Chapter 275: Summoned Before the Throne, Seeking Counsel on the Southeast

Zhu Youjian rose to his feet and paced back and forth within the warm chamber.

Cao Huachun said, "Your Majesty, this servant believes it would be fitting to issue an edict ordering Nan'ao to hand over the traitor Wei."

"Whether Nan'ao obeys or not, it will at least let the world know that the traitor Wei is on Nan'ao's side, and can also cost them the people's support!"

Zhu Youjian did not answer, his mind ceaselessly calculating.

Issuing an edict to declare it openly before the world could indeed let people see the true face of the collusion between the traitor Wei and the traitor Lin, but at the same time it would expose the fact that Wei Zhongxian had escaped capture, which would inevitably make him, the new emperor, seem somewhat incompetent.

But if he falsely claimed that Wei Zhongxian had already been executed, and the traitor Wei were to fall into Nan'ao's hands, they could make a case of it, which would make the new emperor seem fond of grand achievements and deceptive toward his ministers and people, greatly damaging his prestige.

The situation had already become impossible to dismount from.

He should have simply had him executed in the capital from the start — appearing cold and ruthless was still better than appearing weak and incompetent.

Zhu Youjian felt great regret within his heart. Thinking it over and over, the key to breaking the deadlock still lay with Wei Zhongxian himself.

He raised his head and spoke at great speed: "Immediately send word to the Denglai naval forces to conduct strict searches for suspicious vessels around the Jiaozhou area. You will personally lead men by ship to apprehend him at once — you must bring Wei Zhongxian back to me!"

Cao Huachun clasped his hands and said, "This servant obeys!"

Five days later, on the East China Sea, aboard a two-masted Fujian junk.

Wei Zhongxian stared gloomily at a plate of steamed sea bass.

His accompanying confidant Li Chaoqin said, "Nine Thousand Years, bear with it a while longer. The fishmonger said we've already reached Zhoushan — a few more days of travel and we'll be in Fujian. I hear that under Lin Qian's rule, life in Fujian is prosperous, and every kind of delicacy can be bought. Once we're there, we won't have to eat this plain fare."

Wei Zhongxian set down his chopsticks and sighed: "Who would have thought that this old man's heroic life would come to such an end... When the late emperor was gravely ill, he once grasped that whelp's hand and said, 'Zhongxian is scrupulous, loyal, and true — he can be entrusted with great matters.'

After he ascended the throne, this old man supported him at every turn and yielded in every matter, but he — he schemed against this old man at every opportunity. So this is how that whelp 'entrusts great matters' to me!"

Li Chaoqin said in a fluster, "Nine Thousand Years, mind your words, mind your words!"

"Slap!" Wei Zhongxian slammed the table. "Mind my words my ass! We're in the middle of the damn sea — who's going to hear us? And even if someone did hear, what could they do? Even if this old man kept quiet, I couldn't dodge that little bastard's blade anyway!"

After cursing, the more Wei Zhongxian thought about it, the more wronged and furious he felt. Looking at the bland, tasteless steamed sea bass, his anger grew even greater.

In his daily life he was never satiated with fine food, never weary of delicately prepared dishes — he ate abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and bird's nest. When had he ever filled his stomach with such crude peasant fare?

"Take it away, take it away — dump it into the sea!"

"Yes." Li Chaoqin carried the sea bass out of the cabin, but did not throw it into the sea — instead he gave it to the close attendants on the ship.

Most of these attendants were eunuchs; some were even brush-holders of the Directorate of Ceremonial. All were Wei Zhongxian's adopted sons, promoted by his own hand. At this moment of crisis they had no other path to choose, so they could only flee together with Wei Zhongxian.

Eunuchs had distinctive appearances and accents. Along the way, to avoid discovery, they acted with the utmost discretion in everything — even buying dry provisions was done furtively. Now, a single plate of steamed sea bass was already a rare delicacy, and everyone quickly devoured it to the last bite.

Li Chaoqin returned to the cabin and saw Wei Zhongxian lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He asked, "When you bought the fish, did you inquire about the situation on shore?"

"I did. The fisherman said that of late there have been no major events in court or among the people — everything proceeds as usual."

