Chapter 218

"Order some gifts to be taken, find the lords who were flogged in the courtyard today, and have them visit every single door and household for this old man, quickly!"

"Yes!"

Even though a somewhat bad premonition had already arisen in his heart.

Yet in Yan Song's heart there remained one last thread of hope.

Watching the household servants who were successively going to visit the homes of those colleagues.

Yan Song also changed into a set of night-clothes with Yan Shifan.

And hurried on his own toward Xu Jie's residence.

At this moment, Yan Song's heart still held that single thread of hope.

Hoping that the ministers flogged in the courtyard today would be safe.

As long as they had no major injuries, the Yan family would not yet be completely tied to this ship of Jiajing.

Everything would still be salvageable!

However, the tightly closed gates of the Xu family had already revealed everything to Yan Song.

Whether it was the front gate or the back gate.

The Xu family sent only one steward, who blocked Yan Song outside the family gate.

Yan Song looked at this steward in front of him, wearing a blue robe and a small cap.

His heart could not help but be filled with a hundred mixed feelings.

Returning to his own residence.

Immediately, Yan Song saw the household slaves holding gifts.

All of them had been driven back by those ministers who were flogged in the courtyard.

Yan Song, with a gloomy countenance, asked in a hoarse voice

"How are all the lords who were flogged in the courtyard today?"

The Yan family steward looked at Yan Song with fear and said in a low voice

"Old Master, of the thirty lords flogged in the courtyard today, twenty died on the spot."

"Another five breathed their last not long after being returned to their homes."

"Two others are nearly the same; only three are unharmed..."

Hearing the numbers the steward spoke.

Yan Song's countenance turned thoroughly gloomy.

Everything was too late.

With so many lives lost, the great families of the Southeast will not let this pass.

The scholars of the world will even less let this pass.

In the mysterious way of things, Yan Song could clearly feel.

The greatest storm he would face in this life was about to arrive.

West Garden.

In the hall where incense smoke curled upward, Jiajing's gaze hung low.

He asked casually

"What did Prime Minister Yan do tonight?"

Chen Hong whispered

"Reporting to my lord, Prime Minister Yan sent people tonight to visit those lords who were flogged in the courtyard."

"Prime Minister Yan and Yan Shifan also personally went to visit Prime Minister Xu."

Jiajing seemed to have long foreseen Yan Song's reaction.

"Then how did they receive Prime Minister Yan?"

"Neither Prime Minister Xu nor those thirty lords saw anyone from the Yan family."

Hearing Chen Hong's words.

A few traces of a smile finally appeared on Jiajing's face.

"Prime Minister Yan is, after all, my Great Ming's Prime Minister; visiting subordinates is also understandable."

Just as Yan Song's self-assessment had been.

For these twenty years.

Yan Song has not only killed people, governed people, and dismissed people, but also known how to use people.

The national treasury relied on Yan Song's people to hoard silver; the border passes required Yan Song's people to fight wars; those blocking Jiajing's administration had to be dealt with by Yan Song.

Great Ming opens the seas.

The most ideal person to lead the Maritime Trade Offices was Hearing Hai Rui, this sharp sword.

But at present, this sword has not yet reached the time when it is fully sharpened.

Jiajing can only rely on Yan Song for now to build the framework of Great Ming's seven Maritime Trade Offices.

Matters have already come to this.

Jiajing believes that Yan Song will eventually recognize the facts.

At dawn the next day.

At the moment when Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan, wearing their official caps and robes, stepped out of the family gate.

A "Crack!" sound came.

A rotten egg smashed to pieces right at Yan Shifan's feet.

A thick "fragrance" instantly spread throughout the area outside the Yan residence.

Yan Shifan's temper was about to explode.

Fortunately, Yan Song was right beside Yan Shifan; he grabbed Yan Shifan and roared in a low voice,

"With matters like this, the more arrogant you are, the more miserably our Yan family will die in the future."

"Put 'endurance' first! Remember, remem..."

Before Yan Song could finish speaking, the sound of a large troop of soldiers marching immediately came from the distance.

Not long after.

The soldiers of the Wucheng immediately surrounded the outside of the Yan residence completely.

Yan Song looked at the scene before him in shock.

Before Yan Song could even come to his senses.

Several people were immediately dragged out from a distant alley by men of the Wucheng.

"Grand Preceptor Yan, Young Preceptor, the ruffians causing trouble have been captured by us; please rest assured, you two!"

Those scholars in the distance roared hoarsely at Yan Song,

"Traitors! Do you truly not fear leaving a stench for ten thousand years?!"

"Yan Shifan! Lord Chen is watching you from the heavens; can you sleep soundly at night? Hahahaha!"

"You dogs will surely be punished by gentlemen in the future!"

"..."

Yan Song looked at the scene before him in shock.

Those making the arrests were not the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Nor were they agents of the Eastern Depot.

It was the Wucheng, an office that normally wouldn't dare to fart in the capital!

Most importantly.

The commanders of the Wucheng.

Were all Yan Song's men!

Soon, the scholars causing trouble at the Yan residence were taken away.

Yan Song looked at the Wucheng officer before him in disbelief and asked,

"Young man, where will you detain these people?"

That officer looked at Yan Song and smiled,

"Grand Preceptor Yan is joking; the people we of the Wucheng arrest are naturally detained in the prison of the Shun Tian Prefecture."