I am a temporary worker in Jinyiwei, how did I become a powerful official?

Chapter 207 A Glimpse of Life on the Night of the Suppression

Xu Pengju cleared his throat: "A mutiny has actually occurred in Nanjing. Liao Jie, the guerrilla general stationed in Zhenwu Battalion, is to blame! I have already written a memorial impeaching him. Even if he is not the mastermind behind the mutiny, he is guilty of negligence."

"Those in positions of power must fulfill their responsibilities. The court entrusted the Zhenwu Battalion to Liao Jie—what a great trust that was placed in him! Yet he stood by and watched his subordinates mutini. He should bear the primary responsibility!"

The ministers and governors echoed, "Absolutely, absolutely."

Good heavens, the rebel soldiers are committing rape, looting, and other atrocities in Nanjing. Instead of trying to quell the rebellion, these people are busy finding someone to take the blame.

Lin Shisan cried out, “Lord Duke, the military situation is dire! Five thousand rebel soldiers are looting, killing, raping, and setting fires in the city. You must make a decision now and quell the rebellion immediately!”

Xu Pengju said, "Suppressing the rebellion is a major event that requires careful consideration, planning, and discussion."

Lin Shisan shouted, "Are you going to wait until the rebels reach the Duke's mansion before you get worried? The military situation is urgent!"

The Minister of War in Nanjing glanced at Lin Shisan: "Which department are you from? What is your official rank?"

Lin Shisan replied, "I am Lin Shisan, a commander of the Nanjing Imperial Guard."

The Minister of War scoffed, "A mere fifth-rank official, nothing special. When dukes, marquises, earls, and ministers of the ministries discuss matters, who gives you the right to speak? Guards, remove his seat and make him stand!"

The Minister of Justice was quite familiar with Lin Shisan. Lin Shisan had cleverly cured his beloved cat's convulsions. He advised Lin Shisan, "Commander Lin, please calm down. The mutiny is not something that can be resolved overnight."

"It's like treating an illness. Illness comes like a landslide, but recovery is slow and gradual. With so many of us here, we can surely come up with a proper solution to quell the mutiny and restore peace to the people of Nanjing."

Several ministers echoed, "Minister Xu's words are truly wise and insightful for governing the country. Things will work out better with patience; we cannot rush them!"

“Young man, we’ve been officials for years, what storms haven’t we weathered? We’re not even worried, why are you so anxious? The Duke isn’t worried, but this little commander is. Ridiculous.”

"Young man, you must learn to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you, only then will you have a bright future!"

These seasoned officials were unwilling to comment on the suppression of the rebellion, fearing future liability. After Lin Shisan entered and spoke a few more words, they finally found a way to deflect blame.

Good heavens, the topic of this meeting seems to have evolved from suppressing the rebellion into a lecture for Lin Shisan, a young official.

Lin Shisan frowned, a plan forming in his mind. He shouted, "My lords and ministers, I'm in a hurry to quell the rebellion not for any other reason than for your lives!"

"The mutineers of Zhenwu Camp stormed into the city and declared that they would kill all the dukes, marquises, earls, ministers and vice ministers of the six ministries, and commanders of the five armies in Nanjing."

"Minister Huang Maoguan has been beaten to death by mutineers outside the Ministry of Revenue! His body is unrecognizable! I can't bear to look at the horrific sight!"

"The rebel soldiers are now searching the city for your whereabouts. If they find you, you will likely face certain death!"

"Every day the mutiny is delayed in being quelled, your lives will hang in the balance!"

When it comes to their fundamental interests, these old guys immediately get involved.

"What? The rebels are coming for us? A mutiny is a terrible thing that harms the country and its people. It must be quelled immediately!"

"The Duke of Wei is the garrison commander of Nanjing and the commander-in-chief of the central army. In addition to the Zhenwu Battalion, he also commands the Xinjiangkou Battalion, the Dajiaochang Battalion, the Xiaojiaochang Battalion, the Chihe Battalion, and the Puzikou Battalion. Please immediately dispatch these five battalions to the capital to quell the rebellion!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Duke of Wei, please issue the military order quickly!"

