Zhu Mo continued,
"The reasoning behind this is difficult to explain in a short time. In short, the Yan family, along with the influential families of the realm, are aiming to achieve their objective in one decisive blow!
Chaos, any kind of chaos, benefits them! After discrediting the Crown Prince, they will use the pretext of reform harming the people to purge me, to purge Zhang Juzheng, and finally declare the Emperor at fault, forcing him to abdicate. The Crown Prince will ascend the throne, but he will be completely under their thumb. At that point, won't they be the ones dictating the fate of this empire?"
As he spoke, he felt a wave of pent-up frustration ease. He continued,
"Lao Liu, Lao Zhang, think about it. Aren't the reasons already there? Since antiquity, has there ever been such an absurd move? The reform commanders are infamous; ever since Shang Yang, they have been disdained by all dynasties. How can they be held up as righteous now? How could the Crown Prince, so wise, come up with such a half-baked idea?
Therefore, this half-baked idea must have come from treacherous officials! Treacherous officials are slandering the Crown Prince, disregarding the way of the sage, acting like the cruel officials of the Qin Dynasty! We can naturally apprehend them and await the court's dispatch of high officials to stabilize the situation!"
Hiss!
Whoosh…
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The three listened, their minds buzzing!
Lu Kun thought for a moment and suddenly understood, exclaiming,
"Yes! Use your own spear to attack your own shield! We will say that Zhang Yu violates the way of the sage!"
Precisely!
Zhang Han and Liu Yingjie agreed simultaneously.
Zhu Mo continued,
"Zhang Yu not only violates the way of the sage, but he is also tarnishing the Crown Prince's sacred name!"
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm,
The three nodded in agreement.
Liu Yingjie pondered for a moment, then suddenly recalled something, murmuring, "Cruel officials of the Qin Dynasty… this is rather like Gao Gong, isn't it?"
Discussion group 563743675
Gao Gong?
That's right!
How could we forget him!
Zhu Mo suddenly realized—
They could attack Zhang Yu along with Gao Gong!
Gao Gong, hypocritical his entire life, was still unwilling to accept defeat even after retiring. He had even rewritten his original "Words on His Sickbed" into a book, enumerating all the malicious schemes Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng had devised against him. He particularly lambasted Zhu Mo, unable to let go of his grudges.
And the Yan family, because Gao Gong had written this, immediately resurrected it for propaganda. They claimed that Zhu Mo had driven an upright official to his death, and even worse, that it was at the Emperor's instigation, using conspiracies against ministers, spreading rumors wildly.
Gao Gong's book, naturally, did not forget the Nanxun incident. It claimed that Zhu Mo had instigated rebellious commoners and forced his disciple Yin Zhengmao to comply, fabricating the incident of civilian killings. In reality, it wasn't Gao Gong's instigation, but Zhu Mo who used conspiracies to push the situation to this point, and so on.
These rumors had been circulating in the court and beyond after Zhu Mo went to Yunnan and Guizhou. Although they hadn't caused major disturbances, they had still significantly damaged Zhu Mo's reputation. When he temporarily retired, the Yan family claimed it was a sign of the Emperor's awakening and his realization of Zhu Mo's true nature. To some extent, Gao Gong's "Words on His Sickbed" had indeed bolstered the Yan family's leverage, casting a moral stain on Zhu Mo.
At this moment,
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Recalling Gao Gong's "Words on His Sickbed," he had a different idea—
Zhang Yu's reform commanders were originally created by Shang Yang. Their official gazettes explicitly stated the phrase "the orthodox path since Duke Xiao of Qin." Moreover, the reform commanders' arbitrary actions in the capital and countryside terrified the populace within days, showing how unpopular they were. Calling it the Qin law could indeed be substantiated.
Last time, when Gao Gong's manuscripts and articles were published, all the scholars in the realm were shocked. The practices described were indeed similar to Zhang Yu's.
Furthermore, Zhang Yu had served in the Censorate and the Dali Temple for extended periods, making him an expert in legal matters. Gao Gong was also renowned throughout the land for his legal scholarship, naturally leading to associations, suggesting they were both Legalists. Legalists were historically known for their lack of compassion for the people, which could also be argued logically…
With these points,
Zhu Mo felt he had a clear plan and said,
"Yes, what Old Liu said is absolutely correct. Zhang Yu and Gao Gong are the same kind of people at their core! Neither of them has any regard for the welfare of the people. As long as it benefits their own fame and career, they won't hesitate to kill or harm the populace…
We can certainly make something out of this. What can we make? Zhang Yu's methods are akin to Qin law, diametrically opposed to the Crown Prince's way of the sage! We must publicize these points, make them understood thoroughly!
