Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 757: Dishonesty

Shen listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the smooth armrest. Only after Shen Guangzuo finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth: "So from that time on, he abandoned his literary pursuits for martial arts?"

"It wasn't that fast. After all, he was still young then. Although he was ambitious, he didn't have any connections. So he just followed my two equally good-for-nothing sons, studying half-soldier and half-scholar." Shen Guangzu shook his head, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. "After Wenlong came of age, seeing that he could hardly make any progress in the imperial examinations, and unwilling to rely on me for a long time and live off me, he insisted on returning to our ancestral home in Shanxi to live off the meager land left by his father and grandfather, which was a way of supporting himself."

"Going back to Shanxi to farm?" Shen asked in confusion, "Then how did he end up going to Liaodong to join the army?"

"The ancestors of the Mao family made military achievements during the Jingnan Campaign of Emperor Chengzu and had a hereditary position as a trial centurion of Haizhou Guard. This position was passed down to the previous generation, Mao Dechun, and died out. His family did not want this branch of the family to die out, so they decided to adopt Wenlong to continue the family line. He thus inherited the military position of trial centurion."

Shen Guangzuo took a sip of tea and continued, "At that time, I was working in the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs. Seeing that he had already decided to serve in the frontier, I wrote a letter recommending him to serve under Lord Ningyuan, the Earl of Li. From then on, he began his military career in Liaodong, and continues to this day."

“Brother Yanfu,” Shen said, looking directly at Shen Guangzuo, and slowly shook his head, “you are not being honest.”

"Why do you say that, Prime Minister Shen?" Shen Guangzuo's face suddenly stiffened, and his hand holding the teacup trembled almost imperceptibly, nearly spilling the tea. "Everything I just said is true, without any falsehood."

"Hehe." Shen narrowed his eyes, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening, almost turning into two downward-curving slits. "I naturally believe what Brother Yanfu just said about the past. But..." Shen paused slightly, then his tone turned sharp, "...Brother Yanfu, have you forgotten that your visiting card was sent last month?"

Shen Guangzuo's pupils contracted slightly, and he felt a cold sweat seep into his back. He forced himself to remain calm and explained, "This... Prime Minister Shen, please understand, I... I did only hear about the imperial court's military expedition to Korea these past two days."

“The visiting card from last month was asking about the ‘rumors’ that have only started these last two days!” Shen interrupted him unhurriedly, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingertips. “When did Brother Yanfu acquire this remarkable ability to foresee the future?”

Shen Guangzuo opened and closed his mouth a few times, his expression changed several times, and finally he sighed softly and said truthfully, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. It is true that last month, before I sent you my visiting card, I received a letter from Wenlong from Liaodong, but he didn't mention anything about Korea in his letter."

"What did he say in the letter?" Shen Zhui asked.

Shen Guangzuo frowned and sighed bitterly, "In his letter, he said that something might happen in Liaodong recently, and asked me to take the opportunity to make some arrangements for him in the capital and help him advance his career."

"Something's up," Shen Youyou asked. "What is it?"

"Oh dear," Shen Guangzuo hurriedly explained, "He only vaguely said 'something came up.' He didn't specify what it was in his letter. When I sent my visiting card earlier, I only intended to inquire about recent developments in Liaodong. It wasn't until a few days ago, after hearing the rumors circulating in the streets, that I connected the two and guessed that what he was referring to in his letter might be the court's covert military intervention in Korea! If Prime Minister Shen doesn't believe me, I…" He spoke urgently, about to stand up. "I can go back and fetch that letter right now for you to review!"

"Tsk! Brother Yanfu, you flatter me. There's no need for that." Shen smiled and waved his hand, his expression softening considerably, appearing magnanimous as if his earlier questioning was just a joke: "How can I, an outsider, possibly understand the private letters between you and your nephew? It's better to just talk things out." He paused, leaning forward slightly:
"Since Brother Yanfu treats me with such sincerity, I will not hide anything from you. The court will indeed make some adjustments in Liaodong and Korea. One of the strategies currently agreed upon is to integrate Zhenjiang at the mouth of the Yalu River, Changdian upstream, and the Korean prefectures of Yi, Ding, Gui, and Suk into a newly established 'Zhenjiang Circuit.' For civil officials, it is proposed to appoint a Circuit Minister who will serve as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shandong, while for military officials, a new 'Deputy General of Zhenjiang' will be appointed to command the troops of this circuit. The 'opportunity' that Wenlong mentioned in his letter to you should refer to this matter."

