Top Scholar

Chapter 299 Returning home in glory
"They first burst into loud weeping, which upset the Emperor, who said that everyone now says they deserve to die, what can I do?" The old abbot said as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

Liu Jin said, "We are not afraid of dying, but we are worried that the Emperor will be deceived by treacherous officials. On our deathbed, we will reveal the truth to the Emperor—that the Grand Secretaries are colluding with the people around the Emperor and want to use us, their lackeys, to undermine the Emperor's power!"

"Upon hearing this, the Emperor was slightly moved and asked him who the treacherous minister was. Liu Jin then replied, 'Wang Yue!'" The old abbot, no longer showing any regret, began as if recounting a story:
Liu Jin made the final statement: "The dogs, horses, hawks, and hounds mentioned in the impeachment report were clearly purchased and presented by Wang Yue, yet the civil officials only blame us and don't mention Wang Yue at all! They also say that eunuchs are interfering in politics, shouldn't the eunuchs in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial be held more responsible for this?"

"This eunuch is truly remarkable!" Su Lu gasped. He must learn from him; learning is endless. He couldn't be inferior to even a eunuch…

"As expected, the Emperor was enraged and said, 'They all treat me like a child! I even thought they were doing it for the good of the country!'" The old abbot continued:
"Liu Jin and others seized the opportunity to speak out: 'Dogs, horses, eagles, and rabbits are just ordinary trinkets. Which of those officials doesn't have some hobbies? Grand Secretary Xie keeps a large opera troupe at home, and Minister Han has twelve concubines. Don't these things take up their energy? Why can they indulge in their hobbies while forcing the Emperor to become a monk?'"

"The Emperor was furious and overturned the table. That very night, he appointed Liu Jin to take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently as the commander of the Imperial Guards, Qiu Ju to command the Eastern Depot, Gu Dayong to command the Western Depot, and Zhang Yong and others to jointly manage the affairs of the Imperial Guards, thus completely controlling the inner court!"

"Doesn't this mean we can do whatever we want at night without any problems?" Huang E couldn't help but whisper.

"Therefore, what needs to be done today must be done today," Su Lu said.

"Once Liu Jin seized power, he arrested Wang Yue, Fan Heng, Xu Zhi, and other senior eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial overnight, subjecting them to severe torture to force them to confess to colluding with the outer court," the old headmaster laughed.
"The inner court was in complete chaos, yet the outer court remained completely unaware. The next morning, palace eunuchs summoned them to the Zuoshun Gate to receive an imperial edict, and Grand Secretary Liu and the others thought they had finally achieved victory. But when they happily knelt before the palace, they heard an imperial edict appointing the Eight Tigers and exiling Wang Yue and others!"

"The scene must have been incredibly exciting," Su Lu said with a laugh. The old man and the young man were a perfect pair of entertainers.

"After being dealt such a heavy blow, Grand Secretary Liu and the others realized that the Emperor had completely regarded them as enemies. They were all disheartened and submitted memorials requesting to retire." The old abbot said, glancing at Su Lu, "In the end, the Emperor approved the resignations of Grand Secretary Liu and Xie, but kept Grand Secretary Li... You were right again."

“I was just guessing,” Su Lu said, frowning. “But the question is, how did the Emperor, or rather Liu Jin, know that the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet had different attitudes?”

"Don't overthink it. The Second Minister wasn't betrayed by Grand Secretary Li," the old headmaster said. "All the ministers were present at the cabinet meetings several times."

"So, which minister betrayed us?" Su Lu asked.

“It was Jiao Fang, the Minister of Personnel,” the old mountain master said. “He was also the one who tipped off the Eight Tigers that night and told them how to deal with it.”

"That's right." Su Lu suddenly remembered that Jiao Fang was promoted by the late emperor to counterbalance Ma Wensheng, the Minister of Personnel. He definitely wouldn't get along with the other cabinet officials.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that there really are no secrets that stay hidden forever in the capital.

Then I thought of the Grandmaster and Huang Bingxian's affair. Well, nothing stays hidden forever...

"But I imagine Grand Secretary Li isn't having an easy time either?" Su Lu asked softly.

"Of course, some things are hard to explain. Everyone else has left, and you're the only one left behind; that's a sin..." the old headmaster sighed.

"When Grand Secretary Li saw the two Grand Secretaries off, he was overcome with grief and wept bitterly. Xie Gong, however, looked disdainful, and Liu Gong said coldly, 'Do not weep! He would have left with us if he had said a word back then. There is no need for such posturing today!' Grand Secretary Li had no reply and could only watch the two depart in silence."

"After Grand Secretary Liu passed away, Grand Secretary Li was appointed Grand Secretary as per usual procedure, but surprisingly, no one offered his congratulations." The old academy head finally sighed again, but this time it was for his old friend:

"At that time, rumors were circulating that he had leaked information to Liu Jin, which led to the failure of the plan to eliminate the Eight Tigers and the expulsion of upright gentlemen. Under the condemnation of everyone, he was extremely distressed but could not defend himself. He could only write to me to complain, and that's how I learned about it."

"Wouldn't that mean the cabinet would be solely headed by Grand Secretary Li?" Su Lu asked softly.

"No. A few days later, the court recommended Wang Shouxi to join the cabinet." The old headmaster pointed to the last page of the official records and said, "But Liu Jin also insisted on adding Jiao Fang, which relieved some of the pressure on Grand Secretary Li."

"Didn't Grand Secretary Yang join the cabinet?" Su Lu asked, somewhat surprised. "Wasn't he considered the frontrunner?"

"Jiao Fang replaced him. Originally, according to the rules, the Minister of Personnel could not enter the cabinet, otherwise the power would be too great." Old Shan sighed, "But Liu Jin disregarded the rules and forced him to enter the cabinet with his official rank... In fact, the two sides had long been at odds, and neither of them would be bound by the so-called rules."

