Chapter 690: All Plans in Vain

For the water and land routes that connected the north and south, Dezhou was a major city that could not be ignored. Even before moving the capital, Zhu Di had made several northern inspections and campaigns, always passing through this place, so the imperial palace here was built with great splendor. This time, when the crown prince went south to pay respects at the Mausoleum of His Ancestors, he also stayed at the palace in Dezhou for one night. Considering that the crown prince might pass through here on his return to the capital, the governor of Dezhou ordered that the palace be cleaned and prepared in case it was needed. The civil officials were busy preparing to please the crown prince in hopes of gaining favor and achieving success in the future, while no one noticed another set of activities taking place.

In Qingzhou Prefecture, the headquarters of the Shandong Military Command, most of the garrisons and military units were located in coastal areas such as Dengzhou and Laizhou, intended for defending against Japanese pirates. Now that the piracy had subsided, the military readiness of these units had gradually relaxed. In contrast, areas like Jinan Prefecture and Dezhou, being closer to the capital, had few troops, and it was the patrol stations that played a more crucial role.

To the southeast of Dezhou lay the Dumah River. After the Huitong River was dredged, it became an important route for transporting goods by sea; locals called it the Tu River. It was now wheat harvest season, and farmers were busy harvesting crops. The river was not as congested as usual, with only a few merchant ships passing by slowly. Since this was a necessary route for official caravans, a tall stone arch bridge was built there.

As the gateway to the capital, a patrol station was set up beside the stone arch bridge. The original name had long been forgotten by the people, who simply called it the Tu River Patrol Station. Passersby and merchants traveling north and south had to have their goods, identities, and permits inspected, and those who came here often were accustomed to it. So when they saw fully armed soldiers on both sides of the bridge, the passersby didn’t complain. However, the merchants carrying goods could only sigh in frustration—today, the usual practice of paying to get through no longer worked, and whatever they carried would be thoroughly inspected.

A merchant familiar with the patrol station staff complained while trying to find out what was going on: “Sir, why such strict inspections? This isn’t the first time we’ve passed through the Tu River Patrol Station, and we’ve never seen such a heavy presence before!”

“Orders came from above to capture some extremely vicious river bandits. It’s said these thieves have committed terrible crimes, so not only you, but even passing officials must be thoroughly checked!”

From early morning until high noon, officers and soldiers above and below were busy nonstop, all of them dizzy from the sun. Seeing that many archers were already listless, the officer wiped the sweat from his forehead and gradually grew impatient. He looked up at the high sun and couldn’t help but whisper to a tall, thin soldier beside him, “Chief Xiao, could the information be wrong? Since those people stopped in Jinan Prefecture before, might they take a day to rest before setting off again?”
“There’s no mistake possible. After all, Jinan Prefecture is close to the heart of Shandong. It’s only natural they’d be uneasy staying there. Once we pass Dezhou, we’ll enter the territory of North Zhili, where there are hundreds of thousands of troops from the imperial guards. By then, we can rest easy. So, when we’re near Dezhou, it should be the time when they’re most relaxed. As a proper inspector, it’s normal to check each one. You’ve spent your whole life in this inspectorate and at most will end up as a ninth-rank official. But if we succeed in this mission, we’ll gain immense wealth!”
Hearing this, the burly inspector couldn’t help but lick his lips, nod with a smile, then loudly urged his subordinates to work harder. Seeing merchants and others who usually just paid to get by reluctantly undergoing inspections, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Someone like him, barely considered respectable, was even looked down upon by minor officials in Dezhou. A few days ago, after his wife died, he sent someone to ask another family for marriage, only to be met with mockery. If he succeeded in this big deal, he could marry whoever he wanted—those guys would never dare look down on him again!
As he was lost in his daydreams, he suddenly felt someone slap his shoulder hard. Annoyed, he turned around and saw Chief Xiao standing behind him, staring intently into the distance. Immediately snapping back to reality, he looked up and saw yellow dust billowing in the distance, as if a large cavalry force was charging toward them.
Almost instinctively, he muttered, “They’re coming!”

