Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 141: The Law Courts Go South, Collapse and Escape

Li Sancai was entertaining a guest in his private residence in Huai'an City. The guest's name was Gu Xiancheng.

Although he had heard of Gu Xiancheng a long time ago, this was the first time he saw him.

Li Sancai was unsure of his purpose of coming here, so he invited two local elders to accompany him.

He is really just a local elder. He is old, but has no descendants with achievements.

Gu Xiancheng looked at the plates of vegetables on the table, then looked at the wide-open door.

"It's hot, so let's open the door and let in a cool breeze. What do you think, Mr. Jingyang?"

"… Caotai has a good opinion."

The two elders were so proud and excited to be able to sit in the home of the Governor of Grain Transport as a guest that their faces showed excitement.

"You two elders, you know that Mr. Jingyang has opened a school in Changzhou Prefecture to teach everyone. Scholars from far and near gather in Jingli. If your descendants are interested in studying, today is a good opportunity. Please offer Mr. Jingyang two glasses of wine. They will have a bright future."

Li Sancai looked at Gu Xiancheng with a smile, and the two elders immediately raised their glasses of wine upon hearing his words.

Although he respected her, Gu Xiancheng saw that the vegetables were not just appetizers, and he knew that Li Sancai was not willing to have a deep conversation with him today.

At this time, the news that the imperial edict had arrived in the city and that Li Sancai was required to receive it also reached the mansion.

Gu Xiancheng said goodbye and left, returning to the inn to think about how to continue raising funds to rebuild Donglin Academy.

More than an hour later, Li Sancai sent someone to invite him to his house for a chat, saying that he had not entertained him well at noon.

Gu Xiancheng thought about it and went to Li's house again.

This time, the gate was closed and there were no other guests.

Gu Xiancheng looked at the table full of delicacies from land and sea, and looked at Li Sancai hesitantly: "Caotai, there is no need to be so extravagant, right?"

Li Sancai didn't care at all. He invited him to take a seat first, and then said, "Before, it was for show, and now it's for eating. Brother Shushi, why should we be so formal at a family dinner? I have always admired your good reputation."

His behavior could not be described as rude at first and respectful later, and there was nothing Gu Xiancheng could do to help Li Sancai.

After all, Li Sancai's teacher during the provincial examination was Wang Xijue.

"In that case, I am two years older than you, so I have something to ask you, Brother Daofu."

"Brother Shushi, please speak."

"Could it be that the imperial decree is asking about the grain tax, and Brother Daofu wants me to do more to persuade and comfort the people in the village?"

Li Sancai looked at him and then laughed out loud: "Brother Shushi, you underestimate me. The emperor ordered me to go to the capital to make a report, and I will leave tomorrow. Since we have been friends for a long time, I naturally want to speak freely, so I prepared a table of delicious food and wine. Brother Shushi, you ask this question, I should drink a glass of wine as punishment!"

"...I am so presumptuous, I shall be punished." Gu Xiancheng finally smiled and toasted him after hearing him speak freely, "I will drink first as a sign of respect."

Li Sancai watched him drink it all in one gulp with a smile, then drank it himself, showing him the bottom of the cup, and they both laughed heartily.

First, prepare a few dishes of vegetables for him to see, and then serve him a table of good wine and food and invite him to speak freely.

Seeing that he was not worried about what he would spread among the literati because of his two-faced behavior, Gu Xiancheng began to discuss with him the gains and losses of state affairs and exchange ideas on official ambitions. Finally, he also mentioned his idea of ​​rebuilding the Donglin Academy.

"This is a major cultural and educational event in Jiangnan! Although I am not talented, I can donate two thousand taels of silver!"

Gu Xiancheng was delighted: "Brother Daofu, you have made a generous donation. I respect you as your brother!"

Li Sancai accepted it calmly, and then said to him: "A big case will be launched in Jiangnan, and Your Majesty wants to deal with it. Daofu does not want to serve as an official in the court again, but it is my duty to recommend honest and virtuous people!"

