The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 149 Overwhelming Power in Jiangnan
The plum rains in Jiangnan have just stopped, but the air is still filled with damp moisture, mixed with the fresh scent of plants in the courtyard.

A group of civil and military officials from Jiangnan escorted Li Xianmu as he entered the pavilion.

"The southeast is a land of strategic importance, and Nanjing is the capital of the Wu region. It is no less impressive than Hangzhou."

The waterside pavilion is built by the pond, with windows on all four sides, allowing for a gentle breeze and the subtle fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Li Xianmu naturally sat in the main seat, with delicacies and fine wines laid out on the table. He glanced at it and realized that the dishes prepared on his table alone were probably no less than fifty taels of silver, and the dishes to be served later would probably cost no less than a hundred taels of silver.

I couldn't help but smirk slightly. Truly, this is the land of wealth and prosperity in Jiangnan.

Even a meal for the emperor doesn't cost this much!

Looking around, a row of military officers were sitting in Nanjing. The Wei State Duke family had not yet been restored to their titles, and there was no one permanently stationed in Nanjing. The most powerful one was the Marquis of Yongchang.

Another row was occupied by officials from the six ministries of Nanjing, followed by officials from the provinces, prefectures, and counties of Jiangnan, as well as learned scholars, making up a total of more than three hundred people.

With so many people, the atmosphere should have been quite noisy, but instead, there was a somewhat oppressive restlessness, like the sultry heat before a storm.

The scene of Li Xianmu scolding everyone at the dock was still fresh in everyone's mind, and no one knew what the attitude of this governor of Jiangnan was.

Li Xianmu himself toyed with the wine cup in his hand, pondering in his heart that the matter of sorcery was a muddled affair, and at most, he would just find some people to remove from their official posts.

His real goal was to both get the powerful clans in Jiangnan to siphon off the imperial court's supplies for its southern campaign against Annam and to maintain political and economic stability in Jiangnan.

This requires him to have an extremely strong grasp of the politics in Jiangnan.

"The governor..."

Li Xianmu was toying with a jade wine cup in his hand when he suddenly slammed his wrist down, causing the bottom of the cup to slam heavily onto the solid rosewood table!

"clang--!"

A crisp, loud, even metallic sound suddenly rang out, instantly shattering all the whispers and noises in the pavilion and breaking the stagnant atmosphere.

The Marquis of Yongchang, who outwardly held the highest status in Jiangnan, nodded and smiled, saying, "It is truly an honor for Jiangnan that the Governor has graced us with his presence. We..."

He had barely uttered two sentences when Li Xianmu raised his hand to stop him, and the rest of his words were stuck in his throat.

"You flatter me, Marquis Yongchang."

Li Xianmu raised his eyes and looked around, carefully scanning the crowd. There were court officials dressed in official robes and sitting upright, hereditary nobles in brocade robes and with a dignified demeanor, and elderly Confucian scholars in plain clothes with white hair and beards but sharp eyes.

These people were the powerful and influential figures in Jiangnan, who held the lives and fortunes of twenty to thirty million people in their hands.

Among these people, there are two factions: the literary faction and the military faction. They are further divided into the Jiangxi faction, the Zhejiang faction, and the Southern Zhili faction based on their regions. Zhejiang is further divided into Eastern Zhejiang and Western Zhejiang. Even within Eastern Zhejiang, there are different schools of thought. In terms of academics, they are also mixed from different regions. When divided by marriage, it becomes even more complicated.

One large circle after another, large and small, combined and nested with each other, forming a complex and intricate officialdom in Jiangnan, where a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

"The Emperor's will has extended to Jiangnan; this is truly a blessing for Jiangnan!"

Li Xianmu's voice was filled with emotion, "To celebrate the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, please drink this cup to the brim!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xianmu raised the jade wine cup that had just been tapped on the table. The maid beside him filled the cup with wine, which he drank in large gulps. He then turned the cup upside down, leaving not a drop of wine.

Although the assembled crowd did not understand Li Xianmu's deeper meaning, they could only drink to their hearts' content.

"The late emperor once said something." Li Xianmu's gaze slowly swept over the crowd who had just finished drinking their wine and whose throats were still bobbing. His voice was as calm as a deep pool of cold water, each word striking the heart.

"Let us drink from this golden cup, for even the sharpest blade will not spare us!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell into dead silence.

During the banquet, everyone felt a chill rush straight to their head. The mellow wine they had just tasted instantly turned into a burning poison in their throats, and the exquisite wine cups in their hands felt heavier than mountains!
Drinking will cause trouble!

Drinking really does lead to trouble!
The atmosphere that had just eased was instantly destroyed by Li Xianmu's casual yet scathing remark.

