Chapter 141: White Lotus Sect

Choosing to make trouble here, Yin Zhiming wasn't acting on a whim.

As one of the great clans of the southeast, the businesses controlled by the Yin family were spread across all southeastern provinces.

Relying on his reputation as a leader of the Pure Stream, he was well-received everywhere, and Guangxi was no exception.

It wasn't until their people discovered a gold mine there that the situation began to change.

Because the relationships were well-managed in the early stages, the progress was very smooth.

After the gold was refined, the production far exceeding expectations quickly attracted the covetousness of all parties.

When the interests were large enough, the status of a hollow Pure Stream bigwig was no longer enough.

Under normal circumstances, when encountering such a thing, everyone sits down to talk, divides the shares of the gold mine, and the matter is solved.

But those fellows didn't follow the rules; even though they had shown enough sincerity, they were swallowed by the other party along with the mine.

Having suffered such a big loss, the Yin family naturally couldn't endure it.

The clansmen found him, hoping to use official power to strike and retaliate against these local chieftain forces.

Involving clan interests, Yin Zhiming personally wrote to officials in Guangxi seeking help, but the result was that they were powerless.

Local officials were not fools; they knew the relationships between local chieftains were intertwined, and a slight carelessness would lead to great chaos.

Just his face as a scholar was not enough to make people take the risk of losing their official positions to strike at local chieftains.

To retaliate, the Yin family secretly funded the local White Lotus Sect, hoping to use the power of the cult to take revenge.

However, the chieftains had troops in their hands, and general small chaos couldn't do anything to them.

Coincidentally, this time it caught up with the party struggle, and Yin Zhiming, who had a plan, was ready to use the power of the Pure Stream group to create opportunities for the rebels.

Instigating a rebellion cannot be accomplished overnight.

After setting the plan, the party struggle continued.

With their own people dragging their feet, the grand Pure Stream group was left with nothing but grand momentum.

The streets and alleys were discussing toppling the eunuchs, and everyone agreed to impeach the Eunuch Party together.

All kinds of memorials piled up on the Emperor's desk.

The content of the impeachment, however, made people laugh and cry.

Either angrily spraying Zuo Guangen for being untidy, or saying his pace did not meet specifications, damaging the imperial dignity.

Even using an extra basin of ice in summer and an extra catty of coal in winter were all brought up.

On the real-name memorials, they were all trivial matters.

The content on the anonymous memorials was very explosive.

Sleeping on the dragon bed, bullying the Empress Dowager, confusing the imperial bloodline, hoarding troops to soften the regents, tampering with the edict to support a fake monarch...

A vivid sense of wild history.

The truth didn't matter; the content was completely edited to be as explosive as possible.

Ji Ji Zhao Shun, who was diligent in government, was furious after seeing the content of the memorials.

The content of the real-name memorials was still normal, holding onto some trivial matters, it was ultimately an impeachment.

If dealing with an ordinary eunuch, picking a reason from it would be enough, the problem was that Zuo Guangen was a regent.

Even if letting a eunuch serve as a regent was the first time in the Great Dayu Dynasty, making Ji Ji Zhao Shun feel very ashamed, he couldn't make an article on it.

The appointment was determined by the late Emperor's edict, including his ascension, which was also part of the edict's content.

Denying Zuo Guangen's status as a regent was denying the legitimacy of his ascension.

Just these contents wouldn't make Ji Ji Zhao Shun angry.

No one would write criminal evidence on their face; in his impression, Zuo Guangen being able to deceive the late Emperor must be a treacherous person.

It was understandable that they couldn't find other criminal evidence for a while.

What truly made him unable to tolerate it were the anonymous memorials; the content was truly too excessive, even daring to speak of bullying the Empress Dowager and engaging in debauchery in the palace.

Once such explosive news spread, he, the Emperor, would become a joke.

No matter how you pin the hat, you can't use this kind of crime!

