The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Wen Yuan's withered hand trembled slightly, and a hint of bitterness flashed across his face. He could easily hear the barb in Xu Jie's words. He didn't forget, not that he had forgotten, but that he remembered but didn't care about it anymore.

The reason they didn't take it seriously was because the person standing here was the Minister of Rites, the leader of the scholar-official class who also oversaw the Hanlin Academy, and a high-ranking official who could be appointed to the cabinet at any time.

The upright officials around him were all moved, feeling that Minister Xu was indeed magnanimous, and that he was a very kind person to sincerely try to retain the old minister with whom he had a grudge.

Fortune changes, and power is stronger than man. Wen Yuan had no choice but to continue to back down. He said in a hoarse voice, "I am old and frail, and my mind and strength are exhausted. I am really no longer able to shoulder this heavy responsibility. I have no choice but to return to my hometown to retire. From now on, the affairs of the court will be supported by pillars like you, Zisheng."

"Upon hearing your words, Xu Jie dares not accept such praise. Above me is the Emperor and below me are the Grand Secretaries. I, Xu Jie, am but a favored subject, who has been granted the honor of serving in the Ministry of Rites by the Emperor's grace. My daily duties are nothing more than drafting edicts for His Majesty, performing rites for the court, and guarding this Hanlin Academy for the scholars of the world."

With trembling lips, Wen Yuan finally managed to say, "Please do not be modest, sir. We are all scholars of integrity, and we will all be grateful for your care and promotion in the future."

Xu Jie begged for mercy repeatedly, but he felt much better inside. "You old bastard, I'll let you off the hook if you just say something nice. I won't exterminate the Wen family. What more could you want?"

As long as he remains in power, the Wen family can forget about anyone rising to prominence; they'll just have to stay in the local area for two generations.

Wen Yuan knew that Xu Jie would definitely suppress his descendants, but since he had lost his position and was neither able to help the next Minister of Personnel take the position nor to push his son to the next level, it was only natural that he would be suppressed by his political enemies.

Fortunately, he did not do nothing, leaving only a mess for his children and grandchildren. On that day, he fought hard for Prince Yu in front of the emperor, betting that Prince Yu would inherit the throne in the future.

In that case, Prince Yu would surely take it into consideration, and the Wen family would have hope again.

After the two men sorted out their grievances, Wen Yuan finally walked up to Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji, who had been waiting impatiently for a long time.

If Wen Yuan hadn't pleaded for the establishment of an heir a few days ago, upholding the emperor's authority, they would have left long ago. Wen Yuan occupies the position of Minister of Personnel, and for the past three years, he has suffered repeated defeats against Yan Song without accomplishing anything. They have often cursed him in private.

"Lord Wen." The two men politely bowed to Wen Yuan.

"Suqing and Mengjing, the ups and downs of official life and setbacks are common occurrences. Although you are going far away, do not be discouraged. Do not forget the original intention of a scholar. Keep your talents hidden and wait for the right time to act. Uphold integrity and be incorruptible, and keep the country in mind."

The Ming Dynasty is currently facing a dark and turbulent time, and it needs upright and honest ministers like you. Today you are leaving the capital for the time being, but when the winds of change rise again, you will still have a place in the court.

"Thank you for your public explanation and teachings. We will definitely stay true to our original intentions."

Just as the two were saying goodbye to everyone again, a voice called out from afar. When they saw who it was, everyone was startled.

It was Du Jizong, the uncle of Prince Yu and a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, followed by his son Du Hai and several servants, carrying large and small bags as they got off the carriage.

The crowd looked at each other, unsure whether to leave. Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji's faces darkened. Their decision to support Prince Baoyu was in accordance with ancestral rules, not a private agreement.

If Prince Yu could come to see him off in person, it would be a fine occasion. Even if he was too young to leave the palace on his own, it would be respectable to send his uncle to offer a willow branch and a toast.

The worst thing was that in public, they were presented with so many packages of gold, silver and valuables. If they accepted them, they would be seen as greedy and petty. If they didn't accept them, they would be afraid of hurting Prince Yu's feelings. They were really in a dilemma.

"Oh dear, we barely made it! Her Majesty and His Highness knew you were departing today, so they quickly ordered me to prepare the travel necessities and see you off outside the city. I rushed as fast as I could, but I was still almost late. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Du Jizong had a long face, fair skin, and a refined appearance, but he spoke very bluntly and his gestures were somewhat clumsy.

It's understandable, though, since the Du family was originally just a commoner family in Daxing County and didn't know much about the rules.

Gao Gong said with a dark face, "Please inform the Empress and His Highness that I appreciate your kindness, but I dare not accept these things. Please have Commander Du take them back."

"Huh?" Du Jizong was quite surprised: "Why is that? I spent a lot of money preparing all this."

His son quickly pulled him aside and whispered in his ear, "Dad, I told you there were too many people here. We should have waited until they dispersed before coming over. It's too crowded here, and people won't be able to accept our help."

Du Jizong's face slowly flushed red. A few days ago, his sister sent him a letter saying she wanted to use good things. He went to the silver shop to exchange silver, to the cloth shop to pick out silk, to the tea shop to buy new tea, to the restaurant to order dry rations, and to the bookstore to buy rare books...

He had been busy for several days, so busy that his feet barely touched the ground. Even lying on his couch at night, he was still thinking about what to buy the next day. He genuinely wanted to send these things out, and he truly felt that the two gentlemen would need them on their journey.

In his haste, he forgot the principle even his son understood, and hurriedly tried to explain, "This...this..."

Gao Gong's face was dark. He had spent so many years in the Hanlin Academy that his complexion had turned ashen, and there was an inescapable air of hostility between his brows.

At that moment, a fierce aura spread from between his brows, across his cheekbones, across his jaw, across his entire face, and his hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists.

Regardless of Du Jizong's motives, once they arrive in Nanjing, people will say that Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji received several large bags of gold and silver from Prince Yu's uncle when they left the capital.

Who saw it? Everyone saw it!

Did they receive it? It seems they didn't.

How come someone said they saw them confiscate it?

Maybe they accepted it?

definitely!

Whether you accept it or not, once you've given it, it becomes a matter of suspicion, something that's hard to explain, something that can never be completely cleared up.

Zhao Zhenji's expression didn't change much, but he seemed somewhat helpless at this moment.

He stepped forward, touched each bundle, then took two bundles from a servant, opened them in front of everyone, and found some dry food and tea.

"Commander Du," he said. "We'll accept these two packages. As for the rest, Commander Du, please take them back and convey my and Minister Gao's gratitude to His Highness and Her Majesty for their kindness."

"This... alright." Du Jizong also realized that these two were not the corrupt officials he used to have to deal with. They were honest officials who could not accept gold, silver and other worldly gifts.

Seeing that things weren't too bad, and that as long as the packets weren't opened, they could be considered as dry rations and tea, several editors who were on good terms with Gao Gong stepped forward and persuaded the Du father and son to go back, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Heh...hehe, it seems Your Highness still cares about Su Qing and Meng Jing."

"Yes, you can tell this cake is made with high-quality ingredients, and the tea smells wonderful too. You two are very lucky on this journey."

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