Chapter 24: Students Causing Trouble

Leaving the Marquis's mansion, Li Mu didn't rush back to the Thousand-Household Office, but directly chose to get off work early.

The Marquis of Wuyang agreed, which didn't mean the business could be launched immediately; it also required the Eastern Depot's cooperation.

In fact, if the Eastern Depot's reputation were slightly better, this business wouldn't be Li Mu's turn to intervene.

Needing the Wucheng Military Commission to act as a middleman was largely because the Eastern Depot's credibility was too poor.

Everyone was afraid that they would pay the money first and be targeted later.

The redemption business, the Wucheng Military Commission seemed to earn a middleman fee, but in reality, it earned a credibility endorsement fee.

Things that come to the door are never good deals.

Before the Eastern Depot gave positive feedback, he would not take any action.

If he showed too much eagerness, that group of greedy guys would report a sky-high ransom, and the business would not be doable.

"Defeat the Eunuch faction!"

"Defeat the Eunuch faction!"

"Defeat the Eunuch faction!"

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw a group of students holding the tablet of Confucius high and shouting slogans as they walked toward the palace.

"Turn around, take a detour!"

Li Mu decided decisively and ordered the servants.

Reason told him that things were going to be bad.

This group of students in front of him was clearly incited.

Publicly clamoring to defeat the Eunuch faction was completely challenging the bottom line of the eunuch group.

If left unchecked, the momentum the Eunuch faction had just built up would instantly dissipate into nothingness.

Without fear, the originally silent Pure Stream party members would inevitably become active again.

With the rise and fall of each other, the Eunuch faction's advantage in the imperial court would soon turn into a disadvantage.

No matter what, the eunuchs would not let things reach the Emperor.

Li Mu didn't think that because they were worried about the bad influence of attacking the students, the Eunuch faction would sit and wait for death.

I guess the Depot and Guard's people have already gathered at this moment; it won't take long before the streets are covered in blood.

Deep down, after sympathizing with these deceived students, he quickly restored his rationality.

Adults need to be responsible for their choices.

The last time students held the tablet of Confucius high to petition the Emperor was a hundred years ago.

Afterwards, the Emperor was furious, the imperial court was purged, and the heads of the participating parties rolled.

This scene in front of him was clearly not learning the lesson.

With things reaching this point, the party struggle case that was about to end would mostly be shelved.

The subsequent public opinion storm would definitely push the Eunuch faction to the forefront.

If the Pure Stream party members pushed, the anti-Eunuch faction wave would likely spread from the capital to the local areas.

They fell into a disadvantage in the imperial court struggle, but it was different in the local areas.

The Pure Stream party members, who had a broad gentry foundation, would not fear the Eunuch faction in their own lair.

After sorting out his thoughts, Li Mu felt a deep disgust for the guy who stirred up all this.

For the sake of power struggle, sending a group of ignorant students to a dead end.

If this kind of person without a bottom line reaches the peak of power, it would definitely be a disaster for the Great Dayu Dynasty.

"What are you stunned for? Hurry up and arrest people!"

Zuo Tianjun, who led the team, scolded his subordinates.

In these days, the Eastern Depot has been in the limelight.

Even the old master, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, can only follow them and listen to orders now.

Even high-ranking imperial court officials, they arrest as they please.

The arrested officials number in the hundreds; why would they fear a group of scholars who have no power to truss a chicken.

"Eunuch, they are holding the tablet of Confucius invited from the Confucian Temple."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard hundred-household beside him reminded.

The Great Dayu Dynasty governs the world with Confucianism; Confucius has a very respected status in both the imperial court and among the people.

"Audacious!

Seeing the tablet of Confucius, you still don't kneel!"

The leading student said first.

The tablet of Confucius was their biggest reliance; it was hard to deter these soldiers, so they couldn't let these people react.

"Hehe!

Where is the tablet of Confucius? Why didn't I see it?

Whoever of you saw it, go chat with this Eunuch in the imperial prison.

Is it you?

Or you?

Or is it you?"

"No!"

"I didn't see it!"

"I didn't see it either!"

The unlucky ones who were pointed at hurriedly expressed that they didn't see anything, for fear of being arrested into the imperial prison.

"Get lost!"

Hearing this sound, the onlookers who were watching the fun fled in all directions.

"What are you stunned for!

Everyone didn't see the tablet of Confucius; there must be demons making trouble, so hurry up and take down these monsters!"

A group of students was forcibly twisted into monsters by Zuo Tianjun's unreasonable entanglement.

Playing "pointing at a deer and calling it a horse" to this point, the soldiers who were originally in awe instantly regained their courage.

Seeing this scene, the students who came to petition together turned pale.

The shamelessness of the Eunuch faction made their plan useless.

"Run!"

I don't know who shouted, and the group of students who lost their spirit fled in all directions.

"Come back!"

"Hurry back!"

"Can't run!"

Each flew away when disaster struck.

No matter how the leading student shouted, he couldn't change the situation.

The grand petition action turned into a farce, and the arrested students were miserable.

"Slap!"

With a whip, the leading student let out a heart-piercing scream.

"Ah!"

It was too painful; this was completely different from the scene he had envisioned.

"Take them all back for strict interrogation!"

Zuo Tianjun ordered triumphantly.

Such a big thing was easily solved by him; there would definitely be benefits when he went back.

Censorate.

"My Lord, it's time!"

Hearing the reminder from his colleague, Yue Shufeng, the Left Ding Yushi-in-Chief who was full of worries, subconsciously looked up at the sun in the sky.

It was already this time; logically speaking, the news should have been passed over long ago.

"Oh, you guys go first!

I still have some official business that hasn't been processed, so I need to stay a while longer."

As he spoke, Yue Shufeng took out an official document and started reading it on the spot.

Everyone looked at each other and tacitly chose to withdraw.

In recent days, the Censorate yamen had become the hardest-hit area for arrests, and Yue Shufeng's confidants had been thrown into prison one after another.

The officials who could remain safe and sound were either those who didn't get along with him, the Left Ding Yushi-in-Chief, or old oilers who were just muddling along.

Previously, the Censorate impeached the Eunuch faction with great fanfare, and they were all following the trend to make up the numbers, picking trivial matters to talk about.

For example: impeaching so-and-so for being late or leaving early by a quarter of an hour on a certain day.

Or for example: impeaching someone for being sloppily dressed on a certain day, with a few creases on the official uniform.

Or forcibly finding faults, impeaching someone for not walking in a standard way, etc.

This kind of technical impeachment, even if the target of impeachment was Zuo Guangen himself, the Directorate of Ceremonial would not intercept it, but would send it to the Emperor at the first opportunity.

They were all minor mistakes that didn't hurt, and even if the Emperor wanted to punish them, it was just a painless salary deduction.

For the eunuchs, these impeachments had advantages and no disadvantages.

Not only could they show their broad-mindedness, but they could also let the Emperor know that they did not block the path of speech.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 25 =====