Chapter 246: King Against King: True Dragon Meets False Dragon

After the memorials were reviewed and annotated, Wang Tiqian and Tian Ergeng saluted and withdrew, while Zhu Youjian nodded toward Gao Shiming.

Gao Shiming understood at once; with a wave of his hand, two junior eunuchs wheeled out an enormous rosewood schedule screen and set it firmly before the Emperor. The screen was densely covered in tiny regular-script characters, detailing Zhu Youjian's schedule for the next ten days.

This was the rhythm of the New Policies, the pulse of the empire.

Sovereign and minister leaned close before the screen, deliberating at length, trying to carve out half a shichen from this nearly overflowing schedule to meet those seventeen men brought in as Li Zicheng.

But an emperor's itinerary is not so easily rearranged.

The two men pondered for a while, yet not a single item in the near-term schedule could be moved.

The first major block of near-term business concerned the merchants.

This was the centerpiece of the capital's second-phase New Policies — laying the groundwork for commercial tax reform.

According to the Shuntian Prefectural Office's deliberations, all agencies in the capital related to commercial taxes would be stripped out of their existing structures, merged with the Chongwen Gate Tax Bureau, and formed into an entirely new "Capital Commercial Tax Office."

This office would remain under Shuntian Prefecture, but its rank would be raised somewhat, with the hard-nosed Li Shiqi serving as its first Chief Administrator, overseeing all commercial taxes within Shuntian Prefecture.

For now, the first step was to consolidate commercial taxes within the capital itself; later, tax stations outside the city, such as Hexiwu and Zhangjiawan, would also be merged in.

Further down the line, whether the office's rank should be elevated further would depend on just how great the potential of commercial tax revenue proved to be.

In a sense, this office would serve as a template and testing ground for commercial taxation across the entire realm going forward.

For this major undertaking, the Hanlin Academy was already compiling historical materials on commercial tax reforms across successive dynasties.

On his side, Zhu Youjian had arranged to meet with several major merchants who had donated over twenty thousand taels of silver, and also summoned a few mid-sized merchants of some substance for discussions, to float trial balloons for the New Policies.

Among them, the capital's wealthiest man, Wu Cheng'en, was someone Zhu Youjian intended to speak with separately, one-on-one.

On one hand, he wanted Wu to put a halt to that "prize-giving" of his — if he truly wished to become the Ming dynasty's Nobel, he could wait until Zhu Youjian's science and technology initiatives were properly in place; there would be no harm in waiting.

On the other hand, he needed to give Wu a formal IOU.

Repaying debts is a matter of natural justice.

And for Zhu Youjian, it was an absolute principle.

Credit is the lubricant of power, and credit is also the accelerant of wealth!

The Son of Heaven's word carries the weight of nine tripods; with credit, that tripod can steady the realm.

But without credit, that tripod is nothing more than a heap of scrap iron.

An emperor with credit, a court with credit — the efficiency of mobilizing society's entire resources would increase exponentially. Why had he chosen to shoulder the nine border garrisons' ten million taels of back pay himself, rather than finding some pretext to write it off?

Why did he insist on issuing Wu Cheng'en a formal IOU?

Because he wanted all under Heaven to see: the Ming Son of Heaven repays every debt he owes!

And this credit must ultimately extend further, manifesting in a court where every word is kept and every action yields results.

If the New Policies say they will succeed, then succeed they must!

And from the very start, the plan must be proclaimed to the realm, then with the force of toppling mountains and overturning seas, crush every obstacle and achieve success openly and honorably! The Ming Northern Zhili New Policies Implementation Pledge is an unambiguous military oath, not some fanciful talk of dreams!

Everything must yield before the New Policies!

Hence Zhu Youjian's current itinerary:

Discuss and review Shuntian Prefecture's overall governance pledge...

Summon village heads, gentry, and local strongmen from the capital region to the palace for discussions, to gauge their attitudes...

Meet with leading figures from both Buddhism and Daoism, to see the measure of their sincerity — how much gold they are able and willing to cough up, how much in one-time gold, and how much in sustained gold...

Interview and assign the Mounted Attendants, to mitigate potential resistance from the old merit-nobility...

