Chapter 482 Meeting Xu Jie

The rain from the south of the Yangtze River fell all the way to Beijing.

The dark clouds from the south of the Yangtze River also covered the capital.

When the people of the empire have already begun to devote themselves to the busy farming season of the new year.

The first to appear was a memorial from Chengdu Prefecture, claiming that local villagers had fought over water sources for spring ploughing, resulting in several deaths and nearly a hundred injuries.

This is quite a joke.

Everyone knows that since Li Bing and his son built the Dujiangyan, Chengdu Prefecture and even the entire Shuzhong Plain have become a land of abundance. In such a time of continuous spring rain, how could there be fighting and killing due to fighting for water during spring ploughing?

But it just so happened that such a memorial was sent to Beijing.

Then this kind of memorials floated into Beijing like snowflakes.

Or it might be a memorial from Shaanxi, saying that the wind in Guanzhong was blowing dusty and sandy, making it inconvenient for the people to farm, so they became poor and turned to bandits and hid in the mountains. It was suspected that they turned into fierce bandits on the spot, attacked the wealthy families there, and took away their property and food.

Officials from Wuchang Prefecture in Huguang reported that local people blocked trade routes, set up roads to exploit merchants, and reaped the benefits. They even resisted government officials, gathered together to commit crimes, and tried to resist without being punished by law.

Apart from this kind of memorials, the most ridiculous thing is that officials from Ganzhou Prefecture in Jiangxi Province actually swore that local people abandoned their land and moved into the mountains to build strongholds, and then gathered together to go down the mountains and sweep away the farmers outside the city. It was just like the scene of rampant bandits in Jiangxi during the Zhengde period.

Faced with sudden memorials from all over the country.

At first, officials in Beijing did not take it seriously, especially when the new prime minister was Gao Gong. The various ministries and government offices did not dare to be negligent and wrote back to the local authorities in a very efficient manner, demanding that the local government conduct a thorough investigation and deal with the matter strictly.

After all, when Lord Yan had not yet retired, Gao Gong was in charge of rectifying the administration of officials in the court.

Now that Gao Gong has become the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, there is no replacement for this job.

No one dared to offend the new prime minister because of local unrest.

But when such things became more and more frequent, it seemed as if overnight, the Ming Dynasty was in flames, and countless bandits and rioters appeared in the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

The officials in the capital finally reacted.

Originally, the new policy was still being hotly debated in the court. Whether supporting or opposing it, both sides had their arguments well-reasoned and well-founded.

But suddenly, the voices opposing the new policy disappeared after these local memorials were submitted to Beijing.

seem.

Because the world was in too much chaos, those who opposed the new policy felt that a major change was indeed needed, so they stopped.

But no one standing at the top of the empire's power pyramid is a fool.

at last.

People reacted.

This was an organized conspiracy by the New Deal opponents.

"They just want to create a situation where the world is in turmoil, all parties are in turmoil, and the court is not suitable for new policies!"

Cabinet room.

After Gao Gong finished summarizing the memorials recently received by the court, he slammed the table with a bang, puffing his beard and glaring.

Yuan Wei nodded indifferently.

The Prime Minister is right.

There have been no voices or memorials opposing the new policies in the court recently, not because those people no longer oppose it, but because they have changed their approach, trying to make the court and the emperor feel that the world is in turmoil and any new actions are inappropriate.

They wanted to use this to delay or even directly destroy the court's preparations to implement new policies.

Even Li Chunfang had to admit, "The memorial from Ganzhou Prefecture in Jiangxi is ridiculous! In a peaceful time, how could the people abandon their land and not farm, but willingly become bandits?"

Are those people who oppose the new policy and the people in the court and the cabinet all fools?
Gao Gong waved his hand angrily: "They knew it was ridiculous but they still did it!"

Li Chunfang glanced at Gao Gong, who was very angry. "How is Yuan Fu going to respond? I'm afraid this is just their first step. There will definitely be some changes later."

When it comes to the New Deal, there are only two possible outcomes: success or failure.

If it succeeds, the interests of many people will suffer losses. If it fails, everything will remain the same.

Those who oppose the New Deal have always been more determined than those who support it.

Gao Gong immediately said in a cold voice: "Then handle it according to the law! Any official who causes trouble in the local area will be dismissed from his post!"

What he meant was obvious.

Now it is the local government that is taking the lead in opposing the new policy and fabricating all kinds of facts, whether true or false, to deceive the court. The court will go along with it. Since it is so easy for things to go wrong in your area, it is a problem with you as the official. If they don't dismiss you, who else can they deal with?

Yuan Wei glanced at them from the side, and then whispered, "I'm afraid that this will satisfy these people's wishes."

After saying this, he closed his mouth and said no more.

Gao Gong's eyes flashed away.

Li Chunfang nodded and agreed, "When you are in the officialdom, you will always have some concerns. If these people are dismissed by the court, I'm afraid their words will become even more intense."