Wei Zhongxian revealed a smug smile: "Hahaha, that little whelp can't catch me — he's probably agonizing with anxiety right now! That whelp's mind is heavy with schemes, but in the end he's still too green. He probably racked his brains without ever realizing that the carriage convoy was just a decoy, and that this old man would leave by sea!"

If one were to ask what Wei Zhongxian had learned from dealing with Lin Qian all these years?

It was that traveling by water was far faster than by land, and moreover, seagoing vessels had far greater carrying capacity.

As early as when Tianqi was gravely ill, Wei Zhongxian had prepared this vessel, leaving himself a path of retreat.

Although Wei Zhongxian had been demoted and sent out of the capital, having controlled the Eastern Depot for so many years, he still had connections and informants. When he heard that the Emperor had sent men to arrest him and bring him back to the capital, he knew disaster was imminent. He rode at full speed to the Dagukou docks, boarded the ship, and fled without a trace.

This vessel had been carefully prepared by Wei Zhongxian. A two-masted Fujian junk was extremely common, and moreover it carried a ship permit. When passing through Jiaodong, the Emperor's messenger bearing the edict had not yet arrived. After offering a generous bribe for passage, the patrolling naval forces harbored no suspicion at all, and so let Wei Zhongxian slip out of the Bohai Sea.

Li Chaoqin said, "In a few more days, once we reach Fujian waters, we'll be completely safe. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot riders would never dare enter Fujian's seas." "Hehehe..." Wei Zhongxian laughed smugly, but after laughing, his face filled with worry. "Tell me — will that fellow Lin Qian accept us?" Li Chaoqin said, "Lin Qian's present position is entirely thanks to Nine Thousand Years' support at court. When he wanted Qiu Chengyun's head, Nine Thousand Years gave it to him without a second word, and even gifted him twenty thousand taels of silver besides. With such enormous favor, would Lin Qian dare not repay it?"

He is of rough-and-tumble origins, and his subordinates are all bandits and sea bandits. If he repaid kindness with enmity, which of his generals would still obey him?

Even if Fujian and Guangdong have no place for Nine Thousand Years, with the gold in the hold, one could go overseas to find some island kingdom or foreign land, purchase estates and property, and become a great local magnate — life could still be carefree and joyful!"

"Hahaha... Exactly! Exactly!" Wei Zhongxian laughed loudly.

The next day, as the Fujian junk sailed into the waters of southern Zhejiang, it ran head-on into Nan'ao's Sea Wolf warship.

Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed. He did not immediately reveal his identity, only saying that he was a person sent from the palace and requested an audience with Lin Qian.

The Nan'ao officers and soldiers dared not act on their own authority, so they brought Wei Zhongxian and his party to Nan'ao Island and reported the matter up through the chain of command.

That afternoon, Wei Zhongxian and Li Chaoqin were brought to the Nan'ao Government Affairs Hall, where they saw Ye Xianggao, Zhou Qiyuan, Scholar Zhou, Chen Jiao, and others all looking at him.

Wei Zhongxian had never seen Lin Qian before, but Li Chaoqin had. Seeing Li Chaoqin shake his head at him, Wei Zhongxian said with displeasure, "Where is Lin Qian? Why does he not come to see me?"

Scholar Zhou, Chen Jiao, and the others had likewise never seen Wei Zhongxian before. Upon hearing this, they all looked toward Ye Xianggao.

Only then did Ye Xianggao say calmly, "Wei Zhongxian, it has been a long time."

Addressing him directly by name — sufficient to show contempt.

Wei Zhongxian gave a cold snort and said, "Grand Secretary, might I ask where Lin... where the Helmsman is? I wish to see him."

Ye Xianggao's tone was flat: "Do you think the Helmsman is someone you can see whenever you wish? Wei Zhongxian, you usurped imperial power, plotted to depose the Empress, forced your shrine into the Confucian temple, indiscriminately enfeoffed dukes and marquises, fabricated wrongful prosecutions, and poisoned the common people. You have long stirred the whole world into outrage, leaving the people with no means to live.

And now, at this point, you actually dare to come in person to Nan'ao — what scheme are you plotting? Could it be that you wish to beg the Helmsman to spare your life?"

Wei Zhongxian glanced at Li Chaoqin in terror, thinking to himself: "How is this different from what we rehearsed on the ship?"

