On the other side, Wang Jiaping has returned home, surrounded by several of his confidants.
"Sir, Mr. Ge is really clever."
"Now that the ministers are sparse, Your Majesty has to compromise. I think that soon the eldest son of the Emperor will be able to leave the cabinet to study... No, he will definitely be appointed as the crown prince! This is our victory, correcting Your Majesty from the wrong path of love. !”
"This is all the fault of Mr. Pavilion!"
"Your name should be in the history books and be praised by my Confucian disciples for thousands of years to come!"
The henchman gave the horse a small pat.
Wang Jiaping squinted his eyes, obviously enjoying it. With a little pride in his indifferent expression, he said:
"I don't deserve to leave my name in the history books. I just did what I and other loyal ministers should do."
"Your Majesty is still young and can easily be seduced by the beauty of a traitor and do foolish things."
"As for me, a disciple of the Confucian sect and a disciple of the saint, I will naturally follow the example of Bigan and Wei Zheng in the past, correct His Majesty's shortcomings from time to time, and bring peace to the world."
Several confidants around him nodded in agreement, but whether they were as upright as Wang Jiaping said in their hearts was another matter.
This is certainly due to the inheritance system of Confucian rituals, music and ancestral precepts, but it is impossible to say that everyone has no selfish motives and simply abandons their official position for the sake of rituals and laws.
Some officials wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get into the arms of those in the cabinet; some officials wanted to clear their names; some officials wanted to take the opportunity to please the prince.
Even Wang Jiaping himself wanted to use this incident to increase his fame and reputation and become the chief minister.
Therefore, when his confidant said something that would leave his name in history, although he was still modest on the surface, he was actually very excited in his heart.
If he could really make his name in the history books, and the descendants of Qianqiu could see his reputation and know that he led the Confucian disciples and stopped the emperor's ridiculous behavior, then his life would be truly worthwhile.
Maybe he will become a representative of virtuous ministers like Bigan and Wei Zheng and be worshiped by the world!
Wang Jiaping thought, and his heart was already a little burning.
Fame, wealth and fame are more attractive to literati than people imagine.
A few people drank tea, talked and laughed, and their words were full of relaxation.
It seemed that he was sure that the emperor would soon order his eldest son to leave the palace to study, and then issue an edict to establish a heir apparent.
However, before I had finished two cups of tea, there was a noise outside the door.
Several confidants raised their heads in astonishment, saying to themselves that Mr. Wang Ge's management of slaves was really loose. Wang Jiaping also felt that he had lost face and couldn't help but shouted:
"How presumptuous! Do you remember the rules? How can you make a noise in the mansion and go to the housekeeper to get the punishment yourself!"
Following his voice, there was sudden silence outside the door.
"My servants always don't read poetry and know etiquette..." Wang Jiaping smiled lightly. Before he finished speaking, the door of their room was kicked open with a strong force and a huge sound. The words he had not yet spoken were suppressed!
Several people turned back in surprise with a little anger, and then the anger dissipated like ice and snow.
Flying fish suit, embroidered spring knife, is a royal guard.
The leader of the Jinyiwei Qianhu showed his sign and smiled:
"My lords, Your Majesty invites you."
He stretched out his hand and made a "please" gesture. Seeing this, the confidants shuddered.
If the emperor invites someone, he should ask the eunuchs to notify him and order the royal guards to come... What good thing can that be?
"You are mistaken, I am the Second Assistant to the Cabinet, Wang Jiaping, the Grand Scholar of Jianji Palace!" Wang Jiaping roared in shock.
The emperor had just compromised under their pressure. How could he send the royal guards to arrest him now?
Isn't he afraid that he and others will go on strike and bring the Ming Dynasty to a halt?
Jin Yiwei's smile did not change. Although his behavior was respectful, his attitude was also extremely firm:
"Old Wangge, I humble my position and act according to orders, so there will be no lies."
Wang Jiaping was stunned for a moment. He felt that the development of things was a little beyond his control. The emperor had obviously compromised.
But when he thought about it again, he was fearless——
What can the emperor do? How would the court function if they were gone?
