In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 647 A Gentleman Speaks Up for His Country
As evening approached, the daytime sun gradually disappeared.

Dark clouds once again enveloped the city of Daning, and also the moon that was just about to peek out.

Anhe Street has become quiet.
The long queue outside Kang Le Trading Company had already dispersed by early afternoon, around 3 PM.

Xie Jin walked dejectedly along Kangle Street.

Looking at the bluestone slabs exposed after the snow melted on the street, his eyes were empty and hollow.

He was deeply shocked at that moment.

At noon, Yang Shiqi said to him,
The commander tacitly approved of this, but he still found it somewhat unbelievable.
But after the absurd events of the afternoon, he believed it.

Because the sugar on Kang Le Street was sold out by late afternoon.

Some people who had taken money and were queuing started to have ulterior motives.
He had no intention of returning the fifty copper coins in his hand.

The scene became somewhat chaotic, as each household lacked sufficient manpower and could not retrieve their staff.

In the end, it's unclear who reported it to the authorities.

Surprisingly, it was the city garrison that intervened, sealing off the entire Anle Street and demanding fifty coins to leave.
They turned a blind eye to this practice of accepting sugar.

These circumstances greatly shocked Xie Jin, as did Yang Shiqi.

At this moment, it was dark.
Scattered candlelight illuminated the wide street.
It also illuminated their bodies, which looked like walking corpses.

Xie Jin's face was blank, and he walked with a stagger.
Yang Shiqi fared somewhat better; he spent half his life wandering.
Having witnessed far too many dark things, I've now recovered.

He turned his head to look at Xie Jin, his lips slightly pursed:

"Brother Dashen, there's a restaurant up ahead. Let's go have a drink to warm ourselves up."

Xie Jin looked in the direction of the sound and saw a three-story restaurant called "Kang Le Lou" at the end of his line of sight.

The place was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Xie Jin shook his head somewhat blankly and pointed to the Sanming Tower not far away:

"Go there."

Yang Shiqi understood his concerns and nodded slightly.
"Okay, my treat."

Before long, in the private room of Sanming Tower,
The two sat facing each other at a table, with a warm stove beside them.

A copper pot filled with boiling water was placed on the table.
Several plates of meat and cold side dishes were arranged around the copper pot.

The sweltering heat made both of them blush.

At this moment, the servant walked in.
He added some charcoal to the stove, placed two dishes of cabbage on it, and said with a smile:

"This is a specialty of my family. We rinse it with water, then dip it in the sauce. It's extremely delicious."
The hot pot is pretty much the same as the one at Kanglelou Restaurant, please enjoy your meal.

Xie Jin sat there blankly, while Yang Shiqi forced a smile at the servant:
"Thank you, you can go now."

"okay."

After the servant left, Yang Shiqi looked at the bubbling pot of water in front of him and suddenly laughed:
"Presumably, this Sanming Building was copied from Kangle Building."

Xie Jin looked at the boiling water in the copper pot.

You can vaguely see many spices at the bottom of the pot.

His gaze was vacant, and he spoke in a daze:
"Sanminglou is quite bold, while Kanglelou has connections everywhere."

Yang Shiqi paused in his hand holding the dish.
She glanced at him briefly, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
After he poured the entire dish of cabbage into the pot, Yang Shiqi spoke in a deep voice:
"Brother Dashen, things aren't that bad yet."

Both Kanglelou and Kangleshanghang are legitimate places to do business.

Today, all that sugar ended up in the hands of other merchants.

Xie Jin picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

Spicy on the palate
A surge of heat spread through his entire body, and his eyes became somewhat red.

"Brother Shiqi, this is an abuse of power for personal gain and a disregard for the law!"

"That white sugar was sold by Kang Le Trading Company and then collected by other trading companies."

Where will they end up? Either Beijing or the grasslands!

Yang Shiqi picked up his wine glass.
He downed the wine in one gulp, then let out a long sigh:
"The military command has already set up checkpoints on the official road west of the city."

There are people on duty every day, and sugar is a key item searched near the city gate.

"Then we can only sell them to the grasslands, which would be aiding the enemy!!"

Xie Jin's pupils contracted to their maximum size.

He finished another glass of wine and then hurriedly refilled it.

