In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 916: Tight Front and Tight Back

After the soldiers left, Madam Jin lay on the ground, secretly weeping.

She feels empty inside now.

So much silver, all lost in one day.

Wang Junping walked into the courtyard.
As he stepped into the courtyard, he slowed his pace, looked at Madam Jin, and let out a sigh.

He walked up to Madam Jin and looked down at her.
His eyes held a hint of mockery, his expression was somewhat strange, as if he felt it was all worthless, and there was also a touch of annoyance.

After a long silence, Wang Junping finally spoke, his voice cold and sharp:

"Madam Jin, I warned you long ago that the Ming people are not to be trifled with and will not accept your threats."
What if it's in a fortified city?
I personally witnessed how easily the Ming people entered.
"You absolutely cannot refuse to pay."

As Madam Jin sobbed, she looked up at Wang Junping, a flash of resentment in her eyes:

"Why didn't you say so earlier, or try to persuade them? You let them take all the silver from the mansion. How am I supposed to explain this to the King?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Junping's expression turned strange. He surveyed the mansion and said calmly:

"How much silver is Madam Jin going to tell His Majesty? Five hundred thousand taels or six hundred thousand taels?"

Madam Jin's expression changed slightly, and she looked somewhat uneasy.
"Of course, I'll say as much as I can."

Wang Junping shook his head, looked at the thin layer of snow on the ground, and scoffed:
"Madam Jin, His Majesty is already facing great difficulties in Gaegyeong, and he has few trustworthy people around him."

At this point, you, as one of the king's own people, are actually deceiving him.
I truly don't know what to say.

No wonder we couldn't defeat Yi Seong-gye.
It turns out there were so many people scrambling to hold us back.

"You, what nonsense are you talking about? When have I ever lied to His Majesty!" Madam Jin retorted stubbornly.

"Madam, the Duke's mansion has been in decline for many years."

Madam Jin, you borrowed a lot of money in Kaijing last year to maintain your dignity.

In the end, fearing it would be bad if word got out, His Majesty used his own private funds to repay you.

How come the Duke's mansion has 100,000 taels of silver and so much gold and silver jewelry in just one year?

Could it have grown from the ground?

The more Wang Junping spoke, the lower his voice became, and his fists clenched tightly.

As an envoy sent to the Ming Dynasty, I only had two thousand taels of silver on hand.
Back in the rear, Madam Jin could easily demand an extra tens of thousands of taels of silver with a single word.

They emptied the royal family's coffers with ease; that's what family is all about!
Wang Junping felt betrayed.

Mrs. Jin looked very uncomfortable.

Several waiters nearby also quietly lowered their heads, not daring to look at Wang Junping.

The group sat in the courtyard, feeling the light snow falling and the melancholy that permeated the mansion.

After a long while, Madam Jin, supported by a servant, got up.

She sniffed, wiped away her tears, regained her composure, and said calmly:

"Lord Wang, it's not your place to tell us how the Duke's mansion should operate."

"You've been sent as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty to relieve our country's siege; just focus on those tasks. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Wang Junping pursed his lips, his eyes growing increasingly vacant.

"Madam, may you have good fortune."

After saying this, Wang Junping sighed, silently turned and left, his steps slow but heavy.

Seeing this, a hint of panic flashed in Madam Jin's eyes, and she quickly asked:

"When will the Ming people leave? Will they be able to return the extra money they took? They can't go back on their word."

Wang Junping paused slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
Without saying another word, he walked straight away.

As he walked out of the Duke's mansion, he looked at the guarding soldiers and nodded with a smile:

"Thank you all, I've finished my business."

"close the door!"

The centurion nodded, waved his hand, and two soldiers stepped forward to close the door tightly!
Feeling the silence behind him, Wang Junping walked blankly down the street. The snow under his feet brought a chill, and a slight cold wind blew through his hair.

He stared blankly at the empty street.

