Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 11 Courage
momentum
Qiu Luan's life can be described in one word - helpless.
This brother is a hereditary marquis. It is not easy to get this title. His ancestor, Mr. Qiu Yue, ran around, conquering the south and the north. After putting down the rebellion of King Anhua, he went to the suburbs of Beijing to fight against Liu Liu.
Liu Qi (Peasant Uprising) was eventually assigned to stand guard at the border, and he got this long-term meal ticket.
Qiu Luan took over the title, and wanted to do a good job, but he had no choice, he was really not the material. To defend Gansu, he neglected his duties and was imprisoned. To defend Datong, he had to rely on negotiation. To defend Beijing, it was still negotiation.
This is no longer a simple issue of attitude, but an issue of ability. Mr. Qiu has proved with facts that he is a useless waste.
Of course, Qiu Luan occasionally wanted to rise up, and he had tried before. For example, in the 31st year of Jiajing (1552), he led his army out of the fortress and encountered the enemy when passing through a place called Maoerzhuang.
Qiu Luan participated in the battle calmly, and under his wise command, the battle ended with the Ming army killing more than 200 people and injuring 220 people.
Afterwards, Qiu Luan proudly reported to the court to ask for merit, because he believed that his military exploits were quite remarkable - he killed five enemies.
If a person is so mean, he can be regarded as invincible in the world.
But this cheap brother turned out to be quite lucky. After the "Gengxu Incident", he who should be held accountable the most escaped and was named a general. The emperor also trusted him very much.
Qiu Luan, who was infinitely famous, became more and more arrogant, and even Yan Song didn't take him seriously. When he saw him, he dared to shout and drink, and Yan Song was filled with regret. He never expected that the white-eyed wolf would bite him back, but this man was legitimate.
Hong couldn't afford to offend him no matter what, so he had to swallow his anger.
The political arena is like the stock market. When Qiu Luan was showing his power, Gao Gong was working as a teacher in the East Palace, Zhang Juzheng was still cleaning the house in his new unit, and the other four top masters were pretending to be grandsons. But with Mr. Qiu like this
The reason why he is so arrogant despite his idiotic qualifications is because he does not understand the first principle of officialdom - stability.
If you are unstable, you will inevitably be unlucky. Brother Qiu Luan's misfortune will soon come.
Although he has become a very popular minister, he cannot retire honorably. After all, he is a military commander. After being praised, he has to go back and work hard. However, Brother Qiu is too weak and is always chased by Anda on the border. In order to save his life once and for all, he creatively
He put forward suggestions for the horse market.
This suggestion fully proves that Mr. Qiu Luan does not have the eyes of an eagle and the speed of a leopard, but he has the brain of a pig.
The so-called horse market means that the Ming Dynasty will give me goods, and I will give horses to the Ming Dynasty. It seems fair, but in fact it is a kind of blackmail, because Qiu Luan has no strength, and I will give him a few bad horses at will.
If you open your mouth, I'll beat you if you don't give. And Mr. Qiu had his front teeth knocked out, so he could only swallow them.
What made him even more unexpected was that brother Anda had no education and did not know how to write the word "honesty". Although he signed the contract, he never implemented it. He took Daming's things and grabbed what should be grabbed. On Sunday
No rest either.
The border became more and more chaotic, more and more property was lost, and the situation was out of control. Qiu Luan became dizzy and became seriously ill. However, this man was still conscious despite his illness. Jiang Yingkui, the Minister of War, was ordered to temporarily take charge of the General Seal, but he was half-dead from illness.
He actually delayed giving it.
Repudiation is temporary, and soon he will hand over his own life as well.
Soon he received the emperor's order. The full text was concise and concise - confiscate military power and return to Beijing to await trial!
What made him even more unexpected was that according to insider reports, the person who complained to the emperor turned out to be Xu Jie, who had been promoted with him and had a close relationship with him.
Qiu Luan was so angry that he died and went to the underworld to negotiate with the King of Hell.
General Qiu actually didn't know that in Xu Jie's eyes, he was just a piece of fat. Xu Shangshu was always kind to people, and the more deeply he hated him, the more affable he became. And the courtesy Qiu Luan received was second only to Lord Yan Song
.
The reason why Xu Jie wanted to get rid of Qiu Luan was because this guy was too hateful. He knew nothing but took credit for his reward and harmed the country. Moreover, he was also one of the accomplices who killed Xia Yan back then, so naturally he was one of the accomplices.
What's more important is that defeating Qiu Luan can gain more capital. Not only can he win the emperor's trust, but he can also increase his prestige, win over hundreds of officials, and strengthen his political power.
So Xu Jie, who had made up his mind, saw the opportunity and told all about Gansu's dereliction of duty, Datong negotiations, and Beijing's conspiracy in one go, and settled the general ledger.
Jiajing was extremely angry and immediately ordered Qiu Luan to return to Beijing to explain the problem and confiscate his military power.
Also keeping an eye on Qiu Luan was Yan Song. When he learned that Qiu Luan had lost power, he immediately called Lu Bing and prepared to deal with Qiu Luan in one fell swoop.
Lu Bing is worthy of being the number one Jinyiwei, and he is extremely efficient. With the hard work of the Jinyiwei agents, all the bad things that Mr. Qiu Luan has done since childhood were unearthed, including collaboration with the enemy and the country, corruption and bribery, molesting women, etc.
Not included.
Yan Song, who was confident of winning, met with Jiajing and informed him of the above crimes in detail. Jiajing was furious and immediately issued an order:
Dig out Qiu Luan's body (he had died of illness at this time), chop off his head, and patrol the nine sides!
Looking at the murderous emperor, Yan Song decided to strike while the iron was hot and use a knife to solve his own troubles:
"As far as I know, Xu Jie and Qiu Luan have a close relationship, and your Majesty must pay attention to it."
But Yan Song never expected that after hearing these words, the emperor suddenly lost his anger and showed an uncertain expression.
He took out the seal and handed it to Yan Song with a smile:
"Take a look."
Yan Song opened the document and saw the eye-catching signature - Xu Jie.
Yan Song, the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, the chief minister of the cabinet, and the young master, finally got scared. He shuddered, handed back the memorial tremblingly, and left with Jiajing's mocking smile.
He already understood that that silent man, that inconspicuous minister, that man who treated him with respect, was not a political upstart, let alone a speculator.
He is a power ambitioner with ambitions and a master of maneuvering who is no less than himself. What he seeks is not just the official position of a minister or cabinet bachelor, but his own position - the chief minister of the cabinet.
He must be completely eliminated before he can replace himself.
It was later proven that Yan Song correctly judged Xu Jie's ability, but misjudged his purpose. What this Xu brother wanted was more than just his official position.
Yan Song returned home and told the prodigy Yan Shifan about his intentions, but to his surprise, the one-eyed son actually told him not to openly confront Xu Jie.
