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

Chapter 219 Following my uncle-in-law has truly broadened my horizons! [Seeking monthly votes]

Traitors are guilty of the heinous crime of being slowly sliced ​​to death, and their entire clan will be implicated!

However, if the charges are merely embezzlement, bribery, incompetence, or forming cliques, there is still room for maneuver, and the person might even be spared...

At that moment, Guan Jieshan thought about many things.

His mind was spinning wildly like a top being pulled, so much so that wisps of white steam rose from the top of his head.

His men had all betrayed him, and he was now all alone in Taiyuan.

Those Shanxi spokespeople mentioned above have most likely already abandoned him!
The Emperor must be truly enraged this time and has decided to take real action against Shanxi.

Meanwhile, those in power were all in the capital, in the imperial court. They had received the news earlier and had already decided to cut their losses and survive, which is why no one sent a message to inform him.

So he has been abandoned, used to appease the emperor's anger, and used to put an end to the matter.

Yan Maoqing was the agent of those people mentioned above!

That's why Yan Maoqing targeted him so specifically as soon as he arrived in Taiyuan, determined to brand him and Zhang Yin as traitors of the White Lotus Sect and bring them to their doom!
He can't rely on anyone now; he has to save himself!
How to save yourself?

First and foremost, we must not allow any trouble to arise in Taiyuan Prefecture, otherwise Yan Maoqing will surely confirm his crime of treason.

Even if he was a high-ranking official in the imperial court, killing him in the chaos would still be a meritorious act. After all, swords and spears have no eyes, and how could there be no casualties when suppressing a rebellion? The rebels deserved to die anyway.
Secondly, since he can't rely on those people above him, the only person he can count on in the whole world now is one person.

--emperor!
The Emperor's word can kill, and it can also save lives!
For a second-rank official like him, unless he died in an accident, the emperor would usually make the final decision on his life or death.

If he can redeem himself by performing meritorious service that can move the emperor, then the emperor may take pity on him and simply dismiss him from office and send him to the frontier as punishment.

The Emperor's current concerns are nothing more than the White Lotus Sect and the Great Harmony, with even the White Lotus Sect relegated to the sidelines.

What are the reasons for the difficulties encountered in the Great Harmony project, and who was involved in these matters?

As the provincial governor, he knew some key figures and connections. If he could immediately write a letter to the emperor to confess his crimes and betray the emperor, and expose even more influential treacherous officials, he could help the emperor remove obstacles to the Great Harmony project.

If you can atone for your sins, you might be able to save your life!
This is not betrayal. You did the first thing, so you can't blame me for doing the second. You abandoned me first!

Since you are so heartless, how can you blame me for being unjust?

Secondly, there was Yan Maoqing, the guillotine hanging over his neck.

This was his most pressing problem. If it wasn't handled properly, he might not even live to see the Emperor show leniency before becoming a cold corpse.

Therefore, we must first stabilize Yan Maoqing!

He felt that Yan Maoqing was probably just doing this for someone else's money. After all, although Yan Maoqing was a civil official, in the eyes of the court officials, he was actually more like an eunuch in the palace.

The only means of communication between eunuchs and court officials was money and interests.

Since that's the case, we should negotiate with him first. I, Guan Jieshan, will give him double what those people gave him. I'm not afraid that it won't be enough to sway him!
If he finds out that I have already submitted a memorial to the Emperor, confessed my crimes and betrayed the country, and even exposed an even more powerful treacherous minister to the Emperor, I will be in serious trouble.

He should also understand that the situation will soon change, and killing me again would likely implicate him.

This is a combination of soft and hard tactics, a two-pronged approach.

I don't believe he can be so ignorant of his place!

With these thoughts in mind, a chill flashed in Guan Jieshan's eyes as he looked at Zhang Daren, but he said seriously:

"Now that things have come to this, I'm afraid we have no choice but to take the risk."

"However, this matter must be carefully planned and handled with utmost caution. Once it begins, there will be no turning back. If any oversight occurs, we will be doomed."

"You just said that your father has nearly a hundred shopkeepers in Taiyuan Prefecture. Do you have a corresponding list? And how can you ensure that everyone obeys your call?"

Zhang Daren, without suspicion, immediately patted his chest and said:

"Prefect Guan, please rest assured, I'll take care of this. All you need to do is set out a plan, and the White Lotus Sect will be ready to respond at any time!"

“This is not a dinner party; it is a matter of life and death. I must personally verify that your White Lotus Sect has the ability to accomplish this. Otherwise, I would rather bind myself and go to the capital to plead guilty to the Emperor. That way, at least I won’t implicate my family.”

Upon hearing this, Guan Jieshan hesitated, then shook his head and said...
"Summon these people to me immediately and order them to bring me the rosters of their respective followers."

"I need to personally inquire to find out how much of a commotion you can make this time, and then plan in detail to ensure everything goes smoothly!"

"This……"

Zhang Daren also looked troubled.

However, it's not because finding these "shopkeepers" is difficult.

