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

Chapter 245 Converting merit into crime
The plum rains in Jiangnan are thick and cold, like weeping and lamenting, and have been going on for several days.

As the night deepened, a sudden storm arose, and a pale bolt of lightning tore through the dark clouds, illuminating the eaves and animal-shaped corners of Qian Qianyi's mansion in a menacing and terrifying light.

Thunder rumbled, as if the heavens were enraged and a mighty hammer was about to fall upon the city of Wuxi.

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Qian Qianyi's bloodless face.

He sprang up abruptly from a rosewood recliner, making a strange hoarse sound in his throat, his eyes wide open, his pupils filled with lingering fear.

It was that dream again, the nightmare that had haunted him for countless nights.

In his dream, he was no longer the renowned and respected Mr. Muzhai, but a prisoner whose hands and feet were bound by invisible chains.

The other end of the chain sank into the icy depths of Taihu Lake, where an irresistible force slowly dragged him down.

He struggled desperately, his mouth and nose filled with the fishy smell and muddy lake water. The cold water plants coiled around his neck like venomous snakes, tightening their grip. The pain of suffocation was so real, and the shadow of death spread through his consciousness like ink.

"No... I can't die!"

Qian Qianyi was panting heavily, his forehead and back already soaked with cold sweat.

He reached out his hand, trembling, as if trying to grasp something, but only grasped at empty air.

Facing the flickering candlelight, Qian Qianyi muttered to himself in a daze, over and over again, as if possessed: "I cannot die... I, Qian Qianyi, have read the books of sages and virtuous men, and have reached the highest position in the court. How can I die like a pig or a dog! I cannot die..."

This fear of death is deeply ingrained in his bones, like a carbuncle clinging to the bone. It serves as the guiding principle for his actions, thoughts, and meditation. The reputation, integrity, and morality that he usually prides himself on are all like candles in the wind, easily extinguished and vulnerable in the face of this single thought of seeking life.

A maid quietly pushed open the door and entered, carrying a bowl of lotus seed calming soup. She said softly, "Master, it's late. Drink this calming soup before you rest."

"take away!"

Qian Qianyi was in a state of unease at the moment. When he saw someone enter, he was like a frightened wild beast, and he suddenly waved his hand.

The small celadon bowl crashed to the ground with a loud bang, shattering into several pieces.

The warm soup splashed everywhere, leaving a puddle on the ground, which, in the dim candlelight, resembled the lake that had swallowed him in his dream.

His eyes instantly turned sickly and terrified. Pointing at the puddle of water, he screamed in a shrill voice, "Water...water! Wipe it off! Wipe it off for me!"

The maid was so frightened that she knelt down and scrambled to wipe the wound with her sleeves, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Seeing this scene, Qian Qianyi calmed down a little, but his chest was still heaving violently. The hallucination of drowning had already invaded his reality.

……

The next day, the wind and rain subsided slightly, but the sky remained overcast, with dark clouds looming over the city, making it impenetrable.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the Qian residence was somber.

A Jinyiwei commander dressed in a flying fish robe, with an embroidered spring knife at his waist, stood in the hall.

Qian Qianyi led the entire household in kneeling below the hall, their bodies trembling like withered leaves in the wind.

He didn't know whether the imperial edict was a death sentence or a poisoned cup.

After his previous poems and essays flattering and praising the emperor were ridiculed by the world, he knew that he was a lamb to the slaughter, and his life and death were entirely in the emperor's hands.

The decree stated:

The official voice of the Jinyiwei commander rang out, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Qian Qianyi's heart.

"...The literary scene in Jiangnan is flourishing, but it also suffers from long-standing problems such as empty talk harming the country and factionalism for personal gain. I am deeply concerned about this. Therefore, I hereby appoint Qian Qianyi, the former Vice Minister of Rites, to preside over the 'Jiangnan Scholars' Discussion' in Wuxi, inviting scholars from Jiangnan to discuss current malpractices, criticize deep-seated problems, rectify the literary style, and offer suggestions to the court..."

The wording of the decree was unusually mild, as if it had not come from the hand of the emperor known for his ruthless methods.

Upon hearing this, Qian Qianyi was terrified, thinking that the emperor was going to put him on the spot and make him the villain who would offend the entire Jiangnan literati, so that he would die without a burial place.

This is no imperial edict, it's clearly a death warrant!

However, when he heard the last few words, the whole world seemed to change.

"...Qian Qing is a leader of the literati and is the hope of the people. I hope you will understand my good intentions, atone for your crimes, and perform meritorious service to prepare for the future. This is my decree."

"Make amends for your crimes by performing good deeds!"

These words were like a divine light, instantly piercing through the deepest darkness in Qian Qianyi's heart!
His pupils, which had been dilated with fear, suddenly burst forth with an almost manic light!

He suddenly realized that he had not been abandoned!

The emperor did not kill him immediately, but instead gave him a chance, a chance to "make amends for his crimes"!

It's like a person falling into an abyss, about to be smashed to pieces, when a rope is lowered from above!
Even if the other end of this rope might be tied to a more horrific instrument of torture, at this moment it is the only hope, the lifeline!
"Your subject... Your subject! Qian Qianyi... Receives the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!" He slammed his head heavily on the ground, making a dull thud.

Tears and snot instantly covered his old face. He cried out hoarsely, his voice filled with the ecstatic joy of surviving a calamity: "Your Majesty's grace is boundless! I...I deserve to die a thousand deaths to atone for it! I will serve Your Majesty with all my might until my dying breath!"

Qian Qianyi prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming down his face. His grateful expression surpassed even that of the most obsequious courtiers.

……

That night, candlelight flickered in the inner room.

