He Zhang Jing can pacify the Japanese pirate menace, so I Zhao Wenhu am the destroyer. Does that mean I Zhao Wenhu cannot pacify the Japanese pirate menace?!
Facing Zhao Wenhu’s interrogation, Zhu Ping’an remained silent on the surface, but inwardly he was speechless and grumbled, do you Zhao Wenhu not know if you are the destroyer or if you can pacify the Japanese pirate menace? You know it full well in your heart!
Your Strict Party is using the Japanese pirate menace to seize military power. Your Strict Party is the one truly harbouring the pirates to bolster your own position!
According to the historical trajectory, your supported Hu Zongxian, when appointed as governor, took over eight years to exterminate the Japanese pirates!
Eight years!
Hundreds of years later, little Japan leads China in economy, military, and other aspects by a wide margin. After the United Front Against Japan was formed, the eight-year War of Resistance achieved victory. But now, now the Land of the Wokou lags far behind our Great Ming in every respect, yet it still takes over eight years to exterminate the pirate menace?!
Before I Zhu Ping’an arrived, it took eight years to exterminate the pirate menace. After I Zhu Ping’an arrived, it still takes eight years to exterminate the pirate menace, and lets the common people suffer eight years of inhuman ravages. Then would I Zhu Ping’an not have come in vain?!
Moreover, if not for your urging, Zhang Jing would not have launched the Battle of Wangjiangjing?!
You want to claim the credit for the Battle of Wangjiangjing!
Zhu Ping’an instantly saw through Zhao Wenhu’s intentions. Zhao Wenhu not only wanted to impeach Zhang Jing, but also to steal Zhang Jing’s credit for the great victory at Wangjiangjing and pluck the fruits of victory!
“Zi Hou, I have set this banquet today to invite you here not to punish you, but to give you one more chance. If Zi Hou fails to grasp it, then do not blame me for turning hostile in the future. This time, the emissary has captured not only Zhang Jing, but also his henchman Li Tianchong?!”
Zhao Wenhu gazed intently at Zhu Ping’an, speaking in a chilling tone, mixing appeasement and threat.
Very well, Li Tianchong still could not escape this calamity.
Historically, Li Tianchong as Governor of Zhejiang was convicted and executed alongside Zhang Jing. Unexpectedly, even after being demoted and no longer Governor of Zhejiang, he still could not escape the calamity of being convicted and executed alongside Zhang Jing.
Pitiful!
“Lord Zhu, Lord Zhao has good intentions out of kindness.” Hu Zongxian also joined in with subtle persuasion.
“Please instruct me, Master Zhao.” Zhu Ping’an cupped his hands.
“Simple. This is a memorial to the throne. You need only add your name at the end.” Zhao Wenhu revealed his dagger at last, taking a memorial from his bosom and handing it to Zhu Ping’an.
Zhu Ping’an took the memorial and skimmed through it at a glance per ten lines. He could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth. This was a memorial slandering Zhang Jing and Li Tianchong, and attributing the credit for the great victory at Wangjiangjing to Zhao Wenhu and Hu Zongxian…
Zhao Wenhu and Hu Zongxian had already signed their names at the end of the memorial, leaving an empty space for him afterwards.
Shameless.
A true man has things he will do and things he will not!
I cannot save Zhang Jing, but I cannot slander him either! Framing the loyal and righteous, sorry, I simply cannot do it.
Additionally, there was another reason Zhu Ping’an could not sign. This memorial was different from the usual ones. This memorial was also a pledge of allegiance. As soon as Zhu Ping’an signed it, he would be bound to Zhao Wenhu. Zhao Wenhu was the dry son of Yan Song, the left and right arm of Yan Song. Zhu Ping’an bound to Zhao Wenhu would mean bound to the Strict Party.
But the Strict Party was not an unsinkable giant ship. According to the historical trajectory, in less than ten years, the Strict Party would fall. Yan Shifan would be beheaded, Yan Song demoted and sent back to his hometown, and Strict Party members cleared one by one.
