Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 414 A Third-Rank Official Before the Prime Minister's Gate! Xie Jin's Request!

Zhu Yunwen stared intently at the arrogant and overbearing son of a servant before him, the anger in his chest rising like flames stirred by a strong wind.

He gritted his teeth and uttered the order slowly and deliberately: "Go find some cow dung and horse dung, and stuff his mouth shut tightly so he'll know what rules are!"

Upon hearing this decree, the guards dared not utter a sound, knowing that their master was currently in a rage and any misstep would result in his fury.

They quickly followed their instructions and searched around. Before long, they found cow and horse dung and stuffed it straight into Zhao Sanye's mouth.

"You bunch of audacious bastards, how dare you humiliate me like this! I will never let you get away with this...you...you..."

While shouting wildly, Third Master Zhao struggled desperately.

Unfortunately, he was no match for the guards. After only a few shouts, his mouth was stuffed full, and he could only let out muffled sobs, unable to utter a complete sentence.

The teahouse owner, watching this scene from the side, was so frightened that his legs went weak and he trembled like a leaf.

He was inwardly groaning; this feud had truly deepened.

I fear that if the city gate catches fire, the innocent bystanders will suffer the consequences, and I will be dragged into this conflict for no reason.

His lips trembled, his face filled with fear, as he pleaded in a low, subservient voice.

Yang Shiqi gently reassured him, "Shopkeeper, this matter has nothing to do with you. You don't need to play the peacemaker here."

"If anyone dares to cause you trouble in the future, just report it to the Censorate, and I will definitely uphold justice for you and will never break my promise."

Upon hearing this, the teahouse owner was taken aback. He shifted his gaze from Yang Shiqi's face to Zhao Sanye, who was being forcibly dragged away and was still struggling, as well as his henchmen. Then, his gaze returned to Yang Shiqi's face.

His brows furrowed, his eyes filled with hesitation, and he said in a low voice, "Sir, are you really not afraid of Master Zhao's revenge in the future?"

Yang Shiqi laughed and said, "What you say is quite strange. Why would I, a dignified imperial censor, be afraid of the son of a mere servant?"

"Sir, don't you understand the saying 'even a third-rank official is respected before the prime minister's gate'?" The teahouse owner stamped his foot in frustration, then slapped his thigh and raised his voice, "You keep calling him the son of a servant, but he's the son of the emperor's brother-in-law's servant!"

"Third Master Zhao's father, Steward Zhao, was just a servant in front of the Imperial Uncle, but outside, he was the embodiment of the Imperial Uncle."

"What he said was the Emperor's brother-in-law's instruction."

"Not to mention us ordinary people, even the officials of the Yingtian Prefecture and the various departments in the capital wouldn't dare to disobey us."

"My two censors, now you should understand, shouldn't you?"

"You tell me, how could we dare offend his son!"

"Even the two of you, I'm afraid, would find it difficult to bear."

Finally, the teahouse owner revealed his hidden worries.

According to popular rumors, the censors of the Censorate were mostly regarded as "pure and upright officials".

They were righteous and fearless of the powerful, speaking frankly and remonstrating in the imperial court. Their upright and unyielding spirit was admirable.

However, there were also those who offended powerful figures and ended up being dismissed from their posts, exiled, or even beheaded and had their property confiscated.

This inevitably brings to mind the profound influence of those "pure and upright" individuals on public opinion and the incomparably "glorious image" they established in the hearts of the people.

At least in the eyes of the vast majority of ordinary people, the term "qingliu" is synonymous with "honest official" and "good official".

The censor was a typical representative of the "pure stream" (a group of officials known for their integrity and uprightness).

This was precisely what the teahouse owner was worried about.

What I fear is that these two censors are the kind of "pure stream" who only read the classics but are completely ignorant of the complexities and dangers of the world.

He really thought that he could compete with the emperor's brother-in-law just because he was an imperial censor.

In that case, it won't just be them who suffer; they might also drag others down with them.

For example, one's own teahouse might also be caught up in this storm.

"Shopkeeper, you are really overthinking it. Look, these two gentlemen have brought so many imposing guards just to have a cup of tea at our teahouse. They must hold very high positions in the Censorate. Why should they be afraid of the son of a mere servant?"

Xie Jin's voice rang out.

As he spoke, he gave Yang Shiqi a deep look.

Then, he turned his gaze to Zhu Yunwen, but only for a brief moment before quickly looking away, lowering his head slightly, his expression somewhat restrained.

The teahouse owner suddenly slapped his forehead, realizing something, and said, "That's right! I've seen censors from the Censorate before, but I've never seen one with so many guards when he goes out. May I ask what positions you two hold within the Censorate?"

The imperial censors who went out of the capital for inspection were imperial envoys, and their procession was incredibly grand, with people clearing the way with gongs and drums all the way.

