Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 293 Heading Towards Their Own Futures

The fifteenth year of the Jiajing reign.

February 25th.

This year's imperial examination came later than in previous years.

Three hundred and forty-seven candidates, led by the top scholar Zhao Zhenji, participated in the palace examination.

The list of successful candidates remained unchanged.

After Zhu Houcong left the pass, he reprimanded Yan Song and the Embroidered Uniform Guard for their actions, but did not release the officials in the imperial prison.

Instead, he appointed Hanlin Academician Xia Yan as Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to oversee the progress of the case.

period.

Huo Tao submitted a memorial requesting to retire and return to his hometown.

Huang Wan fell ill and stopped going to the government office.

The more than seventy officials who were imprisoned all received punishments of varying degrees.

This shocked the government and the public.

The memorials from the Office of Transmission were flying into the inner court like snowflakes.

The number of petitions to impeach Yan Song tripled within ten days.

Behind these memorials, however, turbulent undercurrents were brewing—

The old party members of the Great Rites Controversy made a tearful and bloody denunciation;
The opposition to the new policy seized the opportunity to launch an attack;

Even more opportunists, seeing that Xia Yan had gained the emperor's favor, vied to submit impeachment petitions as a pledge of allegiance.

In contrast, Yan Song's power as chief minister became increasingly secure.

Those officials who once mocked him for being far inferior to Zhang Cong now unconsciously lower their breathing as they pass by the cabinet office.

The freshly dried bloodstains on the walls of the Northern Garrison Command were more awe-inspiring than any official authority.

All of the above events were basically unrelated to Haiyue.

Life at the Hanlin Academy was simple and unpretentious.

They do not participate in actual political affairs, but can participate in court politics at crucial moments.

In layman's terms.

It's about cultivating one's aspirations.

After three years of compilation and three years of revision, outstanding individuals could then serve as lecturers at the Imperial Academy, interact with the emperor, showcase their talents, participate in court discussions, and accumulate political experience.

If one can lead scientific expeditions and build a network of students and connections, then when one suddenly rises to a high position in the future, there will be no shortage of subordinates to use.

Moreover, Haiyue had already been in contact with the Emperor at a young age, and was now firmly established with the Yixin Society as her foundation.

So he was willing to wait.

Some people just don't want to.

"The East Tower has been elusive lately, appearing and disappearing like a dragon. I've visited the Yan residence twice, but haven't been able to find him..."

"If you fail the exam, you might travel and relax!"

"Ugh……"

Since the last incident, Yan Shifan disappeared. When he reappeared, he only said a few words before taking his leave.

During this period, he has been nowhere to be found, neither at the Imperial Academy nor at the Hanlin Academy.

Lin Daqin could understand this.

After all, his classmates Haiyue, Hai Rui, and himself had all entered officialdom.

Now, Hu Zongxian, Zhao Zhenji, and their classmates are about to be appointed to official positions.

Only Yan Shifan remained.

This feeling is definitely not pleasant.

Haiyue originally thought so too.

Until Tao Dianzhen appeared before them.

"Hai Hanlin, I have come here to apologize!"

Tao Dianzhen bowed deeply and revealed in detail that Yan Shifan was hiding in the Taoist temple, his eyes, which were usually adept at reading people's expressions, were lowered very low.

Haiyue listened attentively, but did not simply let it go, nor did she hold a grudge.

He never demands unconditional loyalty from others.

Especially someone like Tao Dianzhen.

Deep down, they harbor a burning ambition to outdo each other.

They will not yield to any favors, but will only obey their own interests.

As for this apology...

If it were truly out of the ordinary, Yan Shifan should have been sent out of the temple back then. Coming here now is purely a last-minute attempt to salvage the situation.

Seeing this calm expression, Tao Dianzhen felt uneasy and helpless.

He took the Celestial Master Shao Yuanjie as his target, and after discovering that the current emperor believed in Taoism, he used all his means to curry favor with him.

