The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

The emperor's headquarters.

Emperor Zhengde was convening a military meeting in front of the emperor. The Chang family had been favored for three generations, so naturally the three of them were among them.

Emperor Zhengde looked around and asked, "Where is Jiang Bin?"

Zhang Yong, the attendant, replied, "Your Majesty, there is a messenger from Jiangxi. Marshal Jiang has gone to see the messenger."

Chang Feng frowned, thinking to himself: If the messenger brought news that Wang Shouren obeyed the imperial edict and released Prince Ning, then the people in Jiangnan will suffer a great disaster again.

Just as he was thinking about it, Jiang Bin suddenly rushed in: "Father, this is deceiving the heaven!"

Emperor Zhengde frowned. "Deceiving Heaven" was his catchphrase. Jiang Bin was such a well-behaved person, but he went beyond the rules and shouted "deceiving Heaven". He must have encountered something bad that made him collapse.

Emperor Zhengde said, "After all, you are the Right General of the Southern Expedition. You must stay calm when encountering difficulties."

Jiang Bin fell to his knees: "Father, Wang Shouren has rebelled!"

Chang Feng blurted out: "Nonsense. How loyal is Wang Shouren to the court?!"

Emperor Zhengde said, "Tell me slowly what's going on."

Jiang Bin said: "Zhang Zhong went to Jiangxi with your order. Wang Shouren not only did not follow your order to release Prince Ning, but instead said it was a false order and detained Zhang Zhong."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhengde was furious and threw the bronze chime, which had been passed down for three generations, to the ground. He then roared like a dragon: "You are deceiving the heavens! Wang Shouren deserves to be killed!"

Chang Feng's face suddenly changed when he heard this: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, even if I die!"

Emperor Zhengde said angrily: "You naturally want to speak for Wang Shouren. It is better not to say anything."

Chang Feng said, "Your Majesty, I am speaking for your merits and demerits in the history books of the ages!"

Emperor Zhengde frowned: "Why do you bring up the merits and demerits in history books?"

Chang Feng was already an old fox in the court. He began to persuade Emperor Zhengde to fall into his trap: "May I ask your Majesty, who is the leader of the literary world now?"

Emperor Zhengde replied: "Of course it was the traitor Wang Shouren."

Chang Feng said: "The close friends and students of the literary leaders are all over the world. The mouths of writers are the most terrible weapons in the world. As the saying goes, people can be killed under the tongue."

Emperor Zhengde was displeased: "Chang Qing, do you think these have anything to do with Wang Shouren's disobedience?"

Chang Feng replied: "There is a connection! May I ask the emperor, you were deceived and ordered the meritorious officials who suppressed the rebellion to release the rebel king. If this gets out, how will the scholars evaluate you? They will say that you are a tyrant!"

Jiang Bin interrupted: "Chang Feng, you are so bold!"

Chang Feng ignored Jiang Bin and continued, "Your Majesty, there are only two possibilities now. Either the edict is real and you are a tyrant. Or the edict is forged and you are a wise ruler. Wang Shouren judged that the edict brought by Zhang Zhong was a forged one for your reputation. If you punish Wang Shouren, it is equivalent to telling the world that you are stupid and mediocre."

Emperor Zhengde gritted his teeth and said, "So Wang Shouren doesn't listen to me. Not only can I not punish him, but I have to issue an edict to commend him for his wisdom in solving the forged edict case?"

Chang Feng said: "There's no need to commend him. The fewer people who know about this, the better."

Emperor Zhengde sneered, "As expected, you are Wang Shouren's best friend. We have worked together to open up wasteland in Longchang. Oh, if I want to make a move on Wang Shouren, you will be the first one to disagree."

Chang Feng's face showed the confused look of old age again: "Ah, Your Majesty, I am really thinking about your reputation!"

Emperor Zhengde squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth: "Uncle, do you think I am a tyrant or a wise ruler?" Chang Feng shouted: "Your Majesty, you are wise!"

Chang Po Nu echoed: "Your Majesty is the third wisest monarch since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors! The wisest one was Taizu of our dynasty, and the second wisest one was Taizong of our dynasty."

