Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 4 Dragons and Tigers
the tolling of the death knell
In February of the ninth year of Jiajing (1530), His Majesty the Emperor suddenly summoned Zhang Cong, handed him a memorial, and said something meaningful:
"Go home and take a closer look, and remember to report back in the future."
Reviewing memorials has become a daily routine for Zhang Cong. He casually accepted the document and returned home.
One day later, he opened the document and was stunned and furious.
In fact, this is not a scolding memorial, but in Zhang Cong's view, it is much scarier than a scolding memorial.
Because in this memorial, he felt a powerful threat - a threat to his power.
The main content of this memorial is to suggest that heaven and earth be worshiped separately. This is a relatively complicated etiquette issue. To put it simply, it is this: In the past, the emperor worshiped heaven and earth together. However, in the memorial, the official who wrote the letter suggested that the emperor should change the past.
It is stipulated that worshiping heaven alone should be done to show solemnity.
Such a seemingly insignificant question, but to Zhang Cong, it was of no use to him.
Something bad has happened, business robbers are coming!
Mr. Zhang himself started his career by relying on Li Li. This is his old profession. His successful experience has inspired many people. Since Li Li can lead to promotion, why not do it?
Obviously, the current market situation is bullish, and many people want to get involved, and Mr. Zhang Cong is not an open-minded person. He is planning to create a monopoly and make one person dominate.
He read the memorial carefully and firmly remembered the name of the official who submitted the letter - Xia Yan.
If you dare to show your head, I'll beat you down!
Markets without competition exist only in theoretical imagination.
——Quoted from "Microeconomics", published by Higher Education Press
Xia Yan, male, is from Guixi, Jiangxi Province. He was in charge of military affairs at that time. It’s a bit funny to say that compared with Zhang Xueshi, although this man is a junior official and younger, he is an out-and-out senior because he was among the
Jinshi was awarded a few years earlier than Zhang Cong.
But his test scores were even worse than Zhang Cong's. Zhang Cong was still in the second class, and he only passed the third class. It is indeed a bit embarrassing. With such a score, Hanlin will definitely not be able to pass it.
The right way is to find a job as soon as possible.
Generally, a top-ranking Jinshi official can work as a seventh-grade county magistrate when he goes down to the local area. But if he wants to stay in Beijing, it will be difficult. Not to mention the Hanlin Academy, the six ministries of the Central Committee must not be poor.
But Xia Yan did stay in Beijing. Of course, it was impossible to have the best of both worlds. Xia Yan, who couldn't get into the big office, had to settle for the next best thing and went to the small yamen - the Pingren Department.
Xia Yan became a pedestrian in the Xingren Department, and he got a new title - Xia Xingren. This position is really not high, only the eighth rank, not even a sesame official.
Xingrensi was an errand-running yamen, which was really inconspicuous among major central government agencies. Xia Yan was quite disappointed with this at first, but it wasn't until he officially started working that he realized that he had really gotten a big advantage.
Because he was pleasantly surprised to find that the person he was running errands with was very special - the emperor.
Xia Yan's main job is to receive orders, deliver them to various ministries and places, and then report on the travel situation. This is a trivial job, but it has a promising future.
You must know that the closer to the heart, the more blood can be obtained. In the same way, seeing the emperor every day is really a good job. No matter how good the performance is, it is just right to look familiar.
Of course, the emperor is not easy to serve. It is said that accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. Danger and opportunity coexist. In the final analysis, whether you do well or not depends on yourself. If you do not do well, your head may be gone, so this is also a high-risk job.
work.
But Xia Yan was not afraid, he took to the water like a fish in water, and was soon promoted to the military department. There was a great mystery in this.
You must know that although Xia Yan has a low score, he is definitely not an imbecile, and he also has three unique weapons that are enough to ensure that he gets ahead.
Please believe that being handsome not only makes it easier to find a wife, but also makes it easier to get promoted. This theory should be reliable. Mr. Xia is the most typical example. Because his first weapon is to be handsome (historical records:
He had bright eyebrows) and a good beard (which was very important at the time).
Jiajing probably didn't want to see an unappetizing person every morning when he got up, so it seemed to be a very natural thing for Xia Yan to be favored by him.
In addition to being handsome, Mr. Xia Yan also has a second weapon - he speaks Mandarin (Mandarin) well.
Please note that this is a very important issue. In the Ming Dynasty, the promotion of Mandarin (Mandarin) had not yet taken root among the people, and the emperor was not a translator, so every time he summoned officials from Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang, it was an extremely headache.
Although Xia Yan is from Jiangxi, he is able to consciously learn Mandarin. The so-called "sounding pronunciation is clear and smooth, without any local accent". He speaks very fluently, which is quite standard.
With these two specialties, it would be difficult not to get promoted.
But no matter what, Xia Yan still got into big trouble this time. After all, Zhang Cong was the chief minister of the cabinet. He was just a small helper, and the two sides were not heavyweights.
In fact, Zhang Cong was planning to teach this young man a lesson. He ordered his men to study Xia Yan's memorial carefully and prepare to launch a fierce counterattack.
