Fu Shanhe

Chapter 427 Surfaced
Tongzhou Camp.

Upon seeing the message coming from Beijing, Jing Guoliang gasped.

There are some ruthless people among my colleagues!

The struggle between civil and military officials has continued for so many years, yet it has failed to do anything to the civil officials; on the contrary, they have been at a disadvantage most of the time.

This time, the rules were changed, and it turned into a chaotic free-for-all where a master was defeated by a flurry of punches.

The armed conflict at the Great Yu court was also initiated by civil officials.

His earliest achievement was killing the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in court, along with two unfortunate eunuchs.

The emperor was so frightened that he trembled and was eventually forced to announce a pardon for the officials involved in the fight, which finally calmed the storm.

Once the bad start was set, similar bizarre incidents never stopped.

"Cabinet infighting."

"Ambushing a colleague on the way to court."

“Pick up a stick and hit the prince on the head.”

"The censor questioned the emperor, 'Why do you look so weak?'"

"Nobles and eunuchs fought fiercely in the capital."

He was crushed to death by his colleagues on his way home from court.

"The eunuchs fought in front of the emperor, and the emperor held a banquet to mediate."

"A brawl involving hundreds of officials."

……

The anticipated political struggle involved both sides making their own plans, engaging in a deadly battle behind the scenes.

In real political struggles, once people get carried away, they roll up their sleeves and charge forward.

This brawl between civil officials, nobles, and relatives of the empress during the Yongning reign once again set a new high for political struggle.

The most bizarre thing is that the emperor did not stop it immediately, but instead allowed the conflict to escalate.

After a brief moment of distraction, Jing Guoliang instantly realized that the situation was not good and that he seemed to have been framed.

Of all the powerful nobles, only he arrived at the capital's gates. The emperor and civil officials would surely suspect that he had orchestrated this chaotic battle.

If he had done it himself, that would be one thing. The problem is that he wasn't involved at all from beginning to end.

What appeared to be a premeditated retaliation by the nobles was actually just a chain reaction triggered by a momentary impulse.

Explanations are pointless; these things always get worse the more you try to cover them up.

In official circles, once a decision is made, it won't be changed. Even if evidence is presented, people will suspect it's forged.

"My lord, the aftermath will be difficult to handle!"

Master Zhang reminded him with a solemn expression.

The sudden death of so many high-ranking civil officials will undoubtedly be a significant event recorded in future history books.

Given the way civil officials behave, he, the Duke of Cheng who knows nothing, might very well become the main villain.

Of course, it's also possible that the eunuchs were scapegoated.

The Duke's mansion has descendants and will not allow outsiders to smear their ancestors.

The family histories of these noble families also record inside stories, which can all be used to refute the claims.

Even if historians recorded it, the historical community would still debate it endlessly.

The easiest way is to shift the blame to the eunuchs; this group has no descendants, so history books can write whatever they want.

"It's not just difficult, it's impossible!"

"At this point, no matter what I do, I can't clear my name of the suspicion."

Once suspicion is raised, evidence is not required.

Jing Guoliang said with a helpless expression.

This time, even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he couldn't clear his name.

Whether it was a civil official or the emperor, they would all suspect him.

The reason is very simple: other nobles did not have such a strong appeal.

Lacking prestige, yet daring to cause trouble.

It's possible that someone among them secretly informed the emperor.

After all, most of the nobles in the court were qualified to submit secret memorials to the emperor.

"My lord, it's better to stay put than to take any action."

Let's pretend we're deaf and dumb for now, and see how His Majesty reacts.

Considering the bigger picture, it is not advisable for the imperial court to cause any major disturbances at this time.

Moreover, those civil officials have offended His Majesty quite badly; His Majesty might take this opportunity to eliminate dissidents.

Master Zhang thought for a moment and then said.

Power struggles are always brutal.

Emperor Yongning had always wanted to support his own people in the court, but his plans all ended in failure.

In the end, those who seized power were all leaders of various factions.

Or, after gaining power, they became the leaders of various factions.

Pure royalists have never had much of a presence in the imperial court.

The biggest shortcoming of Emperor Yongning was that he did not go through the process of becoming the crown prince and did not have time to cultivate his confidants in advance.

Many people appear to be loyal subjects of the emperor before they rise to power, but once they are in a high position, they immediately become faction leaders.

Even without any faction, they will create a new faction on their own.

It's not that they're monopolizing power; the main problem is that they don't have any trusted subordinates in the court, so they can't get anything done.

Unfortunately, the emperor was suspicious, and his faction would be suspected as soon as it grew stronger.

Many people fall victim to the infighting in officialdom before they have even matured.

