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

Chapter 162 A Beast in Human Clothing [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"If my three elder brothers do not trust me, then please ask the Duke of Yi to come back and handle this personally."

Seeing that the three had taken the bait, Yan Maoqing feigned displeasure, preemptively giving them a heads-up to prevent them from escaping. After all, what he was about to ask them to do was something most people would find hard to accept.
"But don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

"The fact that this memorial has now fallen into my hands, rather than being directly questioned by officials from the Northern Garrison and the Ministry of Justice, is closely related to what the Duke of Yi is doing for the Emperor in Datong."

"The matters that the Duke of Yi handled in Datong are the real national affairs that the Emperor cares about. Compared with them, the matters of encroaching on the interests of the people are just trivial matters of governance."

"The reason I helped Duke Yi avoid the disaster caused by Duan Chaoyong by using the matter of Anda was precisely this."

"Therefore, only if the Duke of Yi continues to stay in Datong to serve the Emperor will the disaster not fall on the Guo family."

"If the Duke of Yi can handle the affairs of Datong perfectly, then no matter what he has done before, he will not only be blameless, but will also have made a great contribution. The Emperor will naturally reward him handsomely."

"But if the Duke of Yi is affected by this matter and abandons the affairs of Datong to rush back to the capital..."

"Snapped!"

At this point, Yan Maoqing clapped his hands lightly, startling the three people who had been listening intently, causing them to gasp in surprise. Then, with a serious expression, he continued:

"Then don't blame the Emperor for settling old and new scores at once. Duke Yiguo will surely face great calamity, and the Guo family's good days are probably over!"

"We believe you! We believe you! How could we not believe our fourth brother? We will follow his arrangements!"

The three men turned pale and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

After all, these words were simply impeccable, and even Guo Xun would have wholeheartedly agreed with them, let alone his three useless sons.

When it comes to strategic deception, Yan Maoqing is always meticulous and never harbors any illusions.

We will never hold back just because our opponents are not sharp enough; we emphasize "treat our opponents with contempt in tactics, but take them seriously in strategy."

"In that case, I will do my utmost to protect the Guo family."

Yan Maoqing nodded slightly, then asked again,
"So, after all that I've said, besides the first letter sent today, do my three elder brothers know how to write and reply to future letters to the Duke of Yi, or letters inquiring about his recent situation?"

"This……"

The three exchanged glances, their faces showing confusion, and could only humbly ask for clarification again:

"Could you please enlighten me, Fourth Brother?"

"A good daughter-in-law should keep things from both sides, naturally she should only report good news and not bad news."

Yan Maoqing said solemnly,

"First of all, the Duke of Yi is already sixty-six years old. At such an age, he probably can't withstand a shock. If we can handle things properly in the end, keeping it a little secret is also a way of showing filial piety."

"Secondly, the Emperor's mission cannot be neglected. If the Duke of Yi is distracted by matters at home and makes a mistake, then a good deed will turn into a bad one."

"Furthermore, and most fatally, if the Duke of Yi fails to understand the intent behind some of the methods in my 'Perfect Strategy' and rushes back in a moment of panic, I fear everything will be lost!"

“My three elder brothers, sometimes, to get things done, a white lie is far more important than a thoughtless truth.”

"Therefore, I urge my three elder brothers to fully cooperate with me to resolve this crisis together."

"When the Duke of Yi returns and hears the whole story, he will be overjoyed to see that his three elder brothers are capable of handling things on their own. He will be able to entrust the family business to his three elder brothers with peace of mind."

At this point, the three Guo brothers, Guo Shouqian, Guo Shoukun, and Guo Shougang, not only fully understood Yan Maoqing's "intentions."

Even those who had rarely received praise from Guo Xun since childhood were somewhat excited, and they all said with expectant faces:

"Fourth brother is right. It is indeed as you say, that we should only report good news to Father and not bad news. We are doing this for Father and the family!"

It seems that the groundwork has been laid almost completely.

Yan Maoqing finally began to formally implement his "perfect plan," and said with a smile:

"Since that's the case, I won't hide it anymore."

“The first step of my ‘perfect scheme’ is called substitution.”

"Now I need my three elder brothers to take action as soon as possible to find out all the properties owned by the Duke of Yiguo's mansion in the capital, including those properties that encroach on the interests of the people, as well as the distant relatives and servants involved in these matters, and to compile a clear account."

“From these people, select ten who are the most rampant and the most hated by the Duke of Yiguo’s mansion, just in case.”

The voice just fell.

"oh--!"

The second brother, Guo Shoukun, suddenly realized what was happening and exclaimed with wide eyes, "..."

"What Fourth Brother means is that we should prepare for the worst in advance, so that when the moment comes that there is no way to avoid it, we can push these ten people out to take the blame. This is called substituting one person for another."

"That's right, Second Brother is indeed exceptionally quick-witted."

