I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 208 Suppressing the Mutiny
Liu Shiyan's three magic weapons for suppressing the rebellion were carrots and sticks, plus his own prestige.

The carrot was a promise of 100,000 taels of silver. The stick was the threat of mobilizing troops to quell the rebellion under the king's decree.

Liu Shiyan looked closely at the hundreds of rebel soldiers and recognized many of them.

He said sternly, "Qu Dading, two years ago when we were suppressing bandits in Jiangpu, you were my central swordsman and shield bearer. We shared the same pot of rice porridge. What, are you going to give your Commander Liu Xie a spear today?"

"Zhang Yuhao, you used to be just a common soldier. I'm the one who promoted you to captain. Are you going to repay my kindness by offering me a saber?"

Qu Dading hurriedly said, "Commander, the brothers didn't come into the city for you this time. It's just that the corrupt officials of the court are not letting us live."

Liu Shiyan said, "Don't be foolish, my comrades! The other five battalions are almost in the city. If you insist on going down this path, the five battalions will wipe you out!"

"They've always disliked the Zhenwu Battalion. Now that they have a legitimate reason to kill you, and they'll even get a reward for your heads, do you think they'll show any mercy?"

As he said this, Liu Shiyan gave Lin Shisan a wink.

Lin Shisan understood immediately: "Reporting to Lord, the five battalions of soldiers request permission to enter the city through Zhengyang Gate to quell the rebellion."

Liu Shiyan said, "Let them postpone their entry into the city."

Turning to the rebel soldiers, Liu Shiyan earnestly pleaded, "Brothers, leave the city and return to your garrison! I guarantee your safety, and I will forgive all the evil you have done before."

"If we leave the city, we can get 100,000 taels of silver and keep our heads."

"Staying in the city means fighting against five times our strength, and we'll be branded as traitors. Our families will also be implicated."

"You guys decide what to choose!"

The leader of the rebel centurions declared, "We are willing to obey the commander's orders and withdraw from the city!"

Lin Shisan shouted from the side, "You all leave the city, and each of you can receive a reward of twenty taels of silver from the ten thousand taels of silver promised by the Earl of Chengyi."

"For every comrade you persuade to leave the city, you will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver!"

These few hundred rebel soldiers were persuaded by Liu Shiyan and Lin Shisan in a coordinated manner. They began to walk towards the outskirts of the city.

However, there are still eight or nine other groups of rebels, each numbering several hundred, within the city.

Liu Shiyan handed the royal command flag to Lin Shisan: "The royal command flag is for you. Go to the Fifth Camp immediately to mobilize troops."

Lin Shisan asked Liu Shiyan, "And what about you, Lord? Are you going to stay in Nanjing alone and try to persuade people to surrender?"

Liu Shiyan nodded: "They dared to kill Huang Maoguan and beat Xu Pengju, but they wouldn't dare to touch me, Liu Shiyan, in the slightest!"

"Besides, my ancestor Wencheng Gong in heaven will protect me and keep me safe!"

"Take the royal command flag and go quickly to mobilize the troops!"

Liu Bowen, posthumously honored as "Wencheng".

The moment Lin Shisan received the royal command flag, he became the most powerful person in Nanjing.

All the garrison troops and guards in Nanjing must obey his command!
Lin Shisan rode the tall horse given to him by Xu Pengju and sped out of the city toward the Fifth Battalion's garrison.

On horseback, a question flashed through his mind: What exactly was the purpose of Yan's party instigating a mutiny in the city?
Over the next hour, Lin Shisan assembled the Xinjiangkou Camp, the Dajiaochang Camp, the Xiaojiaochang Camp, the Hechi Camp, and the Puzikou Camp.

The massive army marched into the city!

The reason why the soldiers of the five battalions obeyed Lin Shisan's orders was because he had the royal command flag.

Secondly, he was Xu Pengju's direct subordinate in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The five generals stationed at the camp all believed that the incompetent Duke was a coward who feared death. That's why they entrusted his subordinate, Lin Shisan, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to mobilize troops to quell the rebellion.

Little did they know that it was the Earl of Chengyi, the young hero Liu Shiyan, who entrusted Lin Shisan with the task of mobilizing troops to quell the rebellion.

In terms of military operations, the Zhenwu Battalion's combat effectiveness far surpasses that of the other five battalions.

But by this time, the traitorous soldiers of Zhenwu Camp were so engrossed in looting that they were carrying large bags and bundles, some even with women on their backs. Where was their fighting strength?

