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

Chapter 197 Using Me as a Football? [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Six months is definitely not enough; by then, the daylily will probably be too cold..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Maoqing's brows furrowed even more deeply.

Although Zhu Houcong did not give him a time limit this time, he knew that the sooner the Datong issue was resolved, the better.

If this matter is not resolved in a day, the tributary relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars will not be able to proceed smoothly.

At that time, it's uncertain whether Zhu Houcong will be able to collect stable taxes from the coal trade and seize some fiscal power.

If someone were to interfere again, it might reignite the conflict, making Anda feel he had been tricked and causing the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars to return to their previous state of hostility...

When that time came, the good thing turned into a bad thing.

After all, with the current national strength of the Ming Dynasty, the Tatars alone are enough to restrain the entire Ming Dynasty and tie Zhu Houcong's hands and feet.

compare to.

Whether he can clear his name of the suspicion of colluding with the White Lotus Sect is not worth mentioning at all.

Zhu Houcong knew perfectly well that this was nothing more than a smokescreen.

Zhu Houcong was able to protect Chen Fuda, who was already confirmed to be the leader of the White Lotus Sect, in order to safeguard Guo Xun.

Therefore, protecting him, who is only suspected of adultery, is naturally not a problem; it's just a matter of whether he wants to or not...

Yan Maoqing's proactive approach to this matter stemmed from three main objectives:

First of all, this is definitely a good thing that benefits the country and the people. He had gone to great lengths to create this situation, and naturally, he did not want his efforts to go to waste.

Secondly, once he succeeded in accomplishing this task, it highlighted the incompetence of Guo Xun and Yan Song.

Guo Xun is relatively easy to deal with, but the main problem is Yan Song.

Just as he had previously concluded, Yan Song and Yan Shifan were petty and vindictive people, unlike him who never held grudges.

Once a conflict has occurred with this father and son, the safest option is to completely crush them, ensuring they can never rise again and never have the chance to retaliate.

Yan Maoqing had already realized that Zhu Houcong was still reluctant to part with Yan Song because Zhu Houcong had deliberately demoted Yan Song to Datong.

Today, Zhu Houcong showed Yan Maoqing another secret letter sent back by Yan Song that could reach the emperor directly.

This completely confirmed Yan Maoqing's guess: Zhu Houcong had sent Yan Song to do important things under the pretext of demoting him. Once he accomplished these important things, he could return and be appointed as a second-rank minister again, or even enter the cabinet!
This was also something Yan Maoqing did not want to happen; it was a fatal hidden danger that would arise after he successfully retired and returned to his hometown.

Therefore, he wanted to use this incident to destroy Yan Song and make Zhu Houcong completely lose faith in him...

His previous promotion of Yan Shifan to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was also intended to force Yan Shifan to offend more court officials, so that they would work together to achieve this result and completely eliminate this potential threat.
Secondly, the natural goal was to retire and return to one's hometown.

He felt that he had single-handedly created the chaotic situation in "the entire Shanxi-Northwest region into a complete mess," and even "forced" the Prince of Dai, a member of the Ming imperial family, to rebel.

This undoubtedly gave Zhu Houcong an even bigger "surprise" than the sky!
Even if the matter of Datong were accomplished in this way, it certainly wouldn't be considered a good thing by Zhu Houcong, and he would inevitably harbor resentment towards him.

This is not a matter of offsetting merits and demerits; rather, the demerits outweigh the merits.

Then, with the help of the entire court, they could impeach him for his recklessness, which could cause unrest and shake the nation's stability.

To prevent others from following his example and acting recklessly, Zhu Houcong had no choice but to impose punishments as a warning to others.

In this way, wouldn't it be possible to achieve the goal of retiring and returning to one's hometown?

Upon hearing Yan Maoqing's words...

Feng Jinzhong seemed to be pondering something, and then, seemingly unintentionally but actually deliberately, he probed with a question:
"Is Minister Yan in such a hurry because he is about to undertake some important task on the Emperor's orders?"

Yan Maoqing simply smiled and shook his head, saying:

"It's nothing serious, just that I'm a new official and eager to make a good impression on the Emperor. I think you can understand how I feel right now, sir?"

"Understand, understand."

Feng Jinzhong nodded repeatedly, smiling apologetically.

"Nowadays, who doesn't know that Minister Yan is a favorite of the Emperor?"

“A young talent like Minister Yan, who has already been appointed as a third-rank minister at such a young age, is sure to have a bright future. We will have to rely on Minister Yan to help us in the future.”

“It’s a deal. If I have the chance in the future, I will never forget you, Father-in-law.”

Yan Maoqing raised his eyebrows and laughed.

"However, I promised to help my father-in-law, shouldn't he also show some appreciation?"

