Tea Time with the Emperor (2)
“……”
How much time had passed? The suffocating killing intent gripping my throat melted away like spring snow.
The Emperor lifted his teacup, retracting the murderous glare he'd fixed on me moments before.
“But rest assured. I have no intention of severing your neck right this instant.”
The Emperor took a sip of his tea and spoke in a low voice.
“You undoubtedly possess an exceptional mind, but you're still young and terribly immature.”
“……Immature, you say?”
“Isn't that so? If you were truly a cunning old fox who could perfectly conceal your inner thoughts, you wouldn't have so brazenly flaunted your brilliant intellect before the emperor of a hostile nation, like some shallow display.”
The Emperor's observation cut sharp.
I'd desperately wrung out every bit of knowledge to prove my worth and survive, but in his eyes, it must have looked like the self-aggrandizing bravado of an impetuous youth.
“Had you clumsily pretended to be clever while hiding your true intentions, I would have charged you with deceiving me and beheaded you on the spot in this audience hall. Conversely, if you'd perfectly concealed your abilities and groveled, I might have dismissed you as merely an ordinary hostage, oblivious to your true value.”
The Emperor set down his empty teacup, his lips curling up ever so slightly.
“But you fearlessly chased the fringes of my thoughts and blurted them out aloud. You laid yourself bare completely. Thanks to that reckless immaturity, you've become an utterly splendid conversational partner for me in this tediously boring palace.”
A deep sigh of relief escaped me inwardly.
It seemed I'd passed the test for survival, at least for now.
“I've heard you've already met my two daughters.”
The Emperor abruptly changed the subject.
“Yesterday, my eldest, Victoria, smashed through your door. And today, you ran into my second, Chloe, by chance in the library.”
“……Yes, Your Majesty. That's correct.”
I nodded, freshly reminded that there was no place in this palace beyond the Emperor's eyes and ears.
“Then tell me. Though your meetings were brief, how do you assess those two girls? Be honest—don't hide your true feelings.”
The Emperor leaned back comfortably in his chair and continued.
“In any case, I have my steadfast eldest crown prince and my second prince, excelling in martial prowess, holding the line. Those two girls have no claim to the throne or the empire's succession. So there's no need to tense up, thinking I'm testing potential heirs. I'm simply asking as a father who must one day marry off his daughters.”
I didn't believe a single word from the Emperor.
Every utterance from this man carried weight and intent. He wasn't one for idle jests, nor was his position.
But I couldn't let that show—I decided to give a suitably vague response.
“I wouldn't dare presume to evaluate Their Highnesses, but…… both were intensely remarkable in their own distinct ways.”
“How so?”
“The First Imperial Princess was like a finely honed master sword. Unadorned by any flourish, focused solely on cleaving through—blindingly straightforward and overwhelming. There's no hidden agenda behind the edge of her blade.”
The Emperor nodded faintly.
“And the second?”
“The Second Imperial Princess…… was like a well of unfathomable depth.”
I recalled Chloe's chilling smile as she handed me Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
“Her surface is mirror-clear and serene, seeming utterly gentle. Yet from outside, one can't gauge its profundity or the massive aquifers surging beneath. She reflects others while never revealing her own depths…… a supremely elegant intellect.”
The Emperor's eyes flickered oddly at my description.
“A master sword and a deep well…… Not bad phrasing.”
The Emperor lightly stroked his chin, then tossed out a sudden question.
“So, as a man, which of the two do you prefer?”
“……Pardon?”
My breath caught for a moment.
What the hell, out of nowhere?
I stared at the Emperor, my face a mix of bewilderment and fluster.
A faint, chilling smile spread across the Emperor's lips once more.
“Just kidding.”
The Emperor tapped the table lightly and straightened his posture.
“Enough about my daughters. Since I've found a rare interlocutor who clicks with me, I'd like to delve deeper into that discussion on governance systems from earlier.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
“Suppose, as you said, that after I vacate the throne, the empire must run not on rule by the enlightened, but on institutions. What, then, would be the greatest obstacle to that system?”
