Chapter 132: Xiong Tingbi in Prison

Zhu Xu walked out of Qianqing Palace, pondering as he went about the reception of the Joseon envoy.

Of the Great Ming's current vassal states, only Joseon remained. This loyal little brother coming over was likely about the Later Jin. But then he immediately thought of Mao Wenlong—a man who would later become practically an emperor in Joseon, yet was killed by Yuan Chonghuan.

"Where's Old Cao?" Zhu Xu asked suddenly, hands clasped behind his back.

Cao Huachun followed behind Zhu Xu and said, "Reporting to Your Highness, Commander Cao just left the palace on business."

Zhu Xu nodded and said, "Send someone to notify the Court of State Ceremonial that I will be visiting in a few days. Have them prepare for receiving the Joseon envoy."

"Yes, Your Highness," said Cao Huachun.

The two spoke as they walked toward Jinghuan Palace.

At that moment, inside a private room of a tavern outside the palace, a young man knelt before Cao Wenzhao, his expression agitated.

"General Cao, please, no matter what, you must save my father!" the young man said urgently.

Cao Wenzhao hurriedly moved to help him up, saying, "Young General, please rise. Whatever needs to be said, let's sit and talk."

The young man was only fifteen or sixteen years old, but he stood up and said impatiently, "General Cao, a powerful eunuch has let word out—if forty thousand taels of silver aren't handed over, my father will be executed immediately."

Cao Wenzhao helped him sit down on a stool, his expression growing grave.

This young man was named Xiong Guangyuan, son of the former Military Commissioner of Liaodong. Cao Wenzhao had long followed him in battle; had he not been forcefully taken away by Zhu Xu earlier, there would have been one more man in that prison.

Xiong Tingbi's discord with Wang Huazhen had ultimately led to the great defeat at Guangning. That was also the reason the two were arrested and prosecuted—both had been sentenced to death the previous year. But the court was deeply divided over it, and since Xiong Tingbi had connections with Wang Wenyan and had bribed eunuchs, with some eunuchs pushing on his behalf, the execution had never been carried out.

But now the court had undergone a great upheaval. Xiong Tingbi was a man of the Chu faction, and the Chu faction had been entirely driven out of court. Though he was on good terms with the Donglin Faction, keeping him alive was already their limit. Saving him would be extraordinarily difficult—and what's more, the ones now pushing for his death were the eunuchs who hadn't received their forty thousand taels, and they were very likely Wei Zhongxian's faction.

Cao Wenzhao remained silent. Wei Zhongxian—even his own master, His Highness Prince Hui, was quite wary of that man. Could he possibly rescue anyone from Wei Zhongxian's hands?

'Perhaps it will still come down to His Highness's wishes.' Cao Wenzhao knew his own standing, and his mind turned with thoughts.

After all, Cao Wenzhao had followed Xiong Tingbi for many years. Now that his son had come begging at his door, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing. After thinking for a long while, he suddenly asked, "Who sent you to find me?"

Cao Wenzhao had to be concerned. Though His Highness Prince Hui had done a great thing, on the surface he was still a powerless young prince. How had this come to his doorstep?

Xiong Guangyuan was taken aback, then said, "Your nephew doesn't know. When I went to visit my father the day before yesterday, he told me to come."

Cao Wenzhao dared not be careless. "Alright, let's go. Come with me to see the Military Commissioner."

Hearing this, Xiong Guangyuan was overjoyed. "Yes! Your nephew will take you there at once."

The two soon arrived at the Ministry of Justice's prison. There wasn't much obstruction—after slipping some silver, they went in.

Cao Wenzhao looked at Xiong Tingbi, who wore a prisoner's garb with disheveled hair yet still couldn't conceal his rugged bearing, and bowed deeply: "Your subordinate Cao Wenzhao pays respects to Lord Xiong."

"Wenzhao?" Xiong Tingbi, sitting on the stone bed, saw him and walked over to look at him, saying in a rough voice, "Is it really you?"

Cao Wenzhao stepped closer as well, looking at Xiong Tingbi and saying, "It's me, my lord. My lord, how have you been lately?"