Have the Depot and the Guard collect dirt on the merit-nobility, have the Directorate of Ceremonial sort out the marriage ties and factional relationships among them, and attempt to drive a few wedges into the old merit-nobility bloc, splitting their strength...

A multitude of tasks, each and every one bearing on the success or failure of the New Policies.

Tell me, which of these matters is not more important than meeting a mere seventeen Li Zichengs?!

In the end, sovereign and minister conferred and decided to push back the meeting with the villager representatives from Baodi County, barely squeezing out half a shichen. This was Zhu Youjian's new daily reality once the New Policies were in full swing.

Meetings, audiences, discussions.

Gathering intelligence, setting direction, making decisions.

Cycle after cycle, without end.

Yet Zhu Youjian himself, who played the game with the entire dynasty as his chess pieces, took genuine pleasure in it and felt not the slightest fatigue.

However, precisely because the Emperor's schedule had been pushed back by several days, by the time these seventeen "Li Zichengs" finally received word that they were to be brought into the palace, the initial unease and terror in their hearts had already been largely worn away by a string of unexpected developments.

Things had begun to change a few days earlier.

First, the men guarding them rotated shifts, and that smiling-tiger Centurion vanished.

Then a young Embroidered Uniform Guard officer arrived and offered some clarifications.

"Gentlemen, the reason you were all brought here from Shaanxi is not, as the rumors have had it, to enter the palace and become eunuchs."

"Rather, Eunuch Gao, the seal-holder of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was seeking a long-lost distant relative. Unfortunately, by the time the order was passed down, it was discovered that the distant relative had long since passed away, and the order could not be recalled in time — hence this absurd misunderstanding."

At these words, a barely suppressed stir rippled through the courtyard.

The men looked at one another, their expressions exceedingly complex.

There was the relief of having narrowly escaped calamity, yet also a trace of regret at having missed out on a chance at unimaginable wealth and status.

After all, this was the seal-holder of the Directorate of Ceremonial — Eunuch Gao, second only to one man and above all others!

If one could truly attach oneself to him, never mind one cut — some would likely be willing to take ten cuts.

The young Embroidered Uniform Guard officer, surnamed Wang, continued:

"That said, one matter is one matter."

"Eunuch Gao's search for kin was a private affair, but his subordinates took a feather as a token of authority, tyrannized the localities, and besmirched the good name of our Embroidered Uniform Guard and the court — that is a public offense."

His voice suddenly turned stern.

"His Majesty is implementing the New Policies and has issued repeated orders to rectify official discipline — yet there are still those who dare such reckless audacity!"

"As of now, that Magnate Zheng who had you all 'invited' here has been thrown into the Imperial Prison and is under interrogation!"

Immediately after, Wang Jinshi waved a hand, and the guard officer behind him stepped forward bearing a tray, on which silver ingots were neatly stacked.

"This is Eunuch Gao's compensation for all of you — three taels per man."

At that, the courtyard erupted completely.

The faint remnants of "regret" lingering moments before were instantly swept away without a trace by the gleaming silver.

The men scrambled over one another to step forward and claim their reward; once they had the silver in hand, they turned it over and over, examining it, some even biting it directly — their faces alight with irrepressible wild joy.

Three taels of silver!

A fortune like that, taken back to northern Shaanxi, was half a nag, was six shi of wheat and rice!

This windfall was already an incredible reward!

Compared to this, what did a mere two months of wasted time matter!

Only when the men had quieted somewhat did Wang Jinshi drop the day's heaviest news.

"Gentlemen, since you have come all this way, you cannot simply go back like this."

"His present Majesty is at this very moment intent on reform. Having heard of this affair, he is most sympathetic to your plight and deeply concerned with the conditions of the people in Shaanxi. He has given special instructions that he wishes to see you in person — it will not have been a wasted trip."

The Emperor wanted to see them in person?!

Hearts that had only just settled began pounding wildly once more.

Wang Jinshi's tone grew heavier as he admonished them, weighing every word.

"An audience with His Majesty is a rare opportunity, but it is also a trial of the utmost magnitude. His Majesty loves to hear the truth above all, and he is especially fond of hearing the real state of local abuses and conditions."