Li Chaoqin immediately stepped forward, with a humble demeanor, clasping his hands and saying, "The Helmsman commands three provinces and has reached his present position — the factory official has also been..." "Enough." Ye Xianggao could not be bothered to say more to such scum. "Take him down and guard him well. Whatever you do, don't let him die!"

"Yes!" The soldiers acknowledged, then hoisted Wei and Li up by the arms and carried them out.

Li Chaoqin's face was deathly pale as he kept speaking words of appeasement. Seeing that Ye Xianggao's expression did not change, he spoke even more directly: "... The factory official only needs a tiny plot of land to stand on! From now on I'll retire overseas and live out my days in peace. There's gold in the hold — lots of gold — take it all, just take it... Spare my life..."

As for Wei Zhongxian, his veins bulged as he struggled violently and roared: "... Where's Lin Qian? Tell Lin Qian to come out and see me! I have great favor over him... Let me go! If you treat me like this, when the Helmsman finds out, he'll surely have you all killed. I am the Helmsman's benefactor..."

After Wei and Li were taken away, Scholar Zhou asked, "Gentlemen, how should this powerful eunuch be dealt with?"

"Kill him as soon as possible," Zhou Qiyuan said. "This man has incurred too much popular outrage. If he is held too long and word leaks out, we can hardly avoid suspicion of shielding him." Chen Jiao said, "This matter is of great importance — perhaps we should wait for the Helmsman to return and decide?"

Scholar Zhou also said, "I too think it would be better to wait for the Helmsman to decide."

Ye Xianggao stroked his beard and said, "This matter cannot be delayed, but neither can it be rushed."

"What do you mean?" All three were stunned.

"The first of the four great principles the Helmsman set for Nan'ao's taxation is called 'statutory taxation.' The Helmsman often says that not only must taxation follow the law, but governance and statecraft must also follow the law — nothing may be arbitrarily decided by the whims of a chief official or sovereign.

In my view, why not start with Wei Zhongxian? We hold an open tribunal, try him, set down each of his great crimes one by one, have him sign and fingerprint the confession, and only then carry out the sentence. With reason and evidence, it also gives the world an accounting!"

Scholar Zhou slapped his thigh: "This method is good — it both allows us to wait for the Helmsman's return and avoids leaving any handle for criticism."

Chen Jiao said, "I'll send an eagle ship to deliver the message to the Helmsman."

Scholar Zhou said, "Isn't autumn an inconvenient time for sailing?"

"Coastal sailing is still feasible. If we encounter a storm, we can make for shore at any time. This matter is of great importance—even if it means taking some risks, the Helmsman must be informed."

"Wait a moment." Ye Xianggao called him back, then ordered his attendants to bring nearly ten issues of the Nan'ao Times.

Chen Jiao was puzzled and scratched his head, saying, "Does the Grand Secretary have further business?"

"A moment, please." Ye Xianggao said as he took the Nan'ao Times and leafed through them in sequence, reading only the Capital Gazette sections.

After a moment, Ye Xianggao put down the newspapers.

"As I expected, the court hasn't uttered a single word about Wei the eunuch's escape."

"What does this mean?" Chen Jiao and Scholar Zhou looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhou Qiyuan frowned and said, "Wei the eunuch is a rebel criminal wanted by His Majesty. For him to simply flee to Nan'ao while the court shows no reaction at all—that's unusual. Perhaps the court is planning some major move."

Ye Xianggao looked at Chen Jiao and said, "This has come about suddenly. If convenient, please ask the Helmsman to return to Nan'ao as soon as possible."

Chen Jiao clasped his hands and said, "Rest assured, Grand Secretary—I will definitely deliver the news to the Helmsman!"

The Battle of Malacca came to an end.

After multiple rounds of negotiations with Aceh, Johor, and the Portuguese.

Lin Qian obtained ownership of Weilan City and the Strait of Malacca. From now on, everything concerning the strait would be regulated by the Nan'ao government, including the number of Portuguese troops stationed on land and at sea.

The strait's transit toll rates were also set by Nan'ao, with Portugal and Johor each entitled to one-tenth and two-tenths of the toll revenue respectively.

As for the Acehnese—what they thought, no one cared.

At the negotiating table, the Acehnese sat in the lowest position. Even when their envoy shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice could hardly reach the ears of the victors.

