In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 601 Banished from the Capital, Duke Tang He of Xin
When Zhou Xinhao led his troops from the barracks, chaos had already broken out outside.

The chaotic sound of horses' hooves and shouts of battle echoed from all directions.

When he attempted to lead over a thousand men to the armory to seize weapons,

But they were shocked to find that the place had already been occupied by soldiers.

Seeing that the enemy numbered only a hundred or so, Zhou Xinhao immediately ordered a charge to try to seize the armory.

However, things took a turn for the worse than he had anticipated.
The remaining men charged forward in a daze, not even ready to engage the enemy.
They were riddled with holes by the first volley of crossbow bolts.

Seeing their colleagues struggling in pain on the ground, many people were so frightened that they pursed their lips and backed away, their faces full of fear.

Zhou Xinhao's anger flared up instantly, and he burst into a tirade of curses:
"Charge! Charge! They outnumber us!"

They finally mustered the courage to charge again, but the crossbowmen had already loaded their arrows.

Another volley of fire pinned the hesitant soldiers to the ground.

"Kneel down and surrender, and I'll spare your life!"
We are acting on imperial orders to arrest the traitors Zhou Xinhao, Fang Yueqiao, and Zhuang Pingling!

As the shout faded, countless people turned to look at Zhou Xinhao. Zhou Xinhao stood frozen in place, unable to move.

Someone shouted first:
"Zhou Xinhao is here!!"

Immediately afterwards, shouts rang out from all directions: "Zhou Xinhao is here!!"

This sudden turn of events left Liu Heiying, who was guarding the armory, completely stunned.

He scratched his head, looked at the bewildered middle-aged man, and muttered to himself:
“So easy?”

"Grab him, spare his life, shout it out quickly!" Liu Heiying quickly regained his senses and ordered in a deep voice.

"Capture Zhou Xinhao and spare his life!"

As soon as the sound was heard, the dozen or so soldiers beside Zhou Xinhao swarmed forward.

They pinned him to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

They kept shouting:

"I caught him! I caught him!"

Zhou Xinhao was overwhelmed and could hardly breathe, his eyes filled with resentment.

All of this seemed completely different from what he had expected.
Where is the fierce battle taking place? And where is the chance to escape amidst the chaos?
Why were our soldiers defeated so easily in a single encounter, with no chance to fight back?
Who exactly are these people in front of us?
Zhou Xinhao was quickly and successfully apprehended.

Qianhu Fang Yueqiao was killed on the spot, and Zhuang Pingling was captured outside the camp.

The chaos lasted for less than half an hour before it came to an end.

The soldiers of the vanguard scouts were still carefully searching the camp for hidden enemies.

They were then escorted to the central drill ground and placed under the guard of the Imperial Guards.

Then, the Imperial Guards stepped forward to identify them.

Anyone on the list was dragged out, tortured, and interrogated on the spot.

Even those who weren't on the list but had close relationships with those on it were dragged out and interrogated.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was sitting upright on his warhorse, gazing through the broken fence at the endless wheat fields outside the camp, his eyes deep-set and his gaze profound.

At this moment, Qin Yuanfang rushed over.

"Sir, a cellar has been discovered behind Zhou Xinhao's house."
Inside were hidden some gold and silver treasures, as well as some secret letters.

"A secret letter?" Lu Yunyi was taken aback upon hearing this.

"My lord, the one who discovered the secret letter was my trusted confidant. Should we go and take a look?" Qin Yuanfang asked in a low voice.

Lu Yunyi was somewhat tempted, but reason quickly prevailed over impulse. He shook his head:

"Take out the secret letter and hand it to Marquis Wuding. As for the money..."
Everyone gets some, and we keep some for ourselves.

"Yes!" Qin Yuanfang accepted the order and hurriedly left.

Not long after, on the central drill ground,

A huge wooden box appeared in front of Lu Yunyi, Guo Ying, and Mao Xiang.

At this moment, the wooden box had been opened, and inside were neatly arranged, unsigned secret letters.

Guo Ying stared at the box, blinking in confusion. "So many?"

"Reporting to Marquis Wuding, the box was hidden in a secret compartment in the underground cave. The brothers almost missed it," Lu Yunyi replied truthfully.

Mao Xiang bent down, wanting to pick up a letter to read.

Lu Yunyi raised an eyebrow, extended his long sword, brushed aside Mao Xiang's hand, and said calmly:
"Lord Mao, these are all classified information. Can we just look at them so casually?"