"If any of you can give a truthful account — if you can even move His Majesty or put your finger on a crucial point — there will be further silver rewards, and even entry into the military rolls of our Embroidered Uniform Guard is not beyond imagining!"

"But — " his tone shifted abruptly, his gaze sharp as a blade, " — if anyone dares speak glibly before His Majesty, deceiving or concealing, that is the crime of deceiving the throne! I need not elaborate on the consequences, need I?"

To drive his point home, Wang Jinshi gave a vivid, detailed recitation of the varied fates that had befallen men from all over Northern Zhili who had been summoned to the capital over the past month on account of the new policies.

Some villainous gentry, for falsely reporting disasters in an attempt to mislead the imperial ear, had been sentenced to military exile on the frontier.

But far more honest and dutiful village heads and country folk, for answering carefully and speaking the truth, had received on the spot rewards of five taels, ten taels, and so on. "The highest one," Wang Jinshi said with a faint smile, his words dripping with enticement.

"A village head, because he brought to light a long-standing abuse that had plagued the locality for years and proposed a solution, was promoted on the spot by His Majesty in an exceptional appointment, granted the rank of Centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and now serves under my command!"

These words were like a ladle of boiling oil, splashed straight onto the fire burning in the men's hearts.

Three taels of silver warmed the body.

A word about future prospects set the heart ablaze.

The men cast even that lingering regret about "castration" completely to the back of their minds.

A future you could earn with your balls intact — wasn't that far more comfortable than riches gained by closing your eyes to the knife?!

From that day on, the atmosphere among Li Zicheng and the others changed entirely.

The men no longer idly chatted, but each found his own corner, taking stock of the current ills he knew. The moment one saw another approach, he shut his mouth at once, terrified that the abuses he held might be taken by someone else as a stepping-stone to the heavens.

In the days that followed, ushers from the Court of State Ceremonial arrived and began drilling them, with inexhaustible patience, in the rites for an imperial audience.

From how to kneel, how to kowtow, to how to answer questions — every last detail was drilled to death.

Each man summoned every ounce of his concentration, following the instructions in earnest, terrified of missing the slightest point.

Inevitably, though, some of the men of peasant stock among them were hopelessly clumsy — either moving the same arm and leg together, or nearly tripping themselves during the kneeling obeisance — and were barked at by the stern-faced ushers until they were drenched in sweat, drawing waves of suppressed snickering.

And so it was that this group passed several days in a complex tangle of nerves and eager anticipation.

That afternoon, a junior eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial finally brought the definitive summons, his shrill voice ringing out across the courtyard.

"By His Majesty's oral decree — you are summoned to the palace for an audience."

Inside the hall in the Western Park, it was as warm as spring. Top-grade red-luo charcoal burned silently in the corner, within a gilded beast-head censer, giving off not the slightest wisp of smoke.

When Gao Shiming led the seventeen men from Mizhi in northern Shaanxi filing in, they were all so awed by the splendor they had never seen that their limbs went stiff. The seventeen spread out in a single row and, guided by junior eunuchs, knelt, performed the obeisance, rose, and then gingerly seated themselves on the seventeen armchairs that had long been prepared.

From behind the throne, Zhu Youjian's gaze swept calmly over each man.

Very quickly, his eyes locked onto one among them — a burly man of particularly towering build, with a savage knife scar across his cheek.

Is it you? The true Yongchang Emperor?

Zhu Youjian chuckled inwardly, with a strange amusement not fit to share with others.

"Each of you, state your name, and then tell me your occupation — whether you are a tenant farmer, or have land of your own, whether you are in trade, or in a military guard, and so on."

He spoke, his voice exceedingly mild.

Yet no one dared answer.

Silence spread through the hall, broken only by the occasional crackle of the charcoal.

Zhu Youjian was not annoyed; he had seen this reaction too many times. Every local commoner summoned to the palace was exactly the same.

He pointed casually at a middle-aged man on the far left. "Begin with you."

The middle-aged man instantly slid from his armchair, prostrating himself on the floor, his voice trembling.

"This... this commoner, Li Sancai, a registered resident of the Second Jia of Tai'an Ward, Mizhi County, occupation farming, with thirteen mu of land."

