Chapter 140: As Promised, Cleverness Turns to Folly

The sun dipped low, its fading glow weaving like silk as a massive official vessel moored at the dock.

Clean water had been sprinkled on the ground, yellow earth spread along the path; the guards raised their ceremonial banners higher.

A clamor rose, and after a long while, the waiting crowd finally caught sight of figures.

Amid the searching gazes of the three-province officials, the imperial envoy finally stepped down from the ship.

A group of dozens led by the first three men.

But, contrary to the expectations of the three-province officials,

alongside the envoy's subordinates and eunuchs, there emerged a dense throng of armed soldiers bearing swords and armor!

They streamed off the ship and in an instant seized the entire dock!

The three-province officials hurried forward, but at this sight, their faces paled.

Among the officials awaiting them were veterans of the central court; the sharp-eyed recognized at a glance that these were men of the Beijing Garrison's Five Armies!

How had they dragged the Beijing Garrison into this!?

We're here to welcome them—what are they here to do!?

The Prefectural Yamen runners and guard units were instantly shoved aside into obscurity, replaced by a line of wolfish, tigerlike soldiers.

The three provincial heads exchanged glances, each seeing unease in the other's eyes.

Chen Rui suppressed his fear and forced himself forward one step.

He bowed first: "Your servant Rui, humbly inquire after the Emperor's health?"

The imperial envoy represented the Emperor; the first formal greeting was unavoidable—asking after the Emperor's well-being was one of the few ways local officials could show filial piety.

"Your servants humbly inquire after the Emperor's health?" said Zhan En, Regional Military Commissioner, and Du Si, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, slightly behind him; the rest of the officials followed suit.

They all knelt to pay their respects.

"The Emperor's health is well."

The reply came from Zongzheng Wu Wu Jinghe.

As a prince consort, he was the one in the imperial delegation most qualified to represent the Emperor.

Zhan En, seeing the prince consort's demeanor was relatively mild, felt a slight easing of his tension.

After the formalities, he hesitantly glanced at the surrounding soldiers and asked cautiously: "Your Excellency, what is this…?"

Is this an investigation or a suppression of rebellion?

Why such a show of force!?

Wu Wu Jinghe said nothing, instead turning his gaze to Hai Rui beside him.

The latter understood and stepped forward.

Hai Rui walked before the three provincial heads, his eyes straight ahead, coldly ordering: "Remove their black caps!"

His face was stern, his tone icy—a chill swept over them!

Zhan En flinched and cried out: "Your Excellency!"

Du Si stared at Hai Rui in disbelief: "Hai Censor! What crime have I committed!?"

Only Chen Rui, as provincial governor, bore responsibility for the fire attack on the imperial envoy—he had long prepared himself for this.

Now he merely clenched his teeth, shut his eyes, and made no further gesture.

Seeing Hai Rui did not speak again, the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately stepped forward and stripped the three officials of their black caps.

Du Si, still defiant, instinctively tried to shake off the guards, but two seized his arms and forcibly slammed his cap down, revealing his disheveled hair.

Seeing this, Chen Rui and Zhan En understood the humiliation of resistance—they immediately removed their own caps and knelt to beg for punishment.

The three-province officials, witnessing this, stepped back two paces, their faces filled with shock and uncertainty.

Hai Rui met Du Si's bloodshot eyes and asked without expression: "Du Surveillance Commissioner, do you dissent?"

Du Si lifted his chin and remained silent.

Hai Rui no longer looked at him, but turned to the assembled provincial officials, his gaze sweeping over each one; the atmosphere on the dock grew increasingly tense.

He spoke slowly: "Du Surveillance Commissioner asks well—what crime has he committed!?"

"I am here to ask on behalf of His Majesty: Provincial Administration Commissioner, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Regional Military Commissioner…"

He faced north, each word deliberate.

"I entrusted you with the entire province's administration—military, civil, judicial, and penal affairs—and yet a monstrous crime has occurred within Huguang!"

His voice now carried a chilling frost: "Do you acknowledge your guilt?"

The moment he finished speaking,

Dozens of three-province officials dropped to their knees as if triggered by a switch!

