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

Chapter 122 I bet he wouldn't dare rebel

The banquet has already been set up in the main hall of the General's Mansion.

Jiang Ji sat in the lower seat of the main seat and personally poured wine for Zhu Houzhao.

"Today is New Year's Eve, and it is an honor for us Your Highness to personally visit Shanhaiguan. We raise a cup to Your Highness, wishing you a successful journey and a swift return!"

Zhu Houzhao picked up his wine cup and said with a smile, "You're too kind, Marquis of Dingxi. I'm young and can't drink much, so this is just a small token."

He took a sip after speaking and put down the glass.

Jiang Ji raised his cup again and looked at everyone: "Gentlemen, let's all toast His Highness!"

The officials all stood up and raised their glasses to drink together.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Wang Zongli drank two cups of wine, his face growing increasingly pale. He then put down his cup, stood up, and limped to Zhu Houzhao, bowing and saying, "Your Highness, I am injured and cannot sit still. I wish to return to rest first. Please forgive me."

Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "Go, go, take good care of your injuries."

Wang Zongli thanked them, bowed to the crowd, and limped away.

Jiang Ji watched his retreating figure, then leaned closer to Zhu Houzhao and tentatively asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong with Imperial Censor Wang—"

"Is that all?"

Zhu Houzhao casually said, "Oh, I met a Mongol at Shimen Village last night and was shot by an arrow."

2

Jiang Ji's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Oh dear, Your Highness, I have a physician here. Should I order someone to take a look at Imperial Censor Wang?"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head: "No need, I have my own imperial physician with me."

Jiang Ji nodded, then turned his gaze to Yang Shen, who was sitting next to Zhu Houzhao.

This person sat quietly, saying little, yet impossible to ignore.

Jiang Ji asked with a smile, "Your Highness, who is this—"

Zhu Houzhao said, "He is my study companion, Yang Shen, son of Yang Tinghe, the Junior Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

Jiang Ji quickly stood up, his face beaming with smiles: "Oh my! It's Young Master Yang! I've heard so much about you! I've long heard that a child prodigy has emerged in the capital, able to write essays at three and compose poems at five. Seeing you today, you are indeed a man of exceptional talent!"

Yang Shen rose to return the greeting, smiling faintly: "Lord Dingxi, you flatter me. I've only read a few books."

Jiang Ji laughed and said, "Young Master Yang is too modest. I'll toast you!"

Yang Shen picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

Jiang Ji praised, "Excellent! That's straightforward!"

The banquet continued, with toasts and laughter filling the air.

Zhu Houzhao was all smiles, eating and drinking as usual, showing no signs of anything amiss.

Yang Shen also had a gentle and refined demeanor, occasionally exchanging a few pleasantries.

But Jiang Ji always felt that something was wrong.

The banquet ended late at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Yang Shen, however, did not sleep and went to Zhu Houzhao's room.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up: "Yang, you've arrived!"

Yang Shen sat down opposite him and asked, "Your Highness is still awake?"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head and asked, "How is it? Did you figure anything out?"

Yang Shen nodded: "I can see that."

"What?"

"They were all feeling guilty."

Zhu Houzhao blinked: "That's it? I noticed that too."

Yang Shen smiled and said, "Your Highness is wise! Those cavalrymen were definitely sent by them. Just as we guessed before, they were there to scare Your Highness and make you back down."

Zhu Houzhao snorted: "Dream on! Do you think I'm easily frightened?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a soft knock came at the door.

Yang Shen got up and opened the door. Li Chun slipped in, holding a secret report in his hand.

"Your Highness, I have made contact with the spies at Shanhaiguan. This is the intelligence I just obtained."

Zhu Houzhao took the document and read it by the light of the charcoal brazier.

As he watched, his expression changed.

"Just as I expected! These people deserve to die!"

He handed the document to Yang Shen.

Yang Shen took it and flipped through the pages one by one.

The intelligence report clearly stated that Marquis Jiang Ji of Dingxi had falsely reported the number of troops and embezzled grain and provisions.

Li Gong, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War, smuggled salt and iron out of the pass and traded them privately with the Uriyangkhai Three Guards in exchange for ginseng, sable fur, and horses, which he then resold for huge profits.

Sun Gui, the commander of Shanhaiwei, forcibly seized 500 hectares of farmland, forcing the people to become homeless and leaving them with no way to seek redress.

Liu Huai, the military commander in charge of Shimen Road, and Gao Ying, the garrison commander of Xiaohekou, conspired to resell military supplies, selling cotton-padded clothes and firearms allocated by the imperial court to the Mongols.

