Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 679 An unexpected encounter
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Xue Jiliang, the messenger sent by Yuan Keli to contact allied forces, got up from the unlit kang (a heated brick bed).

As an ordinary soldier, even if Xue Jiliang could sleep in the guest rooms of the yamen, no one would come to serve him.

We're all soldiers, so who's going to serve whom?

Xue Jiliang suddenly felt homesick. At home, his wife would wait on him. But here, he had to dress himself, wash himself, and find his own food.

Following the smoke from the chimney, Xue Jiliang arrived at the kitchen. He first scooped up a handful of water from the water vat outside the door and drank it. After his thirst was quenched, he scooped up another handful of water and splashed it on his face. Xue Jiliang didn't have a face towel, so he could only wipe away most of the water with his bare hands before drying his face with his salty sleeve.

"Is there anything to eat?" Xue Jiliang rolled up his half-wet sleeves and went into the kitchen, where the cooks were busy.

"Who are you?!" The head cook turned around and, seeing a stranger's face, immediately became alert. The three cooks nearby, who were cutting meat and preparing vegetables, also instinctively picked up or gripped their knives tightly.

Xue Jiliang was startled and quickly took a step back, saying, "I am a messenger sent by Admiral Shen. I met with Zhou Zuoji last night. It was he who asked me to stay overnight at the yamen."

"Commander Shen, when did you arrive in Korea? Where is the army now?" The cook's vigilance lessened considerably, and the three cooks who were helping him also loosened their grip on the knife.

"The army landed the day before yesterday, arrived in Incheon yesterday, and will enter Seoul today," Xue Jiliang said simply.

"So, things are going quite smoothly for you guys, huh?" the cook chuckled.

"It went quite smoothly. Officials from Incheon Prefecture even came out to greet us! Right outside a pavilion by the roadside, they all knelt down in unison, so orderly and so respectful!" Xue Jiliang laughed along. His beaming expression made it seem as if the Korean officials were kneeling before him.

"Let alone officials," a young cook said dismissively. "Even that bird king of Hanyang would have to come out in person to apologize."

"Watch your words." An older cook glared at him. "Didn't the proclamation say that slander against the royal family is forbidden?"

"I didn't slander the royal family, I was just talking about that bird king Li Hui." The young cook curled his lip.

Snapped!
The older cook raised his hand, which had just been used to wash rice, and patted the younger cook on the head. "Even a deposed king is still a king!"

“That’s right, Qi Shuren isn’t a commoner after all. The Emperor deposed this King of Joseon and let his son succeed him. He’s probably even more pleased than Qi Shuren. Hehe,” the cook at the very back grinned and teased, “If someone reports you, this ‘Bird King,’ you might be made an example of.”

"Who are you trying to scare!" the young cook retorted, clearly unconvinced. "That bird king killed so many of our brothers! The emperor should just chop off his head and send it to the world."

"Enough!" the head cook shouted, turning around. "Shut up, all of you! Go do what you're supposed to do! If General Zhou doesn't get breakfast later, I'm not going to take the blame for you bunch of blockheads."

The three cooks each turned around and whispered a few more cricket chirps.

"Brother," the cook said with a smile, looking at Xue Jiliang and pointing to the stove that had just been lit, "the stove has only just been lit, the water hasn't even boiled yet. If you're not in a hurry to leave, go back and wait a while. I'll have these idle guys bring you some food later."

"Do you have any dry rations? I can eat them on the road," Xue Jiliang asked.

"As for dry rations, we have fried noodles and salted beans." He pointed to two burlap sacks piled in the corner. "If you want some, I can scoop some out for you now. But if you stay, I can also share some stir-fried pork with sauce with you." As he spoke, the cook patted the fatty pork that had just been pulled from the well and was hanging on the wooden frame.

Xue Jiliang made his choice without much hesitation. "It's not that we can't wait a little longer."

"Hahahaha!" The cook laughed heartily.

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After having breakfast, Xue Jiliang bid farewell to Zhou Wenbing and then went to the stables in the backyard.

"I am a messenger sent by Admiral Shen," Xue Jiliang stated his identity immediately this time. "May I ask if the horse I rode here is still with you?"

"Messenger." The stable boy turned around upon hearing this, first letting out a heavy yawn. "...Huh?"

“Yes,” Xue Jiliang said. “I came here yesterday at dusk. It was a brother surnamed Tang from the gatehouse who led my horse here.”

“Come with me, I…” Guan Ma’s servant yawned again. “…I’ll open the door for you right away.”

"Brother, didn't you sleep well?" Xue Jiliang asked as he followed.

