In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 611 The Story of Han Xin
With the end of the battle at Yingtian Trading Company,

The entire Fudong Street returned to calm.

Inside the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, Prefect Feng Kezhao lay on the back of the main gate, listening to the various noises outside.

He would occasionally peek through the crack in the door at the men in black outside.

Beside him, Kong Rui stood anxiously, scratching his head in frustration.

He leaned closer and asked softly:

"My lord, what's the situation outside?"

"Quiet down, they're already moving the body."

Feng Kezhao whispered a warning to stop him, then continued to peer through the crack in the door.

"Sir, are we really not going to go out and take a look? So many people have died, and they even used crossbows."

Kong Rui tentatively asked from the side.

"Go if you want to go, but don't drag me down with you if you're looking to die!"

Feng Kezhao cursed under his breath and continued watching intently...

It wasn't until those people cleared the area to the entrance of the government office that Feng Kezhao hurriedly told Kong Rui to run away.

After they ran back to the main hall and closed the door tightly,

Feng Kezhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his eyes still showed signs of shock:
"That's too ruthless; they didn't leave a single survivor."

Kong Rui stood to the side, also covered in sweat:

"It would be great if we could leave them alive for interrogation."

"You're such a blockhead! Can't you use your brain?"

As Feng Kezhao cursed, he walked to the table, sat down, and gulped down a mouthful of cold tea.
"As things stand now, it's a life-or-death situation for all parties involved."

Even if we uncover something during interrogation, what's the use? Everyone knows each other's situation; it's better to maintain a silent competition and keep in tacit agreement.

"Your Excellency is wise."

"Stop talking about how brilliant it is, hurry up and think about how to appease those people tomorrow."

The Prefect said that Yingtian Trading Company will have to close again tomorrow.

Today they're causing trouble in front of the trading company; tomorrow they might be causing trouble in the capital.

If we don't handle this well, we'll all lose our jobs.

Feng Kezhao looked wary and kept shaking his head.

"Yes, my lord!"

Kong Rui clearly understood the seriousness of the situation.

"After you go to the yamen tomorrow, convey the seriousness of the matter to others."

Compared to the power struggles of these big shots, you and I are nothing but ants.

Don't end up like Mao Xiang, dragged down by incompetent teammates.

With His Majesty's protection, Mao Xiang can retain his official position.

If this happened to you or me, packing our bags and going home would be the least of our worries.

Kong Rui's throat bobbed, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and he quickly nodded:

"My lord, I understand."

The Pingliang Marquis's Mansion is located at No. 16 Zhangde Street, Dagongfang, on a street corner, and is grand in scale.

The mansion resembled a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness, with only a few lights flickering in the distance.

The atmosphere in the study in the back room was so deathly still that it seemed like you could wring water out of it.

Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop, the sound echoing throughout the room.

To the left, a young man dressed in black sat quietly sipping tea; this man was Guo Zhen.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
A figure hurried in; it was Huang Bin, the Marquis of Yichun, who appeared to be in his fifties.

His appearance broke the silence in the room, and Fei Ju and Guo Zhen both turned their attention to him.

Fei Ju asked, "Was the matter resolved?"

"It didn't work!"

Huang Bin sat down next to Guo Zhen, his face serious, clearly sulking.

Fei Ju let out a sigh, and Guo Zhen, who had been standing straight, slowly leaned back in his chair and sighed as well.

"This was expected; it was originally a test."

Guo Zhen's face was stern, and his lips were tightly pressed together.

Huang Bin shook his head:

"At least we should have tried something out; we haven't even gotten close to the business yet."

Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang slowly shook his head:
"Don't worry about it... The fact that the business is now closed is a huge surprise for us."

Some of the businesses under my management have recently complained that business is difficult.
The closure of Yingtian Trading Company has allowed our business to recover somewhat, which is already quite good.

Huang Bin nodded:

"Arrange for people to go to the countryside as soon as possible. This time, we need to take a big bite out of Yingtian Trading Company."

"Such good stuff, how can we just let them sell it all?"

Seeing the two begin discussing matters of merchants and money, a hint of absurdity flashed in Guo Zhen's eyes, and he shook his head helplessly:
"My lords, is this the time to talk about money? With power, why worry about not having money?"

