In fact, Zhang Jing should have long ago submitted a memorial to the court to report on his duties. If he had reported to the court earlier, he would not have fallen into the passive situation he faces today.
To speak of it, before Zhang Jing took up his post, Xu Jie had already reminded him, urging him: You must frequently submit memorials to the emperor to report on your duties, diligently submit memorials to the emperor to report on your duties. This is one of your few opportunities to make your voice heard before the emperor.
Now the emperor has appointed you as governor-general, which shows his trust in you. But once you are far from the capital and go to the south, you will be distant from the centre of the court and without a voice before the emperor, unlike when you were in the capital, where you could still meet the emperor face to face and receive summons from him.
Once someone speaks ill of you before the emperor, one or two such instances will not shake him. But when three men make a tiger, once many people speak ill of you before the emperor, he will inevitably harbour doubts.
At that point, you will be in danger.
However, it is a pity that Zhang Jing did not heed his own words. Zhang Jing had recently sent him a letter in reply, in which he wrote, “If the ruler is not secretive, he loses his ministers; if the minister is not secretive, he loses his life; if state affairs are not secretive, harm will come to the enterprise. At present, there are people in the court secretly colluding with the Japanese pirates. If I report my strategy for exterminating the pirates, within a few days the news will reach the ears of the Japanese pirates, and the grand plan for exterminating the pirates in Jiangnan will die in the womb. Therefore, it is not that I do not report, but that I truly cannot report. Please wait patiently for the good news. I will not disappoint the emperor.”
Alas.
Xu Jie could not help but sigh. Besides disappointment at Zhang Jing not listening to his advice, there was also disappointment at Zhang Jing’s delay in exterminating the pirates.
Zhang Jing had been governor-general for nearly a year and had still not opened up the situation. Even if it was not as Zhao Wenhua had impeached, with not a single soldier dispatched or a single battle fought, it was not much better. He had not organised a single proper large-scale battle, nor had he achieved any noteworthy results.
In truth, Xu Jie was disappointed in Zhang Jing.
What Xu Jie hoped for was a swift resolution to the pirate scourge in Jiangnan, like cutting through the chaos with a sharp knife, quickly pacifying Jiangnan.
Jiangnan was the court’s key area for taxes. As the second auxiliary in the Grand Secretariat, Xu Jie was all too aware of Jiangnan’s importance, all too aware of how crucial a tax-heavy region could be. More than half of the court’s taxes depended on Jiangnan; it could be said to be the foundation of the state.
Grain was even more reliant on Jiangnan. Just Suzhou Prefecture alone contributed one-tenth of the nation’s tax grain!
Now, ever since the pirate scourge in Jiangnan had intensified, the taxes and grain shipped from Jiangnan to the capital had been greatly reduced! This had added insult to injury to the already impoverished court finances. With insufficient funds and grain taxes, carrying out affairs had become a struggle, and many major policies and directives were difficult to implement effectively due to the lack of funds and grain taxes! The border defences were also tottering because of the insufficient funds and grain taxes.
Besides Jiangnan being the court’s key area for taxes and grain, it was also Xu Jie’s hometown.
Xu Jie’s hometown was Huating in Songjiang Prefecture.
Now, the pirate scourge was most severe in Songjiang Prefecture, and Xu Hai’s pirate lair with the Japanese pirates was in Tulin and Chuansha in Songjiang!
For public and private reasons, Xu Jie wanted to resolve the pirate scourge in Jiangnan as quickly as possible. He had also repeatedly told Zhang Jing to resolve the pirate scourge in Jiangnan sooner and faster. But Zhang Jing said that exterminating the pirates was no small matter; preparations must be thorough, plans must be comprehensive, and only when there was certainty could troops be mobilised to wipe out the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop and pacify Jiangnan.
In this way, how could Xu Jie not sigh?
“Huating, why the sigh?”
Yan Song was using his gaze to urge Xu Jie to speak up. Hearing Xu Jie’s sigh, he asked impassively.
“Is Xu Gaolao sighing for Zhang Jing? Is Xu Gaolao dissatisfied with Lord Zhao’s memorial impeaching Zhang Jing?”
