Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 220 Imperial Edict Arrives! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Just as Yan Shifan was speaking.

"Squeak!"

With a thud, Yan Maoqing walked out of the prefab house, a sly smile on his face.

Seeing Shen Kun standing outside the door, his smirk subsided slightly, and he asked:
"Brother Bozai, what is it?"

Shen Kun then came to his senses and immediately handed over the unopened secret letter with both hands:

“General Yan, a few servants just came in and brought a secret letter. They said that once you read this letter, you will know the writer’s identity and sincerity.”

"Guan Jieshan reacted pretty quickly."

Yan Maoqing was not surprised at all. Without even reading the letter, he identified the letter's owner and accepted it with a smile.

Actually, this was not hard to guess at all; it was all within his plan.

After all, with his swift and decisive move, the only people left with any real power outside are now the Provincial Governor Guan Jieshan and Prince Zhu Xin.

So far, his actions and words have not been directed at Zhu Xin.

As a member of the imperial family, Zhu Xin has no major problems and is not afraid of Yan Maoqing.

Therefore, even if Zhu Xin knew what had happened at the prefectural government office, he would probably choose to remain still and observe the situation, at least not react so quickly.

Therefore, the only person who urgently needs to communicate with Yan Maoqing to find out what he is planning to do and offer sincere help to resolve the crisis is Guan Jieshan.

"..."

Yan Shifan and Shen Kun exchanged a glance upon hearing this, both seeing the admiration in each other's eyes.

Although they understood the basis for Yan Maoqing's judgment, it did not prevent them from finding Yan Maoqing increasingly unfathomable.

This composure and calmness are enough to prove that everyone's reaction is within Yan Maoqing's plan, and the situation is firmly under his control.

This is like watching someone play chess.

The moves on a chessboard are nothing more than the same few. Each move, taken out of context, has an intention and technique that can be understood by a knowledgeable observer, and may not seem particularly amazing.

What truly amazes spectators is the player's thought process and strategy, especially their judgment and prediction of the upcoming game.

Simply put, it means that the player has planned out the next move in advance.

The further one plans ahead, the higher one's skill level will naturally be. Only then can one be considered a true master of chess and earn the admiration of the spectator.

Yan Maoqing's composure and calmness at this moment made the two of them suspect that he had probably planned the whole game from beginning to end.

Then they heard Yan Maoqing, who had already opened the envelope and was reading the secret letter at a glance, let out a cry of surprise:
"What's going on? Why isn't Guan Jieshan playing by the rules?"

"Eh?"

Yan Shifan and Shen Kun were taken aback.

What happened to the promised strategic planning and masterful execution of the entire game?
His cool demeanor lasted only three seconds. Guan Jieshan broke the deadlock right from the start. Were we overthinking things?

"This can't be done like that! If he actually does this, how am I supposed to play the game now?"

Yan Maoqing's brows furrowed, his face filled with worry.

Seeing this expression, Yan Shifan and Shen Kun couldn't help but worry, wondering if something terrible had happened that would ruin their entire trip.

"Uncle-in-law, has something happened?"

Yan Shifan finally couldn't resist and leaned closer, speaking cautiously.
"Uncle-in-law doesn't have to shoulder everything alone. My nephew, General Shen, and General Gao are not without merit. They are all willing to pool their wisdom and efforts to share the burden with Uncle-in-law."

"Envoy Yan is right. I am willing to share General Yan's burdens!"

Shen Kun, filled with curiosity and worry, stepped forward, bowed, and said...

"It's nothing serious, I just can't figure it out for a moment... You guys take a look for yourselves, let me have some peace and quiet, don't bother me."

Yan Maoqing then realized that his reaction might have caused a misunderstanding between the two men. In order to prevent undermining morale, he simply handed the secret letter to them.

He went straight to a stone bench in the distance, sat down, and started cosplaying as The Thinker, resting his chin on his hand.

"..."

Yan Shifan and Shen Kun quickly huddled together, heads close together, to carefully examine the secret letter.

The secret letter mentioned three things:

Firstly, Guan Jieshan not only guaranteed that there would be no trouble in Taiyuan Prefecture in the near future.

He also stated that he had already turned the tables on Zhang Daren and that he could wipe out all the White Lotus Sect "leaders," including Zhang Daren, tonight.

Tomorrow morning, all the thieves, along with the White Lotus Sect's roster, can be handed over to fully cooperate with Yan Maoqing in wiping out the White Lotus Sect rebels within Taiyuan Prefecture.

Secondly, Guan Jieshan stated that he had submitted a memorial to the Emperor confessing his crimes, and the secret memorial with the silver seal was already on its way to the capital.

He also stated that in this secret memorial, he exposed high-ranking officials in the capital who had close ties with Shanxi merchants and border generals, which should help the emperor clear away obstacles to the Great Harmony.

