Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 9 Fatal Oversights
turning point
Yan Song and his son racked their brains to prepare to deal with Xia Yan, but to their surprise, Xia Yan came to their door before they could take action.
What happened is that Yan Shifan was probably too greedy and annoyed many people, so he was sued. Today is different from the past. When the complaint letter fell into Xia Yan's hands, this dear friend naturally said nothing.
Once you have prepared the materials, you should report to your leader.
Yan Song panicked. When he heard the news, he immediately called his embezzler son to discuss countermeasures. At the critical moment, one of the three talents in the world was so frightened that he pinched himself several times before he recovered.
Then he proposed a seemingly absurd solution: go to Xia Yan to intercede.
Yan Song disagreed because he believed that he knew Xia Yan's personality very well. This man had strict requirements on his friends, not to mention that he was his mortal enemy.
Yan Shifan insisted on his opinion:
"This is the only way to survive!"
So the father and son brought all the equipment, including gifts, money, silk cloth to wipe tears, etc., and arrived at Xia Yan's door. The guard informed him and asked for help.
After a long time, a response came: Xia Shoufu was unwell, and the two of them would come back another day.
Come back another day? Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t know if my head will still be there by then!
So Yan Song used the first piece of equipment - money.
Of course, this money was not given to Xia Yan, but was put into the hands of the doorman. It is not easy for everyone. Brother, please let me go.
After paying off the concierge, Yan Song and his son walked into Xia Yan's residence.
Xia Yan was lying on the bed pretending to be sick when he heard the two men coming. He pretended not to wake up and turned over to continue sleeping.
It doesn't matter, nature will find a way to get you up.
Yan Song and Yan Shifan, who were standing in the room, were suddenly grief-stricken. They burst into tears on the spot, and the sound of wailing and weeping shook the heaven and earth.
Although this trick has been seen many times in history, it has always been tried and tested. However, it is not feasible for ordinary people to use this trick. You must know that suddenly sadness starts in your heart, and your nose and tears fall down without any ambiguity, which is very harmful to your face.
The control of muscles and central nervous system has reached a level of perfection that is still astonishing a hundred years later.
Xia Yan couldn't bear it any longer. After finally resting for a day, two living treasures suddenly came in and cried in mourning. He couldn't sleep. Moreover, he was lying on the bed and they were crying in front of the bed. It was really unlucky.
So, he stood up.
His destruction started from this time.
Xia Yan walked up to Yan Song, helped the old man who was two years older than him, kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, and sighed:
"Fenyi (Yan Song is from Fenyi, Jiangxi), why are you doing this?"
Why bother? If it weren't for your head, the devil would kneel down on you!
Yan Song immediately stopped crying, blew his nose, pulled Yan Shifan, and stood in front of Xia Yan solemnly, pretending to be a grandson.
We are all understanding people. I know very well what you are here for and what you want.
So Xia Yan sighed and waved his hand helplessly to express his attitude.
Yan Song and Yan Shifan were overjoyed and immediately kowtowed again to express their gratitude and left.
History has proven that if a drowned dog is not beaten, it will turn into a vicious wolf.
Xia Yan is really a nice old man. Although he looks old-fashioned, he actually has a broad mind and a benevolent heart. He is an out-and-out good person.
But in the arena of power, good people who are out-and-out are doomed.
Soon after, this good old man ran into trouble. When he was reviewing the official documents of the imperial censor (letters of complaint), he unexpectedly discovered a familiar name - Lu Bing.
Brother Lu Bing is really a person who can't stand loneliness. Although he still has some principles, he also likes to engage in trivial matters, collect some black money, and engage in corruption. Slowly, things became more and more troublesome, and finally the censor was stabbed.
There.
So Xia Yan got angry. Although he had a good relationship with Lu Bing, it was still necessary to punish this person for his illegal behavior. However, not long after he made up his mind, Lu Bing came to his door.
