Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 860 Persuasion
"Your Majesty, this is a list of treacherous officials that has just been compiled. Do you think it should be sent to the Court of Judicial Review for conviction immediately?"

Yang Yuan temporarily used the Political Affairs Hall as his office.

The Council of State Affairs was located in the palace, between the front court and the inner palace, so he carried out his duties in the front court.

Several prime ministers were still working in the government office; in such a vast empire, many things could not be delayed.

However, matters concerning "removing the emperor's inner circle" were of course inseparable from Yang Yuan; without his approval, nothing could be done.

At this time, the Emperor had not yet issued an edict of self-reproach and abdicated the throne, and the question of who would inherit the throne would not be settled until Zhao Qu woke up.

Therefore, Yang Yuan is currently unsure of her future identity.

If Zhao Ju refused to become emperor, he would have no choice but to become regent.

If Zhao Qu is willing to take on this mess, then he doesn't care.

Therefore, Yang Yuan has not been "appointed" to any position.

Yang Yuan was also unwilling to have an emperor who was about to abdicate appoint him to a position.

But in fact, he is now the regent of the Song Dynasty.

Yang Yuan took the list, flipped through it, and then picked up his pen and swiftly wrote a series of sharp, hook-like strokes.

"Those in the capital will be executed tomorrow!"

Yang Yuan's words caused the corrupt official walking around the Hall of State Affairs to turn pale instantly.

"Not a single one left?"

He had anticipated that the Prince of Yan would kill people, but it would have been more logical to only behead a few "ringleaders," not to execute them all.

Yang Yuan knew that not all of these officials under the Crown Prince deserved to die, but he insisted on dealing with them severely and swiftly.

Reviewing is not impossible, but the review process will inevitably lead to a lot of trouble.

These are all officials bearing the blatant mark of the "Eastern Palace," but are these the only officials in the Eastern Palace faction?
How many officials have already changed their allegiance to the Crown Prince's faction?
In the past two years, factions have sprung up in the government. How many people will take this opportunity to attack political enemies and exclude dissidents?
In the end, not so many people might die, but they will completely destroy the court and leave him with a mess.

By then, it will take five, seven, or eight years to recover.

Killing these people will put the minds of many people at ease and deter many officials who want to exploit this incident from their improper thoughts.

Moreover, as long as the people in the Eastern Palace faction are alive, their influence is not so easy to eliminate, and there will always be various troubles afterward.

Yang Yuan was a man who had survived countless deaths; what did he have to fear from a few lives?

Those officials in the imperial court, eager to make merit, made a hasty decision that led to the deaths of more than 90,000 young men in Shaanxi. Who was so shocked by the loss of those 90,000 lives?
It's just a few hundred people, what's the big deal?

When Yang Yuan went to Qingzhou, there were still more than 20,000 rebels there. Although many of them were dismissed, more than 6,000 remained. How many of them finally made it to Lin'an?
More than two thousand people!
Yang Yuan sneered and waved his sleeve, saying, "What? Not a single one left? Aren't there still some serving in various places?"

Yang Yuan said, "Tell the Ministry of Personnel to dismiss all those registered but not in the capital and send them to live a life of seclusion in the countryside. You see, some of them have stayed behind."

The official, holding the list approved by Yang Yuan, ran dejectedly to the Ministry of Justice.

There's no need for the Court of Judicial Review to conduct the trial; the Ministry of Justice can carry out the execution directly.

"Your Majesty, yesterday in the capital, some ruffians took advantage of the chaos to rob, kill, and rape. They have now been apprehended..."

"Take them all to the crossroads and behead them as a warning to the public!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Yuan gave the order.

So the official in charge of state affairs, carrying hundreds of lives, fled in terror.

"Your Majesty, Qian Duanli, the acting Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrently the Chief of the Privy Council, has arrived."

"please come in!"

Yang Yuan immediately put down his pen and straightened his clothes.

