The capital, heavy with snow,
The year was drawing to a close, and the city streets were deserted after nightfall. Fat snowflakes fell silently. Yan Shifan, riding in his sedan chair, gazed at the empty world, suddenly unsure of the era he inhabited.
At this moment,
He had just left Lu Bing's residence, and as he pondered the game played in Xuan-Da, his heart was wracked with pain and regret.
For over a decade, he had acted with impunity, never knowing fear. Yet, after a deep discussion with Lu Bing and Zhang Er today, he was overcome with dread. If he failed even once or twice more, his vast twenty-year foundation might crumble like a dream. How many people had he arrested, how many had he beaten to death over the past decade? The thought of the cold, damp prison of the Ministry of Justice sent shivers down his spine.
Fortunately, his father was still alive and his mind sharp. He had found Lu Bing in time, otherwise that whore, the Crown Princess, would have betrayed them. And that fool, the Prince of Raoyang, had been caught by Zhu Mo with a letter of treason in league with Anda. If Zhu Mo got his hands on any leverage against this fool and himself, he would truly be imprisoned…
Fortunately,
Zhang Er was also terrified and had already prepared to assassinate the Prince of Raoyang en route. These veteran Embroidered Uniform Guard acted with clean efficiency, and it was unlikely to leave any repercussions.
This game, it seemed, had been turned around…
"Alas," Yan Shifan lamented, "I, Yan Shifan, prided myself on my intelligence, only to be defeated by a mere boy… I have wasted so many years…"
He berated himself with immense regret, but a competitive spirit soon surged forth. He murmured, "Zhu Mo, Zhu Mo, I refuse to believe I cannot outwit you…"
…
Returning to his residence,
His father, Yan Song, and Luo Longwen, Yan Maoqing, and Zhao Wenhua were all waiting.
Yan Shifan brushed the snow off his cloak, handed it to a servant to hang, and warmed his icy hands by the charcoal fire. He then grabbed the wine from the table and drank it down in one gulp. A wave of warmth spread through his body. After savoring the sensation, he said,
"Father, the matter is settled. Old Liu has handled it with great familiarity; there will be no problems… Zhang Er has also confirmed his loyalty, and that Zhu Chongju is also close to being secured…"
Upon hearing this,
A heavy burden was lifted from everyone's hearts. Today's secret meeting had been fraught with peril. Among his retainers, only these three were his closest confidantes, and they had waited all night. It was only now that they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. If the plan had failed, it was unlikely anyone except Old Yan Song would have escaped imprisonment.
Yan Song slowly stood up and said leisurely,
"Good, that is good… I told you to be attentive, to use your brains, but you wouldn't listen… I am old now. If I die, what will you do?"
Yan Shifan stepped forward to help his father sit down, sighing,
"Father, your son is truly mistaken this time… I used to think he was just lucky and underestimated him, and I ended up capsizing. Tonight, at Old Lu's house, your son has finally understood… That Zhu Mo, he isn't lucky; his strategy is superior.
Alas, with a superior strategy, one has a broader winning margin. As for me, I always entangled myself in the minor details, neglecting the bigger picture. From the deliberations in the Hanlin Academy to Datong, I lost because I lacked foresight and my strategy was inferior to his, putting me on the defensive at every turn…"
As he spoke, his tone conveyed deep regret and remorse.
Yan Song felt both pain and joy. He grasped his son's hand and nodded,
"It is good that you know, it is good that you know… Now that you know, you will understand how to play this game… Longwen, Wenhua, Maoqing, you all speak as well… Do not fear defeat; victory and defeat are common in warfare, but you must know what to do next. Understand?"
After this setback, Old Yan Song had also weakened somewhat. He hadn't slept well for days, and his voice had become hoarse. But seeing his presumptuous son, now forty-eight, finally mature, he was greatly comforted, and the shadow of defeat dissipated considerably.
Luo Longwen, seeing Yan Shifan's significant change of heart tonight, was filled with a mixture of sadness and joy. He said softly,
"Young Grand Secretary, your subordinate has deeply reflected these past few days and shares the same thoughts… We lost from the beginning in our conception, our vision, and our strategy, which is what Young Grand Secretary refers to as our strategy. From the moment he emerged, he was planning for millennia, while we planned for the moment; he planned for the empire, we planned for a corner; he planned for hearts, we planned for circumstances… We lost from the very beginning! However, tonight, seeing Young Grand Secretary so revitalized, it is time for us to compete with him in strategy!"
Mm…
Yan Song nodded repeatedly and said, "Good, good, this is the level we should be at… Sun Tzu said: He who wins his battles by calculating beforehand wins more. From now on, you must calculate more, strike only when the calculation is accurate, and do not be led by the nose by him…"
Everyone nodded in unison.
