Chapter 107 Censor Wei Ji and Xie Miaozhu.
After passing the imperial examination, Wei Ji worked as an unknown editor in the Hanlin Academy for four years. He watched as children from aristocratic families whose talents were far inferior to his were promoted, while he remained in a state of misfortune year after year.
To ease the family's financial difficulties, her younger sister, Wei Yin'er, agreed to become a child bride to the son of her landlord, Mr. Zhang. She said, "Mr. Zhang will waive our rent and give us a betrothal gift of fifty taels of silver. He has many books at home, and he'll let me play with them."
Wei Ji felt both guilty and angry: "His son is an idiot! How old are you and you're already talking about marriage? If you want to study, study hard!"
He went and beat up Scholar Zhang, who then sued the court. The magistrate of Yunjing, a benevolent man who favored talent, only ordered Wei Ji to pay twenty taels of silver. The siblings were evicted and forced to pay, leaving them desperately short of money. As a last resort, Wei Ji took the imperial examination for someone else, passing it with flying colors. The dandy young master rewarded him with an extra fifty taels of silver, finally lifting the siblings out of their predicament.
Wei Ji gave Wei Yiner money to buy clothes, forged the certificate of ordination of the Hedong Wei family, and sent Wei Yiner to study at Congshan Academy.
He was a very proud man and had suffered a lot up to this day, but what bothered him most was Xie Miaozhu's insult.
A high-ranking and pampered young lady got hold of the evidence that he had forged his certificate of ordination. Relying on the prestige of her family, she dared to insult him at will. Not only did she make him feed and wash the horses, she also stepped on his shoulders to get on the carriage, and when she was in a bad mood, she forced him to sleep in the stable.
She looked at him with eyes that looked down upon a lowly animal.
Now he had finally gained the appreciation of Princess Chun'an and got rid of Xie Miaozhu, but he didn't expect that she would be so relentless and even dare to pester him.
Seeing Xie Miaozhu proudly showing off the fake certificate, Wei Ji even wanted to die with her at that moment.
"Don't be afraid. I'm not taking you back to be a groom. To be honest, you're a pretty average groom."
Xie Miaozhu put away the fake certificate and said to Wei Ji through the drizzle, "I'm here to make a deal with you."
The censors had the power to report rumors. In the case of the attack on the Xizhou garrison, the truth was still unclear and the emperor's attitude was unclear. At this time, only the Censorate dared to take a stand and speak out without any solid evidence.
Xie Miaozhu said, "I want you to impeach Wang Zhaoshen for treason and Kang Huayu for corruption, and to write a petition on behalf of my brother Xie Xuanlan."
"Chen's injustice?" Wei Ji stood there and sneered, "How can I know if Xie San is truly wronged? Besides, there are many people who have been wronged more than him. You, the Xie family, have connections everywhere, so you are the least qualified to complain about your injustice."
Xie Miaozhu's expression changed slightly: "If you don't agree, I will report you to the Ministry of Justice!"
Wei Ji said, "Not only will I not help Xie San to clear his name, I will also file a memorial to accuse him of treason and the Xie family of harboring evil and fostering traitors. Let's each accuse ourselves, each relying on our own abilities. Let's see who brings me down first, or who brings Xie down first."
Now that he has Princess Chun'an behind him, Wei Ji believes that as long as he can be loyal to the princess and work for her, the princess will have her own way to help him resolve the issue of a fake certificate of ordination. The one who should really worry about the situation right now is Xie.
After saying this, he reined in his horse and walked forward, not even willing to glance at Xie Miaozhu, and left Qingfengqu.
After Wei Ji returned home, he began to draft a memorial to impeach Xie Xuanlan and Xie Xiang.
His writing was sharp, like needles piercing the flesh and bones, and was filled with resentment. He wrote with divine speed. Even the servant who was writing beside him could see a few of his sentences and was secretly shocked.
Unexpectedly, just after I finished the draft, Jiang Congying came to visit me.
Wei Ji deliberately wanted her to see it. He glanced at the paper twice and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
She knew that Wei Ji was not Du Rupan and was not so easily swayed.
