Chapter 722: National Affairs and Many Disturbances

The Da Zhou Imperial Palace, Fengtian Hall.

In the vast and solemn, magnificent hall, the caisson ceiling was painted with endless splendor, dragon and phoenix patterns swirled upon the beams and pillars, and the officials stood in ranks, solemn and orderly, grand and imposing.

It was not Jia Cong's first time at the morning court, but every time he witnessed this scene, he still felt an inexplicable sense of solemnity.

Those in power construct palaces, piling up gold and jade, exhausting luxury, and gilding authority, all to make those who find themselves within feel awe and submission.

The extravagant Fengtian Hall displayed this kind of monarchical art to the fullest; even though Jia Cong knew its intent, for a fleeting moment, his spirit was still captured.

Thousands of scholars, lighting lamps and burning oil, strive for fame, and ascending the golden list is merely the cry of a fledgling phoenix.

Only by entering the hall, ranking among the court, and listening to politics in Fengtian can one truly appreciate the ups and downs of the vast empire.

Since Jia Cong began attending the morning court, he has listened daily to the reports of officials from various ministries, with Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao either consulting on politics in the hall or issuing edicts to make decisions.

The exchanges between monarch and ministers involved both clashes and consultations, with much depth, allowing him to broaden his horizons significantly and deepen his understanding of court affairs day by day.

When he first entered the morning court, it was just as the major scandal of the Spring Examination was drawing to a close, and the court had therefore returned to calm.

For a long time, the morning court's political discussions were all routine matters, steady and calm, without waves.

It was not until after autumn began that the morning court's political affairs began to surge with wind and clouds, as the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions frequently reported on the affairs of the Nine Frontiers' military forces.

As winter approached, the elite cavalry of the remnant Mongol Tu Man tribe appeared frequently, though they dared not attack the heavily fortified passes such as Datong, Xuanfu, and Jizhou.

However, along the thousand-mile border connecting the three towns, those remote mountain passes rarely visited by humans were repeatedly raided and harassed by small groups of elite remnant Mongol cavalry.

The elite remnant Mongol cavalry often sneaked in through these passes under the cover of night, making them impossible to guard against; some non-essential fortresses and villages encountered burning, killing, and looting, with people lost or abducted.

The skirmishes between the Da Zhou border army's fast-horse scouts and the small groups of elite remnant Mongol cavalry over these remote border passes had never ceased, with each side having its victories and defeats.

As winter approached, with supplies scarce on the grasslands outside the passes, the battles between the Da Zhou border army and the elite remnant Mongol cavalry would become increasingly frequent, and even intensify.

Therefore, recently, the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions had submitted reports several times during the morning court, requesting the imperial court to close the tea-horse markets at various border locations and cut off material trade with the outside of the passes.

By using the timing of the harsh winter to trap the enemy's survival resources and weaken the Tu Man tribe's military strength, they aimed to achieve the strategy of winning without fighting.

……

In those years, the Retired Emperor, Emperor Yong'an, possessed extraordinary military strategy and once led a large army deep into the northern desert, dealing a heavy blow to the remnant Mongols, leaving them unable to invade the south for more than a decade.

Out of a strategy of combining war and appeasement, Emperor Yong'an not only pursued the defeated to the north to greatly weaken the remnant Mongol military strength but also established tea-horse markets along the Nine Frontiers.

Using Da Zhou's quantified grain, cloth, as well as tea and porcelain, he exchanged them for the warhorses, furs, medicinal herbs, and animal tendons of the remnant Mongols outside the passes.

This not only allowed the remnant Mongols outside the passes to survive, preventing them from easily heading south to take risks, but also allowed the acquisition of a large number of warhorses from outside the passes, achieving two goals at once.

However, strategic materials such as ironware and table salt were always forbidden from trade outside the passes, and any act of private trade was treated as treason.

Da Zhou and the remnant Mongols outside the passes were thus able to recuperate for nearly twenty years.

It was not until the rise of Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe that this long-standing balance was broken.

Anda Khan was a rare grassland hero who inherited the heroic spirit of his ancestors, the Golden Family, sweeping across the northern desert for more than a decade, annexing various remnant Mongol tribes, and his power grew continuously.

