The tension within Yuxi Palace had finally eased, and everyone’s mood began to relax. Since the Emperor had ordered an investigation, there was no longer any room for speculation about matters in Jiangnan. At least until the investigation concluded, no one dared to utter another word.
Yan Song was rather satisfied with the outcome of the court session—
The Emperor’s decision to send people down to investigate would certainly put great pressure on the Imperial Manufactory. At the very least, their alliance with Zhu Mo would become one of distance, turning them into mere observers. If Zhu Mo succeeded, so be it. But if he failed, the Imperial Manufactory would also be in for trouble! Having lost He Maocai earlier, Yan Song felt he had managed to regain half a point.
Everyone present also breathed a sigh of relief. Yan Shifan inwardly rejoiced—
It wouldn't be difficult to find another excuse to ruin Zhu Mo next. After all, with the Emperor’s pressure, neither the Imperial Manufactory nor Tan Lun would dare to openly support Zhu Mo anymore.
Xu Jie, however, sighed inwardly—
Zhu Mo had been doing so well. His contribution of twelve million taels of silver was significant. How could it be described as a disaster? The Yan family had gone too far, spreading rumors everywhere and putting the reformist faction under immense pressure, making it impossible for them to speak up for Zhu Mo any longer…
Zhang Juzheng, meanwhile, cursed inwardly—
Yan Song is an absolute scoundrel!
Distorting right and wrong!
This makes Zhu Mo’s situation in Jiangnan even more difficult!
…
At this moment,
Only Lü Fang, standing among them, understood the Emperor’s true intentions—the Emperor was unwilling to give up. He still believed Zhu Mo could succeed!
Having served him for forty years, Lü Fang understood the Emperor’s subtle thoughts. The more the Emperor pretended to be indifferent, the more he cared. The Emperor’s actions at this moment were truly rare. He first found a scapegoat in Yang Jin before stepping forward. While he appeared to be a peacemaker on the surface, he was actually covertly supporting Zhu Mo!
If Lü Fang guessed correctly, an imperial decree would soon be issued after the court session. The Emperor would likely instruct him to send someone to Jiangnan to assist… Even if it took a year or two, he wanted to see Zhu Mo succeed!
And if, in the worst-case scenario, Zhu Mo failed, the Emperor could still use Yang Jin as a scapegoat… As for his own son, he was perfectly fine, unharmed…
How could someone who had followed him for forty years be fooled by this?
Therefore,
Only one question remained:
Could Zhu Mo actually succeed?
What exactly was he trying to achieve?
…
The court session quickly dispersed.
The Yan family members, with smiles on their faces, filed out in an orderly fashion. The reformists, on the other hand, were once again dejected.
Returning to the Prince’s manor,
Prince Yu was already extremely anxious and asked repeatedly, “Senior Scholar Xu, what happened? Was it stopped?”
“It wasn't stopped, but… alas, the situation is not favorable… Grand Tutor, please explain to His Highness…”
Zhang Juzheng, with his usual unconventional thinking, explained the court proceedings in a few brief sentences, concluding, “Your Highness, Senior Scholar Xu and Minister Gao and I have different opinions. I believe His Majesty has great confidence in young master Zhu! This investigation ordered down is merely to silence the Yan faction…”
For some reason, ever since Zhu Mo appeared, Prince Yu Zhu Zaihou had subconsciously wished for his downfall… It was hard to explain the psychology, but he simply disliked and envied him. Hearing that Zhu Mo was being attacked by the Yan family, and that even Lü Fang had conceded, he was inwardly ecstatic. If it weren’t for the fact that the Yan faction was an enemy, he would have loudly cheered at this moment.
Upon hearing Zhang Juzheng speak in defense of Zhu Mo, he couldn’t help but retort, “Master Zhang, I said from the beginning that the court should not compete with the people for profit. See? The problem has arisen… No matter how talented young master Zhu is, he is now in a difficult position… Ultimately, it’s too rash… Now, not only has he failed to assist His Majesty, but he has also brought about a rare and great trouble… Alas, I should have boldly advised His Majesty back then…”
Upon hearing this,
Xu Jie, Gao Anya, and Zhang Juzheng were all taken aback—Are you siding with outsiders? No matter how much you dislike Zhu Mo, he is helping you, isn't he?