"Ah…"

Huang Bin burst into laughter, his voice rough and gruff:
"Don't worry, now that our elder brother has come to the capital, it's time for us to find a way out."

They all took power and commanded troops.
We'll either be stuck in the capital with nothing to do, or we'll be sent to some remote place.

"Your Majesty, this is not very kind of you."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zhenshen nodded in agreement.

He has made many efforts to inherit the title, but has not yet succeeded, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.

Fei Ju rested his hand on the desk, unlike the other two who were optimistic:

"We both know His Majesty's temperament; he won't give up easily."

Today's events were clearly anticipated.

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, and the two nodded.

Guo Zhen said in a deep voice:

"These are all elite troops from various regions that have been sent this time. It would be a real pity if they died in the capital."

Huang Bin's face turned cold, becoming as calm as still water, and he said in a low voice:
"Everyone dies eventually. It makes no difference whether you die outside or in the capital."

When you and I reach high positions, our brothers will also be able to live a good life.

Look at the life we're living now...

Fei Ju sighed heavily and sat up straight:
"I have an elder brother here in the capital, so I'm not worried."

My only question is, what did Emperor Shengzong of Tang do in Liaodong that made His Majesty so hastily send Lu Yunyi to Daming?

"Oh? Is there any connection between these two things?"

Huang Bin looked surprised and sat up straight.

"When I went to see the Duke of Han today, he mentioned it in a veiled way."
It is said that some trouble has arisen in Liaodong, causing Zhou Xing a great deal of distress.

"Is there still this?"

Huang Bin's eyes gleamed with excitement, and he became thrilled:
"I never expected that Tang Shengzong, that taciturn man, would actually cause such a commotion without making a sound."

Don't be too happy yet.

This is only one reason; avoiding trouble is also a factor.

Fei Ju smiled wryly:

"The power of the South Korean leader is still quite intimidating."

The Duke of Xin was supposed to leave the capital a few days ago.

Upon hearing that his elder brother was coming, he decided not to leave.

Guo Zhen laughed:

"There are very few founding ministers left. With the Duke of Song and the Duke of Ying away, there are very few who can rival the Duke of Han..."

"The situation is in our favor. We should take advantage of this time of counter-offensive and reckoning to completely destroy Yingtian Trading Company."

If we delay for another three days, people will eventually stop taking it seriously.

Guo Zhen nodded and raised a question:
"However, it is surprising that the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are working so hard this time."

Fei Ju shook his head and said:
"These civil officials are not like us."

The two sides now share a common enemy, which is why they are temporarily standing together.

Unfortunately, Song Na, the cunning and shrewd official of the Imperial Academy, refused to express his opinion.

Otherwise, if the court and the scholarly community work together, His Majesty will have no choice but to concede, even if he doesn't want to.

"His Majesty has already conceded, otherwise the matter with the merchant guild wouldn't have escalated to this extent."

His Majesty has truly grown old.

Huang Bin said with some emotion.

Guo Zhenshen nodded in agreement:
"When people get old, they become more settled and don't want to cause any trouble."

What His Majesty has been promoting.
He himself knew it was unsustainable, and perhaps he was planning to give up.

The room was filled with interplay of light and shadow. Fei Ju slowly stood up and said in a deep voice:

"In short, we must not let our guard down at critical moments."

Once we get past this hurdle, better days are ahead.

Everyone, go back and prepare. In the court, we must unite as one and advance or retreat together.

"Um... goodbye."

The two stood up, each with mixed feelings, and left the Pingliang Marquis's residence.

Southern Zhili, Yangzhou Prefecture.

The sunlight poured down, dispelling the lingering coolness of the night and replacing it with intense heat.

The south gate of Yangzhou was already bustling with people and carriages of all kinds, all waiting to enter the city.

Just then, a horse-drawn carriage approached from not far along the official road, swaying and rocking.

There were several guards following around, and it was clear at a glance that the people in the carriage were either rich or noble.

Many people quickly made way for him to go first.

But the carriage stopped behind the crowd.

As the curtain was lifted

A young man dressed in black jumped down from the carriage and then helped two beautiful women down.

A woman in a white dress looked ethereal and otherworldly.

Another woman, dressed in a pale yellow dress, was lively and energetic.

