Linxia

Chapter 241, Hanging

January of the first year of Chongxiang, Huai'an.

The Fang family, including Fang's father, Fang's mother, and the second son Fang Xi, all came back from overseas, and the whole family was lively. It was New Year's Day, and a new era name was changed. Everyone had beautiful expectations for the new year.

There was an endless stream of guests coming to the house to pay New Year's greetings every day, and the house was always crowded with people. There were managers of the factory fleet, neighbors in the West Lane, people from the Ma, Shao, and Duan families... Many guests were self-aware and came to give gifts and left without even sitting down. Only a few needed to be entertained personally by Fang Lin.

Fang Lin entertained them for two days, and then handed over the subsequent less important guests to Fang's father, mother, and eldest son Fang Tai, and he himself had some quiet time.

In the backyard study, he paced back and forth. These days, he had a trace of worry in his heart that he could not tell others: "Prince Xin ascended the throne, and the reign was named Chongxiang, but it corresponds to Chongzhen in the previous life. Is this... fate?"

"If we follow the historical trajectory of the previous life, Chongzhen would have been on the throne for only two or three months before Wei Zhongxian fell. This was a precursor to the chaos in the Ming Dynasty. Will this time and space be the same?"

Fang Lin had a complicated expression. Regardless of how Wei Zhongxian treated others, at least he was pretty good to him.

"Zhang Ruian has completed his mourning period and will be coming to the capital. He can lend a helping hand to Wei Zhongxian. I hope...something can change!"

During these three years, while Zhang Ruian was in mourning, Fang Lin also exchanged letters with him.

Zhang Ruian also had his own guesses about what happened to Zhang's mother, so before leaving Beijing to escort the coffin, he gave Wei Zhongxian some instructions, which was what he had said before, to guard against civil servants targeting Emperor Tianshun.

And these three years of mourning were plenty of time, enough for him to figure everything out.

From the letter, Fang Lin had seen Zhang Ruian's ambition: he would insist on doing what he believed was right, and would indeed be "loyal to the country" as Zhang's mother said, but he would not be "blindly loyal" and collude with those decadent and corrupt civil servants. Instead, he would choose to stand on the side of Wei Zhongxian, because this would be beneficial to the current situation in Daxia and to the country!
Now that Emperor Tianshun has passed away and Emperor Chongxiang has ascended the throne, the capital is in turmoil and the world is changing dramatically. Zhang Ruian rushed to the capital without stopping a few days ago.

Fang Lin supported the other party's attempt to save the situation. He also told Zhang Ruian that if things were unsuccessful, he could consider going overseas through his side.

This promised fallback was not only effective for Zhang Ruian, but also for Wei Zhongxian.

"In this way, it can be regarded as repaying Wei Zhongxian's favor. At the same time, this is also an opportunity, an opportunity to absorb the talents under Wei Zhongxian."

Fang Lin knew that although most of Wei Zhongxian's subordinates were not good people, there were still some quite capable ones, otherwise nothing could be accomplished.

"Those civil servants who followed Wei Zhongxian probably looked down on me, and I looked down on them, too. Even the few capable civil servants, I looked down on, because since they 'stooped to follow the enemy,' they must have moral flaws."

"However, those generals are different. I respect them. They are also relatively scarce talents in my overseas base now."

Fang Lin saw it clearly: "If Wei Zhongxian falls, the civil servant group will regain control of the government and strike back, because Daxia has always had an unspoken rule of preferential treatment for civil servants (this is an unspoken rule that is tacitly accepted when the civil servant group is in power, and it naturally does not apply when Wei Zhongxian controls the government, but when the civil servant group regains control of the government, it will certainly not break this rule that is beneficial to itself). Those civil servants who are attached to Wei Zhongxian will most likely escape with their lives, but civil servants have always looked down on military men, and they will probably not show mercy to the military generals who they regard as mere soldiers."

"It's a pity for these generals to become consumables in the political struggle. It's better for them to come to me. In the future, they can kill more Tartars, which is also valuable."

……

Capital.

Wei Zhongxian came to a secret courtyard and met a man, who was none other than Zhang Ruian.

"Today, I came to see His Majesty and requested to resign from the positions of Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and Governor of the Eastern Depot. Your Majesty refused and tried to keep me..." Wei Zhongxian said, his expression relaxing a little.

"This must be a move to paralyze the factory owner."

Zhang Ruian said confidently: "In the past one or two months, your majesty expelled the eunuchs planted in the palace by the factory public security, and later ordered the prime minister promoted by the factory public security to resign... Most of the factory public security's power has been reduced. If the factory public security continues to harbor luck, his death will be imminent!"

Wei Zhongxian was silent when he heard this. He had controlled the government for many years, so how could he not understand people's hearts? But he still had a fluke mentality and was unwilling to confront Emperor Chongxiang... At this time, Zhang Ruian revealed this cold reality, forcing him to face this problem.

