Liu Daxia, dressed in a light cotton gown, escorted several of his close friends out of the main gate. He was about to rush back to his room with big strides, but before he reached the central hall, a loud roar came from behind, "The imperial edict has arrived. Minister of War Liu Daxia, receive the edict!"
Liu Daxia turned around in surprise and saw four embroidered captains escorting a stocky, bearded man with the imperial edict in his hand, valiantly charging into the main gate of the Ministry of War. Liu Daxia did not know that the court meeting had just stopped, and that the Emperor had some edict to deliver. Hastily he stepped forward, lifted the lapel of his gown, and knelt down on the ground, respectfully saying, "Subject Liu Daxia receives the imperial edict."
Liu Dabichun's mung bean eyes stared at this old master of his own family. He coughed once, and with an air of seriousness he opened the imperial edict and announced, "Bearing the will of the Emperor, the imperial edict says: Beloved subject Liu, zhen has heard that the Ming Destiny Sea Map was moved from Jinling to the Capital, and is now in the Ministry of War's storehouse. Zhen wishes to understand my Ming Destiny Sea Area. Today I am sending Bodyguard Liu to retrieve it, and inform my beloved subject and the yamen officials to know about it. "
He was illiterate, but his memory was extraordinary; he only needed to hear someone read it once, and he would remember it without missing a single word.
Liu Daxia was shocked to hear this, but after calming himself down he said, "Zheng He's sea map has been lost for many years, there is no place to find it."
Liu Dabichun laughed mischievously and said, "Don't worry, His Majesty has also guessed that it will not be easy to find these sea maps. Daren is busy with official business, presumably you will not be in the mood to help us find these things, so you don't need to worry about this matter. Guards, from the Ministry of War's Wu Xuan, Carriage, Staff, Armory, Four Pure Officials' storehouses, from now on take over and thoroughly investigate. If Zheng He's sea map is not found, we will stay here tonight."
As soon as Liu Dabichun's voice fell, a large group of Imperial Bodyguards, led by four Qianhu, rushed in from outside the main gate of the Ministry of War. Seeing this, Liu Daxia was furious; he stood up abruptly and shouted angrily, "Who dares? The Ministry of War is an important place, the center of all the armies in the world. How can you be so presumptuous? "
Liu Da Bang Chuckled and raised the imperial edict in his hand, saying, "Minister Daren is being too polite. You haven't received this imperial edict yet. We aren't bandits who trespassed into the Ministry of War's yamen. We are here under the imperial edict to search for Zheng He's sea map. His Majesty understands daren and knows that you don't have the time to help us investigate, so … I brought my own people here."
Liu Daxia held back his anger and said, "In today's court meeting, His Majesty has already said that the lifting of the sea ban will be temporarily postponed unless the Japanese come. Why do you suddenly want to find the sea map? This official will immediately enter the palace … to go to the Leopard Room to see His Majesty. Guards the yamen of the Ministry of War, do not allow anyone to enter! "
A group of soldiers rushed out and stopped in front of the main gate of the central hall. However, the Ministry of War was one of the permanent yamen of the Six Ministries of the capital, so there were not many soldiers garrisoned there. Their numbers were far fewer than the troops that Liu Big Cudgel had brought. Moreover, the other party was an imperial envoy, so these soldiers could not help but feel a little timid, and their momentum immediately weakened.
Liu Da Bang Chui sternly said, "His Majesty is rich in the four seas, so why can't he see the sea map of his own territory? Daren Liu may not know, but the Japanese Mongui King has already sent a special envoy to the capital to have an audience. His Majesty wants to see the sea map because he wants to know what is going on. This imperial envoy can even beat the legs of the three great scholars, so why would I be afraid of the soldiers of the Ministry of War blocking my way? All of you, get out of my way! "
Hearing this, Liu Daxia suddenly realized, "I've fallen into a trap! It turns out that Yang Ling's plan in the court had been premeditated for a long time. The intense court discussion was just a pretense to lure them into the trap. 'Paying tribute to the ancestors' was the fatal blow that they were confident in! "
Liu Daxia's white beard fluttered with grief and indignation. The general trend was gone. He and the others vowed in the court that as long as the Japanese sent an envoy to pay homage, they would agree to lift the ban on trade and open the four seas to take in all countries. What else could they say now?
