Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 115: Surrounding the Mansion and Stopping People
The eighth day of the winter month in the forty-eighth year of the Wanli reign.

It was a rare sunny day, with bright sunshine and a clear blue sky. Although it was not cloudless, the dark clouds in the sky had lost their gray and black color, becoming scattered white spots that echoed the clear sky.

In the main hall of the Jinyiwei Commandery, Luo Sigong, the head of the guards, was cursing while holding an official letter from the Ministry of Rites. "Damn you bastards! Those sour-blooded censors have had too much!"

"Sir, what's wrong?" Commander Tian Ergeng took a cup of tea from the tray held by the young lieutenant and placed it in front of the head of the guard.

"Fuck!" Luo Sigong cursed. "Emperor" Luo Sigong immediately realized that it was not a good idea to add "Emperor" after "fuck", so he omitted the subject. "You know about the reform of the Xiaochaohui, right?"

"I know." The Commanding General was a third-rank military officer and was not qualified to attend court, but Tian Ergeng was still very familiar with the developments in the court.

"Those bastards from the Six Departments and Thirteen Departments have been causing trouble all day long at the Imperial Academy! Now, they're dragging everyone else into their misery. Starting tomorrow, you'll have to attend court three times a day, and you won't be allowed to ask for leave!" Luo Sigong closed the official letter and slammed it onto the desk. "Since Liu Shouyou, I've been in charge of the Imperial Guard for over thirty years, and I've barely been to court, yet things still go on the same way. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to stand for three hours every day. This is killing me! Who the hell can stand this? How can I even get my work done?"

"Your Excellency can write a memorial to persuade the Emperor," Tian Ergeng suggested.

"Oh! How could it be so easy? This matter is not within the scope of the Jinyiwei's discussion. The official letter included an imperial edict stating that the emperor deeply accepted their advice and restored the ancestral system, which is why the three court sessions were changed to one day. It's a matter of etiquette and the rules of the great grandfather. How can a military officer casually interrupt?" Luo Sigong raised his teacup and took a sip. "Even if I have to, I can't do it directly. I have to use the Jinyiwei's method to insinuate it."

Just as Luo Sigong was rhythmically tapping the table with his fingers, lost in thought, the captain on duty at the door brought an acquaintance to the main hall.

"Commander Cao! Why didn't you let anyone know you were coming?" Luo Sigong quickly stood up and walked quickly to Cao Huachun's side, saying in a surprised tone. "So I could have come to greet you."

Luo Sigong waved to the others. "Bring tea to Admiral Cao."

"Taibao Luo. I am here only to assign you a task. It is not a big deal." Cao Huachun smiled and waved his hand.

"Just give the order. What explanation do you mean? The affairs of the Imperial Household Department are the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Luo Sigong was able to put himself in the right position.

"The Emperor has given instructions." Cao Huachun had just begun speaking, and before he could even get the note out, Luo Sigong led a group of high-ranking Jinyiwei officers to kneel.

With this attitude, no wonder the emperor kept him here. Cao Huachun admired him sincerely in his heart.

"The Emperor ordered the Imperial Guard to arrest someone and keep her under guard." Cao Huachun helped Luo Sigong up and handed him the note written by Wang An. "This is written by my godfather himself."

"You are worthy of being the eunuch in charge of the seal! Look at the handwriting." Luo Sigong began to flatter Wang An from a distance very smoothly.

A quarter of an hour later, in a cheap teahouse near the mission's residence.

"You didn't see the scene yesterday. It must be that an important figure in the palace left the palace." Yin Cheng boasted to the captain beside him while cracking watermelon seeds.

"What kind of formation is this? Don't exaggerate." A captain didn't believe it.

"Well, don't you still doubt me? Yesterday, I received orders from the Lord to track down those five foreigners who left the courtyard." Yin Cheng spoke with increasing excitement. "As soon as I entered Zhengyang Gate, I immediately felt something was wrong. Have you ever seen a patrol of over a hundred people? They do nothing but wander around in armor and weapons. What are they eating and suffering? And we saw hidden needles all along the way. Maybe it was the Emperor himself, making this unprecedented move to come out of the Imperial City to assess the people's sentiments. I was thinking..."

"You miss your uncle! Are you still drunk from last night? What nonsense are you talking about?" Lu Wenzhao slapped Yin Cheng on the top of his head.

"Sir!" Yin Cheng jumped up from his chair and stood with his hands hanging down. "I... I..."

"Don't drag the other brothers into this if you're looking for death." Lu Wenzhao slapped him again and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense about what's happening up there. You're the only smart guy in all of Beijing, right? If you hear that kind of nonsense again, don't blame me for transferring you to a provincial post. Do you want to go to Fujian or Guangxi, or perhaps to Longchang to gain enlightenment?"

"Sir, I won't dare do that again!" Yin Cheng shook his head hastily. His Jinyiwei registration was in Beijing, and if he were to be transferred out of town, it would be a disgrace to his ancestors.