He is now like a king trapped in a palace.
Feeling lost and helpless, not knowing what to do.

After walking a short distance, Wang Junping arrived at the Dingzhou Prefectural Government Office.

This place has been completely transformed and is now under the control of the Ming army.

As he gazed at the plaque, his sense of bewilderment deepened.
What will he do next?

Stay in Goryeo?

Honestly, after going to the Ming Dynasty and spending some time in the army,
He was able to determine that
Goryeo is beyond saving.

The court was bloated and the army was corrupt.
The adults are all busy making money, squeezing the last bit of profit out of the royal family.

No wonder such a lucrative post as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty fell to someone from a collateral branch of the family.
It seems others have more important things to do.

Just as he was feeling lost, a voice came from not far away:
"Lord Wang."

Wang Junping turned his head away blankly.

A young man dressed in black casual clothes walked over with several guards.

Upon seeing this person, Wang Junping's expression hardened, and he focused his thoughts.

Over time, he learned that Zou Jing was a military discipline officer.

The soldiers in the army were all afraid of him, and even the generals were very wary of him.

"General Zou, what's going on?"

Zou Jing stepped forward, his voice calm:
"Does Lord Wang have some free time? I have some things I would like to ask for your help with."

"You have time. You tell me, you tell me."

For some reason, Wang Junping suddenly felt a little nervous, unsure of what awaited him.

Although he was somewhat disheartened, he was still very afraid that these Ming people would kill him to silence him.

"plz follow me."

Zou Jing took in his expression and gestured for him to proceed.
They led him to a quiet room in the back hall of the government office.

The two sat at next table. Zou Jing poured him a cup of tea and said casually:

"Lord Wang, why do you seem so distracted?"

Wang Junping forced a smile: "Things are going too smoothly; I'm a little surprised..."

Zou Jing nodded, his voice still cold and clear:
"The commander must act quickly; haste makes waste. Some important matters must not be delayed."

"I admire you. May I ask what brings you here today?"

"Lord Wang must know that the trade routes between Daning City and Liaodong Commandery need to be connected to facilitate the flow of money from beyond the Great Wall."

"I know, I am completely in awe of Lord Lu."

Zou Jing ignored his flattery and continued:

"In the future, the Liaodong Military Command may also establish connections with Goryeo."
Build identical cement roads to ensure smooth traffic flow.

At that time, they will also exchange goods and services, and the wealth and markets outside the Great Wall will grow larger and larger. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the "Jiangnan of the North."

Wang Junping's eyes widened suddenly, followed by a surge of surprise:
"Lord Zou, are you saying that Liaodong should also be connected with Goryeo?"

"There is such a plan, but there are many obstacles."

Wang Junping felt a little happier and more at ease, and nodded:

"Indeed, road construction is a huge expense."
Moreover, the imperial court is currently preoccupied with its own problems.

I'm afraid we don't have the energy to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty to accomplish such a task.

He understood perfectly well that the royal family, with its current capabilities, was simply incapable of taking on this enormous opportunity.

Even acting rashly could quickly harm oneself.

There will also be a "Mrs. Jin" who embezzles public funds and makes false reports.

Unexpectedly, Zou Jing revealed a rare smile:
"Don't worry, Lord Wang. The funding for the road construction and many other subsequent matters have been settled, so there's no need to worry about that."

Wang Junping was stunned, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his fist under the table clenched tightly.

Although he wasn't particularly bright, he still had some understanding of these kinds of things.
This feature couldn't possibly be from the royal family.
It's even less likely to be Liaodong and Daming.

Logically, this matter should have been handled by Goryeo begging Ming for help. Therefore, the answer is obvious: Yi Seong-gye!
"Then you."

Wang Junping stammered, unable to find the words to say.

He knew very well that the entire Beiping Military Command was busy with road construction.
Advising them not to fix it? That's clearly impossible.
Zou Jing didn't dwell on his reaction and continued:

"In the future, there will be a lot of trade and cooperation between Daning, Liaodong and Goryeo."

