Chapter 83: Back Road
On the second day after Ruwang received the letter, Prince Mu of Duke Mu immediately sent an official document to the Ministry of Revenue in the name of the cabinet, stating that matters in Zhejiang were complicated and could not be delayed at all, so after the imperial case was temporarily concluded, the new Shaoxing prefect Hai Gangfeng, who was ordered to go to Beijing, should return immediately without delay.
According to the usual practice of trying cases of rebellion by vassal kings, the chief judge would present the confession and case files before the emperor to report confidential matters. Many local officials were greatly rewarded by the emperor because of their proper behavior when meeting the emperor, and were favored by Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor at first sight, and thus rose to prominence and had an immeasurable future. Now that the case has just been handed in, they are in a hurry to send the chief judge back to Zhejiang. This is not only a huge violation of the practice of more than a hundred years, but also a suspicion of deliberate suppression of Hai Gangfeng. Considering that Hai Gangfeng's promotion from county magistrate to prefect was all due to the recommendation of the prince of Duke Mu, the contrast between the hot first and the cold later is really unreasonable.
A few days later, Zhang Taiyue, the new editor of the Hanlin Academy, presented at the year-end banquet an excerpt of the "Quotations of Emperor Xingxian", which he and his team had painstakingly compiled for several months. The excerpt compiled the various good words and deeds, as well as the sacred teachings of the Emperor Xingxian, the Holy Father of the Emperor, when he was in the Hubei vassal state. It profoundly demonstrated the sincere filial piety of the current Lord Feixuan towards the Royal Father, and thoroughly washed away the shadow of Emperor Xingxian's illegitimate access to the throne and his near-fake status as an emperor since the Great Ceremony Controversy.
Such thoughtfulness and consideration will naturally win the heart of the Holy Spirit. Emperor Wanshou, the True Lord Feixuan, was delighted and personally praised "good, good, good". Then, with a stroke of his pen, he promoted Zhang Taiyue to the rank of acting Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy for his meritorious service to the monarch.
Don't underestimate this added level. As a young editor, he was still at the bottom of the contempt chain in the Hanlin Academy, a worker who was busy working hard to gain experience; but after he jumped to the position of Attendant Academician, Zhang Taiyue, who had been a Hanlin for only half a year, had stepped into the threshold of the upper echelons of the Hanlin Academy and was qualified to be the head of the government and even to influence the trends of the literati.
As for the upper echelons of the Hanlin Academy at this time, the situation was a bit delicate - because the mess they had made in the history of the Yuan Dynasty was so huge, the emperor did not even allow them to resign and leave. Instead, he detained all the senior officials, from the scholars to the tutors, in the capital, and asked them to reflect on themselves behind closed doors. Every five days, they had to submit a memorial of apology, severely criticizing themselves from top to bottom, from the present to their ancestors. They felt heartbroken and their dignity was completely lost, but they were determined not to escape. The emperor clearly wanted to lock them up in their homes and let them rot and stink, in order to frighten all the bureaucrats in the world with their severe and terrifying end. These scholars still nominally retained their official positions, but in reality they were completely defeated and could be bullied by everyone.
It was also because of this that after receiving the imperial edict of promotion, the rookie Zhang Taiyue looked around and was shocked to discover an astonishing fact - among the few remaining people in the Hanlin Academy, he was actually already the one with the highest official position and the most power.
——In other words, the Da'an Hanlin Academy, the leader of the country's prestigious literati and a confidential place for the court to reserve important officials, is now under the control of Zhang Taiyue alone.
Hey, let a young man in his twenties manage the Hanlin Academy? Is this true or false?
