You have truly caused me great suffering!

The main hall of the Cai residence.

Cai Jing gently stirred the covered bowl on the table, a cup of fragrant tea about to be drunk, and gave Bai Shizhong, who had just entered, a half-smile.

"Meng Heng, I heard that you remained silent in court, which displeased your colleagues?"

"Without your guidance, I would not dare to speak so easily," Bai Shizhong said with a smile, disregarding his pride.

Cai Jing chuckled, gently placed the teacup on the table beside him, and said, "There are some things you should never say."

Since Bai Shizhong knew to come to him, Cai Jing was determined to protect him.

No matter what, his qualifications speak for themselves.

"In a few days, those people will have to leave Jinling."

Bai Shizhong wiped away his cold sweat, took a step forward, and asked, "Is it really that serious?"

"Meng Heng, don't you even know who proposed this for craftsmen to be included in the quality standards? It was Xu Jin. Who is Xu Jin?"

Bai Shizhong nodded slightly, as if he understood something.

Cai Jing continued, "Our officials in the court still can't see the situation clearly. They think that, like in the previous dynasty, they are qualified to contend with His Majesty."

“Look at the current emperor, does he have even a trace of the previous dynasty’s emperor? He is an extremely strong-willed man who destroyed the Xia dynasty in the northwest and then rose to power. None of the 100,000 soldiers under his command came from the gentry and officials of the Central Plains.”

“Even those people from Hedong were not prominent figures of the previous dynasty, so why would he be afraid of these officials and nobles from the previous dynasty?”

"The reason why the old officials were not eliminated all at once is simply to use the framework of the Song Dynasty to smoothly take over this vast country. It was meant to be a gradual process to clear away the traces of the previous dynasty. To jump out now would be suicidal. It is only because the current emperor is merciful and will not carry out a massacre that he will be able to do so. However, dismissing them from the capital or even removing them from their posts is inevitable."

At this point, Cai Jing sighed and said with some emotion, "You and I are both former officials of the previous dynasty. It is only because His Majesty disregarded past grievances that we have survived to this day. Many people, however, cannot see this point. They forget their own status simply because of the benevolence of this dynasty."

"If a person does not correct his or her position, disaster will surely befall him!"

Bai Shizhong suddenly realized what was happening and felt extremely fortunate to have come all this way.

At this very moment, dozens of officials had already arrived at his residence.

Three days later, the court assembly continued to discuss the matter of approving artisans' titles.

The arguments continued.

Halfway through, officials frantically gave Pai Shih-chung meaningful glances.

This official holds a high enough position and has enough seniority; it's time for someone of this stature to step forward.

Bai Shizhong calmed himself down and took a step forward.

Everyone else quieted down, waiting for him to lead them on a charge.

Bai Shizhong has the typical appearance of a scholar-official: fair skin, slender and tall, with a slow and steady gait and an elegant demeanor.

He cleared his throat and said loudly, "The craftsmen have made great contributions to this dynasty. They improved firearms, making our soldiers invincible; they improved ships, making our merchants spread all over the world; they improved farming tools, making our granaries full and abundant."

"Your subject, Bai Shizhong, approves of including artisans in the ranks."

The court fell silent. Chen Shao raised his eyes, somewhat surprised and taken aback.

He nodded slightly, looking at Lao Bai with a newfound respect.

As expected of a veteran minister, his sense of smell is quite impressive.
-
After the guests had all left, Huang Qianshan, a Hanlin Academician, went directly to a quiet room in the mansion.

Huang Qianshan was sitting comfortably sipping tea when he saw Wang Boyan and said with a smile, "The guests have all left, why don't you go, Brother Tingjun?"

Wang Boyan sighed, then hesitated to speak.

“Brother Tingjun, please speak your mind,” Huang Qianshan said calmly.

“Brother Maohe, it seems a bit reckless of us to go to such lengths to solicit signatures,” Wang Boyan said with a worried expression.