Liu Daxia clenched his fists. Thinking that lifting the ban on trade and opening the four seas required big merchant ships and a strong navy, and since Ming Destiny banned the sea for a hundred years, there were very few craftsmen who could build big ships. If they destroyed the sea map, there was still a glimmer of hope to stop the Emperor, so his attitude immediately turned hard again.
He looked at Liu Da Bang Chui contemptuously, tossed his long beard, and stood in front of the door in a plain robe and cloth shoes. His beard and hair were like silver, and he looked majestic like a heavenly general. He laughed loudly and said, "Lifting the sea and opening the trade will bring disaster to the country and people. With me here, who dares to go in?"
Liu Da Bang Chui listened to Yang Ling for a long time before remembering the lines, and now it finally came in handy. He immediately shouted, "Bullsh * t! His Majesty said it himself, the sea of Ming Destiny is also Ming Destiny's country! The soldiers of Ming Destiny are responsible to defend the land and the sea! As the Minister of War, you advocated the ban on the sea, so I, Ming Destiny, lost the sea power and shrunk on the land.
You, a veteran of hundreds of battles, are afraid of a little pirate. You are strong in appearance, but weak in reality. The opportunity of Ming Destiny's Empire to make a name for itself is gone. In another hundred years, the craftsmen of Ming Destiny can't even build ships that can go out to sea for a few miles. You will be a sinner for all eternity! You still think you are asking for the people's life, how stupid! In front of the Yue Wumu Monument, you cast a statue of a traitor in white iron, and you have to kneel for thousands of years. I think it is not too much to cast a statue of you, Minister Liu, to kneel in front of the statue of the Three Treasures! "
Hearing this, Liu Daxia's face turned purple with anger. He was the Minister of War, and even the Hongzhi Emperor had to address him as Mister. But now, he was being scolded by a mere Brocade Uniform Commandant, and even compared to Qin Hui, the treacherous courtier. It was a great humiliation.
Liu Daxia roared and took a step forward. He pointed his halberd at the old man and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you insult this old man! You … You … You …"
Seeing that his eyes were wide open and his hair was about to explode, Liu Daxia was a little scared and quickly shouted, "According to the imperial edict, we are looking for Zheng He's sea map. Minister Liu disobeyed the imperial edict and came out to stop us. Take him aside!"
At that moment, two officers stepped forward with their swords in their hands and tried to pull Liu Daxia away. Liu Daxia was good at martial arts, so how could he be restrained by them? He was determined to go against the imperial edict. Unexpectedly, as soon as he struggled with his arms, one of the officers with delicate facial features unexpectedly became as flexible as a snake, evading his strength and wrapping around his arm. Without leaving a trace, he poked the numb tendons in his arm, and his arm immediately lost its strength.
Liu Daxia was adept at archery and horse-riding, but Jianghu people were not good at hand-to-hand fighting. This officer's skill was really brilliant. In the eyes of other people, they did not think anything was wrong. It looked as if Liu Daxia had stretched his arms and taken the initiative to tie them up.
The officer did the same thing and his other arm also lost its strength. By the time his arms were slightly numb, his hands were tightly held by the officers and he could not move a single step.
Liu Daxia had never been treated like this before. For a moment he was disheartened and felt that he would be loyal to Ming Destiny's imperial court for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that a new Emperor would bring a new Minister? The Former Emperor's corpse had not even turned cold, but the new Emperor unexpectedly treated an old minister like this. If this reckless officer did not have Zhengde's order, how could he dare to treat him like this?
Minister Liu's old tears flowed down and he cried, "Forget it, forget it, let me go. I will go see the Emperor immediately and return to my hometown!"
