Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 118 The emperor held a knife in his hand, and he really dared to cut...
The setting sun, like blood, gilded the outline of the Western Hills with an eerie deep red.

The crimson light pierced through the windowpanes and slanted into Qian Qianyi's study, casting an ominous hue over the ancient books and paintings that filled the room, as well as the figures sitting within.

Unlike the near-mad panic and chaos that was currently permeating the mansions of the nobles in the capital.

It's very quiet here.

The serene composure unique to literati, honed through millennia of etiquette and countless ups and downs in officialdom, seems to permeate the air, as if any external clamor is irrelevant to them.

Qian Qianyi was sitting comfortably in the main seat, dressed in a plain Hangzhou silk robe, his beard and hair meticulously groomed.

Beside him was Qian Longxi, and below him were several key figures who, though not high-ranking officials, maintained the connection between the gentry of Jiangnan and the upright officials in the court.

They were whispering amongst themselves, discussing what they believed to be the right thing to do to save the country and get the monarch back on track.

In their view, this was not a conspiracy, but a necessary rectification of wrongs.

“Since His Majesty ascended the throne, his actions have become increasingly hasty, completely deviating from the old system established by the late Emperor.” Qian Longxi frowned slightly, his tone heavy.
"After granting Zheng Zhilong pacification, Your Majesty has become increasingly hasty in your actions. First, you wanted to reopen the sea ban, and now you want to discuss levying commercial taxes. This is the beginning of competing with the people for profit, and it is not a long-term way to govern the country. Your heavy reliance on military men and your disregard for civil officials are even more detrimental to the foundation of the country. We who eat the emperor's food should share his worries and cannot sit idly by and watch Your Majesty be led astray by a group of sycophantic and opportunistic men."

Another official chimed in, “Lord Qian is absolutely right! The laws of our ancestors are the cornerstone of our Great Ming's two hundred years of stability. How can they be changed at will? The emperor’s responsibility is to govern by virtue and rule with a detached approach. Now, Your Majesty insists on handling everything personally, meddling in trivial matters, and vying for power with the officials. If this continues, the court will surely fall into chaos! We are here to advise Your Majesty on how to govern the country together with the scholar-officials, which is the true and correct way to govern the country!”

Their voices were devoid of any selfish motives, filled only with passionate fervor for the country and its people.

They firmly believed that they were not fighting against the emperor, but helping him and saving the empire from sliding into the abyss.

Unexpectedly, the emperor ignored all their efforts and even intensified his actions!

"The imperial decree from the palace," Qian Longxi picked up his teacup, gently skimming off the foam with the lid, his movements elegant and composed, as if he were discussing not an unprecedented edict, but a trivial anecdote from the court.

"Officials of the sixth rank and above are not allowed to leave the capital without imperial decree."

This imperial decree was like a giant net slowly tightening, turning the entire capital into a massive prison.

There was no bloodshed, yet the presence of swords and spears terrified them more than if they had swords held to their necks.

It even deprived the weak among the court officials of their escape routes—whether it was "retiring to their hometown" or "observing mourning for their parents," these traditional safe havens for civil officials to cope with political storms were all blocked overnight.

The capital city was no longer their political stage where they could manipulate events and wield power.

It became a walled city.

They, on the other hand, were the prey trapped in the city.

Qian Longxi's eyelids drooped slightly, concealing the deep apprehension that flashed across his eyes.

The image of Zhou Yanru being dragged out of the main hall several months ago involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

There was no court deliberation, no joint trial by the three judicial departments, and he wasn't even given the chance to say his last words.

During the slow slicing, the agonizing screams lasted for a full three hours!

That bloody scene completely shattered the moral compass of the civil officials of the time.

Is it true that doctors are exempt from punishment?
That depends on which emperor you're talking to. In front of this tyrannical new ruler, it's best to keep those words to yourself.

Over the next few months, the court officials gradually discovered that the emperor in the palace, the young man they once thought they could easily control by relying on ancestral rules and public opinion, was completely unpredictable.

What terrified them most was that the emperor held a knife in his hand, and he actually dared to strike!

