The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 109 Arrangement

Xu Wei accepted the reward of one hundred taels of silver, enough for him and his mother to live peacefully in the capital for several years.

Moreover, it is likely that powerful figures in the capital will only become aware of Xu Wei's name today, and the market value of his calligraphy and paintings will probably rise, as the saying goes, "If the superiors have a certain preference, the inferiors will follow suit even more fervently."

Zhu Zaizhen had the original manuscript brought to him, and the eunuch examined it carefully, as Huang Gonggong had specifically instructed.

For ordinary people, once or twice is acceptable, but not a third time. However, for the emperor, once is not an option.

Huang Jin was worried that Prince Jing's playful antics might offend His Majesty, but fortunately, there were no problems this time.

"Then this servant will go back and report."

"Go."

Zhu Zaizhen raised his chin, and Ma Dezhao led the other party out, slipping him some silver along the way.

The junior supervisor readily accepted the money, expressing his gratitude profusely. As Huang Jin's man, he naturally knew whose side his chief scribe favored, so he couldn't refuse the money, whether it was a lot or a little.

After everyone left, Zhang Juzheng spoke up, saying, "This reward took a long detour before finally reaching the Wenhua Hall."

Zhu Zaizhen smiled and said, "Father values ​​checks and balances the most. Since he didn't send me to my fiefdom, he will definitely clarify the situation to prevent anyone from using this as an excuse in the future."

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment and said, "In my opinion, this matter was mostly decided by Tao Zhongwen on his own initiative. His Highness Prince Yu does not have the temperament or courage to do so, and Minister Xu is not so reckless and short-sighted."

Without supernatural powers and magic, he was ultimately just a lowly county official, lacking foresight and incapable of achieving great things.

Zhang Juzheng's tone was not deliberate in belittling; it was as if he were stating something perfectly natural. But if Tao Zhongwen had heard this, he would probably have been furious.

Xu Wei, listening from the side, felt uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could say. After all, the man was a twelve-year-old scholar, a sixteen-year-old provincial graduate, and a twenty-three-year-old imperial scholar.

Before serving the emperor, Tao Zhongwen had been working his way up to the rank of 9th grade magistrate in Liaodong, starting as a low-ranking official in Huangmei County.

Xu Wei himself was almost thirty years old and still hadn't passed the imperial examination, let alone become an official.

This is blatant academic bullying, which is why Zhang Juzheng needed to travel to the countryside; he couldn't stay aloof and detached from reality all the time.

This person is too proud, but there's no reason for him not to be.

Zhu Zaizhen got up, walked over, picked up the silver ingots on the tray, and held them up to examine their quality: "To put it nicely, he's just getting old and senile; to put it bluntly, he's just a cornered dog. He's nothing to worry about."

Tao Zhongwen forgot that he was detached from worldly affairs and always spoke vague and ambiguous words. He was a celestial master. But when he became tainted by the mortal world and involved in the struggle for the throne, he was just an ordinary man.

In this place where smart people gather, there are too many flaws in what they do.

At this moment, Ma Dezhao returned. As soon as he entered the room, he said, "For some reason, Tao Zhongwen fainted in front of the imperial bedchamber after his audience with His Majesty."

.

Zhu Zaizhen scoffed, "Scared out of his wits? I wonder how Father Emperor frightened him. I wish I could see it with my own eyes."

The three of them had become immune to the occasional harsh words that Prince Jing uttered.

Xu Wei looked towards the West Garden: "Tao Zhongwen must have lost power, but since His Majesty has not issued an edict to punish him, it is probably because he has irreplaceable talent in Taoist practice or alchemy."

I wonder if his close disciples have learned it yet. If some of them have, in order to protect themselves, they will most likely refine the elixirs His Majesty needs and present them to him. In that case, Tao Zhongwen will be useless and will definitely be discarded like trash.

Ma Dezhao had been in the palace for a long time, and after Hongfu joined his service, he was much better informed. After all, no one goes without food.

