Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 236 Making My Voice Talk in the Imperial Court for the First Time
Chaotian Palace.

Located inside Fuchengmen, it was built in the eighth year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty. It was modeled after the Chaotian Palace in Nanjing, but it was much larger in scale. "The Sanqing Hall was built to worship Shangqing, Taiqing, and Yuqing. The Tongming Hall was built to worship Shangdi. The Puji, Jingde, Zongzhi, Baozang, Yousheng, Jingying, Chongzhen, Wenchang, and Xuanying Halls were built to worship various gods."

At that time, the largest Taoist temple in Beijing was Baiyun Temple. After Chaotian Palace was built, Baiyun Temple could only rank second.

Unfortunately, a great fire in the sixth year of the Tianqi reign destroyed all thirteen main halls of the Chaotian Palace in Beijing. If people wanted to see it in later generations, they could only visit the surviving palace in Nanjing.

The present-day Shao Yuanjie was granted the title of Zhiyi Zhenren in the fifth year of the Jiajing reign, and was in charge of the three palaces of Chaotian, Xianling, and Lingji in the capital. Thus, he was recognized by the court as the first person to lead Taoism.

The young Zhu Houcong, while not exactly fanatical about Taoism, clearly had a passion for it. He spent much of his free time meditating, observing alchemy, and even consuming some elixirs. Naturally, he treated Shao Yuanjie with great respect.

If this habit had continued until now, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had investigated Shao Yuanjie, Sun Weixian might have been sensible enough to tell Shen Mo to shut up.

A mere matchmaker, she's dead, so be it. Why should a real person be troubled by worldly affairs?

But now, the alchemical furnace in the palace is deserted and cold, the incense burner is extinguished, and His Majesty seems to have lost interest in Taoist cultivation overnight.

For Sun Weixian, who had just arrived in the capital, the Taoist master was also an easy target.

After all, how can we know the power and prestige of the Embroidered Uniform Guard if we don't arrest a group of high-ranking and powerful people?
It has to be said that Haiyue really agreed with the other party this time.

"Please uphold the law impartially and thoroughly investigate this case!"

"Ha! I really want to see what it would be like to see a large-scale arrest of Taoist priests during the Jiajing reign!"

"Of course, this is on the premise that the Taoist priest is truly doing evil..."

Watching Sun Weixian leave excitedly, Haiyue's expression was full of anticipation. This was a contrast unique to later generations, which contemporary people could not yet understand.

However, after a moment of morbid amusement, his eyes flickered and he fell into deep thought again.

A delicate fragrance wafted from behind her. Zhu Yuying held a teacup in her hands, her slender fingers lightly touching her shoulder: "Husband, what are you thinking about, lost in thought?"

Haiyue lightly tapped her fingertips on the table, recounting Shen Mo's account in detail: "If this person's testimony is true, the magistrate colluded with Qin to seize the Sheng family's property in order to monopolize the residence for over a month, and to avoid being noticed. Madam, what is your purpose in going to such lengths?"

"Secret room?"

Zhu Yuying's eyes flickered: "Could it be that the Sheng family mansion has a secret room that outsiders cannot enter, which is why they would use this method to seize the entire mansion?"

"From the current perspective, this is the most likely..."

Haiyue nodded and called out, "Gonghao!"

"Master!"

A sharp-looking man walked in.

Having established their own household, they naturally had to hire servants.

Unlike later times, ancient times did not have all kinds of tools available. If you did not want to do heavy physical labor all day, you had to have someone else do it for you. This was a very cold reality.

The selection of servants in the household was also very important. Haiyue did not trust outsiders and was unwilling to buy slaves, so she hired people from the Yinglue Society.

This Gong Hao is a member of the Yinglue Society. He was originally a refugee who fled famine. Later, he was adopted by the society. He is nearly thirty years old and has already married and had children. Both he and his wife are steady and honest people.

