Chapter 197: Zhu Youjian

Wei Zhongxian, his foster daughter Wei Ting, and the remaining subordinates who hadn't been blown to bits were settled in the southern part of the city, where the wealthy residents originally lived.

No matter how rich the people here were, they certainly couldn't compare to Wei Zhongxian's grand mansion in the capital, not to mention the twenty-some subordinates who had followed him. Therefore, to accommodate him, his men took the initiative to open up two adjacent large courtyards for Wei Zhongxian and his entourage.

Jinzhou City was neither large nor small. The prefectural government office was located in the center of the city, neither too far nor too close to Wei Zhongxian's lodging; a leisurely stroll there took only about half an hour.

Without riding horses, Wang Yan, Sun Fugui, and Wang Ming, along with a few personal guards, walked over leisurely. It had just snowed and hadn't been cleared yet; the sound of their feet crunching on the ground was quite satisfying.

"Was the operation smooth this time?"

Wang Ming, who was behind him, stepped forward two paces: "Reporting to you, my lord, it was exceptionally smooth, and the loose ends have all been cleaned up. News from Wang An indicates that on one hand, Zhu Youjian has accepted the fact of Wei Zhongxian's death, and on the other, he killed that foster son of Wei Zhongxian's, while simultaneously sending people to secretly probe for information."

The news of Wei Zhongxian being here couldn't be kept hidden for long. The reason it hadn't been discovered for over a month was simply because those Embroidered Uniform Guards and Eastern Depot people here were all low-level soldiers who had never seen what Wei Zhongxian looked like. After a while, when Zhu Youjian thought of Wang Yan and sent people to take a look, they would know everything. But it wasn't a big problem; if they knew, they knew. What could Zhu Youjian do about it?

Waving his hand to signal Wang Ming to step back, Wang Yan tilted his head to look at Sun Fugui beside him: "Old Sun, has that Embroidered Uniform Guard named Lu Jianxing arrived?"

"He has. I've arranged for him to join the army in Panshan," Sun Fugui said with a chuckle. "If I may say so, my lord, your eye for talent is excellent. That kid challenged others the moment he arrived, and now he's ranked in the top hundred in the Panshan army. I reckon after a while, once he finishes learning all our methods, he might even be able to go straight into the top three battalion commander positions. Should I bring him over for you to see?"

"No need, let him stay in the army," Wang Yan thought for a moment and said, "The physician I instructed you to find, along with his daughter—have they been brought over?"

"They have both been brought, and I've settled them together with the other physicians."

"Good. Pick a day, send someone with generous gifts to their door, and have the physician's daughter sent to my back residence."

He didn't have the time to engage in romance with a young girl. In this era where the commands of parents outweighed everything, once the physician was settled, everything else would be easy to handle. If one were to be pedantic, saying he was using his power to pressure others wouldn't be wrong, though it was still a stretch to call it forcibly seizing a common woman. Besides, he had spared this father and daughter from a death sentence, and he wasn't a heartless man who would discard her after playing with her; as long as his own conscience was clear, that was enough.

This was also why Wang Yan hadn't had anyone bring back that Jin Yichuan, also known as Ding Xian. On one hand, it was because of the physician's daughter, Zhang Yan; on the other, it was because of Ding Baiying. It was too messy, and he found it annoying to look at.

Sun Fugui nodded with a chuckle and said nothing more. He understood how things were to be handled, though he couldn't help but sigh that he was young after all and didn't know how to exercise restraint. Once he reached his age, he would understand...

Many things were handled by him; the supplies for Wang Ming, Wang An, and the others were initially allocated by him, and the contacts with the civil and military officials of Liaodong were also mostly maintained by him coming forward. Most of the various supply matters were also coordinated by him. Walking along this path until now, it could be said that apart from the craftsmen directly managed by Wang Yan, he had participated in matters large and small throughout Wang Yan's entire sphere of influence.

He wasn't a fool. The grain, medicinal herbs, and heavy-salt-cured meat strips piled like mountains in the warehouses, the gleaming armor, firearms, battle sabers, and arrows, the tens of thousands of suitable warhorses that were either allocated by Man Gui or snatched from the hands of the Jianzhou Jurchens and Mongols, the nearly twenty thousand regular soldiers who were still constantly recruiting and undergoing internal elimination, and the tens of thousands of reserve military households howling to become regular troops—this, damn it, was not simply "nurturing bandits to bolster oneself"...