However, whether it is true or false, the power and position obtained is unquestionable. If you control the Hanlin Academy, you control the direction of scholars all over the world, and basically you are qualified to have a presence in high-level politics. Therefore, as soon as the decree was issued, the whole city was in turmoil, and those who were hoping to gain fame and fortune immediately began to try to get ahead, sending visiting cards everywhere during the year-end banquets and socializing, trying to find ways to stir up trouble for the newly promoted Lord Zhang. The drastic change in wind direction within just one month made gossipers sigh and even made up jokes like "Zhang Haixia" - why did they have such different circumstances when they were both from the Duke Mu's Mansion!
Those who are close to you are often favored, while those who are far away are often distant. Those who serve you closely are always more likely to win favor. Even the prince of Duke Mu is no exception.
However, as Zhang Taiyue's popularity grew, he gradually attracted the attention of most of the capital. However, Mu Qi, under the pretext of returning home to visit his relatives, privately asked for a two-month vacation from Master Fei Xuan, and secretly left Beijing for the south. Various news in the capital came one after another, and Zhang Taiyue's glory was so dazzling that the news of his going out disappeared silently and no longer attracted any attention.
Of course, this deceptive method can only conceal the minor officials below. But in front of important ministers like Yan Fenyi and other elder Yan who held confidential information, this little conspiracy could be easily seen through - let alone the evil forces that were originally rampaging in the cabinet duty room to seize power and force the old ministers to roll in suddenly disappeared overnight. Anyone could immediately notice that something was wrong.
Of course, this unusual thing was very much in line with Lord Yan's wishes. I didn't feel it when I was struggling with all my might in impotence and rage, but now that Mad Man has suddenly left, the cabinet suddenly became fresh, leisurely and refreshing - no more PUA, no involution, no young people without martial ethics trying to seize power, no terrible landmines that made people nervous and tense at all times. The official business that was commonplace in the past has become so easy and wonderful, satisfying and comfortable, which really makes Yan Ge's old body feel a little lighter.
According to common sense, once such an annoying character left the political center, Yan Ge Lao, who had been suppressed and tortured psychologically for a long time, should have taken action boldly, taking advantage of the two-month gap to fry the Prince of Mu and solve the problem first. But unexpectedly, although Lord Yan was in a good mood and full of energy, and sometimes criticized the Cricket Prince for his rude behavior to his subordinates, he always punched in and went to work on time, honestly enjoying his position as the Prime Minister, and had no intention of taking advantage of the opportunity to show off.
However, Lord Yan may not want to take advantage of the opportunity, but certain forces hidden in the court really want to make a move. On the seventh day after the Prince of Mu disappeared inexplicably, a letter from Ouyang Jin, the former Left Censor-in-Chief and a core member of the Yan Party, was placed on the desk of Lord Yan. The letter was quite euphemistic, but the core of the letter was just one sentence:
Sir, it’s time to start the group!
Old Yan read the murderous letter calmly, folded it calmly, called his son, locked the study, sent away the servants, and asked:
"What did Mu Qi tell you before he left?"
The young cabinet minister was greatly surprised and instinctively shirked the responsibility: "What can he say to me? I don't have much to do with him——"
"Why are you talking about other things here?" Yan Fenyi said indifferently: "He and you are in charge of maritime trade and maritime defense together, how can you not keep in touch with each other? He has been away from the capital for several months, he should at least explain his official business to you!"
With Lord Yan's shrewdness and experience, he could of course see at a glance that Prince Mu was extremely concerned about maritime trade affairs. Otherwise, he would not have risked the world's condemnation and repeatedly pressured the court and the cabinet, and even managed to pressure him, his nominal superior. How could someone who is so devoted and dedicated to this simply abandon the maritime trade reform that is in full swing and leave Beijing alone? The plans of the Prince of Mu are still unknown, but he must have made arrangements before leaving Beijing. At least he would not have hidden it from Yan Donglou, who is also in charge of maritime trade.
Sure enough, Yan Donglou hesitated for a while, and seeing that he could not hide it, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and tell the prince's parting explanation honestly - Mu Qi did not reveal the whole plan, but the father and son of the Yan family were so experienced that they could vaguely guess the whole picture of the matter just from the few fragments he told. Because of this, the elderly Yan Fenyi was stunned for a moment, and then he slowly let out a breath.