Once the first had spoken, what followed was simple.

The man to his right followed suit, and one after another they slid to their knees.

"This commoner, Li Youtian, a resident of Changmao Village, Mizhi County, occupation farming, tenant of twelve mu of land, with two mu of my own."

"This commoner, Li Fugui..."

So they reported, one by one, until at last it was the scarred, burly man's turn.

He too slid to his knees, his bearing even more reverent than the others', but he opened his mouth and was so tense he lost his voice; he coughed roughly twice before finding it again.

"This commoner, Li Er, a hereditary military householder of Lijia Station, Mizhi County, occupation military farmland cultivation, with..."

At this point, fine, dense cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and he could not get the next words out no matter what.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian, far from growing angry, gave an embarrassed smile.

It seemed his eye for men was worse than even that of the Xiongnu envoy — the game of Cao Holding the Saber meeting the Xiongnu had gone bust in the opening move.

The man he had picked out was actually not the real Li Zicheng from the roster — that is, the one now called Li Hongji.

But the reaction of the fellow standing before him — that, he knew all too well.

It was plainly the look of a man who had something to say but dared not, yet dared not stay silent either.

Ever since the new policies rolled out, the proportion of civil and military officials he interviewed had dropped, while the number of times he faced common folk had shot straight up, and he had long since distilled a set of effective, soothing conversational tactics.

"The military farmland has all been seized, hasn't it?" Zhu Youjian gently picked up the thread. "And now, what do you live on?" He paused, his voice growing softer still, like a spring breeze melting into rain.

"Don't be afraid. Of the many hidden, sordid affairs down below, I have a fair idea in my mind already. So long as you have not committed any grave offense — rape, murder, pillage — a few trifling transgressions like smuggling or salt-running, I can wipe the slate clean with a single stroke."

"Besides, this is the capital, thousands of li from Shaanxi. Just speak the truth. With me protecting you, who would dare do anything to you?" The words seemed to carry a spell; the taut body of the burly man called Li Er visibly relaxed.

Yet he still dared not raise his head, only prostrated himself on the floor, though his voice came much more smoothly now.

"This commoner dare not deceive His Majesty. The military farmland... it has all indeed fallen to Centurion Liu now. This commoner is by nature unsuited to tilling the soil, and ordinarily... ordinarily makes his living as a traveling merchant." "Oh? What goods do you trade? From where to where? How much profit in a year?" Zhu Youjian followed the thread with his questions, his tone still easy, yet the questions cut like a knife. "And the money you earn — to whom must you share a cut? Which officer, which yamen?"

The just-eased atmosphere vanished in an instant.

Li Er went rigid all over again, and even felt a twinge in his bladder.

"Heh heh, just answer honestly, no need for taboos." Zhu Youjian chuckled softly.

Li Er clenched his teeth, a fierce battle raging in his heart, and in the end spoke, still hedging and evasive.

"This commoner... this commoner partnered with a few brothers from the guard battalions, going beyond the frontier to trade, dealing in some cloth, salt, and the like. One trip can bring in over ten taels of profit, but half must be shared with the officers of the border garrisons, and some more money paid to the local Centurion Liu to commute our labor service. What's left for the brothers to split — by the year's end, it probably comes to no more than seven or eight taels of silver."

"Good!" Zhu Youjian clapped his hands and laughed. "A truly honest fellow! To speak so plainly to me — your loyalty is plain to see!"

"When you withdraw shortly, a junior eunuch will find you. Write down in detail everything you have just said — which tribe you traded with, which garrison you paid off, names and all. If you write it well, ten taels of reward silver, or a place on the Embroidered Uniform Guard rolls — you may choose whichever you prefer."

Li Er trembled with excitement, simply knocking his head against the golden floor tiles with a thumping sound, babbling incoherently, "Thank Your Majesty for your heavenly grace! Thank Your Majesty for your heavenly grace!"

Zhu Youjian nodded, then said to Gao Shiming, who stood in attendance at his side, "That matter of Centurion Liu seizing military farmland — have Tian Ergeng send a capable new man down to look into it. If the investigation confirms it, punish according to the law."