"Why?"
"He has become a climate and cannot be moved."
Yan Shifan indeed lived up to his talent and reputation. This conclusion is very accurate. At this time, Xu Jie was no longer what he used to be. His full title now is: Minister of Rites, Grand Scholar of Dongge, Crown Prince Taifu (from the first rank), Xu Jie, Second Assistant to the Cabinet
level.
The second most powerful person under the emperor, the hero who defeated Qiu Luan, and the emperor's personal confidant (in the near future), you can try it if you are not afraid of death.
It was difficult to deal with, but not impossible. After objectively analyzing the situation, Yan Shifan came up with a countermeasure—suppression.
After all, Yan Song is still the chief minister. Not only does he have the emperor's trust, but he also has a large number of accomplices and spies. As long as he keeps an eye on Xu Jie and restrains his actions, there is no need for a big fight. Once the limelight is over, this political upstart will
will be completely killed.
This strategy fully demonstrated Mr. Yan Shifan's fighting ability. Facts have proved that this soft-knife murderous strategy is very effective. Xu Jie, who has soared up, has no opponents, and no one openly opposes him, but secretly, there are countless pairs of eyes watching.
Follow his every move.
What made him even more depressed was that no matter what suggestions and plans he put forward when dealing with official affairs of the court, they were always unreasonably rejected. Faced with all this, he had nothing to do.
Because in the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty, although the first assistant and the second assistant were both cabinet members, only the first assistant had the final say. If a difficult-to-serve first assistant was appointed, the rest of the cabinet members would only serve tea and water.
, if you don’t accept it, you will be crushed to death by a senior official.
With this back and forth, Xu Jie was overwhelmed and Yan Song was unable to kill them all. The political situation once again entered a stalemate.
bystander
While Xu Jie tried his best to fight Yan Song to the death, the other five top masters behaved differently.
Xu Jie's biggest enemy is Yan Shifan. You must know that in the 31st year of Jiajing (1552), Mr. Yan was already over seventy years old. Although he was in good spirits and showed no signs of Alzheimer's disease, he could not compete with him in terms of intelligence level.
Compared with Xu Jie, his exquisite planning and vicious methods all came from Yan Shifan. Without this one-eyed son, he would have been finished long ago.
The most leisurely person is Yang Bo. He has temporarily left the political arena and been transferred to the left minister of the Ministry of War to engage in military affairs full-time. However, this man has a person he hates the most in his life - Qiu Luan. For this reason, he has collected materials and written a letter.
Mr. Qiu was impeached on 30 counts (more than Lu Bing), and he hated everyone. He had never had a good impression of Yan Song and his group.
Although he prefers Xu Jie in his personal relationship, that's all. Mr. Yang Bo is a veteran in officialdom. He knows that he is not strong enough and does not want to openly oppose Yan Song. But no matter what, he still supports Xu Jie (limited to
Spirit level).
The angriest person was Zhang Juzheng. After graduating from Shujishi, he was assigned to the Hanlin Academy as an editor. After witnessing the slackness in government affairs and the tragic scenes of burning and killing, this man in his twenties
The 6-year-old Hanlin official has become an angry young man in the standard sense.
As a student of Xu Jie, he wrote to his teacher many times, hoping that he would stand up and fight against the strict party that was eradicating the country and the people, but he never received a clear answer. He didn't understand Xu Jie, and he didn't understand himself either:
At that time, he was just an insignificant person, and the anger of a small person was useless.
Compared with Zhang Juzheng, Gao Gong is much smarter. Although he has just turned 40 years old, he is taciturn in appearance, but he is very scheming and has a deep understanding of the city. He is very aware of the struggle situation and the direction of the political situation. Among these six people,
Only he is the true centrist.
He neither took refuge in the dominant Yan Song nor ignored the forbearing Xu Jie. The wind and waves outside were high, but he remained motionless because he had already found the magic weapon for final victory in the complicated situation.
In the 31st year of Jiajing (1552), Gao Gong, who was well-educated in poetry and books, left the Hanlin Academy and became the lecturer of King Yu. He worked very hard and taught King Yu attentively. He stayed with him day and night and won the trust of King Yu.
The reason why Gao Gong worked so hard was actually very simple. Three years ago (the twenty-eighth year of Jiajing), the prince of Jiajing passed away, leaving only two sons - King Yu and King Jing.
Both of them were born in the 16th year of Jiajing (1537), but King Yu was born one month earlier than King Jing.
To the surprise of many people, among the six people, the most distressed person was actually Lu Bing.
In the eyes of many people, Lu Bing is Yan Song's minion and follows Yan Party's command. However, this is absolutely not the case.
In fact, Lu Bing's power far exceeded ordinary people's imagination. Not only was he thoughtful, smart and capable, he was also good at making friends in the court and had a wide network of contacts.
What's more important is that the spy leader who holds the Imperial Guard is also responsible for an extremely confidential mission.
You must know that Mr. Jiajing spent more than 20 years in a small dark room refining elixirs and never went to court. However, he knew everything about the political situation of the court, as well as ministers marrying young wives and visiting brothels. The key to this lies in Lu Bing.
Under the leadership of this brother, the Jin Yiwei stayed day and night, snooping around for gossip. He had Jin Yiwei undercover in the mansions of important ministers, including Yan Song, Xu Jie and others.
So every time Yan Song came to ask him for help, he was always very polite and even gave him gifts from time to time. He was afraid that he would offend the secret agent and stuff some dragon robes and weapons in his yard on a whim, which would cause trouble.
Big.
He won the emperor's trust and controlled the privacy of ministers. However, the powerful Lu Bing was not a person who did many evil things.
As a member of a well-known family, Lu Bing received strict education since his childhood. He knew loyalty and villainy, good and evil, and right from wrong. Soon after entering the officialdom, he made a judgment based on the most primitive principles: Yan Song is a bad guy, and Xia Yan is a bad guy.
Good people.
However, the reality is cruel. In the face of power and interests, he changed his original intention, conspired with Yan Song, and eventually killed Xia Yan.
Regarding this matter, Yan Song naturally felt at ease, but Lu Bing was ashamed and ashamed to mention it.
Yan Song and Lu Bing are both masters of economics, but their specific methods are very different. Yan Song caters to both the rich and the poor, and is suitable for all ages. However, Lu Bing only targets the wealthy and ruthless big households, and never embarrasses the poor. Moreover, he often takes out money.
Assisting some upright ministers, if the emperor is angry and wants to punish them, he will stand up and intercede to save the situation, and will never add insult to injury.
It should be said that Lu Bing is generally a conscientious person, but in the face of cruel political struggles and real interests, conscience is really not worth much.
As the Yan Party continued to grow and the national disaster became more and more serious, Lu Bing's position continued to waver, but as a vested interest, he still maintained a cooperative relationship with the Yan Party until the Shen Lian incident occurred.
