In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1007 Secrets Remain Unspoken
As the morning light intensified, it made the bluestone slabs on the palace path scorching hot.

Lu Yunyi and Lan Yu stood under the corridor beside the Wuying Hall, gazing intently at the bronze crane in front of the hall.

The wisps of smoke rising from the crane's beak had thinned.

The wind blew it away, much like the complex emotions the two were feeling at that moment.

Lan Yu paced back and forth irritably, his black armor scraping against the pillars, making a soft, rustling sound.

"It's almost 9 AM, and His Majesty is still planting those wretched vegetables in the harem!"

He lowered his voice, his tone full of impatience.
"The Crown Prince is still lying in the Eastern Palace, while the rebels are still lurking in the shadows."

He, on the other hand, still has the mind to fiddle with those sweet potatoes!

Lu Yunyi leaned against a pillar in the corridor, his gaze falling on the Imperial Guards changing shifts not far away.

The newly appointed Imperial Guards wore shinier armor, yet maintained their upright posture.

"General, please calm down. His Majesty always acts with discretion and will not ignore the Crown Prince's affairs."

Even so, he still had some doubts.
The current emperor's temperament has always been unpredictable.

But this kind of delay is really unlike his usual decisive and efficient manner.

After waiting for about 15 minutes, a series of light footsteps came from afar.

There was no ceremonial procession, no announcement.

Only one figure turned the corner at the end of the palace road.

The man wasn't wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, but rather a gray cloth short jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his muscular arms, which were still covered in wet mud.
He wore coarse cloth trousers with the cuffs rolled up, revealing cloth shoes stained with mud.

He was carrying a rough burlap sack, the opening of which was open.

You can see the round sweet potatoes inside, still covered in fresh soil.

"His Majesty!"

The eunuchs under the eaves were so frightened that they immediately knelt to greet him. The head eunuch was about to step forward to help him up when Zhu Yuanzhang waved him away.

"Get lost."

He spoke like an ordinary old farmer, and his steps were casual.

When passing by the moss on the bluestone slabs,

He rubbed the sole of his shoe against the ground, leaving a light green mark, but didn't care at all.

Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi quickly bowed in greeting:
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at them and walked straight towards the Wuying Hall:

"Come in, don't just stand outside."

The two followed into the hall, where the furnishings remained simple, with several scrolls of memorials piled on the imperial desk.

Zhu Yuanzhang placed the burlap sack on the low table next to his desk.
He didn't even care that dirt got on the corner of the table.
He grabbed a handful of tea leaves from the tea canister, threw them into a rough porcelain cup, and poured in hot water.

Steam rose in wisps, carrying a faint scent of earth.

"His Majesty."

Lan Yu could no longer contain herself and stepped forward, holding the document in both hands.

"We have important matters to report: the rebellious faction plotting to assassinate the Crown Prince."

Not only was there Marquis Jingning Ye Sheng, but also Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall He Zicheng.

Even the scholars of Mingdao Academy and merchants from the south are implicated; the evidence is all in this document!

Zhu Yuanzhang held the rough porcelain cup, blew on it to cool it, and didn't take the document.
Instead, he reached into the burlap sack, pulled out a sweet potato, carefully patted off the mud, and then scraped it off with his fingernail.
"Speak, what did you find out?"

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi had no choice but to take over and report in a clear and organized manner:
"Your Majesty, He Zicheng's niece, He Yuru, is Ye Sheng's concubine, and the two colluded through this relationship."

Li Shouren and Wang Jingzhi, two scholars from Mingdao Academy,

His relatives ran the Tai Fung and Ho Kee trading companies.
Fifty thousand taels of silver were transferred to the Red Leaf Shipyard.
Meanwhile, the money from the Red Leaf Shipyard flowed into the capital to speculate on land and create panic.

In addition, red tide algae have also been found in fish ponds in Ningbo and Hangzhou.

Lan Yu added from the side, her tone becoming increasingly urgent:

"And there's also the newly appointed top scholar, Xu Guan!"

He was He Zicheng's protégé, and it was He Zicheng who secretly paved the way for him to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations six times.

He had previously publicly opposed moving the capital along the Qinhuai River!

This group of people wanted to harm the crown prince and prevent the capital from being moved.
"Your Majesty, it's time to order their arrest!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly took a sip of tea and looked up at the two men.

