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

Chapter 681 Very Open

This was Pei Yuan's first attempt to expand the power in his hands.

Previously, Pei Yuan always placed great emphasis on reliability, and all those he heavily relied on had undergone careful observation.

Now Pei Yuan is finally forced to passively expand his power.

Overall, this is an unavoidable choice at this stage of development.

Pei Yuan must expand rapidly to realize the advantages he has painstakingly accumulated.

The safest way Pei Yuan could think of to intervene in local affairs was to use his subordinates, the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), to select reliable targets for expansion.

Pei Yuan's plan to implement the Single Whip Law in Shandong was doomed to fail without sufficient support from his own people.

This is what is meant by letting his roots grasp more soil so that his power can extend there.

Pei Yuan then asked Bai Jun and the others, "Do any of you from Liaodong have any connections in Shandong?"

Bai Jun and the others nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, yes."

After saying that, Bai Jun further explained, "Our ancestral home is Shandong, and we have never lost our connection with our ancestral home."

"The twenty-five guards of Liaodong Commandery are all under the management of the military affairs commissioner of Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission. The armories and granaries of these twenty-five guards are under the management of Shandong Provincial Administration Commission."

“Our local military officials in Liaodong, as long as their rank is slightly higher, will be given the official title of Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner or Provincial Administration Commissioner.”

"With this official position, we would sometimes be rotated between Shandong and Liaodong, which made our relationship with the people in our hometown even closer."

At this point, Bai Jun added with a touch of reserve, "We are all military households under the Liaodong Military Command. Most of us have an elder in our family who is a commander or assistant commander, and we have quite good relationships in Shandong."

Pei Yuan was not surprised by this.

Liaodong was originally developed by Shandong military households who crossed the sea to explore the area. The entire Liaodong region was full of military households. If a family didn't have some ability, how could they be qualified to study and learn to read?

Those who were able to take the imperial examinations could only obtain the qualification by returning to their ancestral homes.

Pei Yuan attached great importance to these few Jinshi graduates from Liaodong. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It is not easy to study in Liaodong, and it is even more difficult to stand out. How about this, you can each take two lots."

"One lot is for making good relations with your relatives back home. The other lot is for the young men of Liaodong. If they are willing to come and work for me, whether they study and enter officialdom or seek other future prospects, they will not be wronged."

Bai Jun and the others were overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly expressed their gratitude.

Che Rong, Zhang Fan, and other locals from Shandong were filled with envy.

Since Brother Qianhu could so easily grant them, who had no hope of passing the imperial examinations, a bright future, they had no doubt about the weight of Qianhu Pei's promises.

For those who have tasted the sweetness of success, a single bamboo skewer represents a bright future.

Pei Yuan had just finished giving his underlings a political pep talk when he suddenly remembered something else.

"By the way, you are all scholars, who knows more about the allusions and stories among scholars?"

The others were puzzled by this and quickly asked, "Why would the commander ask such a question?"

Pei Yuan was still unaware of Li Mengyang's fate, so he could only say indirectly, "I received a secret letter a few days ago."

"It is said that the Xuanhu Cult in the Northwest is plotting something sinister, and its followers have already spread to tens of thousands. My duty as a commander is to suppress cults in various places, so I naturally have to pay attention."

"The person who delivered that secret letter was named Kang Hai, who was said to be the top scholar in the Hongzhi reign and one of the Seven Talented Scholars."

"These literary figures have always been fond of extravagance and exaggeration. So I wanted to inquire about him and learn about his character, so that I could have a general understanding of the situation in the Northwest."

"Among you, is there anyone familiar with the Seven Talents?"

The crowd, who had been eager to try just moments before, looked at each other and fell silent.

These guys don't come from scholarly families, so they don't have access to very good educational resources.

Based on their level, they are still quite far from the level of the Seven Talented Scholars.

Pei Yuan wasn't too disappointed.

He then encouraged his younger brothers and urged them to get to work.

After his brothers left, Xiao Tong retrieved the Empress Dowager's imperial edict.

Pei Yuan showed no respect whatsoever, and directly unfolded the imperial edict on the table and began to read it aloud.

The language used was direct and sharp, questioning Pei Yuan about why he dared to ignore the envoy of the Marquis of Shouning, and telling Pei Yuan to hurry back to the capital to report back.

After reading the imperial edict, Pei Yuan had a general understanding of the extent of Empress Zhang's madness in supporting her brother.

No wonder the ministers were so fond of the two marquises of the Zhang family; whoever controlled the two marquises controlled the Empress Dowager's life.

