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

Chapter 190 Yan Maoqing, are you itching for a beating again? [Seeking monthly votes]

"Treason" was undoubtedly one of the crimes that Zhu Houcong hated most.

Historically, when Yan Song lost power and Yan Shifan was imprisoned, he showed no fear whatsoever, and confidently said, "Let the fire spread like wildfire, I will pour out the sea."

He believed that corruption and embezzlement were not crimes that Zhu Houcong deeply abhorred. He only needed to secretly influence the three judicial departments to pin the charge of "framing Yang Jisheng and Shen Lian" on him as the primary culprit, and he would not be in danger of losing his life.

As a result, Xu Jie saw through Yan Shifan's intentions.

He knew that when Yang Jisheng and Shen Lian were convicted, it was Zhu Houcong who ultimately made the final decision.

Zhu Houcong was a somewhat stubborn and self-important emperor, and he would certainly not approve these charges, because if he did, it would mean that he would have to admit his mistakes in the wrongful cases of Yang Jisheng and Shen Lian, and Yan Shifan would naturally still have a way out.

Therefore, after receiving the memorials from the three judicial departments convicting Yan Shifan, Xu Jie rejected them all.

He then deliberately changed the primary charge to "colluding with Japanese pirates," and added charges of privately training troops, plotting rebellion, and illegally occupying imperial estates to build residences.

Ultimately, Zhu Houcong, hating Yan Shifan for "colluding with Japanese pirates" and "offending the emperor," ordered the execution of Yan Shifan and his accomplice Luo Longwen, thus achieving a complete victory in the "downfall of Yan."

Although this has not happened yet.

But Huang Jin had served Zhu Houcong for over twenty years, so how could he not know Zhu Houcong's greatest likes and dislikes?

And it wasn't just him who knew; many court officials and eunuchs in the imperial court and palace who frequently came into contact with Zhu Houcong were also somewhat aware of the situation.

Therefore, Huang Jin was now certain that someone wanted Yan Maoqing dead!

Furthermore, among the thirty-odd censors and officials who co-signed this memorial, they were probably not the masterminds behind it.

Because they were not of high enough rank, it was almost impossible for them to have any contact with Zhu Houcong.

Therefore, even if Yan Maoqing were impeached, it would not be possible to target Zhu Houcong's sore spot so precisely. This matter must have involved important court officials or trusted eunuchs who knew Zhu Houcong well, or at least those who offered advice.

However, it's still unclear who exactly was involved; this only helps narrow down the scope of speculation...

And this memorial was submitted.

If anyone continues to fan the flames:
Firstly, it would provide an opportunity to drag Yan Maoqing into a self-proving trap;
Secondly, it could put the emperor in a dilemma about whether or not to condone "collusion with the enemy";

Thirdly, it also presents an opportunity for the Emperor and Yan Maoqing to fall into a chain of suspicion, endlessly speculating about each other's intentions, thus fundamentally undermining their currently almost unbreakable relationship as ruler and subject.

It must be admitted that the person who planned this was extremely malicious!
However, judging from the Emperor's current reaction, he does not seem to be affected by this memorial, otherwise he would not have said "My Yan Maoqing".

But things are a bit more complicated with Yan Maoqing...

After all, no matter who is accused of the heinous crime of "colluding with the enemy," they will inevitably feel panic.

Once panic sets in, one loses composure and rushes to prove oneself, worrying about whether the emperor still trusts them.

This allowed the enemy's sinister objectives to gradually succeed...

I wonder if Yan Maoqing can remain calm, and how the Emperor intends to deal with this memorial.
Just as I was thinking this.

"Huang Ban, go and summon Yan Maoqing to see me."

Zhu Houcong gradually calmed down. After pondering for a moment, he took the memorial from Huang Jin and threw it on the table, speaking in a calm voice.

"The slaves obey the order."

Huang Jin snapped out of his daze, quickly agreed, and hurriedly went out to do as instructed.

At the same time, he was also a little confused.

Normally, if it were any other official, the emperor would order him to show the memorial directly to the official, thus demonstrating his trust in the official and tacitly allowing the official to take appropriate countermeasures.

Previously, the emperor had done the same to Zhang Cong, Gui E, Xia Yan, Yan Song, and others, including Yan Maoqing.

However, if after reading the memorial, they did not do so, but instead summoned the officials involved to an audience.

That often means that the person is skeptical of the contents of the memorial, or even has already believed parts of it, and therefore intends to question the official privately, while giving the official a chance to defend himself in person...

So, has the Emperor truly believed it and fallen into a chain of suspicion?

It shouldn't be...

Based on just this one sentence, there is no way to prove that Yan Maoqing was guilty of colluding with the White Lotus Sect.

And surely the emperor wouldn't be so easily fooled?

