters most. In a few days, I will take a leave of absence and go out to welcome her in person."

Knowing that Pei Min was exceptionally filial, Xue Na asked, "You have just taken charge of the Censorate's internal court, and you've already made quite a stir. Will you be able to manage your time?"

"Everything will be fine after tomorrow!" Pei Min enjoyed his delicious meal and replied casually, "Actually, matters in the Censorate are not that busy, especially since His Majesty has dismissed a large number of officials. There is a new atmosphere at court, and not that many officials are breaking the law. I am not truly like Lai Junchen, fabricating trouble out of nothing just to prove myself. It's just that... in order to properly implement the duties of the Censorate, I proposed a whistleblowing and reporting system. Granduncle must have heard of it. It's different from Empress Wu's system back then, though somewhat similar. Given the previous tyranny associated with the Censorate, many people connected the two and raised numerous doubts. If I don't achieve some results to shut their mouths and let them gossip behind my back, how can I continue to stay in the Censorate? That is why I have been watching it day and night, ready to ignite a fire and establish my authority. Tomorrow, once I set this fire ablaze, let's see who still dares to gossip."

Knowing that Pei Min always had his own plans, Xue Na did not pry into his work or ask any further questions.

Morning court sessions in the Tang Dynasty were divided into three types. Daily audiences were called routine audiences; the court sessions held on the first and fifteenth day of every lunar month were larger, fixed assemblies known as the mid-month and beginning-of-month audiences; and finally, the grand audiences held on New Year's Day and the Winter Solstice.

Routine audiences were minor assemblies attended generally only by chancellors and policymaking officials above a certain rank, whereas mid-month and beginning-of-month audiences were much more formal, requiring attendance from all officials within a designated rank.

Pei Min's post as Investigating Censor was neither too high nor too low; he was not required to attend routine audiences, but attendance at the mid-month and beginning-of-month assemblies was mandatory.

Early that morning, Pei Min put on his official attire and headed toward the Taiji Palace.

Morning audiences in this era were still quite humane. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, court officials had to get up at midnight, cross half the capital to reach the Meridian Gate, and stand in line from 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM before entering the imperial palace. In contrast, during the Tang Dynasty, officials only needed to arrive at the Taiji Hall before the hour of *Chen* (7:00 AM to 9:00 AM), without an excess of rigid rules.

Pei Min had a strong sense of time and disliked those who were late or lacked punctuality. Just moments before the hour of *Chen*, he arrived in front of the Taiji Hall.

Before he could even stand firmly, an old acquaintance approached him and said, "Jingyuan, my brother, trust you have been well!"

"Greetings, Prince Xue!" Pei Min smiled and greeted him. The newcomer was Li Longji's youngest brother, Li Longye. Having not seen him for just a few days, Li Longye seemed to have gained a little weight, and his face retained a somewhat unhealthy pallor.

Li Longye familiarly slung an arm around Pei Min's shoulder and laughed, "We agreed to go to the Pingkang Quarter together afterward, but you've turned me down twice. If you refuse again, I'm going to be displeased."

Shortly after the coup, Li Longye had sent someone to invite him to the Pingkang Quarter for entertainment. At that time, Pei Min had just taken over the Censorate, specifically serving as the head of the internal court. He had not risen through the ranks step by step; rather, he had ascended straight to the top in a single bound, so he knew nothing about the Censorate's institutional workings. As the head of the internal court, how could he govern if he understood nothing? He truly had no time during that period. Later, after he got the hang of the internal court's work, he introduced the reporting system, which drew skepticism and even overlapped with Wu Zetian's system, which had been purely designed to eliminate political rivals. By that time, he had received the second invitation and had even less time to accept. Counting today, this was already the third time. Rules dictated that one does not refuse thrice; rejecting a third invitation would indeed be somewhat inappropriate.

Pei Min nodded and said, "It is not that I wish to dampen Prince Xue's spirits, but the first two times were genuinely pressing matters. After today, I will have free time over the next few days. I am at your disposal for whatever arrangements you wish."

