Di Ming

Chapter 458 "Chang Luo, what do you think?"

Upon hearing Gu Xiancheng's words, Qi Jiguang immediately understood his intentions. He calmly sneered:

"After the rebellion of Yin Ni, why did Mr. Gu continue to serve as an official in the puppet regime? You say you are a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing, do you still acknowledge the puppet regime in Nanjing? Mr. Gu is a disciple of Confucius, perhaps you are lacking in loyalty and righteousness?"

Gu Xiancheng had not expected that Qi Jiguang would actually question him and accuse him of serving the false dynasty. From the perspective of the Northern Dynasty, this was indeed a major stain on his record.

To be fair, Gu Xiancheng, like many gentry in Jiangnan, originally supported the Nanjing court. When Zhu Yinfeng, the Prince of Xin, launched the rebellion in Nanjing, they were overjoyed, wishing the south would become an independent state and Nanjing would once again become the capital.

After all, they are all from the south!
Therefore, at that time, very few of them resigned from their posts; most of them continued to hold their original positions and transformed themselves into officials of the Southern Dynasty.

However, Zhu Yin then became autocratic and domineering, completely disregarding their authority and acting unilaterally. He not only refused to relinquish power but also remained unyielding. He practiced nepotism, favoring sycophants and distancing himself from virtuous individuals, showing no respect for the wise and virtuous, and regarding dissenting opinions as a monstrous threat.

He's an absolute tyrant and a traitor! We cannot possibly share the world with him!

They were utterly disappointed. It turned out that Lady Jiangning was not even as good as Emperor Wanli.

Jiang Ning, a corrupt official who usurped the country and a tyrant who stole from the world, is someone that all discerning people will inevitably oppose!
However, Gu Xiancheng could not explain this to Qi Jiguang, so he could only say against his will:
"This is merely a temporary measure for us. We are not old men clinging to power, nor are we reluctant to give up our official positions. We are simply playing along, our bodies in Cao Cao's camp but our hearts in Han's."

"General, consider this: if we had not temporarily remained in office, who would have restrained the treacherous minister Zhu Yin from his rampage? Who would have protected the people of Jiangnan? Who could have stopped Zhu Yin from slaughtering the innocent? Who would have risked contacting loyal ministers and filial sons, lying in wait for an opportunity, and preparing a righteous act to restore order? Although we are serving as officials in Nanjing, our hearts are truly in Beijing! General, you must know this heart of loyalty to the country."

At this point, Gu Xiancheng's expression turned grief-stricken, his face filled with anguish. "If it weren't for our forbearance and humiliation, the traitor Zhu Yin would have already launched a northern expedition, and the northern grain transport would have been cut off! In that case, whether the General could successfully lead the army on a southern expedition would still be uncertain!"

"General, you question my loyalty and righteousness. May I ask, where have I fallen short? The gods are watching over us. I have a clear conscience and have done nothing wrong!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang sighed inwardly, feeling deeply saddened for the Ming Dynasty.

Is this the kind of virtuous person cultivated by the state for more than two hundred years, imbued with upright character?
He had heard of Gu Xiancheng; he was one of the leaders of the Jiangnan literati and enjoyed a high reputation among scholars.

But this person with a good reputation came to his own army today and shamelessly and brazenly distorted the truth and talked nonsense, putting on a sanctimonious face while harboring a sinister and hypocritical heart.

This hypocritical villain is actually a noble civil official who passed the imperial examinations twice!

With these people controlling state affairs, it's no wonder the Ming Dynasty is declining and its national fortunes are waning.

Zhihu is right. The so-called upright gentlemen, gentry, and officials are the enemies of the Ming Dynasty! They are the parasites of the nation!
Eunuchs were greedy, cruel, and tyrannical, while civil officials were hypocritical and shameless. Although they were clearly distinct, they were in fact birds of a feather.

Qi Jiguang was too lazy to expose Gu Xiancheng's lie, and said with a meaningful smile, "In that case, I misspoke. I have been in the army for a long time and my words were inappropriate. Please forgive me, Mr. Gu."

Gu Xiancheng waved his hand casually, sat up with his legs crossed, and said, "You are too kind, sir. You are a famous general of our dynasty, whose prestige shakes the world. I have admired you for many years. Today, I am fortunate enough to witness your mighty power."

"I am here today for two reasons. First, on behalf of the gentlemen of Jiangnan and my fellow scholars of Donglin Academy, I welcome your army across the river. Once the army crosses the river, we are willing to take on some of the responsibility for supplies, which can be considered as serving the country."