Has the Emperor forgotten the many meritorious deeds Yan Maoqing has performed? How could this thing emitting blue smoke possibly be a traitor?

"..."

As Huang Jin walked away, Zhu Houcong remained lost in thought.

"Yan Maoqing, Yan Maoqing, someone is trying to incite suspicion between us, the ruler and his minister."

"I know in my heart who the loyal ministers are and who the treacherous ministers are."

"However, to avoid you from suspecting my intentions, it's better to be clear to your face, lest you, who are full of green smoke, become unaware of my thoughts and secretly start to suspect me, thus becoming disloyal to me."

"in addition……"

"The events of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices a few days ago and this memorial today have served as a reminder to me."

"Although I have granted you the power of the Western Depot, without the support of troops, your power is indeed somewhat weak."

"Even with your silver tongue, you still can't win people over... This is just the right time for me to see if you have the ability to solve the problem of the 'group camp'!"

……

at the same time.

Imperial Horse Stables.

"Is it settled?"

Inside the Imperial Horse Stables office in the northeast of the palace, Cao Zhen, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Stables, dressed in a bullfighting robe, asked in a low voice.

"Reporting to Godfather, everything has been taken care of."

The young eunuch stood respectfully to one side, bowing deeply, and answered.
"The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs just sent someone to deliver a message privately, saying that someone personally witnessed the memorial being sent into the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

"Soon after, Eunuch Huang left the Hall of Mental Cultivation and sent someone to summon Yan Maoqing. It must be that the Emperor wanted to personally inquire about this matter."

"It seems that His Majesty must have become suspicious of Yan Maoqing. After this incident, Yan Maoqing must be filled with fear and will find it difficult to trust His Majesty in the future."

"hehe."

Hearing the young eunuch's words, Cao Zhen smiled calmly.
"The duties of the Western Depot have always been borne by our Imperial Horse Administration. Yan Maoqing is merely an outsider; what merit or ability does he possess?"

"However, to be honest, the fact that the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and our Imperial Horse Administration were able to unite against external forces this time is largely thanks to Yan Maoqing, an outsider. Why would the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs take the initiative to cooperate with us?"

"It seems those old fogies in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs have finally figured it out."

"It would be better if the power of the Western Depot were in the hands of our Imperial Horse Administration than in the hands of an outsider. This is putting the Emperor in a bad light."

Just as Cao Zhen said.

The Imperial Horse Administration was responsible for commanding a portion of the imperial guards and participating in the defense of the capital and supervising the army; it has always had a military function.

Furthermore, on this basis, the responsibility of managing the financial affairs of imperial shops and imperial estates also emerged, which can be said to be the most core military and financial affairs in the hands of the Ming emperor.

Moreover, the Western Depot was established twice in the history of the Ming Dynasty, and both times it was supervised by the Imperial Horse Administration, which at one point could rival the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs in terms of power.

There is no other reason.

This is because the Imperial Horse Administration, commanding the Four Guard Battalions and the Warrior Battalion, shared the responsibility of being part of the Imperial Guards with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They trained troops at the Eastern Palace and held real military power. As everyone knows, the essence of power is absolute violence!

The reason why the Western Depot was so notorious was because of its military power. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to rely on other ministries to borrow troops and personnel to exercise extra-legal privileges such as investigation, arrest, and interrogation.

Therefore, Yan Maoqing's so-called privileges, which are "comparable to those of the Western Depot," are actually quite hollow.

This is why, after a group of court officials surrounded the Chamberlain's Office.

Yan Maoqing had no choice but to resort to a combination of coaxing and deception, and even lacked the manpower to carry out the caning.

If it were the Imperial Horse Administration, which commanded the Four Guards Battalion and the Warriors Battalion...

With just over three hundred court officials causing trouble, Yan Maoqing could easily disperse or arrest them all with a single order if he so desired. Those officials might not even be able to get to the gate of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, let alone besiege it and bang on the gate.
“What Godfather said is absolutely right. The power of the Western Depot not only extends to the outside world, but also to our palace. We cannot let an outsider take it away.”

The young eunuch immediately bowed even lower, fawningly agreeing.

"Alright, since the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs is willing to cooperate this time, we should reciprocate."

Cao Zhen nodded slightly and then said,
"Have someone send a message to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, saying that if we can bring down Yan Maoqing this time and restore the power that rightfully belongs to us, we will definitely be grateful."

Now, whether it's the Directorate of Ceremonial or the Imperial Horse Administration.

This also includes other eunuch offices within the Twenty-Four Directorates, all of which harbored dissatisfaction with this matter.

At this moment, these officials' mentality is somewhat similar to "rivals among colleagues," or even more serious.

Because the one who took their jobs wasn't even a competitor, but a court official who should have kept to himself, and what was taken away was their most valuable job, which made it all the more unacceptable to them.