"Tomorrow!" Li Longye frowned, then suddenly let out a long sigh and said, "Forget it, I certainly have no mood for amusement lately. Let's reschedule for another time!"

Pei Min asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

With a bitter expression, Li Longye replied, "I've been conscripted. His Majesty is forcing me to practice polo, saying that a great nation like ours cannot possibly lose at polo to the Tibetan barbarians. He has driven me to the point where I have no mood to go out and play."

Pei Min asked in astonishment, "Is Tibetan polo really that formidable? We haven't even played yet, and you have so little confidence? Could you be suffering from 'Tibetophobia'?"

Li Longye said disdainfully, "What Tibetophobia? It's Tibet that suffers from 'Great Tang-phobia'! Those little barbarians have never beaten us. Just two years ago, His Majesty scored eight goals in less than a quarter of an hour, making the Tibetan team look like a bunch of fools." He was referring to an event from the third year of the *Jinglong* era, when Princess Jincheng of the Great Tang was married off to the Tibetan *Zanpo* (Emperor), and Tibet dispatched a welcoming delegation to escort Princess Jincheng to Tibet. Accompanying the grand welcoming army was the Tibetan polo team. Shang Zanduo, the Tibetan envoy, looked down upon the Great Tang's polo team and thoroughly defeated them. Li Longji, then the Prince of Linzi, could not stand it anymore. Along with Li Yong, the Prince of Guo, brother-in-law Yang Shenjiao, and Wu Yanxiu, the four of them personally took the field to face the ten-member Tibetan polo team, sweeping the floor with them and completely stunning the Tibetan players.

"Then what is there to fear?" Pei Min was not very familiar with the details, but in his memory, there were vague records stating that Li Longji was the top polo star of the Great Tang, and the Great Tang's polo skills were indeed very strong.

Li Longye rolled his eyes and said, "My imperial brother is now exalted as the emperor; how could he possibly step onto the field to play polo? Li Yong and Yang Shenjiao have been demoted, and Wu Yanxiu has been executed. The very best polo players cannot possibly take the field. His Majesty has already received news that the Tibetan envoys are on their way and will enter the court for an audience before long. True to their nature, they will certainly come to wash away their past shame. So you see, His Majesty is forcing me to prepare in advance..." He wanted to say more, but the bell for the hour of *Chen* chimed.

Li Longye stopped talking, and the two of them walked into the grand hall together amidst the stream of people.

To the left and right of the main hall, a hundred mats had already been laid out, each with a designated seat for every official.

Pei Min found his seat and sat down. Before long, he saw Li Longji walk from the rear hall to the center of the main hall with a grim expression on his face.

Anyone with discerning eyes could see that this Third Young Master of the Li family was in a very bad mood.

After a simple bow, Li Longji glanced downward and said, "My esteemed ministers, do you have any matters to present?"

According to custom, the ministers presented matters first. If no one had anything to report, the emperor would then speak and raise questions.

As soon as Li Longji's voice trailed off, Cui Yuanming, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, stepped forward holding his court tablet and said, "Your servant has a matter to report!"

Lifting his spirits, Li Longji said, "Minister, please speak."

With a stern and righteous expression, Cui Yuanming stated, "Your servant wishes to impeach Pei Min, the Investigating Censor of the Censorate. Basking in imperial grace, Pei Min holds a high position at a young age and commands the internal court. He ought to serve His Majesty with all his heart and strength, yet instead, he relies on favor to act wildly and lawlessly. Above, he shows no reverence for Heaven; below, he respects no elders. He actually attempts to revive the treasonous spying practices of Empress Wu and intends to resurrect the false accusations of Lai Junchen. His intentions are abominable, and I pray Your Majesty investigates this thoroughly."

Li Longji laughed out of anger. He cast a glance at Pei Min and asked, "Minister Pei, do you have any response to such accusations?"

Pei Min was also somewhat bewildered. He hurriedly stepped out of the ranks and said, "This is utter nonsense and sheer absurdity. Minister Cui speaks of these completely baseless matters with such self-righteousness that this subject cannot help but admire him to the ground."

