In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 932 Holding Firm to the Green Hills

When Zhang Gou slammed the door and returned to the inn, the sun had just set outside.

The last rays of sunlight slipped in through the crack in the door.
But it couldn't illuminate the oppressive atmosphere of the room.

He ripped off his official hat and slammed it heavily onto the table with a soft thud, feeling extremely annoyed.

"Sir, shall we serve dinner?"

The attendant peeked out from outside the door and saw that Zhang Gou's face was ashen and his voice was very low.

"Get out!"

Zhang Gou let out a low growl, and his attendant shrank back in fright, quickly retreating without even daring to close the door properly.

Zhang Gou walked to the window and opened it.

The evening breeze, carrying a faint chill from Liaoyang, blew in, clearing his mind somewhat.

He was an imperial envoy sent by the court.
They should be overseeing road construction and rectifying official corruption!
Now, no one even answers a question, and people even point fingers and argue with them.

The fact that such a serious crime as colluding with the enemy and betraying the country did not deter the other party in the slightest made him feel humiliated.

"No, we can't just let it go."

Zhang Gou muttered to himself, his gaze gradually darkening.

He thought of Wang Junping, a member of a collateral branch of the Goryeo royal family.
What makes it capable of serving as a trade hub connecting the Ming Dynasty, Liaodong, and Goryeo?
There must be something wrong here.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking,
Zhang Gou then had the Goryeo messenger brought over from the side courtyard of the post station.

The messenger was already too scared to sleep well last night.
Seeing Zhang Gou sitting at the table, his face grim and a pen clutched in his hand, my legs went weak and I almost knelt down.
"Your Excellency, is there something else you need from me?"

"sit."

Zhang Gou pointed to the chair opposite him, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"I ask you, what exactly is Wang Junping's identity in Goryeo?"

The messenger paused, his eyes darting away, his hands unconsciously twisting the hem of his robe.

"Lord Wang is from a collateral branch of the royal family, as I mentioned before."

"A side branch?"

Zhang Gou sneered and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

"What kind of branch of the family could have been sent by the King of Goryeo to negotiate trade with the Ming Dynasty? Could they have opened a trading company to monopolize the circulation of goods among the three kingdoms?"

"Tell me the truth, does he actually have any real power within the Goryeo royal family?"

The messenger's face turned pale instantly, his lips trembled, and he didn't dare to utter a sound for a long time.

Seeing this, Zhang Gou stood up, walked up to him, and looked down at him:
"Have you forgotten what we said in this room yesterday?"

If you conceal the truth, I can not only escort you back to the capital,

They can also send someone to Goryeo to tell your king.

"You leaked border information and damaged the friendship between our two countries!"

These words struck a nerve with the messenger.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with panic:
"My lord, spare me! I'll tell the truth!"
Wang Junping. He was from a declining branch of the family.

There wasn't even a decent house in the capital of Goryeo!
The last time I was sent as an envoy to the Ming Dynasty, no one from the Secretariat was willing to come.

At that time, Liaodong had just finished fighting the Jurchens, and everyone was afraid of getting into trouble, so they pushed him to come!

"A dilapidated branch?"

Zhang Gou's pupils suddenly contracted, and the doubts in his mind instantly expanded.

"Then how did he inexplicably become the manager of the trading company?"

"I...I really don't know."

“Write these words down word for word.”

Zhang Gou turned and walked to the table, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, dipped it in ink, and pushed it in front of the messenger.
"Write down Wang Junping's background and have him sign and put his fingerprint on it."

The messenger's hands trembled as he looked at the paper and pen before him.

He knew that if this document were written down and found out in Korea, his whole family would be in trouble.

But he was more afraid of Zhang Gou, this imperial envoy who looked frail.

They showed no mercy when they started, and yesterday's threats were still ringing in my ears.

"Sir, I dare not write."

The messenger's voice was pleading.

"Afraid to write?"

Zhang Gou picked up the pen and stuffed it into his hand.
"Either write it down, or come with me to the Ministry of Justice prison right now. You choose."

The messenger gritted his teeth, tears welling up in his eyes.

