The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

"Gao Gong and Zhao Zhenji have left, and Consort Kang's brother even made a fool of himself." Yan Shifan said with a sneer to his old father, who was lying on the couch, "Those from humble families are just so lacking in manners."

Yan Song slightly opened his eyes: "My father and grandfather were just farmers in Fenyi, with no savings. When I came out to take the imperial examination, people laughed at me for coming from a humble family and not knowing how to manage things. Don't you know that?"

Yan Shifan certainly knew this, but he argued vehemently: "How can this be the same? My Yan family is a family that combines farming and scholarship. My great-great-grandfather was a Jinshi in the thirteenth year of the Yongle reign and rose to the position of Right Provincial Administration Commissioner of Sichuan. My great-grandfather also passed the Xiucai examination."

Although my grandfather failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, he never gave up his studies and taught children in his hometown. My father was a Jinshi who ranked second in the second class and came from the Hanlin Academy. Now he is the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty.

The Du family had been nothing more than farmers in the outskirts of Beijing for generations. Going back a few generations, they had only produced one scholar. If it weren't for their daughter's good fortune in entering the palace…

"Alright, stop nagging. If you have nothing else to say, go outside."

Yan Shifan knew that he had made his father look bad and lose his title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. He was losing face and was naturally getting impatient with him.

"Father." But he was also aggrieved, and could only explain with a helpless expression, "I didn't expect that kid would actually have the guts to make a scene in the West Garden."

"What brat!" Yan Song's eyes snapped open, his tone suddenly turning stern. "Those are members of the imperial family, descendants of dragons and phoenixes! How dare you, a mere Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, address a prince like that?"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, it's Prince Jing." Yan Shifan quickly lowered his body, acting very apologetically.

"Calm down, why get so angry?"

The matter has blown up, but His Majesty hasn't actually done anything to you. He's only stripped you of your honorary title; you remain the Grand Secretary of our Great Ming Dynasty.

He stepped forward and used his best skill to comfort her: "The summer tax will be levied soon. My son will send someone to the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office to tell them to report more salt tax this year and issue more salt certificates to those salt merchants."

Once the silver is delivered to the imperial treasury, His Majesty will naturally be pleased, and at that time, your first-rank Grand Tutor title will surely be returned to you.

Yan Song leaned back on the pillow, his eyes closed, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. It wasn't a smile, but a deeper weariness than a smile.

"My old life will be lost to you sooner or later."

Yan Shifan opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Father, please don't say that," wanting to say that he had only good intentions, and wanting to say that he really hadn't expected the matter with Prince Jing to turn out that way.

But before he could speak, his father's voice rang out again, slow and deliberate, as if he were talking to himself.

"You just mentioned the Salt Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai. Who is that Salt Transport Commissioner working for?"

"Of course, they're our people."

"Alright." Yan Song nodded slowly. "Then this year, of course you can tell him to overreport the salt tax, sell more salt permits, send the money into the imperial treasury, His Majesty will collect it, and then what?"

Yan Shifan was stunned. He opened his mouth, but his mind, which had been clouded by wine and women these past few days, suddenly turned around at this moment, and then a chill ran up his spine.

Then His Majesty will know that the salt tax in Lianghuai can actually be increased.

If you overreport this year, you can't underreport next year; if you overreport again next year, you can't underreport the year after next.

They kept increasing the amount year after year, raising it higher and higher each year. The father and son knew better than anyone how big the emperor's appetite was.

Yan Song closed his eyes tightly, and his voice seemed to drift from a great distance.

"You always say I'm controlling you, but if I do as you say, every silver ingot you send into the imperial treasury will become a nail in your father's coffin."

The room was so quiet that only the faint sound of incense smoke curling from the Boshan incense burner could be heard.

"You nail one, and His Majesty watches; you nail another, and His Majesty still watches; but when you nail the third, and can't nail any more, then His Majesty will personally nail the last one for you."

Yan Shifan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. What goes in isn't a surplus, it's a hole; what goes out isn't a cost, it's evidence of guilt.

He had spent most of his life calculating, but only now did he suddenly realize that buying and selling this kind of thing was something he couldn't do with the emperor.

"Then...your Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince..." Yan Shifan's voice lowered.

Yan Song lay back down and sighed deeply: "Didn't you say it yourself? I'm still the Grand Secretary. What difference does it make whether I have one more title or one less title?"

It's just a matter of showing my backside to others, letting them see it, and getting a few laughs. My old face still has some standing with His Majesty; he won't embarrass me for long.

Yan Shifan remained silent for a moment: "It was my fault, Father, that put you in such a passive position."

Yan Song remained unmoved by Yan Shifan's admission of wrongdoing. He had long understood that a person's nature would not change easily, especially the nature of a wise person.

He originally hoped that his descendants would be intelligent and able to keep up with him and continue to bring glory to the family, but now he really hopes that they will be a little stupid, as long as they are obedient.

"Now that things have come to this, what are you going to do?"

"Father is asking about... the position of heir apparent?"

"right."

Yan Shifan raised his eyes, and in that single eye, all trace of the guilt and humility from before was gone. Only a burning, bright light flickered deep within the pupil—the gambling spirit.

"Of course we'll continue!"

Having already lost all their capital, they naturally continue betting. Are they really going to just give up and go home to starve?

Yan Shifan laughed and said, "Since His Majesty hasn't withdrawn from this gambling operation yet, then I will continue to bet on small bets."

Yan Song had long anticipated his unwillingness to admit defeat, but when he heard the words "suppress the inferior," his eyelids still twitched slightly.

In the last round, he lost because of this small number. Given his temperament, after suffering such a big loss, he didn't even think about making up for it and getting revenge.

"A dragon steed cannot be fitted with an ordinary saddle."

Yan Shifan spoke as if explaining to his father, or perhaps comforting himself. His voice was unhurried, yet a burning intensity emanated from every word.

"The more spirited a horse is, the more patient you have to be with it to train it. This time I was too hasty. I didn't prepare the saddle properly and didn't understand its temperament before putting it on, which made it kick up its heels."

His one eye narrowed, as if he were measuring a magnificent horse that no one else could see.

"Next time, my son will prepare a more ornate and sturdy saddle, making it difficult for the animal to break free."

Yan Song had grown tired of scolding him. This was why, even though he was more accurate in understanding the emperor's intentions, he was still disliked by the emperor.

His son lacked sufficient respect for anyone and anything; his illustrious family background, disabled body, and brilliant mind combined to create such an extreme disposition.

…………