The banquet soon concluded, and Zhu Mo was escorted by the crowd to the guesthouse.
Zhu Qi and Xiaoxiao Sheng, acting as servants, helped the feigning drunk Zhu Mo to rest.
After everyone left, Zhu Mo immediately got up, washed his face, and instantly sobered up. He began to ponder how to respond to the discussions in the main hall tomorrow.
Although he had read a lot of online novels about the Great Ming, experiencing it firsthand made him feel that danger lurked everywhere. The scene tonight, for instance, indicated that the entire Jiangnan officialdom had planned to deal with him. In such a situation, he had to first find their weakness and attack from the most vulnerable point.
At this moment, while drinking tea and thinking, he casually asked, "Old Ding, what do you think? Things in Jiangnan seem difficult to handle..."
Having traveled south along the canal for over half a month, Xiaoxiao Sheng had already understood Zhu Mo's purpose in coming to Jiangnan. He immediately replied,
"This humble one only sees the word 'strict' written on everyone's foreheads. Young Master Zhu's affairs will be difficult to manage..."
"Zhu Qi, what do you think?"
"Heh, Zhu Qi is a brute. He didn't even look; he was only focused on drinking!"
Haha,
The two burst into laughter.
It was at this moment that a servant came in to report, "Young Master Zhu, two people have come to visit!"
This,
It was already deep into the night.
Could they be from the Jiangnan officialdom?
Zhu Mo immediately said, "Do not see them!"
Unexpectedly, not long after, the servant rushed in, looking terrified, and whispered into Zhu Mo's ear, "Young Master Zhu, they, they claim to be from the Northern Commandery Guard and wish to see a Lord Zhu... I, I'm scared..."
Oh?
The Embroidered Uniform Guard?
Lord Zhu?
If not me, could it be Zhu Qi?
Zhu Mo and Xiaoxiao Sheng couldn't help but stare at Zhu Qi.
Zhu Qi murmured, "Strange? I left the Eastern Depot seven or eight years ago... Could it be old acquaintances of Third Master Li in Jiangnan?"
Zhu Mo and Xiaoxiao Sheng nodded, and Zhu Qi strode out.
...
As soon as Zhu Qi stepped out, he saw two people standing under a tree by the entrance.
The one on the left was dressed as a simple farmer, wearing a straw cloak, as if he had just returned from working in the fields, still carrying the smell of earth. The one on the right, however, was dressed as a merchant, impeccably attired, like a gentleman.
It was already the hour of Zi (11 PM - 1 AM), the surroundings were quiet, and a light autumn rain was falling in Jiangnan. Not a single soul could be seen on the street.
Zhu Qi, changing his usual rough demeanor, suddenly became sharp and formidable. He glanced around and beckoned to the two men.
The three then walked into a nearby alley.
Zhu Qi suddenly took out a rhombus-shaped bronze plaque from his怀, which surprisingly read—
Northern Commandery Guard!
The two were not surprised. Instead, they smiled and each took out a bronze plaque from their own怀. These were square, also inscribed with "Northern Commandery Guard," but the characters were blue.
Simultaneously, they bowed, "Wu Ming, Wu Liang, greetings, Seventh Master!"
Zhu Qi smiled faintly, "We are all our own people, no need for formality!"
He then asked, "Why have you come?"
The scholar-gentry-dressed man, named Wu Ming, explained, "To be honest, Seventh Master, this humble one saw the Myriad Longevity Emperor's Profound Iron Token at Young Master Zhu's waist during the provincial banquet. Eunuch Lü once said that seeing the iron token was like seeing the person himself. Hence, we came to pay our respects!"
"Hmm, you are a silk merchant?"
Wu Ming replied, "This humble one originally served in the Weaving Bureau, and later the palace ordered me to pose as a merchant."
Zhu Qi suddenly put on a stern face and slowly asked,
"What else have you heard?"
Wu Ming and Wu Liang exchanged glances. Wu Ming replied, "We received a secret letter from the palace a few days ago... We have also recently heard that the Yan family has already ordered the Jiangnan officialdom to prepare to resist Young Master Zhu..."
"Hmm, I expected as much..."
Zhu Qi pondered for a moment, then said, "Young Master Zhu's visit to Jiangnan this time is for a matter of great benefit to the nation and its people. Hmm... a Daoist priest from Chaotian Temple instructed us to take good care of Young Master Zhu. If anything goes wrong, the entire Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard will be held accountable! Do you understand?"
