Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 619 Taking Over Yizhou (Part 2)

The Koreans' sudden act of praising the emperor emboldened Liu Shifang even more. The emperor was wise, and as his subject, he naturally felt honored.

After the praises were given, Quan Huan was the first to stand up. Then, the other officials followed suit. Whether it was genuine reverence or simply old age, Li Xin, who had been the first to kneel, was the last to rise.

"Does Li Biejian have any other questions?" Liu Shifang asked, looking at Li Xin.

"Thank you for your explanation, Lord Liu. I have no further questions," Li Xin said, bowing.

"Where are the others?" Liu Shifang withdrew his gaze, his eyes inadvertently sweeping over Zheng Zun's face. To Liu Shifang's surprise, the prefect, who had always had a deathly expression, was now smiling.

Zheng Zun naturally smiled, because he saw a glimmer of hope for survival.

As a confidant of the king, Zheng Zun naturally needed to cultivate a good relationship with the crown prince. Although he refrained from doing anything out of line to avoid unnecessary suspicion, he never missed a moment of proper etiquette and flattery during festivals and celebrations. He couldn't change the emperor's decision to depose the king, but as long as he clung tightly to the regent's crown prince, he wouldn't be purged by the new king in the future, and might even have a chance to regain power.

Zheng Zun's smile quickly faded, because the most important issue remained.

For Zheng Zun, the most pressing issue was, of course, how to save his life in the impending purge. The best way to survive would be to comply with "divine will," betray the king, and proactively provide evidence for the emperor to depose him. However, this would inevitably offend the crown prince. The regent crown prince, who would officially inherit the throne after the guardianship period ended, wouldn't dare openly oppose the emperor, but initiating a secret purge within the country wouldn't be difficult for him. Corruption, bribery, abuse of power, and oppression of the people—there are too many crimes in this world that can lead to death.

How can one protect oneself in the upcoming reckoning without offending the Crown Prince Regent?

Just as Zheng Zun was about to fall into deep thought, Liu Shifang suddenly shouted, interrupting his thoughts: "Bring those two bastards up here!"

The "bastards" Liu Shifang referred to were naturally Li Biejian, who was in charge of grain, and Yaqian, who was in charge of the granary. Because they had been beaten several times for struggling, they had been quietly waiting by the back door of the main hall. Now that they had been brought into the hall and saw a huge crowd of people standing outside, they immediately panicked.

"Waaah." The two of them instinctively struggled, not caring whether they would be beaten again.

As they feared, Liu Shifang intended to launch a public denunciation to damage the reputation of the Korean government and establish the authority of the Ming army. "I just went to the Changping Granary, and it was completely empty, like it was infested with rats! I opened a bag, and there was more sand than grain inside."

Liu Shifang originally wanted to grab a handful of grain to show everyone present, but when he reached out, he realized that his personal guards had not brought the grain bags along with them.

"Tsk, where's the bag!" Liu Shifang glared at the head of his entourage.

The attendant was somewhat taken aback. "What bag?"

"That bag of grain!" Liu Shifang shouted, "The grain I told you to take from the warehouse!"

"Oh!" The attendant realized what was happening and quickly turned to get it.

"Damn it, are you a toad?" Liu Shifang rolled her eyes. "You jump when you poke you."

Liu Shifang waited silently for a while, giving him time to carefully observe the expressions of the officials present. He noticed that most of the people in the hall looked dejected and bewildered, except for the eunuch named Li Xin, and a few other officials who appeared thin and frail, who seemed composed. Liu Shifang wasn't surprised; the treasury being so empty couldn't possibly be anything other than a result of the upper echelons setting an example.

The grain sacks were dragged over by the attendant, and Liu Shifang immediately reached out and grabbed a handful.

"Look at this!" he shouted, holding up the grain and scattering it on the ground. "This is the grain in your granary! There's more sand than millet! No wonder these soldiers look like beggars!" Liu Shifang then pointed at the Korean soldiers cowering around the Ming army. "Do you think soldiers like these can withstand the ferocious army of the Jurchen traitors?!"

"Look at this fat pig!" Liu Shifang strode over to Li Biejian and lifted him off the ground. "Judging by his bloated appearance, even if you dug out all the bones and offal, there would still be two hundred pounds of fat left!"

Inside the lobby, only Liu Shifang's voice could be heard, while outside, a growing commotion began to rise, with the crowd showing signs of becoming agitated.

