The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 115 The Feast at Hongmen

In his article, Lin Yue vehemently denounced: "You have always considered yourself a capable official, and the whole world praises you for your skill in river management and your ability to bring peace to the people. But ask yourself honestly, after several months of water management, what have you actually accomplished?!"

Several months ago, the Jiangnan region was flooded, the Wusong River breached its banks, people were displaced, and corpses of the starving were everywhere.

I was ordered to provide disaster relief. I traversed the entire riverbank, surveyed the water flow and the key points for dike breaches, and compiled all the strategies for dredging the canals and reinforcing the dikes into a book, which I will personally deliver to you.

Now that I have come south, I have learned that you have spent several months on flood control, squandered millions of taels of silver from the imperial court, and conscripted 100,000 laborers along the river, yet you have only built such a dilapidated embankment!

In August, a sudden autumn rainstorm caused the newly built dikes to breach again, turning the fields and houses along the river into a vast expanse of water. The people, who had just escaped the calamity of famine, were plunged into water and fire, suffering indescribable hardship. The families of the victims were destroyed, the elderly were left without care, and young children died. The cries of the displaced people could be heard on the roads.

This is all your fault for failing to control the floods!

After giving Xia Yuanji a thorough dressing-down, Lin Yue continued writing a second letter, addressed to the newly appointed Suzhou prefect, Pang Mian.

"The Wusong River breached its banks twice, flooding thousands of miles of fields and houses, leaving people displaced. Everyone blamed Heaven, but after personally experiencing the Jiangnan region, I realized that this was by no means a natural disaster, but rather a man-made one!"

As the Prefect of Suzhou, you are in charge of the administration and people's livelihood of the prefecture. The maintenance of the river dikes is a serious responsibility to protect the land, but you have failed to govern the officials strictly and manage your subordinates effectively. You have allowed the officials and clerks of Wu County to embezzle the imperial funds for dike maintenance, cut corners, and shirk their responsibilities.

Now the river embankment has collapsed again, causing widespread suffering and hardship. If this is not your fault, then whose fault is it?

Lin Yuelin, the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, the Left Spring Palace Grand Secretary, and the Director of the Treasury of Paper Money, hereby gives you three days to thoroughly investigate all officials involved in the Suzhou dike repair project, arrest them, and escort them to the Wusongkou fleet camp for trial. No one should be overlooked, and no favoritism or cover-up should be tolerated.

Anyone who dares to shirk responsibility, delay, conceal, or condone such behavior will be treated as an equal to corrupt officials. The laws of the Ming Dynasty are clear and there will be no leniency!

Don't say you weren't warned!

After finishing the two letters, Lin Yue threw down his pen and instructed, "Immediately send out these two letters by fast ship. Make sure to deliver them personally to Minister Xia and Prefect Pang. Do not delay."

Furthermore, take a team to Wu County and arrest the official in charge of dike repairs. If anyone resists, kill them!

Lin Yue did not stop there; he picked up his pen again and wrote another invitation.

The wording was extremely humble, without mentioning a single word about investigation or accountability. Instead, the writing was straightforward: "By imperial decree, I have been patrolling the seas and have just arrived at Wusong. The coastal defense and suppression of Japanese pirates rely entirely on the efforts of the commander-in-chief. Therefore, I have prepared a small banquet on the main ship and respectfully invite you to come and discuss strategies for suppressing Japanese pirates and to create achievements together."

After writing the letter and sealing it, he sent it to the Wusongjiang Garrison Command, inviting Commander Zhou Xian to a banquet on the fleet's main ship that evening.

After sending out the invitations, Lin Yue called Zhao Hu over and said, "Select fifty elite personal guards, fully armed, to accompany me to the banquet tonight."

"During the meal, heed my command: if I smash the cup, immediately step forward and seize Zhou Xiansuo, and do not let him escape even a fraction."

Zhao Hu was taken aback upon hearing this, his face full of surprise. He couldn't help but ask, "Sir, have you found evidence that Commander Zhou is colluding with the Japanese?"

Lin Yue was even more surprised than him: "Weren't you always with me? We were either on the boat or traveling in the countryside. How could I have had time to investigate him? What evidence did you have?"

