The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 241

At this time in the capital, Emperor Jiajing was urgently convening a court meeting.

"Gentlemen, hasn't our Great Ming treated the Duke of Changguo and the Marquis of Jianchang well? We have never mistreated them. Now they actually raise an army to rebel, and even claim to have an army of 300,000."

During the court assembly, Jiajing expressed his deep sorrow and indignation.

The court officials reacted differently to Jiajing's performance. Those officials who were unaware of the truth were all indignant. Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, they all denounced the Zhang brothers.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Zhang brothers are nothing but traitors and wolves in sheep's clothing. No matter how good the court is to them, it will be of no use. Such people are like wolves that cannot be tamed."

"Yes, Your Majesty, such treacherous officials and villains deserve to be punished by everyone."

. . . . . . . . .

Unlike these indignant officials, Yang Yiqing calmly closed his eyes and rested.

Although he couldn't see all the details, he had a pretty good idea of ​​why the Zhang brothers rebelled. They were simply misled by the gentry of Jiangnan. Coincidentally, Empress Dowager Zhang also drowned. Yang Yiqing didn't believe that this wasn't something the emperor had deliberately done.

The current situation undoubtedly illustrates that the conflict between the imperial court and the gentry and wealthy merchants of Jiangnan has reached a breaking point.

In the emperor's view, the Ming Dynasty had a boil that was about to burst, and it had to be squeezed out, otherwise there would be endless troubles.

That's why Empress Dowager Zhang died. Once she died, the two Zhang brothers had no choice but to rebel.

Having figured all this out, Yang Yiqing naturally wouldn't blurt out anything irrelevant; he simply closed his eyes to rest during the court session.

However, when he tried to take the opportunity to slack off, Jiajing did not give him the chance. In Jiajing's view, Yang Yiqing was already nearly seventy years old, and if he was kept in office for a while, he could retire sooner.

"Shi Cong, what do you think?"

Jiajing looked at Yang Yiqing and said.

In the current cabinet, Yang Yiqing and Yang Shen both share the surname Yang. If Jiajing were to address Yang as Grand Secretary Yang, neither of them would know who he was referring to. Therefore, several months ago, Jiajing began to address Yang Yiqing by his courtesy name.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yiqing immediately understood the emperor's intentions. He was deliberately trying to torment him, and he felt somewhat helpless.

"Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the so-called 300,000 troops are greatly exaggerated. At most, they are only about 100,000, and they are all a rabble. The Zhang brothers are not capable of leading 100,000 troops. They cannot even command 10,000 troops. The so-called rebel army is nothing but chickens and dogs."

Yang Yiqing said calmly.

"Who does Shi Cong think is suitable to lead the troops to quell the rebellion?"

Jiajing pressed for more information.

"In my opinion, the most suitable candidate is Cui Wenkui, the governor of Jiangnan. After all, he has served as governor of Jiangnan for many years and his understanding of the terrain and other aspects of Jiangnan is unmatched by anyone else. If Your Majesty were to return the military power of Jiangnan Province to him, the so-called rebels would be nothing to worry about."

Yang Yiqing naturally wouldn't agree with Jiajing's words. In his heart, he still hoped that the people in Jiangnan could cause a bigger disturbance, which would also benefit him.

If those people in Jiangnan lose their temper, then the emperor and Zhou Chu will come after them.

Yang Yiqing was perfectly aware of this: the more chaotic Jiangnan became, the more secure his position would be.

Yang Yiqing no longer harbors any ambition to manipulate the emperor. After all, both the palace and the Imperial Hospital are staffed by the emperor's people. For Yang Yiqing now, it would be good enough to protect himself and maintain his position as the Grand Secretary.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Grand Secretary's words are inappropriate."

As soon as Yang Yiqing finished speaking, Yang Shen stepped forward.

"Oh? Wenxian, then tell me, what's wrong with it?"

Jiajing laughed.

"Cui Wen-kui has been in Jiangnan for so many years, but he has accomplished nothing. On the contrary, the Japanese pirates and bandits have frequently appeared. This shows that Cui Wen-kui does not have a deep understanding of the situation in Jiangnan. I think it is most appropriate for Lord Wang Bo-an to lead the troops to quell the rebellion. The rebellion of Prince Ning was quelled by Lord Wang. Lord Wang's ability to lead troops is beyond doubt."

Yang Shen said.

When Jiajing heard this, he sighed.

“Wang Yangming is certainly the best candidate, but I just received his secret report yesterday. His father has just passed away, and he has asked me to resign. Even if I force him to lead the troops now, I'm afraid he can no longer lead the troops.”

"Your Majesty, I do have a suitable candidate."

Han Jie stepped forward.

"I believe that Lord Zhou Hengqi is well-suited to lead troops to quell the rebellion."

When Jiajing heard this, his eyes lit up immediately; this was exactly what he had been waiting for.