"We have to take action against the Westerners after all."
He was silent for a moment, muttering to himself.
Yan Donglou was puzzled: "What does the Prime Minister mean by this?"
"It doesn't mean anything." Elder Yan sat alone on the recliner, his tone gradually becoming vague, almost talking to himself: "I really didn't expect that the so-called 'Central and Western Luzon War' would actually have signs at this time..."
Yan Donglou:? !
Oh my god, can the Riddler be contagious?
No, the reason why Master Feixuan and Emperor Wanshou are so sarcastic and tell riddles to people is because they are in a high position and have great power, so everyone has to bite the bullet and lick them. But you, Lord Yan, are just a tool of the new Prime Minister who climbed up to the top by clinging to the Emperor’s grace. What qualifications do you have to be a giant baby?
There is no two suns in the sky, and the fan circle of all provinces and regions can only have me, Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor, the one and only one who cannot be surpassed; if Lord Yan goes crazy and wants to circle around himself, I'm afraid it's not real and he thinks his old skin is too loose!
The surprised look in his own son's eyes was too obvious. Yan Fenyi was silent for a while, then slowly stood up. He personally walked around the small study, checking the doors, windows and keys one by one; after confirming again and again, he slowly sat down and unzipped a corner of his official uniform.
This robe, made of Hunan silk and Shu brocade, is exquisite and gorgeous, with a continuous and smooth pattern without any flaws. Only if you look closely can you see a tiny bit of visible thread on the inner edge of the patch. The Prime Minister's residence lived in luxury and their clothes were exquisite, so it was impossible for such a big coat to have such a mistake. However, Lord Yan grabbed the thread and pulled it out, and a small hole appeared under the patch. Elder Yan used his little finger to feel around in the opening for a while and pulled out a small piece of paper.
This piece of paper scrap may not be as long as a hair, but when Lord Yan picked it up, his expression was extremely solemn. He carefully placed the white paper on the table, took off his hairpin and pressed it down, then spoke solemnly:
"A few months ago, His Majesty summoned Xu Shaohu and I to the West Garden and did not allow us to go out for many days. Do you know why?"
Seeing his father's inexplicable and neurotic actions, the young cabinet minister was now at a loss:
"…My son doesn't know."
Although it was impossible to believe that the cabinet minister was locked up in the West Garden during the deep spring, Prime Minister Yan was indeed very secretive and kept silent after being released, so Yan Donglou certainly did not dare to touch his reverse scale. But now it seems that there may be some other hidden story behind this?
"It's a long story." Elder Yan sighed and said, "Forget it. Just touch this piece of paper. You will understand everything once you touch it."
·
It should be said that during those dozens of days when the elders were locked up in the Western Garden in the deep spring, although it was absurd, chaotic and frightening, although they were terrified and almost crazy, but under the pressure of the endless deadline (real deadline) of Feixuan Zhenjun and Wanshou Emperor, Elder Yan and Elder Xu still managed to come up with many things. For example, they discovered that the Heavenly Book had a "binding" setting. As long as one held the Heavenly Book, one could bind to the functions it released from time to time and witness all kinds of bizarre supernatural powers. However, this binding could only be enjoyed while holding the Heavenly Book. Once the Heavenly Book was taken away, the already bound functions would not become invalid, but the newly released abilities would no longer be enjoyable.
This is also the reason why Master Feixuan has been willing to let the two elders go for many days and has not been forcing them to pursue him relentlessly. The "Voice of the Heart Diary" function originally bound to the Heavenly Book cannot be disabled, but as long as Yan Fenyi and Xu Shaohu's Heavenly Books are confiscated and destroyed, they will no longer be able to enjoy the subsequent services; and given that the Voice of the Heart Diary was inexplicably closed and never played again, it is no different from completely banning the Heavenly Book.