Relying on the limited supplies exchanged through the tea-horse markets, he could no longer satisfy his ambition for expansion, so the friction and fighting between the two armies at the border became inevitable.

Given the current situation at the Nine Frontiers, the conflict between Da Zhou and the Tu Man tribe was becoming increasingly sharp and intensifying, and the tea-horse markets were already showing signs of being out of step with the times.

But the tea-horse markets were, after all, the old policy of the Retired Emperor, and now Emperor Yong'an was still vigorous in his old age, still living in seclusion in the Chonghua Palace for retirement.

Therefore, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao had never clearly stated whether to abolish the old policy, appearing somewhat hesitant.

However, for the past half year, the trade of grain, cloth, timber, and other goods between the people and merchants of Datong, Xuanfu, and other places and those outside the passes had been heavily suppressed by the border army.

The supplies flowing into the tea-horse markets in various places were already scarce, merely putting on a show on the surface.

Such a situation and measures left many border merchants wandering the northern desert with nothing to do, hesitant and helpless, one after another changing professions to seek other ways out……

Just as the Emperor asked about the collection of grain and fodder by the Ministry of Revenue, the Director of the Granary Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue replied regarding the granary matters.

As soon as this Director finished speaking, Chen Yi, the Left Military Governor of the Five Military Commissions, stepped out of the ranks to report, reiterating the matter of abolishing the tea-horse markets at the Nine Frontiers.

For these two months, Jia Cong had been watching this matter coldly every day at the morning court; he had already discerned Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's true intentions.

The Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions played up the danger of the war at the Nine Frontiers, repeatedly proposing the abolition of the tea-horse markets at the Nine Frontiers.

It was just that between the Emperor's filial piety and the abolition of the old policy, they were constantly adding weights to tilt toward the latter.

……

As soon as Left Military Governor Chen Yi finished speaking, Jia Cong saw a person walk out from the ranks of the Censorate; judging by the official uniform, it was a Supervising Censor.

This person was forty years old, with a short beard under his jaw, temples white as stars, and a face showing signs of weathering, like someone who had experienced many hardships.

This person stepped forward and bowed to the dragon throne, saying: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I am Luo Shoulun, Supervising Censor of the Shanxi Circuit. I believe the proposal to abolish the tea-horse markets is inappropriate.

The remnant Mongols outside the passes have always been short of grain, cloth, and other goods, and have always exchanged for related supplies through the tea-horse markets, and our dynasty has also obtained fine horses from outside the passes because of this."

At present, war clouds are gathering at the Nine Frontiers, various forces are restless, and it is just as the deep winter is approaching.

If we cut off the tea-horse markets now, the nomads outside the passes will be cut off from winter supplies such as grain and cloth, and I fear this move will force them into a corner.

Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe has always been ambitious; if he uses this as an excuse to stir up trouble and provoke war, it will trigger turmoil at the Nine Frontiers, and responding in haste will likely lead to many complications.

I believe that the matter of abolishing the tea-horse markets should not be rushed; we must wait until the Nine Frontiers are prepared and foolproof, and the strong generals and elite troops of the three towns are properly deployed.

At that time, when the Nine Frontiers have consolidated their strength to resist the enemy, the matter of the tea-horse markets can be slowly planned by observing the wind and the situation; that would be the foolproof strategy."

After Luo Shoulun's report, while Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was still pondering, several officials from the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions stepped out of the ranks one after another to refute him.

It was nothing more than saying that people like the Supervising Censor did not understand military affairs, spoke lightly, were suspected of fearing the enemy and avoiding war, and were spreading fallacies that confused military morale and fighting spirit, making it an unfair argument, and so on.

……

Jia Cong had seen this person a few times during his daily morning court attendance, but he had never submitted a report, so he did not know his name.

Today, hearing him report his own name, he was somewhat surprised, because he had heard the name Luo Shoulun from Lin Daiyu.

Daiyu had said that this person was a close friend of her father, Lin Ruhai, had a bumpy official career, had sunk to a low-ranking position, and had only recently been transferred to the Censorate to serve as a Supervising Censor of the Shanxi Circuit.

