Chapter 24: Scholars Cause a Riot

Leaving the Hou Fu, Li Mu did not rush back to the Battalion Command, but chose to leave work early.

The Marquis of Wuyang agreed, but that did not mean the business could begin immediately—it still required the Eastern Depot’s cooperation.

In fact, had the Eastern Depot’s reputation been even slightly better, this business would never have fallen to Li Mu’s hands.

The need for the Five City Military Command as an intermediary stemmed largely from the Eastern Depot’s abysmal credibility.

Everyone feared handing over money only to be targeted the moment they turned their backs.

In the ransom business, the Five City Military Command appeared to earn only intermediary fees, but in truth, they were paid for their credibility endorsement.

Desperate offers are never good deals.

Before the Eastern Depot gave a positive response, he would take no action.

If he showed too much eagerness, those greedy bastards would demand an exorbitant ransom, and the business would collapse.

“Down with the eunuch faction!”

“Down with the eunuch faction!”

“Down with the eunuch faction!”

……

Following the sound, he saw a group of students holding up Confucius’s tablet, chanting slogans as they marched toward the imperial palace.

“Turn around, take a detour!”

Li Mu decisively ordered his retainers.

Reason told him the situation was about to turn bad.

The students before him were clearly incited by others.

Openly shouting "Down with the eunuch faction" was a direct challenge to the eunuch clique's bottom line.

If left unchecked, the Eastern Depot’s newly established authority would vanish instantly.

Without fear, the Pure Stream faction, once silenced, would surely revive.

With this shift, the Eastern Depot’s advantage in court would quickly become a disadvantage.

No matter what, the eunuchs would never let the matter reach the Emperor’s ears.

Li Mu did not believe the eunuchs would sit idle out of concern for the backlash of targeting students.

He guessed that the Eastern Depot’s forces had already assembled; blood would soon stain the streets.

Deep inside, he felt a moment of sympathy for these deceived students, then quickly regained his reason.

Adults must answer for their own choices.

The last time students held up Confucius’s tablet to petition the Emperor was a hundred years ago.

The Emperor flew into a rage afterward; the court was purged, and heads rolled among all involved.

This scene before him clearly showed no lesson had been learned.

With things reaching this point, the party strife case, meant to end, would likely be shelved.

The ensuing public storm would thrust the eunuch faction to the center of the storm.

If the Pure Stream faction pushed further, the anti-eunuch wave might spread from the capital to the provinces.

They had lost ground in court, but it was different on the ground.

The Pure Stream faction, with deep roots among the scholar-gentry, would not fear the eunuch faction in their own strongholds.

Once he sorted through the logic, Li Mu developed a deep loathing for whoever orchestrated this.

For the sake of power struggles, they were sending naive students to their deaths.

If such a bottomless person rose to the pinnacle of power, it would be a catastrophe for the Great Yu Dynasty.

……

“What are you standing around for? Arrest them now!”

Zuo Tianjun, leading the troops, roared at his men.

In recent days, the Eastern Depot had been riding high.

Even their old master, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, now followed their orders.

Even high-ranking officials were arrested on a whim.

They had arrested hundreds of officials—why should they fear a group of powerless scholars?

“Your Excellency, they are holding the tablet of Confucius taken from the Shengmiao.”

A nearby Battalion Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard reminded him.

The Great Yu Dynasty governed through Confucianism; Confucius held immense reverence both in court and among the people.

“Bold!

Seeing the tablet of Confucius, how dare you not kneel!”

The lead student shouted first.

The tablet was their greatest shield—they had barely intimidated the soldiers and could not let them recover.

“Heh!

What tablet of Confucius? I see none.

Who among you saw it? Come with me to the Imperial Prison and tell me about it.

You?

Or you?

Or perhaps you?”

“I didn’t see anything!”

“I saw nothing!”

“I saw nothing either!”

……

Those pointed out hurriedly claimed they saw nothing, terrified of being dragged into the Imperial Prison.

“Get out!”

Hearing this, the onlookers scattered in panic.

“What are you standing around for!

None of you saw the tablet of Confucius—this must be the work of demons! Seize these demons at once!”

A group of upright students had been twisted by Zuo Tianjun into demons through sheer audacity.

When he turned “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse” into such blatant farce, the soldiers, once fearful, regained their courage.

Seeing this, the students who had come to petition turned pale.

The eunuchs’ shamelessness had rendered their plan useless.

“Run!”

Someone shouted, and the deflated students scattered in all directions.

“Come back!”

“Quick, come back!”

“Don’t run!”

……

Each man for himself in the face of disaster.

No matter how loudly the lead student shouted, the situation could not be changed.

The grand petition had become a farce; the arrested students would suffer terribly.

“Crack!”

A whip lashed out; the lead student screamed in agony.

“Ahh!”

It hurt too much—this was nothing like the scene he had imagined.

“Take them all back for strict interrogation!”

Zuo Tianjun ordered triumphantly.

He had resolved such a major incident so easily—he would surely be rewarded.

……

The Censorate.

“Sir, it’s time.”

Hearing his colleague’s reminder, Zuo Du Yushi Yue Shufeng unconsciously looked up at the sun.

It was already this late; the news should have arrived by now.

“Oh, go ahead without me.

I still have some official business to finish—I’ll stay a while longer.”

As he spoke, Yue Shufeng pretended to pick up a document and began reading it.

The others exchanged glances and silently withdrew.

In recent days, the Censorate had become a hotspot for arrests; Yue Shufeng’s trusted men had all been imprisoned.

The only officials still unharmed were either his rivals or seasoned time-servers.

Earlier, when the Censorate loudly impeached the eunuch faction, they had merely followed the crowd, focusing on trivial matters.

For example: impeaching someone for arriving or leaving a quarter-hour late.

For example: impeaching someone for being improperly dressed on a certain day, with creases on their official robe.

Or fabricating excuses to impeach someone for walking with improper steps, and so on.

Even if the target of such technical impeachment were Yin Zu himself, the Imperial Secretariat would not intercept it, but send it immediately to the Emperor.

These are trivial faults; even if the Emperor imposed punishment, it would be a mere nominal fine of salary.

For eunuchs, these impeachments bring only advantages, no drawbacks.

They not only demonstrate their magnanimity, but also let the Emperor know that they have not stifled free speech.

(End of Chapter)