I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 166 Let them shoot themselves in the foot

Chapter 165 "Godfather, what should we do? Shahe Guard has plenty of soldiers. Just pull out a battalion and arrest all those thugs and hooligans—"

"No!"

Chen Ying shook his head firmly and said, "The soldiers of Shahewei are fighting the Jurchens, not ordinary people. Once we mobilize our troops, the Donglin Party will have a perfect excuse to accuse us of suppressing the people and indiscriminately killing innocent people."

Chen Yongren panicked: "What do we do then? We can't just stand by and watch our brothers get beaten up, can we?"

"First, investigate thoroughly. Find out who those thugs are working for, which officials are behind them, how much money they received, and what benefits they were promised. Find out everything, and don't let a single one of them get away with it."

Chen Yongren took the paper and hesitated, saying, "Godfather, what good will it do even if we find out the truth? We can't arrest anyone."

Chen Ying raised his head, his gaze cold and stern: "Who said we can't arrest them?"

Chen Yongren was taken aback.

"I am the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning, a second-rank military officer. It is my duty to apprehend bandits and maintain public order. Those local thugs and ruffians who commit violence, vandalism, looting, and arson in the streets—what else are they but bandits?"

Chen Ying never expected that those civil officials would actually resort to force against him. What were they thinking? Didn't they know that Chen Ying was the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning?

The Da Ning Regional Military Commission also had another name, the Beiping Regional Military Commission. The area under its jurisdiction was not Lushun, nor Nurgan and Yongning, which were now occupied by Chen Boying. Instead, it stretched from Shanhaiguan in the east to Zijingguan in the west, forming an important defense line protecting the capital. Key passes along the Great Wall, such as Zijingguan and Juyongguan, were part of its defense system. Of course, many of the original garrisons outside the Great Wall were largely abolished or relocated inland. Ultimately, it was mainly composed of the five garrisons of Baoding (left, right, central, front, and rear), as well as the garrisons of Yingzhou that had been relocated inland after adjustments.

In fact, although Chen Boying currently has few garrisons and troops under his command, he is still the nominal commander of the Gyeonggi Military Region, responsible for the security of the entire Gyeonggi area.

However, before Chen Ying could even celebrate for three minutes, Su Mei poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "My lord, although you are the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning, if you were the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning before the Yongle era, the security cases within the jurisdiction of the Da Ning Commander-in-Chief's office would indeed be under your jurisdiction. However, since the Da Ning Commander-in-Chief's office was moved inland in the first year of Yongle and became the Beiping Commander-in-Chief's office, the real power of the Da Ning Commander-in-Chief's office has been weakened to the extreme. Apart from the Liaodong Commander-in-Chief's office and the original Da Ning Commander-in-Chief's office, the other commanderies are not responsible for handling cases. The Judicial Office under your jurisdiction is only responsible for handling cases within the Commander-in-Chief's office—"

Chen Ying then realized that the Ming Dynasty implemented a system of separation of powers. The three offices were the Regional Military Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Administration Commission. The Provincial Surveillance Commission was responsible for maintaining public order, handling cases, and apprehending bandits in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty.

Even if Chen Ying wanted to report the case to the authorities, he could only report it to the Five City Garrison Command in the capital. This was the main agency for managing public security in the capital, which was divided into five cities: Central, East, West, South, and North. Its responsibilities clearly included patrolling and arresting thieves and apprehending soldiers and civilians involved in street fights.

If it were within the current areas under Daning's actual control, such as Lushun, Yongning, Shuangchengwei, and Henkewei, Chen Ying would have absolute real power.

"Godfather, should we report this to the authorities?"

"Report to the authorities?"

Chen Ying turned around and sneered, "The officials are their people. What's the use of reporting to the authorities?"

"Then...then shall we do it ourselves?"

"Wearing this uniform, I am a soldier of the Ming Dynasty; taking it off, I am the most ferocious bandit of the Ming Dynasty!"

At this moment, Chen Ying was furious. The newspaper sellers he had recruited were all displaced people who had survived to this day, and most of them had survived because of their strong birth charts. Chen Ying had given them a way to live, but the Donglin Party and the civil service group were so despicable that he was tempted to kill them.

Of course, if Nurhaci were to openly and forcefully confront the Donglin Party with his troops, he would be laughing all the way to the bank. Chen Ying would not let Nurhaci off so easily. In order to retaliate against these people under limited conditions, Chen Ying sought out Xu Xianchun.

When Xu Xianchun saw Chen Boying at the Northern Garrison Command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was taken aback: "Lord Chen, what brings you here today?"

