Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 714 Report
Even the imposing Jinyiwei Commandery, with its imposing roof tiles, couldn't escape the scorching summer sun, its walls distorted with weariness.

The lobby was dimly lit, but the heat was unabated.

Behind the desk deep in the main hall, Luo Sigong, the head of the guards, was sitting at an angle, flipping through a book that had only been simply bound.

This is the "Diary of the Fortress," which was recently sent by express courier from Uiju. The author of this booklet is none other than Yi Min-hwan, the Korean official who is about to be escorted to the capital as a key witness. It can be said that it was because he had seen this that Luo Sigong dared to make those assurances to Zhang Wenda, the Left Censor-in-Chief, in the cabinet.

"Boom-thump-thump-"

"Dang——dang——dang——"

In the distance, the long, deep chimes of the bell tower and drum tower faintly drifted by, announcing the end of the official business hours.

Luo Sigong let out a long sigh, put down the book in his hand, rubbed his throbbing temples, stood up, and prepared to pack his things and head home.

This weather is unbearably hot! Sweat is pouring out like crazy, and his robes are practically sticking to his body. What Luo Sigong wants to do most right now is to quickly take off this rather thick official robe and take a nice, relaxing bath.

"Commander Wei! Commander Wei!" Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and shouts came from afar, breaking the silence in the hall and shattering Luo Sigong's hopes of returning home as soon as possible.

Luo Sigong looked in the direction of the sound and saw Liu Chengxi, the deputy commander of the East Office, leading Zheng Shiyi, a centurion, almost running into the main hall.

The two men stopped a few steps in front of the desk, knelt on one knee, clasped their hands in salute, and said: "Your humble servants Liu Chengxi and Zheng Shiyi pay their respects to Commander Wei!"

Luo Sigong shook his head and chuckled, a hint of helplessness at being disturbed showing on his face. He beckoned the two of them to get up, then turned around, sat back down in his chair, and tapped the table unconsciously with his fingers, his tone teasing: "Hey, did you two really have to come right at the end of the day?"

Liu Chengxi straightened up, his face showing his usual shrewdness, and spoke slightly quickly: "Commander Wei, it's about the South Pavilion..."

He had barely begun to speak when Luo Sigong raised his hand to interrupt him: "Has someone from the Ministry of Rites arrived?"

“General Wei is wise,” Liu Chengxi nodded immediately, “It was Minister Xu who came in person.”

Minister Xu, Luo Sigong, raised an eyebrow, but wasn't particularly surprised. He picked up the folding fan on the table, gently waved it, and leaned back in his chair, relaxing. "He probably went there this time to get rid of those Koreans, right?"

“That’s right.” Liu Chengxi nodded, suppressing his eagerness and patiently waiting for Luo Sigong to speak.

"Alright, I understand. Your Eastern Secretariat staff, stop getting in the way. Dismiss your posts and bring your men back. Also," Luo Sigong sat up straight, his eyes sharpening, "I told you to keep things under wraps, but now you can loosen the reins. The people in the capital should know about the surveillance of Korea. Yanbo, have your eloquent subordinates find some 'sensible' people to talk to, and steer the narrative in the direction of 'His Majesty's foresight and protection of the vassal states,' 'the time is ripe to abolish the incompetent and establish a wise ruler.' Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, Your Excellency!" Liu Chengxi replied immediately, but his expression did not relax; instead, it became even more solemn. After Luo Sigong finished speaking, he said in a deep voice, "The Commander Wei's instructions are correct. I will carry them out immediately upon my return. However, Commander Wei... there has indeed been a slight mishap with the Southern Pavilion."

"A mishap?" The ease on Luo Sigong's face slowly faded, and his brows furrowed again. "What mishap?"

Liu Chengxi stepped aside and gestured to Zheng Shiyi behind him: "Shiyi, come over and report to Commander Wei in detail what you just saw."

Zheng Shiyi quickly stepped forward, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This afternoon, Minister Xu came to the Yuhe Pavilion and spoke with the two Korean envoys in the East Hall. At first, everything was fine; Minister Xu conveyed the imperial decree ordering the two envoys to return to their country. Although Wu Yunqian earnestly pleaded to see the Emperor and plead his case, Minister Xu sternly refused. Later, Minister Xu asked some questions about Yuan's supervision of the trip, and then rose to take his leave." Zheng Shiyi paused for a moment.
"Who knew that just as Minister Xu had stepped out of the door, the usually quiet clerk Li Qingquan suddenly chased after him, pulled a memorial from his sleeve, and asked Minister Xu to submit it to the Emperor on his behalf."

"Memorial! What memorial?" Luo Sigong's voice suddenly rose, and he abruptly stood up from his chair, walking around to Zheng Shiyi's side. "What's on it?!"

