In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 610 The Argument Continues, Night Raid on the Merchant Guild

"Fell down?"

Almost everyone present looked Liu Sili up and down, their faces full of surprise.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's forehead veins bulged, his hands clenched tightly on the armrest, and a hint of ferocity flashed in his eyes:
"Nonsense! If you could fall and end up like that, I would truly admire your skill."

A popular uprising broke out in front of the Yingtian Trading Company. Where were you at the time?

"Lord Zhao of the Ministry of Justice said that you instigated a popular uprising. Is that true?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked coldly.

Liu Sili remained silent, only raising his hand to wipe away the drool that had dripped down his face.

"say!!!"

Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed the memorial on the table and slammed it down, letting out a roar as he stood up.

"Report to Your Majesty,

Your Majesty... Your Majesty was being beaten on the ground by the people at the time, and you are not aware of what happened.

As for popular uprisings…

I do not believe that it was a popular uprising; they came to the merchant house to collect debts.

I originally intended to settle their accounts and let them leave as soon as possible.

So that the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review could investigate the case.

However… the ledgers were seized, and I could only go to dissuade them.

But they wouldn't listen, and they beat me like this."

Liu Sili raised his head, wiped his drool, and mumbled:
"Lord Ling, Lord Zhang, and Lord Zhou were all present at the time, and it was they who ordered the closure of the business."

The people originally wanted to fight them.

If I try to stop them, it will be considered that I am being attacked.

If Lord Zhao says that I have incited a mutiny…

I, your humble servant, am at a loss for words to offer an explanation.

Zhu Yuanzhang threw down several more books and began to curse:
"As an official appointed by the imperial court,

This mess is a disgrace to the imperial court.

"Summon Ling Han and the others in!!"

Before long, Ling Han and the other two entered the hall.

Seeing that they were well-dressed and unharmed, everyone immediately understood what was going on.

Commander Xu Sima didn't hold back in his sarcastic remarks:
"The three gentlemen are truly dignified and can be regarded as a model for the court."

A look of astonishment flashed across the three people's eyes, and they seemed somewhat puzzled.

Seeing their nonchalant attitude, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger intensified.

He sat down with a flick of his sleeve and silently stared at them.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao spoke up from the side, looking at Ling Han:

"Lord Ling, has the investigation yielded any results? When will the murder case be closed?"

Ling Han's heart tightened, his face stiffened, and after thinking for a long time, he slowly spoke:
"Your Highness, the case is still under investigation."

The Ministry of Justice is conducting a large-scale search of the merchant guild's warehouses.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the company's employees should yield clues soon.

"how long?"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao spoke calmly, asking only two words.

Ling Han's eyes flickered as he glanced at Zhao Mian, who stood calmly to the side, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, I cannot give a definite timeframe for the investigation."

Is a year enough?

Upon hearing the voice, a hint of surprise flashed in Ling Han's eyes. The two people beside him also looked at His Highness the Crown Prince with some astonishment, only to see his solemn expression.

But those who know him well know that the Crown Prince is about to explode.

Ling Han honestly replied, "Your Majesty, it won't take a year."

Once all the necessary evidence has been collected and all the required investigations have been completed, the investigation will be finished.
This allows us to make a preliminary deduction about the situation at the time... and thus close the case.

"Hmm," Crown Prince Zhu Biao nodded in realization.

"If you want to find out the whole story, why not ask the employees who were present at the time?"

If I remember correctly, the documents presented by the Embroidered Uniform Guard contained many oral accounts from their employees.

"Does your Ministry of Justice distrust the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

At this moment, Zhao Mian bowed deeply to the side:
"Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

The Ministry of Justice is investigating potential wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.

Of the three people killed, the family of one of them claims innocence.

Records from the capital's government and the Embroidered Uniform Guard both indicate that these three were members of the rebel faction.

If these documents are followed, innocent people will die unjustly.

"What a fine example of an innocent person dying unjustly." Crown Prince Zhu Biao nodded with a smile.

"How much longer will the investigation last? When will Yingtian Trading Company be able to reopen?"
"This has already sparked a popular uprising; how many more days do you plan to detain them?"