Upon hearing this, the patrol officer promptly shouted a few commands. Soon, the archers and conscripted civilians from the patrol station rushed over to drive away the merchants and travelers waiting to cross, standing at the bridge entrance with full alertness. In a short while, those over a hundred people arrived at high speed and stopped. Ordinary people couldn’t see anything unusual, but Supervisor Xiao noticed that the pace of these people was uneven, clearly indicating they had been gathered hastily, and he immediately had an idea. As the patrol officers stepped forward to ask for identities and conduct inspections, he secretly signaled someone behind him. Only after an unremarkable soldier slipped away did he slowly walk forward, subtly observing the group.

Due to the scorching heat, many in the group wore bamboo hats. Seeing that the young man in green at the front was none other than Zhang Yue, he no longer had any doubts. However, finding the noble crown prince among such a large crowd was like searching for a needle in a haystack, so he quickly abandoned this idea and continued to keep his head down, pretending to be just a soldier.

On the journey from Nanjing to Beijing, Zhang Yue had stayed in the fields of Fengyang, Suzhou, and Xuzhou. Once in Shandong, he stopped as usual, but always in cities. Now, facing the inspection by the Tuhe Patrol Station, he showed his official documents, and after they cleared the path, he glanced at the group of archers and conscripted civilians before leading everyone across the bridge.

While waiting for the others to cross, Peng Shisan rushed up behind him and whispered, “Young master, it seems there are a few elite soldiers mixed among these archers. Their standing posture and walking style are completely different. There might be ambushes ahead; we need to be cautious. I’ll go tell the Mu family’s servants to get ready. They’re skilled, and with Niu Gan, Zhang Bu, and the others, even if we have to turn around and face a life-or-death battle, we can hold our ground for a while.”

Zhang Yue naturally had no objections to Peng Shisan’s suggestion, but he still glanced in a certain direction before nodding and letting him arrange things. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the patrol officers were curiously observing his group, so he reconsidered his earlier plans. By now, Nanjing must be planning the return of the crown prince with a grand review, with the departure date at least ten days away. Yet, what could deceive those who weren’t paying attention could never hide from those who were determined to find out. He had gone to the palace specifically because of his father’s “serious illness” to ask Zhu Zhanji for leave, and then borrowed men from various nobles under various pretexts—others must already be aware of this.

This is the only route leading to the capital. Although it’s possible to detour northward through Henan, the King of Zhao there has just taken up his post and may not be a reliable ally. Therefore, keeping an eye on this route is undoubtedly a more efficient and worry-free choice.

If the King of Han wants to seize the throne, the troops from Le’an and even Shandong alone are far from enough—he’s not Zhu Di after all. Without the support of the nobles in the capital, even if he raises an army, he won’t be able to reach the city walls. As long as Zhu Gaoxu still relies on Duke Zhang Fu to lead troops in support, he can’t go too far. It’s likely that sending troops to block him will require more persuasion than force.

After a while, he saw Peng Shisan had arranged everyone properly. Glancing once again at the young man, who was tightly guarded by several people with his hat brim pulled low, he took a deep breath, then whipped his horse hard. The fine steed from the Western Regions galloped forward with a neigh, and the others quickly followed on horseback, leaving no trace behind. At that moment, the soldiers from the inspection unit began whispering among themselves, while only Supervisor Xiao continued to stare intently at the direction where the dust was fading away.

After crossing the Dumah River, Dezhou was not far away. The area near the official road was mostly flat. After riding at full speed for about fifteen minutes, the view suddenly narrowed—as small mounds appeared on both sides of the road. As they rushed past, Peng Shisan, who was behind Zhang Yue, suddenly whistled loudly. The servants, who had been thoroughly trained by him along the way, immediately stopped their horses. Zhang Yue, who had finally managed to halt his advance, saw a group of cavalry in black clothes and armor emerging not far ahead. He immediately understood their origin.

Tiance Guards! Only Zhu Gaoxu, who often compared himself to Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, would imitate Li Shimin by forming such a cavalry force resembling the divine armor soldiers!

Although there were only a few hundred of them, this massive army suddenly blocking the road had a tremendous impact. Soon, one man stepped forward. He was tall and imposing, riding alone until he stopped about ten steps in front of Zhang Yue, then smiled slightly and said, “Lord Zhang, it’s been many years since we last met at the King of Han’s palace. My lord heard that you were ill and specially prepared a pair of Changbai wild ginsengs, a pair of top-quality antlers, a bear gallbladder, and various medicinal herbs. I hope Lord Zhang will accept them.”

