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

Chapter 163 Master Huang's Money Returned in Full [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"It's not just the Duke of Yi..."

Yan Maoqing stared intently at Wang Tingxiang, then raised his stakes once more, but then hesitated, glancing at the young executive beside him.

"You go out first, close the door, and stand guard outside!"

Wang Tingxiang had completely lost his previous indifference and disdain, and immediately gave orders to the young man.
"No one is allowed to approach the main hall while I am speaking with Minister Yan!"

"Yes……"

The young man was taken aback, but he had no choice but to respond and reluctantly retreated out of the lobby.

Just before Yan Maoqing entered, he had already formed a prejudice against him due to the negative rumors that had been circulating in the capital and Wang Tingxiang's negative evaluation of Yan Maoqing.

However, in just a few words, he was greatly shaken and filled with curiosity about this "know-it-all beast".

Different!
This "wise beast" is very different from what he thought!
He wasn't the only one who thought that way.

Wang Zongxian, who had helped him, clearly thought the same way.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have jumped up just now, and even the way she looked at Yan Maoqing would have suddenly changed... She wouldn't have changed her attitude towards him and dismissed him!

He really wanted to stay in the hall and listen to Wang Tingxiang and Yan Maoqing talk. This was a battle of wits that he had never seen before. The words were seemingly casual yet contained the glint of swords, revealing their unfathomable depths and captivating the audience.

But he also knew in his heart that he was clearly not qualified yet.

He had only one feeling at that moment.

Yan Maoqing is so young, yet he was able to rise to this position so quickly. This is not just because he is "clear-headed".

There are plenty of "shrewd" officials in the bureaucracy, including countless officials in the Censorate alone. But how many of them can become high-ranking officials of the third rank within just a few months after the palace examination?

Let alone a third-rank official, look at the officials of the fourth rank and above in the officialdom, how many of them don't have gray hair?

"Bang!"

The moment he closed the door, the young man took one last look at Yan Maoqing.

He felt that what Wang Tingxiang had taught him before and just now, although it was experience summarized from many years of navigating the officialdom, and even the way of being an official for many officials, had always been the same.

But just because it has always been this way, does that mean it is the most correct path?

If it is the right path, why is it that none of them have succeeded like Yan Maoqing, forging such an unprecedented and bright path?
Perhaps... times have changed now?
……

"Minister Yan, please have a seat."

Wang Tingxiang personally led Yan Maoqing to sit down, and even poured him a cup of tea himself, before frowning and continuing the conversation.
"Yan Butang just said that it's not just about the Duke of Yi. What does that mean?"

Yan Maoqing slowly took a sip of tea, moistening his throat before speaking:
"There are also the Duke of Yingguo, the Duke of Dingguo, and the Duke of Chengguo."

"Crack!"

Wang Tingxiang was about to put down the teapot when he heard this and was greatly surprised. The teapot slipped from his hand and fell, splashing tea leaves, tea water, and ceramic shards all over his boot.

How could he not know the weight of Yan Maoqing's words!
Of the Ming Dynasty's remaining dukes, only a handful still wield considerable influence:
Duke of Yingguo Zhang Rong, Duke of Dingguo Xu Yande, Duke of Wei Xu Pengju, Duke of Yiguo Guo Xun, Duke of Qianguo Mu Chaofu, and Duke of Chengguo Zhu Xizhong.

Among them, Xu Pengju, the Duke of Wei, settled in Nanjing and served as the Nanjing garrison commander.

Mu Chaofu, the Duke of Qian, settled in Yunnan, where his ancestors had been stationed for generations.

Currently, only four people reside in the capital: the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Ding, and the Duke of Cheng. They are the most powerful nobles in the capital, and no one can surpass them.

Among these four, the most favored by the emperor and the most powerful were the newly promoted Duke Yi, Guo Xun, and Duke Cheng, Zhu Xizhong.

These two men frequently participated in discussions on important military and political affairs, offering advice and strategies to the emperor. Even when the emperor was practicing meditation in the Western Garden, they could still come and go at any time to seek an audience.

Yan Maoqing's words encompassed all the dukes who had settled in the capital, which was the real change of the regime!

"What Minister Yan means by this is..."

Wang Tingxiang's mind went blank for a long time before he finally came to his senses. Ignoring his boots that were wet with tea, he asked incredulously, "..."
"Can Minister Yan make the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Ding, and the Duke of Cheng return all their ill-gotten gains and hand over their relatives and wicked servants who have embezzled public funds to confess and be brought to justice?"

"how?"

Yan Maoqing nodded slightly and smiled.

"Once such a situation is formed in the capital, wouldn't it be much easier to investigate the encroachment of the powerful and wealthy on the interests of the people?"

"How could Minister Yan have accomplished this?"

Wang Tingxiang was still prioritizing the feasibility of this matter, which felt to him no less like listening to a fairy tale.

“This matter is not under the jurisdiction of Chief Censor Wang. If I say I can do it, I will definitely do it.”