"That's what justice is! My teaching is to teach the honest and virtuous for the country! I will naturally recommend talented people for the government and the public!"

Li Sancai said yes repeatedly and looked at him with deep eyes.

Gu Xiancheng, who was in the opposition, could naturally avoid the storm in Jiangnan.

If he is wholeheartedly in the opposition, then talents like them are the foundation for Jiangnan to remain stable.

Officials from Jiangnan? Just officials who come and go.

Li Sancai knew that there would be difficulties to overcome on his way to the capital, but he was confident that it would be no problem.

As for the future, since I can meet the emperor, it is also an opportunity!
……

The imperial edicts heading south were not only to Huai'an, but also to Nanjing.

However, this decree sent to Nanjing was too long and involved too many people.

The decree to Nanjing will arrive a few days later and has not arrived yet.

What they didn’t know was that the imperial decree would have to wait for a few days at the Yongwei Camp.

But many officials in Nanjing have now received the news that came in the past two days.

"That's all right! Very good!" A doctor from the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing was very happy.

"Dad, why?" His son was a little reluctant, "I'm doing fine in Nanjing..."

"Stupid! Wouldn't it be better to be the lord of a prefecture?"

"...Yunnan is a place with poor mountains and bad waters."

"You just play all day long!" The doctor was so angry that he grabbed the ruler on the table and was about to hit him, "It would be great if you could leave Nanjing and Jiangnan now! Your father hopes that no one in the capital will make trouble so that the seven days of the public notice will pass quickly!"

Now he was very happy that the public announcement was only carried out in Beijing, and the officials in Nanjing had no time to express any opinions.

Otherwise, I don’t know how many people would be scrambling to run outside!
The storm is coming!
As long as the list is posted outside Chengtian Gate in Beijing, shouldn’t the family letter be sent south immediately?
The first list of local officials to be appointed has been released. The most prominent ones are the six ministries and the Censorate in Nanjing, where nearly sixty people have been "promoted".

It cannot be said that they are all actual promotions, but even if it is just a move to the same level along the path of promotion, it is still leaving Nanjing.

A number of officials in Nanjing were appointed and a number were transferred. Before the arrival of the imperial envoy, who was known to everyone, the affairs of the six ministries would be temporarily stagnant, at least some people would not be able to do anything quickly.

This is because the person who has just been appointed is afraid of taking the blame, so he will definitely make all kinds of excuses, pointing out that the process is flawed and refusing to take responsibility.

Invisible pressure hangs over too many people.

Geng Dingli, the Imperial Censor of Jiangdu, had no intention of hindering Chen Lin's efforts to reorganize the Yangtze River Navy or organize warships to send away the Yongwei Camp. It was obvious that they wanted to stay here, so what were you trying to do by actively wanting to send them away?
He could only be busy with mending all day long.

Zhang Yi and his friends seemed to be pretending to be cooperative on the surface, but at this moment they were suspicious of each other, wondering if they would become another person to be removed from the word "Wo".

Only Ye Xianggao had previously served as the Minister of Rites, whose power was relatively marginal, and he had only socialized in a certain circle.

Zhang Yi became increasingly desperate.

Before the Yongwei Battalion was actually stationed in the west of Zhenjiang, all they heard, heard, and exchanged opinions were about "sharing the same hatred of the enemy" and being determined to win the "respect" and interests that Nanjing and Jiangnan deserved.

But after the mere thousand people over there really stayed there motionless, it was useless for Zhang Yi to secretly curse many people for being spineless.

Isn't he afraid of it like a tiger himself?
Those were the White Spear Soldiers who had made the greatest contributions in the battle of Bozhou among the mountains and hills. The Northern Pacification Envoy of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also here!

In the military camp west of Zhenjiang, Ma Qiancheng asked his wife in confusion: "We are just staying here, eating food, and training? What's the point?"