Mao Xiang's face turned pale and then purple, and his breathing became rapid.

But in the end, he said nothing and quietly stepped aside.

Even if these letters are brought back to the palace, they will most likely still have to be examined by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Guo Ying waved his hand and looked at the guards behind him:

"Keep all these letters safe and take them back to the palace."

"Yunyi, what else is in the cellar?"

"There is only some money and some accounts, which have already been sorted out."

"Alright, take them all back with you." Marquis Wuding looked at Mao Xiang:

"Have all the personnel been identified?"

"Reporting to Marquis Wuding, all officers of the rank of 100 or above have been apprehended and brought to justice."
The body of Commander Sun Yujin has been properly prepared for burial.

Marquis Wuding nodded:
"Okay, let's go back to Beijing first."

Five hundred Imperial Guards will remain to guard the area; further matters will be handled tomorrow.

"Yes"

At the beginning of the Yin hour, around 3 a.m., the vanguard scouts and the imperial guards returned to the capital.

The soldiers returned to Puzikou City to rest.

Guo Ying, Lu Yunyi, and Mao Xiang went to the palace to report back.

The sky was still pitch black, but the Wuying Hall was brightly lit.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty sat at the head of the table, holding a cloth shoe and a needle and thread in his hand, carefully sewing it.

His movements were skillful and fluid, clearly indicating that this was not the first time he had done this.

Lu Yunyi was slightly taken aback when he saw this scene.

But Guo Ying and Mao Xiang, standing beside them, were clearly used to it.

Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, all the rebels in Guanglan Tuntianwei have been captured."

Of the three masterminds, one died and two were captured alive.

In addition, 67 officers with the rank of centurion or above were arrested. Commander Sun Yujin was murdered by his deputy, Zhou Xinhao.

The Hongwu Emperor at the head of the table remained silent for a long time, and the atmosphere in the hall became extremely oppressive.

After a long while, Zhu Yuanzhang finished sewing the last stitch, then bit off the thread with his teeth, placed the cloth shoe on the table, and looked down at the three people below.

"Mao Xiang, why wasn't this detected beforehand?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was calm, but Mao Xiang suddenly knelt down with a thud, not daring to raise his head:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty."

"I ask you, why wasn't such a major event discovered beforehand?"

Mao Xiang's pupils flickered slightly, a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is short-handed; this is my fault for dereliction of duty."

Didn't the imperial court give you any money?
Since we don't have enough manpower, we should recruit more people to expand our workforce.

What I hope to see is that the Embroidered Uniform Guard can prevent things from happening, rather than trying to remedy the situation after things have already occurred.

All the officers of the First Guard were arrested; what kind of behavior is this?

We must immediately begin the investigation; anyone connected to these three individuals must be thoroughly investigated.
Those who know about something but sit idly by should not be tolerated.

"Your subject will certainly do his utmost," Mao Xiang said with a sigh of relief.

Everyone seemed to hear a low sigh.

"It's not about doing your best, it's about having to do it."

The suspects have already been captured. Are the Imperial Guards still not confident?

If this matter is difficult for you, just say so, and I will send someone else to do it.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression remained calm, showing no sign of emotion.

But Mao Xiang could hear the anger in his voice, and immediately kowtowed:
"Your Majesty, I will certainly handle this matter well, eliminate the hidden dangers, and find out the real culprit behind it all."

"Alright, you can go now. Lu Yunyi, please stay."

Lu Yunyi was about to leave when he heard this and stopped in his tracks.

Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding gave him a look that said, "May you have good luck."

After Guo Ying and Mao Xiang left, the hall fell silent. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang then spoke in a deep voice:
"Do you think today's events are directed at me, or at the merchant guild?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes. He bowed slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I believe these rebels are targeting the merchants."

Because His Majesty's trip to the trading company was a last-minute decision.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded:
Nothing is absolute.
As the emperor, I am the focus of the entire world, and everyone in the court is trying to guess my thoughts.

"Your Majesty, a box of secret letters was found behind Zhou Xinhao's residence in Guanglan Guard today. Perhaps some clues can be found in it."

"Well, that's not important."

If this is targeting a trading company, what do you think their purpose is?

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice came from above, still calm.

Lu Yunyi pondered for a moment and answered truthfully:
"Your Majesty, the existence of the merchant guild can consolidate the authority of the court and strengthen its governance over local areas."

I believe that, in the eyes of some treacherous officials, the very existence of merchant guilds is a sin.

Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly:
"You see things very clearly, that's rare."

