Chapter Ten The Opportunity Has Finally Arrived

  Premeditation

  Congratulations to you, Mr. Wang Shouren! However, that's all there is to it. Life is very realistic. Understanding the Tao can be exciting, but you should get some rest soon because tomorrow morning, you'll still have to pick up your hoe and till those two broken plots of land. Philosophy is great and important, but you should be clear that having a full stomach is the greatest philosophy of all.

  According to the arrangement of the director of history, Mr. Wang Shouren still needs to stay here for a while until an event changes his fate, and there are still several years in between. We won't accompany Saint Wang to open up wasteland anymore. Because at the same time, a good play is being performed in Beijing.

  Wang Shouren was exhausted from farming in the desolate mountains and had eaten his share of bitterness, but Li Dongyang was even more miserable. Since Xie Qian and Liu Jian left, he was the only one who stayed behind. However, Liu Jin was a highly vigilant person after all, and he suspected that Li Dongyang had ulterior motives, so he constantly arranged for people to bully him from time to time.

  For example, Mr. Li Dongyang compiled a book called "Tongjian Zuyao". When Liu Jin found out about this, he sent someone to pick on the book and try to create some literary inquisition for fun, but Li Dongyang was well-prepared and wrote an article that was so tight it didn't leave any room for criticism.

  Liu Jin heard the report and instead developed an even thicker interest (this is his personality trait), knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, he deliberately went to the tiger mountain! He must have dealt with Li Dongyang, for this purpose, he found many people, day and night checking, finally found a weakness.

  What a flaw? It turned out that Mr. Li Dongyang had written a few wrong characters in the book, and Liu Jin thought that his work attitude was not serious (the logic is quite tight), and he was ready to take the opportunity to deal with him properly.

  Li Dongyang learned of this news and immediately prepared countermeasures.

  Just as Liu Jin was about to take action, something unexpected happened. Jiao Fang actually came to plead for Li Dongyang, it turned out that Li Dongyang had sent him gifts and called him brother, the two had a good relationship, so Liu Jin let Li Dongyang off, and the matter was settled.

  In this round, junior high school student Liu Jin still didn't outplay the cunning and experienced Dr. Li Dongyang, proving that reading more books is indeed very useful.

  While unfolding the arduous struggle, Li Dongyang's underground work was also carried out in an orderly manner, with the following results:

  In 1507, Liu Jin planned to kill Liu Jian and Xie Qian, but Li Dongyang intervened to save them.

  In the same year, Yu Shi Yao Xiang and Zhang Wei were framed, Li Dongyang came forward to rescue them.

  In 1508, the third year of Zhengde, the imperial censor Fang Kui scolded Liu Jin, who was about to send him to work for Yan Wang. Li Dongyang intervened and saved him.

  There were many similar situations, but Li Dongyang never thought that his actions would lead to a very embarrassing outcome.

  One day, Li Dongyang met his student Luo Bi on the way to court. Li was very happy and hurriedly went up to greet him, but Luo ignored him and turned away, afraid of saying one more word to him. Li found it very strange and wanted to find an opportunity to ask what was going on.

  Before he could even try to win her over, he received a letter from Luo Xuan that evening. After Li Dongyang finished reading it, his eyes almost popped out.

  The letter roughly means: Others (Liu Jian, Xie Qian) have all left, what's the point of you staying behind? Please retire early and don't lose face here. From now on, I won't be your disciple anymore, let's pretend we've never met before, and don't bother greeting me either, I really don't have time to deal with you.

  Li Dongyang was so angry that he vomited blood.

  But Mr. Li Dongyang, after vomiting, you still have to wipe your mouth and continue working. You know that enduring humiliation and hardship, and sleeping on thorns and tasting bile has never been an easy job.

  In such an environment, Li Dongyang still insisted on his own beliefs, he firmly believed that victory would eventually come.

  Liu Jin is a cunning person, he has the support of the emperor and a well-informed Jiao Fang. On our side, apart from a few fools who only know how to talk about honor and integrity, there are no wise and brave people who can make decisions that will win us victory in a thousand miles.

