Chapter 1 The Winter's End

The agonizing winter was finally coming to an end.

For the elderly, winter was an ordeal.

If they made it through, they could experience another spring, summer, and autumn, and enjoy the scenery of the four seasons once more. If they didn't, they would be forever trapped in this winter.

And for the people of the Three Jin lands, this winter was particularly difficult. It wasn't just the elderly; men, women, and children alike had experienced the ravages of war. The uncollected bones by the roadside were the most common sight.

For the people of Yanjing, this winter was just as difficult, but in the end, they had endured it.

The Yanjun army's initial defeat followed by victory had allowed everyone to turn their attention back to their own lives.

For them, life was nothing more than firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and maybe a little tea to add some flavor.

Therefore, the winds in the imperial court would not truly affect them, after all, the higher up you were, the stronger the wind blew.

The Yanguo court was indeed experiencing some wind, not a strong gale, but enough to topple a Minister.

First, a censor, having caught wind of something, submitted a memorial impeaching the current Minister of Revenue, Xu Guanghuai, claiming that his family's reputation back in their hometown was questionable.

Faced with the impeachment, Xu Guanghuai initially didn't take it too seriously, simply submitting a memorial of self-defense to the Yan Emperor.

In fact, according to past practice, the standard procedure when a censor impeached you was to plead illness and return to your mansion, waiting for the Emperor to issue an edict inquiring about you, and then submit a memorial of self-defense.

This was the rule, a tacit understanding between everyone.

It was just a formality.

But at the moment, firstly, the alliance with the Chu Kingdom had been finalized to the last stage, and Xu Guanghuai didn't want any mishaps, so he wanted to continue to oversee it himself;

Secondly, compared to those in the Qian Kingdom, the censors of Yan were significantly inferior in combat power, not even on the same level.

After all, rules were rigid, but people were flexible, right?

However, Xu Guanghuai still took the time to send a letter to his family in Sanshi Xu County, reminding them to pay attention to their conduct and maintain a good reputation with their neighbors, and so on.

This matter should have passed just like that, like being bitten by a mosquito.

But then,

Zhao Chengming, the magistrate of X煦 County in Sanshi Prefecture, a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examinations) who had been assigned to a post outside the capital last year, submitted a memorial impeaching the current Minister of Revenue, Xu Guanghuai's family, for annexing good farmland and oppressing the local people in X煦 County. It was said that the Xu family was relying on Xu Guanghuai's status to act tyrannically in X煦 County, and the locals were spreading rumors: they only treat X煦 County as the Xu family's county!

This was an impeachment from a local official, and the nature of the matter immediately changed, especially since it was from an official in your own hometown.

In particular, the sentence in the memorial, "They only treat X煦 County as the Xu family's county!" was extremely devastating.

Xu Guanghuai could no longer remain calm. He immediately pleaded illness and returned to his mansion, no longer attending the morning court, but proactively submitting a memorial of confession, waiting for the Yan Emperor to send someone to allow him to defend himself.

But the matter wasn't over yet,

Not many days later,

The Secret Intelligence Division of Sanshi Prefecture arrested a group of remnants of aristocratic clans. After interrogation, it was learned that this group of remnants had been sheltered and protected in X煦 County some time ago. The person who took them in was none other than Xu Guanghuai's eldest son, the eldest son of Xu Guanghuai.

Xu Guanghuai was an official in Yanjing, and his second and third sons were with him, while his eldest son stayed in his hometown to handle the family's clan affairs and land.

The Secret Intelligence Division had solid evidence, which could not be denied.

Crushing the aristocratic clans was the Yan Emperor's policy; it could be said to be a national policy.

This matter was neither right nor wrong, because even if the aristocratic clans were guilty, it was impossible for every clan to oppress the local people or intend to commit treason. However, political matters rarely distinguished between right and wrong.

The remnants of the aristocratic clans were either sent into exile in the army or turned into official slaves.