The Vice Minister of Personnel, Gao Yao, said somewhat sarcastically.
The relationship between the Yan faction and Xu Jie was somewhat delicate. Although Xu Jie had actively drawn close to the Yan faction, bowing his head to Yan Song, submitting to him in all matters, showing goodwill to Yan Shifan, and swallowing his anger towards Yan Shifan, the senior members of the Yan faction could not forget the days when Xu Jie and his teacher Xia Yan had fought against the Yan faction. Back then, Xia Yan had forced Yan Song to kneel and slap his own face.
Xia Yan had died at the hands of Chief Minister Yan. As Xia Yan’s disciple, had Xu Jie truly submitted wholeheartedly? Would he truly not settle old scores? Was it possible that Xu Jie was emulating King Goujian of Yue, enduring hardships and biding his time?!
Once the winds changed and Xu Jie became the Chief Minister of the Grand Secretariat, if he settled old scores, every one of them in the Yan faction would be held accountable; who could escape?!
Therefore, most senior Yan faction members had this sense of crisis and deliberately or otherwise targeted Xu Jie.
They hoped to nip the danger in the bud, while Chief Minister Yan was still second to none but above all others, finding an opportunity to bring Xu Jie down.
That was why they repeatedly tripped Xu Jie up.
Xu Jie reacted quickly. After Gao Yao’s sarcastic question, he immediately explained, “No, no, I am not sighing for Zhang Jing. I am sighing for the people of Jiangnan. As long as the pirate scourge in Jiangnan is not pacified for one day, the people of Jiangnan suffer one more day of hardship. The Japanese pirates burn, kill, and plunder; the people are suffering.”
“My hometown is in Jiangnan, so I feel the same pain as the people of Jiangnan suffering from the pirate scourge.”
Yan Song nodded slightly, indicating understanding.
“With the elders and fellow villagers in your hometown suffering from the burning, killing, and plundering by the Japanese pirates, how can Xu Gaolao bear it in his heart? Sighing alone solves nothing. For the sake of the elders and fellow villagers in your hometown, Xu Gaolao should also impeach Zhang Jing with a memorial. What is he doing as governor-general? He actually allows the pirate scourge to ravage Jiangnan, harming the elders and fellow villagers of Jiangnan and making them live in dire straits. He has been governor-general for nearly a year, achieving nothing, and the pirate scourge grows heavier day by day! Does Xu Gaolao really want to watch helplessly as the elders and fellow villagers in his hometown continue to suffer from the burning, killing, and plundering by the Japanese pirates?! Gaolao, how can you bear it?!”
The Vice Minister of Personnel, Gao Yao, goaded Xu Jie.
“With Lord Wenhua’s memorial already submitted, there is no need for me to submit another.” Xu Jie said firmly.
“What does Xu Gaolao mean by that?” Gao Yao pressed.
“With Lord Wenhua’s memorial, Zhang Jing is finished.” Xu Jie said indifferently.
“So, Huating, you agree with Wenhua’s impeachment?” Yan Song waved his hand, signalling Gao Yao to sit down, and looked at Xu Jie as he asked.
“Zhang Jing has been governor-general for nearly a year and has still not pacified the pirate scourge in Jiangnan. He has neither fought nor dispatched troops, and without a reasonable explanation, it is indefensible.” Xu Jie did not directly say whether he agreed or disagreed with Zhao Wenhua’s impeachment of Zhang Jing. Instead, he approached it from another angle, merely saying that without a reasonable explanation, it was indefensible.
“Huating, why has Zhang Jing not dispatched troops to exterminate the pirates in nearly a year?” Yan Song asked Xu Jie once again.
Xu Jie pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “I do not know.”
“Wenhua says Zhang Jing is harbouring the pirates and not fighting. What is your view?” Yan Song looked intently at Xu Jie, waiting for his answer.
Xu Jie knew the answer Yan Song wanted, and Yan Song knew that Xu Jie knew what answer he wanted, but that answer had value only if it came from Xu Jie’s mouth.
“It is not impossible.”
Under Yan Song’s intense gaze, Xu Jie could only give such an ambiguous answer, neither admitting nor denying it.
