In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1023 Sealing off Mingdao Academy
On the city wall of the North Gate, Zhong Rui, the commander of the Leopard Wave Guard, stood clad in armor, wielding a long sword.

He stood ramrod straight, quietly watching the grand procession of wealthy families depart.

Merchants and horse caravans entering the city have been driven to the side of the road.
Make way for the relocating team.

Everyone looked at the team with complicated expressions.

As ordinary citizens in Beijing, they had heard plenty of rumors and gossip.

They even guessed the court's intentions from various rumors.

The scene before us is yet another piece of evidence.

Honestly, as citizens of Yingtian, they did not want the imperial court to move to the north.

Simply put, being under the emperor's nose is far more peaceful than being far from the court.
Even corrupt officials here are more restrained than those in other places.

Many people in the capital have come all the way to Yingtian to make a living because they can no longer bear the exploitation by petty officials in their hometowns.

If the imperial court were to relocate, Yingtian would become an abandoned place, once again shrouded in corrupt officials.

For a moment, a silent sigh arose, and the atmosphere became eerily quiet.

In the crowd, Xu Zengshou looked at the people lining both sides of the road.

I found myself looking away, unable to meet their gaze.

Those simple, honest eyes were filled with hope for the imperial court.

But the choice made by the imperial court will likely disappoint them.

No amount of words can compare to the sheer scale of this massive migration.

"Fangying, give me a pot of water," Xu Zengshou said softly.

Li Fangying, who was acting as the commander of the personal guards, quickly handed over the water bottle and whispered a reminder:

"General, have you noticed the strange way these commoners and merchants are looking at us?"

"Ah."

Xu Zengshou nodded, drinking water while carefully observing his surroundings, and finally let out a sigh:
"Now I finally understand why adults always say that in the face of the general trend of the world, any attempt to stop it is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

Li Fangying was taken aback, realizing he was referring to Lu Yunyi, and asked:
"Is Lord Lu referring to these common people?"

"No, I was talking about Silunfa, what he said on the Yunnan battlefield."

He said that even if the battle of Luchuan was lost, the imperial court would continue to send troops, sending them in droves.

Until they defeat Silenfa and slaughter all his brave soldiers.
For Silunfa, this was a losing proposition; the only question was when.

Xu Zengshou pointed to the crowd around him and sighed:
Even if His Majesty fails in this attempt to relocate the capital...
Once the crown prince ascends the throne, he will still seek to move the capital.
Until the relocation of the capital is successful, it's simply a matter of sooner or later.

Li Fangying sensed the heavy atmosphere, her eyes darted around, and she asked in a low voice:

"General, did Lord Lu say that this relocation of the capital might not be feasible?"

"I didn't say it."

Xu Zengshou shook his head with a complicated expression:

"But I don't think it will work this time."

"why?"

Li Fangying was taken aback. Judging from the current situation...

It was clearly a bright future, yet the rebels were suppressed to the point of being unable to raise their heads.

"Lord Lu is always unforgiving when he is in the right. Once the attack begins on the battlefield, he will never stop until he has defeated the enemy."

But now, Lord Lu's several moves have all failed to yield any follow-up.
This isn't right, so I guess...
Either a powerful force is obstructing things, or Lord Lu didn't expect this matter to be accomplished so easily.

Li Fangying sat on her warhorse, her body swaying gently with the horse's hooves.

The bright sunlight shone down, making his armor feel hot, but a chill ran through him:

"If this can't be done? How will it ever be done in the future?"

Xu Zengshou sighed hollowly:

"I don't know. My elder brother is also not optimistic about the current situation, and there are also disagreements within the Governor's Office."

Judging from all indications, it's highly unlikely that this plan will succeed.

Li Fangying looked at Xu Zengshou in surprise.
A profound and unfamiliar quality appeared on his young face, like that of a seasoned and prudent general.
"Zigong, why do you look like this?"

Xu Zengshou's carefully maintained composure crumbled instantly, and he reverted to his usual carefree attitude, only to quickly return to his usual sluggishness:
"I feel that we're all grown up now, we can't act like little kids anymore."
One should be calm, mature, and composed in the face of adversity.