"Wow, this is Yangzhou. It's so much smaller than the capital."

The woman in the pale yellow dress exclaimed in surprise, drawing the attention of those around her.

The young man in black smiled and said:
"Yingtian City is the largest city in the world. If Yangzhou were bigger than Yingtian, what would happen?"

"Husband, I've heard that Beiping is a very large city. Have you ever been there?"

The woman in white walked to the young man in black, took his arm, and asked softly. *Click click...*

A faint sound of heartbreak could be heard from the surroundings, and many young men were filled with regret and secretly grieved.

How could such a fairy-like woman get married and even call someone her husband!
Before they could react, the woman in the pale yellow dress also took their arm, smiling as she said:
"Yes, yes, have you been there?"

Crack, crack... another heartbreaking sound.

"I haven't been there myself, but Black Hawk used to go there with his father on his trading trips."

He said that Beiping was a very large city, but the city walls were severely damaged after the war, and the imperial court didn't fund their repair, so they were demolished.

"Let's go, it's rare to have some free time."
Let's queue up to enter the city and take a good look at the scenery of Yangzhou.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, looking at the slowly opening gates of Yangzhou, full of vigor, attracting the attention of many people.

Upon entering the city, it was early morning.
The entire city was filled with an atmosphere of devastation and rebuilding, like someone who had just woken up and wasn't fully awake yet.

The group soon entered a rather lively teahouse.

"Sir, how many are in your party?"

When the servant saw that a distinguished guest had arrived, he quickly came forward to greet him.

"Gentlemen, do you have a private room? I have brought some guards with me."

"Yes, please come upstairs, gentlemen."

The servant, his face plastered with a fawning smile, hurriedly led the three upstairs.

For such distinguished guests, the cost of just one pot of fine tea is equivalent to a considerable expense for ordinary people.

The private room is by the window overlooking the river, and through the window you can see some boatmen rowing their boats, a scene of elegance from the Jiangnan water towns.

Lu Yunyi nodded:

"Hmm, not bad... What local specialties do you have here?"

"The shop's specialty is dried bean curd strips, shumai, and other kinds of snacks."

There's also 'Kuilongzhu' tea, which is another specialty of this shop.

The servant didn't mention the price, because just by looking at the three men's demeanor, he knew they were either rich or noble, and talking about money would be vulgar.

Lu Yunyi glanced at Mu Chuting and Deng Lingyun, and nodded:
"Give us one of everything you just mentioned, enough for the three of us. And make sure the tea is of the best quality."

"Alright, please wait a moment, sir/madam."

The servant, with a melodious voice, bowed and withdrew, leaving the private room.

"Husband, you're so casual, you might serve us expensive things later."

Mu Chuting gave him a reproachful look and muttered under her breath.

Lu Yunyi laughed heartily, completely unconcerned.

As he picked up the cutlery and placed it between the two of them, he said:

"A poor family travels with plenty of money; when you're away from home..."

You don't have to worry about money when it comes to food and drink.

Besides... we're not so poor we can't afford to eat.

Deng Lingyun sighed with a hint of melancholy:

"My lord... we're not far from starving."

News from the capital is truly worrying. Will the master be implicated?

Upon hearing this, Mu Chuting's expression turned serious, and she looked worried.

"A perfectly good business, which hadn't offended anyone, was actually suppressed and forced to close down.

This is utterly absurd and outrageous!

"Hey~"

Lu Yunyi chuckled softly:
"When the Duke of Han enters the capital, he will inevitably compete with the palace."

What is a trading company?
It's just a tool for making money.

"But... the business embodies so much of my husband's and the palace's hard work."

"They're closing down just like that... The trading company could earn nearly ten thousand taels of silver a day, it's such a pity."

Mu Chuting's tone was tinged with regret, and her voice grew increasingly cold.

"You have to pull your fist back to punch it more powerfully."

Now I understand, my hasty departure from the capital was a concession made by the palace.

Otherwise, the business would still be able to operate normally once it has a core leader.

It's already a miracle that the entire business wasn't burned down.

"But... all our previous efforts have been in vain."

Mu Chuting sighed.

"No effort is ever wasted."

The fact that the business is now closing down proves that the previous efforts were effective.

