At the Tianjin docks, one could already see the dragon flag of the Son of Heaven and Earth in the distance.
November in the north was already very cold. Today was a cloudy day. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the wind caused the flag to flap loudly. Gazing at the large Yang character flag, a slightly bitter smile appeared at the corners of Zhang Xiu's mouth.
He had raised this person with his entire life. He had originally thought that in front of the new Emperor, he could establish a relationship between the Imperial Bodyguard and Dongchang. Unexpectedly, his official luck was surprisingly smooth. In a short period of time, he had turned from guest to host and threatened his own rights. He could be a vassal under Dongchang, but could he bow and scrape to his old subordinate?
He looked left and right. There were two large warships anchored at the docks. Under thick tarps were four cannons. They were prepared to bombard the ship as soon as Yang Ling escaped. Behind the battlement behind him were 40 crossbowmen and 10 musketeers. As soon as Yang Ling appeared, they would immediately shoot. No matter how capable he was, he would not be able to survive. As for the 2,000 elite Imperial Bodyguard lying in ambush outside the docks, they were prepared to use the name of rebellion to eradicate Yang Ling's 200 imperial bodyguards.
The rest was the matter of the court officials. He could imagine how many damned crimes those officials could plant on Yang Ling, a man who could not defend himself, when he sent the 200 festering corpses into the capital.
Zhang Xiu let out a deep breath. From the bottom of his heart, he loathed those civil officials. This kind of impression was formed by their different standpoints and interests. It would not change just because they worked together.
The ship docked. Zhang Xiu smiled faintly. With his hands behind his back, he watched the slowly lowering steps. The person who had come to die had finally arrived.
He was Yang Ling's old boss. Now that they didn't belong to each other, his position was not lower than his. When Yang Ling saw him coming to greet him, he would definitely take the initiative to get off the ship. As soon as he stepped on land, 200 steel crossbows would be shot all over his body.
With a bang, the pedal hit the ground. Zhang Xiu's muscles twitched. He seemed to see Yang Ling covered in blood and watched him fall to the ground in shock.
A person appeared at the bow of the boat, and then with a 'deng deng deng' sound, he ran down the boat and knelt down on one knee in front of him from a distance. He cupped his fist in salute and said, "Aiya, why is Admiral Zhang here? This lowly official Liu Biao pays respect to Daren."
Zhang Xiu had thought this man looked familiar, but when he heard his name, he remembered that this was a lowly officer in the Imperial Bodyguard, but now he was a Qianhu of the Inner Factory. Zhang Xiu pretended to help him up and called out, "So it's you? Get up, get up, where's Mr. Yang? Why don't I see him? "
With a face full of smiles, Liu Biao came up to greet him. Nodding and bowing, he said, "Mr. Yang was in a hurry to enter the capital to see His Majesty, he got off the ship halfway and took the dry road. Ha, ha, ha, Daren, you are not an outsider, I am not afraid you know, which daren does not carry some personal goods on the way?
This ship is full of goods from the south. A few days ago, a ship was shipped to the capital. If these goods were shipped back to the capital, it would be too conspicuous. Therefore, he took the port of Tianjin. Later on, Xiaowu will inform the local merchants to come and pick up the goods. He will have to stop for two, three days before returning to the capital. "
Zhang Xiu mused, "He really made a feint in the east and attacked in the west, he secretly took the dry road." Glancing around, the ship was sparse and did not see many people. Zhang Xiu smiled faintly and waved his hand, saying, "Since that's the case, you go and do what you need to do. I have not seen Mr. Yang for many days. I was thinking of buying some wine and catching up, but now I'll have to wait until we enter the capital."
Looking at his back, Liu Biao also sighed deeply in his heart, "Heaven's evil can still be avoided. Zhang Daren, oh, Zhang Daren, you are in such a hurry to return to the capital and throw away your future and life. You only have yourself to blame, don't blame lowly officer for being unkind."
