The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun is working hard for this bright and clear sky, An Chen and his group have gone to find military households to cooperate with, while Xue Shao is going to launch an attack from the front lines to bring Cao Rong and his gang to justice.

However, after Xue Shao accepted the military household's complaint, the Commander-in-Chief's Office, although they treated him with disdain, still cooperated with his investigation and did not allow Xue Shao to find any fault with him.

Of course, the things Xue Shao checked wouldn't reveal any problems in a short time.

Why do the military households live such a poor life?
The reason is that the country is at war, the court needs to collect taxes, and there has been a natural disaster, so life is not good.

This is not the fault of the Regional Military Commission, but the fault of the imperial court, or more precisely, the fault of Wang Zhen and the late emperor.

Since Wang Zhen is dead anyway, all the blame can be placed on him.

In the Battle of Luchuan, Wang Zhen wanted to forcibly conscript military households from Guangdong to rush to the aid of the troops, and also demanded that these households bear a greater burden of provisions...

Anyway, it's all the fault of the treacherous eunuch Wang Zhen.

Cao Rong also met with Xue Shao in person. After reading the petition, he looked remorseful and said that it was his dereliction of duty.

Fortunately, Wang Zhen was dead and the Battle of Luchuan was over, giving the soldiers and civilians of Guangdong a chance to catch their breath. He said that he would definitely manage the military households well and help them recover their strength within two years, and asked the emperor and the court to give him some more time.

Pan Yun didn't know what Xue Shao was thinking, but after hearing Xi Jin's account, Pan Yun turned around and emptied one of Cao Rong's three warehouses. She then sneaked into his bedroom, not only taking away all the valuables inside, but also opening several hidden compartments and packing everything away, regardless of what it contained.

When Cao Rong returned home after dark, he opened the bedroom door and saw that the entire Cao mansion had changed color.

Xue Shao and Pan Yun sat on the roof of the Provincial Administration Office, watching the brightly lit Cao Mansion and the soldiers coming and going in and out with panicked expressions. They couldn't help but turn to look at her.

Pan Yun looked innocent: "This is not my fault. Wang Zhen is dead and there is no way to testify. Since your case has not made any progress, I have no choice but to make him move."

She pointed to the bustling Cao residence and said, "Look, isn't it all moving now?"

Xue Shao: "You went too far. What did you find in his bedroom?"

Pan Yun handed over the items to him, including account books and letters, but more importantly, bank notes, land deeds and house deeds, including but not limited to those in the capital, Baoding, Guangdong and even five estates in Jiangnan, each of which was no less than 500 mu.

Pan Yun was very tempted at the time, but when she thought about how land deeds could be quickly replaced once one reached a certain status, she gave up the idea of ​​keeping them for herself.

Xue Shao frowned deeply as he looked at it.

Pan Yun said, "I've given you the things. Use them if you need them, and seal them up if you don't need them for the time being. When your people come to search the house, I can put them back in order to solidify his crime, so you can openly search for them."

Xue Shao's heart skipped a beat: "That's a good idea."

Pan Yun glanced down, got up and disappeared, leaving only one sentence: "I'm going to continue causing him trouble. Hurry up, Chaozhou Prefecture is waiting for us."

Pan Yun disappeared, and Jiao Tong also walked to the eaves. He tried to look up at Xue Shao on the roof and frowned: "Wen Shao, what are you doing on the roof?"

Xue Shao: "Enjoying the scenery."

"What scenery are you looking at? Come down quickly, I have something to ask you."

Xue Shao glanced eastward and smiled slightly: "You can see a very beautiful view from up here."

Jiao Tong then had a ladder brought over, climbed onto the roof, and looked in the direction Jiao Tong pointed, remaining silent for a long time.

Xue Shao pressed on, asking, "Uncle Jiao, what's the view like up there?"

Jiao Tong frowned deeply: "What did you do to provoke such a huge commotion at the Cao family's residence?"

Xue Shao said calmly, "The military households who came to complain today are filled with grief and resentment that they cannot vent. Tonight, Commander Cao has only experienced one ten-thousandth of their grief."

"I want to see how Cao Rong will react to the immense pain that the military household can endure, and whether he can continue to endure it?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud bang came from in front of the Provincial Administration Office, followed by a huge commotion.

Jiao Tong suddenly turned his head to look over.

Looking down from their vantage point, they saw Cao Rong leading a troop of soldiers as they forced their way into the mansion.

The steward of the manor was terrified and could not stop them. The guards drew their knives and stood in front of them, but were forced to retreat step by step.

Jiao Tong's expression changed slightly. He turned around and glared at Xue Shao, asking in a low voice, "What did you do?"

Xue Shao raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face: "I just took a stroll around Cao Rong's bedroom and found a few hidden compartments, but I didn't expect him to react so strongly."

Jiao Tong almost vomited blood. The bedroom is such a private place, how can anyone just walk in like that?
He even touched someone's hidden compartment!

