In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 810 The promised three years, three years later, another three years!
The next morning, before dawn,
After resting for less than two hours, Mu Jinghe lazily got out of bed.

He quietly left the Lu residence through the back door and returned to his own mansion.

Lu Yunyi also got up without resting any longer.
He returned to his study, picked up his pen, and began to write.

Soon, a letter appeared in his hand.

He summoned the guards on night watch and gave them instructions:
"Send this letter to Minister Qin's residence in the Ministry of Works, and do it discreetly."

"Yes!"

The guards hurriedly left with the letter.

Lu Yunyi sat in the study, staring blankly at the inkstone on the table, speechless for a while.

Why did King Zhou wait for the Duke of Song in Shangyuan County?
Was it a secret order, or was it reckless and arbitrary?
How did the Embroidered Uniform Guard learn of this news?

A variety of doubts swirled in Lu Yunyi's mind.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky outside gradually brightened.

Lu Yunyi finally came to his senses, sighed helplessly, got up and went back to his room, intending to get another night's sleep.

No. 1 Wenchang Lane, the residence of Qin Kui, Minister of Works.

As dawn approached, Qin Kui, who had gone to the morning court, hurriedly returned by carriage and immediately saw the steward waiting at the door.

He alighted from the carriage, his face grave.

"What happened?"

The manager lowered his voice:

"Master, before dawn..."
Lord Lu has sent a letter, saying it's extremely urgent and must be delivered to you.

"What about the letter?"

"In your study, sir."

"Um"

Qin Kui stepped into the mansion with a solemn expression and hurried towards the study, his face extremely grave.

Ordinary communication usually involves going directly to the government office to report.
He keenly sensed the deeper meaning behind the letter that was delivered directly to his residence today.

Not only are the matters in the letter of great importance,

It also means that Lu Yunyi does not want others to know about this.

A short while later, he came to the study, closed the door, and sat down behind the desk.
He took the letter from under a book and opened it.

The strange font that caught his eye made Qin Kui frown slightly, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Such characters are extremely difficult for others to imitate.

Qin Kui moved closer to examine it more closely.
Although the words were difficult to decipher, he still managed to make out the characters above:
[King Zhou secretly met with the Duke of Song in Shangyuan County. Furthermore, King Zhou's journey to Bianzhou concerns flood control; he must not allow the matter to be disrupted. This is requested of King Zhou.]
Qin Kui's expression suddenly turned serious, his eyes blazing with anger, and his fingers gripping the document trembled slightly.

"Ah—you bastard!!"

Qin Kui slammed the document on the table and began to curse:
"Fool! How can there be such a fool in the world!"

"Why did he have to ruin this perfectly good relocation of the fiefdoms?"

Qin Kui was somewhat puzzled. He had clearly suffered a great loss because of the secret meeting and had been demoted to Yunnan.

Why would they need to meet secretly after things had taken a turn for the better?
Could it be that he prefers to stay in Yunnan?

Whether King Zhou liked Yunnan or not was none of Qin Kui's business.

Whether he can return to Kaifeng is very important to the Ministry of Works, the Market and Commerce Bureau, and the Merchants!

Once a prince was stationed in Kaifeng, there would be guards protecting one side of the city, not under the overall command of the three local administrative departments.
That would quell most of the unrest, and the flood control efforts would likely be at least 80% easier!

But if King Zhou fails to return to Kaifeng this time,
Qin Kui never imagined that those people from the three Henan departments could be so arrogant.

The more Qin Kui thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt a tightness in his chest.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the study, his mind in turmoil.

He felt he might really be having some bad luck.

Ji Yucheng, his old rival, has recently been thoroughly defeated by him.
His presence in the government office was dwindling, but once the flood control project in Henan was completed, he was confident he could get rid of Ji Yuchen from the Ministry of Works.

Unfortunately, the final push to success is always met with unexpected setbacks.

If the flood control efforts are delayed, it's uncertain when he will be able to take full control.

Moreover, Qin Kui had a bad feeling.

Lu Yunyi already knew that the King of Zhou was waiting for the Duke of Song in Shangyuan County. How could the palace not know?
"Ugh, how stupid."

After a long while, Qin Kui finally made up his mind and kept shaking his head and sighing.
"Someone is coming."

