Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 715 A struggle should look like a struggle.

In the evening, Xia Lin had just finished dinner in the palace. The person accompanying him on his walk was not Emperor Jingtai, but the steward of the kitchen.

"To be honest, the food in your kitchen is really awful."

"My lord, it's really not our fault... We're not cooks by trade, so how good could our food be? Besides, His Majesty's food needs to be handled with utmost care. Right now, nobody knows what underhanded tricks they might pull. Some dishes look like they've been prepared, but we're the ones who actually eat them. The food His Majesty and you are eating was prepared in the afternoon and has been kept warm on the stove ever since. How can food that's been kept warm taste good? But we have no choice, do we? Compared to how good it tastes, His Majesty and you are the most important."

This person wasn't originally a cook, but rather a cook placed in by the Bureau of Investigation. In other words, the entire kitchen now belonged to the Bureau of Investigation. Don't underestimate the kitchen; at this critical juncture, even a slight mistake could be a huge problem. These people have used methods to poison the emperor before.

At this moment, Emperor Jingtai also came up, carrying something in his hand and swaying as he approached.

“Daosheng, you haven’t had any income these days, and it’s not right for you to keep asking your family for money. Take these for now.”

Xia Lin took the brocade pouch and weighed it in his hand. He quickly calculated that it contained a gold ingot, about a hundred taels. It was so heavy that he was caught off guard and almost couldn't lift it.

"Giving me ten thousand taels of silver is considered a bribe."

"What would I gain from bribing you?" Emperor Jingtai patted his shoulder. "Buy more tonics. This is all I can do for you. Go back and cultivate in seclusion. If you can't hold on any longer, just call Dou'er over and I will issue an imperial edict to summon you."

Xia Lin held the gold ingot, pursed her lips, and walked silently forward until she passed through the Imperial Garden and arrived at the back gate of the palace.

At this moment, he turned his head and gave Emperor Jingtai a deep look. Emperor Jingtai felt a little reluctant and turned his head to wave at him.

Xia Lin nodded and started to walk away. He had only taken a few steps when Emperor Jingtai called out from behind, "Hey..."

"Hmm?" Xia Lin turned around and glanced at him.

"It's nothing." Emperor Jingtai shook his head: "Take care."

As Xia Lin walked out of the palace and heard the palace gates slam shut, he stood for a long time, took a deep breath, then silently shook his head and stepped onto the carriage.

Xia Lin then went into seclusion...

As for what he was doing in seclusion, it was naturally to have a child.

The next morning, after a meeting in the inner room, Old Zhang was kept behind by the Emperor Jingtai as he examined the plan in his hand.

"Three hundred thousand scholars going to the fields? Won't that cause trouble?"

“What trouble could they possibly cause? They’re just weak scholars. I’ve thought about it carefully. Since the Zhou kings enfeoffed the people, imperial power has never extended beyond the county level. The areas below the county level are mostly governed by local elders. If these people were to go down there, they would inevitably clash with the local elders. This is actually a viable way out.”

"Are they willing?"

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but if you don’t go, you’ll have no chance of promotion. I think this is indeed a good move.” Old Zhang pursed his lips and said, “Daosheng said that these people have been in the Heavenly Palace for too long, it’s time to let them be down-to-earth.”

"Hmm... that's the logic, but I'm worried they'll just pay lip service while doing something wrong. You know, these policies are all good, but the people below just won't listen."

Old Zhang then placed the list of over a thousand people and a record of their crimes in front of Emperor Jingtai: "With this and this, these two things are enough to make them obey."

Emperor Jingtai opened the register and the record of crimes, his brows furrowing involuntarily: "If it weren't for my extraordinary composure, I would probably be so angry at these beasts that I would vomit blood."

Old Zhang didn't have Xia Lin's guts to roll his eyes at Emperor Jingtai directly, but he still silently turned his head away, because he really couldn't bear to look at Emperor Jingtai's smug expression.

"What are you doing! Look at me!" Emperor Jingtai slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "My demeanor is already so extraordinary, do you still want to find fault?"

"No, no, my eyes were just itchy."

"Stop talking nonsense." Emperor Jingtai closed the two booklets. "So, you're saying they should find a way to save face for themselves?"

“We don’t have to search, anyway, we need to make a respectable group of people before the winter solstice.” Old Zhang lowered his eyelids, but the murderous intent in his eyes was almost uncontrollable: “There will always be conservatives who will resist to the death.”

"I still have some concerns."

"Your Majesty," Old Zhang suddenly looked up, "could it get any worse?"

Emperor Jingtai fell silent. He leaned back, rubbing his forehead, and remained motionless for a long time. Old Zhang didn't urge him either, simply waiting quietly. Everyone understood that once this order was signed, Emperor Jingtai had completely betrayed his own class, and everyone would realize that the Great Wei was going to eradicate this malignant tumor at its root.