The hot pot boiled, making a "bubbling" sound.

Yang Shiqi remained silent, staring blankly at the vibrant green cabbages tumbling within, a delicate fragrance filling the air.
But he wasn't very interested at the moment.

After a long silence, Yang Shiqi spoke slowly:
"Brother Dashen, we can only see one side of the picture now, so we cannot make any hasty conclusions."

"And this is just one corner? The city garrison is helping the merchants collect sugar; this is clearly collusion between officials and merchants!"

Jie Jin's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.

Yang Shiqi didn't know how to answer either, and could only sigh deeply:

"Brother Dashen, this world is not simply black and white."
We can only see the small part about selling and buying sugar.
We will not see the Commander's subsequent plans.

Perhaps this is some kind of scheme by the Commander-in-Chief; who knows?

Xie Jin suddenly opened his eyes wide, his voice stern:
Even if there are ulterior motives, one cannot disregard the laws of the land.

Salt, sugar, tea, and ironware are all prohibited from being brought to the grasslands.

How could the Commandery, as the northern military garrison of the imperial court, take the lead in doing this?

If this gets back to China, wouldn't everyone follow suit and vehemently criticize the imperial court?

Yang Shiqi pursed his lips and remained silent, then let out a long sigh:

“Brother Da Shen, Da Ning is a place of public concern, not some foreign or domestic matter.”

Xie Jin's face stiffened, and he gulped down another large mouthful of wine.
"This place is located outside the pass."
Even the imperial gazette was only sent once a month, and official correspondence was extremely rare.
When we arrived here, we were completely clueless about everything inside the Great Wall. What else could this be but a foreign country?

"Alright, alright, Brother Dashen. What we are doing now is to educate the people."
Things must be done step by step, take it slow.

As he spoke, Yang Shiqi picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and took out a few pieces of cabbage.

They dipped it in the sauce and ate it like that, talking as they ate:

"Have some, Brother Dashen, to warm yourself up."

Xie Jin picked up a plate of beef from the side, somewhat annoyed.
They just poured it all in at once.

Yang Shiqi was taken aback: "Brother Dashen, the beef will be overcooked by then."

"It's better to let it rot in the pot than to leave it outside uneaten. We've already spent money." Xie Jin swallowed another cup of wine, his face already flushed.
The two clinked glasses and drank, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

The private room was filled with the aroma of hot pot and rising steam.

The two sat facing each other, their bodies slightly tilted to one side.
Xie Jin, holding the wine jug, stared blankly at the bronze pot, then uttered something startling:

"Shiqi, I feel that there are big shots behind these merchant houses."
Otherwise, they wouldn't be so brazen.
This is treason! Treason!

"Don't talk nonsense."

Yang Shiqi hung his head, looking somewhat drowsy, and mumbled to himself.

"I'm talking nonsense? The facts are right in front of us, why would I talk nonsense?"

Brother Shiqi, concealing your essence in obscurity leads to enlightenment, and nourishing your spirit in stillness brings peace.
I was calm enough, and after thinking it over for a long time,

Only then was this possibility confirmed.
We cannot turn a blind eye to such matters simply because we are in Da Ning.

Who do you think is behind this?

Yang Shiqi looked at him with dazed eyes, his voice hollow.

"Who else could it be? It must be Lord Lu, otherwise why would these city guards be so obedient?"

"The one in charge of the city's defense forces is none other than Vice Commissioner Tan."

Xie Jin pursed his lips, his breathing suddenly becoming rapid:

"Alright, Brother Shiqi, this kind of thing might fool others, but it's not enough."
Haven't we heard enough stories all day long in the military headquarters?

Lord Tan is now completely obedient to Lord Lu, and is just waiting to respond to Tian next year.

Yang Shiqi remained silent on the spot.
The long, narrow chopsticks in my hand rummaged aimlessly in the pot, but I couldn't pick anything up.

The confusion in Xie Jin's eyes faded somewhat, replaced by determination:
"I want to write a memorial requesting Your Majesty to send an imperial censor to thoroughly investigate this collusion between officials and merchants."

Yang Shiqi stared at him blankly, then chuckled:
"Brother Da Shen, have you gone mad?"
"Lord Lu is the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. A censor is investigating one of his own?"

