Chapter 1402: So They Meant to Defect to Zhao Jin

The next morning, when word came back from the bailiffs, a storm erupted inside the Guangping Prefecture yamen.

"What?! The Brocade Guard intervened? And let those refugees go!" He Muqing, the Prefect of Guangping, cried out in shock, and his usually well-maintained face instantly drained of all color. "How... how did this happen? How did you handle this assignment!"

The man reporting to him was the head of these bailiffs. Outside, he had always been overbearing and arrogant, but now he was a completely different person — cowering and shrinking back, his body wrapped in bandages, looking badly injured.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it's true — it was a group of Brocade Guard. Their waist tokens couldn't be mistaken! A whole group of them suddenly surrounded and attacked us. Your humble servants fought back with our lives, but we were outnumbered and had no choice but to let them have their way..."

"The Brocade Guard... the Brocade Guard... why would they do such a thing?" After figuring out what had happened, He Muqing muttered to himself.

"Your humble servants do not know. We only know that these Brocade Guard came running over from the start and ordered your humble servants to release those refugees." The big man's head drooped even lower. "Your humble servants of course refused, and then without another word they attacked, wounding several of your humble servants' brothers."

"These Brocade Guard — how vicious!" He Muqing stamped his feet and cursed. "His Sacred Majesty is divinely brilliant. The moment he ascended the throne he curbed the Depot and Guard, yet who would have thought—"

His heart was now filled with anxiety, deeply afraid that these Brocade Guard had come to investigate the things he had been doing in secret.

Recruiting bandits, brutalizing refugees, corruption and perverting the law — every single one was a deadly taboo for a local official like him, yet he had done every one of them.

If the imperial court really held him accountable for such things, what was he supposed to do?

After a long while, he managed to steady himself somewhat and ordered his servants to summon his most trusted advisor, Mister Bai.

This Mister Bai was in his fifties, his hair and beard already mostly gray. He had been a licentiate who failed the provincial exams. After failing the exams several times, he had given up all hope of advancing through the examination career and simply became a private tutor and advisor to others. Over the decades he had traveled widely serving different patrons and had seen many great events, becoming something of a shrewd old hand — and it was precisely because he valued this that, after securing his post as Prefect, Magistrate He had spent money to hire him and relied on him as a confidant.

And this Mister Bai had not disappointed Magistrate He. Over these past few years he had handled many affairs for him, keeping the yamen's business in perfect order, and had also offered him plenty of advice — the idea of recruiting bandits had actually been Mister Bai's suggestion to Magistrate He.

So now, the moment he ran into trouble, he immediately and without a second thought sent for Mister Bai.

"Your Excellency, has a major incident occurred?" The moment Mister Bai entered and saw Magistrate He's ashen, frantic expression, he had a pretty good idea of the situation.

"Yes, Mister Bai, a major incident has occurred!" Magistrate He nodded, then relayed everything he had just heard to Mister Bai.

"Mister Bai, now that things have come to this, what should I do?" After he finished speaking, he immediately pressed the other man anxiously, hoping to get a plan. "Could it truly be that the court intends to hold me accountable?!"

"Your Excellency, do not panic!" After all, having seen many great events over the years, Mister Bai was not nearly so frantic. Instead, he comforted the Prefect. "I find this matter highly suspicious!"

"Suspicious?" Magistrate He was somewhat puzzled.

"Consider, Your Excellency — if the court had learned of Your Excellency's affairs and wished to pursue them, a few official documents would suffice. Why would they need to send a group of Brocade Guard to release people?" Mister Bai spoke unhurriedly. "In my humble view, they absolutely did not come targeting the Prefect."

"Truly?" Magistrate He's heart leaped with joy.

"Think again — see if there are any other circumstances?" Mister Bai turned his head back toward the big man standing respectfully to the side. "Did you not say just now that they forced you to walk with them for a stretch? On the road, did you see anything else suspicious? Think carefully, tell us, do not leave anything out."

"Yes..." The big man lowered his head and racked his brains for a moment.

"Right!" A moment later, he raised his head again, as if something had occurred to him. "After walking for a while, an old man also came along with them. This old man was around sixty years of age, his face beardless, and he spoke in a sharp, high voice, just like... just like..."

"Just like a eunuch?" Mister Bai asked in return.

"Yes!" The big man looked as if he had just woken from a dream.

"Good, I understand now. You may withdraw first." A trace of a smile appeared on Mister Bai's face, and he waved his hand, dismissing the big man.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Magistrate He could finally hold back no longer.

"Mister Bai, what exactly is going on? I still haven't figured it out..."

"Your Excellency, a group of Brocade Guard, plus an old eunuch — a party like that... can Your Excellency still not guess?" Mister Bai was still all smiles.

"Stop keeping me in suspense!" Magistrate He was growing anxious. "Mister Bai, explain it to me clearly!"

"Your Excellency need no longer be alarmed. This is absolutely not the court moving against Your Excellency..." Mister Bai still maintained his composed, easy manner. "I am certain that this group must be the escort transporting Eunuch Wei Zhongxian to the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum!"

"Wei Zhongxian?" Magistrate He was first startled, then suddenly everything became clear. "Wei Zhongxian... of course! They left the capital over ten days ago. Counting the days, they should be reaching this area by now... So it was them, so that's it! No wonder!"

