Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1153 Strategic Alliance or Cross-Strategic Alliance?
The night in the capital
The air was stuffy and hot, and many elderly people gathered at the entrances of alleys and lanes to cool off and chat.

Just as they were getting to the point, the sound of horses' hooves came from the street not far from the Ministry of Justice.

This attracted many ordinary people who looked up and saw many officials getting out of their carriages and entering the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.

Some busybodies, always eager to chatter, began to whisper among themselves.
"That's not right. These past few days, the yamen has been frequently hearing cases. Why are they still interrogating people at night?"

An elderly man with gray hair looked puzzled, but was interrupted by someone cooling off nearby.

"Old Qiao, what do you know? Some cases can only be tried at night, not during the day. That Xu Qingtian is upright and incorruptible. He sued his superiors for the sake of disaster relief for the people of Jiangnan. He is truly rare in the world. I heard yesterday that he even angered the presiding judge, the Minister of Justice, to the point of vomiting blood."

"No way, that's so weird. He was a high-ranking official, and he died of anger."

Some people, unaware of the situation, were still exclaiming in surprise, only to be reprimanded by the white-bearded old man.

"Bullshit, what do you mean 'died of anger'? He just fainted from anger. It's a pity that Xu Qingtian was sentenced to be hanged in the autumn. He won't have many days left to live. Sigh."

A sigh drew astonishment from many of the surrounding people, but even more so, sadness. They had finally encountered a good official, and now he had died just like that; it was truly a cruel twist of fate.

The sounds of conversation quickly caught the attention of Chu, the leader of the Taiping Cult. He sat down at the stall, first ordering several bowls of tea and a plate of fennel beans, and then slowly savoring the food.

"Shopkeeper, it seems that Marquis Luoyun did not intervene to protect that disciple, and he was actually allowed to be sentenced to death. As a result, Marquis Luoyun's prestige among civil officials will probably plummet."

Left Protector Zuo Ling had cold eyes and a prominent scar on his cheek, which looked extremely frightening. Fortunately, he had a disguise technique to cover it up.

"Yes, shopkeeper, everyone says that the words of civil officials can kill without drawing blood. Now it seems that this is true. Even such an honest official is being killed. The court is extremely corrupt, which is a great opportunity for our sect to develop."

Chief Pan of the capital was in high spirits. The court had gone so far as to persecute loyal officials; if it lost, it would lose the hearts of the people.

Only Master Chu squinted, staring thoughtfully at the gates of the Ministry of Justice.
"It is only by good fortune that a poor scholar from a poor background has been able to sit in this position today. I never expected that there would be such an honest official in the world. His family has less than four taels of silver in their household, which is extremely rare. If all the officials in the court were like this, there would be no place for people like us in the world. Fortunately, there is only one such person."

He took another sip of tea and continued;
"Your actions have fueled the fire, making this case a sensation throughout the land. The magistrate's letter on maintaining order has already spread throughout the world. Even if he dies, he will be remembered in history. I'm just afraid that in the end, that old emperor sitting on the dragon throne will leave behind a contingency plan and take all the spoils."

The closer it got to the end, the more composed he became; the man sitting there was not only formidable but also shrewd and experienced.

The remaining two hesitated. Chief Pan was somewhat skeptical; this person had offended the Emperor Emeritus, whose temperament was known to everyone. How could he tolerate this man's arrogance?
"Shopkeeper, there's no need to worry. This person is held in the wrath of that person in Chang Le Palace, and his chances of surviving are slim. The Ministry of Justice has already convicted him, and it seems they're preparing to wrap things up."

"That's true."

If it is not checked, it will definitely need to be reviewed again, but looking at the previous results, it does not seem to be a review, so there is no need to worry too much. I asked again.
"Keep an eye on this matter. How's it going with the Court of State Ceremonial?"

Left Protector Zuo Ling clenched his fist and replied;

"Manager, the envoys from various countries at the Court of State Ceremonial have all been paid for with escorts and escorted back to their countries. Only some deputy envoys have been left to make contact. As for the Donghu spies, they must have received the news and will be sent over the border soon. Our people were almost sent over openly."

It's infuriating to think about it. I never expected those Hu people's spies to be so useless. If it weren't for my men keeping watch outside the Court of State Ceremonial and spotting suspicious people, we would have almost missed them. Even so, it was they who leaked the news of the delegation's murder.

"That's alright, they'll find out sooner or later. By the way, when will Mr. Fan arrive?"

