Emperor Jianming spoke, but Elder Lin remained silent throughout. Neither Lord Lin nor Mr. Wu dared to stir up further trouble. In the ten years since Emperor Jianming's ascension, he excelled at playing peacemaker and consistently favored the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. The aristocratic families had long grown accustomed to it.
However, Emperor Jianming thought to himself, the more unruly Xie Xun acted and the more trouble he stirred within the Kyoto Capital Guard, the deeper the rift between the aristocrats and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion would grow. This was precisely what he relished. If Xie Xun were isolated and unsupported in court, all the better. The more indulgent Emperor Jianming was toward Xie Xun, the more reckless Xie Xun became, and the more the aristocrats came to detest him.