“Godfather, I think we still need to be wary of the Directorate of Ceremonial.”

Upon hearing this, the young eunuch added...

"The Directorate of Ceremonial and our Imperial Horse Administration have always been at odds. Their cooperation with our godfather this time probably doesn't mean they want the power of the Western Depot to return to the Imperial Horse Administration."

"In my humble opinion, the most advantageous situation for them would be if the Emperor were to reclaim the power of the Western Depot."

"Only in this way can the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs continue to exert strong pressure on the Imperial Horse Administration, instead of being controlled by the Imperial Horse Administration itself."

"Therefore, they may not be acting out of good intentions this time; it's just that cooperating with our Imperial Horse Administration is more conducive to achieving their goals."

Cao Zhen glanced sideways at the young eunuch, a look of approval on his face:

"Wow, you've made a lot of progress today! You can even figure out these key points now?"

"It's all thanks to my godfather's support!"

The young eunuch quickly bowed in agreement.

"Hehe, don't worry, your godfather has his own plans. How could he let that old bastard from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs succeed so easily?"

Cao Zhen smiled confidently.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

"Greetings, my sovereign and father!"

Yan Maoqing bowed and kowtowed, still wondering why Zhu Houcong had suddenly summoned him, and kept muttering to himself.

Is this a matter of flogging court officials?
Is it still about the Jixia Academy?

However, he felt that neither of these were likely the case, because if Zhu Houcong were truly dissatisfied with his behavior a few days prior, he wouldn't have waited so long to summon him.

"Humph!"

For some reason, Zhu Houcong always felt the urge to criticize Yan Maoqing whenever he saw him. This time, he deliberately put on a stern face and threw the memorial impeaching Yan Maoqing for "colluding with the White Lotus Sect" at him.

"Take a look at this memorial impeaching you first."

Yan Maoqing picked up the memorial, flipped through it, and immediately flew into a rage:

"Your Majesty, the treacherous minister has once again stepped forward!"

“Every single one of the censors who co-signed this memorial is a scoundrel. They all deserve to have their entire families executed and be skinned alive!”

"..."

Hearing this, Huang Jin secretly chuckled to himself.

That's just right!

It would be truly strange if Yan Maoqing didn't react this way.

It seems this guy is aware of the seriousness of this accusation, so his first words were to exterminate these people's entire families and skin them alive.

His vindictive and treacherous nature is so blatantly obvious, he doesn't even bother to pretend...

"Besides these, don't you have anything else to say?"

Zhu Houcong, his face still stern, asked in a low voice.

In fact, Yan Maoqing never expected that what he said to Zhao Zhenji and the others that day would cause such an unexpected trouble.

After a moment's hesitation, he immediately kowtowed again and said:
"Your Majesty, upon careful consideration, I believe that what these censors have said does not seem to be without merit."

“My words do indeed have many similarities with the doctrines of the White Lotus Sect. Although there is no concrete evidence to prove them, we cannot completely rule out the possibility that I have private dealings with the White Lotus Sect.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong frowned and looked at Yan Maoqing with a puzzled expression:
"So what?"

This was the first time he had ever met such a "magnanimous" minister as Yan Maoqing. If it were any other minister at this time, they would have already begun to frantically express their loyalty and refute the contents of the memorial to defend themselves.

Besides, that bastard who was emitting blue smoke had just jumped up and bit someone.

Now he has suddenly become "generous" again, a complete 180-degree change in attitude that makes him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Therefore, I personally believe that in order to eliminate this possibility and prevent potential threats to the court and the nation, we must take necessary measures."

Yan Maoqing said solemnly,

“Your Majesty, I should ask to retire so as to demonstrate my loyalty. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request.”

"Not only can it prevent problems before they occur, leaving the White Lotus Sect with no opportunity to wreak havoc on the court, but it can also win over all the officials and ministers, so that they will no longer bother the emperor with this matter. It is a wonderful thing that kills two birds with one stone."

Come again?

Huang Jin, standing to the side, secretly shook his head.

Is this what they mean by "though late, it has arrived"?

He felt that Yan Maoqing was the most skilled minister he had ever met at "retreating to advance." He used this tactic with unparalleled skill, always seizing the right moment to quickly change the emperor's opinion on a matter.

While using a technique too many times can be tiring, the most important thing is whether it works!

"Are you being so understanding today because you're itching for a beating again?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong was both amused and annoyed, and immediately glared at him, asking in return,
"Also, explain to me what 'begging for one's remains' means. You're only in your early twenties; is this how you use those three words?"

However, he also realized that there was no need to have any in-depth discussions with this smoking thing.

Because this scoundrel didn't take it to heart at all, he would never fall into fear and suspicion towards him, thus falling into the trap set by these censors and officials.

(End of this chapter)