Chapter 849: Personal Guidance, Hidden Intentions

Qin He nodded and led a few soldiers ahead as guides. After walking a few steps, he remembered that he had only managed to ask where the two men came from—the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites—and to check the official seals; he hadn’t had time to ask anything else. Since the visitors were polite, he didn’t dwell on it too much, thinking that since they lacked the arrogance of high-ranking officials, they must be officials at the rank of assistant clerks as he had imagined.

The Dingbian Garrison was originally located in Shanxi and was moved to Tongzhou during the Yongle era, having been there for over twenty years. After years of rest and recovery, few of the younger soldiers spoke in their native dialects, but among the older ones, one could still hear the Shanxi accent, which was quite different from the Tongzhou dialect. Qin He led his group inside but didn’t take them to see the commanding officer in charge; instead, he took them straight to Fang Zheng and others. As soon as they reached the entrance of the barracks, he saw a young girl holding a copper basin, pouring water, casting a curious glance at his group before quickly going back inside.

Although those brought for handover included men, women, and children of all ages, Qin He recognized the girl—he had only inherited his military position three years ago and was still in his early twenties. Due to his poor family background, he hadn’t been able to arrange a marriage, so beautiful young women naturally held a natural appeal for him. He heard that she was a relative of an official from the Ministry of Works, and her brother had been specifically recommended by higher-ups, so he didn’t dare have any improper thoughts. He glanced at her several times before preparing to lead his group in, only to see Governor Fang Zheng and the girl’s brother coming out together. Fang Zheng glanced over here briefly before leaving his men and rushing over.

“You’ve arrived early!”

Although Tongzhou was an important place for transporting grain, with military garrisons from the five guards stationed in the city, most of the troops were still based outside the city. After all, if tens of thousands of soldiers ate, drank, and went to the bathroom inside the city, the once-bustling city would be filled with fully armed soldiers, creating a disordered scene. But this time, Fang Zheng’s group consisted of carefully selected people for handover, so it was different. Besides staying at the Dingbian Garrison in the west of Tongzhou, another 200 people were accommodated in inns inside the city, while the remaining 400 elite soldiers were also properly arranged.

Upon recognizing Zhang Yue, Fang Zheng stepped forward ready to greet him, but when he saw Zhang Yue giving him repeated eye signals, he immediately found it strange. Though a military general, he was quite perceptive. After his initial outburst of excitement, he smiled and said, “I asked in vain. As a court official receiving a salary, you must wait for your superior to give orders and sort things out before coming here. Come on, let’s talk inside—it’s warmer than standing here in the snow-covered ground.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Qin He and gave a brief instruction, “Go back and report to your commander-in-chief. Tell him that we’ve received the people; he doesn’t need to worry about anything else. I’ll take care of it.”

With a glance from Fang Zheng, his attendant stepped forward and, after making brief contact with Qin He, subtly slipped several gold coins into his sleeve. With this bribe, Qin He, who had earlier been curious about the relationship between Governor Fang and this official, stopped caring further. Since Fang had called him “nephew,” it was possible they were old acquaintances. So, he gently adjusted his sleeve, bowed with a cheerful smile in thanks, and then left with his subordinates.

Outside the courtyard, he took out the money to check it—ten new bills of ten guan each, worth about a thousand coins by current standards. It was a modest reward, but it made him very happy. He handed two bills to his subordinates right away. “Take this and divide it among yourselves for drinks. Don’t say anything about the rest. Once I’ve reported to the commander-in-chief, it’s none of our business anymore.”

With money for drinks, the soldiers didn’t care about anything else. They nodded in agreement and scattered. Qin He stuffed all the new bills into his chest and couldn’t help but glance back into the courtyard. The girl from earlier still hadn’t appeared, so he reluctantly turned away. Though she was just a person to be handed over, as long as a woman was pleasing to the eye, it didn’t matter where she came from. It was a pity he didn’t know who would benefit from this…

Inside the house, Zhang Yue followed Fang Zheng in and nodded politely at the official from the Ministry of Rites who was with them. “If others knew I came in person, it would cause chaos, so I chose to keep a low profile. Governor Fang and I still need to review the list; the rest of the tasks are yours to handle.”

The official from the Ministry of Rites hadn’t expected that today it would be Zhang Yue rather than Chen Yong leading the mission. But after hearing the details along the way, he didn’t take it to heart. He had no further objections either. When Fang Zheng called over the accompanying clerk, he followed without hesitation to get to work, without trying to figure out what the two of them planned to discuss.

There was nothing much to guess about anyway. The people being sent to the capital this time were all personally selected by Zhang Yue.

Seeing that no outsiders were around, Fang Zheng finally invited Zhang Yue to sit down. He then ordered his trusted attendants to bring in hot tea before asking, “I noticed you were winking and making faces earlier. What’s the matter? Could there be some problem within our group?”