Liu Chengxi and Zheng Shiyi both instinctively held their breath. Zheng Shiyi even took a step back.

"Speak," Liu Chengxi said, looking at Zheng Shiyi.

"Reporting to Commander Wei," Zheng Shiyi said with a troubled expression, "This humble servant doesn't know what's written on it! After Minister Xu took it, he opened it on the spot. He... he only glanced at it, and his face turned extremely ugly. His brows furrowed tightly, and without saying a word, he simply stuffed the memorial into his sleeve, turned around, and left! This humble servant wanted to go forward and ask him, but Minister Xu completely ignored me and went straight to his sedan chair..."

"Stupid!" Luo Sigong couldn't help but scold in a low voice, pointing his finger at Zheng Shiyi, "Couldn't you have tried to take a peek? Or find an excuse to ask?"

Zheng Shiyi shrank back in fright and quickly explained, "Commander Wei, please calm down! This humble servant... this humble servant was also stunned at the time! By the time I came to my senses, Minister Xu had already finished reading it and put it away. This humble servant did want to ask to see it, but as soon as I opened my mouth to call out 'Minister Xu,' I was glared at by him, and his expression... this humble servant really dared not insist!"

The name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was very useful among lower- and mid-level officials. However, it was less effective among high-ranking officials, especially powerful civil servants like Xu Guangqi. Xu Guangqi insisted on leaving, and Zheng Shiyi dared not stop him.

Luo Sigong paced back and forth irritably, suppressing his anger: "What about before? Before Xu Guangqi arrived, or during the conversation, did Li Qingquan do anything unusual? Did he say anything special?"

Zheng Shiyi thought carefully and shook his head firmly, saying, "Reporting to Commander Wei, no! During the conversation, he hardly spoke at all. From beginning to end, apart from bowing and expressing gratitude, it was only Wu Yunqian who was talking. Moreover, before that, Li Qingquan had always been the same taciturn person."

"What exactly is this guy trying to do?" Luo Sigong frowned, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

"Commander Wei," Liu Chengxi interjected at the opportune moment, defending his subordinate, "in my humble opinion, this Li Qingquan probably prepared this move all along. That memorial was probably originally intended to be presented directly during his audience with the Emperor. Now that he knows there's no hope of meeting the Emperor and has been ordered to leave the capital immediately, Li Qingquan, in desperation, has resorted to shoving this thing directly at Minister Xu!"

Luo Sigong pondered for a moment, finding Liu Chengxi's analysis reasonable, and nodded in agreement: "Someone come here!"

"Commander Wei!" Two junior officers standing by the door immediately ran over.

"Prepare the sedan chair, we're going to the Ministry of Rites!" With that, Luo Sigong started to walk out.

"Commander Wei!" Zheng Shiyi said hurriedly, as if suddenly remembering something, "There's one more thing, this humble servant..."

"What is it!" Luo Sigong stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at him.

"It's just a small matter." Zheng Shiyi shrank back.

"What do you care about whether it's a big or small matter?" Luo Sigong waved his hand impatiently. "Speak!" Zheng Shiyi lightly licked his lips. "This subordinate believes that Envoy Wu Yunqian and that Li Qingquan are probably not on the same page!"

"What do you mean?"

"When Li Qingquan pulled out the memorial, Wu Yunqian's expression was probably not feigned. It was genuine astonishment and... even a bit of panic!" Zheng Shiyi said. "Therefore, I believe that Li Qingquan may have kept him in the dark as well."

A glint flashed in Luo Sigong's eyes, and he immediately ordered Liu Chengxi: "Yanbo, you personally lead your men back to Yuhe Pavilion immediately. Keep a close eye on them! Before we understand the contents of that memorial and the background of these two men, do not let a single one escape! Also, hold off on disseminating the news about the guardianship of Korea! We'll discuss everything when I return!"

"Yes! Your humble servant obeys!" Liu Chengxi solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.

Without further delay, Luo Sigong strode towards the exit of the yamen, shouting loudly as he went, "Prepare the sedan chair! Quickly!"

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At 3:45 PM, the lingering echoes of the closing ceremony's bells and drums still seemed to linger in the air, but the area in front of the Ministry of Rites had already begun to quiet down.

The official sedan chair carrying Luo Sigong traveled swiftly and stopped at the entrance of the Ministry of Rites in less than a quarter of an hour.

Luo Sigong wore a scarlet robe adorned with a qilin emblem, a symbol of his rank as a first-grade military officer, and a token hanging from his waist. As soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair, the guards at the gate recognized this powerful and influential commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

No one stopped him or asked him any questions, and Luo Sigong hurried past the screen wall.