"Waaah!" Li Biejian struggled frantically. Because Liu Shifang's tone really sounded like he was about to slaughter a fat pig.

Li Biejian's gaze shifted with his struggles. What he saw filled him with even more despair: the people below and the surrounding Korean soldiers glared at him angrily, as if they wanted to tear him apart, while his former colleagues in the hall, who had once been on good terms with him, did not stand up to speak for him, nor did they even look up at him.

After the Ming soldier in charge of translation stopped speaking, Liu Shifang casually tossed Li Biejian to the ground. "This bastard told me, when I questioned him, that he could replenish the empty granaries in just ten days! It's unimaginable how much tax money these damned scoundrels have embezzled!"

Upon hearing this, many people in the hall trembled even more violently.

"Kill this corrupt official!" Someone in the courtyard started to say.

"Kill the corrupt official!" After a very brief silence, a second shout echoed from afar.

"Kill these corrupt officials!!!" The righteous indignation spread rapidly, and soon the entire yamen was in an uproar. Almost everyone was shouting, only the officials with their mouths full of fat and the gentry who had received a little sip remained silent, fearful, and calculating.

"Silence!" Liu Shifang shouted "Silence!" for the third time before the situation completely spiraled out of control.

"Silence!!" The people's cries were suppressed by the voice of power.

"Hiss!" The moment the North Korean people stopped shouting, Liu Shifang also took a deep breath. This was the first time he had so clearly experienced the thrill of force and power. He felt somewhat elated.

Liu Shifang gritted his teeth and exhaled the breath that had made his face flush, feigning nonchalance: "Chief of the State."

"I am here." Quan Huan stood up, head bowed, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"What do you think should be done about this?" Liu Shifang turned his head and glanced at the Ming soldier in charge of translation.

Quan Huan stared intently at the cloth stuffed into Li Biejian's mouth. "This man is corrupt and unscrupulous, he has emptied the treasury, his crimes are heinous, and according to the law he should be executed."

"Speak louder, what good is it if only I can hear you?" Liu Shifang gestured for Quan Huan to turn around.

Quan Huan understood somewhat: this Liu Qian was always empowering himself.

"Yes," Quan Huan responded softly, then turned to face the crowd and shouted in Korean dialect, "Li Biejian and Ju Yaqian have committed heinous crimes of embezzlement and depletion of the treasury. They deserve to be executed!"

"it is good!"

"Great!!" Quan Huan's voice immediately won a round of applause.

Meanwhile, the silent gentry also discerned the situation: Prefect Zheng had fallen from power; the head of the state was in charge; there was considerable room for maneuver in the current situation!

Liu Shifang smiled and nodded. "Chief."

"Here!" Quan Huan turned around quickly.

Liu Shifang said slowly, "I am a martial artist and do not understand criminal matters, let alone your procedures. So you should handle this case."

"Yes!" Quan Huan's reply was exceptionally crisp. The officials, whose faces had been ashen, regained some of their composure. Meanwhile, the eyes of those who had maintained their usual expressions dimmed considerably. "Heh," Liu Shifang chuckled. "You're handling the case, but there's something I need to say first."

"Please give your orders, Lord Liu!" Quan Huan immediately adopted a humble and subservient posture in front of everyone.

“Soldiers need to be fed, and officials can’t go hungry either. No matter how this case is ultimately decided, we’ll confiscate their property first,” Liu Shifang said, waving his finger in front of the Korean officials before finally fixing it on Li Biejian and Gu Yaqian. “Fill up the gaps in all the government treasuries.”

"Yes." Quan Huan immediately understood Liu Shifang's implication. "I will do my best to fill the gaps in the warehouses as soon as possible."

"Don't rush." ​​Liu Shifang placed one hand on Quan Huan's shoulder and pointed with the other at Li Biejian, who was being held down by Ming soldiers. "He just said he could replenish the empty granaries in just ten days. I think you can do it faster than that, right?"

"Yes!" Quan Huan replied decisively.

"Very good." Liu Shifang patted Quan Huan's shoulder heavily. "Chief Quan truly deserves to be called the foremost local worthy! With such a loyal and upright man as you leading the entire prefecture, I believe Uiju will be secure, and Joseon will be safe!"

"The safety of our homeland rests on your shoulders, sir. I will gladly accept all your commands." Quan Huan bowed deeply, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Hahahaha!" Liu Shifang couldn't help but laugh out loud, tilting her head back.

--------

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

Around noon, there was a knock on the door of the Korean quarters at Zhenjiang Post Station.

