Qing Yao

Chapter 325 I'll take the seal myself!
"Father!"

A hurried sound broke the silence of the tent. Zhu Xijing, his face filled with panic, strode in, his clothes soaked through by the heavy rain.

The moment the curtain was lifted, a faint commotion could be heard outside.

Zhu Gui, who was reviewing official documents at his desk, looked up at his son and, with a sudden thought, quickly asked, "Is it a report of victory from Suzhou?"

"Father, it wasn't that Suzhou was won, it was the Emperor who appointed Zhao Youlu to replace you as acting governor of Anhui!"

Zhu Xijing's voice was filled with grief and indignation.

"what!"

A chill seemed to rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, causing Zhu Gui's heart to tighten and him to stand up abruptly. As he stood up, he knocked over the teacup on the table, and the scalding tea immediately soaked the official document he had just approved.

The ink stain quickly dissolved, like an ominous sign.

"Why did His Majesty appoint Zhao Youlu to replace me as acting governor? Does this mean I've been dismissed? How could that be? How could that be?"

Zhu Gui's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against the ground. The news his son brought made all the confidence he had built up over decades of ups and downs in his official career suddenly seem so insecure.

The sounds coming from outside became clearer.

Each "Greetings, Your Excellency" seemed to drain the life from Zhu Gui's already aged body, causing his face to instantly lose all color and turn ashen.

He swayed a couple of times before collapsing into a chair.

"Father!"

Zhu Xijing cried out in alarm and rushed forward to support his father, who was about to fall off the chair: "What's wrong? Father, what's wrong with you!"

The noise startled the several guards outside who were also stunned. They rushed in and together with Zhu Xijing carried the governor to the "camp bed" placed in the corner.

Zhu Gui's body was extremely stiff, as if he had suffered a stroke, but his mind was perfectly clear. The moment he was carried to the bed, shock, anger, and immense loss and shame washed over him in waves, making him feel suffocated and uncomfortable.

The anxious calls from the crowd seemed to be blocked by some barrier, and not a single one reached Zhu Gui's ears.

At this moment, the former governor of Anhui had only two words flashing through his mind and swirling around – dismissal!
Why did the Emperor dismiss me from my post?
Does the Emperor also believe that I, Zhu Gui, am that "Zhu Gui"?
Absurd! Ridiculous!
I, Zhu Gui, have served as an official for decades, remaining loyal to the Qing Dynasty. I have always been diligent in my official duties, and although I have not achieved any earth-shattering feats, I have always been conscientious, honest, and incorruptible. Yet, I have ended up being dismissed from office today, which is an utter disgrace!
Why on earth!
"It's Heshen!"

Zhu Gui suddenly raised his head, his body straightening up like a zombie, startling several of the guards who were helping him. Then everyone saw that the governor's bloodshot eyes looked extremely resentful.

"Heshen ruined me!"

Enraged, Zhu Gui slammed his fists onto the bed. The disaster in Anhui was not yet over, and the White Lotus rebels in Suzhou had not yet been quelled. Yet the court was impatient to appoint the traitor Zhao Youlu to replace him, Zhu Gui, as acting governor. This would have been impossible without Heshen's instigation!
The venomous curse of "Heshen ruined me" made the guards lower their heads.

"Father,"

Zhu Xijing was overjoyed to see his father able to sit up again and was about to advise his father not to be angry when a voice came from outside the tent saying "Greetings, Your Excellency the Governor." Not only did Zhu Gui find it extremely shrill, but his son found it even more grating.

"Master, Zhao Youlu and the imperial guards from the capital have arrived!"

Rushing in was Wang Zhaoxing, a staff member who was also soaked to the bone by the rain.

"Why are you panicking? I'm not dead yet!"

Zhu Gui, sitting on the bed, let out a soft snort. Zhao Youlu was not giving him even a moment to catch his breath or prepare. Was he going to completely tear apart his last bit of dignity?
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Gui forcibly suppressed his surging blood and the anger that was about to burst forth. Decades of experience in officialdom had taught him that he absolutely could not lose his composure at this moment, and even less could he let Zhao Youlu see him in such a disheveled state.

He mustered all his strength to slowly stand up, and subconsciously straightened his official robes as a second-rank official, as if trying to regain a trace of the governor's prestige, even though that prestige was now a crumbling castle in the air.

He glanced at Wang Zhaoxing, whose face was deathly pale, and waved his hand with a grim expression, saying, "Please let them in."

After Wang Zhaoxing left, Zhu Gui shook off his son who was trying to help him, walked behind the desk with an icy expression, sat down quietly, and looked towards the tent door, waiting for the person who was about to step in and announce the end of his official career.

The tent flap was quickly lifted again, and several imperial guards in yellow jackets stepped in first, followed by Zhao An, the imperial envoy guard Ming Antai, and the physician Xiao Jinglun, among others.