Gao Shiming bowed and accepted the order.

Zhu Youjian then signaled for the next person to continue.

"This commoner, Li Shanheng..."

This was the routine Zhu Youjian had gradually worked out for interviewing the lower classes.

He continuously summoned people from the lower, middle, and upper strata of every region to the capital for an audience.

Those who could speak the truth, and speak the crucial truth, were given money and minor official posts.

As for the local problems revealed in their accounts — if it was a major issue, he would set it aside for now and advance it in step with the rhythm of the overall new policies. But if it was the sort of satisfying little story-problem that could be solved by an imperial commissioner with an edict, he would dispatch an Embroidered-Banner Captain to handle it.

Finally, these complete episodes — the summons, the imperial audience, the bestowal of rewards, the commissioner's departure from the capital — would all be turned into little stories, given a bit of polish, their plots fleshed out, and published in the Great Ming Times.

On one hand, this ensured a continuous inflow of information from the outside.

On the other hand, it was meant to foster an atmosphere, a narrative, across the whole realm...

— No matter what grievance you suffer, the Eternal Chang Sovereign Emperor stands forever with you!

— The state may be this decayed, but the Emperor has already taken notice and is striving to improve it!

The ones doing evil are the treacherous ministers, the petty clerks, the powerful landlords — but certainly never His Sacred Majesty! And so now, in the Great Ming Times, the "Embroidered Uniform Guard Uproots Evil" column had already reached its ninth installment.

That imperial commissioner, forever named "Li Zhengyi," had appeared in Yongping Prefecture, in Hejian Prefecture, in Zhending Prefecture, and now, in a few more months, was about to appear in northern Shaanxi.

Zhu Youjian had no idea whether any of this was actually useful.

But as Emperor, the human resources he could call upon were nearly limitless. So long as something had no obvious drawback, he would just do it. With a debt of over ten million hanging over him, he could hardly be bothered to quibble over these few hundred or thousand taels of expenditure.

Zhu Youjian split his attention, listening to each person's introduction while inwardly mulling over how giving out too many of these minor reward posts was not good either, and that later he would have to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard put these people through the wringer and set up some sort of evaluation system.

After all, whether official posts were redundant or not — the key was not how many officials there were, but whether those officials were creating corresponding value.

So long as these beasts of burden could create value worth twice, five times, ten times the salaries they drew...

"This commoner, Li Hongji, of the second jia of Tai'an Ward. I own no land, and work as a groom at a post station."

A particularly grating voice suddenly rang out, pulling Zhu Youjian, who had been splitting his attention and pondering how to evaluate these newly minted "Embroidered Uniform Guard" members, back to reality.

He raised his eyelids slightly, and for the first time truly, carefully scrutinized this "Eternal Chang Emperor" whose dynastic fortune he had stolen.

High brows and deep-set cheekbones, hawk-like eyes and a bulbous nose, his voice like a jackal's.

What a Cao Cao physiognomy!

Zhu Youjian remarked inwardly.

The man's looks were utterly unremarkable, even somewhat ugly, and his voice was neither resonant nor pleasant — not at all the born look of a leader before whom men would bow their heads at first sight.

Never mind comparing him to Liu Bei, whose earlobes brushed his shoulders and who was born with extraordinary signs; he likely fell far short even of his own much-maligned ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang. After all, the man who could make a warlord's daughter, Empress Ma, fall in love with him — could he have been of ordinary appearance?

Even living off a woman requires a materialist basis!

Zhu Youjian shifted his gaze away without any change of expression, looking toward the next person to announce himself, as if he had merely heard an ordinary report, while secretly observing this man's bearing and manner out of the corner of his eye.

Li Hongji's heart sank.

He had already rehearsed a draft in his mind a thousand times over, prepared to lay out, in full and complete detail, all the abuses at the post station — how the postmaster skimped on rations and pay, how officials without proper credentials abused the post horses, how horse shortages were falsely reported.

He had even practiced how to speak with the right earnestness, the right indignation, so as to draw the Emperor's inquiry like that soldier Li Er just had, and thereby obtain a reward that would lift him to the heavens in a single step.