Qian Qianyi's first wife, Chen, ordered a maid to bring her a bowl of calming lotus seed soup. Looking at her husband's haggard face, her brows were filled with lingering worry.

Although she was a woman confined to the inner quarters, she came from an official family and had accompanied Qian Qianyi through decades of ups and downs in his official career. How could she be completely ignorant of the political situation?

“My lord,” Madam Chen began tentatively, her voice calm, “today’s events have caused far too much of a stir. The Imperial Guards have come in person, ostensibly with an ‘imperial decree,’ but in reality… in reality, it’s no different from imprisonment. This ‘public opinion’ meeting is probably not a good thing; it seems more like a trap set by the Emperor for the scholars of Jiangnan. You are already in the eye of the storm; why would you want to wade into this murky water?”

Qian Qianyi was adjusting his scholar's cap in front of the bronze mirror when he heard this. A sickly excitement appeared on his face. Looking at Madam Chen in the mirror, he said, "Madam, you are mistaken! This is the Emperor's test for me, and even more so, his trust in me! It is the only chance for the Qian family to be restored!"

Madam Chen sighed softly, walked behind him, and smoothed out the wrinkles on his robes, her tone even more sorrowful:
"His Majesty has swept away the nobles, officials, and even princes with thunderous force, and has also rectified officialdom with harsh methods. Has he ever reasoned with anyone? If he wants to rectify Jiangnan, one imperial edict or one imperial case would be enough. Why go to such lengths?"
"My lord, heed my advice: feign illness. Submit a memorial requesting resignation and close your home to all visitors; perhaps then you'll still have a glimmer of hope. If you truly take this lead, regardless of the outcome, you'll become the target of public criticism, and I fear... there will be no turning back."

Her words were earnest and clear-headed, but they did nothing to extinguish the fervent fire in Qian Qianyi's heart.

"A woman's view!"

Qian Qianyi turned around abruptly, grabbed his wife's shoulders excitedly, and his eyes burned with a desperate will to survive:
“What do you know! This is His Majesty giving me a chance! A chance to prove to the world, and even more so to him, that I, Qian Qianyi, still have a purpose! As long as I follow His Majesty's wishes and thoroughly expose the deep-seated problems of factionalism, self-interest, and empty talk among the scholars, clearing away obstacles for His Majesty, I can survive! Only by surviving can I have a future! Reputation? Integrity? If I die, I will have nothing!”

At this moment, Qian Qianyi was completely deaf to any advice.

His mind was consumed by the sole purpose of survival, and he was willing to abandon everything for that purpose.

He began to devise his speech even more frantically, portraying those who had once shared drinks and poetry with him as parasites who harmed the country and its people.

He was determined to sell the entire Jiangnan literati community just to gain the right to live on in this world!
Looking at her husband's face, twisted with paranoia, Chen felt a chill run down her spine and silently took a step back.

She knew that her once spirited and influential husband, who had led the literary world, had died completely in those nightmares of drowning.

……

The news that the emperor was going to hold a "Jiangnan Scholars' Discussion" in Wuxi, presided over by Qian Qianyi, was like a boulder thrown into the Jiangnan public opinion field, stirring up a huge wave.

In no time, Wuxi was bustling with carriages and horses, and inns were fully booked.

The scholars of the Fushe Society were the first to act upon hearing the news.

Led by Zhang Pu and Chen Zilong, a large number of Fushe core members led hundreds of others to Wuxi once again.

In their view, Qian Qianyi, that spineless coward, had previously sung praises to the emperor and was already a disgrace to the literati!
The emperor is now asking him to preside over the conference; it's utterly ridiculous!
This conference was their last chance to speak frankly to the emperor and correct his wrongdoings!
In the city's various restaurants, one could see young scholars wearing square headscarves and Confucian robes everywhere.

They were full of vigor, talking loudly and passionately, their spittle flying everywhere.

"That scoundrel Qian Muzhai betrayed his friends for personal gain. How dare he preside over this conference! We will go there to denounce his shameless behavior to his face!"

A young member of the Fushe Society slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his face flushed red.

Zhang Pu sat upright in the center, fanning himself with a folding fan, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He said in a deep voice, "Rebuking Qian Qianyi is one thing. More importantly, we must take this opportunity to express to His Majesty the sentiments of the scholars of Jiangnan! We are not against the new policies, but rather that there are many aspects of them that do not conform to the ways of the sages! We scholars should strive to establish a better future for the people and to create peace for all generations. How can we sit idly by and watch as military men rule the country and secret police run rampant!"

“Brother Puxi is absolutely right!” Chen Zilong interjected. “I have already drafted a ten-thousand-word petition, which will be made public at the meeting and will surely be a wake-up call!”

Their words were vehement, as if they could already see themselves debating with scholars in public debate, turning the tide, and ultimately achieving lasting fame.

In the corners of these restaurants, there are always one or two quiet tea drinkers.

They were dressed simply and inconspicuously, listening silently, occasionally bowing their heads to record those outrageous and rebellious words in small notebooks they carried with them, using symbols that only they could understand.

The twilight is closing, and the lanterns are starting to turn on.

Qian Qianyi stood by the window of his study, gazing at the turbulent city of Wuxi outside, but his face remained completely calm.

He ignored the clamor of the Fushe Society and the disdain of his fellow members, paying them no heed or concern.

At this moment, he had only one unwavering belief in his heart: as long as he could do this task assigned by His Majesty well and make His Majesty feel relieved, then he might be able to escape this calamity!

As long as I can become a member of the imperial faction, I'm willing to be the most obedient dog.

Qian Qianyi felt that he had grasped this lifeline and used all his strength, even more so than when he passed the imperial examination and became a third-ranking scholar in the court.

Because he knew that this time he wasn't gambling with fame and fortune, but with his own life!

(End of this chapter)