If the Qinhuai River was the land of gentleness, then Taoye Ferry was the bed in the land of gentleness. The water at the head of Taoye Ferry was leisurely, the boats on the shore were on the buildings on the shore. Returning guests and pedestrians rushed to cross the river, singing boats and painting boats filled the middle stream.
Here, the restaurants and brothels filled the ears, attracting pedestrians to linger and forget to return. The boats on the water were interwoven, the lights shining brightly. There were beautiful Jiangnan beauties and first-class musicians on the pleasure boats, causing the tourists to be intoxicated, not knowing what year it was.
Although it was late, the vendors on the docks were still loudly selling wine, cooked dishes, and all kinds of snacks. This could be said to be the business and entertainment center of the city.
Since the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the construction of sixteen buildings, including Danyan, Qingfeng, Chongze, and Laibin, to store prostitutes for the government. Luan boys, prostitutes, and famous prostitutes all competed to seduce and steal their beauty. The atmosphere of Jinling was thick, and the famous officials and gentry who "go to prostitutes without forgetting to worry about the country, worry about the country without forgetting to worry about the country" also flocked like ducks.
On the Danyan building, Dai Mian, the Nanjing Imperial Censor, frowned and quietly said, "Lord Wang, will Yang Ling be willing to come?"
Wang Qiong listened and smiled faintly. He looked around at the crowd and said, "Today there are high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries of Nanjing, the Imperial Envoy Station, the Chief Secretary, and the Garrison Camp jointly inviting him to a banquet. If he still does not come, then he is not Yang Ling."
Ever since he was banished from the capital, his hair and beard had become even paler, and the wrinkles on his face had increased, but his expression was calmer and more determined than before. When the 'moral etiquette' that he had always relied on, which had always been successful, could not put a traitor to death, and could not even get the support of most of the officials in the court, he knew that now that etiquette had collapsed, he could no longer rely on the teachings of the saints to rule the country and pacify the world.
The person he had sent to the capital to inquire about the news had returned. He already knew that Yang Ling had made friends with the nobles and officials in the capital, and had stolen goods for them. It was said that he had also brought back a large number of exotic and wonderful things to offer to the Emperor. If this kind of person was not a traitor, why did he have to be so scheming?
This person had just been established in the inner court, and he had begun to make friends with powerful officials and plunder money. Looking at his methods in Jiangnan and in front of the Emperor, he was truly ambitious. Those who achieve great things do not bother with trifles. For the greater good, for the greater good, why not cherish small things? For the sake of the greater good, why pity the small? If they didn't get rid of him now, when he was fully fledged, he would be gone.
Borrowing the power of Dongchang was a last resort, but to prevent them from taking advantage of the situation, the only way was for the officials in the court to play a leading role in the process of eliminating the traitors.
But now, the civil and military officials could not work together. Many officials were still watching, including Grand Secretary Li. His own plan was like an arrow on the bow that had to be fired. Ever since he heard about the situation in the capital, he had decided to meet Yang Ling. Now, he had no choice but to put down the last weight on the balance.
The Nanjing Imperial Censor Jiang Qin snorted coldly and said, "People of different paths cannot make plans together. Although Yang Ling has a high position of power and holds the power to patrol Jiangnan, we do not need to pay attention to him. If it were not for the sake of Old Wang, I would not have come."
Bao Yanhui, who was also an Imperial Censor, gently pulled on his lapel and lightly reprimanded, "In terms of righteousness, can you compare to Official Wang? In terms of personal enmity, not only was Lord Wang banished from the capital because of Yang Ling, his son also lost his life because of Yang Ling. Does he not hate Yang Ling more than you and I do? Now that the eunuchs are rebelling, the only one who can persuade the Emperor is Yang Ling. Official Wang has put aside his personal enmity and set up a feast to entertain him. Is it not for the sake of Jiang Shan Society and the common people? You, how can your breadth of mind compare to that of the Minister, and you still want to talk nonsense here? "
Jiang Qin gave a muffled grunt. Seeing that everyone at the banquet was silent, he quietly said, "That may be the case, but I heard that the eunuchs known as the Eight Tigers were originally on the same side as Yang Ling. Even bewitching the Emperor was Yang Ling's idea. This matter has long been known by everyone in the capital. If Lord Wang wants to persuade Yang Ling to get rid of the traitors, isn't that asking a tiger for its skin?"
