Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 342 If the knife has a heart, it will suspect the target.

Is it a warning?
Or should we give them a good talking-to?

Or...

What secrets did the Embroidered Uniform Guard have that even they themselves were kept in the dark about?
"Could you please enlighten me, Lord Rain?"

Azure Dragon's eyes flashed, and he bowed and asked.

Yu Huatian glanced meaningfully behind Qinglong, his tone suddenly turning icy: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's personal guard, responsible for supervising all officials. However, some of them have become too close to those in the court. This is not good news!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor's weapon.

This knife doesn't need to have its own thoughts; it only needs to cut through thorns and brambles.

If this knife develops a disloyal heart...

It might even backfire and harm itself.

Then, it would have no reason to exist.

Azure Dragon naturally understood this simple principle, as did Vermilion Bird and White Tiger. Even all the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Northern Garrison Command understood it, and for a moment they all looked around at their comrades with suspicion.

"Thank you for your advice, Eunuch Yu. I will personally give an explanation to His Majesty regarding this matter," Qinglong replied in a deep voice. Having chosen to completely side with Zhu Jinzhen, he would no longer hesitate.

Whether it was the Embroidered Uniform Guard or his brothers, they were all the same.

If anyone were to betray the emperor or the Ming Dynasty, the Thirteen Forms of the Ming Dynasty hanging at his waist could be drawn and used to slay blood.

"That would be best."

Yu Huatian smiled and glanced at Tan Luzi beside him. The latter immediately took out a list and handed it to Qinglong in front of all the Jinyiwei: "This is a list. With the power of the Jinyiwei, it won't be difficult for me to verify it."

Qinglong lowered his head and looked at the list. The words on it made his pupils shrink.

"This subordinate understands." Qinglong nodded solemnly and put the list into his pocket.

"But there is one more thing that I need Grandpa Yu's help with."

As he spoke, Qinglong glanced hesitantly at the outside of the Northern Garrison Command.

Since Zhu Wushi conspired with the cabinet to rebel, the Northern Garrison Command has changed hands several times. First, it was controlled by the Dragon Guard Manor and the Ministry of War, and later the Secret Guard took control and supervised the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If this layer of oversight is not removed, even if Qinglong is the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he will hardly be of any use.

Unless, he wants to disobey orders.

Yu Huatian naturally knew what Qinglong wanted him to do, and shook his head with a smile: "The sound just now was the sound of them leaving. As long as the Embroidered Uniform Guard does not overstep its bounds and remains loyal to His Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will still be the emperor's personal guard, just like before."

"Thank you!"

After a moment of astonishment, Qinglong bowed and thanked him.

Yu Huatian waved his hand. His nighttime visit to the Northern Garrison Command was not only on orders, but also to do Qinglong a favor.

A dead skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

As long as the Embroidered Uniform Guard exists, the Western Depot will inevitably have to deal with them.

Qinglong seemed to understand this as well, and his attitude became more polite.

The two talked for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Yu Huatian glanced at the sky outside before putting down his teacup: "I don't know about the sky. Now that the things have been delivered and the answers I wanted to know have been obtained, I will go back to report."

"I'll take Grandpa Rain away."

"no."

Yu Huatian shook his head, suddenly stood up, and strode quickly with the people from the West Depot towards the outside of the North Garrison Command.

As he brushed past Qinglong, Yu Huatian turned back and gave him a meaningful smile.

……

Outside the Northern Pacification Office.

They watched Yu Huatian and the people from the West Factory leave.

Finally, the Imperial Guard Zhuque could no longer contain himself and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a sense of relief at surviving a calamity. "Zhuque and Baihu, come with me. The rest of you, disperse." Qinglong waved his hand, dismissing the others, and then turned around with a solemn expression, leading the two Imperial Guard commanders, Zhuque and Baihu, towards the interior of the Northern Garrison.

Zhuque looked puzzled: "What's going on, brother?"

"I don't know."

The white tiger slowly shook its head, watching the azure dragon's retreating figure, and quickly followed after it.

We arrived at a safe and quiet room.

Zhuque couldn't wait to ask, "Brother, does His Majesty have some kind of decree?"

"Also, did Yu Huatian send over that list hoping we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, would get involved?"

Qinglong turned around, staring at Zhuque with a gloomy expression: "Yu Huatian did give me the list, but at the very top of the list... there are only four words."

Four words?
The Vermilion Bird was struck as if by lightning.

The white tiger also looked puzzled.

Without wasting words, Qinglong took out the list that Yu Huatian had given him in front of everyone. On it, written in bold strokes, were four large characters: "Using a plan against a plan".

"Playing along with their plan?" White Tiger scratched his head, not understanding what that meant.

Zhuque's eyes flickered: "Yu Huatian, you don't trust us?"

Qinglong stared intently into Zhuque's eyes and said in a deep voice, "This is Yu Huatian's intention and His Majesty's tacit approval. In His Majesty's eyes, the Embroidered Uniform Guard may no longer be the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Northern Garrison Command that can monitor all officials and make people tremble with fear, but an organization that is a mixed bag, with everyone having their own ulterior motives and unpredictable thoughts."

"When the Embroidered Uniform Guard is no longer pure, we who have always considered ourselves the emperor's personal guard."

"What we need to consider is not His Majesty's suspicion, but how to regain His Majesty's trust."

Zhuque frowned. "You doubt me?"

They grew up together and he knew Qinglong's character very well. He was a man of his word and knew that it was his slip of the tongue that had aroused Qinglong's suspicion.

"I suspect everyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, including myself." Qinglong did not deny it. How the Embroidered Uniform Guard should conduct itself and how to gain the new emperor's trust were the most important things he needed to consider now.

Today, it was Yu Huatian who came, and the soldiers outside the Northern Garrison Command retreated like a tide.

But what about next time?

Knowing that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had problems, and given their current predicament, Qinglong was naturally determined to make drastic cuts. As he said, everyone was on his suspect list.

Zhuque's reaction was indifferent, as if she had no guilty conscience. She chuckled and said, "Heh, alright. If you find out anything, you can throw me into the imperial prison anytime."

"Of course I don't want to doubt you."

“It’s not just you, but also Baihu, Xuanwu and the others.”

Azure Dragon closed his eyes in pain.

He didn't want to suspect his brothers who had fought their way through the brutal selection process of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but Yu Huatian's words just now made it clear that there were wavering or disloyal members within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

It must be within the upper echelons.

Even among the group of people who came to welcome Yu Huatian at the Beizhenfusi Yamen today.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Baihu quickly stepped in to smooth things over and changed the subject, saying, "We'll see how things go in the future."

"Brother, let's talk about the real task Yu Huatian gave you first."

Qinglong took a deep breath to calm his surging emotions and slowly recounted the details of the real mission that Yu Huatian had told him through telepathic communication during their conversation.

"The six ministries of the cabinet, the five temples and three offices, and the five military governorates must all be thoroughly investigated?"

"It involves civil and military officials, and even the princes and dukes of various regions cannot be spared?"

The Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger looked at each other, and couldn't help but swallow.

This is a huge matter, so huge it's almost frightening.

(End of this chapter)