Chapter 850: Leakage of Plans, Adapting to Circumstances

The official road from Tongzhou to the capital had always been the busiest in the entire Ming Dynasty, without exception. After all, the Tonghui River, which used to lead directly to Yuan Dadu, had been silted up for many years. If grain transport was the artery of the Ming Dynasty, this road was the node right next to the heart. Yet, on this day, those setting off from Tongzhou for the capital were helplessly stuck behind, unable to move forward no matter how anxious they were.

One group consisted of a governor returning triumphantly from Jiaozhi along with hundreds of elite soldiers under his command, plus some prisoners “sent” to the capital in the bitter cold, escorted by over a hundred men from the Dingbian Garrison. Another group was transporting grain from the Tongji Granary to the capital’s grain storage. The officials in charge were usually of lower rank than the governor, while merchants dared not compete with this official grain transport and could only obediently fall behind.

Although it was a time of peace, those who sought to profit from others’ hard work could never be completely eradicated. Normally, once an official road was repaired, inspection posts would be set up to check travelers. Over time, however, these inspection posts often colluded with ruffians, bandits, and others to extort money from travelers and merchants. Such situations were not uncommon even at the emperor’s court, and this road from Tongzhou to the capital was no exception. Greed led some to even target the official grain supply, which was why troops were sent to escort it.

The distance from Tongzhou to the capital was less than eighty li. If one hurried, it was possible to arrive before dark. The horse commander in charge of the escort had originally planned to join the large group led by Governor Fang Zheng out of concern for potential troubles along the way. But with so many women and children in that group, they stopped frequently along the road, leaving the originally ample time insufficient. To his surprise, since they were transporting grain, Fang Zheng ordered them to go ahead.

For a while, the long queue on the road stretched for a mile or two, and it seemed to get longer still. Yet this slow pace was shattered by the sound of rapid horse hooves.

Suddenly, noise came from behind, and the horse commander immediately looked back. Soon, he saw a retainer running up, out of breath. Hearing that the Jinyiwei had arrived and was ordering those in front to make way, his expression turned grave.

“Sir, should we give way?”
“Of course!”

What Ma Qianhu feared most was giving the Jinyiwei an excuse to act, so he had no time to worry about delays. In his mind, there was still Commander Fang Zheng leading a large group of men, women, and children behind them—could they really keep them outside the capital city overnight at the city gates? Moreover, by moving closely with that group, they surely intended to use Fang Zheng as a cover if anything went wrong. So, with a single command, the area around him was filled with the neighing of mules and horses. The large carts that had been blocking the road moved closer to the roadside, where the snow hadn’t yet melted, to make a narrow path.

The plan was good, but as the saying goes, mistakes happen in haste. With so many mule carts and guards behind them, chaos ensued. The last two large carts got stuck in the ditches by the road, and two bags of grain fell out.

“You fools! How do you do your job?”
Furious, Ma Qianhu turned his horse and rushed over. He whipped the two cart drivers who had dropped the grain bags, striking them repeatedly across the face, then shouted, “Hurry up and pick up the stuff carefully! Be gentle—if one bag gets damaged, I’ll skin you! What are you standing around for? Quick! Can’t you see the Jinyiwei officers coming up behind us?”

In this capital, only the Jinyiwei could be called “masters.” Realizing that Ma Qianhu was afraid of the Jinyiwei’s interference, the two cart drivers, despite the burning pain from the whips on their faces and shoulders, could only endure it and get down into the ditch to work. But with slippery roads due to the snow and heavy loads, they struggled for a long time without making any progress.

With a blockage ahead, those behind naturally grew anxious. Soon, two guards came to check the situation and reported back to Commander Fang Zheng. Immediately, three or five more guards jumped into the ditch to help. Seeing others taking action, Ma Qianhu felt somewhat grateful at first. But remembering the instructions from the grain warehouse official and hearing the increasingly loud shouts of the Jinyiwei approaching, he became fearful again. He didn’t dare to act arrogantly any longer. He quickly dismounted and ordered his soldiers to step in as well.

With more people around, the scene became even more chaotic. In short, after a while of chaotic activity, followed by an almost imperceptible crack, a mule cart, along with the mule and over a dozen bags of grain, suddenly tumbled into the ditch, prompting cries of shock. When Ma Qianhu pushed his way through the crowd, he saw that several large bags had ruptured, with their white rice scattered all over the ground. One of the sacks even revealed what was hidden inside. His mind reeled, and before he could think further, he suddenly heard a loud shout.