"?"

Feng Jinzhong was taken aback upon hearing this.

He had never met a court official as straightforward as Yan Maoqing. Was he openly soliciting bribes from him?
However, Yan Maoqing seemed to have misunderstood the situation. In the past, court officials would bribe eunuchs who were closer to the emperor in order to "understand the emperor's will" in time, or collude with eunuchs to do things to achieve their own political goals.

When it came to Yan Maoqing, they wanted him to "show his appreciation" on their first meeting. Doesn't that make them even more contrary to the Heavenly Gang?
the most important is.

Yan Maoqing was now calling him "Eunuch" repeatedly, not even using his surname.

Feng Jinzhong strongly suspects that Yan Maoqing might not even know his name, yet he has already started soliciting bribes?

How could there be such treacherous and greedy court officials in the world!

This made even the usually shrewd and greedy Emperor curse inwardly: "The Emperor is blinded by greed, appointing such incompetent officials. How can he possibly govern the country well?!"

However, on the surface, Feng Jinzhong quickly regained his smile and asked evasively:

"Minister Yan, please forgive me. It was my fault for being so ignorant. I really didn't know how to express my gratitude. Could you please give me a word of advice?"

"It's easy to talk about."

Yan Maoqing was still smiling.
"The Bureau of Armory is in charge of manufacturing weapons and armor, while the Imperial Horse Administration is in charge of imperial guards and imperial estates."

"Both of you are eunuchs in charge of the seals of the inner palace, so you must have a good relationship with me, unlike me who is a newcomer."

“I really don’t want to bother His Majesty with such trivial matters and cause him any more trouble. I think that a loyal and virtuous official like you, who is deeply trusted by His Majesty, will surely understand my feelings.”

"Therefore, I would like to trouble you, sir, to go and make some arrangements with the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Stables to replenish the two thousand five hundred foreign muskets I requested."

"If you two can help me this time, I will be grateful and will repay you in the future."

"how?" "???"

Feng Jinzhong was even more astonished upon hearing this.

If Yan Maoqing were openly soliciting bribes, he would definitely agree without hesitation this time.

In this way, Yan Maoqing would have something on him.

Afterwards, the matter was revealed to the Imperial Horse Administration and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. The two agencies joined forces to deliver a message to the Emperor, which would be enough to bring him down.

Even if the power of the Western Depot cannot be returned to the eunuchs, the emperor can still take it back, thus preventing these eunuchs from being controlled by outsiders.

Unexpectedly, Yan Maoqing actually wanted him to go to the Imperial Stables to smuggle foreign muskets.

Are you kidding me? !

That batch of foreign muskets was just a fictitious number used to balance the accounts. How could he possibly bring back something that didn't exist? Wouldn't that just expose his own attempt to balance the accounts?

Furthermore, palace eunuchs were servants directly under the emperor!
In the past, when court officials asked palace officials for favors, they all had to speak politely and humbly, and even offer some tangible benefits to bribe them.
Who do you think you are, a mere tutor to the Crown Prince, to dare order us around with such disrespect?

We're giving you face; you're the one in charge, Minister Yan!
If we don't give you face, you're nothing but a fart!
Feng Jinzhong cursed inwardly, already regarding Yan Maoqing as a clueless greenhorn, but on the surface he deliberately feigned difficulty, adopting a slightly humble posture and asking for clarification:
"I'm afraid this... isn't appropriate?"

"Minister Yan, you may not know this, but the Four Guards Battalion under the Imperial Horse Administration are the Emperor's personal guards. Even if I had the greatest courage, I would never dare to collude with the personal guards for weapons."

“This matter concerns the Emperor’s safety. If the Emperor blames us, we cannot bear the consequences.”

"Besides, although my family and Eunuch Cao of the Imperial Horse Administration are both eunuchs, the twelve directorates, four departments, and eight bureaus of eunuchs are actually mutually restrictive and supervised. Therefore, my family and Eunuch Cao are not as close as Minister Yan thinks, and it is probably difficult for us to have any real conversation."

"If Minister Yan really needs to obtain foreign muskets, he will probably have to go to the Imperial Horse Administration in person to inquire."

"If all else fails, Minister Yan can consult the Emperor and ask him to issue an order to the Imperial Horse Administration to find a way to negotiate. In that case, the Imperial Horse Administration would have no reason to refuse."

Although he was unaware that Yan Maoqing had once again acted without authorization in conveying an imperial edict.

However, upon hearing that Yan Maoqing "did not wish to disturb the Emperor," he began to speculate that the Emperor might not intervene in the matter, which made him feel much more at ease, as Yan Maoqing might not be able to get any help from the Emperor.

If Yan Maoqing went to the Imperial Stables to make the deal himself...