Lu Bing is not a jobber, he is a spy. Under his wise leadership, the Jin Yiwei has become the most terrifying intelligence machine. Whenever there is any trouble in the capital, he is always the first to know. This time, too.
exception.
There are very few people in the capital who are afraid of Lu Bing, and Xia Yan is the only one. This Lord Jinyiwei knows very well that Xia Shoufu is a fool, he doesn't recognize people when he turns against them, and he is also very good at fighting. No matter what your background is,
No matter what, as long as you look for it correctly, they will all be knocked to the ground and they will be stepped on hard.
Panicked, Lu Bing couldn't think of any other way, so he had to follow Yan Shifan's old path and come to plead for mercy.
He didn't go empty-handed, he also sent someone to take three thousand taels of silver to go with him. He knew that Xia Yan had been in the battlefield for decades, and talking was a waste of emotion, so he might as well get something practical.
From this incident, it is enough to conclude that Lu Bing's level is not as good as Yan Shifan's because he has been dealing with Xia Yan for many years and does not even know that this man does not accept illegal money.
So when Xia Yan saw Lu Bing and the things he brought, he only said two words - get out.
And add another sentence - Wherever you brought it from, you will take it back.
Lu Bing was also stunned. In his desperation, he had to use the same trick that Yan Shifan had used - crying bitterly and kneeling down to beg for mercy.
Of course, the result was still the same. Xia Yan still forgave him. This seemed a bit hard to understand. Since you weren't prepared to deal with him, why did you bother him so much?
Lu Bing left Xia Yan's home with tears, but his heart was full of anger. Reputation was no longer important, and principles were no longer important. No matter what, he must avenge this arrow!
When the news of Lu Bing's humiliation spread, Yan Shifan found his father and said this:
"Xia Yan's death is not far away."
Yan Shifan was confident in what he said. He had found an excellent opportunity and would be able to eliminate Xia Yan in one fell swoop.
Yan Song was still confused. There were people from Xia Yan in the court, so it was difficult for them to get involved. How could he take action?
However, Yan Shifan told him that there was no need to form cliques or cultivate cronies. There was something going on right now. As long as a little trick was used, Xia Yan would definitely die.
The incident Yan Shifan mentioned happened a year ago.
In the twenty-fifth year of Jiajing's reign (1546), the Minister of War and the Governor-General of the Three Borders Military Affairs Zeng sent a memorial to Jiajing, which started the drama.
Zeng Mian was a general with great military ability. Although he was a civil servant, he liked military affairs. After serving as a county magistrate for several years, he was appointed as the censor of Liaodong. From then on, he began to roll around on the battlefield and showed his talent.
military talent.
It should be said that Zeng Mian is a strange person. The reason is that others do not want to fight, but he is addicted to fighting. As long as there is an opportunity, he will never let it go.
The most damaging thing he ever did happened on New Year's Eve. Everyone had been fighting for a year and was finally getting ready to celebrate the New Year. Then Zeng came.
"Everyone pack up and prepare to send troops to fight!"
It's the Chinese New Year, so let's all stay quiet for two days. It's unlucky to use knives or guns at this time, and no one wants to go out and fight. Moreover, the Mongols are elusive, and you may not be able to find them if you go out.
But we had to listen to the coach's orders, so everyone discussed a way and found a person to intercede with Zeng Xian's wife, hoping to postpone it.
Less than a cup of tea later, the news came that the man who went to intercede had been beheaded and his head hung out.
Then stop fighting and just go out and fight.
Coincidentally, not long after the army set off, they actually discovered their long-lost old Mongolian friends. They chased them fiercely, beat gongs and drums, and returned to camp victorious.
But everyone has the same question in their minds: It's the New Year, and even the scouts are taking a break. How do you know the Mongols are nearby?
"Have you not noticed that the magpies and crows nearby are particularly noisy today?" Zeng Mian smiled proudly.
His life was ruined by his pride.
