Chapter 103 Gao Gong shows his talent! Urgent news from the border! Since you are here, you should be buried in Yinshan forever! "Swish, swish, swish." The rain was getting heavier. The entire capital city was shrouded in rain and fog. After coming out of Yuxi Palace, the Qingliu and Yan party groups did not return to their homes, but went straight into the two royal palaces. Prince Yu’s Mansion, in the main hall. "Damn Yan Shifan, a villain, a complete villain!" Gao Gong pounded the table angrily and shouted. "We didn't expect that he would actually link the two events of Altan's invasion in the 29th year of Jiajing and Zhu Wan's suicide in the 28th year of Jiajing, and use Weng Wanda and Zhan Rong to directly throw dirty water on the entire southeast officialdom, so as to plant the seeds of doubt in the emperor's mind!" "I really underestimated this despicable guy!" Gao Gong slammed the table hard again. "It all depends on what the emperor thinks," Zhang Juzheng sighed, and said, "I think you all have guessed it. Once the national policy of stationing troops to promote agriculture is finalized, the next step will be to rectify the administration of officials." "And rectifying the administration of officials is actually to eliminate..." As he said this, Zhang Juzheng looked solemnly at Prince Yu, who had a sullen face. Although he did not finish his words, his meaning was self-evident.

"Before, the battlefield in the northern border was the deciding factor in which side would be eliminated first. But now, from the moment Yan Shifan planted the seeds of doubt in the emperor's heart, the emperor has only one thought to rectify the administration." "If the emperor really suspects that Altan invaded because someone deliberately let him in to humiliate the emperor, then the entire southeastern officialdom will be liquidated because of this, and even more people will be implicated." "Next, it depends on what the emperor thinks!" Zhang Juzheng's analysis made the atmosphere in the hall even more solemn. And it was at this moment that Gao Gong and Xu Jie's thoughts began to change. "If the emperor really launches the 'Gengxu Prison' and uses it as an excuse to rectify the losers, there may be a chance to turn things around..." Gao Gong glanced at Xu Jie, who lowered his head, and made a secret decision in his heart. Once the "Gengxu Prison" was launched, the entire southeastern officialdom would inevitably be liquidated. Gao Gong didn't know whether others were aware of it or not, but Zhu Wan's death involved almost a group of people in Fujian and Zhejiang, from the court officials to the local gentry and wealthy families, killing one person. "Lord Xu, I have a question regarding whether Your Highness can compete for the position of crown prince. If you know the answer, please let me know." Thinking of this, Gao Gong spoke slowly. As Gao Gong spoke, Prince Yu's eyes above him flashed slightly, and when he looked at Gao Gong, there was a strange look in his eyes. Zhao Zhenji glanced at Gao Gong, his eyes flashed, then he picked up the teacup and took a sip, pretending he didn't hear anything. Well, he had already sensed the hint of gunpowder in Gao Gong's tone. When Zhang Juzheng heard Gao Gong talking, he keenly sensed something different and his eyes couldn't help but slightly focus. "If Su Qing has anything you want to ask, just ask directly." Xu Jie raised his eyes and said in a gentle tone. "Then I'm sorry, Su Qing. This is also for His Highness, so some things must be clarified before we can make a good judgment." Gao Gong said, and bowed to Xu Jie, saying: "As far as I know, Zhu Wan is from Changzhou and belongs to Suzhou Prefecture, while Xu Ge Lao is from Huating and belongs to Songjiang Prefecture. Although the two places are under the jurisdiction of different prefectures, they are of the same blood after all. The Zhu and Xu families are also big families in the Three Wu regions..." "Su Qing!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng frowned and his tone became heavier. However, before Zhang Juzheng could finish his words, Xu Jie raised his hand to stop him.

