Chapter 474: Internal Troubles and External Threats

Entering the room with Meng Jun, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but squint his eyes, realizing that it was even brighter inside than in the courtyard. Four rosewood lanterns adorned with patterns of birds hung from the tall beams, and countless glowing lamps stood on the pedestals around. A banquet had already been laid out in the spacious hall, with each person seated at a high table, equipped with bowls, plates, boxes, and teapots. There was also a troupe of musicians, and the flickering lights illuminated their heavily made-up faces, making them appear alluring.

This was the first time Zhang Yue had seen Wang Guan, the eunuch in charge of Xuanfu. He appeared to be in his forties, tall and robust with a deep voice. He had only a few strands of beard on his chin, making him look like an ordinary man. To the right, the first person was Xu Heng, the Marquis of Xing’an, while to the left was Lu Feng. There was an empty seat next to him with dishes already placed there. Apparently, because guests had arrived, maids were moving chairs—one placed second from the right and another third from the left. Just as another maid was placing more dishes, Lu Feng dusted off the corner of his robe and stood up.

“Well, it seems all the imperial envoys have arrived, and most of Xuanfu’s important figures are here too,” he said, staring at the beautiful musicians in the hall with a fake smile. “What if Yuan Dynasty spies sneak in? Wouldn’t everything get mixed up? Eunuch Wang, you should be more cautious. Among those accompanying us is an imperial censor. You host a banquet like this, with so many singers and dancers—even the high officials in the capital can’t match your extravagance! We’ve already drunk and eaten; I have matters to attend to tomorrow, so I won’t stay any longer. Could Marquis Xu Heng give me a ride home?”

Xu Heng, who inherited his grandfather’s rank and was considered the foremost among marquises, had drunk a bit too much to drown his sorrows. Yet ever since he saw Hai Shou at the eunuch’s residence, he had instinctively sensed something was wrong, so he didn’t dare leave with Lu Feng right away. Instead, he stood up and laughed.

“Eunuch Lu, you’re overreacting. We just had a military parade of Xuanfu’s Left Guard today, and tomorrow is a day off. The parade of the Right Guard is only the day after. It’s rare to have some rest—how could anyone dare to complain?”

As he spoke, he stepped forward to help Meng Jun sit next to him. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yue simply took Meng Jun’s seat second from the right. After sitting down, he smiled and said, “With war looming, it’s better to put away the music and dancing. It’s not out of any intention to accuse anyone, but such frivolous music isn’t suitable for these times.”

Despite having just been rebuked by Lu Feng, Wang Guan showed no reaction at all. As soon as Zhang Yue spoke, he promptly dismissed those kabuki performers, and even sent away the maids serving them, before carelessly explaining, “These aren’t people hired from outside. They’re all girls from poor families. Our household takes them in to provide them with food, and in return, they entertain us to relieve our fatigue—nothing different from maids. As for impeachment, Xuanfu does have its own censors; it’s not up to some minor probationary censor to speak out. As for Mongol spies, if we weren’t on guard against them, why would we go to such lengths in Xuanfu, imposing martial law and searching for spies throughout the region?”

Seeing Lu Feng stunned into silence, Zhang Yue knew full well that this person had just kicked themselves in the head. Yet he remembered clearly that the gatekeeper earlier had mentioned that it was Wang Guan who had specifically ordered the best musicians from Xuanfu to be brought in, even specifying that they came from the Daiwang Palace in Datong. After a brief pause, he decided to drop the matter. Taking advantage of Hai Shou’s relaxed state, he casually asked, “I wonder what brings Eunuch Hai to Xuanfu this time?”

“A few days ago, several noble families in the capital were robbed. The whole Shuntian Prefecture was thrown into chaos for a while, only to catch several spies from the north—some from the Oirats and some from the Tatars. Since this northern expedition was originally aimed at allying with the Oirats to suppress the Tatars, the emperor was furious at the Oirats’ suspicious intentions. That’s why he sent me here, ordering me to thoroughly search Xuanfu like plowing a field, leaving no suspicious person unexamined.”

Hai Shou, who had remained silent about his purpose during the banquet, now stopped hiding it and explained with a forced smile. Seeing the uneasy expressions on Xu Heng and Lu Feng’s faces, he coughed lightly and added, “Before leaving, the emperor also gave extra instructions. He said since Eunuch Lu oversees the Eastern Depot and the Jinyiwei, and since he happens to be here, the Jinyiwei should investigate this matter thoroughly. As for me, I’ll assist from the side and not interfere recklessly. Even those who claim to have escaped from captivity must be thoroughly checked.”

Seeing the various fascinating expressions on everyone’s faces at the banquet, Meng Jun, who was pretending to be drunk, couldn’t help but smile secretly. There’s a saying that “all are drunk while I alone am sober,” but now it was the opposite—everyone was sober while he pretended to be drunk. He had always feared trouble, and now, unexpectedly, he could use his pretended drunkenness to avoid it, without having to speak sensibly to people or fabricate lies. Finally, when the banquet of unclear purpose came to an end, he heard Zhang Yue offer to take him home, so he pretended even more thoroughly and secretly spat everywhere.

