Yan Song, as the first assistant who ran the government affairs of the Ming Dynasty for 14 years, regardless of his loyalty or not, his survival strategy was undoubtedly successful for himself. He is always like a hunter, never rushing to attack until the time is ripe, and even endure a momentary humiliation. But once you start attacking, you must hit it with one blow and completely destroy your opponent! This strategy ensured that he had almost no opponents in the official arena during his entire heyday! The battle that best reflects his tactical characteristics is the battle between him and his predecessor, The First Auxiliary Xia Yan.
Xia Yan was a jinshi of the Ming Dynasty's Zhengde dynasty for twelve years. He served as a military officer and was known for his outspokenness. He was quick-witted, quick-witted, and very good at lexicography, so he was quickly appreciated by the Jiajing Emperor, and within a year he went from counselor to Rebbe Shangshu and became a rising star in the official arena. Whether Xia Yan was writing a sonata or writing a poem to fill in the words, it could be completed in just a few moments. Whenever Sejong wrote a poem, he gave it to Xia Yan, who sang it and recorded it in stone, which made the emperor very happy. Emperor Jiajing was a famous Taoist emperor who needed a lot of "green words" when he prayed. Xia Yan was brilliant and could always write flowery green words, so the emperor liked him even more.
Daming first scolded Xia Yan
Xia Yan also has a very powerful skill, that is, he can "scold", and anyone who dares to challenge his authority must be the first time to go back. He scolds people never overnight, today there are scoldings of his recital, the same day will return, the sharpness of the words, the sharpness of the pen, do not leave room for people. There were once three things to give, to challenge Xia Yan. In one week, he went to eight recitals to impeach Xia Yan, but Xia Yan was even more desperate, and suddenly returned nine recitals, scolding the three people who spewed dog blood. Even Zhang Xuan, the prime minister at the time, was defeated in a fierce scolding battle, and did not dare to look at Xia Yan's back.
In the fifteenth year of Jiajing, Xia Yan became the first assistant to the cabinet and officially took over the power of the state. In the eighteenth year of Jiajing, he was even promoted to the rank of Young Master, Tejin Guanglu Doctor, and Shangzhu Guoguo because he presented an edict to the Emperor Heavenly God. At this time, the scenery of Xia Yan is infinite. At this time, he made a mistake that eventually ruined his life: recommending his Jiangxi compatriot Yan Song.
Yan Song was not young when he entered the upper echelons
Yan Song's qualifications should actually be older than Xia Yan's. He was a jinshi of Koji 18, and later worked as a hermit at home for 10 years because of Ding's worries and illness. By the time he returned to the official arena, it was already eleven years old in Zhengde! In the following decades, Yan Song was slowly promoted, until Xia Yan recommended him, and he became a senior government official.
Although Xia Yan recommended Yan Song, he did not look up to this person. Since Yan Song returned to the official field, his personality has gradually changed, and he is bent on welcoming the emperor. In the 21st year of Jiajing, Sejong had a whim and made five unsimitable Crowns, called "Fragrant Leaf Bundle Hair Towels", which were required to be worn by ministers. Xia Yan refused to accept it, and therefore advised the emperor. And Yan Song not only wore it happily, but also wrapped up in tulle to show his cherishing. Xia Yan gradually felt that this person had no wind bones and looked down on him. Yan Song actually knew this too, so he did his best to seduce Xia Yan. It was recorded in the "History of Ming" that Yan Song once took great pains to invite Xia Yan to his home for dinner, and the family was busy all day, but Xia Yan did not come. Yan Song then personally took the invitation card and knelt in front of the Xia Yan Mansion to plead with Guang.
Yan Song had also bowed his knees
Xia Yan didn't know if he went in the end, but it was certain that after this incident, Yan Song must have hated Xia Yan thoroughly.
Soon after, Yan Song's son Yan Shifan was caught by Xia Yan in the middle of the court without knowing the inspection point, embezzling money and perverting the law. So he secretly planned a series of impeachment plans for officials and officials, preparing to drive the Yan father and son out of the official field! Yan Song got the sound of the wind and was in a hurry at home. However, his son Yan Shifan had a very good idea, and he had already seen that Xia Yan was a knife-mouthed tofu heart, so he proposed that his father and son go to Xia Yan's mansion to cry and plead. This trick was simply incomprehensible to Yan Song, if it was him, the other party would never let go unless he prostrated his head and died in front of his own door. However, Yan Shifan was very stable about this and insisted that his father do this. So Yan Song could only use a dead horse as a live horse doctor.
Yan Song cried and begged Xia Yan to spare his life
So the next day, in front of Xia Yan, the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, Two high-ranking officials, Yan Song and Yan Shifan, knelt on the ground, cried out of breath, and made extremely profound self-criticism. The actions of the two finally impressed Xia Yan, who lifted up the Yan father and son with his hand and choked up: "Fen yi, why do you have to do this..."
As soon as Xia Yan said this, Yan Song smiled in his heart, he knew that this "First Scolded General of Daming" had already let himself go. And that's exactly what happened. Xia Yan, on the other hand, thought he had let a small person have a way to live. But he didn't expect that what he let go was a standard mountain wolf.