But the Emperor did not ask.

His gaze had rested on him for a mere instant before drifting lightly away, as if he were nothing more than a speck of insignificant dust. A tremendous sense of loss welled up in his heart. He dared not speak up on his own, and could only sit stiffly on his folding chair.

After standing there a moment, Li Hongji was startled to find that his hands had, at some point, clenched tightly into fists, and he hurriedly loosened them.

At that, he discovered his palms were already slick with clammy sweat. He dared not raise his head, and dared not make any superfluous movement, so he could only stealthily wipe his hands on his trousers.

All that met his eyes was the cold, smooth golden floor tiles, and beneath the imperial desk, that pair of black cloud boots embroidered with golden dragons.

Time seemed to crawl by with excruciating slowness.

At last, he heard the Emperor speak again.

"I understand now. It seems the common people of northern Shaanxi truly have a hard lot."

The Emperor's voice was gentle and pleasant to hear, that precise, standard official speech tinged with a note of feeling.

"Then aside from these, are there any other abuses that you yourselves have witnessed? Each of you speak up. Speak well, and I shall reward you handsomely!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than several men began speaking at once in agitation, only to be barked at by the junior eunuchs to take their turns.

One spoke of villages battling over water sources; another said the Wuding River beside Mizhi County flooded year after year yet no one ever repaired it; another told of bandits running rampant while the local officials were helpless. Seeing that the Emperor merely listened quietly, no longer pressing with questions or promising rich rewards as he had with Li Er, the men grew bolder and deeper in the abuses they laid bare.

Someone began to speak of the County Magistrate colluding with the local gentry to fraudulently register land under other names and evade taxes.

Another said that military officers mobilized garrison households to build their own private mansions, and even forcibly seized the wives and daughters of garrison households.

Li Hongji mixed in among them as well, spilling all the foul dealings of the postal relay stations.

But the abuses he spoke of, compared to those the others had racked their brains over for days, seemed almost too trivial.

In the end, the men received reward silver ranging from three taels to ten taels, and not a single one was granted an official post.

"What you have said, We have heard." Zhu Youjian's voice rang out again, tinged with unmistakable disappointment. "Are there no other abuses? Be bolder still. With Us standing as your master, what is there that cannot be said?"

At this, the hall fell utterly silent.

Everything that could be said, everything they could think of, even things picked up from hearsay, had been wrung dry.

It was not that the men did not wish to speak or did not dare to speak — they simply had nothing left to say.

They were all men whom Zheng Shiyi had plucked out from over there by surname.

Either they had some past connection to the postal relay stations, or they had changed their names at some point.

But in the end, they were not men selected for ability or breadth of vision.

In truth, when it came to the completeness and representativeness of the sample, they fell far short of the delegates from every social stratum whom Zhu Youjian routinely summoned from Northern Zhili.

Much of what had been said earlier was already things they had merely picked up from hearsay.

And Li Hongji sat on his folding chair, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

There was one more thing… one more thing he knew, but it was also the deadliest of all.

Smuggling iron woks.

This matter, he not only knew of it — he had personally taken part in it.

Should he say it? If he did, would it implicate his uncle Gao Yingxiang? Would he be punished for the crime on the spot?

But His Majesty had said that past deeds would not be held against them… Li Er had spoken of smuggling salt and cloth, and not only was he not punished, he had gained a heaven-sent windfall!

No, it was not the same. Salt and cloth were not the same as iron woks! Ironware was contraband strictly forbidden from being taken beyond the passes!

And yet… a Embroidered Uniform Guard military registration, two shi of grain a month in salary! And Squad Leader! Centurion!

The tales Wang Jinshi had described on the road, of men rising to the heavens in a single bound, surfaced in his mind again and again like the whispers of a devil.

In his branch of the Li family, for generations upon generations, had there ever been a single official? Even a mere Squad Leader would be enough to bring glory to the ancestors!

Gamble or not?

Gamble or not?!

Gamble or not?!

Li Hongji screamed the question madly inside his heart. Without realizing it, his hands had once again clenched into rigid fists, his knuckles whitening from the force. "It seems there is nothing more."

From the throne, the Emperor's voice carried a trace of listlessness.