  Endure, endure, until the right person appears, one must endure.

  In comparison, Liu Jin was much more glorious. Since the reorganization of the cabinet, his momentum has been growing day by day. At that time, the ministers who submitted memorials had to prepare two copies, one for the emperor and one for Liu Jin.

  Of course, the one for the emperor was met with no response, which is quite wise. You can't expect Mr. Zhu to be punctual in attending to his paperwork, that's just a daydream. Everyone can only hope that Liu Jin will work hard, after all, having someone in charge is better than no one being in charge.

  In other words, during those years, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were basically surnamed Liu. Even Zhu Houzhao himself had no objection, who would still want to intervene in this matter?

  The problem is that Mr. Liu Jin didn't read many books, his level was not high, he couldn't handle state affairs properly, and from time to time he would engage in corruption and bribery, making the court politics murky and corrupt.

  But these are all minor matters, many eunuchs before him had done the same. Mr. Liu Jin's notorious reputation was actually due to his good memory.

  What is called a good memory, is that whoever scolds him, even after a few years, he still remembers clearly. For example, Liu Jian and Xie Qian, who had scolded him before, have already returned home to retire, but he still plans to catch them and parade them through the streets. The Minister of Works, Han Wen, once impeached him, and after being dismissed, Liu Jin did not let him go, knowing that his family was poor, he still wanted to fine him, and continued to fine him until he was bankrupt before stopping.

  At the same time, he was also a very creative person in terms of punishment. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a kind of punishment called "cangue". Compared with skinning people alive or killing them with a thousand knives, this thing was just a verbal warning at most. It was just wearing a cangue and standing at the city gate or going to the street for a walk. Although it was very humiliating, at least no physical harm was done. Therefore, this punishment was very popular among the ministers.

  But if you offend Liu Jin, don't be happy when you hear the sentence of wearing a cangue. Instead, ask your family to buy a coffin for you immediately, because when the execution is carried out, you will surprisingly find that the cangue issued to you is quite special.

  Where is it specifically?

  According to historical records, Liu Jin's brother, in order to achieve the goal of using small punishment to accomplish big things, had a clever idea and transformed the cangue into a huge one weighing over 100 jin. This is like hanging an oversized dumbbell on you, making you lift this treasure everywhere, not killing you is not enough.

  In addition, Liu Gonggong was also a very suspicious person. He didn't even trust his own secret agents, so he set up an internal spy agency that even the old and established East Factory couldn't escape from. It often went to the East Factory to put on a show of spies catching spies.

  What's even more ridiculous is that Liu Jin also implemented an unwritten rule, where all officials, big or small, had to bring gifts for him whenever they entered or left Beijing, regardless of whether they were reporting from the provinces to the central government or going down to the countryside to help with poverty alleviation.

  If you don't have money to give gifts, you'll be in trouble, and the consequences will be severe. For example, there was an official named Zhou Kui who went on a business trip one day and didn't go far, but when he came back, he had to give gifts according to custom, but his family was poor and had no money.

  No money? If you have no money, then leave your life behind.

  The poor official was forced by desperation and finally driven to suicide.

  Liu Jin was so unscrupulous and lawless for several years, becoming more and more arrogant. The emperor was the number one, he was the second, but since the emperor didn't care about affairs, basically it was him who had the final say. More and more officials flocked to his side, his power grew greater and greater, while those opposing him were either beheaded or exiled, almost all of them being neatly eliminated by him. Li Dongyang could only live in hiding.

  The world is so big, but Liu Taichang is in charge!

  But note that I said the ministers opposing Liu Jin were "almost" eliminated, not "all", because there were two exceptions.

  In fact, Liu Jin didn't want to resolve these two people, but he couldn't. One of them he couldn't handle and the other one he couldn't kill off.

  Society is cruel and competition is fierce. Since Mr. Liu Jin can't handle it, he can't eliminate them, his final outcome will only be to be handled by these two gentlemen, eliminated.

  First of all, let's talk about this "can't be done", and the real name of this "can't be done" brother is Yang Tinghe.