Zhao Hu was even more confused. He scratched his head and said, "If there's no evidence, why arrest Commander Zhou? Arresting a high-ranking official so rashly will likely cause controversy. What if we arrest the wrong person..."

"You arrested the wrong person?" Lin Yue's eyes turned cold. "The Wusongjiang Thousand-Household Garrison guards a vital coastal stronghold. Japanese pirates have repeatedly landed here to plunder, ravage the people, and burn down fields and houses."

As a general in charge of a region, he sat idly by while the people suffered. Such behavior indicates either that he was a cowardly and treacherous person who neglected his duties and harmed the country, or that he was a traitor who secretly colluded with Japanese pirates and sold out the country for personal gain.

One of the two must be true, so what's wrong with arresting him? Detaining him first and then questioning him is far better than letting this scoundrel continue to harm the people!

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu could only bow and reply, "Your subordinate understands."

Lin Yue was making preliminary arrangements and preparations. The banquet was set up in the middle deck of the ship, which was surrounded by water on all sides, with only one door for entry and exit.

Inside the cabin, only two personal guards were openly present to serve wine. More than ten elite soldiers personally selected by Zhao Hu were hidden behind the screen, on both sides of the cabin door, and in the corners of the corridor, ready to take action at any moment upon command.

Another team of swordsmen was dispatched to guard the outer hall, specifically to await Zhou Xian's entourage.

Within half a day, Zhou Xian arrived by fast boat with more than ten personal attendants carrying swords.

In Zhou Xian's view, Lin Yue was a Hanlin scholar from the capital who did not understand the practicalities of coastal defense.

This invitation to the banquet is surely intended to allow him, a local strongman, to gather information so he can later submit a memorial to the court to gain political achievements.

Seeing the invitation mentioning "meritorious service in command" and "sharing of rewards," he was overjoyed and had no suspicions whatsoever. He secretly planned his words, wanting to completely shift the blame for the poor performance in suppressing the Japanese pirates and to win the praise of the Beijing official.

No matter how prestigious the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty were, they were essentially nothing more than cowards.

Upon arriving at the cabin door, Lin Yue was already standing on the veranda to greet him.

Seeing that he had brought a group of entourage, Lin Yue remained calm, smiled and raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Commander Zhou, it is an honor to have you here."

"My cabin is cramped and cannot accommodate so many people. It would be better to let the brothers enjoy their drinks in the outer hall. Plenty of food and drink will be provided; you will not be slighted."

Just as Zhou Xian's attendants were about to speak, Lin Yue smiled and said, "I was presumptuous. Commander Zhou, please come in."

Seeing this, Zhou Xian had no suspicions and decided to give him some face: "Since Lord Lin is so polite, we won't make things difficult for you. You can wait in the outer hall, and two of you can come with me to take your seats."

So Zhou Xian only brought two bodyguards with him and followed Lin Yue into the cabin.

Once seated, the food and wine were already prepared on the table.

Lin Yue raised his glass frequently, praising Commander Zhou for his long service in coastal defense and saying that Commander Zhou was well-versed in the Japanese situation. His face was full of smiles, showing no hint of arrogance.

"Commander Zhou, I am on a mission ordered by the Emperor to suppress the Japanese pirates along the way. However, I have been in the capital for a long time and am completely ignorant of the situation of the Japanese pirates along the coast."

Whether we can quell the Japanese pirate threat this time depends on the help of Commander Qianhu.” Lin Yue raised his cup in a toast, his tone full of reliance.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was harmonious. Zhou Xian, slightly tipsy, patted his chest and laughed loudly: "Lord Lin, you're too kind!"

Defending the coast is my duty as a lowly general!

"Rest assured, sir, I know the situation of the sea and the Japanese pirates within a hundred miles of the Wusongkou estuary perfectly well, even with my eyes closed!"

Lin Yue then asked, "Oh? May I ask, Commander, where exactly is this Japanese pirate's lair? They repeatedly come ashore to plunder, yet the garrison's repeated encirclements and suppressions have yielded little success?"

Zhou Xian's smile froze for a moment. Realizing he had misspoke, he immediately started spouting nonsense: "Scholar Lin, you may not know this, but these Japanese pirates are all roving bandits from overseas. Their hideouts are constantly changing. They may be on this island today, but they may be in that bay tomorrow. They are the most difficult to capture."

