Prince Yu was not foolish. The sudden outbreak of these diplomatic incidents all occurred after the defeat at Taizhou. However, the defeat at Taizhou was ultimately caused by Zhu Mo's reforms. But this could not be said openly. Everyone knew that the reforms had the Emperor's continuous support.
Therefore, a scapegoat had to be found. And the event most closely related to the Wokou was the death of Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi was apprehended by Hu Zongxian and Wang Bengu. Wang Bengu had already been dismissed from office, leaving only Hu Zongxian. Moreover, Hu Zongxian was a very suitable scapegoat, after all, he was the one who suffered defeat.
Thinking of this,
Prince Yu tentatively said,
"Elder Xu, the Wokou have invaded in full force, and the official army was defeated at Taizhou. Immediately thereafter, Yu Dazhou's large ships attacked Portuguese merchant ships, followed by Yang Bo's household guards attacking the Korean envoy's merchant caravan, and then Mang Yinglong and Zheng Jian invading the vassal states... Hu Zongxian, Yu Dazhou, and Yang Bo, at least one of them must be held accountable!"
Xu Jie and Li Chunfang exchanged glances, both thinking: the hidden truth behind this depends on what the Emperor says. However, bringing out these three people first is also the only option available...
Xu Jie had no choice but to nod and say, "Your Highness, since the matter involves so many people, Your Highness naturally cannot say too much. When the Emperor asks, we can only mention the three involved parties..."
Li Chunfang felt that since the Grand Secretariat had become a mere decoration, with everyone doing their own thing, then ultimately it was the Zhu family's affair, and no one else could manage it...
Prince Yu sat and pondered for a while, feeling that this was appropriate, and was about to get up and go to the palace.
The two took their leave.
As Li Chunfang was about to get into his sedan chair, he suddenly leaned towards Xu Jie and whispered, "Sha Hu, tell me the truth... What are Yan Song and the others trying to do by acting like this?"
By now, he was beginning to understand—
These current events, though seemingly unrelated on the surface, when examined closely, were like a rope, binding many people, leaving them unable to move. Anyone who exposed the matter at this point would immediately offend the Yan faction and the vaguely visible cross-border alliance behind them. If he had dared to confront Yan Song before, who would dare to utter a word in the current situation?
Therefore, he wanted to ask Xu Jie what to do.
Xu Jie naturally understood the situation even better than he did.
It could be said that this was an unprecedented method, which directly turned the Grand Secretariat into a mere decoration and rendered the Emperor speechless, making it extremely perilous.
Previously, Yan Song liked to take the lead and dominate, leaving people no room to maneuver. However, this time it was the opposite. Yan Song had been hiding, never showing himself, but secretly pushing the situation forward, heading towards violently forcing Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng to their deaths. Others could see it clearly but dared not make a sound, only watching helplessly as the situation in the Great Ming gradually collapsed...
Li Chunfang asked this, but Xu Jie dared not speak. He merely said calmly,
"Shi Lu brother, let's just wait and see..."
...
That night,
Yuxi Palace.
Jiajing sat slumped on the Bagua platform, as if in meditation, but his breathing was not even.
Lu Fang observed him covertly for a long time. He had almost never seen such a scene and naturally did not dare to disturb him. He merely polished the ritual instruments while contemplating the various strange phenomena occurring.
Prince Yu had visited at noon. The Emperor had not spoken. Prince Yu had asked several times, but he had only said, "I know." According to his usual habit, this meant he had encountered the most dangerous situation.
Lu Fang had seen a lot. He guessed that Xu Jie and the others were using Prince Yu to probe the Emperor's intentions. After all, the defeat at Taizhou, the invasion of the southwest, the pleas for help from vassal states, the protests from envoys – each of these was a major event, and they were all so interconnected and complicated that speaking carelessly would naturally be exploited by the treacherous officials.
However, the Emperor could not remain silent about these major matters indefinitely...
Lu Fang shook his head, but accidentally brushed against a chime, and quickly pressed it with his hand, causing a muffled sound.
Jiajing suddenly opened his eyes, stared at him coldly, and said slowly, "Lu Fang, even you are trying to pressure me now..."
Lu Fang crawled over on his hands and knees and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, your servant would not dare..."
Hmph!
Jiajing closed his eyes again, not wanting to look at him anymore, but said leisurely, "Not dare? Even Xu Jie dares, and you do not?"
Lu Fang shivered and said, "Elder Xu is also in a difficult position, after all, these are such important matters..."
Heh heh,
Jiajing sneered, waved his whisk, and mocked, "What 'important matters'? Tell me about them?"
Lu Fang knew that his mood had eased considerably. The more calmly his tone, the more peaceful his emotions. He therefore mustered his courage and said,
"Your Majesty, your servant has also pondered for a while. Prince Yu said that Yang Bo, Yu Dazhou, and Hu Zongxian are all involved parties, and the court should at least provide an explanation. Your servant feels this is reasonable... Also, last time the chieftain of Burma requested aid, Yan Shifan rejected it. Now that the situation has become so dire, it seems an explanation is also due..."
Jiajing naturally knew very well—
This was a more serious form of coercion than Yang Tinghe's impeachment!
Yang Tinghe's impeachment involved hundreds of people rushing forward, using the guise of sage governance to force the emperor into a corner where he had no choice but to agree to their terms.
But this time, Yan Song retreated step by step, completely disappearing and remaining silent. On the other hand, super-attackers like the Wokou, Zheng Jian, and Mang Yinglong continuously challenged the bottom line.
If he did not respond, they would continue to attack and pressure. If he responded, he did not have the strength to repel them. Yan Song would naturally watch as a spectator, waiting for the Zhu family to make a fool of themselves...
The Grand Secretariat, two old geezers, were already mere decorations besides receiving and sending documents. Even if the Grand Secretariat issued a document, it would be of no use in the situation. Xu Jie understood this, which is why he instigated Prince Yu to sound him out...
He knew Lu Fang was a good person, and his words were for the sake of the overall situation. He did not blame him, but merely said calmly,
"Naive! Have you not considered... Yu Dazhou's Fujian-Zhejiang navy is currently the only force that can counter the Wokou. If he is implicated in major diplomatic affairs and punished, who will be able to counter the Wokou at sea? It is the same for Yang Bo in Jiliao. Without him, Jiliao would immediately descend into chaos... Do Xu Jie and the others, who control the Grand Secretariat, have no other methods? By pushing Prince Yu to pressure me, can the problem be solved?"
Lu Fang lowered his head and pondered for a while. He also understood a little, and mumbled, "Your Majesty's guidance makes your servant understand a little. However, for Yan Song to do all these things, does he not care about the Great Ming at all? This, this is not inviting wolves into the house..."
Heh heh,
"Inviting wolves into the house, inviting wolves into the house...? This is not inviting wolves into the house, this is called opening the door to invite thieves... Things he cannot accomplish himself, he lets thieves do. However, this time it is not aimed at our Young Master Zhu, but directly at me, at the Great Ming..."