Fu Shanhe

Chapter 485 Blood-Red Celebration

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Lan!"

"This humble general will certainly not disappoint the Marquis!"

Yun Xiangwen readily agreed.

When professionals take the lead, things are truly extraordinary.

While both aimed to suppress the gentry of Jiangnan, his previous efforts were purely futile.

The poor scholars who charged into battle were merely cannon fodder pushed out by the gentry of Jiangnan; no matter how many died, the gentry wouldn't care.

If it's directly targeting the next generation of each family, then it's a different story.

Outstanding children are always a scarce resource, and losing even one is painful.

The gentry used academies as a link to build a solid moat protecting the imperial examination system, but they also exposed their own shortcomings.

"General Yun, you've misremembered!"

"My lord knows nothing, I said nothing, and you heard nothing."

"It was all a conspiracy by traitors. The destruction of Jiangnan Academy has nothing to do with us."

Lan Linjie offered a tactful reminder.

The most important thing when doing this kind of thing is to keep your mouth shut.

With so many people involved, it's unrealistic to keep it a secret indefinitely, but it's essential to keep it under wraps initially.

If we drag it out until the imperial court gives a final verdict and a scapegoat is found, the problem won't be so serious.

"Mr. Lan is right, it was all the rebels' doing."

The White Lotus Rebellion has resurfaced and continues to cause unrest in Southern Zhili. I will request the governor's office to order me to lead troops to quell the rebellion.

Ten days later will be the 200th anniversary celebration of the founding of Jiangnan Academy, and many guests will attend the grand event.

If the rebels want to cause trouble, they will definitely do so on that day.

Yun Xiangwen immediately provided an action plan.

Since someone else is being blamed, an alibi becomes extremely important.

There's no other reason; using troops to quell the rebellion is more reliable.

The message to the armed forces of the nobility roaming around Yingtian Prefecture to raise the banner of the White Lotus Sect will surely shake Nanjing.

When the time comes, someone will naturally deliver the order to send troops to quell the rebellion to him.

Go out and wipe out a few bandit groups, take their heads to boost your performance, and you can even earn a merit.

If an accident occurs at Jiangnan Academy while he is away, even if the imperial court holds those responsible accountable, it will be the officials in the city who will suffer.

……

In the palace.

"what!"

Emperor Yongning, startled awake from his sleep, let out a scream.

The Emperor Emeritus was having another nightmare, and the maidservant serving him remained rooted to the spot.

They had seen similar scenes far too many times and were already used to it.

Since being forcibly placed on the throne of the retired emperor by his ministers, Emperor Yongning's daily routine was disrupted, freeing him from the burden of handling complex political affairs.

Not only is his sleep schedule completely reversed, but he also frequently has nightmares and always feels like someone is trying to harm him.

His sense of crisis intensified, especially after the elderly people who cared for him disappeared one after another.

Throughout Chinese history, no emperor who was overthrown by his ministers ever had a good ending.

Drowning or sudden death are both considered dignified ways to die.

If you're unlucky, it's not surprising that you could be hacked to death.

Traitors and rebels are capable of anything.

When he was first placed under house arrest, Emperor Yongning was hoping that the loyalist army would come and rescue him from the deep palace.

After more than two years of imprisonment, he lost all hope.

The Great Yu Dynasty was not lacking in loyal ministers and brave warriors, but unfortunately, none of them could be used by him.

After the officials ousted him from power, a situation of powerful ministers monopolizing power did not occur. Instead, an era of self-governance by officials was ushered in.

Despite the extremely low efficiency of governance, the mutual checks and balances prevented the court from making any major disruptions.

If you do nothing, you won't make mistakes.

The ruling model of maintaining the status quo has, to some extent, stabilized the domestic situation.

The influx of immigrants gradually alleviated population pressure in the north.

If it weren't for the outbreak of the tax resistance movement in Jiangnan, the overall situation of the Great Yu Dynasty would have continued to improve.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Emperor Yongning. From the moment he was placed under house arrest, he was cut off from all contact with the outside world.

Not only was he "in jail," but all the maids and eunuchs were also essentially in jail.

All their food, clothing, and daily necessities were sent from outside.

Once you enter this area, you can't leave.

"What time is it now?"

Emperor Yongning asked.

The deposed emperor was having a hard time. Although the palace maids and eunuchs served him, they were not nearly as attentive as before.

I was filled with grievances, but had nowhere to vent them.

At first, he lost his temper, but later he only made things worse for himself and didn't solve any problems.

Those in power in the court all wished he would die immediately.

All the courtesies shown to him were merely for show, intended for the young emperor and the people of the world.

"Your Majesty, it is now 3:45 PM."

Upon hearing this answer, Emperor Yongning nodded.

Another day of despair, but for him, time is of no importance now.