"So, does that mean Liu Jin is now slaughtering everyone around him?" Su Lu asked.

“That’s right, and they really slaughtered everyone in their path.” The old mountain master said, “Wang Yue and the others were all killed by Liu Jin’s assassins before they even reached Nanjing.”

"Judging from his ruthlessness and vindictiveness, none of those who submitted memorials impeaching him, such as Minister Han and Alliance Leader Li, will escape punishment," the old headmaster said, his face showing worry.
"What is even more worrying is that the censors in the two capitals still cannot see the situation clearly. Lü Chong, the supervising secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and Dai Xi, the supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, and others submitted memorials requesting that Liu and Xie be kept in office and that Liu Jin be punished according to the law in order to secure the country."

“At this point, it’s like moths to a flame…” Su Lu sighed.

"Yes, His Majesty no longer wants to see Liu and Xie. Instead, he said, 'Are all the affairs of the world ruined by eunuchs? Six or seven out of ten court officials are responsible for the misdeeds, and you gentlemen are well aware of this.' Liu Jin then sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest Dai Xi and others and imprison them in the imperial prison. By now, they should have been escorted to the capital, but we don't know if they are alive or dead."

After saying that, he advised Su Lu, "Given the current situation, don't rush to the capital. Let's wait until things settle down before making any decisions."

"Yes," Su Lu hurriedly replied respectfully.

~~
Perhaps influenced by the official's decree, Huang E was somewhat silent as he descended the mountain.

Su Lu held Huang E's soft, boneless hand and asked softly, "What are you thinking about?" "Do you think Grand Secretary Li is being patient or cowardly?" Huang E also asked softly.

"There's an old saying that goes, 'Those who understand the times are the heroes,'" Su Lu said with a smile.
"But there is an old saying that goes, 'Those who do not understand the times are the sages.'"

"Pfft..." Huang E couldn't help but laugh, "You, you've become even more glib in just one year."

"No, right?" Su Lu laughed. "I'm telling the truth."

"So, do you want to be a hero or a sage?" Huang E blinked her beautiful eyes and stared at him intently.

"It depends on the situation. Most of the time, I will choose to be a hero," Su Lu said solemnly. "Only when there is no other choice will I become a sage."

"In what situations is there no other choice?" Huang E pressed.

"It's about righteousness," Su Lu said. "I won't do anything that compromises my integrity."

He then reassured Huang E, saying, "In my view, the infighting within the court is just dogs fighting each other; it can never escalate to the level of righteousness."

"That's good." Huang E breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't want you to end up like those censors, rushing headlong into things without thinking..."

The Grand Secretaries were too distant for Su Lu to grasp the reality of her situation. But the Censors were different; perhaps in a few years, Su Lu would become one of them…

She paused for a moment, then looked at Su Lu with a resolute gaze and said, "But if one day you truly become a saint for the greater good, I will not blame you! Nor will I let you leave me out!"

"Ptooey, ptooey." Su Lu quickly covered her mouth and said, "Don't be like the old generals on the stage. In our time, we probably won't encounter times that test our righteousness. So let's just be happy and be a pair of peaceful dogs."

"Woof..." Huang E gently bit his hand.

~~
The power struggle within the imperial court is still too far in the future to affect Luzhou.

Everyone continued to live their lives according to their established rhythm.

Erlangtan is like a paradise, where you can't feel the chill of the outside world at all.

Today was unusually lively, because the Su family's scholars had returned home in glory!
Outside the Su Family Ancestral Hall, five tall flagpoles bearing the banners of merit have been erected. Although they are still bare, they are already quite impressive.

Xia Ge'er is also a legitimate martial arts student, and a first-class student who qualified for the provincial examination. Why can't he also have a flagpole erected?

Su Youcai, Su Man, Su Lu, Su Dan, and Su Tai, all dressed as students, entered the ancestral hall to kneel and offer incense to their ancestors, surrounded by their clansmen.

The entire Su family celebrated like it was New Year's Day, setting off firecrackers incessantly, which greatly annoyed Cheng Xiucai, who lived halfway up the mountain.

"It's like a poor person suddenly becoming rich. They just passed the imperial examination and became scholars. Our family also passed the imperial examination, but we didn't become like them."

"Father, don't say anything that's detrimental to unity," Cheng Chengcheng advised. "The two families have just reached a point of good harmony; we can't afford to go back on our word again."

"Can't I even talk about it at home?" Cheng Xiucai said dejectedly. "Besides, I'm not after the Su family. I'm annoyed by that Su Youcai. Your sister has been out of mourning for so long, why hasn't he come to propose marriage yet? Are you going to let her stay with him without any status or recognition?!"

"Haha, don't say that!" The Cheng family's gate was pushed open, and the vigorous Commander Ma strode in, laughing, "The marriage proposal has arrived, hasn't it?"

Old Ma is now a garrison commander, equivalent to a general.

Scholar Cheng quickly stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "Is what you say true, Commander?"

"Do you think I, Old Ma, would joke with you?" Commander Ma laughed loudly. "I've come to your esteemed residence specifically at my elder brother's request to propose marriage. Master Cheng, are you willing to betroth your daughter to his second son?"

"What do you think?" Cheng Xiucai said speechlessly. The rice is already burnt to a crisp, what's the point of asking?

“I have to listen to what you have to say,” Commander Ma said with a smile. “We are all people of status now, and we must observe proper etiquette.”

"Oh right, tell him to hurry up," Cheng Xiucai said irritably.

P.S. To avoid keeping everyone waiting, I'm posting this first and revising it later... Once again, the one-eyed monk is asking for monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)