Chapter 131 The Poetry Gathering of the Reborn Minister...

To accomplish this, the first step is figuring out how to expand beyond the territory.

This time is different from the last; it's a short trip of nearly ten days to find my cousin's family. If I were to go to Yangzhou, I would expect to be away from Liuzhou for at least half a year.

The problem with the prefect and the governor is one that is very difficult to hide.

He has never been out of the public eye for so long.

But he had already made his decision, and there was no going back.

Qi Chengming didn't make a big fuss; instead, he remained calm and collected, holding small meetings every few days as usual. Within half a month, he met with Mr. Qin, Prefect Lu, Governor Mu, Uncle Huang, and other key figures to explain the situation and outline the important developments he needed to make after his secret departure.

Planting sweet potatoes and paying taxes and military pay were one thing. Transporting silver back from the sea to fill the silver bank and building an arms factory on the island was another. Caravans continuing to trade along the coast, with Liuzhou and other places running trade routes, was the third.

Bai Xuan offered no explanation. He'd been incredibly anxious at home lately; his wife's good news after so many years had completely captured his attention. He could easily postpone the conversation until six months later, finding some excuse to do so.

The students didn't say much. With Tian Ya as a new guest at the Qi residence, Qi Chengming used this as an excuse to say that going somewhere else to handle business was enough, and there wouldn't be any objections.

Qi Chengming had several carriages prepared. He didn't plan to bring Xiao Dezi or Xiao Chengzi, nor even Chief Steward Song. He only brought the Hua family, who had been promoted by Chief Steward Song. His son accompanied them, and his wife helped out in the kitchen, essentially serving as the cook for this trip.

This time, it wasn't Old Hua who was the driver; he stayed behind to coordinate with the caravan. The militia, which had been trained for a long time, came in handy this time, and the five best men were selected to serve as drivers and guards as they set off.

Qin Liusong also joined in this time. Although he is the true backbone of the Liuzhou County Government, the county government has been running smoothly for so long that it can't be shut down without him as a clerk. That would be equivalent to the whole group being rendered useless.

Finally, it was Gan Tang, the head palace maid, who volunteered to go to Yangzhou with Qi Chengming.

It's hard to believe that a perfectly respectable young master wouldn't have a personal maid or servant by his side.

Despite the group traveling light, Song Gu couldn't rest easy and arranged for the Bai family to send a caravan to Yangzhou, giving them a ride along the way.

In this way, the team of ten people increased to twenty or thirty people, and the large convoy was now safer on the road.

—And so we set off so hastily and quickly!

The fourth day after the convoy left.

Qi Chengming sat in his simple village on the mountain, gazing at the starry night sky. Before him stretched a vast expanse of citrus trees, a dazzling array of oranges, a sight that soothed his soul.

Old Mrs. Yang sat smiling to one side, patiently packing the dried fruit into small jars—a task she was very familiar with. Behind her, the sounds of several guards playfully squabbling could be heard, each carrying a basket and helping to remove diseased and damaged branches from the trees.

While my cousin's family was away in Beijing, the orchard was left unattended, so the old woman from the Yang family took care of it and would come up the mountain to wander around from time to time.

"No word." Qi Chengming shook the letter in a good mood and repeated it.

Instead of leaving with the caravan, he used a trick and secretly led his men back to the citrus orchard on the mountain in Liuzhou.

Since Qi Chengming privately instructed everyone, he did not let his guard down, but instead sent people to secretly monitor them. If anyone had the idea of ​​revealing the matter of "the Second Prince leaving his fiefdom without an imperial edict," Qi Chengming's men would secretly take action and nip the threat in the bud.

Although it is simple and crude, this is the fastest way to solve the problem, and dealing with it afterward is better than exposing it.

As it stands, no one seems to be planning to betray us.

"Pack your bags, we're leaving first thing tomorrow morning," Qi Chengming called to the group.

