Chapter 561: I have three strategies

Sun Daoning deliberated for a long time, and only after Chen Guanlou urged him repeatedly did he make up his mind and say, "The person Zheng Daochong offended back then was the Wu family."

"The Wu family of the former Right Minister?"

"Exactly."

"The in-laws of the Prince of Jin?"

"Correct."

"Which member of the Wu family did Zheng Daochong actually offend?"

"The Minister's youngest son, known as Seventh Master Wu."

Chen Guanlou recalled the rumors about Seventh Master Wu: born into prominence, living in luxury, exceptionally talented, aloof and detached, obsessed with landscapes, and constantly traveling abroad. He possessed both talent and fame but never entered the officialdom. He was a man who was arrogant and self-centered, yet possessed a clear-headed awareness rarely found in the noble class.

"How could Zheng Daochong offend Seventh Master Wu? Rumors outside say that as long as you don't provoke him, Seventh Master Wu is actually quite easy to get along with."

"When Zheng Daochong was young, he relied on a bit of talent and was arrogant and ignorant. Everyone else was busy currying favor with Seventh Master Wu, but he did the opposite; he wanted to suppress Seventh Master Wu with his talent, climb up by stepping on Seventh Master Wu's reputation, and dreamed of becoming famous throughout the world overnight. As a result, he failed to steal the chicken and lost the rice; he didn't win in talent, flew into an incompetent rage, and made a complete fool of himself. That is how the conflict began."

Sun Daoning had clearly studied the case files from back then specifically, understanding Zheng Daochong's life, especially the key events, thoroughly.

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

"Would a person like Seventh Master Wu be willing to reconcile?"

"What else could he do if he wasn't willing? The Profound Cloud Sect stepped in to guarantee for Zheng Daochong. As the saying goes, if you don't look at the monk's face, you must look at the Buddha's; if you don't give face to the Zheng surname, how could you not give face to the Profound Cloud Sect? The two sides reconciled, and the man surnamed Zheng was not made difficult when he participated in the imperial examinations, successfully being named a second-rank scholar. The man surnamed Zheng also had some self-awareness; after passing the exam, he spent money to pull strings and entered the Lesser Prefecture, responsible for mining, and stayed in the local area for nearly ten years. Now that he has returned to the capital, he is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I imagine Seventh Master Wu hasn't taken that old conflict to heart for a long time."

The more Sun Daoning spoke, the more jealous he became.

Zheng Daochong's luck was simply too good. Back then, he was suppressed so miserably, his family ruined, and he was still able to turn things around. Now, he was even promoted and getting rich, directly promoted across ranks.

He couldn't even figure out when Zheng Daochong, who had been working in the local area, caught the eye of Emperor Taixing, causing the Emperor to defy public opinion and promote him.

What kind of shady business was involved here? He couldn't figure it out even after racking his brains.

"Old Sun, you're not doing so well. As the dignified Minister of Justice, you can't even find out when Zheng Daochong got connected with the Donggong. You are too derelict in your duty."

Sun Daoning was so angry he blew his beard and stared, "Is it that this official is incompetent? It is clearly that the man surnamed Zheng is too cunning. Now that you know the person he offended is Seventh Master Wu, tell me, what ways are there to deal with the man surnamed Zheng?"

"I have three strategies!" Chen Guanlou held up three fingers.

Sun Daoning was very surprised; not only did he have a way, but he actually had three strategies.

He was quite capable.

He wanted to hear them.

"Let's hear them."

Chen Guanlou was confident and planned unhurriedly: "The first strategy: Zheng Daochong is despised by the literati, squeezed out and loathed by his colleagues, and bears the reputation of a cruel official. We might as well start by making an issue of the words 'cruel official.' Focus on investigating his actions in the local area over these years. With his greedy personality, his hands and feet are definitely not clean, and it is very likely he has been tainted by many lives."