I answered without hesitation.
“The old nobles and entrenched local powers lingering in conquered lands.”
“Precisely. The empire has toppled dozens of kingdoms, but to administer those territories requires literate folk versed in bureaucracy. Thus, I've spared the lives of those groveling former nobles to some degree, letting them govern their lands. However……”
The Emperor's gaze turned icy.
“They're biding their time, waiting to plunge a dagger into the empire's back. Yet slaughtering them all would paralyze the vast empire's administration instantly. How would you resolve this dilemma through the institutions you propose?”
“……”
“Let me rephrase. If you were the empire's emperor, what method would you employ?”
After a brief ponder, I gazed at the teacup on the table and spoke.
No need for deep thought—the civil service exam system would be most fitting here. Dragging in feudalism versus bureaucracy would take all day, and the Emperor didn't seem ready to abolish feudalism outright just yet.
“If power is to be wielded only by the qualified, then base that qualification not on bloodline, but on merit.”
“Merit, you say.”
“Yes. The old nobles' arrogance stems from believing their blood grants legitimacy to rule—and knowing the empire has no choice but to use them. So dismantle that foundation of arrogance.”
The Emperor listened, arms crossed.
“If I were to wear the crown and face such woes, I would institute a rigorous examination system for recruiting officials. No passage, no governance.”
“An exam system. Wouldn't there be backlash?”
“Opening the exams equally to all would actually reduce resistance. Even nobles would focus on studying to avoid the humiliation of scoring below commoners or fallen aristocrats.”
“Wouldn't nobles with ample leisure—or their heirs—still hold the advantage? Those with money and time would dominate power as before.”
“True, but that's preferable to the chaos from nobles revolting en masse upon losing their power at once.”
“Logical. Continue.”
“In time, with qualifications open to all, even lowborn nobles from conquered lands, talented commoners, or disinherited second or third sons would grasp some power.”
I met the Emperor's violet eyes directly.
“These new bureaucrats, elevated not by blood but by Your Majesty's grace and exams alone, owe everything to the throne. Without imperial favor, they're nothing—their loyalty can only point unswervingly to the crown.”
The Emperor's eyes widened ever so slightly.
“Dispatch these loyal hounds as administrators and inspectors to conquered territories, gradually sidelining and surveilling the old nobles in practice.”
“Hm.”
“Moreover, even if old nobles' heirs pass the exams, assign them to provinces other than their birthplaces. That way, conflicts persist, and they forget to unite against a common foe.”
Silence hung in the greenhouse after I finished.
The Emperor stared at me, chin propped, then flashed a small smile.
“Exactly twenty-five years ago, upon ascending the throne, I promulgated the Imperial Civil Service Recruitment Edict—your words match it verbatim.”
“……Pardon?”
“The exam system you described has long been implemented empire-wide. Incorporating lowborn nobles from conquered lands into the capital bureaucracy and tightly checking old nobles? That's a policy I've rooted for a decade now.”
“……Impressive, Your Majesty.”
“I told you, didn't I? I was merely curious how far you could chase the thoughts in my head. Splendidly done. A frontier princeling reciting the empire's decade of quandaries from his seat.”
The Emperor set down his teacup lightly.
“Once a week from now on. Come to this greenhouse, share tea, and converse with me.”
“……I shall obey, Your Majesty.”
“I'd love to summon you daily, but it'd grow tiresome quickly, and I'm swamped with state affairs besides.”
The Emperor rose slowly from his seat, looking down at me.
“By the way. Do you like working your body?”
Caught off guard, I hesitated before giving an ambiguous reply.
“……To some extent, yes.”
“'To some extent.' My second daughter would approve.”
“Pardon?”
“Withdraw.”
With that curt command, the Emperor turned and strode deep into the greenhouse.
I bowed quietly toward his receding, steadfast back.