"In the previous few attempts I led my men to encircle and suppress them, we all came up empty-handed. It was all because those treacherous coastal villagers secretly colluded with the Japanese pirates and tipped them off in advance. Otherwise, I would have wiped out this gang of bandits long ago!"

As he spoke, he became more and more fluent, completely absolving himself of any dereliction of duty or fear of battle. In the end, he even sighed and complained: "To be honest, sir, the garrison is short of food and pay, and the weapons are old. The brothers can't even afford to repair the ships that go out to sea. Otherwise, how could we tolerate the Japanese pirates running rampant?"

We hope that when you return to the capital, you will put in a good word for us before His Majesty and secure more provisions, pay, and military equipment.

Sensing that Zhou Xian was likely involved in something wrong, Lin Yue's expression changed drastically, and he slammed his hand on the table.

He was about to open his mouth to denounce Zhou Xian and try to find evidence of his crimes when Zhao Hu suddenly burst out from behind the screen.

Just as Zhou Xian and his two guards were about to get up and reach for their swords, they were pinned to the ground by several soldiers and unable to move.

Almost simultaneously, several short, muffled thuds came from the outer hall. In the blink of an eye, all of Zhou Xian's dozen or so personal guards were captured by the ambushing soldiers, and none of them escaped.

Zhou Xian was pinned to the ground, his drunkenness instantly dissipating. He was both shocked and furious: "Lin Yue! What are you doing? I am a garrison commander appointed by the imperial court! How dare you lock me up? Are you trying to rebel?!"

Lin Yue glanced at Zhao Hu speechlessly, then pointed at Zhou Xian and angrily rebuked him: "Rebellion? You colluded with Japanese pirates, led thieves into the country, robbed the people, and slaughtered villages and towns. This is an unforgivable crime!"

"I am here on imperial orders, wielding the power granted by His Majesty to execute first and report later. To kill you, this traitorous villain, is no different from slaughtering a dog!"

He leaned down and stared intently at you: "Today you have two choices. Either confess everything about the Japanese pirates' hideout, their accomplices on the shore, their contact codes, and their passwords, without missing a single word, and I'll consider it a meritorious deed to atone for your crimes and let you go."

"Either I behead you right now at the bow of the ship, and then follow the trail to wipe out all your associates. Then your entire family will be executed, your nine generations of relatives will be exterminated, and you'll regret it!"

Zhou Xian, his neck stiff, roared, "You're spouting nonsense! I've guarded the coast for years, how could I possibly collude with the Japanese? You're framing a loyal official!"

"I think you don't understand the situation." Lin Yue straightened up. "Zhao Hu, use torture."

Zhao Hu stepped forward in response, drew a short stick from his waist, and was about to make a move when Lin Yue waved his hand: "Wait, you're going to make a move here."

I'm kind-hearted and can't stand this. Drag him out, treat him well, and then report it.

As soon as the hatch closed, piercing screams came from outside. But after only half an incense stick's time, the screams subsided, leaving only intermittent wailing and pleading.

Zhao Hu abruptly lifted the curtain and entered, bowing and clasping his hands in greeting: "My lord, Zhou Xianquan has confessed!"

"Bring it in."

The guards dragged Zhou Xian, who was covered in wounds and limp as a rag doll, inside. As soon as he touched the ground, he kowtowed repeatedly to Lin Yue, pounding his head like garlic.

"My lord, spare my life! I'll confess, I'll confess everything! I just beg you to spare my life."

Lin Yue gestured with his chin toward the clerk beside him, then said gently, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't be in this predicament. Tell me in detail. If the information is true, I, Lin Yue, guarantee with my life that I will let you go."

Zhou Xian had no choice but to reveal the whole story.

"The Japanese pirates occupied Chongming Sandbar outside Wusongkou. There was an earthen fortress they built there, with a total of more than 300 bandits!"

On the shore, they were met by Shen Bing, a powerful local strongman from Songjiang, who was in charge of supplying the Japanese pirates with provisions, selling stolen goods, and relaying intelligence!

He blurted out everything about the layout of the earthen fortress, the address of Shen Bing's residence, and the names of his trusted confidants.