Zeng Mian was destined to be a restless person, so he decided to continue his efforts and make greater contributions to the country in his position. So he put forward a suggestion in that memorial - to recover the Loop.
The Hetao area, today's Ningxia and the Helan Mountains in Inner Mongolia, was originally owned by the Ming Dynasty, but this area was right at the doorstep of the Mongolian tribes. Mongolian neighbors came to visit from time to time to "take" some things. The government began to return the
Guan Guan gradually became unable to do what he wanted. Over time, this area became the sphere of influence of Mongolia.
At first, people didn't care much about the place where birds don't lay eggs, so just throw it away. But later, people discovered that abandoning the Loop was a serious mistake.
This is because the Mongols did not occupy this land to open shops or develop real estate. They occupied the Hetao just to better complete their robbery mission.
The Ming Dynasty that lost the Loop was like a hawker setting up a stall on the street. He had no peace of mind every day and had to be punished several times. Either his people would be killed or his goods would be robbed.
Zeng Mian finally couldn't bear it anymore. He may be impatient, but he is a person who cherishes the people and is determined to serve the country. How can the world allow barbarians to wreak havoc!
Therefore, he wrote the article vowing to restore the Loop with full passion for serving the country: This once-and-for-all strategy will be relied upon by the country for all generations. This is Zeng Mian's beautiful ideals and passion.
After the article was submitted, Mr. Jiajing was also excited. This was really unprecedented. You must know that although this Taoist priest was refining alchemy and reading scriptures every day, he was only part-time, and he still had some blood. He immediately expressed his agreement with Zeng Xian.
opinions and send a letter to the cabinet for discussion.
The problem lies with the cabinet.
When Xia Yan saw this memorial, he immediately applauded it and expressed his absolute support. Then he wrote another article and wrote a letter expressing his approval. Of course, as usual, he did not consult the other supporting actor Yan Song for his opinion.
But he ignored a very strange phenomenon: in the past, even if he didn't say hello, Yan Song would already come up to express his support or approval, but this time, this toady just sat aside, closing his eyes and concentrating, as if
Didn't know this at all.
The impatient Xia Yan ran to Xiyuan excitedly to express his excitement. But Yan Song, who was sitting in the dark corner, smiled.
Xia Yan was finally confused for a moment - Yan Song made this judgment.
As the saying goes, Xia Yan, who has been in officialdom for more than ten years, has not yet figured out the emperor's thoughts. Recovering territory is naturally a good thing for the country, but Mr. Jiajing may not necessarily think so.
You know, this Taoist brother is a person who doesn't like to cause trouble. His wish is very simple. He just wants to burn incense, recite sutras, and make some chemicals (so-called elixirs) in his spare time, so that he can live a few more years.
If the retrieval of territory goes well, it is naturally good. But what if it does not go well? If the battle is defeated, it will be troublesome. We will lose troops and lose generals. We have to read battle reports every day, transport food, recruit troops, and discuss countermeasures. It will be troublesome even if we don't die from exhaustion.
die.
All in all, his popularity is only three minutes, and from four minutes on, anyone who dares to hinder his private life will become an obstacle to him.
Yan Song's guess was correct. Soon after, Mr. Jiajing suddenly issued an edict, which was concise and concise:
Now chasing thieves, does the teacher have a reputation?
If a soldier has enough food and fruits, is success certain?
What can I say after a while? It's like being poisoned by the people?
The general meaning is that I want to send troops to regain the lost territory, but there are many problems. There is no reasonable name, the soldiers have insufficient food and grass, and victory cannot be guaranteed. It will also affect the people.
Of course, this is just the written meaning, and its implicit meaning is much simpler:
What did you think that you dared to cause trouble to me and make me uncomfortable?
When Yan Song saw this order, he immediately ran home in a hurry. The opportunity had come, but he had to go to the genius son to discuss how to do it.