He wouldn't let go so easily; someone would continue to monitor him along the way, reporting back to him periodically. This crucial surveillance mission wouldn't cease until Qi Chengming returned to Liuzhou. To prevent any deception, Qi Chengming employed two groups for cross-monitoring.

Strive to ensure that nothing goes wrong...

...

The capital city.

Since the eldest prince fell into obscurity, the third prince has enjoyed unparalleled glory and no one can rival him.

Fortunately, the third prince had a wise mother who advised him to be low-key, humble, and caring towards his brothers. This barely stopped his arrogance and prevented Emperor Hongren from disliking this adult son.

The capital city appeared completely calm, and the friction had temporarily subsided.

The undercurrents that were brewing behind the scenes never ceased.

This autumn's poetry and calligraphy gathering—hosted at the Mu family's old residence—attracted many high-ranking officials who showed their respect, as well as numerous young talents hoping to make a name for themselves. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively. Most remarkably, the young scholars invited were not only the most outstanding, but also some who were previously unknown.

But that's only on the surface.

The truth is...

Scholar Mu sat in the pavilion, a small, rustic stove beside him, upon which sat a purple clay teapot, from which wisps of steam rose. Listening to the lotus blossoms as he brewed tea, he found himself in a state of exceptional tranquility.

Sitting with him were several familiar officials from the Six Ministries. Apart from the official from the Imperial Observatory who couldn't come due to his sensitive status, the rest were all officials of the second rank or above with whom he usually exchanged information.

"They're all here?" The Minister of Justice looked around at the young people composing poems in the distance, some of whom he didn't recognize.

"Among those who have been confirmed, apart from the few who are going out of the capital to take up their posts, Lord Li who is recuperating at home, and the military officers who cannot come to avoid suspicion... almost everyone else has come." Mu Jie smiled and was not angry. He simply took out a list from his sleeve, on which only a few names were listed.

"Basic?" The Minister of Justice picked up his teacup, took a sip, and repeated. He took the list, glanced at it, understood, and silently passed the paper to someone else.

"Among the remaining newcomers, we have suspected them all, but we cannot confirm their identities yet," said another elderly man with a wrinkled face and a calm tone.

He was the former Grand Secretary who had retired to his home to recuperate, and now he was granted the title of Grand Tutor, Lord Wu. The title sounded impressive, but in reality, he had no real power, only connections throughout the court. This official position was merely a tribute to his lifelong dedication to the country.

Currently, there are about twenty important reborn civil officials, while the others are either difficult to identify or are extremely well hidden.

Several people had been working on this important task of identifying officials. They would share information with each other afterwards. Some time ago, a young man named Shen Shuzhi also got involved, but now that he has left the capital, only the old folks are left to take on the task again.

But compared to today, none of these things matter...

Mu Jie and several senior ministers reached a consensus and painstakingly gathered all the reborn prodigies they had discovered to attend this poetry gathering, turning their tacit understanding into an open meeting. This already implied that something big was about to happen.

So as many people as possible came.

As for those who didn't show up and didn't explain...

There are many fools who think they are clever, but they will realize it later.

While they were chatting, the people in the pavilion had all looked through the list and each had their own thoughts.

"Is this 'Shi Jisheng' the one who took advantage of the chaos in Yulin to embezzle money from the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Many officials are vying to go to Yulin Prefecture... but even if we all live a second life, it can't be compensated with silver." The Minister of Justice's lips curled into a sarcastic smile, full of meaning. "Indeed, a distinction must be made."

Seeing this, Grand Scholar Mu spoke up: "When I made this suggestion before, many of you had doubts, thinking it was too rash. What about now?"

The people present fell silent. In fact, their agreement to hold this poetry gathering meant that they had agreed to the decision, and after hearing what the official surnamed Shi had done, their expressions showed even greater approval.

"It's time to set some rules," Grand Scholar Mu declared decisively.