The door was pushed open, and the steward appeared:

"master."

"Prepare the horses and return to the yamen. Send letters to Li Zhigang, Han Yike, and Liu Sili."

"Summon them to the Ministry of Works and say you want to discuss the flood control matter."

"Yes!"

Wenchang Lane was not far from the imperial city. In less than a quarter of an hour, Qin Kui had already entered the imperial city and returned to the Ministry of Works.

"grown ups."

All the officials and magistrates who came along the way bowed their heads in respect.

Qin Kui walked among them, somewhat unsettled. He arrived at the yamen (government office).

He stood at the doorway, looking towards the Left Vice Minister's office not far away, his gaze deep.
After watching for a while, he went into the yamen (government office) and waited quietly.

Li Zhigang was the first to arrive and stayed in the capital for almost a month.
The tan on his face gradually faded, and the wrinkles became much shallower, restoring his youthful appearance.

"Your humble servant Li Zhigang pays his respects to Your Excellency."

"Please sit down and wait for the others to arrive."

Qin Kui sat at the head of the table, not bothering with any pleasantries, and simply waved his hand gently.

A hint of doubt flashed in Li Zhigang's eyes. He nodded and sat down respectfully to the side.

A short while later, Han Yike also came in.

Li Zhigang immediately stood up to pay his respects, showing no disrespect whatsoever to the newly appointed Deputy Director of the Market and Trade Bureau.

"This humble official pays his respects to Lord Han."

Han Yike is over sixty years old, and his skin has become very dark after spending several years in Yunnan.
Although he is now wearing a scarlet robe, he looks quite strange.

His thin body couldn't fill out his clothes, but that only added to his imposing presence.

He nodded and sat down on the left.
He had just sat down when Liu Sili, dressed in casual clothes, hurried in.
He was covered in sweat at the moment, looking nothing like a high-ranking official, but rather like a busy merchant manager.

Upon entering the house and seeing Han Yike,
He was slightly taken aback, but his expression quickly returned to normal.

"Greetings, Lord Qin and Lord Han."

Qin Kui nodded slightly, gesturing for Liu Sili to sit down.

He didn't hide anything, but went straight to the point:

"I have received a message; please take a look, gentlemen."

With a wave of his hand, the clerk distributed the copied documents.

The three people below the stage took the document, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes, but also a hint of caution.

They knew about this Lord Qin.

Among the six departments, it has the lowest profile, rarely showing itself or actively contacting other adults.

And now.
The group opened the letter, and after reading the small print on it,
His relaxed expression suddenly turned serious, his brows furrowed, and his eyes flashed with absurdity and uncertainty.

Han Yi, being a former censor, was most sensitive to such matters and was the first to speak:
"This is outrageous! A prince is meeting with a military commander in private. What is he trying to do?"
The matter of the rebel party has not yet been settled, and those involved are still imprisoned and awaiting trial. Do they want to go in and be tried as well?

Han Yike's voice rose several pitches, and her breathing became heavy.
He simply couldn't believe that there could be such a stupid person in the world.

Liu Sili looked at the document from left to right, his expression equally grave.
But there's no rush. Whether King Zhou can go to Kaifeng is indeed important to the merchants.
However, their importance is far less than that of construction companies and cement workshops.

After seeing the letter, Li Zhigang almost went insane.
His hands were trembling as he held the letter, and he gritted his teeth.
There was a deep resentment in my heart that I felt my fate was in the hands of others, not my own!
His smooth career path in officialdom was entirely due to his control of floods.
However, controlling the floods required suppressing the three provincial governors of Henan and also relied on the Zhou king.

I thought everything was going smoothly.
I never expected things to go wrong on the safest thing.
"Gentlemen, you have probably already read the contents of the letter. Now, think of a solution."

Han Yike suddenly raised her head and asked:
"Lord Qin, may I ask where this news came from?"

How many days has the King of Zhou stayed in Shangyuan County? Has he met with the Duke of Song?

Suddenly, pairs of eyes turned towards them, their faces filled with questions.

Qin Kui shook his head:
"I cannot disclose the source of this information."

As for whether King Zhou met with the Duke of Song, I do not know; I only know that King Zhou was preparing to do this.

