Jin Yi Kill - Chapter 123

After the beginning of summer, good news from the southeast coast spread frequently. In April, a military report was sent from Fujian and Zhejiang, and Zhu Wan led his troops to advance from Haimen to conquer Shuangyu Port, the nest of Japanese pirates, and captured the Japanese leader Ji Tian and the pirate Xu Dong alive.

Zhu Wan said in the memorial that Xu Dong was originally from the Ming Dynasty and colluded with Japanese pirates to smuggle capital. He gathered a group of homeless people to occupy Shuangyu, built a brig to carry prohibited goods, and even equipped the ship with armed firearms. Xu Dong built his own ships and also provided ports for foreign ships. People on the island spoke Japanese and Western languages, making it an independent kingdom.

Daming has a maritime ban, and Xu Dong’s behavior not only violated the maritime ban, but also blatantly provokes the imperial court’s military prestige. The emperor granted Zhu Wan’s request, allowing him to publicly behead Jitian and Xu Dong at Shikou, and fortify Shuangyu, interrogate ships, and block Japanese pirates.

After the victory of Shuangyu, the battle reports kept coming, and every time it was a small victory and a big victory. Zhu Wan asked for orders to attack the thieves of Wen, Pan, and Nanji, mobilized the Central Zhejiang Guard Station, and fought for three months to report a major defeat of the enemy army and quell the mine thieves in Chuzhou. In September, Zhu Wan reported in the good news that the Folangji robbers went to Zhao’an to loot. He captured three kings of Folangji and one king of Japanese alive, and arrested ninety-six pirates who were leading the way for outsiders, all of whom were executed in the city. .

Folang machine people is the general name of the Westerners in the Ming Dynasty. These people are blond and blue-eyed, with high eyebrows and deep eyes, and they look very different from the Central Plains people. Zhu Wan scolded the coast for traitors in the book. When he beheaded the Fulang machine, many powerful families interceded for the Westerners, and even a large number of bureaucrats came forward as lobbyists.

Zhu Wan even pointed the finger at the central government, saying that the local tyrants colluded with Japanese pirates to smuggle, and obtained a large amount of money, which was given to officials from Fujian and Zhejiang in the capital, and asked them to help cover up. The pirate rebellion was actually an internal disaster.

Zhu Wan’s memorial can be said to have caused a thousand waves. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are major imperial examination provinces, and more than half of the jinshi in the dynasty are from the southeast. As if they had made an appointment, the capital city and the impeachment papers from Zhejiang and Fujian flew in together, and instantly drowned Zhu Wan’s battle report.

The local censors, inspectors, and prefects all reported that Zhu Wan was greedy for credit and rashly reported military information. He boasted of his achievements and concealed the death toll of the Ming army. Port, it has already written a memorial to say the victory. In fact, it took three days for the navy to actually land on Shuangyu.

The imperial censor in the capital also impeached Zhu Wan for committing suicide. After all, Folangjiren was a foreigner, and Zhu Wan beheaded him without asking the court.

Everything was said at one time, the emperor’s case was full of impeachment memorials, and there was very little voice for Zhu Wan, only Zhu Wan defended himself impassively. Public opinion was completely one-sided, and the emperor could not tell whether Zhu Wan was lying about the military situation or whether the bureaucratic group in Fujian and Zhejiang did not like Zhu Wan. The emperor could only temporarily remove Zhu Wan from his official position, and ordered the military department to send Du Ruzhen to Zhao’an to investigate and interrogate him.

At the end of the year, Du Ruzhen came back and said that the incident in Zhao’an was originally a hawker’s business, and for some reason he was beaten by Zhu Wan as colluding with Japanese pirates. Anyone who was identified by Zhu Wan as colluding with Japanese pirates, regardless of the reason, would be killed. Therefore, the hawker resisted arrest and offended Zhu Wan. In fact, there was no robbery at all. Those Flang machines were completely manslaughter.

This can be regarded as a solid case for Zhu Wan to kill without authorization. Zhu Wan cheated on the Buddha Lang machine, and the ninety-six pirates killed, and even the previous record against Japanese pirates, might be fake.

