In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 789 Even a hero can be brought down by a penny
A day later, Wei Hua, who came from Beiping, happily put on the uniform of a commander and sat in the yamen.
He kept stroking the table and chairs, his joy almost impossible to hide.

How many years has it been? How many years have we been a thousand households?
Finally, we are back in the capital, and we no longer have to go to the north to suffer from the cold.

The weather in Beiping was unbearable for him, a southerner.

I've been longing to return to the capital all along, and now my wish has finally come true.

"Good riddance, good riddance!"

Wei Hua muttered to himself, "If Qian Xinghuai and Xu Ban'an hadn't died at the Lotus Tower..."

He longed to return to the capital, but that seemed a distant prospect.

At this moment, the Jinyiwei official stepped to the door, paused briefly, and said softly:
"My lord, the Three Departments have sent a joint document, outlining the punishment for everyone at Yingtian Trading Company."

Wei Hua was about to stand up and go to greet him,
But remembering his current status, he coughed lightly and spoke calmly:
"bring here."

"Yes!"

As the official walked away, Wei Hua's serious expression melted away, replaced by a look of smug delight!
The taste of power is an aphrodisiac that nothing can compare to.

A short while later, a wooden box appeared on Wei Hua's table.
Inside were three dark blue booklets.
He took them out, ready to examine them one by one.

But when he opened the first book and read the first line of text...

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he couldn't help but cry out in surprise:
"How can this be?"

He flipped through the pages quickly, the sound of turning pages in the room suddenly becoming more rapid.

He read through the pages one by one, his initial disbelief turning into shock.

The smug satisfaction he had felt upon gaining power vanished instantly.

Because he discovered that, in the face of greater power,

His meager power was so insignificant that it wouldn't even be taken seriously by anyone.

He couldn't imagine that such a high-profile and massive smuggling case could exist.
Surprisingly, the person in charge did not confiscate their property, nor even execute them; he simply exiled them.
Moreover, the glaring words "Liaodong" on the roster...
This left him speechless.

The Liu family was a prominent clan in Liaodong, having existed for hundreds of years.
Exiling people to Liaodong is less a matter of the imperial court sending them home and more a matter of the court sending them home.

Wei Hua put down the document in his hand.
He suddenly felt a wave of loneliness, a sense of emptiness washing over him.
The power he strives for is insignificant before this document.

Even Commander Mao, who was reviled and feared by the court officials, might not be able to do such a thing.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Hua shook his head with a wry smile.

"Someone is coming."

"grown ups."

The clerk came in again, his expression somewhat strange.

This newly appointed Lord Wei seems to have a particular fondness for ordering people around.

"Keep these documents on file and distribute them to Lord Mao for review."

The clerk smiled and bowed:

"My lord, Lord Mao is away on official business."
Before leaving, he instructed us to simply follow your orders and not to consult him.

Wei Hua shook his head: "This time is different, go."

"Yes!"

No. 32 Zhuque Street, Miaoyinfang, underground base.

Mu Jinghe, draped in a gauze dress, swayed her waist.

He strolled into the innermost office, a place that many officials avoided.
But upon arriving here, her eyes held a hint of mockery, and a trace of annoyance flashed across her beautiful face.

Mao Xiang remained seated behind the desk.

However, he didn't check the documents as usual.
Instead, he fiddled with the jade pendant in his hand, seemingly lost in thought.
Upon seeing Mu Jinghe arrive, he quickly put his feet down from the table, a smile spreading across his face.
"coming."

Mu Jinghe's pace slowed, and she looked at Mao Xiang with some suspicion.
She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if something good was staring at her.

"What are you doing? Sit down quickly."

Mao Xiang even kindly stood up and pulled out the chair opposite her.

It was clear that he wanted to put on a friendly face, but the forced smile looked worse than a grimace.

"what happened?"

Mu Jinghe made no attempt to stand on ceremony, adjusting her dress as she sat down.

Her round, pert buttocks were revealed beneath her tight clothes.

After sitting in the chair, spread outwards, completely enveloping the chair.

