Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 119 The sky has fallen!!!

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Jin instantly understood Zhu Houcong's intentions!
The Emperor probably wants...it all!

By imprisoning Yan Song, but explicitly telling Lu Bing not to use torture, they were protecting him.

The Emperor is probably using a counter-strategy, and must already have other plans in mind.

This approach not only upheld the integrity of imperial power with a firm stance, demonstrating to the world his sacred and inviolable imperial authority, but also made those with ulterior motives uneasy, causing them to back down and quickly quell the public outcry.

When Yan Maoqing was first appointed to the position of Fengyi Dafu, the date of the imperial edict was to be written before the date of the conferment of the title of Bailu.

Thus, the appointment of Yan Maoqing was made first, followed by Bai Lu.

It conforms to the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues advocated by official schools, and also to the imperial decree system of past dynasties, which can shut up the mouths of those below!

But those people below shouldn't think that's the end of it!
No one knew the Emperor better than Huang Jin; he was not one to forget grudges.

This time, Yan Song's case was a complex and difficult situation, forcing the emperor to choose between two options: either punish Yan Song as a warning to others, or relinquish the power to recommend Yan Song for a cabinet position.

The emperor was forced to make a choice. Although he seemed to be at a disadvantage, he still wanted to protect Yan Song.

So at this moment, it's not a retreat, but a withdrawal of the fist.

Pulling back your fist is to make your punch more powerful when you throw it!

The way Yan Maoqing was handled was the only thing that surprised Huang Jin.

The treacherous officials below probably wanted to force the emperor to choose between two options: either revoke Bailu's title of Lady of the Imperial Court, or be pushed to the opposite side of the Ming Dynasty's official schools, or even seriously undermine the rule of law.

Unexpectedly, the emperor took a different approach and went down a third path.

In this way, the matter actually became a good thing that prompted the emperor to make up his mind to no longer keep Yan Maoqing as a secret weapon in the Hanlin Academy, and to quickly promote him to a higher official rank and bring him into the open.

In this matter, the emperor did not back down, but instead retaliated by throwing a punch.

With such a back-and-forth approach, from a holistic perspective, they haven't actually lost ground.

Wonderful!

That's wonderful! No wonder you're the Emperor!

To remain so clear-headed and rational even in such a dilemma, and to make such a decision in such a short time... Your Majesty is wise!
"call--!"

Watching Huang Jin's triumphant departure, Zhu Houcong let out a long sigh of relief.

tired!
乏！
倦！
疲！
This unexpected event made him feel even greater pressure and a more chilling danger than during the "Great Rites Controversy" of that year.

Unexpectedly, after many years, the "Deep Court" has made a comeback with such ruthless methods and ingenious schemes, each move an unsolvable conspiracy, which has forced me to such a predicament.

At that moment, Zhu Houcong even felt a lingering fear.

If the "deep court" behind Yang Tinghe during the "Great Rites Controversy" had such a high level of competence, could he, who was only a teenager at the time, have survived it?
Zhu Houcong had no answer in his heart, only a chill running down his spine...

"check!"

"Now that the situation in the court has been temporarily stabilized, and the enemy has also been temporarily appeased, I will not make any moves that might alert them. I will have Lu Bing investigate secretly, digging three feet into the ground to investigate!"

"Such a terrifying 'deep court' must be traced back to its true mastermind and eradicated completely!"

"Otherwise, given time, it will surely become a major threat to my life!"

……

At the Yan residence. "Madam, the sky has fallen!"

A maid knelt before Ouyang Duanshu, sobbing uncontrollably.
"The master has been personally ordered by the Emperor to be imprisoned. Today, the young master knelt with the master outside Chengtian Gate to beg the Emperor to summon him, and also went to the prison with the master. Now, Yan Nian has been ordered to come back and fetch bedding!"

"What did you say?!"

Ouyang Duanshu's expression changed drastically. She suddenly stood up, clutched her chest, staggered a couple of times, and then sat back down weakly.

This time she was finally certain that Yan Song's premonition during his convulsions last night was correct.

This time, the Yan family is probably truly doomed. Perhaps it is fate, and heaven has come to take them away...

But she couldn't understand it.

Even if Heaven were to take away people, it should take away Yan Shifan, the son, first, not Yan Song, the father.

After all, the evil deeds Yan Song committed over the years were nothing compared to Yan Shifan, whom she raised with unrestricted pampering.

(At this time, Yan Song had not yet entered the cabinet and taken control of the government, and was not qualified to do many things. Even after becoming the Grand Secretary, he was relatively restrained. On the contrary, Yan Shifan was unscrupulous and could openly say things like "The court is not as rich as me" and "The court is not as happy as me." Historical records also show that many of Yan Song's actions were to clean up Yan Shifan's messes. For example, the wrongful convictions of Shen Lian and Zhou Shangwen were caused by Yan Shifan's indulgence. It is said that Yan Shifan used every means to amass wealth. Once, he invited Yan Song to see the wealth. Yan Song was stunned by the enormous amount of money and vaguely sensed that disaster was about to befall him.)
How could Ouyang Duanshu not know what the Imperial Prison was?

Since it was the Emperor himself who gave the order, this time it's probably going to be serious.

Leaving aside whether Yan Song, at his age, could withstand the torture in the imperial prison, even if he could, he would still have to endure punishment afterward. Heaven knows what kind of punishment the emperor will bestow this time...

"You unfilial son! It's all that unfilial son's fault!"

Ouyang Duanshu's face was deathly pale, her whole body trembled, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"If this is truly as you dreamt last night, and it is Heaven coming to take someone away, then it must be that rebellious son who caused it. You are being implicated by that rebellious son's usual misdeeds!"

"No, it's my fault, it's all my fault!"

"If I had disciplined that rebellious son a little more in the past, things wouldn't have come to this. Why has Heaven taken him away?"

"A doting mother spoils her son, and a pampered child is like a killer. If Heaven wants to take away people, it should take away this old woman instead."

"If anything happens to you, sir, I will not live on!"

"Let's see how that unfilial son will live a carefree and happy life from now on, and what right he has to act so recklessly..."

……

Outside the Hanlin Academy.

"The sky has fallen!"

With the imperial edict that Huang Jin had just secretly delivered to him in his arms, Yan Maoqing leaned against the trunk of a catalpa tree and slowly slid down, looking as if he had lost his parents, unable to shed a tear.

Why?
why?
What exactly are you trying to do, you big idiot Zhu!

Zhu Houcong was able to back down in the matter of Yan Song, ordering him to be imprisoned and await punishment.

Why is it that when it comes to me, I'm just a lowly fifth-rank imperial consort being deposed, yet I'm being promoted instead of demoted? Is this a more difficult decision than dealing with Yan Song?
Why was Zhu Houcong so insistent that he was willing to grant her the honorary title of a fifth-rank imperial consort in order to protect her nominal position as a fifth-rank imperial consort?
A fifth-rank official—that's already on par with the Hanlin Academician who heads the Hanlin Academy. In the future, it will be a question of who will take the initiative to greet whom when they meet.

How could he possibly retire happily and return to his hometown in the future, and leave the capital so quickly?
the most important is.

The goal is to have Zhu Houcong dismissed from a fifth-rank official position.

I'm afraid that the previous verbal and emotional provocations are no longer enough; we'd have to do something bigger to make it work.

(End of this chapter)