Yan Maoqing bowed and said.

Guo Shoukun waved his hand happily and said modestly:

"Not at all, Fourth Brother has explained it so clearly. If I still don't understand, then I would be foolish."

"Fourth brother, what's the second step?"

Guo Shouqian couldn't help but press for more information.

"Brother, don't be in a hurry. You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to do things one step at a time."

Yan Maoqing kept everyone in suspense, and said with a serious expression,
"You guys get this done as soon as possible, I'll take care of the rest."

"Since this memorial was submitted by Wang Tingxiang, the Left Censor-in-Chief, then he is the key figure."

"Now I also need to make some visits to the Censorate to find out what Wang Tingxiang is thinking before I act accordingly. My three elder brothers, just wait for my news."

“My three elder brothers, I will do my best to avoid reaching the point where I have no choice but to resort to this substitution strategy…”

"Without further ado, I'll go first!"

……

The Thousand-Step Corridor, the Censorate.

"Your Excellency, I have a question that has been on my mind for a long time, but I am not sure if I should ask it..."

While organizing documents for Wang Tingxiang, a trusted censor from the Censorate spoke with a stern face, as if he had made a great decision.

Wang Tingxiang knew that this young man was upright and honest, and that he had taken him under his wing with the intention of nurturing him, so he nodded slightly.

"Since you've asked the question, it means you feel it's the right thing to do. So go ahead and ask."

"Thank you, Minister."

He first bowed in thanks, then stood up straight and asked,
"As far as I know, it is extremely common for powerful and wealthy people in the capital to embezzle from the common people. If we were to investigate, we could easily find a lot of such cases."

"Why is it that the five city censors, acting on the orders of the Minister, investigated back and forth for more than a month, but only found Guo Xun, while the rest of the powerful and influential people were only found to have some trivial matters?"

Wang Tingxiang glanced at him, then laughed:

"The fact that you can ask this question means you already have the answer in your heart, so why do you need to ask me?"

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency, but I simply want to know if my answer is the same as yours."

The young man took a deep breath and bowed slightly in response.

"That's what I admire about you. Go and close the door."

Wang Tingxiang stroked his beard and smiled, gesturing for the servant to close the door before letting out a soft sigh.
“You’re right. The Censorate is rotten to the core now. It has lost its function of supervising officials and impeaching those who break the law. It has now become a tool for some people to fight each other in the court.”

"The results submitted by the five city censors this time were also obtained under the manipulation of someone with ulterior motives. Someone wanted to make things difficult for the emperor."

Hearing his story only deepened his confusion, and he couldn't help but ask again:
"If that's the case, why should the minister report the truth as they wish? Isn't that just letting them use you?"

"When you one day climb to my position, you'll understand my difficulties." Wang Ting was a year older than Guo Xun, and the wrinkles on his face were as deep as if carved by a knife and axe, but at this moment he forced them into the word "helplessness."
"When His Majesty sent the memorial to the Censorate two months ago, impeaching powerful officials in the capital for encroaching on the interests of the people, by Li Fenglai and others, I knew it was a hot potato."

"Just as I expected."

"When I ordered the five city censors to investigate for less than a month, some people began to submit memorials impeaching me for delaying the investigation and for deceiving the emperor, constantly putting pressure on me in front of the emperor."

“In the past, the five city censors would just casually investigate and deal with my affairs.”

"This time, despite my constant urging, the investigation still took a full forty days. It wasn't until a few days ago when the Emperor issued an edict blaming me that the results were finally submitted."

Can you understand the intricacies of this?

"..."

The young man silently shook his head; these things were indeed somewhat profound for him, who had not yet reached a certain level of success.

"In short, this time someone is trying to outwit the Emperor. Although Guo Xun deserves his punishment, he is essentially the same as me. He was just a pawn in someone else's scheme."

A bitter smile, a sense of "relief," appeared on Wang Tingxiang's face, and his tone even carried a hint of relief.
"Consider these words today as my last closed-door conversation with you before I depart."

"After this, no matter what happens to Guo Xun, I'm afraid my official career will come to an end."

“I often tell you that carelessness leads to a coarse spirit, coldness to a cold spirit, and meticulousness to a meticulous spirit. A turbid spirit can make the mind turbid, an impetuous spirit can make the mind restless, and a righteous spirit can make the mind calm.”

"However, having spent my entire life in officialdom, I have not achieved anything great, nor have I been able to set things right or save the day from collapse. But at least I have maintained my integrity, so I can face my death with composure."

"I am tired and weary. If I can take this opportunity to beg the Emperor for my remaining years, it may not be a bad end."

"Let me give you one last piece of advice."

"Nine out of ten people who wear this official robe are already beasts in human clothing. The official robe is full of filth, which nourishes the beasts. Therefore, beasts are born and die, and they can never be eliminated."

"If you truly want to do something for the people, for the emperor, and for the world, then hold fast to the righteous spirit in your heart."