Yan Shifan said, "Your son has also thought it through on the way. This is like writing an essay; we must also produce one with a noble conception. We cannot let him occupy the position of Celestial Emperor."
Zhao Wenhua chimed in, "Young Grand Secretary, Father has asked us to prepare an essay, and it is almost ready. When shall we discuss it?"
Yan Shifan's mindset had now recovered. He decisively stated, "Tomorrow then!"
After saying this,
He poured another cup of wine and said in a deep voice,
"The conception must naturally be noble, but can mere words clarify matters? Father, your son has thought of it. A secret report has also arrived from Jiangnan, stating that servants in some parts of Jiangnan have caused trouble, and some tenant farmers who have pledged their land have also joined the commotion. Nanxun and Songjiang are the most riotous, all demanding to withdraw money from state-run banks to start their own businesses—"
When Old Yan Song heard this, he was taken aback and suddenly asked,
"Wait, what was the cause of the incident?"
Yan Shifan replied, "The cause, well, it was a tenant farmer under a gentry named Dong in Wucheng County who was getting married. That old Dong's son, being lustful, caused trouble during the wedding celebration…"
Oh…
Yan Song murmured, "Then that Mr. Dong was at fault. How did the authorities handle it?"
Yan Shifan said, "The authorities enforced the law impartially, and the person was arrested. However, those common folk started to riot instead, saying they wouldn't work anymore and would all follow Young Master Zhu!"
Oh…
Everyone pondered for a moment.
Luo Longwen said, "Since the authorities handled it properly, it means the tenant farmers were in the wrong. Those tenants and servants who joined the commotion were even more malicious in their intentions…"
Mm, mm,
Several people nodded together.
Yan Song pondered for a moment and then asked, "Wucheng, surnamed Dong? Is it related to Dong Fen? What happened afterward?"
Luo Longwen interjected, "Minister Dong did send someone to say it was a distant relative of his family, with no particular relationship."
Yan Song was finally relieved and signaled Yan Shifan to continue quickly.
Yan Shifan chuckled and said,
"What else could happen afterward? It devolved into chaos… The servants and tenant farmers were all restless, and the gentry were complaining bitterly, all saying that Zhu Mo had empowered the common folk, causing this great unrest… Several county yamen are now surrounded, and the people are in a state of panic."
Yan Song's face showed displeasure, "Did it affect the anti-Japanese campaign?"
"Not yet."
"That's good, that's good…"
Yan Shifan continued,
"Let's not dwell on these details for now. You can understand everything by looking at the official gazettes. What I want to say is that this is a golden opportunity. We must instigate the gentry and condemn Zhu Mo for his crimes.
However, this time, we must also learn to use some subtle tactics… We will not directly address the matter. Instead, we will revisit the old idea and request the Emperor to establish Yangming's studies as official education! Several scholars of Neo-Confucianism have also approached me in the past few days, asking the court to clearly define which schools and factions are orthodox, otherwise, there will be endless disputes… Look, the scholars of Wang's school in Jiangnan say that the common folk are in the right! It puzzles me…"
Yan Song, being eighty years old, no longer concerned himself with worldly disputes. He was now greatly astonished and stammered, "There are scholars who say such things?"
Yan Shifan scoffed, "Yes, Father, those are the wild foxes of Wang's school; pay them no mind… We, on the other hand, will simply watch from the sidelines. As they cause trouble there, here, all the academies and gentry in the land will exert pressure, showing the court and the people who is disrupting the Great Ming! We will continue to fan the flames, and as the situation escalates, we will add fuel to the fire, making the common folk rebel under Zhu Mo's banner! Then, we will ask the Emperor what should be done?"
Hoo…
Hiss!
Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing were shocked, and even Yan Song looked at his son with great surprise. He truly couldn't fathom how this boy, after one night, had transformed and returned to his former brilliance as the Young Master of the Eastern Chamber.
Luo Longwen had been contemplating countermeasures, and upon hearing this, he immediately understood—
This plan was excellent!
By letting the common folk and the gentry fight among themselves, while in court, they would only discuss Yangming's studies. The officials, gentry, and scholars would naturally stand by this, and there would be no suspicion of the Yan family's involvement. This would completely corner Zhu Mo. Then, all the academies and scholars in the land would accuse Zhu Mo of being a Legalist tyrant like Qin Shi Huang, but it would have nothing to do with the Yan family.
In this way, the Yan family wouldn't have to step forward directly. They would simply be on the sidelines, letting all the gentry approach the Emperor to seek justice! Let's see how the Emperor would choose! If the Emperor directly sided with the common folk, he would immediately become a far more foolish and tyrannical ruler than Zhengde, and it would be interesting to see how he would handle it.
Yan Song pondered for a while and felt that this plan was more reliable than all the previous ones. Its brilliance lay in not directly confronting Jiajing, but rather fanning the flames from the sidelines, letting all the gentry in the land take the lead.