Liu Daxia was very proud of himself. He glanced at Wu Hanchao, who was disguised as an officer, and shouted, "Men, dig three feet into the ground and search for me!"
* * *
Ma Wensheng, the Minister of Appointments, did not receive much better treatment than Liu Daxia. He returned to his mansion and drew up a list. He ordered people to invite the court officials listed on the list back home to discuss countermeasures. Then he sat down and wrote a letter to Hangul, telling him in detail what happened in the capital. He told him to temporarily put aside the Northern Frontier trade and immediately return to the capital.
He sealed the secret letter. Before someone could send it out, the Emperor's imperial edict arrived. The imperial edict said that the Japanese special envoy had come to the court. The Emperor ordered the Chamberlain of Hong Lu to receive him according to the tribute system of Annan, Korea, Java and other countries that did not conquer. At the same time, the Emperor had decided to set up an ambassador to discuss with the envoy about the lifting of the sea ban and the joint efforts to exterminate the Wokou pirates. He also mentioned a list of internal and external court officials and asked Ma Wensheng to change his position and become the envoy.
Ma Wensheng only needed to hear that the Japanese envoy had come to the Great Ming to have an audience with them and he knew that something was wrong. The thing that he was worried about had finally happened. Looking again at the list of officials listed on the imperial edict, they were all those who had sided with Jiao Fang's faction in today's court discussion and supported the lifting of the sea ban. With such a group of people, how could they not do something that would humiliate the country?
Ma Wensheng flatly refused to comply with the imperial edict to transfer the officials, he wanted to go to the Emperor to seek justice. That court eunuch who delivered the imperial edict was sarcastic, mocking and ridiculing. Ma Wensheng endured a bellyful of anger and hurried to the Leopard Room, but unexpectedly he was met with a closed door, the Emperor simply did not want to see him.
Ma Wensheng was furious and shouted at the eunuch who delivered the message: "Please reply to the Emperor. I am the Minister of Appointments. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Appointments to evaluate and promote officials. If there is something wrong with the Emperor's appointment, as the Minister of Appointments, I have the right to ask the Emperor to reconsider. If the Emperor thinks that my opinion is not good enough, then what use is there for me to be the Minister of Appointments? In recent years, I have been weak and sick and have been forcing myself to work hard for the country. If that is the case, then please allow me to retire due to illness and return to my hometown! "
Seeing that Official Ma was angry, the eunuch hurriedly slipped away like a wisp of smoke. After a while, he leisurely walked back and said in a shrill voice: "His Majesty said: Official Ma is already old, weak and sickly. When I heard this, I felt pity for you and approved the memorial. Please return to your mansion. After the Ministry of Rites has decided on your reward, I will have the Post Office escort you back to your hometown!"
Ma Wensheng was dumbfounded. He did not expect this little Emperor to be so bold and decisive. If all the old officials in the court resigned, who would he rely on to protect the country?
By the time he came to his senses, the eunuch had already turned and left. There were only eight armed officers standing in front of the Leopard Room. But in their eyes, which seemed to be looking straight ahead, there was clearly a trace of pity and sympathy. He could not help but feel like needles piercing into his heart.
Ma Wensheng slowly exhaled. He knew that soon, he would be like Liu Jian and Xie Qian, standing in the Ten Li Long Pavilion and bidding farewell to his old friends in the capital. He would leave the court where he once shook the wind and clouds …
* * *
Yang Ling half reclined on the armchair. His eyes were slightly closed and his breathing was light. He seemed to have fallen asleep.
Sister Yu's waist was slender. She sat on the corner of the armchair like a willow branch. A pair of pink and moist fists gently pounded his thigh. The warm spring light shone in from the half-opened window and shone on Yang Ling's body. Yutang Chun's back was facing the light, which highlighted her perfect and delicate curves. There was an indescribable seductive charm.
The report finished and quietly waited for Lord Ma's instructions. After a long while, Yang Ling gently waved his hand and said: "Got it. You can leave."