Although Luo Shoulun was refuted by many officials, he did not offer much defense, but silently retreated back to the ranks of the Censorate, his words, actions, and expression appearing unusually calm.

Regarding the proposal to abolish the tea-horse markets, he seemed to be satisfied just by raising his objection, not hoping that one person's words could sway the direction of the Emperor's heart.

In fact, according to Jia Cong's understanding of this matter, he mostly agreed with Luo Shoulun's view.

Now that the war at the Nine Frontiers is gradually rising, Da Zhou and the remnant Mongol Tu Man tribe are already at daggers drawn; abolishing the tea-horse markets at this time will definitely intensify the conflict, which is no different from declaring war.

Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe will inevitably use this as a pretext to stir up trouble in various ways, and even provoke war from this……

Because Jia Cong had opened a branch of the Xin Chun Hao in Liaodong and also had familiar comrades in the army in Datong, he was well-informed about the affairs of the Nine Frontiers.

He had always paid close attention to the affairs of the remnant Mongol Tu Man tribe, and naturally had some deductions in his heart.

Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe has always been ambitious, with more than a hundred thousand archers under his command; it is difficult to sway his heart to head south based solely on whether the tea-horse markets exist or not……

Although what Luo Shoulun said was a mature and fair argument, even if the matter were handled according to his words, I fear it would be difficult to reverse the overall situation in the end.

Not to mention the surging thoughts in Jia Cong's heart, although Luo Shoulun ignored the refutations of the officials, the turmoil he stirred up did not subside because of this.

Because there were by no means a few officials in the court who opposed the abolition of the tea-horse markets, they stepped out of the ranks one after another to submit reports, refuting and criticizing, and seconding Luo Shoulun's words.

These people, either out of filial piety and ritual law, opposed the abolition of the Retired Emperor's old policy, or held the same view as Luo Shoulun, believing that this matter should not be rushed.

In short, no matter what the reason, they were all upright and dignified, and no major flaws could be picked out; it was just that everyone's political views were different.

There was a noisy argument in the imperial court, with mutual attacks, and in the end, no result was argued out.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao, sitting high on the dragon throne, did not make a final judgment on this, only saying that the matter would be discussed later.

However, Jia Cong knew clearly in his heart that now that grain prices in the market had been rising for several months, large quantities of military grain were being transported to the Nine Frontiers one after another.

The imperial court's tightening of trade in materials outside the passes, almost to the point of prohibition, had already become an established fact; whether the tea-horse markets were abolished or not was merely a pretext.

The Emperor regarded the Tu Man tribe as a major threat, the heart for war had already been born, and the general trend had already been formed.

……

North of Love Shenjing, Yongchun Street, Duan Family Grain Shop.

Proprietor Duan heard that the visitor's surname was Sun and that he was his fellow townsman from Datong; he was shocked, his expression tightened, and he said: "Please invite him into the inner hall."

Only after a short while did a man enter, of medium build, with a steady gait, a round face and broad nose, and long, narrow eyes, his expression revealing shrewdness and caution.

Proprietor Duan exclaimed: "So it is Brother Dacheng; why did they send you this time?"

The man smiled: "I grew up in the north and have never been south; I am a fresh face in Shenjing, so it is appropriate for me to come.

After receiving Proprietor Duan's letter, the family sent me over; the mountains were high and the waters long, and after taking a detour, it took nearly a month to reach Shenjing.

I had long heard that Shenjing is at the feet of the Son of Heaven, a place of top-tier prosperity; entering the city today has opened my eyes, Proprietor Duan must take me around to look."

The two seemed to be old acquaintances from years ago, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, they got to the point.

The man asked: "In your previous letter, you said that by using our connections in the capital, you had successfully opened a grain shop; I wonder what the harvest has been in these two months?"

Proprietor Duan said: "Although the shop has just opened, the business is unexpectedly booming; this is also because of a chance encounter, as I actually met an acquaintance in Shenjing."

The man wondered: "Is it one of our previous official connections? If it is someone in the officialdom and not a merchant, how could they make the shop's business booming?"