It was because he also knew that the "managers" below him were all scoundrels and crooks who were not fit to be discussed in public. They were fine for spreading rumors and swindling people, but if they were to handle important matters, they would probably not be able to meet Guan Jieshan's approval.

Besides, he himself wasn't much better than those scoundrels, and the number he mentioned to Guan Jieshan was slightly exaggerated.

This was one of the core methods used by the White Lotus Sect to develop its followers.

If you can't boast or lie, how can you fool people and get them to willingly give up their family property and children?

"What, you can't do it?"

Guan Jieshan glanced at him sideways. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I'll get on it right away, and by tonight at the latest, I can summon the nearest 'shopkeeper' to meet with Governor Guan!"

Zhang Daren readily agreed.

Even if they are ugly and flawed, they still can't meet Guan Jieshan's standards, but he has no choice but to bite the bullet and take on the job.

This is no longer just a matter of "your father is in my hands," but also concerns his own life and fortune. He must drag Guan Jieshan into this mess no matter what, otherwise, apart from these officials, the White Lotus Sect alone would probably be nothing!

……

An hour later.

Several people led horses out through the back gate of the Provincial Administration Office and quickly split into two groups, each going their own way.

A group of people rode fast horses straight to the city gate, carrying a memorial stamped with a silver seal. Once outside the city, they embarked on the official road leading to the capital.

This is a memorial of apology that Guan Jieshan just wrote.

Not only did he "sincerely" confess all his serious but not fatal crimes, but he also exposed the identities of the Shanxi border generals and merchants who were spokespeople in the court, as well as some core members of the "Jin Party".

In his memorial to the emperor, Guan Jieshan assured Zhu Houcong that as long as these people were eliminated, there would be no further obstacles to the Great Harmony.

He knew in his heart that this was the key to his survival!
The silver seal bestowed by the emperor was affixed to ensure that the memorial could reach the emperor directly without going through the Office of Transmission.

High-ranking officials like him usually had a silver seal like this.

However, this silver seal, which was originally meant to be bestowed upon them by the emperor to help him avoid being misled, was instead used by them as a tool to deceive the emperor and attack political enemies. Many loyal, virtuous, and upright officials who wanted to get things done were suppressed by this silver seal, either being sidelined, demoted, or killed.

In addition, Guan Jieshan tearfully wrote in his memorial that he was prepared to die for his mission to expose those in power.

To avoid alerting the perpetrators, the evidence related to these individuals' crimes could not be sent to the capital together, and has now been hidden in the backyard of his residence.

He will guard the evidence to the death, waiting for the emperor to send someone to retrieve it...

The others walked straight to the prefectural government office, which had now been taken over by Yan Maoqing.

"Stop, what are you doing?"

Just fifty paces from the prefectural government office, the soldiers of the Heroic Battalion raised their homemade muskets and loudly questioned the men.

"Sir, please have mercy!"

The leader quickly raised his hand, without introducing himself, and simply responded with a forced smile.
“My master has instructed me to deliver a letter to Minister Yan. Minister Yan will know my master’s identity and sincerity once he reads the letter. May I ask you, sir, to pass it on?”

As they spoke, their eyes involuntarily drifted toward a dozen or so heroic soldiers who were carrying buckets of water to wash the ground.

As they poured water down the ground, the crimson bloodstains were diluted and flowed into the lower-lying water trough next to the government office.

The men tensed up, their hearts pounding as they faced the dark muzzle of a gun.

Is this a real murder?
This Minister Yan is so ruthless and fierce; he doesn't take the important people in Taiyuan Prefecture seriously at all.

They didn't know that if they had arrived a little earlier, they might have had the chance to see the cold corpses of some of their trusted followers and sedan chair carriers.

However, he has now been carried home by others who are still breathing, with the instruction to "not act rashly"...

"Just come here and hand me the letter."

Shen Kun, who was on duty, picked up the conversation and waved to the group.

"Yes."

The man in the lead quickly took out the letter from his pocket, held it up, and jogged over to Shen Kun's side, bowing as he presented it with both hands.

"you can go now."

Shen Kun didn't waste any more words with him and turned to enter the government office.

When he found Yan Maoqing, Yan Maoqing was "visiting" Zhang Yin in the guardhouse in the backyard of the government office. As soon as he approached, he heard Zhang Yin's pleading voice coming from inside:

"Minister Yan, I admit defeat now. Just ask me anything you want to know, and I will tell you everything I know!"

"No need, no need. I really have nothing to ask about your White Lotus Sect's petty matters."

"Or I can tell you myself, but you can draw a line for me. You tell me when to start, and I'll start from that time!"

"No, no, no, there's really no need for that. I just came to see if you were dead or not, and now that I've done, I have to go."

"Minister Yan? Minister Yan? Wait a minute!"

"..."

Shen Kun stood at the door, his expression indescribably complicated.

Yan Shifan, who was guarding the gate, patted him on the shoulder, winked at him with a strange smile, and said:
"General Shen, it seems you've never seen a suspect begging to confess and an interrogator refusing to listen before."

"Coming out on business with my uncle-in-law has really broadened my horizons!"

(End of this chapter)