Bao Yanhui sighed and said, "Actually … I do not hold much hope. I will do my best and leave the rest to fate."
"The imperial envoy, Mr Yang, has arrived!" Yang Ling ascended the stairs and took a quick glance. Aside from Sir Guan of the Nanjing garrison, he did not recognize anyone else. However, the four large tables were filled. Looking at the official robes, it was clear that they were all high-ranking officials of the Shadow Government. He hurriedly smiled apologetically and cupped his hands in salute, saying, "Sirs, I have kept you waiting. I, Yang, am late, please forgive me."
He was indeed a little late. After accepting Wang Qiong's invitation to attend the banquet, Yang Ling hesitated for a while. Wang Qiong had been demoted because of him, and because of him, he had lost his son. Whether it was public or private, the two of them could be said to have a deep-seated hatred. He was inviting him to attend the banquet. What was he trying to do?
Liu Biao was used to murder, framing, and framing. His first thought was that he absolutely could not go. Wang Qiong had clearly made it clear that this was a banquet at Hongmen. If that old fellow hardened his heart and decided to perish together with him, perhaps he would set up an ambush to skin the factory supervisor.
Wu Jie took the invitation and saw a dense group of officials behind it. Now he could not guess Wang Qiong's intentions. To assassinate an imperial envoy in front of so many officials? Wang Qiong was not afraid of death, but murdering an imperial envoy was a great crime that would result in the execution of nine generations of his family. Would he dare? Unless he had the opposite idea.
Cheng Qiyun also could not figure out what Wang Qiong was planning. However, today, all the high-ranking officials in Jinling were jointly invited. If Yang Ling did not go, it would be equivalent to offending all the officials in Jinling. Yang Ling's future development focus was in the south. Aside from these people who had idle positions in the six ministries, the other officials held real power in South Zhili. How could he not go?
In the end, they agreed to first dispatch foreigners to the "House of Misty Rain" to thoroughly investigate the inside and outside. After confirming that there was no ambush, they then sent ten capable and capable people with high martial arts skills to secretly carry sharp blades and disguise themselves as sedan bearers and attendants to accompany him to the banquet.
The six ministries in the capital were headed by the Ministry of Appointments. The six ministries in Nanjing all had idle positions, so they had to be arranged according to seniority and prestige. Yang Ling was the imperial envoy and Wang Qiong was a person of virtue and prestige. Naturally, two of them sat at the head of the table.
Yang Ling braced himself and sat together with Wang Qiong. Fortunately, the other officials also knew of the personal grudges between the two. When the banquet began, they began chatting with Yang Ling.
These old officials were well-read, so when they talked about romantic matters, they were not as vulgar as ordinary people. Although Official Wang attached great importance to etiquette, what he valued most was the discipline of the court and human relations. Visiting prostitutes was a romantic affair that did not harm personal morality. Lao Wang himself had five concubines, the youngest of whom was only twenty-two years old. Naturally, they did not have any misgivings. Thus, the restrained atmosphere was swept away.
Yang Ling did not know Wang Qiong's intention, so he did not dare to drink too much during the banquet. When the wine was half drunk, Yang Ling said to the other officials at the same table, "This time Yang has come to the south only to handle a small matter regarding the Revenue Supervisor. Originally, I did not dare to trouble you all. Yesterday, I have already discussed with Eunuch Feng, the Garrison Guard of Nanjing, who will be dispatched. I was thinking of quietly returning to the capital in the next few days, but I did not expect that I would trouble you all to come out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet. Let Yang propose another toast to everyone."