He knew too much, and he was tied too deeply to Wang Yan. He couldn't run even if he wanted to; he had seen Wang Yan's methods with his own eyes. Besides, what if it really succeeded? Looking at the current Duke of England's family, one could see what kind of wealth and honor came from following a dragon.

It was precisely because of this that he was now cautious in every step, fearing he would say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. He spent every day in a state of trepidation mixed with secret joy; he was almost becoming a neurotic.

Wang Yan saw Sun Fugui's changes in his eyes. He appreciated such a sensible person who knew his place; mainly, it saved him worry.

Chatting and laughing along the way, they soon arrived at Wei Zhongxian's residence. The guards at the door saw Sun Fugui, a high-level Jinzhou official who usually handled affairs with them, following behind the person, and they knew the real master had arrived. They didn't dare to block him, nor did they dare to make any unnecessary movements, just watching as Wang Yan walked in with his hands tucked into his sleeves, strolling along.

Wei Zhongxian was in the main room, lying on a comfortable recliner by the floor-to-ceiling window that had been made by smashing a wall and replacing it with glass, enjoying the sun with his eyes closed, letting the few young eunuchs he had brought out knead his shoulders and hammer his legs.

Wei Ting was holding a book on a chair to the side, reading with great interest while sipping tea.

Hearing the sound of the door opening without any announcement, Wei Ting grabbed the Western-style sword at her side, staring at the doorway without blinking.

Wang Yan walked in and swept a casual glance at Wei Ting, ignoring the sword she had already drawn, and walked straight to Wei Zhongxian: "Wang Yan pays his respects to Eunuch Wei. You really have a fine mood."

Wei Zhongxian opened his eyes, staring at the sharp-featured, sturdy young man before him with eyes as still as an ancient well, and suddenly laughed for no reason: "Wang Yan... you're capable, you're truly capable..."

After laughing, Wei Zhongxian struggled to get up: "It should be me, this old wretch, paying respects to you, the General. Quickly, help me up, help me up..."

Wang Yan stopped the two young eunuchs with a look, stepped forward, and used some force to press Wei Zhongxian back onto the recliner. As the recliner swayed, he looked down at Wei Zhongxian, who was glaring at him: "What are you saying, Eunuch? If I have today, isn't it all thanks to your promotion and care? There is no General here, only your junior."

Behind him, Wei Ting saw this scene, her eyes turning red and her teeth nearly shattering. The sword she had just sheathed was drawn out again with a 'clang,' and she charged toward Wang Yan.

However, this was all in vain. Before Wei Ting could continue her movement, Wang Ming and the other personal guards, along with Sun Fugui, reacted with lightning speed, pointing their guns directly at Wei Ting's head.

"Wei Ting, what are you doing? Sheathe your sword." After staring at each other for a long time, Wei Zhongxian waved his hand and laughed: "Since you've said so, then I, the elder, will respectfully comply."

Wei Zhongxian turned his head to look at the young eunuch to the side: "What are you standing there for? Why haven't you moved a chair over yet?"

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Many thanks, Eunuch."

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand with a bitter smile: "This is all your territory, where does the 'many thanks' come from? I am now also living under your breath."

Sitting on the chair moved over by the young eunuch, Wang Yan said: "Eunuch, your words shame me. I will never forget your promotion of me in the past. Today, you have fallen into trouble, and it is only right that I help you. How can you say you are living under my breath?"

Wei Zhongxian didn't say any more of this nonsense, turning instead to ask: "I heard you led troops to fight the Jianzhou Jurchens? How was the harvest?"

"Not bad, a mere three thousand heads."

"You have a big mouth, but you certainly have the strength. The late Emperor did not misjudge you. These heads are to be used to claim credit and rewards from that brat Zhu Youjian, right?" Wei Zhongxian said with certainty, his eyes involuntarily turning red: "It's just a pity the late Emperor died in his prime; otherwise, in a few years, we might have seen the day the Jianzhou Jurchens were exterminated and Liaodong recovered..."

It was fine to say a few useless words, but Wang Yan didn't want to ramble on any further. This old bastard Wei Zhongxian knew clearly in his heart that he was only here for the silver and wasn't saying anything serious.

"Alright, enough idle talk," Wang Yan interrupted the old bastard who was wiping away tears: "Old Wei, you know why I brought you here. I won't beat around the bush; I'll speak directly. You've fallen on hard times now, and there's no possibility of a comeback. You know what happened to those Embroidered Uniform Guards outside the inn."