The officers and soldiers of the Fifth Battalion were also blinded by rage. In their eyes, the heads of the traitors were no longer heads, but large, gleaming silver ingots.

Wherever the five battalions went, the rebel soldiers fled at the mere sight of them.

Two hours later, Lin Shisan encountered Liu Shiyan on Chicken Shit Street near Jiming Temple.

Liu Shiyan just persuaded two hundred rebel soldiers to surrender on Chicken Shit Street.

Lin Shisan addressed Liu Shiyan loudly, "Reporting to Lord Chengyi, the five battalions have entered the city. I hereby return the royal command, flags, and military command to you, Lord!"

After speaking, Lin Shisan dismounted and handed the royal command flag to Liu Shiyan on horseback with both hands.

Liu Shiyan raised the imperial command flag high: "All generals, listen to my command! Xinjiangkou Camp sweeps the area around Gulou. Dajiaochang Camp sweeps the area around Gongyuan. Xiaojiaochang Camp sweeps the area around Houhu. Hechi Camp sweeps the area around Jinchuanmen. Puzikou Camp sweeps the area around Shichengmen."

"Each of your squads will form a unit. Slay any rebels who are looting on the spot! If they surrender, spare their lives."

"The reward for beheading is the same as that for capturing prisoners!"

On a side note, Liu Shiyan's actions were somewhat reminiscent of Major Winters's later order for Riggs to deliver a single bullet to a German prisoner.

If he hadn't said that the reward for beheading someone would be the same as that for capturing someone, the five battalions would probably have wiped out the rebel soldiers.

If they exterminate them all, the rebel soldiers will fight back to the death.

It will take considerable effort to quell this rebellion.

Liu Shiyan set up a temporary command tent on Chicken Shit Street next to Jiming Temple.

He issued military orders while almost reclining, displaying the strategic brilliance of his ancestor Liu Bowen.

As the night deepened to the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), a series of good news reports reached the temporary command tent.

"Report! The rebels in the Drum Tower area have been wiped out; one hundred have been killed and three hundred captured. Another one hundred have fled the city in disarray!"

"Report! The rebel soldiers in the Gongyuan area have been wiped out, with four hundred killed and fifty captured."

"Report! The rebel troops in the Houhu area have been wiped out, with thirty killed and one thousand captured."

"Report! The rebel soldiers around Jin Chuan Gate have been wiped out, with 600 killed and 8 captured. More than a thousand others escaped from Jin Chuan Gate and fled the city."

"Report! The rebel troops around Shicheng Gate have been wiped out, with 300 killed and 400 captured. When our camp arrived at Shicheng Gate, a large number of rebel troops had already withdrawn from the city. The exact number is unknown."

"Report! Five hundred Zhenwu Battalion soldiers claim they are not rebels, but have entered the city to assist in suppressing the rebellion. The general in command has ordered them to lay down their weapons and remain where they are to be dealt with."

Liu Shiyan spent four hours to basically quell the "Nanjing Zhenwu Camp Rebellion of the Thirty-ninth Year of Jiajing".

Liu Shiyan turned to look at Lin Shisan: "Do you know why I brought you here to quell the rebellion tonight?"

Lin Shisan was now completely in awe of Liu Shiyan's courage and strategy.

Good heavens, it's only because the Emperor issued a clear decree that nobles were not allowed to personally go to the front lines of the war against the Japanese pirates.

If Liu Shiyan had gone to the southeastern front to fight against the Japanese pirates, he could at least have been as famous as Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang!

Speaking frankly in front of everyone, Lin Shisan truthfully revealed his suspicions: "You brought me here to quell the rebellion, perhaps to find a witness. You should know that I have the authority to submit secret memorials to the Emperor."

"You want me to report the events of tonight to Your Majesty truthfully."

Liu Shiyan nodded: "You are indeed a smart man. I overstepped my bounds and did the work of a garrison commander in my capacity as an assistant garrison commander. The upright officials in the capital will inevitably accuse me of overstepping my authority."

"They might even accuse me of coercing the garrison and illegally deploying troops, plotting rebellion."

"I need you to be the Emperor's eyes, to see clearly everything that is happening in Nanjing tonight."

Lin Shisan cupped his hands in greeting: "Rest assured, Lord. Tonight, I saw clearly who was a hero and who was a fool, who shirked responsibility and who bravely shouldered the burden!"

