The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Chang Feng asked Emperor Zhengde a question: "Your Majesty, is the great cause for the ages more important, or is the people more important?"

Emperor Zhengde said nothing: "Uncle, you are old. You should rest early. Please go down."

Chang Feng was stunned, then he clasped his hands and said, "I obey your order."

After Chang Feng left, Emperor Zhengde summoned Jiang Bin and said, "Ask Zhang Zhong to tell Wang Shouren that I have given you a secret order to let Prince Ning go."

Jiang Bin understood and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will send someone to Jiangnan right away and ask Zhang Zhong to pass on your secret order."

When mentioning the word "secret order", Jiang Bin deliberately emphasized the tone.

Asking a minister to release the rebel king privately would definitely not be a glorious thing to record in history books. Emperor Zhengde knew that Wang Shouren was a smart man. In his opinion, a truly smart person should take the initiative to take the blame for the emperor.

When the time came to let Prince Ning go, Wang Shouren would submit a memorial, saying that it was his negligence that caused Prince Ning to escape. Emperor Zhengde would not pursue the matter. He would then be given a title of Marquis for his meritorious service in annihilating the main force of the rebels. Wang Shouren's rank would be promoted, and Emperor Zhengde would also gain face. It would be good for both of us, but it would only make the people suffer.

Chang Feng returned to his tent. Chang Po Nu, Chang Qing Yun, You Jing Wu and Ba Sha came to greet him.

Chang Po Nu asked: "What does the emperor say? Prince Ning has surrendered, so should we continue the southern expedition?"

Chang Feng said nothing, but wrote a note and handed it to Basha: "You should rush to Jiangxi immediately and give this note to Wang Shouren, the governor of Nangan. Be quick!"

Basha took the order and left.

Chang Feng sighed to his son, grandson, and adopted son: "The emperor wants to eliminate the power of civil officials, even at the expense of the people of Jiangnan. Alas. There will be a fierce struggle between the imperial power and the power of the ministers."

Five days later, Ganzhou Prefecture.

Wang Shouren sat in the hall of the governor of Nangan. After winning the battle, he returned to Ganzhou instead of Nanchang, because he was a frontier official of Nangan and his seat of government was not in Nanchang.

He had dismissed hundreds of thousands of bandits and militiamen. Of course, dismissal cost money.

Before the war, he made so many promises to the bandits and militiamen. If they were not fulfilled after the war, the bandits and militiamen he recruited would probably mutiny and lead to a new rebellion.

Wang Shouren had no choice but to distribute all the seized Ning Wang's wealth to the bandits. It was a taboo to divide the seized wealth without permission.

Wu Wending walked in quickly: "Taiwan Governor Wang, Zhang Zhong is here again."

Wang Shouren was not surprised at all: "Oh? Please ask him to come to the lobby."

Zhang Zhong had a secret order with him this time, and he walked into the hall in a high-spirited manner: "There is an imperial decree. Wang Shouren will receive it, and the rest of you who have nothing to do with it, please leave."

Wang Shouren winked at Wu Wendi.

Wu Wendi left the lobby.

Wang Shouren knelt down. Zhang Zhong opened the imperial edict: "Imperial edict, ordering Wang Shouren, the governor of Nangan, to immediately release the rebel king Zhu Chenhao. I decree this."

Wang Shouren remained silent.

Zhang Zhong said angrily: "Why don't you accept the order?"

Wang Shouren remained silent.

Zhang Zhong was furious: "Wang Shouren, do you want to disobey my order?"

Wang Shouren stood up, took the imperial edict from Zhang Zhong and took a look at it: "This is a fake edict. How can I accept it?"

Zhang Zhong was furious: "Wang Shouren, are you crazy? This is an imperial edict with the emperor's seal, it is genuine. How dare you say it is a fake edict?"

Wang Shouren sneered, "Oh, Your Majesty is so wise and powerful. How could you let me let the rebel king Zhu Chenhao go? If you let the tiger go back to the mountains, Jiangnan will be in chaos again. In my opinion, you are a member of the rebel king Zhu Chenhao's party! Where is Wu Wending?"

Wu Wendi strode into the lobby.