Xie Jin stood there stunned, his body slumping slightly, muttering to himself:
"Yes, how could we investigate our own people?" After saying that, Xie Jinti stood up abruptly.
Without saying a word, he picked up the clothes hanging on the hanger and made as if to leave.

Seeing this, Yang Shiqi quickly stood up and grabbed him:
"Brother Dashen, what are you going to do?"

Xie Jin breathed a long sigh of relief:

"The superior man, in his dealings with the world, is neither for nor against anything; he follows what is right!"

"I'll go ask them what the point of doing this is!"
Officials and businessmen colluded to betray the country and the enemy to make money.

This is a disgrace to the Ming Dynasty!

Xie Jin's voice was strong and resonant.

She broke free from Yang Shiqi's arm and walked straight out.

Yang Shiqi looked helpless, his drunkenness suddenly sobering up considerably. He quickly grabbed his clothes and followed.
Before long, the two braved the cold wind,

Staggering and dragging, they arrived at the headquarters of the military commander.

Upon arriving, they immediately noticed the rows of luxurious carriages neatly arranged at the entrance.

Both of them were stunned; Xie Jin's pupils contracted and then dilated.

He staggered forward, unsteady and unsteady, and began to read the words on the carriages.
"Mi, Hu, Wang, Chen, Xie"

These are all surnames of merchants and nobles in the city.
In addition, there were those spirited, exceptionally energetic, and fine horses, which were particularly spirited even in the wind and snow.
Xie Jin was certain that these people were the merchants and managers in the city.

Now they are gathered in Dusi.
The reason is self-evident.

Yang Shiqi came over and comforted him:
"Brother Dashen, let's go back and rest first."

These matters are all arranged by the company itself.

We are insignificant and have no influence, nor do we know the whole story.

"no!"

Xie Jin's voice was muffled, but his tone suddenly rose:
"I, Xie Jin, consider myself a gentleman,"

"We cannot allow the Commander to act this way under any circumstances!"

"Come on, let's go find them!"

Under the gatekeeper's astonished gaze, the two...
After entering the command post, we quickly passed through the corridor and arrived at the rear hall of the command post.
At a glance, one could see the scattered figures in the conference hall, as well as the figure walking back and forth at the head of the table.

Zhang Shanhan, the bodyguard on duty outside the door, saw the two and came forward to greet them.
The strong smell of alcohol made him frown, and his voice was cold:

What are you two doing?

Just as Xie Jin was about to speak, Yang Shiqi interrupted:
"General Zhang, we've had some wine and are planning to come to the Commandery to get some hangover soup."

Zhang Shanhan's brows furrowed even more as he sized up the two men:

"Hurry up and leave, the adults are having a discussion."

At this moment, Xie Jin broke free from Yang Shiqi's grasp, looked at Zhang Shanhan, and asked directly:

"What are you discussing? Is it about selling sugar today?"

"This is none of your business, get out of here."

Zhang Shanhan knew that the person in front of him was a talented scholar from the capital, and continued to offer his advice.

"Tell me, are you discussing smuggling?"

Sugar was being hoarded today; was it arranged by the Commander?

Xie Jin continued relentlessly, as a cold wind blew by.
He felt increasingly dizzy, but also increasingly clear-headed.

A flood of thoughts seemed to come forth without any obstruction.
It made his voice involuntarily rise.

Zhang Shanhan's expression changed slightly. He sized up the two of them, then, without further ado, waved his hand forcefully.
"Take the two to a side room and let them sober up."

"Yes!"

Four heavily armed soldiers came up and dragged the two men towards the side room.

At that moment, the doors to the conference hall opened.
Bulging steam billowed out, revealing the dim, yellowish light.

One by one, figures walked out, chatting and laughing.
They were all beaming with excitement, unable to contain themselves.

The leaders were Mi Chen and Hu Chongyi.
The enmity between the two seemed to vanish into thin air at that moment.
Instead, harmony prevailed, and the two held hands tightly.
Mi Chen even said with a smile:

"Brother Hu, let's get rich together, let's get rich together!"

Hu Chongyi, his forehead beaded with sweat, nodded repeatedly:
"Very well, very well! We are all merchants from Da Ning, it is only right that we help each other!"

The group behind him were all dressed in luxurious brocade robes.

