Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 362 No Way Out! It's All a Trap!
Sweat beads rolled down Ge Song's forehead like beads from a broken string.

At this moment, panic and tension were clearly visible in his pupils, like a surging tide.

Having a dispute with Yang Shiqi is nothing earth-shattering.

However, if a memorial were submitted to impeach Yang Shiqi, the nature of the matter would be completely different.

The former was just a minor disagreement between the two.

Yang Shiqi might use his power to suppress him.

But the worst outcome would be his dismissal from office.

Of course, if Yang Shiqi really caught him red-handed and had evidence to prove that he had committed a crime, then Yang Shiqi would definitely take advantage of his misfortune without mercy, imprisoning Ge Song, subjecting him to questioning, and even causing him to suffer the tragic fate of being beheaded and having his property confiscated.

Even so, this is just a common struggle in officialdom.

The power struggles in officialdom are fundamentally different from the mortal feuds between irreconcilable enemies.

If it really comes to the point of "being imprisoned, questioned, beheaded, and having one's property confiscated," the main reason will probably still be one's own fault.

As long as you act uprightly and honestly, others will not find fault with you and will not keep harping on it.

If one day Ge Song receives help from a powerful figure in the officialdom and rises rapidly through the ranks to become a highly influential "big shot" in the court, then he and Yang Shiqi might be able to reconcile and "cooperate" together.

Today's conflicts and contradictions will all vanish like smoke in the wind, disappearing without a trace.

A smile when we meet will wipe out all grudges!

Such things are all too common in officialdom.

However, once the decision was made to impeach Yang Shiqi, the nature of the matter underwent a fundamental change.

The fact that an imperial censor impeached a minister of state affairs and the Left Censor-in-Chief was a momentous event that could cause a huge uproar throughout the court and the country!

Moreover, the memorial will be presented publicly at tomorrow's grand court assembly, in front of all the civil and military officials.

Once things reach this point, a life-or-death, irreconcilable conflict is inevitable between him and Yang Shiqi!
not only that.

Yang Shiqi has been an official in the court for many years and has always enjoyed the Emperor's trust. He was also an old minister of the Emperor when the Emperor was still a prince.

In the court, he naturally cultivated his own enormous power.

The direct confrontation with Yang Shiqi was merely a personal conflict.

Impeaching Yang Shiqi would be tantamount to declaring war on all the loyal officials of his faction.

He offended not just one or two people, but a large group of officials.

Not to mention that Yang Shiqi was a "favored minister" highly regarded by His Majesty.

Although His Majesty issued an imperial edict today, specifically reprimanding Yang Shiqi by name.

However, Ge Song also discerned from the words of the imperial edict that His Majesty actually intended for Yang Shiqi to reorganize the Censorate.

Issuing an imperial edict to reprimand him at this time is paving the way for his future actions.

With this imperial edict, Yang Shiqi's reorganization of the Censorate became a matter of course.

That is why Ge Song rushed to Zhan Hui's residence in such a hurry, hoping to find a powerful patron so as not to become a target of persecution.

But Zhan Hui actually ordered him to impeach Yang Shiqi...

Putting aside whether the impeachment will succeed, even if it does succeed and Yang Shiqi steps down, what will happen after that?
Would Yang Shiqi's faction let him go so easily?
Not to mention the subordinates promoted by Yang Shiqi, even Yao Guangxiao, Yang Rong, Xia Yuanji and others were all old friends of Yang Shiqi with deep friendship.

These were also powerful ministers in the court.

In the future, how could they not avenge Yang Shiqi for this "memorial"?
When it really comes down to it, will Zhan Hui risk his life to save himself?

I'm afraid not!
Once the goal of impeaching Yang Shiqi is achieved, Zhan Hui will most likely not hesitate to discard himself as a pawn and kick him aside.

Furthermore, after this incident, will His Majesty remember his "good deeds" or "hate him to the bone"?

Ge Song had been working in the Censorate for several years and was no longer the clueless newcomer he had been when he first entered officialdom.

In that instant, numerous stakes flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

He suddenly understood many things.

But the more he understood the stakes involved, the stronger his fear became.

For a moment, he was terrified and stood there, his eyes vacant, as if he were in another world, completely unaware of everything around him.