"You better not dare. You might die from your mouth any day." Lu Wenzhao glared at Yin Cheng fiercely. Then he turned to Shen Lian and said, "Keep an eye on him. If he says that kind of shit again, just slap him!"

"Yes, sir." Shen Lian nodded to Yin Cheng with a subtle expression, then made a "Big Brother is watching you" gesture with his fingers.

"Sir!" Not long after Lu Wenzhao sat down and the old tea from the teahouse had not yet been served, a captain with a messenger came to his side.

"From our headquarters?" Lu Wenzhao had some impression of this lieutenant. "Any instructions from above?"

"The chief guard wants the captain to take all his brothers and report back to the headquarters immediately," said the captain.

"Everyone is transferred? Then who will take care of the work here?" Lu Wenzhao felt a very bad feeling in his heart.

"The chief guard only told me to send you back to report, and didn't say anything else." The captain shook his head.

"Okay." Lu Wenzhao accepted the order.

The group trotted through Zhengyang Gate and Xijiangmi Lane and soon arrived at the headquarters.

After entering, Lu Wenzhao found that Luo Sigong was staring at the desk with a serious face.

"Your humble servant Lu Wenzhao (Shen Lian, Yin Cheng) pays his respects to the Lord in charge of guards." Lu Wenzhao led two subordinates of high rank into the hall, knelt on one knee, and bowed with fists.

"Everyone get up." Luo Sigong raised his head and smiled to dispel the solemnity on his face.

After the three of them stood up straight, Luo Sigong slowly said, "From today on, you don't have to deal with cases involving foreign barbarians anymore."

Although Lu Wenzhao had made a certain degree of mental preparation, his face immediately turned pale when he heard Luo Sigong's words.

Lu Wenzhao licked his dry lips and asked, "Master, I have been following this case the entire time. If I have failed in my duty, please punish me only."

In the Jinyiwei system, the temporary removal of a position was an extremely serious matter, as it usually signified that the officer handling the matter had made a serious mistake. Failure to redeem oneself for meritorious service before the next performance review could result in demotion at best, or even dismissal in serious cases. The process of redeeming oneself for meritorious service was inherently cumbersome and costly.

Luo Sigong stood up, walked over to Lu Wenzhao, patted his shoulder, and said in a gentle and relaxed tone: "What are you thinking about? You have done a good job, otherwise you would have to try for another two years as a centurion."

"Thank you for the introduction, sir!" Lu Wenzhao bowed.

Luo Sigong was very satisfied with Lu Wenzhao's humble attitude. He nodded and said, "I'm not dismissing you from your post, but I want to give you a more important job. Let someone else do the simple job of monitoring Westerners. Don't worry, you will be rewarded for your work with the Westerners."

"Thank you for your support!" Lu Wenzhao's expression changed from worry to joy, but he still couldn't help wondering in his heart: Are you going to give me a blame?
"The new errand I've assigned you is a simple one." Luo Sigong returned to his desk, opened the first drawer on the right, and pulled out a note written by Wang An. "This errand was personally assigned by Wang Zhangyin, the Chief of the Imperial Household Department. You must complete it properly without making any mistakes."

Hearing the words "Wang Zhangyin," Lu Wenzhao's mind immediately conjured up a picture of a smiling, dashing old man. Without hesitation, he reached for the note, but Luo Sigong retracted it. "You have to return it to me after you've read it. This is the first handwritten letter I've ever received from Wang Zhangyin. I need to keep it as a keepsake." What?! Lu Wenzhao, secretly horrified, felt a pang of sadness: even if he ascended to the position of Chief Guardian, he still had to lick the eunuchs' buttocks. Damn, it seemed like that blow wasn't all bad.

"That's a relief." Lu Wenzhao bowed before accepting the order. Before he even started reading the content, he praised it in a similar way: "The handwriting is really beautiful."

Luo Sigong couldn't help but nod in his heart: young people are talented! Hai Zhentao, this old guy still has vision.

Lu Wenzhao had originally wanted to pretend to appreciate Wang Zhangyin's handwriting, but when he saw the content, he was stunned.

The note reads:
Nanxunfang, opposite the residence of Grand Secretary Yijing Liu, is the residence of Heavenly Master Zhang.

They surrounded the mansion of Tianshi Zhang, imprisoned Zhang Xianyong's eldest daughter Zhang Shirui, and prohibited all people from entering or leaving.

The order on the note was very clear, but no reason was given. For this reason alone, Luo Sigong would not let this note fall into the hands of others.

"I'll give you two general flags." Luo Sigong put away his smile and emphasized, "You have a hundred people in your hands. If you let even one rat out, your mission will be ruined."

"I obey your orders." Lu Wenzhao clasped his fists and turned to leave.

Shortly after Lu Wenzhao left, Tian Ergeng, the commander-in-chief, approached Luo Sigong and asked, "Master, why did you let him go?"

"Is this job profitable?" Luo Sigong did not answer directly, but asked a new question.

