The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 107 Each Seeks Support for Their Own Prefect
Thinking about this, Ma Yizhen began to waver in her earlier thoughts.

He asked, "Did Prince Su really come prepared?"

Seeing that Ma Yizhen was still hesitating, Xin said, "Master, regardless of whether Prince Su came prepared or not, if you want to curry favor with Prince Su, now is the best time."

Ma Yizhen said, "But after years of ups and downs in officialdom, I really don't want to go through any more trouble."

Since Ma Yizhen held this view, Xin had no choice but to try to persuade her from another angle.

"The master doesn't want to cause trouble, but he's caught in the middle of today's events and has no way to extricate himself."

"You see, in this matter, Prince Su clearly wants to use Lai Shangrong to gain merit. And the gentry of Jining obviously don't want Lai Shangrong to fall into Prince Su's hands."

"The two sides will not let this contest go easily. If Prince Su finds out that the Master is biased towards the gentry of Jining, he will surely not let the Master off easily."

Ma Yizhen argued, "But if I don't help these gentry, my position as prefect will probably be over soon."

Xin Shitiao was so angry at Ma Yizhen's indecisive nature that he stomped his feet.

He said, "Sir, the term of office of a prefect is the end of his career, so what is there to regret?"

"As you said yourself, you are already fifty-six years old this year. Even if you finish this term as prefect smoothly, there is no possibility of promotion."

"So what's the difference between being ousted now and stepping down in a few years?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Yizhen was momentarily speechless. He couldn't help but think, "Yes, what's the difference? Aside from being able to obsequiously serve as a rubber stamp for a few years, it seems to have no other meaning."

Regardless of what Ma Yizhen was thinking, Xin Shitiao continued:

"If you risk losing your position as prefect to help Prince Su, Prince Su will surely remember your help this time."

“In this way, even if the Prefect loses his position, the two young masters will still receive the care of Prince Su.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Yizhen said, "I've been busy for so many years, and this is all I've managed to get to. My two sons are not as intelligent or insightful as me, so why should I pave the way for them?"

Xin Shidiao said, "It is precisely because the two young masters are not as good as you, Master Dong, that I am trying to find a backer for them before you retire."

Ma Yi asked seriously, "Is Prince Su a good backer?"

Without a second thought, Xin Shidiao said, "Prince Su may not be a good backer, but he has the Crown Prince and the Emperor standing behind him, which makes him the best backer."

Ma Yizhen was still not at ease and asked, "But if I side with Prince Su and help him deal with the gentry in Jining, wouldn't that make me offend all the scholars in the world and isolate myself from the literati?"

Xin Shidiao said, "The Master does not want to cut himself off from the literati, but the literati may not accept him."

"After all these years, hasn't you figured it out yet? The so-called literati are the scholars of Jiangnan, not people like you who come from the border regions."

"For so many years, Dongweng has been trying to get close to them, but to this day, he still hasn't even gotten close to their door."

"Let's not even talk about Dongweng. Take Grand Secretary Shang in the court, for example. He's a minister in charge of governing the country. For many years, he's been trying to win over the scholars in Jiangnan. He's even willing to marry his daughter to a scholar who isn't even a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations).

"But even now, he has not gained the recognition of the scholars in Jiangnan. On the contrary, he was impeached not long ago. If it weren't for the emperor's support, he would have almost had to resign and go home."

"With such xenophobic scholars in Jiangnan, does the Master still wish to seek refuge there?"

Ma Yizhen said, "Even Grand Secretary Shang wants to pledge allegiance, which shows that the Jiangnan scholars do indeed have a great deal of influence in the court. If I offend them, my two sons will probably never be able to serve as officials again."

Xin Shitiao carefully explained: "Master, you must know the principle that things will turn around when they reach their extreme. It is precisely because everyone in the world knows that the Jiangnan literati have immense power that everyone wants to rely on them for protection."

"Has the Master ever considered what the Emperor would think if he knew about this? Would the Emperor allow such a group of scholars from Jiangnan to exist?"

Over the years, Ma Yizhen has experienced ups and downs in local government, and the habits of officialdom have long since worn away his former sharpness.

In recent years, he has been single-mindedly thinking about how to curry favor and curry favor so that he can be promoted in his official position.

This led him to view problems only in the immediate future, focusing solely on who could help him get promoted. He failed to consider the bigger picture or the perspective of the higher-ups in the court.

Therefore, he is always hesitant and finds it difficult to make clear judgments when faced with interests.

Now, when he heard Xin Shitiao analyze the situation in the court in this way, he felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.

He asked, "So, His Majesty is going to target the scholars of Jiangnan?"

Xin Shidiao said, "It's still uncertain whether the Emperor will take action against the scholars of Jiangnan in the near future."

"However, the fact that the Emperor protected Grand Secretary Shang shows that the Emperor is at least wary of the scholars in Jiangnan."