In my opinion, as long as we find suitable pretexts and directly target Zhang Yu, it is achievable to suspend him from his post and investigate him… If we can clearly establish that Zhang Yu is of the same ilk as Gao Gong, that they are promoting reform commanders who abuse and harm the people, and that they are defiling the Crown Prince's sacred name, then Zhao Zhenji and Tan Lun will also have reason to be wary, and it will be easier for them to gracefully step down…"
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm,
Reading The three nodded in unison, all feeling that this maneuver was quite brilliant. Gao Gong's reputation was already ruined; several of his associates had been lawfully punished by the Emperor at the time, and the crime of harming civilians was the most detested. This card, when played, would naturally reveal the people's sentiment. Liu Yingjie, also an old hand in legal matters, pondered for a moment and said, https:/ "Zi Xuan, for Zhang Yu to be suspended and investigated, it would require the intervention of the Embroidered Uniform Guard… And for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to intervene, there must be solid evidence!" Zhu Mo nodded, "This will depend on Shu Jian… To be frank, before you two arrived, I had already spoken at length with two commanders of the Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard. As long as there is evidence, they are willing to act… However, the current situation is complex, and the Directorate of Ceremonial has not given them instructions for a long time. It would naturally be inconvenient for them to investigate… Fortunately, Shu Jian had also gathered a group of people previously, who can be used precisely for this…" He patted Lu Kun's shoulder, "Shu Jian, you must have them investigate… I still have some funds left. Take it all, spend generously, and you must find leverage against Zhang Yu and Wan Cai… I refuse to believe that with his arrogance, his current control over the four provinces, Xu Yang, Shen Yishi, and those directors and salt merchants, wouldn't be showing him respect! I believe the clues lie here. Spend more money, and you're bound to find some trace!" Lu Kun, always cautious and meticulous, had listened to the others for a long time. He had replayed their words in his mind several times and felt that this strategy was worth trying. Regarding the matter of investigation, in just half a year, he had grown into an expert. He immediately nodded firmly, "Zi Xuan, esteemed elders, you can rest assured. Below the Zhongwu Commander, there are thousands of informants, big and small. As long as Zhang Yu and Wan Cai have done anything, it will surely be discovered… However, this matter is quite costly. I only have fifty thousand taels left. I estimate we will need at least a hundred thousand taels. With a large sum of money, it will be effective. Zi Xuan, what do you think?" Haha, Password 563743675 The three burst into laughter. Liu Yingjie said, "Shu Jian, you, a scholar with a scholarly demeanor, spend money more lavishly than Boss Shen himself, hahaha…" Zhu Mo and Zhang Han couldn't help but exchange smiles, thinking that Lu Kun, in just half a year, had spent hundreds of thousands of taels, all seemingly wasted. Truly, his actions were extraordinary. At that moment, The four of them deliberated together and set a few steps: First, Lu Kun was to investigate Zhang Yu and Wan Cai, ideally obtaining leverage within a month. No one could guarantee this; it depended on the actual situation. Second, Liu Yingjie was to contact the volunteers from Jinshan Wei and Zhenhai Wei. Officially, he was still in charge of supervising the volunteers, and he had personally led them during the Battle of Huating, knowing several of the leaders well. Third, Zhang Han was to find people to secretly print Gao Gong's manuscripts and letters, the small booklet Zhu Mo had compiled last year, which had circulated throughout the realm and was still preserved in many academies. This printing would be carried out simultaneously in several major prefectures and counties, and then the instructors found by He Xinyin and Yan Shannong would disseminate them. Fourth, Zhu Mo was to go to Hulushan Water Village and, ideally, persuade Deputy General Chen Zude to send some troops out at the crucial moment. This matter was not difficult to handle, as Zhu Mo still held the title of Vice Minister of War. He could issue direct orders, and Chen Zude could absolve himself of responsibility. ID - 563743675 The last matter was to write a letter to Zhang Juzheng, revealing this entire plan and having him act at the opportune moment, to personally meet the Crown Prince, or at least Chen Yiqin, and expound upon the grave dangers, making the Crown Prince understand that this was Yan Song's scheme and that to protect himself, he had no choice but to let Zhu Mo take charge of the overall situation in Jiangnan. With all matters planned, the four of them reviewed the steps several times, feeling confident they could be executed. Success would depend on fate. If all else failed, they could resort to forcibly arresting Zhang Yu, even if it meant being accused of rebellion, they could no longer afford to care. Lu Kun, being the most upright, had a lingering feeling that something was forgotten. It wasn't until the sky was about to dawn that he suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Oh no! Zi Xuan, we forgot one thing!" Oh? Zhu Mo asked curiously, "Forgot what?" Lu Kun said solemnly, "Nanxun!"