Zhang Cong's resources are indeed very rich. He has power, money and people. If Yang Yiqing has collapsed, who does Xia Yan mean?
Unfortunately, this was not the case, because Mr. Zhang ignored one thing - he only noticed the memorial, but did not understand what the emperor said.
Soon, Zhang Cong's best friend and cabinet member Huo Tao wrote a memorial. The level of swearing in this memorial was so high that it was said that even veteran professional public officials were amazed and ashamed.
Everything is arranged properly, Xia Yan, just wait and see!
Zhang Cong was completely relieved and prepared to go home and have a peaceful sleep. However, he would never have thought that the seeds of disaster had already been planted.
The next day, the memorial was delivered, and His Majesty the Emperor responded in court:
"Who wrote this memorial?"
Huo Tao reacted very quickly and stood up immediately, echoing loudly:
"It was written by me!"
Huo Tao waited for the emperor's praise, but what he waited for was a roar:
"Arrest him! Go to jail immediately!"
Mr. Huo's smile froze on his face, and he was dragged out by the Jin Yiwei with his head full of confusion.
Zhang Cong pinched himself hard. He was afraid that he was dreaming. Damn it. Why was the emperor angry about Xia Yan's article?
Mr. Zhang Cong is really confused. He originally knew the answer to this riddle, but it seems that his memory is not good this time.
He forgot that the reason why he was in a high position was only because of the etiquette, and the success of the etiquette was entirely due to the support of the emperor. Jiajing was an extremely smart person and would never do things without reason. If he disapproved of Xia Yan
In your opinion, why would you hand over the memorial to Zhang Cong?
Mr. Huo Tao tried his best to curse and made Xia Yan worse than a beggar on the street. But if Xia Yan was a beggar, wouldn't Jiajing, who supports him, become the overlord among the beggars?
I can't even calculate this account. I really don't know what he has been doing all these years.
Mr. Huo went to prison, but the matter was not over yet. His Majesty the Emperor, whose soul was ruthlessly traumatized, issued an order in public:
"Xia Yan's memorial is very good. He was promoted to bachelor's degree and awarded the fourth grade title!"
Then he glanced at Zhang Cong and walked away without saying a word.
Zhang Cong's cold sweat flowed all over his body. For the first time, he felt the taste of despair. In this struggle, he was an out-and-out loser.
But it's too early to give up at this point, and this game has just begun.
Zhang Cong is still confident, because everything is still under his control. Soon, he will use a quick and effective method to deal with the opponent who does not know the heights and heights of the world.
third weapon
With a gloomy face, Zhang Cong returned to the mansion, immediately summoned all his men, and issued only one order:
"From today on, always pay attention to Xia Yan. If you find any inappropriate behavior, immediately file a letter of impeachment!"
Zhang Cong's method is scientifically called "cage tactics". To put it bluntly, it is a scolding battle. He wants to use his power, pay attention to Xia Yan's every move, and launch attacks day and night, leaving him nowhere to hide and mentally at all times.
In the midst of tension, he finally gave up.
This is a very shameless method and a naked spiritual warfare.
When the abuse came to Xia Yan like a mountain, what strength did he have to resist it? In the end, he was just a lonely petty official.
A proud smile appeared on Zhang Cong's face, and victory seemed not far away.
It should be said that Zhang Cong's judgment was correct. Xia Yan was indeed a lonely person. He did not have many friends and did not have a strong backing, but in this battle, he did not have no chance of winning.
Because he also has his third weapon.
Many officials in later generations admired Xia Yan very much and admired him so much. It is said that they even gave him a title - "The Best in Fighting", because the real scary thing about Mr. Xia is not that he is handsome.
Well, it's his eloquence and writing skills.
What Zhang Cong didn't know was that Xia Yan was actually a victim of exam-oriented education. The reason why his grades were so poor in the imperial examination more than ten years ago was simply because his writing style was too sharp and did not suit the examiner's standards.
Just appetite.
So when an insider came to inform him of the situation and was worried about him, Xia Yan made an unexpected reply:
"There's no need to go to any trouble, just let them come together! What can I do?"
The attack started as scheduled. More than a dozen famous officials under Zhang Cong launched a fierce attack on Xia Yan, ranging from improper words to arriving late and leaving early, not dressing according to the regulations, etc. As long as they can be scolded, they will not be punished.
Pass.
But Zhang Cong never expected that this would play into Xia Yan's hands. It was obvious that he was very talented in fighting. As long as opponents came to him, one would destroy one, two would destroy a pair. His writing skills were extremely sharp.
, and the reaction is extremely fast. Today's enemy is scolded today, never overnight, and the efficiency is extremely high. Its terrifying combat power can only be described as fierce.
Because Xia Yan scolded him so harshly, even the person he was fighting with would avoid him when they saw him at work during the day. To scold him like this, it can be said that he was scolding at a level and style.
It just so happens that Mr. Xia's given name is Gong Jin. Although this gentleman is a civil servant, he is more powerful than Zhou Yu (Gong Jin), the military general of the Three Kingdoms at that time. Therefore, some ministers who like to laugh will say "Gong Jin" every time they see Xia Yan.