"The Duke of Wei is a descendant of the King of Zhongshan. Wherever your army goes, you will be invincible and the rebellion will be quelled immediately!"

"That's right, that's right. The Duke of Wei is as brave as ten thousand men! If he personally goes into battle, he's worth two, no, he's worth twenty thousand!"

Actually, suppressing the rebellion wasn't complicated. It was simply a matter of deploying troops into the city. Five battalions against one battalion—the government troops had an absolute advantage.

Lin Shisan bowed to Xu Pengju and said, "Please listen to the words of the nobles and ministers, Duke of Wei, and immediately mobilize troops to quell the rebellion!"

At the critical moment, Xu Pengju did not hesitate! He displayed the characteristics of a good-for-nothing—indecisiveness, shirking responsibility, and avoiding trouble.

Xu Pengju said, "As you all know, my position as the Nanjing garrison commander is a paper tiger. Although I am the highest military and political official in Nanjing, the garrison troops and soldiers below me do not listen to me."

"Mobilizing troops into the city is such a sensitive matter! I have served as the garrison commander for twenty years and have never touched the royal command flag used for troop mobilization!"

The Ming army did not possess tiger tallies. In case of emergency, local civil and military officials could mobilize troops without consulting the emperor, simply by presenting the imperial edict and flag.

Xu Pengju added, "I can mobilize troops. But you all must sign a document with my name to mobilize troops. Otherwise, the court might suspect that my troop mobilization is a plot to rebel."

"The order of signatures on documents doesn't need to be based on official rank. How about ordering them by the number of strokes in the surname?"

Good heavens. Those surnamed Wang and Yu would absolutely disagree with Xu Pengju's proposal.

When the idea of ​​jointly drafting a troop mobilization document was mentioned, the officials began to shirk their responsibilities again.

"According to the Ming Dynasty's system, the Nanjing garrison commander is in charge of the Nanjing garrison. The imperial edict and flag were given to you for troop deployment. Your troop deployment is in accordance with the system. Our addition of troop deployment documents is superfluous and makes it illegal."

"Yes, yes, yes. Rules cannot be broken! It would be better for the Duke to mobilize troops on his own."

“This matter should be viewed in this way. Your troop deployment to quell the rebellion is both reasonable and legal. If we all flock to join you in some way, it is inevitable that some people in the court will accuse you of forming cliques for personal gain.”

"Yes, those officials in the capital are very sharp-tongued. They might accuse you of colluding with nobles and officials in Nanjing, plotting a rebellion, and dividing the country along the Yangtze River!"

Xu Pengju began to argue with the crowd: "No, no. If I mobilize troops alone, it will only make me appear disloyal! How can the king's orders and flags be moved without authorization?"

"I don't think those traitors have any other intentions. They're just angry because their pay hasn't been fully paid. They came to Nanjing to loot the city. Once they've looted enough, they'll naturally disperse and leave the city."

"That's right! It's late spring, and the peach blossom season is almost here. According to regulations, Governor Zhao Zhenji of Yingtian has been transferred to Suzhou to oversee water conservancy. Why don't we send someone to Suzhou to invite Zhao Zhenji back to take charge of the overall situation?"

Lin Shisan was shocked by Xu Pengju's shamelessness!

Waiting for the rebel soldiers to "loot enough" and leave the city on their own? Where is there ever enough looting? What hope is there for the ordinary people in Nanjing to survive?

Instead of taking responsibility himself, he shifted the blame for suppressing the rebellion onto Zhao Zhenji?

Zhao Zhenji was known for his "three abstentions" in officialdom: he avoided troublesome matters, matters that brought no benefit, and matters that required mental and physical exertion.

Go and beg him, and the result will only be that he continues to pass the buck!

If officials pass the buck and do nothing, the people in the city will suffer greatly.

Lin Shisan could no longer tolerate it. He, a mere commander of a thousand men, roared at Xu Pengju, "Duke of Wei! Are you going to stand by and watch the rebel soldiers run rampant in the city?"

"A coward like you, who is as timid as a mouse, dares to boast all day long that you are a direct descendant of the King of Zhongshan?"