Proprietor Duan smiled slightly: "Brother Dacheng has thought wrongly; this person has nothing to do with our previous relationship.

This person is the young master of the eldest branch of the Xue family, imperial merchants of Jin Ling, named Xue Pan; now the whole family has moved to Shenjing and is living with their local in-laws, the Rongguo Prefecture of the Jia family."

……

The man's eyes lit up, and he asked: "Could it be the Rongguo Prefecture of Earl Lord Weiyuan, Jia Cong?"

Proprietor Duan said: "It is indeed the residence of Earl Lord Weiyuan, Jia Cong; this Xue Pan's aunt is the mistress of the second branch of the Rongguo Prefecture.

After I arrived in Shenjing, this Jia Cong became famous in Shenjing, and many anecdotes and legends about him circulate in the market.

It is said that his background in childhood was bizarre, he was neglected by his biological father and legal mother from a young age, and later fostered under the second branch of the Rongguo Prefecture, and he and the second branch's master, Jia Cunzhou, are like father and son.

From this, it can be seen that the relationship between Xue Pan and Earl Lord Weiyuan must also be extremely close; you don't need me to tell you, you know what kind of important person Jia Cong is.

Xue Pan went to Datong to do business a few years ago, and I occasionally got to know this person at social banquets.

I knew he came from a noble family, settled in Shenjing, and had an unusual background, and thinking about future matters, this person might be useful, so I deliberately made friends with him.

This person has a rough personality and shallow scheming, but he is just a wealthy playboy, a person who is very easy to manipulate.

I only invited him to drink a few times and accompanied him to brothels a few times, and he already regarded me as a confidant and close friend.

This time I came to Shenjing, I tried to send a post to the Rongguo Prefecture to request an audience, and I actually saw him, and this person even treated me as an honored guest.

Hearing that I came from Datong to do grain business, he seemed quite interested, so I went with the flow and set a trap for him to buy shares in the shop.

Although Xue Pan is dissolute by nature, this person has wide social connections and is acquainted and friendly with the sons of various nobles in Shenjing.

For these few months, grain prices in Shenjing have been rising, and all wealthy and influential families have many people, so under such circumstances, they all have the custom of hoarding grain.

Through Xue Pan's connections, the shop sold a lot of business; in these two months, many noble and wealthy families in Shenjing have purchased grain from our shop.

Among them, several family heads serve in the Five Military Commissions; I took the opportunity of escorting grain and rice to interact and trade with the stewards and servants under them.

By giving some benefits in the form of wine, food, and silver, and by probing, I found out a lot of useful information.

It is said that in the past two or three months, the Ministry of Revenue has been mobilizing military grain from various places, and every few days there are hundreds of grain carts departing.

The grain route to the north is continuous, never stopping day or night, escorted by military cavalry.

Although it is impossible to find out the exact quantity of grain and fodder, according to the number of carts departing and the number of days, in the past two months or so, roughly eighty thousand shi of military grain have been transported to the Nine Frontiers.

At present, it is not known where in the Nine Frontiers they are being transported; if they are all transported to the Datong Town, the imperial court has a big plan.

Datong Town has a permanent garrison of more than twenty thousand cavalry and infantry, and eighty thousand shi of grain is enough for their military rations for four months, which can be eaten until next spring.

Moreover, the northern transport of military grain has not stopped, and the hoarding of grain at the Nine Frontiers must be far more than eighty thousand shi.

In previous years, at the end of autumn, Da Zhou would routinely reorganize the military equipment of the Nine Frontiers, but there has never been such a big movement as this time; I fear that something big will happen in the north."

……

The man's face showed surprise, and he said: "The family knows nothing about this; with the imperial court making such a big fanfare, could it be that the Emperor wants to use force outside the passes?

Since the Mongols were driven out of the passes, their various tribes have been fragmented, and most of them can barely protect themselves, making it difficult to have any major achievements.

Only Anda Khan of the Tu Man tribe has been conquering and fighting in all directions these years, conquering the scattered tribes of the remnant Mongols, and his strength is growing day by day.