After walking for a while, Zhang Xiu signaled the archers lying in ambush to his left and right to withdraw. The commander, Xia Luohui, asked in a low voice, "Daren, aren't we going to seize this opportunity to eat them?"
Zhang Xiu glared at him and said, "Let them do their business. Yang Ling is not on the ship, what's the use of eating these small fish and shrimp? Instead, they will give others something to use against them! "
He thought for a while and turned to look at the leisurely foreigners on the ship. In a low voice, he ordered, "There are too many people. I will take two thousand people and split them into four groups to return to the capital to meet up with the Provost of Northern Town. As soon as Yang Ling is dead, immediately request an edict to wipe out the Inner Faction. I'll leave this place to you. Pay attention to the movements on the ship."
* * *
The news of Wang Qiong's quarrel with Yang Ling at the banquet and his tragic death finally reached the capital through the courier station. The Inspectorate, Hanlin Academy, and the officials of the Six Ministries gathered angrily at Grand Secretary Liu Jian's mansion.
Li Dongyang's small sedan chair stopped at the gate of the mansion. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the officials of the various ministries swarmed up and shouted, "Grand Secretary Li, Yang Ling has no regard for the law and is unscrupulous. If this evil is not eliminated, the imperial court will not be at peace. Master Li, you must uphold justice for Minister Wang. "
Li Dongyang's face was as calm as still water. He cupped his hands and walked all the way to Liu Jian's study. He saw the nine ministers of the Six Ministries sitting in the outer study. These people were still calm and only nodded slightly when they saw him. Li Dongyang nodded and walked into the inner study. Liu Jian and Xie Qian sat opposite each other without saying a word.
Seeing him come in, Liu Jian said slowly, "Bin Zhi, have you heard?"
Li Dongyang nodded and said, "Yes, but … no matter how domineering Yang Ling is, will he murder an important court official just because of a quarrel?"
Xie Qian laughed bitterly and said, "Who will defend him? You or me? This person is on the list of people we want to eliminate. Now that the public is angry, we are standing in front of the hundreds of officials. If we stop now or change our direction, then even we will be trampled under their feet! The situation … is no longer something we can control. "
Li Dongyang's eyes flashed with two balls of fire. In a low voice, he said, "Dongchang's desire to kill Yang Ling is even greater than yours or mine. I only suspect …"
Liu Jian said decisively, "Minister Wang's murder is an indisputable fact. If the murderer is not Yang Ling, then it is Dongchang. But with the current situation, can we still start a war with Dongchang? Furthermore, who will convince the officials? If we continue to suppress them, under the anger of the public, I'm afraid both you and I … will light the fire and burn ourselves. "
Li Dongyang was silent. He also knew that no matter who killed Wang Qiong, a successful person should follow the situation and eliminate Yang Ling first. As for Dongchang … once Yang Ling was eliminated, the power of the external court would grow. It would not be too late to slowly deal with them then. It was not wise to start a war on both sides at this time.
Xie Qian leaned against the table and said, "Just now, Sir Liu and I have discussed it with the six ministries and nine ministers. As long as you agree, we will jointly submit a petition to ask the Emperor to kill Yang Ling and eliminate the eight tigers. What do you think?"
Li Dongyang was silent for a moment. With a bitter laugh, he faintly said, "Now, do we have a choice?"
※ ※ ※
"Eunuchs, eunuchs, is the court always plagued by eunuchs? Sixty-seven percent of the court officials have done bad things, but they just have to use a eunuch to talk about it! " Zhengde sat on the dragon writing table. He opened a petition, glanced at it, and threw it out angrily. The study was filled with open memorials. As he threw them out, two young eunuchs knelt on the ground, sweating profusely as they picked them up.
At this time, a small eunuch at the door said in a trembling voice, "Your … Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet has an urgent memorial."
"Present it!" Zhengde's face was red with anger. Hearing that there was another memorial, he couldn't help but slap the table angrily.