The appointment with Prince Zheng's Mansion has been delayed, but Mr. Fan from Prince Zheng's Mansion has yet to show up. What does this mean?

"This, shopkeeper,"

Before Chief Pan could finish speaking, a withered old man, leaning on a cane, walked to the three-person table and sat down in the empty seat. Chief Pan immediately became alert and wanted to shoo him away, but the man chuckled and said;
"Master Chu, I am a little late, please don't be offended."

As soon as this word comes out,
Zuo Ling was immediately surprised. She never expected that the disheveled old man in front of her was actually Mr. Fan from the Zheng Prince's Mansion.

"So you've been here for a while, Mr. Fan. I've heard so much about you."

The leader of the Chu sect slightly bowed, his eyes scrutinizing the man. Unfortunately, this man's attire, like the old men sitting around, was utterly unremarkable. However, according to the local custom in Jingnan, this man was a descendant of the School of Diplomacy, possessing unfathomable talent.
"You are too kind, Master Chu. I am but a schoolteacher with no great reputation. It is Master Chu who made a name for himself in the Battle of Jingnan. If it weren't for Marquis Luoyun, this battle would have severely damaged the court. If the court had lost the elite troops of the capital garrison, the world would have already begun to fall apart."

This was also what Fan Wenhai regretted, and he felt a slight fear of Marquis Luoyun. However, the Marquis's power was already established, and it was not advisable to make a move against him.

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Taiping Cult was shocked. He had insisted on leading the army north within the cult in order to severely damage the imperial army. As long as the imperial court was weak, all those ambitious people in the world would rebel, and at that time, the Taiping Cult would surely have a chance to seize the world. Unfortunately, it was just a little short.

"Since Mr. Fan knows that Marquis Luoyun is the one blocking the way, do you have a way to get rid of him, or to make him leave the capital?"

Since they couldn't win, they had to find another way. But Fan Wenhai shook his head and sighed.

"Don't even think about getting rid of him. Marquis Luoyun is extremely cautious and is himself a top-tier expert. Getting rid of him is as difficult as ascending to heaven. If it were when he was a general outside the pass, there would still be a chance, but now that he has established his power, forget about it."

"What you say is true, sir. But who could have known that a border general would have such good fortune? That Prince Zhongshun handed over 200,000 border troops with his bare hands. It's a huge joke."

Thinking of this, Master Chu felt helpless. If it weren't for the reinforcements sent out by King Zhongshun, Marquis Luoyun might have died at the hands of the Jurchens long ago. Now, it is understood that the Jurchens outside the pass have encountered a major problem and have been utterly defeated by the Yuezhi, suffering heavy losses.

"The world is unpredictable. Even if the calculations are accurate, we cannot predict the way of heaven. Therefore, we can only proceed step by step and fill in the gaps."

At this moment, Fan Wenhai showed no sign of regret, which caused a stir among the people at the table. Zuo Ling spoke quickly and asked;
“Mr. Fan, do you have a way to keep Marquis Luoyun from having to worry about other things? Although my sect has gained a foothold in the three counties of Lingnan, the resources of the three places are not restricted, and there are so many followers to support. Therefore, after the rainy season, the land south of the capital will be fertile and will still be a good place. As for the counties in the west, my sect will not interfere.”

This is tantamount to an open division of territory. The various counties of Jingzhou, as well as the southwestern hinterland of the Central Plains, have probably already been secretly nibbled away by the princes. Moreover, what he said is also true. Of the three counties in Lingnan, only one is in his hands. The former crown prince and the White Lotus Sect both need territory to support their people. It won't take too long. If they can't advance westward, they can only go north. As for going south, there are still three counties, but they can't take them all. They still need to share them with them, and that's not enough to go around.

Zuo Ling's words were both an explanation and a test—a test to see if this Mr. Fan was truly willing to offer a plan. Sure enough, the old man chuckled and took out a letter, placing it on the table.

"Gentlemen, I have not come empty-handed today. This letter is a secret letter from the Donghu people's Lord Qieti. As long as tribute is sent from within the pass, he will lead his troops south to attack the pass. On the other hand, the Jurchens have suffered heavy losses in their northward campaign and urgently need supplies. I have devised a plan. Once the rainy season is over and autumn arrives, they will lead their troops westward. This will put the north under pressure and attract the court's attention. The area outside the pass is the stronghold of Lord Luoyun, and he will surely lead his troops back. At that time, your two factions can return north to the southern part of the capital and form a confrontation with the court. The rest is just waiting for news."