Even he would want to kill someone.

but……

What exactly was in the secret compartment that caused Cao Rong to lose his composure and lead his troops into the backyard of the Provincial Administration Commission?

Jiao Tong's mind raced. Without hesitation, he instinctively wanted to protect Xue Shao.

When Jiao Tong realized this, he couldn't help but sigh and look at Xue Shao: "Did you plan this all along? Did you know I would definitely protect you?"

Xue Shao: "Uncle Jiao, I am an imperial inspector, on behalf of the emperor. To kill me is tantamount to treason. Perhaps you will weigh the pros and cons, but you will certainly be loyal to the emperor and love your country, and will not let the treacherous schemes of these rebellious officials succeed."

Jiao Tong snorted coldly upon hearing this, flicked his sleeves, turned around, climbed the ladder down from the roof, and stormed off to the front yard, leaving Xue Shao with only his back and the words: "You stay put!"

Xue Shao was honest, of course. He had no intention of risking going to the front yard unless Cao Rong really dared to rebel and harm Jiao Tong in the Provincial Administration Commission.

However, he believed Cao Rong wouldn't.

It's often said that military generals are careless, but that's a prejudice.

Which military general who rose to become a powerful regional official was an easy person to deal with?

Long-term victories are never achieved solely through martial prowess and bravery; wisdom and strategy are essential.

Xue Shao stood on the roof with his hands clasped together, watching Jiao Tong stop Cao Rong from forcing his way in, watching Cao Rong fly into a rage but unable to rush in and grab him...

Xue Shao jumped off the roof only after Cao Rong angrily turned and left.

Xi Jin ran up excitedly: "Young Master, are you hungry? Would you like a midnight snack?"

Xue Shao glanced at him and said, "If you talk nonsense with her without my permission again next time, I won't take you out."

Xi Jin wiped his mouth with his hand and said, "I know I was wrong, I will never dare to do it again."

With the information Pan Yun found in the hidden compartment, Xue Shao's case progressed rapidly.

He waited for Cao Rong to calm down overnight, and the next day he sent someone to his door to inform him to come to the prefectural government office for trial.

Cao Rong claimed to be ill and did not go out.

Upon hearing this, Xue Shao asked An Chen, "Have all the people who came out of the Cao residence last night been caught?"

An Chen: "Not a single one was left out; neither they nor the letters they carried left the city."

Xue Shao: "Where are the pigeons?"

"The Imperial Advisor shot them all, the letter is with me, and all the pigeons are cooked." An Chen paused and then asked, "The porridge is very fragrant, would you like to try some?"

Xue Shao was indeed a little tempted, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded: "Noon then." Since there were plenty of pigeons, and a big pot of porridge was cooked, An Chen agreed on behalf of Pan Yun.

Xue Shao said, "Choose one and release him, let him go back and report. You go and ask Prefect Song for the person, and invite him back to be interrogated according to the list."

An Chen took the list.

Xue Shao said, "Remember, it's a trial, so if you can't get them back, bring them back with you."

He raised his eyes with a half-smile: "Lord An, it's time for you to fulfill your purpose here."

An Chen said with a serious expression, "You can rest assured, sir, about what we Embroidered Uniform Guards do."

An Chen took the list and left.

He first went to the prison to select the people to be released, handed them over to the jailers, and told them to release them after noon. Then he called his four brothers and took a group of men given to him by Song Hao to fetch the people.

Of course, things didn't go smoothly. Fortunately, the Imperial Guards were skilled in martial arts, ruthless, and had powerful backers. So they beat two of them half to death and dragged them back, beat one of them with minor injuries and took him back, and the other two, after seeing the miserable state of the three people being held in the carriage, decisively became heroes and obediently followed An Chen to the prefectural government office to hear the trial.

When he brought everyone back to the prefectural government office, it was exactly noon, and the jailers released them.

The man kept walking and headed straight for the Cao residence to deliver the message. When he reached the main street, the carriage carrying five prisoners was just entering the prefectural government office.

Xue Shao glanced at the two seriously injured men, raised his hand, and ordered someone to bring the coroner to treat them.

As for the one with minor injuries, he and the other two were forced to kneel down.

All three were military officers. They were forced to kneel down and struggled indignantly, keeping only one knee on the ground and refusing to put the other leg down no matter what.

The three men glared angrily at Xue Shao: "Xue Shao, we are all officials of the imperial court, how dare you force us to kneel!"

Kneeling was not common in the Ming Dynasty. Except for very formal occasions when meeting the emperor or when one had a request to make to the emperor, the greeting between the emperor and his subjects was usually a bow.

Xue Shao did not want to humiliate them, so he raised his hand to the yamen runners who were holding the three people down.

The bailiffs loosened their grip, and the three men suddenly stood up, broke free from their grasp, and stood there glaring angrily.

Xue Shao tapped the table lightly with his finger: "The commotion at the Cao residence last night was so great, I think you should know why I invited you here, right?"

A look of confusion crossed the eyes of all three.