Zhang Juzheng sighed inwardly: You talk of assisting His Majesty? You are embarrassing His Majesty… If His Majesty had even one prince of the earth generation, things wouldn’t have come to this…
…
After everyone left the court, Lü Fang, as usual, supervised the cleaning of the floor.
The Emperor was impatient with even the slightest speck of dirt but never liked to hold court in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Whether for major or minor matters, he was always in Yuxi Palace or Wanshou Palace.
Lü Fang was indeed somewhat angered by today’s court session—
Yan Song had gone too far, even bullying the Directorate of Ceremonial!
Who else could be behind the rumors in the capital if not them? It was because of these rumors that the Emperor had become hesitant, and Lü Fang himself was reluctantly forced to present Yang Jin as a scapegoat…
While he was contemplating this,
Jiajing indeed spoke, “Lü Fang, did you foresee Yan Song daring to force the issue?”
Lü Fang smiled wryly, recalling the scene of Yang Tinghe forcing the issue forty years ago, and said sarcastically, “Nothing new, it’s all the same! Yan Song fears that if young master Zhu succeeds, whether it’s resisting Japanese pirates or Western trade, his Yan family will have no place anymore…”
“Hmm…”
Jiajing sighed leisurely and continued, “Are you blaming me?”
Lü Fang knelt and replied, “Yang Jin has been in Jiangnan for over a decade. This servant was also lax in his supervision. He didn’t report such a significant matter…”
Jiajing, however, laughed, “It’s alright… I understand everything. You, just send someone down casually to take a look. They don’t need to do anything, just look… Yang Jin has done nothing wrong. If anything happens in the future, I will not mistreat him…”
As expected, the decree arrived.
Lü Fang had not guessed wrong, and what he hadn’t anticipated was: the Emperor actually showed consideration for him!
As long as the Emperor promised to give Yang Jin a way out, everything would be alright. Even if the Yan family insisted on pursuing the matter, Yang Jin, this unfortunate eunuch’s godson, could still save his life…
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s great benevolence! This servant thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Yang Jin for not abandoning him…”
“Hmm…”
Jiajing said leisurely, “Alright, alright! Stop crying… I have been muddle-headed all day today! You say this Zhu Mo, what exactly is he trying to do? Can he succeed?”
Lü Fang smiled and said, “This servant is also muddle-headed, isn't he? I think Yan Song also doesn’t understand… And Xu Jie, his brow is deeply furrowed… And Yan Shifan, that arrogant demeanor, he’s sure Zhu Mo is doomed… This servant feels that among all the officials in the court, only Zhang Juzheng has confidence in young master Zhu?”
Ha,
Jiajing couldn't help but laugh, “Yes, Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Taiyue, Zhang the child prodigy… He indeed has some skill! It seems he understands better than us, daring to bet that Zhu Mo will win? Look at how he defended Zhu Mo during the court session…”
Lü Fang wore a fawning smile, while inwardly grumbling—
So only you and Zhang the child prodigy appreciate Zhu Mo…
He’s so happy when someone praises your son?
This young man, without a word beforehand about such a significant matter, led everyone astray, yet the Emperor is still praising him in his heart.
I wonder how many lifetimes of good fortune he has accumulated? How did this young man come to possess such great destiny? And that Zhang the child prodigy, why does he have such faith in this unknown kid Zhu Mo?
…
Late at night,
Jiajing walked alone in the backyard of Yuxi Palace, gazing at the vast expanse of stars. The piercing loneliness he usually felt seemed to have vanished without a trace…
The faint starlight vaguely illuminated the future path of the Great Ming, and that path would be walked by Zhu Zai Mo!
No one knew whether he would succeed or fail, but if he didn’t try, would there ever be a chance? For the sake of this sliver of hope, Jiajing was suddenly willing to gamble everything.