Grandfather and father flattered the emperor, and Chang Qingyun was not to be outdone: "The emperor is good at both civil and military affairs. Especially his martial arts, he is comparable to Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang."

Although Emperor Zhengde knew that these three generations were flattering him, he was very pleased in his heart: "Oh, let me tell you, I am not so foolish as to punish the meritorious officials who suppressed the rebellion for such a trivial matter. Although Wang Shouren has a lot of problems and doesn't listen to me very much, I still want to use him. After the southern expedition is over and I return to Beijing, I will promote him to the Minister of War."

Emperor Zhengde was not stupid. He knew who was a jester and who was a capable minister. He wanted to use jesters like Jiang Bin and he must use capable ministers like Wang Shouren.

It's a pity that he didn't live to see the day when Wang Shouren was promoted. Of course, these are all later stories.

After failing to release the rebel king, Emperor Zhengde thought of a new trick: "Order the army to continue marching southward according to the original plan and enter Jiangxi!"

This is a bullshit imperial edict.

There is a rebellion in Jiangxi, and as the emperor you have a legitimate reason to lead your troops in person.

But now the rebellion has been suppressed by Wang Shouren. What are you doing with hundreds of thousands of troops to Jiangxi?
With hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, which one of their eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, and lying down doesn't cost money?
The people of Jiangxi had just experienced a rebellion and were in urgent need of rest and recuperation. When hundreds of thousands of troops were sent there, the people would have to provide food and fodder. Wouldn't this make the people suffer twice?
Chang Feng was about to object. Emperor Zhengde said, "I have received a secret report that there are still remnants of Ning Wang in Jiangxi that have not been eliminated. I am bringing a large army into Jiangxi to eliminate the remnants of the rebels once and for all! It's settled! Everyone, withdraw."

Chang Feng and his three generations of ancestors left the camp.

Chang Po Nu sighed: "Alas, the people of Jiangxi are going to suffer."

Chang Feng said, "No, Wang Shouren will definitely not sit idly by and watch hundreds of thousands of troops enter Jiangxi."

Chang Po Nu was surprised: "Father, Uncle Wang has already offended the emperor by not releasing Prince Ning. If he blocks the army from entering Gan, won't the emperor be furious and banish him to Longchang again?"

Chang Feng said sternly, "I know Wang Shouren better than anyone else. For the sake of the people, being exiled to Longchang is nothing. He even risked his life to save the people! What is a saint? A saint is someone who is willing to sacrifice his life for the safety of the people."

"Having said that, even if it costs the Chang family's life and property, we have to protect Wang Shouren!"

The fourteenth year of Zhengde, the end of August. Ganzhou Prefecture.

Wang Shouren received the imperial edict. The emperor's army would first go to Yingtian to worship the ancestors, and then move to Jiangxi. He ordered the local government of Jiangxi to raise funds for the expenses.

Wang Shouren and Wu Wendi received the imperial edict and looked at each other in surprise.

Wu Wendi said: "The people of Jiangxi have just experienced war. How can they support an army of more than 100,000? The emperor likes to play a lot, so it doesn't matter if he stays in Jiangxi for a year or two. But the expenses of an army of more than 100,000 for a year or two may overwhelm the people of Jiangxi!"

Wang Shouren was as calm as water: "I will not allow the southern expedition army to enter Jiangxi."

Wu Wending pointed to the imperial edict on the table: "Could it be that the emperor is leading his army into Jiangxi, and you want to lead troops to stop him? That would be treason!"

Wang Shouren shook his head: "No. Doesn't the emperor have to go to Yingtian to worship his ancestors first? I will take Prince Ning and the captives to Yingtian to present them!"

It was against the law for local officials to leave their territories without permission and go to the capital Yingtian, even if they were offering captives.

Wu Wendi exclaimed: "My Lord Governor, you are gambling with your life."

Wang Shouren said sternly: "For the sake of the people in Jiangnan, what does it matter if I bet my life?" (End of this chapter)