I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 213 Late-Night Negotiations! The Mad Second Marquis Xue Zheng

July 14th, near dusk.

The Xue family servants and a group of yamen runners and soldiers searched the entire Qufu county town again, but still could not find Tang Xianzu.

this moment.

Xue Zheng, Xu Liang, and Bai Youlu were all getting anxious.

A lockdown for a day or two is not a problem.

If this continues for more than three days, trade within the city will cease, causing panic among the people and inevitably leading to much chaos.

Once the ban is lifted, Tang Xianzu may be able to spread the news of the "Zhongxin Society" to the capital.

By then, no one can protect them.

in fact.

The Chung Shin Society is a secret society; unless you are involved, you will not know its name.

However, Xue Zheng was too arrogant and thought he could make Tang Xianzu compromise, which led to the leak of the news. He even told Tang Xianzu that You Jixun, the prefect of Yanzhou, and Xu Liang, the vice-prefect of Yanzhou, were both members of the society.

……

The rear hall of the Xue family residence of Marquis Yangwu.

Xue Zheng stood in front of a wall, carefully scanning the map of Qufu County hanging on it.

He frowned from time to time, unable to understand how Tang Xianzu had been rescued.

Even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard really did come here.

In the small town of Qufu, the Xue family's spies are everywhere; nothing can hide from them.

Also.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were mostly active in local prefectures and states, and it was highly unlikely that they would come to county towns to perform official duties.

Even if they do come, it usually won't exceed five.

Xue Zheng looked at the map again, and suddenly his gaze fell on the Duke Yansheng's Mansion on the east side of the Confucius Temple.

"Could he be at the Duke of Yansheng's residence?" Xue Zheng asked, then shook his head and muttered, "Impossible. Kong Shangxian is a coward. If he dares to help the Embroidered Uniform Guard hide people, he would be going against my Xue family and all the gentry and landlords in Qufu County!"

Just then, a cough was heard.

"Cough...cough..."

A man dressed in fine clothes, with gray hair, and about fifty years old, came to Xue Zheng's side.

"Second brother, why is the county town gates sealed off? Do we need to close the city gates to catch a bandit? Why are all our servants out looking for him?"

The speaker was Marquis Yangwu, Xue Bian.

He had no children and his health had always been poor, so he entrusted all the affairs of the Yangwu Marquis's mansion to Xue Zheng.

After Xue Bian passed away.

It is highly likely that the "brother succeeds brother" approach will be adopted, with Xue Zheng becoming the next Marquis of Yangwu.

However, this changed after the Jiajing reign.

The succession of a brother's title by a younger brother becomes more difficult and requires special approval from the emperor.

Xue Zheng founded the Loyalty Society largely to build his own network of relationships, making it easier to inherit the title.

Furthermore, even if they are demoted in the future, they can still rely on the Zhongxin Society to control the business in Qufu and even the entire Yanzhou Prefecture, ensuring that the Xue family will prosper for generations to come.

present.

Xue Bian was practically sidelined; he held the title of Marquis in name only, but Xue Zheng firmly controlled the wealth and personnel of the Yangwu Marquis's mansion.

Xue Bian was also aware of the existence of the Zhongxin Society.

He believed that Xue Zheng did this to protect and prosper the Xue family, and that the Xue family had also contributed to the continuous increase of commercial taxes in Qufu County, so he trusted Xue Zheng very much.

Xue Zheng turned his face and a smile appeared on his face.

"Brother, this bandit is no ordinary one; he is extremely fierce. We have no choice but to seal the city gates. Don't worry, Magistrate Xu said that we will catch the bandit in two days at most!"

"Alright, alright!" Xue Bian walked away unsteadily, his hands behind his back.

……

After a while.

A servant of the Xue family hurried up to Xue Zheng and said, "Second Lord, there is news from the capital."

Xue Zheng solemnly accepted the letter, but upon reading its contents, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said, "Prepare the carriage, let's go to the county government!"

……

About fifteen minutes later, at the back office of the Qufu County Government.

Xue Zheng, Xu Liang, and Bai Youlu reunited.

"What? Hanlin Academy lecturer Shen Nian and Shi Qing, the most trusted commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, have arrived in our county with more than thirty Embroidered Uniform Guards. And it is highly likely that they are the ones who rescued Tang Xianzu?"

Bai Youlu was so surprised that his mouth dropped open. With such a grand display, his yamen runners hadn't found a single clue.

Xu Liang could hardly believe it.

"Second Lord, you...you...is this news reliable? Is someone lying to you? How could these two possibly come to our county? Especially Shen Nian, the Hanlin Academician Lecturer. He is a Hanlin official, a daily lecturer, and also records the emperor's daily activities. How could he have left the capital?"

Xue Zheng's face was gloomy.

"This news is absolutely true. There are also members of our Zhongxin Society in the capital!"

"Shen Nian was Tang Xianzu's teacher at the Hanlin Academy. Perhaps he and Shi Qing were on a business trip when they learned that Tang Xianzu had been beaten and injured, so they came to our Qufu County and unexpectedly found Tang Xianzu imprisoned, and then rescued him!"