"Mr. Su, please continue. If you have any questions, just ask." Xu Jie glanced at Prince Yu above him and motioned Gao Gong to continue. He knew that at this point, Prince Yu would definitely find out. After all, if the emperor really used the "Gengxu Prison" as an excuse to rectify the administration of officials, then the "Zhu Wan Case" would probably be retried, so some details of that year must be clarified. "What I want to ask is whether Lord Xu and Zhu Wan, or more precisely, whether the Xu family and the Zhu family have any interests in each other." As he spoke, Gao Gong's pair of eyes, as big as copper bells, stared at Xu Jie with piercing intent, and his voice sounded aggressive. There seemed to be a hint of questioning. At this moment, the atmosphere in the palace hall also became solemn. Everyone looked at Gao Gong in surprise. Today's Gao Suqing seems to be particularly sharp! "It has begun. I know that once the war in the north ends or there is a change, the next round of fighting will begin from within." Zhao Zhenji lowered his eyebrows and sighed in his heart. He had anticipated this day. Because once the Yan Party falls, Xu Ge Lao will become the Prime Minister, and in terms of seniority, Gao Gong will be the second Prime Minister. At that time, the two will inevitably fight to the death. Did the Zhu and Xu families have any contact with each other? To be precise, whether Zhu Wan is Xu Jie's man or not is Gao Gong's question. For a moment, everyone's eyes were on Xu Jie, waiting for his reply. "Zhu Wan is a man of integrity and resoluteness," Xu Jie said, seeming to recall something as he spoke in a gloomy tone, "He is like another Hai Rui." "But the difference is that he is only upright, but not as flexible as Hai Rui. And this also determines his fate..." Although the relationship was not directly mentioned, the meaning was self-evident. Zhu Wan was from Xu Jie's lineage, or in other words, the Zhu family and the Xu family had some relationship, after all, they both belonged to the Three Wu regions. It was impossible to say that there was no relationship between the two clans. (Note: There is no historical basis for Zhu Wan being a member of Xu Jie's faction. This book speculates and fictionalizes them for the sake of the plot.) Zhu Wan was Xu Jie's man, so no one was very surprised. But soon after, the looks people gave Xu Jie became strange again. Zhu Wan wanted to ban the sea, but what he was really banning was private shipping and smuggling. The twelve memorials sent from the southeast last time have only revealed the tip of the iceberg. The big family behind it is the Xu Jie family. In other words, Zhu Wan was Xu Jie's man, but he wanted to ban the sea. At that time, Xu Jie was already the second prime minister. But Zhu Wan was forced to death by the southeastern officialdom, which means...hiss! Thinking of this, everyone felt terrified. "Then the case of Zhu Wan..." Everyone present was smart and spoke to the point. However, Gao Gong's eyes were full of dissatisfaction when he looked at Xu Jie, but he still had to be polite. After all, they are now in the same boat. Before the Emperor's sacred order is issued and the matter is resolved, the power and reputation of His Royal Highness Prince Yu must be preserved. "At the beginning, some people approached Yan Song... and considering that Zhu Wan was my man, Yan Song went with the flow in order to suppress me and acquiesced to the impeachment of the officials instead of suppressing it."