The current major reshuffling of the civil service presents an excellent opportunity to cultivate loyal followers.

Taking advantage of the lack of unity among the various factions, quickly promoting one's own people to power is the only opportunity to dismantle the factional forces in the court.

Any decisive monarch would seize the opportunity to eliminate dissidents.

No matter how many die, the blame will always fall on the nobles and relatives of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, if you had thought of this, you wouldn't have been manipulated by a bunch of scholars."

Putting everything else aside, His Majesty has never been able to distinguish between friend and foe.

As long as you say nice things, you'll be considered one of us.

Jing Guoliang shook his head and said.

After a series of events, he had lost all hope for Emperor Yongning.

She's easily swayed and easily fooled.

When faced with major events, they couldn't withstand the pressure.

When pressure was exerted by civil officials, they chose to back down.

If the nobles and relatives of the empress cause trouble, they will most likely choose to back down again.

A problem that could have been solved from the beginning has been dragged out into a chronic issue.

"Your Excellency, you mustn't say such things!"

Master Zhang advised with a look of fear.

This high-level game was truly beyond his comprehension.

Having read extensively in classical Chinese literature, he could not possibly imagine that his opponent in a political game could be the emperor himself.

……

The Hall of Mental Cultivation is not conducive to mental well-being at all.

Emperor Yongning's order to suppress information went in one ear and out the other.

After the officials left the palace, news of the events at the court meeting quickly spread throughout the capital.

The common people even gave it a resounding name, "Yongning Massacre," making it seem as if the emperor himself was the culprit.

"Your Majesty, the families of those officials have come again demanding their release."

Xu Zhongen reported in a low voice.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has been under immense pressure these past few days.

The emperor released the lightly wounded, while the seriously wounded officials remained in the palace for treatment.

Those causing trouble and demanding the release of the injured officials are all family members of these seriously injured officials.

Unfortunately, the rescue process did not go smoothly, and more than a dozen people died one after another, most of whom were important officials in the court.

The extremely high mortality rate was completely disproportionate to the medical skills of the imperial physicians.

It's impossible to investigate.

Those capable of plotting against these people within the palace are either nobles or relatives of the empress.

If he exposes the truth and offends these two groups, he, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, may also die suddenly at home.

When the rules of the game are broken, whoever controls the force gains the advantage.

"If someone dies, return the body to the family and provide them with a compensation payment."

Inform the families that assassins have broken into the palace and that the officials have unfortunately died for their country.

To reward their loyalty and bravery, a special favor was granted to allow one member of their family to enter officialdom. Seriously wounded soldiers are permitted to have their families visit them, and if they wish to take their loved ones back, they may do so, but they are not allowed to speak out!

Emperor Yongning thought for a moment and then spoke.

With so many people dead, there has to be an explanation for what happened.

To say directly that the nobles and relatives of the emperor killed him in court would inevitably escalate the conflict.

It's not so bad if civil officials cause trouble; the worst thing is if nobles and relatives of the emperor feel threatened and launch a coup first.

The best option is to appease the family and let everyone insist that it was an assassin, in order to save face for the court.

"Your Majesty, too many people know the truth; it's unlikely we can keep this a secret any longer."

Xu Zhongen said with a nervous expression.

The conditions offered by the emperor were too low and could not satisfy everyone's appetite.

According to custom, officials of the third rank or above could have one of their sons or grandsons enter officialdom through their privileges.

However, such officials have a lower ceiling for advancement and their prospects are far inferior to those who passed the imperial examinations.

The emperor's appeasement was tantamount to no appeasement at all.

The only way to complete the task is to exert pressure and silence the families.

The Great Yu Dynasty was not short of tough guys. Even in the era when the secret police and imperial guards were rampant, they could not suppress the literati. How much less so now?

"Even if we can't hide it, we have to find a way to keep it a secret."

The public is only speculating, yet this has already caused such a huge uproar.

If the imperial court were to publicly acknowledge this, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The factory guards have been idle for so long, it's time for them to fulfill their duties.

Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be thoroughly investigated. I don't believe they are completely without fault!

Emperor Yongning said firmly.

At this moment, he was forced to take sides and cover up for the nobles and relatives of the emperor.

As for the subsequent political repercussions, we can't worry about that for now.

Even if we were to settle scores later, we should at least drive the northern barbarians away first.

Deep down, he had made up his mind to build an army that belonged only to him.

Before breaking the military monopoly held by the nobility, he lacked the power to overturn the table, and neither did the civil service.

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Xu Zhongen reluctantly agreed.

If we do that, all the pressure will fall on the inner court.

Intelligent people know that the imperial court is currently unable to punish the nobles and relatives of the empress.

