As to Su Jinyu’s proposal of forging a marriage with the Founder mansion, master Su was pretty interested. His seventh son wasn’t young, and it was time to find him a good wife.

He also heard of the brave behavior of Mo Qianxue at the court. Only this courage was admirable. No wonder she was the daughter of Mo Tianfang. As a man with military power similar to Mo Tianfang, master Su had had numerous connections with the Founder.

What a pity that the iron-boned man…!

The Xie family had inquired about the relationship between Mo Qianxue and Ning Shaoqng, but it had suppressed news down completely. The Su family had never tried to figure Ning Shaoqing’s whereabouts or cared about Mo Qianxue’s life and death, so it had no knowledge of the relationship.

They only knew that she had disappeared for over six months and just returned to the capital. However, since she had the courage to come back to the Founder mansion and got out of the Empress’s palace alive, it proved that she was still innocent.

As long as she was innocent, even if rumors might be stirred after she married to the Su family, it would be able to crack all the rumors down into null.

Originally, Su Jinyu’s suggestion to Su Qi to let grandma decide the marriage between Su Qi and Mo Qianxue was a mere joke, but now, due to Su Qi’s abnormal behaviors and Mo Qianxue’s sensitive identity, it became a concern for master Su to consider.

Although he had contemplated over every aspect, he still wanted to hear his son’s opinion, “I think as long as it’s not the Ning family, the Emperor won’t have a problem with it.” When the Emperor was involved, it was more than a marriage between a young man and woman. Su Jinyu must be cautious. Seeing him silent, master Su said, “Tell me your opinion.”

As the candidate of future master, he must be politically keen.

Politics was a war without swords, but more brutal and cruel. Their opponent was the Emperor who was the person that they needed to captivate as well as to rely on.

Hence, they could neither be too light nor too tough.

Su Jinyu pondered for a moment and said sternly, “To know the Emperor’s attitude, we must start from the power structure of the country. The Ning family boasts wealth and hidden forces. If it had military power, then it would be difficult for the Emperor to overpower it. As for our Su family, although we possess military power, we still need to rely on the Emperor. Otherwise, we can’t have military provisions. Since we’re in the grip of him, he wouldn’t fear to let us have one more share of military power. Besides, our ancestors have sworn not to start a rebellion for whatever reason. Any of our members breaking the swear will be expelled out of the family. This swear sets a limitation for us but at the same time protects us too…”

Master Su nodded. Su Jinyu rationalized his thoughts and continued, “The Xie family helps the Gu family (imperial) to control over the court; the Su family helps it control the military power, while the Ning family pinches its lifeline. Therefore, the Ning family becomes a nail in the eye and thorn in the fresh for the Emperor. The one he most wants to crack down is the Nings…”

Master Su was gratified by Su Jinyu’s logic analysis, “Well said. Most of the military provisions derives from the Ning family’s financial support. Since the Emperor takes its money, certainly he is somewhat constrained by it. He is ambitious and has always wanted to uproot noble families like us by schemes. Everybody knows it. But his actions are nothing but toasting himself on fire. ”

Su Jinyu said, “It seems that the Emperor is determined to deal with the Ning family.”

Master Su agreed, and Su Jinyu went on, “If the Nings want to get out of the predicament, they must completely separate themselves with military power. Therefore, the one least daring to have a connection with the Founder mansion is the Ning family, while the one most longing to build a relation with the Founder mansion is the Xie family. Hence, our move is one stone at two birds. We’ll both get military power and suppress the Xies…”

As Su Jinyu mentioned the Xie family, master Su snorted, “The Xies are deteriorating. Originally, the family relied on women, but now those women don’t have sons for many generations and become dogs of the Emperor. If it didn’t obtain power in real terms, the family is going to end. The Lu family is exactly an example of it…”

“Father, you mean the Xie family is not worth mentioning at all? Then now Tianqi has a tripartite structure of powers, our Su family, the imperial and the Ning family. To survive, a balance must be struck among the three… The first thing is to prevent the Emperor from uprooting the Ning family. Nor can we allow the Ning family to get the military power…”

“Still, don’t underestimate the Xies. It’s too big to fall. They have something special to let the family survive until today…”

**

The night was peaceful as water, and wind strong as speedy horses.

Tonight, the imperial city was shrouded in hustling noises. Sound of horses clanking, people being captured and screaming mixing together, along with the glaring glows reflected on the riders’ armors, tore up the tranquil night screen.

After a day’s consideration, the Emperor finally took actions. He was going to leverage on the so-called riot attacking a noble lady according to Mo Qianxue and made a thorough investigation so as to grab all the security forces into his own hand.

Utilizing this event to reorganize the critical positions in the capital and hired his people.

There would be a reshuffle.

Some people were going to be promoted, while some others be sacked, accused or even confiscated…

The the Infantry Commander as an example. This position directly held a stake in the safety of the imperial city. It had been previously occupied by Prince Yu, son of Prince Jing, but now he was replaced by the Emperor’s intimate guard, general Na, the head of the Imperial Guards.

Now the head of the Imperial Guards was the former deputy commander…

Although Prince Jing was the Emperor’s uncle, he had to guard against him. The Emperor had this plan long time ago, but just lacked a proper excuse.

This time, Mo Qianxue being attacked happened to wear Prince Yu a hat of dereliction of duty.

However, the Emperor didn’t have the final say in everything.

He wanted to employ some people, but not all the people belonged to him. Human resource was the most complicated thing in the world.

The three super families, four first-class families and some other unentitled families with certain powers had been operating in Tianqi for many years, forming terribly intertwined relations with one another. It was impossible to find people who had no relations at all with these families.

The point was to maintain a balance and gain as much initiative as possible.

After a round of game, although the security forces weren’t entirely under the Emperor’s control, the key positions were now occupied by the pro-imperial party.

As for whether the new people were able to sit steadily and tame the subordinates, or whether the new people were truly pro-imperial or fake ones, could only be proved by reality.

At least, the Emperor could sleep sound tonight. But most people couldn’t.

The Xie, Ning, or Su families weren’t sitting idle but striving to seize for themselves as much benefits as possible.

Hence, the picture became the imperial guys turning quiet while the noble families staring a new round of clamor.

Politics meant all sorts of plunder after various compromises. Every reshuffle started a new game which was vital to the peace and prosperity lasting for a few or dozens of years of the noble families.

After tonight, for a long time in the capital, there would be people not daring to go out at night.

Now the whole city was under stricter curfew. Once being caught, the wrong-doers were very likely to be regarded as riots, whom, according to the imperial edict, could be shut down regardless of time and place.

The tension and anxiety within the imperial city spread to a small humble courtyard far away from the political center. The quiet little courtyard also appeared unusual on this turbulent night.

However, when entering the courtyard, you would find it uncommon. It had a fence yard within.

Two men in neat suit stood upright in the fence yard, in which, in front of the door of the inner house, stood eighteen people in three rows. Their hairs were all messy, and there was blood stains on their clothes, prompting the brutal fighting a moment ago.

Even after it, they still stood there, freezing like sharp blade that just came out of the sheaths, shrouding the small courtyard with depressive sense of killing.

This suffocating sense of killing contrasted sharply with the peace inside the house.

No one could imagine that under such tension, the two men in the room were boiling tea and playing chess.

Their faces looked hazy separated by the steaming tea.

One of the men wore coarse clothes, but his elegance was engraved in his manners and movements. The dark hair was tied up with a strip of cloth in the same color with his clothes and clung to a top-quality green jade. The hair around his temples hung down naturally, looking both casual and graceful.

At one glance, a be-holder would know that both men were extraordinary people.

“Please, brother Lu.”