Yang Ge thought of this and his brows slowly knotted together again.
The evidence chain involving numerous corrupt officials who had participated in driving up grain prices and receiving bribes for land had long since been complete in his hands.
The reason he had yet to make a move was not because he dreaded those high-ranking officials of the Three Departments, nor because he intended to save the tough nuts to crack for last...
It was because he suspected that as soon as he moved against those local officials of the Three Departments, Wei Heng’s secret edict would immediately take effect!
This suspicion was not unfounded.
The full name of the Three Departments is the Commissioner Office of the Grand Heir-apparent, the Bureau of Judicial Review, and the Military Commission.
The Provincial Administration Commission was the chief administrative body of a province.
The Bureau of Judicial Review was the judicial authority of a province.
The Military Commission was the military authority of a province...
Not subordinate to each other, each with its own duties, they formed the highest administrative center for Wei in the localities.
In terms of rank, the head officials of the Three Departments were all of the second or third rank, high-ranking officials of the court.
In terms of identity, the head officials of the Three Departments were both heavyweights sent from the capital to the localities, as well as important reserves for entering the six ministries and the cabinet.
Dealing with them, both in political significance and in procedural means, was worlds apart from handling the Magistrates and officials of a thousand or hundred households!
To put it more bluntly...
When dealing with Magistrates and officials of a thousand or hundred households, even without an imperial edict in hand, Yang Ge could outright employ various means and underhanded tactics.
But dealing with the head officials of the Three Departments, even with an imperial edict in hand, he could not outright employ means nor play tricks.
Because once political strife lost its bottom line...
The consequences, even for a monarch, were more than could be borne!
Therefore, Yang Ge was certain that Wei Heng’s secret edict was meant to limit his anti-corruption actions in Jiangzhe to being below the Three Departments!
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To avoid the outcome of "business unfinished, foundering midway", he had also been careful not to directly clash with the head officials of the Three Departments.
It seemed the head officials of the Three Departments also understood this "tacit understanding". They allowed Yang Ge’s men to crash into the yamen of the Three Departments and arrest their subordinate officials and clerks, without ever sending a single letter of protest to Yang Ge.
Perhaps in the eyes of those at their level, the focus of this anti-corruption effort in Jiangzhe was never really on Jiangzhe, nor on him, Yang Ge.
It was on the court, on the emperor...
Now, the Three Departments of Jiangzhe, saved for last, were finally laid before Yang Ge.
At this moment, Yang Ge was faced with an extremely difficult choice.
Whether to arrest these corrupt officials who had been brought to Yangzhou and deal with them thoroughly, steadfastly.
Or to take a big gamble, carrying the banner of the imperial envoy to Hangzhou, to capture the offending officials of the Three Departments and imprison them...
Yang Ge’s thoughts brutally collided as he pondered back and forth for a long time, and in the end, he let out a heavy sigh.
In a low voice, he said, "Fang Ke, help me one last time."
Fang Ke immediately stood up straight, with a solemn expression he saluted and said, "Please give your instructions, my lord!"
Yang Ge smiled and gently pressed down his hands, "Ease up a bit, let’s talk..."
Confronted with his forced smile, Fang Ke instead became even more nervous and cautiously asked, "My lord, you’re not thinking of... directly leading troops to charge into Prince Ning’s residence to nab people, are you?"
Yang Ge said wordlessly, "Do you really see me as the kind of fool who is reckless and acts without considering consequences?"
Fang Ke: "That... hehe..."
Yang Ge got to his feet and gently patted his shoulder, "Rest easy, I won’t rashly target Prince Ning. The evidence is insufficient, the time is not right; we’re not equipped to bring him down for now!"
Fang Ke arrived here, and his suspended heart still couldn’t relax, "Could it be that the official intends to... lead troops to attack the Provincial Administration Commission?"
Yang Ge spoke gently, "Don’t be hasty. Listen to me until the end..."
Fang Ke suddenly stood up with a whoosh, pleading with clasped hands, "Sir, please think three times!"
Yang Ge rose and pressed him back down, "I told you not to be hasty. Listen until I am finished. There’s no rush..."
