Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 371 Old Zhu: If you lose again, bark like a dog! Investigate the case, kill without mercy!

Old Zhu slowly unfolded the sealed intelligence letter, and the moment he saw it, his expression became extremely complicated.

It was as if a spice jar had been overturned, with all sorts of flavors mingling together.

Standing to the side, Yoshigaki, his face full of curiosity and anticipation, asked eagerly, "Your Majesty, how did it go? Did His Majesty really run into a snag?"

"Cough cough!" Old Zhu coughed twice, as if trying to dispel the turmoil in his heart, and quickly regained his usual composure.

He carefully put away the paper containing the intelligence, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "This kid does have some skill; he actually came up with such a method."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming more disdainful: "However, it's nothing serious. It's just opportunism; the problem hasn't been truly solved at all."

Immediately afterward, he frowned and began to mutter to himself, "That's not right. Ever since Ge Song impeached Yang Shiqi and was beheaded, these people have been silent?"

"Even if we don't pursue the matter of impeaching Yang Shiqi, we still have to get to the bottom of something as important as reforming the tax system."

"How could we possibly give up halfway through?"

"No matter how you look at it, this matter has an indescribable eeriness about it."

Old Zhu seemed shrouded in a fog, and involuntarily fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he came to his senses and murmured, "It seems that there are still loyal ministers in the Ming Dynasty. There must be someone helping him in secret."

Yoshigaki spoke again, his tone full of concern: "Your Majesty, did His Majesty encounter a setback this time?"

"Well... well..." Old Zhu slowly stood up, stretched, and while his movements seemed casual, his words began to dodge the question.

"This time it doesn't count, he was just lucky."

"Besides, the matter hasn't been resolved; it's just been postponed."

"This time, at best it can only be considered a draw. We didn't win, and you didn't lose, so let's just call it a draw."

Upon hearing this, Yoshigaki immediately realized that he had won; His Majesty had not encountered the setback that the Emperor Emeritus had predicted.

However, winning is one thing.

Old Zhu was clearly not the type to accept defeat willingly; he was obviously going to "cheat" on his bet.

How could a great emperor not be so unwilling to admit defeat?

Yoshigaki secretly grumbled to himself.

He immediately recalled that Zhu Yuanzhang used to summon his ministers to play chess with him, and he had never lost.

As for how to win...

It's nothing more than that they started out fairly well, but later, when they saw they were about to lose, they changed the "rules" of the game.

He decides how the game is played, so you can't lose even if you want to!
Now, it's just a recurrence of the "old disease".

Old Zhu glanced at him sideways, and seeing his expression, immediately said loudly, "Don't be unconvinced, let's gamble again."

"If I lose this time, we'll bark like dogs."

"Yes, it's barking like a dog! If you lose, you bark; if we lose, we bark. It's absolutely fair."

"Anyone who tries to renege on their promise is a dog!"

Upon hearing this, Yoshigaki turned pale with fright and blurted out, "This servant would never dare to gamble!"

"If I lose, then so be it."

"This servant was originally a loyal dog by the Emperor Emeritus's side."

"To be able to serve the Emperor Emeritus in this life, to be His Majesty's dog servant, is a blessing that I have accumulated over eight lifetimes."

"But what if His Majesty loses... this servant simply cannot bear the consequences!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu suddenly flicked his sleeve, his imposing manner causing him to roar loudly, "There's no chance of anything going wrong. This time, we're going to win!"

"I'm betting on the same thing again. This kid wants to redistribute land and reform the tax system in the Ming Dynasty. I still bet he'll run into a wall."

Yoshigaki looked troubled and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, let's not gamble anymore."

"I'm just afraid we might win again by accident!"

"What utter nonsense!" Old Zhu instantly flew into a rage, his eyes wide with fury: "I told you, you can't win."

"Alright, that's enough. The bet is settled."

"Whoever loses has to bark like a dog, or they're a little dog!"

Old Zhu became increasingly angry as he spoke, and as soon as he finished speaking, he strode outside.

Yoshigaki looked helpless and could only hurry up and follow closely.

……

The controversy sparked by Ge Song's impeachment of Minister Yang Shiqi was quickly quelled after Ge Song was executed and Zhan Hui advocated suppressing the matter and not mentioning it again.

However, the impact of Lan Yu's new policies implemented in the three Jurchen tribes continues to unfold.