Smiling and telling him:
"Brother Gongjin, you should change your name to Zilong!"
Zilong is full of courage!
Zhang Cong originally planned to intensify his efforts and scold Xia Yan as a lunatic, but it backfired. Not only was his brother not crazy, but he became more and more energetic and full of fighting spirit.
But when things got to this point, it was impossible to stop even if he wanted to. Zhang Cong was determined to carry this dangerous game through to the end.
He would not forget Yang Yiqing's sad departure. It was clear that if he failed, his ending would be even more tragic, so he resorted to his final trick.
The name of this trick is to form a party. Although it is simple, it is absolutely effective. No matter how powerful the opponent is, as long as you recruit more people, set up an organization such as a mafia, and become the majority of the court, there will naturally be harmony and peace in the world.
As he said, Mr. Zhang Cong immediately started to develop the organization and crusade against the outliers. However, even he did not expect that this unintentional move would usher in an era - the era of party struggle.
The world is developing and the times are progressing. Facts have proved that one-on-one political duels are outdated. In order to adapt to the development of the trend, political organizations have emerged and large-scale collective fights are about to begin.
Zhang Cong's first target was Gui E. It's embarrassing to say that although the two were close comrades when they started their careers, after they became rich, their relationship broke down due to uneven distribution of the spoils.
But at the critical moment, face does not matter. Zhang Cong pulled his old face and came to the door in person. During the banquet, he was suddenly heartbroken and expressed his past fighting friendship. Both parties shed tears of excitement.
Of course it goes around and around, but in the end I just want to illustrate a theme: if I die, you can't run away.
Gui E was subdued, and Zhang Cong continued to develop his power. More and more ministers joined him, and even the cabinet scholar Zhai Luan became his ally.
Seeing the lackluster behavior of the court's minions, Zhang Cong finally felt relieved.
Xia Yan, you can't win!
Zhang Cong's arrogance became more and more arrogant, and those who supported Xia Yan no longer dared to show up, but they still fearlessly stated that they would stand by him spiritually.
Although the situation is critical, Xia Yan is still not panicked. He has nothing to worry about. In this case, let's see who wins!
Xia Yan was trapped in the dilemma of fighting alone, but not all court ministers were cowards. Just when Zhang Cong was at his strongest, another fearless person appeared.
At the end of the ninth year of Jiajing (1530), Zhang Cong's mental illness reached its peak. In order to gain the emperor's approval, he suddenly had a whim and decided to kill a dead person.
It happened that this dead man was still very famous - Kong Sage. Zhang Cong said that Kong Lao Er was not worthy of his name and had not made any concrete contributions to society. He should remove his title and lower his status.
This is really an outrageous thing. Everyone, including Zhang Cong, was admitted to the imperial examination after reading the teaching materials of Confucius. Only Mr. Zhang could think of such an immoral thing about a monk demolishing a temple.
But when the matter came to a head, the officials seemed to be collectively mute, and no one came forward to give Kong Lao Er a slap, which showed that their heads were very clear: the dead could be left alone, but the living could not be offended.
Zhang Cong was very satisfied with this scene. Absolute power would bring absolute obedience, he was convinced.
But not long after, the silence was broken,
A young Hanlin stood up and objected.
Zhang Cong didn't pay attention at first, but when he saw the memorial of opposition, he realized that this time he was in big trouble. It was obvious that Hanlin was a theoretical talent. He cited classics and listed eight reasons to deduce the abolition of the title ban.
Wrong, the theory is well-confirmed and the evidence points directly at Zhang Cong.
In desperation, Zhang Cong made an appointment with this disobedient man in the court room. At first, he tried to persuade him and tried to persuade him, but the Hanlin refused to take any advice. Zhang Cong became anxious and asked him what he wanted.
The answer is simple: I just want an explanation.
It didn't make sense, so he started to argue. Zhang Cong was originally a good debater, but this time he also met his opponent. No matter what he said, he was always refuted by the opponent. Zhang Cong was so angry that he lost his mind and started shouting unreasonably.
, but only got this answer:
"I have long heard that Mr. Zhang was famous for his extraordinary speech when discussing rituals. When I saw him today, he certainly lived up to his reputation."
This sentence is very powerful. The so-called "starting from the discussion of etiquette" not only means that he has a bad background, but also implies that Mr. Zhang Cong has low academic qualifications, poor grades, and has never been in the Imperial Academy.
Sure enough, Zhang Cong jumped up when he heard this, and regardless of his image, he yelled:
"Who do you think you are! How dare you betray me!"
This is a serious warning, which means that the whole court is my people, so you'd better be obedient.
Lord Chief Assistant was so furious that everyone around him was sweating. Out of good intentions, Guihe kept winking at this person, but this brother seemed to intend to carry out the theory to the end and answered slowly:
"In my opinion, the so-called betrayal comes from attachment, but I have never been attached to you, so how can we talk about betrayal?"
After saying that, he bowed and left.