During the past month or two, Emperor Chongxiang came to power. He first took down the eunuchs he had sent to protect Emperor Tianshun when he fell into the water, and replaced them with his own people. Then, he made the cabinet ministers he promoted retire and replaced them with people from the civil service group. This made him very uneasy. Today, he tried to test Emperor Chongxiang and asked him to resign from the positions of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the governor of the East Factory, but the emperor refused and tried to keep him...

Let me put it this way, because he was the son of the previous emperor and had the last words entrusted by Emperor Tianshun, Wei Zhongxian retreated again and again in the face of Emperor Chongxiang's struggle for power. Otherwise, how could he, who had controlled the government for so many years, have had such a complex and deep-rooted power destroyed in just a month or two?
It was only because he had no intention of rebelling. If it were a military general or a powerful official, he would have fallen into the water and died suddenly as soon as Emperor Chongxiang started to take action.

"Did the Lord teach me?"

"I have three plans, the best, the middle and the worst. It all depends on the decision of the factory manager. As for the best plan, everything depends on your majesty. As long as..."

Zhang Ruian had a cold expression and made a downward cutting motion.

Even now, after Wei Zhongxian's successive concessions and most of his power has been reduced, he can still make Emperor Chongxiang... This is also the reason why Emperor Chongxiang refused, retained, and paralyzed Wei Zhongxian when he asked for resignation, and did not dare to break up with him.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhang Ruian. His face suddenly darkened, as if a tiger had awakened from its prey. It could be said that compared to his recent clumsy and cowardly performance in the face of Emperor Chongxiang's relentless pressure, this was the true demeanor of the "Nine Thousand Years Old": "Lord, do you know what you are talking about?"

"Of course I know."

Zhang Ruian had nothing to be ashamed of. He looked into Wei Zhongxian's eyes and said, "Your Majesty is not the late emperor, nor is he Emperor Shizong (Emperor Hongtai's temple name). You regard the factory director as a thorn in your side! Doesn't the factory director understand? In the current situation, either the factory director dies or the current majesty dies!"

He revealed this cold essence.

"You don't need to feel guilty or blame yourself for this. Your Majesty has not received any education as a crown prince and is easily deceived by treacherous people. He is not a good candidate for the throne."

"If my guess is correct, the late emperor must have instructed Your Majesty to use the factory master before his death. Judging from what Your Majesty has done now, it seems that he is determined to take action against the factory master and cut off his own wings. It is a disaster rather than a blessing for him to sit in such a foolish position."

Zhang Ruian thought of a point made by Fang Lin during his correspondence: 'The greater the ability, the higher the status, the greater the power, and the greater the responsibility.' Based on this point of view, if one cannot bear that responsibility and does not have that ability, then one is not worthy of that status and that power!
The throne is exactly like this. If the person sitting on that position is worse than a clay or wooden statue, what is the point of having him? What is the point of keeping him?

"Master, Daxia can do without the current emperor, but it cannot do without you. I dare to assert that if you die, Daxia will be irreversibly corrupted within 30 years!" "So, Master, you don't have to feel burdened. Those civil servants did it, so can't you do it? You did this not for yourself, but for Daxia. As the saying goes: great loyalty can be as treacherous as great treachery. Please make the decision, Master!"

As Zhang Ruian spoke, a hint of madness appeared on his face. His views were absolutely shocking in the current social context.

But, perhaps because of the stimulation of Zhang's mother's incident, his thoughts broke through the barriers and he became a sober madman; or perhaps because of the correspondence with Fang Lin for the past twenty or three years, which opened up his "Ren and Du meridians", he truly understood that the world does not belong to one person, but to everyone in the world, and had the concept that the country is more important than the king, so he said these words.

Wei Zhongxian listened with a changing expression. He stared at Zhang Ruian with a strong murderous intent that disappeared. Finally, he took two steps back and sat down on the armchair. He closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he said with difficulty: "After all, he is the son of the late emperor... There is no need to talk about this matter anymore."

All we can say is that, because he is a eunuch with a disabled body, he may not be a sober madman like Zhang Ruian, but he is also a pervert. His feelings for Emperor Hongtai are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. He has become obsessive and paranoid, a bit like a "yandere". He knew that if he continued to let Emperor Chongxiang go, he would lose his life and be beheaded, but he still couldn't do it.

Zhang Ruian sighed softly when he heard this: "The middle strategy is that the factory owner should stop harboring illusions and actively fight to undermine the current emperor."

"Although the factory master has made a series of concessions recently and lost most of his power, his subordinates are in turmoil because of these concessions. There is also a group of civil servants who are eyeing the situation covetously and adding fuel to the fire. The late emperor may have left a backup plan for the current emperor... But with the factory master's skills and the current emperor's stupidity, as long as the factory master is no longer soft-hearted and shows his true ability, he still has a great chance of winning."

