In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 724 Mysterious Goods from Beiping

The sky was still dark.

The clouds in the air seemed to have thickened considerably.

The heavy rain pressed down over the capital, obscuring the originally silvery-white moonlight.

In a secluded courtyard, the candlelight in the main hall flickered softly.

The dim light illuminated a few chairs scattered around.

It reflects the various figures on it, of all shapes and sizes, tall and short, fat and thin.

Although their faces were obscured, one could sense the imposing aura emanating from them amidst the somber atmosphere.

The lobby was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

No one spoke; everyone waited quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, a figure pushed open the door and entered, handing over a document.

The sound of papers being opened and turned filled the air, creating a terribly oppressive atmosphere.

After a long pause, the paper was folded again and placed on the table, accompanied by a dull, hoarse sound:
"The people at all eleven strongholds were killed, and the killer is unknown."

The air in the room seemed to be sucked away as soon as the words were spoken.
Everyone gasped, their expressions turning serious.

The person who spoke first continued:
"Mao Xiang must have something important to do when he left the Embroidered Uniform Guard late at night to go to Zhangde Street."

To be on the safe side, we didn't take any action.
Judging from the current outcome, this matter was of great importance, prompting the palace to take direct action.

I'm starting to regret it; I should have been more decisive.

"It's no use saying all this now; once someone is dead, they're dead."
The most urgent task is to find out what Mao Xiang has acquired.

Another voice came from the corner, and the figure was an extremely thin person.

“The people have already entered the capital; we can only work on them from there,” someone else said.

"No, Mao Xiang went to the Grand Workshop to find out what happened on the sixth street of the Grand Workshop tonight."
By finding out where he went, we can deduce what he obtained.

"It's too difficult. He's met with quite a few people these past few days, and we can't possibly ask them one by one."
It would be safer to investigate from within the government office.

With everyone holding their own opinions, the main hall suddenly became noisy, like a bustling market.

Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions.
Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and the chatter continued unabated, without reaching a conclusion.

The main hall fell silent only after a voice came from outside the door:

"The capital city government mobilized all its yamen runners and sealed off eleven strongholds."
The city's garrison troops also left their camps and began deploying to control the central city.

The main hall was eerily quiet; although no conclusion had been reached through discussion.

But everyone knew it was time to go home.

A sigh rang out, and the first person stood up.
Half of his body was hidden in the darkness as he left from the back room.

After a while, a second person stood up and left through the main entrance.
People sat at orderly intervals, and in less than half an hour, the main hall was completely empty.

The dim candlelight burned out completely, plunging the world back into darkness.

Early in the morning, Liu Sili, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, arrived at the yamen before dawn to deal with the backlog of documents from the previous day.

When he saw the neatly stacked documents on the table,

I suddenly felt listless, as if the sleep I had taken the night before had no effect.

After he sat down, he opened the drawer next to him as usual.
Sure enough, there were some new, tightly wrapped envelopes inside.

Liu Sili took out the envelope, opened it, and sighed as he returned it:
"They're really incredibly capable. With such abilities, there are so many things they could do, why do they have to meddle in the business of the merchant guild?"

Regarding these inexplicably appearing letters,

Liu Sili was already used to it.
It either asks to join the merchant's supply chain or contains verbal threats.

Liu Sili went from being uneasy at the beginning,

It only took half a year for me to feel no unease at all.

As each letter was opened, its contents came into view.
As usual, he was either invited to meet by some powerful or influential people.
Either it's some powerful figures already in the supply chain asking for special treatment.

Even though he had seen countless similar cases, Liu Sili still sighed:

"Wealth can be very tempting; people are easily swayed by money."
They'll fight tooth and nail, using every possible means.

But when he saw the last letter, his expression suddenly became wary.

The envelope was no different from any other letter; it was empty on the outside.

But the sealing wax was quite different; it was gold lacquer used exclusively in the palace!

"Which prince is it this time?"

A hint of sorrow flashed in Liu Sili's eyes.

He quickly became proficient in the position of Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, as it mainly involved dealing with foreign countries.
However, the position of "manager of a trading company" gave him the opportunity to connect with members of the imperial family.
Not only could he frequently meet with the Crown Prince and His Majesty,

Some princes and their consorts in the palace would frequently send him letters, causing him a great deal of trouble.

Those young princes and princesses are alright; most of them are instigated by those around them, so just ignore them.

But he had to treat the letters from the adult princes with utmost care.

Upon opening the letter, the expected long and rambling passage did not appear; instead, there were only a few very brief sentences:
A shipment of hidden goods has already departed from Beiping, using the Guangping Trading Company's channels for transporting furs.

Expected to arrive in early June; the contact person is Chen Jingyi.
After arriving in Beijing, handle the matter with care, properly secure the goods, and report the situation immediately.
The words were somewhat inexplicable.
But the large seal in the lower right corner made Liu Sili's pupils shrink slightly—the seal of the Crown Prince's residence!

Moreover, the characters on it are sharp and powerful.
With an air of authority and unquestionable authority, it was clearly the handwriting of the Crown Prince.

