Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 591 Rather Take the Direct Approach

Pei Yuan was stunned when he heard this request.

Good guy.

If he dared to speak up, he would immediately offend nobles, eunuchs, and a large number of scholars.

Wouldn't people call me a piece of shit for that?!

The first holdout in Jiqingfang was the residence of the Duke of Yingguo, and the second holdout was the residence of Zhang Heling, the Marquis of Shouning.

In addition, because it was adjacent to the Xihua Gate, it was convenient for entering and exiting the palace. Many eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Western Depot had their outer residences located here.

Mingyufang is not to be trifled with either.

Many officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel built their residences there. Similarly, many eunuchs also coveted this place. For example, Liu Jin, who was executed earlier, had his residence in Mingyufang.

Furthermore, there was an abandoned canal wharf in Jiqingfang. Although the wharf and waterway no longer served the purpose of canal transport, they did not hinder the passage of merchant ships. This led to the flourishing commerce and numerous entertainment venues in these two adjacent areas.

Unfortunately, it just so happened that the imperial court was holding a special imperial examination, and scholars from all over the country gathered in the capital.

Those who made it onto the provincial examination list still need to adjust their mindset and prepare for the upcoming palace examination.

But for those who failed the exam, it was the time to tear up their exam papers and celebrate.

Upon hearing that the corrupt emperor, who prevented them from serving the court, was going to demolish their pleasure quarters without cause, the failed candidates were immediately filled with righteous indignation.

This time they're definitely going to stand on their moral high ground and point fingers!

Not for any other reason than to take the opportunity to vent my frustration.

Seeing this, the powerful families who happened to be located in the demolition area naturally took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.

The scale of this incident is no less than that of the "Liang Cishu case" at its peak.

This made Zhu Houzhao feel very uneasy.

No wonder when this idea was first proposed, the Sixth Department, which is known for causing the most trouble, remained silent.

They must have taken into account many factors at this particular time.

Nobles, relatives of the emperor, and palace officials constituted the emperor's core support base.

The scholars who passed the imperial examinations represented the landlord class, both large and small, and were the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule.

Faced with this extremely difficult situation.

Either Zhu Houzhao would back down, swallow his words, and simply remain silent.

Alternatively, Zhu Houzhao would have to save face, incurring the wrath of both heaven and man, and ultimately losing everything.

Zhu Houzhao now clearly realized that things were getting complicated, so he decisively chose to shift the blame.

Pei Yuan simply couldn't afford to take the blame for this.

As soon as Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Pei Yuan immediately said, "This is not my area of ​​expertise. Your Majesty should ask someone else."

Zhu Houzhao chuckled and calmly said, "Others may be able to solve this problem, but they may not be of the same mind as me. Minister Pei's previous suggestions have all been very much to my liking, so why are you being so modest?"

Self-deprecation my ass!
Pei Yuan had no choice but to refuse again, saying, "This matter involves imperial relatives and the eunuchs around Your Majesty. As the saying goes, 'one should not interfere with relatives even if one is a stranger.' If Your Majesty finds it inconvenient to ask outside officials, why not consult the eldest son of the emperor, He Huan? He Huan is known as the 'Little Zhongda,' not only skilled in strategy but also possessing great wisdom. This matter will surely be resolved easily."

Zhu Houzhao then realized that he did indeed have a strategist among his subordinates, but he had never been able to put him to great use.

Ever since Zhu Houzhao entrusted He Huan with the task of managing the military forces in the capital, he subconsciously used this rare military and political talent in a supporting role.

These days, because the imperial court refused to pay the military pay and provisions for the four armies outside the capital, Zhu Houzhao could only use his own internal treasury for the expenses.

In the past, the internal carrier warehouse had a lot of inbound and outbound traffic, and the expenses were not large. It could also be repaired and replaced as needed.

Most of the underhanded dealings and scheming can be concealed.

However, this time, the military supplies, not to mention the regular military pay and provisions, even just the decent rewards, when multiplied by three or four thousand, would become quite considerable.

This put the inner transport warehouse under tremendous stress, and as a result, several of the head eunuchs even hanged themselves.

Afterwards, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Treasury sent people to collect the silver that had been issued, while trying to delay the process by citing reasons such as confused accounts, doubts about the purity of the silver, and the difficulty in converting precious items into cash.

Some even brought up Zhang Rui's previous report that Zhang Yong had embezzled seven thousand taels of silver, trying to pin more blame on the dead.

Zhu Houzhao, who was troubled by financial difficulties, responded quickly by immediately sending He Huan to check the accounts at the Inner Transport Warehouse.

At this moment, when Zhu Houzhao heard Pei Yuan recommend He Huan again, he couldn't help but think to himself, "It's obviously a waste of talent to send someone like He Huan to check the accounts of the Inner Transport Treasury. It would be better to recall him to my side and put him to use."