After being reminded by Yuan Wei and Li Chunfang, Gao Gong was suddenly put in a difficult situation. It was not right to deal with it, nor was it right to not deal with it.

Gao Gong's face was as dark as ink, and he snorted coldly: "Are we just going to sit back and watch the situation become so stubborn that we can't do anything?"

In response to the Prime Minister's question, Yuan Wei lowered his head and remained silent.

Anyway, everyone knows that he entered the cabinet with the help of Qingci, and now everyone also knows that he and the Yan family are in the same boat.

If Grand Tutor Yan doesn't say anything about the new policy, then I know nothing.

Gao Gong looked at Yuan Wei who lowered his head, and knew what the other party was planning in his mind. He snorted in dissatisfaction, but did not say much.

He knew that Yan Song should not be allowed to retire so early. Now he was hiding in the Changping Academy playing mahjong all day long.

What a waste of time!
So what if I’m eighty years old?
Eighty years old is the prime age for fighting!

If Yan Song were still in the cabinet, then the Yan family would definitely support the new policy with a clear stand. Why would they have to struggle to cope with this situation now?

But this thought was just a passing thought.

Gao Gong was already looking at the last person in the cabinet.

Li Chunfang faced Gao Gong's gaze, knowing that Yuan Wei could dodge it, but he couldn't. He could only bite the bullet and test it: "Prime Minister...it was Grand Tutor Yan who requested the new policy in the first place...Now...why not ask for the imperial decree from the Western Garden to clarify what the new policy should be?"

finally.

Li Ge Lao kicked the difficult problem into Xiyuan with precise control of the line, just like kicking a ball.

Gao Gong suddenly became like a deflated ball and sat limply on the top chair of the cabinet behind him.

What should I do if I really go to Xiyuan to ask for the new policy?

As someone who had just taken the position of Prime Minister of the Cabinet, I was afraid that I would have to go home before I could even get comfortable.

And in Jiangnan, thousands of miles away.

Yan Shaoting, who felt that his butt was always cold, couldn't help but frown and moved his butt.

at this time.

He was at the Longwan Wharf in front of the Jinchuan Gate outside the north of Nanjing City.

As an important ferry connecting Nanjing City and Jiangbei, Longwan Wharf is bustling with boats every day.

And this moment.

Outside the dock pavilion where Yan Shaoting was, it was drizzling and porters were carrying various goods on the dock in the rain.

But in the pavilion, it was silent.

It was because a special guest came to Nanjing today. He was not special, but he was not a guest either.

Because the person sitting opposite Yan Shaoting at this moment was Xu Jie, who had been demoted to a commoner.

Although he was demoted to a commoner, his entire family was exiled to Leizhou Prefecture, and they were not allowed to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom for three generations.

But Xu Jie did not look too bad after walking all the way south from Beijing to the outskirts of Nanjing. It was just that he looked a little tired, probably because the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang people urged him to hurry up.

Originally, Yan Shaoting was not planning to meet Xu Jie.

But after crossing the river, the other party told the Jinyiwei and Dongchang people that if they did not come to see him, he would not leave, or the Jinyiwei and Dongchang people would directly sink his entire family into the bottom of the river.

resignedly.

Yan Shaoting had no choice but to bring his men out of the city and come here.

However, he did not ask Xu Jie's intentions first.

He just silently watched Xu Jie holding a coarse pottery bowl that he would never touch in the past, and drinking the tea brewed with crushed leaves in it.

Xu Jie, however, looked like he was enjoying it very much, and didn't seem to be disgusted by the bitter taste of the tea in the bowl.

After drinking half a bowl of tea carefully.

He even made a sound full of satisfaction, and then smiled and said: "In the past, I was in a glorious position and used everything exquisitely, but I didn't know that these simple meals have a different taste."

The phrase "remain calm in the face of adversity" is particularly appropriate when used to describe Xu Jie today.

Yan Shaoting glanced at him silently, and then said calmly: "But did the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang escorts treat Mr. Xu harshly along the way?"

What a crap, rough tea, there is some taste in it.

Xu Jie must have fallen into trouble. The Jinyiwei and Dongchang knew that the people escorting him to Leizhou Prefecture did not want to delay too long on the road, so they kept urging Xu's family to speed up. Naturally, they wanted to eat and drink as much as possible so as not to die of hunger or thirst.

Even though he was exposed by Yan Shaoting in person, Xu Jie was not angry.

He still smiled and said, "Guest Yan has a keen eye, and I am ashamed to say that I am not as good as him. If Guest Yan can be generous and donate money and food, my family will be grateful to you for going south to Leizhou this time."

It's clearly a request for some money and food benefits.

But in the mouth of Xu Jie, who had now been demoted to a commoner, it sounded like something that could be directly and openly demanded.