Just to be on the safe side, Liu Sili quickly pulled a magnifying glass from the drawer.

He pressed his head against the letter, examining the details closely.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, he suddenly looked up and confirmed that it was a letter written in the Crown Prince's own handwriting!

Immediately, a deep sense of doubt arose:

"Goods? What goods could possibly interest His Highness the Crown Prince so much?"
Why use such a secretive method of communication?
"Why didn't you just call me over and tell me?"

Liu Sili looked thoughtful; he had been in Beijing for so long…
He had already witnessed the horrors of court infighting.
Even the emperor and the crown prince in the palace often have no choice but to do things.

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince instructed me to act discreetly and without making a sound?"

Soon, Liu Sili was startled, his pupils dilated slightly, and he glanced around discreetly:
"Am I being watched? Or is it His Highness the Crown Prince being watched?"

A chill swept over him, making Liu Sili feel cold all over and his lips dry.

It took him a while to recover, and his breathing gradually calmed down.

"Calm down, calm down, I need to calm down."

We've weathered many storms, this is just receiving a shipment. If we play it safe, there shouldn't be any problems.

Despite trying to comfort myself in this way,

But Liu Sili was still filled with doubt. What exactly had happened?
At the Northern Pacification Command, Liu Heiying buried himself in a sea of ​​documents, reading them one by one.

Every now and then, clerks would come carrying a stack of new documents.

There's no place to put it on the table.
He placed it on the long table beside him and then tiptoed away.

Everyone in the military command knew that Lord Liu had been in a bad mood these past few days.

As for why, it's obvious from the documents on the table!
Liu Heiying raised his head and glanced at the clerk as he left.
Taking a deep breath, I realized I really couldn't do this job:
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu!"

Hu Xiaowu poked his head in:

"Sir, what is it?"

"Have Yang Shiqi and Xie Jin returned?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, we just returned to Daning City yesterday and are currently undergoing the investigation and recording of the findings."

Hu Xiaowu's expression was somewhat strange.
Those two talented scholars from the capital had by now turned to ashes.
When he saw him in the morning, he almost didn't recognize him.

"Give the survey documents to the Bureau of Responsibility and ask them to come and review them!"

As he spoke, Liu Heiying's face darkened further:
"How can I possibly read through so many documents by myself?" Hu Xiaowu shrank back and quickly replied:

"Yes, sir, I'll go and fetch them right away."

After Hu Xiaowu left, hurried footsteps sounded again.

Tan Wei, also a junior commander, walked in with a solemn expression:

"I didn't tell you to go and call them."

Liu Heiying's voice stopped abruptly; he realized the footsteps were off.
Looking up, I saw Tan Wei, who looked travel-worn!

Liu Heiying's pupils contracted slightly, and his entire body tensed up instantly.

He suddenly stood up, his face filled with anticipation:
"How about it?"

Tan Wei closed the door behind him and strode over to the table.
He downed the long-cold tea in one gulp, panting heavily, and said:

"Lord Liu, the matter has been settled. It was done the other evening."
The convoy has already departed from Beiping, consisting of a hundred vehicles. If they travel at a brisk pace, they should reach Yingtian in about half a month!

"call"

Liu Heiying let out a long sigh of relief, plopped down, and the tension in his heart eased slightly.
"The three departments in Beiping didn't get involved, did they? What happened?"

"Lord Liu, the Prince of Yan's Mansion in Beiping has intervened."
Things went smoothly, and the three departments dared not ask any further questions.

Even when leaving Beiping, the Princess of Yan issued a document.
It was done in the name of the Prince of Yan, claiming that all the goods were items sent to the Imperial Clan Court.

From what she said, there would be no checks along the way, except for some key military towns and large cities.

"well!!"

Liu Heiying was completely relieved.
"I hope everything goes smoothly. I hope everything goes smoothly."

Tan Wei was still somewhat shaken. He took a step forward and tentatively asked:

"Lord Liu, who is this person who deserves such serious attention?"

"Why go to such lengths?"

He remembered vividly when he took the letter to the Prince of Yan's residence.
One could see that the Princess Consort of Yan's expression suddenly turned serious.

Then he began to display his extraordinary abilities, and a series of dazzling events unfolded before his eyes.

It took several days of effort to finally deliver the "goods" safely.

Other caravans that served as cover for the "goods"

There were more than a dozen such caravans, each consisting of over a hundred large carts.

Even after the matter was completed, he still didn't know what he had done.
Liu Heiying appeared relaxed and gave a mysterious smile:
"This is a very important matter, and knowing some things is not a good thing."
"I can only tell General Tan that they are some prisoners of war from the Liaodong campaign."

"captive?"

Tan Wei's expression was extremely strange.
If he remembered correctly, the prisoners were in the camp outside the city.

They were placed together with the Tianjin garrison soldiers who had been withdrawn from Liaodong.
They are under strict guard every day, and no one is allowed to approach them.