"I will report the truth as stated." By dawn, Nanjing had quieted down.

Tonight, 1,400 traitors from the Zhenwu Battalion were beheaded. The remaining 3,600 were either captured and taken back to their garrison, or they listened to Liu Shiyan's advice and voluntarily returned to their garrison.

Liu Shiyan then led five battalions of soldiers to surround the Zhenwu Camp's garrison like an iron barrel.

At the crow of a rooster, Lin Shisan returned to the Duke of Wei's mansion with Liu Shiyan.

Inside the main hall of the Duke of Wei's mansion, a group of nobles and high-ranking officials were still sitting there.

Last night, Nanjing was in complete chaos, and these cowards and wimps didn't have the courage to leave the Wei State Palace.

As for Xu Pengju, his official hat was knocked off by the rebel soldiers, and he was quite frightened. He almost collapsed on the head seat in the hall, showing none of the dignity of a duke.

Liu Shiyan cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Duke of Wei, the Zhenwu Camp rebellion has been completely quelled!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Pengju immediately perked up. He clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Yay! Great!"

He then straightened his gauze hat: "Liu Shiyan, do you know your crime?"

The nobles and ministers were now in awe: "Liu Shiyan, you are merely the deputy commander, the Duke's right-hand man. What right do you have to bypass the Duke and privately mobilize troops to quell the rebellion!"

"Exactly, you even bypassed me, the counselor and aircraft maintenance officer!"

"Major matters concerning the suppression of the rebellion require consultation among the various government offices before a decision can be made. How could you act on your own?"

Liu Shiyan glared at the crowd and roared, "Fine! There are still 3,600 men of the Zhenwu Battalion being held at their post! I'll release them all and let them re-enter the city, leaving them for you all to quell the rebellion, how about that?"

"At that time, the credit for suppressing the rebellion will still belong to you all!"

Lin Shisan chimed in from the side, "You were nowhere to be seen during the suppression of the rebellion. But afterwards, you were all the first to attack the heroes who helped quell the rebellion. Where did you all learn your Confucian classics?"

Xu Pengju angrily said, "Lin Shisan, you're nothing but a lackey of mine! You're just someone who helps me bait the fishing spot and use the landing net when I'm fishing."

"How dare you flaunt your power in the grand hall of the Duke of Wei's mansion?"

Lin Shisan completely broke ties with Xu Pengju. This was inconsistent with Lin Shisan's usual behavior.

Last night's mutiny made him fully realize Xu Pengju's true nature: a good-for-nothing who occupied a position without real power and brought disaster to the country and its people.

Lin Shisan said solemnly, "I, a commander of the Nanjing Imperial Guard, am the Emperor's servant, not your servant, Duke of Wei!"

"Don't forget, besides my position in the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard, I also hold another position: Imperial Attendant of the Western Garden!"

"You're saying the Imperial Attendant of the Western Garden is your servant? Do you think you're the Emperor?"

Xu Pengju was dumbfounded: "I, I never said that!"

Liu Shiyan said, "Stop shouting! The rebellion has been quelled. You should think about how to handle the aftermath and how to report to the court to deal with the rebel soldiers!"

Xu Pengju said the same old thing: "Well, we need to think it over carefully and discuss it thoroughly."

Liu Shiyan yawned: "Alright, you guys take your time, consider it carefully, and discuss it thoroughly. I'm exhausted after a long night, I'm going home to sleep!"

"Lin Shisan, let's go!"

The two left the Duke of Wei's mansion.

Liu Shiyan stared at the gilded plaque above the mansion's entrance and spat out a large wad of phlegm: "Pah! The head of the six founding dukes? What a load of rubbish!"

Lin Shisan said, "Lord Chengyi, rest assured. After I truthfully report yesterday's mutiny and send it to the capital for His Majesty's review, I believe His Majesty will issue an edict to dismiss Xu Pengju from his post."

"And you, the first hero in suppressing the rebellion, should replace the incompetent Duke and become the new garrison commander of Nanjing."

Liu Shiyan said solemnly, "I hope so!"

Ten days later, inside the main hall of Yongshou Palace.

Two large stacks of memorials were laid out in front of the Jiajing Emperor. The stack on the left was submitted by the upright officials who had spoken out against injustice.

The stack on the right is a collection of memorials submitted by officials of the Yan Party.

Both of these two large stacks of memorials are related to the Nanjing Zhenwu Camp mutiny.