After this battle, the Acehnese navy was completely annihilated, and their army was reduced to only fifty percent—barely enough to defend their homeland. Their former vassal states declared independence one after another. A rising maritime power, forcibly knocked back to its original form—one cannot help but sigh at the sight.

By the time the talks concluded, it was mid-September, the tail end of the southern monsoon season. Lin Qian ordered the fleet to set sail, first replenishing supplies at the Palembang Pacification Commission, then returning along the Malay Peninsula to Patani.

When the fleet arrived at Patani, it was already late September. The monsoon season had not fully receded, so to be safe, Lin Qian decided to linger there for a while and depart in early October.

When the people of Patani learned of Aceh's crushing defeat and the death of Sultan Muda, they poured into the streets to celebrate.

With nothing to do, Lin Qian went to inspect the newly completed star fort.

The star fort stood beside the mouth of the Patani River, roughly pentagonal in shape, with cannons placed at every salient angle, precisely covering both the river mouth and the docks within firing range.

Inside the star fort, Lin Qian offered words of encouragement to the soldiers and inquired about the construction details.

Ge Hong, the star fort's architect, explained at his side: "... This star fort is made entirely of cement, with a sloping glacis laid around the exterior. After completion, we test-fired cannons at it—a 24-pounder striking the glacis could barely damage the wall structure. This defensive capability is enough to withstand a siege by any naval guns in the world." Lin Qian asked, "Are the star fort's cannons sufficient?"

"The designed gun positions number 32. If the situation becomes urgent, they can be increased to 50..."

Lin Qian said to Geng Wu, "Transport twenty heavy cannons down from the whale ship."

There were too many cannons seized from the Acehnese. After leaving a batch each at Weilan City and Palembang, there were still over fifty with no place to go—perfect for keeping in the star fort.

Geng Wu noted this down and ordered the command relayed.

Lin Qian said to Ge Hong, "This star fort is well built. In the future, you'll need to devote more effort to Nan'ao's star fort construction."

Ge Hong's expression was agitated with excitement: "I am willing to serve the Helmsman!"

"It so happens that Palembang has just submitted and needs strengthened defenses. Have your men return to Nan'ao first. After the New Year, go to Palembang—this time build an even larger one, and guard Palembang as solid as iron!"

Just as they were speaking, someone came to report: "Helmsman, a Nan'ao eagle ship has arrived... delivering an official document."

Lin Qian was slightly taken aback. Sending an official document during the monsoon season—it must surely be a matter of importance.

After breaking the seal and reading it through, Lin Qian fell into silence.

In history, Wei Zhongxian had hanged himself on the road to Fengyang. He never expected that in this life, Wei Zhongxian would come to Nan'ao and walk right into the trap.

Looking on the bright side, having Wei Zhongxian personally tried and executed by Nan'ao would add another layer of legitimacy to his regime and further win over people's hearts. But the bad news was that with Chongzhen's temperament, how could he stomach such a move that stole his thunder?

At present, the eunuch faction had scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. Chongzhen had essentially grasped control of the court. A military strike against Nan'ao would likely come soon. Thinking of this, Lin Qian said, "Geng Wu, relay my order—have the fleet prepare to set sail!"

"Helmsman, won't we wait for the monsoon season to pass?" said Geng Wu.

"A few more days won't make much difference," Lin Qian said. "Counting the days, the cruising ships and shark ships should be ready to launch soon. I want to go back and see them with my own eyes." "Yes!"

In the imperial city.

Yuan Chonghuan walked along the imperial road, hearing the eunuch ahead of him say: "Behind the Jianji Hall in the imperial city, in the connecting area between the inner and outer courts, there is a raised platform higher than the imperial road, upon which stands a palace hall—this is called the 'Ping.'

Since the Zhengtong reign, His Majesty often summoned ministers here to discuss matters of state, called 'Ping audiences.' This practice was discontinued starting from the Wanli reign. Now His Majesty has revived this practice, and the first batch of outside officials summoned includes Registrar Yuan. Such imperial favor—I hope Registrar Yuan will keep it firmly in mind and not disappoint!" Yuan Chonghuan immediately clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for the eunuch's kind advice."

As they spoke, the eunuch had already stopped beneath the Ping, yielding the path, and said to Yuan Chonghuan, "Registrar, please enter."

Yuan Chonghuan looked up. What met his eyes was a flight of white marble steps, above which stood red walls and glazed tiles, with two young eunuchs holding palace lanterns standing at attention before the gate.

