Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 171: Conspiring with the Emperor's Own Son to Harm the Emperor—Incredible!

The bronze inscription map was unrolled, revealing the dagger.

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, he took out the memorial he had prepared long ago and laid it out on the table.

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Tie Xuan, and others gathered around.

Looking up.

A quick glance at them all caused their expressions to change.

This document lists Song Ne's ten major crimes.

Moreover, eighteen people have already signed their names below.

And they are all teaching assistants.

To be honest, while they were just complaining here, they really didn't expect this.

Jin Wenzheng was incredibly audacious to openly impeach Song Ne and remove him from his position as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

This matter was clearly beyond their previous expectations.

This was at least beyond what Huang Guan and Hu Yan had imagined.

None of them expressed their opinions, but instead all turned their gazes to Prince Zhu Gang of Jin.

They appeared to be completely subservient to Prince Zhu Gang of Jin.

Jin Wenzheng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, as Wu Xing was the leader among the people present.

Wu Xing is their backbone.

That put his mind at ease.

It seems that Wu Xing is the easiest to talk to among these six people.

He was also the one who understood the greater good most.

We had some acquaintance in our daily lives.

However, it's strange.

These five people, besides Yang Shiqi, Huang Guan, Hu Yan, Tie Xuan, Yang Rong, and Wu Xing, were in the same class at the time.

Subsequently, these five individuals distinguished themselves and were able to stay at the university as teaching assistants.

Yang Shiqi was a student from the class he had previously taught.

We weren't in the same dorm at first.

It was only after they were promoted to teaching assistants that they moved into the same teaching assistant dormitory.

Based on what he knows, in terms of academic performance, learning talent, and so on.

Of these people, Wu Xing is arguably the least capable.

How many people can be at the very end of the line?

However, these people were led by Wu Xing.

Even Yang Shiqi, whom I thought was quite opinionated when I was teaching him.

Now that I'm a teaching assistant and living in the same dormitory as Wu Xing, I've become the same way.

This piqued his curiosity.

I wonder what talents Wu Xing possesses, and what kind of charm he has.

That's why these people respect him so much.

They acted as if they followed his lead.

He had also had considerable contact with Wu Xing.

I didn't feel it still had much appeal.

It's simply that I'm easier to communicate with compared to the other people here, that's all.

Apart from that, everything else is unremarkable.

I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out.

It's like choosing the best among the worst.

Just because Huang Guan and a few others are good at their studies doesn't mean they're good at everything else, or that they know everything.

Jin Wenzheng quickly found a corresponding reason.

For example, Huang Guan, Yang Rong, Hu Yan, and others clearly don't seem to be very good at socializing.

They are bookworms who only know how to study.

Wu Xing, compared to the people he often met, was not particularly adept at social maneuvering.

Among these people, he is already quite outstanding.

Among these taciturn individuals, there emerges such a person.

So it's obvious that he stands out from the crowd.

Under such circumstances, it's normal for these people to regard him as their backbone.

At the same time, there are also some regrets.

How wonderful it would be if I were assigned to the same dormitory as them?
With my own abilities, I can certainly make these people submit to me more easily.

Always putting oneself first.

Even a mere Wu Xing could be valued so highly by these bookworms.

Wouldn't it be a piece of cake for someone with even greater abilities to come here and thrive like a fish in water?

“Wu Xing, please sign your name. How can we scholars be insulted like this?”

Scholars can be killed, but not humiliated!

Song Ne committed such atrocities, showing that he doesn't treat us teachers and students as human beings at all.

This is extremely outrageous and utterly despicable!
If we still dare not rise up and fight back under these circumstances, then...

Who can stand up for us?

After confirming who was in charge in the dormitory.

Jin Wenzheng simply ignored the other people for the time being.

They made Wu Xing, also known as Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, their main target for persuasion.

Given the current situation, as long as I can persuade Wu Xing...

Wu Xing took the lead and signed it.

Then the other five people will also sign their names.

Getting Wu Xing to sign his autograph was quite easy.

In previous interactions, I had occasionally heard Wu Xing express his dissatisfaction with the chief priest and the school rules.