"You hold so much silver in your hands; you can't bring it with you in life, and you can't take it with you in death, so it's of no use. Just give it all to me. You can rest assured if you hand the silver to me; I, Wang, would absolutely never do something like killing the donkey after the millstone is finished. You can just settle down here in Liaodong and spend your old age."

"Of course, even if you don't give me the silver, you can still enjoy life comfortably here in Liaodong, and I won't do anything to you. No matter how poor I, Wang, am, I won't be short of a bite for you. What do you say, Old Wei?"

"Old Wei?" Wei Zhongxian was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily: "You've thought too much. It's true that I, Wei Zhongxian, have held great power for these eight years, but my power was given by the late Emperor, and the errands I ran were for the late Emperor. I was nothing more than a vicious dog raised by the family. I just barked wildly depending on my master's mood. Now that the tree has fallen and the monkeys have scattered, how much silver do you think I could still have in my hands?"

Wang Yan stared tightly at Wei Zhongxian, and seeing the playfulness in his eyes, what else was there not to understand?

Such a ruthless man who castrated himself to enter the palace and climbed to the top by playing both sides—how could he be settled by a mere few words from him? And those in power all had a common flaw: they didn't trust anyone but themselves. It was normal for Wei Zhongxian not to trust him.

If one could avoid death, who would want to die? Especially Wei Zhongxian, who had enjoyed a lifetime of wealth and honor. Even if he was sixty, which was considered a long life, he had enjoyed wealth for a lifetime and didn't want to just disappear like this.

What if Wang Yan was tricking him, taking the silver and then reneging, turning around and slaughtering him? Who would he go to for justice? Even the King of Hell wouldn't recognize him.

Wei Zhongxian was stubborn and wouldn't loosen his mouth, and Wang Yan had no way to deal with him. He didn't know how to search souls or anything like that, and torturing this old bastard was a bit beneath him—not to mention whether the other party was afraid or not, what if he died halfway through?

Moreover, this sum of silver—it was good if he had it, as it could accelerate development. If he didn't, he couldn't force it; he would just proceed step by step. Besides, Wei Zhongxian wasn't going anywhere here; it was only a matter of time. There would be plenty of time in the future.

"Fine, if you don't want to say it, then don't. So much silver can't really accompany you into the grave. You enjoy yourself, I'll take my leave. When you've thought it through, just send someone to tell Sun Fugui. I'm off..."

"Wei Ting, quickly send him off on my behalf."

Wang Yan glanced at Wei Ting, who was looking resentful to the side, and waved his hand: "No need."

Having said that, he took Sun Fugui and the group of people and walked out the door.

Wei Zhongxian laughed, adjusted his posture, and lay back down. With his eyes slightly narrowed, bathing in the sunlight, he began to snore before long...

The next day, Ningyuan.

Early in the morning, Wang Yan led a group of subordinates and a convoy carrying three thousand heads to report his work to Man Gui. His original intention was to get two thousand and call it a day, but since he had already killed them, there was no such thing as saving them, so he just brought them all over.

Man Gui was already used to seeing thousands of heads at once. After taking a rough look and getting a count, he returned to the study with Wang Yan to discuss matters.

Seeing the young maid who served tea close the door sensibly, Man Gui put down his teacup: "Do you know about the recent affairs in the court?"

"Is the General referring to Wei Zhongxian's downfall?"

"Not just that," Man Gui shook his head: "You've been out leading troops to fight for over two months, so it's normal you don't know. In these short two months, the court has truly changed heaven and earth. The Eunuch Faction has fallen, and many people have been implicated and stepped down. Those who filled the vacancies are all people from the Donglin Party. Now, it's the Donglin Party in power again..."

This was Zhu Youjian's flaw. Although he was already seventeen and had long since been able to handle affairs in this era, he was ultimately too young and too naive, acting purely on likes and dislikes, and being too wishful.

Wei Zhongxian was no good, and the Eunuch Faction had wreaked havoc on the court—that was all true. But one couldn't strike everyone down with a single blow; not everyone in the Eunuch Faction was useless. After all, Wei Zhongxian was powerful; if one didn't join his faction, not only would one be unable to survive, but one would also be in danger of losing one's life. There were many people who had to submit to the Eunuch Faction but were still capable.