  We mentioned him before, now it's time for this fierce man to take the stage, he has been standing behind the scenes for a long time.

  We often call children who can read and write at a very young age, clever and smart as child prodigies. If we use this standard, Yang Tinghe is a super child prodigy.

  Yang Tinghe, a native of Xindu, Sichuan Province, was born into an official family. If you flip through his resume, you will find that Mr. Yang Tinghe has maintained an astonishing record - examination records.

  Yang Tinghe was too intelligent when he was a child, at the age of eight, he had already read the Four Books and Five Classics, recited poems and composed couplets, making him famous everywhere. The local education chief thought it would be a waste of national paper resources to let him become a child prodigy or attend county school, so with a stroke of his pen, he directly allowed him to take the imperial examination.

  A miracle in China's exam history was born at this moment.

  In the seventh year of Chenghua (1471), Yang Tinghe participated in the Sichuan provincial examination for the first time and passed as a juren at the age of twelve. If Mr. Fan Jin knew about this, he would probably go hit his head against the wall until he died.

  In the second year, 13-year-old Yang Tinghe took his father's hand and went to Beijing to take part in the imperial examination. The people who were taking the exam at the same time saw this scene and didn't think it was strange, but when chatting, they often asked his father:

  "How did you bring your son along for the exam?"

  It turned out that China is indeed a place where dragons and tigers lie hidden, and the waters are deep. Yang Tinghe, who was famous in Sichuan Province, failed to make a name for himself nationwide and fell into obscurity after this exam. However, this Brother Yang really had character - he refused to give up and instead stayed put, enrolling in the Imperial Academy to study. He declared that if he didn't pass the exams, he wouldn't return home.

  Yang Tinghe stayed in Beijing, becoming a Beijinger, but he achieved great success, six years later he passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi. During his studies, he also eloped with the daughter of his teacher, Huang Ming, the supervisor of the Imperial Academy.

  In six years, not only did I solve my work problems, but I also got a wife. It's really unbelievable.

  Yang Tinghe's subsequent experiences are even more astonishing. At the age of 20, he was selected as a Hanlin, at 21, he graduated from the Hanlin Academy, at 32, he began to give lectures to the emperor (Jingyan lecturer), and at 43, he became a Grand Scholar. His promotion speed is simply like taking a helicopter today.

  By the second year of Zhengde (1507), after Liu Jian and Xie Qian were driven out, he formally entered the inner court to help the emperor who was indulging in pleasure all day without being seen, at that time most of the imperial edicts came from his brush.

  Yang Tinghe not only had a quick mind, but also had good character. He was very displeased with Liu Jin and his cohorts, but it wasn't convenient for him to speak out directly. One time when he was giving a lesson to the emperor, he suddenly came out with this sentence:

  "Your Majesty should learn from the previous emperor, stay away from petty people and get close to virtuous ministers, then the country can prosper."

  Zhu Houzhao didn't have the heart to listen to the lesson, and just nodded a couple of times before it was over.

  This sentence entered Zhu Houzhao's left ear and flew out of his right ear, but fell into Liu Jin's heart.

  Isn't the little man me? Isn't the wise minister you?

  This is Mr. Liu Jin's logic of opposite numbers entering seats.

  He was furious and wrote a decree overnight, transferring Yang Tinghe to Nanjing as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. There were no affairs to attend to in the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, just sitting around drinking tea all day. This transfer was actually a form of exile and revenge.

  But Yang Tinghe's reaction was far beyond Liu Jin's expectation.

  This gentleman received the transfer order and was not angry at all. He packed his things with a smile and went to Nanjing. Liu Jin was puzzled: Yang Tinghe was demoted, but he was still happy, what was he thinking?

  There must be a conspiracy!

  Liu Jin used the same trick he had used against Wang Shouren that year, sending someone to secretly follow Yang Tinghe and see what kind of tricks he was up to.

