Chapter 790: Someone Arrives from the Prince of Lu

Feudatory princes were one rank below the Son of Heaven in all respects, and they too had eunuchs attending them. These men were dispatched by the Inner Court of the capital, and their status within the princely estates far exceeded that of the estate's civil and military subordinate officials, because these eunuchs all had connections of one kind or another with the grandees of the capital's Inner Court.

Eunuch Xiong Zao was younger than Si Wenxuan, in his thirties, a plump man who usually seemed very amiable. When he smiled, his eyes disappeared, making him look just like a Buddha statue in a temple, and he got along well with everyone in the estate, high and low.

"Greetings, Eunuch Xiong. Has everything been well?" Despite his lofty status within the estate, Si Wenxuan dared not slight Xiong Zao. He had guessed at some of the reasons behind how the two old Eunuch Bearers had died, and how one of the prince's consorts had met a sudden, violent end.

"Chief Clerk Si, you've come to see me — could it be that great fortune is about to fall into our hands?" Xiong Zao said with a beaming smile.

Within this princely estate, what everyone relied on was the honor and power of the feudatory prince. If Chief Clerk Si wanted to use the name of the Prince of Lu to play the fox borrowing the tiger's might and browbeat the local authorities, he would need to borrow this Inner Bearer's strength. In the past, Si Wenxuan could have managed it himself, but now he could not. Since he was borrowing a share of the power, naturally the benefits had to be shared as well.

Chief Clerk Si Wenxuan had always been very steady in his dealings. He knew that money could never all be earned, and he also knew that some great fortunes were too big for one man to swallow. So ever since Xiong Zao had stepped in, he had simply and cleanly shared the profits, and in doing so had built a good relationship with Xiong Zao — after all, it was not convenient for the estate's eunuchs to go outside.

Hearing Xiong Zao's teasing, Si Wenxuan gave a bitter laugh and said, "I've come to see you, Eunuch Xiong, precisely to discuss that matter. The men sent out on all sides to gather information have returned, and what they've learned gave me a terrible fright. How did such a great tiger appear so silently and soundlessly right to the south of our Yanzhou Prefecture!"

There were no outsiders in the room. Si Wenxuan did the work of a servant, pouring tea and wine for Xiong Zao, attending to him diligently while recounting everything he had learned.

When the conversation turned to the wealth and properties of the Zhao Character Camp, Xiong Zao's eyes lit up as he listened. At first, his face showed some disbelief and suspicion, but in the end, only greed and covetousness remained. When he heard of the Zhao Character Camp's awe-inspiring exploits, Xiong Zao's expression grew stern, and finally carried a hint of bitter resentment.

"... It really is troublesome." This was Si Wenxuan's concluding remark.

Xiong Zao was silent for a moment before he spoke: "Just pin a charge of rebellion on them and be done with it. That place is close to our Shandong; we'll always have the advantage of being nearest the water and the tower."

Rebellion was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans. Anyone implicated would see their entire family die with no place for burial — dozens, hundreds, or even more lives would be lost. Yet Xiong Zao spoke of it so lightly. Hearing this, Chief Clerk Si Wenxuan could not help but shake his head with a bitter smile: "Eunuch Xiong, that Zhao Jin has over ten thousand able-bodied men under his command, and no small amount of blood on his hands. He even frightened off a mounted column of several thousand from Nanjing. A charge of rebellion won't do much good. Even if the authorities dared to arrest him, could they actually hold him?"

"What are ten thousand able-bodied men? Once a great army arrives, they'll certainly be scattered like ash and smoke. And if Nanjing really had sent a mounted column of several thousand, how could they have just dispersed? There must be more to that story." Xiong Zao's voice turned somewhat shrill; he was clearly growing impatient.

"Eunuch Xiong, if it truly comes to a major fight, the Xuzhou region will be utterly devastated. And we both know what the character of government troops is like. Once they've passed through a place, what will be left on the ground?" Si Wenxuan said patiently.