Are you comfortable entrusting the business to Liu Sili?

A strange glint flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes.

He felt that this seemed to be His Majesty's way of trying to persuade him to stay, and perhaps by taking this opportunity, he could stay in the capital.
The Crown Prince and Minister Liu of the Ministry of Rites seemed to have expressed this idea a few days ago.

After a brief pause, Lu Yunyi said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty's expulsion of the Tartars and restoration of China is an unstoppable trend of the world."

The emergence of merchant guilds and the central government's strengthening of local control are also unstoppable trends in the world.

In my opinion, who helms the trading company is not important; what matters is that the company can continue to operate.

The Hongwu Emperor chuckled:
"A business that earns 20,000 taels a day, are you willing to give it up?"

"Your Majesty, the profits from today's opening were purely accidental. Moreover, the business's finances belong to the Ministry of Works, the Governor's Office, and the Imperial Court, and have nothing to do with me."

"You didn't contribute?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice rose slightly, tinged with surprise.

"Your Majesty, I truly have no share."

They simply provided some conveniences in terms of distribution channels, allowing the white sugar from Chen's childhood fruit shop and Wanshou Sugar Workshop to be sold in the merchant guild.

Zhu Yuanzhang scoffed:
"He's fairly honest."

I understand the principle that it is better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone, and there is nothing wrong with making some money.

Since you want to go to Daning, then set off as soon as possible.

After saying that, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand.

The head eunuch beside him, carrying a stack of documents, quickly walked up to Lu Yunyi and handed them over.

"These are documents recently sent from Da Ning, where rebellions are rampant."

Zhou Xing was skilled in warfare but not in education. Furthermore, none of the court officials were willing to go to such a harsh and cold place.

"Since you want to go, then go."

Lu Yunyi was somewhat taken aback.
How did things progress so quickly?

"Your Majesty, I feel it's a bit rushed; the construction company's affairs haven't been planned yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand:
"We'll discuss this matter later. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue will discuss and study it. You may leave now."

Lu Yunyi was full of doubts and wanted to scratch his head.

Just a few days ago, he seemed determined to work his way up in Beijing.
Why are they kicking people out today?
There must have been some changes, but what exactly those changes were remains to be seen.
Lu Yunyi was unaware of this.

He left the Wuying Hall with a heart full of doubts.

At the entrance, he saw Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding standing quietly.

A glint of inspiration flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes, and he scurried over excitedly.
"Lord Wuding".

"Is everything done? Go back and rest now," Marquis Wuding said kindly.

"Lord Wuding, I have a question that I would like to ask you. Please enlighten me."

Guo Ying looked at him with some surprise and said:

"Tell me, what's the matter?"

Lu Yunyi quickly recounted how he had been expelled from the capital.

Upon hearing this, Guo Ying frowned and remained silent for a long time.

After nearly fifteen minutes, Guo Yingcai tentatively spoke:
"This might be His Majesty protecting you."

"Protect?" Lu Yunyi was full of doubt.

Marquis Wuding pursed his lips, organizing his thoughts in his mind:

"You should know that the palace has always been under great pressure, and there are no end to the treacherous officials and villains being killed."

Many of the old comrades also parted ways with the palace because of their positions.

You know their capabilities.

Lu Yunyi nodded repeatedly.

"What happened today may not be so simple. Perhaps this is a warning, or perhaps it is a sign that the situation is deteriorating."

But His Majesty will not harm you. Leaving the capital is the right thing to do.

By the way, could you come to the Governor's Mansion tomorrow to check on the progress of the other operations?

Marquis Wuding looked somewhat wary:
"Perhaps there will be gains elsewhere as well."

Lu Yunyi looked on in astonishment: "There are other plans?"

Marquis Wuding suddenly laughed:
"Since you're leaving the capital, I won't hide it from you."

Besides Guanglan Tuntianwei, there are six other garrisons that also have problems.

This capital city is rife with treacherous officials and rebels.

"Six?"

Lu Yunyi was completely stunned.

If that's the case, then perhaps everything makes sense.

The situation was critical, and even the palace had to make concessions to temporarily quell the turmoil.

At this point, if one were to arrange matters for other businesses,
Lu Yunyi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

In the darkness, countless eyes were already fixed on him.

Don't be afraid of thieves stealing, just be afraid of thieves missing you.

At this point, leaving might be the most important thing.

"Thank you, Marquis of Wuding. I understand." Lu Yunyi bowed respectfully.