No wonder Zhang Cong, the most trusted minister of the Jiajing Emperor, repeatedly contradicted the emperor on the issue of whether or not to kill Zhang Heling.

The two even compiled their discussions about whether or not to mess with Zhang Heling into a booklet.

Pei Yuan's original plan was to directly depose the two marquises of the Zhang family and cut off Empress Dowager Zhang's power outside the palace.

But it seems that the two Zhang family marquises, who are still alive but not dead, are more useful.

Pei Yuangang rolled up the imperial edict, and Xiao Tong came to report that Wang Chang had arrived.

Pei Yuan quickly had someone invite him in.

After Wang Chang entered, he complained to Pei Yuan, "You really have a lot of nerve. You were placed under house arrest in Yongfu Temple, and you actually dared to sneak out? Gu Dayong can't see you, Bi Zhen can't see you, and I can't see you either."

Pei Yuan asked, somewhat puzzled, "How did you know I left? Did Xiao Tong tell you?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chang puffed out his chest with some pride, "If Commander Qianhu had been at Yongqing Temple at the time, even if he didn't see anyone else, would he have refused to see me?"

Pei Yuan couldn't help but sigh, "Only princes and dukes truly understand me."

After saying that, he waved the imperial edict in his hand to Wang Chang, "It's just a pity that I have just returned and have to go to the capital again."

Wang Chang took the imperial edict without a second thought and quickly read it through.

After reading it, Wang Chang finally understood what had happened and said in shock, "How did the commander offend even the Empress Dowager? What should we do?"

Pei Yuan waved his hand, calmly saying, "It's nothing serious. Just watch how I, the commander, handle her."

After listening to Pei Yuan's explanation, Wang Chang still felt uncertain.

Not even the current emperor would dare to say such a thing, let alone anyone else.

Even the current emperor, let alone his father, Emperor Hongzhi, was obedient when Empress Dowager Zhang was angry.
Wang Chang had a bad feeling; he hoped that the commander wouldn't mess things up in this matter.

Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan didn't continue the topic at all.

He simply said, "You'll need to say a few words to the others, telling them that I've received the imperial decree and am going to the capital, so that no one will bring up my house arrest." Gu Dayong and Bi Zhen naturally wouldn't say much, but Zhang Rui and the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review still needed to be informed.

Wang Chang replied nonchalantly, "Oh, so that's what it is. Then there's no need for that."

"His Majesty has already sent an imperial edict, saying that some people with ulterior motives are trying to muddy the waters by attacking Pei Yuan, and that the officials handling the case should ignore it. At the same time, you are also allowed to keep an eye on the changes in various parts of Shandong within your scope of duties."

Pei Yuan suddenly realized why the Marquis of Shouning had come looking for him; it seemed they valued his identity as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

As the mastermind behind everything, Pei Yuan naturally knew what they cared about.

Pei Yuan silently reviewed the situation in his mind.

This is not a bad thing.

When setting up a plan, the worst thing is that no matter how much you try to provoke the other party, they will not give any response.

Once the other party provides feedback, the two sides can engage in combat.

Seeing Pei Yuan remain silent, Wang Chang also became uneasy.

When Pei Yuan's gaze returned to him, he cautiously asked, "Commander, are you really alright?"

Pei Yuan said confidently, "It's nothing, it's just a matter of activating some hidden methods again."

Well, Wang Chang had become numb to Pei Yuan's endless ambushes.

Pei Yuan told Wang Chang about the arrangements for his younger brothers, and Wang Chang felt a little envious upon hearing this.

However, his family was in Southern Zhili, so they couldn't benefit from this.

Wang Chang understood Pei Yuan's purpose in telling him these things: Pei Yuan was determined to implement the "Single Whip Law" and wanted Wang Chang to have a full understanding of this reform at a higher level.

"As for the investigation of De Fan's matter, I will find someone to handle it. I will also find a way to verify the land encroachment in Dongchang Prefecture as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chang sighed, "I'm afraid we won't be able to have a good New Year this year."

After finishing their official business, Pei Yuan still brought up Li Mengyang's matter to inquire.

However, Pei Yuan and Wang Chang were close, so they naturally didn't need those empty formalities.

Instead, he placed Li Mengyang's three letters directly in front of Wang Chang.

Wang Chang was initially puzzled.

Pei Yuan gave a slight hint, "This one was written by the Imperial Inspector Jiang Wanshi, and both of these are from Li Mengyang's handwriting."