The reason for summoning everyone under the guise of a poetry and literature gathering was that Grand Scholar Mu had astutely sensed the potential dangers during the previous downfall of the First Prince.

At the time, they worked together seamlessly, with hidden loyalists in every department working towards the future new emperor. Their combined efforts silently and effortlessly led to the Crown Prince's downfall. The subtlety of their actions was chilling.

Ordinary people were happy and busy celebrating afterwards, but Grand Scholar Mu felt terrified.

—They are an unstable undercurrent hidden within the imperial court.

This undercurrent is unknown to anyone, belongs to no one, and is currently not under the control of the Second Prince, who is thousands of miles away.

They are currently under control and willing to work together because they share loyalty to the monarch they identify with; they are on the same side. But... what about the future?

Even a civil official like Mu Jie knows that "it's easy to conquer the world, but difficult to maintain it!"

Why did founding emperors often make promises to meritorious officials before ascending the throne, and then distribute rewards and rewards afterward? The former was to appease the people and ensure a smooth ascension. The latter was to appease their loyal followers, preventing them from becoming disheartened by the years of service they had served and denying them the opportunity to overthrow the throne.

What about the second prince?

He was unaware that so many people around him already belonged to him, and he was unaware that so many officials in the capital were eagerly awaiting his support. Perhaps he already knew in Liuzhou—but he certainly didn't know the thoughts of those people in the capital.

Mu Jie had already envisioned that out-of-control future:

The most chaotic period was not the struggle for the throne, but the moment before the Second Prince was established as Crown Prince and about to ascend the throne. The Second Prince's faction—a newly formed faction of ministers—was no longer united and disintegrated into its most fragile and chaotic state. Everyone was blinded by greed and self-interest, vying for the new emperor's attention and resorting to any means to gain merit for themselves.

At that time.

They will hinder each other, fight against each other, or resort to extreme measures to win the new emperor's favor at any cost.

These petty scheming and despicable acts... Mu Jie knew without even thinking that they would happen.

At that time, will the reborn ministers still be a blessing to the country and its people? They will become a source of trouble!

One wrong move, and the crisis of national subjugation many years later might arrive sooner than expected! At that time, they will all be forced sinners!

Mu Jie couldn't sleep at night whenever he thought about these things. He wasn't naive enough to believe that all living subjects were wholeheartedly devoted to their master. Even if they were, people were still people, each with their own agendas, and it was perfectly normal for them to scheme against each other for their own interests.

So the first step—

This group of reborn ministers must bring stability from chaos, even if the ones leading the suppression are a few old guys, consider it as building a new society together.

They still keep it a secret from outsiders, but for their own people, the list must be as transparent as possible.

And then...

Find an opportunity to bring this "undercurrent" that is outside the Second Prince's sphere of influence into the open, so that it can be personally commanded by the new emperor.

Only in this way can the most proper steps be taken... Merits and demerits are clearly distinguished in the monarch's mind. This prevents a situation where everyone is secretly plotting and resorting to any means necessary to advance their own interests.

“Send two or three of them to gather them, don’t draw attention, and explain things slowly,” Grand Tutor Wu said in a deep voice.

The Minister of Justice had already made up his mind: "I'll deal with those who didn't come..."

Those who knowingly feign ignorance and refuse to reveal their true intentions when all the officials are gathered together to speak freely are all harboring their own ulterior motives. Such officials need to be brought to their senses!

It's true that they have an extra layer of support after being reborn, but the officials present hold high positions and can cause trouble with a mere flick of their fingers...

"Let's begin." Grand Scholar Mu solemnly rose slowly and led everyone out of the pavilion.

This was perhaps the only thing these veteran ministers could do.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Reborn ministers are a mixed bag, each with their own stances, and they sometimes hinder and hold each other back—this is all normal. Our Grand Scholar Mu deserves immense credit for managing them effectively and allowing them to leverage their strengths! *sobs*