Chapter 216

In the Cheng Guang Palace, there were two cups of tea steaming on the tea table.

Of the host and guest drinking tea, only one remained.

The Emperor stared blankly at the spot where He Xinyin had just been sitting, lost in thought.

Zhang Hong, standing in the distance, was about to step forward when he saw the Supervising Secretary approaching the Emperor, then silently standing still.

Wang Yingxuan closed the pristine, spotless Diary of Activities and Repose and quickly moved behind the Emperor: "Your Majesty, during the audience just now, this subject's ears were ringing and I was flustered, so I did not hear clearly..."

Zhu Yijun finally snapped back to reality.

He turned his head and saw Wang Yingxuan's expression of distress; clearly, he did not know how to record the diary.

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but chuckle: "You can hear clearly, Minister."

Even if the original words were recorded, it wouldn't matter; at most, it would just be that He Xinyin had long harbored rebellious intentions and was retorted by the Emperor—his words were, of course, sarcastic irony, what else? Could the court officials dare to interpret it as the Emperor teaching someone to rebel?

But Wang Yingxuan did not immediately withdraw.

He hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but speak: "This subject does not understand why Your Majesty had to say those things to Liang Ruyuan."

After the audience, there were too many things Wang Yingxuan did not understand.

As a Supervising Secretary and the Emperor's confidant in charge of recording the diary, it was naturally a privilege granted by imperial power to ask when confused.

Zhu Yijun slowly stood up, his expression inscrutable: "I wanted to say it, so I said it."

He naturally understood what Wang Yingxuan meant.

It was nothing more than utilizing He Xinyin to say some platitudes, the old routine of the carrot and the stick, which could still be used at will.

There was simply no need to say those things—to the point that even this Supervising Secretary couldn't tell what was true and what was false.

But, just like Zhu Yijun's answer, he wanted to say it, so he said it.

Wang Yingxuan pressed again: "Your Majesty's strategic calculations are supreme, but this subject still does not understand; Liang Ruyuan is already at the age of sixty..."

The unspoken words were naturally that He Xinyin was nearly dead; it was impossible for him to pack up and rebel upon leaving prison, nor could he suddenly repent and swear loyalty to the death because of the Emperor's words.

A bunch of wasted effort, just to satisfy a craving for sarcasm toward He Xinyin?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun suddenly sighed, his tone somewhat lonely: "Of course you don't understand; you can neither see through He Xinyin nor through me."

"Where were these words meant only for He Xinyin? His disciples and followers, the parties and societies he associated with..."

Zhu Yijun paused and looked at Wang Yingxuan: "Of course, that includes everyone, including you, Minister Wang."

Wang Yingxuan was startled.

Thinking the Emperor was reprimanding him, he hurriedly prepared to plead guilty.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand, interrupting him: "I cannot explain it to you in a moment. Regarding today's audience, you only need to know this: for reform, I must hold supreme power; for governance, I need to broadly accept opinions; as for steering the helm... I must look further ahead."

Wang Yingxuan seemed to have a sudden realization, his brows locked in a frown, speechless for a moment.

Zhu Yijun looked at the deep-in-thought Wang Yingxuan: "When Deng Yizan was stationed at Wan Shougong, he also came through it this way. Listen more and watch more; I think more highly of you."

Little Wang was, after all, a Jinshi from the second year of Wanli; compared to Deng Yizan, he lacked experience but excelled in keeping up with the ideology.

After saying this, Zhu Yijun patted Wang Yingxuan on the shoulder and turned to walk back to the throne.

Seeing this, Zhang Hong hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "This servant will go and invite Counselor Mei."

Seeing the Emperor nod, he then slowly withdrew.

He Xinyin returned once again to the familiar Shun Tian Prefecture prison, sitting back in the corner on the floor with a dazed expression.

After meeting the Emperor, most of his crimes had been erased.

This year's case of criticizing the imperial carriage, as well as the case in the second month of the third year of Wanli of claiming the Chief Grand Secretary was monopolizing the government, were both settled by the Emperor's own stance and the Chief Grand Secretary's magnanimity—essentially, the accused and the involved party had reached a private settlement.

As for the case of fleeing military service, he was reassigned as a tax soldier under Shen Li—just like his teacher Yan Jun, who was sent to Guizhou for military service but was invited by Yu Dayou to be a military advisor after only seven days, reasonable and legal.

Only the case of playing with prophecy in the fortieth year of Jiajing, and the case of being innocently implicated in the evil Daoist Jin Yunfeng inciting the tribal chieftains to rebel, remained to be judged.

The latter was a miscarriage of justice that had nothing to do with He Xinyin, and as for the former... anyway, he was an accomplice of Xu Jie, and given his advanced age, the court was lenient toward the elderly, so the punishment of stripping his honors was the only thing worth mentioning.