And the Donglin Party had people like Sun Chengzong, Sun Chuanting, and Lu Xiangsheng who worked for the country and the people, and there were also a group of civil officials with integrity and spirit who died for their country along with Zhu Youjian when Li Zicheng broke into the capital. But there were also many who were protectors of the gentry and sold their country for glory.

This matter had to be viewed dialectically; it couldn't be distinguished purely by good or bad.

Just like Man Gui in front of Wang Yan—he had done everything from skimming silver and eating empty rations to taking the elite of Liaodong as his private soldiers, but hadn't he ultimately been loyal to the Great Ming? On one hand, he destroyed things and enriched himself at the public's expense; on the other, he disregarded his own life to defend the mountains and rivers of the Han people. People were so complex; could one summarize them with just good or evil? It was like a joke.

There was also the issue of Zhu Youjian abolishing the Depot and Guard. Even if he didn't abolish them, once Wei Zhongxian fell, he struck at the remnants of the Eunuch Faction and took away most of the elite from the Depot and Guard. Historically, Zhu Youjian took down over two hundred people—those were the ones with names and surnames worth recording. The people behind the scenes were numerous.

Therefore, after this storm of Wei Zhongxian's passed, the Depot and Guard were effectively abolished even if they weren't officially. Their combat effectiveness had declined severely, far worse than before.

After thinking blindly for a while, Wang Yan said: "General, what impact does the Donglin Party being in power have on us?"

"The impact is huge," Man Gui shook his head: "Not to mention the distant ones, just those civil officials in our Liaodong who belong to the Donglin Party—they all tucked their tails between their legs before, but recently they've been unstoppable. Also, the day before yesterday, I went to pay respects to the Grand Coordinator, and he said the new Emperor intends to pacify Liaodong, and there are voices in the court saying they want to reinstate Yuan Chonghuan to manage Liaodong. If Yuan Chonghuan takes office, think about whether it will have an impact on us."

"Then Grand Coordinator Wang will just watch Yuan Chonghuan steal his rice bowl? Without making any moves?"

"It's precarious," Man Gui sighed: "You know that Yuan Chonghuan squeezed me out before. At that time, Grand Coordinator Wang protected me, but what was the result? Didn't we still end up stationed at Shanhai Pass? Even with Grand Coordinator Wang's careful management, how could he compare to Yuan Chonghuan?"

"General, there's no need to be like this. I don't think it's certain how this matter will turn out," Wang Yan said: "Think about it, General. Now that Wei Zhongxian has just fallen, it will take some time for the power in the court to be handed over. The old saying goes, 'to repel external enemies, one must first stabilize the interior.' Pacifying Liaodong is mostly just shouting slogans; it certainly won't reach us here for a while."

"As long as Grand Coordinator Wang doesn't make mistakes, the imperial court has no reason to replace him. As long as I hold the line against the Jianzhou Jurchens at the front and don't lose battles, there will certainly be no problems in the short term. As for the long term..."

"General, have you forgotten the faces of those people in the court during the Zhu Zhu Dajie at Jinzhou? We could have fought for ten years of border stability in one battle, so why did it stop abruptly? Wasn't it because those people wanted to skim silver? If someone is really targeting Grand Coordinator Wang..."

"The troops are in our hands. We've captured all the merchants traveling in Liaodong, confiscated all their goods, and cut off the road to Shanhai Pass. That's all silver. Don't you think they're anxious?"

"If the situation is bad and Yuan Chonghuan really takes office, if we don't listen to his orders, what can he do? Use the Imperial Sword to behead us? General, it's the same saying: the troops are in our hands. With over a hundred thousand troops in Liaodong, are we just going to let people manipulate us? If Yuan Chonghuan cooperates with us, that's fine; if he doesn't, I'll be the first to chop off his dog head."

"Slow down, slow down." The first part was fine, reasonable and well-founded. But what the hell was that tiger-wolf talk at the end? Man Gui was slightly panicked and subconsciously scanned his surroundings: "You kid, that's rebellion, that's losing your head. Just say that to me; don't go spouting nonsense outside. Do you hear me?"

Wang Yan smiled indifferently: "I hear you, I hear you. I was just anxious. If Yuan Chonghuan really takes office and uses the Imperial Sword to try to behead us, are we just going to sit there and let him slaughter us?"