It should be said that this idea is quite reasonable, and even implies a rare bit of warmth from Master Feixuan - the political fluctuations over the past six months have been too violent and too abnormal, and governing a big country is like cooking a small fish, and even a mean and ungrateful emperor like the current one does not want to take the initiative to start a killing spree.
But the emperor's plan ultimately overlooked one point. Both copies of the heavenly book were confiscated, but when Lord Yan received this strange book that fell from the sky, he was so shocked that he threw it away directly. However, his right little finger scratched the title page of the book, and a tiny piece of paper was hidden between his long fingernails, which was not discovered by the Jinyiwei who searched him. However, the judgment criteria of the Heavenly Book are always so weird and wonderful; not long ago, Lord Yan was shocked to find that even if only this tiny bit of "paper scrap" was retained, it seemed to be regarded as "held" by the rules of the Heavenly Book, and also had a new function.
That’s right, Lord Yan can also hear the “echoes of history”.
Of course, compared to Master Feixuan, who can get whatever he wants and can select clips at will and play them repeatedly, Elder Yan is much more miserable. Not only could he only eavesdrop on one or two passages secretly while the audience was using the restroom (no matter how perverted the Jinyiwei were, they couldn't spy on a 70-year-old man going to the toilet, right?), he often couldn't choose what to listen to, and often after clicking on it, he could only listen with a wooden face as the Heavenly Book teased Master Fei Xuan for half an hour - things like "master of liberalism" and "noble restraint", the foreigners' faces were really disgusting - but no matter what, he still got a glimpse of the bizarre future from just a few words and obtained extremely valuable information.
Elder Yan picked up two azure tea cups from the Ru kiln, scooped in top-quality pre-rain Longjing tea with a silver spoon, and slowly poured in the boiling water from the Jade Spring. When the tea leaves had been relaxed one by one, he pushed one cup to the young cabinet minister, who was sweating profusely and whose clothes were almost soaked.
The young minister was scalded by the hot water and finally woke up from his dream. He looked over in a daze:
"father……"
Perhaps he was so shocked that his defenses collapsed and the young minister didn't even bother to address his position.
Lord Yan didn't care. Or maybe he was simply too lazy to pay attention to his own son's mental journey, nor was he willing to explain too much - although he had already revealed the biggest trump card to his son, he still couldn't reveal too much about the inner voice diary. What if Yan Donglou knew that the current Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor had been turned around and insulted to the point of insanity, foaming at the mouth and jumping around with his defenses broken, then he would undoubtedly be using the lives of his own Yan family to try out the current emperor's skill of exterminating nine clans. So, he glanced at his bewildered son and got straight to the point:
"After reading this, you should know my intention."
Yan Donglou was still in shock and confused. He felt even more bewildered when he heard this sentence: What "this"? The historical echoes alone took up seventy to eighty minutes, and he could only get the outlines in a cursory glance. How could he know what Lord Yan was hinting at?
"Dad is saying..."
Seeing that his own son was not enlightened, the elder could only sigh:
"The so-called 'Jiayin Reform' has been mentioned repeatedly in my articles. Didn't you pay attention? The 'Battle of Luzon' between China and the West was one of the results of this Jiayin Reform. You should understand my thoughts after seeing this."
Yan Donglou was so shocked that even his thinking slowed down significantly. When he heard this sentence, which he didn't understand the true meaning of, an expression of confusion that was almost dull appeared on his face. Yan Ge Lao was helpless and could only point out the facts:
"For so many days, I have been tolerant and retreating towards the Mu family. Apart from the verbal battle, I have never argued with the Mu family. Even Ouyang Jin can't stand such a weak behavior. He secretly colluded with Zhao Juqing, the non-stick pan, to overthrow Mu. They did it in secret. Do they really think that I know nothing? Humph, but no matter how these guys act, my determination will never change. Weakness is weakness, but we must not ruin the grand plan!"