Xiong Zao glared, then immediately deflated and said irritably, "Both of my nephews followed me to Shandong. They've endured hardship for so many years, all waiting for me to help them establish some property. But who could have imagined Shandong would be so wretchedly poor? The few good places were long ago divided up by the princely estate and the Kong family. If this goes on, I will have failed my brother who died so young!"

"Eunuch Xiong, it's not only you who is anxious. I, Si, also wish to leave something behind for my descendants. But given the current situation in Shandong, there's truly no room to maneuver. We've finally spotted a piece of fat meat, but it's covered in spines and full of bones." Si Wenxuan added his own lament.

The two men sighed in unison. Si Wenxuan filled his own cup with tea, shook his head, and said, "This Zhao Jin appeared out of nowhere. I keep wondering — could his family have dug up Shen Wansan's Treasure-Gathering Basin? In just a few short years, he's managed to flourish to this extent."

"That's nothing. I saw plenty of this in the capital. The relatives of those great eunuch grandees inside and outside the palace — even if they were originally beggars on the street, they could become richer than nations overnight. Come to think of it, I forgot to ask earlier — there isn't some great figure from the Two Capitals backing this Zhao Jin, is there?" Xiong Zao said with a scoff.

Si Wenxuan shook his head and said gravely, "There's no great figure. Zhao Jin's father is a County Guard Commander. His oath-brother Wang Zhaojing's father is a Censor of the Chief Surveillance Bureau — that one is the highest-ranking. Beyond that, there's one more Guard Commander. The rest are all constables and merchants, that sort. A pure and prestigious Censor, in a remote and desolate place like Xuzhou, counts as a top-tier figure. It's very likely he's the one propping them up."

By this point, the two men were merely chatting idly, but discussing the backgrounds and backers of Zhao Jin and his people made Si Wenxuan recall something: "... A pure and prestigious Censor, from Xuzhou... he shouldn't be one of the Donglin faction, and no one would be protecting him. Zhao Jin's side has only reached its current state by relying on this pure and prestigious Censor. If..."

He spoke a few disjointed sentences, then suddenly set his teacup down on the table with a frustrated thud and said glumly, "I, Si, am out of options. Assigned to a cold stove like a princely estate, how could the capital possibly pay me any mind?"

Xiong Zao rubbed his smooth, hairless chin in silence for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The godfather of my oath-brother was promoted into the Directorate of Ceremonial this year. He's now managed to secure a post himself, and he's flourishing. If the silver is sufficient, things can still be done."

Si Wenxuan's frustrated expression vanished in an instant. He fixed his gaze intently on Xiong Zao and said, "Eunuch Xiong, are you saying that connection in the capital is usable? If it can truly be put to use, we can certainly gnaw a chunk of meat off of Xuzhou. If we play it well, swallowing the whole thing might not be impossible."

"Why wouldn't it be usable? The name of Eunuch Wei Zhongxian rings loud and clear in the capital!"

By mid-April, Zhao Jin had already returned to Xuzhou. Zhao Long had learned a few simple words, babbling them to the delight of the entire family, while Zhao Feng had learned jealousy. Seeing everyone dote on her little brother while neglecting her, she would always throw tantrums or burst into loud wails.

When there was no grandson, they longed for a grandson. But seeing her granddaughter like this, He Cuihua was heartbroken, and Xu Zhenzhen felt much the same. From Zhao Jin's observation, it seemed his mother and wife actually favored Zhao Feng a little more — and even Mu Shulan was the same.

In early March, a great fire broke out in Hangzhou. It burned for a full day and night, destroying over six thousand households and killing more than a hundred people. The disaster could only be described as horrifying.

However, the channel through which this news was learned was the truly interesting part. It did not come from merchant reports, but was relayed by Mu Shulan.