Tomorrow morning I will tie myself up as well, and ask Yan Maoqing to escort me back to the capital to claim credit;
Thirdly, Guan Jieshan gifted Yan Maoqing a residence located in Loufan County, Taiyuan Prefecture. Some unworthy "good things" were buried under the pavilion in the backyard of the residence, and he invited Yan Maoqing to take a look when he had time.

The deed to the house was also attached to the secret letter, with the specific location listed on it. Please accept this letter, Yan Maoqing…

"Where... is the property deed?"

After reading the secret letter, Yan Shifan was shocked. The first question that came to mind was to look up at Yan Maoqing, who was cosplaying as The Thinker in the distance.

"Oh right, my uncle only handed the secret letter to the two of them, but quietly put the envelope into his pocket and took it away... My uncle is quick."

Shen Kun, however, was more concerned about the two things mentioned earlier.

Didn't they wipe out the White Lotus Sect in Taiyuan Prefecture?
Not only Zhang Yin, the ringleader, but also all the "managers" under his command were captured and their rosters were handed over. Wouldn't that solve the problem on the surface?
Guan Jieshan voluntarily confessed his crimes to the Emperor, becoming a tainted witness.
They also impeached high-ranking officials in the capital who had close ties with Shanxi merchants and border generals, hoping to use this to help the emperor eliminate the biggest obstacle to the Great Harmony project.
In this way, the emperor only needs to deal with these high-ranking officials in the capital, which will allow him to capture the leader first, intimidate the officials, border generals and Shanxi merchants in Shanxi, and leave them leaderless.

Then the obstacles to achieving harmony will naturally be reduced, and wouldn't the secret matter be accomplished in the process?

and so……

Does this mean the task is complete?
Both the matters that are public and those that are private have been successfully completed.

Yan Maoqing was ready to lead them back to the capital, and they were just waiting to see how the emperor would reward them.

That's it?

Yan Maoqing had only made a slight move, and it felt like the enemy had already fallen before he had even fired a shot.
The dilemma that even he and Gao Gong thought was impossible was accomplished so easily?!

Shen Kun felt that everything was happening too fast and seemed somewhat unreal.

After all, they've only been in the city for a few hours, and it's not even dark yet!

At the same time, he also felt a slight regret...

He originally thought there would definitely be several tough battles, and he hoped that the Hero Battalion, which he personally supervised, would display great prowess, so that the emperor would have a chance to see his talent as a general.

As a result, the Heroes' Camp only made one move, and that was just shooting down a few dozen arrogant servants and sedan chair carriers.

This achievement is not only insignificant, but even the officials, powerful figures, and merchants currently detained in the prefectural government have reached a consensus: they will swallow their pride and refuse to admit to the outside world that the Heroic Battalion killed their people...

Therefore, the emperor would only find out afterward.

The Heroes' Battalion didn't do anything this time; they just ate the government's salary and followed Yan Maoqing on a trip to Taiyuan.

Although he knew that things had been handled so quickly and smoothly this time.

It was all thanks to Yan Maoqing's own efforts; it was a unique personal show.

If it weren't for Yan Maoqing's strategic planning, his preemptive strike upon entering the city, and his effortless manipulation of Guan Jieshan, which ultimately led to an inescapable dead end, such an unexpected and delightful outcome would never have been possible.

The main role of the Heroes' Camp is to provide support and maintain order; they are indispensable, but not irreplaceable, background figures...

I thought so in my heart.

Shen Kun unconsciously looked towards Yan Maoqing in the distance.

But Yan Maoqing was frowning deeply, his face showing obvious regret, as if he had not accomplished anything, but rather botched it.

"This... could it be that things were handled so quickly and smoothly that Minister Yan is still not satisfied? He could have done even better?"

Shen Kun couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect.

He had never met anyone in his life who was so demanding of himself, to the point of being nitpicky.

……

"What should I do..."

Yan Maoqing was indeed grieving the loss of his parents, his heart filled with endless regret.
"Why did things turn out this way? If I had known Guan Jieshan was such a spineless coward, I should have held back."

"This is great, the surprise I prepared for Big Fool Zhu hasn't even had a chance to be shown before the matter is already over..."

"If we go back like this, won't Big Fool Zhu rely on me even more in the future? Won't he continue to tirelessly promote me and make me do even more dangerous things?"

"God, are you kidding me? This can't be fair! At this rate, will I ever be able to retire and return to my hometown?"

at this time.

"General Yan! General Yan! There is an imperial edict from the Emperor!"

Suddenly, the sound of a high-pitched bow came from outside again.

As he strode into the courtyard, a beardless man followed behind him, dressed in a blue undergarment, wearing a hat without a backrest, and with an ebony plaque hanging from his waist.

This was the standard attire for eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty. Except for the Directorate of Ceremonial and a few eunuchs close to the emperor, most eunuchs, regardless of their rank, wore this attire.

"Eunuch Chen?"

Yan Shifan recognized the man; he was a messenger in the palace named Chen Xi.

Previously, Chen Xi had secretly sent his godson to the Yan residence to inform them that "Yan Maoqing supports Yan Song's entry into the cabinet."

(End of this chapter)