Shen Lian was a Jinyiwei. He was a Jinshi in the 17th year of Jiajing and worked as a county magistrate for several years. After many twists and turns, he joined the Jinyiwei and became Lu Bing's subordinate.
Among the many Jinyi guards, Shen Lian is a very strange person. He is upright and hates evil. He is obviously a spy, but he is more active than an official. He often writes letters to discuss current affairs. Generally speaking, it is difficult for a person with this kind of character to be a spy. The agency continued to work, but what was even more strange was that the highest officer, Lu Bing, actually admired his personality very much and believed that he was a talent. Not only did he not make it difficult for him, but he protected him in every way.
At that time, Shen Lian's experience as a member of Jinyiwei was just a grassroots cadre in Jinyiwei. He didn't look very distinctive and could not be found in a crowd. But the facts proved that Lu Bing's vision was correct, and Shen Lian was indeed an extraordinary person. people.
In the "Gengxu Rebellion", he came to prominence for the first time.
At that time, I was besieging the city and demanding tribute, and the so-called tribute letter was of the same nature as the blackmail letter. The wording was arrogant and extremely rude.
However, when the emperor issued a decree asking ministers to discuss the issue of tribute, only Siye Zhao Zhenji (a disciple of the king's family) came forward to express his objection. The rest of the old foxes remained silent until the cabinet's opinions were issued.
It was in this silence that Shen Lian stood up and publicly supported Zhao Zhenji's opinion.
Shen Lian's appearance surprised everyone, but Xia Bangmo, the official minister who had refused to kill him before, suddenly jumped out and asked in a sarcastic tone:
"Do you have any official position?"
The meaning is very clear: What kind of official are you? You have no right to speak!
Shen Lian replied loudly and calmly:
"I have experienced the heavy chain from the seventh-grade Jinyiwei. Sirs, please don't say anything. It's up to the junior officials to speak up!"
His awe-inspiring righteousness shocked the world.
The minister of the second rank had no face to face the experience of the seventh rank and retreated in shame.
Shen Lian conquered the people present with his outspokenness and also won the respect of Lu Bing. After that, Lu Bing arranged for Shen Lian to be his personal attendant and accompany him everywhere.
Lu Bing did this not only to show his respect, but also to protect this straight-tempered subordinate from causing trouble outside.
But he never expected that this arrangement would cause even greater trouble, because the place he often visited was Yan Song's home.
Shen Lian has an upright nature, and he will get in on the little villains whenever he encounters them. His eyes can't tolerate sand, let alone a giant granite man like Yan Song, who is a big evil official. Therefore, every time he goes to the corrupt official Yan Song's house for dinner, he always eats. "Unhappy", in today's terms, means unhappy. Not only was he unsmiling, but he also had several fights with Yan Shifan. But after all, he was Lu Bing's man, and the Yan family did not dare to do anything to him.
However, things eventually intensified. After witnessing the shame of the "Gengxu Revolution" and the tragedy of people's families being destroyed, Shen Lian finally couldn't bear it anymore. After getting drunk, he angrily wrote the famous letter, listing Yan Song's ten major crimes. , spurting out the anger in his heart:
"Song, the great scholar, has a greedy nature that is terminally ill, and a foolish and despicable heart that is as stubborn as iron and stone!"
So the gods could not protect him.
The ending of Shen Lian once again confirmed Yan Song's huge influence on the emperor. As soon as the document was sent, the order came down: Jin Yiwei Shen Lian, sentenced to cane punishment, and sent to live outside Yongguan.
Lu Bing was extremely anxious after hearing the news, but had no choice but to run to see Shen Lian off.
Looking at this subordinate who was about to be sent to the frontier, Lu Bing sighed for a long time:
"Why are you doing this?"
However, Shen Lian, who was injured by the staff and had nothing left, still raised his head:
"Crush evil and evil, it is the law of heaven!"
Looking at the thin but resolute back, Lu Bing let out his last sigh: "I might as well sink the chain!"
In the face of the brave seventh-rank Jinyiwei who suffered heavy losses, the first-rank Shaobao and Crown Prince Tutor, the left governor Lu Bing, was a weak person.
Six years later, under the instruction of Yan Shifan, Shen Lian was killed in the Xuan Mansion. His two sons, Shen Gun and Shen Bao, were also imprisoned and beaten to death in order to eradicate the root cause.
To the huge Yan Party, this incident was just a minor disturbance, and Shen Lian's futile efforts could not change anything.
However, this futile effort was proof of the fearlessness of an ordinary person. The ordinary name Shen Lian was engraved in the annals of history and will never be erased.
He doesn't need to change anything, because his bravery speaks for itself.
The brave Shen Lian died, but the timid Lu Bing was still alive. He still valued his own interests and was unwilling and did not dare to fight against that terrible force. But he was still deeply touched. Unknowingly, He has quietly changed his position and taken a crucial step in another direction.
The political situation in the 31st year of Jiajing (1552) was like this. Everyone knew that Yan Song was greedy and corrupt, and Yan Party was a disaster for the country. But everyone also knew that Yan Song was cunning and cunning, and Yan Party had great power. If you oppose it, you will definitely suffer disaster, and if you join it, you will definitely be prosperous. .
The reason why the act of sinking chain can be remembered in history is because it is the only one
After all, most people are profit animals, so the number of members of the Yan Party is increasing, and its power is growing, but the forbearing Xu Jie is still forbearing.
For Yan Song, the thirty-first year of Jiajing was a good year. The emperor practiced Taoism with peace of mind and completely entrusted state affairs to him. All officials surrendered. Those who were unconvinced were also dealt with. Shen Lian was driven away and Qiu Luan was arrested. He was defeated, and his only opponent Xu Jie was also overwhelmed and unable to resist.
No one will dare to go against me anymore. This is the most confident and proud moment for Yan Song.
However, he was wrong. He did not have to wait long. He would face the most violent attack since he entered politics, and this attack was the first death knell on the road to his destruction.
Just like the previous Shen Lian, the initiator of this attack was also a small person. However, in the history of the Ming Dynasty, this small person had a daunting title.
The most tough guy in the Ming Dynasty
The twenty-sixth year of Jiajing (1547) was a very unusual year, and what was special about it lay in the imperial examination that year.
Because there are several names in the list of candidates for the Jinshi examination: Zhang Juzheng, Li Chunfang, Yin Shidan, and Wang Shizhen.
Needless to say, Zhang Juzheng, Li Chunfang and Yin Shidan were both later important cabinet ministers and influential figures, and Mr. Wang Shizhen is even more worthy of mention. He was the leader of the "Later Seven Sons" in the Ming Dynasty and led the literary world for more than 20 years. , unparalleled, and what is even more legendary is that it is said that he once wrote a book titled "Jin Ping Mei" when he had nothing to do.