The moment Zhao An entered the tent, he saw Zhu Gui, who had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday last year.

An elderly man who looked very thin and haggard looked so pitiful that it evoked pity in people.

By any measure, he is a good official who speaks up for the people.

However, Zhao An's eyes were devoid of emotion, and his face was expressionless; if there was any emotion, it was the anger hidden deep within his heart.

The officers of the Fubiao Army confessed that the refugees who gathered in Suzhou were driven there on the orders of the governor. If these refugees had not suddenly gathered in Suzhou, they would not have been taken advantage of by the White Lotus Sect and would not have died so innocently.

Based solely on reasoning, Zhao An concluded that everything was Zhu Gui's conspiracy.

All for the purpose of bringing down this so-called traitor of the Kuomintang.

The horrors of factional strife can turn even honest officials into devils!

From the day Zhu Gui picked the ginseng, it was destined that the two sides were irreconcilable enemies.

Unfortunately, Zhao An couldn't kill Zhu Gui because the old master was still protecting him.

Ming Antai's gaze was uncomplicated; he was simply handling official business. However, Xiao Jinglun, the official from the Ministry of Personnel who had come with him, looked at Zhu Gui with a complex and unreadable expression. It contained both sympathy and resentment for Zhu Gui, the leader of the Qingliu faction, who had lost power, as well as helplessness at the fact that the court was controlled by Heshen's faction.

Despite the large number of people standing inside, the tent was eerily quiet, enveloped in a suffocating atmosphere.

"Imperial edict: Former Governor of Anhui, Zhu Gui, listen to the decree!"

Zhao An spoke up, explaining that the reason Zhu Gui was allowed to hear the decree instead of receiving it was because the decree was an oral instruction, not a written order.

The word "before" was like a dagger piercing Zhu Gui's heart, causing his seated body to tremble and shattering his last shred of hope.

He really was dismissed from his post.

Whether it was an imperial decree or a verbal order, Zhu Gui's decades-long adherence to his duty as a subject made him instinctively rise. He came to the desk and was about to kneel down, but as soon as his knees bent halfway, a huge wave of humiliation and resentment surged into his heart like lava.

He actually wanted to kneel before a child who had taken everything from him!

Humiliation and resentment prevented Zhu Gui from kneeling down for a long time.

"Zhu Gui, why haven't you obeyed the imperial decree yet!"

Zhao An's voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it made Zhu Gui feel as if all the blood in his body rushed to his head. If there had been a blood pressure monitor at that moment, the former governor's blood pressure would probably have soared to 330. After a few breaths, just as Xiao Jinglun was about to step forward to persuade him, Zhu Gui's knees finally buckled, and he slammed into the cold ground in humiliation.

He was unable to resist the oppressive power of the emperor.

"Your subject Zhu Gui receives the imperial decree!"

Even Ming Antai was moved by this unwilling cry.

Zhu Xijing's eyes were filled with tears.

Zhao An ignored him and announced loudly, "Imperial edict: Zhu Gui shall immediately resign from his post as Governor of Anhui and return to the capital to serve as Vice Minister of Rites."

After the announcement, he felt a sense of regret, because the old master's decision meant that Zhu Gui's "political" life would continue, and this person was Jiaqing's tutor.

This means that it won't be long before Zhu Gui makes a comeback. If I haven't led the microloan party to build an anti-collection team by then, I will definitely suffer a blow from Zhu Gui's iron fist.

Zhu Gui raised his head the moment the decree was read, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. Knowing the habits of the central government, he keenly sensed the hidden secrets behind this imperial edict.

"Lord Zhu, please rise."

Despite his regret and anger, Zhao An addressed him as "Sir" again, but his gaze was no longer fixed on Zhu Gui, but instead on the desk behind Zhu Gui piled high with official documents.

On the upper right corner of the table was a large seal made of silver. The seal weighed sixty taels. If we calculate it as sixteen taels per jin, the seal would weigh about four jin.

The front side is engraved with six large characters in both Manchu and Chinese: “Anhui Governor’s Seal.” The ink used is purplish-red ink, hence the governor’s seal is also known as the “Purple Flower Seal.”

With this purple seal, Zhao An effectively controlled the military and political affairs of Anhui.

This large purple seal was also the target that Zhao An had come for despite the rain.

He didn't care whether Zhu Gui lived or died; what he wanted was the power in his hands.

Zhu Gui only possessed this governor's seal and not the imperial edict flag; otherwise, it would have been displayed together with the seal.

As a witness to the handover of work assigned by the "organization", Xiao Jinglun wanted to remind Zhu Gui to hand over the governor's seal out of duty. However, before he could speak, Zhao An directly stepped over Zhu Gui and took the purple flower seal on the table.

