Yuxi Palace,
Middle of the night.
Jiajing had finished his meditation and was wiping his face with fresh water.
The weather was freezing, yet he had not only kept the doors and windows open but had also deliberately removed his outer robe. He stood with his hands behind his back, facing the distant lights and falling snow outside the palace, feeling like an immortal from Gu She.
Lu Fang had been waiting for some time. He now presented a secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and said,
“Your Majesty, Lord Anda’s army has indeed moved. The latest intelligence places them north of the Shishishan, near the Shengjin Fortress, north of Datong. It’s about four to five hundred li away… Your servant speculates, with all the fanfare they’ve created and their slow march, who are they trying to scare? Are they truly attacking, or is this a feint? Your servant is quite confused…”
Heh,
Jiajing chuckled, saying leisurely, “Eighty thousand troops, could that be a pretense?”
Feeling refreshed and clear-minded, he continued,
“Lu Fang, eighty thousand troops is his entire strength. With such a grand show, if there were no substantial benefit, even if he agreed, would his subordinate Khans agree? He is, this time, genuinely attacking, a major offensive, a strategic strike… but some people, they actually believe he isn't truly attacking…”
Lu Fang shook his head, smiling sadly, and murmured, “Why must it be like this? If there is any dissatisfaction, they should speak it plainly… Must they resort to such stratagems, only finding satisfaction when the world is in chaos?”
Jiajing merely smiled faintly.
Having weathered countless storms, from the moment he learned of Anda’s invasion, he had guessed that Anda intended to stifle the reforms of the Great Ming. Yet, he had been waiting, hoping to see if Yan Song would abandon his last shred of integrity. Now, seeing the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard but no memorial from the Grand Secretariat or the Ministry of War, the answer was clear: for the sake of power, Yan Song and his son had truly crossed the final line…
Thinking of this,
He calmly asked, “Does Yan Song know?”
Lu Fang gave a wry smile and replied, “How could he not? To tell Your Majesty the truth, the Eastern Depot’s agents have seen dispatches going in and out of his residence… The Ministry of War saw Yan Song’s order in the first half of the night, ordering Ge Jin and Yang Bo to redeploy several border garrisons to defend the capital, citing the need for absolute security…”
Hmph,
Jiajing snorted through his nose and said,
“Protecting the capital? A fine excuse! Doesn’t he realize that by withdrawing troops, they leave themselves vulnerable, and Anda will only press his advantage further? Efficient at infighting, inept at fighting external enemies! Is Yan Song trying to flip the table?”
Seeing that Jiajing’s expression had turned to genuine anger, Lu Fang quickly said, “Your Majesty, please do not be angered… It is still early. Perhaps you should rest for a moment?”
Jiajing scoffed, “No need… I suspect Yan Song will be arriving at the palace soon. He wouldn’t dare conceal his unauthorized redeployment of troops…”
Saying this,
His expression suddenly turned solemn. He paused in thought for a moment, then said,
“Lu Fang, you need not return to the Western Garden. Remain here and draft two secret imperial edicts… One for Guo Gan, the Governor-General of the Three Borders in Shaanxi, and another for Yang Bo, the Governor-General of Jiliao. Instruct them to immediately prepare their armies for war, ensuring utmost secrecy, so as not to alert the world… Also, inform them both that from the moment they receive this edict, they are no longer to accept any orders from anyone, including the Grand Secretariat… What happens next, I will decree in due course…”
Lu Fang, in his forty years of service, had rarely heard Jiajing speak with such a tone. He felt a sense of awe and meticulously recorded every word, then recited it several times to ensure there were no omissions. Only then did he nod and say,
“Your servant has noted it…”
In his heart, he thought: This Guo Gan has just replaced the late Wei Qianji, who died of illness. He has no connection to Yan Song and is considered a stubborn old man. This imperial edict is primarily for him… As for Yang Bo, he is cunning. This is to keep him in check…
Lu Fang immediately knelt before the large desk and drafted the imperial edicts. Jiajing reviewed them several times and ordered Huang Jin to dispatch them to the two regions via express courier overnight.
By this time, it was already dawn.
With the important matters settled, both the emperor and his attendant felt a sense of relief.
Jiajing returned to the Bagua Platform, sat for a moment, and then his thoughts turned to Zhu Mo. He asked, “Where is Zhu Mo? What does he say? Is there no news from him at all?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, upon receiving the imperial edict, the Right Guard expressed their profound gratitude and vowed to protect Zhu Mo’s safety with their lives. Yesterday’s report indicated that they have already taken control of more than half of Datong’s city defenses and are currently fully engaged in preparations for war…”
“Hmph…”
Jiajing pondered for a moment, then pretended to scold, “He doesn’t learn from that Yu Zhen, who could send a basket of Astragalus to his teacher. He’s completely forgotten about you and me, Third Master Li…”
“Zhu Mo is occupied with important matters, he can’t recall such things in a short while… Besides, how could he possibly know our true identities…”
Heh,
Emperor and minister exchanged a knowing smile, unsure of how to interpret their feelings.