Yan Shaoting looked at Wang Xijue who was accompanying him with a stern face and said, "Give all the money you have with you to the Xu family."

Wang Xijue nodded in agreement, took out the purse he was carrying and handed it to Xu Kun who was standing behind Xu Jie.

Xu Kun, who was originally the head of the Ministry of Revenue and in charge of the military supplies of the imperial court, had now walked all the way to Nanjing and had long lost his enthusiasm. He took the purse indifferently and put it carefully in his arms.

Then he bowed to Yan Shaoting and Wang Xijue.

"I would like to thank Mr. Yan and Mr. Wang for their rewards."

After receiving the money, Xu Jie continued, "In my lifetime, I was born in Huating. Even when Jiajing was exiled, I was only sent to Yanping Prefecture in Fujian as a magistrate. This time, I am going to Leizhou Prefecture in Guangdong, which is further south. If it weren't for the money given by Guest Yan and Hanlin Wang today, I'm afraid this journey would be even more difficult."

When talking about being born in Huating, Xu Jie's expression finally changed a little.

Probably because he was demoted this time, he couldn't even return to his hometown, and had to be exiled directly to Leizhou Prefecture, which was thousands of miles away and across the sea from Qiongzhou Prefecture.

Yan Shaoting smiled coldly. The rain in the south of the Yangtze River made people very upset and wet all over. He had no intention of continuing to chat about Tai Chi with Xu Jie.

"Mr. Xu, are you afraid that I will find out about your journey southward and send people to ambush and kill you, so you took the initiative to ask for a meeting, using the excuse of asking for money and food?"

Even though Xu Jie's entire family was demoted to commoners, and even though countless officials in the court immediately submitted memorials to denounce him after his downfall.

But Xu Jie's career in the officialdom for so many years was not just for fun.

Along the way to Leizhou Prefecture, many local officials are willing to pay.

In official circles, it’s all about the relationship between the officials and their families.

Therefore, Xu Jie's actions today were nothing more than to see him with his own eyes and test him personally.

The real truth was revealed.

Xu Jie just smiled and said, "So in the end, the only person with a keen eye in the court right now, I think, is Runwu."

Finally, Xu Jie stopped pretending.

Yan Shaoting shook his head: "No, there is also Mr. Xu's former good student, the current Minister of Maritime Affairs, Zhang Juzheng."

This hit Xu Jie right in the throat.

Seeing his own master squeezing him like this, Wang Xijue followed his master's footsteps and said, "And Mr. Gangfeng!"

This really made Xu Jie so angry that his face turned blue.

after all.

The reason why Xu Jie is so unlucky now is inseparable from the fact that Hai Rui was summoned back to Beijing and publicly criticized the Xu family and the Xu family on the same day.

Seeing that this finally disturbed Xu Jie's mind.

Yan Shaoting then spoke quietly, "Mr. Xu, are you still hoping to return to the throne someday? Or do you think that as long as you survive now, everything will be possible in the future?"

Xu Jie narrowed his eyes and did not answer Yan Shaoting's question.

Instead, he said, "Runwu came to see me today, and the Loyal and Brave Camp in Nanjing City will definitely not move again. With the silver you gave me today, my family will go south, and Qi Jiguang's troops who are now roaming the five provinces in the southeast will not move secretly. In this case, I really have to thank Runwu."

After finishing speaking.

Xu Jie stood up, took a look at the unfinished tea, led his son out of the pavilion, stood outside with an umbrella, and looked back at Yan Shaoting.

"I am old and stupid, just like Runwu said. I have been in the officialdom for many years and have experienced many ups and downs. This time, Runwu gathered people and wanted to make a new policy, which led to my current situation. This is because of different political views, and I am not surprised."

"However, the world is so vast, with a population of billions, a million government troops, and hundreds of thousands of civil and military officials. Is it true that no one in the world knows that the new policy is good?"

"I'm afraid I need to savor the taste of this place carefully..."

After finishing speaking.

The old man, who no longer had the honors he once had, finally picked up his feet and continued on his journey southward with his family members, under the supervision of a large number of Jinyiwei Tiqi and Dongchang guards.

Under the pavilion.

Yan Shaoting's face was solemn and his eyes were deep.

Wang Xijue stood behind him and asked quietly, "Sir, what does he mean by this?"

At this time.

Several Jinyiwei cavalrymen wearing straw raincoats almost brushed past Xu Jie and his family who were on their way again and arrived outside the pavilion.

The leader was Qi Dazhu.

Qi Dazhu looked panicked, and he stood in the rain and said in a deep voice: "Guest, something big has happened in the capital!"

far away.

It seemed as if there was laughter coming faintly through the rain.

Yan Shaoting clenched his hands and turned to look at his student Wang Xijue who had asked him questions out of confusion.

He glanced sideways at the increasingly dense rain outside, and the mist had begun to obscure his vision.

Yan Shaoting said coldly: "I really should have someone kill him on the way!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)