"As for capable military and political personnel, we can look for them later."

Despite this thought, Zhu Houzhao still had high expectations for Pei Yuan's abilities.

He then rebuked me with a hint of anger on his face, "I told you to speak, so speak! What are you doing rambling on? Does Minister Pei have nothing to say to me?"

When Pei Yuan heard Zhu Houzhao say this, he knew that Zhaozi's mental limit had been reached and that the matter should end here.

However, Pei Yuan couldn't afford to offend any of the nobles, relatives of the emperor, or palace officials.

The troublemakers were easier to deal with.

Pei Yuan then took the initiative to say, "When I said earlier that strangers should not interfere with relatives, it was not because I was trying to shirk responsibility, but because I was worried that improper handling would ruin Your Majesty's plans. Moreover, having a lowly official like myself handle this matter would inevitably hurt the feelings between relatives."

"As for dealing with those students, I do have some experience."

Zhu Houzhao was initially displeased, but he became interested after hearing the last sentence.

"Then, Pei Qing, why don't you tell me what you plan to do?"

Pei Yuan said, "The scholars have gone to great lengths to travel to the capital to participate in the special imperial examination, hoping to ensure the prosperity and longevity of their families, not to stand up for prostitutes."

"These people are just taking this opportunity to cause trouble to vent their emotions."

"In that case, we should focus on the imperial examination."

"If there's a way to draw the attention of those who failed the exams back to the test, who would care about those redecorated brothels that are about to be demolished?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao began to ponder.

He understood that Pei Yuan wanted him to make a splash in the imperial examinations.

Pei Yuan's words just now hit the nail on the head.

Compared to the future prospects of the imperial examinations, what did the candidates' resentment and bitterness amount to?

This matter is both difficult and easy.

It's not difficult to say.

That's because Zhu Houzhao held the final decision-making power over the palace examination.

Although the final examination will no longer eliminate candidates, and the total number of participants has been greatly reduced, it seems that there is only one suspense regarding the ranking.

However, if handled well, it wouldn't be difficult to attract everyone's attention. Moreover, if a small loophole were opened in the imperial examination system to bleed some blood, it wouldn't be oneself who would be in trouble, but rather the Ministry of Rites.

Zhu Houzhao was about to have a deep conversation with Pei Yuan when he realized the crucial point, but he hesitated, ultimately still concerned about Pei Yuan's previous attempts to sow discord.

He glanced at Xu Tai beside him without making a sound, then changed the subject.

"Minister Pei, you must have some important business to discuss with me this time?"

Pei Yuan immediately replied, "This humble servant has come here today to recommend a talented person to Your Majesty."

"Oh?" Zhu Houzhao became interested. "I wonder what kind of talent this person is that you, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, would not hesitate to recommend him."

Pei Yuan didn't have high expectations for Yan Song, so he wasn't afraid to give him directions in this dark forest.

"The person I recommend is Yan Song, the former compiler of the Hanlin Academy."

Zhu Houzhao's expression immediately turned strange. "Hanlin?"

The Hanlin Academy members were close attendants of the emperor, and even former Hanlin Academy members would not be recommended by Pei Yuan.

Furthermore, a Hanlin scholar and a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard seem completely unrelated.

Pei Yuan explained, "Yan Song was an official from Jiangxi. He was disliked by Liu Jin before, which is why he claimed to be ill and returned to his hometown."

Pei Yuan carefully observed Zhu Houzhao's expression.

After all, mentioning Liu Jin and his new policies was like rubbing salt into Zhu Houzhao's wounds. Fortunately, Yan Song offended Liu Jin because of his place of origin, so Zhu Houzhao must have been somewhat baffled by Liu Jin's absurd actions.

Seeing that Zhu Houzhao's expression didn't change much, Pei Yuan continued speaking.

"I had a few conversations with Yan Song a few days ago and I was deeply impressed by his extraordinary talent."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao laughed loudly and said, "Is Minister Pei also interested in scholarship?"

Zhu Houzhao had once seen Pei Yuan's few bad strokes of calligraphy and found them particularly amusing.

Pei Yuan, however, remained calm and said, "Yan Song spoke to me about the art of military preparation and warfare, which greatly impressed me."

"Oh?" Zhu Houzhao became interested. "Pei Qing, why don't you tell me?"

Pei Yuan immediately said, "Yan Song's scholarship is profound, far beyond what I can comprehend. If Your Majesty could summon him alone and question him in detail, I am sure you would gain a great deal."

"I see." Zhu Houzhao hesitated for a moment, then asked the eunuch beside him, "Has the Ministry of Rites set a date for the palace examination?"

The official replied, "The day after tomorrow is the day of the palace examination."

