Chapter 270: People Trampling on Others, People Elevating Others

During the founding of the Ming Dynasty, military generals led troops into battle and showed no mercy even toward the common people; many young children were castrated and sent to the palace. Once peace reigned, Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang strictly prohibited military generals from abducting children at will, so many families unable to afford children resorted to castrating them privately. Lu Feng was castrated by his own father at the age of six and sent to the palace, where he endured those harsh conditions for over twenty years. Now, upon seeing the colorful world outside the palace for the first time, his true nature gradually surfaced.

This world has always been one where people trample on each other. While in humble positions in the palace, he bowed low and served those high-ranking eunuchs. Once he rose to power, he had lower-ranking eunuchs to serve him. But those he had trampled on before were just others with similar deep-voiced voices—so much satisfaction couldn’t be gained from that. Now, being able to act arrogantly in front of civil officials who governed entire regions or provinces was truly a source of great pride for him.

Standing at the entrance of Qingzhou Prefecture’s prison, looking at the gloomy, dark cells and smelling that indescribable stench—neither sour nor foul—Lu Feng couldn’t help but frown. Though he was an eunuch and came from a poor background, he had a strong sense of cleanliness and kept himself extremely tidy. If it weren’t for fear of displeasing the emperor, he would have even used incense on his clothes to cover up that persistent urine smell. Glancing at his brand-new thin-soled shoes, which he had changed just that morning, he turned to look at Zhang Yue.

“Lord Zhang, although you are in charge of this matter, a place like a prison is no good place. It would be better to leave it to subordinates to check. Besides, it was Lord Du and you who captured the criminals—how could there be any mistakes?”

“After all, it’s a serious matter involving murder. It’s better to go and check in person,” Zhang Yue said with a smile, knowing Lu Feng didn’t want to go to the prison. He then suggested, “Lord Ling has already ordered the case files to be sent to the approval room ahead. Why not go there first and review them, Lord Lu? Have the clerks read them aloud—it saves both effort and worry.”

“That would be great. I’ll follow Lord Zhang’s instructions.”

At these words, Lu Feng smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed. He thought to himself that working with this man was truly hassle-free—easy tasks fell to him, while the hard ones were taken care of by others. Such a kind person was hard to find even with a lantern. He would definitely speak highly of Zhang Yue later. After all, hadn’t Zhang Qian reaped many benefits by relying on the Duke of Ying?

After Lu Feng strode away with the two eunuchs accompanying him, Zhang Yue finally smiled slightly, then raised his hand in a gesture toward Magistrate Ling Hua. Having worked together for half a year, they had a good understanding of each other’s intentions. Without a word, Ling Hua stepped inside first, followed closely by Zhang Yue and Peng Shisan. The other officials wisely stayed outside, with only a few constables entering as well.

The prison in Qingzhou Prefecture was built during the Hongwu era. To prevent prisoners from escaping, it was constructed in a sturdy, square shape, with one floor above ground and another below. Naturally, digging underground was too costly, so this dungeon was much smaller than the forty cells above—there were only five cells in total. Since the Ming laws emphasized corporal punishment and exile over imprisonment, these cells were rarely full, but this time they were packed from top to bottom.

June was already hot and humid, and the prison, with its poor ventilation and hundreds of people crammed in, naturally had all sorts of unpleasant odors, with sewage flowing everywhere on the ground. Still, Magistrate Ling Hua paid no attention to these things. He glanced at the prisoners inside the bars, their heads bowed, then turned to Zhang Yue and said in a low voice, “Shall we go in?”

The verification of the roster was handled by four constables. Zhang Yue simply wanted a place to talk to Ling Hua, as some matters were inconvenient to handle through intermediaries. With those five hundred soldiers from the imperial guard accompanying him, he didn’t have to worry about safety; with Lu Feng by his side, his status as an imperial envoy was even more legitimate. Yet, it became extremely difficult for him to meet anyone privately, as countless eyes watched wherever he went.

Though there’s a saying that “a kind person should not handle military affairs,” Ling Hua, being a civil official, wasn’t exactly soft-hearted. The thought of killing so many people made him feel slightly uneasy, but the realization that if these people really rebelled, it would be he who would die dispelled his hesitation like a tide. He was even grateful that Zhang Yue had taken on most of the work this time, even handling the killings himself.

While the constables were checking each cell one by one, he and Zhang Yue went straight to the area where the constables rested. It had already been cleared of outsiders, and the incense of flowers and herbs burning in the burners helped to mask the pungent smell outside. Sitting across from Zhang Yue at the table, he asked anxiously, “I heard that the Crown Prince of Han has obtained an imperial decree to attend the execution site in three days. Does that mean the military headquarters needs to send more troops?”

Zhang Yue thought this was expected. If the Han Prince’s Mansion had calmed down after Zhu Di’s reprimand, that would have been strange. He then smiled and said, “I’ve known about this for a while. Commander Liu has already dispatched hundreds of men from the garrisons, plus the elite troops from the capital who are with me. As long as we conduct thorough checks at the city gates, nothing will go wrong. Besides, I arrived just yesterday, and we’re starting operations in three days. Even if some escapees try to rescue them, they won’t be able to organize anything in such a hurry.”

