Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 486 Old Zhu Investigates the Case!

"The magistrate is not currently in the county office, and all matters are being handled by the county assistant... I wonder if I should inform the county assistant first?"

He wasn't exactly stupid; after a brief moment of shock, he quickly came to his senses.

Although his tone remained respectful, it had become somewhat cautious.

In a short moment, he had already quickly made a decision in his mind.

He even came up with a whole set of "rational explanations" in his mind.

It is rumored that the Embroidered Uniform Guard usually operates in the capital region and will not easily leave unless they have a major confidential mission.

Being dispatched by the Imperial Guard to other regions on official business must involve extremely important national affairs.

Since the establishment of the Ministry of Posts and Communications, not only has the number of private letters increased significantly, but the number of official correspondence between government departments has also increased more than tenfold.

When someone from above is sent on official business, they will often send an official document in advance so that the local government offices can prepare to receive them.

All necessary documents can be prepared in advance.

This will also prevent us from being caught off guard and flustered when things come to a head.

The number of "surprise attacks" caused by the inconvenience of information transmission has decreased significantly.

The sudden appearance of these Imperial Guards, without prior notification to the county government, clearly indicates an urgent mission requiring extreme secrecy.

Could it be that they are going to arrest someone?
Or should we have a secret meeting with the magistrate?

Since this matter involves sensitive information, the fewer people who know about it, the better.

If a mere guard were to relay the message without authorization, wouldn't that ruin the important affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Thinking of this, he dared not act on his own initiative, but carefully sought the other party's permission.

"Where did the county magistrate go?" Jiang Huan frowned.

The Ming Dynasty law clearly stipulates that local officials are responsible for guarding their territory. Unless ordered by the emperor, leaving their post without authorization is a serious crime, and in severe cases, they may even be beheaded.

Therefore, Jiang Huan subconsciously assumed that the county magistrate had simply left the yamen to inspect and conduct official business in the lower levels.

"Ever since the imperial mission to Beshbali set off, the county magistrate has not shown his face again."

The guard replied in a low voice, his expression vaguely puzzled: "I heard from the county magistrate that the imperial court has entrusted the county magistrate with another important matter, but he has never said what it is, nor has he allowed his subordinates to ask any questions."

"At present, all government affairs in the county are temporarily handled by the county magistrate."

After saying that, he couldn't help but secretly glance at Jiang Huan out of the corner of his eye.

He was really puzzled. Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come on orders, they should have known the magistrate's whereabouts perfectly well. Why were they asking him, a nobody, instead?
Doubts churned in his mind, but he dared not utter a word, only bowing his head quietly.

"You may also see the county magistrate. Lead the way," Old Zhu said, waving his hand.

They were just asking about the situation; there wasn't much difference between seeing the county magistrate or the county assistant magistrate.

The guards dared not be negligent and responded repeatedly.

He immediately led them through the corridor of the county government office to the study in the backyard.

Before long, the group arrived at a secluded hall inside the government office.

The room was simply furnished, but neatly arranged, and it was clear that people often handled government affairs here.

"Your humble servant, Zhou Cangshi, Assistant Magistrate of Jiayu County, pays his respects to the esteemed officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Zhou Cangshi bowed respectfully, his words were polite, and a hint of nervousness was in his eyes.

Upon receiving the report from the yamen runner, he hurriedly changed his clothes. He had just finished changing and hadn't even had time to leave when Old Zhu and the others arrived.

Zhou Cangshi was also able to bow immediately.

Although Jiang Huan presented only an ordinary Jinyiwei waist tag, without any gold patterns or special name, it was enough to terrify Zhou Cangshi, a minor local official.

Jiayuguan Pass was located on the frontier of the Ming Dynasty, in a remote and desolate place, thousands of miles away from Nanjing.

The fact that the imperial court has suddenly dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to this place is clearly unusual.

A cloud of doubt rose in his mind. Could something big be about to happen?

During Zhu De's reign, he instigated several major cases that swept across the country.

Many officials, even if they haven't experienced it themselves, have heard about it.

And for each of these major cases, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was mobilized from all directions.

The sudden arrival of the Embroidered Uniform Guard naturally arouses suspicion.

"Where did your county magistrate go?" Old Zhu asked bluntly after settling down.

He originally didn't care about this matter.

But on the way here, I suddenly realized that the magistrate's departure might be related to the changes in the mission.

Therefore, he went straight to the point in his inquiry.

“Reporting to Your Excellency,” Zhou Cangshi replied with his head bowed, “A few days ago, an imperial delegation passed through Jiayuguan on its way to Beshbaliq.”

