Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 644 Xiao Chong Heads South
Pei Yuan's trip to the palace brought back his preconceived notions about the Forbidden City.

The Hongde Palace is not a good place to sleep, the mutton soup is very hot, and the Empress Xia smells very good.

After returning to the old house in Dengshikou, Pei Yuan took a good bath in the tub before taking a nap, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.

After waking up, thinking about the unsatisfying fun he had last night, Pei Yuan summoned Qingge and Wanyue and indulged himself on the two of them.

Afterwards, Pei Yuan enjoyed the gentle service of the two women while slowly examining the map of creditors.

Upon discovering that the red dot representing Xiao Chong was slowly moving south, Pei Yuan's spirits lifted, and he immediately signaled the two women to stop for the time being.

Then Pei Yuan got up, put on his clothes, and went to the front yard.

When Pei Qianhu appeared, many of his personal guards quickly surrounded him.

Pei Yuan looked around and asked, "Where's Cen Meng?"

Someone answered, "Cen Meng is strolling around in front of the door."

Pei Yuan nodded in acknowledgment, and immediately one of his underlings went to fetch someone.

After Cen Meng arrived, Pei Yuan whispered to him, "Go to Shandong and tell Chen Tou Tie and Chen Xin Jian that Xiao Chong has already left the capital."

Cen Meng was always straightforward and simple in his actions. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "Then I'll take two people and head to Shandong right away."

After Cen Meng left, Pei Yuan pondered for a long time. Now, there was still a problem that needed to be solved.

These days, although he has been avoiding Commander Han, whenever Commander Han has something to say to him, he always manages to send a letter to him immediately.

Pei Yuan also tried to have people counter-surveilled him, but it didn't work well.

Pei Yuan wasn't sure if this was a common tactic of the old Nanjing Imperial Guards who liked to hide under the bed, or if Han Qianhu had spies among his personal guards. But since that was the case, Pei Yuan had to face the problem squarely.

With a major event imminent, Pei Yuan needs to eliminate this hidden danger as soon as possible.

Thinking to himself, Pei Yuan said to the rest of the people, "Come with me to Zhihua Temple."

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, as there were quite a few people here.

When Pei Yuan usually goes out, he only takes a few guards with him. But now, there are dozens of people on duty at the old residence in Dengshikou.

Moreover, Pei Yuan is returning to Zhihua Temple this time, which is his long-established stronghold. Is it necessary to be so cautious?
Xiao Tong and Lu Yong, these two knowledgeable attendants, couldn't help but have a thought pop into their minds: Could it be that Commander Pei summoned so many people to bolster his courage?

Regardless of the doubts or disdain in the hearts of his followers, Pei Yuan led a large group of people back to his loyal Zhihua Temple.

Zhihua Temple remained in its original layout, with half of the guards replaced by people brought from the south, while the other half remained the old guards of Zhihua Temple.

This, to some extent, represents the current situation where the two commanders of the Thousand Household Office are vying for power.

When Pei Yuan entered, he unexpectedly encountered Cui Bohou, a centurion.

Cui Bohou quickly greeted Pei Yuan, who dared not be arrogant and was also very polite to this powerful figure in the Thousand Households Office.

Cui Bohou commands the strongest elite cavalry force under the command of the Thousand Households, and has always been the Han family's most powerful supporter.

For Pei Yuan, Marquis Cui and his elite cavalry had considerable value in uniting the people.

Moreover, Pei Yuan recalled the rumors he had heard in the past few days.

It is said that this Marquis Cui clearly expressed his support for the marriage between Pei Yuan and Commander Han.

This greatly increased Pei Yuan's goodwill towards him.

Pei Yuan chatted with Cui Bohou for a few moments, wanting to test Cui Bohou's attitude towards him, so he asked, "By the way, I heard from Sikong Baihu that he came from Zhushan Qianhu and Tantai Fangtu came from Yiling Qianhu. I wonder which Qianhu you came from, Cui Baihu?"

Pei Yuan's words were, of course, a deliberate indication that Sikong Sui had already told him the truth about Yunyang Prefecture and Huguang Regional Military Commission, and that he already knew a great deal of inside information.

He wanted to take this opportunity to see if Sikong Sui had already discussed these matters with Cui Bohou.

Cui Bohou showed no surprise and said in a very normal tone, "This humble servant comes from the Changning Thousand-Household Office."

With just a simple question and answer, Pei Yuan was convinced that the rumors were true.

It seems that even though Cui Bohou is still loyal to Han Qianhu, he also thinks that it would be a good choice for Han Qianhu to marry him.

Pei Yuan asked directly, "Is Commander Han at the temple today?"

Cui Bohou smiled and said, "Commander Han is in office today and has not gone out."

Pei Yuan patted Cui Bohou on the shoulder, "Alright, I'll go see Commander Han first, and we'll drink together later."

