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

Chapter 161 A Perfect Scheme [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Eh?!"

Huang Jin was speechless when he saw Yan Maoqing make such a statement.

For a moment, he didn't even know whether he should be happy for the emperor or sad for Guo Xun.

I wonder what sins Guo Xun committed in his past life that led him to adopt such a "righteous" son who would "sacrifice family ties for the greater good," and even personally lead the way to raid his home.
"What, does His Majesty not mean that?"

Yan Maoqing naturally noticed Huang Jin's expression and blinked as he asked.

Huang Jin quickly composed himself and spoke again:
"Minister Yan, His Majesty means that Guo Xun is, after all, your godfather..."

"so what?"

Yan Maoqing looked completely bewildered.

Huang Jin had no choice but to patiently continue:

"So, since your godfather is in trouble, shouldn't you, as his adopted son,..."

There are some things that cannot be said openly in the imperial court.

Although there were no outsiders present, Huang Jin continued to guide Yan Maoqing without directly stating the Emperor's intentions.

This is not a glorious thing after all, so it cannot be that the emperor "wanted" to do it, but rather that Yan Maoqing "wanted" to do it. The difference between the two is huge.

"so what?"

Yan Maoqing still looked puzzled.

"so……"

Huang Jin finally lost his temper and gritted his teeth, saying,

"Minister Yan, I know you're a smart man. Why are you pretending to be stupid with me again and again? Are you deliberately making fun of me?"

"How dare I?"

Yan Maoqing finally dropped his silly act and chuckled apologetically.
"Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile. I am a loyal minister who is loyal to the emperor and loves the country. Every word I just spoke came from the bottom of my heart."

"Although Guo Xun is my adoptive father, if he uses his power to oppress the people, he will not only be unacceptable to the emperor and the country, but also to me."

“If Your Majesty wishes to deal with him, I will wholeheartedly support it. Otherwise, how would he be any different from those treacherous insects who bring disaster to the country? How could Your Majesty govern the country well, and how could the people live in peace and prosperity?”

"Is it possible..."

At this point, Yan Maoqing raised his hands in a gesture of respect to the heavens.
"The emperor, whom I consider a sage ruler for all ages, didn't mean that, could it be? Could it be?"

"you!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Jin's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Based on these words alone, this villain is already the number one treacherous minister in the world, yet he still dares to call himself a loyal minister.

He has clearly elevated the emperor to a high position and then removed the ladder, showing no intention of letting the emperor come down!
Huang Jin could even fully imagine that if he said these words in front of the Emperor, the Emperor would probably immediately lose his temper and fly into a rage, at the very least kicking him a couple of times.

Because anyone with discerning eyes could see that this was clearly a tactic those court officials had previously used in front of the emperor.

—The Legalist method of strangulation!
You, Yan Maoqing, have gone to great lengths to promote me.

You haven't learned anything else, but you've learned to play dumb. You dare to use such methods to oppose the Emperor. Do you have a bad temper?

However, given the current situation, Huang Jin decided to take care of the immediate matter first. He composed himself and said seriously:

“Minister Yan, let me be frank with you.”

"Precisely because Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler throughout the ages, Guo Xun is currently under orders to oversee a major matter in Datong that you are concerned about. Such a major matter that benefits the country and the people cannot be abandoned halfway."

"Therefore, when faced with two evils, choose the lesser. His Majesty commands you to devise a way to achieve the best of both worlds and temporarily stabilize the situation. Do you have any further questions?"

Yan Maoqing narrowed his eyes and asked in return:
"So... His Majesty's intention is for me to show favoritism and find a way to help Guo Xun?"

"You said it, we didn't say anything!"

Huang Jin immediately turned and hurriedly walked away, muttering to himself as he went.

"I have already delivered the Emperor's decree. It is no longer my business. You can decide what to do yourself."

"Eunuch Huang, this humble official cannot do it!"

Yan Maoqing hurriedly chased after him, calling out as he went.

"I only have the Court of Imperial Sacrifices under my command, but this is a matter for both the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice. How am I supposed to handle this?"

To everyone's surprise, Huang Jin's footwork was also quite remarkable.

He, a young man in his early twenties, tried his best to catch up, but he couldn't catch up. He had only just left the gate of the Imperial Household Department when he could no longer see Huang Jin's taillights.

But at the same time.

A comical smile gradually appeared on Yan Maoqing's face:

"I didn't expect that such a great opportunity to gain fame and reputation would come so quickly, and I can also take this opportunity to test the true colors of the 'Yan Party' now."

"Your Majesty, please fasten your seatbelts. The 'Yan Party' is about to arrive on the battlefield..."

……

Back in his office, Yan Maoqing picked up the memorial again and studied it carefully.

