Several more difficult nights have passed, and it is almost mid-November. The weather is still as usual, and everything in Beijing seems to be calm. However, amid this calm, it is common knowledge in Beijing that the Yang Mansion is crumbling.
It is said that when a drum is broken, thousands of people beat it, and when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down.
The emperor had already agreed to his appointment. Although it was somewhat strange that he stayed in office in the end, the emperor was determined.
There must be no cracks in the relationship between the emperor and the cabinet ministers. Once there are cracks, there will definitely be ambitious people who want to take advantage of them.
This has nothing to do with Zhang Cong. Now there are many people who want something to happen to Yang Yiqing.
Nanjing City, Li Mansion.
The news in the north has just spread today, and most people in the government find it unbelievable, and some even think it is a rumor.
But Jing Shaokui, the governor of Yingtian, still believed it. He had heard the emperor talk about eliminating the elite gentry.
Feeling that the matter was of great importance, he immediately went to Li Mansion.
Li Dongyang is too old to get out of bed, so he just stays in bed, surviving on a few mouthfuls of thin food and some ginseng soup every day.
He had heavy bags under his eyes, his upper eyelids drooped down, and his white eyebrows were longer, giving the impression that his eyes were always closed.
"No one has impeached Yang Yiqing in the past ten years, but since Duke Xixian and I, no one has succeeded. Do you know why?"
"Please give me some advice, Mr. Ge."
"Because it is not in accordance with the Holy Will."
In just six words, the old man seemed to have said everything about the court affairs.
Li Dongyang took a long breath, and then continued: "Many people imitate others and always like to say that the emperor is too harsh, but in fact, the emperor is a generous king, and a generous king comparable to Song Renzong. Song Renzong was only a small favor, but My Emperor, the Ming Dynasty, is showing mercy to the world. If I didn’t have great benevolence and virtue in my heart, how could I have the people of Li in my heart?”
"Lao Ge Lao, what does this have to do with the four words "unconformity with the holy will"?
"It is precisely because of the emperor's generosity that just a small mistake will not make the emperor decide to replace the elder. The emperor will only make such a decision in the face of real major events. Normally, the stability of the government is the most important, even if Yang Yiqing is inappropriate The emperor will ignore it."
"So, Yang Yingning has come to an end this time." Jing Shaokui understood. He raised his hands and saluted, "Thank you, Mr. Ge, for your advice."
Li Dongyang's eyelids moved, and he focused his gaze on this person's face.
I wanted to say something, but I held back and just said, "You're welcome."
Li Zhaofan turned back after seeing Jing Shaokui away.
"I think he went back to write a memorial to impeach Mr. Yang Ge. Dad, is Mr. Yang Ge really doomed?"
"As long as he doesn't do it, the emperor won't do it. My father just said that the emperor is lenient and has two meanings, so if he is smart, he shouldn't impeach him too harshly."
Li Zhaofan was puzzled, "Then...why doesn't father have a famous saying?"
"Look at the nature of this person."
Li Zhaofan was moved.
He felt that his father was definitely no longer needed. He was already terminally ill. No matter what kind of character Jing Shaokui was, it had nothing to do with him. He was probably still thinking about him.
"My dear, thank you father."
Unexpectedly, Li Dongyang said directly: "Don't get me wrong, it's not for you, it's for His Majesty. Your Majesty has entrusted the important posts of Nanjing garrison and Yingtian governor to each other, so naturally he needs to know this person more clearly."
Li Zhaofan: "..."
So that's it.
Jing Shaokui was someone who had made clear his intentions to the emperor. He must assist the emperor in removing the elite from the gentry.
It was also because of that that he was able to rise to this high position.
If you don't show your performance during this struggle, you may be remembered by the emperor in the future.
Therefore, after returning from Li's Mansion, I immediately started drafting.
Nothing else, impeach Yang Yiqing, Mao Ji and others for their overbearing behavior.
From the capital to the local government, from governors to key officials, more and more people began to write memorials against Yang Yiqing.
In this case, the end is definitely not far away.
Of course, many people were opposed to the removal of elites from the gentry, so there were also many people who scolded Zhang Cong.