"Yuan Chonghuan... he is mature and prudent; he won't do such an unwise thing," Man Gui frowned: "Besides, it's still early. Why are you shouting about fighting and killing now?"

Wang Yan grinned, showing his big white teeth, and drank his tea to himself.

Of course, he wasn't joking when he said this.

If the Grand Coordinator really became the supervisor, and dared to point fingers at the two of them, he would really chop off Yuan Chonghuan's head and then raise the flag of rebellion. This contradiction could not be reconciled, and he couldn't retreat even a single step. Retreating meant death. Not retreating meant he could still struggle for a while.

Not to mention the grudge from slapping Zhu Youjian in the face—even without that, at this moment when the Great Ming had the advantage and Huang Taiji dared not act rashly, once Yuan Chonghuan took office, he would inevitably withdraw him from Jinzhou and replace him with his own confidants. This was the best position to earn merit; anyone who wasn't a fool would have to take it.

But Jinzhou was General Wang's base camp; how could he withdraw? Where could he withdraw to? The other party would hold the banner of righteousness and manipulate him directly. At that time, he would either be like Island Master Mao or be reported by Yuan Chonghuan to Zhu Youjian; either way, it was death. Therefore, there was only one path of resisting orders; there was no other way to go.

Moreover, he said this with the intention of testing Man Gui to see what Man Gui really thought. The result was obvious: Man Gui was loyal to the Great Ming, not to the Emperor of the Great Ming. That was also quite good; he was open-minded about certain things.

Man Gui took a sip of tea to soothe his rapidly beating little heart: "The Jianzhou Jurchens don't have enough supplies, and you've been tossing about for two months; they will inevitably go south to plunder in the spring. Now, at this critical moment, I'm counting on you; you absolutely cannot make even the slightest mistake. Otherwise, no one in Liaodong will have a good life. It's almost New Year, and in a few months, it will be spring. How are things on your side? Is there anything you need?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "General, rest assured, I guarantee with my own head that there will absolutely be no problems."

It wasn't that he didn't want anything; the key was that what he wanted were controlled materials like iron and copper. Man Gui's status as Regional Commander was useless; it was very difficult to go through official channels, and he couldn't allocate much, plus he would have to explain the usage. It wasn't as worry-free as buying them himself from those merchants. Short-term acquisitions were enough, and for the long term, there were mines nearby; Huang Taiji and his good sons just had to dig them.

"Alright, I will send someone to the capital to report the victory. If there's nothing else, you should go back. Pay close attention to the movements of the Jianzhou Jurchens; you must not be lax."

"Yes, General, I take my leave."

Wang Yan finished the tea in his cup, cupped his hands, went out the door, took his waiting subordinates, and rode back to Jinzhou.

Returning to the General's Mansion in Jinzhou City, in the back residence, he didn't need the young maids to serve him. The sisters Miao Xuan and Miao Tong stepped forward to help him take off his outer robe and change into a thin, casual shirt.

His General's Mansion had undergone some renovations; it no longer burned fire-heated kang beds, but floor heating. Wei Zhongxian had already enjoyed floor-to-ceiling windows, so there was no need to mention him, Wang. The south-facing wall where the windows were installed had been smashed and replaced with large pieces of double-layered transparent glass, which was both heat-insulating and good-looking. Moreover, in this backyard, he was the only man. Apart from his women, there were only a group of young maids who hadn't grown up yet, so he didn't fear anything; it was very comfortable.

Seeing Wang Yan change his clothes and sit down, Ding Baiying to the side said: "I heard you had Sun Fugui go to someone's house to propose marriage? And it's a physician's daughter?"

"Did he go today?"

Zhou Miaotong said faintly: "They say she'll enter the door tomorrow."

Why did this damn thing feel like an interrogation? Wang Yan said: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Zhou Miaoxuan said with hidden barbs: "Master is joking. As women, how would we dare to have a problem?"

Ding Baiying slanted a glance at Wang Yan: "Our great master is probably really wanting to be the Emperor. I wonder how many women are enough?"

This was also because Wang Yan was truly indulgent toward women, basically not managing them much, letting them do whatever they wanted. For women deeply influenced by ritual and etiquette, who didn't step out of the gate or the second gate, this was simply an unparalleled good man.

It was also because of this, plus the fact that Wang was heroic, iron-blooded, learned, wise, talented, held great power, commanded troops to guard the country, killed three hundred miles of Jianzhou Jurchens, and had the heroic charm of coming and going freely in enemy countries.