It is said that Tao Zhongwen's eldest disciple, Guo Hongjing, and sixth disciple, Fang Zheng, received all of his true teachings.

Zhu Zaizhen put the silver ingot back and sat down on the armchair. "Tao Zhongwen is about to fall from power. There will definitely be a struggle between Guo Hongjing and Fang Zheng. Whoever offers the elixir first may become the next immortal master."

Xu Wei continued, "Whoever is a step behind is a pawn to be abandoned. At this critical juncture, they are more anxious than we are, so we don't need to step in to push things forward. We must know that going too far is as bad as not going far enough. What His Majesty hates most is others making decisions for him."

Zhu Zaizhen nodded and said to Zhang Juzheng, "Sir, go and tell Yan Shifan to seek out the Taoist immortal. Remember to be sincere and it would be best to send him directly to the West Garden for Father Emperor to examine and instruct him."

There's no need for profound Taoist skills; a respectable reputation and some ability are sufficient, the more the better. My father has sought the Tao for many years and has extremely high standards. Whether one can catch the Emperor's eye depends entirely on personal fortune.

"Your Highness?"

This means that there's no need to explain anything about bringing in the Taoist priest; you can simply hand over a clean and honest person to the emperor.

Zhu Zaizhen explained with a smile: "After thinking it over, Tao Zhongwen is the most anxious, followed by Xu Jie. One wants to maintain his aloof status, while the other wants to clear his name as soon as possible."

If we were to seek out new Taoist priests for our father at this time without exerting any influence, it would be like throwing another stone into this muddy water.

Firstly, it showed his filial piety to his father, letting him know that not only did he not stop him from practicing Taoism, but he also helped him search for masters everywhere.

Secondly, it was to hand a knife to Tao Zhongwen's disciples, letting them know that if they didn't hurry up and offer their elixirs, the new immortal master would soon take over Qingfu Palace.

Thirdly, it will force the Qingliu faction to also seek out Taoist priests. At that time, the West Garden will be crowded with Taoist priests, who will offer all sorts of interpretations of celestial phenomena and spirit writing. This will be even better, since we control the Imperial Observatory and have the right to interpret celestial phenomena.

As for the final point, it comes down to what Mr. Xu just said: "Too much of a good thing is bad." In this turmoil, we haven't suffered any losses, which is already a victory. To place our own people around the Emperor would probably be more of a disaster than a blessing.

There's another point Zhu Zaizhen didn't mention: this incident further demonstrates that Huang Jin, though quiet, is indeed the most crucial figure; his presence alone is enough.

Moreover, even Tao Zhongwen, who had been revered for ten years, was unable to drive him away by using elixirs and Fuzhan. When the West Garden was crowded with people from all walks of life, each with their own explanations of astrology, spirit writing, elixirs, and talismans, the Emperor naturally did not believe any of them.

By then, the only person he could completely trust was his confidant, Huang Jin.

Zhang Juzheng smiled and cupped his hands: "Your Highness has profound thoughts. I will go to see Yan Shifan tomorrow, with sincerity as my purpose and filial piety as my expression. I will not mention anything else."

As dusk fell, the two left the palace together. From tomorrow onward, it would be difficult for Xu Wei to enter the palace. Zhang Juzheng even accompanied him home, after all, he was carrying so much silver, and he didn't want it to be robbed.

"Brother Wenchang, it is a real pity that you are only a Xiucai with your talent. Even if you only pass the Juren exam, you will still be a legitimate candidate through the imperial examination system, which will make arrangements for His Highness in the future."

I have a good friend in Beijing who is quite knowledgeable about the imperial examinations; I can introduce you to him tomorrow.

Having spent so much time together, Zhang Juzheng wanted to help Xu Wei in any way he could.

Moreover, since His Highness intends to send him to a remote area for training, Xu Wei, who will always be by His Highness's side, will have an extraordinary status.