It was already deep autumn, and the sky was heavily overcast today. Though it was only early afternoon, the imperial city was already shrouded in gray. The autumn wind blew, raising goosebumps on one's skin. Above the palace walls and glazed tiles, leaden clouds pressed down extremely low, like thick ink, slowly churning.

"Registrar, please hurry inside—don't keep His Majesty waiting." The leading eunuch reminded him again.

Yuan Chonghuan snapped back to his senses and stepped onto the stone stairs, each step growing firmer and more resolute.

Previously, for his poor pursuit of the Jianzhou barbarians during the Jisi Incident, he had been thrown into prison by Wei Zhongxian and was only released yesterday.

His ailments from prison had not yet healed, and today he was summoned by the new emperor. He could vaguely guess the reason the Emperor had called for him.

He resolved himself—he absolutely must seize this unprecedented opportunity.

Passing through the enclosing wall, inside was a three-courtyard compound. Following the eunuch's directions, Yuan Chonghuan entered the eastern side chamber.

The room's furnishings were simple—only a square table, a few round stools, and a eunuch standing at attention by the side chamber's door.

That eunuch said, "Registrar Yuan, please wait here a moment. His Majesty will arrive shortly."

Entering the room, he saw two people already seated. One was around forty years of age, with an upright bearing, a swarthy complexion, broad shoulders and a wide back, and a short beard growing along his cheeks. Were it not for his fourth-rank civil official's robe embroidered with cloud geese, he would have looked every bit a military general.

The other wore a crimson round-collar robe with a crane rank badge on his chest and a jade belt at his waist—all the regalia of a first-rank civil official. This man had half-white hair and beard and a burly build. Yuan Chonghuan recognized him at a glance.

"Supreme Commander!" Yuan Chonghuan exclaimed in a low voice of surprise.

Sun Chengzong saw Yuan Chonghuan, and a smile immediately bloomed on his face: "Yuansu (Yuan Chonghuan's courtesy name)?"

Since the defeat at Liuhe, the death of Ma Shilong, and Sun Chengzong's removal from office, this was the first time Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan had met.

Yuan Chonghuan had been personally promoted by Sun Chengzong; the two had worked together in Liaodong for many years and shared the memory of the great victory at Fuzhou, so their private friendship ought to have been close. But their status and age differed too greatly, and after the Fuzhou victory, Yuan Chonghuan's impetuous and autocratic character flaws came to light, gradually straining his relationship with Sun Chengzong. When the defeat at Liuhe occurred, Yuan Chonghuan had even submitted a memorial openly criticizing him, making their relationship even more awkward.

Meeting here at this time and place, the two found themselves facing each other in silence.

The silence lasted only a moment before Sun Chengzong said to a fourth-rank official beside him: "Zhonglun, this is the Vice Commissioner of the Shandong Surveillance Circuit, Yuan Chonghuan, Commissioner of the Ning-Qian Defense Circuit."

That fourth-rank official rose and clasped his hands in greeting: "So you are Commissioner Yuan. I have long heard of your esteemed name. During the Jisi Incident, Commissioner Yuan led the Guan-Ning Army in a bloody battle against the Tartars at Yongding Gate, using the red barbarian cannons atop the city walls to blunt their advance and render outstanding service. I deeply admire you!"

By official rank, Yuan Chonghuan was a fifth-rank official who wore a blue robe; to receive a clasped-hands greeting from a fourth-rank official was extremely rare. Yuan Chonghuan's fondness for this man immediately soared, and he returned the greeting with clasped hands, repeatedly disclaiming the praise.

Sun Chengzong added: "Yuansu, this is the Regional Inspector of Guizhou and concurrent Army Supervisor, Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, Fu Zonglong."

Yuan Chonghuan suddenly understood. Though he had never met this man, he had heard of him—Fu Zonglong had accompanied Zhu Xieyuan throughout the pacification campaign in the southwest, earning brilliant military achievements. Back when the She-An rebel forces were at their strongest, they had besieged Guiyang for ten full months; the grain within the city was exhausted, driving the populace to cannibalism, and the surrounding Ming armies were unable to relieve the siege. At that critical moment, it was Fu Zonglong who led his troops in and lifted the siege of Guiyang.

