Chapter 746: Bring Xue Xuan Back

That is to say, he would never become a favorite minister like Wang Zhen, nor could he ever replace Wang Zhen in the Emperor's heart.

Cao Jixiang let his eyebrows droop and said nothing.

Pan Yun continued: "Let's return to the topic. My lord Cao, is Deng Maoqi's rebellion in Fujian somewhat justifiable?"

Cao Jixiang, with drooping brows, answered honestly: "It is indeed somewhat justifiable."

"Indeed."

Cao Jixiang: "But among them, there are certainly those taking advantage of the chaos. Take Ye Zongliu—what kind of creature is he?"

"He wants to emulate the Taizu Emperor."

Cao Jixiang shrilled: "Does he even deserve to?"

"He doesn't deserve it, so I calculated with my fingers—he won't live long."

Upon hearing this, Cao Jixiang's expression softened considerably.

Xue Shao finally spoke: "Ye Zongliu deserves to die, but the miners who followed him, along with Deng Maoqi and others, are somewhat justifiable. Fifteen thousand troops consume vast resources daily; if we fight, there will be mutual casualties and harm to local civilians. Rather than crush them by force, we should offer amnesty."

Pan Yun nodded vigorously.

Cao Jixiang: "You just said yourself that I'm nowhere near Wang Zhen, and I've been pushed out of the palace—what use is it talking to me about this?"

Pan Yun: "You cannot surpass Wang Zhen, but your standing in the Emperor's heart is still high—he ranks you first, you second!"

"Yes," Xue Shao also grew humble: "And my lord Cao's credibility in Your Majesty's eyes may not be lower than Wang Zhen's. If you speak up, the Emperor will pay closer attention."

Cao Jixiang fell into thought.

Pan Yun said: "From what I know, nearly half the ministers in court favor amnesty. Of the other half, most are merely cowed by Wang Zhen's power. My lord Cao, you've already been exiled from Jingcheng—you're irreconcilably opposed to Wang Zhen. If you retreat again, you'll have nowhere left to retreat. Why not advance boldly? In reputation and ability, you rival the Three Treasures Eunuch."

Under his sleeve, Xue Shao's arms broke out in gooseflesh; he couldn't help glancing at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun pretended not to notice.

Cao Jixiang, however, was flattered into a soaring pride.

He thought: perhaps he could compete with Wang Zhen. If he couldn't win the Emperor's most cherished position, he would become the most capable eunuch in the Emperor's eyes!

Overcome with emotion, Cao Jixiang agreed to the two men's proposal.

When he realized what he had agreed to, Cao Jixiang could only smile bitterly.

He still blamed the Emperor for preferring flattery over honest advice, yet he himself had been misled by sweet words.

Yet even though he knew he had fallen into Pan Yun and Xue Shao's scheme, Cao Jixiang still asked Xue Shao to write a memorial for him.

A promise must be kept.

Xue Shao bowed deeply to Cao Jixiang and immediately went to write the memorial.

As former Inspector of Jiangnan, Xue Shao knew the region intimately; combined with his recent investigations, he pleaded for Deng Maoqi and others from every angle, analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of amnesty versus suppression in light of the current situation, and strongly urged the Emperor to grant amnesty.

In fact, many of these points Xue Shao had raised during the grand court assembly, but back then, voices were drowned in noise, and everyone's focus was on the Japanese silver mines and the floods and storms in Jiangnan—his amnesty proposal was briefly mentioned and then abandoned. Mostly, the Emperor and court had full confidence: if local forces couldn't suppress the rebellion, surely Liu Ju's army could?

The result? Liu Ju suffered defeat after defeat.

Now, Xue Shao's amnesty argument was finally noticed—but few ministers in court dared to raise it.

After all, Wang Zhen favored war; to avoid his wrath, everyone had to stay silent.

Thus, Cao Jixiang's memorial submitting amnesty stood out sharply—Yu Qian's memorial arrived at the Grand Secretariat at the same time.

The Emperor stared at the two memorials side by side on his desk and remained silent.

Wang Zhen saw at once that the Emperor was wavering. He lowered his gaze, concealing the sharpness in his eyes, and gently placed a plate of pastries beside the Emperor's hand. "Your Majesty," he said softly, "whether Taizu, Taizong, or the late Emperor—all were praised for martial prowess and detested amnesty."

The Emperor tapped his fingers lightly on the desk: "But Yu Qian and Xue Shao have a point. The southeastern coast has just endured floods and storms, and maritime restrictions have changed—it's precisely the time to mobilize manpower and resources."

"Suppressing the rebellion doesn't conflict with these matters—it actually helps," Wang Zhen murmured. "Your Majesty, how many Jiangnan gentry and officials pretend obedience while secretly resisting? Behind this miner rebellion, their instigation is surely involved. They've monopolized the silver mines too long and refuse to let the court reopen them."

"Even the Japanese silver mines—they won't let go. The Embroidered Uniform Guard reports that among those who boarded Pan Yun's ships, many were local gentry and officials—more than those sent by Cao Jixiang's Sect. What do they intend?"

The Emperor's face darkened; his fist clenched slightly. Yes—what did they intend?

Wang Zhen, seeing the Emperor was convinced, continued: "The Japanese silver mines—Pan Yun has already presented them to the court. They are Your Majesty's property. How dare these people lay claim to them? In my view, Cao Jixiang is too lenient. He's only been in Quanzhou a short while, and already he's dining with local officials and gentry, giving them most of the ship's berths."

The Emperor frowned, then shook his head: "Cao Jixiang is upright—he's not the type to crave wealth or ease. He probably had no choice."

The Emperor sighed: "Has Wang Zhi of the Ministry of Revenue been in Jiangnan for nearly a year now?"

"Yes," Wang Zhen replied. "The Grand Secretariat received his memorial—he, like Yu Qian, favors peace. It's astonishing: whether Wang Zhi, Yu Qian, or Xue Shao—all were stern and forceful when serving in Jingcheng. Why, after arriving in Jiangnan, have they all turned as gentle as water? They say Jiangnan is a land of softness. I never believed it before, but now I see—it lives up to its name."

The Emperor lowered his gaze in thought.

Wang Zhen paused, then continued: "Your Majesty, precisely because these people are so disobedient, this war must be fought—just as we had to fight the Luchuan campaign."

"Whether Jiangnan's gentry or the barbarians of the southwest—they fear power, not virtue. Only through war can they learn their lesson!"

The Emperor recalled how every reform he proposed met resistance from ministers—especially reforms in Jiangnan, which had stalled for years.

Even reopening the silver mines had taken two or three years of deliberation.

Thinking of this, he found Wang Zhen's words deeply reasonable. He immediately stacked Yu Qian's and Xue Shao's memorials together and set them aside: "Since Chen Mao has led troops southward, let us wait for his results."

Wang Zhen's lips curled upward; he bowed low and replied, "Yes."

Cao Jixiang wanted to earn merit and return to Jingcheng—he didn't even think twice. But Xue Shao was even more despicable than Cao Jixiang; Wang Zhen had no desire to see him back in the capital.

He had finally managed to exile both uncle and nephew…

"I've thought it over. If we lift the maritime ban, the court will face turmoil. Bring Xue Xuan back. Reappoint him as Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. With him in place, the disputes may lessen."

"After some thought, if we lift the sea ban, the court will likely be in turmoil for a while. Summon Xue Xuan back and have him resume his post as Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. With him keeping things in check, the disputes may be fewer."

Wang Zhen: ……(End of Chapter)