Is this a good thing? Yes, it is certainly a good thing, but is it a good thing for Emperor Jingtai? This move is not only digging up the roots of the aristocratic class, but also digging up the roots of imperial power. Once this order is signed, it is equivalent to changing the structure of the dynastic system and the ancient system of rites.

"No emperor in history has ever dared to do this," Emperor Jingtai suddenly asked. "Tell me, can I walk across?"

"Is it right to always be this way? The current situation is clear, and I know what Your Majesty is worried about. But I ask Your Majesty to think about the late Emperor's last wishes. Your Majesty, you are not the founding emperor and do not want to become the emperor who brings about the downfall of the country. You should also know that no dynasty lasts forever. Rather than letting the world rot and decay in your hands, why not squeeze it out forcefully? It may hurt, but once the pus comes out, it will be more comfortable."

Emperor Jingtai crossed his arms and looked at Old Zhang, picking up his pen and writing furiously as he said, "Quickly, praise my extraordinary demeanor. If it were any other emperor, you would have lost your head by now, including my father."

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and possesses extraordinary magnanimity."

As they spoke, Emperor Jingtai took out the imperial seal from the gold-threaded box and stamped the words "By the mandate of Heaven, may your reign be long and prosperous" on a small piece of paper.

Old Zhang bowed and raised his hand to receive the imperial edict, then rolled it up with utmost respect and tucked it into his sleeve: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on becoming a wise and benevolent ruler."

Emperor Jingtai gave a bitter smile: "Why don't you all think of a way to depose me as emperor?"

"Not yet, Your Majesty," Old Zhang said, looking up at Emperor Jingtai. "It will take another hundred years."

Emperor Jingtai waved his hand to dismiss Old Zhang, then sat on the dragon throne, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, Jinlian came forward to serve him food. Seeing Emperor Jingtai's bewildered expression, as if he were in a trance, she couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing." Emperor Jingtai came back to his senses and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "What do you think these people are trying to achieve? They don't care about fame or profit, but they're just trying to persecute me every day."

"Your Majesty is referring to Lord Xia and the others, isn't he?"

"Who else could it be but them!" Emperor Jingtai sighed and leaned against the wall. "Don't they know that once this order is signed, there will be no turning back for me?"

"Your Majesty, what are you afraid of? Are you afraid of the revenge of the powerful clans of the land? Do they dare?" Jinlian looked surprised. "This commoner is ignorant of world affairs, but I know that since the beginning of dynasties, no dynasty's people have ever supported their ruler as much as the people of our dynasty. Isn't this the foundation of the nation? Your Majesty clearly already has the power to govern the country, so why are you still frowning?"

Emperor Jingtai waved his hand, saying with a hint of helplessness, "You, a woman, don't understand. What I did today is actually digging up my own ancestral graves."

"That can't possibly lead to him becoming a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country. I believe that Lord Xia would never harm His Majesty."

Emperor Jingtai didn't speak, but simply stood up and said, "Let's go change our clothes. Let's go out and have some fun; this palace is too stifling."

Having obtained the Emperor's decree, everything is now ready except for the final push. However, we certainly cannot release the news now, or the world will surely descend into chaos. We must wait a few more days, and let them kill for a while first.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was the beginning of winter in the blink of an eye. During this period, no one saw Xia Daosheng. There were even rumors among the people that Xia Daosheng had died from a serious illness. However, in order to maintain the stability of the court, Emperor Jingtai kept the news of his death a secret. His body was preserved with salt and placed with salted fish to mask the smell.

"Good heavens, I've finally gotten the treatment of Qin Shi Huang."

Xia Lin was eating a steamed bun while holding a newspaper, reading about the recent developments in Jinling. He was not allowed to go out during his seclusion. Neither of the two emperors in the past could restrict his legs, but now he was stuck here by the curse of not being able to have a son.

After finishing reading the Jinling Times, he picked up the newspaper founded by Di San'er. The newspaper had transformed from a tabloid without a title into Jinling's second reference news. Although someone was quietly providing financial support behind the scenes, its quality was remarkable, and it had even become a platform for two different classes to discuss issues.

The discussions on the platform are sharp and harsh, and occasionally even contain some outrageous remarks. In the current environment where no one dares to act rashly, such a platform is all the more precious.

In recent days, the hottest discussion on this youth newspaper, which is headed by Ming Pao, is "Is it right to always be this way?" Conservative and reformist intellectuals are arguing fiercely on the page. As officials are arrested for long-standing cases, the discussion on the page has become increasingly heated.

"That's right, now that's what a struggle should look like." Xia Lin took a sip of soy milk and muttered to himself, "I thought about it before, we need to pierce their lies sharply!"

Just as he was about to eat his second wrap, Dou'er suddenly rushed in, shouting, "Master, Master, something terrible has happened!"

"what's up?"

Dou'er said excitedly, "There are thousands of students stranded in the capital petitioning in front of the palace gates. Would you like to go and take a look?"

"Wow!" Xia Lin exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Di San'er is a genius!"

(End of this chapter)