Chapter 225

It had completely become a tangled mess.

However, both sides involved in the brawl had already forgotten.

This was a fight with no suspense whatsoever.

On one side were the trained agents of the Eastern Depot; on the other, scholars with no strength to bind a chicken.

How could they possibly allow these scholars to gain the upper hand?

In less than half an hour.

These scholars outside the Western Gardens had already fallen in great numbers.

Only a handful remained, their bodies thoroughly soaked in blood.

Huang Jin, who had rushed over upon hearing the news from afar, was greatly shocked by the scene before him.

He stared fiercely at Chen Hong and cursed,

"Damn it, Chen Hong, have you gone mad?!"

Chen Hong, already carried away by rage, could not hear such words.

He was just about to retort.

When Huang Jin stepped forward and slapped Chen Hong twice across the face.

Chen Hong was about to strike back.

But then he saw the ground covered in blood.

Only at this moment.

Did Chen Hong fully realize what he had just done.

Huang Jin pointed at the Eastern Depot agents in the distance and roared,

"Why are you all standing there frozen? Quickly send these my lords to the Taiyi Academy!"

"Use the finest golden wound medicine!"

The Eastern Depot agents all looked at one another in confusion.

Using golden wound medicine requires them to still be alive...

How many people here are still alive?

Inside the corner tower.

Jiajing, gazing at everything in the distance, finally murmured with a hint of satisfaction,

"Lu Fang."

"This servant is here."

Just as Lu Fang thought Jiajing intended to return to the palace.

Jiajing instead looked at Lu Fang and said softly,

"Go to Jin Ling to guard the spirit of the Great Ancestor. Depart immediately. I will wait here for you. You have one hour. After one hour, I shall return to the palace."

Lu Fang stood frozen in place.

"Your Majesty..."

Jiajing suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Go, go."

"No banquet in the world lasts forever."

Since Lu Fang took charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he had been known for his kindness and notorious for his smoothness.

He not only maintained an excellent relationship with Jiajing but also enjoyed a stellar reputation with Xu Jie.

Previously, Jiajing, cherishing his own safety, had no problem using Lu Fang.

But now, Lu Fang's manner of conduct was no longer suited for the court ahead.

Lu Fang's loyalty saved him.

For someone who had served him for half his life.

Jiajing was moved by compassion.

He decided to send Lu Fang far away from all this in the court, to Jin Ling.

Inside the corner tower, Lu Fang knelt heavily before Jiajing.

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for this great favor. I beg Your Majesty to take care of your imperial body...!"

Having spoken, Lu Fang rose and left the corner tower.

137, To benefit the nation, one must not shun the axe or the halberd!

This slaughter outside the Western Gardens.

Immediately, more than half of the Hanlin Academicians within the Hanlin Academy perished.

Nearly ten Censorate officials were killed or injured within the Censorate.

In an instant, the entire court and the country erupted in uproar.

The public opinion that Xu Jie had struggled to suppress completely exploded.

And soon, it spread across the Two Capitals and the Thirteen Provinces.

In a moment, not only the Censorate officials inspecting various regions, but also a host of retired old ministers, all submitted memorials.

The Six Ministries of Jin Ling demanded the execution of Chen Hong!

The Six Offices of the Capital demanded the opening of the seas with their lives!

The students of the Imperial Academy even swore an oath before the statue of Confucius that, even if the Son of Heaven failed to investigate this case.

They would still write books and establish theories to pass down to future generations.

Inside the Western Gardens.

Chen Hong, neither punished nor pardoned, knelt trembling before Jiajing and whispered in a low voice.

"Master, memorials to the throne from all corners of the realm have arrived."

Jiajing, who had been closing his eyes to rest, did not even lift his eyelids.

"I know."

At this moment, Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng were almost day and night pondering Jiajing's thoughts.

No one knew what Jiajing truly wanted to do at this moment.

And at this moment, Jiajing was waiting for a sharp weapon.

A sharp sword capable of cutting down all the demons and monsters for the Great Ming!

A thousand li away, south of the great river, Hai Rui, still in Yu Hang, looked at the gazette before him with a shocked expression.

A few sparse lines.

Had already clarified the current situation in the court.

The origin of all this.

Was precisely the memorial to the throne on opening the seas that Hai Rui and Wang Bengu had submitted jointly!

"In merely ten days."

"More than fifty people have already died over this proposal!"

Looking at the cold numbers on the gazette.

Hai Rui finally realized how naive he had once been.

He once thought that all scholars in the world were like him, knowing only the common people and knowing only loyalty to the monarch.

Xu Jie and other pure scholars in the court.

Were the hope of the Great Ming worthy of his reverence.

But the gazettes of this past month have completely overturned Hai Rui's understanding of officialdom.

The Son of Heaven is not one whose words instantly become law.

And the great officials in the court are not so single-mindedly dedicated to the public good.

After a long silence.

Hai Rui slowly raised his head and looked with difficulty at Wang Bengu before him.

"Bang!" A palm slapped the table, and he looked at Wang Bengu with an angry face, asking.

"The strategy of opening the seas benefits the court above and benefits them below; why do they obstruct it so violently?!"

Hearing Hai Rui's roar.

Wang Bengu remained silent.