Although most of the officials disdained his character, this was the way of officialdom. Behind their backs, they spoke with righteous indignation, but in front of their faces, they were flowery. It was not easy for anyone to reach such a high position. How many people were willing to offend the Emperor's favorite for the sake of righteousness? As soon as they saw Yang Ling raise his cup, everyone hurriedly raised theirs in response.
Wang Qiong took a sip and said with a faint smile, "Daren's trip to the south can be said to be a success. You have subdued the three Garrison Eunuchs of Jiangnan. The Revenue Supervisor is now Daren's, and you will be able to display your skills in the court.
Daren's prestige in the army is already quite high. This time, Haining's resistance against the Japanese is like a generous gift from the Japanese to Daren. The regular army was no match for the Japanese, but Mr Yang, with only a hundred guards, was able to resist a thousand troops. His reputation has spread far and wide, and he is known as the famous general Ming Destiny.
From this old man's point of view, in the future, it will not be difficult for Daren to control the armies of the world, defend the borders against the enemy, take charge of the court, and subdue the four barbarians. Your future is limitless. "
Yang Ling smiled and said lightly, "Daren is flattering me. Eradicating a few lawless Garrison Eunuchs is not considered a political achievement. Besides, I, Ming Destiny, am from the capital's 12th Battalion. The soldiers of the Inner Factory are originally from the Shenji Battalion. It is naturally not difficult to deal with a group of Japanese pirates."
As he said this, he looked deeply at Wang Qiong. Is Wang Qiong praising me? He seems to say that I am well-versed in both literature and martial arts, but I am in charge of the army and politics, and also subdue the four barbarians. Why is every word so sarcastic?
Wang Qiong chuckled and said, "Sir Yang is too modest. As a close official of the Son of Heaven, and with such talent, what is so difficult about it? But … "His gaze sharpened and his expression became cold. He said solemnly," The Son of Heaven is still young. Recently, there has been a group of slanderous officials in the court who have bewitched the Emperor, causing the Emperor to neglect government affairs and neglect his studies. All the officials in the court are deeply worried and the common people's hearts are wavering. Sir Yang is greatly favored and trusted by the Emperor. When you return to the capital, what are your plans? "
As soon as he asked this question, everyone quietened down. Many people pricked up their ears to listen to Yang Ling's reply. Yang Ling saw that Wang Qiong's gaze was burning and couldn't help but be startled. Could it be that today, Wang Qiong has put aside his old grievances and hopes that I can persuade the Emperor?
Yang Ling thought for a moment and said, "As a subject, Yang has the responsibility to persuade the Emperor. After returning to the capital, Yang Ling will naturally reason with the Emperor and ask the Emperor to pay more attention to court affairs."
Wang Qiong coldly said, "Six subjects, thirteen courts, and even the three great scholars of the cabinet have submitted countless petitions. How can they persuade the Emperor to submit? A few insignificant eunuchs. With Daren's authority in your hands, can't you eradicate the traitors and cleanse the Emperor's side? "
Hearing such open and honest words, Yang Ling couldn't help but be shocked. But thinking about how those imperial censors and cabinet officials had bluntly requested the Emperor to kill the Eight Tigers in their memorials, and even secretly plotted to kill him, a powerful official, it was not surprising that Wang Qiong dared to openly instigate him to kill the Eight Tigers at the banquet.
If he followed Wang Qiong's plan, it would be a middle course to secretly synthesize Qi Yun's plan, but it was a bit more radical. However, he clearly remembered that in history, Liu Jin and the others had enjoyed a period of glory. Could he kill them? Also, would the civil and military officials give up on the idea of eradicating him because of this?
His advanced knowledge and theories could not hope to obtain the understanding of the people in power now. Since ancient times, there had been many opponents who appreciated each other's virtues but fought to the death for political opinions in court. If he really killed the Eight Tigers, the Emperor would certainly become hostile. The opposing forces in the internal court would not be damaged at all, and the people in power in the external court would still be a hindrance. At that time, he would have enemies on all sides and it would be difficult to protect himself.
