Chapter 35: Forming Factions to Exclude Others, Not Stopping Until Victory

"Haha." Tan Lun laughed loudly again, looking at Ge Shouli, shaking his head while laughing. Ge Shouli could, of course, explain that sentence; Tan Lun could explain it too.

"If one is strict with oneself and lenient with others, one will avoid resentment."

Ge Shouli, a jinshi, read the sage books extremely well; otherwise, he couldn't have appeared in the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

But the problem lies right here. If Ge Shouli explains this sentence, he has to impeach the Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng as well, because Lu Shusheng also coughed during the Sun Altar sacrifice!

Zhu Yijun sat on the platform, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Zhang Hong was slightly envious on the side; this Feng Bao was extremely qualified as the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Feng Bao said with a smile: "The Master said: blame yourself and blame others less, then you can avoid the resentment of others."

"Strict with oneself, and one will see achievements when going out; lenient with others, and one's actions will surely concern the way of governance. When it comes to Chief Censor Ge, this sentence is reversed, becoming strict with others and lenient with oneself. Tsk tsk tsk."

"Chief Censor Ge, why not impeach Minister Lu together?"

Lu Shusheng was the Minister of Rites recommended by Zhang Juzheng, but he gave Zhang Juzheng trouble in every single matter.

When Luo Gongchen collected taxes on foreign ships, Lu Shusheng opposed it; when Qi Jiguang entered the capital to receive rewards, Lu Shusheng opposed it; when the little Emperor farmed, Lu Shusheng also opposed it. Zhang Juzheng took the "Imperial Ming Ancestral Instructions," brought out the Taizu Emperor, and brought out the moral model of the Song Renzong Emperor together, only then completely suppressing Lu Shusheng's opposition regarding the Emperor and people farming together.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Feng Bao outputting against Ge Shouli, sitting straight and steady, seemingly looking at the memorials, saying nothing.

The choice was now with Ge Shouli: either impeach Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng together, or impeach neither. Of course, there was a third path: oppose the words of Confucius.

"Eunuch thief in power!" Ge Shouli flicked his sleeves in dissatisfaction and sat back in his seat. He didn't know how to refute it; he really didn't know about Lu Shusheng losing decorum.

"Small man, anxious and worried!" Feng Bao met him head-on, not giving an inch.

"Chief Censor Ge?" Zhang Juzheng held the memorial impeaching Tan Lun, looking at Ge Shouli with flickering eyes.

If Ge Shouli didn't take back this memorial, Lu Shusheng would also be impeached. By then, it wouldn't look good for anyone. There were only six ministries in the Great Ming, and two ministers were deeply mired in impeachment, unable to extricate themselves.

At this time, someone needed to act as a peacemaker. Yang Bo was the most suitable for this.

Because Yang Bo was the leader of the Jin Party, if he coughed at this time and said a fair word, this factional struggle would subside.

But Yang Bo did not speak, nor did he cough. Yang Bo, like Zhang Juzheng just now, said nothing.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Yang Bo. His eyes were extremely complex. He had always firmly believed that Yang Bo was a minister of great virtue. In many cases, Zhang Juzheng respected Yang Bo very much, but this time, the look in Zhang Juzheng's eyes toward Yang Bo had less trust and more doubt, less expectation and more depression, only deep disappointment.

Zhang Juzheng was truly disappointed.

Yang Bo had finally, in the last leg of his life, become the appearance that Yang Bo hated most. When Yan Song, Yan Shifan, and other Yan Party members were in power, Yang Bo had impeached them repeatedly; at that time, Yang Bo's aspirations were noble.

And now?

Feng Bao understood scholars very well. Scholars all like to set up a role model in their hearts and then follow the role model's words and deeds. For example, Ge Shouli had always felt that Gao Gong was perfect, so when Gao Gong had an accident, Ge Shouli used all his strength to protect Gao Gong's safety.

Those with great power are destroyed; those with great merit are ruined.

In the last leg of his official career, Yang Bo did not choose the way of the gentleman, did not choose perseverance, but chose to maintain the interests of a small political group.

Ge Shouli was directly framed. He had no steps to go down now. No one stood up to act as a peacemaker, no one gave him a compromise. He sat there, his face dark and unclear. Even a dull person should understand his situation.

Zhang Juzheng put down the memorial and looked at the Minister of War, Tan Lun.

Tan Lun's expression became hesitant, but he just wouldn't move or speak, and didn't even want to defend himself.

Even Feng Bao was a bit anxious, but Tan Lun still remained silent.

Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, and even Yang Bo all knew that in Tan Lun's sleeve was a memorial from a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, impeaching the Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng for losing decorum, with the same content.

The Ministry of Rites is in charge of sacrifices. The Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng coughing at the Sun Altar was also losing decorum, and the crime was one degree heavier.

But looking at Tan Lun's stance, he wasn't prepared to take it out.

This short silence aroused Zhu Yijun's curiosity. Zhu Yijun followed everyone's gaze, his expression even more strange; he had already understood the key.

Tan Lun was impeached by censors for losing decorum. Zhang Juzheng was not unprepared, but the situation seemed to exceed the Senior Grand Secretary's control.

He Yi was Tan Lun unwilling? Was it out of guilt? If it were guilt, why block Wang Chonggu thirty-four times and offend him completely? Tan Lun was a very broad-minded person; since he had done it, he wouldn't regret it.

But Zhang Juzheng had arranged for someone else to impeach, initiated by the Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang, impeaching the Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng for the crime of losing decorum.

The reason was exactly the same: losing decorum at the Sun Altar.

