Even though Jiang Nuan tried to avoid the matter, Eunuch Yuan kept it in mind.
Upon returning to his study, he immediately sent a message by carrier pigeon to the capital.
In the side courtyard, Grand Secretary An couldn't understand Ji Xuan's intentions and paced back and forth.
"Aren't you dizzy from all this spinning?" Liu An couldn't help but ask. "I feel bad for you."
"Don't make a sound, I'm thinking about something."
Have you figured out a solution yet?
“No,” An Qingyun stopped, sat down on the chair next to her, took a sip of tea to moisten her lips, and then expressed her doubts, “I always feel that what Xiao Yuanzi said before was implying something.”
"Has news come from the capital?"
"It won't be that fast, at the earliest it will be tomorrow noon."
"But guessing like this isn't a solution."
"Then what should we do? What are your thoughts?"
Liu An lowered his eyes, his mind racing. After a moment, he spoke uncertainly, "How about we ask Madam for help?"
"Is it feasible?" Grand Secretary An hesitated greatly. "The Lady Protector of the Nation is not suitable to interfere in court affairs."
Their status is already high enough. If they were to interfere in court affairs, seriously endangering imperial power, neither the emperor nor the civil and military officials would allow it.
"Give it a try," Liu An said casually. "Anyway, you can't think of any good solutions, so maybe things will turn around."
"Alright, let's give it a try."
When Jiang Nuan learned that Elder An was coming, she actually planned to hide away.
It's actually not appropriate for me to get involved in such important matters of the imperial court.
However, An Ge Lao's plight is truly pitiful; he had already walked out, but then thought about it and turned back.
"Madam, please help this old man."
"Do you want to know His Majesty's purpose?"
"Yes, I just can't figure out what His Majesty is trying to do."
"The reform of the imperial examination system has met with a backlash from powerful families and a backlash from public opinion. Grand Secretary An is a great scholar and the leader of all officials. He wants you to write a proclamation denouncing the crimes of the powerful families to attack them."
Jiang Nuan didn't hide anything and spoke frankly and directly.
This is something we'll have to face sooner or later. Even if I don't say anything now, he'll be able to guess when the news comes from the capital.
It would be better to expose him now and let him make plans ahead of time.
"how so?"
An Ge Lao was so provoked by Jiang Nuan's words that he almost fainted. "I have already hidden here, why are you still unwilling to let me live?"
Your Majesty, where exactly has this pavilion wronged you?
Deeply affected, An Ge Lao began to question the meaning of life.
He truly didn't understand why he had encountered such a cruel thing.
Jiang Nuan remained silent, watching An Ge Lao vent his anger. After he calmed down, she slowly spoke, "You should think about it from a different perspective."
"How so?"
"On the surface, it seems that His Majesty has pushed you to the brink of despair, but it may also be a deliberate attempt to leave you a glimmer of hope."
What does this mean?
"His Majesty is a qualified ruler, but also very ambitious. The aristocratic families are constantly expanding and have already threatened the imperial power. A war between the two sides is inevitable!"
"How did it come to this?" An Qingyun exclaimed in shock. "The Great Zhou has always been peaceful; it shouldn't have come to this!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan wiped her mouth to cover her embarrassment.
It wasn't originally going to get to this point, but I catalyzed it by getting involved.
As Ji Xuan gained more and more control, his ambitions naturally grew, and his tolerance for powerful clans and aristocratic families decreased. It was not surprising that he took action against them.
"The most urgent thing for you is to think about what to do. There is absolutely no way to escape. The powerful families will not give you this opportunity, and the Emperor will not tolerate such a thing."
You must choose one side.
Actually, there was no choice, Jiang Nuan sighed inwardly.
Choosing a ruler offers a glimmer of hope.
Even if powerful families retaliate, it will be nothing more than withered branches and fallen leaves. With careful precautions, it won't cause any major ripples; at most, it will damage their reputation in the literary world.
Conversely, once Ji Xuan has crippled the aristocratic families, it will be An Qingyun's end.
Jiang Nuan never doubted Ji Xuan's abilities. A shameless, ruthless, and cunning person like him will eventually succeed at anything he sets his mind to, sooner or later.
Grand Secretary An understood this as well, and asked with a hint of resentment, "Does Madam think I still have a choice?"
"Of course, if you want to court death, no one can stop you."
"Madam's mouth," Elder An choked, "is truly unforgiving."
"You'd better hurry back and think about how to write this manifesto."
Upon hearing this, An Qingyun was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile, "Once this manifesto is issued, this pavilion may be infamous for eternity."
"Not necessarily. I think you will be remembered in history."
"Impossible. Tens of thousands of scholars could each write a single sentence and still condemn me to the pillar of shame."
“But you have the moral high ground,” Jiang Nuan said solemnly, her voice calm and unhurried. “This world can belong to the monarch or to the common people, but it can never belong to the scholars and literati.”
"What do you mean by that?" Grand Secretary An didn't quite understand the statement. "Is there a lack of scholars and intellectuals?"
“No, it has nothing to do with quantity. Rather, it is because they must rely on other things. Without the king’s authorization, they become useless scholars,” Jiang Nuan put down her teacup and continued, “On the contrary, even without them, the people can still be self-sufficient and merchants can still trade with each other.”
That's an interesting point.
"In short, whether they are scholars or aristocratic families, they can only represent themselves, not the whole world. As long as you have done good for the people, future generations will surely reward you fairly."
After saying this, Jiang Nuan left directly.
She had already explained the reasoning in great detail. If Grand Secretary An remained stubborn, even the gods couldn't stop him, let alone a charlatan like herself.
However, being a veteran of three dynasties, he wouldn't lose his life no matter what choice he made, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
After Jiang Nuan left, Grand Secretary An sat in his chair, deep in thought.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right she was.
However, I still find it difficult to make a decision.
His disciples are all over the world, and the vast majority of them are from prominent families. To be honest, he couldn't bear to personally plunge a knife into their chests.
Moreover, one is bound to be indebted to others, and over the decades, I have received no shortage of gifts from others.
"Sigh, why did we have to take this step?" Elder An was very troubled. "I have already withdrawn from the vortex, why can't you forget about me?"
Suddenly, the thought of resigning from his official post arose in his mind.
He still had a sliver of reason; even though Jiang Nuan's words were incredibly eloquent, he knew he couldn't believe them all.
Regardless of the circumstances, it is a fact that he formed an alliance with the enemy, and even if he is remembered in history, his reputation will certainly be mixed.
Having long been accustomed to a position above all others, he was unwilling to give it up.
Even with his failing eyesight, he understood that the Great Zhou was about to usher in a golden age, and to give up now would be the biggest mistake of his life, bar none.
"There really was no choice!"
After much deliberation, Grand Secretary An was unable to find a solution that satisfied both sides, and had no choice but to give up.
"So be it, perhaps this is fate!"
Fortunately, he donated his family fortune, which included the vast majority of his filial piety gifts, so it wasn't a case of taking advantage of others.
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