Chapter 81: Schemes

After seeing Zhang Cai off, Zhang Pu returned once more to his study. His student Wu Weiye, however, had already entered the study after Zhang Cai left and was waiting for Zhang Pu.

Seeing Zhang Pu return, Wu Weiye hurriedly saluted and said, "Greetings, Teacher."

Zhang Pu acknowledged him with a sound, sat down, and asked, "Have you handled all the matters I entrusted to you?"

Wu Weiye replied, "Reporting to Teacher, everything has been arranged. I expect that within a few days, word that the Emperor's accession was illegitimate will spread throughout Jiangnan."

Zhang Pu said, "Good. You must apply yourself to this matter.

The late Emperor was in the prime of life—how could he have abandoned his country and people so soon after falling into the water? In my view, it must be that the current Son of Heaven colluded with the eunuch faction to murder the late Emperor!"

Wu Weiye chimed in, "Teacher speaks truly. Was it not a member of the eunuch faction who presented that Spirit Dew Drink?"

Having said this, Wu Weiye exchanged a glance with Zhang Pu, and the two burst into loud laughter.

After they had laughed, Zhang Pu continued, "I have sent Zhang Cai to contact the Restoration Society students and prepare to burn down the Suzhou yamen and the Suzhou-Hangzhou Textile Bureau. You should go and lend him plenty of assistance.

We must make this commotion as large as possible—only then will we be safe."

Wu Weiye answered, "This disciple understands. I will certainly ensure the Restoration Society students all follow Uncle-Master Zhang Cai's lead. That dog of a eunuch Li Shi has skimmed more than enough—this time, we might as well just burn him to death!"

Zhang Pu stroked the goatee on his chin, nodded, and said, "Mm, the boy is teachable. Take extra care, and by no means let word leak out. Off you go."

While Zhang Pu and Wu Weiye were scheming on one side, Zhang Cai had already arrived at the Restoration Society on the other side.

He called together some students to discuss the great undertaking, conferring together on when to gather enough hands to go and storm and burn down the Suzhou Prefect's yamen and the Suzhou Textile Bureau yamen.

The many scholars pooled their wits and resources, eagerly contributing money and manpower, and before long they had more or less hammered out a plan.

One simply has to admire the terrifying competence of the Great Ming's secret police, the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The plan of action that Zhang Cai and those government students inside the Restoration Society had just finished agreeing upon was, a moment later, laid out on the desk of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Taicang Centurion station.

Even Wu Weiye, who had quietly participated, was marked, and by following the vine to the melon, Zhang Pu too was placed under surveillance by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Inside the Centurion station of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stationed in Taicang subprefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion Guan Xiaoyu—who had originally been instructed to keep a close watch on the Restoration Society—took this plan of action, shook it out, clicked his tongue, and muttered, "Truly impressive, one link snapping tight after another.

First frame His Majesty, then burn down the yamen to apply pressure—the law cannot punish the multitude. Damn it all, you lot might actually have pulled it off.

Tsk, tsk. With this sort of clever mind, why the hell don't you put it to proper use? Scholars these days, they really are damnably vicious."

The textile eunuch Li Shi, seated on the other side of the desk, said darkly, "Has Centurion Guan never heard the saying? Loyalty is most often found among butchers and dog-sellers; faithlessness is most often found among scholars!

In my humble opinion, these scholars have all read their books straight into a dog's belly. Not a shred of sense among them."

Guan Xiaoyu laughed. "Who says otherwise? Everyone knows that when the current Son of Heaven was a child, he asked whether he could be Emperor himself, and the late Emperor agreed to it. Would the current Son of Heaven plot to murder the late Emperor? Utter nonsense!"

Li Shi sighed as well. "When the late Emperor passed, the Son of Heaven wept until he fainted. These people can't even frame someone properly—tell me, what use are they?

But speaking of framing and entrapment, isn't that your Embroidered Uniform Guard's specialty? Don't go botching the task His Majesty assigned."

Guan Xiaoyu spat contemptuously. "A joke. Others might not know, but does Eunuch Li not know either? Is the reputation of the Depot and the Guard just for scaring children? Today, I'll teach them what framing and entrapment really means."

Suddenly recalling something, he asked Li Shi, "Say, if we frame Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai for plotting rebellion, isn't that going a bit too far? That's a matter of exterminating nine degrees of kinship."

Li Shi, however, gave a sinister laugh. "Too far, my foot! Don't forget, you are His Majesty's own guard, and I am His Majesty's household slave.

There is a saying: when the master is humiliated, the servant dies. These bastards want to frame His Majesty and burn down government offices—isn't that a blatant slap in the face to people like us?

If we don't give them a proper sorting-out, won't they try to climb to heaven? So, in my view, no matter how we deal with them, it won't be excessive."

Guan Xiaoyu laughed and cursed, "Right. I had a moment of soft-heartedness just now—this womanly mercy really must be avoided.

But the framing is easy enough; what's the meaning of that essay we're supposed to plant on Zhang Pu afterward? You've got more twists in your mind—explain it properly to a rough fellow like me."

Li Shi swept a glance at Guan Xiaoyu, gestured with an orchid-fingered hand, and laughed. "Playing dumb, are we?

These creatures, Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai and the like—their deaths would be no loss at all!

But if they simply die, they'll drag His Majesty down with them, leaving him the infamy of a tyrant. You do understand that much, surely?"

Guan Xiaoyu said, "Of course I understand that, but what does that have to do with this essay?"

Li Shi said, "I say you're still playing dumb. There may not be a million scholars under heaven, but there must be eight hundred thousand. Why is it that Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai alone have such great fame? And why go to the trouble of founding this Restoration Society?"

Guan Xiaoyu curled his lip. "Isn't it just because their families have money? Add to that how these literary types are always flattering each other's stinking feet—they could boost a pig up to heaven if they wanted."

Li Shi said, "Exactly. That's precisely it. But where did their money come from? First they seized the common people's farmland, then they took the rent grain, sold it for cash, and went into commerce. Add tax evasion on top, and of course they have money.

But if we truly follow what's written in this essay—indiscriminately dividing up all the landlords' fields per capita—do you think the Jiangnan gentry would ever let them off?

If you simply accuse them of rebellion, killing them would be clean enough, but who would believe it? But if you say Zhang Pu rebelled in order to equalize landholdings—then they'll stink to high heaven among the gentry.

When the time comes, the men are dead, and the court steps in to tidy up the aftermath, tweaks the contents of this essay a bit and puts it to use—won't that win the hearts of the common people?

Men dead, popular support won—is that a good bargain or not?

I must say, though, I'm full of admiration. I wonder who concocted this essay—this thing is aimed straight at cutting off the gentry's very roots!"

Guan Xiaoyu, of course, had no way of knowing that far away in the Imperial Prison in the capital, Chen Mo had just let out a resounding sneeze, wiped his nose, and continued racking his brains over the Great Ming's very first newspaper.

No matter how you looked at it, though, the whole affair was vicious enough. He went on to Li Shi, "Heh, didn't I say you've got more twists in your mind? A coarse fellow like me doesn't have all those winding turns in his brain like you do.

Forget it, forget it. I'll go make the arrangements right now. While those bastards haven't made their move yet, let's get this business done quickly—no point letting the night drag and dreams multiply."

With that, he paid no further attention to Li Shi and strode straight out to make his arrangements.

This chapter is still released at an irregular time. Next chapter at 8 PM.

(End of chapter)