Despite his seemingly noble status, he was actually inferior to even Emperor Xian of Han.

Emperor Xian of Han at least produced the imperial edict in the belt, so even if he wanted to follow suit, he wouldn't know who to send the edict to.

The movement to depose the emperor involved both civil officials and nobles.

The only forces not associated with these two major powers were the Liaodong Army and the Northwest Border Army.

The Northwest Frontier Army can be disregarded; during his years in office, he never paid attention to the defense of the Northwest.

The fact that a general can maintain stability on the frontier despite limited military spending is a testament to his competence.

If they were to raise an army to defend the emperor, their small force would probably be wiped out as soon as they left Shaanxi.

The Liaodong army was quite strong, but they were no match for the court; they were the biggest threat to the imperial court.

Sending these people to defend the emperor is like escaping one wolf's den only to fall into another.

He'd be better off just living a carefree life and waiting to die than taking such a risky and troublesome path.

At least the throne was passed down through his lineage, and the country was still in existence.

If the attempt fails, not only will he be finished, but his wife, children, and elderly parents will also be ruined.

"Go and tell Jiang Shuhan that I wish to see the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and all the imperial concubines..."

The change in address indicates that Emperor Yongning had resigned himself to his fate.

He was willing to bow down to the ministers in order to see his wife and children.

"According to the order!"

The crowd answered in unison.

He readily agreed verbally, but didn't really take it to heart.

If asked by their superiors, they will naturally mention it.

If no one cares, they won't make a fuss.

To live comfortably in the palace, the most important thing is to be able to assess the situation and act accordingly.

The retired emperor was notoriously ungrateful and heartless; to serve him was a classic case of high risk and low reward.

……

Suzhou, Qian Mansion.

"My lord, news has come from the capital that the imperial court has decided to transfer troops from the northern frontier to the south."

The troops already identified so far number as many as three towns.

These are all elite, loyal troops from the nobility; the imperial court is probably serious this time!

The butler reported with a solemn expression.

The tax resistance movement has grown much larger than they had anticipated.

The situation has developed to this point, and they can no longer stop it simply because they want to.

The small and medium-sized gentry, who were stirred up, and the ordinary people who got involved without really understanding what was going on, all became fanatical.

It was as if they could live a life of luxury by forcing the imperial court to make concessions. As powerful families who were behind the scenes, they seemed to be actively participating in the anti-tax movement, but in reality, they disappeared at every crucial moment.

It's not that people want to pay taxes; it's purely an instinctive risk aversion.

Families that have survived for hundreds of years possess a wealth of experience in preserving their lives.

People tend to avoid such activities with uncertain prospects.

Even if they were to participate, it would be at the last minute to intervene and seize the final victory.

A fool who charges into battle from the very beginning will not survive to the end.

"It's to be expected."

"From the day the situation in Jiangnan got out of control, I knew that things would not go smoothly."

The situation in the north is dire, and the imperial court has no way out. It is only a matter of time before troops are dispatched south.

Now that the situation has developed to this point, let's add fuel to the fire and let the people below cause trouble for the imperial court!

Regardless of the situation, we should try our best to avoid being the first to stick our necks out.

Qian Chengxuan made the decision with a cold expression.

On the surface, he appeared decisive and ruthless, but deep down he was filled with apprehension.

According to their original plan, they hadn't intended to go this far.

The previous tax evasion was mainly a test of the court's reaction, to see if they could gain some advantage.

Unfortunately, the group of gentry in Jiangnan was too large, and once the action began, it was no longer under control.

Some people want to seize the opportunity to gain political power, some want to gain an economic advantage, and some want to return to the state before the tax reform.

When different interests are mixed together, and all parties compromise with each other, it becomes a matter of "wanting everything".

Such excessive demands far exceeded the limits of the imperial court's tolerance, which doomed the negotiations between the two sides to failure.

"Sir, judging from recent events, we focused our attention in the wrong direction in the early stages."

Perhaps those tragedies were not committed by Yun Xiangwen, but by other noble families' armed forces who infiltrated Jiangnan to commit the crimes secretly.

In addition, Lan Linjie, a close confidant of the Marquis of Hanshui, also recently returned to Jiangnan.

They might be behind this.

In addition, the Shanxi merchants group has also been exceptionally active.

It is possible that they deliberately sow discord between us and the court in order to alleviate the pressure on them.

With so many forces getting involved, if this continues, Jiangnan might become a bloodbath!

The housekeeper offered a tactful suggestion.

"It is precisely because the situation is so serious that we must continue to make trouble."

If we stop now, we will have to cut our losses, and the lower-ranking gentry will also be dissatisfied.

The most crucial point is that my Qian family has the power to fan the flames, but lacks the ability to quell the turmoil!