His eyes were calm, without anger or surprise, even showing a hint of weariness.

There were still some mud specks stuck in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
He didn't look like an emperor who held the world in his hands; he really looked like an old farmer who had just returned from the fields.

"understood."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke calmly, picked up the document, flipped through a couple of pages, and casually placed it on his desk.

"I will have someone investigate He Zicheng's situation. As for the others..."

He paused, then took another sip of tea.

"That's enough, there's no need to investigate any further."

"His Majesty!"

Lan Yu clenched her fists tightly, an expression of disbelief on her face.
"How can we stop? The rebels are trying to harm the Crown Prince!"

If we don't eradicate them completely, there will be even harsher methods later!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at him, his gaze still calm, but now carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"Lan Yu, do you think I don't know that traitors should be arrested?"

But the imperial court is not a military camp; it cannot be annihilated simply by drawing a sword.

He pointed to another stack of memorials on the imperial desk.
"Look, the memorials from the six ministries have piled up to half a foot high these past few days."
Everyone's saying that you and Zhan Hui are using the investigation as an excuse...

Winning over military generals and suppressing civil officials is tantamount to instigating factional strife and eliminating dissidents.

Lan Yu's face turned red with anger:

"We are doing this for the Crown Prince! For the Ming Dynasty!"
How did it become a partisan struggle?
Those civil officials are clearly afraid of being implicated and are deliberately trying to smear me!

"Whether it's mudslinging or not is unimportant."

Zhu Yuanzhang put down his teacup.
"The important thing is that all the officials in the court think this way."

If you continue to pursue this matter and investigate further,

Not only will the South be in chaos, but the North will be in chaos as well.

If we move the capital, it will not only fail to achieve its goal, but will also disrupt the political situation.

Do you want the Crown Prince to lie in the Eastern Palace and watch the Ming Dynasty descend into chaos?

Lu Yunyi frowned slightly and stepped forward:
"Your Majesty, if we don't investigate, the rebels will only become more unscrupulous, endangering the Crown Prince's safety."

"I said, He Zicheng will investigate."

Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him, his tone softening.
"He Zicheng is a Grand Secretary. There is solid evidence to arrest him, and the civil officials can't say anything about it."

As for the others, hold them off for now.
I know who they are, and I know where their roots are.

"Once the capital relocation is decided and the political situation stabilizes, we can settle this score later."

He looked at the two of them, his eyes carrying a deeper meaning:

Sometimes, pausing isn't out of fear, but to go further.

The prince's poison must be cured, and the accounts of the rebels must be settled.

But the premise is that things can't be chaotic.

Lan Yu wanted to argue, but Lu Yunyi pulled her back.

Lu Yunyi gently shook his head at him, then turned to Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, we understand and will obey your decree."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then began fiddling with the sweet potato in his hand, his voice softening:

"Sweet potatoes are still being promoted and planted in various places, and we will only see some results after the autumn harvest this year."

To stabilize the hearts of the people, the first priority is to ensure that they have enough to eat.

If they can't even get enough to eat, those gentry and powerful figures can easily instigate...

The people would then regard the Ming Dynasty as a rebellious force that would bring chaos to the world; this is unacceptable.

The two stood frozen in place, staring at each other, a strange feeling suddenly rising in their hearts.

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty court has some hidden secrets they are unaware of?
Seeing them standing there dumbfounded, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand:
"Okay, please step back."

The two bowed and withdrew from the Wuying Hall.

As soon as he stepped onto the veranda, Lan Yu couldn't help but clench his fists:

"What kind of logic is this? They've clearly found the root cause, yet they want to stop!"

Lu Yunyi looked at him and said softly:
"General, have there been any rebellions recently?"

Lan Yu's expression turned serious, and he shook his head:
"I am unaware that the latest military intelligence is only available to the Central Military Command."
I haven't been there these past few days.
However, there shouldn't be any major rebellion.

That would be strange.

Lu Yunyi frowned, his voice full of doubt. Lan Yu was also extremely annoyed, her voice barely suppressed:
"Your Majesty is condoning traitors!"

Lu Yunyi's expression changed slightly. Fearing that he might do something out of line, he quickly advised him:
"General, His Majesty is right about one thing: the imperial court is not a military camp."

If it really escalates to the point of partisan strife, it will only benefit the opposing party.

Moreover, given His Majesty's temperament, he wouldn't truly ignore the investigation; he's simply waiting for the right opportunity.