My father led his men to join the Prince of Chuyang when he was twenty years old, and the following year he captured several cities.

I'm twenty this year, and although my official rank is higher than my father's was back then...

His family background is reliable, but he's terrible at everything he does, especially in war.

If this continues, it won't be long before...
We will be surpassed by the rising stars of the imperial court.

Although I have the privilege of family wealth and can live a life of luxury, how can I be content with that?

Li Fangying was stunned. He was still young and had never thought that far ahead; he only thought that wearing armor and carrying a long sword was very impressive.
"General, isn't this too serious?"
Your elder brother is the Duke of Wei, and my elder brother is the Duke of Cao.
"We always stand at the very front during court assemblies, how can we be surpassed by rising stars?"

Xu Zengshou shook his head and said nothing more.

When he was seventeen or eighteen, all he thought about was how to show off his power; he never considered matters of national importance.

"No matter what, we must do this job well and get the people safely to Guanzhong."

If the enemy attacks, don't be afraid or back down. Charge forward with me, and we'll definitely win!

"it is good!"

The mere mention of charging into battle filled Li Fangying with excitement and boundless enthusiasm.

After all, his father had once led troops into battle and made a name for himself by taking the head of an enemy general amidst a vast army.

The procession moved slowly forward, the sporadic sound of horses' hooves constantly striking the hearts of the people along the way.

Three miles from Beijing, the number of forks in the road leading to the villages increased.
The silvery-white cement road runs across the wheat field like a series of silver ribbons.

Along the road leading to Lijia Village
A simple horse-drawn carriage stood quietly in the middle of the caravan.

The carriage curtain slowly opened, revealing first an old, weathered hand.
Next came a wrinkled, aged face, which belonged to Liu Sanwu, a Hanlin scholar.

Sitting opposite him was also a thin, elderly man.
His name was Zou Chuanqiao, a native of Fengyang Prefecture. He was once the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in the former Yuan Dynasty and was also quite famous in literary circles.

"Lord Liu, the person has already left the capital. Shouldn't we make our move?"

Zou Chuanqiao smiled and pursed his lips, his expression calm.

Although he is over sixty years old, he still has a certain elegance.

Liu Sanwu didn't speak, but just kept staring at the wealthy people walking on the official road.

After a long while, seeing the endless line, he sighed:
"If you want to take action, then take action. I am just a scholar and I don't understand your intricacies."

Zou Chuanqiao laughed and nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, Master Liu is right."

But we scholars have always followed Lord Liu's lead; if you tell us to go east, we would never dare to go west.

Liu Sanwu glanced at him and gave a soft snort:
"Even Brother Zou himself wouldn't believe such a lie, would he?"

"Hahahaha, a gentleman speaks recklessly, a gentleman speaks recklessly indeed!"

Zou Chuanqiao stopped laughing and tentatively asked:
"Master Liu, I lost a lot of money in the capital the other day."

Some old friends also invested their life savings.

My purpose in coming to Beijing this time is twofold: first, to inform you that everything is ready;
Secondly, I'd like to ask when I can expect to get this money back?

Liu Sanwu lowered the curtains, looked at him indifferently, a hint of mockery in his eyes:

"Brother Zou, have you never been to a gambling den?"
Even if you tear down the casino, they won't refund your money if you lose it there.

If you withdraw today, someone else will want to withdraw tomorrow. How will we do business in the future?

Zou Chuanqiao smiled awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed, but still tentatively asked:
"I heard that Lord Lu, who is in charge of this matter, is your grand-disciple?"

With this connection, how could we not get our money back?

"If he had listened to me, the important matter would have been settled long ago, and there wouldn't have been so much trouble."

A hint of annoyance flashed in Liu Sanwu's eyes, but more so, regret.

"Give up on that idea. The Market and Exchange Bureau has already spent most of the money it earned in the past two months."
Flood control, road construction, currency exchange—which of these isn't a money-devouring beast?