Qian Chengxuan resolutely refused.

It's easy to start a conflict, but difficult to quell it.

Even powerful clans like theirs risk annihilation should a major upheaval occur.

Sometimes, even knowing the risks are high, you still have to keep playing.

The imperial court's position was very clear: the money and grain must be collected before other issues could be discussed.

Once it's in their own pockets, the Qian family doesn't want to take it out, and neither do other powerful families.

The income of ordinary people at the bottom of society is limited, and they are unable to fill this hole.

If the tax continues to be increased, the people will be engulfed in rebellion.

If neither the higher-ups nor the lower-ups can contribute, then the only option is for the middle-class gentry and merchants, who are caught between the two, to foot the bill.

Undoubtedly, this middle group also does not want to pay more taxes.

If we don't create some conflict and break the pride of this group, they won't obediently become easy prey!

With the increasing concentration of wealth, we have now reached the stage where big fish eat small fish, and even those of the same kind can become food.

In this round of power struggle, the Jiangnan gentry appeared to be a unified whole, but in reality, internal divisions had already begun to emerge.

The essence of the struggle is transforming into how to divide up the middle group.

The small and medium-sized gentry and merchants, kept in the dark, were still working hard to resist taxes, unaware that they had already been served on the dinner table.

Once the imperial court and powerful families reach a compromise, that will be the time for them to be divided up.

……

Nanjing City.

"What? The White Lotus Sect has risen again!"

"Governor Zhuang, you're not joking?"

Minister of War Shi Qingchen asked in a panic.

To suppress the White Lotus Rebellion, the Great Yu Dynasty squandered over a century of its accumulated wealth.

The official granaries and treasuries in various regions were completely depleted, and the imperial court was burdened with a huge fiscal deficit.

It was through tax reform that the empire was forcibly pulled back from the brink of death.

Even so, the cost of ruling the Great Yu Dynasty increased significantly.

"Lord Shi, how could I dare to speak nonsense about such a life-or-death matter?"

"The White Lotus Rebels have appeared in many places in Yingtian Prefecture. Although they are still small in scale, we must not take them lightly when it comes to rebels."

We earnestly request the Ministry of War to immediately order the mobilization of troops stationed in the surrounding areas to quell this chaos as soon as possible!

Zhuang Yuanjia replied with a serious expression.

He couldn't believe it when he first heard the news.

Who would be so foolish as to dare to use the White Lotus Sect's name? Wouldn't that just force the government troops to launch a full-scale siege?
But they couldn't hold back the banner of the White Lotus Sect, and the rebels actually drove it out.

In the event of a common rebellion, the garrison can simply suppress it.

He dared not underestimate the ruthless rebels of the White Lotus Sect.

If the military operation fails and the rebels take the opportunity to grow stronger, he can't afford to take the blame.

Under the very nose of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, mobilizing a large force to encircle and suppress them would certainly not be acceptable without reporting it.

"Alright, I will write the document immediately."

Shi Qingchen readily agreed.

The situation in Jiangnan is chaotic enough, and now the remnants of the White Lotus Sect are making a comeback. It's simply unbearable.

All the Ministry of War could do was to quickly issue an order to quell the rebellion.

Adhering to the principle that speed is of the essence in military affairs, the two completed the troop transfer procedures as quickly as possible.

Immediately afterwards, official documents were swiftly dispatched by messengers.

Upon receiving the military order, Yun Xiangwen, who had already made preparations, immediately issued the order to send troops.

Unbeknownst to anyone, as the army departed, a massacre was approaching.

……

Jiangnan Academy.

As the celebration drew near, the nearby streets became increasingly bustling.

Brothels and pleasure boats, in particular, were extremely popular.

The number of people who come to visit every day is countless.

Even the normal teaching at the academy was affected.

The usually strict academy teachers were completely different this time, showing no displeasure at being disturbed.

The Great Yu Dynasty was a society based on personal connections, and the academy's celebration was undoubtedly an opportunity to expand one's network.

Even if prominent figures who have emerged from here don't come in person, they will send their descendants to participate in the grand event.

Teaching and nurturing students here does not mean being cut off from a career in government.

The imperial examinations, held every three years, were not only attended by students, but also by some college teachers.

However, the students participated in various stages of the imperial examinations, while the teachers went straight to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination.

"Thirty years old and still a novice in the imperial examinations"—this is the best description of the situation.

In the imperial examination system, middle age is the time to strive and work hard.

"This is a restricted area of ​​the academy. All unauthorized personnel, get out of here!"

The guard's reprimand did not elicit obsequious responses, but rather a sharp arrow.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

"what!"

A scream rang out as the crossbow bolt pierced through his chest.

A massacre targeting the Jiangnan Academy has officially begun.

(End of this chapter)