Yuxi Palace.
Late at night.
As soon as Jiajing finished listening to Lü Fang read the first letter, he waved his horsetail whisk.
Lü Fang knew that he was extremely impatient. He gently picked up the paper that had fallen to the ground, turned around, and carefully placed it back on the desk in the side hall.
At this moment,
Jiajing had already stood up. Looking at the crescent moon outside the hall and the snow scene covering the ground, he sighed and said,
"Who do you think did it?"
Lü Fang's expression tensed. He replied, "I asked Zhu Qi and the others, and no one did it..."
Jiajing let out a long sigh and snorted, "So he did it himself? Hmph, he actually has such skill... Lü Fang, can you imagine?"
Lü Fang understood that the Emperor knew Zhu Qi and the others were not involved, so this matter did not concern the imperial family and would not cause any further complications. Naturally, the Emperor would not be displeased. He immediately chuckled and said,
"This Zhu Mo, remember when Wu Feng first said that he roamed the martial world in his youth, it's not surprising he can do this skill..."
Heh heh,
Jiajing couldn't help but laugh, picturing Zhu Mo scaling walls and leaping over eaves.
The two paced out of the palace gates and onto the snow-covered ground. Jiajing suddenly felt the air clear and refreshing, a crisp sensation permeating his entire body. He said leisurely, "Gao Gong, why did he have such bad luck... I was actually considering letting him suppress Yan Song..."
Lü Fang scoffed, "That kind of person, I think it's best to forget it. He might just throw the world into chaos..."
Jiajing couldn't help but smile, "I heard he left? Did he say anything?"
"He did leave. He drove a cattle cart back to his hometown alone. Zhu Qi sent people to escort him secretly to Zhending... He is indeed an upright official. He only had a cart of books, nothing else... Before leaving, he knelt outside the Prince of Yu's mansion for half an hour and presented a 'Last Words on a Sickbed'..."
Lü Fang knew that the Emperor hated resentful people the most, so he told him everything truthfully.
Hmm,
Jiajing nodded and said, "What last words?"
"The eunuch Feng Bao from the Prince of Yu's mansion reported that Gao Gong had no other last words, except to ask the Prince of Yu to protect a disciple named Wu Du. He said that no one, not even a ghost, had visited him during his illness, only this disciple with whom he usually had disagreements, served him by his sickbed, better than his own son. He also helped him with affairs, saying that he had even found the 'Blue Immortal' to save his teacher's life... Gao Gong was naturally deeply grateful and wanted the Prince of Yu to protect this person..."
Oh...
Jiajing felt a pang of sadness and sighed,
"Wu Du, Wu Du... Du represents Marsh, he is a good person... I have some impression. He seemed to be with Yang Bo in Jizhou... Lü Fang, go, tell the Prince of Yu to protect him. Have him go to Xuanfu and become the Commander of Xuanfu..."
Lü Fang, who had been concerned about that person's affairs, felt genuinely moved by these words. Good deeds are rewarded. He said, "Your Majesty's kindness is like the sea. This Wu Du will surely become a pillar of talent..."
Jiajing nodded silently, thinking: The Great Ming Dynasty has too few good people. This person can be used. Perhaps he will have unexpected merits in the future...
By this time, several days had passed.
Jiajing had already guessed that someone would not be able to hold back. He asked, "Why is Xu Jie still not making any moves? He hasn't submitted a memorial or reported anything. No one is speaking about how to handle the aftermath..."
Lü Fang knew that this was the focus of today. He replied solemnly,
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Wu Ming and Wu Liang had news two days ago... Zhang Juzheng, in Jiangnan, used the pretext of instigating civil unrest and interfering with the overall anti-Japanese strategy to arrest Yin Zhengmao. He then sealed over a hundred academies, some dismissing their principals, others investigating officials behind them. In any case, they were all suspended, accused of spreading heretical theories, awaiting further investigation... Then, he wrote a memorial impeaching Zheng Bichang and five or six subordinates. The court gazette has also reached the Grand Secretariat, and Xu Jie and the others have not yet handled it..."
Oh...
Jiajing was stunned for a moment—
Zhang Juzheng indeed made an extraordinary move. He dealt with Gao Gong, and even dared to target Yan Song... This person is quite bold...
At this time,
Lü Fang was also puzzled and asked softly, "Your Majesty, what does this Zhang Juzheng want? Why is his approach so severe?"
Hmph!
Jiajing snorted, "What does he want? He's trying to corner our Grand Secretary Xu!"
Lü Fang immediately understood—
This is too brilliant!
With this, Xu Jie cannot handle it, which is why the Grand Secretariat's opinion has not yet been finalized...
At this point, everyone in the world understood that the bottom line had been crossed. What bottom line? The gentry, officials, and the common people were at odds, and one side had to make a concession. Zhang Juzheng's actions made it impossible for the common people to concede. And who would dare to be the first to ask the gentry and officials to concede?
But why would Zhang Juzheng do this? Isn't he also part of the gentry...
He thought and thought, but could not understand. He asked, "Your Majesty, why is Zhang Juzheng doing this? Grand Secretary Xu and he usually get along well. After all, it was Xu Jie who recommended him to the Grand Secretariat..."
Jiajing naturally knew everything. He scoffed,
"This divine child Zhang is paving the way for our Prince Zhu. He wants Zhu Mo to handle the aftermath... This Zhang Juzheng is too deeply involved in the reform, and he knows he cannot clear his name. So he made this move. He, still wants to reform..."
Yes, yes,
Lü Fang immediately realized: With this, Zhu Mo not only would not die, but he would also make a comeback... How would he handle the aftermath? He would likely make a deal with Xu Jie... This means Xu Jie will also submit a report soon...
Thinking of this,
Jiajing said, "Let's wait and see. It will be today or tomorrow when the memorials from Xu Jie and Zhu Mo arrive..."
And the progress of events was even faster than expected. As the two were smiling at each other, Huang Jin reported from outside,
"Reporting to Eunuch Lü, Xu Jie has submitted a memorial regarding the aftermath of the Gao Gong case. The younger ones, seeing the gravity of the matter, dare not make a decision..."
Lü Fang lowered his sleeve, put on his reading glasses, and said, "Bring it in..."
The Emperor and his minister looked at it and immediately exchanged glances—
This Zhu Mo has indeed become cunning!
But why does he only want to be a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion? He doesn't want any other positions?
And regarding the cases involving the factions of Gao Gong and Yan Song, all those implicated were dismissed. For the vacant positions, Zhu Mo recommended three people, while Xu Jie recommended seven or eight.
Jiajing scoffed, "Hmph, Xu Jie thinks he's getting a bargain? I think this Zhu Mo has achieved immortality. Xu Jie is no match for him... But by doing this, they have completely sidelined Yan Song. Will he give up so easily? Won't Yan Shifan cause trouble again?"
He paced a few steps, pondered for a moment, and then said,
"Approve these people's requests... Zhu Mo cannot just be a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Give him the imperial appointment to supervise the Jiangnan academic case... Along with that Wu Du... Also, let Yan Song rest for a while. After the New Year, during the Lantern Festival, I only want his Qing Ci..."
Lü Fang listened and pondered. This would be best. With Zhu Mo in charge, the common people would not suffer. First, let's resolve that troublesome Yangming Official School case...
However, judging by this, the Emperor's mind has changed again, and he still wants reform!
While contemplating,
Jiajing suddenly said again, "Send secret edicts to Hu Zongxian and Tan Lun. The matter of annihilating the Japanese pirates cannot be delayed any longer. Tell Hu Zongxian that everything must be reported and he cannot hide anything from me..."