Chapter 551: Eternal Peril, Dark Clouds Gather

A thousand men were stationed in the inner camp of the central army, with another three thousand outside its fences. Thus, these four thousand formed the imperial guard corps directly under the emperor, the most elite troops in the Ming Dynasty’s entire military structure. Among them were brave and skilled soldiers carefully selected from various garrisons across the country, as well as warriors who had fled thousands of miles from Tartary or Oirat regions and been rigorously screened. These four thousand men protected the imperial tent like an iron barrel, from the outer camp to the inner one.

Like other armies, here too, there was one hundredhousehold for every hundred men, two chief flags, and ten smaller flags. As the actual commander of this army, eunuch Liu Yongcheng did not handle everything personally but delegated authority wherever possible. Though he was an elderly eunuch with a somewhat peculiar demeanor, he was decisive when it came to selecting people. He promoted brave confidants and distributed rewards generously, earning him high respect among his troops.

Still, having come from the former YanWangfu, he understood one thing well: it was fine to act noble in front of subordinates, but one must never forget one’s true identity—slaves of the emperor! With no wars at hand, he often served by Zhu Di’s side. That night, after Yang Rong and Jin Youzi left, he went to the imperial tent to report to Zhu Di, assisted the emperor in going to bed, and did not return to his own tent until 3 a.m. (10:12 p.m.).

The Ming Dynasty had no shortage of eunuchs. Since the capital was moved, more eunuchs had been castrated and brought into the palace, including those who castrated themselves to advance their careers. Even as the head of the imperial guard, Liu Yongcheng still had two minor eunuchs to handle chores, though he was extremely careful with the tools used, insisting on white iron. Now, with his feet submerged in properly heated water, he let one eunuch wash his feet while another washed his face, lost in thought.

Why must they go fight the Wulangha again? Wouldn’t the letters he sent back to the capital cause unnecessary alarm? Well, it didn’t matter. The number of troops in the Doyan Three Guards was limited—only about twenty to thirty thousand. With a swift military campaign, they could return to the capital quickly. It was always wise for the crown prince to be on guard.

“Eunuch sir, eunuch sir! Someone outside says they want to leave the inner camp and is asking for your permission!”

After washing his face and feet and asking someone to wipe his body, Liu Yongcheng heard the noise outside. He immediately stood up straight. After hearing clearly, he snapped angrily, “Who is so ignorant of rules? What kind of place is the central military camp? How can one enter and exit at will! Send him away and tell him that no matter who it is, they should stay in their tents at night and not play any silly tricks!”

“Eunuch sir, that’s exactly what I said. But it was Peng Shisan from Lord Zhang’s entourage, claiming to have urgent matters and needing to meet the Duke of Yingguo.”

Hearing this, Liu Yongcheng, already impatient, suddenly showed a strange expression. Although he wasn’t in the imperial tent, he had heard a few eunuchs talk about the argument. Whether the Danning Guard was reabsorbed or not didn’t matter much to him. Of course, if it were reabsorbed, he would get an additional position as commander, and perhaps more eunuchs could be assigned—overall, it would be beneficial. But would Zhang Yue really try to approach Zhang Fu without first resolving things here?

“Hmm, let him in!”

Liu Yongcheng made up his mind in an instant. Though he looked down on Lu Feng’s experience and methods, Zhang Yue and that eunuch might not get along well anyway. Besides, after all, he was the Duke of Yingguo’s nephew. Unless it was necessary, he had no reason to alienate him. It was better to be helpful when possible. Of course, this first depended on whether Zhang Yue was smart enough to come up with a good reason. Otherwise, even out of respect for the Duke of Yingguo, he couldn’t bend the rules and risk angering the emperor for no reason.

A moment later, the man entered the tent. Liu Yongcheng narrowed his eyes and studied the burly man before him. Accustomed to seeing elite warriors, he couldn’t help but admire inwardly—only a family with a long history of military excellence like the Duke of Yingguo’s could produce such a descendant. When the man stepped forward to pay his respects, Liu Yongcheng asked sternly, “The rules of the central military camp were issued personally by the emperor. Even if you’re going to see the Duke of Yingguo, there must be a reason. If you can’t explain it clearly, no matter who you are, I can’t let you in.”