Haiyue chose Gonghao to be her page, while his wife remained in the guild. Similarly, Zhu Yuying's maid Zhemei and the kitchen servant Ye were in similar situations.

These servants came from the Yinglue Society and all possessed a certain level of martial arts skills. Their loyalty was guaranteed, and Haiyue and her husband were not harsh in nature, which allowed them to maintain stability in their household.

With the Li Yuan Society and the White Lotus Sect making their appearances, and now even Taoist masters starting to cause trouble, we must be on guard.

He summoned Gong Hao, gave him some instructions, and then the man hurriedly left.

When the man returned, he immediately reported: "Young master, the Embroidered Uniform Guards have surrounded the Sheng residence. There are sounds of digging coming from inside. The leader is Commander Tan Jing."

"really!"

Haiyue nodded.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard may not be good at much else, but they are most skilled in two things.

The first method was torture, and the second was ransacking the house.

Sun Weixian is by no means stupid. He must have realized that there was a secret hidden in the Sheng residence after obtaining this testimony. Doesn't this correspond to the Jinyiwei's talent for confiscating property?

Sun Weixian, in particular, was tireless in his pursuit of the secret treasures, and he was probably willing to dig three feet into the ground to find them.

"Now that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has taken action, let's wait and see what they can find out about the Sheng residence!"

……

"No?"

Haiyue continued her studies at the Hanlin Academy as usual, while Gonghao kept a close watch on the Sheng residence every day, discovering that the number of Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) being mobilized was increasing, and more and more broken bricks and stones were being carried out.

But as the commotion grew, more and more rumors circulated in the streets and alleys, and even the tyrannical power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could not suppress it.

The key issue is that there was no gain.

Gong Hao didn't even need to sneak up to hear Tan Jing, the commander inside, roaring angrily and urging his men to keep digging and dig deeper.

After ten days of this process, Haiyue knew that her previous approach was definitely wrong.

Even if Shen Mo's plan succeeded—he and Qin Shi murdered Madam Sheng, pinned the crime on his junior disciple Gu Shi, and seized control of the Sheng residence—they would never have gone through all that trouble. The reason is simple: the Imperial Guards could openly smash and break bricks, but thieves couldn't do that; they had to be discreet and avoid alerting the neighbors.

The Imperial Guards worked for ten days but found nothing. Even if they gave the thieves a month, it would probably be of no use even if they did it for three or four months.

"If the locked-room theory is flawed, then what was the purpose of the other party going to such lengths to seize the Sheng mansion?"

Haiyue became curious, but did not make a move.

Because he has recently been the center of attention.

Before the day's court session had even ended, a figure hurried over again.

Zhao Wenhua was always present to pay his respects morning and evening without fail, and now the Hanlin Academy had become accustomed to this Ministry of Justice official coming to inquire about their well-being every day.

"The meeting begins!"

Now that they were standing before him, Zhao Wenhua said with great respect, "Chief Minister Zhang and Grand Secretary Yan have clashed again. Grand Secretary Yan has openly supported the 'Nine Strategies for Pacifying the Border,' and now officials from the Six Ministries are responding in unison. The memorial submitted by the Chief Minister is truly admirable!"

Haiyue smiled upon hearing this: "The criticism is overwhelming, and the court and the public are shocked."

Due to a series of great victories, the Ming court became complacent and believed that Annam was about to fall. Seeing that the army was arrogant and there were signs of danger, he not only entrusted Lu Bing, who was about to leave, but also submitted the "Nine Strategies for Pacifying the Border" memorial without hesitation.

From nine perspectives—identifying falsehoods and rectifying names, the advantages of the Ming army, the dangers of Annam, the three stages of military strategy, the planning of provisions and supplies, the management of public sentiment, post-war institutional establishment, the six admonitions to prevent abuses, the new treaty between the tributary states, and long-term border security—this book comprehensively and profoundly elucidates the war in Annam and the return of Jiaozhi (Vietnam).

Haiyue was well aware of his own limitations. Since he had not ventured deep into Annam or experienced the frontline battles, his memorial inevitably contained some theoretical content.