“How can there be cotton armor in the grain bags?”

Instantly, the noisy crowd fell silent. The guards from the military governor’s office who had come to help scattered—some went back to report to Fang Zheng, some placed their hands on their sword hilts, and others jumped into the ditch to stab other grain bags. Most of the contents were white rice, but two contained cotton armor. Seeing this, Ma Qianhu wanted to step back and run away, but his legs seemed rooted to the ground.

“Move aside! Everyone, move aside!”

Just as he was at a loss, shouting voices came from behind. He stiffly turned his head and saw a group of over a dozen people in black robes approaching from behind. The leader wore bright red robes with a qilin emblem on his chest. He recognized this military official’s attire well. At that glance, he knew these Jinyiwei were nothing like ordinary officers like thousand or hundred commanders, as his superiors had said. His body began to tremble.

Fang Ling had personally led people out of the capital today, heading straight to Zhangjiawan Inspection Office via Tongzhou, causing quite a stir. Unexpectedly, after searching the docks and a few shops in the nearby town, they only found minor offenses like selling smuggled salt. He remained calm, but his subordinates, the Jinyiwei, were disappointed. So, on their way back, they were naturally upset, and they encountered traffic jams along the way. They simply started shouting to push the crowd aside until they saw Fang Zheng’s group ahead, at which point they slowed down.

However, as soon as Fang Ling greeted Ma Qianhu beside his horse, he heard the commotion ahead. Upon hearing the words “cotton armor,” he couldn’t afford to waste time on pleasantries and quickly led his men forward.

The Jinyiwei were experienced detectives and judges from the Northern Pacification Commission. After dismounting, they pushed through the crowd and jumped into the ditch, pulling out three pieces of cotton armor from the grain bags. Fang Ling took them, glanced at them, and weighed them—his expression immediately turned icy.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, a system for military uniforms was established. All soldiers in the garrison units wore padded jackets, but there were two types: one for daily drills, which consisted of a cotton lining to provide warmth and thickness, and another for wartime use, equipped with copper nails on the outside and iron plates inside to offer some protection against arrows, firearms, swords, and spears. Now, among the official grain shipped to the capital, such prohibited items had appeared—why, it was obvious.

“Sir…”

Seeing Fang Ling’s terrifyingly grim expression, the several Jinyi Wei officers nearby immediately understood what was going on and stepped forward to surround Ma Qianhu. As for his soldiers from the Dingbian Guard, they were too busy to deal with everything at once, so few noticed two men dressed like ordinary soldiers slipping away. Yet before they could shed their military uniforms and flee, they saw a dozen men with swords at the ready, standing impassively in their path.

“Seize them all!”

Fang Zheng, seated on his horse, shouted sharply. Hearing his subordinates respond, he ordered them to rush forward and capture the two unprepared men. Only then did he lift the corners of his mouth slightly, tug at a few strands of beard with his right hand, and give a few orders to the head of his bodyguards without looking back, feeling slightly disappointed.

He had thought he would have to get involved and resolve the situation along the way, but it seemed unnecessary now. It was a pity the Jinyi Wei arrived so promptly, forcing him to share half the credit. Still, thanks to Zhang Yue’s reminder, it didn’t matter if the credit went to the Jinyi Wei—he had helped solve a case as soon as he returned to the capital. When it came time to reward him, he would surely be given a high rank. He didn’t expect to become a count—just that his family could have a good future. After all, military positions like commander were not hereditary.

The elite troops Fang Zheng brought back to the capital might not have been battle-hardened, but they had experience fighting in battles. Coupled with his own retainers and the old soldiers from the Dingbian Guard, who were used to exploiting situations during escort missions, they were no match for them. The Dingbian Guard soldiers guarding him were also intimidated by his stern commands. At first, some dared to resist, but when they saw their comrades beaten bloody and crying for help, no one dared to be reckless anymore—they all knelt on the ground with their heads bowed. Fang Ling, who had been worried he wouldn’t be able to suppress them, finally felt relieved seeing Fang Zheng’s help.

He had rushed back and forth from the capital to Tongzhou on horseback all morning, and Zhang Yue naturally didn’t leave his house the entire afternoon—there were many qualified candidates for the position of Deputy Minister of War, but since the emperor had not yet responded with a choice, he had no choice but to take on the responsibility himself. Fortunately, he had a solid foundation in the Ministry of War and trusted subordinates, so he could occasionally find some time to relax, and he was able to leave early that morning as well. In the evening, a scribe announced someone’s arrival outside, and Hu Qi hurried in. After lifting his head from the pile of documents, he rubbed his temples and then applied a towel soaked in snow water to his eyes before listening carefully to the report.