Mao Xiang glanced at it briefly, then ignored it, sat back down, and said with a smile:
"I called you here today because I have something to tell you, and I hope you can help me with this."

"what?"

Mu Jinghe tilted her head, exuding a natural charm.
But in Mao Xiang's eyes, this was the beginning of her bargaining, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.
"It's like this, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is currently short of money, and we hope you can lend us some."

"How many?"

Mao Xiang gritted his teeth fiercely:

"Fifty thousand taels."

Even though Mu Jinghe was incredibly wealthy and a shrewd businesswoman, she was momentarily astonished by this figure.

She suddenly laughed:
"Lord Mao, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has recently confiscated countless properties, yet you still can't come up with fifty thousand taels of silver?"

Mao Xiang took a deep breath and shook his head:
"This matter is extraordinary; anyone who embezzles these funds will be punished by the palace."
Therefore, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had little disposable income.
Now is a time when I need money, and I hope you can help me.

"Lord Mao makes it sound so easy, but fifty thousand taels of silver is no small sum."

Even if Miaoyinfang's business is booming, it will still take several years to make a profit, but...

Mu Jinghe changed the subject and chuckled:
"I still have some savings, which I can take out if Lord Mao really needs them urgently."

Mao Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. Hearing those words put him at ease.

"What conditions?"

Mu Jinghe chuckled softly and said calmly:
"The Yingtian Trading Company recently acquired a fine mink coat, which is said to be from Beiping."

Lord Mao wants to help me open up the trade routes there.
"Let Miaoyinfang also sell such fine mink fur."

"mink?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Xiang immediately straightened up, his expression extremely strange.
If I remember correctly, the mink fur business was handled by the Beiping Regional Military Commission, which also had a textile trading company that was growing stronger.

"Are you having any difficulties?" Mu Jinghe asked.

"Is it absolutely necessary?" Mao Xiang countered.

Mu Jinghe nodded:
"Miaoyinfang caters to wealthy women, who enjoy visiting precisely because of the novel and exotic items from all over the world."
These things are not available anywhere else but at Miaoyinfang, so coming to Miaoyinfang is a symbol of status.

These mink pelts are now of excellent quality, crafted with exceptional skill.
If Miaoyin Pavilion didn't exist, it would inevitably fall short.

Listening to her rambling on, Mao Xiang felt increasingly annoyed. Getting mink fur wasn't difficult.
But isn't doing business with the Northern Pacification Commandery aiding the enemy?
He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice:
"I will have someone handle this matter, and there will be results within a month. Also, Beiping may not be the source."

Mu Jinghe frowned slightly, her bright eyes darted around, as if she had thought of something, and her small mouth opened slightly:

"Things from Da Ning?"

Mao Xiang sighed dejectedly and nodded.
"Items from the Da Ning Textile Trading Company"

The mink fur was obtained from the mountains by the Doyan Three Guards and processed in Daning.

Downstream sales are handled by Taxue Trading Company and Liu Sili's trading company.
The Imperial Guards don't want to deal with Liu Sili's trading company for the time being, so we can purchase from the Taxue Trading Company.

Mu Jinghe looked at him as if he were an idiot.

After a long silence, she chuckled and said:

"Lord Mao, what Miaoyin Workshop sells is truly unique."

"If we source goods from Taxue Trading Company, wouldn't that be exactly the same as what Yingtian Trading Company sells? How can we get a good price?"

“Standard armor is good too, and I imagine the mink coat would be the same,” Mao Xiang said.

Mu Jinghe glanced at Mao Xiang with a hint of helplessness:
"If it's unique, it can sell for ten times the price."

If you just go with the flow, you'll only earn a meager living. Surely Chairman Mao understood this?
The Embroidered Uniform Guard has been managing such a large operation for so many years, spending hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
If you just go with the flow, how many lifetimes would it take to earn enough?

Mao Xiang fell silent. After a long while, he sighed deeply.
"I'll do my best, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard can't be of much help. You'll need to contact them yourself."

Mu Jinghe thought for a moment, then nodded gently:

"Does Da Ning know that Miaoyinfang is a property of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"I don't know."