"Huang, the postmaster!" Wu Jiyu opened the door, his eyes immediately lighting up. "Please come in, please come in!"

"I won't go in." Huang Yicheng stood there, his expression as solemn as if he were visiting a grave. "Please invite the envoys of Wu, Liu, and Li to come out for a moment."

Wu Jiyu was taken aback, then quickly bowed and turned to leave. "I'm going right now!"

Before long, Wu Yunqian, Liu Yingyuan, Li Qingquan and others, dressed neatly but looking flustered, jogged to the entrance of the building.

"Was it Councilor Yuan who summoned you?" Wu Yunqian asked as soon as he spoke. After asking, he realized that he had forgotten to bow and quickly added it.

Huang Yicheng's expression visibly changed. "No. It's Councilor Gao who invited me."

Wu Yunqian paused, not understanding why Huang Yicheng was deliberately emphasizing Councilor Gao. "What about Councilor Yuan?"

"Oh dear!" Huang Yicheng sighed, his eyes filled with sympathy. "You'll understand when you get here."

"What summons you for?" Wu Yunqian's face showed obvious urgency.

"You'll see when you get here." As he spoke, Huang Yicheng had already turned his head.

The meeting place was still the largest building, but this time there were far fewer guards than before, and Huang Yicheng was able to lead Wu Yunqian and the others into the building and to the entrance of the reception room.

"Counselor Gao." Huang Yicheng gently knocked on the door. "The envoys from Wu have arrived."

"Please let them in," Gao Bangzuo's voice immediately came through the crack in the door.

"Yes." Huang Yicheng pushed open the door and gestured for them to enter. After the three people crossed the threshold, he turned his head.

"Huang Yicheng." Just as Wu Yunqian was about to bow to Gao Bangzuo, Gao Bangzuo, who was still sitting, suddenly called out to Huang Yicheng.

"Does Councilor Gao have any further instructions?" Huang Yicheng immediately turned around.

“Those people can leave now,” Gao Bangzuo said.

"Yes," Huang Yicheng said, looking at Wu Yunqian.

“Yes.” Gao Bangzuo nodded.

"Yes!" Huang Yicheng bowed and left.

"Please be seated, all of you. There's no need for formalities." Gao Bangzuo withdrew his gaze and waved towards the table in front of him.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Councilor Gao!" Wu Yunqian didn't say "thank you" but still bowed. His heart was in his throat; he had a feeling that something bad had happened. Otherwise, Gao Bangzuo wouldn't have suddenly summoned them and had Huang Yicheng dismiss "those people."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Councilor Gao!" Liu Yingyuan and Li Qingquan followed Wu Yunqian's example and bowed to Gao Bangzuo.

“I have kept the three envoys here for a few days due to some matters,” Gao Bangzu raised his wine cup and toasted the three men before him. “I hope the three envoys will forgive me.”

"No, no, I wouldn't dare," Wu Yunqian quickly poured wine in return.

Gao Bangzuo silently drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. After refilling the empty glass, he spoke again: "The three envoys must be very curious to know what I meant by 'some things' just now?"

"I'd like to hear the details." Wu Yunqian's heart began to race.

"To put it simply, it's really just one thing," Gao Bangzuo paused, then added, "This matter might be a bit too exciting for you all. Please be prepared."

"Remain calm in the face of honor or disgrace, and your heart will be at peace." Wu Yunqian said solemnly, "President Gao, please speak freely."

"The Wu envoy has also read Gao Ruinan's articles?" Gao Bangzuo immediately recalled the source of the first half of the sentence.

Wu Yunqian's eyes lit up, and he felt a sense of kinship. "When I was traveling with a troop to the capital in my early years, I was fortunate enough to purchase a set of Rui Nan Gong's 'Zun Sheng Ba Jian' in the capital. I even copied a few volumes in my spare time."

Gao Bangzu smiled knowingly, but quickly became serious again; now was not the time to discuss health and longevity. "Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. Our dynasty has determined that King Yi Hun of Joseon is ungrateful, rebellious, and has lost his integrity."

"No! There must be some misunderstanding!" Wu Yunqian suddenly became agitated. Before Gao Bangzuo could finish speaking, he stood up abruptly.

"Don't be impatient." Gao Bangzuo wasn't annoyed. He took a sip of wine and continued, "Li Hui is ungrateful and rebellious. The Emperor has already deposed him."

(End of this chapter)