Chapter 621: A Time of Trouble

Mo Yong’s father was a true man of integrity. Before the northern expedition in the eighth year of the Yongle era, the Ming army suffered an unprecedented defeat, losing 300,000 soldiers—a loss never seen since the founding of the Ming dynasty. Even though the commander was Emperor Yongle himself, who had defended Beiping against the Mongols for over a decade and personally led troops during the Jingnan Campaign, many soldiers still felt anxious. Yet his father went on the expedition full of confidence, assuring his wife and children that he would return safely. In the end, that bold father was buried on those vast grasslands; he not only killed over a dozen Mongol warriors but also dragged a prince to his grave before dying. Even Mo Yong, as his son, still doesn’t know who that prince was.

“Chug!”
Mo Yong clinked his cup hard with a companion’s, then drained it in one gulp. He quickly wiped his mouth, grabbed the greasy chicken leg in front of him, and began gnawing on it, his mind still on what Zhang Yue had said that night. Having been severely scolded, he was naturally filled with anger, yet those merciless words still echoed in his ears. Useless—unable to even pass the test of bandits, just seeking death… He regarded Zhang Yue as an enemy and took his anger out on him, only to find that Zhang Yue didn’t even bother to retaliate. He didn’t even glance at him when leaving, unconcerned about who shot the arrows!

“Damn it! Why does he look down on us?”
That sudden outburst startled everyone else. For a moment, those drinking or picking up food put down their chopsticks, while others nervously touched the scars left by that terrifying nightmare—almost all of them pale. After a while, a thin officer shouted, “He helped Zhang Chao once; he can’t help him a second time. How about we gather more people and give that kid a good beating to relieve this anger?”

“Idiot, why provoke him? The highest rank we have here is just that of a deputy commander. If trouble breaks out, even our fathers or uncles might not be able to resolve it. Besides, isn’t the shame from last time enough?” The speaker was a burly young man who slapped the table and stood up abruptly. “People fight for pride. I don’t want to be looked at that way anymore! I was forced to practice martial arts by my uncles since I was young, but I slacked off later. But I refuse to believe I can’t make a name for myself in this life and keep muddling along! Today is the last day I waste my time here. After returning, I’ll apply to be transferred to Ping!”

After saying that, he snatched the glass on the table and smashed it violently on the ground. With that loud crash, he bowed to the others seated there, then walked out without looking back. Everyone was stunned by this sudden incident; even the tavern owner, who was used to the behavior of these young officers, was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground.

“What’s with this bastard’s sudden anger! Why go to Kaiping to die? Just because my elder brother is three years older than me and is now a comfortable commander of the imperial guards, while I’m still just a hundred-household officer? Pah! My great-uncle was imprisoned to death, and my first cousin is about to inherit his title—his life is even more comfortable… If it comes to enjoying life, aren’t they living better than me? Mo Ge, although we were really beaten up that day, we still owe you thanks. If not for you telling us what happened, we would have remained in the dark! We’ve already had enough misfortune—why must even our only path to survival be taken away from us?”

With these words, the tavern became noisy again. Yet Mo Yong continued to drink silently, not saying a word. A few young officers with noble relatives in their families complained for a while, but when they realized it was pointless, they scattered in groups, leaving their share of the bill. After sitting there for an unknown length of time and drinking countless cups of liquor, Mo Yong finally stood up, paid off the remaining bill, and staggered out.

By now, the sun was low in the sky, painting the horizon in shades of red. Though its light was much softer than during the day, it was still somewhat dazzling. Mo Yong stared at the sun, which was about to disappear, for a long time before finally being unable to bear it and turning away. His father had also been a hereditary official when he went to war, but it was just a title of hundred-household officer that wasn’t actually assigned. After his death, the Ministry of War recorded his merits, but there wasn’t much compensation left for his family. Yet he was granted the position of deputy commander due to his great achievements.

This was the most memorable thing his father had left him—he must not let it be taken away!

He opened his mouth to roar but couldn’t utter a sound. In the end, he could only lower his head and keep walking. Stumbling out of the street, unable to tell east from west, he wandered around for a while before finally collapsing to the ground. Leaning against the cold wall, he took several deep breaths, his gaze fixed on the sky that was gradually losing its brightness. His numb mind thought of Zhang Yue again.