He held the pen, and ink dripped from the tip onto the paper, spreading into a small black stain.

He wrote stroke by stroke, his hand trembling uncontrollably, the handwriting crooked and uneven.

However, it clearly revealed Wang Junping's background.

After he finished writing, Zhang Gou had him put his fingerprint on the paper and then had his attendants find a box and lock it inside.

"You know the consequences if this gets out."

Zhang Gou carefully put the box away and coldly stared at the messenger.

"You are not allowed to leave the post station until I grant you permission to leave."

The messenger, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, nodded hurriedly and practically fled the room.

Zhang Gou, holding the box, sat at the table in deep thought.
The investigation into Wang Junping's case has been completed, but the source of the money is still unclear.

Did the 200,000 taels of silver actually come from Goryeo?
In the afternoon, Zhang Gou had someone summon Yu Xin.

As soon as Yu Xin entered, he saw Zhang Gou sitting at the table with a box in front of him, his face serious. Yu Xin's heart skipped a beat.
"Lord Zhang, you summoned me for something?"

"You will come with me to the prison."

Zhang Gou stood up, picked up the box,

"Go see Bai Wenzhao."

Yu Xin's expression became much stranger.

"Bai Wenzhao? He's Lord Zhou's confidant, he definitely won't tell the truth. Going there would be a waste of our time."

"Whether it's useful or not, we'll only know when we get there."

Zhang Gou's tone was firm and left no room for argument.
"You're the silver transport officer, so you're also involved in matters concerning silver."
If the matter cannot be resolved, you will not be able to escape responsibility upon returning to the capital.

Yu Xin had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Zhang Gou to the prison.

The prison in Liaoyang was located in the north of the city; it was dark and damp.

Before even entering the door, I could smell a pungent musty and bloody odor.

The jailer led the way, carrying a lantern.
The flickering firelight cast its glow on the moss on the wall, making it appear and disappear.

Bai Wenzhao was imprisoned in the innermost cell.
Seeing someone approaching, he slowly raised his head, his hair disheveled, his prison uniform stained with dried blood.
There was no fear on his face, but rather a hint of a smile.

"Oh, isn't this Imperial Envoy Zhang? What brings you to a place like this to see me?"

Bai Wenzhao's voice was hoarse, yet filled with a strong sense of sarcasm.
"Have you come to question Lord Zhou about his crimes?"
You'd better save your breath. If you don't want trouble, stay away from this.

Zhang Gou was taken aback by his directness, paused for a moment, then walked to the cell door and said in a deep voice:

"Bai Wenzhao, I have a question for you."
Where did Xu Cheng get the 200,000 taels of silver he brought back from the Beiping Military Command?

Bai Wenzhao was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled and leaned against the wall, a mocking expression on his face:
"Lord Zhang, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"
You should ask Lu Yunyi and Pan Jing where the money came from. Why are you asking me?
"I'm just a prisoner, how could I possibly know about such a big thing?"

"Stop pretending!" Zhang Gou clenched his fist.
"Zhou E instigated the mutiny simply to spend all the money."

Now that Pan Jing has obtained silver from elsewhere, how could you not investigate?

Bai Wenzhao raised his eyelids, his eyes full of disdain:

"So what if I know? So what if I don't?"
You officials in Beijing are only good at using empty and pretentious charges to scare people.

Lord Zhou has fallen, but do you think Lu Yunyi and Pan Jing are good people?
They used Goryeo's silver to build roads, do you dare say no?

"Korean silver?"

Zhang Gou's pupils contracted, and he quickly pressed for an answer.

"How do you know it's Goryeo silver? How was the silver transported into Liaodong?"

Seeing Zhang Gou's anxious expression, Bai Wenzhao laughed even harder:
"You, the imperial envoy, are truly fearless of death."

Since that's the case, then I'll tell you.

The silver entered the country from Zhenjiang Fort and was transported by Taxue Trading Company. Xu Cheng was the one who received it at the time.

While in Phoenix, the convoy was seized by the Wen family.

That old fox Wen Mingyuan is too greedy; he actually didn't tell Lord Zhou, intending to pocket the silver for himself.