Qian Duanli, the Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrently the Chief Secretary of the Privy Council, had just entered the signing room when the Prince of Yan came to greet him, smiling as if a celestial official had bestowed a blessing upon him.

Upon seeing this, Vice Minister Qian immediately felt a sense of alarm.

Why is the Prince of Yan smiling so maliciously? What is he planning to do?
"Someone, serve tea!"

Yang Yuan called out to the outside world and said respectfully, "Minister Qian, please sit down."

Yang Yuan looked at him and saw that this Vice Minister Qian was only in his early fifties. He was well-maintained, with bright eyes and a clean-cut appearance, looking as if he were in his early forties.

Qian Shilang became even more wary under Yang Yuan's gaze. It was no wonder he was cautious; although he wasn't part of the Crown Prince's faction, he was the young emperor's father-in-law.

Is the Prince of Yan planning to harm me?
I haven't even had a chance to put on my official hat yet, and now I'm about to have it taken off?
After Dazhuang served the tea, Yang Yuan gave the order: "Close the door. No one is allowed to come in without being summoned."

Liu Dazhuang agreed, went out and closed the door, then stood in front of it.

Yang Yuan said solemnly, "Minister Qian, what I am about to say to you is very important. I hope you will listen carefully and keep it in mind, but do not let anyone else know it through you."

Minister Qian grew increasingly uneasy and quickly rose to his feet, bowing respectfully and saying, "Your Majesty, please speak."

"Sit down, sit down, sit down, no need to be so polite."

Yang Yuan waved his hand, showing that he was indeed quite polite to Qian Duanli.

After Qian Duanli carefully settled down, Yang Yuan said, "Now that the treacherous officials in the court have just been purged, rumors and speculations are inevitable among the people."

The daily expenses of Lin'an's million-person population were all affected.

The Lin'an Prefecture is currently handling this matter urgently, and I have also found several righteous merchants to cooperate with me.

"Minister Qian is the Vice Minister of Revenue and a prominent figure in Qiantang. At this time, it would be best if you, Elder Qian, stepped forward to do more."

Qian Duanli bowed and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. Please do not hesitate to give any instructions if there is anything I need." This Minister Qian was a sixth-generation descendant of King Qian Chu of Wuyue and the son of Duke Rongguo, Qian Chen. He later entered officialdom through hereditary privilege and was particularly skilled in financial management.

He served in various prefectures, including Taizhou. Because of his outstanding achievements in financial management, he was promoted despite being a hereditary official.

Not long ago, his daughter was granted the title of Consort De. Logically, he should be promoted to Minister of Revenue next year.

As a result, this led to the incident of "purging the court of corrupt officials," and Vice Minister Qian was inevitably annoyed, because although he was extremely wealthy, he was also an ambitious man.

He didn't want to be a leisurely, wealthy man; instead, he wanted to enter politics, do great things, and make a name for himself in history.

But now the young emperor is forced to purge his inner circle of advisors, and it's uncertain whether he will become one of them.

Therefore, he was not in a very good mood.

Seeing that he was just being perfunctory, Yang Yuan changed the subject and became even more serious.

"There is another important matter that I need to discuss with Minister Qian. I hope... I can gain Minister Qian's understanding and support."

Qian Shilang's eyes immediately sharpened, though only for a moment. He lowered his gaze to conceal it, but Yang Yuan still noticed it.

Yang Yuan slowed down his speech and said, word by word, "Your Majesty has been deeply remorseful for the corruption of the government and the suffering of the people due to the favoritism of treacherous officials. You have decided to abdicate."

Qian Shilang's pupils suddenly dilated.

The Emperor is about to abdicate?!
Yang Yuan said, "However, Your Majesty is still young and has not yet come of age. If you were to abdicate suddenly, the resulting turmoil would certainly be significant."

The Qian family is a pillar of strength and a ballast stone in Jiangnan. I hope to gain Minister Qian's understanding and support.

