After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Chapter 119 Bearing the brunt

Shanhaiguan, General's Residence.

A charcoal brazier was burning in the main hall, but it couldn't dispel the chill that filled the room.

Marquis Jiang Ji of Dingxi sat in the main seat, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Seated at the lower end were Li Gong, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War; Sun Gui, the commander of the Shanhai Guard; followed by Liu Huai, the deputy commander of the Shimen Road; Gao Ying, the garrison commander of Xiaohe □; and others.

Everyone gathered together, but no one spoke.

Jiang Ji slowly began, "The Crown Prince will be arriving soon. Let's all speak!"

Li Gong coughed lightly and said, "According to the imperial edict, the Crown Prince's destination is Liaoyang, and he is only passing through Shanhaiguan. In my opinion, we should just receive him and not worry about it too much."

Jiang Ji looked at him and sneered, "Just passing by?"

Li Gong felt uneasy at his laughter: "Does the Marquis of Dingxi mean—"

Jiang Ji's expression was grave. He said, "This time, the Crown Prince only brought five hundred Imperial Guards with him, along with Wang Zongli, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. Do you think this is a war?"

Li Gong was stunned for a moment: "That is—"

"Does your family bring the Imperial Guards with you when you go to war? And the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief?"

Li Gong's expression changed, and he cautiously asked, "Does the Marquis of Dingxi mean—the Crown Prince is here to investigate us?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall changed their expressions.

Sun Guiteng stood up abruptly: "Investigate us? All we've done these past few years is draw salaries without working, occupy land, and resell military supplies. We haven't done anything else!"

Liu Huai added, "And there was also the interception of a North Korean merchant convoy—"

"shut up!"

Jiang Ji grew impatient and shouted, "Are you planning to say these things to the Crown Prince?"

Sun Gui's face turned pale, and he hurriedly said, "Lord Dingxi, please forgive me! This humble general was talking nonsense!"

Liu Huai realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly shut his mouth, not daring to breathe.

Jiang Ji stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, his boots clattering on the floor tiles.

After walking around for a while, he stopped and pointed at the crowd: "I'm warning you, if the Crown Prince really was sent by His Majesty to investigate us, none of you will escape!"

Li Gong hurriedly said, "Lord Dingxi, please calm down. I think it's unlikely."

Jiang Ji looked at him: "What do you mean?"

Li Gong stroked his beard and analyzed, "If His Majesty really wanted to investigate us, those officials in the court would have given us a heads-up long ago. After all, they've taken a lot of our bribes over the years. The fact that there's not a single word of it means it's not targeting us."

Jiang Ji frowned slightly, pondering without saying a word.

Li Gong continued, "In my opinion, His Majesty may be preparing to investigate Liaoyang City."

Sun Gui nodded repeatedly and said, "I think so too. Liaoyang is a border town, and the officers there are corrupt and corrupt, much more so than here."

Commander Ma Hao of Liaoyang only moved into a new house last year, and it's even more impressive than the General's mansion. How much is a commander's salary? Where does he get the money?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji's expression softened slightly, but he still dared not let his guard down: "That's true, but we can't be careless. Manager Li, you're in charge of the reception arrangements, so make sure everything is handled perfectly and without the slightest mistake."

Li Gong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Lord Dingxi, rest assured, I will make all necessary preparations for your reception!"

Jiang Ji turned to Sun Gui: "Commander Sun, make sure all the accounts you have are perfectly accurate. Even if someone comes to check, they won't find any problems! Otherwise, you'll have to figure out how to explain it yourself!"

Sun Gui patted his chest and said, "This subordinate will take care of it right away. Smooth out what needs to be smoothed out, and patch what needs to be patched up!"

Jiang Ji then looked at Liu Huai, Gao Ying, and the others: "You guys, keep a close eye on those troublemakers. If one of them comes out to complain at a crucial moment, you're all doomed!"

Gao Ying and the others quickly clasped their hands in greeting: "Your subordinates obey!"

Jiang Ji waved his hand: "Go and get ready! Remember, if anything goes wrong this time, no one will get away with it!"

Everyone stood up, accepted the order, and left.

Jiang Ji remained seated, staring intently at the charcoal brazier.

The curtain was lifted, and wind and snow rushed in.

Jiang Ji looked up and saw that it was Li Gong who had returned.

"Why are you back again?"

Li Gong strode forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Lord Dingxi, I still feel uneasy."

Jiang Ji stared at him: "What do you mean?"

Li Gong sat down beside him, leaning closer, and said, "I was just thinking as we walked. What if the Crown Prince really came for us? Those officials in the court didn't give us any information. Maybe His Majesty kept it a secret this time, and even they didn't know. Or—or maybe His Majesty simply doesn't trust them and is deliberately keeping quiet."

Jiang Ji understood the other party's intention and asked, "Just tell me what you want to do!"

Li Gong gritted his teeth and said, "Marquis of Dingxi, should we prepare an army?"

Jiang Ji was caught off guard and snapped, "Assassinate the Crown Prince? You want to die?!"

Li Gong hurriedly waved his hands: "Lord Dingxi, don't misunderstand! It wasn't an assassination attempt! It wasn't an assassination attempt!"

Jiang Ji's expression softened slightly, and he asked, "Then what do you mean?"

Li Gong swallowed hard and explained, "We can disguise ourselves as Mongols or Jurchens and ambush the envoy's party on the way. The Crown Prince is still young and has never seen anything like it. If he gets frightened on the way, he might change his mind and turn back to the capital."

After listening, Jiang Ji frowned and remained silent for a long time.

Li Gong, observing his expression, cautiously said, "If we act directly, that's treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. But if it's the Tartars who did it, what does it have to do with us?"

Jiang Ji hesitated for a moment, then said, "Have you thought this through? If we're recognized, we're all finished!"

Li Gong hurriedly said, "Lord Dingxi, don't worry. It's freezing outside. Let them cover their faces, change into Tartar clothes, fire a few arrows from a distance, shout a few times, scare them off, and then run away. As long as they don't get close or hurt the Crown Prince, what could possibly happen?"

After listening, Jiang Ji's eyes flickered, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "This matter—let me think about it some more."

Li Gong said urgently, "Marquis of Dingxi, it's too late! The Crown Prince should arrive in the next two or three days. If we wait until they enter Shanhaiguan, it will be too late to make a move!"

Jiang Ji was extremely agitated and paced back and forth.

"Where should we choose the ambush location?"

"I've made up my mind, Shimen Village!"

Why Shimen Village?

"According to the Crown Prince's itinerary, he should arrive at Shimen Village tomorrow. The roads there are narrow, high on both sides and low in the middle, making it ideal for an ambush. Moreover, it is only about 30 li from Shanhaiguan, so the Crown Prince's troops must have already relaxed their vigilance. Our men will quietly leave the city, attack, and immediately withdraw without leaving a trace."

After pondering for a long time, Jiang Ji finally made a decision: "You remember this, it must be a complete stranger! And you must keep your mouth shut! Once you leave this room, this matter is a secret you must keep to yourself, and you are not allowed to mention it to anyone!"

Li Gong nodded solemnly: "Lord Dingxi, rest assured, I understand!"

Jiang Ji released his hand and waved it off: "Go! Make sure you do it cleanly."

Li Gong clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and quickly left.

The wind and snow outside were getting even stronger.

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