"Secondly, we must help our subordinates, both internally and externally, to unite in the fight against the traitor Zhu Yin!"

At this point, Gu Xiancheng stopped crossing his legs, his tone became impassioned, and his expression turned solemn and serious:
"Zhu Yin is a traitorous and rebellious minister who acts perversely, proclaims himself regent, defies the will of the people, and makes a ridiculous spectacle of the world. He is like a monkey wearing a crown, and his crimes are heinous! Such a traitor deserves to be killed by everyone! How much more so should we!"

"The Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and the benevolent way cannot be compromised! We, the virtuous and righteous people of Jiangnan, wish we could devour their flesh, drink their blood, and sleep on their skin to avenge the shame of our sovereign and father, to avenge the nation, and to save the court from peril!"

"However, the enemy's power is too great. We have the heart to serve our country, but we cannot show our loyalty and courage! We can only endure and wait for the right time!"

"Now, under my command, renowned generals of the dynasty, have been ordered to quell the rebellion and eliminate the villains. A hundred thousand troops have crossed the Yangtze River, and battle-hardened elites are ready to strike down the Wu forces. Their might is like spring thunder awakening the insects, their righteous spirit like a strong wind bends the grass; the evil forces are beginning to crumble, and withered trees are showing signs of spring again. The people of the South, hearing that the royal army has arrived, are overjoyed and weep with relief at their survival..."

Qi Jiguang was extremely annoyed, but as a veteran general who had fought countless battles, he remained remarkably composed. He patiently listened to Gu Xiancheng's rambling explanation before calmly saying:
“I know that Mr. Gu is pure of heart. I admire you all for your forbearance and forbearance for the country. I will report to the Emperor and explain your good intentions.”

Gu Xiancheng thought to himself, "Do we need a military general like you to defend us? The Beijing court has plenty of people to speak for us. All we need are your troops."

He bowed slightly and said, "In that case, thank you for your help."

Qi Jiguang asked, "How many troops does the Nanjing rebels still have?"

Gu Xianxian had been waiting for Qi Jiguang to ask this question, and immediately answered without hesitation:

"Not many. Including the navy and the city of Nanjing, there are only 40,000 men in total, half of whom are still the original Nanjing government troops. The traitor Zhu Yin's army has at most 20,000 men, nearly half of whom are naval troops, and the land forces have only a little over 10,000 men."

Qi Jiguang stroked his beard and said, "In other words, as long as we defeat the 20,000 naval and land troops that Zhu Yin brought from overseas, the enemy's fate will be sealed."

Gu Xiancheng sat up again with his legs crossed, tapping his folding fan against his palm. “Not bad! Although Zhu Yin has been scheming, he doesn’t have many soldiers. His method is to use the Jinghai Army to control the Beijing Garrison, and then use the Beijing Garrison to control the provincial garrisons, creating a system of checks and balances. Although he has recruited nearly 100,000 new soldiers, they have only just begun training and are still a long way from being fully trained.”

"Once the army crosses the river, it will be as powerful as a lion hunting a rabbit. However, Nanjing is surrounded by water on two sides, making it impregnable and easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the army were to launch a direct assault, it would be a costly and protracted undertaking."

Qi Jiguang said, "You want to help me coordinate an attack from the inside?"

Gu Xiancheng nodded: "We are confident that we can persuade a portion of the garrison in the city to open the city gates, allowing for a coordinated attack from within and without, so that our troops can recapture Nanjing as soon as possible. However..."

"However, we want a promise from our subordinates!"

The real show is finally here: he wants a promise from Qi Jiguang, which is his real purpose for coming today.

"Oh?" Qi Jiguang feigned curiosity. "What promise? I dare not say I will definitely agree."

Gu Xiancheng casually offered a compliment: "Your Excellency is a man of great principle and loves the people like his own children. I am certain that you will agree."

"After the traitor Yin occupied the Southern Kingdom, he plundered money on a large scale to fund his army. He also seized all the gold and silver that the eunuchs of the Southern Kingdom had plundered! At least tens of millions of taels of silver were plundered, which was the blood and sweat of the people of Jiangnan."

This is utterly baseless and malicious slander.

Zhu Yin did not commit any offenses in the South, so how could he have engaged in rampant extortion? He did not even lay a hand on the gentry or powerful families, let alone the common people.

That was very gentle.

