Chapter 42: Bao Zheng

Su Ze sat quietly inside the Hall of the Dengwen Drum. The longer Zhang Ya佐 remained in the imperial palace, the more secure the plan to topple Lü Yijian became.

However, contrary to Su Ze's expectations, the Emperor, Zhao Zhen, did not directly summon the petitioner himself.

Was it because his collusion with Zhang Ya佐 had displeased the Emperor?

Or perhaps it was because the Emperor did not wish to completely crush the conservative faction right before promoting the reformists like Fan Zhongyan, which might unbalance the imperial court?

Su Ze considered many possibilities, but quickly set them aside with a sense of relief.

If the Emperor chose not to see him, so be it. Regarding this ruler whose posthumous title would be "Benevolent," Su Ze knew he was far more complex than he appeared on the surface.

Moreover, even the Emperor's "benevolence" was reserved for high-ranking scholar-officials. Without even a passing examination degree, Su Ze was nothing more than an ant, and it was entirely natural for the Emperor to ignore him.

Time passed quickly. By evening, a visibly exhausted Zhang Ya佐 emerged from the palace and returned to the Dengwen Drum Hall.

Despite his fatigue, Zhang Ya佐 was in high spirits. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, unable to suppress his surging excitement, he rushed into the room where Su Ze was waiting.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, Zhang Ya佐 blurted out to Su Ze:

"Lü Yijian has fallen!"

Su Ze was not at all surprised by this outcome.

Lü Yijian had controlled the court for so many years. In truth, ever since Fan Zhongyan presented the Chart of Officials, Zhao Zhen had already grown dissatisfied with him.

His subsequent promotion of the Four Friends of Tiansheng was precisely intended to curb the conservative forces led by Lü Yijian.

It was only because the Four Friends of Tiansheng acted with excessive arrogance, arousing Zhao Zhen's suspicion of forming a faction, that the conservatives managed to cling to power until today.

To use a more familiar analogy, the conservative faction under Lü Yijian was now much like the late period of Yan Song's administration. Emperor Jiajing was already displeased with the various misdeeds of the Yan faction, yet he held his nose and continued to employ them solely to suppress the purist officials.

The outbreak of this real estate scandal in Bianjing would make the Emperor realize that keeping Lü Yijian in the seat of Chief Councilor meant the interest group formed by the conservatives had already infringed upon imperial authority.

Even if Zhao Zhen were reluctant to purge the conservatives, he would certainly not spare Lü Yijian.

The downfall of Lü Yijian was a foregone conclusion. What truly interested Su Ze was whether Zhao Zhen would use this opportunity to implicate and weed out even more conservative officials.

Zhang Ya佐 recounted every detail of what had transpired in the Chuangong Hall over the past few days.

The Imperial City Commissioner, led by Li Yonghe, had operated with remarkable efficiency. Based on the Scroll of Peace and Prosperity Along the River, they quickly located the properties depicted in the painting, retrieved the deeds from the archives of Kaifeng Prefecture, and confirmed that the owners of these estates matched the names Su Ze had written on the scroll.

Li Yonghe immediately returned to the Chuangong Hall with the relevant evidence. Upon seeing the undeniable facts, Zhao Zhen's fury was thoroughly ignited.

"Send the Imperial City Guards at once to arrest Lü Gongbi for questioning!"

Hearing this, Li Yonghe immediately intervened:

"Your Majesty, Lü Gongbi holds an official post; the Imperial City Guards have no authority to interrogate and arrest officials!"

Zhao Zhen cast a furious glare at Li Yonghe. This was naturally an excuse by his own uncle, who was reluctant to become entangled in this political storm.

His gaze swept across the room and landed on Zhang Ya佐.

By this time, Zhao Zhen had also calmed down.

How could a mere commoner like Su Ze possibly know the identities of the ultimate owners of the capital's real estate?

There must be high-ranking ministers standing behind Su Ze.

Upon reflection, Zhang Ya佐 bore the greatest suspicion.

Concluding that Zhang Ya佐 was the mastermind behind the chaos, Zhao Zhen demanded:

"Minister Zhang, how do you propose we handle this matter?"