That guy’s surname is Zhang, and there are two nobles among his relatives… But it’s unlikely he’ll get any of those titles. Is it out of resentment that he wants to pick a fight with these hereditary officials? No way. That kid does a great job as a civil official, with numerous achievements, and is a favorite of the emperor. But these past few days, he secretly sent people to inquire in the capital. The previous information seemed true, so why would they deny it… Damn it, he wasn’t meant to think much, so why does he have to think about these things!

“Young Master Mo, Young Master Mo?”

Hearing this voice beside him, Mo Yong opened his eyes irritably. But since he was already quite drunk, he could only vaguely recognize that the gray-clad man in front of him was someone he had drunk with one day, and it was this guy who had revealed that information. Remembering how he had returned that day filled with anger to seek out Zhang Chao, only to suffer greatly and make things worse, he narrowed his eyes and asked in a hostile tone, “You… what are you here for? Do… do you not think I’ve suffered enough?”

“What are you talking about, Young Master Mo? How could I harm you?” The man hurried to help Mo Yong up. Seeing that he couldn’t get him to stand, he awkwardly gave up and forced a smile. “I just heard that you were beaten by those men that day. That Zhang Yue has several capable guards. Learn from your mistake and avoid getting involved with him in the future. He’s a favored official with a bright future ahead. If you confront him head-on, it’s like an egg hitting a rock…”

“Pah, he’s the egg, and I’m the rock!” Mo Yong, already drunk, cut him off and stammered, “He… he said he wanted to take everyone to the Wala tribe. As… as a result, everyone got scared. But… but I tried to trick him into revealing more, and he sneered and said he… he wouldn’t take us to our deaths… Pah, he… he looks down on us…”

As Mo Yong’s speech became more and more fragmented and unclear, the man patiently continued to probe him. Only when Mo Yong tilted his head and fell asleep did he stand up, clapped his hands gently, and slipped his right hand behind his back. But as soon as he touched the cold object, he pulled his hand back.

Killing this guy to cut off any further investigation might seem easy, but it could lead to more scrutiny, which would be counterproductive. After all, even if it were framed as murder, it would be too clumsy. And if, as the higher-ups had suggested, the Jinyiwei were also involved with the Zhang family, it would be even more dangerous.

Thinking of this, he quietly stepped back two steps and slipped out of the alley. Only after confirming that no one on the street outside was paying attention to him did he show his usual confident demeanor and stride off in the other direction. Not far had he gone when a street vendor by the roadside stood up and looked in that direction, then hurried after him with a large basket. But as he got closer, the man quickened his pace and passed him, entering a small restaurant nearby, where he spoke to the owner with deference. The gray-clad man, already on guard, paid no further attention and continued on his way, unaware that another worker carrying a food box came out of the restaurant.

In the evening, Zhang Yue returned home from the government office and learned about the gray-clad man’s whereabouts from Hu Qi. He wasn’t surprised by the efficiency of the Jinyiwei, but he hadn’t expected the man to simply go home without contacting anyone. Recalling that Zhao Jin had hinted to him earlier that the Oirat matter was orchestrated by Li Qing and advised him to be careful, he felt extremely annoyed.

It was already a time of many troubles, with countless issues to deal with. Could these elders not stop fighting for power and focus on something else?

“This matter is left to you.”

Though it was just a simple sentence, Hu Qi knew it meant full authority was being entrusted to him, so he quickly agreed. But he had another important matter to discuss today, so he lowered his voice and said, “Regarding the matter at theZhanshi Fu that the young master instructed me to investigate, I’ve figured it out. That servant wasn’t trying to hide treasures to make money; he was acting on someone else’s orders. If it weren’t for my tactics, I doubt I could have uncovered the truth. That kid even dared to claim he was a Jinyiwei informant—how audacious! With just one form of torture, he completely collapsed. It’s a pity he doesn’t know who his master is either!”

“He dared to claim he was from the Jinyiwei?” Zhang Yue was shocked and then realized something. “You go investigate this. But since he even dares to frame the Jinyiwei, he must have ulterior motives. Please ask Lord Yuan to be extra careful.”

After discussing these matters, Hu Qi left Zishengzhai, while Zhang Yue sat down and listed all the recent events on paper, then fell into deep thought. Yet before he could figure anything out, there was a pounding on the door, followed by Lian Hu’s loud voice.

“Young master, the young mistress has just returned from the Du family’s residence. She said it’s urgent and asked you to go back to your room right away to discuss it!”