The claim that the funds were plundered to fund the military was purely fabricated by Gu Xiancheng and his associates.

As for the eunuchs in the southern provinces, although Zhu Yin ordered them to be arrested, brought to the capital, and executed, the more than ten million taels of silver they had plundered were confiscated and put into the Nanjing treasury, and did not become Zhu Yin's private property.

Zhu Yin always kept public and private matters separate.

However, as soon as Gu Xiancheng opened his mouth, the silver that had already been deposited into the national treasury was said to have been embezzled by Zhu Yin.

Qi Jiguang smiled slightly, "So Mr. Gu came for the money."

"No!" Gu Xiancheng said solemnly, "It's not for the money, it's for the money of the people of Jiangnan! The traitor Yin's wealth was mostly plundered from the people of Jiangnan; countless families have been ruined and people have become refugees!" "After the army breaks through Nanjing and the traitor is defeated, his wealth will inevitably be confiscated by the government. But the mountains of gold and silver amassed by the traitor originally came from the people. If it's all confiscated, who will care about the lives of those who have lost their families?"

"Many scholarly families were robbed clean by Zhu Yin, leaving them homeless. Many merchants had their capital and goods taken by the bandits. Does the imperial court not care? If the imperial court does not care, where is justice and fairness? How can the righteousness of the royal army be demonstrated?"

Qi Jiguang stroked his white beard. "Does Mr. Gu mean that a portion of the ill-gotten gains amassed by treacherous officials should be returned to the aggrieved parties?"

Gu Xiancheng cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency is truly righteous! You genuinely love the people like your own children! If you can return the ill-gotten gains to the thousands upon thousands of aggrieved people, your Excellency will be a living Buddha to the people of Jiangnan!"

Qi Jiguang nodded. "How much should be returned?"

Gu Xiancheng sighed, "Countless! Incalculable! But at least ten million taels! The value of their assets is even more immeasurable. Just the robbery of Marquis Li Tingzhu's family alone yielded over a million taels of gold and silver! Even the Marquis of Linhuai's residence was seized by Zhu Yin and turned into the Ningguo Duke's residence..."

Qi Jiguang pretended to hesitate for a moment, then said, “Alright! After we took the Nanjing treasury and the traitor’s property, I agree to return the property to the victims, but I need to submit a memorial to the emperor.”

Gu Xiancheng said, "It is enough that you have this intention. As for whether the court agrees after the memorial is submitted, the people of Jiangnan will be grateful for your kindness."

He was confident that he would get the court to agree.

They want more than just Zhu Yin's wealth; they also want Ning Caiwei's businesses in the South!
Especially Ning Caiwei's businesses, which were what they wanted most. As long as Qi Jiguang made a promise, they could use it as an excuse to plunder Ning Yin Trading Company's assets when their army marched south!
However, their stated reason was to speak up for the people and help the "victims" reclaim their property.

Grand and imposing, righteous and awe-inspiring!
Qi Jiguang narrowed his tiger-like eyes slightly, "Mr. Gu truly has the heart of a gentleman, compassionate and empathetic. The nation has nurtured scholars for over two hundred years, and seven-tenths of that righteousness resides in Jiangnan. This is no exaggeration."

"I can agree. However, you will need to fight for it. If you cannot coordinate with the enemy when they are at the city gates, then all talk is over and we will have to give up."

Gu Xiancheng smiled confidently, "You can rest assured, my men. Since I have come to plead for the people, we are 60 or 70 percent confident that we can open the city gates when the time comes."

"Perhaps before his men even enter the city, the traitor Zhu Yin will already be a prisoner."

Qi Jiguang's brow twitched. "Really? What's the plan?"

Gu Xiancheng's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "The Prince of Xin and his mother are already dissatisfied with Zhu Yin's tyranny and domineering attitude. Duke Wei, Xu Xiaobai, and others have also secretly turned against him. When the time comes, as long as the Prince of Xin, with the support of Duke Wei, issues a false edict declaring Zhu Yin a traitor, he may be able to take down the deserted Zhu Yin in the palace. Even if he can't take him down, he can still open the city gates and let the army into the city."

Qi Jiguang nodded. "Although Prince Xin is a puppet, he is nominally a false emperor. If Prince Xin dares to break with Zhu Yin, at least some people will stand on Prince Xin's side. Once the city is in chaos, attacking the city will be a piece of cake. Hmm, we are indeed very confident of success."

Gu Xiancheng stood up. "Then it's settled. It's late and chilly, so please get some rest. I'll take my leave now!"