Wang Guoguang smiled, flicked his sleeves, took out a memorial, and said with a smile: "The supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue impeaches the Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng for losing decorum. I ask the Senior Grand Secretary to review it."

The reason was exactly the same: losing decorum at the Sun Altar.

Wang Guoguang was a Shanxi man and a core member of the Jin Party, a traitor to the Jin Party who would be liquidated by Zhang Siwei in the 10th year of Wanli.

Wang Guoguang was a rare, capable official and a financial expert who was proficient in fiscal matters. In the five years he had been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, the court's tax revenue had climbed year after year. He was a specialized official and a maverick.

Tan Lun was broad-minded; he didn't like his conflict with the Jin Party to involve others. Tan Lun was a person who cared about face. Tan Lun had betrayed Yang Bo, who had recommended him, and Lu Shusheng had betrayed Zhang Juzheng, who had recommended him. A traitor who jumped sides attacking another traitor was simply ridiculous.

So Tan Lun wouldn't do it, wouldn't be like Ge Shouli, Yang Bo, and Wang Chonggu.

But Zhang Juzheng had arranged for someone else to impeach, initiated by the Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang, impeaching the Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng for the crime of losing decorum.

Yang Bo, Ge Shouli, and Wang Chonggu's expressions were grave. Tan Lun was not a Shanxi man; Tan Lun was only recommended by Yang Bo, but Wang Guoguang was a Shanxi man. In the Zhao Wenhua Hall, Wang Guoguang's impeachment of Lu Shusheng had an impact that was not even as great as Wang Guoguang clarifying his identity to support Zhang Juzheng.

This round of impeachment against Tan Lun had caused the Jin Party heavy losses. Wang Guoguang finally clarified his identity and made a complete break with the Jin Party.

Zhu Yijun was very certain that there was no unbreakable political alliance. The Jin Party, a small political group tightly united with privileged economy as its core interest, had successively produced two traitors, Tan Lun and Wang Guoguang.

And the Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang was a traitor to the Jin Party identified by Zhang Siwei.

The "Iron Triangle" was not unbreakable, and the Jin Party was not indestructible. The Jin Party was even more fragile than the Iron Triangle.

"Senior Grand Secretary, let it be." Yang Bo finally came out to act as the peacemaker. He coughed twice and said: "There are many people coughing due to this cold spring weather. Are we going to dismiss all the civil and military officials because of this?"

Zhang Juzheng said: "What the Minister of Personnel says—it's as if I, a cabinet minister, am wantonly manipulating power and provoking factional strife? Is it my fault? What the Minister of Personnel says is unfair."

Zhang Juzheng finally stopped being polite to Yang Bo.

Feng Bao looked at Yang Bo and said happily: "Originally, this matter, as I said, Ge Chief Censor should just take it back. It was making a mountain out of a molehill and manipulating government affairs. I scolded him, and that should have been it. Take back the memorial, and this matter would be settled wherever it went."

"But he just insisted on being stubborn. Now he wants to settle the matter? He took all the benefits, and now that he sees the trend is turning, he wants to protect himself? There are no such good things in the world."

Feng Bao seemed to be scolding Ge Shouli, but every word was aimed at Yang Bo. Everyone was a thousand-year-old fox; anyone could understand this insinuation.

It wasn't Zhang Juzheng or Feng Bao or other court officials who made Ge Shouli unable to step down; it was the Jin Party itself.

Ge Shouli's expression was extremely desolate. He couldn't understand how he had been charging for the Jin Party for so many years and ended up like this.

Tan Lun's memorial entered the Cabinet, was drafted by the Cabinet and sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and after the Directorate of Ceremonial approved it in red, it was sent to the Qianqing Palace. This was one pass after another. This impeachment of Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng was not the result, but just a beginning.

If this really caused a scene, whose loss would be greater?

Yang Bo took a deep breath and said: "Senior Grand Secretary, the factional strife in the two Song Dynasties filled the sky. In the Song Dynasty, the mud horses crossed south; the warning is before us. Senior Grand Secretary should think thrice before acting."

Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and handed the two memorials in his hand to the little eunuch instead of Zhang Hong, signaling to return the two memorials to the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhang Juzheng ultimately did not provoke this factional struggle.

Yang Bo, this Jin Party leader, was bullying Zhang Juzheng. A gentleman can be bullied by squareness. Yang Bo knew that Zhang Juzheng would not blow things out of proportion, because if Zhang Juzheng started a factional struggle, the only one who would lose in the end would be the Great Ming.

Although Zhang Juzheng suppressed the signs of factional struggle, he still said quite seriously: "Ministers should be treated with ritual. If one is ordered to retire because of a cough, not only is it inhumane, but it also damages the dignity of the country!"

"Censors Jing Song and Han Bixian impeaching Tan Lun was a moment of rashness, and their intention to use someone else's will is clear. The actions of the three people, Luo Zun, Jing Song, and Han Bixian, today must be reported to His Majesty to rectify the style of the court."

Zhu Yijun stopped the pen in his hand, pondered for a moment, and continued writing.

What Ge Shouli's fart meant was not important.

Tan Lun fell ill before the Spring Equinox and asked for leave, not attending the Sun Altar sacrifice. The Ministry of Personnel did not approve the sick leave, so Tan Lun went to the Sun Altar while ill. The cold wind hit him, almost sending him away directly. His illness had just recovered, and the dogs of the Censorate had already begun to pounce.

A wave after wave, just because Tan Lun had changed sides regarding the list of military talents for the capital.

At least most of the Jin Party thought so.