But the trend is inevitable.
Yang Mansion.
"Mr. Ge."
Wang Hao stood at the door and called.
"It's Jizhi. Come in."
Wang Hao took a closer look at Yang Yiqing's condition and said, "Mr. Ge, have you been up all night again?"
"I'm... thinking of helping him."
"With the level of a low-ranking official, what is there to think about?"
Yang Yiqing turned around and glanced at Wang Hao. He suddenly felt envious, "My husband doesn't fight, so no one in the world can fight with him. This sentence is really good. Jizhi was born to be regarded as valuing justice over profit, and you rarely interact with him. People fight against each other, but in the end they can emerge from the mud without being stained. This seems simple, but in fact it is not easy, and it is fascinating."
Wang Hao said: "A few days ago, Mr. Ge was like this. In a few days, I may not be the same as Mr. Ge today."
There is something interesting about this.
Yang Yiqing listened back and forth, but he actually understood it.
Even everything cannot escape the palm of the emperor's hand. It just depends on how the emperor will treat you in the end.
"The Emperor's side..."
"The lower official handed over the note, but the emperor is missing."
"Sometimes it's good to be suddenly seriously ill like Wang Shiwei, so as not to be unable to survive even the evening festival. It's better than being called a tyrant now."
Yang Yiqing knew that if he delayed it any longer, he would appear to be greedy for power.
That's it. The emperor is so angry with you that he hides it in the palace. At this time, you should quickly admit your mistake and don't hold on for what you have.
But after thinking about it for a night, he came to understand. What does it mean to serve in a way that satisfies the emperor?
It is to leave dignity to the emperor.
But if the emperor's wishes were followed, he would not only lose his official position, but also his reputation.
That night he failed to break through this mental barrier.
So he put a resignation letter on his desk.
"Jizhi, one day in the future, please forward this memorial to the Holy One on my behalf."
Wang Hao's expression changed, "What does Mr. Ge mean by this? Things can still turn around, but we can't go to extremes at this time!"
"Your Majesty is hiding from his ministers, and Mao Ji is arrested and imprisoned. I openly understand that this situation is all caused by me. If I die, nothing will happen."
"Mr. Ge!"
Just as he was talking, a servant from the palace reported at the door, "Master, someone is coming from the palace."
The expressions of the two old men changed immediately.
The person who came was indeed a servant of the palace, and he specially chose the time of night.
You Zhi didn't expect Wang Hao to be there.
"Father-in-law!" Wang Hao seemed to have seen a life-saving straw, "Father-in-law visited late at night, but did he bring His Majesty's decree?"
"Your Majesty doesn't know that our family is looking for Mr. Yang Ge."
They were both surprised again.
Then he saw a jar of wine appear in You Zhi's sleeve.
"Although there is no decree from the Holy Father, we are all here, and we even brought our own drinks. Mr. Yang Ge, you wouldn't be so repulsive to others thousands of miles away, right?"
Logically speaking, a person like him wouldn't bother to interact too much with the eunuchs in the palace.
But at this critical moment, You Zhi is the only one he visits, so it’s time to meet him.
"Father-in-law, please." Yang Yiqing said here, and then ordered down, "Go and get three wine cups."
"yes."
An Eight Immortals table, two small candles, and three white-haired people.
After the door closed, they were the only ones left here.
You Zhi poured the wine gurglingly.
"Mr. Yang Ge, there are quite a few officials who have come to Beijing to impeach you in the past few days, right?"
Yang Yiqing didn't know what the purpose of this person was. He must not have come here to help him come up with ideas. Moreover, he came up with a question that seemed to undermine his reputation. "I have been the head of the cabinet for ten years. Why am I being impeached today?" , it is normal to be impeached tomorrow. Besides, this is a word from the emperor. Or does Eunuch You want to say that my time as an official is numbered?"
In the eyes of ministers, the words of the eunuchs around the emperor meant what the emperor meant.
This is also the way You Zhi has always lived.
So what he said was a rhetorical question to Emperor You Zhi, and it was also a small rebuttal to him.
Because he was sure of You Zhi and didn't dare to talk about it.
really,
You Zhi immediately laughed, "How can a servant in our family speak to the current elder Ge? It's also our fault that Mr. Yang Ge misunderstood us because of his stupid mouth. What we mean is that Mr. Yang has to think about today's situation. Think of a way, we can't stay like this forever. Not to mention the emperor, even our family will feel uncomfortable watching this."
Wang Hao said: "My father-in-law's words are reasonable. Originally, I was discussing this matter with Mr. Ge. But now that the emperor is determined not to see us, what should we do?"
"Why doesn't the emperor see you? It's not that the emperor is angry, but because the emperor feels that he can't make the decision, so he simply doesn't make the decision. But you and I both know that the emperor still has to take charge of the Ming Dynasty. How can Mr. Yang Ge really do that? Just abandon His Majesty and make up your own mind? So, the best solution to this matter is for the cabinet minister to comply with the emperor's wishes, issue an order to clear the land in the world in the name of the cabinet, and then write a letter of apology to the emperor. Shu, if you think about it, it won’t be difficult to invite the emperor to come out again.”
Before Yang Yiqing could shake his head, Wang Hao spoke first, "Father-in-law, things can't be done like this."
You Zhi seemed to have fully expected it, "Then we can only ask Mr. Ge to leave the capital, but not leave the court."
This sentence is easier to understand now.
Just like Liu Jian and Li Dongyang back then.
Leaving the capital means losing your position as Pavilion Elder.
Not leaving the court, but still retaining some position.
The former is to remove the obstacles for the emperor to continue to act, and the latter is to keep the emperor's name clear. That is, even if you make a mistake, I consider your contribution and do not attach any importance to you, and I still recognize your ability and character, and continue I entrust you with a great responsibility.
“Where can Yang’s old and decaying body go?”
"Since Mr. Ge came from the northwest, he can naturally go back to the northwest. There, the land can be cleared and the gentry can eliminate the superiors without having to use the knife to kill people."
"Xinjiang."
"how?"
The territory that Zhou Shangwen conquered originally had few Han people, so naturally there were no gentry, and there was indeed no need to use the sword to kill people.
But Yang Yiqing was not sure, "Eunuch You can really decide who will be the governor?"
His words were meant to be a test. He felt that although You Zhi said that it was not the emperor's will that brought him here, that must be a lie.
You Zhi remained calm, "The Chief of Ceremony can always speak. As long as the elder agrees."
"Xinjiang already has Marquis Jinglu."
"Marquis Jinglu is good at fighting battles, but he is certainly not as good as the three governors of the past in terms of city building and maintenance. The territory of the Western Region has always been regarded as a symbol of the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, and the vast desert is also a place that has been dreamed of by literati and generals of all dynasties. Mr. Ge is here If there are achievements left there, it will leave a name in history and be praised forever."
"What about Mao Ji?"
"Shang Shu Mao? Let's wait until he gets beaten up and see if there are any changes. We'll talk about it then." You Zhi added at this point, "Mr. Ge, everyone has his own blessings."
That means, don't worry too much.
Wang Hao actually felt that it was the emperor's intention. Otherwise, why would You Zhi discuss such an important matter with the officials of the dynasty?
You have to keep your words after all. If you don't keep your words, it will be revealed to the emperor in the future, which is not a small matter.
Besides, today he is always thinking about the emperor, the court, and Yang Yiqing, so where are his interests? Unreasonable.
Then it was confirmed that it was the emperor who sent him.
He didn't want to say it, maybe there was a special reason, maybe it was the emperor's instructions, but in any case, he couldn't be wrong.
On Yang Yiqing's side, he was speechless for a moment, seemingly obsessed with the outcome.
"Mr. Yang Ge?"
"Oh." Yang Yiqing came to his senses and said: "As a minister, I naturally obey the orders. The emperor could have transferred Yang Yiqing to Xinjiang with an imperial decree, so why bother."
"If Mr. Yang Ge can go in the same direction as the emperor, there will be no need for such trouble."
So it is meaningless to talk about the original at this time.
It's hard to talk to him. You have nothing to do but give yourself a reputation as a tyrant. Are you comfortable now?
"Mr. Yang Ge, these are what we are saying tonight. If Mr. Yang Ge thinks what we are saying is okay, then you can nod and our family will follow this path. We cannot continue to toss like this. Your Majesty and you, One has to bow his head first. And the Emperor...that's the Emperor. If we start a fight, does Mr. Ge still want the Emperor to bow his head first?"
"Of course I don't dare."
Wang Hao also felt that this was the best solution. Although before he was transferred to the governor of Xinjiang, a long paragraph about how he was domineering must have been written in the imperial edict, but it was just like what You Zhi said.
If you don't bow your head, do you want the emperor to bow to you?
"Mr. Yang Ge, I think it's good. Liu Xixian's reputation in Shandong is spread all over the world. One day in the future, there will definitely be good things about Mr. Yang Ge in Xinjiang. Besides, the desert is solitary, and the sun is setting in the long river. Wang The scenery outside the Great Wall described by Wei has a unique artistic conception, how could it be bad?"
Yang Yiqing originally wanted to die, but he didn't expect that the emperor wouldn't let him die. Besides, there was a precedent, so it didn't seem to be a big deal for him to follow. Finally, he raised his hand and said, "Then everything will work for you, Eunuch."
"Okay." You Zhi was overjoyed, finally finishing an errand, "Then our family will return to the palace right now, and Mr. Yang can take care of things. There is another section, Mr. Ge should pay attention to it."
"Father-in-law, please tell me."
"Our family naturally believes that Mr. Ge and Mao Ji are not cooperating with each other, but Your Majesty is most afraid of officials protecting each other. Mr. Ge should not talk about Shangshu Mao anymore. If it is really for Mao Shangshu's good."
The two sent the eunuch away, and when they looked at each other, they could tell what was thinking in each other's eyes: he was sent by the emperor.
In this matter, the emperor was always honorable and correct. In the end, he took off his official title, but showed his benevolence and righteousness. Yang Yiqing understood that this was what Wang Hao said, and it had to be done in a way that satisfied the emperor.
And the final reminder is that if he doesn't intercede for Mao Ji, he is naturally heartless and unjust.
Anyway, he just doesn't want to clear his name.
"What is Mr. Ge thinking?" Wang Hao asked.
Yang Yiqing said with a faint look in his eyes: "My departure today is not the end. Zhang Bingyong is a narrow-minded and intolerant person. This time so many people have offended him for my sake. Once he gains power in the future, he will definitely use any means to take advantage of him." The opportunity to retaliate. Ji Zhi, you have to be careful."
"Didn't Mr. Ge say that Hu Wei can't argue?"
"But some people, if you are in front of them, you are fighting with them. Not everyone will treat you like I do."
Wang Hao smiled and said, "Mr. Ge is indeed very tolerant and can be called the pillar of the country. So your Majesty is doing things for the sake of doing things, but not to target Mr. Ge. I thought to myself that Your Majesty will not be particularly angry with you for opposing the elimination of the elite. , after all, Your Majesty himself knows that this matter is of great importance, and he has already started laying the groundwork in Jiangnan, but His Majesty must be very angry at the confrontation between Mr. Ge and Mao Ji. The Emperor fought for his reputation, but the Emperor has never been sorry. Mr. Ge. Take care, Mr. Ge, and I will retire first."
What he said was cool and unrestrained, but Yang Yiqing was confused by what he said.
The emperor has never been sorry to Mr. Ge... In fact, there is the second half of the sentence. Is Mr. Ge really not sorry to the emperor at all?
Yang Yiqing suddenly began to feel heartache. In the end, the emperor did not choose to kill him or imprison him.
This night,
You Zhi also went to the prison to see Mao Ji.
After asking a few questions, he still spoke rudely.
You Zhi couldn't help but get angry. Before leaving, he said something heart-wrenching, "Yang Yiqing is at least a minister of the Zhu Kingdom. He has worked hard for the country and the people for decades. How many things have you done?"
This guy is guilty of this over and over again and thinks he is upright, but it is boring if it goes too far.
This is different from the time of Liu Jian and Li Dongyang. If such a big thing happened, it would be impossible for them all to escape. After all, to spare both is to be soft. ====
