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

Chapter 654 Discussing matters as they arise
Yang Tinghe gathered his thoughts and asked, "Do you have a copy of those files you gave Xiao Chong last time?"

When Pei Yuan heard Yang Tinghe ask this question, he thought that Yang Tinghe was afraid that he would use Zhang Feng's crimes to take advantage of him, so he quickly expressed his innocence.

“I obtained those files by accident. The reason I went to warn Xiao Duxian was purely out of goodwill, and I had no intention of seeking personal gain.”

"My heart is open and honest, and I have no intention of keeping any copies."

"After reviewing it, Xiao Duxian believed that most of the contents were baseless accusations and fabrications. I have always admired the character of the Grand Secretary and Duxian, and of course I trust Xiao Duxian's judgment. To set the record straight, I burned the file on the spot."

Yang Tinghe sighed softly, "What a pity."

Pei Yuan, sensing that the speaker did not doubt him, quickly asked, "Where is the problem? Could you please tell me, Your Excellency? Perhaps I can be of some help."

Yang Tinghe pondered for a moment. Now that the files had been destroyed, there was nothing he couldn't say.

Perhaps we can get some other clues from Pei Yuan.

He immediately said slowly, "If these charges are indeed true, then given Zhang Feng's caution, he should have prevented too many people from knowing about them."

"If we can gather all the crimes in the case file, one by one, and find the connections between the people involved, we might be able to find out who is in charge behind the scenes."

Pei Yuan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. Thankfully, he had burned the dossier to gain Xiao Chong's trust. Otherwise, the situation might have been very different.

When Xiao Ying first collected information on Zhang Feng, he only wanted to make a quick buck through a double-cross. Many of his plans were not very detailed, and they couldn't withstand the meticulous analysis of a strongman like Yang Tinghe.

If Xiao Ying were to be exposed by then, Pei Yuan couldn't guarantee that his good brother wouldn't betray him.

Pei Yuan dared not continue the topic and quickly said, "This humble servant came to the palace today for other matters. It just so happens that the Emperor has something he wants to inform the Grand Secretary, so he sent this humble servant to deliver a message."

When Yang Tinghe heard that Zhu Houzhao was not coming and had only sent a commander to deliver the message, his face immediately showed displeasure.

As a senior minister in the cabinet, how could the emperor order him around at will and treat him with such disrespect?

Yang Tinghe remained expressionless and asked calmly, "Then should this old minister kneel to receive it?"

Pei Yuan quickly said, "No need, no need, this is not an imperial edict."

Yang Tinghe remained silent, calmly waiting for Pei Yuan to continue speaking.

Pei Yuan then said, "It's still about the case in Shandong."

Yang Tinghe said with some displeasure, "Hasn't the Shandong case already been settled? Is the Emperor not paying any attention to the discussions among his ministers during his court session today?"

Pei Yuan was taken aback. Could it be that while he and Zhu Houzhao were talking behind the screen, the court officials had already taken the opportunity to reach a compromise?
Yang Tinghe said, "Go and report to the Emperor that all the ministers agree that this matter is of great importance and should be thoroughly investigated and dealt with."

"Moreover, the officials immediately recommended that Bian Xian, the former governor of Shandong, be in charge of the matter. A large number of people were drawn from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review. Troops were also drawn from the military circuit intendants of Daming, Suidong, and Runan to be stationed in Shandong to investigate the case."

Pei Yuan was surprised that the court officials were so decisive, taking advantage of Zhu Houzhao's absence to finalize the matter directly.

In this way, Zhu Houzhao's plan will probably fall through.

Pei Yuan could only feign a bitter smile at Yang Tinghe, saying, "Even so, I am only acting under orders, and I must see this through to the end."

Yang Tinghe recalled that this person had gone to Xiao Chong to tip him off in order to prevent someone from framing him, so he didn't want to make things difficult for this accomplice in the scandal.

Besides, the other party carries the emperor's mission, so it's not appropriate for me to be too arrogant.

So Yang Tinghe asked, "What were the Emperor's instructions?"

Pei Yuan said, "The Emperor means that such acts are extremely heinous, and in order to serve as a warning to others, swift and decisive action should be taken. Therefore, the Emperor intends to personally lead the expedition..."

Before Pei Yuan could finish speaking, Yang Tinghe waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "What we have done is also to use swift and decisive measures. This old minister has never heard of an emperor personally handling criminal matters."

"Go and report to the Emperor that this is absolutely unacceptable."

Pei Yuan nodded in agreement, and even added a couple of words, "When the Emperor entrusted this task to me, I also advised the Emperor on this matter."