Yang Ling laughed bitterly and said helplessly, "Daren, the Emperor is young and playful is his nature. I believe that the correct guidance is to have the Emperor play less. Furthermore, there are laws in the country. How can Yang Ling charge into the Palace to kill the Eight Tigers? Rebel? "
Wang Qiong laughed coldly and said, "What's so difficult about that? A criminal shackled to a prison chair and unable to move could be killed for deliberately trying to assassinate an official. His death was honorable and not wronged. Daren, do you have no way to get rid of a few internal servants? "
Yang Ling suddenly stood up. His face instantly turned green and white. He thought to himself, Could it be that he saw through my killing of Wang Jinglong? No, no one knows a son better than a father. The son in his heart is still that refined scholar. Even if he can't find evidence, he still believes that I killed him.
Yang Ling said with difficulty, "What is Lord Wang saying? The Ministry of Punishments has long concluded the death of your son. If you and your son hadn't pressured me, how could this have happened? "
All the officials knew that today Wang Qiong wanted to persuade Yang Ling to return to the capital to eliminate the traitors. Although they felt that his idea was somewhat naive, they sincerely hoped that he would succeed. Who would have thought that as soon as his son's death was mentioned, Wang Qiong would lose his cool like this?
The Minister of Ministry of Works had just stood up to persuade him when Wang Qiong slowly stood up. With a gloomy smile he said, "The old man didn't believe it at first, but now it seems that the rumor in the capital that the Eight Tigers were ordered by you is true. Naturally you are not willing to get rid of your own eyes and ears!
Young and playful? The Son of Heaven is the ruler of a country, how can he act like an ordinary person? You tempted the Emperor to like these strange and obscene tricks, obviously you have an ulterior motive. You are a treacherous official. As long as the old man has one breath left, I swear I will persuade all the officials to eliminate you, a treacherous official, and the Eight Tigers together! "
As he said this, Wang Qiong's palm flew out and a resounding slap landed squarely on Yang Ling's face. This slap was unusually strong and sent the official's hat flying. The banquet was instantly thrown into chaos.
Some tried to persuade, some tried to stop the fight, some were gloating; for a moment, it was a chaotic mess. The foreign officials who had been guarding closely downstairs heard the commotion upstairs and hurriedly rushed up to forcibly separate the two parties. The Censor Jiang Qin and the others hastily apologized and dragged Wang Qiong away.
Dai Xian, Jiang Qin and the others followed Wang Qiong's official sedan chair to the front of his mansion. Wang Qiong alighted from the sedan chair. It seemed that his anger had not yet subsided. Seeing that several of his friends were looking at him with great concern, he could not help but chuckle and said, "My old friends need not worry. Even if that Yang Ling is very powerful, what can he do to the old man? Do you think he will dare to kill me? "
Dai Xian forced a smile and said, "What Lao Da Ren said is right. Thinking back to the time when Grand Scholar Li Dongyang used a horsewhip to whip the Emperor's beloved Marquis Of Shouning Zhang Heling on the streets of the capital, it's just that … ay! We have long known that persuading Yang Ling to do good is no different from asking a tiger for its skin. We have caused Daren to incur a new enmity with him. Based on this treacherous official's power, if he were to seek revenge, Daren really would not be able to guard against it. "
Wang Qiong chuckled and said, "The old man is over seventy years old, my future and life have already come to an end, why would I be afraid of offending a treacherous official? There is no need to be afraid of him! Come, come, come, let us return to the mansion and drink tea and compose poems together. "
Holding Dai Xian and Jiang Qin's arms, Wang Qiong chuckled at Bao Yanhui and walked towards the mansion's gate. The four red lanterns under the lintel of the gate were as bright as day. Jiang Qin had just raised his head when he saw a black shadow flitting past the corner of his eye. As the wind whistled, Wang Qiong, who was beside him, had already stopped in his tracks.