Seeing Zhang Yue’s calm demeanor, Ling Hua couldn’t help but feel relieved. After discussing the plans for the next three days, he suddenly thought of that annoying eunuch and couldn’t help complaining, “That Lord Lu is truly infuriating to look at. He’s just a castrated man, yet he always picks faults and speaks in a sarcastic tone. I really don’t understand how you can tolerate him. It was originally an ironclad rule set by the Emperor Taizu that such people shouldn’t get involved in politics. It’s not good that the emperor relies on them.”

“It’s fine for you to say these things in front of me, but don’t let them slip out outside. He’s only thirty years old yet has already reached the fourth rank. He’s likely to be given more important tasks in the future.” Zhang Yue casually changed the subject with that remark, then asked, “How was the summer grain harvest this year? Has the next crop been sown where it needs to be? How is that craftsman Liu I left behind?”

“The summer grain harvest was quite good. Soybeans have been planted in many areas, but most places are still waiting to see. After all, this needs to be done step by step. Anyway, many families have started raising silkworms. After all, in Qingzhou Prefecture, there’s nothing else but barren mountains. That craftsman Liu travels around the countryside all the time. People have given him the title of master craftsman, and he’s quite proud of it. It’s fortunate that Miss Xi Er helps him; otherwise, it would be difficult for him with his limited mobility.”

Had that girl still not returned to Gaoshan Tun?

Zhang Yue raised his eyebrows, genuinely surprised. Ling Hua frowned, suddenly remembering something important, and slapped his hand hard. “I almost forgot the most crucial thing. Earlier, you and Lord Du dispatched troops one after another, and the prefecture office posted your brilliantly written notices everywhere. As a result, many commoners repented, and the office arrested more people. Some of those captured confessed that Tang Sair, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, along with a few of his followers, has disappeared. Now that the White Lotus Sect is leaderless, they’re in chaos, with many hiding in the mountains and becoming bandits. It would be terrible if they turned into a threat. Do you have any good ideas?”

“The emperor’s policy is to kill every rebel he sees. If they don’t surrender, there’s really nothing I can do about them. Shandong is full of rivers and mountains; no matter where they hide, even sending thousands of men to hunt them down might not be enough to find them, unless there’s an insider…” At this point, Zhang Yue stopped speaking, suddenly thinking of the dozens of lives he had managed to spare. His eyes lit up. “Then issue a proclamation and spread word that those who come forward as insiders will be forgiven, along with a reward of a hundred taels of silver. Even if there’s no immediate sign of an insider, let them suspect each other, and eventually they might scatter due to internal strife.”

The dozens of insiders who had been released earlier were already well-known, so Ling Hua immediately understood Zhang Yue’s plan. He inwardly muttered something sinister but nodded cheerfully on the surface. After discussing further, Peng Shisan’s voice came from outside—the officials had finished counting. Standing up and stepping outside, Zhang Yue took a thick stack of lists. Flipping through them, his gaze swept over the names, and an idea flashed through his mind—It’s better for one family to cry than for many to cry.

Even though the families involved would surely hate it, losing a few hundred heads was better than losing thousands or tens of thousands! He was merely carrying out the emperor’s orders to serve as a warning—there was no room for mercy!

“Let’s go!”

Zhang Yue closed the list, called out to Ling Hua, and headed outside. However, just as the officials were counting, the prisoners in the cells, even those who had been drowsy before, all crowded to the bars, reaching out with their hands as cries of protest rose one after another.

“You wretched officials will never live long!”

“Sir, I was deceived! I have an elderly mother at home—please let me atone for my crimes!”

“Even if I die, I’ll still be a hero in eighteen years!”

The chaotic noise, along with the crackling of whips and the officials’ shouts, disappeared as the prison gates slowly closed. It was the first time either Zhang Yue or Ling Hua had set foot in this place. After stopping, they took a breath of fresh air and glanced at each other.

Ling Hua sighed helplessly, “If possible, I never want to set foot here again!”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say,” Zhang Yue said with a wry smile before quickly regaining his composure and asking, “Will Lord Song from the Inspection Department arrive in three days?”

“Lord Song fell ill a few days ago, but if he recovers, he should be on his way…”

As Ling Hua was about to say more, a messenger suddenly rushed over at a quick pace. Without even taking the time to bow, he hurriedly exclaimed, “My lord, some local gentry have brought invitations, saying they wish to meet with the two imperial envoys. They are waiting in the pavilion in front of the government office. How should we deal with them? Please give me your instructions.”
What else could he do besides killing people? This was something Zhang Yue had already considered upon his arrival. After this incident, he would likely have to stay idle in Beijing for a while. The more so, the more he needed to make arrangements. Thinking of the Fang family he had dealt with before and Lu Feng, who had ambitious plans, he came up with an idea instantly.
“Since they have come all the way, we naturally need to appease them. Go to the signing room and summon Lord Lu!”