Xue Shao raised an eyebrow: "What, didn't Commander Cao tell you?"

Meanwhile, Cao Rong learned from the messenger who had escaped that they had been captured and their letters had been intercepted.

Cao Rong was so angry that he smashed a table, and his entire arm went numb from the impact.

It took him a while to find his voice, still in pain: "Where's the carrier pigeon? Has it been sent?"

Guards immediately went to investigate, and nearly half an hour later, the steward returned with a few bird feathers, his face covered in cold sweat, and reported: "Master, this has been found near the mansion. Those carrier pigeons are probably in grave danger."

Cao Rong clenched his fists in anger: "It seems that Xue Shao was really prepared. He came straight for me."

The aide couldn't help but ask, "Has the master offended him?"

“He’s just an inspector of Jiangnan, and I’m the commander of Guangdong. How could I have offended him?” Cao Rong said angrily. “I think it’s those civil officials who want to target us military officers. It must be because the new emperor intends to develop the army after his personal campaign, which has caught their eye.”

"Hmph, they dare not attack the Northern Army, nor do they dare to target Jiangnan or the Southwest, so they're aiming their spearhead at Lingnan. They think I'm an easy target!"

The advisor, however, had a gut feeling that something was amiss: "If that's the case, he's moving way too fast, and he's being incredibly precise and ruthless, showing absolutely no mercy. It doesn't seem like he wants to use his employer to deal with the military figures in the capital; it seems more like he wants to finish this quickly to avoid escalating the situation."

The aide frowned, hesitating to speak.

Cao Rong urged, "Speak your mind."

The advisor said, "If the master hasn't offended him, then it's for the public good. After thinking it over, the only possibility is that the lower-ranking officers are oppressing the military households too much, which has angered the censor, so..."

Cao Rong turned around abruptly, staring at him like a wolf: "You mean, I forced you to do it?"

The aide quickly bowed his head and said, "What I mean is that the people below have acted too much and deceived the master."

He paused, his voice dropping eight octaves: "Master, Xue Shao is a man who won't listen to either soft or hard tactics. He has an excellent reputation in the court and is already favored by the new emperor. In addition, Xue Xuan is also highly regarded in the court, and he has the Imperial Preceptor as a friend by the emperor's side. Going head-on with him will only backfire."

"But didn't you say he doesn't respond well to gentle persuasion?"

“We won’t back down easily, but we’re mindful of the bigger picture,” the aide whispered. “Master, you should consider making a tough decision.”

Cao Rong remained silent for a long time before finally saying in a deep voice, "The items were taken from a hidden compartment in my bedroom. Besides a storeroom full of treasures, I also lost other things. A desperate measure might not be effective; I think it's better to eliminate the problem altogether."

Cao Rong used his palm as a knife, made a cut on his neck, and said, "When a person dies, everything can start anew."

"No!" the aide exclaimed urgently. "Master, he has the Embroidered Uniform Guard by his side, and he can empty a warehouse without anyone noticing. He must have a lot of men. Who knows if any will escape? If they take away even a single note and plot to assassinate the censor, it's tantamount to treason, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"

Of course, few people actually commit treason and are executed along with their entire nine generations of relatives, but executing three generations of relatives is a basic principle.

Cao Rong's descendants for three generations will not survive.

Cao Rong's face turned ashen.

His advisors watched him anxiously, hoping he wouldn't act impulsively and lead them into utter ruin.

After a long while, Cao Rong finally let out a breath and said, "Then tell me, how do I have to make the tough decision to cut my losses?"

His advisors immediately instructed him on which wrist to sever.

Cao Rong felt increasingly heartbroken as he listened, and in the end, he almost couldn't breathe.

His staff noticed that his expression grew increasingly grim, and he eventually exuded a menacing aura. They wondered if he had truly accepted the situation.

Anyway, when Cao Rong left, his eyes were icy cold, and the staff member felt like he had become a corpse.

It took Cao Rong a long time for his body to warm up.

He slowly sat down in a chair and pondered for a long time. After a while, based on his understanding of Cao Rong, he got up and quietly left from the backyard. He went to the alley next door, found his wife, and told her to pack her luggage so that he could leave with his family immediately.

"Don't stop for a moment, go and seek refuge with your eldest sister immediately. Don't go back to your hometown or your mother's home."

Wife: "Why so suddenly?"

"Don't ask so many questions, let's go."

His wife asked him worriedly, "And what about you?"

"I still have some things to take care of. You go first, and I will catch up with you later. It will take at least five days, and at most a month. If I haven't come looking for you after a month, take the children and move to another place. Don't tell me or anyone else where you are going. Find a place on short notice, and make sure it's an unfamiliar place. Take your money with you."

"My lord~~"

The aide sighed and said, "I foresaw this day from the first time I recorded the gold in Cao Rong's account for the New Year. The balance of Heaven is such that it cannot allow one person to be so complacent forever."

"It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived yet. And now, his time has come, and I've reached my end." (End of Chapter)