"That's good." Mu Jinghe nodded and slowly stood up: "The fifty thousand taels of silver will be sent over later. Lord Mao, you must spend it wisely."

Even if I were a prolific earner, I couldn't afford for you to spend money like this.

Mao Xiang looked somewhat embarrassed:

"Don't worry, don't worry. Money will be generated in your uterus in a few days."

Mu Jinghe merely glanced at it indifferently, her voice melodious:

"If the Embroidered Uniform Guards were to live off the money in the palace, then Lord Mao wouldn't need to be the commander."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Her slender, wriggling body added a touch of warmth to the cold, gloomy house.

After he left, Mao Xiang sat alone in the yamen, his expression complex, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

His career was not going well, he had little money, and no one he could rely on.

Although the reputation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has greatly increased
But he felt that the difficulties he faced seemed to be increasing, and that he had encountered so many formidable enemies.

"Ugh"

Thinking of this, Mao Xiang let out a deep sigh, a sense of bewilderment spreading through him.

"What's the point of being an official?"

At that moment, a young clerk hurriedly entered, carrying a document in his hand.
"Sir, the documents sent by the yamen are requested to be reviewed by Lord Wei."

Mao Xiang closed his eyes to rest, propped himself up with his hands, and murmured:

"Didn't I tell you? He can make his own decisions and shouldn't bother me."

"My lord, Lord Wei says this document is of great importance."

"Bring it here."

Mao Xiang reluctantly sat up and took the document, only opening it briefly...
The confusion and drowsiness in my heart quietly disappeared.

His eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost.

But only after seeing the official seals of the Three Departments below did Mao Xiang confirm that the document was genuine.

But this only made him more incredulous.

Exile to the frontier? Or to Liaodong?

With his skills, he could easily detect the clues.
There must be some hidden story he is unaware of.

This outcome likely occurred only after a complex interplay of multiple parties.

Taking a deep breath, Mao Xiang held the document in his hand, his face thoughtful, and said in a deep voice:

"Inform Lord Wei to issue the document; the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be transferring a large number of prisoners tomorrow."

"Yes!"

The clerk turned and left, and Mao Xiang no longer wasted his time.

Instead, he stood up, straightened his sleeves, and strolled out of the secret office.
He wanted to find out what had happened that he didn't know about.

As evening approached, at the north gate of Yingtian City, there was still an hour before the gates closed.
However, the north gate had already been closed, and pedestrians were not allowed to enter or exit.

Merchants and their carriages were all stopped at the side roads of the main road, and could not even enter the main road to wait.

This caused dissatisfaction among many merchants and shopkeepers.

But when they saw that Yingtian Trading Company's unique color scheme and its tricycles loaded with goods were also not allowed to enter...
The resentment in my heart vanished in an instant, replaced by doubt.
what happened?
If they remember correctly,

The central and rear armies of the northern expeditionary force had already entered the city long ago.
Many people looked towards the city gate, which was wide open.

Soldiers clad in silver armor stood solemnly.
All the barriers at the entrance, such as the deer fence and barricades, were removed.
A group of more than ten people waited at the entrance, and their imposing presence was immediately apparent.

The leader was Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, with Zhao Mian, the Minister of Revenue, Shen Jin, the Minister of War, and Fu Youwen, the Right Vice Minister of Revenue, beside him. Behind them were a group of officials and clerks.

It is worth mentioning that behind the Prince of Yan were two grand eunuchs dressed in scarlet robes.

Wen Cheng, a fourth-rank official, was the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Palace, while Ma Hongtao, a fourth-rank official, was the Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration.

Wen Cheng was still the same as before, looking like he was in his forties, and exuding a calm demeanor.

The eunuch Ma Hongtao, who appeared to be in his fifties, stood to the side with his hands behind his back.

His bright red robe was particularly eye-catching, and he exuded an air of wealth and nobility.

The Imperial Horse Administration was responsible for managing the horses in the imperial stables and the collection of horses and mules by the pastures. It also controlled some of the imperial estate businesses and wielded immense power among the twelve administrations.

Prince Zhu Di of Yan turned his head to look at Ma Hongtao and asked:

When will they arrive?