"It's a great time to write a letter to impeach Xia Yan immediately. Why are you hesitating?" Yan Shifan seemed a little surprised.
Yan Song didn't have the kind heart of Xia Yan. The reason why he hesitated was just because he didn't know what to do next. Could he still scold Xia Yan to death?
So Yan Shifan told him that although he didn't know what to do, as long as he cooperated with one person, Xia Yan would definitely die!
Then he went to visit Lu Bing overnight.
For Lu Bing, this was a much-coveted opportunity. Since that incident, revenge has become the theme of his life.
The two world-famous men hit it off immediately and began to discuss countermeasures.
The discussion process was as follows: Yan Shifan told Lu Bing that you have a high official position and are a close confidant of the emperor, so you should go out and deal with Xia Yan.
Lu Bing looked at Yan Shifan seriously and told him: You better go, I will support you behind the scenes.
In fact, after all these years, no one is stupid. Xia Yan's image of a lonely hero who fought against Zhang Cong is still firmly engraved in their brains. The sight of spitting and fearlessness makes people laugh when they think of it.
tremble.
In any case, both parties have reached a consensus so far. Xia Yan is very fierce and cannot be offended by anyone.
Even if they are timid, the problem still needs to be solved. The two geniuses worked hard for a long time and finally found Xia Yan's Achilles' heel - Zeng Mian.
Compared with Xia Yan, Zeng Mian is an ideal breakthrough point. As long as Zeng Mian is dealt with, Xia Yan can be dragged down.
However, Zeng Xianyuan was at the frontier and had always behaved well, so there was nothing easy to grasp. Lu Bing thought for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up:
"I think of a person who, if he is willing to join, can definitely help us solve this problem."
"Without further delay, I'll go see this person right away." Yan Shifan was already impatient.
Lu Bing smiled: "You can't see him because he is still in prison."
The man Lu Bing was talking about was called Qiu Luan. This man had a good background. He was a descendant of Qiu Yue, the general who put down the rebellion of King Anhua during the Zhengde period. He was the Marquis of Xianning and guarded Gansu.
The reason why this brother was sent to jail was thanks to Zeng Mian. When he was in Gansu, he had a conflict with Zeng Mian. Moreover, this man was of poor character and had done some bad things in the local area. Zeng Mian
In anger, he complained to his superiors, and Qiu Luan was imprisoned to undergo reform.
All candidates have been found, all plans are complete, and we are just waiting for the final attack.
chain of death
Xia Yan once again spoke in front of Jiajing. The content was the same as before, hoping to strengthen military equipment and restore the Loop. Jiajing was as noncommittal as ever. Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, Yan Song finally spoke.
“It’s forbidden to resort to repeated trapping!”
Then he stated the reasons for his objections in great detail, from armaments to logistics, and every word he said touched Jiajing's heart. The emperor nodded repeatedly when he heard this.
Xia Yan next to him didn't notice this. Anger and shock had gone to his head. Only then did he understand why Yan Song went against his usual flattery spirit and said nothing at that cabinet meeting.
"Since you objected, why didn't you say anything at the time? Why did you come out and blame me now? What's your intention?"
In anger, Xia Yan decided to fight back. He had always been the winner in previous scolding battles, so he thought this time was no exception.
But this time was indeed an exception, because his real opponent was not Yan Song, but Jiajing, who was sitting in the highest position.
Jiajing's anger had reached its peak, and scenes from the past appeared in front of him: not wearing a fragrant leaf crown, mocking Taoism, being arrogant and unreasonable, Yan Song's slander, and the eunuch's bad words. These were enough.
So he drank Xia Yan and gave him a chilling comment - "Strengthening the king threatens the people".
Xia Yan shuddered, he knew exactly what this sentence meant.
Completely losing the emperor's trust
Xia Yan was completely finished. In the twenty-seventh year of Jiajing (1548), he was forced to retire again and left the capital. Before that, Zeng Mian had been arrested and imprisoned.