"After all, Zhu Wan was already in the emperor's favor at that time. He was the governor of Zhejiang Province, and the emperor also gave him the privilege of 'doing things at his own convenience'. He was extremely powerful. If he wasn't the governor-general of Zhejiang Province, he was almost the same." "If we take one step further, this young provincial governor will enter the cabinet, and my power will grow. This is something Yan Song cannot tolerate." Xu Jie nodded and said no more. However, those present were all experienced and shrewd people, so they could easily think of the other meaning. Officials in the southeast used their connections to get through to Yan Song, who went with the flow and ignored the officials' impeachment of Zhu Wan, allowing Zhu Wan to be framed again and again. Just as Zhu Wan said before his death, if he didn't commit suicide, the officials and gentry families in Fujian and Zhejiang would want him dead. Zhu Wan is destined to die! What about Xu Ge Lao? What role did he play in the whole thing? It seemed that he had no power to resist Yan Song. Then why wasn't he also following the trend? Of course, these were just speculations, with no evidence at all. "I understand." After listening to this, Gao Gong stopped talking, lowered his eyebrows, but his mind was already filled with a thousand calculations. "Xu Jie is too deeply involved with the southeast. If we want to save Prince Yu, I'm afraid we can only abandon him and cut off a large piece of rotten meat. Only in this way, if Prince Yu's family is really defeated, there will still be room for recovery." Gao Gong secretly planned in his heart. It was also at this moment that the Qingliu faction, which had been sticking together, finally had its first disagreement due to each other's goals, interests, etc. before the building collapsed. Prince Jing’s Mansion, in the main hall. "...So," Yan Song said slowly, "I am taking advantage of the situation to kill Zhu Wan. And Xu Jie is also taking advantage of the situation to kill Zhu Wan through me, haha!" Yan Song said, snorted and laughed, "This can be considered a tacit understanding between us." Hearing this, the corner of King Jing's mouth twitched slightly, and he looked at Yan Shifan and said, "No matter what, the young cabinet elder has made an indelible contribution this time." "I have planted a seed of suspicion in my father's heart. Once he wants to investigate, he will definitely launch the Gengxu Prison, using it as an excuse to rectify the administration of officials. The Zhu Wan case is the initiator!" “This is a key point that cannot be avoided!” "What we have to do next is..." King Jing looked at Yan Song and asked, "What do you think, Lord Yan?" "Wait." Yan Song uttered a word slowly. "Also, there is one more thing. I can never figure out why the emperor wanted to provoke the Mongols..." Yan Song said, with a solemn expression on his face full of age spots and wrinkles. "Dad, could it be that the emperor's time is up and he wants to avenge his previous humiliation? Want to win once before he leaves?" Yan Shifan asked. "No, the risk is too great." Yan Song shook his head and said, "Even if the Ming border defense has enough military supplies now, even if Ying De and Wang Chonggu are in Datong." "We still have capable ministers and generals from the Qingliu faction." "It can be said that the current military force on the border is the strongest in the Ming Dynasty today." "But the emperor's move will undoubtedly anger not only Altan, but also the various Wuliangha tribes. Once Altan gathers his elite troops and marches south, I'm afraid he won't be able to hold out for too long..." Yan Song said, shaking his head slightly, "Since the emperor was sure that his time was up, every move he made was beyond my expectations, and this time was even worse. I couldn't see through it at all..." "So, now we can only wait!" "No matter what, one thing is certain: Father will never treat the entire Ming Dynasty as a joke." King Jing shook his head slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, and said: "Master Yan is right, just wait!" At this moment, Yan Song's speculation about the emperor came to a complete blank. Of course, it's not just him, the Qingliu faction is the same.

No one could figure out the emperor's purpose in doing this, because they could not see any benefit from it. Not only will it not be of any benefit, but it will also bring unprecedented disaster to the Ming Dynasty. …… Time flies, and the days pass by in a hurry. A notice drafted by the cabinet and drafted by the Ministry of Rites appeared on the desks of Tang Shunzhi, Governor-General of Xuanda, and Hai Rui, Governor of Datong. "On the fifth day of the eighth month in the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign, the Imperial Master looked up at the stars and saw a sign that Mars was about to enter the chariot of ghosts. "The Yellow Emperor's Divination" says: If Mars enters Yugui, there will be military deaths, gold and jade will be used, and there will be amnesty; if it stays there, things will be expensive, and there will be a great epidemic in the world... Today's unusual movement of the North Star indicates that a natural disaster is coming and