Hearing this, Shen Guangzuo felt slightly relieved, but his heart was still pounding, and he cautiously asked, "Has the candidate been decided?"

Shen did not answer him immediately, but calmly took a sip of tea, and then slightly raised his voice and called out, "Someone come here." Shen Guangzuo was so startled by this call that goosebumps rose all over his body.

The butler, Shen Juan, who was guarding the door, immediately came over: "What are your orders, sir?"

"Hmm!" Shen handed him the teacup, looking displeased, and said, "It's been so long, don't you know to come in and change the tea?"

The Shen family's rules originally stipulated that no one should disturb them without prior notice, but Shen Juan did not argue about it at this moment. Instead, he adopted a humble and apologetic posture and said, "Yes, sir, I will go and change the tea right away."

"Don't forget Brother Yanfu's cup!" Shen pointed to the cup of tea next to Shen Guangzuo.

"Yes!" Shen Juan replied respectfully, then turned and walked towards Shen Guangzuo.

Shen Guangzuo then realized that Shen hadn't asked someone to serve tea and see the guest out. He relaxed slightly and quickly picked up the tea beside him and handed it to Shen Juan: "Thank you for your trouble, Steward Shen."

"You're too kind, Your Excellency. It's just my duty." Shen Juan smiled, picked up the two cups of tea, and left.

Shen then slowly said, "As for the civil officials, it's mostly settled. It's Gao Bangzuo, the former Liaoyang Circuit Intendant. Brother Yanfu should know him."

“Of course. Brother Gao Yidao and I are both Jinshi graduates from the same year, how could I not know him?” Shen Guangzuo was naturally more concerned about the selection of the newly appointed deputy general of Zhenjiang, but he kept his composure and nodded in agreement: “But if I remember correctly, didn’t the court already send Mr. Jie Huan to Zhenjiang to serve as this Daoist official?”

Shen Shen glanced at Shen Guangzuo: "Yuan Jiehuan's identity as a Daoist official is nothing but a deception. It's like sending troops to Shandong to prepare for crossing to Korea, but saying it's to guard against the Japanese pirates. Yuan Jiehuan's real mission is actually to be the Korean Supervisory Minister."

Shen Guangzuo was taken aback upon hearing this, and subconsciously repeated, "North Korean guardianship?"

“Yes,” Shen smiled and said calmly, “Didn’t I just tell Brother Yanfu? The court has mobilized so many troops to depose the tyrannical and incompetent emperor and take over the administration of Joseon. Such a major event concerning the national system needs an imperial envoy to oversee it. Yuan Jiehuan is the imperial envoy appointed by the emperor. Hmph.” He snorted lightly, with a hint of teasing, “Right now, he, the Right Vice Minister of War, is probably more like a king than the King of Joseon.” “I see.” Shen Guangzu nodded slowly, digesting this information. “Then, what about the military deployment?”

"Military generals?" Shen deliberately drew out his words, slowly piquing his curiosity. "There are many. This time, there are the Shenji Battalion and Shenshu Battalion of the Beijing Garrison, the coastal defense battalion and Denglai troops from Shandong, and the southern troops transferred to Korea to aid Liaodong. There are assistant commanders, guerrilla commanders, deputy generals, even generals and admirals—a whole host of names, probably no fewer than a dozen. Now, all these troops have gathered in Korea, and the cabinet is discussing with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue whether to follow the old system of Jiliao and establish circuits extensively in Korea to govern and restrain these arrogant and fierce generals."

"Oh," Shen Guangzuo nodded patiently, though he was anxious. "What about the newly appointed 'Deputy General of Zhenjiang'? He shouldn't have been chosen yet, right?" To prevent Shen from continuing to dabble in the matter, Shen Guangzuo simply asked directly.

"Not yet." Shen pursed his lips. "This matter is quite complicated. As Brother Yanfu has heard, there are nearly 30,000 troops from various factions, including Shenji, Shenshu, Shandong, Liaodong, and the southern troops of Zhejiang and Zhili. How to divide the defense zones of these troops and generals, how to define their duties, and how to coordinate with each other all need careful consideration. It's not something that can be decided so easily."

"There must be some rules, right?" Shen Guangzuo couldn't help but ask impatiently.

"Chapter Regulations." Shen Gang opened his mouth, but saw the butler, Shen Juan, carrying a mahogany tray with two freshly brewed cups of fragrant tea, quietly entering the hall. He immediately stopped talking and shut his mouth.

Shen Juan respectfully placed a cup of tea gently beside Shen Guangzuo, and then offered another cup to him. Shen Guangzuo had no appetite for tea at the moment, and could only nod reluctantly to express his gratitude.