The action was clean and efficient, without the usual formalities of officials handing over their duties. They didn't even ask anyone from "the organization" when they came; they just took it directly.

Xiao Jinglun was dumbfounded, and even Ming Antai shook his head slightly at Zhao An's behavior. Even if he had some disagreements with Zhu Gui, he should still maintain a polite facade.

Zhao An didn't care about anything else and was about to hand the purple seal to Xu Lin, who had come with him, for safekeeping when he heard a voice say, "Wait!"

That "Wait a minute" was uttered with extreme restraint.

Then look at Zhu Gui, who has turned around at some point, staring intently at the seal in Zhao An's hand.

"Zhao Youlu!"

Zhu Gui's voice became shrill with agitation, "Even though I, the governor, have been dismissed by imperial decree, the court's system dictates that the handover of officials between the old and new officials should follow proper procedures. The governor's official seal and credentials are matters of national importance; how can you allow this?"

What Zhu Gui wanted to say was that Zhao An's disregard for him was outrageous. He was merely stepping down as the governor of Anhui and returning to the capital to serve as a vice minister; he was not being dismissed or investigated!
Even if the two are at odds, the dignity of the court and the decorum of the officials must still be maintained.

For some reason, a sudden flash of coldness in Zhao Youlu's eyes made this seasoned official, who had been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades, feel a jolt in his heart, and the words he was about to say caught in his throat.

Seeing this, Ming and Xiao were speechless and could only smile bitterly to themselves.

It's truly a case of an old scholar encountering a hothead; alas.

"What do you mean? I am acting as the Governor of Anhui by imperial decree. Is Lord Zhu going to defy the imperial order and refuse to give me this official seal, or is Lord Zhu, as my predecessor, going to tell me how to do things?"

Even a blind man could see the contempt in Zhao An's eyes. He just doesn't play by the rules. What can you, Zhu Gui, do to me?
"you!"

Zhu Gui was stunned, so angry that he couldn't utter a single word.

"Master Xiao."

Zhao An ignored Zhu Gui and turned to Xiao Jinglun, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. "According to the regulations of the court, I will trouble you, Lord Xiao, to oversee the handover of official seals and documents, as well as the verification of the treasury's funds, military equipment, and archives."

After saying this, he took the seal and walked out of the tent, never looking at Zhu Gui again, as if this former official was just an old, discarded decoration, not worth his time.

Two guards hurriedly lifted the curtain. Zhao An nodded and walked past, but after a few steps, he suddenly turned back to look at Zhu Gui, in a businesslike manner: "Before the handover is completed, Lord Zhu, please stay here for the time being. If there is anything wrong with the accounts, I will promptly report to the court and ask Lord Zhu to make up the deficit."

After saying that, he instructed the guards who had come with him: "Please keep the official documents on Lord Zhu's desk for me, so that I can deal with them in a timely manner."

"Whoo!"

Several guards immediately turned and rushed into the tent, sweeping away all the official documents on Zhu Gui's desk, and even taking away the writing implements he used.

Ming Antai and Xiao Jinglun were both amused and exasperated by this absurd scene. They felt that Zhao An's actions were too eccentric, but they also felt that it was reasonable. After all, Zhu Gui had picked ginseng from him not long ago, and today he was "getting his comeuppance." It was not appropriate for others to say anything.

After a long while, Zhu Gui, who remained in the tent, suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh, which grew louder and louder, filled with endless sorrow, until finally the laughter turned into a violent cough, which forced Zhu Gui to lean on the table, his body feeling as if all the energy had been drained away.

"Father, please take care of yourself. You must take good care of your health and not let that scoundrel upset you."

Zhu Xijing kept patting his father's back, fearing that his father would be angered to the point of injury.

"Old Master Dong, as long as the green hills remain, there's always hope! The Emperor has only allowed you to return to the capital to take up your post; he hasn't reprimanded you. This shows that in the Emperor's heart, you are still a pillar of the court, and there will always be a day when you rise again."

Wang Zhaoxing was also trying his best to persuade him.

After coughing for a while, Zhu Gui gradually felt better. Exhausted, he sat down and looked at his son and advisors, who were tense and worried about him. He took a few deep breaths and picked up his brush to write the words "cultivate one's nature" to remind himself, but found that the brush and ink on the table were already empty.

Surprisingly, he wasn't angry. Instead, he chuckled softly and said, "This is probably what happens when a petty person gets ahead."

"Since Father knows that Zhao Youlu is a villain, why bother getting angry with him?"

Zhu Xijing picked up the teapot from the charcoal stove in the corner and poured a bowl of warm water for his father.

Zhu Gui did not take it, but instead looked up at the tent that had not been put down and the Fu Biao soldiers who had been urgently summoned to stand in formation not far away. After a long while, he snorted and said, "I will endure him for three years and see how his buildings collapse and his houses crumble after three years!"

(End of this chapter)