Zhao Mian felt a chill for no reason. Although His Highness the Crown Prince was smiling, it made him shudder.

"Your Highness, it will take at least five more days!"

Five days?

Before Crown Prince Zhu Biao could even speak, the officials of the Governor's Office all looked surprised and began to chatter amongst themselves.

Left Army Commander Geng Zhong looked at Zhao Mian and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Zhao, the business is now related to the livelihoods of millions of people."

Are we going to close our doors for another five days just because of a wrongful conviction that is not even certain to exist?

Have you considered the relative importance of this matter?

Zhao Mian's expression remained calm:

"The law takes precedence over human sentiment. Since the court has established laws, they should be strictly observed."

If a wrongful conviction occurs, the entire court will be disgraced.

"Absurd! You've created such panic over a traitor! Has your Ministry of Justice lost its mind?" Geng Zhong cursed without any restraint.

“Lord Geng, scolding me will not solve the problem.”

As one of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Justice's duty is to investigate cases; other matters are not within its purview.

"I truly admire Lord Zhao's dedication to public service. I hope that Lord Zhao can treat all matters equally."

Geng Zhong snorted coldly, then looked at the person at the head of the table:

"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, since the three of you have been identified as traitors by the Capital Prefecture and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, there must be a reason and evidence to support this claim."

However, the Ministry of Justice intervened again, insisting on investigating once more.

Once the Ministry of Justice has finished its investigation and closed the case, will the Court of Judicial Review have to investigate it again?
The idea of ​​investigating a case multiple times is horrifying.

If everything were like this...

Even if the imperial court had many officials and clerks, it wouldn't be enough.

Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, nodded, his previously stern face suddenly breaking into a smile as he looked at Li Shanchang, who was sitting quietly to the side:
"Brother, what do you think we should do about this? Should this case be investigated?"

Li Shanchang listened with a sigh, stroking his beard:
"Your Majesty, the laws of the land cannot be disregarded."

Now that the Ming Dynasty has just been established, it should set a good example by thoroughly investigating the matter and giving the people an explanation.

Zhu Yuanzhang listened in silence for a moment, then nodded:
"Brother is right."

Since that's the case... let's not let the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review investigate separately.

Call in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the capital's government offices to investigate together.

Let's see who's right and who's wrong.

Let's set a three-day timeframe. If there's no result within three days, let's not waste any more energy on this.

"Yes"

Zhao Mian and Zhou Zhiqing bowed in unison.
Mao Xiang and Gao Shou, who were standing to the side, also bowed.

After doing all this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the disheveled Liu Sili and said in a deep voice:

"Minister Liu, if something like this happens again, don't be foolish enough to rush to the front."
Learn from Minister Ling and Minister Zhou, and stay far behind them.

After you go downstairs, tidy up first.
I will send an imperial physician to your residence to treat you properly.

They say it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, so just rest and recover.

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand:

"Alright, everyone, step back. You've caused so much trouble so late at night."

After leaving the Wuying Hall,

Liu Sili returned to his residence by carriage.

He had initially been trying to appear calm,
As soon as I entered the house and closed the door, I immediately exclaimed "Ouch!"

The old servant accompanying him rushed forward, looking at his twisted arm with a face full of pity:
"Master, even if it's just for show, there's no need to be so ruthless."

"Stop talking nonsense, we've already done it, hurry up and come inside to set the bones!"

Soon, Liu Sili changed into a plain robe and sat quietly in the room.

His arm has returned to normal after bending, and it has been secured with bamboo strips.

The old servant, while wrapping the hemp cloth around his neck, said in fear:
“My lord, everyone says that the border is in chaos and war, but you have not encountered any major disasters in the five or six years you have been in Qingzhou.”

But after arriving in the capital, less than two months later, his hand was broken.

A hint of apprehension appeared on Liu Sili's face:
"You don't understand, what if I lose even one of my arms?"
Today's popular uprising means I, your lord, must be dragged out to quell the public anger.

Those officials in the imperial court are all hypocrites.

They just had to ruin everything.