Of course, Mr. Wang Shizhen is only one of the suspected authors of this book, but his fame and influence are astonishing. It has been a long time, but now, Mr. Wang is a super star.
And when the new scholars lined up neatly and strode out of the Ming Dynasty Gate with honor and smiles, these four gentlemen were occupying the most prestigious positions in the front row.
They were able to be at the front of the team because they had enough capital. Li Chunfang was the number one scholar in that subject, Zhang Juzheng and Yin Shidan were both common people. Wang Shizhen was not to mention, his father Wang Yan was the right scholar of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Censor of the capital, a second-grade official. In the eyes of people at that time, this was a group of people who were destined to make great achievements and leave their names in history.
However, at the back of the team, there was a taciturn man. Compared with the four in front, this man was really not worth mentioning. He came from a poor family, had no background, and had average test scores. He was not a commoner, but an average person.
It is said that the ultimate fate of this person is to be sent as a county magistrate, or to hold a mixed position in the Sixth Ministry, and work hard until retirement.
History likes to joke. This person who was ignored by everyone eventually became an out-and-out great man. When Li Chunfang, Yin Shidan, Wang Shizhen and other influential figures in the past were submerged in the sand of history, they were forgotten by countless people.
At that time, his name was recorded in almost all history textbooks, and his brilliance was only comparable to that of Zhang Juzheng.
Yang Jisheng, even if another five hundred years pass, this name will still shine in the annals of history.
Yang Jisheng, courtesy name Zhongfang, was born in Rongcheng, Hebei Province in the fifth year of Zhengde (1510). His family was very poor.
Yang Jisheng is not only poor, but also very miserable, because his mother passed away when he was seven years old, and his father was not idle and found him a stepmother. What is even more unfortunate is that this stepmother is not a fuel-efficient lamp and lacks the spirit of philanthropy.
, did not treat him as a son, and only made him a handyman.
In a difficult childhood, Yang Jisheng began to grow up.
Child laborer Yang Jisheng's main job was to herd cattle. He had no love from his parents and no pocket money. He was beaten when he made mistakes. However, Yang Jisheng had no choice but to live like this day by day.
Suddenly one day, when he was leading the cow home, he said this to his family:
"I want to study."
In the Ming Dynasty when there was no Hope Project, this sentence was basically a joke to Yang Jisheng's family.
If you don’t have money at home, even if you have money, it won’t be your turn.
Yang Jisheng's brother immediately gave him a contemptuous reply:
"How old are you and what books do you study?"
"I can herd cows, but can't I study?" A stubborn voice answered.
However, stubbornness could not solve the problem, and Yang Jisheng still could not go to school. However, with his persistence, his parents finally allowed him to attend a private school, but the premise was that he must do his job well (herding cattle).
So after herding the cows every day, Yang Jisheng would tie the cows in front of the school door, then stand outside the window or hide in a corner, enduring the contemptuous looks of students who had paid tuition, and listen to the class carefully.
This is already a luxurious enjoyment for him.
After working for six years, Yang Jisheng's enthusiasm finally moved his parents, so they sent their thirteen-year-old son to a private school. Here Yang Jisheng studied hard and lived up to expectations, and passed the examinations of scholar and scholar.
However, Yang Jisheng was still a poor man. Although he no longer had to pay taxes, he did not know how to run a business and his life was still difficult. In order to save money and prepare for exams, he entered the Imperial College with state subsidies.
Here, he met Xu Jie, the kind principal of the Imperial Academy (Jiujiu).
As before, Xu Jie expressed condolences to each student carefully and meticulously. Of course, as before, he did not remember most of them.
Yang Jisheng was among the majority of people who were ignored. As an ordinary supervisor of the Imperial Academy, he had no bureaucratic background and no future as a commoner. Naturally, he had no reason to be remembered by Xu Jie.
But Xu Jie never thought that ten years later, this poor and inconspicuous student would sacrifice his life to open the door to victory for him.
In the Ming Dynasty, if you wanted to be promoted, you had to take an exam, but this test was too difficult. The bureaucrats' children couldn't bear the hardship, so they had to find other ways. To inherit their father's hereditary official position, they had to wait until their father died or retired.
It's not very reliable.
Therefore, the Imperial College became the best choice, because the graduates could directly serve as officials. Although the number of places was very small, it was still better than nothing.
As a result, Yang Jisheng became a lonely outlier in the Imperial College where bureaucrats' children gathered. His classmates lived extravagantly and squandered money, but Yang Jisheng could only study every day and go to bed on time because he had no money and could only rely on the pitiful subsidies from the prison students.
But Yang Jisheng has never been ashamed of himself. He believes in his own abilities and does not need to rely on anyone.
While the children of the powerful were fighting for the few pitiful places, Yang Jisheng won the imperial examination in the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing (1547) and became a Jinshi.
Yang Jisheng's luck was really average. He was assigned to the Nanjing Civil Service Department of Leng Yamen and became the sixth-rank officer. Later, he was transferred to the Military Department Yuanwai Lang. Compared with his classmates, he neither had the bright prospects of a commoner nor the place.
The official salary is affordable.
However, Yang Jisheng did not complain, he just worked silently and hard.
He is not a smart person, at least he is far worse than Zhang Juzheng. Although he is very diligent, diligence can never make up for his talent. He lacks a sense of the overall situation, does not know how to build relationships with colleagues, does not know how to form cliques, and has no ability in government affairs.
Very average.
He was very aware of his abilities, but he didn't take them seriously, because for him who was born in a poor family, all this was enough.
Although the world is very complicated and the officialdom is cunning, it is very simple for Yang Jisheng, because he has only one way to be an official: serve the country and show compassion for the people.
This is the mantra and slogan that most new officials must shout. Many people shout louder than him, but they fail to remember it.
Yang Jisheng remembered it and did it. As a child from a poor family, he was very content and grateful. All he expected was to do a few things for the country and the people in a down-to-earth manner.
So after the "Gengxu Incident", when General Qiu wanted to open a "horse market" and compromise again, Yang Jisheng immediately stood up and wrote angrily against the horse market.
Qiu Luan was very angry, so he filed a criminal complaint against Yang Jisheng, imprisoned him, demoted him and sent him to Didao, a remote area.
Didao is very desolate and is inhabited by ethnic minorities. The locals do not like to study but only like to make trouble. Being an official here is basically equivalent to a labor camp.
However, Yang Jisheng has no fear because he is a simple man who lives a simple life in a simple way.
He lived on a simple diet, lived in a simple house, taught the locals how to read and write, and settled disputes without taking anything from them. Even the villagers in the barbaric land were influenced by him, and everyone called him "Father Yang".
Only those who live above temples, far away from rivers and lakes, and are concerned about their people can be officials.
Soon after, Qiu Luan's conspiracy was defeated. Jiajing remembered Yang Jisheng's loyal words and ordered him to resume his official duties. He was first promoted to the county magistrate, one month later he was promoted to the head of the Nanjing household department, and three days later he was promoted to the criminal department member wailang.
