Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

After Wang Chengen finished speaking, he stopped talking.

Now it was Emperor Chongzhen's turn to be in a dilemma. He had just issued an order that anyone who dared to speak out again would be beaten to death, and anyone who still stayed after a quarter of an hour would be dismissed from his post. Now Li Banghua and others outside had both of these conditions meted out to them.

If they were spared, it would be tantamount to changing one's orders every day, which would undermine the emperor's dignity.

But if we really beat them to death... wouldn't that mean we would be killing all the useful people?

Emperor Chongzhen frowned, bewildered, but Fang Zhenghua outside was about to start torturing her.

In a desperate situation, Emperor Chongzhen wondered what Zhang Shikang would do if he encountered this situation?

Haha, that boy is thick-skinned. I guess he doesn't care about these things at all. Alas, I really am just as he said. I care too much about so-called face.

Well, after thinking it over, Emperor Chongzhen said to Wang Chengen:

"Dismiss Li Banghua and others from their posts, expel them from the imperial city, and keep them in the capital to await their fate!"

No matter what, punishment is necessary, otherwise it would be too unreasonable, Emperor Chongzhen thought.

"I obey your command!" Wang Chengen said with a smile on his face.

They were dismissed from their posts but allowed to stay in Beijing. He knew very well that the emperor valued their talents and who knows, they might be reinstated one day.

The first confrontation ended with the court officials' surrender, but it was naturally impossible to get the cabinet to pass this decree because of this.

According to convention, such an important imperial decree would take at least a month to implement, during which the emperor and his court officials would argue with each other and compromise with each other, and finally negotiate a result that both sides could accept.

But Emperor Chongzhen could not wait for a month or so. There were wars going on in the north and the south. The sooner the issue was settled, the sooner he would feel at peace.

Promoting Zhang Shikang to the highest military commander of the Ming Dynasty was a decision made by Emperor Chongzhen at the cost of the country's destiny and his own life. Even if the emperor came, he would never compromise.

The Donglin Party members generally made him very angry, so with this in mind, he drafted an imperial edict to dismiss all the dozen or so mid-level officials who were the most active in the court today.

Everyone, including Emperor Chongzhen, understood that these so-called censors and imperial censors were actually nothing more than the Donglin Party's lackeys.

This group of officials took his salary but became the lackeys of others. Emperor Chongzhen was not satisfied and issued an edict to reprimand the chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Yuliang.

He knew that Liu Yuliang was just a shield put forward by the Donglin Party and did not have much real ability, so his words were quite unpleasant, and he even implied that if he dared to disobey his wishes again, he would be replaced as the Prime Minister at all costs.

According to his previous style of doing things, this is actually not Chongzhen at all, but recently before making a decision, Emperor Chongzhen always thinks about what Zhang Shikang would do if he encountered this situation.

He envied Zhang Shikang, who seemed to be able to get things done without taking any difficulties to heart.

As he was thinking about it, he suddenly wondered if he cared too much about the Donglin Party members, which was why they were so fearless and so presumptuous in the court?

……

On the 27th, at night, at Wangyue Restaurant.

"Brother Yongzhang, what His Majesty did today was beyond my expectation. If we continue to oppose it, His Majesty might dare to..."

It was still the same place, even the private room had not changed, and the food and wine were still sumptuous, but none of the Guochao's key members present picked up their chopsticks.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Liu Yuliang, looked at the Minister of Personnel, Zheng Sanjun, with a worried look on his face.

He hesitated to speak, and didn't say much, but the implication of his words was clear.

This afternoon, His Majesty issued an imperial decree, dismissing more than a dozen of them and severely reprimanding him, which made Liu Yuliang feel uneasy.

He had only just been appointed Prime Minister this year, and if he were to be kicked out before he even had time to sit still, he would surely become a laughing stock among the gentry throughout the world.

