Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 298 Yan Shifan's Verification
Taiyuan.

As the most important of the nine border towns and a core fulcrum for stabilizing the northern frontier, Zhu Gang, the third son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin and stationed in Taiyuan to expand the old city.

Yan Shifan stood on the expanded city tower, hands behind his back, gazing towards the northwest.

Before anyone knew it, soft footsteps approached, and a middle-aged man with a prosperous face came up behind them: "Minister Yan, a letter has arrived from the capital."

Yan Shifan's current position is the Chief Clerk of the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission, a seventh-rank official.

The main functions of the Bureau of Affairs were to pacify the border tribes, manage official documents, collect tributes such as gyrfalcons and sable furs, and maintain the operation of the dog station delivery system.

Given the timing of Yan Shifan's entry into officialdom, this was undoubtedly a rapid promotion.

After all, those who entered officialdom with the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) basically started from the lowest level of officialdom and generally did not have a rank. For example, in history, Hai Rui's initial position was as an instructor in a county school.

However, since arriving in Taiyuan, Yan Shifan has made many contributions to the local area, including but not limited to quelling rebellions, suppressing bandits, building bridges, controlling floods, and even personally leading the capture of Mongol spies.

Despite his remarkable achievements, he was granted the position of Chief of Staff without relying on his father's influence.

Of course, since Yan Shifan's surname is Yan, and he is currently at a critical juncture in the new policy of taking over the Hetao region, how could his career in Shanxi's officialdom not be influenced by his father, the Grand Secretary?
He wasn't naive enough to sever ties; rather, he took more than he gained while enjoying the legacy of his parents.

For example, the Prince of Jin's residence.

The newly appointed Prince Jin, Zhu Zhiyang, suddenly died of illness in the first month of the twelfth year of the Jiajing reign (1523) at the age of forty-five, without any heirs.

His second wife, Lady Wang, presided over the funeral and promoted the succession of her nephew, Zhu Xin, to the throne as Prince of Jin.

After the Ministry of Rites ruled, this was another case of a member of a minor branch of the royal family inheriting the throne from the major branch.

When Yan Shifan arrived here, he immediately realized that this was very similar to the situation of Tang King Zhu Yuwen when he returned from the Southern Tour.

On the surface, it was just a coincidence.

After all, there are so many vassal kings in the world, how could there not be a few without sons?
Even Emperor Wuzong was unable to produce an heir, so the throne was passed on to a prince from a distant region. It's not uncommon for a prince to be unable to produce a son and the position to be given to his nephew.

However, when the contact person from that faction revealed his identity as the steward of the Prince's Palace, the previous guesses were answered.

Tang King Zhu Yuwen has a big problem.

Prince Zhu Xin of Jin was also a pawn of the other side.

The fact that the other party showed up directly was a deliberate attempt to drag him into the mess.

Some things can be resolved if both parties understand each other without saying a word.

Once they openly confront each other, there is no turning back.

Yan Shifan, however, chose to stay, and even his previous letters were delivered to the capital through channels designated by this person.

Upon seeing the steward of the Prince's mansion appear, he frowned and said coldly, "Those who aspire to great things must avoid being impetuous. Your status is extremely important. Why do you have to personally make such a small matter as gaining trust?"

The steward did not argue, but instead bowed deeply to the ground, his tone earnest: "Prefect Yan's advice is correct, but this matter is of great importance, and I do not trust anyone else to handle it, which is why I came personally..."

Yan Shifan asked, "Have you read the contents of the letter?"

"Don't dare!"

The steward hurriedly said, "This is a letter from Chief Steward Yan; how could I open it privately?"

"It doesn't matter."

Yan Shifan waved his hand: "This important matter was originally planned jointly by you and me. As for Anda's tribe, we still need you to use both soft and hard tactics!"

The steward's eyes flickered before he opened the envelope, examined it carefully, and then his expression changed.

"What's wrong? Haiyue isn't responding?"

Yan Shifan then turned around, looked at the other party's expression, took the short letter, glanced at it, and raised his eyebrows: "Give Anda's elder brother Gunbilik the opportunity to pay tribute?"

The steward said in a deep voice, "This tactic of sowing discord is too obvious. Anda is a domineering man, and the two brothers follow him as their master; they will never agree to it..."

"That's the thinking of barbarians; they don't understand manners!"

Yan Shifan clicked his tongue: "Gunbilik is the elder brother and Anda is the younger brother. There is indeed no reason to bypass the elder brother and directly acknowledge the younger brother. We have overlooked this matter before and have always put Anda first. Now that it has been brought up, you should tell them to send a different letter!"

The steward's face changed color: "I will absolutely not agree!"

Yan Shifan frowned: "Anda's tribute was just an expedient measure to consolidate his position. He was willing to submit and submit a memorial to our Great Ming Emperor. Can't we take another step back?"

"How can these be the same?"

The steward grew anxious: "The Mongols also place great importance on titles. Gunbilik was the eldest son, and in his early years he led troops to attack and conquer the Uriyangkhai Wanhu several times, thus receiving the title of 'Mergen Jinong' from Buchi Khan. If he hadn't indulged in wine and women and neglected military and political affairs, the power wouldn't have fallen into Anda's hands. Now that he has received a title and tribute from the court, it would be a completely different story. Anda will never allow such a thing to happen!"

"That would be difficult..."

Yan Shifan's face darkened: "This proposal is perfectly justified. Not to mention the Hanlin scholars, even the high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries would find it difficult to find fault. Even if Anda uses humble words and generous gifts, you all fan the flames. With a simple statement about seniority and natural law, it's an intractable dead end!"

