Chapter 805: Interception on the Way

Although the Military Selection Bureau claimed authority over the appointment and dismissal of all military officials, high-ranking military positions such as those of military governors often came from higher authorities. Positions like commanders and deputy commanders were usually granted to the sons of nobles as favors, with little difference in status—so much so that even a vice minister couldn’t interfere. What was more critical was that hereditary military positions for mid- and lower-level officers, as well as reassignments after completing their service terms, were rife with corruption—not only due to financial gains but also as a means to display power.

Thus, Zhang Yue declined the position offered by the Military Selection Bureau. The senior minister Zhang Ben thought highly of him for being so prudent despite his young age. When Zhang Yue proposed transferring Chen An, a physician who had just returned from Jiaozhi, and Chen Yong, an assistant official, from Nanjing to the Ministry of War to fill the vacancies in the Department of Geography and the Armory Department—both of which had recently had their officials demoted—Zhang Ben agreed without hesitation.

Others saw Zhang Yue as modest, but only he knew that even without Yang Rong’s reminder, he would have avoided any involvement with the Military Selection Bureau’s corrupt practices. Moreover, being able to take control of the Department of Geography was the greatest blessing he could ask for. Ever since he suggested reorganizing espionage operations in the north, the department, under the leadership of successive officials like Cui Fanzhi and Wan Shijie, had been fully established. Since these tasks were handled by Hu Qi and his colleagues, everyone involved had legitimate access to the information. Back in the south, these roles hadn’t been very useful, but now that he was back in the capital, the situation had changed drastically.

So, after sending Wan Shijie off to take up his post at the Nurhaci Command yesterday, he summoned an assistant official and a clerk from the Department of Geography today. Citing the department’s shortage of staff, he ordered that all espionage reports go directly to him from then on. Since there indeed was a need for a physician and a clerk, and the department’s staff were already busy with map research and military reports, no one wanted to take on Wan Shijie’s responsibilities rashly, so there were no objections. As a result, all the keys and authority passed into Zhang Yue’s hands.

Inside the three gates of the Ministry of War’s headquarters lay the offices of the minister and two vice ministers. Zhang Ben resided in the main building on the north side, while Zhang Yue and Vice Minister Feng occupied separate rooms in the east and west wings, each accompanied by two clerks and one servant to assist with tasks. However, with such strict evaluations of officials these days, even newly appointed scholars could handle most important matters on their own after a year of training, let alone the three high-ranking officials in the Ministry of War. Thus, the clerks mostly served as scribes, and the servants functioned like household help, responsible only for providing food and tea.

As soon as Zhang Yue took office, he followed Wan Shijie’s advice and selected three reliable men from among the clerks, which made it much easier to handle affairs in the office. That day, under the pretext of inquiring about military matters in the north, he specifically summoned Hu Qi, the only agent from the spy agency stationed in the capital. Seeing this, the two clerks immediately stepped back.

It was their first meeting since Zhang Yue left the Ministry of Geography. Over the years, Zhang Yue had grown into a vigorous young man, while Hu Qi had more gray hairs at the temples and lost some of his former ferocity, appearing more composed.

At that moment, Hu Qi was dressed in a brand-new blue official robe embroidered with bear and leopard patterns, tied with a silver belt, and wearing a black gauze hat. He looked like an ordinary military officer coming to report duties, but he sat only half on the chair, his back straight. Hearing that Zhang Yue had fulfilled the promise he had made years ago, Hu Qi showed gratitude and solemnly rose to kowtow.

“Back then, the senior official said there was nothing we could do. We thought he agreed just to reassure us, but we never expected it would actually work out. Although the Jinyiwei officers are impressive on the surface, their methods are not legitimate, and their reputation is not good. Though we can’t make a fuss now, we are all registered under the Ministry of War and hold official positions. Zhao Hu and the others are also grateful, but due to urgent matters in the north, they can’t return in person to thank you. So they asked me to kowtow to you on their behalf several times.”

Seeing Hu Qi bow deeply, his forehead hitting the ground with a thud, Zhang Yue felt that his efforts over the years had not been in vain. He quickly ordered him to get up. Once Hu Qi sat back down, still sitting upright, Zhang Yue didn’t waste time with trivial talk and directly stated the purpose of the meeting.