A sea of black-robed figures, voices unified: "Your servants acknowledge guilt!"

Hai Rui's gaze swept over them—he knew not all these men were implicated in the Zhang Chucheng case.

Nor were the three provincial heads who had just lost their caps necessarily guilty.

But when carrying out imperial orders on the ground, whether blunt or intimidating, this authority must be established.

As for offending people?

He was already a solitary minister, enjoying the Emperor's full trust—why should he care whether he offended anyone!?

Hai Rui did not order the officials to rise; instead, he signaled the eunuch Sun Long to read the edict.

Sun Long hurried forward, ordering men to bring in the incense altar.

He unrolled the imperial decree and recited it formally: "I ascended the throne as a child, dwelling deep within the palace, lacking knowledge and insight, unaware of the people's sufferings; seated on the lofty throne, distant from the world, ignorant of the true state of the realm."

"Thus I appointed governors, inspectors, and touring censors to travel the provinces, investigate the people's hardships, and serve as my ears and eyes, filling my gaps."

"Yet I have heard that in Huguang, rebels have risen, daring to incite bandits to attack county offices and burn the imperial envoy!"

"Is this not severing my wings, blocking my hearing?"

"To raise weapons against the imperial envoy is no different than raising them against my own person! How can this be endured!?"

"I hereby appoint Wu Wu Jinghe, head of the Clan Office; Zhu Zhu Xizhong, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; Censor Hai Rui; and Chief Censor Li Li Zaiting to inspect Huguang and thoroughly investigate this case!"

"They are granted full authority to act as they deem fit within the province!"

Sun Long delivered the edict without pause, then stepped silently aside.

Outside the dock stood rows of soldiers, radiating lethal intent.

Within their circle, the officials knelt, drenched in sweat.

"How can this be endured!"—truly fierce wording.

This would ignite a rebellion charge, dragging in countless connections!

Especially the imperial delegation: the censor, the chief censor, the noble, the imperial relative—each role covered every possible angle.

It was an almost naked declaration: whoever is involved, no one escapes the net.

At this point, if no heads roll, how can this end!?

The kneeling three-province officials trembled in terror, utterly at a loss.

Some implicated officials could not help but shake uncontrollably.

At that moment, Chen Rui suddenly rose and cried out in haste: "Your Excellency! This crime was committed by Zhu Zhu Yingyan, the Assistant Prince of the Yueyang Prince's Mansion!"

"I, along with Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian, Inspector Hu Ao, and Regional Military Commissioner Zhan En, personally investigated this case—witnesses and evidence are all present, without error!"

"I inform Your Excellency, and beg His Majesty to calm his anger."

He could not help but panic.

The Emperor's reaction was far more brutal than he had imagined!

The imperial delegation's scale was far more extravagant than expected!

How could this be!?

Hai Rui stared silently at Chen Rui, waiting for him to finish.

Then he suddenly asked: "Then, Provincial Commissioner, do you consider Zhu Zhu Yingyan the mastermind or an accomplice?"

He didn't even bother asking how the man died.

The key question was whether this matter was to end here.

When Chen Rui was silenced by this question, Zhan En immediately spoke up: "Your Excellency, according to the suspect's confession, this may be connected to Provincial Governor Zhao Prince Xian!"

At this point, he had no reason to protect Zhao Prince Xian—he simply threw him forward as a scapegoat.

Hai Rui paid him no heed, merely nodded and moved past the matter.

Instead, he turned to Du Si and asked: "Du Surveillance Commissioner, last year, Zhu Zhu Yingyan, Assistant Prince of the Yueyang Prince's Mansion, gathered a mob to rob and kill—were you aware of this?"

Du Si's expression did not change.

He feigned thought, then asked in feigned confusion: "Did this happen?"

Hai Rui stared at Du Si for a long moment, then slowly nodded: "The Yuezhou Prefecture submitted the case to the Surveillance Office—you were then Deputy Surveillance Commissioner."

He paused, then added: "According to Sun Sun Yizheng's confession, you negotiated with him, gave him eight hundred taels of silver, and together you buried the case."

Du Si could no longer contain himself—his face twitched.