Perhaps it would be possible to pardon some remnants of the aristocratic clans after the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne, or even after the Grandson succeeded to the throne, but at this time, even saying a few good words or expressing some sympathy for the remnants of the aristocratic clans was absolutely politically incorrect!

Your Xu family dared to shelter and protect the remnants of the aristocratic clans; what were your intentions?

After hearing this news, Xu Guanghuai was completely stunned.

At this point, if he still didn't know that he was being targeted, then he would have lived his life in vain, and wasted his career as an official.

But what he couldn't understand was, at this point in time, who was attacking him, and with such a series of offensives, from spreading rumors to laying the groundwork, to this final blow, making it impossible to parry.

He knew the character of his eldest son. He was good at everything, but he liked to be elegant and refined, and he liked literary matters. In his early years, he liked to hang out and attend poetry gatherings with the disciples of those aristocratic clans.

Xu Guanghuai didn't simply think that this was a frame-up by the Secret Intelligence Division, because his eldest son was very likely unable to resist the tearful pleas of his old friends and take them in.

However, this rebellious son had really ruined his own father this time!

However, a few days later, a secretary of the Sanshi Prefecture Secretariat, one of the seven Qingli司 (departments) under the Ministry of Revenue, submitted a memorial. It recorded the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue's expenditures of money and grain when the First Prince's Eastern Expeditionary Army was formed and set out. In the accounts, other local warlords were only allocated half their pay, while the Sanshi Deng family was allocated 80% of their pay.

This secretary was not qualified to submit a memorial, but after the Yan Emperor opened the imperial examinations last year, he issued an edict stating that all officials who were Jinshi graduates, whether in the capital or outside, could submit memorials to the imperial court.

Coincidentally, this secretary of the Ministry of Revenue was a Jinshi graduate from last year.

It could be said that this was the last straw that crushed Xu Guanghuai.

In fact, according to the usual practice of the Great Yan, it was generally difficult to provide the full pay for the dispatch of troops all at once. Firstly, the local warlords needed to raise some funds themselves, and secondly, they also planned to rely on the Cheng Kingdom to supply the Eastern Expeditionary Army after it entered the Cheng Kingdom.

Therefore, there was the scene where the commander of the Left Route Army of the Eastern Expeditionary Army reached out to Zheng Fan, the then-General of Shengle, to ask for money and grain.

This was an unspoken rule,

Everyone knew it.

The Great Yan had been fighting wars non-stop in recent years. Where did the national treasury have so much wealth to support them in full?

But the problem was, why was it that when your Ministry of Revenue supplied money and grain, others received 50%, while the Sanshi Deng family received a full 80%?

This could be explained, but the explanation could not be said.

Because the Sanshi Deng family was the maternal clan of the Fourth Prince, and at the same time, the Sanshi Deng family had a very high influence among the local warlords. The face of the old family head, General Deng, was still valuable. If he reached out to ask for it, then it was normal for Xu Guanghuai, as the Minister of Revenue, to approve more.

But precisely because of this, this explanation could not be used as a real explanation. How could you open your mouth? Were you trying to implicate the princes?

Moreover, the most disastrous loss in the first battle of Wangjiang was suffered by the Left Route Army led by the head of the Deng family.

Even if he had already died in Wangjiang, the crime of the defeated general could not be let go.

Therefore, now that you are digging up old debts, you, as the Minister of Revenue, are secretly colluding with the largest local warlord to embezzle funds.

What are you trying to do!

One thing after another,

Step by step,

Xu Guanghuai was finished.

Because he could no longer turn things around, unless the Yan Emperor was willing to forcibly overturn the case for him.

The Yan Emperor had this ability. In the past hundred years, the current Emperor's authority was the greatest.

But if Xu Guanghuai, the defendant, was forcibly acquitted, then those officials who impeached him would have to be convicted of false accusations.

