Fan Yingqi and Pan Sheng breathed a sigh of relief after the two men and their men departed. They then went to the village opposite and counted the casualties. Zhu Mo hid in his room, and Lü Kun, using the name of the Zhoushan Public Office as proof, both claimed it was a brawl between old and new potters. Thus, a perilous incident was finally resolved.
Meanwhile, at Panshan Posthouse in Jiliao.
Liang Menglong and Li Chengliang stood on a high ridge, observing the scene under the night sky. Thousands of tents and countless lights illuminated the area, where at least seventy to eighty thousand Tocharian tribesmen were reveling around bonfires. Horses were scattered across the distant hills and grasslands.
Liang Menglong felt a surge of anxiety and said, "Rüqi, these people can form an army at any moment. I don't see how the city of Liaoyang can be defended. But why are they camping here without moving?"
Li Chengliang, not yet thirty, with a face full of youthful spirit, was most familiar with the movements of the Tocharian tribes. He replied, "Director Liang, they should be waiting..."
"Waiting?"
Liang Menglong knew they were waiting, but for what? Although Zhang Juzheng had hinted at it, it was likely related to the great rebellion case in Jiangyou. Could it be that the Yan family was going to stage a coup d'état again, just like last time?
With this thought, he felt a sense of helplessness and asked, "Rüqi, what do you think they are waiting for?"
Li Chengliang had not intended to discuss court affairs, but Liang Menglong had been candid in recent days, stating that Zhang Juzheng was willing to accept him wholeheartedly. Therefore, he no longer concealed anything and said, "Director Liang, this subordinate believes the Tocharians are waiting for Yang Bo's move... At that time, they will strike together with the Jurchens to surround Liaoyang, and perhaps even, even potentially enter the pass."
Enter the pass?
Liang Menglong found it somewhat unbelievable. Historically, it was only Anda who entered the pass, and even then, it was an arduous undertaking. How could these Tocharians possess such capability?
However, being extremely intelligent, he quickly connected it to the court's situation. If the Yan family was willing to let them pass, why wouldn't they be able to? Even a siege would pose no problem.
Alas...
He sighed, patted Li Chengliang's shoulder, and said, "Rüqi, you are a talented individual. Brother Taiyue said that Liaodong depends on you. If Tumen really leads the Tocharians into the pass, how will you fight?"
Li Chengliang replied, "This general believes that the Tocharians will likely attack Liaoyang first, drawing our forces towards Liaoyang. Then, Khan Tumen will lead the main force through Gubeikou... We are outnumbered, and defending Liaoyang is insufficient. We can only set an ambush around Gubeikou. Hmm, hmm."
Liang Menglong knew that all the forces in Liaodong were under Yang Bo's command. Li Chengliang had recruited some righteous volunteers over the years and incorporated them into his household guards, numbering less than two thousand in total. How could they fight? It was already remarkable that he could even conceive of this plan. Moreover, Yang Bo and he had clashed repeatedly over the past year, so where would the troops come from?
Thinking of this, he felt a wave of anxiety again and asked, "What do you guess Yang Bo's move will be?"
Li Chengliang also sighed and said, "In my opinion, Yang Bo should withdraw the garrison from Zhuo Mountain." Zhuo Mountain?
Liang Menglong suddenly understood. Zhuo Mountain was precisely the last gateway. As long as Yang Bo made a move at Zhuo Mountain, the Tocharians would naturally understand, just as they had with Qiu Luan before. Not only that, the Jurchens would also understand, and thus, they would attack from both east and west, encircling Liaoyang. As the words fell, both men looked despondent, gazing at the distant Tocharian bonfires, completely unaware of their surroundings.
It was already late into the night. Although winter had not yet arrived, Liaodong was already extremely cold. Liang Menglong couldn't help but shiver and said bleakly, "Rüqi, I'm telling you, there was a great rebellion case in Jiangyou. Counting the time, I think it's about time. When you return, prepare..."
Li Chengliang nodded and asked, "Qianji, you say that Zhu Mo is doomed this time?"
Having been in Liaodong for a long time, he had heard of Zhu Mo's reforms and his extremely wise measures. He had hoped that this man would enter the cabinet and take charge, thereby rectifying the situation in Jiliao, where the Tocharians and Jurchens would no longer be a threat. However, he had also recently heard that Zhu Mo was implicated in the rebellion case and was allegedly plotting to become the King of Wu and march north. Liang Menglong had also revealed some details in the past few days, indicating a very dangerous situation.
