Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 308 Must Be a Loyal Minister

In front of Yongding Gate.

Lu Bing, weary from his journey, sat on his tall horse, gazing up at the newly built outer city gate with a look of emotion in his eyes.

Ordinary officials might not have noticed, but in the past, the outer city of the capital had no walls. The nine gates were the outer city gates, and the surplus population spontaneously formed gathering places in the southern suburbs and spread out.

As a result, during the Gengxu Incident in history, Altan Khan's army burned, killed, and looted, and the gates of the capital were tightly closed, daring not to let the people of the outer city into the city, turning it into a living hell.

The Yongding Gate of today was built in the third year of Yan Song's tenure as Grand Secretary. Compared to the historical version, it lacks the addition of the barbican and arrow tower, but the city wall is built to be higher and wider, formally forming the inner and outer city layout of the capital.

Lu Bing had not yet finished when he left the capital, and when he saw it again now, he was amazed by the magnificent, endless outer city.

In fact, not only the capital, but also the prefectures and counties along the route had changed.

From the Yuan Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, China was in the Little Ice Age.

During the Yuan Dynasty's 100-year reign, there were 92 floods, 86 droughts, 69 hailstorms, 61 locust plagues, 52 earthquakes, and 20 epidemics, among others.

That's exaggerated enough.

As a result, during the eighteen years from Hongwu to Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty, there were a total of 1,101 natural disasters.

Behind every recorded disaster lies widespread famine.

People eat each other.

Behind those three short words lies immense terror.

The extreme weather conditions remain unchanged, but the Ming Dynasty has undergone tremendous changes.

From Zhang Cong's reform of officialdom and appointment of virtuous and capable officials to Yan Song's implementation of the performance evaluation system, reform of official positions, and diligent governance, the government has been working hard to improve its administration.

From the two capitals to the fourteen provinces, the demeanor of officials across the country has changed dramatically.

The chaos of the Wuzong era has transformed into the prosperous scene we see today.

Well, whether it can be called a golden age is still debatable.

The "Jiajing Restoration" is an indisputable fact.

The development over the past twenty years has fully conformed to the naming traditions such as "Restoration of Guangwu" and "Restoration of Hongzhi".

Even compared to the "Hongzhi Restoration," which was entirely due to the abundance of virtuous officials in the court and the harmonious relationship between the emperor and his ministers, the current restoration seems more deserving of the name.

Of course, some ministers suggested that it could be called a "grand and prosperous era," which was somewhat of a veiled criticism.

Seeing that the emperor was not holding court, my scalp started to itch.

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler..."

Lu Bing disregarded the controversies and, comparing his experiences with what he had seen and heard during his southward journey, sincerely praised the ruler, repeating, "He is a wise and benevolent ruler!"

Only then did they spur their horses and officially enter the city.

Before even reaching the inner city, a group of people came to greet them. The leader, dressed in fine clothes and looking like a steward, bowed respectfully: "Is this Commander Lu?"

Lu Bing glanced at him briefly, then sat upright on his horse and asked, "And who are you, sir?"

The steward, all smiles, like a gentle spring breeze, respectfully presented the gilded invitation with both hands: "Commander Lu, you must be tired from your journey. My master has specially instructed me to present this invitation and a small feast as a token of our respect. We hope you will grace us with your presence tonight..."

Lu Bing nodded slightly, and his attendants accepted the gift without further ado. He spurred his horse forward.

Along the way, people who looked like managers would visit from time to time, bringing invitations and invitations.

Lu Bing accepted the invitations without hesitation, but his trusted confidant Zhou Wu, after glancing at them, whispered, "They're all from Grand Secretary Xia's people..."

Lu Bing grunted and shook his head secretly.

He didn't like Xia Yan.

It's not that there was any historical conflict, but rather that Xia Yan has recently gained the upper hand and sent Zeng Xian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, to the front lines to interfere and prepare for a strategy of division and sowing discord in order to establish tribute relations with the Mongol tribes.

During the suppression by Yan Song, Xia Yan proceeded step by step with some very cunning methods. Many officials in the Six Ministries and the Censorate became his mouthpieces, making it very difficult for Yan Song's officials. Many of them were caught red-handed and dismissed from their posts.

But ever since Yan Song's decision was rejected and the Hetao strategy completely leaned towards Xia Yan's decision, this second minister became somewhat arrogant.

When Zeng Xian entered the Hetao region, he not only disliked Lu Bing, but also angered all the civil and military officials who had previously devoted their efforts to him.

Their years of hard work have laid a decisive advantage; now it's your turn to reap the rewards.
Some ministers who had initially complained about Yan Song's overzealousness began to side with him again.

Lu Bing is becoming more mature, and his vision is becoming clearer.

In fact, the attitude of the person in the Qianqing Palace was quite clear when he was summoned back.

The Hetao region can be recovered.

Pursuit beyond the Great Wall is absolutely out of the question.

Strategically, Lu Bing agreed.

The so-called "sweeping out of the pass" was purely a result of being blinded by the immediate victory.

Although Anda did not have the 100,000 archers claimed by the court, he certainly had tens of thousands of elite troops. If they pursued him at this time, even with a fierce general like Yu Dayou, they would suffer more defeats than victories, or even be lambs to the slaughter.

But in reality, even if they could win, they wouldn't allow a pursuit.

