Just then,
In the silent, tense county yamen, so quiet one could hear a pin drop, the crowd heard the sound of hoofbeats.
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop…
Several horses were approaching from the west!
Everyone turned their heads, and saw three horses enter the intersection. The one in the lead wore a third-rank official's robe, signifying an Imperial Censor. The two behind him were clad in straw capes and bamboo hats, their clothes ragged and patched. Upon closer inspection, they were clearly dressed as impoverished farmers, with worn straw sandals.
Keen-eyed observers suddenly understood, their hearts pounding—
The Embroidered Uniform Guard! The two behind were from the Jinyiwei!
Why were the Jinyiwei here?
A place like Chun'an wasn't important enough for the Jinyiwei to make a personal visit!
It should be known that,
The Great Ming's Jinyiwei did not wear silk and brocade. Instead, they wore straw capes and straw shoes, as decreed by the Founding Emperor. Their clothing was not only unadorned but also required to be patched! This was because Zhu Yuanzhang, of peasant origin, believed this attire suited the identity of his spies who listened to the world—
They were the common people, and they spoke only for the common people! Even arresting officials required them to be of fourth rank or higher. It was not impossible for commoners to be arrested by the Jinyiwei.
Therefore,
Anyone who had heard of them immediately recognized these individuals as imperial envoys, representing the supreme majesty of the Great Ming Emperor. As for Imperial Censors, they were often dispatched by the court for inspections, and even ordinary people were accustomed to seeing them.
Ha...
Hai Rui, however, was startled—
A third-rank Censor?
Who could it be?
And why were the Jinyiwei here?
It shouldn't be someone sent by Prince Yu… then it could only be the Emperor… but that's good too. Since the Jinyiwei are here, it's as if the Emperor himself is present, and the common people won't be wronged.
But then he suddenly thought again: this Emperor only cared about cultivating immortality and paid no attention to the common people. If he cared, how could the Yan family have poisoned the realm?
It should be known that,
Hai Rui had a very poor opinion of the Jiajing Emperor. He felt that although the Emperor had abilities, he was obsessed with cultivating immortality and had neglected his duties for decades. He had long wanted to submit a memorial to scold him. He had intended to do so after finishing the disaster relief, but the relief efforts had been so unsuccessful that it had dragged on until now…
With this thought, Hai Rui lost all his confidence!
Moreover, the two Jinyiwei had clearly come with the Censor, and the Censorate was already the Yan family's domain. Pure officials were few and far between. This person must not be a pure official, otherwise Tan Lun would have written to inform him…
If this is the case, it's a huge problem—if a Censor from the Yan family comes down and sides with the land purchases, Tan Lun and the others won't be able to resist! It seems that today's situation is already dire?
He, Hai Rui, was no reckless fool. He understood the Great Ming bureaucracy as thoroughly as Yan Song or Xu Jie. If there was any slight misstep in today's situation, he would be ruined. But even so, he would risk his life today to protect these disaster victims!
Thinking of this,
He couldn't help but let out a cold snort, and cast a sidelong glance at the three, showing a fearless demeanor.
The entire crowd watched,
The three were also filled with surprise—
What?
What's going on?
Is this a disaster?
So,
The situation shifted from a standoff between two sides to both sides staring at the three unexpected intruders. The entire crowd was bewildered, and even Zhu Mo felt greatly surprised—
An Imperial Censor and the Jinyiwei acting together?
Specifically coming to Chun'an?
What play was this?
…
The third-rank Imperial Censor was named Shen Cong, and he was originally from Jiangnan.
This time, it was Elder Yan Song himself who submitted a memorial to the Directorate of Ceremonial, personally leading the Jinyiwei to supervise affairs in Jiangnan. The focus was to see what Zhu Mo had been doing, what was the source of the silver that had been raised, and how Zhu Mo planned to repay it in the future.
Before departing, Yan Shifan saw him off and personally instructed him—make sure to catch Zhu Mo red-handed! Preferably, frame him for a major crime and use the imperial command to execute him first and report later. At the very least, obtain evidence against Zhu Mo's bank, and then make accusations in court. Even as a last resort, if all else failed, arrest Hai Rui and quickly have the Yan family's money houses buy up all the good land in Chun'an…
And the two Jinyiwei were dispatched by Lü Fang, primarily to investigate what the Superintendent of the Weaving Bureau, Yang Jin, had been up to.
Before departing, Lü Fang had also personally instructed them—ensure Zhu Mo's safety! Regardless of the investigation results, Zhu Mo must not suffer any harm, or their entire families would be beheaded. Furthermore, the two Jinyiwei had a secret mission: to keep an eye on the chief envoy, Shen Cong, and prevent the Yan family from causing any major disturbances in Jiangnan, which could lead to the collapse of the grand strategy against the Japanese pirates.
