Chapter 24: Turning the Tide

The senior officials of the outer court believed that Wang Zhenling was a seed of literature, one who had achieved clear-minded enlightenment, and therefore should naturally enter the Imperial Academy to study and serve Confucianism.

The Emperor, however, believed that Wang Zhenling had already stated his intention to enter the Hongdu Gate Academy. These high officials were simply acting against him and trying to snatch people away from him!

In short, when traced to its root, this was a contest of strength between the faction representing the Heavenly Court and the faction representing the imperial authority of the Great Cheng dynasty.

Yet Wang Zhenling was merely a pawn caught between the forces of both sides.

"Your Majesty, those outer officials hold great power, and there is nothing we can do..." the Director of the Secretariat said with a lowered head.

Although imperial authority was formidable, once the civil and military officials joined forces to suppress it, they had to bear immense pressure.

Not to mention that behind the officials stood illustrious and powerful clans, and behind those illustrious and powerful clans stood the Heavenly Court itself!

In short, the underlying meaning of the Director of the Secretariat, Bing Fang, was that the pressure upon them was too great and they could no longer hold out.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ji Yun felt both anger and a trace of fear.

A surge of overwhelming hostility rose in his heart, and he said, "Since I cannot have him, those outer court officials shall not have him either! I want this man dead!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Director of the Secretariat and the various court gentlemen exchanged glances, all knowing that this matter was inappropriate. Yet under the Emperor's fury, none dared to voice their opposition.

At that moment, a court gentleman suddenly stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, this is not wise. If Wang Zhenling is killed, it will surely give the outer court officials grounds for gossip.

Those officials will certainly use the pretext that the Son of Heaven wantonly executed an innocent scholar to smear Your Majesty's reputation.

In my view, it would be better to bestow an official post upon Wang Zhenling and then demote him far away to Ke Province. That way, those outer officials will likely have nothing more to say!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ji Yun immediately felt it made great sense. He looked again at the Director of the Secretariat, Bing Fang, and asked, "How does my lord view this matter?"

Bing Fang pondered for a moment and said, "Ultimately, promoting him to an official post will shut the mouths of the outer officials.

Then, exiling the man far away will ensure he can no longer cause trouble!"

The Emperor burst into hearty laughter and said, "Since that is the case, I shall appoint him as a county magistrate and drive him off to the barren, pestilent lands!"

Hearing this, several court gentlemen changed their expressions slightly.

Although Ke Province was remote, it still had some pleasant areas that were not too different from the central provinces!

However, those barren and pestilent lands were the frontier regions controlled by the court, historically places used for exiling criminals.

Those regions were filled with steep mountains and dense forests, overrun by sorcerers and spirits, and plagued by various Yue barbarian tribes who constantly rebelled and killed officials. To go there as an official meant one would likely never return alive for the rest of one's days.

Yet once the Emperor's decree had been issued, no one dared to argue at this moment!

Only one man stepped forward and said to the Son of Heaven, "Your Majesty, this is not advisable. I fear the grand councillors of the outer court will not agree!"

The Emperor's expression shifted slightly. Through a twist of fate, Wang Zhenling's affair had become the focal point of the struggle for power between the Son of Heaven and the officials.

If he disposed of Wang Zhenling in this manner, directly exiling an innocent man to a place like Ke Province, the officials of the outer court would absolute not agree to it so easily!

Seeing that he had moved the Son of Heaven, the court gentleman simply smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it would be better to keep Wang Zhenling within the inner commanderies.

However, according to the Sanfu Law, natives of a province cannot serve as officials in their own province.

Since Wang Zhenling naturally cannot remain in Liang Province, I suggest transferring him to Yu Province instead!"

Yu Province was located in the interior, with a thousand miles of fertile plains and abundant harvests. Serving as a county magistrate in such a place would normally have been a fine post!

However, following the plague of the previous year, Yu Province had suffered severely.