When Wu Xing came here and talked about these things, he also appeared indignant.

With all this groundwork laid, it was perfectly normal for Wu Xing to come and sign at this point.

However, what happened next was beyond his expectations.

"Brother Jin, isn't this... a bit inappropriate?"

Zhu Gang frowned slightly, speaking with some worry and hesitation.

"What's wrong with it?"

Jin Wenzheng was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting this. He thought Wu Xing was someone he had in his grasp, someone who would immediately agree as soon as he asked.

To say something like that at this moment is truly astonishing.

"This Song Ne, I heard, is highly trusted by His Majesty."

Even if we were to submit impeachments, I fear the emperor would not allow us to retire.

It might even displease His Majesty.

It turned out to be because of this!
Jin Wenzheng said, "There's no need to worry too much."

Song Ne is already quite old, but this old scoundrel from the north is still alive.

He is now seventy years old.

He still doesn't die.

This proves the saying: "To be old and not die is to be a thief."

His Majesty previously decreed that officials should retire and return to their hometowns when they reach the age of seventy.

As it turns out, Song Ne, that old scoundrel, is now seventy years old, yet he's still teaching here.

This is clearly against the rules.

We are submitting this impeachment now for two reasons. First, that old scoundrel Song Ne has indeed done many outrageous things.

On the other hand, there is also such a regulation.

If we submit a memorial here, it will remind His Majesty of this matter and let the Emperor know the true face of that old scoundrel, Song Ne.

Your Majesty should get rid of him immediately.

Don't let him mislead the younger generation here!

"However, Brother Jin... I'm still a little worried."

We are, after all, just teaching assistants, and our voices carry little weight.

At this time, jointly impeaching Song Ne could be considered an act of insubordination.

Our impeachment of Song Ne only concerns the various crimes he has committed; it does not mention that Song Ne is seventy years old and should retire.

The people around nodded in agreement, clearly indicating that these were the concerns expressed by Prince Zhu Gang of Jin.

Jin Wenzheng originally did not want to say much about this matter.

They could jointly submit a memorial impeaching Song Ne; the more people, the better.

The greater the power.

Moreover, these are questions that people in other dormitories have asked before.

He immediately said, "You don't know, Song Ne's behavior has already aroused public anger."

It's not just us who dislike him; many virtuous and righteous people also find fault with him.

Apart from Song Ne, it couldn't have been accomplished by just one or two people.

We are only responsible for a part of it.

As for the matter of Song Ne reaching the age of retirement, it is up to him to decide.

Some very important people we wouldn't even imagine!

He lowered his voice and quietly pointed upwards with his hand.

"Could it be... Wei Siyue?"

Wu Xing asked, his face showing some shock.

When Jin Wenzheng saw Wu Xing like this, he was both annoyed and amused.

You really have no sense of right and wrong!
Although the Director of Studies held a high position, he was not worthy of being called such a great figure.

“Brother Wu, the world is not only home to Chinese schools.”

Besides our Imperial Academy, there are other people outside of the Imperial Academy.

The position of Director of Studies is not low, but it is still below that of the Chancellor.

As he said this, Jin Wenzheng paused for a moment. In order to demonstrate their strength and dispel their concerns, he decided to reveal more.

"He is a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel who is willing to contribute his efforts in this matter."

The promotion and dismissal of officials are handled by that department.

It was reasonable for the Ministry of Personnel to issue a reminder to Song Ne to retire in this matter.

Even the emperor couldn't find any fault with it.

Don't worry about Brother Wu.

I had already considered your concerns beforehand.

I would never harm you.

As he spoke, he urged Zhu Gang and the others to sign the papers quickly.

However, Zhu Gang did not sign the document as he had expected.

I still feel worried.

"Brother Jin, to be honest, I really want to sign."

However... this matter is of great importance, and we really can't rest easy until we find out the truth.

We are just humble teaching assistants from humble backgrounds.

Having finally reached this point and become a teaching assistant at the Imperial Academy, it's all thanks to the good deeds of my ancestors.

I'm not really willing to take that risk.

My main concern is that after we've done this, we might not be able to bring Song Ne down.