"Today, all the civil and military officials from Jiangnan have gathered in Nanjing, all for the imperial edict. The matter of sorcery has caused panic among the people of the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. But is His Majesty truly worried about such an ethereal matter of sorcery?"

Li Xianmu's gaze swept across the crowd below, his sharp eyes fixed on each person like a hawk's, as if trying to see through their thoughts. "Your Majesty has come through blood and fire, how could you possibly believe such absurd things!"

Those who can sit here today are all prominent figures in Jiangnan, and it is no exaggeration to say that they can cause upheaval and upheaval in Jiangnan.

The land where my great Ming Dynasty rose to power, the three provinces of Jiangnan, with its twenty-five million people, and half of the vast Ming Dynasty's territory, are all under your command!
What a magnificent sight!

Although it was meant to be praise, every word was like a needle, making everyone present uneasy and sending chills down their spines. The clever ones had already heard the unspoken meaning—this was clearly a plea for praise before criticism, the eerie silence before a storm!

as predicted!

The next moment, Li Xianmu's expression changed drastically. He slammed the wine cup in his hand onto the table with a loud bang, and the jade cup shattered, shards flying everywhere!
The maidservant beside him was so frightened that the silver wine pot she was holding crashed to the ground with a "clang," spilling the wine and filling the air with its fragrant aroma.

She frantically tried to pack up, but was intimidated by Li Xianmu's imposing presence and dared not move.

"Such brilliance, has it blinded your sense of awe? How dare you establish an independent kingdom in the Jiangnan region!" Li Xianmu shouted sternly, his eyes blazing with fury. "You dare to break away from the court and live in seclusion? You are mistaken. There can be no two suns in the sky, no two rulers among the people. There is only one sun in this world, Your Majesty, and only one court in the Ming Dynasty."

The moment he finished speaking, a series of muffled thuds echoed through the room as everyone's wine glasses fell to the ground.

The wine quickly spread into dark stains on the ground. Li Xianmu scanned the area and saw that almost every face was filled with undisguised fear, their faces drained of color and as pale as paper.

The next second, several figures slammed their fists on the table and stood up!

“Governor Li! We respect you for coming with the Emperor’s decree, but that is not a shield for you to frame ministers and make baseless accusations!” One man, his hair bristling, retorted angrily.

"An independent kingdom? Separation from the court? We dare not accept such malicious claims! Nor can we bear such a burden!" Another person's voice trembled, but he forced a strong stance.

“Governor Li, your words are like swords, too sharp, they can hurt others and yourself!” Someone tried to reason with him, but their voices also betrayed their fear.

"Governor Li..."

Opposition surged like a tidal wave. Li Xianmu's "extreme pressure test" had clearly crossed the bottom line that the officials in Jiangnan could not possibly cross. After all, the worst that could happen with sorcery was a case of oversight, resulting in the removal of their official hats.

But some crimes, if committed, would lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family; one must never admit to them! "Since that's the case!"

Li Xianmu's loud shout instantly drowned out all the noise!

Instead of arguing and debating to convince the crowd as others had expected, he took a sudden step forward under the gaze of hundreds of astonished eyes, channeling immense force into his arms and violently overturning the huge table in front of him!
Even Li Qi, who was high above the heavens, was shocked by his son's move!

On second thought, Li Xianmu's martial arts skill is now 70, so he is no weak scholar. Overturning a solid wood table is nothing to him!
"Boom—crash—!"

Delicacies, fine wines, exquisite dishes, and precious porcelain... everything collapsed with a crash as the heavy tabletop fell over.

It was like the order at a banquet had spiraled out of control!

The sounds of shattering, splashing, and tumbling dishes mingled together to create a jarring mess!

The scene, which had just been filled with passionate and impassioned speeches, was instantly shattered by this thunderous blow.

All the civil and military officials of Jiangnan seemed to have been choked, their voices abruptly cut off, leaving only heavy breathing and bewildered gazes, staring intently at Li Xianmu, the Jiangnan governor who stood proudly amidst the ruins!

"Li Xianmu! You should at least say something!"

This is what countless people are implying: after such a violent confrontation, you should at least say something to end things.

The six ministers of Nanjing were both indignant and bewildered. They had welcomed the angel, but this was the result. Their careers were now in serious jeopardy. Naturally, they were furious with Li Xianmu, the instigator of everything.

Li Xianmu always plans things out carefully. Now that he has done something so drastic and irreversible, he naturally has something to say and wants to deliver a fatal blow!
He angrily shouted, "The matter of sorcery has been reported to the Emperor by thousands of officials and thirty million people in Jiangnan. Since it is not an independent kingdom, what explanation do you have?"

Could it be that these thirty million are of one mind, yet they have turned against Your Majesty?
Is Your Majesty's suspicion of Jiangnan unfounded?