Everyone was calmed down and watched the hero leave, but Zhang Cong, who was standing in the middle, was shaking with anger and yelled:
"If I don't teach you a lesson, I won't be the chief assistant!"
This brave Hanlin was named Xu Jie, and he was twenty-seven years old. This was the first struggle in his long life, and it was also the most courageous one.
Being brave is bound to pay a price.
Zhang Cong once again proved with his actions that he was an out-and-out villain. The next day, he went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate and hoped to severely punish Xu Jie. In fact, Xu Jie just expressed his opinion and did not break the law.
But the method was thought up by people. Zhang Cong immediately charged Xu Jie with a unique crime: "initiating evil opinions", and the method of handling it was also very simple: "Rectify the law to show the world!"
It is not easy for people to be so shameless.
Fortunately, Mr. Zhang Cong was not the emperor yet, so he didn't have to say anything. Xu Jie still had some friends, and after several efforts, he finally saved his life.
Death penalty can be avoided, but living crime is difficult to forgive. Zhang Cong will not give up.
"Let's spare him this time and let him take up a post in Yanping Prefecture, Fujian Province."
This is to punish people to death.
Because everyone knows that in that era when only scholars from the Imperial Academy could join the cabinet, if you were deprived of your status as a Beijing official and assigned to work in poverty alleviation in a remote area, there would only be one result - your future would be ruined.
Zhang Cong did not kill Xu Jie. He wanted to destroy all the future of this young Hanlin with his own hands, making him worse than death and spending his life in pain. Of course, he never expected that this move would not only
Destroy anyone, but achieve this young and vigorous Hanlin.
Xu Jie did not raise any objection to this vicious order, because he knew that in front of Zhang Cong, any resistance was meaningless. After thanking Zhang Cong, he packed his parcel and left the capital.
For the first time, Xu Jie paid a huge tuition fee for his recklessness. From Hanlin to local officials, he was completely desperate for his future, but he didn't know that this was just a small moment in his thrilling life.
episode.
His destiny has completely changed. In that desolate place, he will sharpen his mind and belief, and finally realize a unique wisdom and skill. At that time, Zhang Cong is no longer worthy of being his opponent. In the next thirty years,
In the process, he will face a more terrifying and cunning enemy, go through hardships and dangers, narrowly escape death, and achieve final victory.
conspiracy trap
After driving Xu Jie away, Zhang Cong felt great satisfaction. He believed more and more that failure would not happen to him. As long as he worked harder, he would definitely be able to solve Xia Yan!
As a result, Zhang Cong's accomplices became more and more numerous, and their attacks on Xia Yan became more and more fierce. However, what was puzzling was that Xia Yan had no countermeasures against this. He seemed to have lost the ability to resist, and was alone all day long.
Never form cliques or engage in confrontation, be calm and calm.
In Zhang Cong's view, Xia Yan's move showed that he was at a loss and could only bluff.
But in Xia Yan's view, the situation was completely opposite. The reason why he behaved like this was because he was sure of winning, and this confidence came from his judgment that Zhang Cong was digging his own grave.
Mr. Zhang's plan to deal with people was well prepared and well thought out. He had won over many ministers, had countless minions, was wealthy and powerful, and had thought of almost every step in the struggle.
But despite all his calculations, he ignored one question - why didn't Xia Yan form a party?
If he had found the correct answer to this question, he might have been able to survive for two more years, but unfortunately he failed to do so.
In the fierce struggle, everyone could clearly see that although Xia Yan was alone, he never succumbed to the superior chief minister. No matter how many attacks and slanders he had, he never bowed his head and gave up.
This man is so classy. Almost all onlookers hold the same opinion.
If he dares to do it, why can’t I?!
So the anger hidden deep in my heart finally began to stir up, taking advantage of speculation, suppressing, ostracizing, framing, and all accusations finally spewed out. We must completely defeat this shameless villain Zhang Cong!
More and more people are surrounding Xia Yan. They believe that this person can lead them to defeat that despised guy and avenge Yang Yiqing who left with injustice!
But to everyone's surprise, Xia Yan refused. He accepted everyone's enthusiasm, but declined all help, saying that he could handle it alone and didn't want to hurt everyone.
Countless people were moved by his righteous deed, but they didn't know that Xia Yan was actually not such a simple person. There was only one reason for him to do this - he knew the answer to that question.
Xia Yan is much smarter than Zhang Cong, because he knows very well that it doesn't matter how many people he recruits to join the gang. In the end, there is only one person who decides his fate - the emperor.
Although he kept his official status in a low-key manner, he saw through the true nature of the Jiajing Emperor - he was an overly smart and confident person. And such a person would never forgive anyone who dared to threaten him.
Zhang Cong is an out-and-out fool. He is already the chief minister, but he still wants to expand his power. Does he want to be emperor?
Xia Yan knew this very well. He refused everyone's help just to get the most critical support.
So he watched Zhang Cong's proud smile and infinite expansion with great interest, because he understood that expansion of power means accelerated destruction.