Unfortunately, His Majesty remained indifferent throughout, showing none of the enthusiasm he displayed towards Master Shao.

Tao Dianzhen was naturally unaware that, historically, his rise to power was due in part to Jiajing's growing obsession with Taoism, and in part to his successful prediction of a great fire during his southern tour, which instantly bestowed upon him the aura of a great master, making his subsequent pronouncements invariably accurate.

Such an opportunity is something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after.

If you miss it, you miss it.

Unable to gain the emperor's favor, Tao Dianzhen could only curry favor with influential people.

He was a Taoist priest and couldn't visit the Hanlin Academy often, so he was naturally eager to get in touch with Yan Shifan.

However, this time Yan Shifan failed to regain his status as a tribute student and disappeared without a trace, so Tao Dianzhen knew that he had done a bad job.

I gained nothing from the prime minister's son and probably even offended him.

Coupled with recent clues, this forced him to appear before Haiyue.

After hearing the whole story, Haiyue ignored the minor details and went straight to the key question: "Who killed Hong Chang?"

Tao Dianzhen's expression changed slightly, and he dared not hide anything: "It was I who was preparing to take action myself. This man deserved to die..."

Haiyue wasn't surprised by this. Yan Shifan was, after all, the son of a Grand Secretary, and unlike the vicious and ruthless figure in the original history, he wouldn't actually kill anyone. Tao Dianzhen had no worries about this, as he had a bit of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air about him.

"result……"

Tao Dianzhen continued, "When we arrived at the Imperial College, Hong Chang was already dead!"

Haiyue's gaze sharpened slightly: "Did someone kill him beforehand to frame Donglou?"

"No!"

Tao Dianzhen analyzed, "I think this actually helped us. Hong Chang is more cunning than we imagined. That room was not the agreed place, and his claim of investigating the secret scroll was completely fabricated! If we had followed the original plan, we might have failed, but with his death, everything has become perfectly logical!"

"Killing someone is actually helping them?"

"You actually accepted it..."

Haiyue shook her head secretly.

If it were him, the original plan would definitely be canceled if such an accident occurred.

Yan Shifan and Tao Dianzhen, however, still harbored a侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, or a belief that they could get away with it) and continued to maintain the same steps, which was truly quite unscrupulous.

Tao Dianzhen was quite embarrassed upon hearing this, but he still had to say, "Young Master Donglou has been acting suspiciously lately, and I suspect... that he may be in cahoots with some forces in the shadows."

Haiyue lightly tapped the table with her fingertips: "Have you informed Grand Secretary Yan?"

"This……"

Tao Dianzhen's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally shook his head with a wry smile: "This humble Taoist dares not report!"

"We'll have to get through this eventually."

Haiyue looked out the window, her voice growing deeper: "This matter probably involves a conflict between father and son; how can outsiders resolve it?"

To put it another way, if even Yan Song couldn't control Yan Shifan's mind, then what makes it possible for someone else to do so?

Of course, given Tao Dianzhen's status, it was indeed difficult for him to directly meet Yan Song, who was becoming increasingly busy.

Haiyue took up her pen and summarized the matter on a blank sheet of paper. After the ink dried, she put the letter into a box and handed it over: "Take this letter to see Grand Secretary Yan and tell him everything truthfully, no matter how small."

With a light tap of his fingertip on the letter: "Your Excellency's wisdom and ability to recognize and utilize talent will not lead to unfair treatment!"

"I am deeply grateful for the noble character and lofty ideals of Haihanlin!"

Tao Dianzhen bowed in gratitude.

It's a pity he stayed in the Hanlin Academy all this time, otherwise he would have been the best backer!
After dealing with the aftermath, Haiyue put the matter aside and got back into Hanlin's routine.

The main issue is that there have been undercurrents and undercurrents within the Hanlin Academy recently as well.