Liang Menglong sighed, "Brother Taiyue said that it won't come to that. Zhu Mo is very capable. Until the last moment, no one knows the outcome. As for us, let's not worry about these things for now. Defending Liaodong and preventing any major incidents is the top priority... Rüqi, even if Zhu Mo falls, Brother Taiyue will still implement reforms. Can this Great Ming dynasty survive without change? Liaodong in the future will depend on you."
Seeing a glimmer of hope in Li Chengliang's eyes, and remembering his own youth, he suddenly smiled and continued, "Brother Taiyue instructed that you should think more about the long term and devise proper strategies for border defense, such as the agricultural colonies Zhu Mo established in Jiangnan, which you could also try... Household guards can be effective for a time, but in the long run, they can also lead to endless trouble... You are aware of the threat of regional warlords."
Li Chengliang's private establishment of his troops was not due to ambition, but rather a necessity of the times. Hearing him mention agricultural colonies again, he couldn't help but feel curious, finding it hard to believe that those "barbarian" subjects could compare to the meticulously selected household guards.
As he was deep in thought, a scout climbed up the mountain ridge and reported, "Deputy Commander Li, all three camps at Zhuo Mountain are changing guards!"
Ah?
Liang Menglong felt goosebumps all over his body. Calamity always struck when least expected, a truly uncanny prediction. As soon as Zhuo Mountain was mentioned, trouble erupted. The so-called changing of guards was naturally a pretext. During the rotation of guards, except for the critical passes, there would be a void of several hours in the camps. These Tocharian tribesmen would likely act tonight.
Li Chengliang made a decisive move and said, "Director Liang, this subordinate believes that the Tocharians will break camp tonight. We must immediately rush to Gubeikou, or it will be too late." The two men then quickly rode down the mountain and, in a mountain hollow more than twenty li north of Zhuo Mountain, organized their two to three hundred private troops. At dawn, they bypassed Zhuo Mountain and headed for Gubeikou.
At the same time, in Fuzhou, at Shen Chun's secret residence.
Luo Longwen slowly sipped his tea, while Shen Chun had just reported on the tasks he had undertaken. He also presented a stack of case files and said, "Lord Luo, your foresight is truly divine! That Prince Yi did indeed silence witnesses. Two guards and three household retainers under the Chief Clerk Li Wen were poisoned to death! Fortunately, Lord Luo had the foresight, and this subordinate acted according to the plan, seizing this immense leverage!"
As he spoke, Shen Chun was genuinely impressed and couldn't help but click his tongue.
Luo Longwen examined the case files, which included the coroner's autopsy reports, the identification of the deceased, and eyewitness accounts of the prince's guards burying the bodies. From an investigative perspective, although several steps were still missing, they were more than sufficient for his purposes. He smiled and said, "Wen Mu, you are truly capable. Ma Sen was rather unwilling, and Lu Wen is impatient and can't handle matters effectively when disputes arise... Upon returning to the capital, I will definitely speak with the Young Grand Secretary and arrange for you to go to a better place to enjoy yourself."
"Thank you, Lord Luo!"
Shen Chun genuinely wished to leave this troublesome place long ago.
The two chatted for a while, and it was already noon when the courtyard gate creaked open, and both Ma Sen and Lu Wen arrived. Having completed their morning report on the case concluded by Fan Yingqi, they were there to report.
Luo Longwen listened to Ma Sen and Lu Wen's reports in turn, and knowing that Fan Yingqi intended to quickly close the case, he was not surprised. He calmly stated, "It seems the turmoil in Jingde Town is mostly over. No matter how much it stirs, it won't amount to anything significant... If Fan Yingqi wants to close it, let him. After all, he is currently a Minister of the Bureau of Military Affairs."
Ma Sen was indignant and said, "Lord Luo, but this case cannot be closed! Think about it, the main culprit, Zhu Mo, is still unaccounted for. How can it be closed? Fan Yingqi said that the rebellion was initiated by new households, who fabricated prophecies and titles, intending to implicate Zhu Mo. As for Zhu Mo's thoughts, they are not important. This subordinate retorted that without the main culprit's confession, the case cannot be closed. However, Fan Yingqi said that Zhu Mo is a cabinet minister, and the case will be closed like this for now, and how to handle it will be left to the imperial court! Lord Luo, is it truly going to be closed like this?"
Luo Longwen naturally had a contingency plan, because the key to the case was whether major incidents had occurred. And at present, major incidents had indeed occurred. Nearly a thousand people had died in one fell swoop, and over twelve hundred in two months, which was an undeniable fact. Because of the bloodshed, these fabricated prophecies now had substance.
However, he would not reveal these words, as this scheme was determined before his arrival and was top-level classified information, so how could he disclose it?