Since then, Xia Yan has experienced a wave of official ups and downs, and his personality has become more and more arrogant. He began to follow the old path of Zhang Jiuling, the famous tang dynasty, and did everything against the emperor. At the same time, he did not pay much attention to the writing of Qingzi, which made the Jiajing Emperor very dissatisfied. At the same time, Xia Yan's attitude towards Yan Song still did not change, or he was still very faceless. According to the "Yutang Congyu" record, Yan Song invited guests, Xia Yan never appreciated his face, once Xia Yan agreed to come, and as a result, he dragged himself until dark, and only drank three spoonfuls of soup when he entered the table, ignored the love of people, and sat for a while and then went away. This, of course, can only increase the contradiction between the two.
In contrast, Yan Song also advanced along Li Linfu's path, greeting the emperor and carefully writing Qingzi, while isolating Xia Yan in the official arena. He may have already decided to put Xia Yan to death at this point, just waiting for an opportunity.
Yan Song's relationship with the Jiajing Emperor was getting better and better
In the twenty-seventh year of Jiajing (1548), the bian general Zeng Milling suggested that the River Loop be retaken. Xia Yan wanted to establish the Hundred Dynasties Meritorious Service, so he raised his hands in favor, vigorously promoted the matter, and secretly wrote a letter recommending Zeng Milling. Sejong originally agreed, and instructed Xia Yan to prepare the plan, repeatedly praising Zeng Milling, and Zeng Milling then more resolutely sent troops to fight.
At this time, Yan Song's confidant, JinYiwei's commanding envoy Lu Bing, secretly reported to Emperor Shizong, saying that Xia Yan was colluding with Zeng Milling, and I was afraid that it would be unfavorable to the dynasty! Lu Bing had once saved the emperor's life, so the emperor trusted him very much, so he issued an edict rebuking Xia Yan, and the tone was very severe. Yan Song used his strength at this time to frantically attack Xia Yan. Originally, Xia Yan's "scolding" should not be difficult to deal with. However, due to the perennial feud with the emperor, all the words he said were taken as a side note by Jiajing. Saying more, the emperor criticized him for embarrassing the king and threatening the courtiers! As a result, Xia Yan was stripped of all official positions and ordered to serve in the name of Shangshu.
JinyiWei was also an accomplice in framing Xia Yan
Xia Yan thus lost the ability to speak. I don't know if at this time, he ever thought of imitating Yan Song and begging the other party to let him go. But even if he really did this, it was estimated that Yan Song would still not spare him. The political struggle is dead and alive, and Yan Song will not let Xia Yan have a chance to make a comeback.
Soon after, rumors spread into the palace that Xia Yan had complained and slandered the emperor when he was leaving. Yan Song also drafted a letter on behalf of his close associate and bian general Qiu Luan, attacking Xia Yan for accepting bribes from Zeng Qian and meddling in Guan city for huge profits. Soon, Zeng Milling was imprisoned. After that, Yan Song took advantage of this incident to constantly climb Xia Yan, and finally made Emperor Sejong decide to punish Xia Yan.
Xia Yan had already walked to Danyang at this time, but was chased back by the people from the imperial court.
What he had done, Xia Yan didn't know at first. But when he arrived in Tongzhou, he heard about Zeng Milling's encounter, and immediately fell into the car and said, "Oh! I'm dead. In order to give himself a chance to live, Xia Yan wrote to defend himself again, but was ignored by Sejong. Soon, the case was decided, and The Criminal Department Shangshu Yu Maojian, Zuo Du Yushi Tuqiao and others hoped to save Xia Yan's life through the commutation clause, but Sejong did not listen, criticized these people, and withheld their salaries. In anger, Sejong mentioned that Xia Yan did not wear a "fragrant leaf hair scarf" before, and the hatred of an emperor was actually derived from such a small matter, which was really impressive.
The Jiajing Emperor attached great importance to his "fragrant leaf crown"
In October of the twenty-seventh year of Jiajing, Xia Yan was beheaded on the street at the age of sixty-seven. His wife, Su Shi, was exiled to Guangxi, and his sons and nephews, who were already in the official arena, were also stripped of their posts.
I don't know if Xia Yan regretted his kindness before he died. But with his wisdom, he should be able to imagine that after his death, Daming's officialdom will be controlled by Yan Song and enter an extremely chaotic era.
Sure enough, after Xia Yan's death, Yan Song single-handedly covered the sky, framed Zhongliang, embezzled bribes, connived at foreign plunder, and did not care about the lives of the people, becoming the most famous traitor of the Ming Dynasty. Until the reincarnation of everything, Xu Jie, another official rookie promoted by Xia Yan, dealt with Yan Song in the way of Yan Song, and finally completely defeated Yan Song by virtue of the crime of catching wind and catching shadows and finding no evidence. But at this time, the world of Daming has entered a dead cycle of corruption, ministers as officials only know how to ask for money, there is no shame, and the people are laughing at poverty and not laughing at greed. Finally, a hundred years later, the devastated Ming Dynasty, which had been tormented by corruption, collapsed to the ground and walked into the old paper pile of history.
References :Ming Shi (明史), Yutang Congyu (玉堂 Congyu)