The debate surrounding this matter has been ongoing among various factions in and out of government, with the back-and-forth arguments never ceasing.

But under Zhu Yunwen's strong suppression, no one in the court dared to discuss the matter anymore, as if it had never happened in the world.

Regardless of the heated arguments and debates among those below, the central government remained silent, neither discussing nor expressing its opinion, let alone participating in the proceedings.

At this time, the court's focus had shifted to rescuing tens of thousands of Ming subjects imprisoned in Siam and Bagan.

Fujian, Qingxi County Government Office.

"Lord Wu, something terrible has happened!"

A constable rushed into the signing room in the back hall in a panic, without even knocking on the door, his voice full of anxiety.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Inside the signing room, Wu Suning, the county magistrate of Qingxi, was holding a Song Dynasty blue and white porcelain vase, squinting as he carefully admired it, looking completely absorbed.

Previously, the county commandant, as the leader of the garrison in the county, was registered as a military officer and was under the control of the Five Military Commissions.

Since Zhu Yunwen took office and implemented reforms, a large number of former military personnel have retired from active service and become civilians. The county magistrate is one of the most typical examples of this.

After the reform, the county constable was transformed into the commander of all the constables in the county, shouldering the heavy responsibility of maintaining the county's arrest and security.

Unlike when they were in the military and faced many restrictions, county lieutenants now wield much more power.

Wu Suning was living a very comfortable life.

Previously, it was not convenient for them to directly intervene in local affairs, but now they have a legitimate reason to do so.

With such a "reason," making money was a piece of cake for him.

He didn't even have to ask; people from all sides in the county would readily and obediently offer him money and gifts as tribute.

For example, the exquisite Song Dynasty blue and white porcelain he is currently playing with was a gift from someone else.

Wu Suning had not read many books, but he was keen on cultivating an air of refinement, especially liking all kinds of antiques, curios, and calligraphy and paintings by famous artists.

Those below, naturally, were quite perceptive and readily catered to his preferences.

Just as he was engrossed in watching, someone suddenly barged in. Wu Suning immediately frowned, his face filled with displeasure.

"Lord Wu, I've heard that the imperial envoy sent by the court to investigate the case of Ming Dynasty subjects being imprisoned in Siam and Bagan has already set off and is on his way to Fujian..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Suning waved his hand dismissively, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said nonchalantly, "I thought it was something serious."

"It's just an imperial envoy, is it really that big of a fuss you're making such a fuss about?"

"The imperial envoy will definitely go to the provincial capital, Fuzhou, first. What is he doing in our little Qingxi?"

"The ones who will greet the imperial envoy must be the governor and the imperial inspector."

"Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, it should at least be the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, who is in charge of criminal matters in a province, who reports to the Imperial Envoy."

"How to please the imperial envoy is their business; what does it have to do with us county constables?"

"At most, the province will issue another document instructing us to strictly manage local security and crack down on criminals."

"Or, we could send someone to inspect the area."

"I have my own ways of dealing with them, so there's no need to worry about them."

Wu Suning spoke with absolute certainty, his expression full of confidence, as if everything was under his control.

After all, it wasn't that his superiors hadn't sent people to inspect his work in the past, but he had always been able to handle the situation with ease and easily resolve various potential crises.

Although Qingxi is a poor and remote place, there are many people who are engaged in "money-making" activities outside, especially the business of selling "coolies" to Southeast Asia.

The so-called "piglet" is not a real pig, but a living, breathing person.

They were held in extremely dense concentrations in the lower decks of ships and sent like livestock to places like Siam and Bagan in Southeast Asia, where they were imprisoned and sold as slaves, hence the name.

In Qingxi, this kind of business has become very popular, and it is said to be extremely profitable, with many people making hundreds of millions of yuan from it.

As the saying goes, "To return home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night."

These people, who made a fortune through human trafficking, returned home in glory and busied themselves with acquiring property, building mansions, and flaunting their wealth. However, they worried that their shady dealings would be exposed or reported, implicating their families, so they desperately bribed local officials to seek protection.

As a county magistrate, Wu Suning naturally became their primary target for currying favor.

Wu Suning always accepted these bribes without hesitation, feeling quite pleased with himself.

In his view, no matter how many crimes these people commit outside, as long as they behave like "law-abiding" "good citizens" within Qingxi, their crimes outside are none of his business.