Thus, He Xinyin could sit in prison in peace, waiting for Shen Li to finish his leave after the New Year, and then go together to Shandong to pay respects to the Duke Yansheng.

This actually suited He Xinyin's wishes, as it gave him time to organize the insights he had gained today.

At this moment, the sound of conversation rang out outside the prison.

Hearing the noise, He Xinyin raised his head.

He saw the jailer bowing and scraping as he led two people over; they were none other than Wang Xiangjin, son of the Prefecture Governor, and Geng Dingxiang, Left Vice Censor-in-Chief in charge of the Academy.

"I ask the two elders to keep it brief, otherwise if my father finds out, he will surely break my legs."

Wang Xiangjin bowed to He Xinyin in the cell, giving a guilty warning.

After speaking, he turned and left, clearly going to pester his father, the Prefecture Governor Wang Zhiyuan.

He Xinyin looked at Wang Xiangjin's retreating back and asked Geng Dingxiang curiously: "The court hasn't made things difficult for these scholars, has it?"

Geng Dingxiang waved his hand, signaling the jailer to open the prison door.

He covered his nose as he walked in, explaining in a muffled voice: "You could say they were magnanimous, and you could say they were difficult."

"The Emperor ordered the scholars who had committed the offense of remonstrating against their superiors that day to farm the land and shovel manure for compost, and then he would not pursue the matter further."

"The Wang family son spends his days in the manure vat, perfectly content; not only was he let off lightly by the Emperor, but he was also gifted some good items to show imperial favor."

"The Zhao family son felt the Emperor's humiliation was too great and refused to submit, so he was stripped of his honors and driven back to Nanjing."

With the Emperor making such a request, the court officials naturally had no room to plead for mercy; scholars farming, who wouldn't say it was well-taught?

Shoveling manure and composting, those are proper jobs.

What, the Noble Imperial Consort can do it, but you scholars can't?

He Xinyin didn't find it strange upon hearing this; if one were to talk about holding up the banner and being politically correct, the Emperor was absolutely the undisputed master.

Time was limited, so it was inconvenient to talk more on this topic.

He Xinyin sat cross-legged on the ground and went straight to the point: "The Duke Yansheng's family has encroached on farmland and oppressed the common people; the Emperor wants me to be the vanguard."

Geng Dingxiang took the cattail mat handed over by the jailer, just about to place it on the bench to sit cross-legged, but his movements stalled upon hearing this.

He looked at He Xinyin in shock and suspicion: "Fushan, you agreed!?"

He Xinyin nodded frankly: "I read the case files; they were dripping with blood, I could not refuse."

Geng Dingxiang was heartbroken: "Foolish!"

He stretched out a finger, pointing back and forth at He Xinyin, his voice trembling: "How is it your turn to do this!"

"From Hai Rui and Chen Wude above, to Shen Li and Yu Youding below, with so many high officials in the court, who couldn't handle a single noble family!?"

"It's just that the Emperor couldn't bear to see them disgraced! Yet you had to rush to get involved!"

He Xinyin was silent for a moment.

He naturally understood this logic.

A sage's family, if handled harshly, is bullying the master and destroying the ancestors, leading to disgrace; if handled perfunctorily, it is deceiving the monarch and failing the common people.

The Emperor was just letting him, a commoner, lead the charge, so the court could put on a helpless, innocent appearance, and also preserve the posthumous reputations of people like Shen Li and Yu Youding.

But even knowing this, he still accepted it without hesitation.

He Xinyin did not look at Geng Dingxiang, his eyes unfocused, muttering: "Between heaven and earth, there is naturally a scale; whether it is the Emperor or a sage's family, all must be weighed."

Geng Dingxiang stood up and paced back and forth in the cramped prison.

"How can that be the same!"

Geng Dingxiang faced the wall, his tone filled with a trace of agitation: "The Emperor is the Emperor; remonstrating against a superior is a scholar's duty, and no one can say otherwise."

"What is the Kong family! It is the sage's tomb! If you dare to overturn the sage's tomb, you will likely become notorious in the scholarly world!"

He Xinyin shook his head: "I speak for the common people; justice is naturally in the hearts of the people."

Geng Dingxiang turned around abruptly, glaring at He Xinyin: "Justice only lasts for a moment!"

"Yes! With the Emperor backing you, and the Kong family's encroachment on farmland, this trip will surely make the Kong family a street rat, with public sentiment surging and you being invincible."

"And then?"

"Once the Emperor dies, everyone in the world will compete to overturn the verdict for the Kong family!"

"At that time, the Emperor will still have people speaking for him, but you will likely have the posthumous reputation of a sycophant, a traitor to the master and ancestors, a destroyer of national essence, and a defiler of culture!"

Anyone who has ever taken action against the Kong family, don't look at how everyone cheered at the time; it won't be long before a storm of counter-attacks begins—it doesn't even need anyone to lead it; the pedantic scholars, reading the history of the Kong family being bullied, will choke up themselves.

