Chapter 444: The Emperor Makes His Move

After Cui Yingyuan left, Zhu Youxiao's expression darkened.

He turned to look at Qi Yuangong and said, "Have your men make a trip as well and seize those Mongols. Especially that young girl called Bumbutai—whatever you do, don't harm her. And her brother Wukeshan must also be taken alive."

Hearing this, Qi Yuangong hesitated. He wanted to offer a word of counsel—what His Majesty was proposing didn't seem quite proper.

Ordering arrests over a young girl, and seizing every one of them at that—wasn't this just forcibly abducting a beauty?

Even if they were Mongols, this wasn't the way to do things.

You were the Emperor. An Emperor doing something like this truly damaged the dignity of the imperial house.

But when he saw Zhu Youxiao's gaze, Qi Yuangong fell silent.

Qi Yuangong's situation was rather special—father and sons alike were all held in high regard by His Majesty, and he could be called the foremost military figure of the court.

Although the Duke of Ying was formidable, everyone knew that the one who truly held military power now was the Qi family.

Qi Jin had once instructed Qi Yuangong: don't meddle in anything, just obey; whatever His Majesty tells you to do, do it—that way you can't go wrong.

Seeing His Majesty so resolute, Qi Yuangong felt helpless.

No civil officials had accompanied them this time, and something could easily go wrong. Still, Qi Yuangong said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Your servant will go at once."

Qi Yuangong's demeanor naturally couldn't escape Zhu Youxiao's notice. Zhu Youxiao said with resignation, "Don't overthink it. Those people are Fan Yongdou's business partners—much of Fan Yongdou's merchandise was smuggled to them."

"They should be people of the Khorchin tribe on the grasslands. That young girl called Bumbutai holds a noble status; the one called Wukeshan is no ordinary person either, so they must be taken alive."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Qi Yuangong hurriedly said, "Your servant obeys the decree. Whatever Your Majesty commands, your servant will do."

In truth, Qi Yuangong felt somewhat ashamed—he shouldn't have doubted His Majesty.

His Majesty had always been a figure of brilliance and martial might—how could he make such a mistake over a woman?

He really had been measuring a gentleman's heart with his own petty measure.

Of course, there was a reason for it: His Majesty had played his part too convincingly before, leaving Qi Yuangong unable to tell truth from falsehood. Now that His Majesty had spoken thus, there was naturally no problem.

A pack of Mongols harboring wolfish ambitions on Ming soil had to be caught and killed—no room for negotiation whatsoever!

"No need for that." Zhu Youxiao looked at Qi Yuangong and said, "Though I am no sage ruler of a golden age, I am still capable of humbly accepting remonstrance."

"If there's something to say, say it directly; if there's something you don't understand, ask directly. Only when ruler and minister communicate well can things be done properly."

"If what I want differs from what you think, then mistakes may be made. That's no good—it easily ruins things. So in the future, whenever anything comes up, feel free to speak. I'm not the petty type."

"Don't listen to Qi Jin about everything—he's old, his mind has gone stiff. Back in the day he didn't learn anything good from Qi Shaobao."

Qi Jiguang was a capable hand at war, but when it came to raking in money and currying favor, he was a figure without equal in history.

Qi Jiguang sent Zhang Juzheng foreign concubines—and white foreign concubines at that. Heaven knows where he got them. What's more, the concubines were a pair of twins, utterly stunning in beauty.

To make sure Zhang Juzheng enjoyed himself, Qi Jiguang also sent all sorts of toys—of course, toys of that nature—along with various medicines.

Toward the civil officials in the capital, Qi Jiguang also catered to their tastes, sending gifts of every kind.

Though it was the tragedy of the age—military commanders could only lead troops in battle through such means—in truth, those civil officials all deserved death!

Now that the Great Ming was in Zhu Youxiao's hands, the Qi family had no need for Qi Jiguang's methods anymore.

Qi Jin had inevitably absorbed some of it through years of exposure to Qi Jiguang, and now he was passing it on to his son.

Zhu Youxiao simply couldn't stand their family's ways, and this had to change—sooner or later these practices had to be corrected.

Outside, there was nothing to be done about it, but within the Imperial Guard Corps, such things had no place.

Hearing this, Qi Yuangong felt somewhat embarrassed.

He naturally knew his own father, but he also knew that His Majesty's words couldn't be taken entirely at face value. That his family had managed to survive and thrive had much to do with how they conducted themselves.

But he couldn't contradict His Majesty to his face. Qi Yuangong hurriedly said, "It is your servant's fault. Rest assured, Your Majesty—your servant will never do so again."

The words were somewhat insincere, but such things couldn't be changed overnight. Take it slowly—things would get better with time.

"Alright, then go." Zhu Youxiao said directly, looking at Qi Yuangong.

After Qi Yuangong walked out, Zhu Youxiao also made his move.

He had no intention of waiting around in the inn.

Once the Embroidered Uniform Guard made their move, things outside were bound to be quite a spectacle. Zhu Youxiao might as well go out and watch the excitement—who knew, something unexpected might even happen.

After changing his clothes, Zhu Youxiao left with Chen Hong and the others.

Seizing those Mongols naturally didn't require Qi Yuangong to go out personally—his primary duty was guarding Zhu Youxiao.