"The magistrate said that the delegation brought His Majesty's secret decree, ordering him to accompany the delegation and assist in the mission."

Old Zhu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

How could a county magistrate from the border region accompany a mission to a foreign land?

Is this because his grandson Zhu Yunwen is trying to "stir things up" again, or is there another reason?
Old Zhu's mind was churning with deep emotions.

Zhou Cangshi also vaguely sensed that the "Jinyiwei official's" reaction was abnormal, and his heart couldn't help but tighten.

He was initially puzzled that a secret police agency like the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be unaware of the county magistrate's whereabouts.

In retrospect, perhaps it was precisely because this matter was extremely confidential that even the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not informed in advance?
But if that's the case, did I just say something wrong?
Since the imperial court has issued a secret order, how can I easily reveal the truth?

However, under the cold and piercing gazes of these Imperial Guards, especially when the old man in front of them spoke, there was an even greater invisible pressure.

At that moment, his mind went blank, and he almost subconsciously told the whole story without considering the consequences.

At this moment, Zhou Cangshi felt a vague unease, as if a stone was hanging in his heart, and the more he thought about it, the heavier it became.

"Besides the county magistrate, how many people were transferred from your county office when the delegation left?" Old Zhu pressed on after a moment's thought, his tone even more sharp than before.

"Originally, the delegation consisted of only a hundred or so people, but when they arrived at Jiayuguan, they had become a huge and imposing force."

"Where did your magistrate get so many people from?"

"This..." Zhou Cangshi was speechless for a moment, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, his lips trembling twice, and finally he said in a low voice, "This humble official dares not speak presumptuously."

"Insolence!" Jiang Huan slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming like thunder, causing the windowpanes in the room to tremble slightly. "As the magistrate of a county, do you dare to conceal the truth from us, the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Zhou Cangshi's face turned deathly pale instantly. He felt as if a chill had penetrated his body, and he trembled twice, but he still managed to stand firm and gritted his teeth to insist, "Your Excellency, according to the new regulations promulgated by the imperial court, all levels of government offices must issue official documents bearing the seal of the government office in addition to holding a waist token when dealing with confidential matters."

"For important cases, it is even more necessary to send someone from the superior government to accompany the case before it can be carried out."

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Although you have the Embroidered Uniform Guard badges, I have not received any official documents from the government office, nor have I seen any orders from the governor or the imperial inspector.”

"According to the law, even the Embroidered Uniform Guard has no right to question a subordinate under such circumstances."

Although his tone was low, every word he spoke was well-founded, neither humble nor arrogant.

The example of County Magistrate Li Boyue came to Zhou Cangshi's mind.

That Lord Li, who once worked at a military factory, was forced to do Zhu Gaoxi a favor by releasing a batch of weapons without completing all the official paperwork, ultimately resulting in his demotion and investigation. Now, facing the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could he dare to easily reveal confidential matters?

The slightest mistake could lead to utter disgrace and ruin.

Old Zhu's eyes narrowed slightly, but instead of being angry, he smiled and said, "So, when your county magistrate received the secret edict, he showed you the original text of the imperial edict?"

“No, not at all.” Zhou Cangshi shook his head and said, “Since it is a secret edict, outsiders naturally cannot see it. The county magistrate is also acting in accordance with the law and has not revealed a single word of its contents to his subordinates.”

"Then when he leaves the jurisdiction, there must be an official document jointly issued by the governor and the provincial inspector's office, ordering you to temporarily take charge of the county's administration, right?" Old Zhu asked again.

Zhou Cangshi paused slightly upon hearing this, then gently shook his head again: "No, not at all."

"Before leaving, the magistrate said that this was His Majesty's secret decree, which was highly confidential, and even the governor and inspector of Shaanxi had no idea about it."

"He also specifically instructed that I must not report this to my superiors without authorization, nor leak it out in the slightest."

As he spoke, he grew increasingly uneasy.

If even the governor and the imperial inspector were kept in the dark about this matter, then it would be an enormous secret.

Did I cross the line with what I just said?
But now these Imperial Guards are coming in with great force. In the heat of the moment, he had already inadvertently revealed some of the truth, and now it's too late to hide it.

Just as he was filled with regret, he saw Old Zhu sneer and sweep his gaze like a knife over Zhou Cangshi, saying, "Since there is no imperial edict to show and no approval document from the superior government to corroborate it, why do you believe what he said?"

In short, it hits the nail on the head.

Zhou Cangshi's expression changed drastically, and he stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"No...no..." he stammered, his face pale. "Even if the magistrate had the greatest courage, he would never dare to claim to have a secret decree and abandon his post!"