Thinking that he might as well make the most of this goodwill, Pei Yuan repeated to Yang Tinghe the same words he had previously used to persuade Zhu Houzhao.

Yang Tinghe was surprised that Pei Yuan would speak on his side in front of the emperor. After listening carefully, his goodwill towards him increased even more.

After Pei Yuan finished speaking, he added another comment.

"The Emperor seemed to have mentioned the issue of provisions for suppressing the rebellion, and was quite troubled by it. I wonder if Grand Secretary Yang has made preparations for the worst-case scenario, so that I may not be unable to answer when the Emperor asks."

Yang Tinghe smiled and asked nonchalantly, "Does the Emperor think that someone would actually dare to rebel?"

Pei Yuan didn't answer that question, but instead added, "Whether there's any trouble is hard to say, but if Bian Xian is the chief official to investigate this case, I'm sure it will be fruitless."

Yang Tinghe found this strange. A thought struck him, and he pressed for an answer, "Why do you say that?"

Bian Xian, that's Yang Yiqing's man!

The decision to have Byun Hyeon lead this review was entirely a result of mutual compromise.

Firstly, since Xiao Chong, the candidate proposed by Yang Tinghe, was chosen last time, if Yang Yiqing is not given this opportunity this time, then many things will be difficult to discuss next time.

Secondly, there was Zhu Houzhao, a troublemaker. Everyone was eager to exclude him, so a consensus needed to be reached in the shortest possible time.

From Yang Tinghe's perspective, this attack on the Censorate not only resulted in the deaths of more than ten censors, but also the death of Xiao Chong, a second-rank Right Censor-in-Chief.

This could even be considered a major event worthy of being recorded in history.

If, in the historical context of this momentous event, Yang Tinghe were to be added to the list of those who practiced nepotism, shielded and indulged others, and ultimately misjudged people, leading to a tragic end, then this would be a different story.

This would undoubtedly be very disadvantageous for Yang Tinghe.

It's like if a small torch ignites an entire forest; no matter how small the torch was initially, it suffers the consequences of burning down the whole forest.

Yang Tinghe accepted the compromise, but that doesn't mean he had no thoughts on the matter.

Seeing that Yang Tinghe was interested, Pei Yuan quickly tried to cover up his accusation by saying, "This humble servant is only stating the facts. It is absolutely not because Bian Xian slandered this humble servant that I am retaliating."

Yang Tinghe smiled upon hearing this.

Pei Yuan's reminder brought back his memory that Bian Xian and Pei Yuan had a history of impeachment.

This way.

Pei Yuan's opinion is indeed worth listening to. Seeing that Yang Tinghe remained silent, Pei Yuan knew that this meant tacit approval.

So he boldly said, "Your Excellency must know that when the Bazhou bandits attacked Shandong, the local governments were too weak to defend themselves, so they all closed their cities and held their ground."

"Later, the bandits from Bazhou attacked Qufu, and the Duke of Yansheng sent someone to complain to his relative by marriage, Grand Secretary Li Dongyang. In order to curry favor with Li Dongyang, He Jian had local governors Bian Xian and Xiao Chong arrested, accusing them of sitting idly by while the bandits plundered at will and doing nothing about it."

Pei Yuan knew that Yang Tinghe had no good feelings towards Bian Xian, so he deliberately added Xiao Chong's name.

Yang Tinghe frowned upon hearing this and said, "Haven't these matters already been concluded? Even hundreds of thousands of imperial troops couldn't do anything to the Bazhou bandits. The local area has no military strength; being able to preserve the city is already a meritorious deed."

Pei Yuan reminded him, "But the common people don't know that."

"Back then, in order to boost morale and to inform the Emperor Yansheng that after Bian Xian was captured, He Jian immediately spread the word to all directions."

"Therefore, the people of Shandong all know that it was because Bian Xian turned a blind eye that the area was devastated."

"Later, the imperial court reached a conclusion on this matter, but only officials knew about it; the common people were unaware of it."

"The remains of those people have not yet been completely buried in Shandong, and every family is still immersed in the grief of losing their loved ones. As a result, the cold-hearted and brutal governor has returned to investigate a major case in Shandong. Wouldn't everyone be filled with rage and fear for their lives?"

Yang Tinghe's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this. If he had raised these opinions in the court just now, he would have thought...

That might allow them to reject Bian Xian's proposal.

Whether the opinions of the people are useful depends on who holds them.

But now that the die is cast, it's too late to say anything more.