The clerk's pen flew across the paper, and in a moment he finished transcribing the confession, handing it to Zhou Xian: "Every word is correct. Sign and affix your seal!"

Zhou Xian bit his fingertip, his fingers trembling, and pressed his bloody mark onto the confession. He then signed his name crookedly, and his whole being collapsed.

Lin Yue picked up the confession, glanced at it, folded it, and put it in his pocket. He then ordered in a deep voice, "Zhao Hu, drag him away again and interrogate him severely. Make him write the confession again and check for any errors or omissions."

"Yes, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xian's already pale face turned deathly white, and he abruptly sat up, his eyes filled with horror.

He crawled forward two steps using both his hands and feet, begging for mercy repeatedly.

"My lord, spare my life! I've confessed everything! There's nothing I've hidden, not a single lie."

Lin Yue glanced at him, his face expressionless, and continued to wave at Zhao Hu.

Seeing that begging for mercy was useless, Zhou Xian's fear instantly turned into resentment, and he cursed again: "Lin Yue! You are a liar, a real villain!"

You clearly said before that you would let me go if I confessed everything, but now that I've told you everything, you still want to torture me. You've wasted your education in Confucian classics; you're truly a despicable person.

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow: "If you dare to utter another word of nonsense, I'll have you dragged to the executioner's table, your whole family arrested, and executed without exception."

Zhou Xian's cursing stopped abruptly as he was dragged out in terror by Zhao Hu.

Before long, Zhao Hu entered, clutching the newly recorded confession, and bowed as he handed it to Lin Yue.

Lin Yue took the confession and quickly scanned it. He saw that it included two deserted islands where Japanese pirates hid their stolen goods, three low-ranking garrison officials who secretly communicated with the Japanese, and another Songjiang grain merchant who was responsible for supplying provisions besides Shen Bing. He immediately sneered and slammed the confession on the table.

"Ha, this fellow is indeed dishonest, omitting so many key locations and people. Luckily I was cautious and used the extra torture, otherwise this treacherous villain would have gotten away with it!"

Zheng He was checking the route against the nautical chart when he saw Lin Yue stride in. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Yue announced loudly, "Eunuch Zheng, the matter is settled!"

Zhou Xian, the commander of the Wusong River garrison, has been captured by me. The evidence of his collusion with the Japanese pirates is irrefutable!

Zheng He suddenly looked up, his expression changing drastically: "What? You actually captured the commander of the Wusong River?"

Lin Yue nodded: "The Japanese pirates have been invading our borders for years, plundering villages and towns, and abducting more than a hundred people. The people along the coast are living in misery. The root cause lies in officials like Zhou Xian, who are officials of the imperial court, who secretly collude with the Japanese pirates and work together from the inside and outside!"

If such scoundrels are not eliminated, they will not only lose the hearts of the people of Jiangnan, but also undermine the laws of the court. My arrest of them now can be considered as ridding the people of Jiangnan of a great scourge.

Zheng He bent down and quickly scanned the confession, his brow furrowed, and shook his head helplessly: "You've arrested the man, and you've taken the confession. What do you plan to do next?"

Lin Yuezhen said, "Now the Japanese pirates' lair, troop deployment, shore strongholds, and communication codes have all been verified."

I have devised a plan for a combined land and sea encirclement, leaving absolutely no chance of anyone escaping!

He looked up at Zheng He and spoke very quickly: "I urge Eunuch Zheng to personally lead the main force of the navy to set sail tonight and surround Chongming Sandbar overnight to block the Japanese pirates' escape route to the open sea."

A certain individual personally led an elite team to land simultaneously, clearing out Shen Bing's spies' hideout in Songjiang and cutting off their onshore support.

"At midnight, both groups will strike simultaneously!" Lin Yue's eyes were blazing, his sharpness imposing. "In one night, we can wipe out the Japanese pirates and traitors, eradicating the Japanese threat at Wusongkou in one fell swoop!"

As soon as Lin Yue finished speaking, Zheng He did not respond immediately. Instead, he frowned deeply, reached out and took the confession and signed document from the table, and carefully examined them word by word.

Having served in the military for many years, he knew the dangers of war well; a single word could mean the loss of a battle opportunity, and there was no room for carelessness on the battlefield.