Qin Liangyu only said: "Since it was arranged by His Majesty, it will certainly be useful. The pacification envoy Wang said that if he wants to use us, there will be an imperial decree."

"...I heard that the officials and garrisons in Jiangnan are very bold. If there are tens of thousands of rebels, we are unfamiliar with the place..."

Qin Liangyu thought about it and comforted her husband: "Your Majesty wants to use us for a long time. He will not spend so much money and food to make us wait here just to use us as bait. No matter what, we should eat and drink enough and practice every day. If there is an imperial decree, we can go to the battlefield. If there is no imperial decree, we should go to the capital to let His Majesty see the military appearance and comfort him."

In the west of Zhenjiang City, the sound of the White Spear Soldiers’ daily training always makes many people feel guilty.

Hao Jie, the Minister of War who was in charge of Nanjing's military affairs, had to frequently ask the eunuchs stationed in the city to convene meetings of the garrison, saying that the military was uneasy.

But the reply is always the same: No one is going to make trouble, so let’s deal with it when it happens.

A few days later, after Wang Zhizhen returned from Jiangxi with the head of the Cheng family, the accountant, and many carts full of heavy things, a hundred white-flag soldiers left here for the first time and headed towards Jiangxi again.

Afterwards, the imperial edict arrived in Nanjing.

"I order the Minister of Justice Xiao Daheng, the Beijing Supreme Court Minister Zheng Jizhi, and the Right Deputy Chief Censor of the Censorate Li Tingji to investigate the case of Jiangyou salt merchants impersonating Japanese pirates to rob and destroy grain. I order the new eunuch Cheng Jing to temporarily lead the Left Wing Camp of the Yongwei Camp to obey my orders! Anyone who incites the army to mutiny will be executed! Anyone who incites civil unrest will be executed! Anyone who colludes to plot rebellion will be executed!"

Then came the long list of Nanjing officials who were sent out to serve as local officials.

Some people thus "escaped" and went to various places with gratitude.

Some people, however, were under maximum pressure as they listened to the three judges from Beijing coming south to hold a joint trial and the three "beheadings".

Is there anyone in Jiangnan who dares to instigate a military mutiny, a civil uprising, or collude to plot rebellion?

If there were no White Spear Soldiers, if there was no newly appointed Pingyi Earl by the emperor, if there was no emperor who dared to announce the three consecutive beheadings to Jiangnan, then there would really be someone who would dare to do so.

But now that the truth of the big case has come to light, Jiangnan can't hold his bones together and can't twist them in the name of handling the case.

This is the time to "die a great man and die a talentless man"!
Among them was Li Tingji, who had just been transferred from the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing to Beijing to take up the post of Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief. He was probably familiar with the inside story and was the "source of hope".

"That's terrible... Your Majesty, you won't really kill people to scare Jiangnan to death and cause problems with summer and autumn grains this year, right?"

After returning home, Xu Hongji closed the door and asked the old housekeeper left to him by his father.

"No, of course not..." The old butler thought more and more that he was unfathomable. "Now that I think about it, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue were summoned back to the court just for this blow! So many officials from the six ministries in Nanjing were transferred away in one go, and I'm afraid that a lot of the top three among the new Jinshi scholars will be filled in. My Lord, Nanjing is going to change!"

At this time, a new notice was indeed posted outside Chengtian Gate.

"... Beiguan Nanren, this is the most ruthless knife..."

While people were discussing outside, Zhu Changluo was in the palace watching the various secrets revealed by the Jiangnan secret reports that arrived one after another.

"What a great show! What a prosperous and peaceful Jiangnan!"

Before the three judicial officials went south, the favors announced before their appointment and the power given by the white-flag soldiers had already shown the ridiculous signs of collapse and escape in the south of the Yangtze River, claiming that the foundation of the country could not be easily moved!
(End of this chapter)