Wang Shouren said angrily, "This fellow is a remnant of Zhu Chenhao, and he is spreading false imperial edicts. Arrest him immediately!" Wu Wendi had long disliked the arrogant Zhang Zhong. He immediately led two government officials to tie him up like a dumpling.

Zhang Zhong shouted, "Wang Shouren, are you crazy? I am the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Horse Administration! How dare you, a mere governor of Nangan, tie me up? When the Emperor arrives in Jiangnan, I will see how you die!"

Wang Shouren said a few words, and Zhang Zhong immediately fell silent: "If it weren't for the fact that you are the junior eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, I would have chopped off your head just like I killed the eunuch Wu Ren who was guarding the Nanchang garrison!"

The officers took Zhang Zhong away.

Wang Shouren handed the imperial edict to Wu Wendi to read.

After reading it, Wu Wending asked, "Taiwan Governor Wang, is this really a false decree?"

Wang Shouren said without comment: "It must be a fake decree. I cannot put the people of Jiangnan in danger just to please you."

Wu Wendi took a deep breath and said, "Wang Futai, you are challenging the emperor."

Wang Shouren smiled and said, "As long as a country has loyal ministers, it will not perish."

Wu Wending asked: "What about your safety?"

Wang Shouren sighed and said, "It's hard to say."

The army marched south along the canal and arrived in Linqing at the end of July.

Yang Yiqing has been traveling around the world since he retired. He is currently in Linqing.

Emperor Zhengde ordered the army of more than 100,000 to stay in Linqing. He and Jiang Bin went to Yang Yiqing's residence in Linqing and stayed there for two days and two nights.

In the military camp, Chang Po Nu was puzzled: "Dad, the emperor was in a hurry to rush to Jiangnan. Why did he stay in Linqing for two days? It seems that he has endless things to talk about with Yang Gelao."

Chang Feng said: "If my prediction is correct, it won't be long before Yang Yiqing can recover."

Chang Po Nu asked: "Are you saying that the Emperor will allow Yang Ge Lao to return to the cabinet as a member?"

Chang Feng shook his head slightly.

Chang Po Nu asked, "Could it be possible to make him the deputy assistant?"

Chang Feng said, "Wrong. The emperor will make him the chief minister of the cabinet to replace Yang Tinghe. Although Yang Yiqing is a civil servant, he is a civil servant who leads troops. He has been a frontier official in Shaanxi for so many years. He is not in the same party as Yang Tinghe. He does not even belong to the civil servant group in the court. If the emperor wants to clean up the civil servant group, he will definitely remove Yang Tinghe from the position of chief minister. The best replacement is Yang Yiqing."

Chang Po Nu said, "No way? Yang Tinghe is the emperor's teacher. Will the emperor discard him like a worn-out shoe?"

Chang Feng said, "Since ancient times, how many fathers and sons, brothers have turned against each other for the word power? What's more, it's a teacher and a student who have no blood relationship. Just wait and see, the Ming Dynasty is about to change!"

Chang Po Nu asked: "Then which side should our Chang family stand on?"

Chang Feng replied: "The Chang family got rich from the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei were the emperor's servants. My father and I are actually the same as those eunuchs. We only have one root, which is the palace. I am afraid that the Chang family will become a knife for the emperor to slaughter the civil service group."

Chang Po Nu was surprised: "The emperor's favorite minister is Jiang Bin now. If the emperor wants to use civil servants, Jiang Bin will be more convenient for him."

Chang Feng shook his head slightly: "Jiang Bin's sword is not strong enough."

Chang Po Nu lowered his voice and said, "The emperor has gradually taken power into his hands over the years. But he has a weakness. He has no offspring."

Chang Feng made a silent gesture: "Don't tell this to anyone else."

Chang Feng's prediction was correct. Emperor Zhengde talked with Yang Yiqing about the concept of governing the country for two days and two nights in Linqing. The emperor and his minister had a very pleasant conversation.

Emperor Zhengde even promised Yang Yiqing: The day I return to Beijing will be the day you take charge of the cabinet.

During this southern expedition, Yang Tinghe stayed in Beijing. But Yang Tinghe was not without spies in the southern expedition army. Soon after, the news of Emperor Zhengde's secret meeting with Yang Yiqing reached Yang Tinghe's ears. (End of this chapter)