Ma Hongtao bowed deeply and respectfully said:

"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan said he would arrive at the hour of You (5-7 PM), so he should be here soon."

"Um"

Zhu Di nodded, his eyes bloodshot, revealing an overall sense of exhaustion.
He's been nagging about the royal estate's accounts for the past few days.

He had never thought before that money...
There were so many ways to do it, and the intricacies of it all left him bewildered.

Before one problem can be fully understood, another one pops up.
So much so that he's been dreaming about accounting every night for the past few days.

He understands now.

Why do some ministers always have time to receive guests? It's simply because they're extremely tired of reading documents.

Today, the Shaanxi Provincial Military Commander has traded nearly 8,000 horses between the left and right garrisons of Xi'an, of which nearly 1,000 are owned by the imperial estate.

Upon hearing this news, he immediately put down the documents and...
He arrived here with two eunuchs to greet the warhorse.
It's a way to steal a moment of leisure from my busy schedule.

Just as he was enjoying the lazy glow of the setting sun,
Dust began to rise from the official road in the distance.
The sound of horses' hooves rolled in like muffled thunder, approaching from afar and causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Everyone looked up and saw a herd of warhorses galloping towards them like a black torrent.

The horse has a lithe and agile physique with smooth muscle lines.
Each one exudes a heroic and extraordinary aura.

The lead black horse was particularly eye-catching.
Its fur was jet black and glossy, shimmering in the afterglow of the setting sun, as if it were draped in a layer of golden armor.

With its head held high, eyes gleaming, and nostrils flaring, the horse displayed its majesty and power.

A person rode on horseback, dressed in a close-fitting outfit, with an upright posture.
Although his face was not clearly visible, his heroic spirit was palpable.

As the warhorses drew closer, a gasp of amazement rose from the crowd.

A hint of admiration flashed in the eyes of Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.
The fatigue of the past few days seemed to have been somewhat dispelled by this heroic spirit.
He took a few steps forward, his eyes fixed on the herd of warhorses.

Soon, the herd of warhorses arrived at the city gate.

The lead general pulled on the reins, and the black horse reared up, letting out a long neigh before landing steadily.

The man dismounted and strode quickly to Prince Yan, Zhu Di, bowing respectfully and saying:
"Your Highness, the warhorses sent by the Shaanxi Military Commander have arrived, totaling 7,983. Please inspect them!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, raised his hand to signal him to rise, then glanced at the group of warhorses and said loudly:
"Excellent! These warhorses are all fine steeds; the Shaanxi Military Command has rendered a great service this time!"

Zhao Mian, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward and said with a smile:

"Your Highness, with these warhorses, the military strength of our Great Ming will be further enhanced!"

Minister of War Shen Jin also nodded in agreement:
"Indeed, these warhorses can replenish the various garrisons and enhance combat strength, which is truly a blessing for our dynasty."

At this moment, two eunuchs, Wen Cheng and Ma Hongtao, also came over.

Wen Cheng remained calm and said softly:
"Your Highness, these warhorses must be arranged as soon as possible to avoid any mistakes. Once the count and confirmation are completed, the Ministry of Revenue will allocate funds to send them back to the horse market."

Ma Hongtao then circled the warhorse a few times.

He reached out and stroked the mane of a warhorse, his eyes filled with affection, and said:
"These warhorses are truly excellent. Where are the warhorses belonging to the Imperial Estate?"
They weren't brought into the city; they were sent directly to Chunhua Ranch outside the city.

Zhu Di glanced at him and smiled:

"You shall arrange this matter. Remember to select a few docile horses to send to the palace. The younger brothers are almost old enough to learn to ride horses."

"Oh, and pick the most spirited horse to keep; I have a use for it."

Ma Hongtao's expression was somewhat strange, but he still agreed:
"Yes, Your Highness."

Having said that, Zhu Di turned to the officials behind him and instructed them:
"Quickly arrange for people to properly settle and take good care of these warhorses, without any mistakes!"

"Yes!"

The leaders responded in unison, and then began to act.

He directed the soldiers to guide the warhorses into the city.

(End of this chapter)