The steward's forehead beaded with cold sweat: "Is there no solution?"

Yan Shifan's eyes flickered slightly: "Unless... Gunbilik suddenly contracts a terrible illness and dies a violent death!"

Indeed, this is the case. Historically, Altan Khan was able to establish tributary relations without any obstacles because Gunbilik had died.

It is rumored that he died of a sexually transmitted disease.

With his death, even his nine sons, though united, were no match for Anda. The Right Wing Three Ten Thousand Households were immediately and completely controlled by Anda, who forced the Great Khan, the overlord of the Mongols, to grant him the title of Khan, thus enabling Anda to rise to power.

But this has not yet happened, and the two brothers are still jointly leading the Tumed tribes.

So when Yan Shifan made this suggestion, the steward of the Prince of Jin's mansion immediately shook his head: "If this plan is implemented, wouldn't it force Anda to commit fratricide? That would truly fall into the court's divisive strategy, and Anda would never be so foolish!" Yan Shifan glanced at him and said: "You are indeed thinking of the Tartars. You sound like a strategist of the Mongols."

A sinister glint flashed in the steward's eyes: "Commander Yan, you have been in Taiyuan for four years, and we have done our utmost to help you. All your achievements are stepping stones to your future success. Now that the great undertaking is about to be accomplished, there is absolutely no reason for us to back down!"

"Back off?"

Yan Shifan chuckled, spread his palms, and said calmly, "I have already written to the capital and have been pushing this matter forward with all my might. I have even given the 'Memorial Requesting the Opening of the Horse Market' that you drafted to Hanlin scholar Haiyue. What more do you want?"

"you!!"

The manager was furious.

"What do you mean, 'you'? I'm willing to cooperate with you betting on Anda, but that's just how things are. If the court wants to pay tribute, it will let Anda's brother come first, and then it will be Anda's turn!"

Yan Shifan's eyes flickered as he spoke, then another turning point: "However..."

Even though the steward knew the other party was deliberately trying to pique his interest, he couldn't help but ask, "Does Chief Steward Yan have another way?"

"Let Anda kill his brother; such a crude attempt to sow discord won't work..."

Yan Shifan pondered, "Since the other party is definitely refusing, why do you need to tell them the truth?"

The manager asked, puzzled, "What does this mean?"

Yan Shifan smiled: "You two have cooperated for so many years. Back when the White Lotus Sect wanted to establish Bansheng, it was you who facilitated the connection. You trust each other, so why not take this opportunity to do something big?"

The manager vaguely understood, and his face darkened: "You want it?"

"This is to lure Anda's tribe into an ambush, into the encirclement of our Ming army!"

Yan Shifan's eyes lit up with anticipation: "This man has now become the biggest obstacle to taking over the Hetao region. If we can eliminate him, it will be a tremendous achievement! Rather than letting Anda completely lose control, it's better for him to become our prey!"

"You can all relax!"

At this point, his tone became enticing, and his smile warm: "Now that we're all in the same boat, I won't treat you unfairly!"

"We've been developing this Hetao region for twenty years, and now you want to reap the benefits?"

The steward cursed inwardly, but suppressed his anger and slowly nodded: "Alright, I will report this matter to my superiors..."

"Then I will await good news!"

However, less than ten days later, when the steward reappeared, he said, "Young Master Yan, you may return to the capital!"

"Back to Beijing?"

Yan Shifan was stunned.

The steward said calmly, "The new position has been arranged: Chief of the Ministry of War. With Young Master Yan's talent, he is certainly qualified for the job."

Yan Shifan's expression changed drastically: "We've been preparing for war in the Hetao region for five years, and we're about to wipe out the enemy. Are you going to send me back to the capital now? Are you going to make all my hard work go to waste?"

The steward admired the other man's expression, and thinking about how this guy often stood on the city tower gazing at the northwest, he felt completely at ease, but he didn't care about the other man's anger.

Since accepting the organization's arrangement to come to Shanxi, Yan Shifan seemed to have accumulated many merits and rose to prominence in the local area in just a few years. However, in reality, this son of the prime minister already had too many things under their control.

The best course of action to maximize benefits would have been to facilitate the exchange of tribute with Altan Khan, but since that's no longer possible, there's no need to be polite.

"roll!"

After venting his anger, Yan Shifan turned away with a flick of his sleeve.

When he heard footsteps behind him, a genuine hatred welled up between his brows.

But it wasn't aimed at these lowly soldiers.

After failing the imperial examination for the second time, Yan Shifan went to the capital and suffered a lot. In fact, he regretted it to some extent.

But the more this happened, the deeper his hatred became.

It hurts.

Looking back.

Yan Shifan believed that he was absolutely right. He had worked so hard and deserved to be on the list of successful candidates and pass the imperial examination!

The old father, Yan Song, was not wrong either; after all, father and son are of one mind, and he could understand his difficulties.

So who is at fault?

Who should we hate?
After thinking it over, there really is such a person.

Therefore, this time when Anda bestowed tribute, he took the opportunity to make a request and verify his guess.

Now the answer has been fully revealed.

"First they used me to facilitate the tributary relationship between Altan Khan and the Han Chinese, then when that failed, they forced me back to the capital. Clearly, they didn't want the credit for the Hetao region to fall entirely into the hands of my son and me!"

"Besides the one in Qianqing Palace, who else would make such an arrangement!"

'The Emperor, in all his glory, has actually taken these traitorous secret societies as his henchmen, using them to carry out these shady dealings!'

'Zhu Houcong…'

'You'll die a horrible death!'

(End of this chapter)