Why Did He Reject Her Self-Recommendation Only to Appoint Her Days Later?
The tension in the court of Royal Betrothal (御廷谣) hinges on a single, baffling decision. Meng Tinghui (孟廷辉), a woman who clawed her way through the imperial examination—the Enke (恩科)—which she valued more than life itself, is publicly humiliated for her audacity to recommend herself for the position of commander of the Chawen Yuan (察闻院). The Emperor, Ying Gua (英寡), roars his refusal.
Yet, within a week, he announces her appointment, defying his own Prime Minister and every courtier. This sudden reversal is not a whim; it is a calculated act of political survival. The Emperor is not forgiving her insolence; he is yielding to a reality where he has no other capable agents. It is a story of power dynamics, hidden identities, and the brutal pragmatism required to rule.
A Foundation Forged in Deception
The key to understanding his decision lies in a previous crisis. In Sha (沙) Prefecture, they worked side-by-side to solve a major case, forging a bond through shared danger. He witnessed her intellect and determination firsthand. To her, he was simply He Du (何独), an equal in status and a convenient partner she felt comfortable manipulating to achieve their common goals. She tricked him, bantered with him, and treated him as an equal because, in her mind, he was.
However, He Du was a disguise. In the capital, he is not an equal; he is the sovereign. The casual deception that worked in Sha Prefecture becomes a high crime in the Imperial City (京都). Meng Tinghui, despite her brilliance, struggled to recalibrate their dynamic. Her habit of scheming and reading him as she would an ally, rather than a ruler, was a dangerous miscalculation. When she came to him with her self-nomination, he saw not ambition, but a continuation of that old, insolent pattern. She was attempting to use the He Du she knew to get what she wanted from the Emperor. This felt less like a request and more like a play for power, a direct challenge to his authority.
A King's Need vs. A King's Pride
His initial fury was an act of self-preservation. He needed to re-establish the boundaries of their relationship. If he had accepted her offer without pushback, she would have continued to see him as a peer she could outmaneuver. His rejection was a powerful lesson: he is not He Du, and she cannot use her old tactics. He demanded a new terms of engagement—loyalty and transparency over cunning and calculation. He could be her protector, but only if she was his subject first.
Furthermore, the institution she was vying to lead, the Chawen Yuan, is no ordinary department. It is a shadow agency, existing outside the traditional power structures of the Six Ministries and the two Prime Ministers. Its commander needs to be a paragon of intellect, courage, and resilience. Such a person must be able to withstand immense pressure from the established bureaucracy. Looking across his court, Ying Gua sees a stark picture. His loyalists are few. Any minister possessing even a fraction of the required skill is already loyal to the Left Prime Minister (左相), his political nemesis.
The Politics of a Necessary Appointment
His plan to establish the Chawen Yuan was predicated on using the new scholars from the Enke. He needed fresh blood, loyal to him alone, to counter the entrenched power of the old guard. The female scholars, in particular, were his strategic gambit. He had fought tooth and nail to reinstate the Enke primarily for this purpose. He needed people who owed everything to him, who would see his patronage as their only shield. Meng Tinghui, as the most capable of these scholars, was always the intended candidate.
Her self-recommendation, therefore, was correct, but the timing and tone were disastrous. She stepped on his ego and threatened his authority. But her competence was undeniable. Having no one else, he must use her. However, his public rejection was part of his strategy; it was a public admonishment, a warning to her and a show of strength to his enemies. The final appointment, announced with deliberate defiance, was the stick and the carrot. He gave her the job but ensured she understood the terms. This is the essence of his rulership: a calculated blend of harsh discipline and measured reward, not merely to punish or promote, but to command unwavering loyalty in a world where he can trust almost no one.