Jiang Qin turned his head and saw Wang Qiong's eyes staring straight ahead, the muscles on his face twitching slightly. That pair of muddy old eyes were illuminated by the red lanterns, as if there were two balls of fire burning in them. His throat … there was a sharp black arrow stuck in his throat.
Jiang Qin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly shouted at the same time with Dai Xian, "Lord Wang! … Lord Wang? Catch the assassin, catch the assassin quickly! "
The guards who had rushed over hurriedly pulled out their swords and rushed to the corner of the wall. The alley was empty, there was not even a shadow of a person.
* * *
When Guard Guan and the others saw that today's banquet had turned into such a mess, each and every one of them felt ashamed. Except for those who were familiar with Yang Ling or those who wanted to curry favor with him, most of them took their leave in embarrassment.
Although Yang Ling was young and full of vigor, Wu Jinglong was indeed killed by him. Looking at that white-haired Wang Qiong, who was already seventy years old, although he had been slapped so hard that the corner of his mouth was bleeding, he did not have any thoughts of revenge. But he did not have the face to stay here any longer. Seeing that Guard Guan and a few other officials were still trying to mediate, Yang Ling smiled and said a few words to them, then hurriedly went downstairs and returned home.
Wu Jie, Cheng Qiyun, and Liu Biao were still waiting in the hall for his news. When they saw that half of Fan Xian's face was swollen, they couldn't help but jump in fright. Gao Wenxin, who was in the back hall, heard the news and also hurried out. There was no ice in this weather, so in order to quickly reduce the swelling and remove the bruises, Gao Wenxin covered his face with a hot towel and gently removed the bruises on his face. Seeing her distressed and angry look, if Wu Jie and the others had not been standing next to her, Wang Qiong would probably have been rained down with a torrent of abuse.
The dignified Governor of the Inner Works had been slapped in the face in public. This matter would probably spread throughout Jiangnan by tomorrow and continue to become the laughingstock of the world. How could Wu Jie and Liu Biao, as the top figures of the Inner Works, not be angry at such a loss of face?
After Yang Ling finished narrating what had happened, he saw that their faces were ashen with anger. He was about to say a few words of comfort when he saw Cheng Qiyun looking at him with her waist bent. There was a hint of a teasing smile in her eyes. As soon as she saw his gaze turn, she suddenly looked away. However, the lips that had curled up in time revealed her true intentions.
Yang Ling saw this and couldn't help but glare at her. Cheng Qiyun pursed her lips into a smile and said, "I hope this slap can wake you up. If people's prejudices could be explained with reason, then there would be much less quarrels in this world.
Since ancient times, which of the famous officials who wanted to achieve something like this did not vigorously suppress their political opponents? Could it be that they did not want to be convinced by everyone and supported by the people to carry out their strategy? It wasn't that they did not want to, it was that they could not.
If you want to use reason to convince people and virtue to convince people, you should just study at home. If you don't do something and talk about it for hundreds of years, there will still be people who will not understand. Rather than that, you should try hard when you have power. As long as what you do is really effective, you can slowly convince those who are not convinced, and those who are still not convinced have no choice but to submit to the general trend. That is enough.
Right now, it is just a slap. With Miss Gao's skillful hands, it will disappear in a day or two. If it is a knife to the neck, what will you do? Your humble servant has three strategies. I hope you will consider it carefully. "
Yang Ling laughed bitterly and thought to himself, "Who am I? The court has no foundation, the foreign officials see me as an anomaly, the internal court is fighting and scheming, and there is still the Emperor above me. Can I do whatever I want? Build a special region and use practice to speak? There is no political ground. If I use your strategy, unless I have great power and reshuffle the power of the court, how big of a movement would that be? "
Before Yang Ling could reply, a "Little Red Riding Hood" flew in from the door and said to Yang Ling, "Reporting to Factory Supervisor Daren, Jinling Garrison Commander Guan Daren requests an audience!"
Hearing this, Yang Ling was startled. Guan Jiangong had just been having a banquet with him. What was he suddenly doing here?