Wanting to curse but not daring to, so in the depths of their hearts, where no one could see, emotions mixed with anger and humiliation began to grow wildly.

Emperor, you should be a lofty moral symbol, while the specific affairs of governing the country should be handled by the most outstanding scholars.

But what about this new emperor?

He was like an over-energetic and extremely impatient craftsman, always rudely interrupting the artwork they were meticulously crafting.

He held a knife to their necks, forcing them to relinquish all their rights, forcing them to agree to the oppressive policies of opening up the seas and levying taxes on businesses that competed with the people for profit, and forcing these gentlemen who should have been upright and virtuous to work like clerks!
This is an insult to their dignity and a trampling of their decency!

Their elegance, their composure, their transcendent position of wielding public opinion with ease and indirectly deciding the affairs of the world are being torn to shreds by this unruly tyrant!
"The current emperor is a blessing to the nation, with his young and ambitious sons." Qian Qianyi spoke slowly again, stroking his well-maintained long beard with deliberate movements, as if he were sorting out the chaotic mess of the world.

"However, excessive rigidity leads to breakage. Water that is too clear has no fish. Blindly advancing is by no means a way to govern a country in the long run."

He raised his eyes, his gentle gaze sweeping over each of his colleagues, like a worried elder.

"As subjects, we receive salaries from the court and are supported by the people. We have a duty to correct the mistakes of the ruler."

These words were impeccable, brimming with noble righteousness for the country and its people. Like a precise arrow, they struck the heart of everyone present.

Yes, they were not acting for personal gain; they were doing it to correct the emperor's mistakes, to save the nation from going astray, and for the sake of all people!
With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Qian Qianyi's lips curled into a faint smile.

His fingers tapped lightly on the rosewood table, as if plucking an invisible string.

The wind has already risen.

In the past few months, those down-on-their-luck scholars and impoverished students have spread their stories—eight parts true and two parts false—to every corner of the capital like dandelion seeds.

The storyteller under the overpass recounted the secret of "the emperor despising scholars and favoring military men" with spittle flying from his mouth; the singers in the taverns and teahouses lamented in their soft Wu dialect the tragic song of "the prosperous Jiangnan region has been plundered".

'His Majesty is tyrannical,' 'disrespectful to Confucian officials,' 'indiscriminate killing of innocent people,' 'abandoning ancestral rules'... These words, like mold quietly growing in a dark corner, spread silently, permeating the very fabric of this city with a stench of decay.

Their target was never the common people who sold goods and labor, but the group of scholars who gathered from all over the country, full of passion and ambition, yet most easily swayed by justice and righteous indignation.

But wind alone is not enough.

The wind can only sway people's hearts, but it cannot shake the palace.

For this wind to become a storm that could make even the dragon throne tremble, a fire is needed—a raging fire that can ignite the anger of everyone.

Qian Qianyi raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly piercing through the heavy walls of the study, looking towards the crowded and noisy provincial guild halls in the southern city, where undercurrents were surging at that moment.

As if on the same wavelength, Qian Longxi coughed lightly and hesitated before speaking, "Master Muzhai, however... though the wind has risen, it is ultimately like a rootless duckweed. We are trapped in a cage, unable to move, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Qianyi smiled, picked up his teacup, gently blew on it, and said calmly:

"Zixie, you are wrong. Why should we move?"

He put down his teacup, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper, yet everyone present could hear him clearly.

"His Majesty has personally prepared that fire for us."

Everyone was taken aback at first, then their faces showed expressions of sudden realization.

That's it! That fire!

This is an unprecedented and utterly absurd event that has never been heard of since the founding of the Ming Dynasty!

The imperial examination, originally scheduled to be held on April 2nd and with the list of successful candidates to be announced on February 6th, was unexpectedly postponed indefinitely by the emperor in a manner that was almost humiliating!

No reason! No explanation! Not even a single comforting word!

The exact words that came from the palace were only one sentence, filled with an unbearable arrogance and contempt that regarded all scholars in the world as ants:

"Those who wish to stay, please wait patiently; those who cannot endure, crawl back to your place of origin!"

