The turmoil in the Western Garden had been brewing for several more days. The memorials impeaching Zhu Ping’an had vanished without a trace, but the memorials impeaching Zhang Jing were indeed increasing. They flew into the Western Garden like snowflakes, piling up into a thick stack.
However, Emperor Jiajing merely had the Hall of No Idleness deliberate over that one memorial impeaching Zhang Jing from Zhao Wenhua, but there was no further follow-up.
The atmosphere was, for a time, strangely secretive.
Xu Jie’s residence, study.
Xu Jie was bent over his desk writing a qingci prayer. Zhang Juzheng was at his side grinding ink for Xu Jie. A faint scent of ink wafted through the study.
” Teacher Xu, lately the Yan faction has been frantically attacking Lord Zhang. Their intent to seize military power is plain as day. If they succeed, the Yan faction will truly cover the sky with one hand. We must find a way to protect Lord Zhang.”
Zhang Juzheng said softly.
” Uncle Da, the only one who can protect Zhang Jing is Zhang Jing himself.” Xu Jie replied slowly as he wrote the qingci.
” How can Lord Zhang protect himself?” Zhang Juzheng was momentarily stunned, not understanding.
” I have already sent a letter via flying slave to Tingyi. As long as he acts as I instructed, he will surely turn danger into safety.” Xu Jie said slowly.
Zhang Juzheng’s face was full of incomprehension and curiosity.
Seeing the incomprehension and curiosity on Zhang Juzheng’s face, Xu Jie could not help but smile faintly. He set down his wolf-hair brush. ” In truth, there is nothing mysterious about it. He need only submit a memorial truthfully reporting to His Majesty all that he has done since taking office as Governor-General. Tingyi is a capable minister and diligent official. To exterminate the Japanese pirates, he must have risen early and retired late, racking his brains day and night. His Majesty appointed him as Governor-General precisely because he valued Tingyi’s abilities and sense of responsibility. As long as Tingyi reports truthfully to His Majesty, once His Majesty sees his memorial, he will understand, and Tingyi’s crisis will naturally be resolved.”
” Tingyi has been Governor-General for eleven months already. He has fought no battles, exterminated no pirates, and not even submitted a single memorial for His Majesty’s perusal. With Zhao Wenhua and others repeatedly impeaching and attacking him, remember that three men can make a tiger and public opinion can melt metal. His Majesty’s trust in Tingyi has already been shaken.”
” But as long as Tingyi can submit a memorial at the first opportunity reporting his actions since taking office, along with his strategy for exterminating the pirates, he can still regain His Majesty’s trust.”
” In this regard, Tingyi is far inferior to Zihou. Zihou has been Governor of Zhejiang for just over two months, yet he has already submitted three memorials, not to mention the secret memorials from Zihou. Apart from Zihou’s successive victories, this is also a reason for His Majesty’s trust in him. Thus, those memorials impeaching Zihou have all been retained by His Majesty without issuance. Even those maliciously attacking Zihou have been investigated by the factory guards. If Tingyi had even half, no, even a third of Zihou’s qualities in this aspect, he would not be facing today’s crisis. Uncle Da, you too must learn from Zihou in this regard.”
Both Zhang Juzheng and Zhu Ping’an were students whom Xu Jie greatly admired, so Xu Jie took the time to explain to Zhang Juzheng.
” So that is how it is. Many thanks to you for the guidance, Teacher.” Zhang Juzheng suddenly understood. He could not help nodding repeatedly and thanking Xu Jie profusely.
Xu Jie smiled and waved his hand, pointing to the half-finished qingci on the desk. ” Heh, if Uncle Da wishes to thank me, why not help me review this qingci. Qingci connects to heaven. Study it carefully, and the benefits are endless.”
” As long as Teacher Xu does not mind me, that is fine.” Zhang Juzheng leaned forward and said.
Emperor Jiajing cultivated the Dao and refined elixirs, fond of longevity arts. The palace often held fasting and purification rites. At every such rite, Emperor Jiajing would order his literary ministers to draft sacrificial articles, that is, qingci prayers. Emperor Jiajing particularly favoured ministers skilled in writing qingci. Many officials had gained favour through qingci and risen step by step.