"Yes!" The banzi leader replied respectfully and left quietly, closing the door behind him.
Yutang Chun's beautiful eyes turned. She reached out and took a piece of candied fruit from the porcelain plate on the low table beside the bed. Using two slender fingers, she quietly brought it to Yang Ling's lips.
Yang Ling suddenly felt a coolness on his lips and a sweet fragrance seeped into his nose. He opened his eyes and saw Yutang Chun smiling sweetly at him. That soft and charming face had a kind of flirtatious charm. He unconsciously laughed and said: "Don't make trouble. If you make trouble again, you will be punished according to the family rules. Do you think your master is putting on airs? Ai! In order to prepare for today's court meeting, I haven't slept the whole night. "
Yutang Chun softly said: "Qie knows. But qie sees that master is not only tired, but also a little unhappy." She was wearing a small white slanted silk jacket with silver trimmings and a silk skirt. Around her neck was a sparkling and translucent pearl necklace. Her eyes carried a trace of concern.
Yang Ling chuckled and gently pulled. Yutang Chun's soft and lithe body gently leaned over him. Yang Ling closed his eyes and said: "Come, feed me the candied fruit."
Yutang Chun's cheeks blushed but she obediently picked up a piece of candied fruit. Using her cherry like red lips, she gently brought it to Yang Ling's lips. Yang Ling sucked on the candied fruit and sucked on her soft and light cherry lips. After a series of kisses, he let go of the panting Su San.
Yang Ling swallowed the candied fruit and lightly sighed: "You can see what's on my mind. Ai! I'm indeed a little unhappy. Liu Daxia and Ma Wensheng are both loyal and devoted old officials. It's just that they are clearly doing something wrong, but they think they are doing something good for the country. Ai, using this kind of method to provoke and trick them into retiring and returning to their hometown, I really feel a little guilty! "
Yang Ling gently stroked Yutang Chun's slender, beautiful, well-proportioned thighs. Yutang Chun meekly nestled in his arms. The soft and delicate skin under the thin skirt was warm to the touch. It was indescribably fragrant and soft, as if it was finer than almond tofu, smooth and smooth. A pleasant feeling spread from Yang Ling's fingertips straight into his heart.
He closed his eyes as if he was sleeping, but in his mind he thought of the night before Cheng Qiyun returned to Jiangnan, the conversation between the two of them in the study: "They think that the unexpected 'Grand Court Conference' is the final battle we initiated. They are wrong, this is only 'luring the enemy into a trap'. The key to victory lies in the final fortress they rely on, the special envoy's homage after the Grand Court Conference. Once this news comes, it can be said that they have suffered a crushing defeat.
Even so, you must not be careless. We must guard against their comeback and completely destroy their power. So this final plan is to remove the firewood from the bottom of the cauldron. Even if these old officials are as cunning as foxes, they will still think that we are luring the tiger away from the mountain. Moving a portion of their leaders out of the capital is removing the firewood from the bottom of the cauldron. They do not know that our true target is the capable people who remain in the capital. "
Cheng Qiyun gathered her skirt and sat diagonally, her manner natural. She smiled and spoke softly, like a little girl plucking flowers and weaving a crown, clapping her hands and smiling sweetly. It was completely different from her calm and incisive words. The flickering candlelight shone on her pretty face, giving her a mysterious and moving beauty: "These officials, those that can be pulled, those that can be suppressed, those that cannot be pulled, those that cannot be suppressed, then let them go home!"
Cheng Qiyun smiled sweetly and said: "Daren has always been soft-hearted, but this time you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted. Wait until the people that have been moved out of the capital anxiously return to the capital. The important matter has already been accomplished, and the internal support has already been lost. They will not be able to play any more tricks."
"I cannot be soft-hearted …" Thinking of this, Yang Ling sighed and softly muttered: "Liu and Ma, the two elders, one is seventy and the other is eighty, ai! They should also rest … "
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