The rise of the poor

At the city gate of the capital, Liu Dachui and five Zhejiang soldiers, their faces weathered and covered in dust, looked at the gate with expressions of intense excitement.

Liu Dachui was holding a deep basin filled with water. Two stones were placed in the water, the water level reaching halfway up the stones. Two white turtles were perched on the stones, stretching their necks and looking arrogant.

"We've arrived! We've finally reached the capital! Those two troublemakers are really too difficult to deal with. We've finally accomplished our mission and delivered them to the capital alive!" Liu Dachui was so excited that his eyes welled up with tears.

"It's too difficult. I thought this mission would be easy. It's just about delivering two white turtles and ambergris to the capital."

"That's right. I thought this trip would take at most ten days round trip, but I didn't expect it to take more than half a month just to get to the capital one way."

"The two turtles in the middle suddenly stopped moving. We thought they were dead, which scared us to death. Luckily, General Hammer insisted and ran to several fishing villages to find an old fisherman who raised turtles. We then learned that they were hibernating."

"It's amazing! In the old fisherman's kitchen, after lighting a fire and keeping it warm for two days, the two turtles really woke up."

"Thanks to the old fisherman who taught us turtle-raising techniques, we never expected that turtles would need to bask in the sun every day, keep warm in winter, eat meat and vegetables, and have their water changed every three days. Although we traveled slower, covering less ground in three days than we used to in one day, these two little devils are still lively and energetic, which is better than anything else."

The five Zhejiang soldiers behind him were also extremely excited, expressing their excitement all at once.

They had a really tough time on their journey, working three shifts a day, never leaving their side, and being cared for at all times. They meticulously looked after the two white turtles, treating them like royalty, practically burning incense for them morning and night.

They were very nervous and anxious whenever the two turtles ate less or moved less, especially after the two turtles went into hibernation during the trip, they were almost scared to death, but thankfully they woke up later.

Otherwise, they would all want to commit suicide to atone for their sins.

Fortunately, they finally arrived in the capital, and the two white turtles were still alive and kicking. They had finally fulfilled their mission, so how could they not be excited?

The city gate guards noticed Liu Dachui and his companions' appearance and strange behavior, and several of them came over to question them.

If Liu Dachui and his men hadn't been wearing military uniforms, they would have been treated as refugees and imprisoned first.

This is the capital city; not just anyone can enter!
"We have come to the capital to present auspicious omens on the orders of Governor Zhu of Zhejiang." Liu Dachui presented his token and official letter.

The city gate guards checked Liu Dachui and his group's tokens and official documents again, confirming that everything was correct, but they still had some doubts. "Where are the auspicious omens you presented?"

"Here it is." Liu Dachui shook the basin in his hand slightly.

"Heavens! They're white turtles! No wonder they're being presented to the capital. This is an auspicious omen that only appears once in a hundred years! Quickly, invite them in, lest we delay the governor's important business." The city gate guards peeked out and were amazed to see two white turtles in the basin. Now that they were certain it was genuine, they hurriedly invited Liu Dachui and his party into the capital, fearing that delaying their presentation of the auspicious omen would cause them trouble.

West Garden.

The air was somewhat oppressive, and the attendants in the hall dared not breathe loudly, even Huang Jin was very cautious.

In the hall, Emperor Jiajing sat upright on the dragon throne, looking at a memorial with an expressionless face.

Inside the hall, Yan Song stood with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Zhang Jing refused to plead guilty and recounted the course and results of his command of the Battle of Wangjiangjing. He stated that after assuming the post of governor, he had annihilated more than 5,000 Japanese pirates in Jiangnan. He pleaded his innocence and begged the emperor to forgive his crimes and allow him to redeem himself by returning to the battlefield to kill the Japanese pirates. Wei Zhong, what do you think?"

After reading the memorial in his hand, Emperor Jiajing threw it on the table in front of him and looked at Yan Song, who was standing respectfully at the head of the table, and asked him a question.

“Zhang Jing was corrupt and greedy, and repeatedly missed opportunities. The people were resentful. He was impeached by Wen Hua and others before he was able to fight. The victory in the Battle of Wangjiangjing was also due to the hard work of Zhao Wen Hua and Hu Zong Xian. Zhang Jing’s memorial was to take credit for the achievements of Zhao Wen Hua and Hu Zong Xian.”

"Zhang Jing said that after he became governor-general, he annihilated more than 5,000 Japanese pirates in Jiangnan. Haha, if I remember correctly, before the Battle of Wangjiangjing, the governor of Zhejiang, Zhu Ping'an, had annihilated no less than 3,000 Japanese pirates in recent days. Zhang Jing is taking credit for Zhu Ping'an's achievements, isn't he?! No wonder he is stealing credit from Zhao Wenhua and Hu Zongxian this time. Is this a common practice for him?!"

"Xu Jie and Li Ben, both from Songjiang and Zhejiang, were very familiar with the suffering of their hometowns at the hands of the Japanese pirates. They both said that Zhang Jing was being allowed to harbor the pirates without fighting, which damaged the court's prestige among the people and wasted resources. They argued that without punishing Zhang Jing, there was no way to bring him to justice."

"The commander is the soul of the army. Zhang Jing is cowardly and has lost the hearts of the people. He is incompetent and cannot be reused. Without the law, there is no way to warn the world."

Yan Song stepped forward, bowed, and spoke slowly, also pulling Xu Jie and Li Ben out as witnesses.

"Hmph, Zhang Jingwen impeached Fang Yizhan, arrested and imprisoned him, and even made false statements. He is truly despicable!"

The Jiajing Emperor snorted, displeased.

Below him, Yan Song, bowing deeply, couldn't help but reveal a barely perceptible smile. Of course, he managed his expression well; the smile only lasted for a moment before he returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor.

After speaking, he picked up the other memorials on the table and continued to read them.

After glancing at it, the Jiajing Emperor threw it on the ground with a displeased expression. He then opened another book, glanced at it, and threw it on the ground as well.

He flipped through a few more memorials and, seeing that the previous two were not among them, his anger stopped rising.

"Li Yongjing and Wen Wangyun submitted a memorial stating that Zhang Jing's great victory at Wangjiangjing had severely dampened the arrogance of the Japanese pirates. This is the perfect time for the army to fight bravely and should be used to take advantage of the victory to attack the Japanese pirate stronghold at Tuolin and annihilate them completely. If the commander is changed at this time, the opportunity may be lost. It is not too late to judge the merits and demerits after Zhang Jing has advanced and his achievements are observed!!!"

"So, what do you think, Wei Zhong?!"

The Jiajing Emperor looked at Yan Song again and asked for his opinion.

“Zhang Jing’s crimes are so serious, yet Li Yongjing and Wen Wangyun still speak up for him. Their intentions are despicable, and I cannot help but suspect that they are forming a faction to protect him.”

Yan Song bowed and replied.

His words were spoken softly, yet each syllable was like a sword, piercing the hearts of Li Yongjing and Wen Wangyun behind the memorial.

"Investigate immediately the relationship between Li Yongjing, Wen Wangyun, and Zhang Jing. If they are suspected of forming a faction, they shall be flogged fifty times and dismissed from their posts!"

The Jiajing Emperor slammed his fist on the table and gave the order.

"According to the order!"

Yan Song bowed and accepted the order.

Emperor Jiajing waved his hand, and Yan Song bowed and withdrew.

After Yan Song left, the Jiajing Emperor continued reviewing memorials. The atmosphere in the hall was so quiet that only the sound of turning the pages could be heard. The eunuchs in the hall suppressed their breathing to a barely audible level, creating a suffocating silence. (End of Chapter)