At most, they would incite scholars to cause trouble in front of the noble families' gates; they themselves would not dare to charge into battle.

Those thugs, in a moment of anger, actually dared to beat people up.

In the past, nobles followed the rules because they cared about their reputation.

From the moment they unleashed their power and began to act in court, the nobles abandoned their reputation.

Without the constraints of fame, all sorts of dirty tricks can be used.

Unable to deal with the nobles, they could only seek justice from the emperor.

At worst, they'd be flogged in court; the censors are the most experienced in that regard.

After receiving a beating, the reputation of the scholars skyrocketed; the emperor was their experience point for gaining prestige.

Emperor Yongning did not want to face these people directly, so he pushed the trouble onto the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The next step was the inner court, where we had to outwit and outmaneuver them.

……

Outside the palace gates, cries echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

The officials' families who received the body lingered for a long time, forming a standoff with the Imperial Guards who were protecting the palace.

Some civil officials eager for fame also appeared in the crowd, clamoring for the court to punish the murderer.

Unfortunately, the scholar encountered a soldier, and reason was useless against him.

Before the emperor came out, the Imperial Guards' clubs struck him first.

The leading official was even imprisoned.

“Brother Xinyuan, these soldiers have really gone too far.”

When a nation is ruled by warlords, it will cease to exist!

In a distant teahouse, a middle-aged man who witnessed this scene couldn't help but sigh.

"Brother Lingfeng, with the northern barbarians besieging the city, we should prioritize the overall situation."

Your Majesty, even if you wish to punish them, you should wait until after the war.

Let's be patient for now!
After the northern barbarians retreat, it will be time for our counterattack.

Making a scene like this won't get anywhere.

Fei Xinyuan shook his head and said.

The unexpected events at the court meeting shattered many people's preconceived notions.

After regaining his rationality, he understood the essence behind the problem.

In the past, other groups always put the overall situation first and continuously ceded their interests to the civil service.

This time the situation changed. After their bottom line was reached, the nobles and relatives of the emperor refused to back down.

The emperor, who had always supported them, also changed his attitude at this time.

The old ways of playing are no longer effective; they must adapt to the new mode.

“Brother Xinyuan, if we just endure this, those warriors will panic and take advantage of us.”

They should kill court officials now, and if they rebel later, it will be too late!

The number of corpses being carried out of the palace continues to rise; it's possible that treating the wounds is a pretense, and the real purpose is to force everyone to compromise!

Lu Lingfeng said indignantly.

With all the top leaders dead, the civil service is now leaderless.

Even if others dare to step forward, they don't have enough influence.

He had to put in a lot of effort to persuade even his closest friends, let alone unite the entire civil service.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"On that day, the chaotic battle at the court meeting took place right under His Majesty's nose."

His Majesty knows perfectly well from his throne who was killed or injured by nobles and relatives of the emperor, and who died in the infighting among civil officials.

It's not something that can be resolved with just a few words.

We've all personally experienced the imperial physicians treating the wounded, and the medicine was definitely not the problem.

The eunuch in charge of delivering the medicine always tested it first, which was considered a great effort.

After receiving the body, the family must have arranged for someone to test for poison; if there were any problems, they would have made a fuss long ago.

The fact that they couldn't save the person can only be attributed to their bad luck.

Besides, if the seats at the front aren't made available, how will people like you and me have a chance!

Fei Xinyuan shook his head and said.

It's extremely difficult to distort the truth of something the emperor witnessed firsthand.

The civil official who committed the heinous act is still in prison, undergoing severe interrogation.

He had no liking for these guys who only knew how to form cliques and attack dissidents, ignoring the overall situation of the court.

“Brother Xinyuan, what you said is correct.”

Those incompetent officials should indeed be purged and replaced with virtuous people like ourselves.

"Your Majesty, if we had replaced him earlier, this situation would never have arisen!"

Lu Lingfeng changed the subject.

It wasn't that he was heartless; it was simply that official positions in the imperial court were always one person per position.

If they were promoted normally, they wouldn't know how long they would have to wait to get a chance to rise to a higher position.

If you want to climb up, you have to pull the people in front of you down first.

As a result, many officials, while clamoring for justice, were also plotting to go further.

"Brother Lingfeng, this assumption is invalid."

The collapse of the Great Wall defense line was mainly due to rampant corruption in the imperial court.

There are too many people involved; even if His Majesty wanted to investigate, he couldn't possibly investigate them all.

A strategic blunder caused by corruption led to the subsequent defeat at Changping, and then to the Yongning tragedy.

If we trace it back to its source, who knows how many people would be involved.

Fei Xinyuan shook his head and said.

Those who lacked the necessary status and position to participate were spared a calamity.

……

(End of this chapter)