Xiong Tingbi had not been tortured. He smoothed his hair and sighed: "I didn't expect you'd still be willing to come see me. Of the countless old subordinates from Liaodong, you're the first."

Xiong Tingbi had been sentenced to death. No one wanted to be entangled with him—at a time like this, who would come to visit?

Cao Wenzhao knew he couldn't stay long. He glanced around, then leaned in close and said in a low voice, cutting straight to the point: "My lord, I will find a way to rescue you. But first tell me—who told you to find me?"

Xiong Tingbi was startled, then also glanced around and said in a low voice, "It was Minister Sun."

"Minister Sun?" Cao Wenzhao mused for a moment, then quickly said, "You mean Sun Chengzong, the Minister of War?"

Xiong Tingbi nodded.

Cao Wenzhao understood in his heart. "Good. My lord, rest easy and wait a few days. I'll go make some moves and see what I can do."

Xiong Tingbi naturally didn't want to die. Hearing this, he said, "Good. Whether it succeeds or not, have someone inform me."

Cao Wenzhao agreed, then hurriedly left.

Xiong Tingbi was now a great whirlpool—whoever came near him would be dragged down. Cao Wenzhao's identity was sensitive, so he pretended to be Xiong Guangyuan's attendant, coming and going in haste.

"General Cao, I entrust my father's matter to you." After walking a good distance, Xiong Guangyuan bowed deeply to Cao Wenzhao.

Cao Wenzhao hurriedly helped him up, his expression hesitant: "Young General, this matter—I'll need to see what I can do." Cao Wenzhao himself had no confidence. This case was simply too big, the implications too heavy. That the man had survived this long was already remarkable; truly rescuing him would be extraordinarily difficult.

Xiong Guangyuan's expression shifted, but he still bowed: "Whatever the outcome, your nephew thanks the General here!"

Cao Wenzhao helped him up, gave further instructions with a grave look, then tidied himself and went straight back to the palace.

Such a matter was beyond his ability to handle—he could only see what attitude His Highness Prince Hui would take.

Cao Wenzhao returned to the palace and went to Zhu Xu's study, organizing his words as he walked. No matter how one looked at it, Xiong Tingbi was a criminal—he bore the greatest responsibility for the defeat at Guangning. Though the current situation in Liaodong was not of his making, he still had to bear a very large share of the blame.

'Will His Highness save my lord?' Cao Wenzhao's heart pounded. Xiong Tingbi was his old superior who had promoted and shown him great kindness—he could not stand by and watch him die.

Cao Wenzhao entered the study and saw Zhu Xu sitting in a chair, reading in a very unceremonious posture. He stepped forward and called softly, "Your Highness."

Zhu Xu looked up. "What is it?"

Cao Wenzhao found that all the words he'd rehearsed were useless. He went straight to the point: "Your Highness, your subordinate just went to see Lord Xiong."

"Lord Xiong?" Zhu Xu looked puzzled. There were quite a few surnamed Xiong at court, and he couldn't immediately tell who was meant.

Seeing this, Cao Wenzhao quickly added, "Xiong Tingbi, Lord Xiong."

Zhu Xu's expression shifted slightly, and he slowly sat up straight. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Ming history would know that name—Zhu Xu naturally knew it even better, and he was also well aware of Cao Wenzhao's relationship with him.

After a moment's deliberation, Zhu Xu said, "You want to save him?"

Cao Wenzhao dropped to his knees with a thud. "I beg Your Highness to lend a hand. Lord Xiong may have erred, but his merits outweigh his faults—he truly should not die!"

Zhu Xu's expression did not change as he turned the matter over in his mind.

Xiong Tingbi's case was never about the case itself.

It was about factional strife.

Xiong Tingbi himself was of the Chu faction, but he walked extremely close to the Donglin Faction. And it happened that the Donglin Faction, in order to keep Xiong Tingbi alive, had bribed eunuchs to delay his execution. And when eunuchs were mentioned, Wei Zhongxian inevitably came into it.

And so, in the end, it was still a matter between the Donglin Faction and the eunuch faction.