"What do you mean?" Huang Qianshan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

“There may be double agents among the court officials. If tonight’s events are leaked, wouldn’t we lose our advantage?” Wang Boyan frowned, puzzled. “Shen Yan, who came up with the idea today, is known as a shrewd strategist. How could he have such a drastic plan?”

Wang Boyan suspected that Shen Yan might have done this on purpose, and that someone had deliberately instigated him to come up with such a bad idea.

What if the imperial court uses this as a pretext to wipe them all out?
Huang Qianshan laughed heartily, "Tingjun is right, there must be someone among the court officials who tipped them off, but so what?"

“Speaking out for justice is the duty of a subject. What have we done that is beyond the bounds of propriety? This is a perfectly legitimate plan, so why should we fear the tricks of petty people!” Huang Qianshan stroked his beard and laughed, full of confidence.

"I'm afraid we'll alert them," Wang Boyan said, still hesitant.

"If Tingjun refuses to sign his name, that's fine too!"

After hearing this, Wang Boyan, though still full of worry, stopped talking.

If I don't sign my name, I'll be excluded from this circle in the future.

Huang Qianshan was not afraid at all. He had already gained the support of many gentry. Even if he lost this time, he would just go back to his hometown and become a wealthy man.

Anyway, they don't have any real power anymore.

Those people are making a fortune at sea these days, so why not take a gamble myself? If I succeed, as the initiator, I'll become the leader of the Shilin community!
Chen Shao originally intended to wait a few more days to let more officials come forward before closing in on them.

Unexpectedly, these officials, seeing that the debate had gone on for so long without being punished, assumed that the emperor's opinion had changed.

Just like the previous dynasty, they began to humbly accept advice, and their courage gradually grew.

"Your humble servants, who are among the most trusted advisors, have been facing a time of national crisis. Observing the heavens and the earth, and scrutinizing public opinion, we have often risen in the middle of the night to sigh and wept before meals. We have humbly decided that rather than retreating and weeping, it is better to risk death to speak out. This is our will and our duty."

"I have witnessed Your Majesty's intention in recent years to order all artisans and servants to be ranked among the lowest ranks of the Nine Ministers and to be placed alongside the Grand Masters. Upon hearing this, we were terrified and anxious day and night. We dared not fail to worry about the fate of the nation and risked our lives to report this to Your Majesty."

Those who employ skills to serve their superiors should not be seconded to another profession, nor should they be transferred to another official post. Craftsmen wielding axes and hatchets, and using ingenious machines, belong to the lower ranks of industry and commerce. In ancient times, "one should not sit under a low eaves, nor walk in the marketplace." How could they be ranked alongside scholars who recited the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents and understood propriety and righteousness in the court?

If those who cast bronze and smelt iron were allowed to wear silver fish and purple robes, farmers would lose their livelihood, scholars would lose their ambition, and people throughout the land would abandon classical learning for awls and knives. This is not a sign of a prosperous age, but rather the beginning of chaos!

It defiles the clear stream, confuses the court's order, and diminishes the emperor's virtue, thus causing the heavens to lose their order, the earth's energy to become restless, thunder and stars to change, and peaches and plums to wither in autumn. According to divination, none of these signs are auspicious.

We, your humble servants, are foolish and reckless, having offended the majesty of Heaven. We are filled with trembling fear and utter despair!

I humbly submit this report at the risk of my life.

May 2nd, the third year of Jianwu.

The petition was jointly signed by 120 people, including Huang Qianshan, a Hanlin Academician, and Wang Boyan, the Vice Censor-in-Chief.
-
On the wide official road leading north outside Jinling City, a group of people and horses traveled in a long, winding manner.

More than 120 officials were demoted and banished from the capital. They bid each other farewell at Jiming Temple in front of Xuanwu Gate in the north.

This departure may mean never seeing each other again.

Faced with such a prosperous city as Nanjing, one can imagine the bitterness in their hearts.

