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

Chapter 226 The Last Chance [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Our sovereign is wise and sagacious!"

Xia Yan kowtowed again, his voice trembling slightly.

Whether it was excitement or emotion, it inexplicably gave people a tragic feeling of "the cuckoo crying blood and the ape wailing".

"Huang Jin, help Elder Xia to rise."

Zhu Houcong was also deeply moved, and in a very rare move, he gave Xia Yan a promise in person.
"Since you are so loyal, regardless of whether we succeed or not this time, as long as you have truly put your heart into it, I will never treat you unfairly afterward."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Your humble servant is deeply moved!"

Xia Yan bowed again before slowly standing up with Huang Jin's help.

He understood what an honor this was. The fact that the Emperor had Huang Jin help him up was far more intimate than simply bestowing food upon him; it was unprecedented in the entire dynasty!

At the same time, he also knew that this was very likely another of Zhu Houcong's methods of controlling people.

But this at least proves that Zhu Houcong has fully accepted his opinion and will not hold back this time, which is exactly what he wants to achieve.

But then Zhu Houcong pondered for a moment and said:
"As you say, I will issue an edict to the Cabinet and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to suspend and detain Zhai Luan, Zhang Zan, and Yang Bo. I will order you to lead the three judicial departments to cooperate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard in investigating this matter, with the Court of Imperial Sacrifices overseeing the investigation."

"However, I will abandon the matter of seclusion and cultivation. I have decided to feign illness and recuperate in the West Garden. In the coming days, I will not see anyone except you, the Duke of Cheng, and the Duke of Ying."

"What do you think?"

"..."

Xia Yan's heart trembled slightly upon hearing this.

It should be noted that his suggestion to the emperor to announce that he was in seclusion for spiritual cultivation was also something he had carefully considered.

The Emperor's obsession with Taoist practices was already common knowledge, especially after the death of Yang Zui, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, last year. The infamy surrounding this matter had reached an unbearable level.

Therefore, even if the emperor were to announce another period of seclusion for spiritual cultivation, he wouldn't be burdened with more infamy, because there was no worse space left, at least that's what Xia Yan thought.

But if the emperor decides to feign illness, the situation will be entirely different...

As is well known, in this era of imperial autocracy, the emperor's health was closely related to the stability of the court.

If the emperor falls ill, especially if he goes into seclusion where the outside world is unaware of his condition, rumors will immediately spread throughout the court and among the people, and the treacherous officials lurking in the court will immediately become restless.

The political situation will only become more chaotic at that time, which will inevitably lead to more chaos.

This could even lead to a rapid split and hostility among the various factions in the court who had previously been able to feign compliance around a few crown princes.

With these thoughts in mind, Xia Yan immediately offered her advice:
"Your Majesty, I believe this is extremely inappropriate..."

"You just said that although the Ming Dynasty has its own laws, it is ultimately still ruled by men. If I want to govern well, I must put people first, otherwise it is all empty talk."

Zhu Houcong interrupted him with narrowed eyes, and asked in return,

"Since you advise me to act decisively and cleanly, I have already decided to do so."

"Whether it's one person in chaos or a group in chaos, it's still chaos. Why not make the situation even more chaotic, and then strike with one blow to achieve even greater results?"

"Furthermore, your strategy this time is nothing more than opportunistic and opportunistic, like fishing in troubled waters."

"If you're going to fish in troubled waters, why not make the water even muddier, so the fish can't find their way around and can't gather in large groups to fight you? Wouldn't that give you a better chance of success?"

Hearing this, Xia Yan finally fully understood Zhu Houcong's intention.

His mouth opened slightly involuntarily, and his gaze toward Zhu Houcong held a newfound respect.

This is the current emperor!
The phrase "his wisdom is almost supernatural" is not an exaggeration at all when applied to him.

He knew better than anyone else that the matter of Datong was not just about Datong, and the matter of Shanxi was not just about Shanxi. Datong and Shanxi were inextricably linked; affecting one would affect the whole situation.

So before that.

The Emperor only wanted to accomplish the Great Harmony project first, hoping to limit the potential political upheaval that might result to a controllable level.

Now that they've decided to follow his advice and use Shanxi as a pilot area to quickly resolve the situation, it's like overturning the table where everyone used to eat together.

At that time, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Many people are worried about not having enough to eat. Will Shaanxi be able to sit still? Will Gansu be able to sit still? Will Liaodong be able to sit still? Will the Southeast be able to sit still?

For the sake of common interests, the possibility of these forces uniting to form a cohesive force is not only not impossible, but extremely high!

So the matter will be aborted, and there is a very high possibility that Xia Yan will be pushed out by the emperor to take the blame!
However, if the emperor were to fall ill, the situation would certainly change.

Although these people share common interests in this matter, they are only immediate interests. How can they be greater than the "merit of following the dragon" in the struggle for the future?
The merit of "following the dragon" is destined to be won by only a few people or a certain force, and the various forces are destined to be unable to unite as one.

Moreover, the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, and Prince Jing are still young.

