Chapter 954 Jiang Qingzhi went south
The north is still bitterly cold, but in Nanjing, the spring breeze is coming quietly.
It is still a little cold in the morning and evening, but for Duke Wei's Mansion, cold does not exist.
The house burned smokeless charcoal, the best quality. The rich and powerful in the capital boasted of their extravagance, but compared with the Duke of Wei's mansion, they were nothing.
The south was rich, and for the Duke of Wei, who had guarded Nanjing for generations, luxury had long been a habit. What they took for granted was out of reach for ordinary people.
But what you get, you pay.
The previous Duke of Wei, Xu Xianzong, passed away two years ago without a son, and his brother Xu Chengzong inherited the title.
As the newly appointed Duke of Wei, Xu Chengzong had spent the past two years interacting with the major forces in the south to consolidate his network of relationships, while also having to deal with the six ministries in Nanjing and the emperors and generals in the capital.
"The southern scholars are so hypocritical." In the study, the staff member Sun Qi stroked his beard with disdain in his eyes, "The Ministry of Revenue in the north has come this time, and those local snakes in the south should have been calmed down and dealt with slowly. But they were impatient and uneasy. That would have been fine, but they even set fire to the Ministry of Revenue officials and killed them. They thought this move could scare Your Majesty and the Council of State. Little did they know that they went too far this time. Duke, I think the court will not sit idly by."
Xu Chengzong had a fair complexion, which made him look even more imposing against his thick eyebrows. He picked up the teacup with his well-maintained hands and took a sip.
The price of this sip of tea can feed an ordinary family for several days.
Xu Chengzong said calmly: "The South is a tax-intensive area. Those people dare to act ruthlessly, betting that the court will not dare to start a war."
"For the officials in the court, the south is a whirlpool, and the Yan party dare not come. But your majesty is the biggest variable." Sun Qi felt that the host was a little too optimistic. "Don't forget, in the Zuo Shunmen incident back then, Yang Tinghe and his son were also sure that your majesty would not dare to take action at the beginning. Then the imperial prison was filled with high-ranking officials, who were beaten with sticks, bloody and bloody, and their civility was destroyed."
"That's a dispute of pride and power. But this is the country!" Xu Chengzong sighed, "The Xu family has guarded Nanjing for generations. To be honest, I'm happy to see peace between the north and the south. But..."
"The matter of clearing the land... is reckless." Sun Qi said what Xu Chengzong wanted to say, "Since we are going to cut off those people's flesh, don't expect them to sit and wait for death. To be honest, this matter makes me a little confused."
"Oh!" Xu Chengzong put down his teacup, "Tell me about it."
"Your Majesty ordered Changweibo Jiang Qingzhi to take charge of the new policy. He is a master of military tactics. I am not familiar with the art of war, but I know that a famous general who can win battles again and again must have a better grasp of people's hearts than anyone else. If that's the case, why didn't Jiang Qingzhi prepare?"
"You mean...he did it on purpose?"
"Duke, the South is a solid block. The court has been trying to pry it open for years, but they can't find a reason and dare not do anything. But Jiang Qingzhi is so bold! Think about it, the Ming Dynasty has been established for many years, who dares to kill the grassland envoy in the street? Only he dares!"
"Are the officials from the Ministry of Revenue the bait?"
"Yes, the officials from the Ministry of Finance are used as bait. Once those people swallow the bait, Jiang Qingzhi will..." Sun Qi made a gesture of lifting a fishing rod.
"No!" Xu Chengzong thought for a moment and shook his head. "The South is the root of Confucianism. How dare Jiang Qingzhi go south?"
In Xu Chengzong's view, the right way for a gentleman is not to stand under a dangerous wall.
"Does the Duke think that the son of Suzhou Prefecture is no longer a son-in-law and is too delicate to take the risk? I think he will definitely come."
Sun Qi was in high spirits. "Altan's army marched southward with great momentum, making the Ming Dynasty north and south shudder. I heard that before Changwei Bo volunteered, no one in the court dared to speak up.