After Xia Yan was appointed Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, he was promoted to Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites in just two months, while also taking charge of the affairs of the Hanlin Academy.

Next, he concurrently served as a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and entered the cabinet to participate in state affairs.

in this way.

The position for explaining classics and history to the emperor was left vacant.

Giving lectures before the emperor was a direct opportunity for officials to showcase their talents and influence the emperor's thinking.

The reason why the Hanlin Academy was so prestigious and why it was called the future prime minister was largely due to this position.

This naturally attracted numerous scholars to compete fiercely for the position.

During this period, Haiyue was also recommended.

Even Lin Daqin was quite interested and urged him to try for the position.

However, Haiyue declined without hesitation, citing her young age and limited knowledge.

He was promoted to Hanlin Compiler in a step-by-step manner.

While many members of the Yixin Society exchanged letters and expressed their regret, Yan Shifan chose to enter officialdom.

He entered officialdom by obtaining the title of Juren (a degree in the imperial examination system).

The results of the Ministry of Personnel's selection came down quickly, and the candidate was appointed as the Assistant Magistrate of Yangqu County, Taiyuan Prefecture.

This choice shocked many people.

Including Yan Song.

He sent his son to serve in the government after achieving the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), intending to toughen him up and help him calm down.

However, since it was a local prefecture or county where he would experience the hardships of the common people, the son of the Grand Secretary would certainly not be sent to a remote area. The originally chosen location was naturally the rich prefecture or county of Beizhili.

However, the Ministry of Personnel's arrangement was now Taiyuan, Shanxi, and Yan Shifan immediately accepted it.

It should be noted that not long ago, the White Lotus Sect and the Liyuan Society were arrested, and the Fan family in Zhangjiakou was purged. Many Shanxi merchants were also implicated and attacked. Going to Shanxi at this time, although it is not exactly like lambs to the slaughter, it will certainly be difficult.

The father and son had a heated argument over this.

No matter how Yan Song tried to persuade him, Yan Shifan only emphasized one thing: he wanted to stand out from the crowd and make a name for himself.

Compared to the aimless life in Beizhili, Taiyuan was a strategically important place, and only by going there could one realize their ideals and ambitions.

That viewpoint is not wrong.

After the new policy initiated the strategy of taking over the Hetao region, the center of the court clearly began to shift to the northwest.

The Hetao region served as the outpost for the Central Plains dynasties to defend against northern nomadic tribes, while Shanxi provided support from the rear.

In the Ming Dynasty's Nine Garrisons Defense System, Shanxi Town and the Hetao Defense Line were originally an integrated whole.

Yan Shifan's trip to Taiyuan allows him to act as the chief minister's spokesperson for the new policies, participating in border strategies, military defense, and the tea-horse trade, thus becoming a pivotal figure.

Thus, the two letters were placed on Haiyue's desk.

"...Qing'er's selection for the Shanxi provincial examination may be influenced by treacherous individuals...Mingwei is known for his prudence; I hope he will offer some guidance..."

After Tao Dianzhen reported the details of the case, Yan Song believed that the selection of officials by the Ministry of Personnel and Yan Shifan's career choices were obviously influenced by others. He hoped that Haiyue could advise him to avoid going astray.
"...Twelve of this year's Jinshi have already joined the association and will go to Shanxi together...The merits of the Hetao region should be our stepping stone to success..."

Yan Shifan's letter revealed his ambition, as he planned to bring the members of the Yixin Society to Shanxi, especially the newly recruited members among the current year's Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). He hoped that Haiyue would support his plan and make great contributions together in the upcoming conquest of the Hetao region.

Haiyue gazed at the two letters laid out side by side on the table; one was filled with deep sorrow, the other with soaring ambition.

As my fingertips lightly traced the strikingly different handwriting, I suddenly noticed the autumn rain gradually falling outside the window.

"One's destiny is predetermined and cannot be changed by human effort..."

"That's it."

"Go forth and pursue your own futures!"

(End of this chapter)