  But what happened next was even more bewildering. The person tailing him discovered that Yang Tinghe went all the way to Nanjing, but not only did he not do anything, he didn't even utter a single complaint. When Liu Jin heard the report, he also felt a bit embarrassed and didn't bother Yang Tinghe again.

  Comrade Liu Jin, your moral integrity is still a bit too shallow.

  The answer was finally revealed one day when Zhu Houzhao returned from court and suddenly asked Liu Jin a question:

  "Where is Mr. Yang?"

  Liu Jin was stunned and hastily replied:

  "In Nanjing!"

  Zhu Houzhao was furious upon hearing this:

  "Isn't he already in the cabinet?! How did he run off to Nanjing again? Hurry up and get him back for me!"

  So in a few days, Yang Tinghe returned to Beijing and continued to serve as his cabinet minister, still the same as before, nothing was said, and it was just like a free trip.

  Yang Tinghe was delighted, but Liu Jin was confused and couldn't figure out what was going on.

  Mr. Liu should have investigated Yang Tinghe, but he didn't examine the files carefully. This gentleman had no idea that Yang Tinghe had once held an important official position - as a Chamberlain of the Imperial Household Department.

  Everyone should know that the Imperial Academy is not an ordinary place, its main work is to tutor the princes in reading. When Zhu Houzhao was a crown prince, he addressed Yang Tinghe as "Master Yang".

  Yang Shifu has a solid foundation and the emperor's support, while Liu Gonggong doesn't even know how deep the river is, yet he dares to stir up trouble. What a blunder! What a blunder!

  After that, Liu Jin kept a respectful distance from this "Yang Master", and never dared to bully him again. After going through this incident, Yang Tinghe completely fell out with Liu Jin, he turned to Li Dongyang's side, and began to make plans to deal with Liu Jin.

  This "can't be handled" Yang Tinghe has already made Liu Jin lose face, but the next one who "can't be killed" is even more fierce and vicious, and Liu Jin's life will be ended in his hands.

  This "Zhengbu Si" brother has also been waiting in the background for a long time (no way, there are too many actors), he is Yang Yiqing who was sent to Shaanxi to raise horses before.

  It's hard to understand how Yang Yiqing, who raised horses, would have a conflict with Liu Jin. They had no grudges in their past lives, and Yang Yiqing didn't even borrow usury from Liu Jin, so why did they end up at odds?

  This is all Liu Jin's fault, because he has too many ideals and pursuits.

  Everyone knows that raising horses is not a good job in the eyes of ordinary people, and even in heaven it's a lowly occupation, also known as "Horse Keeper", even Sun Wukong who didn't read books wouldn't want to do it.

  But in the Ming Dynasty, this was an important position. The reason is simple: without horses, do you want to ride a donkey to fight against Mongolian soldiers?

  Don't underestimate Yang Yiqing, this brother's level is very high. He was the deputy chief inspector of the Imperial Censorate (third rank) when he came to raise horses. This vice-ministerial official may have been engaged in animal husbandry before. He did a good job here and soon after, the imperial court decided to promote him to Right Chief Inspector (second rank).

  More importantly, the imperial court also gave him an unprecedented position - the General Governor of the Three Borders.

  Please note that this official is quite extraordinary and can be said to be a super high-ranking official. It manages not only one province, but also Gansu, Ningxia, and Yan'an three places. Even the local governor has to obey it, which means its position is very powerful.

  Although Yang Yiqing was very powerful, after all, he was still a border guard and should not have been connected with Liu Jin. The problem is that Liu Jin is different from the eunuchs of the past. Apart from being corrupt and murderous, he also wanted to do something.

  But he himself is uncultured, so in order to attract talent, he will also use some means to win people's hearts. For example, Li Mengyang, who wrote a memorial to scold him, Liu Jin hated him so much that he gnashed his teeth, but this person was too famous. In order to gain a reputation for loving talent, he had already been imprisoned, and he endured without taking action. In the end, he even invited him to dinner and released him with honor.

  Because he was too reckless, this move didn't deceive many people, but it also attracted a very formidable person to come and surrender. This person later became Liu Jin's military strategist and a powerful enemy of Li Dongyang, Yang Yiqing and others. His name is Zhang Cai.

