Chapter 233 Old Deng's Ruthless Response...
After racking his brains over the letter for a long time, Zhang Ji decided to give up on explaining and turn to take care of his business first.
He summoned Master Mo and relayed the message. The young master Mo always had a calm and composed expression on his face. He nodded and thought for a moment, then quickly said, "Sir, leave this matter to me."
"Be careful." Zhang Ji suddenly had an idea.
The Huang family in Liuzhou is still waiting for him to propose marriage, but before things settle in Taiyuan, Zhang Ji dares not rashly reveal his allegiance to the Zhang family. He also fears that proposing marriage now would be looked down upon by his family, and that he might cause his beloved to suffer. This dilemma seems like something he could confide in His Highness the Crown Prince… like he used to, to his brother Qi.
Zhang Ji quickly ground the ink, and inspiration flowed freely, allowing him to write with divine inspiration, pouring out several pages of bitter complaints on the paper.
Brother Qi, it's not that I've become estranged from you, it's just that this period has been too difficult, with so many things to do, and I'm also being urged by my family in Liuzhou. I'm really at my wit's end and don't know what to do!
...
A few days later, Qi Chengming received a reply. He chuckled upon seeing it, not being fooled: "When did Brother Zhang become so glib?"
Is this a way of hoping to move him with his plight, in order to cover up his inability to respond?
However, you should feel sorry for your friends.
Qi Chengming let the matter drop and suggested that Zhang Ji should avoid contacting the Zhang family too much and instead get married directly in Taiyuan. As long as the Zhang family agreed to his marriage with the Huang family, no one would make things too difficult for him.
Why would anyone worry about Huang Lan, Zhang Ji's good friend and brother-in-law, who currently holds a high position in the Crown Prince's Court of Imperial Sacrifices? Even if the Zhang family were blind, they wouldn't overlook this connection, so Zhang Ji needn't be too concerned.
After writing the reassuring letter, Qi Chengming calmly copied it down and sent it to Grand Secretary Mu. It was only after arriving in the capital that he learned that those who had long since pledged allegiance to him were secretly using pinyin as a code to transmit messages.
It was so absurd that when he saw it for the first time, he almost thought he hadn't traveled through time alone.
Mu Residence.
Grand Scholar Mu met with several old friends for tea and refreshments, and read the letter from His Highness the Crown Prince.
"Be prepared, His Majesty will make his move in the next couple of days," Mu Jie said calmly.
In the past two days, more grain merchants and traveling merchants have flocked to Taiyuan. Farmers from all directions are carrying their grain crops and walking all night, covered in frost and dew, to trade in Taiyuan. Such things are getting more and more intense. Even though the guards at the city gates are trying to stop them and all the entrances and exits are blocked, people still go through regardless of the consequences.
One wealthy merchant, after drinking too much, laughed heartily on the boat and blurted out his true feelings: "Scholars enjoy flowers and wine, the people live in peace and prosperity, and governance is clear and efficient. Isn't this a paradise? It's much better than staying in Luoyang!"
Although he was stopped in shock when he got to the second half of his sentence, he still managed to say it.
This statement resonated with many people. Whether commoners or wealthy families, the discussion was endless in teahouses and restaurants. Some small shops, with smiles on their faces, asked people not to say anything taboo. Meanwhile, many idlers strolled along the streets and bridges, casually chirping crickets and discussing the stark differences between Luoyang and Taiyuan.
That evening, Qi Chengming was listening to Song Gu talk about the visiting cards and gifts the mansion had received recently when his expression suddenly changed. He made a gesture to stop him, and his eyes drifted into the distance, looking somewhat vacant.
Song Gu, standing nearby, wisely kept silent. He wasn't surprised to see the new emperor suddenly lost in thought regardless of the occasion, but instead quietly waited with his eyes downcast.
No… it’s more like… than being lost in thought.
Song Gu quietly lifted his eyelids slightly.