They are either dressed in fur coats, looking like they are living a life of great joy and prosperity.

As Xie Jin was being dragged away, he felt light as a feather.

Upon seeing this, his eyes widened in fury, and he shouted:

"The kitchen is full of fat meat, the stable is full of fat horses, the people look hungry, and the fields are littered with starving corpses. This is leading beasts to devour people!"

Hearing the shout, everyone's eyes turned to look.
Zhang Shanhan's expression changed:
"Gag his mouth!"

Many merchants present looked surprised upon witnessing this scene.
Mi Chen is a well-read person.
Knowing the meaning of the poem, his expression turned even more grim.

He looked at Hu Chongyi and let out a cold laugh:
"Brother Hu, you probably don't know this, but it's from Mencius, Book 1, Part 1, about King Hui of Liang."

It refers to Mencius rebuking the king at that time.

The kitchen had succulent meat, and the stables had strong horses.
But the people looked hungry, and there were people starving to death in the fields.
This is like leading wild beasts to eat people.
It is said that King Hui of Liang and his ministers disregarded the lives of the people, caring only for their own luxurious lifestyles.

Hu Chongyi's face immediately turned cold.
A fierce aura surged forth as he stared intently at Xie Jin, letting out a cold snort:
"It seems that some people are dissatisfied with the Commander's actions in serving the country and its people."

At this moment, Wang Ze, who was behind him, also let out a cold laugh:
"A pedantic scholar only talks about benevolence and morality, but knows nothing about firewood, rice, oil, and salt."

They are even worse than us, the Yuan people who have submitted to them.

"Hahahaha"

The crowd burst into laughter, and Xie Jin struggled even more fiercely upon hearing this.
He seemed to have gone mad, and the two soldiers almost couldn't hold him down.

At this moment, Duan Zhengze stepped out from the parted crowd.

Seeing the crazed Xie Jin and the motionless Yang Shiqi, his brows furrowed immediately.
He remembered these two people.
He was a scholar from the capital city who was highly regarded by Lord Lu.

The task of educating and guiding them was undertaken by these two individuals.

The portly Huang Huai stood beside Duan Zhengze, a cold laugh escaping his lips:
"Lord Duan, it seems the Commandery isn't a monolithic entity after all."

How can people work together with such sabotage?

A shadow of gloom flashed across Duan Zhengze's eyes. He took a deep breath and waved his hand forcefully:
"Shanhan, take them to Lord Lu's office."

They're trying to sabotage the current excellent situation!

A hint of helplessness flashed in Zhang Shanhan's eyes as he waved his hand:

"Take it away and hand it over to General Feng."

"Yes!"

The two soldiers saw that the situation was serious,
He then used his true skills and carried the two men to the left wing in one go.

After they left, Duan Zhengze looked at the many merchants standing at the entrance.
A smile returned to his face, and he said loudly:
"Please rest assured, everyone. Go ahead and do it boldly. The Commander will definitely not hinder you and will give you his full support!"

"Everything is for building a better Daning City!"

The group burst into laughter and bowed to him in greeting.
Duan Zhengze pressed his hand down:
"Don't forget, you should also provide a way for the people of the Commandery to make a living while you make money. You can't give them less money."

"Please rest assured, Lord Duan, we will not be stingy with this money."

Mi Chen quickly agreed, as did Hu Chongyi who was standing to the side.

For a moment, the room was filled with laughter and applause.

"Alright, alright, gentlemen, you should head back now."
I have important things to do tomorrow.
By the way, Chinese New Year is just around the corner.
The Commander may be purchasing some items from your trading company recently as welfare benefits for the officials and clerks. Managers, please take good care of him.

Mi Chen's eyes flashed, and he nodded repeatedly:

"Rest assured, Lord Duan, please send someone. I will personally receive them!"

"Yes, yes, it is our honor to serve the Commandery," Hu Chongyi quickly added.
Duan Zhengze felt his face glow with joy, his happiness reaching its peak.

"Alright, then I'll gladly accept your offer."

"Gentlemen, please head back now; it's getting late."

"Thank you, Lord Duan. We'll take our leave now!"

Mi Chen led the way by bowing deeply.
The group followed, and then left the commandery while chatting and laughing.

(End of this chapter)