Destroying the classics, delaying the teachings, ruining old systems, washing away the past... the labels are too numerous to count.

If it weren't for this, why didn't the Emperor let Hai Rui go this time!?

He Xinyin met Geng Dingxiang's gaze, pondered for a moment, and said as if possessed: "I pride myself on speaking for the common people of the world..."

"If my posthumous reputation is ruined because I offended the Confucian sect, I can only blame myself for being too weak, failing the great expectations of the common people, leaving them unable to express their thoughts or speak their grievances, and thus unable to vindicate me."

"The more this is the case, the more I should go forward without hesitation."

Upon hearing this, the expression of hatred for iron not becoming steel on Geng Dingxiang's face immediately froze.

He looked at He Xinyin in astonishment. These words really didn't sound like something He Xinyin could say; could it be that the Emperor had offered some irresistible condition?

Seeing Geng Dingxiang speechless, He Xinyin did not dwell on this matter and continued: "Calling Ziheng here this time, there is one more thing; I intend to dissolve the Four Gates Society."

He Xinyin's expression was calm.

Geng Dingxiang was shocked again.

The prison cell was dry and bright, one of the few "high-class prison cells" in Shun Tian Prefecture; the two stood and sat, staring at each other for a time.

Geng Dingxiang could not understand it at all, his brows furrowed: "Why go this far?"

He Xinyin shook his head: "A society should be a gathering of like-minded people; now I have suddenly awakened and realized that my own path is not very clear."

"Since that is the case, why gather thousands of people to accompany me in self-entertainment."

He paused and said earnestly: "I want to cultivate again, returning from among the scholars to the countryside, until I find a path for my Confucian studies that I can climb."

The Four Gates Society recruited people from all directions, at least a thousand people, although far from the scale of the "tens of thousands of followers" of the Fu Society in history, it was still not a small organization.

In just a few words, He Xinyin was actually abandoning it just like that.

In one look/p>

It made Geng Dingxiang feel like a stranger.

He stared fixedly at He Xinyin: "Fushan, is your mind made up?"

He Xinyin nodded: "Wait until I clarify my path, then I will discuss the Dao with Ziheng."

Geng Dingxiang opened his mouth to speak, wanting to persuade him again.

But in a flash of thought, he remembered He Xinyin had accepted the task of finding fault with the Kong family, and his reputation would likely be in jeopardy in the future...

Geng Dingxiang's expression was uncertain, and after a long while, he squeezed out a sentence: "Since Fushan's mind is made up, then I will not persuade you further."

"Later, I will write to Luo Rufang, Cheng Xuebo, and the others to explain this matter."

Geng Dingxiang had served under four Grand Secretaries—Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Shen Shixing—and had managed to do so without friction, relying on eight words: "Broad associations, impartial and unbiased."

Whenever encountering great winds and waves, he would inevitably watch the fire from the other shore.

Now that he had an idea, Geng Dingxiang said goodbye to He Xinyin quite decisively—just like the choice made in history; at that time, He Xinyin was imprisoned, and he, fearing involvement, remained indifferent, watching He Xinyin die, which caused Li Zhi to turn against Geng Dingxiang on the spot, labeling him a "fake Confucian."

He Xinyin stood up to return the salute, silently watching Geng Dingxiang leave.

He looked at this long-time friend, thinking of his attitude toward the Kong family's encroachment on farmland just now, and a sudden realization rose in his mind.

Friends are not necessarily of the same path.

Since that is the case, what should a gathering be based on?

He Xinyin pulled the cattail mat over again, shrank back into the corner of the prison cell, and pondered deeply.

The twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the seventh year of Wanli.

With less than ten days left until the New Year, wherever there were Han people, there was the atmosphere of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new; for example, in Guihua City outside the Great Wall, lanterns and decorations were everywhere, full of joy.

Guihua City, as the name suggests, was a name bestowed by the Heavenly Court upon the surrender of the barbarians outside the Great Wall.

The facts were indeed so.

Since Altan Khan submitted in the fifth year of Longqing, he had honestly acted as a submissive subject of the Heavenly Court.

In the third year of Wanli, in order to please the superior state, Altan Khan took the initiative to build the first city in Southern Mongolia, Kuku Khoton (Hohhot), which the court named Guihua City.

This city had already become a symbol of eternal friendship between the two sides.

Of course, eternal friendship often has bad times.

For example, today.

An imperial edict from the Ming court made the atmosphere in the main hall of Hongci Temple quite solemn.

The hall was full of nobles from various departments, competing to read the Ming Emperor's edict.

Third San San Niangzi sat in the main seat, wearing pearl hairpins and a gold-threaded skirt; as the Khan's wife, her attire was even more luxurious than the Khan's.