Yan Maoqing used the cup lid to stir the tea leaves, his confident gaze like a comet piercing the night sky, staring into Wang Tingxiang's eyes and questioning him.

"Now you just need to tell me, once I've brought this situation to this point, what are your plans?"

"This……"

Wang Tingxiang fell silent again.

The news brought by Yan Maoqing was too sudden, and he hadn't thought it through yet.

However, he knew better than anyone else that once the four most powerful nobles in the capital—the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Ding, and the Duke of Cheng—took the initiative to return ill-gotten gains and hand over their relatives and evil servants to confess their crimes and submit to the law, they would be in serious trouble.

Then there would be no powerful and influential people in the capital who could not be touched. The Censorate would only need to take the list of powerful and influential people and name them one by one. I'm afraid no one would dare to continue to resist!

This is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Not to mention that it can completely solve the problem of the powerful and wealthy in the capital encroaching on the interests of ordinary people, it can also bring back a clear sky to the capital that has been in a state of chaos for many years.

But Wang Tingxiang was also aware of this.

In officialdom, what one imagines is one thing, but what one actually does is another, and there are still many uncertainties involved.

Therefore, even if Yan Maoqing could truly bring about such a once-in-a-lifetime situation, it would still require careful consideration...

"Chief Censor Wang, the Censorate has been investigating this matter for so long on the Emperor's orders, but in the end they only found Guo Xun."

Seeing that Wang Tingxiang remained silent for a long time, Yan Maoqing stood up and continued speaking.
“You understand what’s going on, I understand what’s going on, and His Majesty, with his profound wisdom, certainly doesn’t not understand what’s going on. Let’s just speak frankly.”

“There are bad people in your Censorate, and this incident shows that there are probably quite a few bad people.”

"His Majesty probably hates you to the core by now."

"It's not just because you've been used as a pawn, putting the Emperor in a dilemma, but also because the Censorate, which should have been the Emperor's sword, is now willingly being used by others, turning its blade against the Emperor!"

"You've been in charge of the Censorate for so many years, and all you've done is raise beasts?"

"If the Censorate is like this, does our Great Ming Dynasty still have any sword to crack?!"

At this point, Yan Maoqing's eyes were bloodshot.

He then slammed the teacup down at Wang Tingxiang's feet with a loud "crack," his tone entirely accusatory, his voice rising several octaves in an instant:
"Wang Tingxiang, I'm not afraid to tell you, after this incident, there's absolutely no way you can protect yourself and get away unscathed!"

"As the Left Censor-in-Chief, you bear a heavy responsibility for the Censorate's current state!"

"Since I was able to teach the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Ding, and the Duke of Cheng to take the lead in returning ill-gotten gains, I also have plenty of ways to deal with you!"

"Don't think that I only have the influence of the Duke of Yiguo's Mansion, the Hanlin Academy, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Zhongcui Palace. You and Xia Yan must have some private dealings. When you have time, you should ask him who was behind Yan Song's complete downfall!"

"Now I'm only giving you two choices." "Either you settle down in your Censorate and cooperate with me to handle this matter thoroughly and clearly!"

"Or, I'll instruct the court and the harem to cooperate, and while the emperor hates you to the core, spread slanderous rumors about you, causing your family to be executed and your property confiscated!"

"No need to see me off, farewell!"

As he spoke, Yan Maoqing strode out of the hall, kicked open the door with a bang, and left arrogantly without looking back.

Sometimes, people just need some pressure.

Pressure is the driving force for action.

Wang Tingxiang, on the other hand, had clearly been influenced by the officialdom for a long time and had become somewhat timid and hesitant in many matters, afraid to act rashly, or even choosing to protect himself.

Yan Maoqing knew that he couldn't be entirely blamed for this.

Even Zhu Houcong did not play a positive role in this process. Although his previous willful and tyrannical acts established his authority, they also inadvertently sent the wrong signal to the officials that "the more you do, the more mistakes you make, and the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make," which contributed to the formation of this trend.

And he believed it.

If Wang Tingxiang was truly as incorruptible, knowledgeable, discerning in criminal matters, and upright as recorded in historical texts...

Therefore, his behavior just now will not only not make him resentful, but may even touch his heart and make him a supporter or confidant.

From this point on, the "Yan Party" will gain another major figure, and his influence in the Censorate will continue to grow.

This is killing two birds with one stone!
"???"

Watching Yan Maoqing kick down the door and leave arrogantly, the young man guarding the door was even more shocked.

Arrogant!

This is too arrogant!

Wang Tingxiang was a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court.

Because he was in charge of the Censorate and held the power to supervise all officials, even the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and other second-rank ministers were too busy trying to win him over. Naturally, they treated him with courtesy on a daily basis. How many people in the court would dare to be so disrespectful to him?
The young man rushed to the entrance of the main hall and cautiously peered inside.

But Wang Tingxiang stood blankly in the hall, with a broken teapot and an even more broken teacup at his feet.