In the past, these matters were handled using funds from the national treasury; now, with funds from the Market and Exchange Bureau, where do we find the money to sustain such expenditures?

"All spent?"

Zou Chuanqiao stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief:

"He takes the money he earns from the market exchange bureau and spends it on the imperial court?"
Is Lu Yunyi... perhaps mentally ill?

As he spoke, he pointed to his head, the meaning couldn't be clearer. Liu Sanwu shook his head, somewhat helplessly.

"Brother Zou, if you could all be as indifferent to money as my grand-disciple, things would go much more smoothly."
It wouldn't have come to this point, with both sides locked in a stalemate.

Zou Chuanqiao was somewhat embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly:

"Last year, Cao Guogong and his gang made so much money from sweet potatoes."

How could anyone not be tempted by this?
Even though I am over fifty and half my body is buried in the ground, my descendants still have a long life ahead of them.

They want to make money, and I can't stop them.

"The situation in the capital is complex and diverse, with a wealth of talent emerging. Most methods cannot be used twice after being employed once."

I mentioned this to you in my letter, but you wouldn't believe me.
Now that they've lost all their money, they've finally remembered me, but I'm powerless to help them.

Zou Chuanqiao's expression darkened.
This incident has caused significant damage to many people.
At least the silver he had saved in his home for nearly thirty years was all gone, and he had nowhere to turn for help.

He sighed, knowing how difficult it was to get money from the imperial court, and said:

"Several younger members of the family are planning to go to small towns to repeat their old tricks and earn some spare change."

I wonder if doing this will help the court's situation?

Liu Sanwu glanced at him, knowing what he wanted to ask.
If they cause trouble in local areas, will the imperial court intervene or be able to spare the time to manage them?

Liu Sanwu said calmly:

"The court is too busy to take care of itself. The palace has been focused on the Crown Prince lately, and the court is even more overwhelmed. As long as it doesn't go too far, no one will care."

Zou Chuanqiao breathed a sigh of relief, feeling half the weight lifted from his heart. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and smiled.

"Thank you, Mr. Liu."

"Then I shall take my leave now. Please await good news from Lord Liu."

Liu Sanwu sized him up a few times, intending to offer some advice, but after thinking it over, he ultimately remained silent.
"Be careful and don't give yourself away."

"Don't worry, Mr. Liu, farewell!"

Zou Chuanqiao cupped his hands in greeting, then got off the carriage and walked towards another carriage next to it.

Liu Sanwu watched him get into the car and leave quietly, a look of emotion on his face.
Looking ahead at the official road, the migrating procession had reached its end, and the wealthy households were nowhere to be seen.
Only a few soldiers remained, clad in armor and armed with large banners.

Full of energy and spirit, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Suddenly, Liu Sanwu saw a servant boy rushing down the official road and heading straight for the caravan.

This is a servant from the Hanlin Academy, and can be considered one of his confidants.

The servant hurriedly ran to the carriage, exchanged a few words with the coachman and guards, and then went straight to the outside of the carriage:

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

Liu Sanwu's expression gradually calmed down, and he asked:

"What's the matter?"

The servant looked flustered and said urgently:
"The Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Market Administration, and the Governor's Office joined forces to shut down Mingdao Academy!"
It's said that there are rebels hiding in the academy, and now all the students have been expelled; the scene is complete chaos!

"what?"

Liu Sanwu's voice suddenly rose, and for the first time, astonishment appeared in his eyes.

Mingdao Academy was the foremost private school in the capital.
The students were all from wealthy and noble families, and could be considered a banner of local scholars in the capital.

If this flag were to be seized and shut down now,
Liu Sanwu couldn't imagine the huge uproar this would cause.

How will the government, the public, and the intellectual community react?

More importantly, if we can't even protect a single academy, how can we possibly protect the capital city of Yingtian?

Liu Sanwu understood almost instantly.

Don't show your weakness!
Once you show weakness, you expose your vulnerability.

If the royalists discover that they are all bark and no bite, then things will be bad.