Fortunately, Lord Zhou had extensive connections and learned of this matter.

Unfortunately, by the time they sent people to intercept him, he had already left. There were several more attempts to intercept him afterward.
It's a pity they all failed. What a shame.

Zhang Gou's face was pale, and his hands and feet were cold.

He recalled the anonymous letter he received when he first arrived in Liaodong.
The letter said that Lu Yunyi had led troops into Goryeo without authorization, burning, killing, and looting, and that the silver was stolen from Goryeo.

At the time, he assumed it was a false accusation, believing that Lu Yunyi, as a high-ranking official, would never do such a thing.

But now, Bai Wenzhao's words, and the messenger's testimony,
The origins of that 200,000 taels of silver are all connected!
Why didn't you say so sooner?

Zhang Gou's voice trembled, his heart filled with remorse.

If we had taken that anonymous letter seriously back then and investigated it sooner, we wouldn't be kept in the dark like this now.

Bai Wenzhao's smile faded, his eyes filled with mockery:

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Would you have believed me?"
Lord Zhang, do you think you, as an imperial envoy, can investigate the affairs of Liaodong thoroughly?
Lord Zhou sent men to Zhenjiang Fort to investigate, but they had barely arrived when...
They discovered that the garrison commander of Zhenjiang Fort was dead.
They are the truly audacious ones!

As for you, you're nothing more than a knife in their hands; they'll throw you away once they've used you!

"You bullshit!"

Zhang Gou roared, but he had lost his confidence.

He looked at Bai Wenzhao, and then recalled Lu Yunyi's indifference and Pan Jing's perfunctory attitude at the banquet.

Suddenly I felt like a fool, being completely played.

Bai Wenzhao leaned against the wall and slowly closed his eyes.

"Go ahead and investigate, it's no use investigating."

The money has been spent, the road is being repaired, and everyone will benefit.

Only you, the imperial envoy, are still taking this so seriously.

If the investigation continues, I'll be charged with negligence when I return to the capital.

Then you'll know what officialdom is all about.

You censors are too naive.

Zhang Gou stood at the prison cell door, his body ice-cold, the lantern in his hand swaying slightly.

The firelight reflected on Bai Wenzhao's face, making him look particularly ferocious.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something more, but found his throat tight and he couldn't utter a single word.

"Sir, let's go."

Yu Xin tugged at Zhang Gou's sleeve, her voice tinged with panic.

"There's no point in staying any longer; he won't say anything more."

Zhang Gou nodded, turned around, and followed Yu Xin out of the prison.

When I walked out of the prison, it was already dark, and lanterns were hung in the streets of Liaoyang.

Under the dim light, pedestrians hurried by, creating a peaceful scene.

But Zhang Gou knew that behind this tranquility lay countless conspiracies and schemes, which sent chills down his spine.

Back at the inn, Yu Xin finally couldn't help but speak:

"Lord Zhang, let's stop investigating this matter."

Now that the money is there, the road needs to be repaired, and Zhou E has fallen from grace, it's a win-win situation for everyone.

If we investigate further, we'll get ourselves into trouble.
Bai Wenzhao is right; neither Lu Yunyi nor Lord Pan are people to be trifled with.

"Everyone is happy?"

Zhang Gou looked at Yu Xin, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"They took silver from Goryeo and colluded with local powerful families."

They might even lead troops into Goryeo without authorization, which would be a win-win situation.

Lord Yu, have you forgotten that you are an official of the Ming Dynasty?

Have you forgotten why the imperial court sent us to Liaodong?

Yu Xin lowered his head and sighed softly:
"I haven't forgotten, but I'm just a fifth-rank official, and I can't handle such a big matter."

Lord Zhang, you have a solid foundation.
But I am different. If I make a mistake, my whole family will be ruined.

"I exhausted my family's savings to pass the imperial examination; my whole family depends on me. Please don't investigate further."

Zhang Gou looked at him and sighed inwardly.

He understood Yu Xin's concerns.
But he was an imperial censor of the Censorate, and it was his duty to investigate corrupt officials and correct malpractices.