Yang Jisheng, who was sitting in the helicopter, had not yet reached the top. Soon he returned to the capital. This time, his post was at the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War.
The poorest part of the Ministry of War is the Military Affairs Division, while the richest one is undoubtedly the Military Selection Division. Military generals can be promoted or demoted with just a swipe of a pen. They are both idle and rich, and fat and fat.
The reason why Yang Jisheng, who had no background, was able to get this position was entirely because of Yan Song's recommendation.
The reason why Yan Song recommended Yang Jisheng was naturally not because he admired his integrity and selflessness, but because Qiu Luan was his enemy, and Yang Jisheng once opposed Qiu Luan. In his view, the enemy of his enemy is his friend.
But Yan Song didn't know that Qiu Luan was only ranked second on Yang Jisheng's enemy list, and the first place was always reserved for him.
Yan Song thought that he could take advantage of the conflict between Yang Jisheng and Qiu Luan, buy this man with his official position and benefits, and use him for his own purposes. However, he was wrong because he did not understand Yang Jisheng.
This is a man who has no personal grudges. He only has public anger in his heart. Even if he is punished personally, he will have no complaints as long as it benefits the country. This is the so-called selflessness.
Yan Song, who was selfless and selfless, naturally could not understand this kind of character. He was waiting for his new comrades to join him at home, but he did not expect that the road to destruction had already begun.
While Yan Song was full of confidence, Yang Jisheng had already seen the truth of the matter. The government was in darkness and the people's livelihood was in decline. The culprit of all this was Yan Song. The chief minister of the cabinet, who was supposed to be diligent and diligent, had taken bribes, formed cliques, and engaged in selfish activities.
The good things he has done are too numerous to write down (not that they are endless, but they are hard to find). In his heart, he only has himself, but not the whole world.
So Yang Jisheng decided to write a letter to impeach this person.
In the Ming Dynasty, impeachment was commonplace. For example, if you disliked someone, you could write a petition for impeachment. If you had a grudge against someone, you could petition for impeachment. If there was a need for political struggle, you could petition for impeachment. If you had nothing to do, you could petition for impeachment.
Impeachment. The reasons for impeachment are also all kinds of strange, such as not paying attention to personal hygiene, not wearing the right clothes, not fastening the belt properly, and not looking good. In short, as long as you can think of it, you can do it.
In this environment, officials in the Ming Dynasty have developed a habit. Generally, if an official reaches the third-grade deputy ministerial level, if there are not more than a dozen bullets and seals in the file, it is extremely abnormal.
You impeach me, I will impeach you, happy days pass day by day, and after decades of living, the one who has never been impeached once is not a human being, but a god.
In an era when impeachment was as simple as eating and dressing, the ordinary and inconspicuous Yang Jisheng became famous forever because he used the most special method of impeachment - impeachment by death.
In many cases, impeachment is a political method to achieve a certain goal. Everyone is an official in the same government, and it is not easy to gain fame. If you impeach corruption, be less greedy next time. If you impeach etiquette, you should pay attention to your image.
, even if you are impeached for not having good looks, the most is just plastic surgery, you come and I go, treat each other as guests.
Impeachment by death is not a simple document, it is an attitude and a determination. The crime of impeachment is a crime that can kill the other party. The target of impeachment is a person who can decide his life or death. The result of impeachment is a narrow escape from death.
To tell everything you know, to tell everything, to risk your life to be impeached is to impeach someone to death.
Death impeachment, either you die or I die!
If it weren't for disputes over the murder of his father or the hatred of his wife, no one would use this trick. Yan Song did not kill Yang Jisheng's father, let alone steal his wife. On the contrary, he promoted Yang Jisheng and hoped that Take him under your wing.
However, Yang Jisheng refused the opportunity to be promoted and make a fortune. He had already made up his mind to impeach Yan Song.
Yan Song was not his enemy, but he was still not angry, not angry for Xia Yan, not angry for the government, not angry for the people who died under the Mongolian saber, not angry for the world!
This is true for those who take the world as their own responsibility.
It’s not that he didn’t know the consequences of doing so. Shen Lian’s experience was right in front of him, and it wasn’t that no one advised him. Tang Shunzhi, who was well versed in Wang Xue and familiar with the way of struggle, saw the signs in time. As a friend of Yang Jisheng, he once wrote a letter advice:
"May I pay attention to the fact that immortal deeds will ultimately be done by deacons."
As a direct disciple of Wang Xue's leftists (Nie Bao and Xu Jie belonged to the rightists), Tang Shunzhi was very aware of the political environment at that time, so he persuaded Yang Jisheng earnestly and sincerely, hoping that Yang Jisheng would not come forward to avoid disaster.
Yang Jisheng read the letter, but just smiled and did not answer.
There is only one thing left in his life.
Before writing the impeachment letter, Yang Jisheng fasted for three days.
This was the last free time in his life. The 42-year-old Yang Jisheng looked back on his past, from childhood poverty to youth pursuit, surviving the abuse of his stepmother, surviving Qiu Luan's frame-up, and what he is now , is a member of the Military Selection Department of the Ministry of War, with a bright future and a long career.
But now he is ready to give up everything to complete the inevitable mission.
Because the Yang Jisheng who herded cattle, the Yang Jisheng who had gone through hardships, and the Yang Jisheng who had seen through the darkness of officialdom was still the same Yang Jisheng.
In the darkness, Yang Jisheng was a pure man. But facing this suffocating darkness, he was unable to resist and could only give out his last cry.
Although Yang Jisheng was not smart, he was not stupid either. He knew very well that Tang Shunzhi's words were right.
Impeachment by death is indeed not a good method, but he has no better method. He has no money, no power, no background as a concubine and no hope of joining the cabinet, and he does not have the wisdom of Zhang Juzheng and Xu Jie. In the final analysis, he He is just an ordinary person who comes from a peasant family and has ordinary talents.
The only thing he owns is his life.
He was also very clear about the post-impeachment process, including Yan Song's false accusations, Jin Yiwei's torture, long-term imprisonment, and if he was lucky, there might be an executioner's sword. In such a terrifying environment, there was no need to expect a narrow escape, only a narrow escape. Ten deaths and no life.
Yet he still decided to do it.
Knowing that you will not succeed, knowing that you will definitely die, but still act generously. Generally speaking, this kind of behavior has many names, such as stupidity, overestimation of one's abilities, moths flying into the flame, etc. In the eyes of Westerners, this is even more incredible. Behavior that violates logic.
In ancient Chinese philosophy, this behavior has an appropriate name:
Know it's impossible and do it.
I firmly believe that this is the soul of our great nation.
Go forward courageously
Yang Jisheng has no worries anymore.