There are three key figures in this group:

The first part consists of a group of censors led by Li Fenglai, a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

However, these people were not targeting Guo Xun, but rather launched a sweeping attack on all the powerful and influential people in Beijing.
The second part consists of a group of powerful figures in Beijing, represented by Guo Xun.

However, judging from the data on the memorial, this memorial was aimed at Guo Xun alone, because the extent to which others encroached on the interests of the people was not even a fraction of what Guo Xun did.

The third part is the group of censors from the five cities, headed by Wang Tingxiang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

They clearly had a specific purpose in mind.

Otherwise, given the current situation in the Ming Dynasty, where if ten officials and nobles were executed, at most one or two would be innocent, how could Guo Xun be the only one at the top of the list, and even surpass the second place by such a precipitous margin?

Yan Maoqing had reason to be suspicious.

This situation was deliberately created by someone to test Zhu Houcong's attitude or to force him to make concessions.

After all, all the officials in the capital now know that Guo Xun is currently on imperial orders to handle affairs in Datong, and that this is a major matter concerning the stability of the Tartars for many years to come.

If something were to happen to Guo Xun at this time, Zhu Houcong would naturally be forced to replace him.

Replacing personnel could lead to poor coordination, disrupt the smooth progress of border affairs with the Tatars, or even cause a good thing to turn into a bad thing when no one has violated any laws or regulations.

In this situation, Zhu Houcong naturally became a "one-track mind that has become blocked at both ends".

Do not prosecute Guo Xun.

That means protecting one's cronies, bearing the infamy of a tyrant, and being unable to take action against other powerful figures.

Guo Xun was arrested.

The attempt to persuade the Tartars to surrender might not succeed, and years later he would still be branded a foolish ruler, powerless to change the status quo of the court through the tributary system.

Those who most desire to achieve this situation are essentially three groups of people:
Because of the box of accounts that Zhu Houcong burned during the morning court session, some border generals and aristocratic merchants on the northern border had to cooperate with Guo Xun.

Like Guo Xun, powerful figures in the capital city once blatantly encroached upon the interests of ordinary people.
A group of officials who hope to maintain the status quo of the court and protect their own interests.

Yan Maoqing believed that if he could understand something, Zhu Houcong certainly couldn't possibly not understand it.

That's why Zhu Houcong had to swallow his pride again and order him, as his adopted son, to find a way to help Guo Xun through some "shady" means. For Zhu Houcong, this was a last resort.

To put it bluntly, it's about making Yan Maoqing step forward and take the blame for this huge, unjust mess...

"How can this be done?"

Yan Maoqing spat inwardly.

His "Yan Party" is just beginning, and it is a heroic movement driven by faith.

If this continues, his reputation will be ruined, his faith will naturally collapse, and how will the "Yan Party" continue to exist?
How can we prevent the powerful Zhu Houcong from getting his hands dirty in the court in the future? How can we unite our efforts to make Zhu Houcong wary and help him retire and return to his hometown one day?
Besides.

Yan Maoqing also selected a key figure among key figures from this memorial.

This person was none other than Wang Tingxiang, the Left Censor-in-Chief!

This person has a fairly good reputation in historical records, described as honest and upright, knowledgeable, discerning in criminal matters, and incorruptible.

He served as the head of the Censorate for many years and made significant contributions to the country's education, defense, anti-corruption, law, and military affairs.

In particular, during the process of supervising the regiment, the problems of corvée labor, bribery, and vacancies in the garrison in the capital region were brought to the forefront, and the system was actively reformed, which did have some effect.

Also.

He was one of the very few officials who criticized Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism as pseudo-Confucianism, criticized Yangming's philosophy of mind as heresy, and also rejected Buddhism and Taoism.

He was a thinker who advocated "Qi theory" and founded the philosophy of mind based on "Qi monism".

In Yan Maoqing's view, his propositions were the most scientific propositions of the time, and had entered the categories of atheism, dialectical thinking, and materialism.

Judging from these historical materials...

Yan Maoqing felt that even if Wang Tingxiang had some personal motives in this incident, he was probably just being used as a pawn.

It should be noted that last year, when Zhu Houcong insisted on retiring, he appointed the four-year-old crown prince to oversee the country.

First, Yang Zui, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was beaten to death in court. All the officials were silent and trembling with fear. Only Wang Tingxiang still risked his life to remonstrate and explain the pros and cons.

It can be said that Wang Tingxiang played a crucial role in Zhu Houcong's eventual abandonment of the idea of ​​retiring...

Moreover, according to historical records...

Historically, after Guo Xun was imprisoned, Wang Tingxiang also suffered the consequences.