  In the Liu Jin crime group, although Jiao Fang's position was very high, his ability was average at best, and he could be considered a big mixed bag. However, Zhang Cai was different from ordinary people. He was meticulous in his plans, had a deep understanding of human nature, and was well-read in poetry and books, with excellent knowledge. Even the once-dominant Ma Wensheng and Liu Daxia highly respected him. With his help, Liu Jin truly gained a reliable strategist, and his crime group continued to grow and expand.

  But Liu Jin was not satisfied, and he soon set his sights on Yang Yiqing.

  Liu Jin hoped to win over Yang Yiqing and make him his own man, but Yang Yiqing looked down on this eunuch and refused him sternly. Liu Jin was extremely angry and wanted to deal with him, and soon the opportunity arrived.

  At that time, Yang Yiqing was raising horses and doing an important project - repairing the Great Wall. This is not a joke. The Great Wall in Ningxia today was built by him back then. Yang Yiqing served as the head of the package workers and also as the supervisor.

  Yang Yiqing was a reliable foreman who never cut corners, but unexpectedly, the weather suddenly changed and it started snowing heavily. Several leading construction workers conspired to make trouble and escape.

  Yang Yiqing made a decisive move and settled the matter, but Liu Jin seized the opportunity to severely accuse him.

  Yang Yiqing was now in a predicament and could only tender his resignation. However, what Liu Jin did not expect was that Yang Yiqing, who was prepared to leave, made an unexpected request:

  "Please let Zhang Cai take over my position."

  Liu Jin was frustrated, he thought hard but couldn't figure out what Yang Yiqing was selling in his gourd, was it out of kindness? Or did he have an unusual relationship with Zhang Cai?

  Liu Jin became suspicious of Zhang Cai.

  However, he did not let go of Yang Yiqing. A year later (in the third year of Zhengde), Liu Jin used the excuse that Yang Yiqing had embezzled military funds to put him in prison. This time, he was determined to thoroughly destroy Yang Yiqing.

  But Liu Jin was not clear that Yang Yiqing and Yang Tinghe, who seemed simple, were not simple characters at all. They also had a deep background.

  Forty years ago, 15-year-old Yang Yiqing was recommended by the local government to come to Beijing and became a student of the famous scholar Li Chun. Here he met a talented senior fellow apprentice, and the two had a deep affection for each other, making a pact to work hard together and be loyal to their country. In the following decades, they maintained close private contact with each other.

  His senior fellow apprentice was Li Dongyang.

  So after Yang Yiqing was put in prison, Li Dongyang immediately found Liu Jin and Jiao Fang, hoping to be able to smooth things over, just pay a fine and that would be the end of it. At first, Liu Jin was unwilling, but he couldn't withstand Li Dongyang's repeated entreaties, plus Yang Yiqing had led troops before and had many desperate followers under him, who knows when one day on his way to work he himself might be suddenly and inexplicably killed off, after thinking it over carefully, Liu Jin decided to release this person.

  Yang Yiqing took a deep breath as he walked out of the prison and nodded slightly at Li Dongyang who had come to pick him up.

  "What do you plan to do?"

  "Let's wait and see in Beijing for now."

  "No," Li Dongyang suddenly became serious, "you must leave here immediately, don't go home, find a place to hide."

  Then he stopped and looked at Yang Yiqing with a profound meaning:

  "When I need you, I will naturally go find you."

  Yang Yiqing smiled. Decades had passed, and the two spirited young men of that year had long since disappeared without a trace, but this far-sighted elder brother seemed to have never changed.

  "Alright, I'll go into seclusion in Zhenjiang, when the time comes, you can come find me."

  Even if everyone in the world misunderstands you, I understand your words and deeds, and I am clear about your intentions. I know that you have been waiting in humiliation all along.

  Variable

  Liu Jin plans to do some good deeds.

  It's no wonder, because he has done so many bad things, it's natural to want to do some good things. It's not hard for a person to do one bad thing, but to spend their whole life only doing bad things is really very difficult.