Qian Qianyi took in the knowing looks that followed the astonishment of the crowd, and his smugness almost overflowed.

What a... adorable young emperor! He sighed silently to himself. He thought imperial power was an all-powerful sword, but he didn't understand that the most terrifying force in the world was never swords, but the hearts of the people—the hearts of millions of scholars gathered together!
He actually handed this sharpest weapon to us himself!
This is not just a simple matter of postponing an exam.

This is the most blatant humiliation for all scholars in the world!

Ten years of hard study, stealing light through a hole in the wall, leaving one's hometown, enduring hunger and hardship—what is the purpose of all this?
Isn't it all for the glory and dream of passing the imperial examination, bringing honor to one's ancestors, and benefiting the world?

Now, with a single, casual remark, the emperor has trampled all their hopes, dignity, and future prospects underfoot, and crushed them twice.

The fire was ignited, and it burned brighter than anyone could have imagined, a thousand times, ten thousand times more powerful than all the rumors he had spread before!
"Your Majesty's move is indeed not very prudent." Qian Longxi carefully chose his words, but the excitement in his eyes could not be concealed.

"It's more than just inappropriate." Qian Qianyi shook his head, his face still bearing that compassionate expression. "This is an act of self-inflicted wound, a self-destructive act. I... am heartbroken!"

He said he was "heartbroken," but his eyes revealed a look of glee as he watched his prey fall into the trap.

……

The southern part of the city is south of Xuanwumen Street.

This is the main gathering place for students from other places who come to Beijing to take the imperial examinations.

The Huguang Guild Hall, the Fujian Guild Hall, the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall... these ancient courtyards have all been transformed into blazing furnaces in recent days, fueled by anger and anxiety, burning away everyone's reason.

As night fell, the main hall in the backyard of the Fuzhou Guild Hall was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Dozens of students from southeastern provinces such as Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi gathered here, their faces, which should have been full of vigor, were now filled with resentment and unease.

A burly student with a dark complexion, clearly from a northern province, was excitedly slapping the table and spitting as he spoke.

"Trading with the Mongols is utterly ridiculous! It's called trade, but it's actually aiding the enemy! Iron pots, farm tools, cloth—aren't these all things that the barbarians desperately need? If we give them iron pots today, they can melt them down and forge them into swords and spears tomorrow! Once the northern barbarians knock on our gates again, won't our homeland become a wasteland? This is like opening the door to thieves, destroying our own Great Wall!"

His words immediately resonated with a group of students from the north.

Immediately afterwards, a young man with a worried expression and a Liaodong accent stood up, his eyes full of concern.

"And then there's Mao Wenlong! The court spoils him rotten, giving him money and official positions whenever he wants! This man has long since amassed a large army and established himself on Pi Island. He's a general of the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, he's a king of overseas! If this continues, the people and soldiers of Liaodong will only know about Marshal Mao, not His Majesty! This is like raising a tiger to cause trouble, a great traitor to the country!"

However, the most emotional were those students from the Jiangnan region, who made up the vast majority of the students.

A handsome young man, dressed in an expensive silk robe, clearly from a wealthy family in Jiangnan, slammed his hand on the table and stood up in anger.

"The imperial court has its own laws! Our ancestors have their own established rules! Even if grain merchants in Jiangnan engage in hoarding grain for profit, local officials will investigate and deal with it according to the law! How can they issue an order to confiscate property and arrest people without going through the three judicial departments or the court's deliberation, and execute them without warning?!"

His voice was shrill with emotion.

"This is tyranny! It shows a blatant disregard for the laws of our dynasty! If you can slaughter merchants at will today, you can slaughter scholars at will tomorrow! As Mencius said, 'If a ruler treats his subjects like dirt, then the subjects will treat the ruler like an enemy!' Your Majesty's competition for profit with the people and your contempt for merchants are truly a great taboo for the nation!"

The entire lobby erupted in cheers.

"tyranny!"

"Disregard ancestral rules!"

"I studied hard for ten years, only to be treated like dirt!"