The fact was,

The Yan Emperor could not possibly make such a choice,

Because everyone could see clearly,

The people who jumped out one after another to overthrow Xu Guanghuai were basically officials who were Jinshi graduates from last year.

The Yan Emperor, who had only crushed the aristocratic clans a few years ago, could not possibly carry out a policy of implication at this time.

The imperial examinations must be carried out and persisted with; this was the Yan Emperor's grand strategy. Otherwise, his actions of crushing the aristocratic clans would become futile.

Therefore,

The Yan Emperor issued an edict,

Ordering Xu Guanghuai to be dismissed from his post and investigated, and ordering the relevant authorities to jointly try and determine his guilt.

This had already set the tone. The result of the joint trial was how many crimes Xu Guanghuai had committed, not whether Xu Guanghuai was guilty.

The people in Yanjing City might not feel anything,

But the officials in the court were stunned for a moment,

The wind at the beginning seemed weak, like a light tickle, but who knew that suddenly a storm would come and directly knock down the Minister of Revenue? No, it shattered him!

…

"It's not that I'm impatient, but if I'm not impatient, even the cold tofu will be gone."

Ji Chengjue personally poured a glass of wine for Wen Yin, who was sitting across from him. Wen Yin immediately stood up respectfully and held the edge of the wine glass, waiting.

"Although these officials who are Jinshi graduates were specially selected for their good character a few years ago, the officialdom is a big dyeing vat. Once they are completely dyed, it will be difficult for me, their benefactor, to order them around."

Wen Yin immediately nodded and said,

"Your Highness is wise. This is also a good opportunity to completely tie them to Your Highness's ship."

"What's wrong? Is my ship very broken that you have to tie them on?"

"Hehe." Wen Yin smiled. "I misspoke, I misspoke."

Ji Chengjue took a sip of wine.

Wen Yin quickly took a sip, drank it all in one gulp, and immediately stood up to pour wine for the Sixth Prince, while saying,

"Xu Guanghuai has fallen, and the Crown Prince has lost an arm."

"I'm dealing with Xu Guanghuai not because he's flirting with the Crown Prince, but because since Father Emperor has allowed me to oversee the Ministry of Revenue and raise money and grain for the Great Yan, it's not appropriate for this old man to sit on top of me and point fingers. It's so annoying."

"However, this subordinate is worried that this time, it will …"

"Don't worry about anything. There's no turning back now. From the day I entered the capital in my brother-in-law's carriage, I didn't plan to leave in a sorry state again.

"By the way, I specially summoned you back today to personally instruct you on something. Over the years, whether it was at my suggestion or you took the initiative, I've planted a lot of nails around my second brother;

"In this period, withdraw them all and try to wash away all traces of your involvement. You can also retire and enjoy your old age."

"Your Highness, this subordinate wants to continue serving Your Highness …"

"This is to tell you to avoid the limelight. When I want to use you again in the future, you old thing will still have a breath left and can still be used."

Wen Yin was immediately shocked and said,

"Your Highness, is something going to happen?"

Ji Chengjue looked at Wen Yin.

Wen Yin was waiting for an answer,

But Ji Chengjue didn't speak,

Wen Yin was immediately so frightened that he left his seat and knelt down;

"This subordinate deserves to die."

Ji Chengjue yawned and said,

"I'm tired."

"This subordinate takes his leave."

After Wen Yin left, Ji Chengjue didn't rush to leave the table to go to bed. Instead, he reached out and grabbed a handful of peanuts and started throwing them into his mouth one by one.

His gaze fell into contemplation, and then some sadness, then it became numb, and finally, it turned into indifference:

"Heh, if the heavens want to rain and a mother wants to marry, let it be."

Then,

Ji Chengjue pinched his throat,

And hummed in the tune of the opera;

"On the third day of the third month, the girl gets on the bridal sedan and is about to get married, the fiery red veil, is so bright and beautiful …"

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That's all for today, chun jie di xiao long will make up for the update tomorrow.