  What's more important is that he gradually found his reputation getting worse and worse, and a conversation with Zhang Cai also made up his mind.

  "Director Liu, don't accept bribes anymore."

  What is known as the "usual practice" was a special rule of Liu Jin's, whereby every provincial official who came to the capital to report on his work had to pay him tens of thousands of taels of silver after finishing his report. If anyone failed to do so, by the time he returned home, the order for his dismissal might have already arrived.

  Although the high-ranking officials who came to Beijing to report on their work were very wealthy, where could they get tens of thousands of taels of silver at once? However, it was impossible to offend Liu Gonggong, so many people had no choice but to borrow usury from people in the capital and then use government funds to repay when they returned.

  But Zhang Cai bluntly told Liu Jin that this was an extremely foolish way of making money.

  Liu Jin was confused again, using this method, he could collect a lot of money every time, and it was simple and efficient, how could he be called foolish?

  Looking at this unscrupulous guy, Zhang Cai was furious. He pointed out clearly that you receive tens of thousands of taels from each official, which seems like a lot, but you should know that these guys are all old hands at corruption. They won't pay the money themselves, but they can take advantage of it to collect several times more in their own provinces, of course, all under your name, saying it's tribute for you. This way, Liu Gonggong, your notorious reputation will soon spread throughout the country.

  Liu Jin suddenly realized.

  "These bastards are using my name to swindle money everywhere, this is outrageous!"

  Director Liu's anger is justified, those minor corrupt officials used his reputation as a major corrupt official without paying royalties or patent fees, he should be angry, indeed he should be very angry.

  In his anger, Liu Gonggong immediately ordered the cancellation of the usual practice and pursued corrupt local officials.

  This can be considered as Liu Gonggong's first "good deed".

  Not long after, Liu Gonggong decided to make some innovations. He analyzed the national economic situation and unexpectedly found a loophole. He had an epiphany and decided to do another "good deed".

  Perhaps he was too confident about this matter, so he decided to directly petition the emperor and no longer listened to Zhang Cai's opinion as usual.

  He ultimately died of this matter.

  The next day, he went alone to court and brought up this matter in front of Zhu Houzhao and all the civil and military officials:

  "Your Majesty, it's time to tidy up the military camps."

  Everything starts from here.

  The so-called military settlement is a special policy in the Ming Dynasty, which can be simply said that soldiers support themselves. When fighting, they are soldiers; when there is nothing to do, they are farmers, growing vegetables and grains, raising pigs from time to time to improve their diet, and the remaining grain can also be handed over to the state.

  This system was thought out by Old Zhu with great effort at that time, but now it's very hard to maintain.

  In order to allow the military camp to continue, it is necessary to ensure that there is land. Although the landlord's tyranny does not dare to occupy the army's land, the high-ranking cadres of the army will not be polite. Over a hundred years, the land has become less and less, and the food has also become less and less. Many soldiers can't even fill their stomachs.

  Liu Jin discovered this problem and publicly stated that he would investigate land ownership, re-divide it, increase national grain income, and improve the lives of soldiers.

  Liu Jin did this, of course, not for the sake of the soldiers, but just to create some political achievements, and the ministers all understood in their hearts, but dared not speak out.

  Zhu Houzhao nodded repeatedly and waved his hand, saying:

  "Good idea, go ahead and do it!"

  However, Yang Tinghe, who was standing on one side, was ready to speak out. The experienced him had already discovered the fatal loophole in this so-called plan.

  Just as he was about to stand up, a hand from behind tightly grasped his collar.

  Yang Tinghe turned around and saw Li Dongyang's silence.

  He stood up again.

  Scattered in the morning, Liu Jin hurried back home, he was about to start his own plan.

  Yang Tinghe stayed behind, and he also pulled Li Dongyang, who wanted to open the road, because there was a question in his heart:

  "Why did you just pull me back?"

  Li Dongyang looked at him and revealed a mysterious smile:

  "Why did you just speak?"

  So that's how it is, I understand now.