The evidence was in front of the emperor, and the emperor immediately issued an edict to arrest Zhu Wan and bring Zhu Wan into the capital for trial. However, when the imperial envoy came back, he was empty-handed and only brought back the news of Zhu Wan’s death, saying that Zhu Wan was afraid of sin and had committed suicide.

The bureaucrats who used to work with Zhu Wan wrote letters one after another, revealing the many evil deeds that Zhu Wan had done during the supervising of the army. The situation seems to be very clear, Zhu Wan is greedy for merit, self-willed, and excludes dissidents. The emperor didn’t say anything when he heard the news of Zhu Wan’s death, but the army could not be without a leader for a day, and the Japanese pirates were halfway through. The emperor asked who was qualified, and finally the officials recommended Zhang Jin, the minister of military affairs in Nanjing, as the new governor.

Zhu Wan rushed in rashly, and after the change of coaches, it was reasonable to clear up a lot. However, the coastal battle was stalemate, and the pirates who had died down began to flee again. The imperial court smashed millions of taels of silver, and the Japanese pirates could not finish the fight.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the summer days are long, the wind at night is gentle and quiet, and the cicadas chirping in the green shade one after another. Lu Heng returned to the mansion after dark again. Wang Yanqing asked the maid to set the meal. She personally helped Lu Heng take off the flying fish clothes and said, “The days are getting hotter day by day, and you are still running outside all day, so be careful to avoid the heat.”

Wang Yanqing was wearing a pine green soft smoke Luo gown today. Lu Heng thought that no one could look good in green, but Wang Yanqing’s slender and graceful body was looming under the green veil, making her whiter and more delicate.

Wang Yanqing was helping Lu Heng to untie her clothes. Lu Heng hugged her waist and sighed, “It’s really cool and sweat-free. I want to tell you that bringing anything is better than hugging your wife to escape the heat.”

Wang Yanqing’s movements were suppressed by him. She bumped his elbow with her elbow and said angrily, “Don’t make trouble. Raise your hand and change your clothes.”

Lu Heng glanced at Wang Yanqing, slowly let go of her waist, and raised her hands. Wang Yanqing helped him change into his usual clothes, and the dinner outside was already set. The two of them went to sit outside and were about to eat when a servant suddenly hurried outside, stopped in the courtyard and clasped his fists: “Commander, there is an edict in the palace.”

Lu Heng had no choice but to put down his chopsticks, change back to his court clothes, and enter the palace immediately. Lu Heng slandered on the road, the emperor deliberately did not let him live overnight. However, in the past two years, the emperor has become more and more devoted to cultivating Taoism, and even Zaochao has been dismissed, and the courtiers can’t see the emperor. Calling Lu Heng into the palace so late was probably due to an urgent matter.

Lu Heng rushed to Xi Nei. The emperor now does not live in the Forbidden City, but moved to Xi Nei. The West Inner was originally a royal garden, with exotic flowers and plants, rockeries and flowing water, three lakes that are continuous and open, and the mist is slim. With the smoke lingering in the palace, it really has the meaning of a fairy palace in the night.

The **** guarding the gate saw him, Shi Shiran saluted, and said, “Captain Lu, come here with the servants.”

After the change of the Renyin Palace, the emperor no longer believed in the palace servants, let alone the ministers, so he simply moved to the Western University, and the staff around him were all arranged by himself, and he no longer accepted the rules of restraining the king from ancient times to the present. The emperor didn’t even go to the morning court, and stayed in the Western University every day, only the eunuchs he trusted could get close. If a courtier wanted to see the emperor, he had to write a report first, and then wait for the emperor to summon him.

But if you think that the emperor will not go to court, it will be a big mistake. The power of the government is still firmly in the hands of the emperor, and because of the cancellation of the early dynasties, most of the courtiers no longer participate in the deliberation, and only the courtiers in charge report to the emperor alone. As a result, the balance between the monarch and the minister was completely broken. The ministers were suspicious of each other and could not control the emperor. They could only fight internally. The emperor quit the game and completely became a judge and a spectator.