I am not afraid for you all to know that His Majesty has sent me here to investigate the matter of sorcery because he suspects that among you civil and military officials in Jiangnan, there are those who harbor treacherous intentions and are deliberately spreading rumors about sorcery to disturb the peace of the people.

They used the pretext of sorcery to incite chaos in Jiangnan, and then, under the guise of the White Lotus Sect and other evil cults being able to eradicate the sorcery and alleviate suffering, they launched an uprising in Jiangnan, intending to overthrow our Great Ming Dynasty!

"Wait-"

Li Xianmu suddenly pointed at those who had been speaking eloquently just moments before, but now looked deathly pale:

"Ask yourselves honestly, is there really no such thing?!"

"How dare you bark and howl before me! Kneel down here!"

The moment the words fell, the Imperial Guards, who had been standing guard on both sides with their hands on their swords like statues, stepped out of the shadows the instant they received the order from their superiors. They grabbed the shoulders and arms of the men who had just led the argument, brought them forward, and then, without saying a word, slammed them down hard!
"Pfft!"

Several dull thuds of knees hitting the ground rang out as the men were forcibly pressed down and forced to kneel amidst the mess of leftover food and broken porcelain.

Kneel before Li Xianmu!
His official robes were filthy and he looked utterly disheveled; his face was deathly pale with despair.

The other hundreds of officials at the table dared not utter a word. At this moment, whether they were learned scholars or high-ranking officials from the six ministries, they were all pale-faced.

Almost everyone was stunned.

No one expected that the emperor would view sorcery in this way!

But upon further reflection, this actually makes perfect sense. Otherwise, if the emperor knew that the sorcery was completely unfounded, why would he have gone to such lengths to send provincial governors to investigate the entire country?

The more reasonable it seemed, the more bone-chilling the cold became, and the more completely the color drained from the face!

Li Xianmu's gaze swept across the entire scene, and his heart was completely at ease. It was worth the long search for the method to suppress the civil and military officials of Jiangnan!
The most ingenious part of his words was that he linked the relatively unimportant matter of sorcery with the White Lotus Sect, a force capable of overthrowing the nation.

Jiangnan's civil and military officials instantly lost their room to maneuver.

They could simply accept the fact that it was witchcraft; once they did, they would be able to stand against Li Xianmu.

But the White Lotus Sect's sorcery must never be trusted!

Whether or not there was collusion with the White Lotus Sect is difficult to prove on one's own!
Is there any connection between the sorcery originating in Jiangnan and the White Lotus Sect? No! Jiangnan officials can guarantee that.

Does the White Lotus Sect exist in Jiangnan? Yes! Jiangnan officials are willing to guarantee it!
When investigating sorcery, will they uncover the White Lotus Sect? Very likely!
At this point, did sorcery have any connection with the White Lotus Sect? They didn't know.

It exists if you say it exists, and it doesn't exist if you say it doesn't exist.

This is called reversing cause and effect!

This is called the observer effect!
When the emperor began to have doubts and started to investigate in this direction, the outcome was already predetermined.

And to get rid of this suspicion...

Countless eyes were cast upon Li Xianmu; the key to breaking the deadlock lay with this governor of Jiangnan!
At this moment, in the middle of the banquet, Li Xianmu stood at the head of the table, his left hand already on the hilt of his sword. In front of him was an overturned table, its heavy body falling to the ground and creating a mess. He stepped on a raised table leg and looked around at everyone.

The maids beside him turned pale, their pretty faces as white as paper. One of them covered her mouth with her slender hand to barely suppress her terrified sobs; the other, like a frightened quail, curled up deeply backward, almost embedding her thin body into the cold shadow of the corridor pillar.

The six ministers on both sides, along with several meritorious officials, had no choice but to force themselves to stand up, their faces plastered with stiff smiles that looked worse than crying.

The most glaring sight was the dozen or so people who were firmly pinned to the ground by the Imperial Guards. Just moments before they had been so passionate and righteous, but now they looked as if they had lost their parents!

What was supposed to be a welcoming banquet turned into a tense scene!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the eighth year of the Yongle reign, Xianmu was appointed governor of Jiangnan. His power and influence were immense, and he was above all the students. A friend advised him, "Your talent is unparalleled. Do you know about the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history?"

"I would like to hear the details."

"Harmony is of utmost importance; harmony means blending in with the world!"

Xianmu laughed and said, "Jiaxuan's old poem once said: 'In his youth, he commanded ten thousand troops, and the battles in the southeast never ceased. Who among the heroes of the world could rival him? Cao Cao and Liu Bei!'"

"Though I am not talented, I am still superior to Sun Quan. I have been ordered by the Emperor to control Jiangnan. Where are Cao Cao and Liu Bei? Looking around, I see no equal. How can I associate with such incompetent scoundrels!" — Biography of Li Xianmu, History of Ming

(End of this chapter)