“Damn it! Damn it! Who’s my father? Yan Song, Yan Weizhong! And his father? Some nameless peasant from the countryside!”
“How old am I? I’m bloody thirty-nine! Almost forty! And him? He’s just eighteen!”
“In the tenth year of Jiajing, when I was eighteen, I entered the Imperial College thanks to my father’s influence. Step by step, I went from clerk in the Left Military Governor’s Office, to assistant in the Rear Military Governor’s Office, to administrator in Shuntian Prefecture, then to junior director of the Bureau of Honours, then to junior director and director of the Court of Sacrificial Worship. Only this year, for my contributions to building the capital’s outer walls, was I promoted to Left Vice Minister of Works!”
“And him? Zhu Pingan passed the imperial exam last year, and now he’s already been promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ying Tian Ministry of War, and Governor of Zhejiang!”
“His rank is catching up to mine!”
“At this rate, in a few months, will Zhu Pingan’s position surpass mine and start chasing my father’s?”
At the Liubiju Tavern, in a private room on the second floor, Yan Shifan took a swig of wine, smashed a cup, and cursed Zhu Pingan with every breath.
At the table, Lord Wang, Luo Longwen, and others faced the drunkenly raging Yan Shifan, following his lead unquestioningly. They joined in cursing Zhu Pingan, calling him a country mutt who’d stumbled into luck, a mad opportunist, a wolf with ambitions that deserved universal condemnation.
“Brother Donglou, don’t worry. No gold is pure, no man is perfect. As long as he’s human, he’ll have flaws. I refuse to believe Zhu Pingan is some infallible saint. With so many of us, so many pairs of eyes watching him like hawks, we’re bound to find his mistakes and weaknesses. You can pick bones from an egg if you try. Once we find his flaws, we’ll blow them out of proportion, file impeachments against him, one after another, wave after wave. They say many mouths can melt metal, and three men make a tiger. The Emperor might forgive him once, but will he forgive him forever?” Luo Longwen poured Yan Shifan a cup of wine, stepping forward to pledge loyalty, proposing they relentlessly scrutinise Zhu Pingan, exaggerate his faults, and bury him under endless impeachments.
He was Yan Shifan’s most loyal dog; whoever Yan Shifan disliked, Luo Longwen was the first to bite.
“Well said. Zhu Pingan may be rising fast, now Right Vice Minister of the Ying Tian Ministry of War and Governor of Zhejiang, but is his rank and merit higher than Zhu Wan’s when he was Superintendent of Zhejiang and Fujian Coastal Defence? Back then, Zhu Wan captured the pirate stronghold at Shuangyu Port, killed the bandit chief Xu Guangtou, and won the great victory at Zoumaxi. Compared to Zhu Wan, Zhu Pingan falls short. Yet what became of the highly accomplished Zhu Wan? With a little effort from us, didn’t he end up a dead man? What can Zhu Pingan do against us?”
“What we did to Zhu Wan back then, we can do to Zhu Pingan now!”
Lord Wang and the other officials chimed in, baying for Zhu Pingan’s blood, pledging their loyalty to Yan Shifan.
Their united front against Zhu Pingan pleased Yan Shifan. After downing a cup of wine without smashing it, he surveyed the group and said, “Zhu Pingan is no small talent. If we sit idly by and let him rack up achievements, what I said earlier isn’t exaggeration. Surpassing me is certain, and catching up to my father is only a matter of time.”
“My father’s getting older by the day. His hearing’s failing, his reactions aren’t what they used to be. Serving the Emperor, he’s starting to feel the strain. My father will grow old one day, and when he does, who will hold sway over the court? It could be Xu Jie, or perhaps Zhu Pingan, rising to the top!”
“Zhu Pingan has already impeached so many of us, even aiding Yang Jisheng to impeach my father. He’s not just baring his fangs at us anymore. If he keeps climbing, those fangs will come for you, you, you, me, my father, all of us!”
“It’s either him or us!”
“So we can’t let him grow unchecked. We must strike first, while his wings aren’t fully formed, while we still control the court, and cut him down!”
Yan Shifan addressed the group gravely, vowing to eliminate Zhu Pingan.
He knew his position well. Though he considered himself clever, he owed his status to his father. But his father was ageing, and if he didn’t seize the chance to crush enemies, open and hidden, while his father still held power, the day his father faded would be the day he fell.
Thus, while his father could still command the winds and rains of the court, he had to wipe out Zhu Pingan and other threats completely.
Only then could he secure a lifetime of wealth and glory.
“Young Master Donglou speaks true. Strike first to gain the advantage; hesitate and suffer disaster!” the group nodded eagerly. “Zhu Pingan’s ambitions threaten us all. If he grows, he’ll be our nightmare! We must act first, strike proactively, and eliminate him. No mercy!”
They voiced unanimous support for Yan Shifan’s plan to take the initiative and destroy Zhu Pingan.
Satisfied, Yan Shifan raised his cup in a toast, “Let us unite our strength and share in wealth and glory.”
“United in purpose, sharing wealth and glory,” the group echoed, raising their cups.
“Longwen, come here. I have a few words for you,” Yan Shifan called Luo Longwen aside during a break in the meal.
“Whatever Brother Donglou commands,” Luo Longwen said, following Yan Shifan to a corner.
“Zhu Pingan is now Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Governor of Zhejiang. His power has grown, and his chances for achievements are bigger and more frequent. If we don’t eliminate him soon, I won’t sleep or eat in peace,” Yan Shifan said.
“I, too, want him gone,” Luo Longwen gritted his teeth. “What are your orders, Young Master? I’ll climb mountains of blades or seas of fire to fulfil them.”
“I want you to go to Jiangnan. Keep what I say next in your heart: I’m displeased with Zhao Wenhua. When he went to Jiangnan, I repeatedly instructed him to deal with Zhu Pingan. But how long has he been there? Not only has he failed to handle Zhu Pingan, he’s let him rack up merit time and again.”
“During the Sea Sacrifice Victory, I was already dissatisfied. True, Zhu Pingan turned the tide, but anyone mindful of my orders wouldn’t have openly credited him as the primary contributor!”
“Even if naming him first for the Sea Sacrifice was unavoidable, there’s no excuse for giving him another chance to shine. Yet how long has it been? Zhu Pingan’s already achieved another major victory!”
“Perhaps this time was an exceptional case, but I still don’t trust Zhao Wenhua. He has his own ambitions. You can tell from how he secretly offered the Emperor Hundred Flower Wine earlier this year, bypassing my father. Zhao Wenhua isn’t content to serve under others. He wants to rise, to stand above all but one!”
“I fear he might use Zhu Pingan to achieve his goals, to build his own merits.”
“I want you to go to Jiangnan, assist Zhao Wenhua, remind him, and use every method and means to ensure Zhu Pingan is brought down!” Yan Shifan said, staring at Luo Longwen.
“Wherever Young Master sends me, I’ll go. Whatever Young Master asks, I’ll do, and I won’t fail you,” Luo Longwen vowed immediately.
“Good, Longwen. Your loyalty and efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Handle this well, and you’ll be richly rewarded,” Yan Shifan said, patting Luo Longwen’s shoulder in encouragement.
Luo Longwen beamed like a dog petted by its master, eyes squinting in delight.