The days ahead are not going to be easy for us.

There is a high possibility that Song Ne will retaliate against them.

It's not impossible that they might even incur the emperor's wrath for doing so.

It's not that I'm being overly cautious, it's just that this matter is extremely serious.

"We hadn't considered this before." Jin Wenzheng cursed inwardly upon hearing Wu Xing's words.

This Wu Xing usually seems like someone important.

He's very decisive in his speech and actions.

He also had many grievances against Song Ne.

How come things turned out like this when it really came down to it?
He's truly not worth discussing things with!
However, I cursed him in my heart.

But at this point, he needs to get things done.

He completed his task and contributed more to this matter.

Only after Song Ne falls from power can they get a larger share of the benefits.

Therefore, they had no choice but to suppress their contempt and impatience.

Explain aloud.

"Don't worry, Song Ne has made things so outrageous that everyone is angry."

After we submitted our memorial, it was processed by people from the Ministry of Personnel.

Then Song Ne will inevitably be removed from office.

It's not impossible that he might even be beheaded by the emperor!
As long as Song Ne goes down, it will be very beneficial for us.

It's impossible for Song Ne to take revenge on us.

He himself is in dire straits.

Then, lowering his voice further, he said:

"Given the current situation, after Song Ne leaves, Wei Siye will take over as the chief priest."

Although I am not very talented, I still have a lot of affection for Director Wei.

I can speak to the clerk.

Wei Siye also particularly disliked Song Ne's approach.

In the future, when Wei Siye becomes the chief priest, he will surely abolish all the ridiculous rules that Song Ne has set up.

Our carefree days are about to begin.

It can still be done as before, requiring only a little effort to teach some lessons.

With the remaining time, you can do your own thing.

Do whatever you want.

It couldn't be easier.

That's the kind of life a human being should live.

This is the kind of life that decent people like us should live from now on.

How can we be treated like donkeys from now on?

My dear brothers, now that you've signed this petition, we're all on the same side.

The Director of Studies will also remember all the kindness we've shown him.

From now on, whatever happens will be easier to handle.

I will also speak highly of my brothers to Wei Siye.

Let Director Wei know about our achievements…

It turns out that this also involves Wei Siye's career.

Zhu Gang silently kept it in mind.

However, he did not readily agree to sign.

Seeing that Wu Xing was still hesitating after he had said all that, Wu Xing was still standing there.

He looked timid and afraid of trouble.

Jin Wenzheng cursed inwardly.

They think these greenhorns are just greenhorns.

Older gingers are more spicy.

When it comes to getting things done, you still have to do it yourself.

Youngsters like Wu Xing, who have never seen the world, talk a big game but never actually do anything.

This is where the real test begins. It simply won't work.

This is a typical Qin Wuyang!
“My dear brothers, to be honest, you don’t need to worry about this.”

As the saying goes, the law does not blame everyone.

The more people sign it, the greater its power.

Even if something unexpected happens in the future, the emperor won't blame us.

After all, so many of us jointly submitted this memorial; even if the emperor were to take action, he couldn't possibly punish us all.

If that were done, wouldn't the Imperial Academy be completely paralyzed?

Besides, I was the one who initiated this petition.

If anyone is to be punished, it will be me, not them, and certainly not you brothers.

After saying this, he emphasized his words further.
“My dear brothers, if you are unwilling to sign it, that’s fine too.”

Even without the signatures of a few of my esteemed brothers, this matter can still be accomplished.

After the event was completed, Song, the chief priest, stepped down, and Wei, the vice-principal, became the chief priest.

Everyone else signed the petition, but my brothers remained unmoved.

That makes things a bit awkward.

It's inevitable that Wei Siye will remember him.

You are all afraid of Song Ne, that old scoundrel, becoming the chief priest.

Wei Siye became the chief priest, and also your immediate superior.

You were admitted as teaching assistants through exceptional circumstances.

If it were Wei Siye, after he becomes the chief priest, he would investigate this matter more thoroughly.

I'm afraid... things will become a bit more difficult to handle.

Seeing that Jin Wenzheng had started using both soft and hard tactics, Zhu Gang knew that he had almost completely exposed Jin Wenzheng's true colors.

