[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties":3,"chapter-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Really Am Not Neglecting My Duties",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2363304,4622,"Chapter 35: Clan and Faction Purge Outsiders—Until Victory or Death (Celebrating the Alliance Master","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>“Hah!” Tan Lun laughed again, watching Ge Shouli chuckle and shake his head—Ge Shouli, of course, understood the remark, and Tan Lun knew he would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Be strict with yourself and lenient with others, and you will keep resentment at bay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Shouli was a jinshi, deeply versed in the classics—otherwise he could never have stood in the Wenhua Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem lay here: if Ge Shouli interpreted this saying, he would have to impeach Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng as well, for Lu Shusheng had also coughed during the morning altar sacrifice!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun sat on the dais, a faint smile on his lips; Zhang Hong beside him looked slightly envious—Feng Bao, as Chief Eunuch of the Office of Attendants, was exceptionally competent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao smiled and said, “The Master said: be harsh on yourself and gentle with others, and you will avoid resentment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be strict with yourself, act with tangible results; be generous to others, and every move must serve governance. But here, General Ge turns it upside down: strict with others, lenient with himself. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Ge, why not impeach Minister Lu together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shusheng was appointed Minister of Rites by Zhang Juzheng, yet every single matter he opposed only added to Zhang Juzheng’s troubles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Gongchen opposed taxing ocean-going ships; Lu Shusheng opposed it. Qi Jiguang came to the capital for rewards; Lu Shusheng opposed it. The young emperor tilled a plot of land; Lu Shusheng opposed it. Only when Zhang Juzheng invoked the Imperial Ancestral Instructions and cited Emperor Taizu and the moral exemplar Emperor Renzong of Song did he finally crush Lu Shusheng’s opposition to the emperor and commoners tilling together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng watched Feng Bao launch his assault on Ge Shouli, sat upright, pretending to read memorials, and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The choice now rested with Ge Shouli: either impeach both Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng, or impeach neither—or, of course, reject Confucius’s words outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eunuchs rule the court!” Ge Shouli angrily flung his sleeve and sat down. He had no rebuttal—he truly did not know Lu Shusheng had committed a breach of ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Petty men fret!” Feng Bao struck back, unyielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Ge?” Zhang Juzheng held the memorial impeaching Tan Lun, his eyes flickering as he stared at Ge Shouli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ge Shouli did not withdraw this memorial, Lu Shusheng would be impeached too—and then everyone would be humiliated. The Ming court had only six ministries; if two ministers were mired in impeachment, it would be catastrophic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, someone needed to mediate—and Yang Bo was the most suitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As leader of the Jin Party, if he coughed once and spoke a word of fairness, this factional strife would end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yang Bo said nothing. He did not cough. Like Zhang Juzheng moments earlier, he remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng looked at Yang Bo—his gaze was complex. He had always believed Yang Bo was a man of virtue, and often respected him. But now, his eyes held less trust, more doubt; less hope, more despair—only deep disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng was truly disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the final stretch of his life, Yang Bo had become the very thing he once despised: when Yan Song and Yan Shifan ruled, Yang Bo had submitted memorials condemning them—he had once been pure and lofty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao understood scholars well: they always set up an ideal in their hearts and followed its example. Ge Shouli, for instance, had always regarded Gao Gong as perfect—so when Gao Gong fell, Ge Shouli spared no effort to protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power corrupts; merit destroys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the final leg of his career, Yang Bo chose not the path of the gentleman, not perseverance, but the defense of his political clique’s interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Shouli was trapped—he had no way down. No one stepped forward to mediate. No one offered compromise. He sat there, his face unreadable. Even the most naive man would now understand his position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng laid down the memorial and turned to Tan Lun, Minister of War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lun’s expression grew hesitant. He did not move. He did not speak. He would not even defend himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao grew impatient, but Tan Lun remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, even Yang Bo—all knew Tan Lun’s sleeve concealed a memorial from a censor of the Ministry of War, impeaching Lu Shusheng for ritual breach—identical in content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ministry of Rites presided over sacrifices; Lu Shusheng’s cough at the morning altar was a ritual breach—and an aggravated one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Tan Lun’s demeanor suggested he would not produce it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brief silence stirred Zhu Yijun’s curiosity. Following the others’ gazes, his expression grew peculiar—he understood the crux.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lun had been impeached for ritual breach, and Zhang Juzheng had not been unprepared—he had prepared thoroughly. But the situation had slipped beyond the Grand Secretary’s control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao had pinned them down. If Tan Lun produced the memorial, the Jin Party would suffer. Yet Tan Lun refused to produce it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Was he filled with guilt? If so, why had he blocked Wang Chonggu thirty-four times, utterly alienating him? Tan Lun was a man of broad mind—he did what he did and never regretted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang, Minister of Revenue, smiled, flicked his sleeve, and pulled out a memorial: “The Censor of the Ministry of Revenue impeaches Minister of Rites Lu Shusheng for ritual breach. Please, Grand Secretary, review.