Chapter 959

After Zhu Yi's death, the descendants of military nobles who had died in battle at Datong last year followed suit; no one knew how Zhu Yi had persuaded them, but after they entered the palace and emerged again, each one was as energized as if injected with stimulants, rushing to settle old accounts with their fathers' past misdeeds.

To the surprise of Shi Heng and others, Zhu Mian voluntarily submitted a memorial to confess, admitting he had tolerated his subordinates and household servants in Henan and Jiangxi provinces to seize fertile farmland.

Yu Qian used this incident to unite numerous civil officials and dispatched Censorate officials to investigate military affairs across the regions.

The Emperor issued an edict: those who surrendered voluntarily would be pardoned for past offenses as long as they returned the seized fertile farmland and military pay.

But if the Censorate and the Northern Town Surveillance Office uncovered their crimes later, the consequences would not be so easily resolved.

To assist the Censorate and supervise its censors, the Emperor followed Pan Yun's advice and assigned Yun Yan and An Chen from the Northern Town Surveillance Office to aid in the investigation.

Each team took one radio and one newly trained radio operator—a newly established official position under the Ministry of Rites' Information Department, headed by the lowest-ranking official, the Message Officer, a sixth-rank post transferred from the Court of Colonial Affairs.

The subordinate clerks were mostly transferred from the Imperial Academy, all newly trained radio operators cultivated by the Academy.

Two censors, one squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard, one radio, and one radio operator.

They were dispatched to six regions: Northeast, Northwest, Central Plains, Jiangnan, Southeast, and Southwest; meanwhile, all other garrison areas not yet investigated were ordered to conduct self-audits.

Because the Emperor had reinstated the Northern Town Surveillance Office, the Embroidered Uniform Guard regained their pride, parading through Jingcheng in their flying-fish robes, drawing widespread attention.

People easily grow arrogant; Yu Qian caught the Embroidered Uniform Guard abusing their power in Jingcheng twice and directly submitted a memorial to impeach them, enraging the Emperor, who summoned Bi Wang and scolded him: "I promoted you over Yun Yan because I wished to rely on you—yet the moment Yun Yan left, you couldn't even control the men of the Southern Town Surveillance Office. If this happens again, you'd better not stay in the capital; take your entire family and leave Jingcheng."

Bi Wang turned pale, kowtowed repeatedly in apology, and only withdrew after the Emperor's anger subsided somewhat.

The Empress couldn't help asking: "The State Master said Bi Wang is mediocre and unfit for great responsibilities—why do you still employ him?"

The Emperor replied gravely: "He is mediocre, but he is loyal. I ascended the throne suddenly; aside from these old men, who else could I use?"

But he had once been a prince without real power—how many talented men remained among the old guard?

The Empress sensed his reasoning was flawed, though she couldn't articulate why; after a long pause, she finally understood: "Your Majesty, if the old guard is unfit, promote new talent. You are the Emperor—you've shown them favor and patronage; how could they not be loyal?"

The Emperor fell silent in thought.

The Empress said: "The imperial examination is coming this year; why not hold a military martial competition to recruit talent? You yourself said the recent campaign cost the military heavy losses, and the noble generals still control military affairs, blocking reform—why not hold a grand martial tournament to promote new men? You could also use the opportunity to recruit noble sons as Embroidered Uniform Guard to fill vacancies."

Great Ming suffered from severe bureaucratic bloat, yet many positions lacked qualified personnel.

For example, in last year's battle, over half the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Northern Town Surveillance Office were killed, and the vacancies have yet to be filled.

Now, with personnel dispatched for the military investigation, only Southern Town Surveillance Office men remained in the capital.

The Southern Town Surveillance Office was mostly filled with idle second-generation aristocrats or those driven out from other posts; beyond swaggering through the streets, they had little ability.

The Empress was straightforward and had long despised them.

But because they were entangled in too many connections, the Emperor dared not dismiss them; and if he tried to transfer them, he had no one else available.

The Empress's suggestion deeply appealed to the Emperor.

"I will decide after discussing it with Grand Secretary Yu."

Yu Qian had no objection to the military martial competition for recruiting talent, but he objected to the Emperor recruiting noble sons as Embroidered Uniform Guard—wasn't that simply expanding recruitment?

The Embroidered Uniform Guard acted ruthlessly and often violated laws; they were hard to manage. Yu Qian found an excuse to reject it.

Other Grand Secretaries naturally also opposed the Northern Town Surveillance Office growing stronger again.

During the previous Emperor's reign, under Wang Zhen's patronage, both Northern and Southern Town Surveillance Offices spied on officials—though called surveillance, they were in truth fabricating charges for personal gain. Last year, during the personal campaign, Wang Zhen died, and half the Northern Town Surveillance Office personnel perished—how could it be allowed to grow strong again?

All civil officials refused.

The military officers, recently suppressed, followed the principle that whatever the civil officials opposed, they must support; most military officers voiced support for the Emperor in court.

Moreover, the Emperor declared that Embroidered Uniform Guard recruitment would prioritize military officers and noble sons.

They supported him even more.

After several debates, because the Emperor insisted so strongly—even funding the selection from his private treasury rather than the state coffers—the civil officials could no longer refuse.

Thus, the court swiftly set dates for the military martial competition and the Embroidered Uniform Guard recruitment drive.

The military martial competition would begin with regional trials, selecting the best and strongest to advance to the final competition in the capital.

The final round would test not only horsemanship and archery, but also military texts and actual battlefield tactics; the process would take considerable time. The Ministry of War calculated that if they started now, the final competition could be held in the capital around October.

They then asked the Bureau of Astronomy to select an auspicious day: October 18, the final day of the military martial competition.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard recruitment, by contrast, was simple.

The Emperor's birthday was approaching, followed closely by the Mid-Autumn Festival and the autumn imperial examinations; to honor the Emperor, the court decided the Embroidered Uniform Guard recruitment's preliminary round would be held on August 1, and the final round on the Emperor's birthday.

This would also allow tributary states visiting to pay homage and witness Great Ming's might.

At the Emperor's command, the court sprang into swift action, bustling with activity, causing many to forget the six teams dispatched beyond the capital.

Officials uninvolved could forget—but the Grand Secretaries, the Emperor, and the noble military officers whose lives were at stake could not.

Especially Shi Heng and others: they smiled warmly as they prepared birthday gifts for the Emperor, while frantically ordering their subordinates to contact regional commanders.

But the messengers sent out vanished like stones into the sea—only sent out, never returned; not a single person, not even a letter.

This made Shi Heng and the others even more anxious.

Shi Heng muttered: "The Emperor has a cruel heart—stirring up trouble on his own birthday. Doesn't he fear the negative energy will drain his fortune?"

Zhu Qiyu was not afraid; the State Master said this was an act of justice, drawing righteous energy—only benefits, no harm.

He wasn't going to slaughter the innocent or implicate the guiltless—what did he have to fear?

Confident as ever, Zhu Qiyu received three radio messages that night and flew into a rage, his nose nearly crooked with fury.

After venting, he sat on the steps, gloomy: "I finally understand why my elder brother was so easily angered and perpetually troubled as Emperor."

The Empress watched him with concern: "Your Majesty..."

"Yun Yan was attacked three times before even reaching Taiyuan—I want to see just how severe Taiyuan's problems truly are."

He added: "And An Chen, sent to Nanchang, hadn't even met the commanding general before discovering hidden private troops—private troops, private troops—what are they planning? Rebellion?"