The memorials he could see were all screened by the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The truly weighty impeachments, Ji Ji Zhao Shun couldn't reach at all.

Such an explosive memorial could appear in front of him, clearly the Eunuch Party was implicitly indicating that the Pure Stream was talking nonsense.

But falling into Ji Ji Zhao Shun's eyes, this was a demonstration.

As an emperor, how could he be threatened by a eunuch.

Originally thinking that Zuo Guangen was the late Emperor's person, just driving him out of the court would be enough; now he had already developed a murderous heart.

Yangxin Hall.

"Pang Gelao, the two parties are fighting in the court, don't you, the Chief Grand Secretary, manage it?"

Ji Ji Zhao Shun said dissatisfiedly.

According to the original plan, the two gentlemen launched the great cause of toppling the eunuchs, and the Cabinet followed up to take action, and they could remove Zuo Guangen from the regents.

Without the status of a regent, dealing with a eunuch didn't need to be discussed in the court at all.

"Your Majesty, the minister has warned in the court, but you..."

Pang Hengsheng said, stopping halfway.

The party struggle getting out of control was not the pot of his Chief Grand Secretary.

If it weren't for Ji Ji Zhao Shun interrupting several times, he would definitely have the ability to suppress all kinds of messy voices.

"Chief Grand Secretary, you are pretending to be confused for me!"

Ji Ji Zhao Shun couldn't help but rebuke angrily.

They were all thousand-year-old foxes; it was impossible not to hear his subtext.

Whatever party struggle was an excuse, the real purpose was still to take down Zuo Guangen to establish prestige.

As long as this opening was made, the pattern of the Eight Regents managing the government would be broken.

As an emperor, Ji Ji Zhao Shun could logically reclaim part of the power in advance.

"Your Majesty, some things cannot be rushed.

After the grand wedding next year, you can govern personally.

If you feel that some eunuchs are not easy to use, just change them."

Pang Hengsheng advised earnestly.

This was not just his meaning, but also the meaning of other regents.

The Emperor didn't like Zuo Guangen, and the matter was very easy to solve.

Drag it until after governing personally, then reward him and let him retire early.

After a few years, fading out of the sight of the officials, Zuo Guangen would be the Emperor's family slave.

The Emperor could kill or cut him as he pleased, as long as it wasn't said on the table, everyone could pretend not to see it.

But not now; he was still a regent.

As the Chief Grand Secretary, he needed to consider the problem from the overall situation and could not flatter the monarch on principled issues.

As for offending the Emperor, this was an unavoidable thing.

Conflicts between ministerial power and imperial power had never been lacking in any dynasty.

Anyway, he was also a person over seventy, and his body couldn't support him in the position of Chief Grand Secretary for a long time.

"Chief Grand Secretary's words are reasonable, I was too reckless!"

After the two stared at each other without showing weakness, Ji Ji Zhao Shun said helplessly.

The general trend was not on his side; if he didn't want to show weakness, he couldn't.

Deep down, he had serious doubts about the loyalty of the regents.

Just dealing with a eunuch, these people had to intervene, clearly not taking him, the Emperor, to heart.

It was precisely this suspicion that made him lack the confidence to collide head-on with the regents.

There were too many cases of powerful ministers killing emperors in history, and Ji Ji Zhao Shun couldn't help but think more.

Even if the people in the imperial palace had been replaced by him, he still lacked a sense of security deep down.

Being in a hurry to hold power, half was incited by others, and half came from inner anxiety.

But this kind of thing couldn't be told to anyone.

With the intensification of party struggle, Li Mu, who was far away in Yangzhou, also felt the pressure.

The Pure Stream used public opinion to constantly force officials to take sides.

Those who could stand in the court were clearly not ordinary people.

Being forced to take sides, how could they be willing deep down.

One by one, they supported the Pure Stream on the surface, while secretly contacting the Eunuch Party, playing a two-sided bet.

