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

Chapter 363 Clues and Evidence? Not Needed

Zhu Jinzhen's cold and stern face was reflected in the gilded bronze mirror in the Wenhua Hall.

The ink on the stacks of memorials on the desk was still wet, and each one told the same story—the world was in chaos.

Or……

The Ming Dynasty cannot do without its civil officials!
Inside the Wenhua Hall, the atmosphere was tense. Yan Yimei, Cao Zhengchun, Yu Huatian, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Qinglong, and Shangguan Haitang, the five people who held the most powerful intelligence agency and the power of life and death in the entire Ming Dynasty, all lowered their heads and felt a chill in their hearts.

"The White Lotus Sect in Shandong has gathered 100,000 followers and has already captured Yanzhou Prefecture!"

"Secret Guards, what do the Eastern and Western Depots and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have to report?"

Zhu Jinzhen opened the memorial and saw that it was written in blood-stained handwriting, "The city was completely destroyed, and forty-seven officials were beheaded and their heads displayed to the public." The accompanying text was hastily written, and it seemed to be a memorial pleading for help in a moment of extreme urgency.

Yu Huatian, Cao Zhengchun, and Qinglong exchanged glances, all seeing the deep gloom in each other's eyes.

This move by the civil service group, or rather, the aristocratic families, was extremely fatal.

Knowing they couldn't fight them head-on, they launched rebellions in various places. No matter how strong the intelligence capabilities of the Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Embroidered Uniform Guard were, they were powerless to stop them for a while.

Yan Yimei glanced at the three of them, stepped forward, and cupped her hands, saying, "Your Majesty, since the incident occurred in Yanzhou, the Kong family of Shandong must be more aware of the 'truth' of the matter."

"The Kong family of Shandong?"

Zhu Jinzhen's eyes flickered, and the image of a certain 'surrendering person' suddenly appeared in his mind.

Seeing that Zhu Jinzhen remained silent for a long time, Changsun Wangqing stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Cangyun will arrive in Jinan soon. Why don't I personally lead the Cangyun to suppress and kill them?"

Before the Cangyun Iron Cavalry, what are Confucianism, Confucius, or the White Lotus Cult? They are nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs.

Changsun Wangqing was confident that he could completely suppress all the unrest in less than three days.

"Since the White Lotus Sect dares to stir up trouble, it is inevitable that they will be suppressed and killed."

"What I want to know is..." Zhu Jinzhen's gaze fell on Yan Yimei, Yu Huatian, Cao Zhengchun, and the others: "The White Lotus Sect has been suppressed and wiped out dozens of times. Since the founding emperor, whenever the situation is unfavorable to civil officials or aristocratic families, it will rise from the ashes and reappear."

"The Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been established for many years. Has there been absolutely no news about them?"

Zhu Jinzhen did not refuse Changsun Wangqing's request.

The greatest use of the Cangyun Army was not to guard the capital, but to pacify the world and become the pillar of stability for the Ming Dynasty.

It will deter all enemies, both internal and external.

Several days ago, Changsun Wangqing had already proposed leaving the capital and leading the Cangyun Army southward in accordance with Zhu Jinzhen's previous strategic plan.

Today, it's just that the opportunity presented itself, and I'm bringing it up now.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, it's not that we have no clues, but rather... the White Lotus Sect is not a sect composed of any specific person or organization."

“Since the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, the White Lotus Sect has frequently wreaked havoc in the region, operating under various banners.”

“Every time the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard thinks they have completely suppressed them, it will not be long before the so-called White Lotus sect members rise from the ashes, and the cycle repeats itself endlessly.”

"According to the intelligence I have gathered over the years while in charge of the Eastern Depot, the White Lotus Sect was secretly supported by powerful families and nobles who attempted to defy the rules and challenge the court, or to carry out certain conspiracies."

"It's hard to completely eradicate the weeds, and even harder to remove the roots!"

Cao Zhengchun's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

Especially Yu Huatian and Shangguan Haitang.

One was a man who had only recently taken charge of the Western Depot and was still getting familiar with many things, far from the later, more accomplished leader who could easily obtain imperial authorization and whose Western Depot required no evidence. The other was someone who hadn't expected that the White Lotus Sect, infamous in the martial arts world and among the common people, would have such an origin.

Zhu Jinzhen was not surprised; instead, he sneered, "You mean, those people, at their wits' end, resorted to desperate measures to disrupt the entire Ming Dynasty and force me to make concessions?"

"This……"

Cao Zhengchun hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Cao Zhengchun already felt that he had killed too many powerful officials and nobles in the court during this period, so many that the entire court was shaken, officials were terrified, and there was a sense of impending doom.

Those aristocratic families implicated suffered countless beheadings and tens of thousands exiled.

The most unfortunate group was the civil service. Whether it was the Jiangnan faction or the Northern faction, they were all implicated. From the cabinet to the six ministries, and then to the three offices and five courts, officials at all levels were imprisoned or even executed.

In order to protect themselves, they took risks and made dangerous moves, which seems understandable.

Zhu Jinzhen looked at Qinglong, "Where are the Embroidered Uniform Guards?"

"Your Majesty, the Kong family of Shandong was involved, but not directly. According to the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, much of the White Lotus Sect's provisions and weapons, and even some of its high-ranking members, are intricately connected to a certain aristocratic family through intermarriage with the Kong family." Qinglong bluntly relayed the Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence.

In the capital and at court, the Embroidered Uniform Guard may have become somewhat less powerful.

In recent years, with the rise of Liu Jin and Cao Zhengchun, there has been a misconception that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has become a subordinate organization of the Eastern Depot. However, in terms of intelligence capabilities and intelligence network, the Embroidered Uniform Guard still stands proudly in the imperial court.

Whether it's the Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, or the Dragon Guard Manor, they are all slightly inferior in this respect.

“I don’t need any clues.” A dangerous glint flashed in Zhu Jinzhen’s eyes.

Qinglong was taken aback and didn't know how to speak when Yu Huatian stepped forward at the right moment, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, in just two days, the Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will surely present the evidence to the Emperor."

Qinglong stared blankly at Yu Huatian, for he hadn't said that.

Moreover, even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard found the intelligence in just two days, they couldn't transmit it back to the capital from Shandong!

Not to mention that the Confucius family in Shandong was implicitly the leading Confucian representative among scholars of all the countries, making it quite difficult for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to send intelligence from Shandong back to the capital.

Having led the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years, Qinglong was not naive enough to believe that the Kong family of Shandong was merely a family of Confucian scholars, powerless and incapable of even killing a chicken.

Some people read books that reveal celestial phenomena, and some might even become terrestrial immortals.

If the Imperial Guards dared to pull teeth in front of a tiger, they would likely be swallowed whole, leaving not even a bone fragment.

"Okay, two days it will be."

Zhu Jinzhen gave Yu Huatian a meaningful look and then revealed a gratified expression.

Although Cao Zhengchun kept his head down, a smile appeared on his face.

Sometimes, the line between clues and evidence is very thin.

What the government needs when handling cases is evidence, and it needs irrefutable proof; otherwise, there will be countless wrongful convictions. However, the evidence required by the imperial court is different from the actual 'evidence'.

Not to mention, this time the White Lotus cult has launched a rebellion, stormed government offices, and openly murdered officials appointed by the imperial court.

This is blatantly slapping the face of the imperial court and Zhu Jinzhen.

Combating crime requires evidence, but counterterrorism...

All I need are the coordinates!!

(End of this chapter)