Within days, the edict for the Emperor’s grand wedding had spread throughout the land.
Some debated the propriety of the Emperor marrying four Imperial Consorts at once, others discussed the Emperor’s intentions, and still others speculated on the future of the realm.
But no amount of discussion could stop the Emperor’s wedding. Meanwhile, the various factions had to prepare their wedding gifts for the Emperor.
“Wedding gifts?”
SMACK!
Xiao Yang slammed the memorial down on the table. “The edict has only been out for a month, and there are already more than sixty cases of corruption, embezzlement, and fleecing the common folk—all under the pretext of sending me gifts.”
“Do you all take me for dead?”
Corruption—an evil that could never be truly stamped out.
The courtiers had just heard the news and were rushing to the Imperial Study Room to discuss the matter, but before they could even speak, the Emperor had already made a decision.
“By order of the Emperor, summon all members of the Xiao Family to establish the Bian Bureau.”
“Summon the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Personnel to the Imperial Study Room for a conference.”
Once the members of the Xiao Family had assembled, the regulations and laws for the Bian Bureau were also finalized.
All ranking officials of the Bian Bureau were to be members of the Xiao Family. They would be responsible for touring the land on behalf of the Emperor, supervising officials, seeking justice for the people, and punishing the wicked.
They were forbidden from engaging in favoritism and corruption, deceiving their superiors or subordinates, and oppressing the common people.
Any who broke these rules would have their entire clan executed and be expunged from the family records.
After announcing the regulations, Xiao Yang looked to the members of the Bian Bureau, led by Xiao Cheng, Xiao Lan, and Xiao Ziling.
One hundred and thirty-two members of the Xiao Family had gathered that day; the oldest was forty-two, and the youngest was nineteen.
Xiao Yang said, “You’ve spent these last days rotating through the Six Ministries and learning what you needed to learn. Now, it’s time to test your results.”
“I am granting you special authority. You will seek justice for the people and make it your duty to punish the wicked. The lead official, holding the Emperor’s Order, may execute first and report afterward once the evidence is irrefutable.”
“We humbly obey the sacred decree.”
“Memorize the laws yourselves. Along with your conscience and your responsibility, I ask you all to carry your pride.”
“Your surname is Xiao—the Xiao of the Xiao Royal Family. Don’t let the world look down on you, and don’t bring shame upon your brothers and sisters. Do you understand?”
“We understand!”
The members of the Xiao Family split into ten groups, taking officials and guards with them, and began their inspection tour across the land.
Wherever the Bian Bureau went, they refused government provisions and took nothing from the populace, seeking justice for the people and judging cases with impartiality.
Clad in distinctive Bian Bureau uniforms and bearing Golden Dragon Tokens worthy only of the Royal Family, they swept away the darkness wherever they went.
Though they were few, they carried not only their Tokens but also signal flares.
If any officials attempted to resist or assassinate them, they could directly mobilize the army.
In just one month, the wave of corruption committed in the Emperor’s name vanished without a trace.
Furthermore, they righted the wrongs of countless commoners.
Case after case was published in the newspapers and proclaimed to the world, and the prestige of the Xiao Royal Family soared to its zenith.
“Is it possible that not a single one of them was corrupt? No one accepted bribes?!”
“And all their cases were to seek justice for the poor, with clear evidence and fair judgments.”
The officials at court found it incredible. With so many people from the Xiao Family, how could they possibly withstand such temptation?
And why were they so obedient?
Even if one were to scour the history books, it would be impossible to find an Imperial Family more united than the Xiao Family was now.
After all, just a few years ago, the court was still controlled by the Empress Dowager and the Regent King. The empress’s relatives held absolute power, and the people had all but forgotten the Emperor’s surname was Xiao.
However, quite a few people saw the real reason behind it all.
It wasn’t that the members of the Xiao Family were ascetics with no worldly desires; it was that they had received something far more valuable than money.
Currently, the only ones in the direct line of the Xiao Family were Prince Jing and the Emperor; the rest were all from distant, collateral branches.
If not for the Emperor’s grace, they would never have had a seat at the table.
The Emperor might have seemed to be enslaving the entire Xiao Family, but in reality, she was forcing them all to grow. As they learned and matured, they also received commensurate rewards.
The opportunity to enter the court, the opportunity to wield power, and legitimate stipends and rewards.
With this foundation, the Emperor’s establishment of the Bian Bureau was no surprise. Any combination of these individuals could shoulder the responsibility of a full team.
The corrupt officials flushed out by the Emperor’s wedding edict were a perfect opportunity—a chance for everyone to see the fruits of their studies.
They used their newfound skills to dispense justice under the Emperor’s watchful eye. The Emperor gave them enough power and backing that they didn’t have to bow to any official. In turn, after witnessing their impartial proceedings, the people gave them gratitude, trust, and reverence.
This wasn’t a material gain but a spiritual fulfillment that money could never buy.
Doing good and being trusted by others—it’s addictive.
They would become envoys of justice. The more the people supported them, the more they would despise the corruption of officials. And with the nation growing prosperous and the benefits from the Emperor being so generous, they had even more reason to look down on dirty money.
It was a self-perpetuating cycle.
Most importantly, they were not of the direct Imperial Family line. Lacking the inherent status, they were unlikely to develop rebellious ambitions, even if they won the hearts of the people.
They would be the Emperor’s most loyal blade, representing the Emperor herself, standing between the common folk and the officials. With fairness and justice as their creed, they would be invincible.
Recounting all the decisions the Emperor had made since seizing power, people concluded that the most brilliant of all was her decision to heavily utilize her own kin.
As a woman on the throne, the Emperor should have been reviled by the world and overthrown by the Imperial Family. Instead, at the first opportunity, she brought out Prince Jing to shield her from the attacks.
Xiao Yang’s imperial bloodline was beyond doubt. As for the attacks on her gender, they were all deflected by Prince Jing and Xiao Lv.
As long as these two men of unimpeachably legitimate lineage stood firmly by the Empress’s side, any criticism from others lost its sting.
But she didn’t just use them as shields. She gave them real power and allowed them to flourish, eventually extending this strategy from the Prince Jing Mansion to all members of the Xiao Family.
The Xiao Royal Family was no longer just a noble title, but a tangible, major power capable of acting as a counterweight to the court officials, ensuring the Emperor would not be threatened by any outside forces.
Each of the four Imperial Consorts wielded immense power, and everyone assumed they could sway the court. However, the four were not a united front. The Xiao Royal Family, eternally loyal only to the Emperor and the Imperial Power, could also keep the prestige of those four Imperial Consorts in check.
Within the sphere of her control, the Emperor strengthened the Xiao Royal Family without having to suppress her Imperial Consorts. This masterful balance of power allowed the increasingly prosperous nation to develop at a rapid pace.
Once this theory emerged, people even began to speculate that Xiao Kun was a secret pawn placed by the Emperor.
Xiao Qing, who was temporarily serving as a guard at the Emperor’s side, looked utterly baffled. ‘Huh? My dad is one of Her Majesty’s secret pawns?’
Xiao Lv had also heard the wildly circulating theories. Logically, they weren’t wrong, but nothing the Emperor did ever followed conventional logic.
‘That the Emperor originally just wanted to dump the throne on him and his father? And that they actually refused?’
‘That the Emperor couldn’t stand to see the Xiao Family freeloading, so she put everyone to work?’
‘That the Emperor spared Xiao Kun simply because she was tired of fighting him, and because of Xiao Qing’s name?’
‘These absurd truths would sound like a joke if he ever said them out loud, but they were the reality of the situation.’
‘If he actually told anyone, the world would probably just think he was a fool.’