… Kuaishu Pavilion
That morning,
Datong, Prince Dai’s Mansion.
Zhao Zi, an Investigator from the Provincial Administration Commission, had been seated for some time in the main hall of Prince Dai’s mansion, occupying the principal guest seat. Beside him stood three Yìyǒng Bashou, all former personal guards of Prince Dai’s mansion. Although they had now risen in rank, they dared not be casual upon entering the mansion and stood with their heads bowed.
Prince Dai, Zhu Tingqi, though maintaining a neutral expression, was internally experiencing a volcanic eruption—
Damn it!
Was she truly insulted by Zhu Mo?
How hateful!
Who exactly is this Zhu Mo, to dare to insult the Zhu family of Lao Zhu!
Several times,
He was about to lose his temper and immediately request the Provincial Administration Commission to apprehend the person. But after several deliberations, he felt that there might be more to the story?
…
He had naturally heard the rumors long ago.
For the past two days, servants and maids within the mansion had been whispering about it in private. Despite his repeated reprimands, they dared not be too presumptuous, but the officials attached to the mansion still gossiped.
Over the years, he had made acquaintances within the Provincial Administration Commission, the Yìyǒng, and the Wei Army. He had sent servants to inquire about the reasons, and the answers they received were all similar—
Zhu Mo indeed committed this act…
At first, he naturally didn’t believe it!
Based on his understanding of Princess Yuan over the past decade, how could such an affair occur? The Princess was an exceptionally virtuous woman. But last night, when he questioned Princess Yuan directly, she was evasive. Under pressure, she finally admitted that Zhu Mo had first made advances, then used force. Fortunately, the household guards happened to arrive, and so on. Prince Dai further questioned the maid Jin’er and four household guards, and the results were the same…
This left him no choice but to believe it.
When a feudal prince encounters such a situation, the first priority is to suppress the news. Otherwise, if it escalated, the Imperial Clan Court would eventually send investigators. However, this matter had already spread, and within a few hours, it was the talk of the entire city. The reason for this, in his view, was the phrase “insulted the Princess.”
Because, while affairs were common, an insult was unprecedented!
Consider this:
In the realm of the Lao Zhu family, was there still someone who dared to insult a Zhu woman?
Therefore, the plausibility of the matter lay here.
Further consider, if it were not Zhu Mo, who would have the audacity? Perhaps not even Yan Shifan would dare!
Consequently, within this short span of one day, Prince Dai was consumed by worry and indecision. Should he report it to the Provincial Administration Commission? That would be too humiliating, and besides, Yang Xuan might not dare to offend Zhu Mo. If he didn’t report it, how could he endure this insult?
After much thought, a sliver of hope remained in his heart—
Perhaps this matter is not true?
…
And at this moment,
He heard Zhao Zi speak of this matter again, and the three old guards from the Prince’s mansion tacitly acknowledged it. After a burst of fury, the stone in his heart sadly fell—
It is true…
Zhu Mo truly committed a beastly act against the Princess! No wonder that woman had been weeping incessantly…
This matter was extremely serious. If the Emperor learned that the princes of the Zhu family were so disgraceful, who knew how enraged he would be? He would surely not escape a beating! Moreover, this matter had already become the talk of the town, and the entire imperial family was utterly shamed!
Encountering such a situation, he, Zhu Tingqi, felt he had truly hit rock bottom. If this were not handled properly, it would bring catastrophic consequences…
It should be known,
Zhu Tingqi was a timid person his entire life. At this moment, feeling both angry and fearful, he was truly at a loss.
And Zhao Zi, being a discerning person, had already seen through him. He let out a snort from his nose, revealing a profound, unreserved mockery, and said,
“Your Highness, the situation has come to this, and it is not your fault. Getting anxious and upset is useless!
This morning, we were all discussing this matter at the Provincial Administration Commission. Everyone, from the esteemed Prefect Yang downwards, was filled with hatred! They all vowed to apprehend that villain and administer righteous punishment…
Your Highness can rest assured. The commanders of the Wei Army have also explicitly stated that their soldiers are deeply disgusted by this matter and are willing to follow the Prefect in upholding justice…
I can also guarantee Your Highness that before coming here, I visited the Censorate and met with Commander Yu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Commander Yu was even more enraged, explicitly stating that such a villain is an associate they are ashamed to be among…”
As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Prince Dai. Seeing his timid expression, he immediately added words of encouragement, continuing until he mentioned the Embroidered Uniform Guard, at which point Prince Dai’s expression stabilized, and he thought that this matter had some foundation.