With sedan chair bearers, attendants, guards, and all the necessary personnel, plus the local entourage sent to welcome the censor, it would not be surprising to have a large entourage of several hundred people.

However, in the capital, although the censors still inspired fear in the officials, most of them were "poor officials from the honest and upright faction".

Forget about putting on a show; many censors couldn't even afford to hire a sedan chair bearer.

On ordinary days, they often travel on foot without any attendants.

But these two imperial censors were accompanied by so many guards; such a display of force suggested they had come prepared.

Or perhaps his position within the Censorate was extremely important, far surpassing that of ordinary censors.

"Mr. Xie is absolutely right." As Master Zhao was led away by the yamen runners, Zhu Yunwen suppressed the anger surging in his heart and a faint smile appeared on his face. He said, "To be honest, we are here at this teahouse on the orders of the Left Censor-in-Chief, Lord Yang, to welcome Mr. Xie."

"Lord Yang is incredibly insightful; he foresaw that Mr. Xie would come here."

"He also speculated that those who were resistant to the new policies and new learning might be detrimental to Mr. Xie and wanted to give him a hard time, so he arranged for us to plant people in the dark to prevent any unforeseen events."

"I didn't expect it would actually come in handy."

Zhu Yunwen's words were watertight, cleverly concealing his true identity and origins.

Xie Jin's eyes flickered slightly, filled with doubt.

Although he was somewhat bookish and idealistic in his dealings with others, he was extremely intelligent.

Naturally, they wouldn't easily believe such a statement, but for the time being, it was difficult to discern its truth or falsehood.

Upon hearing this, the teahouse owner was overjoyed, his face beaming with delight: "Oh my, so you know Lord Yang! That's wonderful!"

As the shopkeeper spoke, he rubbed his hands excitedly: "Given the relationship between Lord Yang and the Imperial Uncle, as long as Lord Yang is willing to put in a word, the Imperial Uncle will surely not make things difficult for you two because of the son of a mere servant."

"Who knows, they might even severely punish that Third Master Zhao!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's expression changed instantly.

How could Yang Shiqi and Empress Gu Panjun's brother have such a close relationship?

His gaze shifted to Yang Shiqi's face.

Yang Shiqi looked flustered and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Don't talk nonsense!"

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Zhu Yunwen, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels.

"Lord Yang has no dealings with the Emperor's brother-in-law and has no interaction with him."

He was ostensibly speaking to the teahouse owner, but in reality, he was explaining to Zhu Yunwen, who was standing to the side.

The teahouse owner scoffed, shaking his head with a smile, "You only know one side of the story." He took a few steps closer and lowered his voice, "The current Empress was originally sought out by Lord Yang and several other officials and presented to His Majesty."

"The Emperor's brother-in-law's current status is entirely due to Lord Yang's recommendation."

"Tell me, how could the Emperor's brother-in-law not be grateful to Lord Yang?"

"With their relationship, how could it be anything but good?"

"So, as long as Lord Yang intervenes, this matter can definitely be resolved today."

When Yang Shiqi heard that the other party was only speculating about his relationship with the emperor's brother-in-law on this matter, he immediately felt a little relieved.

His Majesty the Emperor is already aware of this matter, so there is no need to worry about it arousing suspicion.

He shook his head slightly and said calmly, "What I did back then was purely to help His Majesty get married as soon as possible. I had no private relationship with the Imperial Brother-in-law, and since then, we have had very little contact."

The teahouse owner smiled and said, "You're not Lord Yang, how would you know the details?"

"Maybe they are. They might actually be very close friends in private."

"On the surface, he deliberately pretended that they didn't have much of a relationship, so as not to be accused by others of colluding with the maternal relatives."

"That's how things are in officialdom. Although I'm not in officialdom, I know a thing or two about it..."

He continued his rambling, getting carried away, when suddenly he caught a glimpse of the two "censors'" faces darken. Realizing his mistake, he quickly swallowed back what he was about to say, forcing a smile and saying, "Look at my mouth, I've been so talkative. With your shrewdness, you two must see these matters far better than I do. How could I possibly be the one spouting nonsense here?"

After saying that, he lightly slapped himself twice.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Yang Shiqi again and saw that cold sweat was pouring down his forehead, with fine beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks.

He didn't say anything more, but turned to the teahouse owner with a sharp look in his eyes and asked, "That servant's son, whom you called Master Zhao, seems to be quite famous? You all know him? Has he ever done a lot of bullying and extortion in the past?"

Since I've stumbled upon this matter, I naturally want to investigate it thoroughly and get to the bottom of it.

"Third Master Zhao? Who on this street doesn't know him?" The teahouse owner smiled bitterly, his face full of helplessness and fear.