Cui Bohou quickly bowed and agreed.

Emboldened by his newfound courage, Pei Yuan strode towards the main hall of his room in the east courtyard.

Upon arriving at the hall, one would find guards from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

They dared not stop them, and hurriedly said loudly, half bowing and half reminding, "This humble officer greets Deputy Commander Pei."

Pei Yuan grunted in agreement and strode into the hall.

But then they saw Commander Han sitting in the hall with a sullen expression.

In the past, when Pei Yuan met Commander Han, she was usually very conscientious in handling official duties, and it was rare for her to be lazy like this.

Seeing that Commander Han ignored him, Pei Yuan deliberately made a noise, then loudly announced at the gate, "This humble servant Pei Yuan greets Commander Han."

Han Qianhu made a very slight "tsk" sound after the case was closed.

The voice was so soft that Pei Yuan almost thought he had misheard.

Seeing Pei Yuan look up, Commander Han looked at Pei Yuan and sneered, "This humble servant Pei Yuan? Weren't you quite arrogant before?"

Han Qianhu was referring to Pei Yuan showing her the imperial edict and then asserting in an unyielding manner that it was her husband's affair.

To everyone's surprise, Pei Yuan showed no embarrassment whatsoever, and instead said frankly, "A true man can bend and stretch. If you despise me because of this, I will not be ashamed of it."

Han Qianhu gritted his teeth, wanting to settle the score with him for his rude and clumsy behavior last time.

But it ultimately doesn't fit her previous carefree image.

Commander Han could only ask somewhat impatiently, "What do you want from me?"

Pei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Han Qianhu was indeed reserved and proud, and too embarrassed to mention the previous incident, after he had come to visit so generously.

Whether Han Qianhu's magnanimity is genuine or just a facade, it seems he won't dwell on this matter any longer.

Han Qianhu is probably not a petty person.

Thinking of this, Pei Yuan silently recalled the people from the Thousand Household Office he had met, and the things they had mentioned or experienced.

As he thought about it, Pei Yuan stopped thinking about it.

He quickly coughed lightly to interrupt his thoughts and said to Commander Han, "I came here today to have a frank discussion with Commander Han about something."

Upon hearing this, Commander Han sized up Pei Yuan, his gaze sweeping over Pei Yuan's slightly disfigured lips with a hint of disdain. He said, "Tell me about it."

Pei Yuan asked Commander Han, "What kind of person do you think I am, Commander Han?"

Commander Han laughed, his words carrying a double meaning: "A reckless and audacious fellow."

Pei Yuan thought that Commander Han was referring to his desire for her, and thought to himself that this was a rare opportunity to win her favor.

So, after a moment's thought, he quickly said to Commander Han with deep affection, "Without such courage, how could I dare to pursue the most outstanding woman in the world?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Han chuckled indifferently.

Pei Yuan realized that his flattery had not only failed to work, but even Commander Han had stopped smiling.

For a moment I couldn't help but wonder, did I not perform well?
Pei Yuan didn't have time to reflect on his actions at this moment. He was thinking about how he and Commander Han had previously conspired to use the imperial tax money to speculate on soybeans in Huai'an, and how they had instigated the White Lotus Rebellion in Henan in order to protect the interests of the Commander's Office.

The two had worked together on quite a few execution-related jobs, so it wasn't that they couldn't communicate directly.

Realizing the urgency of the matter, Pei Yuan simply asked Commander Han directly, "I wonder if Commander Han has seen those scholars who came to pay their respects before?"

Upon hearing this, Commander Han narrowed her beautiful phoenix eyes slightly, then looked at Pei Yuan indifferently and said, "So what if I've seen him?"

Before Pei Yuan could continue, he added, "I have not only met the dozen or so Jinshi you promoted, but I have also learned that the three people you jokingly mentioned to me at Chongwu Water Station have indeed become the top three in the first class."

“Even their rankings are exactly the same as the rankings you assigned to me when I was assigned the green cards.”

"so……"

Commander Han looked at Pei Yuan, his voice tinged with anger, and said, "So this is how you lured those people to betray me and support you in taking control of the Commander's Office?"

Han Qianhu sat in this position because of popular support, and naturally he was also influenced by the popular support he received.

Although the existence of Yunyang Prefecture and Huguang Regional Military Commission only provided indirect assistance, their subtle symbolic significance still brought great convenience to Commander Han.

It was precisely because of this bottom-up support that she was able to recruit soldiers and horses without restraint, privately cast cannons, and ruthlessly massacre the people of the Northern Garrison in Southern Zhili.

But once she loses those subtle supports, a single order from the imperial court could cost her everything.

The power that comes from the bottom up will naturally lead to the titles that come from the top down.

Power given from the top down can naturally be taken away from the top down.

In the past few days, not only did Sikong Sui, who had been instigating it, make his stance clear, but even Tantai Fangtu and Cui Bohou, who had not expressed any opinion before, also expressed their support.