The imperial court's disaster relief had been untimely, leaving countless commanderies and counties in Yu Province in ruins and countless commoners dead.

Compounded by the subsequent delay in the spring plowing and insufficient grain production, this year had brought yet another famine.

Yu Province, which was originally a vital tax revenue region for Great Cheng, had now become a place where the people could barely survive, filled with wandering refugees.

To serve as an official there now was definitely not a good thing!

When these words were spoken, the Emperor's eyes suddenly lit up. He beckoned an attendant to bring a map, glanced at it for a moment, and then burst into laughter. "Lord Liu is indeed resourceful. But merely banishing him to Yu Province is far too lenient on him.

It would be better to dispatch Wang Zhenling to the southern parts of Li Province. Yet he need not even be a county magistrate; let him serve merely as a county assistant!"

The court gentlemen of the Secretariat in the hall exchanged subtle glances, inwardly startled.

Not only was banishing Wang Zhenling to a place like Yu Province deemed insufficient, but they were actually going to send him to Li Province.

Li Province had not only suffered from the plague just like Yu Province, but it was also ruggedly mountainous and infested with countless spiritual shamans who stirred up rebellions and sacked commanderies and counties.

To serve as an official in Li Province was clearly wishing for Wang Zhenling's death!

At the same time, they inwardly sighed at the petty nature of the Son of Heaven, who refused to suffer even the slightest loss.

Unable to banish Wang Zhenling to the border commanderies, he was not even willing to grant him the position of a county magistrate!

Furthermore, what kind of good place was the south of Li Province? Though considered an inner commandery, in terms of sparse population and barbarian rebellions, how much better was it than the borderlands?

After the court session dismissed, Wang Yue suddenly stepped out from the side, bowed deeply to the Liu-surnamed court gentleman who had just made the suggestion, and said, "Many thanks, Brother Liu, for speaking righteously!"

Wang Yue was also dressed in the attire of a court gentleman and had earlier been seated among the various Secretariat gentlemen.

However, as a member of the Wang family and Wang Zhenling's cousin, it had been inconvenient for him to speak up just then, so he could only ask his colleague and friend Liu Yunzhong to help.

Liu Yunzhong, however, assumed a solemn expression and said, "Brother Wang is being too polite. Originally, I intended to help your younger brother.

Who would have known it would end up harming him? His Majesty insists on sending your brother to Li Province, alas..."

Wang Yue hastily said, "Life and death are ordained by fate, and wealth and honor rest with heaven. Originally, His Majesty wanted to kill my seventh younger brother.

Thanks to Brother Liu speaking up, he can at least go to the south alive. Speaking of which, I must thank Brother Liu for his great kindness on behalf of my brother!"

"Not at all, not at all," Liu Yunzhong hurriedly declined modestly, before adding, "Since matters have come to this, Brother Wang would do well to write a letter home as soon as possible to notify them!

It would be best for your Seventh Young Master not to accept the imperial decree, even if it means never serving as an official for the rest of his life. That would still be far better than losing his life!"

Wang Yue let out a long sigh and said, "Brother Liu speaks the truth. I shall write home immediately!"

Yet at that very moment, an attendant rushed into the main hall in a panic.

"Eh, what has happened?"

Seeing the attendant in such a panic, Wang Yue and the others were deeply shaken.

Generally speaking, unless something of great magnitude had occurred, this attendant would never act like this.

Soon, news arrived: dozens of censors from the outer court had suddenly made their move, impeaching Yang Ting, the former Inspector of Yu Province and current Director of Dependencies, one of the Nine Ministers of the court!

Upon hearing this news, Wang Yue and the others turned pale with shock. They never expected this matter to erupt at such a critical juncture!

During the plague in Yu Province the previous year, the court had appointed Yang Ting as the Imperial Envoy and Inspector of Yu Province, granting him full authority over the affairs of all commanderies in Yu Province to handle the plague.