The congregants and followers of the Smelling Incense Sect lurked in all directions. Their messages were transmitted by flying-tally, with couriers racing without pause, perhaps no slower than the imperial court's several-hundred-li express relays.

"... Xu Hongru has planted spies in Dongchang Prefecture, but all branches of the Smelling Incense Sect share the same origin. I can also arrange for people to infiltrate Xu Hongru's subordinates. In fact, there were already a few people placed there. I've tried using them these past days and found they can still be commanded..."

This was Mu Shulan's achievement. On official matters, Zhao Jin was always very direct. After listening, he only asked, "Could it be that Xu Hongru's side is playing at letting you capture the enemy to better hold them in check?"

"It's possible, but I am not using these spies to gather intelligence on their side. I am only using them to know about the flying-tally transmissions. That part is not false." Mu Shulan's answer was equally direct.

There were many kinds of intelligence, most of it meaningless, but knowing it before others gave one an advantage. Mu Shulan understood this very well.

"The great fire in Hangzhou will likely be loudly trumpeted by the various sects and cults, saying the end of days is near, urging everyone to pray to the gods and worship the Buddha, to join the faith and gain safety."

Mu Shulan was very excited when she said this. Zhao Jin knew the reason for her excitement was not the news itself, but that she, too, could now do things, and had found something she excelled at.

"You're too competitive. You don't have to work this hard by my side." Zhao Jin said with some tenderness. Mu Shulan's only response was a giggle: "Brother Jin, you said it when we were little — a person can't stop in this life. Once you stop, you have nothing left."

However, the news of the Hangzhou fire was not of great importance to Zhao Jin. He was waiting for other news. On the twentieth of March, an urgent letter came from Wang Youshan in the capital, saying that Liaodong, quiet for so long, was stirring again. The great army of the Jianzhou Jurchens was already marching toward Shenyang. Shenyang was sending continuous urgent appeals for help, and the outcome was unknown.

Liaodong had two great cities: one was Shenyang, the other Liaoyang. The two great cities formed a mutual horn-and-antler defense, protecting each other. Only, given the current combat strength of the Ming army, mutual horn-and-antler defense was out of the question. More likely, if one city fell into peril, the other would be in trouble as well.

Just at this moment of closely watching the news from Liaodong, people from the Prince of Lu's estate in Weihui, Henan, arrived in Xuzhou. This time, the display was quite considerable. Over ten men came from the princely estate, led by a Guard Retainer. Weihui Prefecture also sent over a dozen constables and runners, and the one leading them was actually a Prefectural Judge — a Judge was a civil official who oversaw criminal cases and legal matters.

As coincidence would have it, the people from the Prince of Lu's estate in Weihui, Henan, arrived the very day after Zhao Jin returned to Xuzhou.

The Prefectural Judge of Weihui was of the seventh rank, already a civil official of the orthodox career path. Upon arriving in Xuzhou, it was necessary for this side to send someone of equal rank to receive him, and the Department Magistrate also had to meet with him. The reception was very courteous.

Last time, Manager Zhou and his party could not even enter the gate of the government office, but this Weihui Judge was personally welcomed inside by the Xuzhou Judge.

"This case involves rebellion. I must request that your esteemed office immediately arrest and severely prosecute the culprits. The Princess Consort of Lu weeps and pleads daily, and His Highness the Prince is also furious beyond measure. Before I departed, he gave instructions that if Xuzhou delays and prevaricates, we will have no choice but to memorialize the Son of Heaven." The Weihui Prefecture Judge carried an imposing air, speaking in a stern voice even before the tea was served.

The Judge on the Xuzhou side was surnamed Xia, already in his fifties. He planned to retire and return home after completing this term. Having handled criminal cases for many years and having long been stationed in Xuzhou, he naturally understood the intricacies involved.

Hearing the other man speak this way, Judge Xia merely glanced at the young runner standing to the side, then said with a cold, mirthless smile, "Does Magistrate Zhang know who the principal culprit is?"

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