Zhang Fusu had led three expeditions to Jiaozhi, bringing back large numbers of talents from there to the capital each time, so this wasn’t an exception. However, since they were people from a conquered country, it was inevitable that some might harbor resentful or ulterior motives. Thus, they had been screened once in Jiaozhi, and again by the Jin Yi Wei in Nanjing upon arriving there. Even so, Fang Zheng couldn’t guarantee that everyone had been thoroughly vetted. So it was obvious that Zhang Yue had come to him under a false identity, and he naturally thought in that direction.

“Governor Fang, you’ve misunderstood. Although I didn’t want anyone to know I came to Tongzhou, it’s not because of these people from Jiaozhi. There’s another reason. When you set off from Tongzhou this afternoon, was it the Dingbian Wei who escorted you?”

“That’s right. As you know, there are so many people—men, women, old and young. I was worried that something might go wrong on the final leg of the journey, and I wouldn’t have enough men to handle it. So I sent a message to Tongzhou in advance, asking them to send some people to escort us to the capital. Why do you ask?”

Seeing Fang Zheng’s surprise, Zhang Yue moved closer and began to whisper to him. If his elder brother Zhang Chao were still in Tongzhou, he could have gathered information from there. But since Zhang Chao was now far away in Yunnan, he didn’t have time to inquire, so he could only prepare for the worst. As Fang Zheng revealed a little of the information he had received, the governor’s face grew increasingly pale.

By the time the tea was brought in, their confidential discussion was over. Fang Zheng waved to dismiss his attendant, his brows furrowed deeply. He had spent a year in Jiaozhi and naturally didn’t know much about court affairs. Although he had tried to gather some information during his stay in Nanjing, the distance between Nanjing and Beijing was great, and the cold winters with frequent snows only delayed the journey. So he only knew that Zhang Yue had been assassinated and wasn’t very clear about what the Jin Yi Wei had found out. At this moment, looking at the unusually young face before him, he hesitated.

The governor of the Five Armies Command held a rank of first-class subordinate, which sounded impressive, but aside from leading troops, they were usually idle in the capital. At the founding of the dynasty, each command was headed by two governors who shared command authority. However, as more titles were conferred, the number of governors per command was no longer limited to two; instead, they became rewards for military officers, with a separate noble appointed to oversee each command. Since he had returned from a victorious campaign in Jiaozhi, he had no hope of being granted a title, and the silver and money given as rewards were limited. It was also difficult to advance in rank within the command.

If it weren’t for Zhang Yue’s foresight, he would surely bear the blame if anything went wrong this time—this reminder was incredibly valuable! He clenched his fist instantly, took a deep breath, then stood up and bowed solemnly to Zhang Yue.

“Thank you, younger brother, for your warning. If this trip truly turns misfortune into fortune, I will be grateful to you for life.”

Zhang Yue quickly helped Fang Zheng up and comforted him a few more words. After handling this important matter, he checked the list of people he had come to meet. Once everything was settled, he didn’t waste time and insisted that Fang Zheng didn’t need to see him off. As soon as he pushed aside the thick cotton curtain and stepped down the steps, he saw Ruan Shi’s brother coming out of the gate, looking hesitant to approach despite wanting to pay respects—Ruan Shi herself was nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he didn’t go up and simply nodded before leaving in a hurry.

In Tongzhou City, everyone was greatly frightened by the presence of the Jinyiwei. Officials of that era were accustomed to peaceful times, and many had shady backgrounds. Thus, various government offices sent people in waves to spy on the Jinyiwei’s movements. Even after hearing that the “plague god” had been sent away, they still didn’t dare relax. All four city gates were manned by spies, fearing a counterattack at any moment. Naturally, some also sent people to secretly follow the Jinyiwei, resulting in an increase in nobles visiting each other in the city.

With so many people stationed at the city gates, other areas naturally received less attention. For example, the newcomers who had just arrived from Jiaozhi at the Dingbian Garrison, the grain stored at Tongji Granary waiting to be shipped to the capital, and the two officials from the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of War who had arrived recently… Compared to the fearsome Jinyiwei, other matters could be put on hold. Thus, outside the unassuming office of the Jinyiwei in Tongzhou, countless eyes were watching.

In the afternoon, the last two hundred carts of grain were also loaded at the Tongji Granary. Although the snow on the roads hadn’t fully melted, some things could wait while others couldn’t. Not to mention that the road from Tongzhou to Beijing, as a vital land route, needed repairs countless times a year. Even if it rained heavily, work had to go on without delay. So at noon, after paying the laborers, the chief granary officer and his deputy locked and closed each of the dozen or so storage buildings one by one.

Since this was an urgent task before the New Year, after finishing these tasks, the chief granary officer looked up at the sky and couldn’t help complaining to his deputy, “What’s going on with the people from Dingbian Guard? Why haven’t they sent anyone yet? Do they think it’s too cold? If I had known this, I wouldn’t have cared about old friendships. With ten percent of the transportation fees, who in all of Tongzhou City wouldn’t come?”