Lu Heng was one of the few courtiers who had normal access to the emperor. When the **** saw him, he did not dare to make things difficult, and immediately led Lu Heng to see the emperor.

As soon as Lu Heng entered the hall, he smelled the smell of medicinal herbs. He lowered his head without changing his face, and saluted the figure behind the curtain: “I see the emperor.”

The emperor, wearing a Taoist robe, sat in front of the alchemy furnace and asked, “What do you think about the situation of Japanese pirates?”

This is a proposition. Lu Heng’s mind quickly flashed through the people and things during this time. Everything was as usual in the Ministry of War. Xia Wenjin was busy enlightening the second prince. That is, how many people in the cabinet have come to see the emperor? Lu Heng thought in the blink of an eye, but he kept calm and quickly replied: “Governor Zhang Jin has been in Nanjing for many years. He is familiar with maritime affairs, acts cautiously, loves the people like a son, and with him overseeing the army, there should be good news soon.”

In officialdom, impeachment is not necessarily scolding, and praise is not for your own good. Lu Heng’s words seemed to affirm Zhang Jin, but in fact every word had other meanings.

Zhang Jin, a native of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, came from a poor background, but he found a rich father-in-law to help him become an official in the imperial examinations. After that, Zhang Jin stayed in his hometown and worked as a prefect and a servant in the Nanjing area. He used his power to open the door for his father-in-law. Lu Heng said that Zhang Jin was familiar with maritime affairs, but he was actually implying that he and the local squires and merchants were of the same mind; he acted cautiously, that is, since he oversaw the battle, no pirates had been killed along the coast; there should be good news soon, which means that he has not yet done so. Good news came.

After listening to this, the emperor stood up from the pill stove, walked to the table and took a book, and said, “Yan Wei entered the palace just now and brought a book. It is said that it was delivered to the capital only after dying. Come and have a look.”

Lu Heng entered the curtain, took the book, and looked down carefully.

The book was written by Zhao Wenhua, the minister of military affairs. Zhang Jin is also the Minister of War, but he has been serving in Nanjing, while Zhao Wenhua went out from Beijing and inspected the coast to Zhejiang. Lu Heng had the impression that he hadn’t seen Zhao Wenhua since the New Year’s Eve holiday. It seems that under the pretense of going home for the New Year, Zhao Wenhua actually went to Jiangnan for an unannounced visit under the secret order of the emperor.

In the first month, just after Zhu Wan committed suicide. Although the emperor dismissed Zhu Wan from his official position and ordered people to arrest Zhu Wan and return to Beijing, he did not intend to kill him. However, it was the news of Zhu Wan’s death that was sent back to Beijing. The emperor said nothing about Zhu Wan’s death on the surface, but he actually held a grudge and secretly sent someone to investigate.

Zhao Wenhua took half a year to return the memorial today. According to the memorial, only a small part of the Japanese pirates were from Dongying, and the rest 80% were their own. They disregard the sea ban and smuggle transactions with outsiders. The so-called pirates are middlemen who give up farming and devote themselves to the sea, connecting Zhejiang and Fujian squires and merchants with Westerners. The imperial court had a ban on the sea. In order to hide people’s eyes and ears, coastal officials called these people Japanese pirates, and used the name of Dongying people to cover up their private overseas transactions.

Sea trade generates huge profits every year, which flow into the pockets of local gentry and bureaucrats without passing through the imperial court. The issue of Japanese pirates is deeply rooted in private, and even many officials have direct or indirect connections with pirates in their homes. The Southeast Sea Division’s campaign against Japanese pirates was simply not working hard. Even before the start of the fight, the officials let the pirates out in advance. In this way, how could the Japanese pirates be eliminated?

Zhang Jin was recommended by the local squire group, and would not really rectify the Japanese pirates.

