But as is always the case in officialdom, the more one is disheartened, the more vicious one becomes.
After Zhao Zhenji left, Zhang Yu became more and more consumed by resentment, his very complexion changing. He sat at his desk and wrote down all the details, dispatching them via urgent messenger for eight hundred li to the Yan residence in the capital. He then summoned Wan Cai.
Wan Cai, a prospective relative of Yan Shifan, had been extremely diligent this time. However, the Tunken Yiyong stubbornly refused to yield, resisting with all their might. Later, Zhu Mo reappeared quietly, supporting the Tunken Yiyong in Nanxun, making it impossible for the prefectures and counties of the four provinces to function. The Tunken Yiyong would frequently block the village entrances, and when the reform officers led men to annex workshops, the Yiyong would surround them and drive them away. Even more impressively, these Tunken Yiyong used no weapons, only shoulder poles and bamboo sticks, making it impossible to apprehend them without cause.
At this moment,
He hurried into the Ci Ren Ancestral Hall. Upon seeing Zhang Yu's already grim expression, he sensed something amiss. He approached, bowed his head, and said:
“Lord Zhang, your subordinate arrives late, I beg your forgiveness.”
Zhang Yu glared at him and said:
“Have you heard? Qi Jiguang’s imperial troops have already been stationed in various townships and counties, ostensibly to persuade those Tunken Yiyong to return…”
Wan Cai said:
“Your subordinate has also heard.”
Hmph,
Zhang Yu sneered:
“What do you think?”
Wan Cai’s heart tightened, and he said:
“Everything is as Lord Zhang commands.”
Excellent!
Zhang Yu immediately said with a chilling tone:
“You, take the Hangzhou reform officers and immediately surround the Northern Drill Ground…”
This?
Wan Cai was not foolish. Arresting a Grand Secretary was no small matter. He hesitated and said, “Lord Zhang, but… but Zhu Mo cannot be arrested…”
Hmph!
Zhang Yu leaned close to his ear and said chillingly:
“Why can’t he be arrested? You send men to surround it, and I will find people to set fire to the workshops, blaming it on the Tunken Yiyong. You simultaneously have the reform officers act in all prefectures and counties, setting fires!”
Ah?!
Wan Cai was instantly startled and paled, trembling as he said:
“Lord Zhang, this, this…”
“This what? Aren’t you the Junior Grand Secretary’s relative? I tell you, Zhu Mo is privately mobilizing imperial troops. I have already reported it to the Junior Grand Secretary! It’s up to you now. If we mess up this task, do you think the Junior Grand Secretary will spare you!”
Having said this,
Zhang Yu’s tone had become completely cold.
Wan Cai inwardly cursed his bad luck. He thought: I am also unlucky! I am affiliated with the Junior Grand Secretary, but I haven’t received any benefits, only done all the dirty and arduous work… Now I am being asked to do this? I could be torn to pieces a thousand times over… They say Zhu Mo is plotting rebellion, but that Zhu Mo is very capable. If there is another change in the imperial court, perhaps Yan Shifan will be the one to die!
However, he also understood that the Zhang Yu before him, who looked like a gentle scholar with a certain elegance, was actually a madman. If he was being pushed like this, he had truly fallen on hard times…
At this thought,
He felt it was imperative not to offend this man. He immediately said:
“Lord Zhang, to be frank, those reform officers heard that the imperial troops had moved and were scared to death. Many gentry members are already backing out… Even if your subordinate gives the order, they may not obey…”
Zhang Yu tilted his head, looking at him coldly, and said:
“Then what do you suggest we do?”
Wan Cai was taken aback and said:
“Your subordinate, your subordinate doesn’t know!”
With a snap!
Zhang Yu slammed the desk in anger and roared:
“Wan Cai! You go immediately and arrest Zhu Mo first!”
Damn it!
You bastard!
Wan Cai, confident in his status as Yan Shifan’s relative, immediately became angry and retorted, “Lord Zhang, as a Provincial Administration Commissioner, how can I arrest a Grand Secretary of the Three Academies? If the imperial court blames me, who will shield me?”
Zhang Yu slammed down his teacup and roared in fury:
“Wan Cai! I will dismiss you from your post immediately!”
Wan Cai laughed instead of getting angry, saying:
“Dismiss me, dismiss me! I haven’t been doing this for a long time already…”
You!
Zhang Yu was furious, but then calmed down and said:
“Wan Cai, do you know what time it is? Everyone is fighting for their lives. Are you still not listening? If we fail this time, neither of us will have a good end! Think about it, with the Junior Grand Secretary’s temper, will he let you go? Listen to me, go arrest Zhu Mo. Even if the overall situation is lost, we won’t lose face! The Junior Grand Secretary, this person, only cares about face! Do you understand?”
Wan Cai, after all, was not from a legitimate official career path. He was frightened by the matter and insisted:
“Then, Lord Zhang, can you give me a warrant?”
Whoosh~~
Zhang Yu was instantly choked, and he sighed:
“Alright… all useless…”
He immediately took the official document, signed it, and said gently:
“Now, are you reassured?”