Yan Donglou instinctively asked: "Why?"
"Because I must make this 'Jiayin Reform' a success, it doesn't matter if I tolerate Mu for this!" Elder Yan shouted coldly: "Don't seek false reputation and suffer real disaster. For this great cause, what does it matter if I endure shame and humiliation!"
Yan Donglou: ...Ah?
The shock at that moment was so intense that it actually knocked the young minister out of his trance-like state. He stared at his father with his mouth wide open, hardly able to believe his eyes!
——No, is this still his insidious, vicious, shameless, fearless and unscrupulous father?
Could it be that the so-called "Book of Heaven" has the powerful function of brainwashing, refining souls and changing people's minds? Why did his own father still care about the future of the country and the success of the reform, and even be willing to endure humiliation?
This character is wrong!
The stimulation was so intense that it was almost terrifying, so much so that Yan Donglou could only stare at his father without saying a word. But Lord Yan didn't care at all and continued speaking:
"In the final analysis, only if the Jiayin Reform is successful, will the Mu family have the capital to launch the 'Battle of Luzon'. Only if we win the Battle of Luzon will my plan have a chance to come to fruition..."
Yan Donglou stuttered, "...Planning?"
Yan Fenyi glanced at him casually:
"Do you know Luzon?"
"I've heard of it vaguely." Yan Donglou said, "They are just barbarians..."
"You are totally wrong." Yan Fenyi said calmly: "If they were just barbarians, why did the Spaniards come all the way to occupy them? Why did the Heavenly Book go to great lengths to record them? You read too fast and too generally. From my careful reading, I found that Luzon is indeed a natural blessed land with a suitable climate and fertile land. It was also well managed by the Spaniards. Many of the "Nanyang tycoons" of the future were born in Luzon. Such a precious land can be put to great use."
"Dad wants to buy land in Luzon?"
Yan Donglou was surprised but in his heart he felt relieved - he just said it!
As expected, he is still his biological father, still with that familiar greedy face asking for land and houses, which really makes people feel at ease.
"You have some understanding, but it is not enough." Yan Fenyi said: "The purpose of buying land is to grow food, but do Nanyang and Tianzhu lack food? You know that when the Mu family negotiated business with Hai Shang, they sold 100,000 dan of grain at a time. The grain was transported to Beijing from thousands of miles away, and it was much cheaper than the grain in the inland areas. What can you do with a little land in such a good place? What I mean is, if there is a 'Battle of Luzon' in the future and the court takes control of the place, you can send a few caring housekeepers to Luzon Island quietly and prepare any industry in advance, just in case..."
Yan Donglou's expression changed slightly: If buying fields and land was just an occasional investment, then the intention of a row of close servants purchasing properties was truly extraordinary. The bigwigs in the court are reluctant to leave their hometowns, and generally will not place a large amount of property in an unfamiliar place. If they rashly make such a big move, there is only one idea - to retreat and withdraw, and leave a way out for themselves in advance.
"Dad!" He whispered in a panic, "Could it be that you..."
"No problem." Yan Donglou shook his head. "I am in a good position now, and maybe I can be in a good position in a few years. But how long can I be in a good position? Judging from the current situation, 99% of the fate of the world belongs to Prince Yu, and Prince Yu's master Gao Suqing is a staunch upright person. If he takes power, will you be in any good situation? While I still have some ability, I will naturally consider you more."
He paused, then sighed:
"I have been thinking about this for more than a day or two, but I could never find a solution. The mediocre officials below just bought sacrificial fields to hide their property in the hope of having a meal in the future. But these tricks are really shallow and pitiful. It's ok if the higher-ups turn a blind eye, but if they really get serious, who can escape the net? The whole world belongs to the king, there is no room for hiding! But Luzon - Luzon is very different. I have carefully looked at it. Even if it goes smoothly, it will take at least half a month to take a boat from Guangdong to Luzon. It is truly a place where the emperor is far away and the court's laws cannot reach it. As long as we can find a way to plant a son here, I think the court will find it difficult to find out..."