I'm caught in the middle... I'm in a dilemma, I can only try to protect myself first." "Yes, sir, if a merchant guild like this were in Qingzhou or Liaodong, it would be protected like a gold nugget."

In this capital city, it seems almost superfluous, able to be closed at will.

"This is a power struggle within the imperial court, and has nothing to do with the business itself."

As soon as the conflict began, the trading company was the first to be caught in the vortex.

Liu Sili, with his deep-set eyes, slowly shook his head:
"This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it."

How could a mere official be so shameless, blatantly lying?

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Capital Prefecture were also involved.
They're usually so imposing, but when it comes to crucial moments, they fall silent, truly a disgrace to their reputation.

"My lord, most of the officials in the court are not in control of their own destiny. They dare not speak because they are being manipulated by others."

"Hey, you're right, they've been manipulated."

As soon as the Korean prince arrived in the capital, the wind direction immediately changed, with the east wind suddenly overwhelming the west wind.

We used to have the upper hand, but now it's their turn to prevail.

The old servant was somewhat surprised:

"Sir, why have you categorized yourself as belonging to one faction?"

Liu Sili sighed and shook his head helplessly:

"When one is in the imperial court, one's actions are not one's own."

Managing the affairs of a merchant guild as the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies—such a good thing doesn't come without a price.

"I, your lord, am now a staunch supporter of the Emperor."

"Then, sir, one should not easily get involved in factional strife; a slight misstep could bring disaster upon oneself."

Liu Sili's expression remained calm:

"How could I not know that? But once I came to the capital, I had no choice but to keep going."

Fortunately, I am of low rank and do not need to fight personally; I only need to wait for the higher-ups to fight.

"Master, who do you think will win?" the old servant asked tentatively.

"Oh, I don't know, I don't know."

Night fell, and the entire city of Yingtian was shrouded in darkness.

Of all the cities in Yingtian, only the imperial city was brightly lit.

The candlelight at Yingtian Trading Company had gone out sometime ago, plunging the entire East Street of the Prefectural Government into darkness.
Only the faint sound of the night watchman's gong echoed...

A gentle breeze blew, and the flags in front of Yingtian Trading Company fluttered in the wind, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

Just then, in a small alley behind Yingtian Trading Company, a figure seemed to be moving in the darkness.

Clouds drifted across the sky.
The world instantly turned pitch black...

Suddenly, a dark figure darted out of the darkness and ran towards the back door of Yingtian Trading Company.

Behind this figure were hundreds of people!

One by one, black dots merged into the darkness from one place to another, silently approaching Yingtian Trading Company.

These people moved nimbly and lightly, and were dressed in black.

Judging from their posture and demeanor, they are clearly elite soldiers.

However, as they drew closer,

The leader of the men in black slowed his pace, looking around suspiciously, his brows furrowed...

"stop."

A crisp sound rang out, and the movements of the more than one hundred people instantly ceased, their orders obeyed without question!
"withdraw!"

Upon receiving the order, everyone's pupils suddenly contracted.

But before they could turn around and retreat, a sharp whooshing sound came from behind them.

A crossbow bolt as thick as a forearm ripped through the night sky, carrying unimaginable power, and pierced the chest of a man in black!

The man in black felt an irresistible force strike him, and he instantly lost consciousness, his body flying backward...

We slid along the smooth bluestone pavement for a long time!

Everyone stared blankly at the scene before them, somewhat dazed and surprised.

"withdraw!"

With an even more stern shout, a dense rain of arrows and the sound of wind cutting swept in.

Whoosh whoosh—

A muffled groan followed, and more than a dozen men in black were shot through the body, falling to the ground in a daze.

Where are the enemies?
The lights of Yingtian Trading Company suddenly came on the next moment!
A row of candles illuminated part of the area on the roof of the east wall.

Looking at the wall again, dim candlelight shone through holes the size of heads!

The leader of the men in black suddenly contracted his pupils upon seeing this scene!

What's standing in front of us is no longer a trading company; it's practically a tall and sturdy fortress!

Arrows kept shooting out from the holes, wave after wave, without any sign of stopping.

Bang!
The previously closed gates on both sides of the street suddenly flung open, and a group of people dressed in black rushed out, wielding long knives and with sharp eyes.