"Lord Ge, Lord Ge." Seeing his distraught appearance, Zhan Hui couldn't help but call out softly twice.

"Uh……"

Ge Song finally snapped out of his daze, as if waking from a dream. He quickly put down his teacup, trying hard to suppress the turbulent emotions churning within him. Forcing a calm expression, he cupped his hands and said:
"Just now there was lightning and thunder, and the rain was pouring down. The power of the heavens was terrifying. I was so frightened that I lost my composure. I hope you will forgive me, Lord Zhan."

Zhan Hui slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Through the glass window, I gazed at the dark and gloomy sky outside, and the torrential rain pouring down like a celestial river.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, illuminating the room in alternating flashes of light and shadow.

In this interplay of light and shadow, Zhan Hui's originally peaceful face gradually took on a cold and stern air.

He said softly, "A strong wind does not last all morning, nor does a sudden rain last all day."

"The summer rain comes quickly and goes quickly."

"After the rain, the sky clears up again."

"The same applies to matters of the court."

"Thunder and rain, are they not divine grace?"

"The more stormy the weather, the less you need to panic. Just wait patiently for the storm to pass and the sun to shine again."

Ge Song also stood up, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Lord Zhan is absolutely right. I have learned a lot from your teachings."

After the conversation ended, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Both remained silent, simply gazing quietly at the torrential rain outside the window.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Thunderclaps boomed incessantly in the sky, as if trying to tear the heavens apart.

In mid-air, streaks of lightning twisted and turned like menacing electric snakes, ferocious and terrifying.

After a long silence, Zhan Hui broke the silence first and asked, "What has Lord Ge thought about the matter I just mentioned?"

Ge Song's lips parted slightly, and he stammered, "Your humble servant...?"

But the words that followed seemed to be tightly gripped by an invisible hand, stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them no matter what.

With a gentle smile on his face, Zhan Hui said softly, "Yang Shiqi is a Minister of State Affairs and Left Censor-in-Chief, wielding immense power in the court. He is also a former official of His Majesty's former residence. It is only natural that Lord Ge would have some concerns."

"In that case, please return home after the rain stops, Lord Ge. I will not linger any longer."

Ge Song's expression changed slightly, and a bitter look welled up on his face.

He was filled with remorse. Had he known this would happen, he would never have stepped into this house today, not even if he were beaten to death.

Even if they had shamelessly and humbly gone to Yang Shiqi to apologize, the outcome would have been a thousand times better.

In that case, even if Yang Shiqi didn't truly forgive him, the two wouldn't become sworn enemies. At worst, Yang Shiqi would just look down on him even more.

Moreover, given how much Yang Shiqi values ​​his reputation, to avoid being labeled as petty and vindictive, he would most likely refrain from further retaliation against him as long as Yang sincerely admits his mistake.

In this way, although he might not get the opportunity to be an "imperial envoy" on an external tour, he could at least continue to work as a censor in the Censorate peacefully.

But he seemed to be bewitched, and as if possessed, he came to the Zhan residence and entered this study.

This is why we are now in this dilemma.

The news of seeking help from the Zhan family must have already reached Yang Shiqi's ears. It would be too late for him to apologize to Yang Shiqi now.

He had nowhere to go!
But should I agree to what Zhan Hui said?
"No..." Ge Song shook his head frantically in his heart.

Once that impeachment memorial is presented to the court, it will surely cause a huge uproar.

Regardless of the final outcome, whether Yang Shiqi falls from power or he himself suffers a crushing defeat, as the instigator of this storm, he will inevitably be swept into the ruthless and terrifying political vortex and meet a tragic end, being shattered to pieces!
If so, shall we leave immediately?

He pondered in his heart.

Doing so would please neither side.

Having already offended Yang Shiqi, there was no way to salvage the situation, and now he had also offended Zhan Hui.

But it's nothing more than being dismissed from office and losing one's position; at least there's still hope of saving one's life.

Even ants try to survive.

Ge Song also did not want to die.

Just then, Zhan Hui's voice rang out again: "I have another memorial here. Before you leave, Lord Ge, you might as well take a look at it first."

Before he knew it, a memorial to the emperor was in his hand.