"If the Duke of Wei knew how cowardly and incompetent you were, he'd probably be turning in his grave!"

Xu Pengju was furious: "Lin Shisan, who do you think you are? How dare you insult this Duke? Don't forget, you're not just a commander of the Northern Garrison, but a commander of the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard! My subordinate's subordinate!"

"When the nobles and ministers are discussing matters, what right do you, a mere nobody, have to speak? Come here, throw him out!"

Two guards from the Duke's mansion stepped forward, about to drag Lin Shisan out of the hall as they spoke.

Just then, a young man in his early twenties strode into the hall and roared, "What are you bunch of good-for-nothings still doing here?"

The speaker was Liu Shiyan, the Earl of Chengyi.

Liu Shiyan had originally gone on a trip to Qingtian, Zhejiang with Marquis Li Tingzhu of Linhuai. Unfortunately, a few days earlier, Liu Shiyan's mother had fallen seriously ill.

He had no choice but to bid farewell to Li Tingzhu and return to Nanjing alone.

Upon entering Nanjing that night, he saw streets filled with rebel soldiers. Liu Shiyan kicked the two guards holding Lin Shisan twice.

He roared, "He's the only one in the entire hall who genuinely wants to help quell the rebellion. And you want to throw him out?"

"He's gone, so you're all going to stay here quietly and continue being cowards?"

In terms of titles, Xu Pengju was a duke, while Liu Shiyan was an earl, so Xu was superior to Liu.

In terms of official rank, Xu Pengju was a garrison commander, while Liu Shiyan was only a deputy garrison commander, so Xu was still superior to Liu.

However, in terms of authority among the Nanjing garrison, Liu Shiyan far surpassed Xu Pengju.

This man was brave and skilled in battle, a renowned young hero. However, he also had his flaws, such as being arrogant and looking down on everyone.

Liu Shiyan strode up to Xu Pengju and actually put his arm around his neck.

It's called "hugging," but it's really just "locking" or "blocking."

Liu Shiyan said, "If the mutiny cannot be quelled in time, it will only escalate. You, the garrison commander, will be the first to lose your head!"

"Even if the Emperor doesn't issue an edict to kill you, I, Liu Shiyan, will be the first to submit a memorial impeaching you and requesting the court to behead you!"

"If the imperial court won't behead you, I'll take a knife and do it myself. I'll make sure you're beheaded even if you break the law!"

In fact, the Duke of Wei's mansion and the Earl of Chengyi's mansion have always been at odds.

More than ten years ago, when the Earl of Chengyi was still Liu Yu, the grandfather of Liu Shiyan, Liu Yu got into a fight with Xu Pengju over the seating arrangement during the military review at the Caojiang River.

Liu Shiyan's ferocious expression and attitude at this moment made him look like a little devil.

Lin Shisan also stepped forward to chime in: "Duke of Wei, do you really want to be called a good-for-nothing Duke by the people of Nanjing for the rest of your life?"

"Do you still care about the reputation of the Prince of Zhongshan?"

"Do you intend to squander the ancestral legacy of the King of Zhongshan?"

Liu Shiyan was indeed a madman. He actually pressed a dagger against Xu Pengju's waist: "If you continue to play the coward in the Duke's mansion, don't blame me for wielding my blade!"

Xu Pengju said helplessly, "Come on, please bring the royal command flag!"

The royal command flag had been displayed in the Duke of Wei's mansion for so long that it had gathered dust.

Xu Pengju asked, "Where is the commander of the thousand guards?"

The commander of the guards stepped forward: "Your subordinate is here."

Xu Pengju was silent for a moment, then said, "Never mind. You may leave. Where is Lin Shisan?"

Lin Shisan cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate is here."

Xu Pengju said, "You immediately take my royal command flag to the other five battalions and order them to send soldiers into the city to quell the rebellion! I will stay here in the central command and wait for news of the royal army's great victory in suppressing the rebellion."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shiyan drew his sword and held it against Xu Pengju's neck.