For us, we can naturally have complete control over matters within the country's borders.
There won't be any problems in Daning, and with Lord Pan in Liaodong, there won't be any more problems.

The key lies in whether Korea can cooperate with us in a stable and pragmatic manner, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

A hint of doubt flashed in Wang Junping's eyes; he didn't understand what those words meant.

Zou Jing, without any hesitation, explained:

"Here's the thing, I'd like Lord Wang to establish a trading company in Goryeo."
This trading company was used to conduct trade with the Northern Pacification Commandery and the Liaodong Trading Company.

In other words, from now on, whatever the two commanders want to buy, they can buy it from the trading company you established.
You can buy whatever you want from the Ming Dynasty through this trading company.

Of course, Dusi couldn't put all his business into this one trading company, but he would definitely take the lion's share.

Are you interested, Lord Wang?

Wang Junping stood there stunned. He wasn't stupid; he knew how much wealth was involved.

It can be said that once this trading company reaches a cooperation agreement with the two Ming Dynasty military commands,

It's even more profitable than the most lucrative mining business in Korea.

However, a question arose in his mind:
"Lord Zou, how... how could it be me?"

“Lord Wang is familiar with us, knows us well, and is a kind and honest man.”

For the two sides to cooperate, stability is essential.

Lord Wang is a man who seeks stability; what are your thoughts, sir?

"This...this..." Wang Junping agreed decisively without hesitation.
"Setting up a trading company is no problem at all."

However, the royal family is now in decline, and it's likely that Yi Seong-gye and his court officials would not agree to do these things.

"Hey~" Zou Jing waved his hand:
"We will handle things regarding Yi Chenggui."

To be honest, I might collaborate with Yi Seong-gye in the future, since it's more stable to have two options.

As for the royal family, we have done more than enough this time.
What happens to your royal family afterward is none of our business.

But Lord Wang, rest assured, even if Yi Seong-gye were to usurp the throne and rebel...

With your position as the manager of this trading company, you can also ensure the safety of your family.
After all, in Yi Seong-gye's eyes, you are one of our Da Ning people.

Upon hearing this, Wang Junping tensed up and remained silent for a long time.

Half an hour later, Zou Jing arrived at the main hall of the government office.

Lu Yunyi was sitting quietly at the head of the table, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, looking at the various statistics of Dingzhou City.

Upon seeing Zou Jing arrive, he slightly raised his head:
"How about it?"

Zou Jing stood quietly at the lower end of the table and bowed respectfully.
"General, Wang Junping has agreed."

The seized money and grain are being tallied, and the General Staff is working on how to transport the silver back.

"I have my own arrangements for the money. What does Wang Junping say?" Lu Yunyi asked with a smile.

He seemed somewhat hesitant, probably because he guessed that we had already cooperated with Yi Seong-gye.

However, after his subordinate explained the importance of this position to him, he agreed.

Zou Jing thought for a moment and added:
"Based on our interactions over this period, Wang Junping appears to be a loyal member of the royal family."
Perhaps he wanted to use this identity to help the royal family.
Even in the final moments of national crisis, they managed to preserve some embers of hope.

Lu Yunyi nodded in satisfaction:

"Very well, we don't need to worry about this. Only loyal and righteous people can be trusted."
This matter was recorded, and upon returning to the military headquarters, it was handed over to Li Xian, who was put in charge.
Since he had nothing to do anyway, I found him some things to do.

A hint of surprise flashed in Zou Jing's eyes, but he still nodded in agreement:

"Yes."

"Putting the business matters aside for now, it will take several years to see results. How does the General Staff plan to send this silver back?"

A hint of difficulty flashed in Zou Jing's eyes, and he hesitated before saying:
"General, we've captured so much stuff!"