He seized on the key word—confession!?

Sun Sun Yizheng, a high-ranking official, had been thrown into prison so easily!?

Du Si's mind raced, desperately searching for a way out.

But Hai Rui no longer needed his performance—he swept his sleeve and ordered coldly: "Arrest and imprison him!"

The moment the words left his lips, two Embroidered Uniform Guards roared and lunged at Du Si.

Chen Rui and Zhan En trembled, not daring to breathe.

This scene, of course, was witnessed by the dense crowd of onlookers beyond the dock.

Many commoners clapped and cheered—though they heard nothing, still, whenever a high official fell, it was always worth celebrating.

Leaving aside other matters, the continuous floods in Huguang these past days, and the inaction of every Prefectural Yamen, had already bred ample resentment.

Not to mention the long-standing oppression and accumulated grievances.

Of course, mixed among the crowd were not just commoners, but also those eager to probe the envoy's true intentions.

In groups of two or three, they stood among the people, occasionally exchanging glances before quietly leaving to report back to their mansions.

Espionage was unavoidable.

The envoy's entry into the city stirred the hearts of countless people.

Each prefecture dispatched messengers to gather news, eager to gauge the scale of this storm.

Besides those watching closely, there were also many observing from afar.

Zhu Zhu Changwen deliberately chose a private room in a tavern overlooking the dock, leaning quietly against the window, peering outward.

Through the window, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the envoy and the Huguang officials meeting at the dock, refusing to miss a single movement.

After a while, he saw the envoy's procession emerge from the dock, surrounded by the three provincial officials.

Just then, three knocks came on the door of the private room behind him, followed by the sound of it being pushed open.

Zhu Zhu Changwen did not turn his head, still watching the dock.

Only when the envoy's party had boarded their carriages and no further movements were visible did he frown and ask: "What happened at the dock just now?"

He was too far away to see clearly, only catching vague signs of commotion.

The dianbu—the man who had just entered—replied respectfully: "Your Excellency, the three provincial governors all had their official caps removed by the envoy; among them, Surveillance Commissioner Du Si was directly arrested by Hai Rui."

The princely mansion naturally had its own officials; for instance, the dianbu held a ninth-rank post.

Zhu Zhu Changwen slightly pulled back the window, watching as another imperial edict was proclaimed at the dock.

Whatever was said, when Xu Xu Xuemo stepped forward to receive the edict, he replaced Chen Rui at the head of the Provincial Administration Commission.

The dianbu also saw this, and guessed: "This must be a move to pacify after establishing authority, to compel the entire Huguang bureaucracy."

"Xu Xu Xuemo is Zhang Zhang Juzheng's man; barring mishaps, he should now be assuming the post of Provincial Administration Commissioner."

From a fourth-rank Surveillance Vice Commissioner to a second-rank grand official—indeed, one must align with the right person.

Zhu Zhu Changwen was not an official, so he felt no such reflections; he merely stared at the dock, his expression grave, murmuring: "The zongzheng has come too."

Though Imperial Son-in-Law in this dynasty have always held little power, at this critical moment, sending Zongzheng Wu Wu Jinghe carries obvious meaning.

This truly cannot be settled peacefully!

Zhu Zhu Changwen sneered in disgust.

A ge Sun Shizhong and a Provincial Administration Commissioner—dead, they're dead. Why make such a huge spectacle?

Are there not plenty of civil officials in the world? The founding emperor killed countless!

Isn't the Yueyang Princely Mansion enough to answer for?

Must they dig to the root?

Even troops have been dispatched—whose eyes are they trying to impress?

The dianbu did not know what his master was thinking and explained beside him: "Officially, Wu Wu Jinghe leads this mission, but…"

"In truth, Hai Rui leads it, Li Li Zaiting handles affairs, while Wu Wu Jinghe and Zhu Zhu Xizhong are here solely to suppress us."

When accompanying civil officials on inspection tours, no royal kin or meritorious noble may overstep their bounds.

Zhu Zhu Changwen froze, then stared again.

After a long while, he turned back in confusion: "Zhu Zhu Xizhong? I didn't see him disembark."