Fang Ke: "Is there a difference?"
Fang Ke sat back down in a frantic state, his gaze like that of a frightened grazing animal’s cub, filled with fear and wariness, staring intently at his direct superior, always ready to stand up again to dissuade him the moment he mentioned going to Hangzhou.
Yang Ge smacked his lips, turned his head, and lifted the tea bowl from the table to drink its contents in one gulp, then cut to the chase, "I won’t go to Hangzhou, but I need you to go there for me..."
Upon hearing this, Fang Ke’s heart immediately relaxed, and he nodded without hesitation, "No problem, I will prepare right away!"
Even though he had just returned to Yangzhou from Jinling.
But as long as the direct superior didn’t confront the administration of the three divisions of Jiangzhe head-on.
He would gladly run another trip...
"Listen to me until I finish speaking!"
Yang Ge waved his hand to stop him from interrupting, then slowly said, "Later, disguise yourself as me, and take about a hundred riders with the imperial envoy’s banners out of the city, heading straight for Hangzhou. You can rest briefly on the way, but you cannot stop, you must keep moving!"
"If, still, you are unluckily pursued, just say that along the journey, we split our forces into two and agreed to meet outside the Hangzhou Provincial Administration office... Make up the rest as needed, but there is one goal: to deceive those chasing you to Hangzhou!"
"At least..."
He pondered for a few moments, holding up four fingers, "Buy me four days’ time!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he gently patted his forehead, "Still, don’t make up too extravagant a lie. Just say that after leaving the city with me, we split our forces and planned to meet in Hangzhou. If those pursuing you ask further, push the whole matter onto me. Say it was I who took you out of the city and also I who instructed you to go to Hangzhou. As for the rest, you know nothing!"
His demeanor was very gentle, and he spoke in great detail.
However, the more Fang Ke listened, the more frightened and agitated he became.
Knowing his direct superior well... This rough man was playing so many tricks, he was definitely going to stir up big trouble!
"Sir!"
He pleaded with a pained expression and clasped hands, "Even if you command me to draw a knife across my throat, I will not hesitate. But could you let me die knowing the truth? The way you’re doing this... It’s very difficult for me!"
Yang Ge’s expression turned stern, "Too difficult? Then don’t bother doing it at all!"
Fang Ke hastily bowed his head, "I dare not!"
Feeling a bit guilty, Yang Ge spoke softly, "You are also an old timer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you know the rules—don’t ask about things you shouldn’t, don’t know things you shouldn’t. You are just a hundred households carrying out orders. If there are any repercussions later, they won’t trace back to you... I am still counting on you to bring me a few good meals later on."
He didn’t want to make things too clear.
But upon hearing this, Fang Ke suddenly realized something, and upon deeper thought... he suddenly widened his eyes in horror, "Sir, you wouldn’t be planning to... There are more than four hundred here..."
His lips trembled as he spoke softly, making a chopping gesture with his hand.
Yang Ge hesitated for a moment, then still nodded slightly, "Based on what you know about the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, those people at court, and their shrewdness, what will become of these convicted officials once they are escorted back to the capital?"
Fang Ke said anxiously, "But you don’t need to wade into this murky water... Please listen to me this time, although we did go too far this time, the outcome is ultimately good. Even if the higher-ups want to fight it out, at worst, they will side-line you, putting you on ice for a while. With your abilities and character, there will surely come a day of redemption. There’s no need to ruin your promising future over these conscienceless scum!"
Yang Ge pressed his lips tightly, then suddenly smiled lightly, "I just can’t accept it, they win big wealth and high position, and if they lose they just drink three cups as a punishment. Why do all the good things in this world fall into their hands?"
He slid the confessions of those convicted officials across the table to Fang Ke, "Look at these abhorrent deeds they’ve done; do they even deserve to live? If I let them just walk away scot-free, I would feel unsettled for the rest of my life!"
"Seeing that I can’t be an official anymore, I’m not afraid of making a bigger fuss!"
"No matter how the court settles things afterwards, I’ll take it..."
"When a person dies, he ascends to the heavens, and if not, he lives for countless years!"