Facts proved Xia Yan's deduction, and the turning point finally came. The emperor's attitude towards Zhang Cong suddenly changed drastically. He often cursed him and repeatedly rejected his suggestions and memorials, which made him lose face.
Zhang Cong finally realized that something was wrong. Due to his limited IQ, he didn't know what the problem was yet, but what was certain was that he had fallen into a trap.
Waiting for death has never been the style of a Chinese politician, and Zhang Cong's paranoia has reached its peak - as long as Xia Yan is solved, the emperor's favor, and the respect of everyone, everything will be restored to its original state!
To achieve this goal, only a perfect trap is needed - a trap that will ruin Xia Yan's reputation.
The trap started with a memorial.
July of the 10th year of Jiajing (1531).
Xue Kan, the chief of the pedestrian department (Si Zheng), suddenly came to the home of Peng Ze, the minister of Taichang Temple, and handed him a manuscript.
This manuscript was prepared to be handed over to the emperor. Its basic content is as follows:
"In the past, when our ancestors were entrusted with enfeoffments, they would definitely send a royal descendant to stay in the capital in case of unexpected events. Now that you don't have a son, Your Majesty, I hope you can follow the precedent and select a royal family member to train. This is a great plan for the country. I hope you can seriously consider it.
.”
Xue Kan looked at Peng Ze with excitement, waiting for his reaction.
"Very good," Peng Ze replied with a smile, "This is a good thing that benefits the country!"
Xue Kan was relieved. He thought he had made a good rational suggestion. The reason why he came to discuss with Peng Ze was because they were not only Jinshi in the same field, but also old friends for more than ten years.
"Without further delay, I will write a memorial and submit it tomorrow."
He happily put away the manuscript and prepared to say goodbye and leave.
Peng Ze stopped him:
"Don't be anxious yet. Let me think about it again. Please leave a draft for me."
That's where it all started.
Everything seems to be normal. Xue Kan is loyal to the country and makes suggestions. Peng Ze strongly supports and fully agrees. However, hidden behind it is an extremely vicious conspiracy.
The key to the problem was the memorial. Xue Kan thought it could benefit the country, but Peng Ze knew that it was a tool that could kill people. Such a deviation was ultimately a matter of different divisions of labor.
Mr. Xue's work unit is the Pingren Department, which is an errand department with limited exposure to the world, while Mr. Peng works in Taichang Temple, which is a department that specializes in managing rituals and sacrifices.
So when Peng Ze saw this manuscript, he immediately realized that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had arrived.
As an official in charge of palace etiquette, Peng Ze knew very well that although Mr. Jiajing was often scolded by ministers for various reasons, he also had a forbidden area that must not be touched - the issue of his son.
For some reason, the emperor has been without a son for ten years after taking the throne. The reason is unknown. This kind of thing has always been an absolute privacy. It is usually a hot topic discussed by aunties on the street. Even today, they still have to go to the hospital secretly, let alone
That evil old society.
How dare you go to such a memorial? I'm really tired of living!
But as an old friend for many years, he told Xue Kan with a smile: This is a very appropriate suggestion.
It seems difficult to understand, but the reason is actually very simple:
First of all, Peng Ze’s backstage accomplice is named Zhang Cong.
Secondly, in the imperial examination fifteen years ago, in addition to Xue Kan and Peng Ze, the people who passed the exam at the same time were also Xia Yan. As we all know, Xue Kan was Xia Yan's best friend.
Finally, Peng Ze is a shameless villain who doesn't recognize his friends.
Because in Peng Ze’s thinking system, there is such a theorem:
Anyone can sell it, it’s just that the price for friends is a little higher.
Peng Ze found Zhang Cong overnight with his old friend's manuscript and informed him of his plan. Zhang Cong immediately agreed, but in order to achieve the greatest impact, he decided to play another trick:
"Go and tell Xue Kan that I agree with his opinion very much. Just go ahead and tell him, I will definitely support him."
Peng Ze accepted the instruction and left Zhang Cong's home.
But Zhang Cong didn't rest. He copied Xue Kan's documents overnight and prepared to hand them over to another person.
The next day, he went to the palace to see Jiajing and presented the manuscript.
Looking at His Majesty the Emperor's flushed face, Zhang Cong calmly launched his final killing move:
"This is what Xia Yan ordered Xue Kan to write. Please don't get angry yet, and wait until they formally submit the letter before imposing punishment."
Jiajing suppressed his anger and nodded. In his opinion, this treasonous memorial was a conspiracy to embarrass him, and he must be thoroughly investigated!
One day later, Xue Kan, encouraged by Zhang Cong, excitedly presented his memorial. Of course, the effect was immediate - he was imprisoned with honor.
Although he was mentally prepared, Jiajing was still very angry. He looked at this memorial that mocked him for not being able to give birth to a son, and roared at the top of his lungs:
"Find out the mastermind behind the scenes, and hold them accountable, no matter who they are!"
Xia Yan was in big trouble, because almost everyone knew about his relationship with Xue Kan, and even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't be able to clean it up this time.