Most importantly, his performance in bed was excellent. This might not mean much to Ding Baiying, who had only experienced one man, but it was quite powerful for the sisters Miao Xuan and Miao Tong. Miao Xuan was a bit less so, but Miao Tong, who had been a prostitute, cherished him genuinely; since the first man she had served, none had been as fierce as Wang Yan...

And Wang Yan was Ding Baiying's first man. In this era where chastity was valued more than life, it went without saying. No matter how much she traveled the world, she was still a woman.

Therefore, although they hadn't been together for long, these three women couldn't help but want to get closer to Wang Yan and want to enjoy him exclusively. Originally, three people were already a bit tight, and now another one was being brought in, thinning out the already scarce favor, so the three women were a bit jealous.

At this time, one couldn't explain anything, because once one explained, it would release a signal of yielding, and the resistance to him stuffing women into the back residence in the future would be even greater. This was not good; this was very not good.

General Wang didn't say a word, stepped forward directly, picked up Ding Baiying, and went into the bedroom, onto the large bed he had specially ordered to be made: "Then let me test first whether your master has the ability to be an Emperor..."

The Zhou sisters looked at each other, and finally walked into the bedroom as well. Wang Yan had only been back for three days, and it looked like he was going to be with Ding Baiying for two of them. Everyone was sisters; if there was difficulty, they had to share it, they had to test together... Besides, it wasn't like they hadn't been together before...

A group of young maids blushed slightly, and familiarly retreated and closed the door...

The next day, Zhang Yan was carried into the General's Mansion. Wang Yan had the cook he had trained in the mansion take charge of the kitchen and invited his subordinates to a meal...

Zhang Yan was effectively taken by his power. Although there were many physicians' daughters, this girl was at least a familiar face from the screen. Moreover, he planned to let Zhang Yan be the Minister of Health in the future, and the other three women also had their own arrangements, mainly to set an example, liberate the women of the Great Ming, and release productivity.

…………

On the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, the heads sent by Man Gui arrived in the capital, were pulled all the way to the Eastern Depot to be examined by professionals, and the accompanying documents were sent to Zhu Youjian.

Looking at the flowery document boasting of merit, Zhu Youjian frowned and asked the eunuch Wang Chengen to the side—the one who would eventually hang himself along with Zhu Youjian: "How is the examination of the heads? Are they all real?"

"The examination isn't finished yet, but the ones checked so far are all real." Before he could ask again, Wang Chengen spoke about Wang Yan: "Your Majesty, there are records of the people left behind by the late Emperor. Wang Yan was promoted to Assistant Regional Commander, commanding twenty thousand troops to garrison Jinzhou, partly because he was the main contributor to the Zhu Zhu Dajie at Jinzhou, and partly because he sent five thousand Jianzhou Jurchen heads last winter. After verification, Wang Yan indeed caused a considerable degree of damage to the rear of the Jianzhou Jurchens, indirectly increasing our Great Ming's advantage over them. It was also for this point that the late Emperor exceptionally promoted Wang Yan."

Zhu Youjian had of course heard these words, but he was afraid of forgetting them due to having too many things to do, and Wang Chengen was just reminding him at the right time.

"Are his subordinates really that capable of fighting? With so many civil and military officials in the Great Ming unable to deal with the Jianzhou Jurchens, retreating step by step and losing Liaodong, he can come and go freely in the rear of the Jianzhou Jurchens?"

Wang Chengen carefully glanced at Zhu Youjian and said: "Your Majesty, you previously instructed me to thoroughly investigate this Wang Yan. According to what I know, because Liaodong is severely in arrears with military pay, those troops of his are all raised by himself. The soap, scented soap, perfume, mirrors, and so on that are selling hotly on the market and are especially popular in Jiang Nan are all from Wang Yan's hands. And I also probed that in the entire Liaodong, from the Grand Coordinator Wang Zhichen down to a small squad leader, everyone has a share..."

This thing was actually not hard to investigate. As long as one reached a certain status, one knew about the affairs in Liaodong, and everyone tacitly understood. The reason it took three months to investigate was because he couldn't tacitly understand; he had to have solid evidence to prove it, and the news couldn't have errors. The whole situation in Liaodong was a game of chess, and it was only now that it was comprehensively confirmed.