Ge Song reached out and took it with an almost numb expression, slowly unfolded it, and looked at it.

In an instant, his pupils dilated sharply, and his face was filled with shock and fear.

This was actually a memorial impeaching Ge Song. It detailed all the ways he had schemed and bribed people in order to be transferred out of the Censorate and secure an opportunity for an inspection tour.

In his memorial, he clearly and explicitly wrote down the amount of the bribes he gave, the gifts he gave, the specific time and place, and the recipients of the bribes.

It was as if a pair of eyes had been following him closely, watching everything he did.

However, the memorial mentioned that the "all-powerful middleman" was actually nothing more than a charlatan!
The memorial impeached him, saying that as a dignified censor, he had completely disregarded the dignity of the court and his own status in order to be promoted and sent to a remote post, and had bribed a charlatan, making a huge fool of himself...

Upon seeing this, Ge Song couldn't help but shudder.

Even though he was inside the house, he was looking at the rain outside through the glass window.

But at this moment, I felt the cold raindrops sliding down my neck, seeping into my bones.

It was as if every pore on his body opened up at that moment, and countless beads of sweat gushed out like a spring.

In the blink of an eye, his clothes were soaked with sweat.

His hand holding the memorial began to tremble violently and uncontrollably.

"Snapped!"

Finally, he could no longer hold the memorial, and the few pages of paper floated to the ground.

Zhan Hui turned his head, glanced at him indifferently, bent down and slowly picked up the memorial that had fallen to the ground, and said softly, "Lord Ge is a good person and a good official."

"Sometimes, I'm just too eager to serve the court and the people, so much so that I'm a bit too impatient."

"That's how the 'con artists' took advantage of the situation and swindled out of their money."

"However, Lord Ge, please rest assured that I have already instructed the Ministry of Justice to keep a close eye on this matter and monitor this person. We can bring that swindler to justice at any time."

"When the time comes, with the culprit caught red-handed and the evidence irrefutable, we will surely be able to thoroughly interrogate the thief and find out the whole story of how he swindled Lord Ge out of his money."

"The money that Lord Ge was swindled out of can also be successfully recovered."

At this point, Zhan Hui paused slightly, then changed his tone and let out a long sigh.

"But in doing so, Lord Ge's bribery of charlatans will be made public."

"This could ruin Lord Ge's lifelong reputation!"

"The imperial court will absolutely not tolerate such a scandal."

He shook his head repeatedly, sighing repeatedly, his words filled with helplessness.

"thump!"

Ge Song's legs went weak, and he knelt straight on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead hitting the ground heavily with a dull thud.

"Lord Zhan, please spare my life!" Ge Song pleaded tearfully.

Now that things have come to this, how could he not understand?
This was all a carefully laid trap.

From the very beginning, the other party had meticulously planned everything.

If he obediently follows the other party's arrangements, there will naturally be no trouble, and there is no need to waste words.

But once he becomes unwilling, that so-called "all-powerful middleman" will instantly transform into a "con man" despised by the world!
Ultimately, that all-powerful middleman was nothing more than a "white glove" in the hands of the court bigwigs.

When you want to throw it away, just toss it aside.

If needed in the future, finding a new "white glove" will be a piece of cake.

But in doing so, Ge Song would be seen as a shameless scoundrel who would bribe charlatans in order to get promoted!
Not only would they suffer severe punishment from the imperial court, but even after their death, they would still become a laughingstock of the world for being too "stupid".

A stain that lasts a lifetime can never be washed away!

Upon realizing this, Ge Song's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

He was acting like a madman, desperately kowtowing and pleading with tearful cries.

Zhan Hui's face still wore a kind and gentle smile.

He squinted slightly, looked at Ge Song, and smiled, "Lord Ge is joking."

"I'm not going to take your life, so why are you talking about sparing your life?"

"But the imperial court has its own laws, and as a minister of state affairs, I should abide by the law and uphold the order of the court."

Zhan Hui's tone changed slightly, and he continued, "Whether you live or die, and what path you take, it all depends on Lord Ge's own decision!"

Ge Song raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness, and looked straight at Zhan Hui.

Zhan Hui walked slowly back to his original seat from the window.