The floor was covered with memorials. The eunuch didn't dare to step on them carelessly. He tiptoed as if he was dancing and walked shakily to Zhengde's side, presenting the thick memorial.
Zhengde opened it and couldn't help but be stunned. The Grand Secretary of the Canopy Hall, the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Jin Shen, the Grand Secretary of the Hall of Wu Ying, the Imperial Censorate, the Imperial Censorate, the Commissioner of Communication, the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers of the Dali Monastery, the Imperial Messengers of the Six Subjects and Thirteen Paths … There were rows of names written in various handwriting behind them. Zhengde couldn't stand it anymore.
There seemed to be hundreds of heads crowding in front of him, shouting at him, "Kill Yang Ling, get rid of the Eight Tigers, and get rid of the Emperor's side. Otherwise, we will hang up our hats and beg for mercy. We will hand over this vast country to you!"
Zhengde sat on the chair and looked ahead in disappointment. Several young eunuchs in the hall noticed that the Emperor's expression was not right. Their movements suddenly became even lighter, and they didn't even dare to breathe.
Gu Daeyong's round smiling face looked inside from the door of the hall. Then he tiptoed over and waved his hand at the young eunuchs. The eunuchs acted as if they had been granted amnesty and quickly retreated.
Gu Daeyong walked to Zhengde's side and smiled humbly, saying, "Your Majesty, are you worried about court matters again? Aren't there still the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, those old officials? They are all the officials that the late Emperor left for you. They are loyal and devoted. Your Majesty is still young. If there are any matters, just leave it to them to handle. They receive the court's salary, how can they not share the Emperor's worries? "
Zhengde looked at him in a daze and said in a daze, "Da Yong, you've come?"
Gu Daeyong bowed and said, "Yes, the Old Slave had people tame two leopards in the leopard room, thinking that when Your Majesty is bored with state matters, you can go and have some fun …"
He stealthily glanced at the memorials that had not been picked up. The corner of his eye twitched imperceptibly. He changed his tone and said, "Since Your Majesty was young, the Old Slave has served you. At that time, when I saw you smile, the Old Slave's heart would bloom with joy. Now that you have become the Emperor, the Son of Ming Destiny, the ruler of the world, I am not happy. In the heart of the Old Slave …"
As he spoke, he unexpectedly could not help but shed tears. He hastily wiped his tears and said, "The Old Slave should be coaxing you to be happy, why am I crying by myself? The Old Slave deserves to die, the Old Slave deserves to die!" As he said this, he fiercely slapped his own mouth twice.
Seeing this, Zhengde suddenly jumped up and burst into tears. Seeing this, Gu Daeyong quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed with all his might, saying, "The Old Slave deserves to die. The Old Slave has made Your Majesty unhappy …"
Zhengde rushed over and pulled him up. Weeping, he said, "Da Yong, get up for zhen. Zhen still remember, when zhen was a child, I mischievously climbed up a tree, you stood under the tree and begged me to come down, you were so scared that your forehead was covered in sweat. Zhen slipped and fell down, it was you who threw yourself over to catch zhen. Zhen's boot even made a long cut on your neck, blood flowed freely, but you only cared about hugging zhen and shouting, 'Crown Prince is safe and sound', zhen … zhen … "
He cried bitterly again and slapped the dragon writing table with all his might. Like a trapped beast, he roared, "Accompany zhen to play some games, coax zhen to be happy, how did you become an unpardonably wicked and treacherous official?"
With tears in his eyes, the young Emperor said, "There is also Yang, saying that he is greedy for power and makes decisions arbitrarily, full of ambition. Pei! Are they blind? Which one of them was not given to him by zhen? Even the grand Shangshu position, he is not willing to be, saying that he is full of ambition? "
Sobbing, Zhengde said with a sobbing voice, "Zhen wants to use my own people, I did not let him interfere in the imperial court's affairs, is this not allowed? Is this not allowed? They bully zhen like this, constantly threatening to remove me from my post, what do they want me to do? "
The corners of Gu Daeyong's eyes jumped, he smiled apologetically and said, "Your Majesty, don't cry, Your Majesty, don't cry. You are the Son of Heaven, everyone in the world listens to you. If others see this, won't they laugh at you?"