If they were to strike directly at the heart of the enemy's territory, it would be a case of their achievements overshadowing the emperor's. Therefore, Lu Bing vaguely suspected that Yan Song was deliberately making a small mistake to cover up his previous brilliance.

Xia Yan actually thought she had won.

In his smugness, he even mocked himself, who had just returned to Beijing.

Not surprisingly.

Upon Lu Bing's return to the capital, he was promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief and temporarily assumed the command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, overseeing the officers and soldiers.

Compared to his historical counterpart, who relied entirely on Jiajing's trust, Lu Bing in this world's campaigns against Annam and the recapture of the Hetao region were enough to propel him to great heights among military officers, making his promotion to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard a natural progression.

This is also why Sun Weixian took the initiative to back down.

Not only can't they get ahead through back channels, but they also can't compare to those with actual merits. What are they waiting for? Will they be forced off the stage and forced to return what they embezzled?
Putting aside the flattery from Xia Yan's faction, the commander in charge of the matter returned to the capital, stopping and starting along the way, and finally arrived at his own residence.

"mother!!"

This time, Lu Bing no longer sat on his horse like a tiger. Instead, he quickly dismounted, rushed over, hugged the old woman at the head of the group, and called out to her with bloodshot eyes.

"My son! My son!"

The old woman, her eyes brimming with tears, hugged her son tightly.

Lu Bing's father, Lu Song, had already passed away. After observing mourning, he went to the Northwest. His mother, Wang, had also aged considerably over the years.

The mother and son embraced for a long time before entering the main hall. The wives and concubines, along with their respective children, came forward to greet Lu Bing.

Lu Bing also took two concubines in Hetao, who bore him children, and he presented them to the emperor along with them.

After welcoming his wife and children to his home with a hearty meal and settling them in, Lu Bing entered the inner quarters, dismissed everyone else, and the mother and son began to discuss serious matters.

He often consulted his mother on important matters.

After all, this was Jiajing's wet nurse, a person respectfully addressed as "Mother Wang".

Jiajing's biological father, Zhu Youyuan, liked to refer to his wet nurse by adding "mother" to her surname. This terminology was continued by Jiajing. In his palace, he called Empress Dowager Jiang "Ama" and Wang Shi "Wang Mama".

Lady Wang had warned her son long ago not to rely on their past friendship and forget the proper order between ruler and subject. She also tried her best to maintain this relationship, frequently visiting the palace and having a close relationship with Empress Dowager Jiang. Emperor Jiajing treated her with great respect, and there was indeed a mother-son bond between them.

Of course, this is also related to Wang's low-key lifestyle. She was even more cautious than Zhu Yuying, which allowed her to live a peaceful life while also securing a bright future for her husband and son.

But at this moment, when Lu Bing inquired about His Majesty's recent condition, Lady Wang slowly uttered three words: "His Majesty is well."

"Ok?"

Lu Bing was stunned.

"May Your Majesty be well" was a term used in the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty officialdom, generally used by imperial envoys in response to local officials' greetings to the emperor.

Since local officials rarely get to see the emperor, when they meet the imperial envoy, they will respectfully inquire about the emperor's health and ask how he is doing. The imperial envoy will then reply, "Your Majesty is well."

This is a very distant greeting. How could a wet nurse who frequently entered the palace say such a thing?
Seeing that her son had not grasped the implication of her words, Madam Wang could only explain it more clearly: "I haven't seen His Majesty for some time now, and it's inconvenient for me to enter the palace."

"Is Mother sick?"

Lu Bing's expression changed, and he became concerned about his mother's health.

Although Wang had aged considerably, she looked quite well and said with a wry smile, "My health is still good, you don't need to worry."

Only then did Lu Bing see an unprecedented distance and fear in his mother's eyes: "Mother, what's wrong?"

"Since the Empress's passing, Your Majesty... Your Majesty... Alas!"

After a slight hesitation, Madam Wang finally said softly, "Just remember, His Majesty is the supreme ruler, the father of the Ming Dynasty. Never use childhood friendship as an excuse!"

"I remember... How could I not remember..."

Lu Bing murmured to himself, the image of the old man's swaying body flashing through his mind.

He thought he had forgotten some things and could return to be a loyal subject to His Majesty.

I didn't expect to be greeted with such a sudden and unexpected challenge as soon as I got home.

His mother was His Majesty's wet nurse, one of his closest people, but now she is trembling with fear, even speaking to her son in secret at home. Has His Majesty really become so unfamiliar?

Unable to confront his mother, Lu Bing's mind drifted back to another figure, and he subconsciously said, "It seems I have to go find Mingwei and get to the bottom of this!"

Upon hearing this, Wang's expression changed once more: "No!"

Lu Bing frowned: "Mother?"

Wang took a deep breath: "The Mingwei you're talking about, is it Scholar Hai?"

"yes……"

Haiyue had visited our home during holidays before, and my parents recognized her and knew she was a close friend. Why did they need to confirm it?
"Scholar Hai is a completely different person now!"

Wang said softly, then added, "Even if his temperament hasn't changed, you two shouldn't associate with each other anymore. This is a good thing for both of you!"

"Good news...good news...yes! We are not the same people we used to be!"

The twilight outside the window was deep, just like the darkness surging in Lu Bing's eyes. He closed his eyes, forced a bitter and irritated smile: "I understand, son. He wants to be a lonely ruler, and I have no choice but to be a lonely minister!"

(End of this chapter)