Zhao Wenhua also said in the memorial that after the former governor Zhu Wan arrived in Zhejiang, he strictly enforced the security guards on the coast and vigorously rectified the coastal defense. The sea ban was unprecedentedly strict, so he was hated by the local bureaucrats. After Zhu Wan destroyed many pirates and ports in a row, he finally angered the local bureaucracy. They joined forces with officials from the capital, Zhejiang and Fujian to impeach Zhu Wan.

According to Zhao Wenhua, when Du Ruzhen went to Zhao’an for inspection, he was bribed by the local officials to reverse the truth. He described the pirates holding firearms against the court army as hawkers resisting arrest, and the few Flangji people as manslaughter. Zhu Wan did not commit suicide in fear of sin, but was forced to death by local forces.

Zhao Wenhua reprimanded Zhang Jin in the second half of the secret book, saying that he urged Zhang Jin to fight several times. In the past, those people had already left by boat, and they came and went as if they were in a no-man’s land.

During the period of Zhao Wenhua’s secret investigation in Jiangnan, he almost encountered a poisonous hand several times. When he wrote this document, he was already known by Zhang Jin and others. Zhao Wenhua reminded the emperor that Zhang Jin and others would find a way to get rid of him, just like getting rid of Zhu Wan. Not surprisingly, there will be a great victory on the front line in a few days, which proves that Zhao Wenhua slandered Zhang Jin, shaken the hearts of the army, and killed Zhao Wenhua.

Lu Heng finished it quickly, but he didn’t look up immediately, but guessed what the emperor meant by looking at the memorial.

This secret book can be described as splendid, with a huge amount of information. Zhao Wenhua said that Zhang Jin would not fight against pirates, and even predicted that Zhang Jin would make a show next time, performing a great victory for the emperor to see. And this booklet was handed over by Yan Wei.

Zhao Wenhua dared to go to Jiangnan alone, and of course he had a backstage. I heard that Zhao Wenhua and Yan Wei’s son Yan Qinglou had a good relationship. Now it seems that the information is not wrong. The emperor didn’t even want to go to the morning court, but tonight he urgently summoned Lu Heng to enter the palace in the middle of alchemy. It can be seen that the emperor attaches great importance to this matter. Moreover, the emperor called Lu Henglai, does it mean that the emperor did not fully believe in Yan Wei, and the emperor was not sure who was telling the truth?

Lu Heng knew what he had in mind, he put the book together, presented it to the imperial court, and said, “Zhao Shilang has said a lot, but the minister does not know the inside story, so he does not dare to speak falsely. However, since Governor Zhu took office, he has frequently beheaded Japanese people. The heart of collaborating with the enemy. He has a strong personality, hates evil and hates evil, and sometimes acts extreme. As for him reporting good news but not bad … In fact, there is nothing wrong with it. The only thing is that it is inappropriate to falsely report victory in advance. It may be that Governor Zhu is very confident in his tactics. When the pirates were surrounded, they were already completely wiped out.”

Lu Heng’s words undoubtedly spoke to the emperor’s heart, and even if Zhu Wan was wrong, it would not be worth his credit. When the generals are outside, who only reports defeats but not victories every day? If the emperor is bored, he may directly revoke his military power.

The emperor asked Zhu Wan to be taken back to the capital, but he never thought of killing him. It’s a pity that Zhu Wan was too stubborn to break it by himself.

But this is also a local person’s word. Zhao Wenhua rushed to Jiangnan after Zhu Wan’s death. He also relied on people to inquire, and it is difficult to guarantee how Zhu Wan died.

The emperor asked, “In your opinion, can he tell the truth about Zhang Jin?”

Behind Zhang Jin represents an entire interest group, Lu Heng did not jump to conclusions, but said: “I have never seen Governor Zhang, so it is difficult to comment. But since Zhao Wenhua dared to say in a secret statement that Governor Zhang should cooperate with others, it is better to wait. In a few days, we will see if there will be a victory from the front.”

This idea coincided with the emperor’s idea. The emperor made up his mind and threw the memorial on the table: “Okay, I want to see who is eating inside and out.”