Cui Yuanming glared and snapped, "You proposed the matter of whistleblowing; is that not an attempt to revive Empress Wu's practice of secret denunciation?"

Pei Min said sternly, "That is the height of absurdity! The practice of reporting wrongdoing has existed since ancient times. During the eras of Yao and Shun, the two sage emperors listened to the voices of the common people, which is why they established the 'slander posts', the 'banners for welcoming goodness', and the 'drums for daring to remonstrate'. The Warring States period had the 'bamboo pipes for grievances', and Zhao Guanghan, a famous scholar of the Western Han, used sealed bamboo tubes to collect secret reports from the common people to eliminate the bullies of Yingchuan. The Jin Dynasty also had petition posts, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties had 'slander boxes'. Every dynasty has had similar practices throughout history! Why? Our Emperor Taizong left behind the golden words of wisdom: 'The ruler is the boat; the people are the water. The water can carry the boat, yet it can also capsize it.' In our Great Tang, the state is the root, and the people are the foundation. What is wrong with using reporting boxes to listen to the voices of the people? Empress Wu misused the bronze urns, which led to the custom of secret denunciation becoming a vicious habit. Your Majesty is brilliant and wise, and should discern matters as clearly as the emperors Yao and Shun. Are you implying that Your Majesty is like Empress Wu?"

Cui Yuanming's face turned alternately pale and flushed. Unwilling to show weakness, he retorted, "Your Majesty is naturally not Empress Wu, but you, Pei Min, are Lai Junchen the Second! Relying on your power, you swaggered into the Court of State Ceremonies to display your might, and simply to settle an old score, you wantonly flipped through the household registration records of Buddhist monks entering the monastery storehouses. Is your arrogance any different from that of Lai Junchen?"

Pei Min also laughed in exasperation. Supporting his forehead with his hand, he said, "As the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, you handle affairs with incompetence and occupy an official position while remaining idle. The Bureau of Taoist Affairs is under the jurisdiction of your Court of State Ceremonies, yet Buddhist monks have proliferated unchecked, and wealthy households and able-bodied men seize the opportunity to shave their heads and become monks simply to evade corvée labor—a situation that has become utterly deplorable. Yet you, old and dim-witted, are entirely oblivious to it all. Being so muddle-headed, how do you even have the face to call me Lai Junchen the Second?"

Cui Yuanming wore a look of utter bewilderment, having no clue what Pei Min was talking about.

"Enough!" Seeing Cui Yuanming's advanced age, Li Longji was angered by his incompetence and muddle-headedness, but he did not wish to let Pei Min bully him too severely in the imperial court. He stated, "Minister Cui is advanced in years and inevitably fails to distinguish the situation clearly. I hereby grant Minister Cui permission to retire on account of age, and the post of Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies shall be succeeded by the Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies."

Cui Yuanming was dumbfounded. With eyes flushed red, he withdrew from the court.

Slamming his hand heavily on the desk, Li Longji said angrily, "It was only yesterday, upon receiving Minister Pei's report, that I learned there are individuals in my Great Tang who are so daring and reckless as to commit such hateful and detestable deeds. Taxes and corvée labor are the foundations of the state. Wretches like Ren Lin and Ruan Song actually helped others evade taxes and corvée labor for their own selfish gains—truly detestable! I was so angry last night that I could not sleep. For pests and scum who harm my Great Tang, I will show absolutely no tolerance; wherever there is one, I will root them out! Ren Lin and Ruan Song are to have their wrists severed by the Wei River as a public warning, and they shall be executed by beheading in three days to serve as a deterrent to others!"

Seeing that Li Longji enforced the law with utmost strictness, none of the officials present failed to feel a sense of awe.

Li Longji sat back down and declared, "Investigating Censor Pei Min, young and promising, has eliminated traitors for the country. My heart is deeply gratified. I hereby promote him to the post of Vice Censor-in-Chief. It is my hope that Minister Pei will continue to uphold the law impartially, listen to the voices of the common people, and revitalize the discipline and laws of our Great Tang!"