"Madam Jiang, are you here to lobby for the Xie family as well?" Wei Ji's attitude towards her was very polite. "Now is a good time to overthrow the Xie family. Many people inside and outside the court are ready to make a move. It takes more than just me to change the situation. I would like to advise Madam Jiang to get out of this as soon as possible. Since you have joined the Empress Dowager, you should no longer have anything to do with the Xie family, so as not to arouse the princess's suspicion."
Cong Ying asked him, "Are you here to express your gratitude to the princess, or are you here to vent your personal grudge?"
Wei Ji: "What's the difference?"
Cong Ying: "If it's for the princess, then I don't agree with you doing this. The princess's current focus is to cultivate her own power and popularity, not to intensify the conflict with the aristocratic families. Otherwise, the other aristocratic families will take the Xie family as an example and become even more hostile to the princess. At this time when the aristocratic families are still in power, this is not a good thing for the princess."
She added, "If this is a vent of personal anger, I know Xie Liuniang once insulted Lord Wei, and Lord Wei resents it, but I also ask Lord Wei to consider my kindness and balance our grudges this time. On behalf of my husband, I beg you not to disregard right and wrong and take such a cruel action."
Wei Ji was shocked when he heard this: "Who is your husband? Xie San?"
"yes."
He remained silent for a long time, his expression becoming increasingly grim. Finally, he said, "Madam Jiang, you are truly foolish. You didn't say anything before, but now he's down and out in exile, with nothing but a dandy air left. How could he be worthy of you doing this for him?"
Cong Ying's tone was gentle but firm: "It's my wish. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Lord Wei."
It's more than just a joke, he is simply... simply...
A young seedling that had barely broken through the soil was brutally crushed before it even had time to get any nourishment, especially since the person it couldn't compete with was Xie San, which made the arrogant Wei Ji feel even more frustrated.
There was jealousy in his tone. "Madam Jiang said that I was wrong to impeach him. I don't think Madam Jiang is objective either. How can you be sure that he wasn't the one collaborating with the Western Tartars?"
Cong Ying took out a booklet from her sleeve and handed it to Wei Ji: "Please take a look at this, Lord Wei."
This is a rubbing of a private account book from the Ying Palace, primarily recording transactions between the Ying Palace and the Wang family and local officials in Xizhou. Kang Huayu is prominently listed at the head: "In a certain month and year, the Governor Kang presented two Hetian jade cranes, 30,000 taels of silver, and 20,000 taels of gold; in a certain month and year, the Governor Kang presented two Ferghana horses from the Western Regions, and Wang Zhaoshen presented a saddle made of gold and jewels..."
For this account book alone, Kang Huayu gave away nearly 200,000 taels.
Cong Ying said, "The people of Xizhou are in dire straits, and Kang Huayu has a reputation for light taxation. If he doesn't raise taxes, where does the money come from? He must be colluding with Wang Zhaoshen to steal the imperial salary, fabricating a war with the Western Tartars to defraud the court of food and money."
This sentence involved three parties: Wang, King Ying, and Governor Kang. Wei Ji remained silent, holding the account book.
"Wang Shiliulang once gave a concubine to the Prince of Huai. Xie Liuniang had a quarrel with the Prince of Huai because of this. It's not difficult to find out. That concubine, Miss Yuqing, was redeemed by Kang Huayu from Xizhou."
Cong Ying paused, then said to Wei Ji, "I'm not forcing Lord Wei to challenge the three families. I simply want you to know that there's a deeper story behind this matter. Third Young Master Xie is involved, but he's not the 'traitor' that Wang Zhaoshen claims he is. If Lord Wei were impartial, he shouldn't have rashly submitted a memorial impeaching Third Young Master Xie."
She blocked all three excuses: being loyal to the princess, venting her hatred for personal affairs, and finding out the truth.
Wei Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Madam Jiang is very eloquent. She is worthy of being the ceremonial host that the princess has chosen from thousands of people."
Cong Ying nodded and bowed, "Having said that, I am at the end of my rope. I hope Lord Wei will carefully consider my next move."