However, he did not underestimate himself. Based on his understanding of the Sino-Vietnamese relations and various wars and frictions in later generations, his memorial contained many insightful suggestions.

Ever since.

The nine strategies drew the attention of the court officials.

In fact, Haiyue was not the only courtier with this concern; however, he was overwhelmed by the tide of eagerness to win, and gradually no one dared to step forward.

Now that he, the newly appointed scholar, has emerged, he has become extremely conspicuous.

First of all, how dare someone so young and inexperienced offer advice on such a national matter?

When they read the memorial, they were horrified to discover that the nine policies were written by newly appointed Hanlin scholars.

Even if the other party were from Qionghai and had some understanding of Annam, no official living in Guangxi could possibly write such a memorial...

It is said that Zhang Cong saw it in the cabinet office and examined it carefully three times before he began to rebuke it angrily.

Zhang Cong was not blinded by victory; from the perspective of the chief minister who strongly promoted the new policies, he had more to consider.

One of the biggest unavoidable circumstances is that the Ming Dynasty's national treasury is currently very low and simply cannot support the long-term costs of war.

In fact, everyone knows that a steady and methodical approach to war has the best chance of winning. However, war is extremely expensive and costly. This war was launched somewhat reluctantly. If we cannot press our advantage and quell the Mo regime's puppet regime in one fell swoop and recover the land of Jiaozhi, the Ming Dynasty simply cannot afford to be bogged down in the quagmire of war.

That's why Zhang Cong wants a quick victory!

We must win quickly!

Only by achieving a swift victory can we then have the financial resources to manage this area. We must also be prepared for a long-term tug-of-war with the rebels within the country. How can we afford to waste our troops and supplies at this critical juncture?

Since Zhang Cong refuted it, the newly appointed officials of the Great Rites Controversy angrily denounced it, and many censors also submitted memorials accusing Hai Yue, as a newly appointed Hanlin scholar, of making wild and boastful remarks and stirring up the morale of the army with his shallow qualifications.

Zhang Cong was ruthless in suppressing dissidents, and this power was far more severe than the treatment Xu Jie received in history.

However, Xu Jie was subsequently demoted from the capital and almost spent his entire life serving in local government. As for Hai Yue, despite the suppression, she never mentioned his demotion.

It was simply unrealistic to demote Jian, who was favored by the emperor, from the capital.

However, seeing that Zhang Cong only engaged in verbal battles without demoting Haiyue, more and more court officials began to support him. Those who had previously dared not speak out submitted memorials requesting that he be cautious.

Just recently.

Yan Song joined the war.

"Although Annam has lost seven cities, its rebels are holding out tenaciously in their strategic locations and secretly allying with domestic militias, making many concessions. In contrast, our army has been transporting supplies over a long distance, and our soldiers are exhausted. If we repeat the mistakes of the Tang Dynasty's conquest of Nanzhao, I fear our victory will crumble in an instant..."

This echoes the concept of "Nine Strategies for Stabilizing the Borders." When this Grand Secretary spoke, the situation changed once again, and one can imagine Zhao Wenhua's excitement.

'As expected of Yan Song, his timing was absolutely perfect!'

Haiyue was not surprised at all.

Yan Song's support at this time would be entirely beneficial.

If it's a resounding victory, then such mature and prudent words wouldn't be considered a mistake.
However, if the front lines were to suffer a real defeat, the contrast would be a huge blow to Zhang Cong's prestige.

Haiyue had foreseen this as well.

Unless his memorial is immediately suppressed without even causing a ripple, it will certainly gain the support of Zhang Cong's opponents.

Whatever his motivation, this was the first time he had voiced his opinion in the imperial court.

A blockbuster!
This has shaken the government and the public!

Of course, what Haiyue most hoped to see was that it could really have a certain impact on the Annam war, helping the Ming Dynasty to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and completely recover Jiaozhi!
(End of this chapter)