After Shen Juan bowed and withdrew again, Shen Cai slowly picked up his cup of tea, carefully stirred the floating tea leaves with the lid, and said in a low voice, "The Ministry of War wants to wait until the Korean supervisor and the Korean admiral have a preliminary grasp of the overall situation and their prejudices before making any plans."

"And what about the Cabinet?" Shen Guangzuo had no interest in touching his teacup and pressed on, "What does the Cabinet mean by that?"

"As for the cabinet..." Shen blew on the steam from his tea, his tone still unhurried: "That's roughly the idea. Compared to the transfer of one or two military officers, Chief Minister Fang and Vice Minister Ye are more concerned about the appointment of civil officials in each region."

"I see..." Upon hearing this, Shen Guangzuo knew he wouldn't get any more information. He sighed inwardly, but remained outwardly composed, cupping his hands and saying, "This humble official understands. Thank you, Prime Minister Shen, for your frankness and for clearing up my doubts."

"Oh dear!" Shen put down his teacup, deliberately putting on a stern face, and said affectedly, "Brother Yanfu! Here you are again! Didn't we just agree that we wouldn't be so formal when we meet in private? Always calling me 'Grand Secretary,' 'Prime Minister Shen,' and 'this humble official' makes me feel awkward! We are both from Zhejiang and serve in the same court; we should be closer!" Shen stared at Shen Guangzuo, his tone suddenly changing. "If you continue to be so polite and distant, I won't keep you for dinner tonight!"

Shen Guangzuo was taken aback by what he said, but quickly realized that it should be interpreted in reverse. So he quickly changed his tune, forcing a smile: "Yes, yes, Brother Mingzhen is right! It was Guangzuo who was impolite; I'll punish myself with a cup of tea!"

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The banquet ended and the sky darkened. Only a faint glimmer of dawn remained on the far western horizon, struggling to stay afloat.

Steward Shen Juan, carrying a lantern, personally escorted Shen Guangzuo to the gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

At this moment, the coachman Shen Yao had already eaten the meal arranged by the servants of the Shen family and was quietly waiting beside the blue-curtained carriage. Seeing Shen Guangzuo come out, he immediately stepped forward and called out softly, "Master."

Upon receiving a response, Shen Yao took out a tinderbox from his pocket, skillfully lit it, and lit the ram's horn lanterns hanging on both sides of the carriage shaft one by one. The dim and warm light immediately dispelled the darkness in front of the door and also illuminated Shen Guangzuo's slightly tired face.

Shen Juan stopped under the eaves, bowed respectfully to Shen Guangzuo, and said in a humble tone, "Please take care on your journey, Venerable Shen. Please come and visit often when you have time."

Shen Guangzuo also stopped and turned around to return the greeting: "Thank you for seeing me off, Steward Shen. I have troubled you for a long time today, thank you for your hospitality. Please ask Steward Shen to convey my gratitude to Brother Mingzhen again, thank you for taking the time to meet with me and for your guidance."

Shen Juan quickly replied, "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I will definitely convey your message."

Shen Guangzu nodded and then walked towards the carriage. Shen Yao had already lifted the curtain and was standing by his side. Just as Shen Guangzu bent down to get into the carriage, he seemed to remember something and turned back to give a final bow to Shen Juan, who was still standing respectfully under the lantern. Shen Juan saw this and did not say anything, but silently returned a deep bow to Shen Guangzu.

With Shen Yao's help, Shen Guangzuo climbed into the carriage with some difficulty. Shen Yao deftly put away the footstool, jumped onto the carriage shaft, gently flicked the reins, and gave a low shout: "Giddy up!" The carriage slowly started moving, the wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement, making a rumbling sound, and headed towards the exit of the secluded alley.

Shen Juan straightened up and stood silently before the door, watching the two swaying lanterns gradually disappear into the night of the capital. Only when the carriage turned the corner of the alley and could no longer be seen did Shen Juan turn around and step over the high threshold. The two vermilion doors, bathed in the warm red light of the lanterns, slowly closed behind him with a heavy creak, finally shutting themselves tightly, separating the world inside and outside the mansion.

Shen Juan did not linger, but walked straight through the courtyard and corridors to the brightly lit study.

Tap, tap.
Shen knocked lightly twice, and Shen's voice came from inside the door: "Come in."

Shen Juan gently pushed open the door, walked to Shen's desk, and, gazing at the dark shadows of dragons and snakes moving under the candlelight, bowed and reported, "Master, Prefect Shen has been seen off."

(End of this chapter)