I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 241 The dust has settled
Xu Jie sneered: "A mere Northern Garrison Commander, trying to force the Grand Secretary to resign and retire through such despicable means of framing him?"

Lin Shisan sneered: "Firstly, your son is indeed a serious treasoner, and I did not frame him. There are witnesses and physical evidence. All the nobles in the capital can also corroborate this."

Secondly, I never forced you to resign; I was merely giving you a suggestion.

"Thirdly, I am indeed just a 'minor' Northern Garrison Commander. But you know who the Northern Garrison Commander and the Embroidered Uniform Guard represent without me having to say it."

Xu Jie was taken aback: "Could it be that framing Fan'er is the Emperor's doing?"

Lin Shisan did not answer. He simply took out a folding fan from his sleeve.

This folding fan is painted with a picture titled "Returning Home," and although the fan surface is small, it depicts mountains and rivers. This fan was given by Xu Jie to Prince Yu, who was living in the former residence of the Dragon Prince.

Lin Shisan walked up to Xu Jie, knelt down on both knees, and presented the folding fan with both hands.

Xu Jie froze on the spot when he saw the folding fan.

The emperor returned the folding fan that his minister had given him years ago. The fan painting also contained the words "return," the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.

Xu Jie felt a wave of dizziness: Could it really be that the Emperor instructed Lin Shisan to frame Fan'er? The Emperor is so kind and gentle, how could he possibly do that?
Lin Shisan seemed to have seen through Xu Jie's thoughts. He whispered a reminder: "Grand Secretary Xu, don't forget, His Majesty is a descendant of Emperor Shizong!"

The implication is: Old Xu, don't think the Emperor is weak and easily bullied. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Emperor Jiajing was decisive and ruthless, with unparalleled political acumen. Couldn't his son bring himself to eliminate a powerful and unruly Grand Secretary?

Xu Jie plopped down on a chair in the lobby without taking the folding fan.

Lin Shisan placed the folding fan on the wooden table next to Xu Jie. Then he stood up and strode out of the hall.

Xu Jie called out to Lin Shisan: "Where are you going?"

Lin Shisan coldly replied, "Go to the imperial prison and kill the traitor."

Xu Jie stood up: "I don't believe you dare to kill Fan'er. Do you, Lin Shisan, want to make enemies of all the civil officials in the world? Aren't you afraid of being torn to pieces?"

Lin Shisan replied, "I dare!"

In a moment of desperation, Xu Jie uttered a rebellious remark in the main hall of the Northern Garrison Command: "Don't forget, emperors have come and gone, but the civil officials are still the same group of people from aristocratic families in Jiangnan!"

Lin Shisan turned his head and sneered, "The Grand Secretary is wrong. It's clear that the civil officials have changed batch after batch, but the emperor's surname is still Zhu!"

"What if I die? With the eldest son of the most prestigious family in Jiangnan accompanying me on the road to the underworld, I am content."

After saying that, Lin Shisan turned around and continued walking outside.

Xu Jie called out to him, "Stop, come back!"

Lin Shisan turned around and walked up to Xu Jie: "Has the Grand Secretary changed his mind?"

Xu Jie remained silent and closed his eyes.

He had served as an official for a full forty-five years, starting from when he achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination in the second year of the Jiajing reign and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.

Having spent most of his life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, amidst deceit and intrigue, he was weary at the age of sixty-five.

Perhaps retiring to the countryside to live a wealthy life and enjoy a life of luxury for the rest of one's days is a good choice?
Lin Shisan advised Xu Jie: "Grand Secretary, if Gao Gong is still holding an important position in the cabinet, your retirement will certainly not end well."

“But Gao Gong has now retired and returned to his hometown. If you also retire, your student, Mr. Li Chunfang, will be the one to succeed you as Grand Secretary.”

“Cabinet member Zhang Juzheng was also your student.”

"Guo Pu, a cabinet member, is your close friend."

"All those in power are your people. Are you still worried about not being able to enjoy your old age in peace?"

After saying this, Lin Shisan touched the embroidered spring knife at his waist and pointed to the folding fan on the table: "The royal family wants to change the chief minister. If one plan fails, then a second plan and a third plan will do."

"At worst, I, Lin Shisan, will be the scapegoat for the royal family. This time, I will be accused of 'wrongfully killing the son of a loyal minister,' and I will be torn to pieces."

"I, Lin Shisan, am a worthless life. It is truly my great fortune to be able to exchange my life with your esteemed young master."

"Why bother?"

"Is the position of Grand Secretary so easy to hold? Aren't you tired?"