He casually tossed the impeachment memorial onto the table, then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down steadily. His every move was unhurried and composed.

"The matter of distributing land and reforming the tax system has already aroused great indignation among all the civil and military officials in the court."

"Everyone has a few acres of poor land in their home, more or less."

"If the tax system implemented by the three Jurchen tribes were to be implemented, the more land one owns, the higher the tax would be per mu. Not to mention the amount of tax to be paid, once this system is implemented, even if one wants to accumulate a large amount of land to pass on to future generations, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven for the family to pass on the tradition of farming and studying."

"This has severed the foundation of so many people."

"Although Yang Shiqi was secretly instigating this matter, he also knew that it was difficult to defy public anger, so he could only suppress it for the time being and dared not publicly express his support."

"This shows that he is still aware of the seriousness of the matter!"

"Therefore, you don't need to be so afraid of him."

Upon hearing these words, a glimmer of hope appeared in Ge Song's eyes, who had been filled with despair.

Zhan Hui took another sip of tea and continued, "Today His Majesty publicly issued an edict reprimanding Yang Shiqi, blaming him for failing to manage the Censorate properly."

"In that case, it is imperative to reorganize the Censorate."

"The censors of the Censorate are now all living in fear."

"Everyone was worried that they would be targeted by Yang Shiqi and become the target of his crackdown."

"At this time, if someone were to submit a memorial impeaching Yang Shiqi, it would be very easy to get a response from the censors."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone sounding as if he were both advising Ge Song and talking to himself.

Hearing this, Ge Song, who was kneeling on the ground, swallowed hard, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't open his mouth.

After a moment, he mustered his courage and asked, "If I publicly impeach Yang Shiqi at the morning court tomorrow, what will happen to my bribery of the charlatan?"

At this moment, he was so emotional that he forgot to refer to himself as "this humble official" and blurted out "I".

Upon hearing this, Zhan Hui threw his head back and laughed heartily: "If Lord Ge truly has such a heroic deed, unafraid of powerful figures, ready to die for his cause, and fighting against treacherous officials to the very end, then he is a man of courage, wisdom, and extraordinary spirit!"

"Being cheated by a con artist in the past is nothing more than a trivial matter."

"If one does not compromise on major principles, then minor matters can be overlooked. Lord Ge remains a loyal minister of our Great Ming Dynasty."

“Eternity from now, the name of Lord Ge will surely be recorded in history.”

"All the officials in the court will be impressed by Lord Ge's fearless integrity."

"As for the matter of being deceived in the past, everyone will naturally help Lord Ge cover it up. We will never let such a trivial matter tarnish Lord Ge's good name that will be remembered for thousands of years."

Zhan Hui paused briefly, his previously impassioned tone softening: "That swindler will commit suicide out of fear of punishment after Lord Ge submits his memorial tomorrow."

"This memorial will also be burned."

"No one in the world knows about the minor mistake that Lord Ge made, and there is no witness or physical evidence to verify it."

"From now on, Lord Ge can rest easy."

He then changed the subject, saying, "Besides, once this matter succeeds, the matter of being transferred to a post outside the capital, which Lord Ge has always been concerned about, will naturally not be a problem either."

"Perhaps from now on, Lord Ge will become a leading figure among the upright officials in the court."

"It is not impossible that he will rise rapidly in his career and become a renowned minister."

"As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. On the battlefield, who doesn't risk their life to kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions?"

"The same applies to the imperial court."

"Even if the impeachment fails and Lord Ge is beheaded, he will still be a good official who dares to speak frankly and has an upright and unyielding spirit!"

"Since ancient times, warriors have died in battle and scholars have died remonstrating." Even if Lord Ge had died for this, he would have been praised and his name would have been passed down.

"Isn't it much better than having the bribery exposed to the world?"

"If he is lucky enough to survive and the impeachment is successful, then Lord Ge's reputation will surely resound throughout the world and be admired by all!"

"I trust Lord Ge's wisdom in deciding what to choose."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhan Hui smiled and looked intently at Ge Song.

"I'll do it!"

Ge Song gritted his teeth and squeezed out those two words!

"boom!"

Just then, another thunderbolt crashed down.

……

(End of this chapter)