"They must not have known about the Zhongxin Society before they came to Qufu County, otherwise we would be in jail by now!"

Xue Zheng was unaware that Tang Xianzu relied on the street boy Tang Mingyuan to deliver messages, hence his inference.

Bai Youlu said with a look of panic, "If they are with Tang Xianzu, then they must know about the Zhongxin Society. What should we do? If they are just two ordinary guards, we can kill them, but they are Hanlin Academy lecturers, His Majesty's daily lecturers, and possibly the future Grand Secretary Shen Nian! There is also Shi Qing of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whom His Majesty values ​​most. We cannot afford to offend any of them!"

“If we kill them, the imperial court will probably send a large number of officials to investigate. Can you...can you withstand that?”

"They're definitely gathering evidence against us right now; they might even have the impeachment memorial written!"

Xu Liang glanced at Bai Youlu with disdain and said, "Where would these thirty-odd people be hiding?"

Xue Zheng thought for a moment.

"Within the county town, there can only be one place where more than thirty people have been hidden and we haven't found them yet: the Duke Yansheng's mansion. Kong Shangxian dared to hide them because of the power of these two men!"

"So what should we do next? If we confess now, will we get a lighter punishment? I...I...my only son is only five months old! I...I...I don't want to die!" Bai Youlu said, his face filled with fear.

"What's the panic? It's just thirty-odd Imperial Guards. As long as they can't leave Qufu, everything is still under our control," Xue Zheng said in a deep voice.

"Second Lord, you...you don't really intend to silence them, do you?" Bai Youlu asked.

“Killing them is the worst possible solution. I want to persuade them to join the Loyalty Society. Get ready, we’ll gather enough men tonight, and at 23:00 PM we’ll head to the Duke of Yansheng’s mansion to apprehend the thieves!”

……

It was nearly midnight.

Inside a residence of the Duke of Yansheng.

A member of the Imperial Guard approached Shen Nian and Shi Qing and said, "We have brought Marquis Yangwu, Xue Bian, back. His personal maid has been drugged, so it's highly likely that the Xue family won't discover Xue Bian's disappearance until dawn!"

"Well done!" Shi Qing said.

This is their most dangerous moment; if they were to fight head-on, everyone's lives would be in danger. Shen Nian let out a long breath.

"I have a feeling that Xue Zheng might come to the Duke of Yansheng's mansion tonight to search it. If he does, we should wait and see, negotiate with him, and see if we can get any more information about the Loyalty Society. If the negotiations fail, we should capture the leader first. If we have to kill someone, we should kill Xue Zheng first, then Xu Liang. Otherwise, we'll all be dead!"

At present, the two sides have reached a point where whoever does not compromise will lose their life.

"Understood!" Shi Qing nodded.

The other side currently has at least five hundred soldiers and yamen runners.

Even though the thirty-odd Imperial Guards beside them were highly skilled and armed with muskets, they would still be no match for them in a real fight. The enemy might not have muskets, but they definitely had bows and arrows, something Shen Nian and his group couldn't withstand.

Therefore, when it's time to act, one must act first.

About a quarter of an hour later.

The Duke Yansheng, dressed in a gray robe, hurried over.

"Gentlemen, something terrible has happened! Xue Zheng, Xu Liang, and Bai Youlu have arrived at my front yard with a large group of soldiers and yamen runners. They claim they've come to apprehend thieves, and they've told me that there are two notorious thieves among them, one surnamed Shen and the other surnamed Shi, and they want to identify them!"

"This...this is obviously because they've discovered you. My Kong family absolutely did not leak any information about you. I...I...I don't know how they found out?"

"It seems that the Zhongxin Society has expanded to the capital!" Shen Nian said with a gloomy expression.

The development model of the Chung Shin Society is, in fact, a means to form factions and disrupt the country.

Those who establish such a society are certainly guilty of a capital offense.

"Gentlemen, this Second Marquis of the Xue family is extremely wicked. Xu Liang's soldiers, the county yamen runners, and the Xue family's servants number at least five hundred. Would you like to meet him and sit down for a talk?"

"If a fight really breaks out, you will be no match for him. I suggest that peace be the priority. Furthermore, I... my Kong family will not participate in such chaos. Once you start fighting, we will all retreat to the Confucius Temple. As the current Duke Yansheng, my most important task is to continue the bloodline of the sage..."

The Kong family has always maintained neutrality in all matters, or as the saying goes: whoever provides the benefits is the mother.

If the rebels and the Ming soldiers were to fight today, they would remain neutral.

In the hearts of the Confucius family, loyalty to the emperor and love for the country are of paramount importance, and they are capable of doing anything to ensure the continuation of the sage's bloodline.

Shen Nian glanced at Kong Shangxian, speechless.

But upon closer reflection, all the previous Dukes of Yansheng were like this; their spines had never been straightened.

The reason why the Xue family was able to have such influence in Qufu County was largely because the Kong family only knew classical Chinese and only knew how to prosper their lineage.

"Then let's meet. Fifteen minutes from now, in the front hall of the first courtyard of the Kong residence!"