Bingtu had split the family; although he came today, he was his own master, sitting in a position next to Third San San Niangzi.

Buyan Huangtaiji, Qijin Huangtaiji, and others took their seats in order.

Only Altan Khan was not in the hall.

Because Altan Khan was currently bedridden with a serious illness, and whether he could survive this winter was a question.

"The Ming Emperor is angry with us."

Third San San Niangzi was the only woman in the Buddhist hall, but at this moment, she took the initiative to speak.

Bingtu sat below Third San San Niangzi and immediately picked up the topic: "Shi Mao Hua came to Guihua City to seek an audience with the Khan; the Ming Emperor knows and thinks we offended him."

While speaking, he frequently looked at this nominal mother, scratching his inner thigh from time to time.

"We can find Shi Mao Hua and send him to the Ming court to request not having to go to the capital to kneel," Buyan Huangtaiji said, expressing his thoughts.

Speaking of this, the atmosphere in the hall was quite gloomy.

Bingtu snorted coldly: "He couldn't be found long ago! We should have cut off his head at the very beginning and returned it to the Ming Emperor."

Qijin Huangtaiji glanced at him coldly: "You could have drawn your sword at that time, instead of firing cannons while standing on a horse's butt."

Bingtu couldn't stand sarcasm the most and his expression changed instantly upon hearing this.

He slapped the table and stood up abruptly.

"Cough, cough."

At this moment, Third San San Niangzi's coughing sound rang out.

The two immediately ceased their fire.

Third San San Niangzi was only thirty years old this year, and in her gestures, the majesty of years of holding power was about to emerge: "There is no need to argue about what has already happened."

"Moreover, the Ming Emperor is not necessarily angry because Shi Mao Hua came to Guihua City."

"Now that the Tumet tribe has lost its lead wolf, it is at its weakest; I highly suspect the Ming Emperor's intentions."

These words made everyone in the hall look at each other.

The loss of the lead wolf Third San San Niangzi spoke of did not mean Altan Khan was already dead, but that without the prestige to lead the tribe, it was no different from being dead.

Three years ago, Altan Khan led an expedition against the Oirats, returning in a crushing defeat, leaving him with hidden injuries.

In the third month of last year, Altan Khan traveled a long distance to Qinghai to beg for Buddha, eating vegetarian food and worshiping Buddha.

He had not led the wolves in the tribe for over a year and several months.

Until Altan Khan returned to Guihua City last month, everyone thought he would fiercely display the lead wolf's martial power.

As a result, as soon as Altan Khan got off his horse, he lay on his sickbed, and it was a serious illness.

This naturally caused the tribe members to rise with a heart of challenge—in Mongolia, a lead wolf that loses its strength also loses its prestige.

Qijin Huangtaiji was the first to come forward to test the waters.

In front of the sickbed of the Buddha-worshiping Altan Khan, he declared to everyone that the monks Altan Khan brought back were liars, that the Buddhist Dharma they practiced was of no benefit, that it could not save the Khan's golden life, and that these monks around Altan Khan must be eliminated.

Upon hearing this, Altan Khan could only lie on his sickbed, pleading for those monks in a cowardly tone, unable to punish Qijin Huangtaiji.

Thus, everyone in the tribe saw that the Khan was seriously ill.

Altan Khan's eldest son, Sengge Huangtaiji, immediately split the family and took away a large number of troops from the Tumet tribe.

He even boldly wrote to the Ming court, hoping that after Altan Khan died, he could marry his mother, Third San San Niangzi, while upholding filial piety, and legitimately inherit the title of Prince Shunyi.

At the same time, the various tribes on the left wing seemed to have sensed some situation, gathering elite cavalry to begin conquering the small tribes on the right wing and snatching herds of cattle and sheep.

Not only that, even the Han people in the Bansheng began to dare to tentatively reduce the food transported to Guihua City and delay the progress of building the Buddhist hall.

Regarding this, Altan Khan could not come forward to deal with it at all; in the tribe, he was no different from a dead man.

It was under these circumstances that the Ming Emperor also poured his anger down...

For a time, everyone thought of some bad possibilities, and their expressions became solemn.

"I have decided."

At this moment, Third San San Niangzi spoke again.

Everyone's eyes gathered immediately.

Third San San Niangzi stood up: "The Khan will stay in the tribe; do not go to the capital. I will go alone to meet the Ming Emperor."

The words had just fallen.

Bingtu immediately stood up and loudly vetoed: "Mother controls ten thousand elite cavalry and is the soul of the tribe; you cannot leave easily."

Third San San Niangzi shook her head: "The Khan is seriously ill and bedridden; the eldest son Sengge Huangtaiji refuses to listen to orders; only I can make the decisions for the Tumet tribe."

"No need to persuade me further; tomorrow I will go to see that Viceroy of Xuan-Da named Chen Dong."

(End of this chapter)