"At the same time, unite the remonstrating censors to impeach him. With his reputation as a cruel official, thirty baskets of impeachment memorials wouldn't be enough to do justice to that chair of Vice Minister of Revenue. Moreover, impeaching him at this time actually takes advantage of a great opportunity."

"What opportunity?"

"The Emperor has just ascended the throne and is not yet stable. If public sentiment is surging, the Emperor can only choose to compromise. It just depends on whether you, Old Sun, have the ability to unite the court officials and launch an unprecedented impeachment, just like the one against Jiang Tu back then. The late Emperor could withstand the pressure of the court, but the Emperor is a new sovereign and might not be able to withstand it."

Sun Daoning stroked his beard, looking thoughtful.

He didn't expect that this idea Chen Guanlou gave him was actually feasible and had great room for operation.

Everyone gives the new Emperor face, and some things are turned a blind eye to, as long as it's not too excessive, they agree. But if cruel officials like Zheng Daochong can enter the court and become high-ranking officials of the ministries, it is simply absurd. Sorry, but we must give the new Emperor a little loss of face.

But if this happens, he will definitely not get any good treatment in front of the Emperor. He finally showed his face in front of the Emperor and got promoted, and in the blink of an eye, he would be beaten back to his original form.

Is it worth offending the Emperor for the sake of one Zheng Daochong?

Sun Daoning looked hesitant, "Tell me your second strategy."

Chen Guanlou pondered for a moment and said, "The second strategy is to let the former Donggong officials unite to squeeze out Zheng Daochong. As far as I know, the former Donggong officials are all talented scholars who have read many books. This group of people has always liked to stick together and naturally rejects sycophantic villains like Zheng Daochong. The importance of this group led by Xie Gechen in the Emperor's heart is beyond doubt. If they are willing to deal with the man surnamed Zheng, you can rest easy, my lord."

Sun Daoning nodded repeatedly; the second strategy was very steady, much steadier than the first. He didn't need to charge into battle himself and didn't need to provoke the Emperor.

It's just...

"How can we make Xie Gechen and the others willing to deal with Zheng Daochong?"

"What does Zheng Daochong rely on to stand in the court? First, the Emperor's favor; second, the Profound Cloud Sect. The more the Emperor favors Zheng Daochong, the more the interests of Xie Gechen and the others will be damaged. Old Sun, you just need to explain the pros and cons clearly, and I believe that group led by Xie Gechen won't sit idly by."

"But there is still the Profound Cloud Sect." Sun Daoning was very annoyed and increasingly jealous of Zheng Daochong's dog-shit luck. To be able to turn things around after being so miserable, this luck was simply too good. He couldn't help but secretly think, could it be that the man surnamed Zheng used some secret method to steal luck from somewhere? Otherwise, it's hard to explain his luck over these years; how could a mere mining supervisor of the Lesser Prefecture rely on colluding with the Donggong and secretly gain the Emperor's favor behind everyone's back?

"Dealing with the Profound Cloud Sect, neither of us can do it. That is, after all, a great sect of the current age. But there is one place that can."

"Where?"

"The Jixia Academy!" Chen Guanlou said with a resounding voice, "To deal with the Profound Cloud Sect, only the Jixia Academy can. You might as well investigate who was competing for the position of Vice Minister of Revenue before Zheng Daochong. Among those who were eliminated, is there anyone connected to the Jixia Academy? I think those who were eliminated are not willing to lose to Zheng Daochong."

"Of course they aren't willing." Sun Daoning put himself in their shoes. A position that was a sure thing, snatched away overnight by the parachuted Zheng Daochong—he would be furious to death. He wouldn't let go of the opportunity for revenge no matter what.

"Fine, this official will investigate this matter carefully. It would be best if it could be connected to the Jixia Academy."

"As long as it gets involved with the Jixia Academy, you are an old hand at how to handle the issues within, Old Sun, so there will definitely be no problem."

Sun Daoning hummed twice; was his character that despicable? What do you mean by an old hand?

A load of nonsense! ===== CHAPTER 562 =====