Chapter Fifty-Nine Continues Conspiracy

  The Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace, Imperial Study Room.

  The sun had already set, and the dark night shrouded the Tianqi Emperor's palace. The Tianqi Emperor, who was about to rest, was called up by someone and came to the front of the imperial study. The Tianqi Emperor's face did not look very good, obviously very unhappy at being disturbed.

  As he watched Ruo Si Kong and Wei Chao bowing to him, the Tianqi Emperor slightly furrowed his brow. These two people rarely came so neatly dressed, it seemed that something had indeed happened this time.

  "Rise!" With a wave of his hand at the two, Emperor Tianqi continued, "It's so late, why have you both come to see me? Is there something that can't be said tomorrow?"

  "Your Majesty, the secret agents from the East Factory have just obtained some important information. It's a matter of great importance, and I didn't dare to delay reporting it immediately." Wei Chao ignored Ruo Si Kong, who was panting on one side, and smiled, but his eyes were filled with a strong provocative meaning as he looked at Ruo Si Kong.

  "Lu Ai Qing, what about you?" The Tianqi Emperor turned his gaze to Lu Si Gong, and naturally, Wei Chao's gaze was also on him. It seemed that the information they had gathered this time should be similar, but it was unclear who had more comprehensive information.

  "Your Majesty, the Brocade Guard has just received information that tonight, the Donglin Party will be gathering at the residence of Yang Lian, the Minister of War. The organizer is Sun Shenxing, the Minister of Rites, and they will be discussing the impeachment of Grand Secretary Fang Zongxun as well as who to nominate as the new Grand Secretary after toppling Fang. " Lu Xianggong saw Tianqi Emperor asking him, and hastily told him what had happened, slightly alleviating the depression he felt from being preempted by Wei Zhongxian, and couldn't help but cast a provocative glance at Wei.

  "Hmm, who are the participants? What's their attitude?" After hearing the two men's words, Tianqi Emperor sneered in his heart, it seems that this time these people have made up their minds to move against Fang Congzhe.

  Ruo Si Gong was about to speak, when Wei Chao hastily said: "Your Majesty, this is the record of the Eastern Depot's spy, who attended this gathering and what they said. It's all written here." As he spoke, Wei Chao handed a memorial to Emperor Tianqi.

  Taking a glance at the two arguing individuals, Emperor Tianqi suddenly felt somewhat amused. He took another look at them and said expressionlessly: "Alright, bring out your reports! Your merits have been noted by me."

  "Your Majesty, apart from the Donglin Party, all the dignitaries of the Qi Zhe Chu Party have also gathered together tonight. The meeting place is at the residence of Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe." The two handed over the memorial to Chen Hong on one side, while Wei Chao softly spoke out another piece of news. Luo Si-gong cautiously looked at Emperor Tianqi, seeing Emperor Tianqi wave his hand for him to leave, and the two simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, like being pardoned, they left.

  Watching Wei Chao and Luo Si-gong walk out, the Tianqi Emperor's face suddenly turned gloomy, looking at the memorial in his hand, the Tianqi Emperor sneered coldly and said in a low voice: "Things are not as simple as you think, let's wait and see."

  Nothing was arranged. When the Tianqi Emperor went to sleep, three people were still discussing, and these three people were the three main figures of the Donglin Party. They were Yang Lian, a supervising secretary, Zhou Jiamo, the Minister of Personnel, and Zuo Guangdou, the Vice-Minister of Justice, and the place where the three men discussed was Yang Lian's bedroom.

  After Zhou Jiamou got up and left, Zuo Guangdou chased after him and successfully pulled him back. Only when everyone had left did the two of them come to Yang Lian's bedroom.

  "Brother Zhou, what do you think about today's matter?" Yang Lian gently put down the teacup in his hand, raised his head and stared at Zhou Jiamou with piercing eyes, his tone full of expectation.

  Zhou Jiamou's face was very unsightly and kept changing, he thought for a moment and said slowly: "If the monarch is not secretive, he will lose his country, if the minister is not secretive, he will lose his body. Such a grand gathering, it's really afraid that others don't know we're forming a clique, do you two know what is connected with forming a clique?"

  Before the two could speak, Zhou Jiamou continued: "Is it for personal gain? Can you two still remember why you joined the Donglin Party back then?" After finishing speaking, Zhou Jiamou's gaze was piercing as he stared at the two, his eyes exceptionally sharp.

  "Of course, when I was young and impulsive, I had the ideal of serving the country and its people. At first, I went to Donglin Academy to study, and after staying there for a while, I felt that the scholars there were the hope of the nation. They read the classics, understood the great principles, and were willing to sacrifice themselves, so I joined the Donglin Party." Yang Lian smiled lightly, but his smile was somewhat bitter, and he spoke with a deep sense of nostalgia.

  Looking at the two talking, Zuo Guangdou hastily said: "I was deceived, I didn't know what the Donglin Party was. I just happened to be with Yang Lianzhi and he introduced some of his friends to me. How could I have known there were party struggles involved? By the time I found out, it was too late." Zuo Guangdou gave Yang Lian a fierce glare, clearly still feeling very wronged and resentful after all these years.

  "Yes! We were once young and reckless, we were once for the country and the people. But so many years have passed, what are we doing now? Fighting for power and profit, for our own interests at the expense of national justice and disregard for others. Perhaps we can say it's unavoidable, but is that really true? So many years, we've been in the Donglin Party, don't we know what this party is like?" Zhou Jiayou's tone was very disheartened, so many years of unfulfilled ambitions, with only a belly full of ideals and no way to put them into practice. It was a very painful thing for Zhou Jiayou.

  "Haha, I also found out later that the Donglin Party wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. At first, I was too young to know better. As my position gradually rose, I came to realize that the Donglin Academy was funded by salt merchants and landlords from southeastern China. And within the academy, there were seven layers of people who were either their disciples or supporters - these were the mainstays of the Donglin Party. As for us... Alas!" Yang Lian's sigh was full of meaning.

  Looking at the two dejected figures, Zhou Jiamou smiled slyly and continued: "This time's affair is very obvious. These people want to drive out Chu Dang's Fang Cong from philosophy and put their own man in place. It must be that person again. They want to take advantage of the emperor's youth and his lack of understanding of the court situation, to quickly cut through the chaos and further increase their control over the imperial court. But have these people ever thought about it? What kind of ending did those who dominated the court in history come to? Do they think they can be like Cao Mengde?"

  "It's been over 200 years since the Ming dynasty, and yet people like Wang Zhen and Liu Jin are still not to be underestimated. But what ultimately happened to them? Take Zhang Jiuling, the Grand Preceptor of old, how powerful he was! And yet... What about these petty individuals who only care for their own selfish interests? As for the so-called Donglin Party, what kind of people are they?" Zhou Jiamou's words were forceful and impassioned, his expression intense, the whiskers on his face trembling with agitation.

  Today's last chapter is here! Today is the first day of being recommended and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, but I'm still shamelessly asking everyone for some votes!

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