Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 650 No, No, No
Pei Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

He thought that using this drastic measure as a catalyst would surely have unexpected effects.

But I never expected that Zhu Azhao was so good at seizing opportunities.

Pei Yuan thought about it carefully and found it reasonable.

Looking back at Zhu Houzhao's operational strategies over the past six months, although they seem unreliable and playful, they all revolve around one main theme.

That is "The Great Ming Dynasty, the First Army!"

He implemented the policy of adopting sons, held grand discussions on merit, transferred elite troops from the four garrisons to the capital, personally participated in military drills, leveled Mingyufang and Jiqingfang to expand military camps and the residence of adopted sons, allowed Zhang Xiong to go south to collect taxes, and used silver from the Imperial Treasury to buy up paper money to supplement military finances.

These operations were ultimately aimed at consolidating military power.

Despite these efforts by Zhu Houzhao, there was still an insurmountable constraint.

That was the terrible impact of Emperor Yingzong's capture in the north, which burdened Zhu Houzhao with a heavy original sin, making him completely unable to control military power.

Now, almost all the troops, large and small, of the imperial court are controlled by the two major systems of the Ministry of War and the Censorate.

The appointment and removal of officials and the deployment of troops were under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, while the command of troops and local garrisons were under the jurisdiction of the Censorate and the Military Commissioner under the Censorate system.

Zhu Houzhao's pitiful personal guards, after generations of comfortable rule, had all been spoiled and rendered useless. In terms of combat effectiveness, they were probably not even as good as the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration.

With just those arrogant outer four armies, Zhu Houzhao couldn't cause much of a stir.

However, breaking free from the shackles of original sin left to him by Emperor Yingzong is easier said than done.

Currently, there are two relatively practical approaches.

The first is to exonerate Emperor Yingzong and find the truth behind that bizarre defeat back then.

Secondly, Zhu Houzhao was able to demonstrate his martial prowess and courage, and prove himself independently.

Zhu Houzhao initially intended to start by exonerating Emperor Yingzong, which led him to unexpectedly come into contact with Pei Yuan, who had occupied Zhihua Temple.

If we consider only the progress of advancing the "Military-First Ming Dynasty" initiative, Zhu Houzhao truly profited.

Because Pei Yuan, whom he met, was the person who supported him the most in this era.

No one understood better than Pei Yuan, an ambitious man, what this "Mighty General" meant to the Ming Dynasty at that time.

Without the stability of the northern border secured by Zhu Houzhao, the Ming Dynasty, already half-rotten, would not have been able to withstand any further changes.

As for the other impacts of Zhu Houzhao's acquaintance with Pei Yuan, opinions will vary.

In addition, with the success of Zhu Houzhao's adopted son Ce and the wooing of the four external armies, Zhu Houzhao found a second way to prove himself.

The recent serious incident in Shandong provides a good starting point for a breakthrough.

However, Pei Yuan was so angry at the thought of Zhu Houzhao's imperial visit to Shandong, which would interfere with his plans, that he couldn't even eat.

Pei Yuan, burning with anger, asked, "Hasn't the cabinet done anything about this? What is Yang Tinghe doing?"

Qu Chen shared the intelligence he knew: "The cabinet has clearly opposed it, and the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue have also stated that they will not provide supplies. The situation is currently at a stalemate, and judging from the Emperor's intentions, he probably won't let it go easily."

Pei Yuan sighed and commented, "You even said you'd let me stay outside the city for the night. Tell me, how am I supposed to sleep?"

He's only been gone a few days.
How am I supposed to clean up this mess?

Pei Yuan, deeply concerned about the country and its people, could no longer bear to stay overnight outside the city. He immediately disregarded his exhaustion and rushed back to the capital before the city gates closed.

When the group arrived at Zhihua Temple, exhausted, they happened to run into Tantai Fangtu and Sikong Sui, who were chatting and laughing as they came out.

The two men were surprised to see Pei Yuan and his several attendants, who looked visibly exhausted. "What's wrong, Commander?"

Pei Yuan hadn't let those two old fogies know about his trip south, so he didn't answer directly. Instead, he casually said, "I went out on an errand and just got back. It's getting late, so I thought I'd rest here for the night."

Tantai Fangtu and Sikong Sui exchanged a knowing smile.

Sikong Sui grinned lewdly and asked mischievously, "Why is Commander Qianhu so impatient? Won't you be able to see the bride at the wedding the day after tomorrow?"

Pei Yuan was taken aback, then suddenly remembered.

Holy crap, I almost forgot.

With Commander Han, that tigress, now in charge of Zhihua Temple, Pei Yuan's back office has long been cleaned up and has become Commander Han's temporary residence.

Where will he sleep now that he's at Zhihua Temple?