If one were to speak truly, the most powerful figure in this delegation is still that dying Duke of Cheng.

That sick tiger, after all, is the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He has been restrained enough, always kind to others; had he chosen to abuse his power, even Lu Bing in his prime might not have matched him.

Royal kin assaulting Provincial Governors was common, but no one dared cause trouble at an Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Command.

One could not help but take notice of such a man's movements.

The dianbu shook his head: "It was said this mission included the Duke of Cheng, but no one has seen him."

Zhu Zhu Changwen frowned.

Has he grown too weak to even disembark, so he refuses to show himself?

Or is he deliberately appearing and disappearing?

But no matter what, he already sensed that this storm stirring Huguang would not end easily.

Seeing the envoy's procession slowly leave the dock and pass beneath the tavern's street, Zhu Zhu Changwen closed the window.

He turned to the dianbu: "Has Chief Secretary Zhou not returned yet?"

Lately, the princes of the mansion had tempers that ignited at the slightest provocation; the dianbu answered cautiously: "Your Excellency, please be patient."

"The situation in the Chu Yueyang Wangfu is complicated; it is not easy to meet the Dowager Princess."

Zhu Zhu Changwen sighed impatiently: "It's precisely because the timing is so delicate that I dare not appear openly at the Chu Yueyang Wangfu; otherwise, I would have gone myself."

After saying this, he regretted his past actions.

When Zhang Chucheng investigated copper coin casting in Changsha, he had a minor clash with him.

Having lost face, he naturally harbored resentment.

Then, after the fact, Zhu Zhu Yingyan came calling, saying he wanted to break Zhang Chucheng's arrogance and asked for his help.

He naturally welcomed it and lent a hand casually.

And then!

Who knew that fool Zhu Zhu Yingyan would resolve arrogance in such a way!

He actually did something so stupid!

He had been anxious ever since, but so far, nothing had been traced back to him.

Yet with the envoy's arrival imminent, he could only lower his pride, beg and plead, to clean up the mess he'd made.

Zhu Zhu Changwen sat back in his chair, looking weary.

Just then, the door was knocked on again.

A refined man in a long robe pushed the door open.

"Your Excellency," he bowed first.

Zhu Zhu Changwen immediately stood and returned the bow: "Chief Secretary Zhou, how did it go? What did the Dowager Princess say?"

Chief Secretary was a fifth-rank post, a core official of the mansion; even royal kin must not neglect propriety.

Chief Secretary Zhou shook his head: "I did not meet the Dowager Princess."

Zhu Zhu Changwen's face could not help but show disappointment.

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu was the origin of the Chu princedom; the Yueyang Princely Mansion had branched off from it.

Not just the entire Wuchang Prefecture, but virtually all of Hubei, fell under the Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's care.

The matter he had helped with on behalf of the Yueyang Princely Mansion had spiraled out of control.

Now, to clean up his mess, he had to lower his pride and beg for an audience.

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu currently had no reigning prince; the Dowager Princess was the highest authority, so he naturally sought her out.

Unfortunately, she was nearly impossible to meet.

He was about to comfort himself and seek another path when Chief Secretary Zhou took a breath and spoke again: "Your Excellency, though I did not meet the Dowager Princess, I…"

"Met the Prince of Dong'an. I told him nothing, yet he said he wished to see you."

Zhu Zhu Changwen froze.

The Prince of Dong'an?

He too was a commandery prince of the Chu line, with real power, though usually low-key.

But they had never interacted before—why would he seek me out now?

Had he guessed something?

Or was Zhu Zhu Yingyan's foolishness connected to this Prince of Dong'an?

He turned the thought over in his mind, then pushed it aside.

At this point, no matter the reason, he had no grounds to refuse.

Zhu Zhu Changwen nodded and said: "I want to meet him! Let's go—talk on the way!"

He moved to leave.

Chief Secretary Zhou quickly grabbed his arm.

Chief Secretary Zhou smiled bitterly: "Not now."

"He said that today, with the envoy's arrival, they are holding a banquet to welcome them—you are invited as well."

Zhu Zhu Changwen nearly jumped: "A banquet to welcome the envoy?! Are they mad?!"

(End of Chapter)