Within the Imperial Guard Corps, combat missions had dedicated personnel. Those men were far more professional than Qi Yuangong, and also more courageous. After rigorous training, these men were extremely formidable.

By the time Zhu Youxiao came out of the inn, the streets of Zhangjiakou were already in chaos.

Suddenly, a great number of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers had appeared from who knows where, too many to take in at a glance. All of them wore the uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with blades at their waists, and some held crossbows to back them up.

For a moment, the streets were in utter pandemonium.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard burst out from every direction, moving with great swiftness and speed. They had only one target: the Fan family of Zhangjiakou, a household that had been passed down through several generations in this town.

The whole of Zhangjiakou was thrown into chaos like a pot of porridge—no one knew what was happening. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had come far too suddenly.

What was even more unexpected was that these Embroidered Uniform Guard officers went straight for the Fan residence.

Meanwhile, the Fan family had already received word.

Fan Yongdou was utterly bewildered.

Though what Fan Yongdou had done was enough to get him arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he had just discussed something even bigger—but nothing had happened yet, had it? They had only just finished discussing it and hadn't even carried it out—so why were so many Embroidered Uniform Guard officers already targeting him?

It seemed his guess was right—that profligate young master had indeed come with ill intentions. Fan Yongdou hadn't sent him that young girl, so this was a falling out—and the speed of it was too fast, leaving not a single chance.

Something big was about to happen!

But before Fan Yongdou could think too much, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already reached his doorstep.

One should know that in recent days, quite a number of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers had been coming and going around the Fan residence, with the front and back gates both tightly guarded. Especially around the surrounding walls—there were Embroidered Uniform Guard officers there too.

Now that these Embroidered Uniform Guard officers suddenly made their move, it naturally came with the force of thunder and wind.

For a moment, the entire area around the Fan residence erupted in panic.

Fan Si rushed in from outside, his tone extremely urgent as he said, "Master, Master, the Embroidered Uniform Guard have charged in!"

Fan Yongdou's face was extremely gloomy; he too knew something had gone wrong.

But before Fan Yongdou could even speak, the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind him charged in.

These men carried blades, some held crossbows, and anyone they encountered was ordered to kneel on the ground. Whoever refused to kneel was either shot with a crossbow bolt or struck with a sword by these guards.

Anyone who made the slightest move to resist would be dealt with ruthlessly. This silenced everyone completely; not a single person dared to speak.

When the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed to the front of the main hall, they quickly split into two rows, pressing everyone in place on the spot; then they divided into two more teams and headed straight for the rear hall.

Clearly, they intended not to let a single family member go — this was the rhythm of a full household confiscation.

And amid the crowd, a man walked in, flanked by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He glanced at Fan Yongdou, smiled, clasped his fists in greeting, and introduced himself directly: "Master Fan, I've long heard of your name. You must find me unfamiliar — I am Cui Yingyuan."

Upon hearing this name, Fan Yongdou's expression instantly turned very ugly.

Although Fan Yongdou was in the northern lands, Zhangjiakou wasn't far from the capital. Moreover, he paid considerable attention to affairs in the capital.

For men in their line of business, even the slightest stir in the capital had a major impact on them.

This Cui Yingyuan — of course Fan Yongdou had heard of him.

Cui Yingyuan, Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was ruthless and merciless by nature — a loyal hound of the Emperor, a man who operated with no bottom line whatsoever.

Why would Cui Yingyuan suddenly come running here today, bringing so many Embroidered Uniform Guard with him? Could it be that the Emperor was making his move?

Fan Yongdou didn't believe anyone could command these men — not even the Duke of Ying.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was an office that no one could mobilize at will except the reigning Emperor himself, let alone with the Regional Military Commissioner of the Guard personally leading the operation?

So this meant the Emperor was making his move — it was indeed premeditated all along.

"Greetings, sir." Fan Yongdou bowed respectfully with clasped hands and said, "May I ask why you have come..."

Cui Yingyuan waved his hand and said with a carefree smile: "I've received the imperial decree to confiscate your household and arrest your people."

"Let's not play false with each other, being smart men. Surely you know why you're being arrested, so there's no need to put on that act of crying injustice. How about we cooperate sincerely and directly?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Fan Yongdou gave a cold snort and said, "I've been wronged."

"Tears won't fall until you see the coffin." Cui Yingyuan smiled mockingly, reached out to touch the mottled bloodstains on the torture rack, and said with relish: "Then let me tell you what we're going to do next."

"First, we'll hang you up and let you taste every instrument of the Embroidered Uniform Guard from top to bottom. From head to toe, from top to bottom, we'll give your bones and sinews a good loosening. If you can endure that, I'll respect you as a real man."

"Then we'll move to the next move — we'll bring in all your women, strip them naked, and have my men violate them right before your eyes. If you can still endure that, then we'll torture them to death slowly, from top to bottom, using the same methods on them."

"If you can withstand even that, then you're a true man, and I'll admire you even more. For true men, we always give them something better. For example, we'll bring in all your sons, castrate them, or cut off their manhood with a single stroke. If you still won't talk, then I'll have no other options."

"This process will probably last about half a year. After half a year, though it's a bit slow, the whole family walking the road to the Yellow Springs together in neat order isn't so bad — at least you'll have company, and won't be lonely."

"I'm just such a kind-hearted person."