The angry shouts nearly blew the roof off the clubhouse.

Just then, a young man dressed in a blue robe, with a thin face but exceptionally bright eyes, slowly walked to the center of the hall.

It was Shui Tailang, one of Qian Qianyi's most outstanding students.

The moment he appeared, the noisy scene miraculously quieted down.

Shui Tailang did not speak immediately. He first bowed deeply to the crowd before speaking in a calm yet highly persuasive voice:

"Fellow students, please be quiet."

“Your words are all heart-wrenching and deeply moving. Brother Yuanzhi’s concerns about the threat from the northern barbarians, Brother Zicheng’s worries about the generals, and Brother Jingming’s indignation about the cruelty of the court are all wise and insightful words on national affairs, and are the common opinion of the people.”

He first affirmed everyone's statements, thus winning everyone's favor.

Then, he abruptly changed the subject, his voice rising sharply, filled with compassion and empathy.

"But have you all considered the root cause of all this chaos?"

He surveyed the crowd with piercing eyes.

"The root cause lies in the ruler's loss of the Way, and the absence of righteous voices in the court! It lies in His Majesty's gullibility towards petty men and alienation from virtuous men! It lies in the fact that we scholars are about to be ostracized from the court!"

"What is the purpose of postponing the palace examination? It is to prevent us scholars from entering officialdom, thus making room for those ignorant and arrogant military men who have risen through the ranks of the eunuch faction! And why compete with the people for profit? It is because the national treasury is empty, so they want to compete with the most prosperous region in the country, Jiangnan, for profit in order to support the military and satisfy their ambition for militarism!"

“If this continues, the way of the sages will be abandoned, and the laws of our ancestors will perish! What we are fighting for today is not for personal fame or the gain or loss of our own family! What we are fighting for is the justice of the world! It is to usher in an era of peace for all generations! It is to continue the lost teachings of the sages!”

Shui Tailang's every word was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of these young students.

All personal grievances, whether from damaged family interests or obstructed paths to fame, were elevated to an undeniable moral high ground—"Upholding justice, purging corrupt officials, and continuing lost learning!"
"Yes! To fight for justice for all!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials! Execute the treacherous ministers!"

The crowd was completely ignited, and the passion of the young students was boiling in their veins.

They seemed to see themselves transformed into students of the Imperial Academy of the Eastern Han Dynasty and officials of the Drum Academy of the Song Dynasty, engaging in a great struggle that would go down in history!

……

Under the same night sky, in Qian Qianyi's study.

A student strode in, bowed, and whispered a few words in Qian Qianyi's ear, reporting the exciting scene inside the South City Guild Hall.

Qian Qianyi finally revealed a confident smile and waved for his students to leave.

The atmosphere in the study immediately became more relaxed.

"Master Muzhai, you are truly a hidden dragon of our time!" Qian Longxi exclaimed, clapping his hands in admiration. "The hearts of the people—no, the hearts of the scholars—are now ready to be won!"

“Indeed,” another lean official chuckled. “Though the Emperor possesses the might of thunder, he is ultimately made of flesh and blood. He may kill a few ministers, but can he possibly kill all the scholars in this city? We need only sit quietly in our residences and observe the situation. When the time comes, thousands of scholars will kneel before the palace to submit petitions, and the public will be in uproar. To appease the hearts of the scholars, His Majesty will surely have to make concessions.”

They seemed to already see that scene: under the pressure of the protests of countless students, the young emperor finally realized that the world did not belong to him alone. He had no choice but to bow his head, to dismiss those opportunistic sycophants, to regain respect for them, and to return power to them.

This was a perfectly calculated, open strategy.

Justice and righteousness naturally drove a group of passionate and naive young people to storm that seemingly indestructible imperial city.

The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.

They were, of course, the oriole that had the upper hand.

Qian Qianyi slowly stood up, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked out at the deep night.

The blood-red setting sun had long since vanished, replaced by boundless darkness.

He knew that the deep darkness of tonight was merely gathering strength for tomorrow's thunderous roar that would shake the heavens!

　10 chapters today, let's get started!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)