The young prince's gaze was unfocused, looking up at the sky in front of him. There was nothing there, except for the flickering shadow of a candle on the table in the flower hall. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that he wasn't looking at the candle. His gaze was focused and fixed, rhythmically fixed on a certain spot in front of him, intent and serious, as if he were listening to something.
Just like...
The new ruler can see what they cannot see and hear what they cannot hear. No matter how far away that thing is... something big must be happening right now.
Song Gu felt reassured. He recalled the new emperor's seemingly knowing words and actions, and how Mr. Huang's subordinates, though far away on an island, had uttered a remark that day that sounded like recent instructions from the new emperor on how to act...
Qi Chengming is watching the surveillance footage.
The system monitor seems to be running out of power lately, and it tends to miss a black screen every now and then. He's been planning how to find an opportunity to swap out the pinhole camera and charge it, but he hasn't found a suitable time yet.
Just now, the system monitoring was turned on again.
The spies who had been gathering intelligence in the Taiyuan area returned with the same low-key, unassuming old eunuch whom Qi Chengming recognized. He knelt in the side hall and recounted the events—indeed, the wealthy merchant had uttered some of his indiscreet remarks. Emperor Hongren, whose emotions had been eerily suppressed and calm lately, now had his face rapidly turning from red to black in the candlelight. He cursed:
"You brat!"
The old emperor dismissed the old eunuch, leaving no one in the side hall. Like a raging, agitated tiger, he rose from his throne and paced back and forth, his expression shifting between anger and rage, his breathing rapid.
"I need to think of a way... I have to think of a way." He muttered, his face still showing no sign of success. "I have a way..."
Qi Chengming watched him silently.
This was when Emperor Hongren, this ancient emperor, was alone, and it was also the only time he did not want others to see his vulnerable, confused, or depressed emotions, or when he was in a low point.
After a long time, Emperor Hongren's expression calmed down, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
He had an idea.
...
The next morning, Qi Chengming was also summoned to the palace and had the opportunity to witness the morning court session. The scale was still small, with only a few important officials present to discuss matters.
The first thing that happened was that the Vice Minister of War was dismissed and imprisoned for negligence in the supply of provisions to the front lines.
Immediately afterwards, someone from the Ministry of War reported new urgent military intelligence: a group of rebels had gathered in the Fenyang area, and the situation remained dire. Emperor Hongren ordered a garrison stationed in Luzhou to rise up and suppress the rebellion, and appointed the former Vice Minister of War to atone for his crimes by first assuming the post of Imperial Commissioner to resolve the matter.
The former Vice Minister of War, stripped of his official robes and pinned to the ground in court, looked ashen-faced and offered no resistance. He had thought he was going to die here, but now things had taken an unexpected turn for the better.
His face immediately lit up with joy, and his eyes shone brightly. Even with his arms tied behind his back, he struggled to kowtow heavily to the ground, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you for your great kindness!"
"However—" Emperor Hongren added slowly with a blank expression, "My dear minister, the national treasury is tight, and there is really no extra grain or provisions for the army. This time, we will just go with the flow to suppress the bandits."
His casual remark instantly silenced the former Vice Minister of War, leaving him speechless like a chicken being held by the neck.
Qi Chengming, who had been respectfully keeping his head down and staring at the ground the whole time, now had his eyes slightly widened beneath his crown: "..."
"Going wherever they go" is just four simple words, but Qi Chengming dared not even imagine the enormous impact and bloodshed they would cause behind them.
What does that represent?
That meant that during this campaign to suppress bandits, the troops could freely storm into cities along the way for pleasure and looting. It meant the generals, lacking provisions and pay, would have to extort and rob wealthy families to fill their stomachs, and it meant countless innocent civilians would suffer...
Emperor Hongren's four seemingly casual words tested the generals' military skills and conscience, as well as whether the local powerful families could wisely concede appropriately...
