The Lord Above, the Minister Below

One of the capital’s four great young gentlemen, a newly appointed top scorer in the imperial examinations, and the son of a chancellor who served three dynasties: his future should have been bright, with a limitless career ahead. So why did this fellow glare coldly at the man on the throne in court, and from then on live in constant fear, treading on thin ice lest he lose his head? But when that man kept picking fights with him, again and again, what was he supposed to do? Back away, or meet him head-on?