In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 718 A Fool Who Can Go to a Museum
In early May, the weather in southern Zhili had already become very hot and humid.

The bright sun hung high in the sky, casting down waves of heat.

It had just rained for three days, and the dampness and heat made many people from the north feel very uncomfortable.

But as a native of Yingtian

Yet I found the weather quite comfortable and couldn't feel the humidity in the air at all.

The convoy from Beiping Wanshun Trading Company underwent strict inspection.

They slowly drove into the north gate of Yingtian City.

Stepping into the cool, shady city gate, the shopkeeper, Wei Hua, wiped the sweat from his brow.

He looked back with lingering fear.

There was a long queue that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.
They were all caravans from various northern provinces!
Even though he arrived very early, he waited in line from morning until noon before he was barely able to get in.

The team members were also covered in sweat and kept complaining:
"What's going on in the capital? Why are they checking so strictly? They weren't this thorough last time I came."

"Yes, yes, today not only will the vehicles be inspected, but the people will be inspected as well."
Luckily, we didn't bring any illicit goods, otherwise we would have been finished.

As the guys' stories became increasingly outrageous,

Wei Hua frowned, turned around and scolded:
"What nonsense are you spouting? Shut your mouths!"

The two shop assistants saw the shopkeeper get angry,
Despite his anger, he suppressed his anger and pulled the cart with all his might.

When they saw the strangely shaped, effortless tricycle, a hint of envy flashed in their eyes.

Compared to donkey carts, tricycles are faster, can carry more, and are easier to move.

Unfortunately, this type of car can only be seen in Yingtian.

As you walk through the doorway, bright sunlight streams in.

Wei Hua watched the people coming and going on the street, gripped the saddle tightly, and a trace of lingering fear flashed in his eyes.

The two men behind him were right.

The defenses in the capital have indeed become much stricter; even letters hidden under saddles were almost discovered.

Fortunately, we've passed the test smoothly.

The group soon arrived at the Xinma Trading Company in the north of the city.

The laborers who had been squatting in front of the door waiting for work saw the convoy arrive.

They surged forward, eager to get to work.

Wei Hua was very familiar with this, and standing on the cart, he shouted:

"Ten people, ten people! Ten coins each, ten coins!"

In the capital, ten coins couldn't buy much.
But the laborers were all hard-working and didn't mind, rushing forward eagerly.

Only after Wei Hua carefully selected ten people did the others retreat like a tide.

While the laborers were moving the goods, Wei Hua met the manager of the Xinma Trading Company.

He was an elderly man nearing fifty, with a hunched back, surnamed Li, from the Cao State Duke's mansion.

Wei Hua was very polite to him, and took out a packet of tea from his saddlebag and handed it to him:

"Manager Li, here's some top-quality tea from Beiping. Take it and have a drink."

Manager Li accepted it with a smile without any hesitation:

"Manager Wei has come from afar; your carriage and horses must have suffered some damage."

Wei Hua nodded repeatedly:

"Of course, the snow in the north has just melted, and the roads are difficult to travel."
The car broke down quite a bit, but we persevered all the way to Yingtian.

I'll have to trouble Manager Li to arrange for a waiter to take a look.
Replace what needs replacing, repair what needs repairing, no bargaining!

Manager Li smiled and nodded repeatedly as he watched the dozens of carts being unloaded of goods:

"Don't worry, Manager Wei. Xinma Trading Company does business by repairing rather than replacing."
After all, nobody's money grows on trees, don't you think?

"Hahaha, that's exactly what I wanted to fix!"
I needed a wheel repaired in Yangzhou; the nail was loose, but they insisted I replace it.
They actually took five qian of silver from us! That's outrageous!

"When you're traveling, you always have to spend money to avoid trouble."

Other horse and carriage companies aren't as easy to talk to as our Singapore-Malaysia trading company.

"I can fix this problem for you for just three cents."

"Thank you very much, Manager Li. Please trouble the staff to check out the vehicles."
"Fix any problems quickly, or I'll get ripped off by those people again before I leave the capital."

Manager Li laughed:
"Of course, of course. Manager Wei can come and pick up the car tomorrow."

These dozens of vehicles, in my old eyes, are all in relatively good condition; repairs and maintenance will only cost a few taels of silver.

Wei Hua beamed with joy upon hearing the price:

“Excellent, excellent! Everything is expensive in the capital, but it’s cheap to get your car repaired here.”

"Don't they even know who owns our Singapore and Malaysia trading company?"

The owner doesn't care about this small amount of money; it's all for the benefit of the people.

Manager Li chuckled and leaned closer, asking:

"Manager Wei, are you from Beiping?"
This old man would like to ask you, has the master returned from his campaign?

There's no definite answer, which is making this old man anxious all day long.

Wei Hua's eyes widened suddenly, feigning surprise.
He glanced at the grand plaque of the Xinma Trading Company, then looked at Manager Li:
"Is your master really the Duke of Cao?"

Manager Li didn't say anything, but simply straightened his back a little.
His expression was arrogant, and everything was understood without him saying a word.