Pei Yuan dared not think any further and turned his attention to another, more important matter.

"You just said I'm getting married the day after tomorrow?!"

Hearing Pei Yuan say this, Tantai Fangtu chuckled, "Is Commander Pei pretending to be stupid, or is he just too happy to remember? How come he can't even remember this?"

Pei Yuan was naturally overjoyed and confused.

The fact that Pei Yuanzhen heard the news of his upcoming wedding from these two people meant that he had made the right bet.

Before knowing the extent of Pei Yuan's troubles, Commander Han dared not jeopardize his alibi.

Now that Pei Yuan has done what he did, Commander Han is even less likely to do it!
Didn't you see that Zhu Houzhao had already deployed the four outer armies outside the city, preparing to quell the rebellion?
What merit or ability does she, a mere thousand-household officer, possess to bear such a heavy responsibility?
Pei Yuan was overjoyed at the thought that his cunning scheme had succeeded and forced Commander Han to acquiesce to the preparations for his wedding.

In this way, as long as the wedding goes smoothly the day after tomorrow, Han Qianhu will definitely be his wife.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but burst into laughter a few times, then quickly stopped himself.

Pei Yuan could imagine how unpleasant Han Qianhu must be feeling right now.

Being coveted by an unpopular subordinate who systematically takes possession of her little by little... yet everyone takes it for granted and sees it as the natural outcome.

This feeling is not good.

No wonder Pei Yuan looked so dejected when she met Commander Han a few days ago.

If Pei Yuan hadn't truly been an unparalleled hero, making Commander Han subconsciously feel that although his character was somewhat questionable, he could still be tolerated in dire circumstances, Pei Yuan would probably be in danger by now.

Now that things have come to this point, Pei Yuan naturally dared not be too complacent.

If we act too rashly now, and anger Commander Han, even a sure thing could slip away.

Pei Yuan then put on a smiling face and deliberately flattered the two old men, saying, "They say that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. With two of you here to keep things in order, I feel incredibly at ease. On the day of my wedding with Commander Han, you two should definitely have a few more drinks."

Tantai Fangtu and Sikong Suijian were surprised to see that Pei Yuan, who was usually arrogant and rude, was so polite. They felt that the marriage of the two commanders might not be such a bad thing.

Pei Yuan bid farewell to the two centurions and stood at the crossroads staring blankly for a while.

Xiao Tong asked in a low voice, "Commander, where are we going now?"

Pei Yuan thought for a moment.

If he were to return to the old house in Dengshikou, after so many days away from home, ignoring Jiao Yan'er and not returning to the inner quarters would inevitably seem heartless. But right now, he was exhausted and really didn't want to deal with it.

If they went to the new residence in Chengqingfang, Yun Buxian had already spread the word that he was getting married. If anyone was paying attention there, they probably wouldn't have a peaceful time.

Pei Yuan hesitated for only a moment before saying, "Let's go to Commander Song's house. It'll save us trouble." Several of his men were quite happy to hear this. Commander Song was also a close confidant and was always very generous. Last time Commander Pei stayed there, they, his personal guards, were treated to good wine and meat.

So the group changed course and headed to Song Chunniang's residence in Mingzhaofang.

It was already night. When the steward of the Song family heard that it was Pei Yuan knocking on the door, he very sensibly opened the door and let Pei Yuan in before going to the second gate to have a servant report to Song Chunniang.

Pei Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and turned to Xiao Tong and the others, saying, "You all know where the guest rooms are, right? Go and get some sleep first. If anyone wants extra food, just tell the servants."

Xiao Tong and the others responded and left on their own.

Pei Yuan went straight to the inner courtyard. The servants guarding the second gate did not dare to stop him and let him in.

Pei Yuan was extremely tired at this moment. He came to Song Chunniang's place to save himself trouble, so he found a spare room and went in to rest.

Song Chunniang also received a report from the servant.

At first, she thought Pei Yuan had gotten a taste of pleasure and was coming to seek pleasure again. She glanced guiltily at Zhang Yunjun's dark, round eyes under the covers before saying, "Perhaps there's something else going on."

Having made up her mind to refuse Pei Yuan, Song Chunniang got up, put on her clothes, and went to the courtyard. Following the instructions of the servant, she found the guest room where Pei Yuan was resting.

Song Chunniang gently pushed the door open, and loud snoring could be heard from inside.

Song Chunniang pushed open the door curiously and, by the dim moonlight, looked at Pei Yuan lying on the couch.

Pei Yuan was already fast asleep and completely unaware of what was happening.

Song Chunniang slowly approached the bedside and gently stroked Pei Yuan's heroic cheek with the back of her fingers.

Pei Yuan, who is usually very alert, was completely asleep and unaware of what was happening.