The so-called waiting for news refers to two things: the secret agents of several princes within the pass, and the reaction of the imperial court. If the army marches south, the princes might risk raising troops and heading straight for the capital.

If the troops do not move, they will annex all parts of the south. Unless the imperial court reduces the power of the regional lords, they will have no choice but to rebel.

Although these words weren't spoken aloud, no one present was a fool. Chief Pan, with his extensive network of informants in Beijing, was well-informed. Hearing Fan Wenhai's words, he frowned.
"What Mr. Fan said is not wrong, but given the current situation of the Jurchens, will they be able to launch another attack on the border? I have heard that Huang Jitai suffered heavy losses north of Tianbai Mountain. It is still unknown how many Eight Banner troops will be left."

The words seemed to have a hidden meaning: unless the Donghu people invaded from the northwest, it was a pity that the mountains there were high and the roads difficult, making large-scale military operations impossible. Although there were valleys, Pingyun City was located within them, making them difficult to conquer. Looking at the seemingly smiling yet not smiling leader of the Taiping Sect, Fan Wenhai was also somewhat surprised. The Taiping Sect was indeed not simple; they even knew this kind of information.

"As expected of the leader of the Taiping Sect, Chu is well-informed. In the south, Chu will need to take action first, and the troops of the various vassal kings will gather to block him. At this time, the Donghu people in the north will take the lead. As long as Marquis Qieti achieves some results, the Jurchens will definitely not be able to resist. Once Marquis Luoyun leaves the capital, he will find it difficult to return."

Why return when military power is gone? Perhaps the world has changed, and the feudal lords are vying for control of the Central Plains. A glint of light flashed in Chu Yiyue's eyes, and he suddenly became interested.

"It seems that Mr. Fan has already calculated this without a doubt. In that case, if there is any action and victory is achieved at the northern border, then I will agree to Mr. Fan's request that the time when Marquis Luoyun leaves the capital be the time when the six counties of Lingnan rise up in rebellion."

His eyes held a smile, but the content of his words startled Fan Wenhai. Could it be that the six prefectures of Lingnan, including Changyun Prefecture, had also fallen into the hands of the cult? This was troublesome. He immediately became wary; these people were, after all, wolves and tigers.

If the entire southeastern hinterland were to fall into the hands of these people, perhaps the prince would not have such an overwhelming advantage. A sense of vigilance crept into his heart. It seemed that these matters still needed to be reported to the prince. Jingnan was crisscrossed by waterways. Although the Song Prince's fiefdom was located here, his administrative center and place of recuperation were in northern Jingnan. The only way to block them was with the navy.

"Alright, Master Chu, just wait. As the saying goes, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond. As long as Master Chu makes a move, the imperial court will be unable to mobilize even a single garrison in the southwestern prefectures. Of course, at that time, the land south of the capital will be fertile fields after the rainy season, and there will be no imperial troops stationed there. Master Chu, you must seize the opportunity."

After the two old foxes finished their conversation and reached a consensus, Fan Wenhai slowly got up and left, using his cane. The others wanted to say something more, but were stopped by Master Chu, who took the letter from the table and said;

"Let's discuss this further back home; this isn't the place to talk."

"Yes, boss."

Chief Pan immediately stood up, looked warily at Sizhou, and led his men into the alley, disappearing from sight in a moment.

Only the servants who had been waiting and chatting remained in front of the Ministry of Justice.

As Zhang Jinyu alighted from the carriage and stepped over the high threshold of the Ministry of Justice, the bright moon was already hanging in the sky. He walked into the front courtyard and entered the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, where bright lights were already lit, illuminating the slightly thoughtful faces of the group. A somber and anxious atmosphere permeated the air.

Looking again at the center of the hall,

Chen Hui, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, stood with his back to the door, his posture slightly stiff. He tightly gripped the memorial he had just brought from the palace, a dossier that seemed to weigh a ton. Beside him was Ma Fei, the Attendant Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, whose eyelids were lowered and whose face remained as calm as ever. However, the fingers crossed in his sleeves were fidgeting rapidly, revealing his inner turmoil.

The vice ministers of the six ministries were all present, led by Chang Zuo, the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice, and none of them looked too happy.

According to their rank, everyone sat on the grand master chairs on both sides of the hall. Grand Secretary Gu had a calm expression and closed his eyes to rest. The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, held a string of black jade prayer beads in his hand, his face calm and composed, as if he had other thoughts.

As for the remaining few people, including the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, they all arrived and found seats. Some held teacups to hide their anxiety, while others exchanged glances in hushed tones.