The situation was great, and Zhang Cong and Peng Ze began to celebrate their victory. Although everything was as they expected, an accident still happened.
Soon, the trial officials from the Ministry of Punishment came to complain one after another that the trial could not continue. Because although Xue Kan was not accurate in judging people, he was very loyal. No matter who asked him, he had only one answer:
"I did it alone and it has nothing to do with others."
There was no other way. The mastermind behind the scenes took action personally. Peng Ze once again stood in front of Xue Kan and began patient political and ideological work:
"If you identify Xia Yan, you will be released immediately."
Looking at the despicable man in front of him, Xue Kan fell silent. He looked at the jurors around him, and contrary to his previous anger, he said in a very calm tone:
"I admit that I did write that memorial."
There seemed to be hope. Peng Ze breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask more questions when he heard a loud roar:
"But the reason why I submitted the memorial was all because of your instigation! At that time, you told me that Zhang Shaofu (Zhang Cong) would fully support this proposal. Have you forgotten it?!"
I was dumbfounded, completely dumbfounded now.
Although Mr. Peng Ze had a very thick skin, he was really embarrassed in front of everyone. So the interrogation ended hastily.
At this point, there is no way to end the matter. It must be tried and heard. If amateurs can’t do it, then let’s switch to professionals!
The so-called professional talents refer to Shi Wang, the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. This man has long-term experience in interrogation. Of course, he is also an accomplice of Zhang Cong.
In order to successfully complete the frame-up task, he thought hard and finally decided to pull Xia Yan over for trial, hoping to make a breakthrough in court.
Later it turned out that this was an extremely idiotic idea.
Even the king of heaven and I are not afraid of a tough person like Xia Yan, but Wang Yushi dared to come to the door. It can only be said that his brain was filled with water, and the interrogation turned into a farce.
Wang Yushi was straight to the point. At the beginning of the trial, he pointed the finger directly at Xia Yan, repeatedly questioning the mastermind behind the scenes, and even directly asked Xia Yan whether he had been involved in this matter.
Wang Yushi's behavior was a naked provocation. He probably wanted to lure a snake out of its hole, but he didn't expect that what he lured out turned out to be a giant python!
Xia Yan didn't talk nonsense to him at all. When he heard his name was called, he immediately stood up and shouted:
"Wang, who are you talking about?!"
Wang was calmed down. He was afraid of the aggressive Xia Yan, but he was unwilling to admit defeat and said a few words back.
Xia Yan completely exploded. He left his seat and was about to rush up to fight Wang. Fortunately, the person next to him reacted quickly and caught him in time, so nothing happened.
Before that, Zhang Cong had been watching the scene coldly, calmly, and had the air of a gangster brother, but the change in the situation was beyond his imagination. Now that his face was torn, Xia Yan couldn't care less.
Without further ado, he went straight to the backstage boss and shouted angrily:
"Zhang Cong, it's all your fault. What do you want?!"
This was considered the following offense. Zhang Shouxu did not hesitate, clearing his throat and preparing to fight back, but before he could warm up, a loud sentence suddenly came out:
"Please Zhang Shoufu immediately withdraw from this case!"
The people who said this were Sun Yingkui and Cao Bian.
It should be said that Sun and Cao were very knowledgeable in the law, because their words today have a specific legal title - "party avoidance".
It's a pity that although they have the talent of a lawyer, Zhang Shoufu does not have the magnanimity of a judge. The curse words he prepared to send out were returned, and Zhang Cong was so angry that his eyes almost popped out. You are deliberately causing trouble, aren't you?
But Zhang Cong stood there and held it in for a long time, only to realize that he had nothing to say! He probably couldn't choke Xia Yan in a fight, and he couldn't argue with the law against these two fools who suddenly jumped out.
In desperation, Mr. Zhang had no choice but to leave, leaving an angry message before leaving:
"Just wait and see!"
The bosses are all gone, so don’t sit around and let’s evacuate together! This is the end of this strange trial.
But Zhang Cong had decided to fight the villain to the end. He did not dare to delay for a moment, and immediately reported to the emperor that he had discovered a reactionary gang. This gang was well organized. Except for Xia Yan, the two people who applied for recusal were
Legal experts are also veteran gang members.
Jiajing praised Zhang Cong and put all three brothers in prison.
Zhang Cong was overjoyed when he heard this. The matter seemed to have been solved. Unfortunately, Mr. Zhang Cong forgot that Mr. Jiajing's IQ was much higher than him, so he added the following sentence:
"Let them interrogate you quickly and give me the confession. I want to see it myself!"
I can't play anymore now.
Not to mention the unjustly accused legal experts Sun Yingkui and Cao Bian, Xia Yan is not easy to mess with. If you want to get confessions from them, you will have to wait until the Qing army enters the pass.
The more serious problem is that these people cannot be beaten. After all, they cannot yet be classified as a conflict between ourselves and the enemy. If a leader takes the lead in this kind of case, if torture is used to extract confessions, the gains will outweigh the losses in the end.
What to do? There is no way.