"In that case, let us leave it here for today. Gao Shiming, give each man one more tael of silver for travel expenses and arrange for them to go back."

A roar exploded inside Li Hongji's chest.

Go back? Slink back just like that, in disgrace? Take a paltry few taels of silver and return to that sunless postal relay station, to spend the rest of his life as a groom shouted at and ordered about by everyone?!

He watched helplessly as Gao Shiming bowed to receive the order, as the junior eunuchs prepared to step forward and lead them away.

A panic and unwillingness such as he had never known seized his heart in an instant.

Before Li Hongji's mind could even react, he was already on his feet.

"Your Majesty!"

Li Hongji had shot to his feet. His voice was unbearably hoarse, as though it had not come from his own throat.

Every gaze in the hall instantly converged upon him.

He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and, mustering every ounce of strength in his body, spoke again.

"This commoner… this commoner can speak of… the smuggling of iron woks in the border garrisons! This matter, this commoner has per… personally handled it!"

The words fell, and the whole hall was stunned.

Upon the throne, Zhu Youjian, who had already begun to feel disappointed, slowly, at last, turned his gaze back toward him.

When fortune comes, heaven and earth lend their strength; when fortune departs, even a hero cannot move freely. Zhu Youjian had already been prepared to abandon any plans for Li Zicheng.

After all, never mind top-tier raw talent like Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Chuanting — even men like Li Shiqi and Zhang Zibing, names he had never heard of yet who had genuinely demonstrated loyalty and ability, which of them was not worth his nurturing?

He, Zhu Youjian, as the master of all under heaven, absolutely did not lack for talent!

What he lacked was the prestige, credibility, and organizational system to let talent function properly and pull together with one heart!

One Li Zicheng, in the end, was of no real consequence.

If he could seize the opportunity, then let him seize it; if he could not seize the opportunity, then let him not seize it.

After all, without being tempered, how could a grass snake become a dragon?

Killing him would bring no gain, nor was it necessary. Send him back, and whether he turned out dragon or snake would be left entirely to Heaven's will.

Yet now it seemed that a hero, after all, was still a hero — there was some fundamental substance there to support it.

A postal relay groom, actually able to take part in the beheading offense of smuggling iron woks?

Zhu Youjian leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued.

"Oh? Speak, then."

Seeing that the Emperor was at last looking him squarely in the eye, the string that had been stretched to its breaking point inside Li Hongji's heart loosened instead.

Once the decision was made, there was no more wavering.

Nor did he imitate that soldier Li Er, looking ahead and behind, covering up and concealing.

Instead, he laid it all out — how he and his uncle Gao Yingxiang had hatched the scheme, how they purchased iron woks from the interior, how they greased the right palms and opened the right doors, which route they took out beyond the passes, how much silver they gave to which officials, and how they made contact and traded with the tribal chieftains beyond the frontier — everything, down to the last detail, spilling out cleanly like beans poured from a bamboo tube. When he had finished speaking, as though a flash of inspiration had struck him, he abruptly threw himself to his knees once more and uttered a line that far surpassed his usual level.

"This commoner never knew the vastness of Your sacred grace, and so committed such grave errors."

"Now, having beheld the heavenly countenance, I know remorse. This commoner dares not ask Your Majesty for reward, only that Your Majesty forgive the ignorant crimes of this commoner and my maternal uncle!" In the hall, a sudden silence fell.

Zhu Youjian's face still wore its gentle smile, but inside, ten thousand grass-mud horses had long since stampeded through his heart.

Border smuggling?

What damn news was that!

What he lacked were details, networks, ringleaders, specific passes and checkpoints — not actual ignorance of border smuggling!

He could just send oxen and horses to dig those things up slowly later.

What truly shocked him was...

Gao Yingxiang?!

Gao Yingxiang, the Dashing King, is your maternal uncle?!

So that Dashing King title of yours isn't passed down by brotherly oath in the jianghu — it's a goddamn family business inheritance?!

Zhu Youjian, historically semi-illiterate, now had a brain churning like a pot of congee.

And what about Li Dingguo, who felled two princes? Who is he to you? Don't tell me he's your son? Or your nephew?