Chen Ying recounted in detail how the civil officials instigated local thugs to beat and intimidate the newspaper vendors. Of course, Chen Ying actually had no evidence to prove that the Donglin Party had orchestrated these events. In fact, evidence was not important; if Chen Ying suspected the Donglin Party was behind it, then so be it. After all, Chen Ying was now a second-rank military officer in the Ming Dynasty, a figure of unapproachable importance in the eyes of those local thugs. Why would they be so foolish as to beat up those newspaper vendors? Were they deliberately trying to sow discord between Chen Ying and the public?

Xu Xianchun looked up at Chen Ying, his tone slightly mocking, and said, "When did Lord Chen become so merciful? Are those few heads of rotten garlic worth you making a special trip for?"

Chen Ying picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and shook his head, saying, "Of course they're not worth it. What I want is for them to be worth it."

Xu Xianchun laughed heartily and said, "Lord Chen, leave this matter to me. In less than three days, I guarantee that not even their corpses will be found in the capital."

"Lord Xu, if we kill them, who will benefit? It will be the Donglin Party. They are just looking for a pretext to attack me. If I take action, they can impeach me for indiscriminately killing civilians and use this as an excuse. But if I don't take action, what will the people of the capital think? They will say that I, the commander of Da Ning, am just a figurehead, and that my men don't dare to utter a word after being beaten."

Xu Xianchun put away his playful tone and asked seriously, "Then what does Lord Chen mean?"

"Killing them would be acting on behalf of Heaven. But the real villains are those officials who are hiding behind the scenes and directing them. I will make them lift a stone only to drop it on their own feet."

"How exactly should we smash it?"

"Has Lord Xu ever heard of Lord Mengchang?"

Xu Xianchun smiled and said, "A petty thief, one of the Four Lords of the Warring States, Tian Wen."

Chen Ying nodded and said, "Lord Mengchang kept three thousand retainers, regardless of their background or origin. I now wish to emulate Lord Mengchang and raise a group of 'petty thieves and scoundrels.' However, it is inappropriate for me to do so in the capital."

Xu Xianchun, being astute as he was, immediately understood: "Lord Chen wants to get someone out of my prison?"

"Lord Xu is indeed straightforward."

Chen Ying lowered his voice and said, "The prison is full of desperate criminals, all of whom are ruthless killers."

Let them deal with those thugs and ruffians; that's using violence to combat violence, and evil to combat evil. If anything goes wrong, what does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with my Da Ning Military Command?

Xu Xianchun pondered for a moment: "There is indeed a way. In the Imperial Prison, there is a notorious bandit named Xu Hu. He was originally from Juye, Shandong, and was a trusted and beloved general of Xu Hongru. After Xu Hongru's uprising failed, he was captured and imprisoned. The Imperial Guards subjected him to all sorts of torture, including finger-crushing, clamping, and even playing the pipa, but he still didn't reveal the whereabouts of Xu Hongru's youngest son, Xu Luo. Such a stubborn person is the first of his kind in the Imperial Prison."

Is this person still alive?

"Live!"

Xu Xianchun said calmly, "I've been subjected to the torture instruments of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for over two years; there's not a single patch of good flesh on my body, but I'm tough. Lord Tian (Tian Ergeng) wanted to kill me several times, but I stopped him. It's a pity for someone like that to die. I need ruthless people like him to do some dirty work!"

Give him to me!

Xu Xianchun hesitated for a moment before saying, "This man is a wanted criminal by the imperial court and should be executed according to the law—"

"One thousand taels!"

"Lord Chen, this matter is difficult to handle!"

"Five thousand taels of silver!"

"Lord Chen, please follow me."

Deep within the prison, it was dark and damp, with the air thick with the stench of decay and mold.

As Chen Ying followed Xu Xianchun through layers of security gates, the jailers bowed their heads in respect wherever they went. The flickering torchlight cast shadows in the narrow passageway, illuminating the figures behind the iron bars of each cell. Some prisoners huddled in corners, while others lay on the bars, watching the two pass by with strange looks.

Xu Xianchun stopped in front of a cell and pointed inside: "This is the person."

"Xu Hu".

Xu Xianchun called out.

Xu Hu slowly raised his head, the firelight illuminating a angular face. His hair was messy like weeds, and he had a full beard. He was about thirty years old, with thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes. Even in the prison, his gaze still revealed a sharp and murderous aura. He glanced at Xu Xianchun, then looked at Chen Ying, but said nothing.

Xu Xianchun gestured to the jailer, who stepped forward and unlocked the iron lock. The iron door creaked loudly, and two jailers stepped forward, preparing to put shackles on him. Chen Ying waved his hand and said, "No need!"

Xu Xianchun was very clear about Chen Boying's position in the Tianqi Emperor's heart. It could be said that even the eunuchs at the level of imperial eunuchs were not as favored by the Tianqi Emperor as Chen Boying. If anything happened to Chen Boying, he could not bear the responsibility: "Lord Chen, although this tiger has had its teeth pulled, it is still dangerous. Please be careful."