Perhaps they are waiting for the rebels to continue making mistakes and reveal more of their true colors.

Lan Yu took a deep breath, knowing that arguing was pointless.

He kicked the pillar hard, sending dust flying.

When we left the Wuying Hall, the sun was already high in the sky.

The sun scorched the blue bricks on the palace path until they were sweltering, and even the wind carried a scorching heat.

Lu Yunyi and Lan Yu parted ways at the palace gate.

Lan Yu stormed off to the military camp.
Lu Yunyi then headed towards the Left Army Commander's Mansion.
The matter of transferring laborers from the Northern Pacification Command must be communicated in advance to avoid it appearing abrupt when brought up suddenly later.

Upon entering the Governor's Mansion, the courtyard was quiet.
A somber atmosphere filled the air.

Several minor officials hurried past carrying documents, and bowed to Lu Yunyi upon seeing him.

The door to the main hall was ajar, and the soft sound of turning pages of memorials could be heard from inside.

Lu Yunyi knocked on the door, and a steady voice responded from inside:

"Enter."

Pushing open the door, Zhu Shou, the Marquis of Zhulu, was sitting at his desk.

He was wearing a dark blue official robe, and his temples had more white hair than last year.
His fingers were stained with ink as he looked down at a scroll of documents about manufacturing arms.

"Yun Yi has arrived, what a rare guest."

Zhu Shou raised his eyes and pointed to the chair opposite him.
"Sit down, sit down. I just had someone brew a pot of pre-rain tea, it's still warm, have a taste."

Lu Yunyi bowed and sat down in the chair, accepting the teacup handed to him by the clerk.

The warm touch traveled along my fingertips, slightly calming the restlessness in my heart.

He got straight to the point:
"My lord, I have come today to report something to you."

"Oh? What's the matter?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Zhu Shou's eyes.
The Beiping Regional Military Command has always acted independently, and usually only gives instructions afterward.
His initiative today surprised him somewhat.

Lu Yunyi said in a deep voice:

"My lord, although the decision to make Beiping the commercial center of the north has not yet been finalized..."
However, the official road from Beiping to Yingtian was definitely going to be built.

The cement workshop recently wrote to say that they want to expand production.

Only a portion of the artisans from the capital could be sent out to build new workshops.
According to the market's calculations, the 930 people dispatched can only maintain the normal operation of 17 cement workshops.

But traveling from Yingtian to Beiping
There are no fewer than a thousand cities and mountains along the way, and this number of people is far from enough.

Therefore, the cement workshop wanted to transfer some skilled road construction workers from Beiping Metropolitan Area to the pass.

Helping to build workshops and repair roads will save a lot of trouble.

At this point, Lu Yunyi looked somewhat embarrassed and explained:
"As you know, road construction is hard work, especially in places like the icy and snowy areas beyond the Great Wall."

Therefore, Dusi was at the forefront of road construction.
Most of them were nomadic people from the grasslands who had surrendered.

According to the rules set by the military commander, they would have to work for another two years before they could obtain their identity documents and become registered military officers.

Therefore, I now wish to bring them in to build a cement workshop.
Some of them are quite difficult.

Zhu Shou, the Marquis of Zhulu, understood instantly, and his face showed realization:
"Are you worried they'll be stopped at Shanhaiguan?"

"That's not all." Lu Yunyi shook his head.
"Without legal status, it is also difficult for them to move around."

"Zhou Xing is currently guarding Shanhaiguan. Given your relationship with him, it shouldn't be difficult for him to send some people in, right?"

Lu Yunyi gave a wry smile:
"My lord, I now have enemies everywhere I look."
There are some things that, even if we could do them, we wouldn't dare to do them now.

I can assure you, this person came in on the first day.

The evidence impeaching the subordinate official for privately requisitioning border residents with ulterior motives will be on His Majesty's desk the very next day.

Zhu Shou was taken aback, then burst into laughter:

"Hahahaha, that makes sense!"
You do have some self-awareness!

"The capital is in such chaos now, even the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office has been implicated. I have received quite a few impeachment memorials these past few days."

Lu Yunyi looked embarrassed:
"Please don't be offended, my lord."

"Ugh, they're all a bunch of pedantic old men who love to gossip. Don't listen to their nonsense."