"Therefore, at this time, the Master need not be afraid of the scholars of Jiangnan. At most, they can only cause the Master to lose his official position."

"But if the Master catches the Emperor's eye because of this, the two young masters will surely benefit greatly in the future."

Xin Shitiao explained things so clearly that if Ma Yizhen still couldn't figure out what to do, then he truly wasn't fit to be an official.

Therefore, Ma Yizhen asked, "If I want to help Prince Su, what should I do?"

Xin Shidiao said, "Master Dong doesn't need to make a big fuss. Just secretly tell Prince Su about your intention to seek refuge, and see how Prince Su arranges things."

Upon hearing this, Ma Yizhen said, "In that case, I will write a letter, and you can send someone to secretly deliver it to Prince Su."

After saying this, he instructed his servants to borrow pen and ink from the post station, and soon the letter was written.

Then he sent Xin Shitiao out with the letter to find a way to deliver it to Prince Su.

After Xin Shi was transferred, when Ma Yizhen was alone in the room, he muttered to himself:
"The hearts of parents are all the same. Mr. Xin has really gone to great lengths for his youngest son."

……

On the other official boat, Tu Chengyu arranged everything, ate dinner, and then rested in his room.

Because there were many things to do today, and there might be emergencies tonight, Tu Chengyu took advantage of the free time to rest early.

But before he could rest for long, Xiao Xuanzi came in and disturbed his rest again.

It wasn't that Xiao Xuanzi had become bolder; rather, Tu Chengyu had instructed her long ago that she should report any emergency immediately.

When Xiao Xuanzi came in, Tu Chengyu asked, "What happened?"

Xiao Xuanzi said, "A man secretly approached the official ship and was caught by the guards on duty. The man said that he was sent by Prefect Ma to see the prince."

Tu Chengyu asked in surprise, "Who did you say sent them?"

Xiao Xuanzi replied, "Is it Prefect Ma?"

Tu Chengyu confirmed again, "You mean Ma Yizhen secretly sent someone to see me??"

Xiao Xuanzi replied, "Your Highness, that is indeed the case."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Where are the people he sent?"

Xiao Xuanzi replied, "Your Highness, he was escorted by guards and is being held in the cabin."

After listening, Tu Chengyu fell into deep thought.

Ma Yizhen had just left me in a hurry, rushing off to arrest Lai Shangrong.

Why is he sending someone to see me again, and doing it so secretly? What does he want?
After thinking for a while, Tu Chengyu still couldn't figure it out.

He then said to Xiao Xuanzi, "Go and secretly bring this person to me."

Xiao Xuanzi went out and soon returned with a person who was soaking wet.

Tu Chengyu noticed that water droplets were still dripping from the person's hair and looked at Xiao Xuanzi in confusion. Xiao Xuanzi understood and immediately explained, "Your Highness, this person swam here secretly from the river."

Tu Chengyu then understood what was going on.

He said, "In that case, take him downstairs to change his clothes first, and then come back to speak with me."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuanzi was about to lead him down, but unexpectedly, the man refused to go down and instead knelt on the ground, saying:

"Your Highness, my master has asked me to deliver a letter to you. Please allow me to deliver the letter before I go to change my clothes."

He was still a loyal servant, so Tu Chengyu decided not to make things difficult for him.

He said, "Then take out the letter."

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's permission, the servant sat up on the ground, unbuttoned his short shirt, revealing a wide strip of cloth wrapped around his waist.

He untied the strip of cloth, spread it out on the ground, and took out a rolled-up kraft paper envelope.

He took out the kraft paper and examined it carefully. He breathed a sigh of relief after finding that it was not soaked in water.

Then he handed the letter to Xiao Xuanzi, who was standing next to him.

Xiao Xuanzi took the letter but did not immediately hand it to Tu Chengyu.

Instead, he first summoned a young eunuch and had him take the servant out to change his clothes.

After they left, Xiao Xuanzi picked up the letter and carefully examined it. She found that the letter was well-sealed and had no flaws.

He then looked at Tu Chengyu, and under Tu Chengyu's gaze, Xiao Xuanzi carefully opened the letter.

After checking the envelope again to make sure it was safe, he handed the letter to Tu Chengyu.

Tu Chengyu took the letter, unfolded it, and found that it was only two pieces of paper the size of a palm.

The letter was small, but it was covered with a lot of writing.

Tu Chengyu read the letter from beginning to end without missing a single word, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He said to Xiao Xuanzi:

"Go and fetch Mr. Quan."

Quan Wenwei, whether without rest or doing something else, was soon called over by Xiao Xuanzi.

As soon as he entered, Tu Chengyu said, "Ma Yizhen sent someone to deliver a letter to me."

Upon hearing that it was Ma Yizhen, Quan Wenwei was also surprised. He said, "Didn't Prefect Ma go back to the prefectural office to send troops to guard the main road? How come he sent someone to deliver a message to the Prince again?"

