Chapter 928: Take Action!
Ever since Jiang Qingzhi entered the cabinet, Xu Jie's position has been somewhat awkward.
He was the second assistant, not as good as the top but better than the bottom, and he had a little brother under him to suppress him. This little brother looked particularly kind, but he was holding a big axe in his hand and staring at Yan Song with a smile.
That’s right, Jiang Qingzhi didn’t take him seriously at all...at least that was his attitude.
Xu Jie felt that he could endure it, but he forgot one thing: he was the leader of the scholars and officials of the world.
If you say that Yan Song, the prime minister, is the leader of all officials, I'm sorry, in the eyes of all officials, Yan Song and his son are enemies, and the real leader is this Ninja Turtle, Xu Jie.
Whenever Yan Song was mentioned, most officials would either sneer at him behind his back, or hate him and denounce him as a treacherous villain.
An official was complaining, "Your Excellency can tolerate it, but I, an official, cannot."
Xu Jie said calmly: "Let's talk about it."
This man is called Ma Shun, he was Xu Jie's subordinate in the past, so he is a member of Xu's faction. Now he works in the Honglu Temple.
Ma Shun glanced at Xu Jie and saw that his old superior's expression was still calm. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that this man's ability to endure had reached perfection.
"The Japanese envoys have arrived. As a rule, the envoys should report to Nanjing as soon as they land, and Nanjing will then report to the capital. But the envoys are almost in the capital, and the people from Nanjing are late. Our Honglu Temple was caught off guard... Lord, the Japanese envoys have not come to the court for many years. This is a big deal..."
Xu Jie nodded. It was true. The Japanese pirates had been rampant since the end of the Yuan Dynasty. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu ordered Tang He to go south and inspect the southeast area. He built many garrisons to guard against the Japanese pirates.
From then on, Japan became a troublesome existence in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty's rulers and ministers.
But if you call it a threat...haha!
In the eyes of the Ming emperors and ministers, Japan was a tiny place that could be killed with a single slap. Of course, if they knew that this tiny place had cost the Central Plains a huge price many years later, Emperor Taizu Gao would probably be so angry that he would die.
Even when the Japanese pirates were at their most rampant, in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty's rulers and ministers, they were just bandits.
Just like the war that broke out in the Ming Dynasty many years later, in the eyes of the emperor and his ministers, they were just bandits.
After Jiang Qingzhi came to power, he used a word when referring to the Japanese pirates in the court: plowing the house and sweeping the holes.
At that time, Jiang Qingzhi was full of murderous intent, as if he would not stop until Japan was destroyed.
"Chang Wei Bo said he wanted to plow the fields and dig holes, what does that mean? Does he want to conquer Japan?" Ma Shun smiled bitterly, "Then Japan is a country that Taizu Gaodi listed as not to be conquered. He is just testing the bottom line of the officials in the court.
Today, I went to Zhilu to ask for instructions. Yuanfu was not there. The young cabinet minister Yan Shifan said that Chang Wei Bo was very concerned about the overseas countries and that I should ask him for instructions on this matter. So I went, but who knew that he was not there either. I left an aide named Hu Zongxian..."
Hu Zongxian...Xu Jie thought of the outside world's evaluation of several advisers around Jiang Qingzhi.
Xu Wei is a genius.
Xia Yan is a thousand-year-old ghost who once ruled the Ming Dynasty and suppressed the existence of Yan Song.
Hu Zongxian was quite low-key and did not show off. The last time Jiang Qingzhi left Beijing, the scholars and officials in the capital took action brazenly. Hu Zongxian calmly responded to the crisis from Xin'an Lane and resolved it one by one. That was the first time that interested people paid attention to this low-key strategist.
"Hu Zongxian was a member of the Yan Party back then, a fool that even the Yan Party looked down upon. I went there and casually mentioned this matter, asking what exactly the rules of Chang Wei Bo are. The envoy will be here soon, so at least give us a definite answer so that our Honglu Temple can respond..."
Ma Shun's face suddenly turned red. "Hu Zongxian actually said, what Japanese envoys? Where did Japanese envoys come from? Just treat them as envoys from local vassal states. No need to go out to greet them, just send a few officials to receive them...
Listen, Lord, is this human language? If the Japanese envoy heard this, he would probably return home immediately! Is it embarrassing for my Honglu Temple and even the Ming Dynasty?
Furthermore, if the envoys are angered, the Japanese pirates will come back to harass us again. Damn it! What new policy? The southeast is in chaos. What new policy? Bullshit! "
Hearing the swear words, Xu Wei's brows frowned slightly.
Ma Shun smiled awkwardly, "Your humble servant is rude..." Then he sneered, "Hu Zongxian is just a commoner, but he dares to order officials around in Zhilu. Who gave him the courage? As the saying goes, if one person succeeds, his family and friends will also benefit. From your humble servant's perspective, the dogs in Xin'an Lane may all be of the fifth rank..."
"That's enough!" Xu Jie frowned. "The new policy is the important thing. As for the Japanese envoy...what did Hu Zongxian say?"
"The envoys of the local vassal." Ma Shun said: "Sir, this is to humiliate Japan! Jiang Qingzhi once beheaded the envoy of Altan Khan in the street, and humiliation was a common thing. Hu Zongxian is in the same vein. Sir, the Ministry of Rites will bear the brunt of this matter."
When envoys from foreign vassal states arrived, the Ministry of Rites took the lead and the Honglu Temple received them...this was the procedure.
Xu Jie concurrently served as the Minister of Rites, so he had the natural responsibility for this task.
