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

Chapter 135 First write a seditious book, then gather followers!
"That scoundrel of a blind man is gone?"

While leisurely listening to the opera at home, Zhao Wenhua tapped a memorial on his thigh to keep time, and asked without looking to the side.

"Yes, sir."

The servant who had just entered bowed and answered.

"Heh, without Yan Song, he's not even worth a dog on the street. He comes empty-handed and still wants to curry favor with me. Has he forgotten how many gifts I've sent to his family over the years?"

Zhao Wenhua sneered, making no attempt to hide his disgust.
"When you sent him away, did you hear him utter any disrespectful words?"

The servant replied, "No, sir."

"He's smart enough to know his place. If he still couldn't see the situation clearly, not only would he be in deep trouble today, but he would also have to give back double the gifts he's received over the years."

Zhao Wenhua refocused his attention on the private opera troupe, and the rhythm of slapping his thigh while submitting his memorial became even louder.
"Just you wait, he'll have to give it back to me sooner or later..."

A keen eye would notice a line of large characters on the cover of this memorial:
——【Please pardon Yan Maoqing】!
In addition, on the tea table beside him, there were several scattered memorials, the covers of which were titled:

—Memorial on Pardoning Confessors, Memorial Requesting the Release of Outspoken Officials, Memorial Advising Against the Literary Inquisition, etc.

These were all memorials submitted in recent days by several Hanlin Academy officials and several censors to rescue Yan Maoqing, but Zhao Wenhua used his position to withhold them and they were not reported to the emperor.

To think that just a few people could plead for Yan Maoqing is simply overestimating their abilities!
Furthermore, it was the Emperor's own decree that Yan Maoqing was imprisoned.

Even if he withheld these memorials out of personal favoritism, what difference would it make if they were submitted? Could he easily change the emperor's mind?

Logically speaking, he should have burned these memorials long ago, leaving no evidence whatsoever.

However, this matter is different from other matters.

This matter, after all, involved the affairs of the southeast, and these memorials were all merits he had made.

Not only could this enhance his standing among officials in the southeast, giving him more support when seeking promotions in the court, but it would also allow him to gain more benefits and a greater voice in the future…

Just as I was thinking this.

"DaDaDa..."

Another servant rushed in with hurried footsteps, causing Zhao Wenhua, who was watching the opera, to frown slightly.

The servant still dared not be negligent, and quickly went to Zhao Wenhua's side, whispering in his ear:
"My lord, Jiang Xuehai, the Left Councilor of the Court of Judicial Review, requests an audience, saying he has important matters to report to you immediately."

The Left Councilor of the Court of State Affairs was the official in the Court of State Affairs who was mainly responsible for receiving memorials from all directions. Although he did not have the power to reject or dismiss memorials from the Court of State Affairs, he was one of Zhao Wenhua's most important assistants.

"Jiang Xuehai?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua frowned even more deeply.

Jiang Xuehai had been serving under him for several years and was now one of his confidants.

This person is reliable and calm. He will never come to the mansion to report matters unless there is something truly important.

"Lead him to the guest room first, I will follow shortly."

Zhao Wenhua immediately stood up and waved to the opera troupe not far away.

"Alright, that's enough for today. You may all leave. Go and collect your reward from the steward later."

After a while.

When Zhao Wenhua received Jiang Xuehai in the guest hall, he found that Jiang Xuehai had not come empty-handed like Yan Shifan, but had brought a wooden box with him.

Upon seeing Zhao Wenhua, Jiang Xuehai immediately stood up, bowed with a pained expression, and said:

"Shangguan, it seems we can no longer suppress Yan Maoqing's memorial..."

"It's just a few memorials from the Hanlin Academy and the Censorate, how could it not be suppressed?" Zhao Wenhua asked, puzzled.

"Please take a look, sir."

Jiang Xuehai didn't waste any words. He immediately opened the wooden box that had been brought into the living room and showed it to Zhao Wenhua.

"These are the memorials received by the Office of Transmission today requesting the pardon of Yan Maoqing. Among them are quite a few censors from the Censorate and vice ministers from various departments. Compared to the dozen or so memorials received in the past few days, there have been over a hundred related memorials in just one day!"

"Hundreds?!"

Zhao Wenhua's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly went to the wooden box and frantically checked it.

Not to mention the hundreds of related memorials, it was no longer possible to suppress the memorials from the Censors of the Censorate and various vice ministers and officials who spoke out against injustice, as before.

Otherwise, given their status, they would not only be qualified to verify the submission of memorials by the Office of Transmission, but many of them would also be qualified to present their cases to the emperor in person at the morning court session, thus stirring up public opinion in the court and among the people.

If he continues to suppress it, it will only lead to the immediate exposure of these previous violations.

In this case, it would not be as simple as him finishing his term as the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review. If the Emperor were to investigate, it could very well be a capital offense!

But Zhao Wenhua didn't understand.

Why were the people who tried to rescue Yan Maoqing a few days ago all insignificant figures, whose importance and number were not worth mentioning?

Today, however, the situation has suddenly changed so unexpectedly that it has reached a point where no one in the world can control it, which has left Zhao Wenhua completely baffled.

Let's put it this way: Zhao Wenhua has been serving as the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review for quite some years now.

Even he had rarely seen such a large-scale petition for rescue before, far exceeding the previous impeachment of Yan Maoqing...

"Are there any connections among these people who submitted memorials? Could it be that Yan Maoqing has any cronies?"

Zhao Wenhua asked subconsciously.

The rescue operation was both swift and unified, which could only have been accomplished by factions within the government; such speculation makes perfect sense.

What Zhao Wenhua knew even better was that if Yan Maoqing truly had such a faction behind him, then that faction's influence in the court must have reached an unparalleled level, enough to sway the political situation with a single hand.

But he couldn't understand how Yan Maoqing, a mere fifth-rank official without any real position, could have such great power.
After all, collusion and private dealings among officials in the imperial court were usually exchanges of power and interests, which can be summarized as "united front value" in later generations.

But Yan Maoqing clearly doesn't have much value in united front work...

"These officials come from different hometowns and belong to various departments, so I can't tell them apart at a moment."

"Never mind, these are none of your business."

Zhao Wenhua stood up, closed the wooden box, and after a brief moment of contemplation, said...

"Take these memorials back to the Office of Transmission immediately. Under no circumstances should anyone discover that you brought them to my residence. After that, you don't need to do anything. Just present them to the palace truthfully!"

"Yes!"

Jiang Xuehai responded and hurriedly went to do as instructed.

Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Wenhua's expression grew increasingly cold:

"Regardless of whether Yan Maoqing formed a faction, these memorials to rescue him are enough to prove that he committed the crime of forming a faction for personal gain."

"First, he wrote a seditious letter, then he formed a faction; both are things that the Emperor cannot tolerate!"

"Yan Maoqing, since you've chosen this path to your own death, you can't blame anyone else..."

(End of this chapter)