These words caused a slight stir among those present.

He had a different opinion of Minister Qin in front of him.

Therefore, the information must have come from a clandestine source.
Unexpectedly, before they even heard a whisper of it, the person in front of them already knew.

Han Yi took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Since we don't know whether the King of Zhou has seen the Duke of Song,

"Then we should act quickly and send someone to inform King Zhou that he should not linger in Shangyuan County and should come to the capital as soon as possible!"

"Can you make it?"

Liu Sili narrowed his eyes slightly.

Han Yike spoke decisively:
"Whether it's too late or not, we should try. King Zhou has now taken this action."
But as long as the person hasn't been seen, there's room for negotiation, and His Majesty can speak up for him.

If they actually see it, even His Majesty cannot exonerate him.”

"His Majesty?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhigang was momentarily stunned.
How could Your Majesty exonerate the King of Zhou?
However, he quickly figured it out.

Sending the Prince of Zhou back to Henan is His Majesty's will; his word is law and cannot be repudiated.

If someone were to find fault with him, it would confirm that King Zhou was incorrigible, and the palace would be disgraced.

Moreover, the political situation is currently turbulent, and many dukes and marquises have been arrested.
If something like this happens again, we'll have to resort to severe measures; otherwise, it will cause another uproar.

Therefore, even if people in the palace were angry, they would still help cover it up.

Having figured this out, Li Zhigang suddenly stood up and bowed to the adults in the room:

"My lords, I am currently unemployed in the capital and hold a low-ranking official position. Please allow me to go and inform them."

Qin Kui sat at the head of the table, staring at him for a long time before slowly nodding.

"Lord Li, I'm entrusting this matter to you. You must persuade Prince Zhou to come to the capital as soon as possible!"

"Yes!"

Li Zhigang turned to leave.

But Liu Sili spoke in a deep voice:
"Wait a minute, what if Prince Zhou doesn't listen and insists on waiting in Shangyuan County?"

"Oh!"

Han Yi slammed her hand on the table and began to curse:

"How could he not listen! How could he do something so foolish?"
Does he even realize how many people's plans he'll ruin once he meets the Duke of Song?!

"Lord Han, please calm down. King Zhou is very stubborn and might not listen to reason."

Qin Kui sat at the head of the table, his expression calm but his eyes gloomy.

"How about we inform the Prince of Yan about this and ask him to persuade him?" Liu Sili tentatively suggested.

"No!"

Han Yike spoke decisively.
"Before the enemy and friend are distinguished, the fewer people who know the news, the better."

Qin Kui shook his head helplessly and looked at Li Zhigang, who was waiting at the door:
"Go ahead, ride a fast horse to Shangyuan County. Try to persuade them if you can, and even if you can't, you still have to try."

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Zhigang's eyes as he bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Lord Qin, if King Zhou insists on not leaving..."

Then I will go south to find the Duke of Song's entourage that has come to the capital.

His Highness the King of Zhou is unreasonable, and the Duke of Song probably isn't either.

"Well go ahead."

Qin Kui waved his hand.

After bowing once, Li Zhigang left immediately!

After he left, the room became completely quiet. The three adults sat in different places, each with a different expression.
Han Yike's aged face carried a hint of regret and sorrow:
"The affairs of merchants are indeed closely related to the imperial court; I have witnessed this firsthand today."
If it is not possible to build dikes and reservoirs in Henan,
"Those cement workshops and construction companies haven't been able to find customers in recent years."

Liu Sili smiled faintly and comforted her:
"Lord Han, please don't worry. Now that the news has spread, things can't be too bad."

If we knew nothing from the beginning,
It would be a bad thing if we only realized it when others impeached us.

Han Yike knew this was true, and nodded with lingering fear:

"Lord Liu's composure suggests that he has handled this matter appropriately, something I cannot match."

"The business of merchants is simply buying and selling; it's far less complex than the intrigues of the imperial court."

Moreover, as one of the top merchants in Yingtian,
One should stay away from the court and those conflicts; only then can one live long and avoid becoming a thorn in the side of others.

Han Yike looked puzzled, not quite understanding what she meant.

"Lord Liu, we are both officials in the imperial court, and the business guild is located within the imperial court. How can we stay away from it?"

