GBP Chapter 624 Verbal Battle
Chapter 624 Verbal Battle
Shortly after Liu Ye issued his ultimatum, Yang Sichang appeared on the Yongdingmen city tower. The two rivals, who had openly and covertly competed with each other, met.
Liu Ye sized up his opponent: around forty years old, in his prime, with a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a long beard—the most standard bureaucratic appearance in the Ming Dynasty. Compared to Zhang Fengyi's dull and lifeless demeanor, his eyes revealed ambition and determination; it was clear that he was a man with political aspirations and a strong character.
Yang Sichang was also sizing up Liu Ye. The man was around twenty or thirty years old, tall and handsome, with a calm and insightful look in his eyes, like a wise man rather than a simple-minded warrior.
After sizing each other up, Yang Sichang spoke first.
"Is that Liu Ye, the General of Qionghai, below? You entered the capital without orders from the Ministry of War and even threatened to bombard Yongding Gate. Do you know that this is a heinous crime punishable by beheading?"
Liu Ye smiled and replied, "Lord Yang, let's not talk in official jargon. Let's get down to business. Come, let me show you a few people first."
He stepped aside, revealing four prison vans.
"Lord Yang should know these people, and has even asked them for favors, but he's never met them in person. Let me introduce them to you." Liu Ye rode up to Panda. "This is Panda, the Tianjin Military Commissioner. He was ordered by you to burn down the granaries in Tianjin. He worked so hard; you must keep the position you promised him in the Ministry of War's Military Affairs Department or Military Selection Department. Don't go back on your word..."
Yang Sichang's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Oh no, how did this get out?" But his face remained calm, and he said indifferently, "I don't know him, and I don't know what nonsense you're spouting! Burning down a granary is a serious crime. I will send people to find out who set the fire. Don't try to smear me."
Liu Ye held a knife to Panda's neck and asked, "Did someone instruct you to burn down the granary, or did you decide to do it yourself?"
Panda replied with a mournful face, "I was just following orders. Although it wasn't explicitly stated that the granary should be burned, my orders were to refuse to supply the Qionghai Navy with provisions at all costs, and to act as necessary if needed. Your men came demanding provisions, and I couldn't do anything about it, so I simply burned the provisions..."
Liu Ye turned around and asked, "Did you hear me clearly, Lord Yang?"
“I heard it clearly, but so what? Even if I held a knife to his throat, he could say the exact opposite.” Yang Sichang remained unmoved. “Besides, what right do you, a Guangdong general, have to arrest Tianjin officials and abuse your power?”
"Heh, does Lord Yang mean that I coerced and bribed Panda into lying?" Liu Ye pointed at Wang Hong. "According to this logic, if General Wang Hong of Tianjin admits to refusing to send troops to aid me and letting the Tartars escape, then that would also be against his conscience?"
Yang Sichang replied calmly, "Isn't that right?"
Liu Ye smiled and shook his head, pointing his knife at the two Imperial Guards: "So, these two Imperial Guards responsible for relaying orders will become 'temporary workers'?"
Yang Sichang didn't know what "temporary worker" meant, but he reacted quickly: "The Ministry of War and the Embroidered Uniform Guard keep to themselves and it's impossible for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to give orders to the Ministry of War. Besides, whether these two people are Embroidered Uniform Guard members can only be determined after checking the roster of the Northern Garrison Command."
"Just as expected, this is the tactic. As long as we send someone to change the list of Jinyiwei now, there will be no way to prove anything. These two people will be 'temporary workers,' no longer Jinyiwei members, and will become wandering ghosts." Liu Ye sheathed his sword and clapped his hands in approval. "Lord Yang is meticulous in his thinking and quick in his reactions. He has cleared himself of all charges in no time. I admire you. No wonder you were able to replace Zhang Fengyi!"
Yang Sichang watched Liu Ye quietly, waiting to see what other tricks he had up his sleeve.
Qin Tian and the others behind Liu Ye were getting anxious. They had finally found a witness, but Yang Sichang cleared them up with just a few words.
Liu Ye said leisurely, "Lord Yang, you have quite the methods, but I knew you weren't so easy to deal with, and I didn't intend to get you to confess just because of these few witnesses. I have another clumsy idea, Lord Yang, could you please consider it and see if it works: I'll cut off the tendons in these men's hands and feet, then put them in a prison cart and drive them from north to south, with placards around their necks proclaiming them as collaborators with the enemy, so that people can watch them along the way. Then I'll make up a story about their conspiracy with Lord Yang, and hire local storytellers to tell it for a year, so that the whole world knows about it. What do you think?"
Yang Sichang's expression changed, and he clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves. He tried to ask in a calm tone, "What kind of crime is treason? How can you determine it based on just your word? Besides, I don't know these people at all. What could I possibly be plotting with them?"
“You only gave the order, without telling them the purpose of doing so. Indeed, we couldn’t get those two words out of their testimonies, but I guessed it.” Liu Ye opened his mouth and silently said two words.
Although he could only see the lip movements, Yang Sichang immediately recognized that the other party was saying "peace negotiations"!
In an instant, Yang Sichang felt as if struck by lightning, nearly losing his footing. Such a secret matter, known only to himself and the Emperor, how could he possibly know?
Seeing Yang Sichang's expression, Liu Ye knew his guess was correct. He smiled and asked, "Well, did you guess the truth? As long as this matter is revealed, and you add the stories of Panda burning down the granary and Wang Hong refusing to fight, and the storyteller adds some embellishments, wouldn't it become a story of the Minister of War colluding with the Military Commissioner and the General to seduce the Tartars and frame loyal officials? In ancient times, there was Pan Renmei framing the Yang family generals, and Qin Hui fabricated charges against Yue Fei. Now, Minister Yang is stabbing Qionghai Town in the back. The common people should like to hear that, right?"
Yang Sichang's face turned ashen, his hair and beard bristled, and he pointed at Liu Ye, shouting, "Shut up! All of this is just your speculation, without any real evidence. It's pure slander. Do you really think that just because you have two cannons and a few soldiers, you can spout nonsense and no one can do anything to you?"
Liu Ye innocently spread his hands: "I never said I had any evidence. It's just a joke that went viral. Do I need evidence? However, once you add those two words that you dare not say to what Panda and Wang Hong did, it becomes perfectly plausible. Most people in the world would rather believe it, right? At that time, Minister Yang, not only will your reputation be ruined, but it might also implicate the person above you. This is not something that can be resolved with a self-reproach edict..."
Yang Sichang began to tremble all over. He really didn't know how to deal with such a scoundrel.
Admittedly, the other side had no evidence that he intended to negotiate peace. However, the Tartars were burning, killing, and looting in the capital region as if they were nothing, and the people were certainly filled with resentment. If he were to release the news of his peace negotiations at this time, coupled with his secret orders to Panda and Wang Hong to sabotage the Qionghai Army's plan to intercept Abatai, those easily swayed and foolish people would surely believe it. Under normal circumstances, even if the news of the peace negotiations were leaked, it would only result in impeachment by censors. As long as the emperor protected him, he would be fine. But now, with the Tartars invading, if his obstruction of Xia Tiannan, which allowed Abatai to escape, were exposed, he would be accused of colluding with the barbarians, and the court and the public would be in uproar. Even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he would not be able to clear his name.