Liangqianshan Study.
The atmosphere was far from relaxed.
Old Yan Song, while sipping tea, let out a mocking chuckle.
Others might not know, but he was the one who had orchestrated it all. Back then, he had gotten Wu Peng to recommend Tan Lun, thinking that Prince Yu, being a Confucian ruler, would most likely agree to protect him. After all, his own influence was the greatest. Prince Yu might also harbor suspicions about Zhu Mo's identity, thus worrying that the throne might not be absolutely secured for him. After all, wasn't his own father a prince who ascended the throne?
Therefore, he wasn't worried about Prince Yu disagreeing, but rather about Jiajing's attitude.
This Emperor was already quite displeased with him. The previous instance with the poem was a direct strike at his heart in court, and he had even been kicked out of the "immortal ranks." At such a time, he naturally couldn't hold any illusions: Jiajing must have absolutely loathed him.
He could only hope that Jiajing could be kept in the dark for a while, or temporarily confined by his father-son relationship with Prince Yu, preventing him from acting. If that happened, the situation would turn a new page, and this unprecedented crisis would be temporarily averted.
These subordinates of his had been quite happy these past few days, but Old Yan Song was filled with anxiety—
From his understanding of Jiajing, the imperial decree that ordered Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, and Prince Yu to devise a proper plan was a terrifying thing... It meant the Emperor was already incandescent with rage, even abandoning paternal affection, and was speaking in reverse in the decree to test his son...
Imagine,
The Emperor could test his own son, how ruthless would that person have to be? But fortunately, Prince Yu might not understand the nuances, and Xu Jie and the others likely wouldn't explain it clearly to Prince Yu. Thus, Prince Yu would still be the head of the "New Yan Party," subtly confronting Zhu Mo. At this juncture, the Emperor would find it even harder to make a decision, which was why he had remained silent.
This situation was extremely beneficial to him, Yan Song. That was why he had his subordinates move swiftly, to quickly connect the princes, meritorious officials, the Imperial Guards, and the inner eunuchs. Once that was done, even if the Emperor suppressed Prince Yu, it would be like pulling out a radish and bringing the dirt with it, like being afraid of breaking a tool when swatting at a rat, and he wouldn't be able to cut ties. If they could also sow discord between the Emperor and Zhu Mo at this time, then the situation would be completely reversed. The Emperor wouldn't last many more years, and then it would be Prince Yu's reign, and thus the Yan family's reign. Yan Song would never lose in his life...
This wasn't invented by Yan Song, but had appeared since the Warring States period, such as "Tian Shi Dai Qi," or "Dang Gu Zhi Huo," or "Niu Li Peng Dang"... all using this method of binding. It was best to bind imperial relatives and meritorious officials, making it impossible for the royal family to strike decisively, and even if they did, they would never be able to eradicate them.
Alas,
Guo Pu had arrived yesterday, and he reported that his protégé at the Ministry of Rites had sent word: the Kingdom of Joseon had sent a state letter requesting the Ming Dynasty to send troops...
At this point,
Yan Song's worries intensified—
If nothing happened, Jiajing would have no leverage. But once something did happen, Jiajing might be able to strike indirectly, using his influence to pressure people. Then, the hard-earned vitality could be set back.
Not only that,
He harbored another, most worrying thought—
Could Jiajing's decree to "devise a proper plan" be an intentional crack, a deliberate ruse to "beat the grass and startle the snake, to lure the snake out of its hole"? If so, then he, Yan Song, would be in a very passive position. Could it be that all these private movements during this period had already been monitored by Jiajing's Imperial Guards?
Having cooperated with this Emperor for twenty years and contended with him for twenty years, Yan Song considered himself evenly matched, and he still had lingering fears about this Emperor's prowess.
At this moment,
While he was deep in thought, he heard the incessant chatter of his son, Yan Shifan—
"What utter nonsense is 'quelling rebellion'? Quelling what rebellion? Isn't it just to take Yin Yuanheng and lead the council to strike? They say it's to suppress the Japanese pirates, but it's all a farce!"
Zhao Wenhua also said, "Young Grand Secretary, in my humble opinion, that old fox Xu Jie most likely won't agree... If he agrees, wouldn't that mean getting involved in the internal affairs of a vassal state? That would affect the overall situation. Even if Xu Jie agrees to send troops, we'll have to find censors to impeach them."
Precisely,
"We can't let them agree!"
"What Japanese pirate suppression? It's just an excuse!"
"Isn't it obvious that Zhu Mo is in collusion! Forcing the cabinet to endorse sending troops for him!"
"And they say 'the scholars and the people are extremely distressed and humiliated'? Have they not seen the profits from maritime trade? Where are the people suffering from extreme hardship?"
"..."
The crowd descended into chaos.
Yan Shifan continued,
"Old Luo, have Wu Peng find someone to hint to Prince Yu? If we send troops this time, won't we lose all face?"
Luo Longwen smiled without answering, secretly glancing at Yan Song.
Yan Song saw this and scoffed inwardly—
If he were ten years younger, he would truly replace all these subordinates...
But at this moment, he was already old and frail, unable to exert himself, so he could only let them be. However, there were certain crucial points that he had to remind them of. He coughed a few times, and after everyone quieted down, he said slowly, "Don't be anxious, why be anxious? You are not the heads of the cabinet... This matter is not for us to be anxious about..."
He pondered for a moment, then said,
"Shifan, tell them all not to act. Everything depends on the Emperor's will... I suspect that after being silent for so long, the Emperor is due to make a statement... I tell you all to go and do your proper business, to be more active, but you don't listen and instead gather together and chatter all day..."
He had a vague premonition. If the Emperor was indeed luring the snake out of its hole, then this time he would seize the opportunity for a thunderous strike, making Prince Yu suffer a good lesson, and thus distancing himself from Yan Song? If that were the case, danger would truly be imminent.
Thinking of this,
He felt a little flustered. Relying on years of instinct, he suddenly asked,
"Shifan, how long has it been since you last saw that eunuch Feng Bao from Prince Yu's mansion?"
Yan Shifan was initially puzzled why his father would ask this at this moment. Then, a thought struck him, and he blurted out,
"Oh, right! Father, if the Emperor personally approves this state letter, then wouldn't Prince Yu resent us?"
Alas,
Yan Song sighed, thinking: this son's mind is good, but it's been ruined by wine and women...
The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. He had a feeling something was about to happen, and asked again,
"Before, I asked you to investigate Zhu Mo's background, but you never took it seriously... Since that's the case, there's no need to investigate anymore... Go, tell that Feng Bao that we have already confirmed it. That Zhu Mo is indeed the heir of a prince, and he became a monk from a young age. As for whose son he specifically is, we are still investigating..."
Hiss!
Hiss!
This?
Reminded by the father and son, everyone quickly realized—
If the Emperor agreed to send troops to Joseon to "quell the rebellion," it would be a blatant warning to Prince Yu. In such a situation, Prince Yu, in his panic, would resent them. And at this moment, when Grand Secretary Yan stated that Zhu Mo was the heir of a prince, it was telling Prince Yu—
The Emperor might truly replace him!
Your only choice, Prince Yu, is to rely on us!