It could be said that Fu Zonglong played the role of Zhu Xieyuan's right-hand man.

Yuan Chonghuan's face showed surprise, and he offered Fu Zonglong a few words of flattery.

At the same time, he felt deeply puzzled within.

The three men differed greatly in age, rank, and seniority—what could they possibly have been gathered together to discuss?

On his way here, Yuan Chonghuan had assumed the Emperor wished to discuss the Liaodong situation and had already prepared his responses in his mind.

But Fu Zonglong had no connection whatsoever to the Liaodong front—what was he doing here?

If they were to discuss the southwest situation, then why were Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan here?

If the northeast and southwest were to be discussed separately, then it could have been done in two separate groups; even if they needed to wait in advance, they should not have been arranged in the same side chamber. Yuan Chonghuan racked his brains but could make no sense of it. He saw that Sun and Fu appeared calm on the surface, yet after the exchange of pleasantries, they too furrowed their brows in silence—clearly they also failed to grasp the Emperor's intent.

Yuan Chonghuan thought to himself: no wonder court and country held such high hopes for this new Emperor—his thinking was indeed far beyond what ordinary men could fathom.

Fortunately, the three did not wait long. In but a moment, a eunuch came to summon them to the main hall for an audience.

The three lined up in order of official rank and entered, performing the grand ceremony of one kneel and three prostrations.

A young voice said: "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The three rose.

The voice spoke again: "Supreme Commander Sun is advanced in years—please sit while you answer."

Sun Chengzong was slightly taken aback, then said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yuan Chonghuan thought to himself: "The late Emperor was cold and ungrateful toward his ministers, indulging the powerful eunuchs in wanton humiliation—even ministers of the Grand Secretariat suffered repeated indignities.

But now His Majesty not only takes the initiative to summon his ministers, but also lets them rise to answer, and even grants the Supreme Commander a seat……

It seems the rumors from court and country are all true—the Emperor indeed bears the mark of an enlightened sovereign. The great revival of our Ming truly has hope!"

Moved by these reflections, Yuan Chonghuan plucked up his courage and secretly surveyed the room.

He saw that the main hall held a gold-lacquered imperial throne carved with cloud and dragon motifs; before the throne stood a nanmu vermilion-lacquered imperial desk, ceremonial regalia, incense vessels, and other objects.

The three stood before the throne, with Sun Chengzong seated on a round stool, his body slightly turned.

On the eastern wall of the main hall hung a complete map of the world, depicting the realm of the Great Ming, with some circles and markings upon it.

While Yuan Chonghuan surveyed the room, the Emperor was discussing the military situation in Liaodong with Sun Chengzong.

The Emperor's tone was unhurried and his manner lenient, yet the meaning between his words was urgent—he seemed to be pressing Sun Chengzong to recover the lost territories as quickly as possible. Pressed to his limit, Sun Chengzong could only grit his teeth and speak definitively: "……Your Majesty, the Jianzhou barbarians now occupy the Ji Garrison, Zunhua, and thirteen other prefectures and counties of the Northern Metropolitan District. Your old servant can recover them within half a year. But Liaodong cannot be reclaimed without years of sustained effort—your old servant dares not make light of setting a deadline……"

The Emperor fell silent, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew oppressive.

After a moment, the Emperor spoke: "No matter. I shall issue an edict this very day, restoring you to your former post to replace Yan Mingtai and resume command of Ji and Liaodong.

In your tenure as Supreme Commander, you must recover the capital region and defend western Liaoning well—do not let the events of Jisi repeat themselves."

"Your old servant will exhaust every effort and not fail Your Majesty's grace!" Sun Chengzong knelt to give thanks, his voice already trembling slightly.

The new Emperor was adept at accepting remonstrance, diligent in governance, and possessed the great ambition to recover Liaodong—the great revival of the Ming truly had hope!

The Emperor smiled and bade Sun Chengzong rise and return to his seat, then abruptly asked: "Does the Supreme Commander know the traitor Lin Qian?"

Yuan Chonghuan felt his head buzz—suddenly everything became clear.

Why had Sun Chengzong, Fu Zonglong, and himself been summoned?

Yuan Chonghuan had thought it was to discuss the Liaodong and She-An war situations—but in truth, it was neither.

What the Emperor truly sought counsel on was the southeast!

Yahei

Fenyuan

Pen