In this way, many comrades from the three legal departments (Criminal Department, Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Dali Temple) worked hard for days and nights, racking their brains, and finally came up with a report result:
Xue Kan's memorial was written by himself, and Peng Ze's accusation of Xia Yan's instigation was purely a false accusation (Ze's false accusation was quoted by words).
This is an extremely tragic conclusion for Zhang Cong.
Soon, Jiajing responded. He released Xia Yan, Sun Yingkui and Cao Bian and gave them cordial condolences.
But things didn't end that easily. Jiajing got angry again. What he hated most in his life was not villains, but villains who dared to take advantage of him.
Mr. Zhang Cong was going to be in trouble. This time he would either be demoted or punished, and he might even be dismissed from office. However, he did not expect that Jiajing did not do this. As a smart emperor, he used a more vicious and ingenious move.
Not long after, in the court, in front of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, Jiajing suddenly took out a manuscript and said to Zhang Cong expressionlessly:
"You gave this to me, and now I give it back to you!"
Everyone knows what that is.
So Mr. Zhang Cong prepared to find a crack in the ground and crawled in. This matter has finally come to an glorious end.
Finally, we state the final result of this matter:
Zhang Cong, because the trap he set was exposed, his personality was completely lost and his future was ruined.
Peng Ze, because he participated in digging holes, was allowed to join the army with honor (exerted into the army) and continued to fight for the cause of national border defense.
Although Xue Kan was not instigated by anyone, he scolded the emperor for having no sons. The evidence of his crime was solid, so he was removed from office and demoted to a commoner (deposed for the people).
Xia Yan, free tour of the prison for several days (board and lodging included), released from prison, the final winner (keep your mouth shut).
second puppet
Zhang Cong is considered disabled. Although he has all four limbs and no obvious flaws, from a political perspective, he is an out-and-out disabled person.
The emperor didn't like it, the ministers didn't support him, and even his comrades turned to underground parties one after another, fearing that others would know about his relationship with Mr. Zhang.
In sharp contrast, Mr. Xia Yan is red and purple, and he is so hot. Anyone knows that this guy is amazing. Zhang Shoufu is not a problem, who else dares to stand in the way?
So all of a sudden, Xia Yan's family was full of people, and there was an endless stream of visitors. Cousins, distant relatives, the same generation, and old neighbors all came to the door, twisting and turning just to explain an ancient story.
The proposition - To be rich and honorable, don't forget each other.
And in the imperial court, there were countless people who came to chat late at night (it was really inconvenient during the day), cursed in the sky, and swore allegiance.
All this was seen by Zhang Cong, and with the determination to kick his legs even before death, he resorted to the last resort - becoming an official.
In layman's terms, this trick is to avoid the limelight and wait for the opportunity. It is an extremely ancient trick that has been used repeatedly by countless ancestors, which fully demonstrates its reliability and effectiveness.
Unfortunately, this trick didn't work on Xia Yan.
Because in the face of the great situation, Xia Yan did not get carried away. He always kept his identity as a wage earner in mind and served the leaders wholeheartedly. He asked for instructions in the morning and reported in the evening. He never formed cliques. Mr. Jiajing was very satisfied with his service attitude and was very happy.
, he was given a minister with one stroke of his pen - Minister of Rites.
As a result, Zhang Cong's hope was completely shattered. In the tenth year of Jiajing (1531), he retired and returned home. Soon after, he came back. He came and went in the past few years and was very busy.
It's a pity that no matter how noisy he is, no one pays attention to him. As the saying goes: Don't be afraid of scolding, just be afraid of no one scolding you. When you get to the point where you can't be scolded, it's really time to get out.
In the 14th year of Jiajing reign (1535), Zhang Cong applied for retirement (sincerely and without deception). After repeated attempts to persuade him to stay (once), because he was determined (he did not want to mess around anymore), His Majesty the Emperor finally approved it, commended him, and issued him a
Travel expenses.
Zhang Cong, who sadly left the capital, embarked on his way home. Eleven years ago (1524, the third year of Jiajing), he walked proudly into the capital along this road. After more than ten years of ups and downs, he started from a small person.
But it also falls because of small people, the world changes and is capricious, but that's it.
But Zhang Cong didn't know that he was actually a very lucky man. Compared with several subsequent successors, this man was already considered to have accomplished his merits. He personally ignited the flames of struggle in the Jiajing Dynasty, but he was not burned to death. In fact,
This is Amitabha, God bless you.
Of course, Mr. Zhang Cong was able to die a happy death because of his own failure. Compared with the big-name and powerful officials who are about to come to power, his IQ and scheming level are not at the same level.
Zhang Cong left, and Jiajing was a little sad when he thought of his contribution to fighting for his father. But we have reason to believe that the emperor has rich feelings and strong psychological endurance. For the sake of the country, it is also necessary to forget a person.
Easy.
The so-called taking the world as one's own responsibility means that the world belongs to Lao Tzu, and the affairs of the world are one's private affairs.
Therefore, to the emperor who has the world in mind and a public-private partnership, Zhang Cong is just a puppet. Now that the first puppet has been used up, it is time to look for the next one.