Historically, Hu Zongxian relied on the Strict Party to govern Jiangnan. In the end, he rose because of the Strict Party and fell because of it. After the Strict Party collapsed, Hu Zongxian was also cleared as a Strict Party member and finally died with “the treasured sword buried in the wrongful prison, the loyal soul circling the white clouds.”
If he signed this memorial and submitted the pledge of allegiance, he would also be branded with the Strict Party mark and ultimately cleared when the Strict Party fell. Even if Xu Jie, who finally defeated the Strict Party, was his own seat teacher, he could not protect him.
Back then, Emperor Jiajing even tried to protect Hu Zongxian, but in the end Hu Zongxian was still cleared and died.
Therefore, no matter what, Zhu Ping’an could not sign this memorial.
So, after skimming the memorial, Zhu Ping’an sighed, placed the memorial back beside Zhao Wenhu’s hand, slowly shook his head, and softly replied, “Sorry, Master Zhao. Please forgive this student for being unable to comply.”
“Zi Hou! Think it through before you speak.” Zhao Wenhu looked at Zhu Ping’an with cold,阴森 eyes.
“This student has thought it through. Please forgive me, Master Zhao.” Zhu Ping’an repeated without a second thought.
“Zi Hou, have you thought it through?!” Zhao Wenhu repeated aggressively once more, “The opportunity is only this once. If you refuse, from now on do not blame me for being heartless!”
“Lord Zhu, what are you thinking?! Now the situation is clear. Zhang Jing and Li Tianchong have already been arrested and brought to the capital for trial. Even without this memorial, they are doomed.” Seeing this, Hu Zongxian could not help but step forward to persuade Zhu Ping’an, earnestly guiding him, “Lord Zhu, if you wish to achieve something, you must first have a position. Only if you are reused, only if you are in that position, can you display your ambitions. In life, one must make choices and compromises.”
Only if reused can one achieve something, can one display ambitions…
This must be Hu Zongxian’s inner self-justification for siding with the Strict Party, turning a blind eye to conscience, and framing Zhang Jing and Li Tianchong.
But sorry, I cannot do it.
“Master Zhao, this student has no intention of being enemies with Master Zhao, nor does this student wish to be enemies with Master Zhao. This student’s current desire is solely to exterminate the Japanese pirates as soon as possible, to restore peace to Jiangnan, and nothing more. Whoever exterminates the pirates, this student will support them. If Master Zhao governs Jiangnan, this student will fully support Master Zhao’s great cause of exterminating the pirates! If Lord Hu governs Jiangnan, this student will also fully support Lord Hu’s great cause of exterminating the pirates! Through mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will not hesitate!”
“As for party struggles, policy disputes, and so on and so forth, this student does not wish to, has no intention of, and does not want to participate in them.”
“Exterminate the pirates, and that is all!”
Zhu Ping’an raised his head candidly to look at Zhao Wenhu, then turned to Hu Zongxian, and slowly said to the two of them.
Hearing Zhu Ping’an’s words, Hu Zongxian could not help but change expression, as if his deeply hidden ambition had been called out. He hurriedly coughed, “Lord Zhu is joking. I Hu Zongxian am but a mere seventh-rank inspecting censor. What virtue or ability do I have to govern Jiangnan? Such jests are best not spoken.”
“Lord Hu is too modest. Inspecting censors’ promotions differ from other officials. Their duties are weighty. Inspecting censors receive triple penalties for crimes, and triple rewards for promotions and commendations. It is not uncommon for inspecting censors to leap three ranks or more due to merit. With the merit of this great victory at Wangjiangjing, Lord Hu’s promotion is already a nailed-down matter. Thus, governing Jiangnan is not unattainable. Step by step, it will not take long.”
Zhu Ping’an cupped his hands towards Hu Zongxian and said indifferently.
“Cough cough…” Hu Zongxian could not help but cough several more times upon hearing this.