Yang Ling gave a look to Wu Jie and Cheng Qiyun. The two of them understood and hid behind the screen. In a moment, Garrison Commander Guan hurried over under the guidance of a foreigner. Just now, this general had been wearing a silk robe at the banquet, but in a moment's time, he had put on a helmet and armor and was neatly dressed.
Seeing this, Yang Ling realized that something major had happened. He hurriedly went forward and said, "Guan Daren, you …?"
When Garrison Commander Guan saw him, he hurriedly bowed and said, "Your humble servant is leading the garrison camp, the QING: Five Cities Warlords, and the Department of Patrol to search the whole city. We are passing through your manor and have come to personally inform you that you must restrain your subordinates and not go out on the streets today."
Yang Ling asked in shock, "Search the whole city? What has happened? "
Garrison Commander Guan gave him a deep look and said softly, "The Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Official Wang Qiong, Lord Wang, encountered an assassin on his way back to his manor."
"What?" Yang Ling was at a loss. It was a moment before he asked, "Official Wang … how is he now?"
Garrison Commander Guan lowered his eyelids and sighed softly. "An arrow through the throat! Lord Wang, he … he's already dead. "
…
Garrison Commander Guan gave some more instructions, but Yang Ling could no longer hear them. It was just that before he left, Garrison Commander Guan's meaningful glance pierced Yang Ling's heart like a needle. Wang Qiong was dead, and it just so happened that this imperial envoy, who had a previous grudge and a new grudge, had come to Jinling. After a brief conflict with him, he had died!
Wu Jie and Cheng Qiyun had already walked out from behind the screen. They stood on his left and right, staring at him. After a moment of stupefaction, Yang Ling called out sternly, "Official Zheng, tell him to come see me."
Official Zheng walked into the hall and asked blankly, "Daren, what orders do you have?"
Yang Ling threw himself at him and grabbed him by the lapel. With an ashen face, he said, "Was it you who sent people to kill Wang Qiong?" Official Zheng had accompanied him to the "Faint Smoke Pavilion". If Wang Qiong was dead, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that these soldiers saw him being humiliated and had assassinated Wang Qiong to vent their anger. This was too lawless.
Official Zheng jumped in fright and said in shock, "Wang Qiong is dead? How is this possible? Just now, wasn't he still … still … Daren, this lowly official has always been by your side. Without your orders, how could this lowly official dare to assassinate a high-ranking official of the court? I brought a total of ten people with me. All of them came back with you. Wang Qiong was definitely not killed by our people. "
Yang Ling loosened his grip and asked in a daze, "Who? Who wants to kill Wang Qiong? "
Cheng Qiyun had never seen this kind of expression on his face. Even though she knew his temperament and usually dared to joke with him, she still shivered in her heart when she saw him getting angry. She hesitated for a moment before reminding him in a soft voice, "Daren, whoever wants to kill Wang Qiong will be investigated by the Jinling yamen, this is not related to us. Wang Qiong is dead. The news will immediately spread to the capital. What should we do? Daren, you have no choice but to make a decision soon. "
Yang Ling's heart trembled. Indeed, with Wang Qiong's death, all of the officials of the outer court who were still observing would be united against a common enemy. At this moment, even if he had Su Qin's talent and could make the rivers flow in reverse, no one would be willing to believe him. At this moment, all paths of retreat had been blocked. Other than that mountain of knives, there was no other path for him to take.
So what if he went against Dongchang and the Imperial Bodyguard? So what if he went against the entire court? Was there still a path of retreat? I will accept the challenge! I have no choice but to fight!
The expression on Yang Ling's face gradually calmed down. He turned his head. Under the reflection of the candlelight, his eyes were like two balls of ghostly fire. In a cold and faint voice, he said, "Official Zheng, pass down the order. Tonight, none of our brothers are allowed to take a step out of the manor. Be prepared to leave at any time. Elder Wu, Big Butcher Cheng, Liu Qianhu, follow me to the study! "
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