Even Commander Han received a message by fast horse, informing her that some families in Yunyang were already congratulating her on her upcoming wedding.

These various forces, from top to bottom, left Commander Han extremely frustrated.

And such a Pei Yuan...

Han Qianhu looked calmly at the person in front of him, not wanting to become a prize on his path to growth.

Pei Yuan didn't mean to mention those Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) when he brought them up, but unexpectedly, he confirmed the undercurrents surging within the Qianhu Office through Han Qianhu's words.

Pei Yuan was secretly pleased and highly praised Sikong Sui's hard work.

He immediately made up his mind: putting aside the matter of becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he would do everything he could to help Yunyang Prefecture produce a few Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations) next year.

Next autumn, the eighth year of Zhengde, the autumn imperial examination for selecting Juren (successful candidates in the provincial examination) will be held, and then the spring imperial examination for selecting Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examination) will be held the following year, the ninth year of Zhengde.

Since there were no exam slots available in Yunyang Prefecture, they had to travel to other prefectures in Huguang to take the exams.

With a little effort, there's still room for maneuver.

Pei Yuan's mind raced with those schemes, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

Engaging in a heartfelt conversation with Commander Han right now would only slow down his sword-drawing speed, while Xiao Chong had already headed south.

Pei Yuan immediately denied it, saying, "Commander, there's no need to overthink it. I will give you an explanation regarding those people later. I'm here for another matter."

Han Qianhu was about to use this topic to vent his anger, but upon seeing Pei Yuan's words, his jade-like face quickly froze, and he said indifferently, "Speak."

Pei Yuan said earnestly, "The reason why the commander can calmly govern Nanjing without obeying orders is simply because he has the support of the million people in Yunyang Prefecture and Jingxiang. I, Pei Yuan, want to be a man worthy of the commander, and of course I also yearn for such a base of support."

Commander Han said with slight anger, "So you used the arranged marriage as a pretext to seize my Yunyang?"

Pei Yuan shook his head, giving Han Qianhu an answer he found unbelievable: "No, what I want is Shandong!"

"Shandong?" Commander Han looked at Pei Yuan as if he were a fool. "Shandong is such a strategic place. It not only has vast plains and a large population, but also has the benefits of fish and salt, and controls the Grand Canal and the sea. Liaodong, which is isolated overseas, is even more dependent on Shandong. It relies entirely on the supplies shipped from Shandong to supplement the deficiencies of this cold and harsh land."

"The imperial court has not only established several powerful vassal kings in Shandong, but also two regional military commands. How dare you, a mere commander of a thousand households, presume to covet Shandong?"

Han Qianhu's base is Yunyang Prefecture. Although it is located in the heart of the Ming Dynasty, it is politically regarded as a frontier region.

The continuous mountains that housed millions of migrant workers were also considered a wild and untamed land.

Even in later generations, let alone during the Ming Dynasty, the Shennongjia area still preserved a considerable amount of original landforms.

But Shandong is right next to the capital, how dare Pei Yuan?

Pei Yuan didn't offer much explanation; explaining such an ant-to-eat-elephant behavior with empty words would indeed be foolish.

So he said directly to Commander Han, "I may be doing something big these next few days. So I hope you will remove all the people watching me, otherwise, there may be endless trouble in the future."

Han Qianhu was somewhat doubtful about the important matter Pei Yuan mentioned, but that didn't stop her from giving Pei Yuan a little taste of his own medicine.

She said calmly, "What if I refuse?"

Pei Yuan said, "It's fine if you don't want to. I, Pei Yuan, started from humble beginnings and was able to shake the world and shock people in a short period of time, which is something to be proud of."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Commander Han was slightly surprised. Seeing Pei Yuanzhen about to leave, he couldn't help but call out, "Wait!"

Pei Yuan seemed to have been waiting for this sound, and immediately stopped in his tracks.

Han Qianhu's beautiful eyes flickered as she looked at Pei Yuan and slowly said, "As far as I know, you, Pei Yuan, are not that kind of person."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan turned around and smiled smugly, "For me, success has its advantages, and failure also has its advantages."

"The benefits of failure?" Han Qianhu asked, somewhat surprised.

Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow at Commander Han, "On the day I fail, perhaps the laws of the Ming Dynasty will reward me with the woman I cannot have."

Han Qianhu realized what was going on after a moment's thought, and immediately slammed his fist on the table in a rage, "Pei Yuan!"

Pei Yuan's words were clearly a blatant threat. If his operation were to be exposed, then Han Qianhu, the woman who had already been betrothed to Pei Yuan by the emperor, would inevitably be implicated.

While the Great Ming Law couldn't help Pei Yuan win over women, it was far more serious when it came to hunting down and killing Pei Yuan's women.

(End of this chapter)