Guo Ying smiled and patted him on the shoulder:

"Don't panic. Strive for lasting achievements, not for short-term gains or losses. Attack when you should attack, and retreat when you should retreat. Only by striking when you should retreat can you win battles."

"I understand. I'll take my leave."

"Go and get everything arranged. Right now, it's safer outside the pass than inside."

"Yes"

The next morning, Yingtian Trading Company was still packed with people.

Before the shops even opened, long queues had already formed on Fudong Street.

The officials of the capital city, all sporting dark circles under their eyes, maintained order.

Feng Kezhao and his associates, reeking of alcohol and slightly drunk, struggled to maintain the situation.

Inside the Governor's Mansion, Lu Yunyi, who hadn't slept all night, arrived.

In the office of the Central Military Governor, he saw the detailed documents of yesterday's operation, as well as a group of people who had been arrested.

As Marquis Wuding said, yesterday's action was not only aimed at Guanglan Tuntian Guard, but also at six other guard posts.

In fact, one of the garrison posts was located within Puzi City, and both of its commanders were captured.

Looking at the list that stretched for two whole pages, Lu Yunyi's expression turned serious.

He increasingly felt that these actions might be a form of protest, a demonstration against the imperial court.

Now, seven garrisons, two commanders, and more than a dozen deputy commanders have surfaced.

So, what about those hidden in the shadows?

Perhaps it was precisely because of the dire situation that His Majesty in the palace sent him out of the capital.
Just then, a soft footstep sounded at the door.

Lu Yunyi looked up at the sound and saw Xu Sima, the commander of the central army, walk in.

Accompanying him was a thin, short, white-haired old man wearing a straw hat.

Lu Yunyi quickly remembered who this person was.

He was there on the day of the sweet potato harvest, but then he disappeared.

Xu Sima, abandoning his usual loud voice, pointed at Lu Yunyi in a soft voice:
"This is Lu Yunyi."

The old man nodded, and Xu Sima gave Lu Yunyi a wink before slowly retreating and gently closing the door behind him.

Lu Yunyi stood up and asked respectfully, "May I ask who you are, sir?"

The old man did not answer, but looked around and saw a pile of documents in the corner of the house, which he estimated to be several hundred volumes.

"With so many documents, these are all you've seen?"

The old man's voice was deep and resonant, but somewhat hoarse, as if he had phlegm in his throat.

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, and replied:
"Reporting to the old sir, these are all that are left."

How long will it take to finish watching?

"Well, it will probably take four or five days. I've been too busy these days and haven't had time to look at the documents."

The old man nodded, walked straight to the side and sat down, saying:

"After you finish reading, leave the capital as soon as possible, for trouble is brewing in the capital."

Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with doubt.

The old man smiled and said, "My name is Tang Dingchen."

Lu Yunyi's pupils contracted slightly. He quickly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
"Your humble servant Lu Yunyi pays his respects to the Duke of Xin."

"Get up, get up." Tang He smiled and waved his hand casually.

"Please sit down. I owe my trip to the capital to you."

Lu Yunyi sat down, his face still full of doubt.

A few days ago, Tang He, the Duke of Xin, was ordered to take command of tens of thousands of troops in the Fengyang Garrison.

Why are you in the capital now? And you even say it's related to me.

"Please enlighten me, Duke Xin."

"Sweet potatoes, His Majesty wrote to me saying he has something good for me to see."

I hurried all the way and finally arrived in the capital, where I witnessed the spectacular sight of sweet potatoes.

Lu Yunyi suddenly realized:
"Your Excellency, Lord Xin, have worked hard. The cultivation of sweet potatoes is all thanks to the officials of the Agricultural Administration Bureau. I dare not take credit for it."

"Hey, don't be so polite. Your contribution is your contribution, and no one can take it away from you."

Today, I've come to tell you something, something His Majesty cannot say.
But it's something I want to tell you.

After saying that, Tang He smiled:

"After Lan left, I guess no one will talk to you about these things anymore."

"Please enlighten me, Duke Xin."

Lu Yunyi's expression turned serious.

He also noticed this problem; ever since General Lan Yu left the capital,
These most crucial secrets of the capital were no longer shared with him, and the situation became increasingly unclear.

Tang He took a sip of tea, a smile on his face:

"The older brother is coming, you'd better leave early."

Big Brother?
Lu Yunyi frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

There is only one person in the entire world whom Tang He, who is over sixty years old, calls "elder brother".

Li Shanchang, Duke of Han.

(End of this chapter)