It would have been better if he did not say it, but once he said it, it was the same as adding oil to the fire. Emperor Zhengde angrily said, "Who listens to zhen? Who listens to zhen? It is zhen who listens to them, zhen has entrusted all the affairs of the country to them, but this is not enough.
What zhen wants to eat, what to wear, when to sleep, when to wake up, it all depends on them. You say the world is zhen's? Even in this palace, they set the rules for where zhen can go and where zhen can't go. In the end, who does this world belong to? "
When Gu Dayong saw that Zheng De was jumping with rage, he didn't dare to provoke him anymore. He cowered and said, "Your Majesty, please quell your anger. It's not the first or second time that they have submitted a memorial. It's fine if you return them, but don't hurt your own body."
Zhengde wiped away his tears and picked up the memorial from the table. With a bitter smile, he said, "Return them? This time it is the three ministers of the cabinet, the nine ministers of the six ministries, and the hundreds of civil and military officials who have come to force me to abdicate. What do you want zhen to do? "
Outside the door, Liu Jin and the others had been quietly waiting for a long time. Hearing this, they finally believed that what Yang Ling said about the civil and military officials of the court trying to behead them was true. They were flattered by the steward eunuchs and had fallen into Dongchang's evil scheme.
Previously, Yang Ling and Ma Yongcheng had sat in the same sedan chair and secretly entered the palace. They had invited the Eight Tigers to discuss this matter. Who would have thought that the Eight Great Eunuchs, whose arrogance reached the heavens in history, had the heart but not the guts? As soon as they heard that they had provoked public anger, they were so scared that their claws went numb. For the past two days, no matter what the steward eunuchs said, they did not dare to encourage Zhengde to leave the palace. They could only hope that the court officials would let them go.
Now that they heard that even the Three Dukes and the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers had come forward, even if they were uncultured, they knew that the situation was serious. A few of them tumbled in and followed the method Yang Ling taught them. They cried and screamed. They talked about how Zhengde served him when he was still breastfeeding, and how they racked their brains in order to make him happy.
One by one, their voices were filled with tears. It was like a cuckoo crying blood. Those who heard it would be sad and those who heard it would cry. Emperor Zhengde did not have time to think about why they received the news and rushed over. He only listened and cried. These people in front of him could be said to be the closest people to him, other than the late Emperor. Those officials described them as green-faced and fanged monsters. How could this young Emperor believe them?
Yang Ling quietly stood outside and whispered to Miao Kui, "Is everyone under control?"
Miao Kui nodded and said, "Sir Yang, don't worry. From now on, I have arranged for the trusted aides of the Imperial Horse Supervisor to keep an eye on the people around the Emperor. No one can even think of getting close to them. But … what if the Emperor still can't make up his mind? Since we have already made our move, if we stop now, we will definitely attract their attention. "
Yang Ling sighed softly and said, "The Emperor is still young. He needs to rely on the civil and military officials to govern the country. It is really hard for him to risk the resignation of hundreds of officials to support me."
A faint smile floated to the corners of his lips as he said, "But … Yang is also someone who has been in officialdom for a long time. Other than the amount of power, there is no difference between a big official and a small official. They can ask to resign, and the Emperor can refuse."
Yang Ling thought about the situation of the scholars who had studied hard for ten years coming to the capital to take the imperial examination. He thought about the appearance of Yan Song kowtowing as if he was pounding garlic to enter the examination hall. There was a trace of coldness in the corners of his mouth as he said, "Fame and fortune are not easy to come by. I think that the people who will push the boat with the current to stay and continue to be officials will be the majority. With a little more persuasion, as long as we can win over these people who are in charge of specific matters, if the ministers and scholars want to leave, then let them go."