Zhu Houzhao said "Oh," and then asked, "What will be discussed at tomorrow's court meeting? Have the Office of Transmission and the Grand Secretariat made a decision?"

The eunuch said, "Previously, the censor Zhang Jingyang submitted a memorial stating that because of rampant bandits in Bazhou, trade was disrupted, and the people in the capital were suffering greatly. Therefore, he planned to reduce or waive the entrance fees at the nine gates, including Zhengyang."

"The Ministry of Revenue suggested that the seven gates, including Zhengyang, should be reduced by 20%, and the two gates, Chaoyang and Dongzhi, should be reduced by 30%. The Cabinet has approved this after drafting the proposal. In addition, in order to reduce the burden on merchants, the Tongzhou Beiguan Patrol Office of Shuntian Prefecture was abolished."

Zhu Houzhao then asked, "Anything else?"

“Shunping, Hejian, Baoding, Yongping and other prefectures suffered from varying degrees of floods and droughts, and the local people prayed for relief and reduction of taxes and levies for the coming year.”

Zhu Houzhao asked, "What did the Ministry of Revenue and the Cabinet say?"

The official said, "The Ministry of Revenue has already drafted the regulations for the reduction and exemption, and the Cabinet has not made any changes; it has directly submitted the draft."

Zhu Houzhao said somewhat speechlessly, "What's there to discuss about these things? Let Lu Yin go and listen tomorrow, and just use the seal directly."

Then, Zhu Houzhao turned to Pei Yuan and said, "Let Yan Song come to see me tomorrow, and I'll hear what he has to say."

Pei Yuan whispered a reminder, "Your Majesty, Yan Song has not yet been reinstated, so it may not be easy for him to enter the palace."

Zhu Houzhao thought for a moment and then smiled, “Easy, let him go to the old place where we used to meet.”

Pei Yuan knew where Zhu Houzhao was referring to, and immediately said, "Your Majesty, I will make sure Yan Song goes to see Yan Song as soon as possible."

Zhu Houzhao nodded and smiled, "Don't just sit around when you get back. Help me think about the Mingyufang and Jiqingfang projects."

"If Yan Song is all talk and no action and is of no use, I will not punish you further. You will go and help me sort out those two messes."

Pei Yuan was in a bit of a headache; this time, the timing was really bad.

Fortunately, it wasn't without other gains...

Perhaps they were afraid that the discord between Xu Tai and Pei Yuan would reignite the conflict between the four outer armies and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

When Pei Yuan took his leave this time, Zhu Houzhao dismissed him readily.

On the way back, Pei Yuan pondered for a while, then asked Chen Xinjian, "I wonder if those scholars we met at Chongwu Water Station last time have gone to the capital yet."

Chen Xinjian laughed and said, "We've already come this far. Even if we might miss the imperial examination, we have to get to the capital before we give up."

"Judging from the itinerary, they should have already arrived in Beijing."

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and said, "So, those ten or so scholars were also in the rioting crowd?"

Chen Xinjian said, "I think so."

Pei Yuan pondered for a moment. Although this special imperial examination was rushed and only a little over two hundred places were available, even with an admission ratio of ten to one, there should still be two to three thousand candidates gathering in the capital.

These dozen or so scholars were neither a large nor a small number.

However, compared to those who failed the special examination, those who missed the exam due to various factors are the most unwilling to accept it.

Especially after learning that Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang, who were stranded at the same post station, not only arrived in time to participate in the imperial examination but also passed the exam thanks to Pei Yuan's help, their resentment would probably reach its peak.

Perhaps these people are now filled with resentment towards Pei Yuan and those three lucky ones.

Pei Yuan was pondering this when Chen Xinjian asked, "Should I go and inquire? Since His Majesty has already taken notice of those troublesome candidates, the Embroidered Uniform Guard must already be secretly investigating. I can send someone to ask."

Pei Yuan shook his head and said, "No need, it doesn't matter who it is."

Seeing that there weren't many pedestrians on the road, Pei Yuan waved to Chen Xinjian.

Chen Xinjian understood and moved closer.

Pei Yuan said, "Later, you should have someone go out and spread rumors. Say that Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang were able to pass the imperial examinations because they joined forces with me, Pei Yuan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Furthermore, I gave them three bamboo sticks, asserting that they were the top-ranking scholars in the imperial examinations."

Chen Xinjian was startled upon hearing this and quickly advised, "Commander, you mustn't do that. It's already conspicuous enough that so many of Huo Tao's people are on the list; why invite more trouble for nothing?"

Pei Yuan shook his head and said, "Our dealings with those scholars haven't been made public yet, so we'll just have to be more careful in the future."

"But I really didn't help Tang Gao and the others."

"These three guys got in through their own hard work and talent."

Pei Yuan wore a cryptic smile. "Now, I'm going to make a straight hook. Let's see if that person bites."

(End of this chapter)