The rise of the poor

Chapter 2327 Chen Hong, that old schemer

Yang Yi's attempt to curry favor with Zhao Wenhua, while surprising to everyone, was, upon closer examination, quite reasonable. Zhao Wenhua had already impeached two governors-general of Jiangnan and was a formidable figure. If Yang Yi wanted to secure his position as governor-general, he had to maintain a good relationship with Zhao Wenhua and prevent him from being impeached again. Otherwise, he might follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, Zhang Jing and Zhou Chong, and become another short-lived governor-general.

However, with the imperial envoy still present, it was a bit much and a bit obsequious to fawn over Zhao Wenhua in front of half of the high-ranking officials in Jiangnan.

"Relying on Zhao Wenhua's guidance and leadership, are you, Yang Yi, the governor-general, or is it Zhao Wenhua?! Are you implying that from now on, we will all listen to Zhao Wenhua?!"

The officials were speechless.

Zhu Pingan narrowed his eyes and looked at Yang Yi with some regret. Despite how hard you try to flatter him, he will still impeach you. History has already given the answer. Before long, you will follow in the footsteps of Zhang Jing and Zhou Chong.

After offering a second toast to Zhao Wenhua, Yang Yi raised another cup, looked at the assembled officials, and slowly said, "This third cup is to all my colleagues present. Whether civil or military, you are all my right-hand men. I am deeply grateful for His Majesty's trust in appointing me as Governor-General. This is both a motivation and a pressure. Jiangnan is a vital financial center of our Great Ming Dynasty, our purse strings. The stability of Jiangnan is crucial to the stability of our nation. I, Yang, will dedicate myself to this cause until my dying breath to pacify it." "I will take over in Jiangnan, and I will not betray His Majesty's trust. However, we know our own situation best; the Japanese pirate threat in Jiangnan is severe, and it cannot be quelled by one person alone. As the saying goes, 'A hero needs three helpers, and a fence needs three posts.' To quell the Japanese pirate threat in Jiangnan, we need the full support of all my colleagues. Only with our united efforts can we quell this threat. This second cup of wine is to my colleagues. I urge you all to join forces and lend me a hand so that we can quell the Japanese pirate threat together and achieve unparalleled merit!"

"Let's work together to quell the Japanese pirates and achieve unparalleled feats!"

The officials, including Zhu Ping'an, raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

They appeared to be getting along well.

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Zhao Wenhua didn't even raise his glass. Despite Yang Yi's overtures, Zhao Wenhua remained unresponsive. Hu Zongxian, on the other hand, raised his glass but kept whispering to Zhao Wenhua, and ultimately put it down without taking a sip, displaying utter perfunctoriness.

After Yang Yi offered three cups of wine, he asked Chen Hong to offer another. Chen Hong didn't stand on ceremony and chuckled in his hoarse voice, "I can't compare to Governor Yang. One cup is enough. This cup is to thank Governor Yang, Lord Zhao, and all the gentlemen for their hospitality. It makes me feel right at home and I feel incredibly warm."

"You're too kind, Eunuch Chen. Your presence is an honor to the entire Jiangnan region," everyone present said, raising their glasses in celebration.

After Chen Hong offered a drink, Yang Yi asked Zhao Wenhua to offer one as well, but Zhao Wenhua waved his hand and said, "Hehe, I'll pass. I have a slight cold today and it's not good for me to drink."

"Lord Zhao has caught a cold. Is it serious? I know an old, renowned doctor whose medical skills are unparalleled in Jiangnan. After the meeting, I'll invite him to Lord Zhao's residence to examine him."

Yang Yi was rejected by Zhao Wenhua, but instead of showing any anger, he was very concerned about Zhao Wenhua's health and said that he knew an old doctor and wanted to bring him to see Zhao Wenhua.

Zhao Wenhua coughed and waved his hand, saying, "Cough cough, there's no need to trouble Governor Yang. I've already seen a doctor about my cold and got some medicine. I should be fine after taking it for a couple more days."

Yang Yi didn't feel embarrassed at all, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Now we can rest assured. The overall situation of suppressing the Japanese pirates in Jiangnan cannot be separated from Lord Zhao for a moment."

"Not at all, the overall situation of suppressing the Japanese pirates in Jiangnan cannot be separated from Governor Yang," Zhao Wenhua simply replied.

After this little incident, Yang Yi offered a toast to the senior censor, thus concluding the banquet successfully.

After the banquet began, everyone relaxed and ate whatever they wanted, casually raising their glasses to toast each other.

Of course, officials with higher seniority and rank set off first, while those with less seniority had to wait for the more senior officials to take their places before they could set off.

Chen Hong brought a wine glass to Zhao Wenhua for a drink. Zhao Wenhua didn't bother to pretend that he had just caught a cold, nor did he bother with the usual tea-instead-of-wine ritual. Instead, he directly brought his wine glass to drink with Chen Hong.

Didn't you say you had a cold and shouldn't drink alcohol?! Then what are you doing now?!

An official who was familiar with Yang Yi saw this scene and gently nudged Yang Yi. Yang Yi saw it but ignored it, his face still beaming.

"Young Master Zhu, hehe, this humble servant toasts Young Master Zhu." Zhu Ping'an was struggling with the abalone on the table when he suddenly heard a hoarse voice in his ear. He looked up and saw Chen Hong with a formulaic smile on his face.

"A toast to Eunuch Chen." Zhu Ping'an stood up, raised his wine cup, and returned the toast to Chen Hong.

Just as Chen Hong was about to clink glasses, he lowered his glass three inches down to clink glasses with Zhu Ping'an.

By the time Zhu Pingan realized what was happening, they had already clinked glasses, with his glass on top and Chen Hong's glass on the bottom, making it very obvious.

"You flatter me, Eunuch Chen," Zhu Ping'an said with a wry smile.

"Not at all, Lord Zhu is favored by the Emperor. In fact, His Majesty has already considered Lord Zhu as the successor to the governorship. Lord Zhu is a pillar of the state, and with His Majesty's favor, his future is immeasurably bright. I'm just laying the groundwork for him in advance."

Chen Hong's chuckled words almost made Zhu Ping'an spit out his drink. "Damn it, you old schemer! I knew you were up to no good. I didn't expect you to live up to my expectations. You've got a belly full of bad ideas! You're trying to sow discord between me and Zhao Wenhua."

Zhao Wenhua was right next to him. Because he didn't become governor, Zhao Wenhua was giving Yang Yi a sour look, not even bothering to pretend anymore. He really wanted to be governor. You're saying that the emperor is considering making me governor, isn't that just making me a target of hatred?

Sure enough, Zhu Pingan saw Zhao Wenhua glance in their direction, his expression uncertain.

Zhu Ping'an smiled wryly and said, "Eunuch Chen, you flatter me. If we're talking about succeeding the governor, I dare say that all of you here today are under His Majesty's consideration. It's just that some are ahead of the list and some are behind. Today, Governor Yang is taking office, which shows that Governor Yang is at the very top of the list, and I am far behind."

Hearing Zhu Ping'an's words, everyone around him nodded in agreement. Indeed, if we're talking about succeeding the governor, everyone present is a candidate, and all are among the court's and the emperor's choices. This is the front line of the fight against the Japanese pirates, and no one understands the threat of the pirates better than those present. How could the emperor and the court not consider them?

However, there are differences between the candidates; some are ranked higher and some are ranked lower.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenhua's gloomy expression vanished considerably, and he turned to chat and laugh quietly with Hu Zongxian.

Zhu Pingan breathed a sigh of relief. (End of Chapter)