"What's the benefit of house arrest?" Tian Ergeng thought for a moment and replied, "But it's better than being under surveillance."

"The lucrative benefits of house arrest come from the filial piety of the detainees and the extortion of the Jinyiwei themselves." Luo Sigong is the son of Luo Chun, the deputy commander, and the grandson of Luo An, the chief of the imperial guards during the Jiajing period. He started from a high position, but also spent some time in grassroots service. "But in this case, filial piety doesn't matter; it's better not to extort money."

"You mean Tianshi Zhang?" Tian Ergeng judged, "They surrounded Tianshi Zhang's mansion and imprisoned Zhang Shirui. It's clear that Tianshi Zhang's mansion is doomed."

"Do you know why the Tianshi Mansion was in trouble?" Luo Sigong sneered.

"I don't know." Tian Ergeng shook his head.

"That's it. The Tianshi Mansion is not like a petty official or a wealthy businessman. As long as it doesn't run into a case of treason, it will eventually recover. Offending Longhu Mountain for a few pieces of silver is just making things difficult for oneself. If someone else goes, there's no guarantee that there won't be any problems." Luo Sigong said, "And Lu Wenzhao has a certain connection with the Tianshi Mansion, so having him go there is always a guarantee. If the Zhang Mansion passes the test smoothly, we will be giving face to Zhang Tianshi."

"Are you talking about Lu Wenzhao's junior sister who served as Miss Zhang's bodyguard, the woman named Ding Baiying?" As the assistant commander of the guards, Tian Ergeng knew a lot of inside information. "Aren't you afraid she'll get away?"

"This young man is ambitious. His mother is still in Beijing, so there won't be any trouble. Besides, the higher-ups aren't asking the Jinyiwei to kill anyone." Luo Sigong glanced at Tian Ergeng. "If it really was murder, I'd let Xu Xianchun go."

"That rising star from the Northern Pacification Office?" Tian Ergeng actually liked Xu Xianchun. "We can definitely give him more opportunities."

"Hmm" Luo Sigong did not comment.

The Jinyiwei Commandery Office is very close to Nanxunfang. You only need to walk straight along the East and West Jiangmi Lanes to get there.

"Captain. This Zhang Mansion is the same Zhang Mansion, right?" Yin Cheng asked with a smile.

"What this and that? Just say it if you have something to say." Lu Wenzhao said with a sullen face.

"Sir, you have just been promoted, so don't be confused about this matter." Shen Lian walked forward and said.

"What the hell could I possibly be doing?" Lu Wenzhao exhaled a breath of hot air, but it was immediately frozen to white smoke by the icy cold in the capital. "You take your men and block the other exits. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"

"Yes, sir!" Shen Lian stood up solemnly and accepted the order.

The affairs of the Westerners were a murky water with no end in sight, so it would be best to withdraw from it as soon as possible. Lu Wenzhao comforted himself in his heart while knocking on the main gate of Zhang's mansion.

Boom boom boom!
"Who are you? What can I do for you?" This was the little servant that Zhang Sirui asked Ding Baiying to find after he arrived in Beijing.

"Jinyiwei! Open the door." Lu Wenzhao took off his badge and showed it to the servant.

The little servant was so frightened by the words "Jinyiwei" that he said, "Don't arrest me, please don't arrest me."

"Stop talking nonsense! Open the door." Yin Cheng stopped laughing and walked over with a murderous look on his face.

"Okay! Okay!" The little servant opened the door, then rolled and crawled to the corner of the door.

"You guys just stay here. I'll go in and count the number of people and then come out." Lu Wenzhao stopped Yin Cheng, who was eager to try. Then he swaggered into Zhang's house.

"Hey, who are you? How dare you trespass into a private house? Do you know whose house this is?" An old man who looked like a housekeeper trotted over and scolded.

"Is Zhang Shirui here?" Lu Wenzhao didn't want to waste time talking to him.

"Who are you?" Lu Wenzhao's matter-of-fact tone frightened the newly hired housekeeper.

"I'm from the Imperial Guards on a mission. Ask Zhang Shirui to come out and see me." Lu Wenzhao revealed his identity again.

"Jinyiwei?" The old butler had seen a bit of the world and wasn't immediately frightened like the young servant. "If you want to arrest someone, please show me the imperial edict."

"I'm not arresting anyone." Lu Wenzhao really disliked worldly experts. "Can you ask Zhang Shirui to come out and see me?"

"Sir, the young lady is not here now." The old butler shook his head.

"Where did you go?!" Lu Wenzhao was frightened by this. This was a case assigned by the Imperial Household Department. If she really ran away, Luo Sigong would definitely put the blame on him. "Don't be cunning. If Zhang Shirui runs away, everyone here will be imprisoned!"

"The young lady said she was going to Nanjing and is probably on her way to Tianjin now." The old butler knew from Lu Wenzhao's expression that Lu Wenzhao was serious.

"Prepare the horses!" Lu Wenzhao turned and left. "We must stop Zhang Shirui before she gets on the boat!"

(End of this chapter)