He picked up the pen and wrote his sad and angry words on the spread paper:
I, Guzhi, have sinned against Yang Jisheng. Please tell Your Majesty the ten major sins of Song!
When Yang Jisheng sealed this ancient famous letter and delivered it to the cabinet and handed it over to Xiyuan, he had completed a great transformation. The poor peasant boy who herded cattle in the past would eventually become an immortal after decades of ups and downs.
hero.
Shortly after Jiajing received the memorial, Yan Song, who was well-informed, learned the content of the memorial from the emperor's attendant.
Faced with this righteous accusation from a fifth-rank official, Yan Song was frightened. Although he was the chief minister of the cabinet and the emperor's favorite, he was still afraid of this fearless voice coming from the lowest level.
And based on many years of political experience, he quickly made a judgment - this person is here to risk his life.
But just when he was panicking, the one-eyed dragon military advisor Yan Shifan appeared again. After listening to the panic-stricken story, he just said calmly:
"Where is the memorial? Show it to me."
After reading it carefully, Yan Shifan smiled and told his panicked father that there was no need to be afraid. In fact, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Almost at the same time that Yan Song knew the content of the memorial, Xu Jie also knew it. There was nothing we could do about it. The sixteenth century was the age of information. If you wanted to save your head and earn a living, you had to keep abreast of the latest developments in the court.
Xu Jie marveled at Yang Jisheng's courage. He never expected that the silent student back then would be so bloody and brave, standing up alone to challenge an opponent he could never defeat.
He admired this man because he had done something that even he did not dare to do.
But soon, he realized a serious problem - danger was approaching him.
Because Yang Jisheng was his student, and in those days, the teacher-student relationship was a political relationship. Yang Jisheng wrote that although he did not know about it, he could never break away from the relationship. And the current political situation is far from a showdown when the enemy is strong and we are weak.
, if we start a war with the strict party at this time, we will definitely fall short.
Xu Jie was restless until he got the full text of the memorial and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Because at the end of this memorial, Yang Jisheng also added this sentence: "Xu Jie, a great scholar, was specially promoted by His Majesty, but he obeyed everything and did not dare to uphold justice. It cannot but be said that he has betrayed the country."
Whether he was really confused or pretending to be smart, these key words finally saved Xu Jie and preserved his strength.
The earthquake in the political arena seemed inevitable. Yan Song was panicked, Xu Jie was uneasy, but Yang Jisheng was just calm and calm, waiting to be dealt with.
However, surprisingly, in this matter, the most panicked person was not the above three people, but another seemingly unrelated person - Gao Gong.
Whether it was Yan Song or Xu Jie, Gao Gong treated each other with courtesy, so this incident did not have much impact on Gao Gong. However, just as he opened the copy of the memorial with the mentality of watching the fun, he saw that sentence
When he threatened his life, he felt like a thunderbolt, and he immediately picked up the documents and went to find Xu Jie.
The sentence he saw was exactly what Yan Shifan paid attention to.
Looking at the pale and panting Gao Gong, Xu Jie was very puzzled. However, when he followed Gao Gong's direction,
When I read that sentence carefully, I immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.
This sentence that made Yan Shifan smile and made Gao Gong frightened was written like this - I hope your majesty will listen to the words of my ministers, investigate Song's treachery, or summon the two kings Yu and Jing.
Xu Jie's face turned pale. He knew very well that this was a commanding statement. It could easily be understood that King Yu had instigated Yang Jisheng to force the palace prisoners to commit crimes in the name of attacking Yan Song. If the Yan Party took advantage of it, the consequences would be disastrous.
The reason why Gao Gong came to Xu Jie was that he believed that Yang Jisheng was Xu Jie's student, and the letter must have been ordered by Xu Jie, and he was preparing to use it to fight the Yan Party.
And if Xu Jie dares to show his cards, he must have a comprehensive plan, but no matter what your brother Xu has planned, you have to explain it to your brother so that I can be prepared in advance to avoid unreasonable disaster.
However, Xu Jie told him sincerely that he did not know about it and had no follow-up.
Now Gao Gong was dumbfounded. The relationship between King Yu and Yan Dang had not been good all along, and the emperor would rather trust the Taoist priests around him than his own son. With Yan Shifan's IQ, he would never let this one go.
Opportunity.
Seeing Gao Gong spinning around, Xu Jie was also very anxious. At least so far, they were allies to a certain extent. If King Yu fell, it would only do him harm but no good.
But now that the matter has come to this, what can be done?
At the critical moment, facing the almost desperate Gao Gong, Xu Jie racked his brains and finally came up with the final solution:
"Now that the matter has come to this, we can only go find that person and leave it to fate."
After all, Xu Jie and Gao Gong were political veterans. At this time, Yan Shifan was really planning to kill two birds with one stone and kill two birds with one stone. Under his guidance, Yan Song led the trouble to the two kings.
This topic completely touched Jiajing's nerves, and he immediately sent people to the imperial edict to question Yang Jisheng (who was already in prison at this time): What is his relationship with the two kings, and why did he bring them out?
Although Yang Jisheng was upright, he was not stupid. He realized the huge risks hidden in the question and answered loudly:
"Except for the two kings, is there anyone in the court who is not afraid of Yan Song?!"
Jiajing was relieved when he heard the answer, but the crisis was far from over, because Mr. Yan Shifan had never been an idealist, and he never expected Yang Jisheng to be hot-headed and actively cooperate. In fact, his plan
just began.
Yan Shifan knew very well that although the Yan Party in the DPRK was powerful, in order to get rid of Yang Jisheng and pull King Yu into trouble, he had to rely on the power of another person, and he was sure of that person.
The abacus was really good, but unfortunately his opponent was Xu Jie.
It is said that in chess, anyone who can see the last two moves is a master, and anyone who can see the last three or more moves is a master. In a special game like politics, Xu Jie is a well-deserved grand master. Not only did he calculate Yan Shifan's
The attempt was quite accurate to his intended target.
So before Yan Shifan took action, he took the lead and found the key person - Lu Bing.
The fate of Yang Jisheng and King Yu is in the hands of Lu Bing. Because this dear man is not only the chief of the secret service, but also the warden of the prison. He does some tricks in the prison, makes a false confession, and then sends out a group of guards to frame him in the middle of the night.
It couldn't be easier than to call Yuwang.
Lu Bing was an ally of the Yan Party. In any case, he had no reason to reject Yan Shifan. However, Xu Jie still came to visit, with the mentality of giving it a try.
Because he believed in his own judgment - Lu Bing was still a conscientious person, and more importantly, he had no other way.
Facing a veteran like Lu Bing, talking politely or talking about friendship is tantamount to humiliating oneself. Xu Jie got straight to the point:
"This matter should not be too involved. Please think twice before doing anything."
Lu Bing looked at Xu Jie and remained silent.
He understood the meaning of this sentence, but he did not want to express his stance and could not express his stance.