·

Halfway through the meal, Lu Heng was suddenly called into the palace. Wang Yanqing asked someone to warm up the food, and waited for Lu Heng under the lamp. After a while, Lu Heng finally came back. Wang Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and went to the door to greet him.

She found that Lu Heng’s face was cold and without a smile, and he seemed to be thoughtful when he changed his clothes. Wang Yanqing felt that there was another major incident in the court, she packed her clothes, waited for the two to sit down comfortably, and then asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Heng sighed, he was tense outside all day, only when he returned to her side was the rare time when he could completely relax. He hugged Wang Yanqing and said, “The Southeast battlefield is about to change drastically.”

Wang Yanqing heard: “Have the Japanese pirates caused trouble again?”

At the very beginning of the campaign against Japanese pirates, everyone disapproved of this battle. What kind of climate could the mere pirates become? However, after the start of the battle, the battle situation became stalemate. The coastal battlefield was like a bottomless pit, filled with silver flowing water in the treasury, without even a splash.

Lu Heng sighed: “It’s not a Japanese pirate, it’s an internal problem.”

Wang Yanqing was startled, and said incredulously, “You mean there are officials along the coast who are collaborating with the enemy?”

“It’s okay to cooperate with the enemy.” Lu Heng laughed softly, the light in his eyes was extremely cold, “In my opinion, the one who caused the chaos was his own from the beginning.”

Wang Yanqing blinked, not understanding what Lu Heng meant. Zhao Wenhua’s account is a secret, Lu Heng did not reveal too much to Wang Yanqing, but said: “Wait, I have seen a few days before the front line will have a big victory. If it really wins, then the problem is big. “

The soldiers are thousands of miles away, and someone in the imperial court already knows the outcome of the next battle… Wang Yanqing quietly took a breath, and the whole person shuddered.

When she was in the Fu family in her early years, she felt that the palace and the inner house were really a place where people would eat people without spitting up their bones, and women would fight to kill people without blood. But now Wang Yanqing felt that compared to the struggles of men, women’s house fights and palace fights were nothing.

When they fight, it is called **** and bloody, and they are full of bones. Every time he succeeds or fails, he steps on the blood of several families.

Saying this at night really affects the mood. Wang Yanqing took his hand and said, “No matter how complicated the affairs of the court are, they will be tomorrow. You haven’t eaten yet, so let’s eat first.”

Lu Heng didn’t want to disturb him and his wife alone because of those people. Lu Heng nodded and suddenly thought of something: “Have you eaten?”

Wang Yanqing shook her head: “I don’t have an appetite by myself, so I’ll just wait for you to come back and use it together. The vegetables have been warm on the stove.”

Thinking of the current hour, Lu Heng lowered his face and said, “If I come back late, you can use it yourself. If I don’t come back, will you wait another night?”

“But you always come back.”

Lu Heng got stuck in his reproach, and finally held Wang Yanqing’s hand firmly and helped her up: “Okay, let’s go eat.”

In the next few days, Lu Heng began to leave early and return late again. Wang Yanqing had a premonition that the court and China would not be peaceful. Half a month later, the capital entered the rainy season. The rain was dripping on the eaves, like the boundless sky, with no end.

At this time, good news came from the southeast front. Thousands of Japanese pirates suddenly invaded Jiaxing by land and water. Zhang Jin sent three groups of troops to encircle them. After several days of fierce fighting, the Japanese pirates were defeated.

The battle report general bragged about this victory, saying that it was the most glorious victory since the Anti-Japanese War. After the emperor read it, it was rare to summon the cabinet members and the six ministries to talk secretly in Xi Nei for an hour.

I don’t know what the emperor said, but after the elders came out, they were all sweaty and pale. Immediately afterwards, Fu Tingzhou, Marquis of Zhenyuan, and Guoxun, Marquis of Wuding were urgently summoned into the palace. The emperor wore loose Taoist robes and looked gentle and indifferent to world affairs.

Guo Xun and Fu Tingzhou didn’t know why, but they could feel that the emperor was in a bad mood now. Fu Tingzhou remembered the good news sent to the capital not long ago, and vaguely guessed that there should be a problem on the battlefield of Japanese pirates.