Even worse, last October, a merchant caravan from Korea, carrying ginseng, cloth, and paper, came from Liaodong, intending to pay tribute to the capital. Near Shanhaiguan, they were robbed by a group of bandits; all their goods were lost, and the caravan perished.

Those bandits were Li Gong's men.

Zhu Houzhao was so angry that his face turned red. He stood up abruptly: "This is outrageous! Summon Jiang Ji! I want to strip him of his title!"

Yang Shen quickly stopped him: "Your Highness, please calm down! Do not act rashly."

Zhu Houzhao angrily retorted, "Why not? What they did that didn't warrant death?"

Yang Shen pressed him back into his seat and said softly, "Your Highness, such matters as stripping someone of their title should not be rushed."

"Why can't we be in a hurry? We have the evidence!"

Yang Shen said slowly, "The matter of stripping someone of their title should not be rushed, otherwise it could easily lead to trouble."

Zhu Houzhao blinked but didn't say anything.

Yang Shen continued, "These officials at Shanhaiguan have been entrenched here for years; everyone from top to bottom is their man. If Your Highness takes direct action and pushes them too far, they might do anything, even if they're desperate."

Zhu Houzhao frowned: "You mean, they'll rebel?"

Yang Shen said, "I cannot be certain, but we must be cautious. Your Highness only has five hundred Imperial Guards by your side. If a fight breaks out, we may not be able to gain the upper hand."

Zhu Houzhao was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Yang Shen picked up the intelligence report, flipped through it again, and said, "The intelligence provided by the undercover agents actually reveals differences among these individuals."

Zhu Houzhao leaned closer: "What's the difference?"

Yang Shen pointed to a line of text on the intelligence report: "You see, what Jiang Ji did most was to receive a salary without working."

Zhu Houzhao nodded: "Yes, isn't this a death sentence?"

Yang Shen shook his head: "Damn it, but it depends on how you compare them. For military officers, drawing salaries without working is one of the few ways they can make money. I dare not say that all military officers in the world draw salaries without working, but it's probably true that most of them do. This is a bad habit, a chronic disease of the Ming Dynasty, and it's not something that Jiang Ji alone can change."

Zhu Houzhao frowned: "You're speaking up for him?"

Yang Shen said, "I am not speaking on his behalf. I am only saying that although Jiang Ji was receiving a salary without working, he fought bravely in the years he guarded Shanhaiguan, repelling the Mongols dozens of times and protecting the bulwark of the Ming capital. If we consider his merits and demerits, at least they can be balanced."

Zhu Houzhao thought for a moment, then slowly nodded: "That makes sense—so let's not investigate him then?"

Yang Shen shook his head: "We will definitely investigate, but the focus is not on him, but on Li Gong. What he did was smuggling, reselling grain, salt and iron to the Uriyangkhai and Jianzhou Jurchens."

Zhu Houzhao's face darkened again: "I know that, damn it!"

Yang Shen said, "Smuggling is aiding the enemy, providing them with food and ironware. It's no different from stabbing your own people in the back. The severity of this crime is far greater than embezzling funds."

Zhu Houzhao nodded: "Then let's deal with him!"

Yang Shen said softly, "But I am worried about something."

"What is it?"

"Li Gong and Jiang Ji have long been bound together by interests. Jiang Ji is probably aware of the smuggling business and may have even received a share of the profits. If Your Highness deals with Li Gong, Jiang Ji will definitely be dragged into it and have no choice but to speak up for Li Gong. At that time, it will have far-reaching consequences, and all the officials in Shanhaiguan will band together and oppose us."

Zhu Houzhao was taken aback, then scratched his head: "What can we do? We can't just let them do whatever they want, can we?"

Yang Shen remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I have a superior method—never mind, I have a way."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up: "Speak quickly!"

Yang Shen looked at him and said, word by word, "Divide from within."

Zhu Houzhao blinked: "How do we differentiate?"

Yang Shen said, "These civil and military officials at Shanhaiguan appear to be a unified whole, but in reality, they each have their own agendas. Jiang Ji is the Marquis of Dingxi, the highest-ranking official. Li Gong is the head of the military department, a civil official by origin, and he is not of one mind with these military generals. Sun Gui, Liu Huai, Gao Ying, and others each have their own interests and their own powerful backers."

"If Your Highness treats them all as one group and deals with them together, they will only stick together even tighter. But if Your Highness treats them separately and lets them distrust each other, the whole will naturally fall apart."

Zhu Houzhao listened attentively to the explanation, then pressed for more details, asking, "Is it really that simple?"

Yang Shen pondered for a moment, then said, "I bet he wouldn't dare to rebel!"