Young Master System: My Mother Is the Matriarch-Chapter 203 - 202: The Grandmaster Part 2

Li Wei had navigated his way through a number of obstacles that threatened the entire mission. Luckily, the young master had the competence to avert calamity and was close to achieving his objective.

He carefully sorted the loads of information he had picked up from eavesdropping multiple notable figure around the capital city, but the young man still felt that the full picture was eluding his mind.

'The higher echelons of power within the imperial council have colluded with parliament clerics to legitimize their ambitious project,' Li Wei held his chin as he stared into the distant horizon were the palace garden loomed ominously. 'Why go through such a complex bureaucratic process…. Perhaps a regime change is imminent.'

Young Master Wei had spared a portion of his time to research the concise background of the ruling government, which took a bit of effort to procure due to the secretive nature of parliament records.

The Oolong Empire, named after the very continent it resided on held an interesting place in history. Originally part of a larger empire known as The Vermilion Republic, which was unable to maintain control over the vast territories neighboring their heartland due to a sharp decline in military might.

As a result, the Vermilion republic granted multiple areas with independence with a few conditions. Every newly found state had to dispatch soldiers for the republic's army, whose ranks had been depleted during a civil war that nearly toppled the current regime.

If an internal struggle had not occurred within the Vermilion Republic, things would be very different at this time. Li Wei was surprised to find out that the emperor was actually born in the Vermilion empire, which held obvious motives politically.

'These conspirators wish to oust the current figurehead for an assertive replacement, who will have no qualms standing against the Vermilion Republic….' The Young Master was beginning to see the blueprint that had been constructed by these conspirators.

The current emperor represented a connection between the two states, which ensured that relations remained largely intact. For much of his tenure in power, Emperor Hui Tong had governed his territory with a sound mind.

Despite being called a 'puppet' and a 'false figurehead' had done little to deter him, it was this very discipline that had ensured his reign lasted this long. The old ruler had a number of heirs that disliked him due to his impassive nature, but this family discord had not escaped the eyes of the public.

Li Wei held the notion that someone in the line of succession had aligned with outside elements to usurp their own father, which was not an uncommon tactic for royal lineages. In all seriousness, the young master did not wish to meddle with matters involving the royal family.

'You drive out the lizard, only for a snake to move in…' Li Wei had an uncomfortable feeling that the one pushing for change did not even possess qualifications to lead a nation, 'This fools wishes to betray his own blood, but is too stupid to realize their collaborating with tigers.'

Evidently the offspring of Oolong's current monarch had decided that their parent was an obstacle that had to be removed, Li Wei had read enough history to understand that betrayal of this magnitude could rip apart the very seams of a nation.

They were only two realistic options available on the table, either flee the country or save the emperor. Both options held advantages and were fairly simple in design, which meant the young master had to make an impartial decision on this matter.

'Saving the crone is not going to be a straightforward task….' Li Wei leaned towards his humanitarian side, understanding the price an uprising could have. First and foremost, he had to gather a substantial piece of evidence that would prove without a shadow of a doubt that a coup is afoot.

If he simply threw slander at the royal family his future in this nation would be uncertain, after all meeting the emperor could only be done secretly. The young master already had a plan that would ensure he retrieved the evidence required before his audience with the monarch.

Li Wei remained where he was, perched along the outer walkway that bordered the palace gardens. Below him, trimmed hedges formed careful patterns, their edges maintained with obsessive care.

A stone lantern stood at each bend in the path, unlit for the night, their carved faces worn smooth by decades of weather. He then rested one hand against the cool balustrade and let his thoughts settle.

The air carried the faint scent of damp soil and night-blooming flowers.

Somewhere deeper in the gardens, water trickled through a narrow channel, steady and unhurried. ~trickle~

He exhaled slowly. 'A bureaucratic coup requires patience,' Li Wei thought. 'And patience implies confidence.' The emperor would not act in time to stop them. Even if uncovered, the matter would be dismissed as a mere rumor or hearsay.

His fingers drummed once against the stone before stilling. ~tap~

The palace itself loomed beyond the gardens, its layered roofs cutting a dark silhouette against the sky. There were guards stationed along the walls, but not in excessive numbers.

That fact alone spoke volumes on th current situation.

Either the emperor blindly trusted his inner circle, or someone had convinced him there was no immediate threat. Li Wei had suspected the latter. He turned from the railing and moved along the walkway, sandals brushing softly against the stone.

At the far end, a small pavilion stood partially concealed by flowering trees. It was an unassuming structure, often used by scholars and minor officials during the day. At night, it was rarely occupied by anyone.

He stepped inside and lowered himself onto the wooden bench that lined the interior. The pavilion creaked faintly under his weight. ~creak~ From here, he could see both the garden paths and the distant palace corridor where lantern light spilled through open arches. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Li Wei retrieved a thin strip of folded paper from his sleeve and spread it across his knee. It bore no names, only symbols and shorthand marks he had compiled over the past few hours.

Meeting times and Locations.

Minor discrepancies between public decrees and internal records. 'This is not enough,' he thought. 'Circumstantial threads unravel too easily.' He needed something undeniable like a seal out of place.

A written order that contradicted the emperor's standing mandates.

Or better yet, correspondence that tied the conspirators directly to one of the imperial heirs.

Li Wei folded the paper again and slid it away.

A breeze passed through the pavilion, stirring the hanging curtains at its edges. ~flutter~

With it came the distant sound of footsteps and murmured conversation from the inner palace grounds. He leaned back slightly, listening.

"…His Highness has retired for the evening," a servant said.

"See that no one disturbs him," another replied. "Tomorrow will be… demanding."

Li Wei's gaze sharpened.

'The vagrants have waited long enough,' he thought. 'They will move on him tomorrow.'

He rose from the bench and stepped back out into the garden path, keeping to the darker stretches between stone markers. Li Wei's route took him toward the eastern wing of the palace, where administrative offices gave way to private study halls used by senior clerics and royal tutors.

The buildings here were older, their foundations predating Emperor Hui Tong's reign. The stones bore faint inscriptions along their bases with records of restorations, donors, and past occupants long since forgotten.

Li Wei slowed near a side entrance guarded by a single watchman. The man leaned against his spear, eyes half-lidded, more concerned with the quiet night than with intruders that did not announce themselves. ~clink~

The young master had no intention of attacking him.

Instead, he shifted his focus extending his awareness just enough to map the space beyond the wall. Hallways and paper screens along with the soft scratch of a brush moving across parchment could be heard from beyond.

Someone was still working at this hour.

'Good,' he thought. 'The diligent are always left behind.'

He retreated a few steps and waited, letting time stretch. Minutes passed before footsteps emerged from the side entrance as a junior clerk stepped out, rubbing his eyes and adjusting his robes.

The guard straightened his posture and exchanged a few words, Li Wei moved past the two parties largely undetected. He crossed the gap in silence and slipped inside through the partially closed door, easing it shut behind him. ~click~

The interior smelled of ink and old paper. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with scroll cases marked by date and classification rather than name.A single lamp burned on a desk at the far end, its flame low.

A ledger lay open, weighted by a jade paperweight carved in the shape of a coiled dragon.

Li Wei approached and glanced down.

The entry was recent, detailing a transfer of sealed documents from the parliament archive to a restricted imperial vault.

Authorized by an acting regent, not by the emperor.

According to his knowledge there was only one such regent currently in that position.

Li Wei memorized the seal, the phrasing, the date. 'There you are,' he thought. 'You finally stepped too far forward.' He closed the ledger gently and replaced the paperweight exactly as he found it. ~soft clack~

He strode out and left the lamp burning.