Wei Hua looked admiring and repeatedly clasped his hands in respect.
"The Duke of Cao cares deeply for us common people; I admire him."

Regarding the expedition, the army has already set off and there has been no news of their return. But…

"Please speak freely, Manager Wei."

"But Wei has also dealt with people from the yamen (government office) before."

Judging from their appearance, it must have gone very smoothly.
However, the officials in Tianjin were somewhat uneasy about sending someone to Liaodong.

"Oh?" Manager Li's eyes flickered.

"Please explain in detail, Manager Wei."

Wei Hua felt that the arrangement of the Duke of Cao's mansion was simply too ingenious.

He offered low-cost car repairs to merchants across the country, and news of his services poured in from all sides of the Great Qian Dynasty—something even the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't do.

Putting aside his admiration, Wei Hua made no attempt to hide it:
"I heard that there has been no news from Tianjin, and people sent to inquire have also received no response."

Rumors circulated in Beiping and Zhongdu that the city of Daning was behind it all, and they blocked the news.

Moreover, I heard that Daning City has spent a lot of money to build a road to Shanhaiguan.
This matter caused a great uproar in Beiping, and everyone in the government offices was furious.

"Oh? Isn't this a good thing?" Manager Li asked, looking puzzled.

"It's a good thing, but Da Ning didn't even consult with Beiping before he rolled up his sleeves and got to work."

Even a small portion of the 800-mile stretch of road that's partially exposed is enough to feed people for a long time.

How could others not be concerned?
In short, now the entire city of Beiping is filled with curses, and all sorts of accusations are being leveled against Da Ning.

"I see."

Manager Li nodded repeatedly:
"Thank you for informing me, Manager Wei."

I think there are some parts on your cars that need to be replaced.
The business just happened to replace a batch of tricycles, so there are some available. You don't need to pay extra; I'll have someone dismantle them and replace them for you.”

Wei Hua felt a surge of admiration once again; the officials in the capital were indeed very efficient and straightforward!
"Then thank you very much, Steward Li."

"polite."

After leaving the Xinma Trading Company, Weihua told his employees to go about their own business.

He found an inn, took a nice hot bath, and changed into clean clothes.

He left the inn alone and wandered around the capital, lingering in various markets.

As evening approached,
He arrived at Miaoyinfang at No. 33 Zhuque Street.

Among the dazzling array of precious items, he found the shopkeeper, Mu Jinghe.

Mu Jinghe wore a light green dress, her long hair flowing down her back, revealing her tall figure and exuding a cool and aloof temperament.

When Wei Hua saw her, he felt a sudden surge of self-consciousness for some reason.

"Greetings, Manager Mu."

Mu Jinghe turned her gaze over, and upon seeing that it was Wei Hua, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes:
"If I remember correctly, Manager Wei arrived a little early, and the shop still has plenty of items."

Wei Hua smiled faintly and spoke softly:
"Manager Mu, the caravan departed from Beiping at the end of March, bringing some precious mink coats from the grasslands. They are produced in Daning and should fetch a good price."

In early April, Wei acquired a novel item.
Only then did they hurry to catch up with the caravan and arrive in the capital together, believing that Manager Mu would be interested.

Mu Jinghe's expression became more serious.

Knowing that he must be talking about something important, he nodded slightly.
"Come with me."

Mu Jinghe led Wei Hua into the back hall of the business, into a private room she often stayed in.

She quietly walked to the bookshelf and moved a jade seal.

There was a soft "click" sound.
The once perfectly fitted bookcase split open from the middle, revealing a dark stone staircase behind it.

"Manager Wei, please."

Wei Hua walked in with a solemn expression.

It was brightly lit outside, and my pupils felt a little disoriented upon entering.

He slowed his pace, walking cautiously forward, while mentally organizing his thoughts.

Before long, he arrived at a spacious underground space.

What comes into view are rows of wooden bookshelves, several meters high.
You can also see several officials searching on a tall ladder.

Many people glanced at him briefly before looking away, clearly unsurprised by his arrival.

Following the direction of his memory, Wei Hua wandered around the underground space.
Soon we arrived at the innermost, simply decorated house.

I met the commander of the Imperial Guards who controlled the entire country!

Upon seeing him, Wei Hua appeared somewhat excited, quickening his pace and bowing deeply.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

Behind the long table, Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, sat quietly.
The documents submerged half of his body.

He didn't look well either.
His hair was disheveled, his skin was oily, and his eyes were sunken; he looked like he had been working too hard.

He looked at Wei Hua, his expression becoming more serious:
"Why didn't you stay in Beiping? Why did you come here in person?"

"Reporting to Lord Mao, I have important news to report, and I feel I should come in person."

Wei Hua looked respectful and took out an envelope from his pocket.
He quickly stepped forward, placed it on the long table, and explained:

"My lord, all the intelligence and information came from Da Ning City."
According to reports from his informants, this information all came from within the military command.
There were also some matters concerning Liu Heiying and Lu Yunyi's residences, described in unprecedented detail.

Upon hearing this, Mao Xiang's expression immediately became even more serious.