“The north is sending merchant caravans under the guise of smuggling to trade with Arutai and the three Oirat tribes. You must strictly control the Fang family to prevent them from using this as an opportunity for ostentation. After all, this is a secret matter of the court, unknown to ordinary censors. Additionally, you must keep complete records of all profits. I know it’s human nature to take a cut, but you must not involve yourselves in it. I will make up for your losses in other ways. As for the subordinates, keep a tight grip on them and avoid recruiting too many people, so as not to arouse the suspicion of the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot. Also, while we’ve focused on the north before, we now need to pay attention to the south as well. The maritime administrations in Guangzhou, Ningbo, and Quanzhou have been established, allowing us to send spies to the East and West under the pretext of trade. I’ll also give you this authority…”

Hu Qi had followed Zhang Yue for many years and knew full well that although Zhang Yue appeared gentle and refined, his methods were extremely cunning, and he possessed an extraordinary ambition and presence. Therefore, he listened carefully and nodded repeatedly. When Zhang Yue mentioned that the Jinyiwei’s Eastern Bureau was limited to handling minor, secretive matters, while he wanted information channels that could reach as far as the Mongol kings’ camps in the north and the royal palaces in the West, Hu Qi immediately stood up and bowed solemnly. “Sir, rest assured. I will do my utmost!” “As long as we can be self-sufficient, using commerce to fund espionage without relying on the court’s funds, our influence can grow like a snowball. The officials in the court think that military campaigns in the south and north are the limit. If this network is fully established, who will lack positions for meritorious officials and military generals?” After saying this, seeing no sign of panic on Hu Qi’s face, Zhang Yue thought to himself that when Yuan Fang had assigned these people to his side, although they failed to become full-fledged Jinyiwei members due to unforeseen circumstances, they had laid a solid foundation for him. Now, Yuan Fang’s network in the north had gradually been integrated into the Ministry of War’s espionage division, giving him legitimate power. After explaining everything, he ordered that reports be submitted every seven days. Then, Zhang Yue personally escorted Hu Qi to the door. Only after Hu Qi left did he call in the scribe to meet with several military officers from other regions who had come to the capital to report on their duties and request transfers. As noon approached, just as he was about to send someone to check if food had been sent from home, the servant attending him rushed in urgently. “Sir, something terrible has happened! I happened to be eating outside just now, and I heard some servants from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel say that a major incident has occurred at the Northern Pacification Commission! The emperor… after the morning court session, he personally went to the Northern Pacification Commission to conduct interrogations. When Dai Lun resisted, the emperor, in a fit of anger, executed him and ordered the arrest of Dai Lun’s uncle, Dai Xiwen, the Minister of Equine Affairs, and Dai Xian, the governor of Henan! Secretary Jian and Secretary Xia have already rushed there, along with Grand Secretary Du of the Cabinet. We don’t know what’s going on.” Zhu Zhanji had actually gone to the Northern Pacification Commission in person and killed Dai Lun! Although he knew Zhu Zhanji had been angry these days, Zhang Yue never expected this so-called kind emperor to kill someone in a fit of rage. Since the Yongle era, the Supreme Court had only handled ordinary prisoners; all high-ranking officials were imprisoned by the Jinyiwei. Zhu Di often killed people in anger without going through the Ministry of Justice or the Supreme Court. But Zhu Zhanji valued his reputation greatly—how could he do such a thing? Moreover, why hadn’t he heard anything about such a major incident?

Zhang Yue took several deep breaths before barely calming his extremely shocked state of mind. Seeing that the scribe was still standing there, he asked in a deep voice, “Only one person from the cabinet is going?”
“It seems it’s only Grand Secretary Du…”
Hearing these words, Zhang Yue pondered for a moment before quickly stepping out of the room. Standing in the sunlight, he waved for a clerk to come over and instructed him to inform Zhang Ben and Vice Minister Feng that he had urgent matters to attend to, then strode out quickly. Along the way, officials from the Ministry of War greeted him, but he didn’t have time to pay them any attention. Once outside, he sternly ordered that a horse be prepared.
As soon as the yellow horse was brought out, Zhang Yue grabbed the reins, jumped onto it, and whipped it into motion like the wind. After passing through the alley in front of the Ministry of War’s headquarters and onto the main road, he increased the horse’s speed even further. Just as he turned a corner, a person on horseback rushed out from the side.
“Lord Zhang!”
Since it wasn’t time to leave office and his attendants hadn’t yet arrived at the Ministry of War to pick him up, Zhang Yue was riding alone at full speed without paying attention to his surroundings. Hearing the voice suddenly, he was startled and quickly reined in the horse, but by then he was already a few steps away. Turning back, he finally saw who it was—the person riding out of the alley.
“Brother Wang?”
In just seven years, Wang Yu had risen from an unremarkable officer to a fourth-rank commander, a feat that seemed almost miraculous. With his increasingly comfortable life, his once-pointed chin had become slightly rounder, and he had gained weight. His bright red official robe with a high collar and slanted front seemed a bit too tight on him. Hurrying over to block Zhang Yue’s path, he asked directly, “Are you heading to the Jinyiwei headquarters? I just came from there. The emperor scolded Ministers Jian and Xia severely and was furious with Grand Secretary Du. It’s useless for you to go now! This isn’t the place to talk. Could we step aside?”
Anxiously, Zhang Yue forced himself to calm down under this sudden demand. Seeing that there were few people on the road and Wang Yu’s earnest expression, he followed him into a deserted alley. During those few steps, some thoughts began to form in his mind. Once they reached a quiet spot, he asked, “Were you accompanying the emperor today?”

