You see,
All those present had witnessed firsthand in this period: Zhu Mo's overbearing might, his support of Oda Nobunaga, his expulsion of Soza, and his alteration of Ryukyu's internal affairs, installing pro-Ming officials. Now, Otomo Sorin was dead, Mao Longxuan was dead, and now it was Yin Yuanheng's turn. Then, wouldn't Yan be next?
As the crowd pondered,
A gatekeeper rushed in and said,
"Lord Guo Pu has sent his disciple to inform the Grand Secretary that His Majesty has bestowed upon the Kingdom of Joseon a set of Yongle court music, and has also granted the envoy audience with the Emperor... His Royal Highness the Prince of Yu has also personally gone to the Grand Secretariat to comfort the envoy, saying he wishes to discuss the revision of the "Collected Statutes" regarding the origin of the Joseon Lee clan..."
A gasp!
Hmph, hmph, five-six-three-seven-four-three-six-seven-five
Hiss!
Everyone was stunned!
Although Yan Song already had a strong premonition, he still felt like he had been dealt a heavy blow!
This Emperor was still too formidable. He naturally wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass. In this way, how terrified would the Prince of Yu be? How much would he hate himself?
He sighed a long breath and said leisurely,
"Shifan, what are you still staring at? Go and see Feng Bao yourself..."
As everyone panicked, seeing Yan Song so calm and composed, they instantly felt a sense of security. They all felt that Old Yan Song always anticipated his enemies, and even if he experienced some setbacks, there wouldn't be any major issues... Kuai Shu Ge
Yan Shifan paused for a moment, then his expression suddenly changed. He abruptly turned and left, walking straight out of the main gate alone to handle matters personally.
...
On this day,
ID-Five-six-37-four-three-six-seven-five
Yuxi Palace.
Lu Fang, while polishing ritual vessels like the qing and yu缶, chuckled. He finally understood completely this time—
It was still this Emperor who was supreme.
With these two seemingly unrelated imperial decrees, the passive had been turned into the active. The Joseon envoy said when he met the Emperor that the Prince of Yu was very solicitous, speaking many pleasantries. This showed that the Prince of Yu was finally beginning to understand something.
After all, this Great Ming Dynasty belonged to him. What good would it do to get so close to Yan Song? Even if he didn't support the reforms, he shouldn't obstruct them. Was the Emperor doing this to harm him?
Heh heh,
He then thought: This Yan Song also, after all his scheming, was seen through by the Emperor long ago. He used the tactic of luring the snake out of its hole and thus tested them all. Now, the Prince of Yu would be vigilant, and it would be difficult for Yan Song to continue manipulating from behind the scenes.
Jiajing had been watching him. At this moment, he couldn't help but say,
"Lu Fang, you've been smiling for a long time. What's so funny? Is there any good news?"
Lu Fang was startled for a moment, then suddenly realized he had indeed lost his composure. He quickly said,
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"What good news could this servant have? Your Majesty, this servant is pondering whether His Royal Highness the Prince of Yu has finally woken up a little?"
Hmph,
Jiajing snorted lightly and said,
"Woken up about what? What are you thinking about now?"
Although he spoke dismissively, he knew very well in his heart: The Prince of Yu was not on the same path as himself and Mo'er. He had read too many Confucian classics and still did not understand that the so-called "sage's system" did not conform to the founding principles of this dynasty.
But this thought had always been his pain point. As soon as the thought arose, he felt a suffocating闷, and he couldn't help but sigh a long breath.
Lu Fang noticed his change in mood and quickly interjected, "Your Majesty, how will Xu Jie and the others draft this memorial this time?"
Jiajing saw his honest and loyal demeanor and couldn't help but smile,
"How else can they draft it? It's just to approve...?"
Lu Fang pondered for a moment, feeling that it was indeed the case. What other tricks could they come up with? He looked up and saw a long-lost smile suddenly appear on Jiajing's face.
ID-Wu-Lu-San-74-San-Lu-75
At this moment,
The atmosphere suddenly became very warm. Both of them couldn't help but think of Zhu Mo, and that small courtyard, and the conversations they had then... Along this path, everything had suddenly changed drastically. Everyone thought Zhu Mo wouldn't be stable, but now he was showing increasing power.
Lu Fang sighed softly, as if talking to himself,
"Your Majesty, I wonder how Zhu Mo is doing now?"
Jiajing was immersed in the memories of that day, feeling that all of this was like a warm current, bringing vitality to him in the stagnant pool of court affairs. Thinking of his estranged son becoming more methodical and more capable, he couldn't help but sigh,
"I hope he also remembers us... Lu Fang, when can you have him come to the capital? Whether it's for reporting duties or anything else, I also want to ask him what else he plans to do next? Until when will he do it? I really don't know where he plans to go..."
Heh heh,
Lu Fang also smiled and said with emotion,
"Your Majesty, this servant knows even less... The Franks are gone just like that. Alas, things that were unimaginable and dared not be imagined, if one has ambition, they are actually not a big deal... Hehehe..."
Jiajing nodded and said,
ID-Wu-Lu-San-74-San-Lu-75
"Yes, it depends on people to do it..."
Lu Fang remembered something else and asked cautiously,
"Your Majesty, last time the immortal Lan said there was extraordinary energy in Jiangnan... Zhu Mo has achieved this much, will something happen next?"
Jiajing had made up his mind during this time and said calmly,
"Have you forgotten the 'Memorial on the Dynasty's Fortune'? This step was bound to happen sooner or later... Those noble officials are too outrageous, it's time to rectify them. Even without Zhu Mo, I wouldn't let them off..."
Oh,
Lu Fang nodded and said,
"They are also truly muddled. Are they still expecting Yan Song to guarantee their safety? This servant sees that it is precisely a case of fortune and misfortune having no door, and men inviting it upon themselves."
Speaking of this,
Jiajing was also quite emotional.
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These noble officials were either old officials of the founding emperor or meritorious officials of the Jingnan campaign. The Great Ming system, not failing its merits, granted them imperial charters and hereditary succession. However, fearing they might interfere with governance, both the founding emperor and the Yongle Emperor prohibited them from interfering in court affairs and local matters.
Frankly speaking, the noble officials of the Great Ming were not of much harm, far less influential than the feudal lords of the Han Dynasty. But in recent years, scoundrels, under the guise of noble officials, had indeed done many bad deeds, such as land seizures, perversion of justice, and private armies. These people possessed all of them.
What was most hateful was that these people had colluded with the Yan family. Each of them ran to Yan Song for favors, asking the court for official positions, which further complicated the situation.
Jiajing naturally understood what the immortal Lan meant—
Most likely, Zhu Mo asked someone to speak through him... He most likely plans to do something unexpected in Jiangnan, perhaps as a heads-up?
At this thought,
His imperial demeanor returned. He said calmly,
"Lu Fang, I told you to sort out the Twelve Bureaus of the palace, but you haven't done it?"
Lu Fang immediately knelt down and respectfully said,
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this servant has already sent people to investigate. The stewards indeed have many wicked deeds. This servant is pondering whether to investigate them all and then deal with them in one go?"
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"Your affairs are your own to handle... Don't get yourself entangled in the process..."
Jiajing snorted and closed his eyes to meditate again.