He took a deep breath:

"Quickly, back to the capital!"
He sent someone to inform several Grand Secretaries of this matter.

They were instructed to unite with students and fellow villagers to pressure the governor's office and force them to withdraw their troops.

In addition, a message was sent to Xu Guan, instructing him to write an impeachment document, specifically impeaching Xu Huizu of the Central Military Command.
They said he abused his power and acted arbitrarily, damaging the cultural heritage of the Ming Dynasty!

"Yes!"

The servant left the carriage and ran quickly toward the main road, ignoring the surprised looks from those around him.

North of Yingtian City, Mingdao Academy.

In the past, this place was always filled with the scent of ink and the sound of reading.

But today, the sound of students reciting their lessons was completely drowned out by the clanging of armored vehicles colliding.

In front of the academy gate, two rows of armored soldiers stood with their guns pointed at the gate.

Behind the soldiers, the Imperial Guards' flying fish robes gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

The embroidered spring knife sheath at his waist reflected the bewilderment of the onlookers.

What's going on here?
"Everyone stand back!"

"Everyone, stand back!"

A Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) officer waved repeatedly, signaling the approaching civilians to step back.

But the murmurs of the people continued to simmer:

"Why is Mingdao Academy surrounded? Is it because of He Zicheng's incident a few days ago?"

"Didn't he have an affair with his daughter-in-law? How could the imperial court shut down the academy? Besides, he was killed by a vengeful ghost."

At this moment, seeing that everyone's talk was becoming increasingly outrageous, the Jinyiwei commander shouted loudly:
"Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that Mingdao Academy is harboring traitors. Today, the three ministries have come to investigate!"

"Rebels? There are rebels in the academy?"

Everyone looked even more shocked.

In front of the vermilion gate of the academy, Zhu Shou, the ship captain of the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office, stood with his hands behind his back.

He was dressed in a noble armor, with cloud patterns engraved on the plates, and a long sword hung at his waist. His face was solemn.

His gaze swept over the restless students outside the courtyard, and his brows furrowed slightly.

These students were mostly sons of officials.

They showed no fear of the soldiers and the Imperial Guards, and continued to push and shove them.

"Master Hou!"

A clear yet cold voice came from the side.

Du Pingping, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, strode forward.

He was half the size of previous years, and looked quite capable and efficient.
"The students are too agitated. If they continue like this, it might delay the search. Should we ask them to move away?"

Zhu Shou nodded and raised his hand.

The soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward.
They used long spears to create a barrier between the students and the Imperial Guards.

The cold glint of the spears made the students instinctively back away, and the commotion gradually subsided.
Only a few leading students remained, still loudly questioning:
"Our academy is full of respectable scholars!"

"On what grounds are you sealing off the courtyard and searching it? Do you have any official documents from the imperial court?"

Zhu Shou ignored him and turned his gaze to Han Yike, the deputy director of the Market and Commerce Department, on the other side.

Han Yike was dressed in a scarlet robe, holding a scroll in her hands. She had a thin face but a very calm look in her eyes.

Seeing Zhu Shou looking over, he stepped forward and addressed the gentlemen at the courtyard gate in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, this is the investigation document from the Censorate."

The matter is that we have discovered secret correspondence between the rebels and members of the academy. Your cooperation is requested.

One of the men, an elderly man over sixty, stepped forward.
He was dressed in a plain scholar's robe, his hair and beard were all white, but at this moment he was so angry that he was trembling all over.

He pointed to the documents in Han Yike's hand, his voice trembling:
"Lord Han! You and I are old friends, do you even believe this yourself?"

Since its establishment, Mingdao Academy has never been involved with any anti-government party!

"You think you can tarnish the academy's century-old reputation with just a secret letter of dubious authenticity?"

"Brother Wenshan, you can tell whether the document is genuine or fake at a glance."

Han Yike handed over the document, her tone remaining calm:

"The imperial court values ​​evidence in its work. If no trace of the rebels is found after the search, the academy will naturally be exonerated."

But please step aside and do not obstruct official business.

(End of this chapter)