In the fifteenth year of Jiajing's reign (1536), the emperor issued an edict: Xia Yan, Minister of Rites, was officially promoted to Prince Taifu and Shaofu (from the first rank), was awarded the bachelor's degree of Wuyingdian, and entered the cabinet.
The second puppet then appeared on the stage.
Xia Yan actually knows his identity very well. He has become the second puppet, and he is willing to play the role of the puppet voluntarily. From this point of view, he is really a smart man.
Xia Yan is indeed smarter than Zhang Cong, so his fate is worse than Zhang Cong, because Mr. Jiajing seems to have always adhered to a life creed:
They are my people when they are alive, they are my dead people when they are dead, they will be used to fertilize the fields even if they turn into ashes!
Of course, at that time, Mr. Xia Yan was not in danger of becoming fodder because he still had a lot of work to do.
Xia Yan, who became a cabinet bachelor, did not disappoint the emperor's hope. He was indeed a good official and did a pretty good job. He was at least better than Zhang Cong. Although his promotion also included elements of catering to the emperor and opportunistically trying to win, he was still able to get to this point.
He relies on his own ability to make a living.
Xia Yan was a very honest person, and he was not afraid of the powerful. When he was doing errands, he proposed to lay off the surplus personnel and suppress the eunuchs. Although he was a junior official at that time, he did something that shocked the world - he scolded Zhang Yanling.
Speaking of this Comrade Zhang Yanling, he is really an extraordinary figure. He has been rampant in the world for more than 20 years and is more tyrannical than a crab. Of course, his arrogance is no accident. He has capital - the brother-in-law of Emperor Xiaozong.
With this status, he enjoyed great success during the Hongzhi and Zhengde years, and no one dared to offend him.
However, Xia Yan provoked him. He submitted a memorial to impeach Brother-in-law Zhang for embezzling people's property. No one paid attention to it, not even the emperor. You know, it was the early years of Jiajing (1522), and the emperor had too much time to take care of himself. Even his father did it.
No, I don't have time to take care of this.
Zhang Yanling was a very fierce person and was ready to retaliate, but he didn't expect that Xia Yan was even more ferocious than him.
Before Zhang Guoshu could calm down, an insider in the DPRK told him the unfortunate news: Xia Yan had submitted a second impeachment memorial, and the scolding was even more severe than the previous one.
Zhang Yanling was so angry that he wished he could kill this ignorant guy alive. However, he was not worried about Xia Yan's attack. After all, he was a man who spoke lightly and was ignored, so he couldn't make much trouble.
As he expected, there was still no response to the second memorial. However, not long after, he got another news: Xia Yan received the third memorial!
This man must be crazy!
Xia Yan was not crazy, but Zhang Yanling was really driven crazy, because Mr. Xia's memorial was not just three episodes, but a long series.
After that, Xia Yan successively published the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh series of memorials criticizing Zhang Yanling, and then stopped there.
The reason why he stopped was not because Xia Yan gave up halfway, but because the matter was resolved, and the memorials came one after another. Even His Majesty the Emperor was annoyed, so he took time out while he was busy fighting for his father.
After taking care of Zhang Yanling, he returned to the occupied field. He would rather offend Uncle Zhang Guo than dare to offend Mr. Xia again.
This is the glorious history of Xia Yan. At that time, Xia Xingren dared to touch the high officials of the imperial court. Now he has become Xia Shangshu and Xia University Scholar. It is estimated that except for legendary figures such as the King of Hell, there is no one in the world that he cannot handle.
In addition to his uprightness, Mr. Xia also has another characteristic - integrity. For officials, this is a life-threatening situation. If the leader does not get involved, the problem will be difficult to solve. However, Mr. Xia's anti-corruption efforts are particularly fierce, so
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the court changed drastically, and cries of poverty and suffering could not be heard without end.
To sum up, Xia Yan is a good person in the traditional sense. He is not greedy for money, does practical things, and cares about the people and the country. His talents are no less than Yang Tinghe, but his personal moral integrity is much higher than the former.
Under his management, the Ming Dynasty prospered and prospered, and its development prospects were very promising.
But Xia Yan is not Uncle Lei Feng after all, he also has a fatal weakness.
In his life, Mr. Xia never smokes, drinks less, is not greedy for money, and does not like women. He only works and works, but he actually enjoys this smoking-depressing life.
Because behind the boring monotony, there is a huge temptation hidden - power.
Conquer all people and control their destiny in order to realize your own ambitions. This is probably Xia Yan's original motivation for work.
However, we should still praise Xia Yan. Although he pursued power, his main purpose was to work. In fact, his path to power was very smooth. In the fifteenth year of Jiajing (1536), he succeeded Li Shi and became the chief minister of the cabinet.
, reached the pinnacle of power.
However, Mr. Xia had just climbed to the top of the mountain and before he could take a breath, he found another person standing there. It was obvious that this person did not intend to be his friend.
Xia Yan was already the leader of the cabinet and the number one civil servant, but he couldn't control that dear man because his name was Guo Xun.