She sat up straight and quickly picked up the letter to examine it.

He knew how cautious and important the people there were.
Unless it's something truly outrageous, they won't proactively leak information.

Mao Xiang opened the letters and examined them one by one.
Wei Hua waited patiently there as time slowly passed.

Soon, half an hour had passed.

Mao Xiang's expression was extremely grave!
He read the record in the letter again, a hint of absurdity flashing in his eyes.

Everything recorded above, inside and out, boils down to one thing.

Lu Yunyi used the guise of doing business...

He led his troops away to an unknown location, but returned with a large sum of money.
This immediately filled the funding gap for road repairs.

He also saw the speculations of the city's spies.

They believed Lu Yunyi was smuggling weapons.
The smuggling of those funds was merely a cover for a greater crime.

Upon seeing these speculations, Mao Xiang's face darkened, and he cursed them under his breath as foolish.

He looked up at Wei Hua, his voice serious:

"Are your spies in Daning City safe?"
Placing such a foolish person in such an important position could easily implicate you.

Wei Hua raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He didn't quite understand what Lord Mao meant by this.

Mao Xiang saw his expression, and a feeling of helplessness welled up inside him in an instant.

What do you think of what's written in the document?

Wei Hua didn't understand what he meant, but she still expressed her thoughts:

"Lord Mao, the Deputy Commander Lu Yunyi and the Assistant Commander Liu Heiying are involved in the sale of military equipment and smuggling of grain and supplies, which is a disaster for the Beiping Regional Military Command."

If this is not stopped, a major enemy may emerge in the north.

Mao Xiang slumped back in his chair and sighed heavily.

So that's the reason! This guy in front of me is a fool!
He suddenly felt that what Lu Yunyi was saying was becoming more and more correct.

He has no capable assistants by his side, they're all pigs!

Mao Xiang grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Finally, he slammed the letter he was holding onto the table.

A deafening "smack!" was heard.

This commotion not only startled Wei Hua, but even the officials passing by outside the door looked on with strange expressions.

During this period, Chairman Mao was often angry.

"My lord, have I done something wrong?"

Looking into Mao Xiang's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, Wei Hua cautiously asked a question.

Mao Xiang's eyes darted across the table, quickly finding a document, which he then tossed over:

"Look! Look at what Lu Yunyi has done!"

"You call yourselves the Embroidered Uniform Guard? What if someone plots a rebellion?"
They've already marched all the way to the capital, and you guys don't even know?!

Ten thousand elite troops have vanished without a trace, and you didn't know?
A series of questions left Wei Hua stunned.

He genuinely didn't know.
Tao Xuan's intelligence reports came frequently, and he would carefully analyze them each time.
In the end, the two arrived at very similar conclusions.

The military command was short of money, desperately short of money, so Lu Yunyi took a risky move.

He personally chased after the caravan this time because he wanted to show off and claim credit.

Wei Hua quickly flipped through the military report, soon getting a general idea, and looked up somewhat blankly:
"Lord Mao, this is an act of treason, involving the unauthorized deployment of troops!"

Mao Xiang's eyes widened, then he suddenly burst into laughter.
I felt weak all over and had no strength.

Having such elite subordinates has really ruined him.

"Alright, alright, stop talking, go down. Go down."

Wei Hua lowered his head even further and quickly stood up:
"My lord, I shall take my leave. If you have any further instructions, I will do my utmost!"

After saying that, Wei Hua quickly left.

Before I even reached the door, I heard a furious, loud curse coming from behind me:

"Damn it, bring back the people from Da Ning! Bring them all back!"

"These idiots! Are they determined to kill me before they're satisfied?!"

Wei Hua shrank back and quickly slipped away.

Inside the antique-style room,

Mao Xiang was panting heavily, a wave of fear washing over him.

Fortunately, I saw the military report in the palace yesterday.
Otherwise, looking at this intelligence today...

If he foolishly goes to the palace to claim credit again, he will surely be dismissed on the spot.

After a long while, Mao Xiang finally calmed down and regained his composure.
He picked up the document and looked at the message that had been sent back.

While the Embroidered Uniform Guards were foolish enough, the people planted in the Lu and Liu residences were not.

They won't make assumptions.

I simply write down what I see and hear.

At that moment, Mao Xiang's gaze lingered on a section of the document, lost in thought:
"Is there enough money for road repairs? Where will the Commandery get the more than 100,000 taels of silver for the shortfall?"

The answer was self-evident; Mao Xiang's eyes gleamed.
It was easy to guess that the commander might withhold the spoils to enrich himself at the expense of the public.

Even this battle, which was not reported to the Governor-General's Office or the Ministry of War,

It might have started because of money and supplies!

Having figured this out, Mao Xiang decided to create some trouble for Lu Yunyi.
Before long, he finished revising the document he was about to submit, and a smile appeared on his lips.
In this way, the causes and consequences of the Liaodong war, as well as its subsequent handling, were all filled in.

Mao Xiang stood up, holding the document, and said in a deep voice:
"Prepare the horses and enter the palace."

(End of this chapter)