Yan Song was a prime example. For so many years, Yan Song had been able to hold firmly onto his position as Chief Grand Secretary thanks to the qingci penned by himself and his eldest son Yan Shifan. It could be said without exaggeration that in the Jiajing era, the centre of power, qingci was hard currency, just like the eight-legged essay.
If you could write qingci, rising step by step was no dream. If you wrote it well, qingci could propel you smoothly to the clouds.
Zhang Juzheng was also an ambitious man, so he naturally had keen interest in qingci. Privately, he had even tried drafting qingci at home.
While Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng were focused on the qingci, a sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.
” Thud thud thud.”
Immediately after, a knock sounded at the door. The butler’s voice came from outside. ” Master, there is an urgent matter to report.”
” Come in.” Hearing the butler say there was an urgent matter to report, Xu Jie set down his brush and bade him enter to report.
” Master, Master, Lord Zhang’s memorial has arrived. It has already been presented.” The butler entered and reported.
This was an order from Xu Jie. He had instructed the butler to closely monitor news of Zhang Jing through various channels. Once any memorial from Zhang Jing reached the capital, he was to report it immediately. This matter was of great importance and could not be mistaken.
Xu Jie was after all also Second Grand Secretary. In the capital, he naturally had his own channels for information. Though not as well-informed, omniscient, or supernaturally capable as Yan Song, no major stir in the capital could escape Xu Jie’s eyes and ears.
” Excellent.” Hearing the steward say that Zhang Jing’s memorial had arrived, Zhang Juzheng could not help but excitedly strike his fist into his palm.
Lord Zhang’s reporting memorial had finally arrived. Though late, it was not too late. It could still make it in time.
Lord Zhang had served as Governor-General of the Two Guangs, suppressed the Yao rebellion, and led an expedition to punish Annam, forcing the Annamese prime minister Mo Dengyong, who had killed his king and usurped the throne, to apologise to the court and pay tribute. After Lord Zhang took office as Governor-General, he surely did not fear the Japanese pirates and refuse to fight as Zhang Wenhua and the others claimed, or even more absurdly, raise pirates for his own weight or allow pirates to harm the country. To exterminate the Japanese pirate scourge in the south of the Yangtze, Lord Zhang must have risen early and retired late, racked his brains, done a great deal of work, planned strategies within the tent, trained troops, and deployed forces.
As Teacher Xu had said, once His Majesty read Lord Zhang’s memorial, he would surely understand Lord Zhang’s actions and not be deceived by Zhao Wenhua and the others.
The great cause of exterminating pirates in the south of the Yangtze could not be without Lord Zhang.
Of course, the Yan faction could not be allowed to seize military power either, lest they truly become lawless.
” Indeed, it is excellent. Lord Zhang has achieved a great victory, the great triumph at Wangjiangjing. In one battle, over two thousand three hundred pirate heads were taken. The drowned and those who fled to their deaths were countless. Only the pirate chieftain Xu Hai led fewer than a thousand pirates in狼狈 retreat to their old lair at Tuo Forest.” The steward described it vividly, his eyebrows dancing.
The victory flags reporting success had run while shouting, proclaiming the great triumph at Wangjiangjing, so the steward knew what was written in the memorial.
” Excellent!” Zhang Juzheng was even more excited. He struck his fist into his palm repeatedly. ” It is actually a triumphant report. This makes it even better.”
At the same time.
” It is over!” The brush in Xu Jie’s hand dropped with a clatter onto the qingci he had written more than half of, his face showing that something major was amiss.
” What is over?! What is it, Teacher Xu?!” Seeing Xu Jie’s expression of major trouble, Zhang Juzheng could not help but be stunned.
What was going on?!
What had happened to Teacher Xu?! The triumphant report of the great victory at Wangjiangjing from Zhang Jing, was this not great news?!
Had not Zhao Wenhua said that Lord Zhang feared the pirates and refused to fight, wasting provisions, harming the people, raising pirates for his own weight?
Now what? Who was it that feared the pirates and refused to fight, wasted provisions, harmed the people, raised pirates for his own weight?! Lord Zhang had achieved a great victory!
But why did Teacher Xu say it was over?!
Zhang Juzheng’s face was full of incomprehension and disbelief. He did not understand why, with the triumphant report at hand, Teacher Xu reacted this way.