Anyway, having said that, Xu Jie made another request:
"That person also hopes that I will take more care of him."
After hearing these words, Lu Bing finally spoke:
"This man's affairs are as high as those of the Emperor, and they are beyond my control."
It means that this matter has reached the sky and I can't cover it up.
This is the truth, and Xu Jie can only sigh:
"I just hope that my brother will pay more attention to it."
Lu Bing nodded, this request was not too much.
Xu Jie left and Yan Shifan came.
Of course, his purpose was completely opposite to Xu Jie's - to torture Yang Jisheng to death and take Prince Yu along with him.
Lu Bing received him warmly and nodded in agreement.
Yan Shifan left with satisfaction, but things did not develop as he expected.
From then on, Yan Song and his son waited at home every day for the arrival of good news, but as the days passed, there was no movement from Lu Bing.
Yan Shifan never went to Lu Bing again. As a veteran in officialdom, he knew very well what the other party's attitude meant - rejection.
The sight of Shen Lian's back when he left was something Lu Bing could never forget, so at the critical moment, he made this critical decision.
Although he did not have the courage to step forward, he still held on to his remaining conscience.
There were strong winds and waves outside, and the fight was going on to the death, but Yang Jisheng, the central figure in the incident, was unusually calm. He stayed calmly in his cell, waiting for the coming storm.
Under Lu Bing's instruction, the prison guards did not make things difficult for Yang Jisheng, but Yan Song's energy was not something Lu Bing could control. Soon, Yang Jisheng paid the price for his bravery.
He was dragged out of the cell and received a punishment of one hundred imperial rods.
The imperial stick is a spanking with a big stick. Generally speaking, if it is a so-called "careful beating", sixty imperial rods are enough to beat a person to death. Even if the person does not die, the skin will be peeled off, which is extremely painful.
A colleague couldn't stand it any longer, so he asked someone to give Yang Jisheng a pair of snake gallbladders and told him that they could relieve pain.
However, Yang Jisheng once again showed his fearlessness and courage:
"I, Yang Jiao Shan (Yang Jisheng, also known as Jiao Shan), am brave enough myself, so I don't need this!"
There is so much talent.
Yang Jisheng had no money to bribe the executioner, and he offended the wealthy and powerful Yan Song. Generally speaking, he would definitely die.
What's amazing is that Yang Jisheng received a hundred strokes. Although his skin was torn and his muscles were broken, he still managed to save his life. In addition to his good health, there were probably some off-site factors - the executioner was Jin Yiwei.
However, a hundred sticks are still a solid hundred sticks, not struck on cotton. Yang Jisheng still only has half a life left. What is waiting for him is not an ambulance or a high-ranking ward, only a damp and stinking edict.
prison.
However, it was in this terrifying and gloomy place that Yang Jisheng did something sensational and challenging the limits of mankind.
Although he is a tough guy, he is not an iron man after all. His leg bones were broken by the imperial staff, and the leg meat was knocked off, leaving a bloody mess. Yang Jisheng, who was already unconscious, was dragged back to the cell. No one bandaged him, and he was in a dirty place where flies were infested.
In the cold air, his wounds began to become infected.
That late at night, Yang Jisheng was awakened by severe pain in his leg. In the dim light, he saw his stump of leg and minced flesh. However, he did not moan or scream loudly. He just called a guard:
"It's too dark here, please light a lamp for me."
This was a more reasonable request, and the guard agreed. He lit a lamp and approached Yang Jisheng's cell.
At the moment when the light shone into the dark corner, the guard saw a terrifying scene that left him haunted and unforgettable:
Yang Jisheng sat there very quietly, with his head lowered and a broken bowl piece in his hand, concentrating on scraping the meat on his leg, which was already infected and rotten.
He didn't use anesthetics, iron rings, or white towels to stuff his mouth. He just kept scraping the carrion with a calm expression. The bowl blades were not sharp, and the carrion was not easy to cut. This was unbearable.
The pain was severe, but Yang Jisheng did not make a sound.
In this late night, the monotonous sound of friction echoed in the prison cell, telling the story of this unparalleled bravery and strength in the silence.
Under the dim light, Yang Jisheng independently completed this unprecedented and unprecedented operation (for sure). At that time, Mr. Guan scraped the bones to cure the poison (the authenticity is not necessarily true), and there was also a doctor (super physician Hua Tuo)
, using a special scalpel, and a large group of people surrounded him, playing chess with him to relieve his boredom.
In comparison, Mr. Yang Jisheng's surgery was self-service. There was no operating light or spacious barracks. He only had flies and mosquitoes to accompany him. He had no sterilized scalpels and only the broken bowls he used to eat in the past.
Yang Jisheng continued his work. The carrion was almost scraped away and the bones were exposed. He began to cut off the fascia attached to the bones.
The guard holding the lamp was about to collapse. Seeing this horrific scene, he wanted to escape, but his legs were firmly nailed to the spot and he could not move.
He had seen countless prisoners who were tortured horribly, and heard countless miserable and terrifying wails. But on this quiet night, holding an oil lamp and facing this calm man, he truly felt the pain that penetrated into his bones.
Fear and shock.
Then he began to tremble, and the light and shadow continued to shake with his hands.
A dull voice finally broke the deathly silence:
"Don't move, I can't see clearly."
Twenty years ago, there was a very sensational movie "Rambo", and later a sequel was made. In it, Brother Rambo was so tough that he once sprinkled gunpowder on his wounds to disinfect himself, which made people look at him with suspicion.
Everyone regards him as a tough guy idol.
However, many people don't know that more than 400 years ago, there was a man named Yang Jisheng who was even more Rambo than Rambo. The biggest difference between them is that Rambo is fake and Yang Jisheng is real.
In this way, Yang Jisheng survived, became famous all over the world, and will always be remembered in history, because of his perseverance, tenacity, and integrity.
Yan Song understood that Lu Bing could not be counted on, but the deep-seated hatred and fear would not be eliminated. Yang Jisheng had to kill him!
At this time, the case had been transferred to the Ministry of Punishment. Wang Xueyi, the minister, was a member of the Yan Party. Yan Song ordered him to quickly deal with Yang Jisheng, because cursing people could not be decapitated. Lord Yan sent a Buddha to heaven and designated the crime: falsely conveying the prince's decree.
However, the deputy minister reported it, but minister He Ao refused to approve it. The doctor Shi Chaobin also made it clear that it would never be implemented.
Yan Song became angry. He dismissed Shi Chaobin from his official position and asked someone to tell He Ao that if he continued to disobey, he would go with Shi Chaobin.
He Ao compromised, and the Ministry of Punishment submitted a handling opinion - execution in accordance with the law.
However, Yan Song never expected that the document he had worked so hard on would still not be executed, and there was nothing he could do about it - the emperor would not approve it.