Zhu Youjian was stunned for a moment. When he was still the Prince of Xin, he had heard about the affairs in Liaodong. He had already tried his best to think about it seriously, but he didn't expect it to be so rotten.

After a long time, Zhu Youjian let out a long breath: "If I remember correctly, he was from the Tianqi era?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, that is indeed the case." Wang Chengen carefully organized: "When the Jianzhou Jurchens besieged Ningyuan, Yuan Chonghuan, together with Man Gui, promoted him to Company Commander on the battlefield. After the Battle of Ningyuan, when discussing merit and rewards, because of his outstanding combat merit, he was promoted to Battalion Commander. Last winter, he sent five hundred and twenty-eight heads for the first time, and the late Emperor promoted him to Garrison Commander, leading three thousand troops. After that, it was the Zhu Zhu Dajie at Jinzhou this year, and he was promoted to Assistant Regional Commander."

"Heh, two years, a mere two years..."

Zhu Youjian shook his head with a dark face. Wang Yan was too awesome; he didn't dare to act rashly.

In fact, regarding the pacification of Liaodong in the court before, some people even took the opportunity to suggest reinstating Yuan Chonghuan, and he had also been ambiguous, neither agreeing nor refusing; it was just a wind he had released to probe the reaction in Liaodong. He didn't expect the other party's reaction to be so straightforward, sending three thousand heads directly...

What was this? It was a provocation. Didn't he understand what it meant? It meant that if he could kill three thousand Jianzhou Jurchens, he could kill thirty thousand. If he changed the person pacifying Liaodong, Liaodong would instantly become a great battle, and it might even come over to pacify him.

Of course, this was absolutely Zhu Youjian's paranoid delusion. Wang Yan's original intention was to give him face and alleviate the awkwardness of snatching people last time; he had never thought about leading troops into the pass to pacify Zhu Youjian. It was just that Zhu Youjian was narrow-minded and had been holding a grudge. Wang Yan's good intentions were instead misinterpreted by him; ultimately, Wang Yan had misplaced his kindness...

Zhu Youjian was silent for a long time, then suddenly a flash of inspiration came to him: "Draft an edict."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen responded and hurriedly went to the side to pick up a pen and wait for Zhu Youjian to speak.

"Surprise attack on the Jianzhou Jurchens, beheading over three thousand enemy chieftains, crushing the enemy's spirit, destroying the enemy's vitality, I am very comforted... Promote Wang Yan to Assistant Regional Commander-in-Chief, add the title of General of Pacifying the Country, officially grant the position of Deputy Regional Commander, continue to garrison Jinzhou, reward thirty taels of silver..."

Wang Chengen finished writing the draft edict, looked up and said: "Your Majesty, this... is this too high? He is only seventeen, and he will only be eighteen after this year. I fear it will be difficult to convince the masses..."

"Just do it, hand it over to the Cabinet."

"This old servant obeys the edict."

Watching Wang Chengen go out, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. There is a saying: if you want to make someone perish, you must first make them go mad.

Would it have any impact if he didn't promote Wang Yan to Deputy Regional Commander? Anyway, the man was raising troops with his own silver, and the mountains were high and the Emperor was far away, and the relationships in Liaodong had all been cleared; couldn't he raise as many as he wanted? Besides, commanding twenty thousand troops was already the level of a considerable portion of Deputy Regional Commanders; in reality, he was no worse than a Deputy Regional Commander, so why not just give him the title directly?

Another thing: there were so many Assistant Regional Commanders in Liaodong queuing up for upgrades. Now that an eighteen-year-old kid had walked in front of this group of people, he didn't believe that among so many people, not one would have an opinion. In this way, he could disrupt the iron-clad unity of Liaodong and find a breakthrough...

【Novel app that has been running stably for many years, the source-changing app that is comparable to the old version of chasing bugs, huanyuanapp.】

Moreover, he really didn't have the energy or the means to move Liaodong now. With the handover of domestic power and all kinds of natural and man-made disasters, he had enough headaches. Liaodong was equivalent to the ultimate BOSS; he had to level up first...

If Wang Yan knew, he would definitely sneer. A typical example of high ambition but low ability, "I'll do it myself"—and he still wanted to take it step by step? This was the same logic as when he swore to study hard when he was in school; didn't he run to the internet cafe in the blink of an eye? If Zhu Youjian, who was young and vigorous, could hold back from pointing fingers blindly, Wang Yan would write his surname backward... ===== CHAPTER 198 =====