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was identical: breach of ritual at the morning altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang was from Shanxi and a core figure of the Jin Party—a traitor, as designated by Zhang Simei in the tenth year of Wanli, to be purged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Guoguang was a rare capable official, a financial expert. In five years as Minister of Revenue, state tax revenues rose annually. He was a specialist, a unique administrator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lun was naturally broad-minded. He disliked seeing his conflict with the Jin Party drag others into it. Tan Lun cared about face: he had betrayed Yang Bo, who recommended him; Lu Shusheng had betrayed Zhang Juzheng, who recommended him. One traitor attacking another? Absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence Tan Lun refused—refused to join Ge Shouli, Yang Bo, or Wang Chonggu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Juzheng had arranged another impeachment—initiated by Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang, accusing Lu Shusheng of ritual breach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bo, Ge Shouli, and Wang Chonggu grew grim. Tan Lun was not from Shanxi—he was merely recommended by Yang Bo. But Wang Guoguang was from Shanxi. In the Wenhua Hall, Wang Guoguang’s impeachment of Lu Shusheng mattered less than his open alignment with Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This round of impeachment against Tan Lun inflicted heavy losses on the Jin Party. Wang Guoguang had finally revealed his true allegiance—severing ties with the Jin Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun was certain: no political alliance was unbreakable. The Jin Party, a tightly knit clique bound by privileged economic interests, had already produced two traitors: Tan Lun and Wang Guoguang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Wang Guoguang had been officially branded a Jin Party traitor by Zhang Simei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Iron Triangle was not unbreakable; the Jin Party was not invulnerable. The Jin Party was even more fragile than the Iron Triangle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Secretary, let it go,” Yang Bo finally stepped forward as mediator. He coughed twice. “Spring chills cause many coughs. Must we dismiss every official in court for this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng gripped the memorial. “Minister Yang, are you implying I, as a Grand Secretary, am abusing power and inciting factional strife? Is this my fault? Your words are unjust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng’s tone toward Yang Bo had finally turned harsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao grinned at Yang Bo. “Originally, I said: General Ge, just withdraw the memorial. It’s an overreaction, meddling in governance. I scolded, fine. Withdraw the memorial, and the matter ends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But he stubbornly refused. Now he wants to calm things down? He took all the advantages, and when things turned bad, he chose self-preservation. The world doesn’t offer so many sweet deals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao appeared to be scolding Ge Shouli, but every word targeted Yang Bo. All were seasoned foxes—this veiled insult was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not Zhang Juzheng, not Feng Bao, not any other minister who trapped Ge Shouli—it was the Jin Party itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Shouli’s expression was profoundly desolate. He could not understand: after years of charging into battle for the Jin Party, how had he ended up like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Lun’s memorial entered the Grand Secretariat. After drafting the draft edict, it went to the Office of Attendants for red approval, then to the Qianqing Palace. Each step, each barrier—this impeachment of Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng was not the end, but only the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this truly escalated, who would suffer more?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bo took a deep breath. “Grand Secretary, the Song Dynasty’s factional purges filled the court. The Song fled south on a clay horse. The lesson is clear. Grand Secretary, think thrice before acting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng pondered a moment, then handed both memorials to a young eunuch—not Zhang Hong—and signaled they be returned to the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Zhang Juzheng did not ignite this factional strife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bo, leader of the Jin Party, was exploiting Zhang Juzheng’s virtue. The gentleman is deceived by his own rectitude. Yang Bo knew Zhang Juzheng would not escalate—because if Zhang Juzheng started a factional war, the Ming would lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Zhang Juzheng suppressed the seed of factional strife, he still spoke sternly: “Ministers must be treated with propriety. To force retirement over a cough? Not only inhumane—it wounds the dignity of the state!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Censors Jing Song and Han Bixian impeached Tan Lun out of momentary rashness, their intent to favor someone obvious. Censor Luo Zun, Censor Jing Song, Han Bixian—today’s actions must be reported to His Majesty, to restore proper court discipline.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun heard Zhang Juzheng would report to His Majesty. He handed his pencil to Zhang Hong to replace it—his pencil had grown so short he could no longer grip it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young emperor sat upright. “At the morning altar sacrifice, a cough is trivial. Why dismiss two ministers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every impeachment is a hunt for grievances, a purge of outsiders by clan and faction. If not victorious, it never ends. Appointments and dismissals have no rules—only censors’ searches for excuses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Secretary, how shall the court and I govern the realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng bowed deeply. “I do not know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned to Yang Bo again. “Minister Yang: clan and faction purge outsiders, never ceasing until victorious. Appointments and dismissals have no order, no discipline. How shall the court and I govern the realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1757,"2026-06-21T07:55:54.218Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","b0cfc2dff3240597d7fc4a96713c80170eedf1efc101ddc3a682e4b887d9fcc4","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-36","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-34",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-cover.jpg"]