Song Chunniang silently watched Pei Yuan for a while, then closed the door and returned to her bedroom.

After Song Chunniang got into bed, Zhang Yunjun gently snuggled up to her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Song Chunniang smiled and touched her chin. "I don't know."

Pei Yuan slept soundly through the night, sleeping so deeply that it was completely still.

When I woke up again, the sky was dark, and I thought I had only slept for a short while.

When the maid outside heard the commotion in the room and asked Pei Yuan if he wanted some food and drink, Pei Yuan suddenly realized during the conversation that he had actually slept for a whole night and a whole day.

Pei Yuan sat up, feeling sore all over, but also full of energy.

At this moment, a surge of hunger welled up in his stomach, and Pei Yuan said impatiently, "Take whatever you can get, and hurry up!"

Not long after, someone brought out food and drinks.

Pei Yuan didn't care about his image anymore. He took the cloth handed to him by the maid and hastily wiped his hands.

He had just grabbed a duck, torn it open, and taken a bite when he remembered his personal guards and quickly asked, "Where are the men who came with me? Have they woken up yet?"

The maid replied, "Not yet."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Let them be."

He glanced at the table in front of him and said, "Prepare a set for them like this. You commanders are rich, you won't be short of money."

The maid seemed a little hesitant to look at Pei Yuan, and stammered, "My master has already given instructions."

Pei Yuan then began to eat quickly, occasionally gulping down a couple of cups of rice wine.

This liquor isn't very strong; it's somewhat enjoyable to drink, but it doesn't get you drunk.

The maidservant carefully served him, and when she saw that Pei Yuan's wine cup was empty, she went forward to refill it.

After Pei Yuan had eaten and drunk his fill, he washed his hands and asked with satisfaction, "Where is your commander? Has he returned yet?"

The maidservant said cautiously, "Not yet. The commander instructed her before she left that a major case had occurred, and she would have to stay at the West Depot until the palace gates closed before she could return."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan thought to himself, "Good buddy, he does have some cleverness after all."

Knowing that the emperor was furious, they dared not sneak home beforehand.

Pei Yuan naturally knew what the case was about, and thought to himself that instead of asking around, it would be better to wait for news from Song Chunniang.

As the head of the Western Depot's Thousand-Household Execution Division, she had far more intelligence channels than others. Knowing the reactions of the people in the court would help her figure out their true thoughts.

Pei Yuan silently weighed the results of this trip south.

Killing Xiao Chong and those censors, and paving a fast track for his underlings to rise in rank, is just the most insignificant thing.

Pei Yuan's main achievement was that the deaths of the Imperial Censorate members instantly escalated the situation in Shandong.

In this chain reaction of explosions, if the first ring sets the tone high enough, the second ring will be devastating enough when it strikes.

Taking advantage of this situation, gradually pushing Han Qianhu to acquiesce to their forced marriage, like boiling a frog in water, would be another unexpected bonus.

Next, it's time to seize control of the investigation into this matter.

We can't really let Zhu Houzhao run around and do whatever he wants.

Pei Yuan was pondering this when he heard a series of greetings from maids near and far outside, along with Song Chunniang's lazy response.

Just as he was about to get up to go out to greet her, Song Chunniang pushed open the door and entered with light steps.

"Awake?" Song Chunniang asked.

Pei Yuan hummed in agreement. Seeing Song Chunniang dressed in official robes, looking spirited and high-spirited, he felt a little envious of the girl.

No one dares to mess with them normally; they can embezzle large sums of money whenever they want and still gain a good reputation.

I have to think about things more on my own.

Just as Pei Yuan was about to ask her about the court's reaction to the "attack on the Imperial Censorate," Song Chunniang glanced at him and said, "I've already sent someone to boil water. You can take a good shower later."

Pei Yuan was greatly surprised.

He had come here precisely because he feared that Jiao Yan'er's beauty would affect his speed in drawing his sword, and he wanted to concentrate on dealing with this unexpected turn of events.

Why does Song Chunniang want it too?
Pei Yuan hurriedly said, "No, no."

Although Song Chunniang didn't understand Pei Yuan's words, she could roughly guess what they meant, and couldn't help but say disdainfully, "What are you thinking about?"

Then, with his arms crossed, he looked Pei Yuan up and down with a hint of disdain.

He said calmly, "When it's dawn, it will be your wedding day with Commander Han. Do you really intend to go and win your beauty's heart in such a dirty state?"

What the hell!

Pei Yuan suddenly realized what was happening!

Just now, he was still confused, thinking that he had met Sikong Sui and Tantai Fangtu last night, but he forgot that he had fallen asleep during that precious day!
So, it's going to be the day after tomorrow?
Looking at the dark night outside, Pei Yuan suddenly felt uneasy.

I'm not ready yet!
(End of this chapter)