Yang Tinghe could only say with a hint of regret, "Since we are in charge of the government, we should naturally prioritize the overall situation. How can we be swayed by public opinion?"

Pei Yuan hesitated for a moment after hearing this before speaking frankly to Yang Tinghe.

“How could I possibly reply to the Emperor with such words? I fear it would tarnish the reputation of the Grand Secretary.”

Yang Tinghe once again sensed Pei Yuan's undisguised protectiveness.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself, "Could it be that this person truly admires my character and intends to pledge allegiance to me?"
Intending to test this person, he asked, "So what do you think should be said?"

Pei Yuan immediately showed disgust and said, "This Bian Xian..."

Then, as if afraid that Yang Tinghe would realize that he was settling a personal score, he changed his words and said, "This humble servant is just stating the facts and looking at this matter from a rational, neutral and objective perspective."

Yang Tinghe stroked his beard, smiled without saying a word, and gestured for him to continue.

Bian Xian is Yang Yiqing's man, so even if Pei Yuan's purpose is revenge, he is willing to listen to any feasible suggestions.

Pei Yuan continued, "The way ancient prime ministers governed the country was nothing more than the harmony of yin and yang, and the balance of strength and gentleness."

"Since the people of Shandong regard this official as a cold and heartless man, why doesn't Your Excellency show the people some leniency and choose the right people to investigate this case..."

Before Pei Yuan could finish speaking, Yang Tinghe interrupted, "This method won't work. This matter is so serious that the court is going to Shandong to investigate and will want to see results. If I act rashly now, wouldn't I ruin everything?"

Yang Tinghe emphasized the word "achievements" and raised his voice.

The "attack on the Imperial Censorate" was so egregious that even if Bian Xian could not be suppressed, the authority of the imperial court could not be compromised.

Pei Yuan said excitedly, "This humble servant will certainly not delay the affairs of the court, but there is a way to steal all the credit from Bian Xian."

After saying that, as if she had let something slip, she deliberately glanced nervously at Yang Tinghe again.

Yang Tinghe became increasingly certain that Pei Yuan's main purpose might not be to help him, but his desire to take revenge on Bian Xian was no longer a secret.

However, Yang Tinghe was more interested in Pei Yuan's statement than in this.

He asked calmly, "Bian Xian is the chief officer in charge of this investigation, and all his entourage are under his control. Even if other personnel are sent, it won't change the fact that Bian Xian has absolute power."

Then, Yang Tinghe glanced at Pei Yuan and said, "You're talking nonsense about stealing his credit."

Pei Yuan seemed unconvinced and said, "Even if Bian Xian is the chief official, he can control the officials under his command, but can he control who the people of Shandong are willing to help?"

Yang Tinghe's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What do you mean?"

Pei Yuan said, “I have a suggestion that may be of benefit to the country. It may yield results in the investigation and at the same time diminish the merits of the border inspector.”

Then, before Yang Tinghe could ask, he took the initiative to speak.

"Why doesn't Your Excellency let heroes investigate heroes, good men investigate good men, and Shandong people investigate Shandong people!"

Yang Tinghe found this statement quite remarkable.

If there's anything fishy going on in Shandong, then naturally, the people of Shandong themselves are the ones who know the truth better. If the people of Shandong have extreme dislike for the officials in charge of this investigation, then naturally, they are the ones who are more likely to cooperate with the investigation.

As a result, the local forces that might have been forced to band together under the court's swift and decisive action naturally failed to unite.

He asked with great interest, "Anything else?"

Then Pei Yuan continued, "And then there's Bian Xian. Cough cough, I'm not deliberately targeting Bian Xian, but after all, he governed Shandong, and many local powerful families inevitably tried to curry favor with him. These people..."

Pei Yuan didn't finish speaking, but Yang Tinghe already understood.

If these people go with him, they might become his assistants, and then they won't be able to share in his credit.

Pei Yuan continued to slander, "What I mean is, perhaps we could find some people with relatively simple family backgrounds and not too much connection with officialdom to participate in it."

"In this way, if something changes in Shandong, these people can work with us to undermine the morale of the people in Shandong and make them doubt themselves."

"If everything goes smoothly, the officials and gentry in Shandong will naturally know whose side to speak on, and the court will also understand the Grand Secretary's strategic planning."

Yang Tinghe listened calmly, already having made up his mind.

If we're talking about those who aren't closely connected to officialdom, then naturally we'd look at the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who just made the list this year. It wouldn't be difficult to find those among them who don't have any background.

As long as I can solve my own problems, nothing else matters.

If they do well, I might be able to give them a little help.

(End of this chapter)