At this time, Liu Jin saw that the Emperor was only focused on crying and had no way to support them. He suddenly wiped his tears and said, "Your Majesty, how did this foreign subject know so much about what happened in the Palace? This is all because of the Department of Rites, Dongchang, and the Imperial Bodyguard supporting you from behind. They should have been your eyes and ears, but instead they became the foreign subject's spies, telling them everything about you and inciting the Imperial Censors to make things difficult for Your Majesty! "
Wei Bin busily said, "That's right, Your Majesty, your servant heard with my own ears Wang Yue, Wang Gong-gong said to the three Grand Scholars, 'His Majesty is still young, if any gentlemen see anything wrong with His Majesty, just say it directly, don't be afraid.'"
Zhengde heard this and trembled with anger. His entire body shook as he said, "This … this bold slave!"
Ma Yongcheng had a grudge against Yang Ling because of the death of the female official, but that was only a small matter. Now they were sitting in the same boat. If they sank, they sank together. If they went through, they went through together. He did his best to cooperate and vividly said, "Your Majesty, Dongchang's Eunuch Fan often tells me to ask Your Majesty what you often buy, and then tell the foreign court that the palace treasury is Your Majesty's own. If they even meddle in this, do they still have any respect for Your Majesty?"
Zhengde's face paled. In a stern voice, he said, "It is often said that a new ruler brings a new court of officials. But since I took the throne, have I touched them? You have all followed me for many years, and now you do not have any important positions in the internal court. I only have one official, Yang Ling, that I personally promoted, and it is a separate inner court. I have not taken away their power. What are they doing? "
Zhang Yong was the most educated of these people. Seeing that the Emperor's patience was running out, he warmly said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember the shadow puppet show that the Old Slave and Qiu Ju put on for you? They are colluding with the officials in court to bully the Emperor's youth. They want the Emperor to become a marionette.
If they hold hands, you move. If they hold hands, you move. If they hold hands, you move. In short, whatever they want the Emperor to do, the Emperor has to do … "
"Bang!" He slammed his fist on the table. Zhengde's face had turned from red to purple. His chest rose and fell violently, and the veins on his forehead bulged. His breathing was like a bellow for a moment before he hissed, "Their intentions deserve to be punished! Tell me, what should I do? "
Hearing these words, Yang Ling closed his eyes slightly. "The Emperor has finally been persuaded. With this question, a big storm is inevitable. I am determined to be a traitor. Who will understand me?
But … why do I have to let others understand me? I'm just a chess piece arranged by fate. I'm just a Bodhisattva with a heart of gold. As long as I have a clear conscience, I don't care what other people think of me! "Yang Ling opened his eyes again as he thought about this. His gaze became determined.
Hearing Zhengde's words, Liu Jin's spirit unconsciously rose. He quickly crawled two steps forward and said, "Dogs, horses, eagles, and dogs, what harm is there to ten thousand? The guards were set up by you, Your Majesty. Whoever you want to use or dismiss, isn't it just a word from you? "
Zhengde thought of the long list of names on the memorial. The courage that had been aroused by his anger couldn't help but diminish a bit. He timidly said, "But … they are in charge of the twelfth battalion. Will they be harmful to me? Besides … those officials of the outer court, if they all abandon me, then … then what should I do? "
Zhang Yong smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Sir Yang Yang Ling has received your orders to supervise the hundred officials. He has always been loyal to his duty and didn't dare to slack off in the slightest. I heard that the inner court and outer court have joined hands to force the Emperor to abdicate. He has already rushed back to the capital through the night. The Emperor's escort has arrived. Sir Yang must have a good plan."
Hearing this, Zhengde seemed to have found a pillar of support. He cried out in pleasant surprise, "Yang has returned to the capital. Where is he? Quick! Quickly call him to see me! "
Yang Ling flashed out from the shadow of the palace gate. He quickly stepped forward. Lifting his robe, he was just about to flip over and kneel when Zhengde hugged him. His surprised voice trembled as he said, "Yang, Yang, you have returned. I have been bullied badly by them. With you here, I am not afraid."