Seeing Meng Jun in such a drunken state, Xu Heng, though intending to invite Zhang Yue to the general’s residence to discuss matters, had no choice but to give up. Since Wang Guan kept Hai Shou at home, the two of them escorted the others to the gate. Watching two strong servants lift Meng Jun onto the carriage, Zhang Yue followed, while Xu Heng went with Lu Feng. The two exchanged a glance.

“This time, we owe it to Eunuch Hai…”

“Hmph! If it weren’t for the fact that both my family and Eunuch Liu are veterans from the northern campaigns and know how important Xuanfu is, we wouldn’t have bothered to help you! Don’t go too far—Lu Feng isn’t easy to fool. You might be able to buy off one or two or even ten or eight people from the Jinyiwei, but can you reach the capital or even the whole country? Zhang Yue seems to be on good terms with Lu Feng, but who exactly is he? Why bother flattering a eunuch? As long as you pacify him, Lu Feng will naturally be at a disadvantage.”

“But after all, he’s the supervisor of the Eastern Depot. What if he reports us to the emperor?”

“What ‘us’? This is your own scheme—don’t drag me in!” Hai Shou glared coldly at Wang Guan, then flicked his sleeves. “The Eastern Depot is new, and this inexperienced rookie has only a few loyal followers. Real power still lies in the hands of Yuan Fang, the commander of the Jinyiwei. Without Yuan Fang, he can’t handle the situation. Remember, don’t mess around with those people in prison, nor think about those who want to escape. Right now, your job is to settle things, not stir up trouble.”

Peng Shisan and the others chose an affordable small restaurant on Bajinzhen Street to eat their fill, then returned to Meng Jun’s courtyard on time at the hour of Hai. To their surprise, neither of the main characters had returned, which puzzled them. Xiang Long and Liu Bao even went to Bajinzhen Restaurant to inquire and learned that the uncle and nephew had gone to the eunuch supervisor’s residence for a banquet. After returning and discussing it, they wanted to go check things out, but Peng Shisan stopped them without hesitation.

“There’s no need to look; they’ll be back soon. We rushed over anxiously, and others might think something serious has happened. Logically, they should stay at the commander’s residence, but the young master didn’t mention where he’d be staying tonight before leaving, so we couldn’t prepare the luggage. Besides, we’re also bringing this stubborn ox with us—it wouldn’t be appropriate to stay at the commander’s residence.”

For the first time in months, Niu Gan had his stomach completely full. Now, hearing people talk in words he didn’t understand, he simply stood there obediently. Yet, after months of fleeing across the grasslands, he was extremely sensitive to any sound. After they stood there discussing for a while, he suddenly said, “There’s a carriage coming!”

Peng Shisan immediately waved his hand to silence everyone, and they all followed him to the courtyard entrance. He listened intently for a while before finally detecting the sound of wheels amidst the noise outside. He stared at Niu Gan as if seeing a monster and asked, “We were just talking, and it’s noisy outside—how did you hear the carriage coming?”

“Having spent so many years in the vast grasslands, I’m used to it. When I was a slave, if I couldn’t hear my master’s voice, I might get beaten at any moment. When fleeing, if I couldn’t hear sounds early enough, I couldn’t avoid wolves, bandits, or pursuers.”

His simple words left everyone present looking at each other in confusion. It wasn’t until Xiang Long noticed a carriage speeding toward them that he quickly warned them, and only then did they snap out of it. Due to their duties, they were used to being suspicious. Even though Yongning County had basically confirmed Niu Gan’s identity, no one dared to relax. Now, that suspicion had almost turned into amazement. Such an excellent ear had been tempered in such a terrifying environment!

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of them. Seeing Zhang Yue help Meng Jun, who was unsteady on his feet, and send the carriage away, Peng Shisan naturally led his men to assist. Learning that they would be staying there that night, he promptly assigned Liansheng and Lianhu to tidy up the house. Then he asked about the banquet that evening. Upon learning that another junior supervisor from the Imperial Horse Supervision Bureau had arrived, he couldn’t help but snort disdainfully.

“One eunuch after another, it seems as if our great Ming has no one left! By the way, I took this stubborn ox to a restaurant just now, and he ate an entire basin of rice… I mean, a washbasin!” Peng Shisan shuddered at the memory of being surrounded by so many eyes, then shrugged and said, “Not much money was spent. Aside from eating, he only had two slices of mutton. He’s really easy to take care of. This stubborn ox also said that when they passed by Xinghe Fort…”
Peng Shisan lowered his voice, ready to explain in detail, when suddenly deafening sounds of gongs were heard outside, followed by the rapid trotting of more than a dozen riders on the streets. At that moment, he couldn’t care about anything else. He dashed out of the courtyard, glanced around for a short while, then turned back.
“It’s an urgent military situation, so all officers and soldiers outside are ordered to return to camp. It seems something serious has happened!”