"We would never dare to speak ill of Master Zhao. Your Excellencies, please be merciful and spare us common folk."

It seems that this Master Zhao has been lording it over people in this area for a long time, and the ordinary people have long been terrified by his power and dare not speak up easily.

Seeing this, Zhu Yunwen stopped pressing for answers and gently comforted him, saying, "Third Master Zhao has been arrested and handed over to the Yingtian Prefecture government for processing. You no longer need to live in fear."

He will definitely resolve this matter.

In particular, it is essential to thoroughly investigate whether the Empress was secretly instructing her brother to interfere in court affairs.

But there's no need to say too much to the teahouse owner at this point.

The other party already had a prejudice in their heart, and it was not something that could be persuaded in a few words.

We can only wait for the facts to prove it.

After speaking, Zhu Yunwen turned to face Xie Jin, revealing a gentle smile, and said, "Mr. Xie, now that our identities have been revealed, we are censors of the Censorate. I wonder if you can now open your heart to us and have a heart-to-heart talk?"

"Yes!" Xie Jin quickly replied, bowing slightly at the waist with extreme respect.

Then, they followed closely behind Zhu Yunwen and Yang Shiqi, heading together towards a private room in the teahouse.

Upon entering the private room, Xie Jin quickly turned around and closed the door. Then, with a thud, he knelt down on both knees, bowed his head, and kowtowed, saying, "This humble subject, Xie Jin, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Yunwen was taken aback. He had not intended to reveal his true identity to Xie Jin, but he did not expect that the other party had already seen through him.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then he slowly sat down in the chair and asked, "How did you figure that out?"

Now that his identity had been exposed, Zhu Yunwen no longer concealed it and faced the situation openly.

Xie Jin raised his head slightly, a hint of caution in his eyes, and slowly said, "This humble subject was blind and did not initially recognize Your Majesty's identity, which is why I declined Your Majesty's invitation."

"When I saw His Majesty's guards come to his rescue, I had a vague idea in my mind."

"After all, in this vast capital city, there are very few people who can be accompanied by so many skilled guards and still be treated with utmost respect by the Censorate."

"Furthermore, His Majesty showed no fear in the face of the power of the Imperial Brother-in-law, but instead showed his anger at such evil deeds. Who but the current Emperor could have such courage and boldness?"

"However, Your Majesty's subsequent words have left me with some doubts, and I dare not make any hasty judgments."

"It wasn't until the teahouse owner mentioned Lord Yang that I finally determined their identities from the subtle changes in His Majesty's and Lord Yang's expressions."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but smile, his eyes full of admiration, and said, "I didn't realize that, despite your scholarly air, you, Xie Jin, are also a person who is extremely good at reading people."

In the public's impression, people like Xie Jin often give the impression of being too opinionated, not tactful or worldly-wise enough, and lacking the so-called "sharp insight".

However, this is not the case in reality.

Xie Jin was not unaware of the intricacies of the situation; however, even after understanding everything, he remained steadfast in his principles and refused to compromise easily.

Xie Jin bowed and said, "Thank you for your kind praise, Your Majesty. I am humbled."

Zhu Yunwen snorted coldly: "What are you afraid of? Didn't you want to force me to make a decision and force me to reform?"

"Hesitation will only lead to chaos!" Xie Jin said solemnly, "Your Majesty witnessed what just happened."

"Just because I, a commoner, spoke out in support of the new policies and new schools, I was almost beaten up."

"If I hadn't run into His Majesty by chance, I might have lost my life here today."

"The new policies and new learning, and the old forces, have long been irreconcilable enemies."

"It's not that I, a commoner, am forcing Your Majesty, but rather that the situation is what it is."

"Your Majesty, it is time to make a decision."

Xie Jin took out a pre-written memorial from his bosom: "Your Majesty, this is my memorial, 'Requesting the Court to Implement New Policies,' which I humbly request Your Majesty to review."

"This humble subject, Xie Jin, risks his life to offer this advice, urging Your Majesty to rectify the new learning and initiate new policies."

Zhu Yunwen refused to accept his memorial and instead asked, "Then how do you think the court should implement the new policies?"

"Measure all the land under heaven and redistribute it to all the people under heaven!" Xie Jin declared loudly. "Confiscate all the land of landlords and gentry, and redistribute the land according to the size of the population, so that everyone receives the same amount of land."

That's really radical.

Zhu Yunwen countered, "Do you think this will work?"

While implementing reforms in the Ming Dynasty was not a major problem, it depended on the type of reform.

If all the land were confiscated and redistributed directly, chaos would likely erupt immediately.

This Xie Jin is really too idealistic and thinks too simply.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Xie Jin's resolute reply.

“It won’t work!”

……

(End of this chapter)