Tu Chengyu patted the letter in his hand and said, "The one who will send troops back is someone else. This Prefect Ma is currently at the post station at the dock."

Upon hearing that Ma Yizhen was not taking his duties seriously and was instead hiding at the post station, Quan Wenwei was puzzled as to what he was up to.

He then asked, "Why did Prefect Ma send a letter to the Prince?"

Tu Chengyu said with a smile, "This Prefect Ma is quite interesting. He wrote to me to inform on me."

Quan Wenwei asked curiously, "What secrets are you reporting?"

Tu Chengyu handed the letter to Quan Wenwei and said, "You'll know once you read it yourself."

Quan Wenwei took the letter and read it carefully.

After reading it, he said, "Your Highness, it seems that this Prefect Ma wants to pledge allegiance to you."

Tu Chengyu said, "That's what I think too, but I'm not sure if he's truly loyal."

Quan Wenwei said, "In your opinion, this Prefect Ma seems to genuinely intend to pledge allegiance."

Seeing Quan Wenwei's confident demeanor, Tu Chengyu couldn't help but ask:
"Where did Mr. Quan see that Ma Yi was truly loyal to him?"

Quan Wenwei explained, "The gentleman figured it out from the fact that he delivered the letter."

“Your Highness, think about it. If he is just a minor prefect of Jining Prefecture, does he not have the sincere intention to pledge allegiance to Your Highness?”

"So he sent this letter with the intention of deceiving the prince."

"From the student's perspective, he didn't have the guts to deceive the prince."

Tu Chengyu agreed with Quan Wenwei's analysis, but one cannot simply believe everything without considering all possibilities.

Tu Chengyu then asked, "Mr. Quan, is it possible that this letter was sent by someone else impersonating Ma Yizhen to test me?"

Quan Wenwei said, "That's possible, but Your Highness has Prefect Ma's visiting card here. Your Highness only needs to have someone bring the visiting card over and compare the handwriting to immediately determine its authenticity."

Tu Chengyu shook his head and said, "No need. I am now certain that Ma Yi has truly pledged allegiance to me."

Quan Wenwei asked curiously, "How did Your Highness come to that conclusion?"

Tu Chengyu said, "I made the judgment based on Ma Yizhen's age and his place of origin."

Quan Wenwei nodded in agreement after hearing Tu Chengyu's words.

Tu Chengyu continued, "Since we are certain that Ma Yizhen is truly willing to pledge allegiance to me, then we should make use of him."

Quan Wenwei asked, "I wonder how Your Highness intends to use this?"

Tu Chengyu said, "This is what I think. We were originally going to Jiangnan on business, and we don't have time to waste here any longer."

"In addition, we are new to Jining Prefecture and unfamiliar with the place, so we are bound to be less thorough in our work."

“If we expose Lai Shangrong’s affairs here, we will not only fail to achieve any goal, but we will also alert them and give them time to prepare.”

"Therefore, what I mean is that we must not let Ma Yizhen's defection be exposed. If necessary, we can help him to successfully infiltrate the gentry of Jining and prepare for his future dealings with the Emperor."

After listening to Tu Chengyu's plan, Quan Wenwei said, "Your Highness's plan is very thorough. I happen to have a plan that can help Your Highness accomplish this."

Tu Chengyu said, "Mr. Quan, you've come up with a plan so quickly. Tell me about it."

Quan Wenwei said, "The best way to help Prefect Ma successfully infiltrate the gentry of Jining is through a self-inflicted injury."

It seemed that Quan Wenwei had indeed come up with a plan. Tu Chengyu asked, "Mr. Quan, how do you intend to carry out this self-inflicted injury scheme?"

Quan Wenwei said, "Didn't the prince arrange for someone to stage an attack on the official ship? I thought I'd make a fuss about that."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Mr. Quan, how do you plan to write this article?"

Quan Wenwei said, "The students had two plans. One was to spread rumors after the attack that someone wanted to kill Lai Shangrong's family to silence them, in order to scare Lai Shangrong and prevent him from seeking refuge with people in Jining."

"The second plan was to have Ma Yizhen go and tell the people in Jining Prefecture that he had seen through the attack on the Prince's official ship."

"Then, the prince said he had received news from elsewhere that it was Ma Yizhen who exposed the prince's deception. In a fit of rage, the prince summoned Ma Yizhen and gave her a good scolding."

"In this way, we can dispel the suspicions of the gentry in Jining Prefecture and also allow Ma Yizhen to deceive them and successfully integrate into the community of people in Jining."

Tu Chengyu was very satisfied after listening to Quan Wenwei's entire plan. He smiled and said:

"I'm sure Ma Yizhen would be very willing to hear about your plan, sir."

Quan Wenwei replied, "That's right. This plan will allow him to pledge allegiance to the prince while also preventing him from breaking ties with the gentry of Jining right now."

(End of this chapter)