"Okay, okay! I'll arrange it!" Kong Shangxian strode out.

At this time.

Shen Nian looked at Shi Qing and said, "Commander Shi, find me a sharp dagger. If we can't reach an agreement, I'll kill Xue Zheng first!"

“Scholar Shen, I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” Shi Qing said.

Shen Nian shook his head slightly.

“He is afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and won’t let you get close to him. On the contrary, I have a better chance. Also, bring Xue Bian out with us and see if we can protect ourselves with his help.”

"Okay!" Shi Qing nodded.

……

About a quarter of an hour later.

Shen Nian, Shi Qing, and Tang Xianzu, along with a group of Imperial Guards, arrived at the front hall of the first courtyard of the Kong family.

At this moment, they were about thirty steps away from the entrance of the front hall.

Xue Zheng sat on a large chair, with Xu Liang and Bai Youlu sitting beside him. They were surrounded by soldiers, who held swords and shields, protecting the three of them tightly. There were also soldiers with bows and arrows on both sides of the hall door.

They knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were highly skilled in martial arts, and therefore used this as a precaution against a sudden attack by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

As for the Kong family, not a single one was left; they were all taken to another courtyard by Duke Yansheng, Kong Shangxian.

He didn't want to participate in such bloody things, nor did he want to see or hear anything about them.

After Shen Nian, Shi Qing, and Tang Xianzu arrived at the front hall, Xue Zheng immediately stood up.

"This must be Scholar Shen, and this must be Commander Shi Qing! Seeing is believing, you two have extraordinary bearing and seem to be intelligent men. Magistrate Tang should have informed you of my situation. I think we should have a good chat; perhaps we can even become close friends!"

Xue Zheng spoke very humbly and gently.

If you don't know his character, you'll definitely be fooled.

Upon hearing this, Tang Xianzu, who was standing nearby, showed a look of disgust on his face.

Shen Nian smiled slightly and asked, "How can we become close friends?"

“Simple! You two… no… add Magistrate Tang too, the four of us will go to Xiehua Tower now, I’ll arrange everything, we’ll play until dawn, and the three of you can leave your calligraphy and promise to join my Loyalty Society, then we’ll be best friends!”

"Once we become close friends, we can help each other advance. Rest assured, the Xue family will absolutely support the new policies of the court and will never conceal a single acre of private land. Furthermore, I can help the three of you rise through the ranks..."

Shen Nian naturally knew this.

His so-called "playing until dawn" was the same tactic he used to deal with Tang Xianzu's "prostitution, gambling, and embezzlement".

This tactic is extremely despicable, but once you get involved, you can never get rid of it for the rest of your life.

Shi Qing looked at Xue Zheng and said, "What if we don't want to be your close friend?"

"Then news will come out tomorrow morning that a group of ruthless bandits attacked the Duke Yansheng's mansion, resulting in the deaths of all of you. You two are at the peak of your careers, and your lives are precious. You don't want to die like this, do you?" Xue Zheng said unhurriedly.

His tone of voice and gestures revealed that he had already tricked many officials with this tactic.

Shen Nian took two steps forward and looked at Xue Zheng.

"Second Lord, it's not that we can't be close friends, but you're probably not worthy right now. Your power is entirely in Shandong, so what benefit can it bring to our careers?"

"Humph!"

Xue Zheng sneered and said, "Gentlemen, you underestimate me. Once you join the Loyalty Society, you will know my capabilities. My goal is to have Loyalty Society members all over the world, so that everyone can achieve a win-win situation!"

"Everyone can brag, I want to see the list of members of the Zhongxin Society, especially the inner register!"

Xue Zheng shook his head slightly.

"You'll only have a chance to see it if you join the Loyal Society first. There are some important figures I'd rather die than reveal!"

"Let's take a look first!" Shen Nian said decisively.

"Scholar Shen, Young Grand Secretary, this is not the capital, not the imperial court, but Qufu County, the territory of my Xue family. You have no right to bargain with me!" Xue Zheng said, glaring.

Shen Nian turned and gave Shi Qing a wink. The latter waved his hand, and the Imperial Guards brought out the bound Marquis of Yangwu, Xue Bian.

"If you won't let us see, we'll all die together!" Shen Nian said.

"This will be useless against me!" As Xue Zheng spoke, he suddenly snatched a bow and arrow from the side and shot it directly at Marquis Yangwu, Xue Bian, whose mouth was gagged!

Whoosh!
boom!
A member of the Imperial Guard, wielding a long sword, deflected the arrow; had he not acted, Xue Bian would have been pierced through the chest.

Xue Bian was so frightened that he fainted.

"Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles!" Xue Zheng shouted, sounding like a madman who had lost his mind.

"Take Marquis Yangwu away first!"

Shen Nian paused for a moment, then looked at Xue Zheng again and said, "I can refuse to look at the membership roster of the Zhongxin Society, but you must tell me the name of a member who is at least a third-rank official, otherwise I will not be on your pirate ship!"

Xue Zheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, but only you can hear it."

Immediately, the two walked towards the center of the front hall, and the entire front hall became quiet.

(End of this chapter)