As the county magistrate of Qingxi, he should only be responsible for the local security of Qingxi. Why should he meddle in other people's business?

As long as the local public security is good, he is a very competent county magistrate of Qingxi.

Taking money from these people means you don't have to risk doing things for them or worry about being reported, so you can accept it with a clear conscience!
Wu Suning was well-versed in the ways of officialdom and never pocketed the money he received.

From the county magistrate down to the constables and clerks, everyone in the yamen could get a share of the pie, depending on their rank and years of service.

Everyone benefited, so naturally everyone was happy.

At the same time, Wu Suning also sternly warned those human traffickers: "No matter how you traffic 'coolies' outside, whether it's abduction, kidnapping, or even murder and arson, that's your business. But back in Qingxi, dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie low. Anyone who dares to cause trouble here, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

This trick works very well.

Those people commit all sorts of evil deeds outside, but once they return to Qingxi, they become well-behaved.

Thus, Qingxi, a "land of sin" that harbored a large number of notorious thieves and fraud ringleaders, not only did not deteriorate in its public security situation, but was actually better than the neighboring counties.

For this, Wu Suning received numerous commendations from his superiors, and his official position remained as secure as Mount Tai.

As time went on, he inevitably became somewhat arrogant and didn't take the inspections sent by his superiors seriously at all.

He knew perfectly well that if it were a corrupt official, he had plenty of money and treasures to offer as a bribe, and he could easily send the person away.

Even if the official who comes is an honest one who doesn't take a penny and is unwilling to collude with him, it doesn't matter, let him investigate.

The robber who gave him the gift wouldn't reveal his crimes, and those in the government who received the bribes wouldn't talk about it either.

Ordinary people may hear rumors, but they can't produce any real evidence.

Most importantly, he has always been impartial and incorruptible in handling cases in Qingxi, and his integrity is impeccable.

After all, those bandit leaders who made money in other places had already fed him.

He has no need to risk making money on local cases.

In this way, Wu Suning was naturally full of confidence and fearless.

After hearing Wu Suning's question, the constable who came to deliver the news had a bitter smile on his face and said helplessly, "Lord Wu, to be honest, I just received news that the black-robed monk Yao, who is in charge of the Intelligence Bureau and the Intelligence Division, actually named our Qingxi in the court, in front of His Majesty and a group of ministers."

He said that most of the criminals who abducted and kidnapped Ming citizens and sold them as slaves to Siam and Bagan came from Qingxi, Fujian.

"Our Qingxi has become quite famous now, and the news has even reached His Majesty's ears. I'm afraid that the imperial envoy will come to Qingxi County in person soon."

Upon hearing this, Wu Suning's expression changed instantly, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He hurriedly asked, "Where did you hear this news from? Please don't be mistaken!"

Previously, he had only received an official document from the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, who was in charge of criminal matters throughout the province, requiring all prefectures and counties to severely crack down on the practice of abducting people to Southeast Asia as slaves.

Even the county magistrate summoned him specifically to discuss the matter seriously.

But Wu Suning took it as a routine matter and didn't pay much attention to it.

Only when he heard that Qingxi had been publicly named in the court did he suddenly become alert, and a chill ran down his spine.

Yao Guangxiao, a monk, entered the Ming Dynasty court and took charge of the most mysterious and unpredictable intelligence bureau and intelligence agency.

Ordinary people have always been fascinated by the stories of such legendary figures.

After all, compared to those high-ranking officials who were promoted step by step, Yao Guangxiao's deeds were full of mystery, which could better satisfy the people's need for gossip and boasting during their leisure time.

As a result, the black-robed monk's fame spread far and wide.

According to various folk legends, this monk was said to possess "magical powers".

Otherwise, why would His Majesty appoint him to such an important position?
As a county magistrate, Wu Suning naturally had some knowledge and did not believe these absurd and strange tales.

But he was also very clear that this old monk was no ordinary person and was extremely skilled.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to enter the imperial court as a monk and become a powerful minister.

The constable bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "My neighbor is related to a censor in the capital."

"It is said that someone was so anxious because his son had been tricked into going to Southeast Asia that he wrote a letter in blood to the Censorate, pleading with the Censorate to forward it to the Emperor and request the court to send troops to rescue his son."

"The officials of the Censorate did not present this letter to His Majesty. But somehow, the news came to the attention of the black-robed monk, who then reported the matter to His Majesty truthfully."