"We're constantly coming and going, and we also have to feed these animals." The stable boy casually patted the head of a donkey that was frantically munching on grass. "If there were two more people, it would be fine, but now it's just me and another brother working shifts. It's a miracle if we can get a good night's sleep."

"Where are those Koreans? There used to be yamen runners here, right?" Xue Jiliang asked curiously.

"Yes, but they were all chased out," Guan Ma's servant nodded.

"Why?"

"We don't trust them," said Guan Ma's servant. "They just arrested some local officials a few days ago. Who knows if those yamen runners are anyone's cronies?"

"Arrest someone? Why?" Xue Jiliang became interested and slowed down his pace.

"I'm not entirely sure either. It's probably to seize grain and recover stolen goods," said Guan Ma's servant. "I heard from the brothers who went to seal up the official granaries that the entire granary of Changtuan Prefecture only had about two hundred shi of grain, and a lot of sand was mixed in with it. It's not even fit for human consumption."

"They deserve to die!" Xue Jiliang, who came from a military family, hated this kind of corrupt official the most. "Should we kill them?"

"No," Guan Ma's servant shook his head. "Even killing thieves requires the Emperor's imperial approval, let alone killing officials. Our General Zhou doesn't have the imperial edict or the imperial sword, so how can he kill people arbitrarily?"

"They're just North Koreans. Why are they so particular?"

“Koreans are also the Emperor’s subjects, so we can’t mess around with them. Ha!” The stable boy yawned heavily again. This time, he even shed tears. “Is this your horse?” the stable boy asked, pointing to a plump, sturdy brown-gray mixed-breed mare.

“It’s this one.” Xue Jiliang nodded.

"Take it away. It's been fed with night grass and morning beans. It can run twenty or thirty miles in one go without a problem." The stable boy opened the gate and gently stroked the horse's neck a few times. "But we haven't had time to brush it yet, so it's still a bit dirty. We really don't have enough manpower, so please forgive us."

"Not at all. Thank you for your trouble." Xue Jiliang bowed to the servant in charge of the horses.

"You're too kind." The stable boy shook his head and picked up the saddle from a nearby wooden post.

After the saddle was fitted, the stable boy brought over a burlap sack. "These are some horse-shaped bean cakes I made the day before yesterday. Take a few to eat on the road."

“There are more spares.” Xue Jiliang patted the saddlebag, which wasn’t too bulging.

"Take a few." Guan Ma's servant opened the bag, grabbed a few bean cakes from it, and handed them to Xue Jiliang.

"Thank you very much then." Xue Jiliang smiled as he took the bean cake and stuffed it into his saddlebag.

"Don't be so polite. We're all brothers." Guan Ma's servant casually put down the burlap sack containing the bean cakes. He led Xue Jiliang toward the back door. "Old Wen, open the door." There were people guarding the back door, and Guan Ma's servant greeted him.

"Who is this person?" asked the servant surnamed Wen as he lifted the door bolt.

"I am Xue Jiliang, sent by Admiral Shen to make contact. I am on my way to Hanyang to report back." Xue Jiliang led his horse to the door.

"Commander Shen has already entered Hanyang?" The servant surnamed Wen's eyes lit up.

"Not yet," Xue Jiliang said, "but by the time I get there, they should be in the city."

"That means we're already outside the city." The servant surnamed Wen opened the door.

"More or less." Xue Jiliang nodded. "If nothing unexpected happens, they should have already started crossing the river by now. Hanyang is right on the banks of the Han River, after all."

"I see." The servant surnamed Wen wanted to chat a bit more and inquire about some things, but since Xue Jiliang had already led the horse out, he gave up his thoughts.

"Brothers, I hope we meet again someday," Xue Jiliang said, turning back to clasp his hands in a fist salute as he gripped the reins. "I'll take my leave now."

"Take care." The two servants returned the greeting in unison.

Xue Jiliang mounted his horse and was about to pull on the reins when he saw a man leading a mule approaching from the crossroads. Xue Jiliang recognized him immediately, so he lightly flicked the reins and urged his horse to slowly approach. "Brother Tang, whose mule is this?"

"A Korean official surnamed Choi. He came running as soon as he was summoned." The gatekeeper, addressed as Brother Tang, looked up and smiled. "You're going back already?"

"Yes. I've troubled you for the night, I should go back and report." Xue Jiliang nodded, grasped the reins, and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help yesterday."

"Don't mention it," the servant surnamed Tang waved his hand.

"I'll take my leave now. Hope we meet again someday."

"Take care." The servant surnamed Tang nodded with a smile.