Zhu Shou thought for a moment and then said,

"Alright, bring up all the documents from the Beiping Military Command's foreign campaigns over the past few years."

These people are prisoners of war; I will register them as laborers.
This way, they can move freely within the Ming Dynasty's borders while also suppressing any other ambitions. Only by returning to Daming can they obtain official household registration. What do you think?

Lu Yunyi was overjoyed; this was indeed a perfect plan. He quickly bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Your Excellency! I will have someone send the documents over in a few days."

How many people do you plan to bring in to build the workshop?

"Yes, the cement workshop has done the calculations."
To make this nearly 5,000-mile-long official road smooth, cement was used.
They also reduced cement delivery time to less than a day, requiring the construction of at least 230 workshops.

"So many?" Zhu Shou was somewhat surprised.

"My lord, nearly 180 workshops will be built in Henan, and we also need to take care of water management."

Li Zhigang is now sending five documents to the cement workshop every day.
The implication was clear: the merchant guild needed to send someone to repair the workshop as soon as possible.

Zhulu Hou pursed his lips, a look of envy on his face:

"These cement workshops under the Market and Commerce Bureau are highly sought after right now."
By the way, does the Market and Trade Bureau have any plans to establish a new trading company?

The Governor's Office currently has some surplus funds.
If you need money, just ask!

Knowing that he wanted to invest, Lu Yunyi smiled and said:
"Rest assured, Lord Marquis, if the Market and Exchange Bureau intends to establish a new trading company..."
We will inform the Governor's Office immediately.
After all, the first shareholder of Yingtian Trading Company was the Left Army Commander's Office.

"Haha, done!"

With your words, I am relieved!

Once the documents arrive, I, the Marquis, will help you resolve any difficulties involved!

"Thank you, Lord Marquis!"

After leaving the Left Army Governor's Mansion, Lu Yunyi headed towards the Market Exchange Office.

Tension was palpable throughout the imperial city at this moment.

The six ministries were sparsely populated; the clerks all stayed obediently inside, silent and not daring to show their faces.

Even some officials going out on business,
They were also in a hurry, not daring to linger for long.
All of this stems from the increasingly tense situation between North Korea and China.

Before long, Lu Yunyi returned to the Market Exchange Bureau.

Several minor officials were going back and forth carrying account books.
Upon seeing Lu Yunyi enter, they all stopped and bowed in greeting.

He waved his hand and walked straight to his study.

As soon as I pushed open the door, I saw the desk piled high with documents.

Lu Yunyi paused, his face darkening.
How come you've accumulated so much in just a few days?
"Sir, are you back?"

Hou Xian, who was still helping out at the Market Exchange Office, rushed over when he saw him return.
“Someone from a merchant guild just delivered some documents, saying that they’ve found some more clues about red tide algae in Ningbo Prefecture, and they’ve already placed them on your desk.”

Lu Yunyi nodded, walked to the desk, and sat down.

Just as I picked up the scroll of documents from Ningbo Prefecture and turned two pages, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

Hou Xian rushed in again, his expression somewhat subtle:

"My lord, the Censorate has arrived, bringing with them Lord Zhan's documents."

"Let him in."

A moment later, a minor official dressed in the blue robes of the Censorate entered, holding a sealed document in both hands.

The document was sealed with the vermilion seal of the Censorate, making it appear exceptionally solemn.

He bowed and handed the document to Lu Yunyi, his voice respectful yet tinged with a hint of distance:

"Lord Lu, Lord Zhan requests your immediate attention."

Lu Yunyi took the document, looked at the sealed inkpad, and felt a vague unease rising in his heart.

He broke the seal and unfolded the documents inside.
The contents of the document made him frown, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

It was an impeachment memorial, signed by Zhang Gou, the Vice Censor-in-Chief.

He read on, word by word, his brow furrowing deeper with each word:
"Lu Yunyi, the commander of the Northern Pacification Command, abused his power."

They resold the military equipment allocated by the imperial court to the border troops to private merchants for profit.

During the investigation of the Jingning Marquis's Mansion case, he abused his power and tortured people into confessing, resulting in serious injuries to several servants.

Even worse, last winter, some individuals left the country without authorization and entered Korea.
He failed to report to the Ministry of War and the Governor-General's Office, raising suspicions that he was colluding with the Goryeo royal family and plotting treason.

"I implore Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this traitor and restore order to the court!"

(End of this chapter)