It should be said that the emperor treated Xia Yan well and allowed him to retire with the title of minister (ministerial level) and enjoy corresponding retirement benefits. After all, they have been together for more than 20 years, so they should go home and live a good life.
Xia Yan just set out on the road with full of grief and anger and a bit of relief. Although the ending was not good, it was a good time after all, and his life was worth it.
However, political masters are like Jianghu heroes. It is very difficult to wash their hands and walk away. It should be noted that although it is glorious to be a hero, it is even more glorious to kill the heroes.
When political masters fight, they never play tricks. They all use routines, from the inconspicuous starting moves, to the final fatal blow.
What Xia Yan didn't know was that just as he was packing his luggage in despair, a petition letter had been delivered to Jiajing.
This letter came from prison and was signed by Qiu Luan. The letter listed Zeng Mian's several major crimes, including embezzlement of military pay, failure to report defeats, taking credit for not fighting, etc. Of course, this is not a Qiu boss.
The main ghostwriters were Yan Song and Yan Shifan.
The various evil deeds listed in the letter were naturally not done by Zeng Xian. In fact, many of them were Qiu Luan's own feats. However, frame-up does not require excuses and reasons, so this seems understandable.
Although this document said a lot of vicious words, the most terrifying thing was a very inconspicuous sentence in it - make friends with the servant (Xia Yan).
When this sentence appeared in front of Jiajing's eyes, he changed his mind:
"Where is Xia Yan now? Chase him back quickly!"
At this time, Xia Yan had just arrived in Tongzhou. After all, he had been working in the imperial court for so many years, and he had already been mentally prepared. So when he heard that someone wanted to take him back, he did not panic, but sat in his carriage.
Go up and ask calmly:
"What is my crime?"
But when the four-word answer reached his ears, Xia Yan's will completely collapsed. He only uttered one sentence and fell off the car.
"I am dead!"
The judgment is completely accurate.
In the Ming Dynasty court, officials often made mistakes. In fact, it doesn't matter if you make mistakes. Life is still very long. As long as you can endure it, it is not impossible to make a comeback. However, there are several high-voltage lines that must not be touched. Three hundred thousand volts.
One touch will kill you.
A vassal king who enters the capital without authorization is counted as one, and a general who makes friends with close officials is also counted as one.
Because they all have a hidden meaning - evil intentions. No matter whether it is the king of heaven or a gangster, as long as you dare to touch the highest imperial power, in a word - I will kill you without any discussion.
Xia Yan, who returned to the capital, tried to defend himself, but to no avail. In October of the 27th year of Jiajing (1548), the fate of Zeng Mian and Xia Yan was finally determined.
Zeng Mian was killed according to the law, and his wife was exiled for two thousand miles. Lian, the family had no money left when she died.
Before his death, he left only his last words: "Serve the country wholeheartedly."
Zeng Mian died and Qiu Luan was released from prison.
Xia Yan abandoned the market, his wife was exiled to Guangxi, and his sons and grandsons were demoted to serve the people.
Xia Yan came from a humble beginning, he was heroic and talented, he argued freely and horizontally, and could not be subdued by others. Although he was in the officialdom, he still cared about the world and had a mind for all people. However, he was eventually harmed by Yan Song.
If you die, Song will bring disaster to the world.
Yan Song finally won. Since the 17th year of Jiajing, after more than ten years of struggle, he finally defeated Xia Yan, using an extremely despicable method.
Although the means of political struggle are always despicable, Yan Song's behavior was different from the past. For his own personal gain, he killed two innocent people, a general who worked hard and was loyal to his duty, and an upright, selfless and diligent person who served the country.
Minister.
What these two people want to do is to regain the territory that originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty and redeem countless people who were struggling and groaning under the Mongolian cavalry.