At this moment, I can't help but think of the Song Dynasty, the dynasty before which people could freely criticize others.

They were now furious and their words were full of disloyalty.

Then he was caught on the spot by the Guangyuantang agents who had been lying in wait in plainclothes, and sentenced according to his crimes.

These actions stirred up trouble among traditional officials, and many began to escalate the conflict, no longer targeting only the artisans' products, but also attacking the very existence of the Royal Guangyuantang.

The officials in the censorate system, who were already bored out of their minds, became excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood when they saw that another official was going against the emperor. They set up their ranks to criticize the new policy of allowing artisans to enter official ranks, and memorials flew into the Secretariat like snowflakes.

A few days later, Chen Shao issued an edict abolishing the Censorate's subordinate offices, namely the Censorate Court, the Palace Court, and the Inspection Court.

Within the Guangyuan Hall, a government office directly under the imperial court, a personal guard, the Jingwei, was established, and officials were dispatched to report on matters and rumors circulating in various parts of the capital.

They were in charge of supervising court etiquette, accompanying the emperor, inspecting the six ministries, and patrolling local areas. They were directly responsible to the emperor, and the prime minister had no right to interfere.

Instead of monitoring the emperor, they monitored the officials, thus consolidating power once again.

The courtiers stared at each other, realizing they were utterly helpless; they had absolutely no power that could threaten the emperor.

The first case investigated by the newly established Jingwei was a thorough investigation into the case of the humiliation of the emperor at the North Gate.

Because the North Gate is near Xuanwu Lake, it is called Xuanwu Gate. Near Xuanwu Gate is Jiming Temple.

Therefore, this case is also known as the Rooster Crow Case.

After half a month of interrogation and mutual accusations, only thirteen of the more than two hundred officials were released without charge.

The other officials either slandered the emperor or made irresponsible remarks about state affairs, all of which were highly treasonous.

Ultimately, Jing Wei, together with the Ministry of Justice and the Jinling Prefectural Government, sentenced eight people to beheading, thirty people to exile in Annan Circuit, and the rest to be flogged and expelled from the capital, never to enter Jinling again.
-
Bai Shizhong's hands trembled as he looked at the official gazette.

I've learned my lesson. Last time, I was tricked by those bastards into going to a restaurant and listening to them slander His Majesty, who was then the Prince of Liang.

As a result, he was taken to Jiaozhi (Vietnam) and almost died there.

Fortunately, I asked Prime Minister Cai beforehand, otherwise they would have put me in a difficult position again.

The fact that the court dealt with more than two hundred officials so swiftly fully demonstrates that His Majesty does not care about the power of the former officials.

With the founding of the Great Jing Dynasty three years later, the country has become increasingly stable, and it is time to remove these former officials.

If I don't perform well, I'll be the next one to leave Beijing.

Thinking of the danger, Bai Shizhong suddenly felt his mouth go dry. He reached for his teacup but was scalded by the sudden heat.

Just as he was secretly rejoicing, his son Bai Yuqiao ran in, "Dad, Huang Qianshan has been beheaded!"

Bai Shizhong immediately frowned and scolded, "What are you panicking for! If you can't even catch your breath, don't open your mouth. The sage said, 'With calm and stillness, one can think clearly!'"

"Father, you are truly amazing! You were able to see through His Majesty's mind this time and turn danger into safety. From now on, His Majesty will definitely think more highly of you."

Bai Yuqiao clutched his chest, feeling as if he had survived a catastrophe. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. If his father had also fallen, he wouldn't have been able to escape either, and he didn't know how miserable his future would have been.

Today, Jinling has truly surpassed Bianliang (Kaifeng) of yesteryear; who would be willing to leave?

Bai Shizhong chuckled, "What's so special about that? People like Huang Qianshan and Wang Boyan are short-sighted and ignorant of their destiny."

"Have you not heard the saying, 'If a person does not correct his position, disaster will surely befall him'?" (End of this chapter)