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His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years, Ruler of the Central Kingdom, sits upon the Dragon Throne, ruling a land of ten thousand li in every direction, bearing the Mandate of Heaven and supported in his absolute and total rule by able and capable servants. Everything in harmony. Unlike the shirt of the under-minister for internal affairs, which had clearly not been adequately steamed, and did not quite match the flowers that had been selected for the month. It was going to be one of those days. He has not been on the throne very long, only a handful of years, and yet the acclimation to his subjects flying around on swords is something he is certain will never cease to unsettle him. As a child surviving in the harem, he had known the ultimate reward, that he would rule the court that all in ten thousand li owed obedience to. But the clans and sects of the cultivators seemed to treat that obedience as less of a divine mandate and more of a polite fiction. Thankfully they at least did not visit him at court. But the under-minister was approaching, so His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, Son of Heaven, Lord of Ten Thousand Years, Ruler of the Central Kingdom reflexively corrects his posture and beckons him closer.
"The cultivators feel, Your Imperial Majesty, that murdering your sworn brother and your father is dishonorable behavior."
"Of course, of course. No son should so strike his father, nor act against a boon companion, for all that those in Jin Guangyao's life may have proved unworthy of their roles."
"In conclusion, Your Imperial Majesty, the situation in the cultivation world is very much in flux. As Jin Guangyao has died in disgrace, it is unknown who the next Chief Cultivator will be."
"Prepare documents to help encourage the next Chief Cultivator to continue the traditions of Jin Guangyao, without suggesting that Jin Guangyao in any way originated them or was responsible for them." Perhaps something good could come out of this.
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty, I shall. --Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have decided to wander Your realms as rogue cultivators, defeating any fierce corpses they happen to encounter."
"If possible, try to arrange to at least put Wei Wuxian on retainer to resurrect me in exchange for unlimited potatoes and alcohol for the two of them at any fort. I am aware that the cultivators resent interference, and relying on Wei Wuxian's discretion seems unwise, but avoiding my permanent death seems strongly preferable for the stability of the empire."
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I believe they are too wealthy to require any resources we can reasonably give them."
"If nothing else, offer them anything, and perhaps they will feel obligated to us. Is there anything else?"
"Your Imperial Majesty, after Jin Guangyao's death, the Jin sect needed a new leader. The current sect leader is Jin Ling."
The emperor does not sigh. "It has been over nine years since the events that led to the slaughter of much of the adults of the Jin clan, yes?"
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty, but Jin Guangyao's only heir died young and people who might have posed a threat to Jin Guangyao's power had a remarkable tendency to become ill."
"Ah, of course. We imagine that the living other Sect leaders are not shining exemplars either, then?"
"The leaders of the Lan and Jiang sects-- Lan Qiren and Jiang Cheng-- are relatively experienced. Jiang Cheng is unmarried and has no heir; reports suggest he is also a cutsleeve. The Lan sect leader's heir was Lan Xichen, whom reports indicate intends to spend the rest of his life meditating in seclusion due to his grief about killing his lover, and his second heir was Lan Wangji, whom reports indicate fully intends to spend the rest of his life wandering the earth with Wei Wuxian. Jin Ling is, as discussed, thirteen. The Nie sect leader is Nie Huaisang, who is nicknamed 'the headshaker' because when faced with decisions or conflict he shakes his head and says 'I don't know.'"
Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao clearly had some sort of personal relationship, likely explaining why the former is alive, though it could also be blackmail material or something else. The best at being Chief Cultivator was indeed not the best for the Empire. "We shall pray that the situation resolves itself swiftly and peaceably. Is there anything else of note?"
"No, Your Imperial Majesty. We will provide reports as the situation develops and we discover who will become the Chief Cultivator. Preliminary reports suggest Lan Qiren."
A few months later--
"Your Imperial Majesty, the next Chief Cultivator has been selected. It is Nie Huaisang."
"Your Imperial Majesty, we are not really... sure? Nie Huaisang seemed as surprised as anyone else. He apparently shook his head for nearly fifteen minutes trying to figure out whether he should take the position."
The emperor laughs, not unkindly. "He has been informed of the normal schedule of reports and plans, and given Our blessing, and all other proprieties and pleasantries duly and harmoniously fulfilled?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty. He seemed very flustered and confused by the reports and plans and it appears that he shall continue Jin Guangyao's policies by default."
The emperor smiled. All according to plan. Nothing had come to harm him despite an absurd excess of chaos and romantic entanglement of concerningly powerful people, and he could perhaps even push further. "Offer the services of our loyal soldiers at the watchtowers as well, if it should prove helpful. Divert them from the local garrisons, rotating regularly." If Chief Cultivator Huaisang deflected gracefully, nothing would be lost. If he accepted, Jin Guangyao's greatest legacy would be turned towards the empire's ends.
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. Your prudence in these matters is great."