Holding a high position and holding great power, no one understands the horror of the imperial court's political machine better than Lord Yan. There is no two suns in the sky and no two kings among the people. No one in the nine provinces of China can resist the majesty of imperial power. Once the victory or defeat in the court is decided, the loser is not even qualified to beg for mercy. If one wants to linger on, the only way is to set sail on the sea and flee to a foreign land - in other words, to survive.
But unfortunately, this is not the era when Runren is popular. People who have no ties can just walk away, but important officials like Yan Ge Lao, who have a large family and a lot of wealth, have to consider the livelihood of their family and the long-term future of their descendants. The first priority in finding a way out is to hide property, but when he looked around before, he found that there was no place where he could place his huge fortune. Goryeo was a closed and conservative country, so if they saw the escaped Da'an, they would probably send him back to their country immediately; Japan was not on good terms with Da'an, but it was said that the poverty on the island was so heartbreaking that even the Goryeo envoys complained that Japan had no meat to eat - it was so miserable that even Goryeo complained about the food, which was truly unique in Asia and rare. Instead of fleeing here, the Yan family would rather stay in jail in Beijing.
Until today, with the mercy of God, a better, more perfect and more appropriate option finally appeared - Luzon, remote, rich, beautiful, and well-governed by the Spanish. It was a trading mecca with a lot of wealth and resources, and a foreign land that was unfamiliar and difficult to manage for the Central Plains court. Is there a more appropriate and suitable way out than this?
Therefore, after more than ten days of long thinking, Yan Fenyi has secretly made up his mind. As long as the Spaniards were expelled, he would immediately persuade the emperor to incorporate Luzon into the territory of Da'an in the name of tributary rule, which would be considered a great achievement in expanding the territory; and then, in the name of changing the natives into commoners, he would migrate the refugees from Central China to this fertile land in batches; and the Yan family could transfer their assets by blending in with the refugees and making careful arrangements during the chaos.
This plan requires time, energy, luck, and careful coordination from the central authorities. Lord Yan still holds the central power and can barely provide escort; but the ups and downs of officialdom are unpredictable, and the emperor's intentions are even more difficult to guess; so we must spare no effort to push the plan into implementation at all costs. The first step in implementing this plan is to take over Luzon Island.
Wealth exists by relying on violence. Only by expelling the violence of the Spaniards and replacing it with the violence of the Chinese can the wealth transferred by Yan Ge Lao be safe and not become a fat pig on the chopping board of others. Of course, the imperial court always had to reform the natives and gradually transfer the vassal lands into actual control. But based on Yan Fenyi's experience, this process took at least thirty to fifty years.
In the past thirty or fifty years, the world has changed dramatically, and the emperor may have been replaced several times. Even if there are any big storms, I think they can be written off. When the storm is over, the descendants of the Yan family will come ashore from Luzon in the future. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to make a glorious transition?
This is a more secure insurance than any sacrificial fields, hidden properties, jewelry, gold and silver, and it involves the major event of the Yan family's century-old foundation. Even with Lord Yan's shrewdness, he couldn't help but look a little serious when talking about such an important matter. He straightened up and stared at his son.
"Only if the Jiayin Reform succeeds can the Luzon Campaign succeed. Only if the Luzon Campaign succeeds can we plan our retreat with ease. Everything is linked together and there can be no mistakes." He said slowly, "Therefore, there must not be any problems with the progress of the Jiayin Reform. Do you understand what I mean?"
Yan Donglou was stunned and at a loss, and finally he could only nod.
"That's good." Lord Yan said calmly.
He took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to the young minister who was still stunned:
"Here is the letter that Ouyang Jin just sent. Send someone to deliver it to the Mu man with a fast horse. You don't have to explain the origin of the letter. Just say that you stole it from my study. Do you understand?"
"……ah?!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