With this thought, Wang Jiaping regained his confidence and walked out of the house with his head held high.
However, the team escorting him stopped at the Meridian Gate and did not move forward.
Wang Jiaping took a look and felt something bad.
Without him, a large group of civil servants were gathered in front of the Meridian Gate at this time, and they were the officials who submitted their resignations. Xu Guo and Wang Xijue were among them.
With the arrival of Wang Jiaping and his confidants, all the ministers officially arrived.
Emperor Wanli was really angered. He ordered all the officials who submitted their resignations to be captured and placed with sixty sticks outside the Meridian Gate.
Suddenly, there was a cry for father and mother in front of the Meridian Gate. The thick stick fell on the white buttocks, splashing blood, accompanied by miserable wails.
That tragic situation is really sad for those who hear it, and sheds tears for those who hear it.
Wang Jiaping was also a little confused when he saw the scene in front of him.
Earlier, the emperor was clearly bullied by him, so why did he suddenly become so tough?
But before he could figure out what was going on, two Jinyi guards had already pulled him over and forcefully took off his pants.
This time, the three cabinet ministers could not forgive the imperial staff, and Wang Jiaping soon joined the screaming ranks.
Fortunately, the Jin Yiwei men still have some serious problems. They are "fighting hard" and giving them a lesson, but they won't cost their lives.
After each person was beaten with sixty sticks, a group of officials were lying in front of the Meridian Gate. The important ministers who had scolded Fang Qiu in the court were all holding their buttocks that were bleeding profusely with tears.
Fortunately, getting beaten was not a loss in exchange for reputation. Thinking of this, Wang Jiaping cleared his throat and was about to speak again.
However, at this time, a eunuch stood up, interrupted him directly, and read out the emperor's oral edict:
"Since you don't want to be an official, then I will help you."
"From tomorrow onwards, the one hundred and thirty-two people outside the Meridian Gate can return to their hometowns on their own!"
"Remember, this is not about you resigning, but about me removing your position!"
The eunuch's shrill voice fell on the square outside the Meridian Gate. The venue of thousands of people was silent, and no one spoke.
All the officials on the ground opened their mouths and their eyes were filled with shock.
No, are you about to be fired?
After ten years of poor labor and management, I managed to reach my current official position, and then you tell me, it’s just gone?
Didn't we promise that the emperor would give in and not only would we not be fired, but we would also gain fame? How is this going?
Suddenly, countless eyes focused on Wang Jiaping, and their eyes were full of anger, wanting to tear him into pieces.
Some even said:
"Mr. Wangge, what's going on?"
"Wang Jiaping, you need to give us an explanation!"
If it were the past, they might still have the thought that the emperor could not lack them, and they would fight to the death with the emperor.
But now, they who had just received the imperial staff were really scared. They thought they understood the emperor's mind, and thought that the emperor was passionate and planned to fight them to the end in order to influence the operation of the imperial court. Naturally, they were unwilling to do so, and they all felt strong regrets at this time.
Several people even planned to secretly go to Shu to confess their crimes and ask for the emperor's forgiveness.
The anger of everyone present also needs to be poured out, and the target of the backlash is naturally the leader this time - the second minister of the cabinet, Wang Jiaping.
Feeling the anger of everyone, Wang Jiaping lay on the ground and trembled.
He didn't expect Wanli to be so tough! You had clearly given in before, so why are you so tough now?
He couldn't figure it out, but he knew that his dream of being the first assistant was shattered.
…
Wanli received reports from the eunuchs in the palace. After hearing the reaction of the officials at the scene, he couldn't help but slap his thigh repeatedly, his eyes filled with the joy of successful revenge.
"This Yan Chenhao is really capable. He can reverse the two levels so easily, making Wang Jiaping angry." He boasted with a smile:
"I didn't expect that he was not only experienced in seeing people, but his methods were also so sharp. It's wonderful, it's really wonderful!"
"I will definitely put him to good use!"
Hearing this, the surrounding eunuchs looked at each other a few times, with envy flashing in their eyes.
Jane is in the emperor's heart!
This meteoric rise is just around the corner!
(End of chapter)