Xu Jie remained silent.

Lin Shisan said, "Let me say a few more words to you. A noble person in the palace has promised that as long as you resign, the court will retain your titles of Junior Tutor and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. With these titles, even if you resign, who would dare to touch a hair on the head of the Xu family of Songjiang?"

As he said this, Lin Shisan chuckled inwardly: "No one in the world dares to touch the Xu family of Songjiang, except for Hai Rui and Hai Gangfeng." Xu Jie glanced at Lin Shisan. The "noble person in the palace" Lin Shisan referred to was clearly the Longqing Emperor.

But Xu Jie and Lin Shisan remained silent, and the two sides fell into silence.

Two quarters of an hour later, Xu Jie seemed to have made up his mind.

He stood up: "I've made up my mind. I'm resigning and going into seclusion! Release Xu Fan immediately and burn that letter. And that Li Chengliang, let him go with that framed letter."

Lin Shisan laughed and said, "The frame-up letter can be burned. Li Chengliang can also be silenced. But you must resign from your post and return to Songjiang before I will release the young Grand Secretary."

"Don't worry, the imperial prison not only has iron bars and instruments of torture, but also several 'VIP rooms.' The beds are made of nanmu wood, the bedding is made of brocade, and there are delicacies from land and sea, fine wine and delicacies every day. If the VIP wants, we can even arrange for singers and dancers to warm the bed."

"The young Grand Secretary couldn't bear the injustice inside."

Lin Shisan's promise to Xu Jie to silence Li Chengliang was just talk.

He didn't want to kill Li Chengliang. Li Chengliang was a talented general; Yang Bo even said that his future achievements would not be lower than those of Qi Jiguang and Yu Xin.

Unfortunately, Lin Shisan was neither a time traveler nor a precognitive like Li Chunfeng or Yuan Tiangang.

His one wrong decision will lead to the rise of the Later Jin dynasty.

It can only be said that the butterfly effect of history is everywhere.

Xu Jie asked, "Can't we release it now?"

Lin Shisan nodded: "We can't let it go."

Xu Jie gritted his teeth: "Fine. Don't go back on your word. Otherwise, I will make you pay the price."

After speaking, Xu Jie picked up the folding fan painted with the "Return to Home" picture. His old body walked weakly toward the North Gate.

Lin Shisan helped Xu Jie up: "Your Excellency, let me help you."

Xu Jie abruptly shook off Lin Shisan's hand: "I can walk by myself! You think you've beaten me?"

"Could a sycophant, a courtier, a villain really defeat the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty?"

"You're wrong! I lost to the Royal Family!"

Lin Shisan thought to himself: Say what you will. The point is that you lost, not who you lost to.

The biggest political struggle of the Longqing reign has come to an end.

The following day was the 19th day of the seventh month of the second year of the Longqing reign.

During the morning court session, Xu Jie once again submitted a memorial resigning from his official post.

In fact, Xu Jie had submitted many memorials resigning from office before this. What was different was that those memorials, though titled "resignation," were actually attempts to blackmail the Longqing Emperor.

Every time Xu Jie submitted a memorial, the civil officials would immediately jump out and advise the Longqing Emperor to be a wise ruler and not to force away loyal old ministers.

This time was different. Xu Jie said he wanted to resign, but at the morning court, the civil officials unanimously asked the Longqing Emperor to give the resigning official a dignified send-off and grant him the full ceremonial regalia of a first-rank official to return to his hometown.

The Longqing Emperor, seated on the dragon throne, was greatly puzzled and made no statement at court.

Half an hour later, in the rear hall of the Qianqing Palace, two people would answer Emperor Longqing's questions. One was Consort Li, and the other was Lin Shisan.

The two men knelt before Emperor Longqing. On Emperor Longqing's dragon desk lay Xu Jie's memorial resigning from his official post.

The Longqing Emperor looked at the two of them with an unpredictable expression: "Caifeng, so it was you who stole my folding fan and gave it to Lin Shisan."

"You two are falsely claiming to be acting on the Emperor's will!"

In fact, the kind and honest Emperor Longqing couldn't bring himself to force Xu Jie to resign.

If we're talking about decisiveness and ruthlessness, it's not the son who's more like Emperor Jiajing, but the daughter-in-law.

When Consort Li heard the Longqing Emperor call her "Caifeng," a weight was lifted from her heart.

Consort Li said, "Your Majesty, it was indeed I who instructed Lin Shisan to do this. I beg you to execute me and Lin Shisan's entire family."

(End of this chapter)