After a long silence, Vice Minister Qian slowly said, "Has the palace also agreed to this?"

Both palaces have agreed.

Minister Qian smiled faintly: "I am merely a Minister of Revenue. Since the two palaces and His Majesty have reached an agreement, I shall naturally comply."

To comply or not to object?

Do I need you to comply, do I need you not to object?

I need you to use the Qian family's unparalleled influence in Jiangnan to set an example for all sectors and prevent unrest in the capital region during this process.

Old Qian, you can't be so pessimistic.

Yang Yuan smiled slightly and then took out the bargaining chips that he had discussed with the two palaces beforehand:
"The Empress Dowager decided that after the new emperor ascended the throne, he would be granted the title of Vice Minister Qian, a Jinshi degree holder, and promoted to Vice Minister of State Affairs and concurrently acting Privy Councilor."

The one who is in charge of the Privy Council is the Privy Council Commissioner, even if it has the word "power" in it.

Moreover, if one is appointed as a councilor and concurrently a member of the Privy Council, that would be equivalent to a vice prime minister.

The conditions offered by Yang Yuan were undeniably generous.

He believed that Qian Duanli would definitely agree this time, so he picked up his tea, took a sip, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

Qian Duanli was indeed smitten.

He was never content with being just a wealthy man; he wanted to use all his knowledge to realize his lifelong ambition and become a great and wise minister who would be remembered in history.

Yang Yuan agreed that as long as he cooperated actively, he would directly become a prime minister, which indeed moved him.

But once the young emperor abdicates, he will become the abdicated emperor's father-in-law. Will the new emperor really tolerate him? Will the Prince of Yan really tolerate him?
Aren't there countless examples of people crossing the river and then discarding the bridge, or putting away the bow after the birds are all gone?

I'm just afraid that by then, it won't be so easy to go back to being a wealthy man.

Yang Yuan noticed that Minister Qian was holding a cup of tea but remained silent with his head down, and then he realized that something was wrong.

You're already the vice prime minister, aren't you satisfied?
It wouldn't be right to make you prime minister immediately, would it?
Although Lao Wei had been saying for a long time that he wanted to retire and return to his hometown.

Yang Yuan cleared his throat and said, "If you have any difficulties, just tell me. I will definitely help you solve them and dispel your doubts."

If I cannot resolve a matter, I will consult the two palaces to ensure that Minister Qian has no worries.

Minister Qian sighed softly and said, "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. I have nothing to be troubled about, but I am getting old and suddenly lost my mind. I remembered a small matter. Please forgive me."

Yang Yuan looked at Qian Duanli's hair, which was as black as ink and without a single white hair, and his face, which was without a single wrinkle, and was speechless.

You're getting old, you're daydreaming, do you think I'd believe that?
However... this means they're planning to set conditions.

Haha, it's good to set conditions. As long as you're willing to set conditions, I'm not afraid you won't stand on my side!
In the imperial court, Yang Yuan had his own ruthless methods, and he had many friends who could be supported.

Needless to say, he had even more friends in the military.

However, his influence was quite limited due to his "wildness".

In the Jiangnan region, there was no family more influential than the Qian family.

Therefore, in Yang Yuan's view, as long as Vice Minister Qian was willing to make his demands, the matter would be settled.

Yang Yuan immediately put down his teacup and asked with concern, "How can the Qian family's affairs be considered trivial matters?"

"If Minister Qian has any difficulties, just speak up. If it's within my power to help, I will do my utmost."

Minister Qian coughed lightly and said slowly, "My daughter Xingruo is naturally willful and loves to compete with her older sister Qingyuan."

However, because she is one year younger than Qingyuan, she was unable to participate in last year's talent show.

Qingyuan was bestowed the title of Consort De. Xingruo swore that her husband would be no less than Qingyuan before she would be content.

Minister Qian raised his eyes and looked at Yang Yuan: "I wonder if there is still a concubine in the Prince's residence?"

(End of this chapter)