Arrows and figures instantly formed a pincer attack!
"Kill, leave no one behind!"

The young voice boomed like thunder in the dimly lit Fudong Street.

The two groups fought fiercely almost without pause, the clash of long swords echoing continuously.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Accompanied by dazzling sparks from the collision of refined iron!
The young man stood at the back of the battlefield, his pupils contracting to their maximum as he looked at the agile figures in black ahead.

The army, these people in front of me are definitely an elite army!

"gun!"

As the young man spoke, someone beside him quickly handed him a long, narrow, dark object with a trigger.

The young man took the telescope from behind his waist and attached it to a long, narrow object.

Load! Aim! Fire!

All in one go!
Fire gushed from the narrow barrel of the gun, striking the incredibly brave leader in black almost instantly!
He was about to swing his knife when his body suddenly froze. Somewhat bewildered, he raised his hand and touched his face...

What I touched was moist, foul-smelling blood, and soft, everted flesh...

He froze, then continued to touch upwards until he reached his brow.

There was a scorching hole there, constantly emitting hot air, and something was almost flowing out of it.

Darkness enveloped his vision, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud...

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

After three gunshots, three more people fell to the ground. Everyone was startled by the dull thud. What was that?
To their relief, the noise stopped, and the two sides continued their battle...

The young man took off his binoculars, hung them on his lower back, then took off the water pouch on the other side, opened it, and poured water onto the already reddened gun barrel.

The sizzling heat rose continuously, clearly audible amidst the sounds of battle in the darkness.

Fifteen minutes later, the scene quieted down.

The wide street of Fudong Street was littered with corpses, and blood splattered everywhere, staining the original bluestone pavement.

"Clean up the battlefield!" the young man ordered coldly, silently watching the scene ahead.

The scene quieted down, but became busier and noisier.

At this moment, the gate of Yingtian Trading Company opened, and a figure walked out. He was wearing armor and had a solemn expression. It was Zhang Quan, the Vice Commander-in-Chief.

He hurried to Fudong Street and immediately saw the endless line of corpses.
They looked with some surprise at the towering cement walls of Yingtian Trading Company and the holes the size of heads.

"Goodness gracious! This is practically a city wall!"

Zhang Quan strode closer to the young man, stared at the long, narrow object in his hand, and asked:
"Kid, what's this? What kind of strange contraption have you Yingtian Guards come up with?"

The young man was none other than Xu Zengshou, the commander of the Yingtian Guard. He brandished his spear:

"The Hongwu flintlock gun was a handcrafted item made in the workshop; there were only two of them in the entire Ming Dynasty."

"Two?" Zhang Quan's eyes lit up, and he quickly leaned closer: "Where's the other one?"

Xu Zengshou chuckled, his face full of simple honesty:

"It's in the Crown Prince's hands."

Zhang Quan's grin immediately shut up: "Stop talking nonsense and show me!"

"Don't look." Xu Zengshou hid the Hongwu flintlock pistol behind his back.

"This is a top military secret; only three old craftsmen in the entire Ming Dynasty know how to manufacture it."

"I can't even watch it?"

Zhang Quan looked on incredulously. He was about to be ennobled in a few days. Was there anything in the Ming Dynasty that he couldn't see?

"They cannot watch, and neither can the governors and dukes!"

"Then why can you use it?" Zhang Quan asked.

"Me?" Xu Zengshou raised his head, beaming with pride:
"I'm the commander of the musketeers, someone has to try out new things first."

"easy to use?"

"Of course, it's precise and fast."
It's just too expensive and too troublesome; it took several months to make only two.

Xu Zengshou was immediately deflated. He looked at the battlefield ahead, where corpses were piled up one after another.

"Let's not talk about that. What should we do with these corpses in front of you, Lord Zhang?"

Zhang Quan shifted his gaze from Xu Zengshou to the corpses:
"They are all traitors and rebels; just find a place to dig a pit and bury them."

As you exit through the north gate, Guan Dewu is already waiting.

Xu Zengshou nodded.
He began to give orders to the guards beside him...

(End of this chapter)