The upright officials who dared to speak out had a rather peculiar perspective, and they went to great lengths to distort the truth.

Some of the memorials submitted by the Qingliu faction stated that Liu Shiyan, without consulting with the civil and military officials in Nanjing, arbitrarily promised the rebels 100,000 taels of silver, which was an attempt to win over the people, plot treason, and intend to rebel.

Another memorial from the Qingliu faction stated that Liu Shiyan was surrounded by rebel troops and unable to escape. To save his life, he disregarded all shame and tried to please the rebel soldiers, thus promising them 100,000 taels of silver.

Some even claim that Liu Shiyan, due to his youth and frivolity, disregarded the overall situation and arbitrarily mobilized troops on the night of the mutiny, leading to the deterioration of the situation.

The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.

On the night of the mutiny, the nobles and ministers of Nanjing hid in the Duke's mansion like cowards, ostensibly to discuss the facts but actually to seek refuge.

If Liu Shiyan is portrayed as a hero who single-handedly repelled the enemy and turned the tide, wouldn't they be seen as useless good-for-nothings in comparison?
Many of the ministers and officials in Nanjing had protégés or former associates who served as censors and remonstrance officials in the capital.

Clearly, they had spoken to the censors and officials, and were trying to pin the blame on Liu Shiyan.

The memorials submitted by officials of the Yan faction can be described as "horrifying"!
Their memorials were enough to answer Lin Shisan's doubts. Why would Yan's faction take such a great risk to incite a mutiny?
The memorial submitted by Yan's faction officials stated that the Zhenwu Battalion was a garrison recruited to defend against Japanese pirates. A large number of its soldiers came from civilian populations, rather than from hereditary military households.

The common people are unaware of military law, and military discipline is lax, making them difficult to control. It is likely that mutinies among the Japanese troops will occur one after another in the future.

For the sake of peace in Jiangnan, we request Your Majesty to issue an edict to disband all the garrison troops stationed in Jiangnan to defend against Japanese pirates. Furthermore, we request that the garrison troops be reorganized and trained to become the main force in the fight against the Japanese pirates.

"All the troops in the Jiangnan region prepared for the Japanese pirates" naturally included Qi Jiguang's Zhejiang troops and Yu Dayou's Fujian and wolf soldiers.

Logically speaking, Qi Jun and Yu Jun were Hu Zongxian's right-hand men. Hu Zongxian was also a core member of Yan's faction.

Isn't the Yan faction cutting off its own arm by doing this?

Such a memorial should clearly have been submitted by Xu Dang.

The Jiajing Emperor picked up a memorial and said to Lü Fang, "Strange things happen every year, but this year there seem to be more than usual."

"Yan Dang has requested to have his military power stripped. Lü Fang, what do you think?"

Lu Fang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, there must be something fishy about this."

Emperor Jiajing glared at Lü Fang: "Strange? What's strange? Explain in detail."

Lü Fang said, "Your Majesty, without evidence, this old servant dares not speak recklessly."

The Jiajing Emperor sighed, "Alas, where has Lü Daban, the straightforward man from the Xingwang Mansion, gone?"

"Now you are also keeping silent in front of me."

"In terms of loyalty, you are on par with Huang Jin. In terms of integrity, you are not even a fraction as good as Huang Jin. Huang Jin, tell me, what's going on here?"

Huang Jin cupped his hands and said, "I am a foolish person. But foolishness does not mean stupidity! Anyone who is not stupid can see this clearly—the Yan Party does not want to see a complete victory in the fight against the Japanese pirates!"

"Although Hu Zongxian was nominally a core member of the Yan Party, he was unambiguous in his actions regarding the resistance against Japanese pirates. This conflicted with the interests of Grand Secretary Yan and his son."

"The Yan family believed that to protect the Yan Party, the southeast must be protected first. To protect the southeast, the Japanese must be supported for their own benefit."

"As long as the Japanese pirates are not quelled, Hu Zongxian will remain the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Zhili. As long as Hu Zongxian is still in that position, the southeast will remain the southeast of Yan's faction."

“If Qi Jiguang’s troops from Zhejiang, Yu Jiguang’s troops from Fujian, and the Wolf Army are dismissed, the complete victory against the Japanese pirates in the southeast will be delayed by at least five years. This is in the interest of Yan’s faction.”

The Jiajing Emperor said, "Well said. Even a fool has some wisdom!"

(End of this chapter)