The General Staff's simulations showed that the only route was along the border between Goryeo and Liaodong.
If they return the way they came, these things will slow down the march by 60%, making it impossible to leave Goryeo quickly.

However, when returning from the border, supplies and money stored in Jurchen territory might have to be retrieved via a detour through the Doyan Three Guards.

Moreover, returning from the border would likely be difficult to explain to the imperial court.

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"The spoils were won by our brothers at the cost of their lives; we must not give them up."
Our people can't leave through the border either; that would put Lord Pan in a difficult position.

In this way, people and money go their separate ways.

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi turned around, picked up a document from the side, and handed it over:

"Here you go. There are three caravans waiting in Uiju. They are entering Goryeo under the guise of trade."

We will hand over the silver to them then, and they will transport it.
We then returned to the Jurchen territory along the border to collect the remaining spoils.

Zou Jing froze, his pupils contracting slightly.

He stepped forward, took the document, opened it, and his eyes widened in surprise:

"General, when was this arranged?"

"It's all planned out at the start of the year."

Zou Jing held his breath and asked:

"General, goods entering Liaodong from Goryeo must undergo the most stringent inspections."
"It's probably difficult to transport this silver in."

"Don't worry, Xu Cheng has been waiting at Zhenjiang Fort for a long time."
He was originally there to see us out, but now it's the same whether he takes the money in or not.

Zou Jing was completely relieved and bowed deeply.
"General, your strategy is brilliant; I admire you greatly."

Lu Yunyi smiled and waved his hand:

"It will take some effort to finish this."
Now, in the name of the Dingzhou government, a letter requesting assistance is being sent to Yizhou.
Tell them that Dingzhou is besieged and ask them for help.
Let's lure their garrison out, then we can take over their territory.

The specific details will be handled by your General Staff.

"Don't let anything go wrong at the very end."

"Yes!" Zou Jing replied solemnly, bowing slightly.

Xu Cheng, the Vice Commander of Liaodong, has been at Zhenjiang Fort for nearly a month.

For the past month, he had been looking around but no one had come, which made him very frustrated.

Especially now that the situation in the capital is becoming increasingly dire, and the road construction is on the verge of collapse, he is even more restless.

At this moment, he was sitting in the makeshift government office, sighing and complaining.

"Lord Lu, where have you been?"

Although the document from the military command states directly that Lu Yunyi was selecting refined iron at the Yingchengzi iron mine of the 30,000 Guards,
But Lord Pan's documents say...
Lord Lu and his men disappeared thirty miles outside Liaoyang City, and were never seen again.
They suspected he had entered Goryeo territory through other channels, so they told him to stay here and wait for them.

Xu Cheng waited and waited at Zhenjiang Fort.
More than a month has passed and there's still no news, which is really strange!
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the government office.

A figure rushed in, his face extremely grim:

"Lord Xu, something has happened in Goryeo!"

Xu Cheng suddenly stood up, his pupils contracting sharply:

"What's the matter?"

The soldier stepped forward quickly, handed over the document, and said in a deep voice:
News came from the Uiju caravan that a large force of 10,000 Jurchens had entered Goryeo.
They've already penetrated deep into the heart of Gyeonggi Province and are currently near Seogyeong!

"What? Ten thousand troops?"

Xu Cheng's eyes were filled with shock, and suddenly he had some doubts.
Did the Jurchens really enter the country?
Lord Lu only took a thousand soldiers with him when he left, where did he get ten thousand?
"My lord, it is absolutely true. A merchant caravan has just returned from Goryeo."

It is said that troops have already been mobilized to several border towns in the Northwest.

The garrison troops of Yizhou, Suzhou, and Dingzhou have left the cities, preparing to besiege and annihilate the Jurchens who have entered the territory!

The soldier spoke with a firm and resolute tone.

"Oh no." Xu Cheng felt a chill run through his body.
"Where is he? Take me there! I want to ask him myself."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)