"His Majesty knows you are like this, so he dares to act like this." Zheng Sanjun raised his beard, obviously dissatisfied with Liu Yuliang's cowardice.

"Qidong, Liangru, what do you think?" Zheng Sanjun looked at Liu Zongzhou, Xiong Mingyu and Fang Fengnian and said.

"Alas, everyone, don't you know His Majesty's temper? Once he has chosen someone, he will choose that person. As long as he thinks he is good, it is useless for us to say otherwise.

From Yuan Chonghuan to Yang Sichang, or Wen Tiren and Chen Qiyu, it has always been like this, but Brother Yong Zhang, who knows if Zhang Shikang will be the next one among them?"

After Liu Zongzhou finished speaking, a strange smile appeared on his face.

Didn't Your Majesty trust Yang Sichang before? But now? I guess he wants to grind Yang Sichang to ashes.

The reason why their request for lingchi was not agreed to in the court today was probably because of Zhang Shikang's interference.

"Liang Ru is right. Your Majesty compares that kid to Huo Qubing, but you don't know that Marquis Guanjun died early!" Fang Fengnian took over the conversation with a smile.

"Speaking of which, ever since Zhang Shikang entered the court, everything has been unfavorable for us. This guy used to be a playboy in the capital, but now he has entered the upper class. If he really gets that important position, he will probably become even more arrogant in the future." Liu Zongzhou said anxiously.

Liu Yuliang nodded. He deeply agreed with this. This kid was talkative and arrogant because his father was a duke. Now those nobles and relatives were protecting him. He would probably be even more arrogant in the future.

"This guy is just a troublemaker!" Liu Yuliang said with resentment on his face.

"Why is Ji Long so angry? As the old saying goes, strength cannot last long. Zhang Shikang is only 20 years old. How can he be able to hold such a huge power?

The troops fighting against bandits in the interior were difficult to command, let alone the troops on the borders. Even Yang Sichang had to compromise with them. How could those arrogant and powerful generals obey a mere child?

In my opinion, we don't need to go against His Majesty. We just need to wait for that kid to make a mistake, and then we will attack him together and make sure that Zhang Shikang will die without a burial place." Xiong Mingyu said.

"That's great. To be honest, not only do we have people on the border troops' side, but even the Earl of Ningnan in Huguang is on our side.

What Shutian said just now makes sense. Even if these don't work, we are still not without a solution.

Zhang Shikang is not a 3D man, so if he walks by the river all the time, there is always a chance that he will fall into the water, right?" Liu Yuliang took over the conversation.

As soon as he said this, Fang Fengnian agreed with his words, but Zheng Sanjun had a stern face and seemed a little unhappy.

Can the word "fall into water" be said casually?

"Yong Zhang, it was my mistake. I was just making a metaphor. I'll drink a glass as a punishment." Liu Yuliang knew he had said something wrong, so he quickly apologized to Zheng Sanjun, then picked up the glass and drank it all.

"Your Majesty, you are always a bit ambitious. You are not satisfied with the fact that there are so many of us in the court, but you insist on listening to others' words. Your Majesty, don't you know why the court is in the current situation?"

Liu Zongzhou also drank a glass of wine, and the metaphor in his words was self-evident.

“If Your Majesty is really as Qidong said, then he is no longer Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty will understand sooner or later that only we can support the Ming Dynasty.

As long as Zhang Shikang falls, that day will not be far away for us." Fang Fengnian raised his glass and motioned for everyone to drink together.

As ministers and cabinet members of various ministries, they discussed the countermeasures in a few words, and as they drank and chatted, the atmosphere was no longer so dull.

After three rounds of drinking, Zheng Sanjun and others left one after another, and suddenly only the Minister of Works Fang Fengnian was left at the table.

Li Yilian, the owner of Wangyue Restaurant, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, smiled and said:

"Master Fang, can I take you to taste tea?"

"That's great. I'll go back to the tea artist from last time. His tea art is so exquisite that I still savor it to this day."

……