In recent years, the Tu Man tribe's nomadic cavalry has often broken through passes and attacked Datong, Xuanfu, and other places, and the military pressure is growing heavier; could it be that the Emperor wants to take action against the Tu Man tribe?

But Anda Khan has accumulated strength for many years, and his military power has already exceeded that of the southern desert tribes, the Kharchin tribe, and other large remnant Mongol tribes.

Now he controls more than a hundred Battalion Commander, and his elite archers are claimed to be two hundred thousand, with the royal court deep in the grasslands.

The northern desert is vast and boundless, and the Tu Man elite cavalry are brave in horse warfare, advancing and retreating like the wind; the Da Zhou border army has no great chance of winning against them.

With such frequent grain transport, the imperial court must have a big move; I didn't expect the current Emperor to have such courage."

……

Proprietor Duan heard the disdain in the man's words and said: "This is really hard to say; the current Emperor is not a mediocre person.

In the beginning, he was the most inconspicuous prince, not valued by the Retired Emperor, with low bloodline, unknown, and without potential, yet he ascended the throne through a bizarre opportunity.

His political wisdom is not weaker than the previous kings of Da Zhou.

Weren't the Jurchen Three Guards brave and good at fighting, galloping across the northern Liaodong, with no one able to match them?

Yet they were swept away by the Emperor in one battle, allowing Da Zhou to expand its territory by a thousand miles outside the passes; having one, there will be a second, getting Long and then looking at Shu, it is not strange that he has such ambition.

You must not forget that the imperial court's firearms are sharp now; Jia Cong once relied on a thousand musketeers and a dozen new-style cannons to confront the Jurchens, and he was invincible.

Although neither you nor I have seen it with our own eyes, I think its power cannot be underestimated."

The man laughed: "Proprietor Duan has never stayed in the army and does not know the method of military formation charging, so he has overestimated these firearms.

Although the Jurchen Three Guards were brave, their military strength compared to the Tu Man tribe is only one-tenth, so how can they be mentioned in the same breath."

Proprietor Duan smiled slightly upon hearing this and did not argue with the man.

The man said: "Regardless, this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly; I know that when the imperial court mobilizes grain to the Nine Frontiers, it will always first transit and hoard it in one place.

Then, according to the importance of the defense of each military town, the number of soldiers, and the amount of grain stored, it will be coordinated and distributed; do you know where the transit place for hoarding grain is?"

Proprietor Duan smiled bitterly and said: "I have only been in Shenjing for two months, and our connections in the officialdom have sensitive identities and no real positions, so it is difficult to peek into the secrets of the army.

Although I have dealings with wealthy families in the capital because of selling grain, the contacts are all stewards and servants, and these people can only inquire about some minor details, and others are of no use.

Now the only person I know is Xue Pan, who has some background, but this person is just a playboy, how could he know such military secrets."

The man said: "Isn't Xue Pan an in-law of Earl Lord Weiyuan, Jia Cong? Jia Cong swept away the Jurchens in one battle and has great prestige in the Liaodong army.

Since he is a famous general of the current era and also the head of a noble family, he should mostly know the secrets of the court's military affairs; why haven't you taken this path?"

……

Proprietor Duan shook his head and said: "Brother Dacheng has always been in the north and just arrived in Shenjing, so he doesn't know the truth.

Although Earl Lord Weiyuan became famous in one battle, he does not hold a military position and does not enter military affairs; now he is a Grade 5 official of the Ministry of Works.

In this year's Spring Examination, he also won the second place in the Palace Examination, and the Emperor granted him the title of Hanlin Academy Academician, which is known to everyone in Shenjing and passed from mouth to mouth.

At present, he is a proper civil official; under normal circumstances, he would never participate in such military secrets, so don't waste your efforts on this."

The man was also stunned after hearing this; Jia Cong is a natural general, invincible in Liaodong, yet he ran to be a Hanlin Academician, which is inexplicable.

He said: "Even so, this person is highly valued by the current Emperor; if you can build a relationship, there will definitely be many benefits."

Proprietor Duan said: "What you said is reasonable, this matter mostly falls on Xue Pan, I will put in more effort……"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 723 =====