The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 446

Yang Yiqing knew very well that Mao Ji's acceptance of these people's sycophancy was definitely not just for Zhou Chu's sake. Zhou Chu was just blocking his path, but ultimately, there was no conflict between them in terms of position. If Mao Ji wanted to advance further, he would probably have to start by taking action against himself.

Having figured this out, Yang Yiqing couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He thought to himself that Mao Ji was getting impatient. He could give up the position of Grand Secretary, retire, or go back to his hometown, but he couldn't let these people force him to leave.

Having spent his life navigating the ups and downs of officialdom, Yang Yiqing could absolutely not tolerate such an undignified exit. Countless officials, like Jiang Mian who had resigned several times before, seeing no hope of advancing further, sought nothing more than a dignified exit.

For these civil officials, dignity is of utmost importance; none of them want to ruin their reputation at the end of their lives.

Who wouldn't want to be remembered in history as having a harmonious relationship with the emperor, leaving behind a beautiful story?

"Is there anyone else who wants to impeach Zhou Hengqi?"

Jiajing looked at the officials below with a blank expression.

As soon as Jiajing said this, a silence fell over the room. Clearly, those who should be impeached had already stepped forward, and those who had not, under Jiajing's tone, would naturally not stubbornly continue to stand up.

It should be noted that the current Jiajing Emperor firmly controls the entire court, and these officials dare not confront him directly.

"Alright, since there aren't any more, let's go through them one by one. Fang Kai, you said that Zhou Hengqi entered the capital without prior notification? Lu Wenfu's younger brother, Lu Wenxin, is getting married soon. Everyone knows about Zhou Hengqi's relationship with the Lu family, right? He had already told me about his return to the capital to attend Lu Wenxin's wedding, and I privately gave my permission. It was a private matter, so I didn't go through the cabinet. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Jiajing looked at the first official who impeached Zhou Chu and said with a slightly cold expression.

"As for the claim that Zhou Hengqi has raised thousands of private soldiers and hoarded weapons and armor, that is utter nonsense. The two thousand soldiers who follow Zhou Hengqi were recruited and trained by Zhou Hengqi with my permission. Although they are few in number, they are extremely elite and have been named the Xuanwu Army by me. They were originally stationed at sea, and now the navy of my Great Ming Dynasty was brought out by the Xuanwu Army."

As Jiajing looked at the officials below, his tone grew colder and colder, which made the officials who had impeached Zhou Chu feel a chill run down their spines. After all, the young emperor in front of them was never someone to be trifled with, and the thought of incurring the emperor's wrath over this matter sent shivers down their spines.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Lord Zhou is wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, and has devoted himself to the Ming Dynasty. What have you people done for the Ming Dynasty? Now you are all spreading rumors and making baseless accusations against Lord Zhou. Such behavior is surely disheartening for Lord Zhou."

Han Jie stepped forward, looked at the officials, and angrily rebuked them.

"I also believe that these people are despicable. However, I find it strange that although there have been impeachments against Lord Zhou before, it is rare to see so many people today, with all sorts of bizarre reasons. I wonder if this was pre-arranged?"

Yang Shen also stepped forward, looked at the officials, then at Mao Ji, and said in a sarcastic tone.

"I have heard that Mao Weizhi's residence has been bustling with visitors these days."

Seeing that Han Jie and Yang Shen had stepped forward to change the subject, Jiajing was very satisfied. With so many officials impeaching Zhou Chu, Jiajing naturally couldn't refute them one by one; refuting one or two would suffice.

If an emperor were to put himself in the same position as his officials and try to reason with them step by step, he would fall into their trap.

Jiajing's task was not only to help Zhou Chu, but also to counter him.

"Your Majesty, I am humbled. These past few days have been my grandson’s 100th day, and indeed many colleagues have come to offer their congratulations."

Mao Ji spoke of fear, but his face remained calm and composed. The Ming Dynasty had always tacitly accepted the existence of factions, and the court had never strictly prohibited officials from forming factions. However, these were all unspoken rules; they could be done, but not brought out into the open.