Just as they passed through the ceremonial gate, they saw a man walking out of the main hall. This man was about fifty years old, with a tired face, and was wearing a peacock-embroidered robe of a third-rank official. He was none other than Li Tengfang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Li Tengfang clearly saw Luo Sigong as well, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He then stopped, put on a polite smile, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Commander Luo. I was unaware of your presence, Commander. I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly."

"You're too kind, Minister Li." Luo Sigong didn't stop walking, but simply returned the greeting casually.

Li Tengfang straightened up and keenly noticed a hint of urgency in Luo Sigong's brows, so he asked, "What brings Commander Wei to the Ministry of Rites at this time?"

"I'm here to see Minister Xu." Luo Sigong's gaze swept past Li Tengfang and landed on the tightly closed main hall door.

"Looking for Minister Xu?" Li Tengfang replied, "Commander Wei's timing is unfortunate. Minister Xu did come back this afternoon, but he only gave some instructions and then left in a hurry."

"He's left?" Luo Sigong's heart sank, and he pressed, "Does Vice Minister Li know where Minister Xu has gone?"

“This…” Li Tengfang shook his head thoughtfully. “Minister Xu came over at noon, only asking me to prepare the rewards for the Korean envoys as soon as possible. After giving those instructions, Minister Xu left without saying where he was going.” He paused and added, “If Commander Wei has official business, feel free to tell me. If it’s routine matters, I can handle them even if Minister Xu isn’t here.”

A fleeting hint of disappointment and annoyance crossed Luo Sigong's eyes, but a polite smile quickly appeared on his face: "I see. Thank you for informing me, Vice Minister Li. Since Minister Xu is not here, I will trouble you another day." He cupped his hands in farewell.

"Take care, Commander Luo." Li Tengfang returned the greeting, her doubts deepening. Just as she was about to ask more questions, Luo Sigong had already turned and left.

Luo Sigong's figure quickly disappeared outside the ceremonial gate. Li Tengfang stood there, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on the direction where Luo Sigong had disappeared. He glanced at the closed door behind him, and finally just shook his head slightly.

Luo Sigong strode out of the Ministry of Rites, his face even more somber than when he arrived. He lifted the sedan curtain and nimbly sat inside. "To Dong'an Gate!"

--------

A little over fifteen minutes later, Luo Sigong's official sedan chair stopped outside Dong'an Gate.

He lifted the curtain and stepped out of the sedan chair, his gaze sweeping over the few official sedan chairs scattered in front of the palace gate. The style of one of the blue-curtained sedan chairs made his pupils shrink slightly—it was Xu Guangqi's sedan chair.

The towering walls of the Forbidden City cast huge shadows as Luo Sigong hurried through the Dong'an Gate, following the familiar path to the Cabinet Office.

The door to the duty room remained tightly shut, but as he pushed it open, a stifling heat, even more intense than outside, mixed with a heavy atmosphere, rushed out. The room was filled with figures; not only were the Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe and the Second Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao present, but also several other cabinet ministers, including Shi Jixie, Shen, Liu Yizhu, and Han Kuang. Seated to the left of the cabinet ministers was none other than Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Rites whom he was urgently seeking.

Luo Sigong looked at everyone, and everyone's eyes focused on him the moment he opened the door.

"Commander Luo! You've come at the perfect time." Xu Guangqi stood up first and bowed in greeting. "I just sent someone to look for you, and here you are."

Luo Sigong's frustration from missing the Ministry of Rites was slightly relieved, but he still habitually wore a cold expression and snorted softly, "Hmph. What does Minister Xu want with me?"

A hint of embarrassment and apology flashed across Xu Guangqi's face, and he lowered his voice: "Oh dear. It's best not to let the subordinates know about some of the details."

Luo Sigong nodded slightly, accepting Xu Guangqi's explanation.

Just then, Fang Congzhe spoke up, his face bearing his characteristic amiable smile: "Since Commander Luo has arrived, please have a seat."

Luo Sigong then seemed to realize that he had been somewhat impolite, and quickly bowed to the assembled elders, saying, "Excuse me."

After the cabinet ministers returned the greetings, Luo Sigong sat down in the empty chair next to Xu Guangqi. Sweat soaked through his undergarment, clinging to his back and making him even more uncomfortable in the stuffy room. He composed himself, his gaze falling on Xu Guangqi, his tone deliberately ambiguous and probing: "Minister Xu, what brings you to the cabinet at this hour?"

Luo Sigong certainly knew that Xu Guangqi had entered the palace to discuss the events at the Southern Pavilion. However, Fang, Ye, Xu, and Luo were the core informants of the secret surveillance operation, sharing a unified stance, while Shen, Liu Yizhu, Han Kuang, and Shi Jixie, who were present, had been kept in the dark. Their gathering now created a delicate atmosphere. Luo Sigong asked the question knowingly, partly to understand the situation, and partly out of a long-standing habit of secrecy and wariness towards the other cabinet members.

(End of this chapter)