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

Chapter 136 You want a Yan faction? I'll give you a Yan faction!
That night, in the Qianqing Palace.

"Yan Maoqing is truly my blessed minister!"

With mixed feelings, Huang Jingang carefully categorized today's memorials and neatly arranged them on the imperial desk when he heard Zhu Houcong, who was about to review them, suddenly exclaim with great interest, as if he had thought of something pleasant.

"..."

Huang Jin felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing this.

If he had heard such sentiments half an hour ago, he would have been happy for Zhu Houcong in his heart.

But now that he had sorted through the memorials submitted to the palace that day, he was only worried that Zhu Houcong might turn his joy into sorrow later.

After all, the contents of many memorials can be inferred simply by looking at the title on the title page.

Therefore, he now understands everything clearly:
Even imprisoned in the imperial prison, Yan Maoqing is still no pushover. Today, he seems to have become the eye of the storm in the court, stirring up a storm that blots out the sky.

However, since the emperor didn't ask, he didn't dare to speak rashly at the moment. He would wait for the emperor to see for himself later...

"Huang Ban, you would never guess, and Yan Maoqing would never guess either, that his outrageous and foolish behavior, after a little consideration from me, can soon be turned into something valuable!"

Zhu Houcong's desire to share was stronger than ever today. After secretly chuckling to himself, he then adopted a smug expression that Huang Jincai had seen in his youth and began to speak.
"Yan Maoqing's periodicals have such an audience, and the fact that he only included a few political views in them is enough to attract such a reaction and affect the public opinion situation in the government and the country."

"Why didn't I think of this sooner? Why didn't I take advantage of it?"

"There are quite a few literate people in the Ming Dynasty, but how many people have actually carefully studied the edicts and regulations I issued in the past? How many common people could only hear the officials and gentry relaying the information? And how many people with ulterior motives have deliberately misinterpreted the information?"

"The reason for this is probably that the imperial edict was not available to everyone, and some of its contents were stiff and obscure, so the common people were not interested in it."

"What if, after I issue an edict system, someone like Yan Maoqing sneaks in their own ideas and incorporates them into wonderful folk tales, presenting them in a way that the people enjoy?"

"Wouldn't this increase the public's interest in understanding the imperial edict system, and also allow for vivid and engaging explanations within the stories, thus preventing deliberate misinterpretations?"

"Not only that, this journal format also has some merits!"

“In the future, if I am interested in doing something important, I can also do what Yan Maoqing did and smuggle in my own agenda. First, I can create public opinion in the streets and then use that opinion to take the initiative and influence the emotions of officials and the people, so that the general trend will tilt in my favor.”

"In this way, I will have my own voice among the people, and I will not need others to speak for me!"

"These are the same methods those officials used to arbitrarily obstruct me. If I had my own voice, I could turn the tables on them."

"Then, from now on, when I rule the world, I will naturally have less helplessness and more control. How can I allow my court officials to do whatever they want?"

"Apart from that, as long as this mouthpiece is used well."

"It can also gradually enhance my reputation and restore my authority from the bottom up, so that I no longer need to rely on others to win the hearts of the people, nor do I need to worry about the people spreading rumors and misunderstanding me..."

"A brilliant idea, truly a brilliant idea! Why didn't I think of that sooner!"

"It's time to regulate these bookstores scattered all over the world..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Jin already knew what Zhu Houcong was thinking.

The Emperor would not ban private bookstores, much less restrict printing, since the dissemination of knowledge to the people was an ancestral system established by the founding emperor.

However, the matter of obtaining a "salt permit" by publishing books designated by the emperor was essentially a matter of imperial decree, depending on how determined the emperor was.

It must be admitted that what the Emperor said earlier was not without reason.

If we can indeed wrest the voice of the people from the civil service, or even just a small part of it, then imperial power can be further extended among the people!
only……

"Your Majesty is wise. This servant is foolish and could not possibly flatter you enough."

Huang Jin still had something on his mind, so he first subtly agreed with her, then bowed and advised her.

"Your Majesty, it's getting late. Why don't you review the memorials as soon as possible, so you can rest your health sooner?"

"You're such a spoilsport, Yan Maoqing would never do that..."

Zhu Houcong seemed to realize that he had revealed some of his true feelings today, so after glancing at him, he looked sullenly at the stacks of memorials piled high on his desk, and then asked in an annoyed tone,
"Why are there so many memorials today? Has something major happened in the court?" "Your Majesty, these are all memorials requesting Your Majesty to pardon Yan Maoqing."

Huang Jin looked down at his nose and answered cautiously.

Zhu Houcong thought he had misheard, and after a moment of surprise, he asked again, somewhat unsure of himself:
"Are you sure these are all memorials requesting my leniency towards Yan Maoqing, and not memorials impeaching him and requesting my severe punishment?"

“It is absolutely true, how could this servant dare to deceive Your Majesty?”

As he spoke, Huang Jin pointed to a stack of memorials that had been deliberately placed towards the back.
"Although there weren't that many memorials impeaching Yan Maoqing, there were still more than thirty. Moreover, these memorials did not impeach him for writing seditious letters, but rather for... Yan Maoqing forming a faction."

"Forming a party?"

Zhu Houcong immediately frowned, his face instantly darkening.

He then silently picked up the memorials and examined them one by one.

Because the contents of these two types of memorials were basically the same, he read them very quickly, and later he read them even faster, almost reading ten lines at a glance, and sometimes he would only glance at the title page and then throw it aside.

After a while.

"Oh!"

Accompanied by a loud bang.

Zhu Houcong slammed a memorial impeaching Yan Maoqing for forming a faction and referring to his followers as the "Yan Party" on the table, his face as cold as ice:

"These treacherous traitors have some nerve, daring to use the same tricks on me again!"

"I'm afraid it's because I tricked and demoted Yan Song a few days ago, and they got a taste of the benefits. Now they dare to use such methods to attack my Minister Yan Mao!"

"Do they really think I'm made of clay?!"

"..."

Huang Jin knelt silently on the ground, secretly admiring him.

As expected of the Emperor, even though I had some doubts just now, the Emperor was able to see through these people's schemes at a glance.

That's exactly right... They used similar methods to flatter Yan Song to the point of ruin, putting the emperor in a dilemma and forcing him to maintain his power to decide on Yan Song's appointment by demoting him.

The situation is exactly the same now with Yan Maoqing. The emperor is being forced to choose between protecting Yan Maoqing and tacitly approving the formation of a faction, which is still a dilemma.

Then he heard Zhu Houcong's resolute voice again:

"If I grant them their wish again, I am not worthy to sit on this dragon throne!"

"Since they want a Yan faction so badly, I will give them one!"

"Huang Jin, draft the imperial edict!"

"From the day Yan Maoqing was released from prison, he was promoted to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, in charge of the affairs of the prefecture, the wards, and the bureaus, and was responsible for teaching and tutoring the Crown Prince!"

"???"

Upon hearing this, Huang Jin's heart pounded uncontrollably.

The Crown Prince's Chamberlain is a third-rank official who is in charge of all affairs in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Now that the Crown Prince is less than six years old and has no ability to make decisions, whoever is appointed as the Crown Prince's tutor will naturally be the undisputed leader of the Crown Prince's faction!

What does it mean to rise to the top in one step?
That’s what it’s called!
the most important is……

Your Majesty, given Yan Maoqing's character, are you really going to let him tutor the Crown Prince? Are you sure he won't regret it later?

(End of this chapter)