Lost in thought, he leaned closer:
"Lord Liu, the prisoner camp outside the city is empty? Is this a cover-up?"

Liu Heiying shook his head:
"The prisoners outside the city are still there, not one missing."
But this prisoner is not the same as that prisoner; the prisoner you sent out...
More important than all the prisoners in the camp combined.

Tan Wei's eyes widened suddenly.

Outside the city, in the camp, are several key leaders of the three Jurchen tribes. Who could be more important than them?

Tan Wei couldn't quite understand it.

But I also know that knowing some things can be bad, as it might implicate me!
"Once this matter is accomplished, General Tan can just wait to return to the capital and enjoy his retirement. He might even be promoted and given an important position."

Liu Heiying raised an eyebrow, a hint of envy in his eyes.

"Really?" Tan Wei was so excited he couldn't contain himself, his eyes burning with excitement.

Liu Heiying smiled and nodded.

He now understood why these people always wanted to run back to the interior of China.
It's already May; the weather should be hot in Yingtian by now.

In Daning, you still need to wear a cotton-padded coat, and it rains or snows from time to time.
If he weren't in good health, he would have been tortured to death.

"By the way, General Tan, what about Tianjin and those prisoners?"
"The sooner we have all the supplies ready, the sooner we can send them away and have some peace and quiet."

Liu Heiying pointed to the numerous documents on the table:
"Look, the number of clerks in various places has increased by who knows how many times in order to procure food and supplies for them."

When it came to serious matters, Tan Wei's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice:
"Lord Liu, all the provisions and supplies have been prepared."
If they're in a hurry, they can be sent away tomorrow or the day after.

However, it still depends on Tianjin's thoughts.

This official believes that Tianjin Wei seems unwilling to leave anytime soon.

"Don't worry, they'll leave once the matter is settled."
Inform them tomorrow to leave as soon as possible.

If they refuse to leave, then please trouble General Tan to tell them that the person has already been sent away.

"it is good!"

Tan Wei became increasingly suspicious. Who exactly was the person he sent away?

It's surprising that the Commandery and Tianjin Garrison are so wary of it.

Liu Heiying suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Is there still no news from Lord Lu?"

"No, but news came from the Three Guards of Duoyan."
The number of Jurchen refugees increased several times over during this period.
Some flocked to Liaodong, some flocked to the grasslands.
Some of them were also seized by the Duoyan Three Guards, who plan to use them for plowing at the end of the month.

Liu Heiying nodded:
"Judging from this, the war should be progressing very smoothly."

Otherwise, these savages wouldn't have come out of the mountains.

At this point, Tan Wei relaxed a bit and adjusted his posture.
"I just wonder when Lord Lu will be back."
"With so much spoils in the warehouse, even I feel uneasy just leaving it there."

Despite saying that, Tan Wei's eyes were bright.
He may have been in Daning for many years, but he had never seen so much spoils before.

Especially the armaments, piled up in boxes and boxes.
If all of them are distributed, it will be enough to make up for the shortfall in the replacement of mobile military equipment this year.

Liu Heiying gestured for him to stop:
"General Tan, good things come to those who wait. Let's wait until things stabilize before spending the money."
The commandery is currently living a hard life; everyone, from top to bottom, is cutting back on food and clothing.

If people find out we have so many spoils now, how can we implement our policies?

"That's the truth."

Tan Wei nodded solemnly.
I have great admiration for the crooked and unorthodox methods of the person in front of me.

Since the three-year plan was established, the military command has not distributed any money or rations to other garrisons.
They were forced to survey the land and create a yellow register of fish-scale trees.
They took money from those wealthy landowners and the land that had been confiscated.
The reason given was that the military command's money was all used for road construction.

Not a single cent!
Currently, the commander is under immense pressure, but his achievements are remarkable!
Even after not receiving payment for over three months, local health stations managed to survive by cutting back on food and clothing.
Moreover, what shocked Tan Wei was that

There was so much land in the entire commandery that wasn't registered.

He felt heartbroken just thinking about it; how much tax revenue was lost!

Judging from the current situation of the capital and its future development,

After the fish-scale yellow book was completed,
The commander will likely no longer live the frugal life he used to.

This made him less inclined to return to the capital!

But nothing has changed. If we can get back to Yingtian, we should hurry up and leave!
Just as he was lost in thought, a dull knock sounded on the door.
Yang Shiqi's hoarse voice rang out from outside:
"Lord Liu, we've arrived."

Liu Heiying straightened up abruptly.
He abandoned his previous slumped posture and began tidying up the messy documents on the table, then looked at Tan Wei:

"General Tan, I won't keep you any longer."

"Let's hurry up and get rid of Tianjin, then we can have some peace and quiet."

Tan Wei drank the tea in one gulp and stood up:
“Then I will go outside the city and talk to Huang Yingzhi.”

"Hard!"

Liu Heiying stood up with a smile to see him off.
The saying "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure" is absolutely true.
Even a veteran like Huang Yingzhi can be dealt with by the commander!

(End of this chapter)