Having grasped the relationships between the characters, Wang Chang pondered for a moment and quickly understood.

He said with some surprise, "This is a letter from Li Mengyang, impersonating Jiang Wanshi, falsely accusing the Grand Censor Chen Jin and the Provincial Governor Zheng Yue?"

Pei Yuan said, "It may not be a false accusation."

Wang Chang, however, asserted, "What else could this concealment and deception be but a false accusation?"

Pei Yuan thought for a moment and agreed, "That's true."

If the process itself is unjust, how can the content be convincing?

Moreover, Li Mengyang's methods were too despicable and had no bottom line, completely violating the moral standards of officialdom.

Any official who saw this secret letter would feel intense disgust.

Moreover, even if Li Mengyang reports it himself, he can still retain a reputation for integrity.

This act of impersonating someone else to report someone only shows that he has a dark and despicable heart, and is cowardly and afraid to face reality.

Wang Chang looked at Pei Yuan again, somewhat incredulously, "Was this really written by Li Mengyang? Where did this come from?"

Wang Chang began to doubt the authenticity of the letter and began to carefully examine the handwriting.

Pei Yuan said quietly, "If you rushed into his house, kicked open the door to his study, punched him in the face, and then slapped his hand away to take it, would you guarantee its authenticity?"

Wang Chang hissed and gasped for breath.

Upon reading the letter again, all previous doubts vanished.

—This is really too open-minded.

Wang Chang's thoughts were just as sinister as Pei Yuan's. He showed joy on his face and said excitedly, "Commander, Li Mengyang has a very high reputation among scholars. With this in your hands, are you still afraid that Li Mengyang will not obey you?"

Pei Yuan did not deny it upon hearing this, and smiled, saying, "I had the same thought."

"However, there is one thing I am still curious about. What Li Mengyang wrote is not a memorial to the throne, but just a regular letter. This kind of thing can't even get into the Ministry of Justice, so how can it be of any use?"

Wang Chang, a seasoned bureaucrat with extensive experience, smiled upon hearing this and said, "This is where Li Mengyang's shrewdness lies."

"If Jiang Wanshi's memorial is forged, then to use the postal system, it must be verified through official handover. Moreover, Jiang Wanshi's official seal must be used in the memorial to distinguish its authenticity."

"If it gets past the initial stages and the memorial does indeed enter the Office of Transmission, then the original will be filed in the archives of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The transcribed memorial will then be distributed to the Censorate, which is responsible for oversight, for processing."

"Only after the Censorate has finished its work will it issue a draft to the Cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs affix its seal."

"But don't forget, whether it's the Imperial Inspector Jiang Wanshi or the Chief Censor Chen Jin, both of them are his own people in the Censorate. Jiang Wanshi was sent by the Censorate to inspect Jiangxi, and Chen Jin is the Censorate's chief of staff in Jiangxi."

"How could the Censorate possibly allow such an ugly internal strife to become a laughing stock for outsiders?"

"So regardless of whether these allegations are true or false, the Censorate will withhold the memorial and then step in to mediate between Jiang Wanshi and Chen Jin. Once things get to that point, and the two sides confront each other, how could they not discover the suspicious circumstances?"

"The original memorial had already been put into the Secretariat of Ceremonial by then. If Jiang Wanshi and Chen Jin were unwilling to give up, the investigation would alarm the Secretariat of Ceremonial."

“If the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs were to make a move, it would become a sensational case. Even if Li Mengyang had the greatest courage, he wouldn’t dare to take this path.”

Pei Yuan understood and began to admire Wang Chang.

"Then tell me, what does Li Mengyang mean by this?"

Wang Chang stroked his beard and said, "What do you mean? Wu Fa means that he wants to use unconventional means to deliver this letter to someone of sufficient importance."

"If this person dislikes Chen Jin, he might actually make this matter a reality."

"Even if that person didn't actually do it, just letting out a little bit of word about Jiang Wanshi and Chen Jin would be enough to sow discord between the two."

"If that person were of high enough status, neither Jiang Wanshi nor Chen Jin would dare to press the matter relentlessly, wouldn't that make it an unsolved mystery? Who would guess that it was Li Mengyang, who has no connection to it?"

"If Chen Jin himself is guilty about the things he reported and doesn't dare to verify them, wouldn't it be possible to deal with Chen Jin without paying any price?"

Upon hearing Wang Chang's words, Pei Yuan immediately thought of a certain person.

— Fei Hong, a scholar known as an honest man!
(End of this chapter)