Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 282: Kill first and tell later
"Who sent it?" Xiong Tingbi asked.

"I don't know. The envelope is blank and there is nothing written on it." Yang Lian placed the letter from Shenyang in front of Xiong Tingbi.

"You didn't open it to see?" Xiong Tingbi picked up the letter, turned it left and right, and found that the envelope was intact and there was no sign of it being opened.

"I just received it at the gate of the government office."

"Oh." Xiong Tingbi wanted to take this opportunity to criticize Yang Lian and save some face, but since he had just received it, there was nothing more to say.

In the Nine Borders and Thirteen Military Regions, even the most important matters that could be conveyed by letter were not urgent. For example, a large-scale invasion of Shenyang, a major and urgent matter, would take less than half an hour for the news to spread throughout Liao by beacon fires from various watchtowers. Then, along the Liaoxi Corridor, all the way south to Shanhaiguan, within a day, the urgent military intelligence would reach the capital and be reported to the emperor.

During Xiong Tingbi's early years in Liao, the entire Liaodong region was in a state of panic. The soldiers stationed at the forts had no sense of discipline and were randomly lighting beacons, causing alarm in Liaodong three times a day and also causing fear in the capital. Therefore, while impeaching Li Ruzhen, Xiong Tingbi also made great efforts to rectify the phenomenon of random beacon fires.

Not only were disciplines strictly enforced, but intelligence was also traced back to its source. The first person caught panicking and lighting a beacon fire was immediately dismissed, the soldiers replaced, and the officers were beheaded. After several heads were chopped off, the phenomenon of false beacon fires was greatly curbed, and the military intelligence transmission system was restored to normal.

"Hmm?" After tearing open the envelope and spreading out the letter, Xiong Tingbi's brows immediately furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Yuan Yingtai leaned forward, but only saw the change in Xiong Tingbi's expression.

"Something serious has happened in Shenyang." Xiong Tingbi said in a deep voice, without missing a beat. "Sun Boya wrote that the interpreter for the Seljuq firearms unit, transferred to Liaodong by the imperial court, was openly promoting foreign religions in the barracks. His nonsense and outrageous behavior led He Shixian to mistakenly believe the interpreter was inciting a mutiny, so he led his troops to suppress it. Although no one was killed, now the entire Shenyang knows that the Seljuq interpreter was a lunatic who slandered the emperor and the imperial court."

"That's no big deal." Yuan Yingtai's political acumen remained as dull as ever. "Shenyang has long reported that they've mastered the art of long-range artillery. Even without the foreign troops, Shenyang can train its own gunners. It shouldn't have any impact, right?"

"Oh." Xiong Tingbi sneered, "If this news reaches the capital, it will immediately cause another political uproar. Isn't it a big deal?"

"What do you mean?" Yuan Yingtai asked.

"Aren't you a member of the Donglin Party?" Xiong Tingbi asked, "You don't even know about the Nanjing Incident?"

"We just studied at Donglin Academy. Can you please not call us a 'party'?" Yuan Yingtai glanced at Yang Lian and said to Xiong Tingbi with some dissatisfaction, "Parties come and go. There are not so many parties."

Confucius said, "A gentleman is reserved but not quarrelsome; he is a group but not a faction." Factionalism has always been associated with self-interest. Regardless of others' opinions, Yuan Yingtai hated calling himself a "faction member," and he disliked being called that by others. Yuan Yingtai was a quintessential man of action. Rather than empty talk about ideas and knowledge or engaging in arguments, he preferred to put his knowledge into practice, working practically to relieve the worries of his ruler and benefit the people.

Yang Lian also nodded deeply.

"Okay." Xiong Tingbi put down the letter, then spread his hands and shrugged, which was his apology.

Yuan Yingtai was helpless. Xiong Manzi had been speaking without restraint for a few days. He would constantly criticize the Donglin Party. But Yuan Yingtai had a good temper and would correct him and let it go. He sighed and brought the subject back: "What happened with the Nanjing Incident? I've only heard about it, I'm not familiar with it."

The Nanjing Incident, which occurred in the 44th year of the Wanli reign, did not stand out as particularly significant or momentous in the long and treacherous history of the Wanli reign. Compared to Nurhaci's usurpation of the Khan title and the establishment of the Tianming era, or the 43rd year of the Ming dynasty, the Nanjing Incident was merely a minor incident that occurred in Nanjing and caused minor ripples in the capital.

At the time, the repercussions of Yuan Yingtai's unauthorized diversion of tax revenue and grain transport fees to provide disaster relief were still lingering, and he remained in his home of Shaanxi, farming and studying. It wasn't until two years later, when Nurhaci, denouncing his "Seven Great Grievances" to heaven, launched a rebellion against the Ming Dynasty, that Yuan Yingtai was reinstated and assigned to oversee military preparations. For an unemployed Shaanxi native like him, the events of Southern Zhili seemed too far away.

"Let me put it this way," Yang Lian continued, "The Nanjing Incident was one-sided. The person who instigated it was Shen Mingzhen, the Elder Shen. In the 44th year of the Wanli reign, he was the Minister of Rites in Nanjing."

"Within two months, Lord Shen submitted three consecutive memorials, impeaching the Jesuits for their ill-intentioned actions, collusion with the White Lotus, and disruption of government order. At the time, both Prime Minister Fang and Lord Wu supported Lord Shen. Lord Ye, the Jesuits' greatest supporter within the court, had already resigned and was now unemployed. The only people speaking for the Jesuits were Xu Zixian and Li Zhenzhi. While there was some support outside the court, it was of little use."