※ ※ ※
At dusk, Zhang Xiu arrived with 500 Imperial Bodyguards. Mou Bin hurriedly came out to welcome him and said, "Sir, why did you rush over from Tianjin Garrison so late at night?"
Zhang Xiu looked at his martial attire and paused. "Don't you usually wear casual attire in the yamen? Did you just go out? "
Mou Bin's eyes flashed. He smiled and said, "Not at all. The situation has been tense these past few days. I dare not be careless. Ever since you went to Tianjin Garrison to wait for Yang Ling's ship, I have been waiting for you in the capital. How is it? Have you captured Yang Ling?"
Zhang Xiu waved his hand and indicated for the 500 people to disperse into the rooms in the rear courtyard to rest. As he walked into the room, he sighed and said, "Look at me. Do I look like I've captured him? He chose the dry road. But Dongchang has sent a total of 25,000 people to set up an inescapable net along the way. If he wants to enter the capital, he will have to grow wings and fly back! "
Zhang Xiu was familiar with Mou Bin's study, so he stepped in without restraint. He walked to the back of the desk and sat down. Seeing Mou Bin had followed him in but was standing by the door, he couldn't help chuckling and said, "It's not like you haven't done something big before. There's no need to be so nervous. Haven't we held first or second rank high officials before? Not to mention Yang Ling, that stray dog. "
Mou Bin smiled and said, "I have naturally held first or second rank high officials before. But I have never held the Brocade Uniform Admiral before. How can I not be nervous?"
Hearing these words, Zhang Xiu abruptly stood up. Without thinking, he raised his hand to grab the sword hanging on the wall. With a clang, the sword let out a dragon's cry. Before the long, unending whistle of the sword had died down, Zhang Xiu had already raised his sword and leaped over the desk like a swallow cutting through water.
Raising his head to look again, Qian Ning had already flashed in from outside the door with two steel crossbows in his hands. He looked at Fan Xian with a smile. The crossbow's bowstring was pulled back, revealing a row of oily black bolts. At this moment, the screen on the side also fell down with a bang. The four Imperial Bodyguards also stood behind with their crossbows in their hands. They couldn't help but drop their arms in disappointment.
Mou Bin pressed down on his saber and said with a smile, "A wise man submits to circumstances. Your Excellency has finally recognized the circumstances. We are brothers after all. It's best not to use sabers or spears to harm our friendship. Right now, I only hope that the people from the Eastern Editing factory can also recognize the circumstances. Otherwise, the people from outside the court will laugh at us. "
Zhang Xiu was both shocked and angry. "Mou Bin," he shouted sternly, "do you want to rebel? You dare to arrest this official? There are currently 8,000 foreigners stationed in the Eastern Editing factory. With just 1,000 people, you dare to use an egg to hit a rock? "
Mou Bin clicked his tongue and said, "Your Excellency, your lowly officer just praised you for recognizing the circumstances. Now you are making a mistake again. In Dongchang, naturally it will be that Mr. Yang who grew wings and flew back to the capital to personally arrest the traitor. How can your lowly officer steal his limelight?"
Zhang Xiu took two steps back and said in shock, "He … he has already entered the capital?"
Mou Bin looked at him with pity in his eyes and said, "If you don't know yourself and don't know the enemy, how can you win? Your lowly officer also just found out that Mr. Yang has changed horses but not people. He has disguised himself as a horse dealer and traveled day and night from Jinling. It has already been five days since he returned to the capital! "
Hearing this, Zhang Xiu's face immediately turned pale. Mou Bin sighed and turned to walk out of the room. He leisurely said, "Qian Ning, read His Majesty's orders!"
Mou Bin walked to the hall and heard Qian Ning's voice in his ears. "Investigate the Imperial Bodyguard's Commander Zhang Xiu. He has colluded with the Department of Rites and Dongchang to murder an official. He is to be detained immediately and await trial!"
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