Jiajing is no longer the sharp young man he was back then. He has been the emperor for thirty years. He has experienced countless turmoils and defeated countless powerful officials. He has eaten what should be eaten, played what should be played, and rectified what should be rectified.
The only wish left is to live a few more years.
So he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause of monasticism and handed over state affairs to his ministers. The reason why this smart emperor dared to delegate power was because in the past twenty years, all the ministers had been manipulated by him.
In the palm of his hand, no one is his opponent, no one can guess his thoughts.
Generally speaking, the smarter the boss, the more uncomfortable the employees will be. Boss Jiajing is not easy to serve. He is not only talented but also good at cheating. If you tell him one thing, he will go the other way. If you ask him to eat, he will insist on eating.
Sleeping, in short, makes you unable to touch his spectrum.
However, the situation has changed. In this accumulated struggle, several top employees of Daming Company finally surpassed the level of their bosses and became real leaders.
Among the lists of these super employees who are able to control their bosses are the names of Yan Song and Yan Shifan, and of course, Xu Jie. Soon after, two more powerful people will also be included in this list, and the names they control
, will be the world.
The era of playing tricks on monkeys is about to end, and the era of being tricked by monkeys is about to begin.
But at least regarding Yang Jisheng's issue, Jiajing has not been fooled yet. He is very clear about the mystery of the case. After all, Yang Jisheng's target is only Yan Song. Yan Song wants to use the knife to kill people, but he does not want to be used as a gun.
Yang Jisheng's case dragged on for three years and remained unresolved until the accident three years later.
In the thirty-fourth year of Jiajing (1555), Yang Jisheng was still holding on tenaciously in prison, but his colleagues outside could no longer bear it. He has been imprisoned for so long and suffered so much without even an explanation. You should say
Are officials useless?
So all of a sudden, the officials wrote a letter demanding the release of Yang Jisheng. The momentum was huge and there was a lot of noise.
Yan Song couldn't hold back his anger. At this time, the backbone of the Yan Party and the famous corrupt official Yan Maoqing gave him advice:
Raising tigers is dangerous.
Yan Song nodded.
At this time, Yan Song saw a memorial sent by his godson, Zhao Wenhua, another cadre of the Yan Party. On this memorial, the names of two people were written.
Yan Song thought for a moment, picked up the pen, and added three more words after these two names: Yang Jisheng.
Because he knew very well that the person named in this memorial would definitely die. And the emperor in his rage would not notice this small clerical error.
Yan Song gave full play to his intelligence, and after three years of exhaustion, he finally sent his mortal enemy Yang Jisheng to hell.
However, he would never have imagined that the moment he wrote Yang Jisheng's name, he had made the most fatal mistake, and the door to his downfall was opened.
During the days of forbearance, Xu Jie always paid attention to Yan Song's words and deeds, and the reason why he hesitated to take action was because he had never been able to discover Yan Song's flaws.
Yan Song, who has been in the officialdom for more than 40 years, is a true elite. Although he takes bribes and engages in cliques for personal gain, no one can catch him because he knows which money can be taken and which cannot be taken, who should be beaten and who should be beaten.
To pull.
So over the years, he had only received one real threat, but the compassionate Mr. Xia Yan let him go. Since then, he has become more cautious, cunning and ruthless.
However, he finally became careless. Yang Jisheng's death aroused his anger and confused his thinking and judgment, so he made a wrong decision - to kill Yang Jisheng.
Yang Jisheng came here to die.
He was not bribed by Yan Song, did not listen to the advice of his friends, and knew that there was no hope of victory, but still risked everything he had to impeach Yan Song for death, because his purpose was very clear:
Just want to die.
He used death to express his anger, and he used death to awaken the timid people. Just like the swordsmith in the Spring and Autumn Period, Yang Jisheng used his life to forge the sharp sword that could kill evil spirits.
Facts have proved that Yang Jisheng's death was an out-and-out trap, and Yan Song jumped in without hesitation.
In September of the 34th year of Jiajing's reign (1555), just as Yan Song expected, the angry Jiajing issued this memorial: execution after the fall.
After the news came out, a woman completed another memorial in her humble room.
This woman is the wife of Yang Jisheng, and the wife of a great man is naturally not an ordinary person. In the letter, this weak woman proposed a fair exchange condition - if the crime is serious, it will not be pardoned, and she is willing to behead the concubine in her husband's place.
punish.
One life for another, it's fair.
Yan Song saw this memorial and threw it into the pile of documents.
Yang Jisheng's wife was not well educated. This document was dictated by her and written by Wang Shizhen. Before execution, Wang Shizhen came to the prison again to say goodbye to his same year and good friend.
Wang Shizhen was a man of loyalty. He had visited the prison many times before and brought Yang Jisheng soup and medicine to help him survive.
But the matter had come to this, and there was no way to save him, so in the imperial prison, Wang Shizhen and his friends met for the last time.
The Yang Jisheng in front of him is no longer human. He does not have the love of his parents and the pursuit of everyone. He is very ordinary. Even in that glorious team of Jinshi, he is just a neglected and taciturn person. The glory and prominence have never belonged to him.
.
Now, all he has left is his broken limbs, broken clothes, bruises all over his body, and the impending fate of death.
Yang Jisheng just calmly made his final request:
"I'll leave you to worry about my funeral."
Yang Jisheng had no money, and neither did his wife. It was difficult for him to find a coffin for burial.
Wang Shizhen nodded vigorously, this was the only thing he could do.
All things have been explained, and Yang Jisheng is about to go to the final stage of his life - the execution ground.
At this final moment of farewell, Wang Shizhen finally couldn't help crying loudly:
"Jiaoshan, how could things come to this point?"
However, Yang Jisheng smiled at this time. He leaned against the wall and supported his body with his remaining leg:
"Yuanmei (Wang Shizhen's abbreviation Yuanmei), it doesn't have to be like this," in the dark cell, his face reflected the light of incomparable pride:
"If death is well deserved, there is no need to fear death!"
On the first day of October in the 34th year of Jiajing reign (1555), Yang Jisheng died heroically.
In this battle of disparity in strength, the unarmed Yang Jisheng persisted until the last moment, relying only on his faith and courage.
Before his execution, he composed a poem:
His majesty is still too weak, but his loyalty will shine through the ages.
I have not repaid my kindness in my life, but I have left it as a tribute to my loyal soul.
Going through hardships and remaining determined is called faith.
Not fearing power, even death, is called courage.
On this day, Yan Song celebrated his victory in his mansion, while Jiajing continued his monastic career in Xiyuan.
On this day, Yang Jisheng used his death to reveal Yan Song's true face to the world. The Yan Party, which had been so majestic and arrogant before, was on the road to destruction, because there is an old saying - public anger is hard to offend.
It was also on this day that Xu Jie, who tried hard to rescue but failed to do so, understood the ultimate secret of political struggle in front of the bloody corpse of his student: