My father is Jiajing

The early summer wind in April in the capital is the coolest and most comfortable wind every year. Compared with the biting cold wind in winter and spring, the wind in April is always warm.

But now Xu Jie only felt an indescribable chill and coldness!
Xu Jie's fingers were tightly clenched around the secret letter that had just been sent from Songjiang, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

He never dreamed that after being cautious and honest all his life, the final problem would arise in his hometown, Songjiang Prefecture!
"Master, the tea is cold."

The old servant Xu An reminded softly but did not dare to get closer.

As the old servant who had followed Xu Jie the longest, Xu An had experienced all the lows and highs with Xu Jie.

It can be said that he knew Xu Jie better than Xu Jie knew himself.

These days, because of Zhang Juzheng's backstabbing, Xu Jie's temper has become irritable, even colder than the wind in December, making all the servants in the mansion tremble with fear.

Xu Jie didn't look back, but just waved his hand and asked Xu An to leave. He wanted to be alone for a while.

Seeing this, Xu An sighed in his heart. Although he wanted to say something to comfort her, he didn't know where to start.

Xu An retreated quietly.

After the footsteps faded away, Xu Jie slowly unfolded the secret letter that he had read countless times.

The handwriting was from his own son Xu Fan, but the content was like a sharp knife that stabbed him straight in the heart - "Xu Laoliu has been found by Hai Rui and is now being secretly sent to the capital!"

Xu Jie was extremely heartbroken!

He never dreamed that something like this would happen!

"Haegangbong!"

Xu Jie spat out the name with gritted teeth, as if he wanted to chew it into pieces.

That ignorant kid from Qiongzhou Prefecture actually dared to challenge the emperor, thinking that he could really overthrow the Prime Minister?
Xu Jie is naturally not Yan Song, and he doesn't believe that he is Yan Song!
The wind outside continued to blow, but it could not blow away the chill in Xu Jie's heart.

His heart was colder than ice and snow at this moment.

Xu Jie never dreamed that so many things would happen to him that caught him off guard in such a short period of time.

When he was young and angrily confronted Zhang Cong, angering the young Jiajing, he never had the same state of mind as he does now.

Even though he later endured humiliation and pretended to be a grandson, bowing his head and being submissive in front of Yan Song, even though he was uncomfortable with his ideals and wrote one disgusting poem after another to Emperor Jiajing, he had never felt as humiliated as he is now!
But now, his once most promising student Zhang Juzheng betrayed him; the Jiajing Emperor, whom he had served for many years, turned a blind eye to his many years of contributions; even Prince Yu Zhu Zaigui, who had always been respectful to him, began to treat him coldly.

Xu Jie was heartbroken.

He thought he had worked hard for the Ming Dynasty all his life, but in the end he was treated harshly by the Zhu family.

Xu Jie felt cold-hearted!
"When a wall falls, everyone pushes it; when a drum breaks, everyone beats it"

Xu Jie smiled bitterly and brought the secret letter in his hand close to the candlelight. The greedy flames licked the paper and turned it to ashes in the blink of an eye.

But paper can be burned, but the crisis will not disappear.

"Xu Laoliu must die!"

This thought was extremely clear in Xu Jie's mind, and it was his current obsession!

Xu Laoliu had been the accountant of the Xu family for decades and knew too many secrets, especially the hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Songjiang that were "mysteriously registered" in the names of other people - these were all the consequences of his involvement.

These causes and effects were all the result of Xu Jie's tacit consent, and were also the basis for him to be able to call the shots in the court!

Otherwise, with that good reputation and the meager salary given by the court, how could he be able to become a leader in the hearts of scholars all over the world?

After all, if you want to accumulate these false reputations and prestige, you can't do without the money that can make the devil work.

Now these causes and effects are beginning to backfire.

But Xu Jie didn't think this was wrong!

A burst of hurried footsteps interrupted Xu Jie's thoughts.

Xu An, who had just left, hurriedly pushed the door open with a rare look of panic on his face: "Master, I just received news that Prince Yu summoned Zhang Juzheng for a secret talk for nearly an hour!"

Xu Jie's pupils shrank slightly.

He looked at Xu An who had returned. Logically speaking, something like this should not have caused Xu An to panic, unless there was something seriously wrong with the content of the conversation!

Xu Jie felt extremely complicated.

Zhang Juzheng, the student he promoted, has now become his most dangerous enemy.

This person was the driving force behind the separation of the Hanlin Academy and the post of Grand Secretary.

Now he has been summoned by Prince Yu for a secret talk, what will he say?

"Did you find out what the conversation was about?"

Xu Jie tried to remain calm and not let himself show any signs of nervousness or anger.

Xu An shook his head and said, "The palace gates are heavily guarded, and our people cannot get close. But according to the young eunuchs in Wenhua Palace, Prince Yu and Zhang Juzheng mentioned the words 'clearly measure the land' many times during their conversation."

Xu Jie's heart sank.

Isn't surveying the land like stabbing the Xu family in the heart?
Now Gao Gong and Hai Rui are both in Nanjing, both in Jiangnan, eyeing the Xu family covetously.

Once Zhang Juzheng's proposal to "measure the land" is adopted by Prince Yu, the Xu family will most likely be the first to suffer!
No, it should be the one that will be affected!
Therefore, at this time, Xu Laoliu would definitely not be able to reach the capital alive.

If he went to the capital, not only would his position as prime minister be in jeopardy, but his whole life would be ruined.

The reputation of a famous and virtuous minister that he had dreamed of leaving behind would become a passing cloud, and would eventually become the four big words "eternal infamy" that would be forever branded on his body!
At this moment Xu Jie finally couldn't bear it anymore, and he no longer had the calmness and scheming he had before.

"Xu An!"

Xu Jie turned around and looked into Xu An's eyes.

Xu An lowered his head slightly and responded, "The old slave is here."

"Immediately invite the Minister of Rites Guo Pu and the Chief of the Imperial Household Chen Hong to the Sanxian Building for a talk. Remember, do not let anyone see you. Everything must be done quietly!"

Xu An took the order and left.

Xu Jie returned to his desk, took out a blank piece of letter paper, dipped it in ink and wrote:

"My son's personal letter: This is an urgent matter. Destroy all the accounts of the West Garden and transfer the land deeds immediately. Anyone who knows about this will be notified."

When writing to this point, Xu Jie's pen suddenly paused, and a drop of ink spread out, just like Xu Jie's chaotic mood at the moment.

He took a deep breath and continued writing: "Anyone who knows about this should make proper arrangements. Do not hesitate, remember this."

After quickly writing the letter, Xu Jie sealed it up immediately, and called a trusted confidant in the mansion to send it to the Song family's hometown overnight and work day and night.

Then Xu Jie immediately changed into low-key casual clothes and quietly left through the alley at the back door of the Xu Mansion.

After arriving at the Sanxian Building, Xu Jie had just entered the secret room when Xu Anjiu had already arrived with Guo Pu and Chen Hong.

The three of them were now on the same page, all of them looked solemn, and obviously realized the seriousness of the situation. "Lord, I have heard Xu An's brief account of the situation."

Guo Pu spoke first. This important official had not had much contact with Xu Jie, but for the sake of his position in the cabinet, he gradually became closer to Xu Jie in recent years and became an indispensable and important political ally of Xu Jie.

Guo Pu sighed and said, "Hai Gangfeng is as stubborn as an ox. If Xu Laoliu falls into his hands, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"It's not Hai Rui's problem."

Chen Hong, who was sitting in another corner, interrupted Guo Pu.

After being PUA'd several times by Emperor Jiajing, Chen Hong's psychology changed. He always felt that his dedication and hard work received the due praise and trust from Emperor Jiajing.

Moreover, even Prince Yu's usual attitude and look towards him made Chen Hong feel a great sense of crisis.

He felt that he would most likely be discarded like Huang Jin.

But Chen Hong was unwilling to give up!
He felt that he was still young and could work in the position of the Chief of the Imperial Household Department for a few more years and contribute more to the Ming Dynasty.

So, by chance, Chen Hong and Xu Jie got in touch with each other and became new allies and close friends.

Chen Hong's eyes flashed with coldness, and he whispered, "The key now is who is escorting Xu Laoliu? Which route will he take? When will he arrive in Beijing? If we don't know these, we won't know where to start."

Xu Jie looked at Chen Hong with appreciation. The thinking of a man who could become the governor of the East Factory was indeed direct and effective, hitting the nail on the head!
Xu Jie said in a deep voice: "I have already ordered people to inquire. According to the letter from Songjiang, Xu Laoliu was captured five days ago. According to common sense, he should go through the Grand Canal and Tongzhou to enter the capital. He can arrive in seven days at the earliest."

"Seven days."

Guo Pu twirled his beard and frowned as he thought, "Time is running out."

At the same time, Guo Pu felt bitter in his heart. If he had known that Xu Jie's ship was leaking everywhere and there was a risk of capsizing, he should not have bet on it.

Now I am involved in more things and cannot withdraw from them. I can only follow the dark path.

So now Guo Pu is both envious and hateful of Zhang Juzheng's betrayal!

Damn it, why didn’t I seize such a good opportunity to jump ship?
But now is not the time to think about these things. Guo Pu has to think about how to survive the current crisis, and then think about how to part ways with Xu Jie and ensure peace in the second half of his life.

Otherwise, if Xu Jie really follows in Yan Song's footsteps one day, Guo Pu doesn't believe that he will have the same good luck as Zhao Wenhua and Yan Maoqing.

After all, compared with those two professional bureaucrats, Guo Pu's best work is the "Qing Ci", which is no longer used by Emperor Jiajing.

Therefore, Guo Pu was also very aware of his shortcomings. He simply did not have the ability to be noticed by Prince Yu!

"How do you plan to deal with this, Mr.

Chen Hong asked Xu Jie directly, which immediately brought Guo Pu's thoughts back to reality.

There was a moment of silence in the secret room, with only the sound of each other's breathing audible.

Xu Jie's gaze wandered over the two people's faces, finally stopping on the flickering candle flame.

Xu Jie spoke word by word, his voice as cold as ice: "Xu Laoliu cannot make it to the capital alive. He knows too much."

Guo Pu took a deep breath and said, "Lord, this is killing an official, which is tantamount to treason!"

Chen Hong, whose mind was already twisted, was not afraid of these things at all. He sneered and said, "Who said we were going to rob and kill the officials? Bandits are rampant along the canal, so it's normal for a few robberies to happen."

Xu Jie and Chen Hong exchanged a knowing look.

That's why he needed Chen Hong - they knew how to work outside the rules of the law.

"Does the father-in-law have any reliable helpers?"

Xu Jie asked quietly.

Chen Hong had a crazy smile on his face. He said, "We have an adopted son named Xu Er, the son of an old servant of your house. He is now a member of the East Factory and a spy planted by our family in the Xu Mansion. He is bold and careful, loyal and can take on this task."

Xu Jie looked at Chen Hong expressionlessly. Although he knew that the emperor had the habit of monitoring his ministers, he was still unhappy when he heard that there was such a spy in his own house.

But now, it is not the time to dwell on this issue.

Moreover, this so-called hidden player has never entered the core of Xu Mansion and has no access to any actual information.

Therefore, Xu Jie temporarily suppressed his disgust and continued, "Okay, it's him. But remember, this must be done cleanly and without leaving any traces. If this fails..."

"Don't worry, Lord. If Xu Er fails, he will take care of it himself and will never implicate anyone else."

Chen Hong gave Xu Jie another reassurance.

Xu Jie also nodded, which was rare.

The discussion was settled, and Guo Pu saw that there was nothing else for him to do, so he took his leave.

Chen Hong stayed behind to discuss the details with Xu Jie in secret.

When Xu Jie returned home that night, Xu Er, the East Factory spy who had been hiding in his mansion, was summoned to his study by Xu Jie.

At this time, Xu Er also received Chen Hong's secret letter of instructions. He knelt in front of Xu Jie, waiting for orders.

Xu Jie did not ask about the past. He said gently, "Xu Er, your father is an old servant of my Xu family. You grew up in the mansion. How do you treat me?"

Xu Er kowtowed: "The master has been very kind to my father and me. Although I work for the East Factory, I am a member of the Xu family in life and a ghost of the Xu family in death! I have never leaked anything about the master!"

Xu Jie nodded with satisfaction. "Okay, we are indeed a family! Now there is an important matter that needs you. If this matter can be accomplished, I will adopt you as my adopted son and include you in the Xu family tree. In the future, you can also enter the Xu family ancestral hall and enjoy the incense and offerings of the Xu family's descendants."

Xu Er bowed excitedly: "Thank you very much for your trust, Master!"

Xu Jie didn't continue talking nonsense. He immediately told Xu Er the plan in detail. Xu Er listened carefully and nodded from time to time.

Finally, Xu Jie took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to him.

"This is 'Crane's Beak Red'. Taking it is like being drunk and sleeping. You will die in three days. There is no cure. If it is impossible, you should make your own decision. I will take care of your wife and children at home."

Xu Er took it solemnly, bowed again and left.

Three days later, Tongzhou Wharf.

A fleet of merchant ships slowly approached the shore, and several men dressed as merchants got off the ship, led by Xu Er. They pretended to unload the goods, but in fact they were secretly observing the ships coming and going. According to intelligence, the officials escorting Xu Laoliu should arrive in Tongzhou today and change to a carriage to enter Beijing.

"Boss, there's some movement." One of his men whispered, pointing to an official ship that had just docked in the distance.

Xu Er squinted his eyes and saw several officers escorting a thin old man in shackles off the boat. The old man was staggering, obviously having been tortured.

Xu Er took a deep breath, relieved the tension in his heart a little, and then spoke softly.

"Prepare for action."

Xu Er gave orders to his men.

There must be no room for error this time!
otherwise
------

Ask for monthly ticket~~(End of this chapter)