"I would be most grateful if Lord Liu could enlighten me."

Liu Sili was not stingy; he smiled frankly and glanced at his casual clothes:
"Just think of yourself as the head manager of a business."

As the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, I am only considered an official within the government office.
Outside the government office and outside the imperial city, everyone calls me "Your Excellency, Head Manager."

Han Yike looked enlightened, as if deep in thought.
At this moment, Qin Kui, who was at the head of the table, also took these words to heart and sighed:

"Does Lord Liu mean that even if the flood control efforts are hindered because of the Zhou King's affair, it's still acceptable?"

Liu Sili smiled and said softly:
"Lord Qin, His Majesty has unified the six kingdoms."
Even a traitor like the Duke of Han has been imprisoned, so why should we care about some people from the Three Departments of Henan?

It will at most be a bit more troublesome.

Qin Kui was still somewhat worried:
That being said, haste makes waste.

If the King of Zhou's return to Kaifeng is obstructed, those people will become even more unscrupulous.
"It would be best to think of a way to prevent King Zhou from making any mistakes."

"Yes, what you two gentlemen say makes perfect sense."
The best course of action now is to block the news and prevent those with ulterior motives from finding out.
"Lord Qin, are your intelligence channels discreet?"

Han Yike looked up at Qin Kui, who sat at the head of the table.

Qin Kui looked thoughtful, considered it carefully, and then nodded slightly:

"Secret enough."

Han Yike breathed a sigh of relief:
"That's good. I still have some influence with the Censorate."

If someone were to submit a memorial impeaching me, I would ask them to suppress it for the time being.

Qin Kui nodded:
"I was thinking, should I tell the Duke of Kaiguo about this, and have him send someone to inform the Duke of Song?"

Han Yike's eyes lit up, and she nodded:

"Indeed, His Majesty's anger towards the Duke of Zheng has subsided considerably recently."

The founding duke had already planned to bring the Duke of Zheng back to the capital.

Right now, he's probably the last person who wants to see the Duke of Song get into trouble.

"Very well, then I will send someone to inform them."

Seeing that both of them had expressed their opinions, Liu Sili also smiled and spoke up:
"If you two gentlemen have any instructions, please feel free to speak. I am still able to manage the finances, manpower, and information to some extent."

"Alright, then so be it. You two may proceed."

Qin Kui stood up, and the two left one after the other.

Approaching the hour of Si (9:00 AM),
After taking a nap, Lu Yunyi hummed a little tune as he entered the imperial city and headed towards the Ministry of Revenue.

"We ordinary people are so happy today! We're rushing over to collect our salaries!"

Feng Yunfang and the others who were following along looked at each other in bewilderment.
This was the first time they had ever seen their master so happy; they had never been this happy even after winning a great battle.

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Revenue, the clerk at the gate, upon seeing this young face...
He immediately recognized who it was and quickly greeted them:

"Greetings, Lord Lu. May I ask what brings you here today?"

Lu Yunyi smiled faintly, barely managing to suppress the corners of his mouth:

"I am going to the Department of Revenue and Finance to collect my salary."

"Receive a salary?"

The clerk was taken aback, then added:
"Lord Lu, the day for collecting your salary has passed."

"I know, it's last month's salary!"

The clerk looked somewhat strange, but still led him into the Ministry of Revenue.
Not long after, a loud shout came from inside the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance and Revenue.

"What! No! Are you kidding me?"

Inside the yamen, Lu Yunyi's eyes widened.
He immediately appointed the head of the Revenue and Finance Department, his face filled with disbelief.

"Your Majesty"

The person in charge looked flustered and answered tremblingly:

"My lord, really, no. At the beginning of the month... at the beginning of the month, Lord Yu caused a great disturbance at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters."
His Highness the Crown Prince ordered that Commander Mao of the Embroidered Uniform Guard be fined one year's salary.

"What does Mao Xiang's salary deduction have to do with me!"

"Later... His Highness the Crown Prince issued another decree."
They say you'll also be fined a year's salary, but as for the reason, I have no idea.

"what?"

"Another year's salary deduction?"

Lu Yunyi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his mind filled with absurdity.
(End of this chapter)