Only Zhang Jinyu arrived last, swaggering into the inner hall. As soon as his footsteps landed heavily...

The whispers in the hall fell silent the moment he stepped in, and almost everyone's eyes were focused on Luo Yunhou. After Zhang Jinyu slowly took his seat at the front, everyone was considered to have arrived.

"The Marquis has arrived."

The Vice Minister of Justice, Lord Chang, forced a smile, rose, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. Zhang Jinyu nodded and returned the gesture with clasped hands.

"My lords, I apologize for the short delay on my journey."

"It's alright, it's alright, Your Excellency has come at just the right time."

"Yeah, no rush."

Many of the remaining officials spoke up to smooth things over, but Chen Hui remained silent with a cold face. Zhang Jinyu found this strange; everyone was here, yet he wasn't discussing business. Who was he waiting for?

"Eunuch Chen, now that everyone is here, please summon them immediately if there is any imperial decree from the palace!"

Suddenly, a sentence popped out, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice. It turned out to be the eldest son, Li Chaosheng, who had spoken. As soon as he said this, everyone's attention was immediately drawn back to Chen Hui.

Chen Hui turned around. Whether it was anger or shock, his once slightly plump face was now bloodless, his lips were white, and his eyes were filled with undisguised panic. Even the python robe that represented his status as a member of the Directorate of Ceremonial seemed to have lost its luster and clung tightly to his slightly trembling body.

Although they were well-hidden, these reactions were rather odd.

Chen Hui took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm himself. After a moment, he regained his composure, his voice becoming hoarse and sharp:

"My lords! Now that you're here, I... I've just returned from the palace! First, I went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to present my memorial, and His Majesty granted my approval!"

He paused, his eyes scanning the document with horrified intent, as if it were burning his hand.
"Then I went to Chang Le Palace to hear the results of the deliberation on Xu Changwen's case. The Emperor Emeritus... the Emperor Emeritus... the Emperor Emeritus only said, 'Since the crime has been decided, you shall deal with it as you see fit!' There were no other decrees! Not a single word!"

This wasn't an imperial decree; it was clearly an order to expel someone! It was a blatant attempt to shift blame! A chill instantly filled the entire Ministry of Justice hall.

How could the Emperor Emeritus react like this? Zhang Jinyu never expected that after all this commotion, it would end like this. Xu Changwen is doomed. Was the so-called "bright moon and gentle breeze" just a deliberately leaked message?

After a brief silence, the lobby erupted in chaos!

"What?! Eunuch Chen, is what you're saying true?"

Chang Zuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was the first to stand up, his face ashen. What kind of decree was this? The case that the Emperor Emeritus had neither agreed nor disagreed with was now being interpreted as the Cabinet's intention to execute him. After all, in the court, civil officials did not band together to plead for leniency.

Perhaps others had also thought of these things, said Shen Zhongxin, the Vice Minister of Revenue, his voice sharp as a knife.
"Eunuch Chen! Is what the Emperor Emeritus said truly accurate? Is this how your Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs handles its duties? The Emperor Emeritus didn't even bother to read the documents for deliberating on the cases assigned by His Majesty before deciding on the punishments, and yet he dealt with them in this way? Could it be that you failed in your duties and failed to understand the Emperor's will, thus incurring the Emperor Emeritus's displeasure?"

Shen Zhongxin took the lead in launching an attack, directly targeting Chen Hui and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs behind him. His words were sharp: the Emperor had entrusted the task to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, but the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was delivering the message (memorial), and the result was that neither side got the desired outcome. There must have been a problem in the middle of the process!
"Hmph, sirs, I was just delivering a memorial, but how could I possibly guess the Emperor's will? The Emperor has already reviewed the memorial; please take a look."

Although Chen Hui was rebuked several times, he calmed down. Since the Emperor Emeritus didn't care, he would wait for the Emperor's decision. He wasn't the only one who could handle the case. After saying that, he handed the memorial in his hand to Grand Secretary Gu first, and then passed it around for everyone to read.

After the memorial was passed around to several people, those who read it were somewhat astonished, which attracted the attention of others. Finally, the memorial fell into Zhang Jinyu's hands. At the bottom of the memorial, there was a comment in red ink, which was just a diagonal line. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that a stroke was not missing. What did this mean?

Zhang Jinyu was completely bewildered and surprised. As if possessed, she turned the document over to check for anything unusual. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single trace of red ink. How strange!

(End of this chapter)