“I am the new deputy commander of the Jinyiwei. Since I frankly admitted to the emperor that I didn’t understand matters related to investigation and prison oversight, he ordered me to oversee General Dahan and the accompanying guards. I just followed Commander Wang out. I know Lord Zhang must have heard about what happened over there, but I beg you not to rush there at this moment. Although I can’t fault Lord Dai, his words… they were truly excessive. Not only would the emperor find them intolerable, but even I felt resentful upon hearing them!”
Wang Yu, regardless of whether Zhang Yue was willing to listen, recounted in detail what Dai Lun had said at that time. It turned out that after being taken to court by several Jinyiwei officers, Zhu Zhanji asked Dai Lun if he admitted guilt. Instead of admitting it, Dai Lun stubbornly denied it and listed various faults of Zhu Zhanji since his ascension to the throne, including favoring concubines over the imperial consort, preferring hunting over studying, and even describing the emperor’s earlier efforts to train the army as mere pastimes. Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji immediately flew into a rage, ordering the men to be dragged away and beaten to death, and also intending to punish their families.
“Lord Zhang, after Minister Jian, Minister Xia, and Grand Scholar Du arrived, I and a few Jinyiwei officers withdrew. Commander Wang made an excuse to leave, and I had a brief conversation with Lord Fang. Since he asked about my relationship with you, and knowing he was in charge of the Northern Pacification Commission, I didn’t hide it. As a result, he immediately told me that both ministers and Grand Scholar Du had received his message. On the Jinyiwei side, the top officials actually all have insiders, and he deliberately leaked the information. So, all the grand scholars in the cabinet must be aware.”
It seemed that Fangling deliberately didn’t tell Zhang Yue—indeed, Zhang Yue wasn’t the kind of person who would risk everything for a greater cause, nor would he stand up for strangers. But if everyone in the cabinet knew, why had only Du Zhen come?
At that moment, Zhang Yue felt his heart surge with turmoil.
“If you’re accompanying the emperor, why did you come out alone?”
“The emperor then ordered Lin Changmao and Yu Qian to be released from the imperial prison, and immediately sent me to call upon Censor-in-Chief Gu Zuo. I came out through the back door of the Northern Pacification Commission and happened to run into Lord Zhang.”
Hearing that Zhu Zhanji wanted to interrogate Lin Changmao and Yu Qian again at this time, and then summon Gu Zuo as well, Zhang Yue immediately gasped in shock. Thinking that Wang Yu still had matters to attend to, he didn’t dare to keep him waiting any longer and asked, “I have one more question for Brother Wang. When you came out, what was the situation with those two senior ministers and my father-in-law?”

“Though I’m not in the emperor’s presence, judging from the noises, after the emperor flew into a rage, nothing was heard anymore.” At this moment, Zhang Yue was truly grateful to Wang Yu, who had appeared like a timely savior, and even more relieved that Wang Yu had learned some hidden facts from Fangling before coming. With that thought, he bowed to Wang Yu and said, “I owe you a great deal today. I can’t express my thanks properly, but rest assured, I won’t rush to the Northern Pacification Commission.” “That’s good. It’s fortunate we met. If you had rushed there only to be met with failure, it would have been terrible.” “In that case, I won’t keep you any longer. Go quickly to the Censorate to deliver the order. I’ll visit you to express my thanks another day!” Seeing Zhang Yue ride away in the opposite direction, Wang Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, by stopping Zhang Yue and explaining things so clearly, he also intended to buy some time. After all, the emperor had just mentioned Yu Qian and Lin Changmao and might still be angry. If Gu Zuo rushed there so early, he surely wouldn’t achieve anything. With this delay, there might still be a chance. Even if his act of stopping Zhang Yue along the way was discovered, it wouldn’t matter much—after all, he was just a Jinyiwei officer uninvolved in investigations. Even if he lost his position, his wife Jin Su would likely not blame him. One should repay kindness with generosity. If it weren’t for Zhang Yue, how could he have imagined reaching the rank of fourth grade one day?