Everyone viewed this battle as a lost one, but Jiang Qingzhi stood up.
Duke, I see that this man has great ambitions. People with great ambitions must be resolute and willing to go through fire and water for their goals. The south is a big whirlpool, but can this whirlpool be more dangerous than the battle between the two armies?"
Sun Qi pointed at himself and the outside world, "They are just a bunch of scholars. Do you dare to rebel?"
Xu Chengzong was in deep thought. After this incident happened, he immediately submitted a letter of apology, and then began to observe the development of the situation and figure out which side to take.
The attitude of Emperor Jiajing and the court will determine the development of this matter.
If a few censors or officials were sent down, Xu Chengzong would think it was a compromise.
"Even if the Jinyiwei and Dongchang go south, it's a compromise." Sun Qi knew his concerns and said, "Only Chang Wei Bo can go south in person, otherwise... the new policy can be put to rest!"
Xu Chengzong stroked his beard, "It would be useless if someone else came."
"If someone else were to come, even if it was Lu Bing or Rui Jingxian himself, they would only be able to struggle in this whirlpool of the south. The smart ones would hurry back. The unwise ones might end up ruining their reputations. Duke, it's time to make a decision."
Sun Qi felt that the host was too cautious. Xu Chengzong sighed, "Nanjing is Nanjing after all. Zhu Xizhong is in his element in the capital, and Zhang Rong is dormant. Once he emerges, he should not be underestimated. Only my Wei Guogong family seems to be in a good position, but it is still too far away from the emperor. The farther away, the less trust we have. The Duke's Mansion has been able to hold up over the years because of its caution."
Sun Qi nodded, "What the Duke said is absolutely true. But do you know the current situation?"
"Right now... in my opinion, if we don't handle it well, there will be a storm." Xu Chengzong smiled bitterly, "As the garrison commander of Nanjing, to be honest, I feel like I'm sitting on a pile of firewood. As long as someone starts a fire, it will be burned down in an instant."
"The Duke is too pessimistic." Sun Qi said with a smile: "Your Majesty implemented new policies when he first ascended the throne, because he saw the crisis of the Ming Dynasty. Then he was resisted, and the emperor and his ministers fought for many years. Finally, Your Majesty retreated to the Western Garden.
Logically, after suffering a loss once, His Majesty should have learned his lesson. But many years later, His Majesty has once again introduced a new policy. Does the Duke know His Majesty's temperament?"
"Arrogant." Xu Chengzong said.
"Being arrogant is one thing, but being stubborn is another!" Sun Qi said, "Your Majesty must be determined to make a desperate move to implement a new policy at this time. The Duke of Wei... The Duke of Wei has always stood on the side of the emperor. Since the emperor is like this, what are you waiting for, my subject?"
Xu Chengzong hesitated and said, "Once they take sides and express their stance, those people will definitely regard the Duke of Wei's Mansion as an opponent."
Others don't know that Xu Chengzong knows the ability of southern Confucianists very well. "Once those people take action, I..." He shook his head with a serious expression. "It doesn't matter to me personally, but the Duke of Wei's family cannot fall into my hands. Dalang is only one year old, and his future... is unknown." Xu Chengzong had a son last year and named him Xu Yu.
These days, before a child is three or five years old, no one can guarantee that he will live to adulthood.
Xu Chengzong was worried that if he fell, his young son would not be able to support the Duke's Mansion.
"When I get to the underworld, how can I face my ancestors and my brother?"
"Ah!" Sun Qi sighed, "Duke, don't you know? His Majesty ordered Chang Wei Bo to take charge of the new policy because he saw in Chang Wei Bo's decisive character. Decisive... means to make drastic changes. Chang Wei Bo has a high prestige in the army. If he takes charge of the new policy, he will not be like Wang Anshi and others in the Song Dynasty who could only criticize each other."
"Does he dare to start a war in the south?" Xu Chengzong shook his head. "That would completely infuriate those people. Once they feel that there is no turning back...they will do anything."