Zhang Ya佐 replied without hesitation:

"This case should be presided over by the censors and advisory officials."

The Censorate?

The Chief Censor Wang Gongchen belonged to Lü Yijian's faction. What sort of verdict could possibly come out of the Censorate?

Zhang Ya佐 continued:

"Your minister has heard that Supervising Censor Bao Zheng is impartial in trials, rigorous in enforcing the law, fearless of the powerful, and unswayed by personal ties. This case should be entrusted to him."

Zhao Zhen glanced back at the folding screen; Bao Zheng's name was also among those listed.

Before returning to the capital, Bao Zheng had served as the Prefect of Duanzhou (modern-day Zhaoqing, Guangdong).

Duanzhou inkstones were world-renowned, and previous prefects had all been quickly promoted because they ruthlessly plundered Duanzhou inkstones to bribe the powerful.

Yet, after serving a full year, Bao Zheng did not take a single inkstone home. When he returned to the capital, the local populace saw him off with thousands of umbrellas of gratitude.

"Let Bao Zheng try this case!"

Once his anger had vented, the next order of business was how to reshuffle the imperial court.

After all, Lü Yijian had held the reins of government for many years and possessed deep roots within the court. Completely uprooting him would still require considerable effort.

Zhao Zhen instructed the imperial attendant Zhang Maoze:

"Go to the Bureau of Military Affairs and summon Military Commissioner Yan."

To topple a prime minister, one naturally needed to select a proper successor. Thus, Yan Shu, the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs, found good fortune dropping into his lap from the heavens.

However, subsequent events no longer concerned Zhang Ya佐 in his capacity as the administrator of the Dengwen Drum Hall. When he returned from the Chuangong Hall, lanterns were already lit throughout the imperial palace. Officials with acute political instincts had already received word of Military Commissioner Yan's nocturnal summons to the palace, and all were speculating on what major upheaval had struck the court.

Was it the war in the northwest? Or the Khitans in the north?

Or perhaps another storm brewing within the imperial court?

Triumphantly, Zhang Ya佐 said to Su Ze:

"A single petition has brought down the reigning prime minister! What a pity that Young Master Su does not hold a post in the Censorate; otherwise, your future would be boundless!"

The primary duty of Censorate officials was to remonstrate with the monarch and supervise ministers. The Emperor had consistently strengthened the powers of the Censorate, endowing it with formidable combat strength.

All censorate officials regarded impeaching senior ministers as a credential; successfully impeaching a prime minister was naturally an immense political asset.

Su Ze remained unconcerned. In fact, based on his knowledge of history, as long as Fan Zhongyan made a political comeback, Lü Yijian's downfall was merely a matter of time.

There was no helping it. Much like the reasons behind Yan Song's downfall, Lü Yijian was simply too old.

Since the previous year, due to failing health, Lü Yijian's grip on the court had greatly diminished, leading to widespread bureaucratic blockages and rendering even routine governance difficult to execute.

Now, with military campaigns underway in the northwest, northern tribes stirring restlessly, and natural disasters plaguing the provinces, a prime minister like Lü Yijian could no longer shoulder such heavy responsibilities.

Lü Yijian's victories in previous political struggles had also inflated the arrogance within the conservative faction. The fact that his son Lü Gongbi, having committed offenses before, still dared so brazenly to usurp Bianjing properties was a sign that this faction was descending into madness.

For reasons public and private, Lü Yijian's days as prime minister were numbered; Su Ze had merely accelerated the process.

Zhang Ya佐 was still immersed in the joy of toppling Lü Yijian. As the Empress's chief supporter, Lü Yijian's fall would score him major points in the heart of Consort Zhang, bringing the coveted position of his dreams within reach.

He advised Su Ze: "Young Master Su should remain safely inside the Dengwen Drum Hall for a few days. The Emperor may summon you at any moment."

Su Ze nodded and settled comfortably into his quarters within the Dengwen Drum Hall.

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Three days later, the Rites Examinations and grading process concluded. Wang Anshi walked out of the examination compound, though examiners such as Lü Yijian and Ouyang Xiu still had to remain locked inside to finalize the grading.

The moment he stepped out of the examination compound, Wang Anshi was met with a startling piece of news.