"However, as long as the factory master does not make up his mind, even if this plan succeeds, the most he can do is imprison His Majesty. An unexpected incident could allow His Majesty to communicate with the inside and outside and turn the tables. Then he would be infamous for eternity..."

Obviously, Zhang Ruian still wanted to recommend the best strategy.

After hearing this, Wei Zhongxian was silent for a long time before he said, "Sir, tell me the next best thing!"

"If you want to retire, it is better to do it right away and resolutely resign all your positions and go to Yingtian Ancestral Mausoleum to guard the mausoleums of the late emperor and Emperor Shizong. You should take the initiative to leave the capital, show your sincerity, and not cling to power and position, and let Your Majesty strip you of everything."

"If your majesty is merciful and considers the last words of the late emperor, he will probably keep the factory master... maybe he can be used in the future when the government changes... However, this depends on your majesty's intention. There is also the civil service group, who will probably not let the factory master go and will certainly offer slanderous words. It depends on whether your majesty will listen to them."

"I don't recommend this strategy to the factory owner. If that happens, I will be at the mercy of others and there will be no chance for the factory owner to resist."

Zhang Ruian paused for a moment, then said, "If the factory owner chooses this strategy, please forgive me for leaving. When I come to the capital, I will pretend that I have never met the factory owner."

Obviously, if Wei Zhongxian made this choice, he would have to protect himself. It was not because he was afraid of death, but because he remembered his mother's last words of "serving the country with loyalty and devotion" and kept himself useful to see what else he could do for Daxia in the future.

"No wonder the eldest prince refused to use our family connections to resume his official position when he came back to the capital this time." Wei Zhongxian closed his eyes slightly, and after a moment, he gently waved his hand: "Forget it, eldest prince, go ahead!"

Obviously, he had made a choice and chose the worst option.

Zhang Ruian looked at Wei Zhongxian deeply, sighed again, clasped his hands, turned around, took two steps, and paused: "Sir, I brought two people with me. You can stay... If you are in a desperate situation, this may be a way out..."

……

On the second day of February in the first year of Chongxiang, Wei Zhongxian resolutely resigned from his posts as eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and governor of the Eastern Depot, and asked to go to the Yingtian Ancestral Mausoleum to guard the tombs of the late emperor and Emperor Shizong. Emperor Chongxiang readily agreed.

Perhaps to defame himself and show that he was not attached to power, Wei Zhongxian left the capital that day, taking away one hundred carts of silver, money and treasures, and was escorted by a thousand men.

After Wei Zhongxian left the capital, his followers were leaderless and demoralized. Emperor Chongxiang joined forces with the civil service group to quickly eliminate the remaining forces of Wei Zhongxian.

After Wei Zhongxian's followers were basically eliminated, the civil service group pursued Wei Zhongxian relentlessly and impeached him fiercely, accusing him of dozens of major crimes. Emperor Chongxiang took advantage of the situation and sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to hunt down Wei Zhongxian and bring him to the capital for trial.

……

Ji area, Fucheng.

When Wei Zhongxian arrived here, he received news of a pursuit from the capital.

——Although his followers in the capital were eradicated, there were still some who slipped through the net, and it was still possible to convey some information.

At the beginning, Zhang Ruian left behind two people, who were sent by Fang Lin. One of them was named Tian Dou, who advised: "Mr. Factory, why don't you fake your death and escape, and go overseas to hide?"

"Yes, we have already found a replacement body for you. We just need to set it on fire and burn it so that no one can recognize it." Another person also said.

"Thank your master on behalf of my family, but it's not necessary."

Wei Zhongxian smiled sadly: "I am just a crippled eunuch. Even if I go overseas to linger, what's the point?"

This state of mind is similar to the time when he refused to listen to Zhang Ruian's best strategy - if the emperor did not trust him, what would be the point of doing more? It would be better to die.

"This is what your master wants. Take it. I think after my death, those generals I promoted will also be liquidated. It would be great if your master could recruit them."

The two men looked at each other and had no choice but to leave.

After they left, Wei Zhongxian took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and wrote a letter. In the letter, he wrote about the instructions given to him by Emperor Shizong (Emperor Hongtai) before his death, which were to keep an eye on the civil servants, look after Liaodong, and not to increase taxes outside the Jianghuai area. He also wrote about some generals who he thought were capable.

——These generals were not promoted by Wei Zhongxian, but rather they were unwilling to "follow the enemy" and were attached to him. At first, he killed most of the civil servants who were unwilling to be attached to him, but he did not kill all of these capable generals. Even if they were not attached to him, he would let them stay at home without work.

After doing these things, Wei Zhongxian took out a white silk and hanged himself facing north: "Your Majesty, the late emperor, I am here to see you!"

At this time, it was the time when day and night changed. The last ray of light of dusk deflected and brushed across Wei Zhongxian's body in the house, and then the whole earth fell into darkness.

……

(End of this chapter)