At this time, the Yan Manor was naturally in a state of upheaval.
In Yan Shifan’s luxuriously spacious study, almost all the family retainers in the capital were present. Not only that, but their subordinates from various regions had also sent letters offering their views on the current situation.
Yan Song, clad in a plain blue gown, stood before the large desk practicing calligraphy, seemingly oblivious to everything. Yan Shifan, meanwhile, sat regally in the main hall, exuding an air of confident command.
At this moment,
All the officials had reviewed Gao Gong’s materials and reports. In their helplessness, they deeply felt that events always unfolded unexpectedly. Matters they thought were settled were once again overturned. It was the same in Jiangnan, the same in Xuanda, and now the same with the "nu bian" (slave revolt) official school case…
Yan Shifan maintained a pretense of composure, but in his heart, he had already cursed profusely countless times. This time, his ambitions were high, his strategy intricate. He had intended to mobilize gentry and officials nationwide through the Yangming Official School, while simultaneously striking a deal with Gao Gong, using the "nu bian" case to force a resolution. He had fashioned an inescapable trap, yet inexplicably, he had lost.
He had pondered it all night, utterly unable to comprehend!
What exactly was protecting that Zhu Mo?
Even the Emperor had abandoned him, so how could he possibly recover?
At this,
He sighed leisurely and said, “Everyone, share your thoughts,”
Luo Longwen bowed respectfully and said,
“Young Grand Secretary, esteemed colleagues, Old Gao is finished. The Emperor wouldn’t have commented anyway, but Zhang Taiyue made another move, putting Xu Jie in a difficult position. I believe this Zhu Mo will not only recover but may even rise to prominence… Having suffered so much and narrowly escaping this disaster, he will be even harder to contend with in the future… We must be exceedingly cautious, and never give him any leverage.”
He spoke with genuine feeling, a chill running down his spine as he spoke. He found Zhu Mo increasingly terrifying. The way he had brought down Old Gao was utterly audacious, even daring to involve Prince Yu. It would be difficult to control him in the future.
Upon hearing this,
Everyone else felt the same way—
If one were not careful, this young man would ascend to immortality…
His ruthless tactics were unheard of, yet always lethally effective. Pondering it, they had thought for days but could not fathom what power had enabled Zhu Mo to recover.
Yan Shifan also felt a prickle of fear and muttered,
“This is uncanny… how could he recover…”
As he thought,
He glanced at his father, who was still writing stroke by stroke, and suddenly remembered something—
As his father had said, Gao Gong was insidiously collecting leverage against the Yan family. And last night, returning from Lu Bing’s residence, he had confirmed this. Gao Gong had handed Lu Bing a package of evidence detailing how Yan Maoqing and Luo Longwen had incited scholars in the academies. The most damaging item was the thousand taels of silver that he, Yan Shifan, had personally awarded to Wei Liangbi, which Wei Liangbi had withdrawn from the bank himself, but Gao Gong had obtained the withdrawal slip.
This matter, while seemingly minor, could be significant. Xu Jie would not dare to act on it for now, but Zhu Mo was another matter. He might very well use this as leverage.
Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat, and he commanded,
“Wenhua, go and do something. Wei Liangbi returned to his hometown a few days ago. Catch up to him… you know what to do!”
Zhao Wenhua, who always handled the Yan family’s dirty and arduous tasks, immediately stood up and said, “Young Grand Secretary, your subordinate understands! I shall leave at once.”
With that, he quickly departed.
As everyone watched his retreating figure, a chill permeated the air—
The Young Grand Secretary had become even more ruthless after the setback in Xuanda… but there was no other choice. If Zhu Mo obtained leverage, and the Young Grand Secretary fell, they would all fall with him…
A palpable sense of dread settled in the air.
At this moment,
Yan Maoqing suddenly grunted and said,
“Young Grand Secretary, your subordinate believes the key to this failure was that aberrant traitor, He Xinyin! This man is heretical and rebellious, causing heresy in Jiangxi and meddling in official investigations. Even if we lose everything, we cannot let him go!”
Yes, yes!
We cannot let him go!
If not for him, Zhu Mo would have been dead for sure!
This man deserves to be dismembered!
Yan Shifan also harbored great resentment towards this person, but it was clear that the power did not lie solely with this one individual but with the countless common people behind him. This connection was troublesome and difficult to unravel.
Amidst the collective outrage,
Old Yan Song also finished writing a plaque, wiped his hands, and said,
“You all are panicking like this? I told you to read more, think more, but you never listened… You hit a snag, and you all lose heart…”
He clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at his creation, and said, “Someone, lift the calligraphy.”
Two retainers immediately held each side and unfurled the scroll. Everyone saw the four characters, “Wu Wang Bu Fu” (Invincible Everywhere), written with fluid grace. Though the brushstrokes were perilous, they were all skillfully resolved, emanating a calm and profound presence from afar.
“Excellent!”
“Your calligraphy is the finest in the court!”
“Fluid and masterful, only the Grand Secretary could achieve this!”
“This is a reminder for us to maintain our composure.”
“…”
The crowd offered a torrent of flattery.
Yan Song remained unmoved and continued,
“Do you know what the most difficult part of writing is? It is in salvaging the stroke… Anyone can make a mistake, but the key is to salvage it; once salvaged, there is no danger… Earlier, Maoqing mentioned that He Xinyin is also from Jiangxi, isn't he? Do you know why he can gather so many impoverished scholars?”
He turned his head, scanning everyone, and shook his head, saying,
“Your problem lies here! To salvage the stroke, you must apply effort here… All of you, investigate the scholars who were present that day at the Huzhou Prefectural Office. See who has any leverage, especially any controversial manuscripts or letters? They can spread letters, why can’t you? At least obtain one, so that he can be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, and another major case can be initiated…
That He Xinyin is the greatest scourge of this dynasty, and a scourge for five hundred years to come. Even if not for Zhu Mo, this person must be apprehended, and we cannot allow him to continue inciting the common people… Do you understand?”
Hiss!
Hiss!
Everyone immediately became solemn—
The Grand Secretary’s wisdom was supreme!
He Xinyin, Yan Shanong, and others had spoken many controversial words over the years, widely circulated in gentry circles, but no one had ever thought of seizing tangible proof. For instance, it was rumored that He Xinyin once said, "Killing a ruler or father is not the absence of a ruler or father," a statement widely circulated among the literati.
If one or two individuals could be apprehended at this juncture, it would be easy to construct another case. Even if Zhu Mo recovered and pursued reform, there would be a handle to restrain him. Should any further incidents occur, the Huzhou case could be revived, and Zhang Juzheng would not be able to escape scrutiny.
In this way,
Although it was a defeat, there was still hope for victory within the loss. It was indeed the most insightful approach when facing defeat. It proved that Old Yan Song was indeed Old Yan Song; it was not for nothing that he was considered the paramount authority in the Great Ming.
Seeing that everyone understood, Yan Song nodded and said,
“The Emperor’s decree is imminent. I shall take a period of leisure. Although Xu Jie leads the Grand Secretariat, he cannot accomplish much. We must continue to monitor Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng. Also, inform Hu Ruzhen to maintain firm control over the overall situation of resisting the Japanese… When you return, clean up your own affairs. That Zhu Mo, young as he is, is already formidable. Be careful not to give him any more leverage.”
“Understood, sir.”