"I will see you off." Qi Jiguang also stood up and personally escorted Gu Xiancheng out of the camp.

When Qi Jiguang returned to his tent, his three nephews had already emerged from behind the curtain.

"Father, do Prince Xin and Duke Wei really intend to oppose Zhihu?" Qi Zuoguo asked with a worried expression.

Qi Jin said, "Uncle, are Zhihu and Caiwei still in the dark?"

"What do you think?" Qi Jiguang smiled faintly. "The world is unpredictable, and people's hearts are unfathomable. Faced with power and wealth, some people will change, and some will not. Sometimes they will change, and sometimes they won't. Whether they change or not depends on their own fate."

As he spoke, he wrote a letter to Ning Caiwei in Nanjing.

Whether Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei knew it or not, he was going to tell them about it.

But he hoped that Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei already knew about this.

……

In mid-November in Nanjing, the nights were already chilly.

The brightly lit palace was unusually quiet.

However, faint, almost inaudible voices could still be heard coming from the Cining Palace where the Empress Dowager resided.

A cold wind swept through the halls and rooms, causing the palace lanterns in the main hall to sway slightly. Under the hazy lamplight, the palace servants at the door and in the corridors couldn't help but hunch their shoulders.

In the Winter Warm Pavilion deep within the main hall, beneath a magnificent and dazzling jeweled golden lotus palace lantern, the Empress Dowager, dressed in plain satin, sat on a phoenix couch. Having spent several months in Nanjing, the Empress Dowager had cultivated a dignified air, no longer displaying the desolation she had felt in the cold palace of Beijing.

On the brocade stool beside him sat the fifteen-year-old Emperor Taichang. Under the palace lanterns, the young emperor's eyes seemed a little more serene than before.

Sitting on a bulging stool at the lower end was a noblewoman in her thirties, adorned with jewels and wearing a dark blue satin shawl embroidered with gold clouds and pheasants, and a blue silk sash. This was the attire of a third-rank imperial consort.

This Lady of the Imperial Decree was clearly not a first-timer to the palace. Moreover, her presence in the palace at night indicates the Empress Dowager's high level of trust in her.

She was speaking in a low voice to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, glancing around every few words as if afraid of being overheard.

"...Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, I have said what I needed to say. My husband and others specifically instructed me to convey to the two palaces that this is the best opportunity to eliminate powerful ministers and seize power for myself. We cannot hesitate..."

"Although the palace guards are henchmen of powerful officials, there are still troops of the Duke of Wei within the imperial city. Near Taiping Gate, on Longguang Mountain, there are three thousand of the Duke of Wei's troops… and outside Chaoyang Gate, the Xiaoling Guard has four thousand troops… After Zhu Yin returns to the capital, he will surely go to Xiaoling to offer sacrifices. We can take action at either Taiping Gate or Chaoyang Gate…"

"The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are, after all, rulers, and no matter how arrogant Zhu Yin is, he is still a subject. As long as the two empresses give their full support and dare to publicly announce Zhu Yin's crimes, this matter will surely succeed!"

“Only by eliminating the powerful ministers can the Emperor truly seize power and preserve the legacy of Emperor Chengzu. Otherwise, Zhu Yin, as a descendant of Emperor Jianwen, will inevitably usurp the throne. At that time, the safety of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor… I dare not speak of it, nor can I bear to speak of it…”

The Empress Dowager leaned forward slightly, looking down at the lady, her beautiful and dignified face as cold as ice:
"Are they really reliable? The Grand Tutor's men are everywhere, inside and outside the palace and the city. What would be the consequences if even the slightest mistake were made?"

"Although I am not well-educated, I have seen plays. In the Three Kingdoms period, the Han emperor plotted to kill Cao Cao, but not only did he fail, his empress and princes also perished. Was it really that easy?"

“Go back and tell them to discuss this further and make sure everything goes smoothly. Otherwise, my son and I will never agree.”

"You should leave the palace first, so as not to arouse suspicion."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The third-rank noblewoman dared not linger any longer. She bowed respectfully and then backed out of the warm pavilion.

Once the sound of Lady Shuren's footsteps faded from view, the Empress Dowager turned to the silent young emperor and asked softly:
"Chang Luo, what do you think?"

...

P.S.: That's all for today. I wasn't feeling well and slept all afternoon... I'll try to update more tomorrow. Thanks, goodnight! I'm about to cry...

(End of this chapter)