But this occasion was hardly suited to directly flipping open Li Hongji's family register and interrogating him.

No matter what, he changed his mind at once.

One Li Hongji — he could afford to play the magnanimous role, act out the villain-BOSS-releases-the-tiger-back-to-the-mountain drama.

But Li Hongji plus Gao Yingxiang, and then possibly Li Dingguo on top of that — if he, Zhu Youjian, let them go, he'd have lost his mind!

"Good. Very good!"

Zhu Youjian spoke slowly, his voice still gentle, but the content made Li Hongji feel as though he had plunged into an ice pit.

"Smuggling iron pots is a capital crime of colluding with the enemy!"

It's over!

Li Hongji's whole body went limp, darkness swimming before his eyes.

He'd gambled... and lost!

"However!" Zhu Youjian's tone suddenly pivoted, carrying a note of approval. "That you would risk a capital crime to lay the full details before Us — this is loyalty!"

"Let the past be set aside. We absolve you of all guilt!"

Li Hongji was so terrified by these violent swings that his soul nearly scattered. Before he could even react, an even greater surprise came crashing down.

"We bestow upon you the official rank of Squad Leader, to serve in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"As for your maternal uncle... after you leave, send him a letter and have him come to the capital as well. We wish to question him thoroughly on this matter of smuggling in the north!" Li Hongji knelt on the floor in a daze. Only after a long while did he come back to his senses. A colossal ecstasy submerged him, and he could say nothing at all.

He who had just been mocking Li the Second was now no better than Li the Second himself. He could only knock his head against the floor with a thumping sound, shouting over and over: "Thank Your Majesty for your heavenly grace! Thank Your Majesty for your heavenly grace!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, signaling the young eunuch to lead this group away.

Watching their departing backs, he shook his head and smiled.

What a load of rotten business.

How was it that these late-Ming rebel leaders, pull up one radish and you bring out a whole string of mud, one after another?

He sat behind the imperial desk, straining to search his impoverished store of historical knowledge.

Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, Liu Zongmin, Li Laiheng, Sun Kewang...

The ellipsis here did not mean there were many more names to follow, but rather represented Zhu Youjian's speechlessness.

Because after thinking for ages, he had only managed to recall these five names.

But what use was knowing only the names!

He couldn't exactly issue a nationwide wanted circular, could he?

Heaven knows where they are right now, or what their real names even are.

With a hundred and fifty million people under heaven, where was he supposed to find five men?

Even if all these men were from Shaanxi, according to the current Yellow Registers, Shaanxi alone had four and a half million people. Factoring in population growth, an actual figure of ten million was not impossible.

Fishing five men out of ten million was no better than fishing them out of a hundred and fifty million.

The most terrifying thing would be if, in the end, they brought Us thirteen Zhang Xianzhongs, seven Luo Rucais, nine Liu Zongmins...

The Great Ming's national fortune might not necessarily suppress an auspicious omen of that magnitude...

Zhu Youjian sighed. This was the agony of wanting to cheat but having only memorized the cheat codes, with no idea where to input them.

Oh well.

Brooding over these misty, intangible things was less useful than figuring out how to squeeze more gold coins out of those merchants, monks, and ennobled houses. He raised his head and looked at Gao Shiming. "Companion Gao, bring in the next group."

Gao Shiming took the order and withdrew, ushering in the next batch of people due for an imperial audience.

In the Hall of Earnest Reflection in the Western Park, the doors opened and shut, all manner of people coming and going.

Some wore panicked expressions, some had grave faces, but more walked out beaming with delight.

The Eternal Prosperity Sovereign, within this small hall, made promise after promise, told lie after lie.

And in exchange, he received heart after heart of loyalty — some sincere, some not.

This was a drama that had been playing out for months.

Yet on this day, the seventeenth day of the eleventh month of the seventh year of Tianqi.

There was, after all, something different.

One would-be sovereign, to another usurping sovereign.

Partially offered up his loyalty.

The purchase price of this loyalty: one Squad Leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Monthly salary, three dan of grain; official rank, junior seventh grade.

A soft clink rang out — on the scales, coin and goods were settled, fair dealing for young and old alike!