However, he wanted to see if he could squeeze out even more juice.

Is there anything else that can be squeezed out?

He then continued, "After hearing Brother Jin's words, I feel as if I have just woken up from a dream."

Many things suddenly became clear.

These methods are indeed prudent.

It's just... it just doesn't feel safe enough.

It's not quite done.

Given His Majesty's current trust in Song Ne, it would be quite difficult to remove him based solely on these considerations...

However, I'm still a little uneasy about these methods.

They felt it wouldn't achieve a fatal blow.

Brother Jin, just say what you want to say.

We are all teaching and educating people at the Imperial Academy.

Now we are even preparing to do something big together.

If Brother Jin has any other tricks up his sleeve, keeping them hidden will inevitably make us suspicious.

Upon hearing Prince Zhu Gang's words, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Tie Xuan, and the others all nodded in agreement.

That bastard is damn cautious!

He doesn't seem like someone his age at all.

You're such a coward!
But you know what, this guy really hit the nail on the head.

In the previous dormitories, none of the many teaching assistants asked about this.

Seeing the hesitation on his face, Prince Zhu Gang of Jin was secretly pleased.

It seems I was right after all.

There's still something left to be squeezed out of yourself!

These people have indeed prepared more than just these methods.

Then he spoke again: "Brother Jin, we are all preparing to sign this jointly."

If anything happens, Brother Jin, please don't keep it from us.

To put it bluntly, we're in the same boat.

What's there to hide?

Upon hearing Prince Zhu Gang's words, Jin Wenzheng let out a breath and nodded, saying:

"Alright, since we've come this far, I won't hold back anymore."

We do indeed have other preparations, methods that could ultimately determine the outcome.

At this moment, he was about to say all of this.

One reason is that Wu Xing actually guessed something.

On the other hand, it's also because when they actually start implementing this method...

These greenhorns and cowardly bastards also need to be used.

It's fine to tell them in advance.

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin then pretended to listen attentively.

"Song Ne's old tricks are not only making us teaching assistants suffer."

Many students also suffered greatly.

It is on the verge of collapse.

This is something that we alone cannot accomplish.

The students' anger towards Song Ne had reached its peak.

In the future, we will only need to use some subtle methods to guide them without leaving a trace.

This would inspire the students to rise up against Song Ne.

They went on strike.

If so many students went on strike together.

If this matter escalates, Song Ne, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, will be in deep trouble.

Forget about continuing as the chief priest; he won't even keep his head!

These people actually prepared such methods?!

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin looked surprised.

His surprise was absolutely genuine.

Instead, I was genuinely surprised.

Tie Xuan, Huang Guan, and others were also surprised.

"I never expected Brother Jin to have considered things so comprehensively."

As Brother Jin said, if this were to be done, then Song Ne would definitely not be able to continue serving as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy!
Okay, I've signed it!

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin praised Jin Wenzheng highly and wrote the words "Wu Xing" on the back of the memorial.

Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and others did not actually want to get involved.

They were even more shocked when they heard that Jin Wenzheng and his group were planning to incite students to strike.

I really don't want to get involved.

"Gentlemen, how could we be left out of such an important event?"
Sign your names.

It is our duty to eliminate evil and uphold justice, and to protect the Imperial Academy!
Prince Zhu Gang of Jin looked at Yang Shiqi and the others and spoke.

Upon hearing Zhu Gang's words, Yang Shiqi and the others recalled the extraordinary qualities Wu Xing had inadvertently displayed during their interactions with him over the past few months.

And in their hearts, there were some speculations about the identity of this Wu Xing.

After thinking for a moment, they took turns writing their names on the paper.

After writing it down, everyone felt uneasy.

On the one hand, there's the fear that things might get out of control.

On the other hand, there's also the fear that they might make the wrong bet.

Jin Wenzheng was overjoyed to see that Wu Xing and the others had all signed the documents.

Finally, we've got these people under control!
He exchanged a few more words with Jin Wen and Zhu Gang, those greenhorns.

He took the badge and went to the next dormitory...

(End of this chapter)