Therefore,
Although the three traveled together, they each harbored their own intentions.
They had arrived in Hangzhou earlier and had already audited Zhu Mo's main accounts. Shen Cong found no leverage, so he followed Zhu Mo to Chun'an.
His original intention—
Chun'an had been suffering from disaster for a long time and lacked food and clothing. Something was bound to happen!
Isn't this perfect?
Zhu Mo going into this muddy water would be a perfect opportunity to find some leverage to report back? At the very least, arresting Hai Rui would suffice to report to Yan Shifan, otherwise this assignment would truly be a troublesome one… If Yan Shifan were to erupt, his official hat would be in jeopardy…
But the three had not anticipated seeing such a scene the moment they entered Chun'an County!
This… is disaster relief…?
The people distributing relief are surrounded by disaster victims? The silver is right there! Could it be unequal distribution? Or was someone embezzling? Why are the common people drinking clear congee?
As the two Jinyiwei exchanged glances, they carefully observed Zhu Mo. As they looked, they suddenly saw something that their fellow Jinyiwei brothers had been privately discussing—
The Ten Thousand Longevity Emperor Token!
That was a token personally bestowed by the Emperor to Eunuch Lü, and the Ten Thousand Longevity Emperor was the supreme commander of the Jinyiwei system!
At this point,
The two of them had a complete understanding, but on the surface, they pretended not to have seen anything, maintaining stern faces and an air of detachment, quietly waiting to see how Shen Cong would act.
Once they discovered Shen Cong acting against Young Master Zhu, the two would intervene.
…
Meanwhile,
Shen Cong also saw the crucial point—
That bowl of clear congee!
The bowl of clear congee at the common people's feet, wasn't that Hai Rui's leverage? According to the laws of the court, this was a serious matter!
With the leverage in hand, Shen Cong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He then looked at Zhu Mo, whom he had seen in the capital, his arrogant demeanor unchanged from when he left the capital…
"Heh heh, it seems he has no idea that the Yan family has already made their move…"
Shen Cong, over fifty years old, was a seasoned old fox. With a slight turn of his mind, he guessed the reason for today's situation—the relief grain was likely insufficient, or Hai Rui had taken it for some other purpose, leading to the necessity of drinking clear congee… The hatred in the disaster victims' eyes directed at Zheng Bichang's nephew, Jin Timing, was likely due to a misunderstanding that he had come to buy land cheaply…
With this thought,
Shen Cong smiled, his mind already formulating a plan—
It's good that there's a misunderstanding. These disaster victims must continue to misunderstand, and preferably direct their anger towards Zhu Mo. Then, if something happens, perhaps a peasant uprising can be provoked, which would be considered catching Zhu Mo red-handed! If a few lives are lost, he can directly use the imperial command to execute Zhu Mo first and report later! Even if the Jinyiwei don't allow it, he can be escorted to the capital. Then, with Yan Shifan's impeachment, what can the Grand Secretariat say? At that time, Zhu Mo will no longer have his current high-and-mighty demeanor…
For this reason,
A sinister plan formed in his mind. He easily dismounted and walked directly to Jin Timing, helped him up, and said with a smile:
"Your uncle and I are old acquaintances. I saw him just a few months ago. Have you forgotten, nephew? Get up, it's just buying land to plant mulberry and produce silk. What's the big deal? Young Master Zhu will surely take care of it for you…"
He deliberately raised his voice, especially when he said "Young Master Zhu," making sure the surrounding commoners could hear clearly—
"Buying land to plant mulberry and produce silk… Young Master Zhu will surely take care of it for you…"
"Buying land to plant mulberry and produce silk… Young Master Zhu will surely take care of it for you…"
"…"
This statement, seemingly spoken unintentionally, struck like a thunderclap in the ears of nearly every disaster victim!
Indeed,
The crowd immediately stirred again—
"It's really this Zhu Mo causing trouble!"
"So he also wants to buy our land to do his silk business!"
"I can't believe this young man is a hundred times more wicked than He Maocai! He actually sent soldiers to force the purchase!"
"Wicked! How can this young man be so malicious?"
"This Censor is Zheng Bichang's accomplice!"
"They say he's his uncle's close friend!"
"Is the Imperial Censor also helping them?"
"Young Master Zhu will take care of it for him? Is that true?"
"Is Young Master Zhu really one of them?"
"It seems he's really here to buy land…"
"Lord Hai probably can't protect us this time…"
"Aren't there the Jinyiwei? Won't they intervene?"
"…"