Because Zhu Houcong later ordered the release of Guo Xun, but Xia Yan falsely conveyed the imperial edict to detain him and tried every means to fabricate charges against Guo Xun, the memorial in front of us must have appeared at that time.

This led Zhu Houcong to suspect that Xia Yan and Wang Ting were colluding, especially since the censors of the Censorate were acting on Wang Ting's orders to attack Guo Xun, thus harboring resentment.

So it was not long after Guo Xun was imprisoned.

Wang Tingxiang was quickly dismissed from his post and reduced to commoner status by Zhu Houcong on charges of "forming cliques and forming factions." Although some ministers pleaded for his release, it was to no avail.

Although the course of history has changed, Xia Yan is no longer in the court.

However, Wang Tingxiang's impeachment of Guo Xun at this moment, and the creation of such a difficult situation for Zhu Houcong, will likely not end well for him either.

Therefore, even if Yan Maoqing really wanted to help someone.

The person he most wanted to recruit was Wang Tingxiang, not Guo Xun, his adoptive father. Guo Xun preyed on the people, and he deserved his fate.

Again.

Before I could retire and return to my hometown as I wished, what merit or ability do you, Wang Tingxiang, have to monopolize the limelight?
To avoid feeling envious and resentful, Yan Maoqing had to give him a hand.

The charge of "partisan gang" must be borne by the head of the department!

……

Duke Yi's Mansion.

"Fourth brother, look at this... Father is not here now, what should we do?"

Guo Xun's three sons, Guo Shouqian, Guo Shoukun, and Guo Shougang, gathered together. After reading the memorial brought by Yan Maoqing, they all stared blankly at their sworn brother.

Although Guo Xun's eldest son, Guo Shouqian, is now over forty, his second son, Guo Shoukun, and his third son, Guo Shougang, are both over thirty.

However, their pampered and comfortable lives over the years have turned them into pleasure-seeking good-for-nothings.

Yan Maoqing had already figured out the general idea of ​​this matter when Guo Xun first invited him to a family banquet.

Moreover, this is also reflected in historical records.

Guo Shoukun and Guo Shougang did not leave their names in historical records, and their eldest son, Guo Shouqian, was only recorded with four simple words: "He inherited the title of Marquis of Wuding".

There was a very interesting custom in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

Even officials who were convicted and died or were dismissed from their posts would have their family members or friends try every means to petition the next dynasty to exonerate them and request that they be granted a funeral and posthumous title.

Xia Yan was like this, Shen Lian was like this, and Zhang Juzheng was like this too...

For someone like Guo Xun, who died in prison without being formally convicted and who was once the Duke of Yi, there would be even more room for maneuver in "exonerating" him and requesting a state funeral and posthumous title.

After all, although the emperor revoked Guo Shouqian's title of "Duke of Yiguo", he still allowed Guo Shouqian to inherit the title of "Marquis of Wuding".

However, Guo Xun did not receive any posthumous title.

There is no record of any of his three sons serving as officials in the imperial court.

This small detail clearly shows that the Guo family completely declined after Guo Xun's death, and also reveals the capabilities of Guo Xun's three sons...

"My three elder brothers, did my godfather leave any instructions before he went to Datong on official business?"

Yan Maoqing remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before asking a question instead of answering.

Guo Shouqian said with a bitter face:

"Father only said that if something happens at home while he is away and the three of us don't know how to deal with it, we can ask our fourth brother to come and take charge. He will definitely be able to handle it properly."

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father. It seems that Guo Xun also knew very well what kind of people his three sons were, and dared not place any hope in them...

"That makes things much easier!"

Yan Maoqing immediately sat up and said with a smile,

"Please have my three elder brothers write a letter to Datong and tell my godfather the truth about this matter."

"Remember to state in the letter that I am aware of this matter and have devised a foolproof plan to ensure the safety of the Guo family in this matter. Ask him to remain in Datong and serve the Emperor with peace of mind!"

It's impossible to keep Guo Xun completely in the dark about this matter.

Whether it was a letter sent by the Guo family or word-of-mouth among travelers between Beijing and Datong, Guo Xun would find out.

Once Guo Xun learns that his home is about to be robbed, he will definitely rush back to deal with it personally.

Therefore, the most important thing now is to keep Guo Xun at ease and let him stay in Datong.

Only in this way.

Only then could Yan Maoqing successfully carry out his plan and actually steal Guo Xun's house...

"Fourth brother, is it truly a perfect and ingenious plan?"

Guo Shouqian was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Guo Shoukun and Guo Shougang were also overjoyed.

Previously, a "clever plan" could have saved their father's life.

This "perfect strategy" is obviously an extraordinary plan, just by hearing about it. We've got it!
(End of this chapter)