Grand Secretary Cao had been physically and mentally exhausted these past few days. Nearly everything had been dumped on his desk, and the officials beneath him were restless. Several officials had already had their homes raided; the fortunate were exiled to the destitute lands of the north, while the unlucky faced the execution of their entire kin, with even the children in their households spared no mercy. In recent days, everyone in the imperial court had been living in fear. No one had expected Emperor Deming to act with such ferocity, sparing not even the smallest detail. Since few in the court had entirely clean hands, the government had descended into utter chaos.
"Grand Secretary Cao, how is it that after only a few days apart, your hair has already turned so frosted?" Zhao Yan quipped. The two were now effectively of equal rank, and as Grand Secretary Cao was no longer his superior, Zhao Yan spoke with less restraint.
Grand Secretary Cao’s fatigue was written plainly on his face. This was unusual; during his time serving under him, Zhao Yan had seen firsthand how Grand Secretary Cao could remain calm in the face of crisis—a temperament that had always been a model for Zhao Yan.
Chapter 666