"For example, arson." Sun Qi smiled, "Since the Duke is hesitant, I will make a bet with him."
"Oh! What are you betting on?" Xu Chengzong said with a smile, "You are usually calm and composed, but today you are talking non-stop and full of interest. It's rare. Tell me! I will bet with you."
Sun Qi said: "I bet the person coming from the capital is Chang Wei Bo!"
Xu Chengzong thought for a moment and said, "I bet that the person coming is Lu Bing or Rui Jingxian. At worst, it is a senior official. It is definitely not Jiang Qingzhi."
In Xu Chengzong's view, letting Jiang Qingzhi go south would intensify the conflict and further shake the foundation of Ming's rule in the south. How could such a smart emperor as Emperor Jiajing take risks with his country?
"So, if I lose, I will never go to Qinhuai River again!"
Sun Qi was a man of great talent, and most talented men liked to linger in pleasure places, and this man was no exception. He was a trusted aide of the Duke of Wei, and with his literary talent, he was quite popular among the famous prostitutes of Qinhuai River.
"Forget it. If I lose, I will give you the inkstone you have always coveted!" Xu Chengzong said with a smile.
"A gentleman's word!"
"It's hard to chase a horse!"
The two men smiled at each other, and the host and guest got along well.
At this time, someone came in to report, "Duke, someone from the six ministries has come. Songjiang prefect Chen Lian has sent someone to report that the people in Songjiang are in turmoil... If someone came from the capital, I'm afraid there would be something unspeakable."
"The public is in an uproar?" Xu Chengzong frowned. "Chen Lian is giving a warning!"
"He is not only giving a warning, but also trying to shirk responsibility." Sun Qi sneered, "After the tragedy, Chen Lian led people to search for the murderer everywhere, seemingly diligent. But who doesn't know that the mastermind behind this must be a local tyrant? And that person must be one of the most powerful people in Songjiang Prefecture. In this case, he didn't track down those people, but ran around everywhere... He was just pretending."
Sun Qi's words narrowed down the murderer's origins by 90%.
Xu Chengzong said: "It's not surprising that Chen Lian is trying to protect himself. But those local tyrants in Songjiang Prefecture are using him to say these things at this time. Do you think they are just showing off their power but are actually weak, or are they just being fearless?"
If Xu Chengzong is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, he can be more stern. If he is confident, it is better for the Duke of Wei's Mansion not to wade into the muddy water.
The host is good in every way except that he is more cautious than all the previous Dukes of Wei. He seems to be hesitant and indecisive.
Sun Qi said: "I think it is both!"
"Then..." Xu Chengzong made a decision and told the person who came, "Reply to the person who came and tell him that we will make a decision after the person from the capital arrives."
Let's not move, just sit on the fence.
Sun Qi frowned, stopped the visitor, and said, "Duke, this is a rare opportunity. If Jiang Qingzhi goes south and learns of the Duke's attitude, he is a decisive person, and if he fails to do so, he will embarrass the Duke."
Xu Chengzong smiled and said, "He is Zhu Xizhong's brother. I have some friendship with Zhu Xizhong..."
"Duke, Jiang Qingzhi is a man who will not tolerate any injustice. Not to mention Zhu Xizhong, even His Majesty... I heard that he has contradicted His Majesty many times. I think I should make a statement on this matter! Be strict!"
"Put it aside for now!" Xu Chengzong said to the visitor resolutely, "Just reply like this."
"Yes." The visitor took his leave.
"Duke!"
Someone came and said, "Duke, there is a letter from the capital delivered by express horse."
"where from?"
"Dong Chengguo."
"Zhu Xizhong? Give me the letter."
Xu Chengzong took the letter and opened it.
After just one look, his expression changed drastically, "Bring him back!"
A servant chased him out, and Sun Qi asked, "What did Duke Chengguo say?"
Xu Chengzong looked up at him and said, "That inkstone is yours!"
(End of this chapter)