“Reporting to Eunuch Sir, the reason is…”

Seeing Peng Shisan hesitating and looking reluctant to speak, Liu Yongcheng couldn’t help but laugh and gave a subtle signal to those around him. Soon, the two eunuchs quietly withdrew. Only then did he say with a smile, “I heard you’re one of the Duke of Yingguo’s most trusted and capable men. I didn’t expect him to be so generous as to lend you to Lord Zhang. Since no one else is around, you might as well tell the truth. But I must warn you—having been with the Duke of Yingguo for so long, you should know his nature. He likely won’t be pleased to see you coming here so late.”

“Your Excellency is right,” replied Peng Shisan. He raised his head, stepped forward, and said in a low voice, “My lord is really unsure about something and wanted to seek advice from the Duke of Yingguo. Just now, while accompanying my lord around the camp, we overheard people whispering about intercepting messengers and seizing both the messages and the culprits. Though we only caught fragments, my lord is very worried and wanted to ask the Duke.”

At first, hearing the words “seek advice,” Liu Yongcheng still wore a faint smile. But when the phrase “intercepting messengers and seizing both the messages and the culprits” reached his ears, he gasped sharply. His years of practice in keeping his emotions hidden nearly failed him. Clenching his fists in shock, he bit his tongue hard to regain his composure.

Staring intently at Peng Shisan, he raced through various possibilities in his mind. Eventually, he realized Zhang Yue and Peng Shisan must have heard far more than just this little bit. Thinking that the crown prince had long wanted to transfer Zhang Yue to the Eastern Palace, and that it was Zhang Fu who had persuaded the emperor not to take the crown prince on this northern expedition, he grew slightly more confident—but still refused to let down his guard.

“So that’s what it is. As for messengers, since the northern expedition, only those sent from the main camp to Kaiping have been sent—just to deliver military reports. How dare anyone be so bold as to intercept them? Peng Shisan, since you’re known as a brave warrior, didn’t you even manage to see their faces?”

“Your Excellency really overestimates me. It was dark, and the area was near the fences in darkness—there was no way to see clearly. Plus, I couldn’t hear clearly at the time, and by the time I realized what was happening, those two guys had already disappeared. But…”

At such a critical moment, Liu Yongcheng couldn’t care about propriety and instinctively snapped, “But what! Such an important matter—how dare you try to deceive me?”

“But those two people’s voices were too soft to hear clearly. If I could hear them a second time, I would definitely be able to recognize them.” Hearing such an answer, Liu Yongcheng, who had initially held high hopes, was instantly greatly disappointed. However, he knew that the most important thing now was not to figure out who the traitor among them was or who had sent them—what mattered most was how to make things right! His letter had been sent five days ago, and at the fastest speed possible, it might have reached the capital, let alone Kaiping. If it had indeed been intercepted in Kaiping, it was likely… it was likely already in their hands!

In an instant, he finally realized the situation. Nervously, he clasped his hands together, his facial muscles contorted in tension. Zhang Yue was a smart man; he must have heard more than just what Peng Shisan had said. Since he had taken the trouble to inform him, that alone was a huge favor. He couldn’t rely on this young nobleman, who enjoyed the emperor’s favor, for the rest—he had to find a way on his own!

“Alright, I understand.” He casually took out a badge from his clothes and tossed it to Peng Shisan. “Take this and leave the camp. No one from the Imperial Horse Guard will dare stop you. When you see the Duke of Yingguo later, give my regards and tell him the emperor often praises his riding and archery skills these days!”

Watching Peng Shisan take the badge, bow deeply, and then turn to leave, Liu Yongcheng stood there frozen for a long time before stepping back and collapsing into the firwood chair. He then rubbed his face vigorously with both hands. In just a short while, his face was drenched in sweat, and not only that—every part of his body, front and back, was sweating. Once, a false charge had sent a group of palace officials to the Jinyiwei for eight years. This time, he was caught with evidence, and if convicted, he would be doomed forever!

And even if he died, it would be useless… A dead man would not only bring trouble to his family but also be of no use to the crown prince. Even if the prince survived this ordeal and ascended the throne safely, he would never be able to expect any rewards for his past good deeds in the afterlife—he might even be labeled a traitor. He must get through this obstacle, he absolutely had to!