"Asking me to join the joint memorial to impeach the Eunuch Party's illegal acts, your master must have water in his brain!"

Li Mu rebuked unceremoniously.

As a military general, impeaching people was not his job.

Even if he wanted to topple the Eunuch Party, that was the Censorate charging into battle, and the hundred officials setting up the stage to sing.

In previous party struggles, military generals were rarely seen.

The main reason for doing this was to control the political struggle in the civil fighting stage.

Even if the situation got out of control, it was nothing more than a few unlucky ones being dismissed.

Once military generals were involved, political struggle could turn from civil fighting to armed fighting at any time.

Failure in court struggle didn't matter; launching a military coup and taking it back with force would do.

Once a precedent was set, there would be countless times later.

"Li Assistant Regional Commander, this is our master's letter.

After you finish reading, decide whether to join the anti-eunuch alliance team, it won't delay much time."

The middle-aged man said with confidence.

Opening the letter, Li Mu smiled disdainfully.

Just a list, wanting to blackmail him, clearly too young.

Similar fraud methods, he had seen many in his previous life.

If the anti-eunuch camp really had such great energy, gathering so many people to support it.

Let alone toppling the Eunuch Party, even pulling the Emperor off the horse and sitting on it himself was possible.

"Go back and tell your master, military generals don't get involved in party struggle, this is the rule set by the Taizu Emperor.

Although I have the heart to topple the eunuchs, it is not convenient to participate.

As for the great cause of toppling the eunuchs, I will entrust it to your master to complete on my behalf."

Li Mu fooled them seriously.

A month later, Fengshan Post.

"Zhou Qi, is the news certain?"

The old man asked with concern.

A large batch of military supplies passed through their territory.

Only a dozen soldiers were escorting it; no matter how you look at it, it was fat meat delivered to the door.

The White Lotus Sect has occupied Guangxi for hundreds of years.

During this period, they launched more than a hundred uprisings, large and small, and more than 90% of the uprisings didn't make any noise.

A big reason was the lack of weapons in their hands.

Just organized believers to launch an uprising, and they were suppressed by the government army.

If they could obtain a batch of military equipment before the uprising was launched, the situation would be vastly different.

"Elder Zhu, rest assured!

Among the soldiers responsible for escorting, three are my disciples.

Among the corvee laborers recruited, half are believers.

All military equipment and materials were loaded by our people themselves.

On the way of transportation, they never left their sight.

It is said that it is not peaceful in the south, and these are supplies transported by the imperial court to the border army.

Inside, there are eight hundred long spears, including one hundred muskets, and two cannons.

Taking these materials, we will have weapons to raise troops.

With these things in hand, even if the matter is exposed, those soldiers in Donglan Prefecture can't do anything to us!"

Zhou Qi guaranteed with certainty.

When receiving the news, he didn't believe it either.

But he couldn't stand his disciples biting and saying it was true.

To verify the news, he even went to check it himself.

Looking from afar, the cold-shining spearheads left a deep impression on him.

"Since it's delivered to the door, if heaven gives it and you don't take it, you will suffer the blame!

Zhou Qi, arrange for our people to put laxatives in the food tomorrow.

The rest gather the believers separately; this time we are going to do a big one!"

Elder Zhu ordered immediately.

In recent years, the contradiction between local and guest in Guangxi has intensified, creating favorable conditions for the spread of the White Lotus Sect.

As an ancient rebel organization, the White Lotus Sect never lets go of any opportunity to build a human heaven.

Some days ago, when he was traveling in the north and communicating with believers in various provinces, everyone revealed the intention to make trouble.

Everyone agreed to launch an uprising on the birthday of Maitreya Buddha next year to overturn the corrupt rule of the Great Dayu Dynasty.

Acting now is indeed a bit early, but plans can't keep up with changes.

Great Dayu has strictly controlled military equipment; missing this opportunity, it will be difficult to get weapons again.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 142 =====