“Has Commander Fang entered the palace?”

“Yes. All six ministries have received the news and are in an uproar. Commander Fang really did a great job this time—while causing trouble at the Zhangjiawan Inspection Office, he allowed the people from the Eastern Depot to rush to Tongji Granary in the afternoon. They not only captured the granary supervisor but also, in desperation, the supervisor set fire and killed the deputy supervisor. Fortunately, the two fought each other, and many important items were seized.”

“Good. Go back to Yangzhou Hutong immediately.”

Zhang Yue knew he couldn’t hide the fact that he had left the city for Tongzhou that morning. Once the official from the Ministry of Rites learned of what had happened, he would surely report everything in detail. But Fang Zheng, a military commander who had been in the army for decades, wouldn’t be so honest as to reveal his own advice, so this matter could be covered up. Besides, it was Hu Qi who happened to meet the person at the city gate and then reported it to the Jinyiwei—there were plenty of witnesses at Chongwen Gate, and there was still a Jinyiwei officer stationed in Yangzhou Hutong.

In short, the Jinyiwei, Fang Zheng, and the Ministry of War’s espionage department had all contributed; this matter had nothing to do with him at all.

At three o’clock in the evening, during the curfew, since all the military units in the five leading cities had been informed, the inspections that night were even stricter. Tianjie Square, directly opposite Daming Gate, was filled with important government offices, with checkpoints every few steps. Even East and West Chang’an Streets and Jiangmi Alley were manned by fully armed Yulin guards. At that moment, a carriage without any decorations smoothly passed through East Chang’an Street and stopped in front of the Ministry of War’s headquarters.

The person who got out of the carriage wore a bright red hooded cloak. After glancing at the plaque of the Ministry of War, a scribe from the office stepped forward to ask questions. His attendant was about to respond when he stopped him with a gesture.

“I am Fan Hong from the Imperial Secretariat.” Seeing the scribe freeze for a moment, Fan Hong quickly stepped back two steps and kowtowed in greeting. He then waved his hand and said, “No need for excessive formalities. Go and ask Lord Zhang to come to the front hall of the Ministry of War.” Even if one didn’t know that Fan Hong was an eunuch from the Imperial Secretariat, just the fact that he was the most trusted eunuch before Empress Dowager Zhang was enough to make the scribe dare not offend him. But when the man bluntly ordered Zhang Yue to come and see him, the scribe hesitated. Seeing his hesitation, Fan Hong found it amusing and promptly rebuked him, “Emperor Taizu established rules: officials from the six ministries are not allowed to enter the ministry gates without permission. Even if I wanted to go in, I couldn’t take these few steps. Hurry up! Don’t delay matters!” Since the eunuchs had grown increasingly powerful during the Yongle era, the old rules had gradually been forgotten. Thus, the scribe was greatly puzzled upon hearing this and kowtowed again before leading Fan Hong inside, then quickly sending someone else in to give the message. Fan Hong sat in the front hall, drinking tea while thinking. Recalling Empress Dowager Zhang’s furious expression, he felt a pang of anxiety. Although this incident didn’t result in death like the last one, it was still more serious. Jin Ying had been ordered to oversee the military camp with Duke Cheng Zhu Yong, and Xing’an Bo had already been sent to suppress the troops at Dingbian Guard. Although the capital was guarded by a large number of troops, Empress Dowager Zhang was still uneasy. It made sense—after eliminating those impostor officers before, such an incident had arisen again; who knew if there were any more untrustworthy people? So, when he saw Zhang Yue enter the room, he put down his teacup and stood up. After exchanging formal greetings, and ensuring that all outsiders had left, he spoke directly, “The Empress Dowager has ordered that today’s incident be reported urgently over 800 li to the imperial court, asking the Emperor to return swiftly. She also ordered me to invite Lord Zhang to the palace.” Seeing Zhang Yue nod in surprise, Fan Hong then whispered, “The Empress Dowager said that these days, any orders to deploy troops from the Five City Military Bureaus or the capital’s military forces must bear the official seal of the Ministry of War. She fears chaos outside and the possibility of malicious intentions. Although the six ministries have additional troops for protection, it’s still necessary to be cautious. It would be safer if Lord Zhang stayed in the palace these days. The Empress Dowager has already moved all the guards from the Imperial Horse Guard into the palace. There are also these two troop deployment documents in the palace waiting for Lord Zhang to seal them.”