“Wait a bit longer. After all, he’s just a thousand-household officer. He needs to get approval from his superior before he can act.”

As the two were discussing, they saw movement on the road. Soon, a man rode ahead, followed by several soldiers. Since they were very familiar with each other, the chief granary officer stepped forward quickly. Seeing the thousand-household officer dismount from his horse, toss the reins aside, and flick his robe, he complained irritably, “Why so late? Do you know it must be delivered to the capital before sunset?”

“Of course I know. It’s just that those southern barbarians happen to live in our Dingbian Guard area. As you know, a higher-ranking official can crush anyone. Our superior is only at the third rank, while that man is a first-rank governor. We can’t even curry favor with him, so how dare we neglect him? He’s about to leave now, and everyone below his rank is rushing to see him off. I barely managed to slip away.”

Hearing this, the deputy granary officer laughed and said, “Since he’s such a high-ranking official, don’t you want to flatter him a bit to get promoted faster?”

“Forget it. With so many people surrounding him, who do you think Governor Fang will remember? Besides, our promotions aren’t decided by the governor’s office but by the Ministry of War. And guess what? The official from the Ministry of War sent to welcome Governor Fang has gone back. Because of this, Baihu Qin, who went to the city gate early in the morning to greet him, was scolded badly. He thought it was just an official from the Ministry of Rites, but the Ministry of War also sent someone. They’re the real superiors, yet he dared to neglect them… Enough about that. I’m not thinking about getting promoted; I just want to make money. When it comes to bonuses, who gives more than you?”

The three of them exchanged glances and smiled at each other ambiguously. After the jokes, business resumed. Ma Qianhu naturally counted every grain cart and sack carefully, then gathered the over a hundred men he had brought with him, ready to set off. Suddenly, the grain warehouse official stepped forward and pulled him aside.

“This time, the goods are different from usual—be extremely careful. After all, the Jinyiwei just passed through Tongzhou not long ago; we don’t know where they’re going.”

“Don’t worry. It’s been years now—has there ever been any problem? Those merchants are naturally most afraid of crossing Chongwen Gate, but what are we transporting? Who would dare inspect it? Besides, there’s also Commander Fang’s group along the way. The higher-ups went to such lengths to take care of them. By following behind them, I can provide some protection in case of trouble. The Jinyiwei can’t just accuse anyone randomly, right? Anyway, what could be so important? Could it be swords and armor?”

The grain warehouse official’s expression changed slightly before he pretended nothing had happened and said with a smile, “Swords and armor? How much are such things worth when brought to the capital? To be honest, it’s ginseng—the most valuable thing during the New Year. I’ll double your reward for this escort mission, and half of it will be paid to you as soon as we reach the grain warehouse.”

Ma Qianhu had only asked casually. Hearing it was ginseng, he was astonished. He figured it must be some nobleman’s business, nodded, and didn’t say anything more. Once the large convoy set off with the carts, the grain warehouse official tucked his frozen hands into his sleeves and gazed into the distance.

Having avoided trouble for these seven or eight years by dealing with greedy people, this mission was no small matter. He couldn’t rely solely on someone who craved wealth. Fortunately, the Dingbian Army originated from Shanxi. Although younger generations had taken over over the years, there were still a few older members. Not everyone liked the prosperous region of Tongzhou—they were reluctant to leave their homeland.

“After finishing this job, it’s time to enjoy a peaceful life!”

Under the indifferent sun, he stretched widely, took a deep breath of the cold air, then turned and walked back to the warehouse, ignoring his deputy, who was still watching the convoy with hopeful eyes. After all, though this man had been bribed by him, he only knew that the goods being taken to the capital were valuable and knew nothing else. Once things were settled, he would make a perfect scapegoat.

Having entered the warm house, he naturally didn’t care. As soon as he left, the laborers in the granary scattered. But right after they left, it seemed the deputy in charge of the granary, with nothing to do, appeared in a sheltered corner behind the Tongji Granary. There, a man dressed as a laborer was looking around nervously. The two met and began whispering to each other.
“Is everything arranged?”
“Don’t worry, everything over there is taken care of. The Jinyiwei will probably return from there in about two hours. Make sure to time it right.”
“I know what to do… Such a great achievement, yet most of the credit will go to the Jinyiwei. Hu Tou is really generous!”
“Find some damn replacement later, and your task will be neatly completed. There are surely more lucrative jobs waiting for you in the north. What’s the point of coveting credit? What’s the value of a military rank now compared to giving those kids a proper background?”
The two exchanged glances and smiled knowingly. Indeed, the greatest advantage of the Ministry of War’s spy department was that while they couldn’t operate openly in the north, they could live openly here. Of course, after this mission, he would have to go to the north and hide for a few days first.