The two men brushed past each other in the alley. Once the horse and mule had completely passed each other, Xue Jiliang suddenly swung the reins sharply and shouted, "Giddy up!"

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The horses' hooves flew, kicking up a trail of dust.

An hour later, Xue Jiliang ran into a slow-moving procession on the opposite bank of the Imjin River.

The procession almost completely blocked the official road. Xue Jiliang did not intend to compete with the other procession for passage, so he stopped at a nearby fork in the road and waited quietly for them to pass.

However, when the team advanced to a position where Xue Jiliang could clearly see the flag, his eyes widened involuntarily.

At the very front of the procession were signs that read "Silence" and "Avoidance," standard equipment for honor guards; behind them was a blue flag with a red sun and white moon, signifying "recognizing the Ming Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty," and then a blue flag with a white Big Dipper constellation, symbolizing the authority of the Korean royal family.

However, these things were too abstract and vague; those who weren't officials of the rites family might not have been able to discern their meaning. What truly surprised Xue Jiliang was the sign behind the two rows of flags, written in black characters on a red background: "Welcoming the Angels."

This is clearly a Korean delegation welcoming the Ming Dynasty's imperial envoy!

Xue Jiliang had no idea why a Korean delegation had suddenly appeared here, nor did he know that this ceremonial procession was missing the four-clawed dragon flag that symbolized the king himself, and therefore could not be the "Dragon Pavilion Flag Procession," the highest-ranking procession in Korea.

Logically, since this delegation was sent in the name of the Crown Prince, it should have been accompanied by a flag symbolizing the Crown Prince.

However, the Crown Prince's ceremonial procession has always been "with a banner but no flag." Since the Crown Prince himself is not present, the "Crown Prince of Joseon's Banner" cannot be displayed. And it is simply unrealistic to reproduce a flag at such a time, so the position between the red sun and white moon banner and the Big Dipper royal banner remains empty.

“Ambassador Li, that man looks like a Ming soldier.” Yin Hui, the deputy envoy who received the imperial edict and the official in charge of rites, pointed to Xue Jiliang, who was sitting astride his horse, and said.

"A Ming soldier?" Li Tinggui looked in the direction he was being pointed at. "Just one person?"

"It seems so." Yin Hui looked around again, but couldn't find anyone else. "Should we send someone over to invite him over for a few questions?"

"Judging from his appearance, it seems he's stopped at a fork in the road waiting for us to pass." Li Tinggui looked up and his eyes met Xue Jiliang's, who was glancing around. "Let's just go over there and stop next to him to talk."

"Alright." Yin Hui nodded.

As the delegation drew closer, Xue Jiliang became increasingly uneasy. Everyone in the delegation was watching him, and whenever he shifted his gaze to something, those around him would automatically look away, as if he were some terrifying monster.

"Stop!" After a loud shout, the delegation came to a complete halt. Immediately afterwards, the welcoming envoy Li Tinggui, accompanied by the welcoming deputy envoy Yin Hui and the delegation's scribe Liu Ruke, dismounted and approached Xue Jiliang.

“Brave warrior, I am Li Tinggui, the imperial envoy sent to receive the imperial decree.” Li Tinggui bowed deeply upon approaching. “May I ask your honorable name, brave warrior?”

Xue Jiliang quickly dismounted. "Xue Jiliang, my name is Xue Jiliang."

"So it's Warrior Xue." Li Tinggui straightened up and asked with a smile, "May I ask which general you serve under, Warrior Xue, and why you've come here?"

Xue Jiliang did not answer immediately, but pointed to the sign that read "Welcoming the Angel" and asked, "Are you gentlemen going to welcome Master Yuan?"

“That’s right. His Highness the Crown Prince ordered us to bring back Envoy Yuan from afar,” Li Tinggui nodded, then went along with the conversation and asked, “May I ask where Envoy Yuan is now?”

"I don't know," Xue Jiliang said, shaking his head.

Li Tinggui was taken aback, then pointed along the official road towards the Linjin River. "But brave warrior, didn't you come from Changtuan?"

“I came from Changtuan,” Xue Jiliang said. “But I really don’t know where Master Yuan is now.”

"Alright." Li Tinggui smiled bitterly and picked up the previous question again: "Then may I ask which general under which general does Warrior Xue serve, and why have you come here?"

"I am a messenger sent by Admiral Shen to contact Zhou Zuoji, and I am on my way to Hanyang to report back," Xue Jiliang said.

"Admiral Shen," said Liu Ruke.

“Zhou Zuoji,” Yin Hui said.

"You must go to Hanyang to report back!" Li Tinggui exclaimed in surprise.

(End of this chapter)