Wan Cai, holding the imperial envoy’s signed document, felt slightly relieved and nodded, then turned to leave.
However, Wan Cai did not expect that shortly after he left, another person hurried in. This person was named Yang Hengchang, who had been dismissed by Zhu Mo during the investigation of He Maocai’s collusion with pirates. He was now the leader of the reform officers in the Qiantang area. His family had originally been in the weaving workshop and banking business, both of which had been ruined by Zhu Mo. Now that Zhang Yu was here to overturn the case, he was naturally eager to serve.
Upon seeing him enter,
Zhang Yu unfastened the imperial envoy’s bronze seal from his waist and said:
“Wencai, have you read my letter?”
Yang Hengchang had indeed read it and felt that this Zhang Yu was quite capable. This plan was very clever and would surely allow them to deal with Zhu Mo. He immediately said:
“Your subordinate has read it and burned it.”
Hmm,
Zhang Yu lowered his voice and said:
“You find someone to follow Wan Cai. When he surrounds the Northern Drill Ground, you lead your men in. Take advantage of the chaos to kill Zhu Mo… By then, everyone will say he did it. I only have a signed document, also asking him to arrest Zhu Mo, but not to kill him. As long as you do it cleanly, you will be fine.”
Yang Hengchang was naturally very eager to do it, but all along the way he had been thinking that if this matter was only Zhang Yu’s idea, then he could not do it. He immediately hinted:
“Lord Zhang, you know, I have a deep hatred for that person surnamed Zhu, but…”
Hmph,
Zhang Yu leaned close to his ear and said:
“Don’t worry, the Junior Grand Secretary has sent a secret letter. He truly despises that Wan Cai family, so there will be no problem…”
Oh,
Yang Hengchang immediately nodded and said:
“Lord Zhang, please rest assured, and please also assure the Junior Grand Secretary.”
Good!
Zhang Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief and sighed:
“I thought people in Jiangnan had no spirit, but finally one has come forward…”
…
The Northern Drill Ground,
Late at night.
Zhu Mo, Zhang Han, Liu Yingjie, and Lü Kun could not sleep. Sitting in the warehouse, they had nothing to say. After all, with the imperial troops stationed in the townships and counties, Zhang Yu could no longer stir up trouble. However, the consequences of the imperial troops’ stationing were something everyone could guess. This, after all, was openly going against the imperial court. Although the reason was still justifiable, if Yan Shifan was madly attacked, someone would inevitably have to suffer.
Zhu Mo thought that Zhang Yu was very insidious. If he wasn’t accused of rebellion this time, it would be impossible. If it was reported to the imperial court, Jiajing probably wouldn’t do anything to him. But Prince Yu was difficult to say; it was possible he would face imprisonment this time.
He had been depressed all day, but by now, he had come to terms with it. Anyway, those who pursued reform never had a good ending. Whether they lived or died was up to them. Others transmigrated with a military system, but he had a "Imperial Dynasty System," which was grand but useless. In critical moments, it was of no use at all.
He sighed and forced a smile:
“Don’t you all be silent. Let me tell you, before I came to Hangzhou, I met a man named Wu Cheng'en in Jiujiang who wrote a novel called Journey to the West. It was truly captivating! I regretted not finding someone to copy it, so I wouldn’t be so bored during these difficult times…”
Everyone was naturally curious, and Zhu Mo then told them the story of the Monkey King. Everyone burst into laughter.
Just as Zhu Mo was narrating how Wei Zheng beheaded the Dragon King of Jing River, he suddenly heard a commotion outside!
Several people rushed out of the barracks and saw that the entire drill ground was surrounded by torches. A personal guard ran to report: “My Lords, the Hangzhou Reform Officer’s Yamen, three to four thousand people, have surrounded us! They, they…”
Zhu Mo was a little flustered. He thought about how throughout the night they had been talking about the Black and White Impermanence, and the King of Tang descending to the underworld, which felt very ominous. He immediately asked:
“What did they say?”
The personal guard loudly said:
“Grand Secretary Zhu! The leader is the Provincial Administration Commissioner Wan Cai, who says he wants to invite Grand Secretary Zhu to the Ci Ren Ancestral Hall to clarify the truth to the imperial court!”
What?
Everyone felt that things were bad.
Where did so many people come from?
Where in Hangzhou were there so many soldiers from the reform officers? It was clear they had been prepared, most likely rushing from the surrounding counties overnight…
Liu Yingjie calmly said:
“He, a Provincial Administration Commissioner, dares to arrest a Grand Secretary of the Three Academies? This is truly strange…”
The personal guard blurted out:
“Reporting to Lord Liu, Commissioner Wan Cai is holding the imperial envoy’s signed document!”
Hiss!
Only then did everyone feel something was amiss—
An imperial envoy naturally had the authority to do so. After all, although Zhu Mo was a Grand Secretary of the Three Academies, his actual position was not high. If Zhang Yu decided to use force, he could certainly achieve it.