Wu Ming and Wu Liang were greatly shocked—
A Daoist priest from Chaotian Temple?
The entire Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard held accountable?!
They immediately knelt down and said in unison, "We will do as Seventh Master commands!"
"Good! You two go back and prepare yourselves. Inform everyone that what Young Master Zhu is undertaking is of great importance. None of you are to inquire about it, nor are you to ask. If even half a word is revealed, you will be beaten to death immediately!"
"Your humble servants obey!"
Zhu Qi, with a solemn expression, waved for the two to leave. He then meditated for a long time before returning to the guesthouse.
...
Zhu Mo asked curiously, "Zhu Qi, who exactly were they?"
Zhu Qi, now reverting to his simple demeanor, replied, "They are two old acquaintances of Third Master Li. I met them once in the capital and had forgotten... They said that Third Master Li had recently sent a letter, asking them to also look after Young Master Zhu..."
Oh...
A warm current surged from the bottom of Zhu Mo's heart, making the autumn rainy night in Jiangnan feel less cold. He thought, "With two from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and one who was dismissed from the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a bodyguard, there shouldn't be any problems this time, right? At worst, I'll just claim a false imperial decree and have the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest people..."
Actually,
Zhu Mo did not know that Wu Ming was the Commander of the Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Wu Liang was his deputy, holding the rank of Tongzhi. A secret letter sent by urgent dispatch from the capital had already reached Jiangnan. It was written by Lü Fang himself—
"Young Master Zhu, who will soon be coming to Jiangnan on official business, is to be personally protected by Old Seven. The Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard is to be subject to his command. Any disobedience will be met with immediate execution."
Therefore,
The two had been gathering information daily. Wu Ming, using his status as a scholar-gentry, had entered the banquet and finally seen the token of Eunuch Lü himself.
That's right!
That iron token was actually the token of identity for the highest commander of the Northern Commandery Guard. The person who bestowed this meteorite iron token was Emperor Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing's codename within the Embroidered Uniform Guard system was—
Myriad Longevity Emperor.
And Zhu Qi was actually one of the thirteen Lieutenants of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, internally known as the Thirteen Protectors. He was ranked seventh, already a person of considerable importance within the system.
...
At the same time, within Yuxi Palace.
After Emperor Jiajing finished his meditation, Lü Fang put down the secret report in his hand.
"What did Old Seven's secret report today say?"
"Reporting to my lord, Your Majesty, Zhu Qi's secret report states that Young Master Zhu spoke at length with Ding Chun, all of it cursing the Yan family, telling Ding Chun to write quickly. Once finished, Young Master Zhu would have the printers print it and spread it everywhere..."
"Mischievous... hehe... However, that is also a method. To kill a person, one must first ruin their name..."
Emperor Jiajing smiled rarely, and Lü Fang also chuckled:
"Your Majesty speaks wisely. Yan Shifan is too much. Who in the capital isn't spreading rumors about him? This person is too lustful. The Embroidered Uniform Guard reports that even during his mother's mourning period, he engaged in lewd acts during the day..."
"Hmph!"
Emperor Jiajing had always despised such vulgar people and reprimanded, "Yan Shifan is on the path to ruin! Only by maintaining a pure and abstinent mind can one prolong life and blessings..."
Lü Fang thought of something and said,
"Your Majesty, this servant is always a little worried. Can Young Master Zhu truly suppress the Jiangnan officialdom? The Jiangnan Embroidered Uniform Guard reports that Yan Shifan's followers, Zheng Bichang and He Maocai, have mobilized the entire officialdom and business circles to resist Young Master Zhu... It seems to be a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. This servant is a little worried that the matter might not be accomplished..."
Emperor Jiajing snorted, "If it weren't a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, why would I send him?"
However, being concerned for his son, he wanted Zhu Mo to gain experience but also worried that he might not be able to handle it. He then said, "You, inform Old Seven and the others that if the matter cannot be handled smoothly, they can resort to forceful measures. Let Tan Lun be appointed as the Imperial Commissioner to assist him! Hmm, also, inform Hu Zongxian and Qi Jiguang to be vigilant. If there are any accidents, they can act first and report later..."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Lü Fang replied, while simultaneously becoming increasingly astonished—
The Emperor never resorted to force. This time, he was exceptionally prepared to use military force? Has he decided to eliminate the Yan Party?