there is a fear that an epidemic will spread. In order to prevent disasters from happening and ensure the peace of the people in the capital and border areas, we hereby announce: From now on, all trades leading to the northern border will be closed and cannot be opened without an imperial decree. All Mongolians living in the border areas must evacuate the Ming territory within three days to avoid being affected by the disaster. This move is aimed at protecting people's livelihood. I hope you will understand and not cause disputes. If anyone is dissatisfied, they will be dealt with according to the law. Ministry of Rites..." After reading this brief and powerful notice, Hai Rui frowned deeply. After a moment, his eyes focused, "If this is the case, Altan and even the Uriankhai tribes will gather their elite troops on the border." "With the current strength of the frontier troops, if a war breaks out, I'm afraid it will be very difficult. If we're not careful, we might even... Unless the natural disaster mentioned in this notice really happens..." "Could it be?" Suddenly, Hai Rui was startled and thought of a possibility. His eyes suddenly widened and he said in a lost voice: "Could it be that the Emperor is deliberately trying to lure Altan to attack, thereby destroying the elite troops of Altan and other Mongolian tribes?" Hai Rui, who knew that the emperor was cultivating immortals, naturally saw more than others. Well, this was a crushing victory at the information level. Moreover, because he had seen the methods used by immortals, Hai Rui knew that if the emperor took action personally, wouldn't it be a natural disaster for mortals? Suddenly, Hai Rui seemed to have thought of something. He stood up and took out a book called "Book of the Later Han" from a bookshelf beside him, among a bunch of astrological, Buddhist and Taoist books. He directly opened the page that had been recorded long ago. "At night, a meteor fell into the camp. During the day, a cloud appeared like a broken mountain. It fell on the camp and scattered before reaching the ground. All the officers and soldiers were tired and lay down..." "If the emperor can summon meteors, then no matter how many and how strong the Mongolian tribes are, it will be useless... How can the power of mortals compare with that of immortals and gods?" When Hai Gangfeng thought of the deeds recorded in the "Book of the Later Han" about Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu defeating the traitor Wang Mang, and then thought of the scene not long after, when Altan Khan invaded and the emperor summoned the same meteor to kill the enemy, his iron heart began to shake again. Well, this time, is it excitement, or even anticipation? "Ha," Hai Rui couldn't help but laugh, and said to himself, "I never thought that I, Hai Rui, would have such a bellicosity..." "I just don't know when the emperor will take action, and whether I will be able to witness the scenery with my own eyes." Hai Rui felt a faint sense of anticipation in his heart. Ten days passed in a blink of an eye, and it was the beginning of September in the fortieth year of Jiajing! One day, a fast horse galloped into the gate of Datong City, shouting loudly: "Open the gate! The enemy is invading, prepare the city defense!" "Altan leads the Tumed tribe and the three Wuliangha guards to attack. The enemy has gathered a large army in the Yinshan Mountains!" The scout's roar completely disrupted the already restless Datong Town. "boom!" For a time, the entire Datong Town, the military and civilians were in an uproar, and on that day, Datong Town was completely in turmoil.

The Tumed tribe and the three Uriankhai guards led by Altan gathered their elite troops in the Yinshan Mountains. The Yinshan Mountains, due to its special geographical location, can be said to be an ideal gathering place for military strategists. In addition, Yinshan Mountain is not far from Datong Town. Therefore, it not only provides good concealment conditions, but also facilitates the assembly and mobilization of large troops. No one was surprised that Altan Khan wanted to invade Datong and chose the Yinshan Mountains as his assembly point. Half a day later, the news was transmitted directly from Datong to the Ministry of War through Feixiao. The Minister of War broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the news, and then the cabinet immediately held a meeting in Wenhua Hall. At the same time, in Yuxi Palace. Lu Fang also took the newly arrived news and entered the side hall, saying in a hurried voice: "Master, urgent news from the border!" Upon hearing this, Jiajing, who was meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes and raised his hand to take the message handed to him by Lu Fang. "Since you are here this time, let's bury you forever in Yinshan." Jiajing said calmly, but Lu Fang's heart skipped a beat. He knew that from now on, a wonder would appear in Yinshan! This will also be mentioned prominently in history books, if people at that time still thought it was a wonder. "..." This chapter has updates, full of sincerity, everyone, please vote in the new week, don't let the data be too ugly, the subsequent stories will be more exciting~~~   (End of this chapter)