This statement lacked conviction; it was clearly an attempt to justify himself.

He had never doubted it before; he held this idea in mind.

But when confronted by the Imperial Guards, he immediately felt terrified and uneasy, yet he desperately tried to find reasons to defend himself.

“Furthermore,” Zhou Cangshi said, “the county magistrate left with the imperial delegation. If he didn’t have a secret mission, why would the delegation allow him to come along?”

These words seemed to restore some of his confidence.

But his voice still trembled, revealing his guilty conscience.

Old Zhu didn't answer immediately, but frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

At this moment, Jiang Huan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up: "Secret edict? Since you say it is a secret edict brought by the mission, and he left the pass with the mission, then it is even more suspicious."

"If I'm not mistaken, the large contingent that left Jiayuguan with the envoy must have been temporarily drawn from the nearby garrison."

Zhou Cangshi's expression changed again.

Although Li Boyue did not tell him about this.

With such a large-scale operation involving so many people, it would be difficult for him, as the acting county magistrate, not to know.

Jiang Huan smiled coldly and said, "Only by going to the army can we quickly mobilize a complete force to accompany you."

"If the civilian laborers are hastily assembled, let alone the marching arrangements, even basic discipline will be a problem."

"How could such a group impersonate an envoy?"

"I'm afraid that before I even leave the pass, I'll be completely exposed."

Jiang Huan changed his tone and said, "But here's the problem: if a court delegation really has a secret mission on its hands, mobilizing troops is just a matter of issuing a single order."

"Then why bother going to the trouble of temporarily conscripting troops from Jiayu Pass?"

"Wouldn't that expose our weakness?"

"If it truly carries a secret imperial decree, the guards should have already been arranged in the capital and would have accompanied the journey."

"If we withdraw troops after reaching Jiayu Pass, wouldn't that arouse suspicion?"

"If the other side has planted spies within the Ming Dynasty, we only need to compare the size of the mission before and after to know that there is something else going on this trip."

"Although Beshbalik is thousands of miles away from our country and information transmission is slow, those barbarians on the grasslands may not have laid out any significant spies."

"But if the imperial court is to send an envoy, how can it allow even the slightest oversight?"

"The real secrets are the most secret of secrets, and not a single word can be leaked."

Jiang Huan said with certainty, "If that's the case, then we will definitely not mobilize troops at Jiayuguan."

Following the logical analysis, Jiang Huan quickly discovered that something was amiss.

Actually, even without him saying it, Lao Zhu had already thought of it.

"Let's go to the military camp and find out what's going on." Old Zhu stood up.

At this moment, Zhou Cangshi finally realized: Could it be that there was no secret decree at all?
Is Magistrate Li Boyue deceiving me?

But why would he do that?

To falsely convey imperial edicts and leave one's post without authorization—does this mean one doesn't even care about one's own family?
Why did this perfectly good county magistrate do this?

But the analysis of these two Imperial Guards is indeed very reasonable.

Upon realizing this, Zhou Cangshi was filled with fear.

He instinctively took a few steps to catch up, his voice panicked: "My lord, what... what should I do?"

At this moment, he was completely lost and confused.

I felt as if I were trapped in a fog, unsure whether to move forward or backward.

Old Zhu stopped, his expression unchanged, and turned back to say calmly, "Your county magistrate's affairs must not be spread outside."

"Not a single word of this, including the fact that our Embroidered Uniform Guard has been here, must be revealed to outsiders."

"As the county magistrate, with the county magistrate absent, you should take over the administration of the county, perform your duties diligently, and keep Jiayu Pass in order. That is what you should be doing right now."

"Other matters are none of your concern."

"If the sky falls, there will be someone taller to hold it up; it won't fall on the head of a mere county magistrate like you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cangshi felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

Yes, he was just a county magistrate. If Li Boyue had truly abandoned his post and used a secret edict, he would have had no way of distinguishing the truth from the falsehood, let alone stopping him.

Besides, there's no reason for the county magistrate's assistant to stop the county magistrate.

As a subordinate official, he couldn't stop it.

Even if something goes wrong, it shouldn't be his place as a mere county magistrate to take the blame.

In the past, the imperial court had strict laws and regulations, and the punishment of implicating others was rampant, often implicating many innocent people.

However, since the emperor implemented the new policies, the Dali Temple began to revise the laws, and the decrees became clearer and more reasonable, no longer easily implicating innocent people.

Although the system of collective punishment has not been completely abolished, everything still requires evidence and division of responsibility.

If he has no responsibility, he won't be greatly affected.

……

(End of this chapter)