He was able to give Yan Maoqing such a soft rebuff, but Cao Zhen was already very dissatisfied with Yan Maoqing. He might even dare to give him a hard rebuff, making him lose face.

Anyway, the idea of ​​mixing in foreign muskets is out of the question.

He couldn't produce anything he didn't have, and naturally Cao Zhen couldn't either.

Of course, everything on paper had already been prepared long ago.

Even if Yan Maoqing used the power of the Western Depot to investigate, it would be impossible for him and Cao Zhen to find anything useful...

"If that's the case, it seems that my father-in-law isn't someone who can be moved by emotions. In that case, let's not talk about emotions."

Yan Maoqing didn't seem surprised by Feng Jinzhong's response, and his smile widened. While Feng Jinzhong was inwardly cursing, "What friendship do we have with you?", he heard Yan Maoqing continue...
"Please make preparations as soon as possible, Your Excellency. The people from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will be coming to the Bureau of Armory for an audit in half an hour."

"For as long as the eunuch holds the seal of the Bureau of Armor, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will audit the accounts for that period of time, including the officials, supervisors, craftsmen, and suppliers of the Bureau of Armor, and every single one of them will be personally questioned."

"Furthermore, as far as I know, the imperial court has always attached great importance to weapons and armor."

“Every weapon and every suit of armor should be marked with a corresponding number, and there should be clear records of purchases, shipments, and returns.”

"The officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will check each item one by one and question each person to ensure that there is nothing unclear in the Bureau of Armory."

"I suppose that since my father-in-law adheres to the rules so strictly, he must be upright and have nothing to hide, and there must be no oversights in his conduct."

"After the Imperial Household Department has investigated, I will personally petition the Emperor on your behalf and guarantee that you will be promoted further."

As he spoke, Yan Maoqing stopped wasting words with Feng Jinzhong.

He stepped out of the main hall and shouted loudly at the carriages waiting outside the yamen:
"Hey you, go back to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and tell all the officials in the Hall of State Affairs to come to the Bureau of Armory for an audit immediately. Even those on leave must come. I'll wait here. Anyone who doesn't arrive within half an hour will have their salary reduced by half a year!"

Although he didn't know about Feng Jinzhong's account, how could he not realize that the eunuch was just playing the art of language with him, trying to pass the buck to the Imperial Horse Administration?

If he were to go to the Imperial Stables on his own, he would most likely be given an excuse to refuse him.

Faced with this situation, the most effective way is to use the power at your disposal to blackmail the first person.

Forget everything else, you have to get this done for me. As for how you communicate and coordinate internally, that's your business. It's definitely easier for you than for an outsider like me!
Anyway, you can't kick me away; if you want to tear me off, you'll have to take a layer of skin with you.

Furthermore, because eunuchs were closer to the emperor, they naturally enjoyed more privileges in this autocratic feudal society, so how many of them could truly be clean?
"Minister Yan, wait a minute?!"

At this moment, Feng Jinzhong was completely stunned. He was so shocked that he hurriedly chased after Yan Maoqing and grabbed him.

He had never seen such a treacherous and wicked official as Yan Maoqing in his life, who could turn his back on someone as easily as flipping through a book. He had only used the system to make excuses for a moment, and this guy was actually going to use the system to dig up his ancestral graves.
Most importantly, balancing the books is one thing.

Even if the accounts are flawless, they still cannot withstand close scrutiny if examined as Yan Maoqing suggested.

Even he himself couldn't explain what kind of problems he might uncover if he investigated in this way.

After all, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too; if he can eat meat, those below him will also drink soup.

Once these problems are exposed, those below will be held accountable, but ultimately the blame will fall on the head eunuch, who is unable to escape responsibility...

"I'll go! I'll make this trip for Minister Yan and try my best to negotiate with the Imperial Horse Administration to get the remaining foreign muskets!"

At this moment, Feng Jinzhong's smile was more like a grimace. He clung to Yan Maoqing's arm, refusing to let go, begging Yan Maoqing not to take it so seriously.

"As much as possible?"

Yan Maoqing looked at him with displeasure.

"Definitely! We will do our utmost to negotiate and won't dare to delay Minister Yan's affairs!"

Feng Jinzhong gritted his teeth and said.

Right now, he only wants to appease Yan Maoqing and go to discuss the matter with Cao Zhen, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration. He wants to deal with this matter first and get rid of this big shot who digs up people's ancestral graves at the slightest disagreement.

"Since you are so understanding and righteous, then I have no choice but to trouble you. I will take a look around your armory and wait for your good news."

Yan Maoqing's face immediately lit up with a friendly smile again, and he bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.

"If this matter is resolved successfully, I will still appreciate your kindness, and I will repay you in the future."

……

(End of this chapter)