"Come here." Xu Jie thought for a moment, then asked someone to come over and said, "Is there any news from the Ministry of Revenue? Go ask."
After everyone left, Ma Shun stepped forward and whispered, "Before I came here, I made a special trip to the Ministry of Revenue and heard some noises... It was very funny." He laughed with gloating, "Under the pretext of looking for someone, I went into the Ministry of Revenue and heard a great uproar in the hall. Those dignitaries! They were all scolding Jiang Qingzhi. Lord, this is a rare opportunity... Take advantage of his illness to kill him."
If Xu Jie could become one, as his men, Ma Shun and others would naturally rise to prominence. Therefore, there has never been any unrewarded contribution in the world. If you want the people below to be loyal, giving them benefits is the kingly way.
Xu Jie was silent. He certainly knew that this was a good opportunity. Recently, many officials in the capital had been urging him to take action quickly and bring down the scourge Jiang Qingzhi. But Xu Jie knew that these people were so eager for their own interests... Before the hurricane of clearing the fields blows down on your head, you should quickly get rid of Jiang Qingzhi.
Xu Jie knew how powerful those dignitaries were. They looked arrogant and extravagant on weekdays, like dandies. This was just an appearance, or even a means for the dignitaries to paralyze the outside world.
Emperors are suspicious of each other, and all the powerful people who have managed to survive to this day and remain rich and powerful have one or even several networks behind them. Once these networks are activated, the impact on the court and the entire country is self-evident.
Is the emperor suspicious?
Then can I just eat, drink and have fun?
Ever since Emperor Taizu Gaozu started killing his meritorious officials, this style of eating, drinking and having fun has become standard for the powerful and wealthy, as if those who are not dissolute are not powerful and wealthy.
Once these people have an attack...
"What did they say?" Xu Jie was a little tempted.
"They said that Jiang Qingzhi would definitely pay the price today. Some people even said that they would force Jiang Qingzhi to promise in public..." Ma Shun smiled happily, "No tax shall be levied."
This is...interesting.
Xu Jie thought of the recent relationship between Yan Song and his son and Jiang Qingzhi. Last time, Jiang Qingzhi embarrassed Yan Song and his son in public, and the conflict between the two sides became more and more serious.
If he took action at this moment, Yan Song and his son might openly help Jiang Qingzhi, but Xu Jie dared to bet that the Yan party would definitely stab him in the back in secret.
Shooting?
Shot!
Xu Jie's breathing quickened for a moment.
He, the deputy minister, has been dormant for too long. If it were only Yan Song and him in the government hall, it would be fine. But now there is Jiang Qingzhi, when will he be able to come to the fore?
Even the most patient person would suffer in this situation.
"This matter... When you go to receive the Japanese envoy, remember to be sincere. By the way... Who knows about the grievances of the Honglu Temple?"
The grievance of the Honglu Temple... Ma Shun looked up and saw a fierce look flashing across Xu Jie's eyes, and suddenly realized, "I accidentally leaked the message to the Japanese envoy... Yes, the Japanese envoy must have come here for something. Hearing about this, he will become hostile to Jiang Qingzhi. According to our dynasty's custom of treating foreign envoys with favor, once the envoy opens his mouth to complain, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the officials."
"I heard that some generals in the Nine Borders have started border conflicts?" Xu Jie took a sip of tea.
Ma Shun understood what was meant by this. "Jiang Qingzhi has angered the people of the world. In order to divert their anger, he wants to send troops to the southeast... no, to Japan. The northern expedition was very costly, and the people of the world have long been furious. If he marches south again, we must remember the story of Emperor Yang of Sui... The world is in turmoil! The culprit is this man Jiang Qingzhi!"
Xu Jie was holding the teacup, as if in a daze.
"I'll take my leave." Ma Shun got the idea and went out happily.
Xu Jie suddenly smiled in the duty room, "Actually, I also want to get along with him. But he didn't take my kindness seriously and even turned a blind eye to it. I don't know why, maybe... it's a grudge? Or maybe it's the difference between Confucianism and Mohism."
He took a sip of tea and said quietly, "The Yan Party is causing trouble for the court. My lifelong wish... is to pull that father and son down and step on them."
Xu Jie's eyes were filled with sternness and hatred. He had been unable to sleep or eat well during these days of being suppressed by Yan Song, but he still had to pretend to be calm in front of his family and outsiders.
Pull down Yan Song and his son, push down the wall blocking Emperor Jiajing, and let us face that tyrant directly... This is the goal of Confucianism and also the scholar-officials.
As the leader they pushed forward, Xu Jie must make this his life goal. If he cannot achieve it, those people don't mind replacing him with someone else.
Lu Song!
Xu Jie smiled slightly. Lu Song was his biggest opponent, but what he didn't expect was that Lu Song actually had a good impression of the new policy and Jiang Qingzhi, which made the literati who were optimistic about him furious.
"The time has come."
Xu Jie said softly: "The world is now in turmoil because of the new policy. It is like a huge pile of firewood. Now it is missing a fire. This fire... I will light it!"
"Mr. Ge!"
The person who went to inquire about the news came back.
"How?" Xu Jie asked.
"The Ministry of Revenue is in an uproar."
it is good!
A strange light flashed in Xu Jie's eyes.
The opportunity has really come.
"What business did Chang Wei Bo talk about? Those dignitaries rushed to contribute money and effort, and even fought each other to fight for the quota. Now the Ministry of Revenue is in chaos. Chang Wei Bo ran away, but those dignitaries are still fighting. Many people from the Ministry of Revenue who tried to stop the fight were injured... Lord, Lord, Lord..."
(End of this chapter)