Guo Xun and Fu Tingzhou have led troops for several generations, but they have always been rooted in the northwest, and their ancestors have fought on land for generations. They have no experience in fighting on water. But those who are daring, starving and cowardly, dare not take risks, what are they still doing in the officialdom?

Fu Tingzhou stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, “This minister is willing to give it a try.”

Soon, rumors spread in Beijing. The emperor ordered Zhang Jin to be arrested and ordered Fu Tingzhou, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, to go to Zhejiang and Fujian to supervise the war. During the incident, Li Yongjing and Wen Wangyun made a remark, saying that the army had just won a great victory, and Zhang Jin was so arrogant of Japanese pirates that it was not appropriate to change the commander at this time, and hoped that the emperor would take it back. Moreover, even though the Marquis of Zhenyuan used his soldiers like a god, but he had been fighting against the Mongols in the plains, how could he understand sea battles?

The emperor’s answer was to beat Li Yongjing and Wen Wangyun severely, cut their posts to serve the people, and still sent someone to arrest Zhang and put him in prison.

Many people in the DPRK did not understand why the emperor had a sudden attack when he had just won the battle, so that he had to change coaches immediately? Even if the emperor was dissatisfied with Zhang Jin, there were civil servants familiar with Jiangnan Water Affairs in the court.

In fact, the emperor sent Fu Tingzhou to the southeast just because he was a pure northerner. Fu Tingzhou’s background is tough enough, and behind him is a group of northern nobles headed by Guo Xun. Zhu Wan came from a poor family and had no power or power. No one would seek justice when he died, but Fu Tingzhou was different. No matter what the situation is in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, those scholars would definitely not dare to touch Fu Tingzhou.

Regardless of the fact that the nobles are torn to death, but if someone offends the interests of the generals, this group of people is the most united.

If you want to shake a solid interest group, you can only activate another group.

After Fu Tingzhou returned from the Datong battlefield, he also asked the governor of Jiangnan, Jiangbei, Zhejiang, Shandong, Fujian, and Huguang provinces to attract the attention of the whole court. When everyone in the capital was busy watching the expedition ceremony of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, a large ship on the Tonghui River was docked at the pier, coming and going to carry things.

It is said that this is a wealthy family marrying a daughter. The rich family loves their daughters like their lives, and the girl married into the Jiangnan clan. All the entourage are tall and tall young men, busy carrying boxes to the boat. The bride was dressed in red, and her dowry was quite rich. The large red wooden boxes were carried one by one, filling half of the cabin. The dowry prepared by the wealthy for their daughters is really solid, and a boat of this size has a very deep draught into the water.

A man dressed as a servant counted the amount of the dowry. After coming out, he looked at the wharf with vigilant and subtle eyes. After secretly patrolling the ship for a week, he walked quickly to a cabin, clasped his fists, and said, “Captain, you’ve counted, and I’ll tell you. No suspicious persons are tracked.”

A slender figure was sitting at the table drinking tea. His face was like a crown jade, his eyes were like cold stars, and he was holding a tea cup in one hand like a graceful young man walking out of a poem. He took a sip of tea, put down the tea cup, and said unhurriedly, “Let’s go then.”

“Yes.” The little servant clasped his fists and wanted to leave. But the young man stood up and walked leisurely towards the little servant. The servant stopped, lowered his head and asked, “What else is there to order from the Governor?”

He walked to the boy’s side, tapped the boy’s shoulder with a folding fan, and said in a warm and gentle voice, “Call me young master.”

The little servant frowned in a weird way. Naturally, they were not a real family to send their relatives, but Jin Yiwei in disguise. Guo Tao thought that the commander-in-chief was really quick to enter the play, he lowered his eyes in response, and took orders to leave.

After Guo Tao went out, Lu Heng patted his sleeve and planned to go back to see his “sister” to be married.

The author says:

Lu Heng: Unexpectedly, I can still play new role-playing.