Even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, he could not retreat.

"You don't need to worry. I will take full responsibility if anything happens. You are just transporting the silver."

Yu Xin became increasingly helpless, sighing repeatedly and shaking his head.

Zhang Gou ignored him and quickly began organizing the documents.
"Now there is another problem: if Lu Yunyi leads troops into Goryeo, where will the troops come from?"

The soldiers who could defeat Yi Seong-gye could not have been ordinary troops.

Go check the troop movements in Liaodong over the past six months for any anomalies.

Yu Xin's face instantly fell:

"Sir, you want to check troop deployments? Well, there needs to be a reason."

If we investigate without a valid reason, Lord Pan and Lord Lu will definitely become suspicious.

"reason?"

Zhang Gou thought for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"Take the case of Cha Zhou'e instigating the mutiny, and see if he mobilized the army!"
Zhou E's ability to instigate mutinies at the command post and the garrison must indicate collusion with certain generals.
The investigation into troop deployments was aimed at identifying those who colluded with Zhou E, a perfectly reasonable reason.

Yu Xin had no choice but to nod.

"I understand. I will investigate tomorrow."

For the next three days, Yu Xin went to the military headquarters every day and went through nearly half a year's worth of military dispatch records.

But after checking and checking, nothing unusual was found.
The mobilization time, number of troops, and destination of each army under the Liaodong Regional Military Command were recorded.
Everything was clearly recorded; no army had made any unusual movements, and no army had ever gone to the Goryeo border.

They did find quite a few garrisons that were receiving salaries without working.

"Lord Zhang, there really is nothing unusual."

Yu Xin stood in front of Zhang Gou, holding the records, looking helpless.
"The central, left, front, and rear guards of Liaoyang, as well as the various garrison garrisons in Liaoyang City, have not moved for the past six months."

They're either defending the city or training.
The mobilization of some border troops is also reasonable.

This was to guard against Goryeo gathering troops in the Northwest Province.
This matter was approved by Lord Zhou and has nothing to do with Lord Pan.

Zhang Gou took the record and turned the pages one by one.

The handwriting on the paper was neat and meticulous, and there were indeed no problems.

He sat in the chair, his brow furrowed, his mind filled with confusion.
Since the troops in Liaodong haven't moved, what kind of troops did Lu Yunyi lead?

Could they be soldiers from the Northern Pacification Command?
But the troop movements of the Beiping Military Command must be reported to the imperial court. How could he dare to move them without authorization?
"Could it be soldiers that Lord Lu brought from Da Ning?" Yu Xin whispered, guessing.

Zhang Gou shook his head:

"The soldiers of Da Ning are also border troops, and their mobilization is even more strictly controlled."

If something had been done, Zhou E couldn't possibly be unaware, and it wouldn't be possible to hide it from him.

Yu Xin sighed:

"Then it can't be that Lord Lu conjured soldiers out of thin air, can it?"
Or perhaps it was the thousand soldiers beside him?

Yu Xin himself found his words absurd after saying them.

Even if the Goryeo soldiers were of poor quality, they couldn't possibly be defeated by a thousand soldiers, he added:
"My lord, is it because Bai Wenzhao sees that his crime has been established, that he is trying to frame others?"

Zhang Gou fell silent; he refused to believe that Bai Wenzhao was lying to him.

But the evidence before him forced him to have doubts.

Looking at the records on the table, and recalling the messenger's confession and Wang Junping's background, his mind was in turmoil, unable to make sense of it all.

"Check again!"

Zhang Gou suddenly raised his head, his eyes resolute.

"Even if we have to search every single army unit in Liaodong, we must find out the truth!"

Looking at Zhang Gou's expression, Yu Xin sighed inwardly.

This imperial envoy is probably going mad.
He could only nod and continue searching through the old files that he hadn't had time to look at yet.

The candlelight in the inn burned all night again.

Zhang Gou sat at the table, flipping through the military dispatch records, his eyes filled with doubt, incomprehension, and absurdity.

"We have the motive, the process, and the result, but where is the evidence? How did he do it?"

(End of this chapter)