Peng Shisan, carrying his identification badge, left the camp unimpeded and quickly headed toward Zuo Ye’s direction. If it weren’t already night, he would have almost ridden his own mount out; unfortunately, leaving the camp at night was allowed, but riding around inside the camp at night was a serious offense. It was already nearly the hour of Hai, and Zuo Ye had long been under martial law. Yet, thanks to his status as a prince of the British clan and Liu Yongcheng’s identification badge, Peng Shisan still managed to enter the camp smoothly. At that time, Prince Zhang Fu had not yet gone to bed. Hearing that Peng Shisan had arrived, he was greatly surprised.

“Coming out this late? He acts on his own whims—why do you still let him act recklessly?”

“Lord, it’s really a difficult situation.” Recalling Zhang Yue’s clumsy excuse that had managed to deceive others, Peng Shisan first explained how he had run into resistance from the emperor regarding the matter of the old city of Danning. Before Zhang Fu could speak, taking advantage of the absence of outsiders in the tent, he recounted in detail what he had heard that night inside the central camp. Then, with a serious expression, he added, “Young Master Yue believes that if this is true, it’s likely not just Liu Yongcheng who will face consequences.”

Zhang Fu was unprepared for such a tricky message from Peng Shisan, and his brows furrowed deeply. Most rulers tended to be suspicious by nature, and the current emperor was neither the first nor the most suspicious. Compared to the founding emperor, Zhu Di had been quite lenient toward meritorious officials, killing few and showing tolerance even toward civil officials, forgiving those who deserved it. But at least in past events, no one had ever dared to target the military. If they insisted that the crown prince was colluding with Liu Yongcheng and wanted to act against the imperial guards, the emperor would surely not tolerate it.

“Liu Yongcheng is usually very cautious. How could he be so careless this time? Even if he just wrote a few words, getting caught would be a huge problem!”

After walking back and forth in the tent a few times, Zhang Fu suddenly stopped and glanced at Peng Shisan, “Young Master Yue surely didn’t send you just to deliver this message. What else did he say?”

“Young Master Yue said that this incident represents a major crisis for the Eastern Palace. He can only warn Liu Yongcheng, but there might be people from your side trying to persuade him. This northern expedition is different from before. The emperor is already in his sixties. Though he has remained healthy throughout, there’s always a risk. With this new incident, even if the campaign ends safely, there will be significant upheaval in the capital. From the emperor’s attitude, it seems troops will be sent to attack Wulangha soon…”

“I’ll send someone to Kaiping to inquire about the situation.”

Before Peng Shisan could finish speaking, Zhang Fu firmly declared his decision. If they truly divided their forces to attack the Wulangha, he certainly wouldn’t be in the vanguard nor part of Zhu Di’s main army encircling them; at most, he would lead troops to provide support. With fewer eyes on him then, it would be much easier for him to carry out his plans. After some thought, he added, “Yue Geer is not a military officer, so it’s useless for him to follow in the raid on the Wulangha. Tomorrow, I’ll personally bring this up with the emperor to see if he can send him back to Kaiping first, then head straight to the capital.”

After reaching an agreement, Peng Shisan went to see Xiang Long and Liu Bao, who were accompanying him as Zhang Fu’s personal guards, and briefed them on the matter. He then reassured Niu Gan, Zhang Bu, and the others, who were anxious due to the lack of battles to fight. It wasn’t until night fell that he returned to the main camp. Although there were many soldiers patrolling along the way, thanks to Liu Yongcheng’s authorization, he managed to move unimpeded.

However, Zhang Yue had thought that with Zhang Fu’s recommendation, he wouldn’t have to go to Wulangha himself. But he never expected the emperor to plan to lead the army in person, ordering him and Yang Rong and Jin Youzi to accompany him, without mentioning anything about retaking the old city of Danning. Zhang Fu also miscalculated the emperor’s intentions regarding him—instead of staying behind to lead a large force in support, it was Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng who remained, while Zhang Yue was assigned to one of the five armies sent to sweep through the Wulangha’s stronghold, commanding over four thousand men.

Zhang Fu naturally desired the chance to fight on the battlefield. So, despite being concerned about what Zhang Yue had said, he found an excuse to leave Zhang Yue in the care of Xiang Long and Liu Bao in the rear force and greeted Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng. Xiang Long and Liu Bao had already learned all the details from Peng Shisan the previous night and were sent back to Kaiping by Zhang Fu at the time of troop deployment.

Dark clouds of war quickly covered the Doyan Three Guard Units, which were constantly shifting sides, while unseen clouds also loomed over the capital.