Whoever can win the "merit of following the emperor" is equivalent to winning the power of a regent who can be above the emperor's power. Not to mention that they can do whatever they want, they will definitely get a thousand times or ten thousand times the reward in the future. How many people can not be tempted by this?
In this way, attention from both the government and the public regarding Datong and Shanxi will inevitably be diverted, or even completely shifted, and resistance will certainly decrease significantly...

Therefore, the Emperor's move was not to put pressure on him, but to relieve his pressure!
This……

Xia Yan couldn't help but wonder if the Emperor had already seen through his thoughts.
He was even more eager to use these people's combined attacks to take the blame for the emperor, so he could be dismissed from his post and retire to his hometown as soon as possible...

However, it is not entirely plausible to say that the emperor saw through his thoughts and deliberately targeted him in this way.

Because the Emperor made this decision, he was also betting a very heavy stake. The first to place their bets were the Emperor's three sons: the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, and Prince Jing.

In this matter, the three princes will inevitably be at the very center of the vortex, and all the open and covert struggles will revolve around them. No one is sure what will happen in the process.
The next thing to bet on was imperial power.

Although not all imperial power, after this incident, some imperial power will inevitably flow to the three princes.

For many people, once they have power in their hands, it is very difficult to let go.

Although the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, and Prince Jing are still young and may not understand these things, their maternal relatives, eunuchs, and subordinates are already adults who cannot resist the temptation of power.

If the emperor later wanted to reclaim this part of imperial power, he would certainly use ruthless methods.

That will surely be another bloody battle...

At that moment, Xia Yan suddenly felt a pang of regret.

I regret speaking up today, volunteering, and taking on this responsibility.

The Emperor has now placed such a heavy bet, which means he must have made up his mind and is determined to succeed in this matter.

And let's not forget that Shanxi also had a man named Yan Maoqing, who was almost a prodigy.

He was able to accomplish this astonishing feat in Taiyuan, and now with the Emperor so willing to risk three princes to help him, not to mention the matter of Datong, the matter of Shanxi that he just proposed will probably become a matter of course.

In this situation, it is difficult for the various forces to form a united front, and even if someone attacks him, the effort will likely be far from sufficient.

How much merit must he have made afterward?

In his lifetime, will he still have the opportunity to be dismissed from his post, live a leisurely life, and return to his hometown to retire?

But things have progressed to this point, and he has already put himself in a difficult position; whether he can back out is probably no longer up to him.

"Your Majesty is wise, your humble subject obeys the decree..."

Facing Zhu Houcong's unquestionable gaze, Xia Yan couldn't find a reason to object, so he finally stopped trying to persuade him and bowed in agreement.

No!

I must think this over carefully and see if I can find any loopholes in this matter. I must make sure to attribute the credit to Yan Maoqing while taking on some of the blame that the Emperor cannot tolerate!

This not only paves the way for Yan Maoqing to enter the cabinet, but also allows me to take the opportunity to return to my hometown to retire.

This is exactly the two things I wanted!
……

at the same time.

Yan Maoqing had already left Yanmen Pass with the army and arrived in Ying County, which was under the jurisdiction of Datong Prefecture.

Then he encountered the same situation as Zhai Luan when he inspected Gansu...

"General Yan, the scouts ahead have reported back."

Shen Kun approached Yan Maoqing's carriage, his brows furrowed and his expression troubled as he reported.

"More than a thousand Uyghur herders gathered on the road five miles ahead. Hearing that the emperor's envoy was passing through this place, they blocked the road and demanded rewards."

"When the scouts went up to persuade them to leave, the herdsmen were unmoved and even hurled insults and stones at the scouts to drive them away."

"The scout had no choice but to turn back and ask for instructions."

This was a difficult dilemma for Shen Kun, or for most officials in the Ming Dynasty.

These border ethnic minority herders are usually quite fierce, and they might gather to kill officials and attack cities at the slightest provocation.

Although the Heroes' Battalion is not afraid of them, they still have to handle this problem properly.

Conflicts should be avoided if possible.

After all, they are nominally subjects of the Ming Dynasty, and if they are not careful, they will be accused of harboring soldiers to bully the people and undermining national unity.

This gave others a reason to stir up public opinion, leading to impeachments submitted to the court, resulting in countless insults and even the loss of official position and life.

However, if one cannot recall the conflict, it is almost impossible to persuade these simple-minded ethnic minority herders who do not speak fluently. Therefore, one can only satisfy their demand for rewards, choose to pay to avoid trouble, and swallow this bitter pill...

Just as I was thinking this in my mind.

Then Yan Maoqing lifted the carriage curtain, poked his head out, and asked:

"What Uyghur herders? I've never heard of any Uyghur herders. What makes you so sure they aren't White Lotus rebels?"

"what?"

Shen Kun was taken aback upon hearing this.

"More than a thousand White Lotus rebels are causing trouble against the Ming Dynasty on the official road within Ying County. Local officials and the nearby Andong Zhongtunwei dare to conceal this and not report it. It seems that Ying County can no longer be just a place to pass through."

Yan Maoqing said solemnly,
"Pass down the order: cavalry to flank from both sides, musketeers to advance in formation, artillery to load ammunition, and prepare to engage the White Lotus rebels!"

"Move the carriage forward quickly! I'm personally giving these traitors one last chance to leave the religion!"

(End of this chapter)