pappabearbooks Chapter 2325 You forced me to do this
Chapter 2325 You forced me to do this
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Hong covered his mouth with a handkerchief and wiped it, then smiled effeminately, "I have so much to say to you gentlemen, but let's get down to business first. After we're done with business, I'll catch up with you all properly."
“What you say makes sense.”
The crowd echoed their agreement, and under Zhao Wenhua's organization, they escorted Chen Hong and the other angels to the governor's office to deliver the imperial decree.
This was the third time the imperial edict had been issued appointing the governor, and everyone was already familiar with the process, proceeding step by step.
From the beginning to the reading of the imperial edict, everything was as expected, until the governor's name was read out by Chen Hong:
"By imperial decree, Yang Yi was appointed Governor-General of Military Affairs in the Provinces South of the Yangtze River."
who?!
Yang Yi?! The appointed Governor-General Yang Yi?!
Upon hearing the imperial edict announcing Yang Yi's appointment as governor, Zhao Wenhua was stunned. The confident smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by disbelief, shock, disappointment, confusion, and anger. His face was awash with negative emotions, and he almost stood up to question Chen Hong, "Did you misread the word? How come it's Yang Yi?!"
Although Zhu Pingan said yesterday that he wouldn't be the governor this time, Zhao Wenhua thought it was just Zhu Pingan's unfounded speculation and didn't take it to heart at all. He believed that the governorship was rightfully his!
I've already impeached two governors-general. Is there anyone in Jiangnan more suitable to be governor-general than me, Zhao Wenhua?!
Zhao Wenhua had always been confident about this, but when the answer was revealed and the governor was not him, he was completely devastated.
Not only Zhao Wenhua, but all the officials present, except for Zhu Pingan, were stunned and their jaws dropped when they heard Chen Hong announce that Yang Yi was the successor to the governor.
Wait, wait a minute, what did you say? What did I just hear? You just announced who will be the governor?! Yang Yi?!
Isn't it Zhao Wenhua?!
Why was Yang Yi appointed as governor-general?! Yang Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!!!
No way?! Did I hear that right?! The imperial court has appointed a Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue as the Governor-General of Jiangnan?!
The officials present were astonished, never expecting that the new governor appointed by the court would not be Zhao Wenhua, but Yang Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
Wait, didn't the official reports say that Zhao Wenhua was far ahead in the race for the top position? How did it become Yang Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?
After Chen Hong read out Yang Yi's name, the scene fell silent instantly, a terrifying, suffocating silence.
"Your subject Yang Yi accepts the imperial decree and thanks Your Majesty for your great favor. Long live the Emperor! I will devote myself to the cause until my dying breath!"
An excited voice broke the suffocating atmosphere and brought the stunned crowd back to reality.
Yang Yi!
Yang Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, couldn't hide his excitement and stepped forward to receive the imperial decree, unable to suppress the urge to smile.
My God, it really is me! A message from the capital says I'm one of the candidates, but Zhao Wenhua and others are more popular than me. The message from the capital let me know that this is true, but don't get your hopes up too high. After all, Zhao Wenhua is almost the pre-selected candidate this time.
But to my utter surprise, it was I, Yang Yi, who became the governor.
God knows how excited I was when Chen Hongxuan read out my name; my heart was practically jumping out of my throat.
It's truly amazing that the Yang family's ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke! I, Yang Yi, have actually become the Governor-General of Jiangnan! I thank my ancestors for their blessings; I even have a chance to become the cabinet!
Compared to Yang Yi, who was bubbling with excitement, Zhao Wenhua was radiating a resentment that was almost tangible.
Damn!
Zhao Wenhua looked at Yang Yi, who was kneeling in front of him excitedly receiving the imperial decree, and was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder. His eyes flashed with a fierce light.
You forced me to do this!
Fine, you won't appoint me as governor, huh? Then you can wait for my triple kill!
If I can impeach the first Governor-General of Jiangnan, and if I can impeach the second Governor-General of Jiangnan, then I can impeach the third Governor-General of Jiangnan!
I impeached even a governor as renowned and capable as Zhang Jing, so how could I possibly impeach someone as obscure and mediocre as Yang Yi! Your abilities are even less than those of Zhou Chong, the last person I impeached!
Yang Yi, is it? You just wait, I'll make sure you don't even get to sit down properly before you pack your bags and get out of here!
Zhao Wenhua stared at Yang Yi's retreating figure, gritting his teeth and vowing fiercely that he would definitely get a triple kill!
Huh, why does my back feel so cold?!
As Yang Yi was kneeling to receive the imperial edict, he inexplicably felt a chill down his back. Could it be that the wind had picked up and he hadn't noticed because he was so excited to receive the edict?
"Congratulations, Lord Yang—no, I should call you Governor Yang now." After Yang Yi knelt to receive the imperial edict, Chen Hong chuckled and reached out to help Yang Yi up.
"Thank you, Eunuch Chen. To be honest, I am both excited and somewhat surprised by the court's appointment of me as governor. After all, there are many people more capable than me. I never expected the court to appoint me as governor. I feel both pressure and motivation. I will do my best to live up to His Majesty's expectations," Yang Yi said modestly, with a hidden meaning.
All the officials perked up their ears, equally curious about the question: why was Yang Yi appointed as governor-general instead of Zhao Wenhua, when Zhao Wenhua was clearly the most popular choice?
"Haha, Governor Yang is too modest. Back then, Shi Shangzhao, a salt smuggler in Zhecheng, Henan, gathered several thousand people to rebel. They quickly captured Zhecheng County, opened the granaries, and distributed grain. The rebels swelled to tens of thousands, successively capturing more than ten cities including Luyi, Xiayi, and Suzhou. Their advance reached as far as outside Fengyang City in Anhui, their momentum was immense, and the Central Plains were shaken, even the imperial court was shaken. At that time, Governor Yang was inspecting Henan. It was Governor Yang who mobilized the Henan Military Command, various garrisons, county militias, and local militias to launch a full-scale attack, firmly holding the defense line in central and western Henan, preventing the rebels from penetrating deep into the heart of the Central Plains." "Overseeing the overall situation, and cooperating with Commander-in-Chief Jiang Zhou, he organized troops from Henan, Anhui, and Shandong to quell the rebellion and capture the bandit leader Shi Shangzhao alive! From Shi Shangzhao's rebellion to its complete suppression, only a little over three months passed. Governor Yang's decisive and efficient suppression of the rebellion, orchestrated from the center, is undoubtedly the most deserving credit. It is for this reason that Governor Yang stood out among the candidates." Chen Hong chuckled and slowly said, "The higher-ups expect Governor Yang to demonstrate the same spirit he displayed in suppressing Shi Shangzhao's rebellion, swiftly and decisively quelling the Japanese pirate threat in Jiangnan."
"I see."
Yang Yi nodded in sudden understanding, then immediately cupped his hands in a deep bow towards the capital, declaring with utmost sincerity, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not betray your trust or the court's expectations. I will dedicate myself to the utmost, even unto death, to quell the Japanese pirate raids in Jiangnan, restoring a prosperous and stable Jiangnan for Your Majesty, and a peaceful and prosperous Jiangnan for the people." (End of Chapter)