Yan Song won, he finally won. He became the chief minister of the imperial court. From that day on, the government affairs would be like this. No one would work early in the morning and late at night to take care of the affairs. Yan Song, the chief minister, could collude with his son and do corruption openly.
, he is greedy openly and openly, he knows very well that no one can control him, and no one dares to control him.
That's it for the Hetao. The Mongols rushed into people's homes as usual, burning, killing, raping, and looting, doing everything they could. Because they knew very well that no one could stop them from now on, and no one dared to stop them.
Of course, all this does not seem to be important to Yan Song and Yan Shifan. Anyway, the Tatar's saber cannot chop off their heads, and there is no need to worry about their wives being snatched away. At this moment, they are celebrating with their crowns.
victory.
At the same time, Xu Jie's behavior was extremely abnormal. Xia Yan was framed, imprisoned, and then his head was missing, and his family was destroyed. All these tragedies happened in front of his eyes, and he just watched it all calmly,
Ignore it at all.
On the eve of Xia Yan's murder, even Yu Maojian (the Minister of the Ministry of Justice), who had a normal relationship with him, couldn't stand it any longer, so he stood up and said a few words of justice. As a result, the emperor deducted a year's wages. But Xu Jie remained silent.
No words, silence.
Everyone despised Xu Jie's conduct, because everyone knew that in the past ten years, Xia Yan had worked hard to promote and cultivate Xu Jie regardless of personal grudges, hoping that he would become the pillar of the country. However, at this critical moment,
However, Xu Jie turned his back on his mentor and did not say a word or write a letter. He was an ungrateful villain.
Xu Jie silently accepted all the ridicule and contempt, went to work in the Ministry of Civil Affairs as usual, dealt with the officials as usual, talked and laughed as usual, and that person's death seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Time is a sharp tool that erases traces. As time goes by, Xia Yan and Zeng Mian disappeared from people's minds, and their grievances, grievances, orphans and widows were slowly forgotten.
But there is one person who has not forgotten, never.
For countless late nights, Xu Jie tossed and turned, unable to sleep, but when morning came, he seemed as if nothing had happened.
If we go back to 20 years ago, when he was still the young and vigorous Hanlin, the situation may be completely different. The general process should be filled with righteous indignation and impassioned - writing an angry letter, people are very happy - the treacherous ministers are in power, issuing decrees to punish - exile
Consigned to the army, or beheaded in public. (The last option depends on luck.)
Twenty years have passed, and he has experienced countless hardships and mastered the true meaning of mind learning. The passionate young man has long since disappeared. He finally understands that this world is real, and he must adapt to this world and continue to survive.
Appropriate methods must be used.
He also wanted to get excited like others, write a letter to scold the treacherous minister Yan Song, and express his humiliation for Xia Yan, but he knew better that doing so would not have any effect.
Yan Song is much more powerful than Zhang Cong. He has been in the officialdom for more than forty years after three dynasties. He is very scheming and has a very deep city. And beside him, in addition to Lu Bing who is in charge of the Jinyi Guards, there is also the peerless talent Yan Shifan.
They have formed a terrible chain of power, strangling anyone who dares to stand in their way.
But I have nothing.
It is almost impossible to defeat such a group of enemies. Everyone knows his relationship with Xia Yan. Xia Yan is dead. Yan Song will definitely not let go of someone who is so closely connected to him. Now the only barrier has been
Lost, no longer protected, no help.
I will face all enemies alone, only myself.
"Even if you are in a desperate situation in the future, you still need to persevere and never give up!"
Yes, I have always kept this sentence in mind. You must be patient, you must endure pain and torture, and you must live strong. Only by living can you have hope of victory.
But some things will never be forgotten, that old man who was rigid and serious, that person with upright character, hard-spoken and soft-hearted, that person who did not care about past grudges and served the public wholeheartedly. And Yan Song, for the sake of your own power, position and interests, you
Shamelessly killed this man.
If I don’t take revenge for this, I swear I won’t be a human being!