"Upon learning of this, His Majesty was furious and immediately summoned all the officials for a grand court assembly. There were hundreds of officials present at the time."

"That black-robed monk gave His Majesty a detailed report on the matter in front of all the officials. My neighbor's relative, who was a court attendee, heard it all clearly at the time."

"This time, the imperial court is really serious!"

"On the one hand, troops were sent to Siam and Bagan to rescue people; on the other hand, the Fujian governor and the provincial inspector were ordered to strictly control the local authorities, and the Ministry of Justice was also ordered to personally supervise the case."

"For this reason, his relatives wrote back, repeatedly urging them not to have any contact with those human traffickers, so as not to be implicated innocently."

“I usually have a good relationship with their family, so he told me about it.”

Wu Suning suddenly realized, slapped his thigh, and exclaimed, "So that's what happened! No wonder these official documents have been pouring in like snowflakes lately, one after another, as if they'll never run out."

In fact, he wasn't completely unaware of it.

Over the past two weeks, official documents from the provincial judicial commissioner and instructions from the prefectural magistrate have repeatedly emphasized the need to severely crack down on fraud and kidnapping.

The county magistrate would call him in for a talk every few days, each time with a grave expression, saying that he had received another urgent notice from the province and the prefecture...

Even the Daming Daily News reported extensively on the case, reminding the public to be careful and guard against fraud.

All these signs indicate that a storm is about to break, much like the saying "a storm is brewing."

However, Wu Suning never took these things seriously.

He always felt that this was just a rectification campaign targeting the entire Fujian province, and even the entire Ming Dynasty, and had little to do with the small Qingxi County.

After all, Qingxi County has always been a safe and peaceful place where people live and work in peace and contentment, a scene of prosperity and tranquility. He believed that he could rest easy.

But upon hearing the constable's words, Wu Suning's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became tense.

He never imagined that Qingxi County, such a small place, would become the center of this storm.

Wu Suning clenched his fists subconsciously, wondering to himself: Could I be dragged into this mess?

Just as he was frowning and pondering with deep concern, the constable continued, "Sir, there is another piece of news. The imperial envoy who was ordered to come to Fujian to investigate the case is none other than Lord Ji Gang, the commander of the Anti-Theft Division of the Ministry of Justice."

"What? It's him?"

Wu Suning's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body swayed involuntarily.

Originally, he expected that the imperial envoy sent by the court would most likely be a civil official, such as an inspector.

After all, according to the conventions of the Ming Dynasty, most of the government affairs were controlled by civil officials.

Given the coveted position of imperial envoy, they would naturally try every means to place their own people in it.

Moreover, since the local officials at all levels were civil servants, sending a civil servant as an imperial envoy made it easier to deal with local government officials.

But to his utter surprise, the imperial court sent the chief official of the Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Criminal Investigation to investigate theft.

Ji Gang was a renowned figure in the martial arts world, and even more so within the Ministry of Justice.

Since Zhu Yunwen's reforms, Wu Suning's position as county magistrate was subject to both the jurisdiction of the county magistrate and the command of the Ministry of Justice.

As a member of the Ministry of Justice system, he had naturally heard of Ji Gang's great name long ago.

It is said that Ji Gang came from humble beginnings and was a member of the martial arts world in his early years.

Therefore, he was very familiar with all the tricks of the trade in the martial arts world.

Moreover, this person is ruthless and cold-blooded, and is notoriously difficult to deal with.

Since gaining Zhu Yunwen's favor, he even went so far as to "betray" his former brothers and friends who had roamed the martial world with him, throwing them all into prison.

Such a person is not as easily fooled as those civil officials who only know how to read the classics!
Wu Suning knew in his heart that he really had to take this seriously this time.

But just as he had this thought, he heard a commotion outside.

A constable shouted angrily, "Who goes there? How dare you trespass into the county government office! Don't you know that attacking the government office without cause is treason?"

As the first voice faded, another cold and authoritative voice rang out: "The Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating this case by imperial decree!"

"All constables in Qingxi County, immediately lay down your weapons and stay obediently in the county government office to accept the investigation."

"Once it is found that you have no collusion with human traffickers, your innocence will be cleared."

"Anyone who disobeys orders or resists will be killed without mercy!"

……

P.S.: Happy Lunar New Year's Eve everyone! May your families be filled with joy and may all your wishes come true!
(End of this chapter)