"Bandits pass by like a comb, soldiers pass by like a fine brush," a saying that was common in ancient times.
Qi Chengming's hands, hanging by his sides, suddenly clenched.
Without realizing it, he opened the infrastructure map, zoomed in on the national region, and found Fenyang...
Well?
Qi Chengming's expression froze.
There is a main road leading to Taiyuan here; in other words, Fenyang is right next to Taiyuan Prefecture. This series of seemingly unrelated events from the morning court session suddenly flashed through Qi Chengming's mind.
He finally understood.
Emperor Hongren was not kindly pardoning the former Vice Minister of War, but rather using this incident to squeeze out his remaining value... In the end, did anyone really revolt in Fenyang?
Qi Chengming was extremely suspicious of this matter.
Taiyuan Prefecture has recently become increasingly prosperous due to the Wang family's currency. Why aren't the people of Fenyang, who live nearby, rushing to join this movement? What could possibly drive them to such a desperate situation?
Qi Chengming fell silent when he thought about the consequences of the uprising being suppressed.
I wonder how many innocent people are being wronged behind this.
So things became clear—this whole scene at the morning court session was probably a ploy by Emperor Hongren for the Wang family of Taiyuan.
Aren't you prosperous? Aren't you even more famous than the capital thanks to your private currency? Don't you want to be the ruler of the country? Emperor Hongren openly sent his army over, probably partly to intimidate, and partly to see how much blood they can bleed and how much trouble they can cause the Wang family of Taiyuan. That depends on their abilities.
The original Wang family of Taiyuan might have been indifferent to such military conscription. What business was it of their aristocratic families to be forcibly conscripted from local wealthy households? Could they really just storm their door and rob them? Even managing to rob someone under the protection of their private army was a skill in itself. But now, the Wang family's currency had reshaped the overall economy of Taiyuan Prefecture, isolating them from the outside world while allowing them to thrive internally.
If the army is allowed to run rampant, the weakness of Taiyuan Prefecture will mean the weakness of the Wang family. How could the Wang family of Taiyuan easily give up such a golden goose?
This forced the Wang family of Taiyuan to be cautious in dealing with this army.
However—if Qi Chengming's guess is correct, then when the rebel army is suppressed and wiped out, and when the army returns to the capital, isn't it all up to Emperor Hongren to decide?
If we disregard the immense suffering the common people endure, Emperor Hongren's methods still surpass those of the Wang family of Taiyuan.
...Is this the solution that Emperor Hongren came up with after racking his brains all night?
He didn't have many merits to begin with, but at least he cared about the common people. Now, however, he seems to realize that besides being ruthless towards the people, he has no other way to suppress the powerful families?
Qi Chengming thought of Grand Scholar Mu's aged and worried eyes. He wondered if Emperor Hongren had thought of his own tutor's teachings when he made his decision this morning.
But Qi Chengming had no time to analyze who had a better chance of winning in the upcoming showdown between Emperor Hongren and the Wang family of Taiyuan.
After the morning court session ended, he remained unnoticed for a while before Emperor Hongren summoned him to a side hall.
Qi Chengming tensed up—he was the only prince to attend the small meeting this morning, and Emperor Hongren rarely came without a reason, so it was indeed...
The old emperor, seated on his throne, neither approved any memorials nor gestured for Qi Chengming, who was bowing, to rise. Instead, he stared fixedly at Qi Chengming on the ground: "..."
The air in the side hall gradually became unbearable.
The scene of such oppressive power is still quite terrifying.
Qi Chengming knelt on the ground, trying to make his expression appear bewildered and harmless, while also suppressing a hint of fear. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "...Father?"
"After hearing about the Wang family of Taiyuan, Chengming, does anything sound familiar?" Emperor Hongren finally asked quietly.
The true intentions have finally been revealed!
Qi Chengming felt a surge of energy and his spirits lifted completely.
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Author's Note: Second Update
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