"Don't be arrogant, and be tolerant of even the smallest flaws."

"After all, the emperor cannot govern the country without these beasts. Therefore, eliminating one traitor is enough to deter the beasts. We should not be too persistent, otherwise we will suffer the consequences."

"You can only get things done if you're alive and well, right?"

"..."

After hearing about his experiences, he fell even more silent, a hint of despair creeping into his clear eyes.

He felt he vaguely understood Wang Tingxiang's thoughts on why he was acting this way.

He could have either not submitted that memorial, or eliminated the relevant information about Guo Xun before submitting it.

But he chose to play along, dragging Guo Xun into the mess, all to achieve his goal of "eliminating a traitor to deter beasts"...

"I understand... Thank you for your guidance, Minister."

The young man bowed deeply in gratitude.

"You still don't fully understand... But keep my words in mind for now. When you find yourself in a situation beyond your control in the future, then carefully recall what I said today..."

Wang Tingxiang shook his head, looking at the young man in front of him with even more helplessness.

This young man is too honest. For someone like him, entering officialdom is often the worst choice, but by the time he realizes it, it's already too late.

While they were talking.

"Boom boom boom!"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, followed by the voice of a minor official:
"Minister, the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, Yan Maoqing, is requesting an audience outside the hall."

"Hehe, look at this. Speaking of understanding, a self-taught, intelligent beast has come looking for it just by smelling the scent."

Wang Tingxiang's face creased rapidly, and he let out a cold laugh.

Even now, he still vividly remembers the feeling he had when he first saw Yan Maoqing's very interesting answer sheet when he served as a reader of the palace examination papers, and his indignation rose uncontrollably in his heart again.

But he had to admit that Yan Maoqing was indeed a sensible person.

If you're not a sensible person.

It was absolutely impossible for him to have Guo Xun become his godfather in such a short period of time, let alone to have risen to the position of a third-rank official within a few months.

This is a spectacle that has never been seen before in history. There has never been such a young Crown Prince in history. The Emperor is simply treating the foundation of the nation as a child's game.

"Let him in. I want to see just how intelligent this beast really is!"

Wang Tingxiang guessed that Yan Maoqing's visit must be related to Guo Xun's matter, but he had already submitted the matter to the emperor in the form of a memorial, so what use was it to find him?

Therefore, his decision to meet Yan Maoqing at this moment was mainly to personally see what kind of ability this cunning beast was, who could vividly portray a treacherous and sycophantic face on paper with just black and white words!
……

After a while.

"Humph!"

Staring at the young man before him who, in his eyes, looked shifty and cunning, Wang Tinglian didn't even get up, only letting out a cold snort.

"I have no prior dealings with Minister Yan. May I ask what brings you here, Minister Yan?"

"I have met with Chief Justice Wang."

Yan Maoqing glanced at the young officials behind Wang Tingxiang, and seeing that Wang Tingxiang had no intention of dismissing them, he did not insist, but simply smiled and said:

"I suppose Wang Zongxian must have been tricked and used as a pawn this time, finding himself in a passive position where he could be stabbed whether he stuck his neck out or not. He must be feeling very aggrieved, right?"

"?"

Before Wang Tingxiang could react, the young man behind him couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

He had only heard Wang Tingxiang say this to him personally.

And this "wise beast" who looked much younger than him could actually hit the nail on the head. Was he really that wise?

"I don't understand what you're saying. Just say what you mean and don't try to beat around the bush."

Wang Tingxiang was also slightly surprised, but on the surface he showed no change and simply shouted coldly.

"As expected of Chief Censor Wang, he is a straightforward person. Therefore, I will not hold back any longer."

Yan Maoqing gradually suppressed his smile and said seriously:
“Wang Zongxian should understand what’s going on this time. The person in the most difficult situation right now is the Emperor.”

"It seems that when Wang Zongxian did this, he was either forced into it or he was prepared to accept his punishment and retire."

"If Wang Zongxian had any selfish motives, it was nothing more than wanting to force the Emperor to punish my adoptive father, thereby using this incident to intimidate the powerful and influential in the capital in the short term and buy some breathing room for the people of the capital."

"However, in my opinion, mere deterrence is probably not enough."

"There might be other solutions to this problem, such as..."

"If I can get my godfather to return all his ill-gotten gains and hand over his relatives and wicked servants who have embezzled public funds to confess and be brought to justice, does Chief Censor Wang have any countermeasures?"

"?!"

Upon hearing this, the young man's expression of surprise deepened, and his mouth opened slightly.

They were right all the way through!

This cunning beast was practically repeating what Wang Tingxiang had just said, without missing a single detail. Just who was he?!

"boom!"

Wang Tingxiang slammed his hands on the table, instantly standing up, his old eyes fixed intently on Yan Maoqing:
"Is this true?!"

(End of this chapter)