Recognizing this as Wang Bin, the commander of the Tiance guards he had met before, Zhang Yue also rode his horse forward slowly and bowed from atop the horse, saying, “Your Highness, the King of Han, is too kind. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I don’t deserve such precious gifts. Please take them back, otherwise even my father will be troubled.”

“Lord Zhang, you’re being too formal. Your Highness once fought side by side with the Duke of Yingguo, and their bond was like that of brothers. Since your father is the brother of the Duke of Yingguo, he’s like your own brother. What are a few herbs compared to that?” Wang Bin glanced back and saw several soldiers carrying two large chests over. Turning back with a smile, he said, “Your Highness also said that although the capital is full of famous doctors and imperial physicians, most of them are not as good as they claim to be. He has a skilled doctor who can cure diseases instantly and would like to recommend him to Lord Zhang. Le’an isn’t far from here. Why not go there for a while?”

If he still didn’t understand what “stay for a while” meant at this point, then Zhang Yue had wasted so many years training in the Ming Dynasty for nothing. So he immediately grew serious and said, “My father is seriously ill. I’m eager to return home. Is Your Highness, the King of Han, trying to tease me?”

Wang Bin had followed Zhu Gaoxu for many years and saw no one else but his master. He immediately raised his hand. Even without turning around, he knew everyone must have drawn their bows by now, so he put away his smile and said coldly, “Lord Zhang, don’t talk nonsense. Is it my master who’s teasing you, or are you trying to deceive everyone? With just one order from me, everyone except you will die. At that point, do you still think you can hide that person?”

Seeing Zhang Yue remain silent, he became even more aggressive. “Lord Zhang, although it’s a good strategy to pretend to do one thing while doing another, don’t forget that we who are real soldiers know this military tactic better than you! Those who came with me are all skilled archers. If you keep being stubborn, don’t blame me for ignoring the bond between my master and the Duke of Yingguo!”

After another moment of silence, Zhang Yue sneered twice and said, “Although I don’t understand what you mean, since you say I’ve hidden someone, I can show you. Everyone, listen up—take off your hats and let Lord Wang take a look!”

Seeing that several people had been captured, Wang Bin remained highly alert. He quickly raised his right hand, ready to shoot as soon as he recognized someone. He had seen Zhu Zhanji many times before, so naturally he looked in the direction the messenger had emphasized from the start. Yet he didn’t see that familiar face at all. After scanning the crowd of over a hundred people three times and seeing Zhang Yue calm and composed, he gradually sensed something was wrong. But with no way back now, he mustered up courage and turned his horse around.

“Since Lord Zhang isn’t carrying any private matters, he should definitely come with me to Le’an,” he said as he stepped back toward his own group. “The emperor has even sent the Black Armored troops from the Tiance Guard. If I fail to welcome the guest, I’ll face reprimand when I return.”

Since they started talking, the two had exchanged words several times, and those Black Armored troops continued to draw their bows, showing no sign of resting. As a result, many of Zhang Yue’s retainers grew nervous. But seeing Peng Shisan sitting there carefree, holding his bow and arrows, chatting casually with Zhang Buniu as if unbothered by the tense atmosphere between the two, they gradually calmed down.

Zhang Yue delayed a bit longer. Seeing Wang Bin’s growing impatience, he said with a smirk, “Instead of wasting time here competing with me, Lord Wang might as well think about the fact that this is the only route to Dezhou. Just the few people from the Inspection Bureau can’t block it. Besides, with these ragtag people I’ve gathered, how could that noble person you mentioned accompany me? Well, it’s getting late. I’ll just follow Lord Wang to the Han Prince’s Mansion in Le’an!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Bin, who was frowning, heard chaos behind him. Almost instinctively, he turned around and saw one of his personal guards rushing at him in a panic. Once close, the man whispered something in his ear.

“Lord, the crown prince… the crown prince has already arrived in Zhuozhou to meet those who are coming to welcome him. He didn’t go… he didn’t go to Tianjin!”