Then, he grew puzzled again. "But if the Brocade Guard who attacked are the escort transporting Wei Zhongxian, then... why would they meddle in other people's business?"

"Under normal circumstances, they would not meddle in other people's business. Since they did so, I am certain they must have a purpose." Mister Bai gently stroked his graying beard. "Your Excellency, they... I fear they have been bought off by Eunuch Wei, and are following Eunuch Wei to defect to Zhao Jin! These refugees are merely a tool they are using to cover their tracks. Next, they will certainly blend in among these refugees and then slip into the territory of Xuzhou!"

"What?!" This conclusion shook Magistrate He deeply once again.

Eunuch Wei, defecting to Zhao Jin?

If it had not been Mister Bai saying it, he would have taken it for someone telling a joke. In the realm today, who did not know that Eunuch Wei and Zhao Jin were mortal enemies? Back when Zhao Jin had not yet gained his current momentum, Eunuch Wei had already been moving against him, and as a result had provoked him into marching north to the capital, causing a catastrophe that shook the heavens. Eunuch Wei would actually go and defect to that mortal enemy?

"Your Excellency, under ordinary circumstances, Eunuch Wei would not do such a thing. But now... the situation is vastly different." Seeing that Magistrate He still looked unconvinced, Mister Bai began to explain. "As Your Excellency is well aware, Eunuch Wei is now a phoenix fallen from its perch. All the power and influence he once held is gone. His political enemies at court are still incessantly attacking him, determined to take his life no matter what — that being the case, why could Eunuch Wei not seek life in the midst of death, relying on defecting to Zhao Jin to carve out a path of survival for himself? Everyone under heaven knows that Eunuch Wei and Zhao Jin are mortal enemies. Even if only to buy a horse skeleton with a thousand in gold, Zhao Jin would take Eunuch Wei in..."

Hearing this extremely logical analysis from Mister Bai, Magistrate He finally understood. "Listening to you say this, I finally see it clearly. Yes, for Eunuch Wei as he is now, defecting to Zhao Jin is probably the best move to seek life in the midst of death. However... why would those Brocade Guard escorting him follow him along?"

Before Mister Bai could answer, he answered himself. "That makes sense too. Eunuch Wei supervised the Eastern Depot for many years. The Brocade Guard Commander at the time, Xu Xianchun, was also his trusted confidant. He should have quite a few underlings within the Brocade Guard. Add to that pulling out gold and silver to make these Brocade Guard follow him to join Zhao Jin — it's not impossible... Heh, has it come to this, that even His Majesty's own Brocade Guard personal troops are calculating how to find a way out for themselves?"

"In these chaotic times, there is nothing strange about seeking a way out for oneself." Mister Bai was still smiling faintly.

"Then, Mister Bai, in your view, what should I do?" Magistrate He asked again. "Just watch as Wei Zhongxian takes this group of Brocade Guard, bundling up the refugees, and goes to defect to Zhao Jin?"

"May I ask Your Excellency — from what Your Excellency has observed, will the Great Ming's national fortunes grow better and better over these next few years, or worse and worse?" Mister Bai did not answer Magistrate He's question directly, but instead raised his head and studied Magistrate He. "Your Excellency, here there are only you and I. There is no need for taboos — just speak what is in your heart."

"To even maintain the current situation would be a blessing from heaven. How could there be any chance of it getting better and better?" Because Mister Bai was his number one confidant, Magistrate He did not put on airs, but spoke his true thoughts directly. "People all say the new Son of Heaven is determined and enterprising, with the air of a ruler who will restore the realm. But from what I see, what the Son of Heaven is doing now is only marginally better than the late emperor. Besides, the Great Ming today is already riddled with a hundred abuses, so deeply mired that it is beyond recovery. What can the Son of Heaven alone possibly do?"

"Your Excellency speaks truly. I have long thought the same — the Great Ming is already beyond recovery, beyond saving." Mister Bai did not shy away either, directly nodding in agreement. "In the court today, how many are there who can actually accomplish anything? Although the Senior Grand Secretary Sun has the Son of Heaven's favor and trust, and can be considered upright and firm, his foundation is too shallow. He may not be able to command the people at court. The Donglin faction, for their part, is nothing but a bunch of scholars who ruin more than they accomplish. When there is nothing to do, they can wag their tongues endlessly, pushing all responsibility onto others' heads. Now that it is their turn to do things, I do not see them doing any better than anyone else..."

Magistrate He nodded gently, deeply feeling that Mister Bai's words made sense. "I understand. In this matter, I must turn a blind eye. I cannot afford to offend Zhao Jin's people."

"It is good that Your Excellency understands." Mister Bai breathed a relieved sigh. "Now, aside from the Son of Heaven, everyone knows the Great Ming's path cannot last much longer. Now, high and low alike are all looking for other paths. Even Eunuch Wei is thinking of defecting to Zhao Jin. It was precisely for this reason that I previously advised Your Excellency to gather some strong men for self-protection. Looking at it now, I fear even that is no longer enough... The situation is changing too fast. Zhao Jin's power is expanding even faster than we originally thought. Your Excellency, you too should begin seeking another path for yourself."