She stood up to say goodbye. Wei Ji walked her to the door. Seeing her alone with an umbrella, the light rain like fog soaking her clothes and eyebrows, he suddenly felt a little sorry and called her to stop.
"Madam Jiang... could you please leave that private account rubbing to me?"
Cong Ying showed a hint of gratitude and handed him the account book: "Thank you, Lord Wei!"
Wei Ji: "I'm not doing this entirely for your sake. You... well, you better take care of yourself."
Having said that, the favor he owed her has been repaid, and given Madam Jiang's sincerity, she will actually appreciate his kindness in her heart.
After sending Jiang Congying away, Wei Ji wanted to burn the draft of the impeachment letter and read it again from the beginning himself, feeling both proud and regretful.
Suddenly, he thought of Xie Miaozhu, sneered, and had another idea in his mind. He picked up the pen and added a sentence at the end of the draft. After the ink dried, he folded it and asked the servant to find a way to deliver it to Xie Miaozhu.
"Give it to her away from others, remember that."
Although this late autumn rain was not heavy, it was cold and gloomy from morning to night, which made people feel unhappy.
Wei Ji was secretly expecting something. Sure enough, in the afternoon, Xie Miaozhu, dressed in a flamboyant red dress, stormed in with a stern face, clutching the original draft, shaking with anger. "Wei Ji! How dare you frame my brother! After submitting this memorial, aren't you afraid that others will think you're sarcastic? Since you've written it, why do you say at the end that there's still room for maneuver and tell me not to make it public?"
Wei Ji said slowly with a smile: "Of course, as Madam Xie said before, I have a deal to make with you."
Xie Miaozhu was suspicious: "What are you planning?"
Wei Ji said, "If you come and serve me as a servant for a month, I will withhold this memorial. Otherwise, Xie San will never be able to clear his name of treason."
Xie Miaozhu suspected that she had misheard: "What did you say? You want me to be your maid?"
"good."
“What a wild idea!”
Xie Miaozhu raised his whip to lash him, but Wei Ji caught the end of it. With a cold, sarcastic expression, he said to Xie Miaozhu, "Once I've vented my anger, I'll let Xie San and the Xie family go. Otherwise, I'll impeach not only Xie San but also Prime Minister Xie. He's corrupt, perverted the law, condoned fraud, and colluded with his cronies. I'll unite my colleagues and submit a petition... When the Xie family falls, I'll enslave you, and then I'll buy you back and torture you."
Xie Miaozhu was so angry that he was shaking all over. He cursed many times, calling the person despicable and shameless, and then turned away.
Prime Minister Xie has been basically away from home these days. Normally, people would come to visit him one after another, but now he is the one who is frequently on diplomatic tours.
It was a rare occasion when Xie Miaozhu returned home and saw Xie Xiang's carriage at home. She went all the way to the main courtyard and when she walked to the corridor, she heard Xie Xiang and his wife talking inside.
I heard Prime Minister Xie say, "The most troublesome issue right now is the Censorate. The newly promoted censors are all desperate. Wei Ji, He Zhengshu, Du Rupan... they've already implicated several of my students, yet they still refuse to stop. Although the censors don't hold any military power, I'm afraid they'll stir up trouble and lead to everyone turning against them..."
Then came Prime Minister Xie’s sigh and Madam Xie’s whispered words of comfort.
Xie Miaozhu left without saying a word. That night, she had a nightmare. She dreamed that Wei Ji brought people to Xie's house to search and confiscate the property. On the way to prison, many people threw stones at her and said that her brother was a traitor.
She woke up to the sound of autumn rain and thunder and cried until dawn.
The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up. Xie Miaozhu persuaded Mrs. Xie by saying that he was going to the ancestral temple to pray for blessings. After arriving at the temple, he changed his clothes, quietly left and returned to Yunjing City, where he knocked on Wei Ji's door.
With a tenacity and hatred hidden in her eyes, she said to Wei Ji, "I will obey you and serve you as a maid for a month. However, if you dare to have any other ideas, I will die with you."
Wei Jilang laughed and said, "Xie Miaozhu, you really think too highly of yourself."
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Author's note: I'm on a business trip on Friday and my return date is uncertain, so updates will be slow this week [Please]
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