However, the old minister remained unmoved, staring blankly at Yan Maoqing's departing figure with an indescribable complex expression on his face.

His youthful experiences reminded him of the noises he could still hear from the doors, even though he was standing far away, especially the sounds he heard that resembled "reprimands" from Yan Maoqing.

So... could it be that Minister Wang was taught a lesson by a young upstart?

"Haha...hahahaha!"

For some reason, Wang Tingxiang suddenly laughed, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out considerably.
"Slandering others?"

"What an interesting young man! Even more interesting than his imperial examination paper. I've learned a great deal today..."

"Come in. Do you remember what I just said?"

The young man rushed in, bowed, and replied:
"I will never forget your earnest teachings, Minister..."

Wang Tingxiang shook his head and interrupted him with a smile:

"Let's forget about it for now."

……

In the blink of an eye, Yan Maoqing went to the Duke of Cheng's mansion.

Although he had previously secretly used the influence of Duke Zhu Xizhong when he was praising Yan Song to his death, this was the first time he had stood in front of Zhu Xizhong.

Yan Maoqing knew it in his heart.

Zhu Xizhong is the toughest nut to crack this time.

Although Zhu Xizhong and Guo Xun were both the most favored nobles of Zhu Houcong, Zhu Xizhong was a veteran noble, unlike Guo Xun who was a newly promoted noble. His reputation and influence were above those of other dukes.

This can be seen from his life experiences, which included serving three emperors, representing the emperor in sacrificial rites at the Altar of Heaven 39 times and the Fangze Temple 29 times, attending the Imperial Concubine Banquet for Jinshi 19 times, and holding the important position of holding the imperial seal and crown during the ascension of Emperor Muzong and Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty.

"Minister Yan, what brings you to see me?"

Zhu Xizhong allowed Yan Maoqing to enter the Duke of Cheng's mansion to meet him out of curiosity.

Despite his high position and power, he's only approaching thirty and doesn't look much older than Yan Maoqing...

As nobles, they don't need to study hard like ordinary people, nor do they need to climb the ranks in the officialdom. The age at which they become dukes depends entirely on when their fathers pass away.

"Duke Cheng, you misunderstand. It is not that I wish to see you, Duke Cheng. I have come here on the Emperor's orders."

Yan Maoqing bowed and said.

"Oh?"

Zhu Xizhong immediately dismissed his attendants before asking,
"What is His Majesty's decree?"

It's not that Zhu Xizhong didn't doubt Yan Maoqing's words at all; it's just that Zhu Houcong's favoritism towards Yan Maoqing has been too obvious lately.

After all, not just anyone who has passed the palace examination for a few months can be promoted several times by the emperor and directly appointed as the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, a third-rank official, and entrusted with the Crown Prince's greatest "weak point" by the emperor.

Moreover... he could enter the palace to see the emperor at any time, and he absolutely did not believe that anyone would dare to falsely convey imperial edicts between him and the emperor.

"Now that someone has impeached the powerful and influential people in the capital for encroaching on the interests of the common people, I'm sure the Duke of Cheng is already aware of it."

Yan Maoqing smiled demurely, his eyes lowered.

"His Majesty instructed me to first inquire with the Duke of Cheng. The Duke of Cheng is utterly loyal and surely wouldn't want His Majesty to be caught in a dilemma because of this, would he?"

"Wei Chen doesn't dare!"

Zhu Xizhong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed to express his agreement.

"His Majesty also said that since the Duke of Cheng had only recently inherited the title, any illegal acts that encroached on the interests of the people must have nothing to do with the Duke of Cheng."

Yan Maoqing then added,

"However, this matter has already aroused public opinion and cannot be ignored. Therefore, His Majesty has thought long and hard and come up with a solution that can both avoid him having to appear in person and silence public opinion. He requests that the Duke of Cheng cooperate with the plan."

"I wonder what a perfect solution is. I would appreciate it if Minister Yan could enlighten me."

Zhu Xizhong quickly asked.

"We request that the Duke of Cheng return all ill-gotten gains accumulated over the years, and hand over ten relatives and wicked servants who have embezzled the people's interests, to the Northern Garrison Command for legal processing."

Yan Maoqing said solemnly, and seeing that Zhu Xizhong's expression changed, he immediately added,

"Duke Cheng, there is no need to panic. His Majesty understands your loyalty and will certainly not mistreat a loyal minister."

"His Majesty's intention is to ask the Duke of Cheng to act as bait, so that no matter how many the Duke of Cheng removes, those lawless nobles will also have to be removed."

"After the matter is accomplished, not only will the Duke of Cheng's money be returned in full, but a portion of the money of those lawless nobles will also be given to the Duke of Cheng after deducting the portion returned to the people."

"Of course, this was not ordered by the Emperor."

"Now that the Duke of Yi has begun to act on orders, it all depends on the Duke of Cheng's own will."

(End of this chapter)