Chen Ying nodded: "You all go out first, I'll go talk to him!"

Chen Ying lacked a ruthless man like Xu Hu under his command, so he naturally cherished talent and stepped into the prison cell.

Xu Hu's gaze locked onto him, and he suddenly asked, "Who are you?"

"Chen Boying".

"Chen Boying?"

Xu Hu frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "Chen Boying, who won the great victory at Sanjiang and beheaded thousands of Jurchens? Chen Boying, the Commander-in-Chief of Da Ning?"

"Exactly."

"What brings you, a second-rank official of the imperial court, to the prison to see a dying man?"

"I've come to save you."

Xu Hu laughed loudly, his laughter echoing in the cramped cell, making the torch flames flicker: "Save me? I'm a wanted criminal, a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of my family. No one can save me!"

"If I say I can save them, then I can save them."

Chen Ying's tone was as calm as if he were talking about something trivial: "I don't want you to be loyal to me, nor do I want you to risk your life for me. I'm giving you a chance to do one more great thing before you die."

Xu Hu's smile faded, and he stared at Chen Ying for a long while: "What is it?"

"I'll let you live a life of unbridled joy, and let you die a life of honor!"

Xu Hu shuddered. He had no intention of serving any Ming Dynasty official, including Chen Boying. But the problem was, he was willing to do whatever Chen Boying asked him to do, even if he was immediately torn to pieces afterward, let alone given freedom. He slowly stood up. Although he was ragged and covered in wounds, his fierce aura was like a drawn sword.

"Alright, I'll do it. All I've ever done in my life is rebelle and have some fun. I'm going to die anyway, so if I can have one last good time before I die, it'll be worth it!"

That night, the prison was flooded.

The jailers screamed and ran around trying to put out the fire. Amidst the raging flames, the iron locks on more than a dozen cells disappeared without a trace. Taking advantage of the chaos, hundreds of serious criminals vanished like ghosts into the darkness of the capital city at night.

Xu Xianchun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, sat in the yamen, slowly sipping his tea, listening to his subordinates report the news of "fire in the imperial prison and escape of a serious criminal," without even lifting his eyelids.

"Understood." He put down his teacup and said calmly, "Send the order to search the entire city."

The following day, in the southeast of the capital, inside Chongwen Gate.

Meng Guang'en was a notorious playboy in the capital. Relying on his family's hereditary military position, he raised a group of thugs and ran rampant in the capital for more than a decade, earning him the nickname "Little Meng Chang of the Capital".

Meng Guang'en loved making friends and was open to all sorts of people, but his "loyalty" always carried a hint of calculation. He would invite you for drinks today and expect you to pay him back tomorrow. Therefore, although this "Little Meng Chang" was a well-known figure in the capital, his reputation was not good. One morning, a group of unfamiliar faces appeared outside the Meng residence. The leader was Xu Hu, who had changed into a clean and sharp outfit, exuding an undeniable aura of menace.

Meng Guang'en was just leaving his residence, on his way to a teahouse to listen to music, when he bumped into this group of people and was taken aback: "Who are you?"

Xu Hu clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "Master Meng, we have long admired your reputation as the 'Little Mengchang of the Capital.' My brothers and I are all outlaws, and we have long wanted to join your ranks. Today, we have come to seek refuge with you!"

Before Meng Guang'en could react, a group of thugs rushed forward, shouting, "Where did this ignorant fool come from, daring to block Master Meng's path?"

Xu Hu raised his eyelids and swept his gaze over like cold lightning, causing the thug to involuntarily take a step back.

"Master Meng," Xu Hu stepped forward with a forced smile, "We brothers don't want food or drink, we don't want money, we just want to follow you and broaden our horizons. If you don't agree, we'll turn around and leave without bothering you."

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Meng Guang'en felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He hesitated for a moment, and was about to refuse when a man who looked like a clerk leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear.

Meng Guang'en's expression changed slightly. He looked Xu Hu up and down again, then suddenly smiled and said, "Since you brothers think so highly of me, Meng, then please come inside and talk."

That very day, Xu Hu and a dozen men moved into the Meng residence. Xu Hu was a ruthless man who had rebelled before, and among the local thugs, he was a force to be reckoned with. In less than half a day, he had become sworn brothers with the thugs in the Meng residence. Playing cards, drinking, drinking games, and listening to music, Xu Hu was good at everything. After a few jugs of wine, he managed to get all sorts of information out of them.

Meanwhile, in the back hall of the Military Commandery.

Chen Ying sat in his study, a list of officials from the capital city in front of him. He picked up a pen and circled several names.

Chen Yongren reported softly, "Godfather, Xu Hu has successfully entered the Meng residence and is trying to make contact with key figures such as Zhang Shun."

With Xu Hu's abilities, he'll find out the details behind this in just a few days!

"Tell him to get to work!"