Liu Shiyan cursed, "At a time like this, you still don't dare to take the lead in mobilizing troops to quell the rebellion? You're dumping the heavy responsibility of suppressing the rebellion on a mere Jinyiwei commander? Do you want him to take the blame for you?"

"The military law of the Ming Dynasty was first created by the Prince of Zhongshan and the Prince of Kaiping. The first rule is that anyone who retreats in the face of battle will be executed on the spot!"

"If you refuse to personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion, you are no different from a deserter. I will carry out military law on behalf of your ancestors and execute you!"

Xu Pengju roared, "Liu Shiyan, you have no intention of leaving me any way out tonight, do you?"

Liu Shiyan said, "You are a coward, and you didn't intend to give the people of Nanjing a way to survive!"

Xu Pengju closed his eyes: "Fine! I'll listen to you this time. I'll personally go to the Fifth Battalion to mobilize troops to quell the rebellion!"

Upon hearing this, all the nobles and ministers praised, "The Duke of Wei is incredibly brave!"

"The Duke of Wei truly lives up to the bloodline of the King of Zhongshan!"

"The Duke of Wei is mighty."

Lin Shisan spat a mouthful of saliva towards the group of seasoned veterans, yelling, "Pah!"

Liu Shiyan practically kidnapped Xu Pengju to go and mobilize troops to quell the rebellion.

This person's audacity is evident. He will suffer losses later because of his lack of courage.

Lin Shisan followed Xu Pengju and Liu Shiyan out of the Duke's mansion on horseback. Behind them were a hundred guards from the Duke's mansion.

Emperor Jiajing once made an exception and granted Xu Pengju 500 guards. Xu Pengju, preferring to risk his life rather than part with the money, ordered the remaining 400 men to stay and guard the Duke's mansion.

The group left the mansion and had only traveled a mile when they encountered several hundred rebel soldiers.

Xu Pengju shouted, "Brothers! I am Xu Pengju, Duke of Wei. You should withdraw from the city first, and the matter of military pay will surely be resolved."

Xu Pengju's reputation as an incompetent fool was not only widespread among the common people, but he was also looked down upon by the military.

"Xu Pengju, you good-for-nothing? You're nothing!" A traitorous soldier reversed his spear and thrust the shaft towards Xu Pengju's head.

A scene that will go down in history unfolded. A scene so shameful that Xu Da, buried in the coffin of the King of Zhongshan, would cover his face in embarrassment.

Xu Pengju's official hat was knocked to the ground by the butt of the spear. With disheveled hair, Xu Pengju turned his horse around, cracked his whip, and fled in disarray!
It must be said that he loved horses all his life, and his prized steed proved to be a true hero in a critical moment! Its escape speed was simply lightning fast.

Duke of Wei, garrison commander of Nanjing, commander of the Nanjing Central Army, and commander of the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard—Xu Pengju, Duke of Xu, thus shamelessly deserted.

He fled, and more than a hundred guards from the Duke's mansion also threw down their weapons and ran away in panic.

Liu Shiyan and Lin Shisan were betrayed by them. The two were left alone to face hundreds of rebel soldiers!
At a critical moment, Liu Shiyan was possessed by Xu Da, the nemesis of his ancestor Liu Bowen!
Liu Shiyan stepped forward and shouted a sentence that would go down in history to the rebels.

"I am Liu Shiyan, the Earl of Chengyi! If you rebel, kill me! When my army arrives, I will slaughter you all!"

After speaking, Liu Shiyan raised the royal command flag high.

Indeed, ever since leaving the Duke's mansion, the royal command flag that originally belonged to Xu Pengju has been in his hands.

Liu Shiyan enjoyed great prestige in the army.

The rebels looked at each other in bewilderment.

One of the officers shouted, "Sir, we are not entering the city to stage a mutiny. We are here to reclaim the military pay that rightfully belongs to us."

"Damn the Ministry of Revenue, they're paying our military salaries with paper money!"

Liu Shiyan demonstrated both courage and resourcefulness.

Instead of confronting the rebels head-on, he shouted, "I understand your predicament. How about this: if you withdraw from the city, I will give you 100,000 taels of silver! Each of you will receive 20 taels of silver!"

(End of this chapter)