If there's no threat, who'd bother with it?

Lu Yunyi set out the chopsticks and bowls, and continued:

"Roads are made by people walking on them, and the business has already made a path."

Once the situation improves slightly, the business will be able to rise again...

Sometimes, we only learn to cherish something when we lose it.

This is an essential process if we want to unite the people of the capital.

At this point, Lu Yunyi sighed helplessly:
"Of course... those are just nice words."

The main reason is that the pressure in the palace is too great, and it would be good to have an outlet for venting.

Whether a business is a victim depends on how you look at it.

Once the Korean prince feels he has gotten a good deal and prepares to leave Beijing, the trading company will reopen.

Before the real decisive battle, it is still necessary to show weakness and make the enemy lower their guard.

A temporary setback is nothing.

Mu Chuting listened to these convoluted principles, seemingly understanding something, and asked:

When will the Korean Duke leave Beijing?

"That depends on how much His Majesty concedes."

If enough concessions are made, the South Korean official will leave in a few days.

If the concessions aren't many...

There will still be a struggle in the capital, and bloodshed is inevitable.

"Bloodshed? And you still want to mobilize troops?"

Deng Lingyun gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

Lu Yunyi laughed and reached out to pinch her little nose:

"Otherwise, why would I wear armor all day in the capital?"

It's so hot it's unbearable.

In matters of life and death, bloodshed is inevitable.

They might have already taken action, but they just don't know where to begin.

"Then...wouldn't that mean we could arrest people on charges of treason?"

Deng Lingyun's eyes lit up.

Lu Yunyi was speechless for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter:
"You little rascal, if only things were that simple."

To capture a big shot, you must first clip his wings.

Only when he is powerless to resist can you take action.

As for why we did this…

Think of Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin; killing him in the palace would have been easy.

However, the subsequent troubles would be costly and disruptive to the people, potentially jeopardizing the fate of the Han Dynasty.

Lu Yunyi looked at Mu Chuting and gestured with his chin towards her:

"Explain this to Lingyun."

Mu Chuting's expression was a little strange as she patted Deng Lingyun's head.

"It's more like raising a daughter..."

"Ouch!"

Deng Lingyun shook her head violently, her face turning red with anger.

"Don't be angry, let me tell you..."

After Han Xin's death, Chen Xi rebelled, and Han Xin was a confidant of the Marquis of Huaiyin.

Emperor Gaozu of Han personally led his army on an eastern expedition to quell the rebellion, and it was only after a fierce battle that the rebellion was finally suppressed.

Then came Lu Wan's rebellion; he was the Prince of Yan.

After Han Xin was killed in a muddled way,
As these kings of different surnames found themselves in increasingly difficult circumstances, they simply rebelled.

Later, Lu Wan fled to the Xiongnu, and his fiefdom was abolished.

Then there was the rebellion of Ying Bu, who was also a king of a different surname.

After Han Xin and Peng Yue were killed, he was terrified and rebelled as well.

It was only through Emperor Gaozu of Han's personal campaign that he was defeated.

Killing someone is easy, but expending so much energy to quell the ensuing turmoil is very difficult.

The slightest misstep could plunge the world into chaos.

Deng Lingyun blinked her big eyes, as if she had realized something and understood something.

Lu Yunyi explained:

"Our Ming Dynasty and the Han Dynasty were in similar situations, both rising from a period of chaos."

These dukes and marquises were all warlords in a chaotic era, just like those kings of different surnames.
They were most adept at carving out their own territories and launching rebellions.

That's how Gu Yuan was ruined.

If our Emperor were to only kill the ringleaders like the Han Dynasty did, the peaceful and prosperous state of the country would be completely ruined.

The mess left behind costs far more than any concessions were made.

"My husband and sister are so amazing... I don't understand any of this."

Deng Lingyun looked a little disappointed and rested her head on her arm.

"Things like this are too tiring to think about, I'm not going to talk about them!"

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, and the door to the private room opened, with several waiters carrying trays and filing in.

The desserts on the plate are of various kinds, exquisite and beautiful.

"Wow……"

Deng Lingyun let out another exclamation.

Lu Yunyi laughed:
"Eating and drinking along the way is much easier than worrying about things in the capital."

(End of this chapter)