When the Nanjing Church Incident occurred, Yang Lian was working as a censor in the Household Department in Beijing. He was standing by and watching the whole process, so he was relatively familiar with the details of the incident.

"This incident alarmed the late emperor to an unusual degree. The late emperor issued an edict, characterizing the incident as 'establishing a religion to confuse the people and plotting something sinister'. In the end, the Guangdong and Guangxi regions followed the edict and expelled the Semites. The governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi who executed this edict was Zhou Mingqing, Minister of Personnel." Yang Lian picked up the letter that Xiong Tingbi had put down and quickly glanced through it.

Xiong Tingbi continued, picking up where Yang Lian had left off, "Now, Shen Mingzhen, who initiated the religious incident, has joined the cabinet. Elder Ye, who was friendly with the late Jesuit leader Matteo Ricci, has also returned to the cabinet. Xu Zixian has even been promoted, now holding the seal of the Ministry of Rites and concurrently leading the Honglu Temple."

"So if this matter reaches Beijing, it will definitely become a big deal." Yang Lian put down the letter, tapped the paper with his middle finger, and said in a very certain tone: "By then, the cabinet will be in chaos, and the outer court will also be in chaos."

"Perhaps your Donglin Party"—Xiong Tingbi stopped, swallowing the word "Party"—"maybe even your Donglin comrades will split."

"Why?" Yuan Yingtai asked again.

"What is your attitude towards this matter?" Xiong Tingbi asked in response.

"I don't have an opinion." Yuan Yingtai said with a wry smile, "I don't even know much about the Jesuit Order."

"What is your attitude?" Xiong Tingbi asked Yang Lian again.

Yang Lian was silent for a moment, then said, "If it's a party dispute, my attitude is to not fight. But my attitude is useless. As long as this matter is brought to the forefront, there will definitely be a fight."

Yang Lian viewed the one-sided nature of the case not as a bad thing, but rather as a good thing. In such an irrelevant matter, victory or defeat was irrelevant; the only thing that mattered was a quick hammering down of the hammer and a conclusion. Repeated back-and-forth, with no resolution, would only exacerbate factional strife and drain the court's political attention.

"It seems you two don't care," Xiong Tingbi said solemnly after a faint laugh. "But not everyone doesn't care. Xu Libu changed his name and became a legitimate believer. Meanwhile, Zhou Libu resolutely carried out the emperor's orders, deporting the arrested and imprisoned believers to Macau and keeping them under strict surveillance. Do you think there's any chance they'll bring up old scores and start a fight?"

"If we're just talking about possibilities." Yuan Yingtai nodded.

"Since the two of them might bring up old grudges and start a quarrel, will other people start a quarrel because of this?" Xiong Tingbi asked.

"other people?"

"For example, Xu Libu and Sun Yuanwai," Yang Lian said. "As far as I know, Sun Yuanwai has always regarded Western knowledge as a gimmick. Back when he was still in Beijing, he openly opposed the introduction of foreign teachings and learning. If it weren't for the Liaodong and court cases, Xu Libu and Sun Yuanwai would have long since parted ways."

"So what should we do?" Yuan Yingtai looked at Xiong Tingbi. "Fight, fight. Fight! Fight for nothing!" Xiong Tingbi's eyes were seething with bloody murderous intent. "Rather than waiting for things to escalate and the flames of war in Beijing to spread back to Liaodong, it's better to act now and report later, cutting the grass at its roots and eradicating this evil."

"You want to kill someone!?" Yuan Yingtai was shocked.

Xiong Tingbi said as a matter of course, "He slandered my king and father and disturbed the morale of my army. According to both national law and military law, he deserves the death penalty! I have the royal banner and the imperial sword in my hand. I can just bring him out and chop off his head."

"If you do this, you will be the one who gets scolded." Yuan Yingtai said worriedly.

"Hasn't the scolding I've received been enough?" Xiong Tingbi said self-deprecatingly. "Unless I, Xiong Tingbi, die fighting in Liaodong, I'll still be scolded even in my grave. Lots don't itch, debts don't worry. I'll just consider it a burden for the imperial court."

"Killing someone won't stop the quarrel!" Yang Lian said, revealing the essence of the matter. "The key to this matter isn't the life or death of the interpreter, but his identity. As long as the matter is reported to the court, those people will definitely quarrel. Even if you hand over the head of a mute person, it won't change anything. Killing him is also in vain."

"Yes." Yuan Yingtai agreed.

"It's not a killing in vain. It will be better. At least it can save the interrogation process." Xiong Tingbi said.

His idea was to first sentence the man to death through a military tribunal. This would establish the nature of the case. This would shorten the struggle. Otherwise, if a living person were escorted to Beijing, there would be a huge argument just over the presiding judge. After the trial, there would likely be a second trial, or even a joint trial. By executing the man first and reporting later, he could avoid this whole process and also involve fewer people.

"Why don't we use that first?" Yang Lian suggested, "Inform the Emperor."

"No," Xiong Tingbi immediately denied. "As a minister, we are supposed to share the worries of our ruler and father. Using that will only transfer our worries to the emperor, and in the end, nothing will be solved."

"It's really annoying that the Jesuits sent someone like this!" Yang Lian sighed and stroked his forehead.

"Which one is that? What are you talking about?" Yuan Yingtai asked in confusion.

Xiong Tingbi had no intention of explaining Yuan Yingtai's situation. "The situation in Liaodong is dire. Shenyang Yebu Shou's desperate report says that most of the Laonu bandits have already moved from the old camp to Sarhu City. A major war could break out at any moment. For the sake of the court and Shenyang's military morale, this man must not be allowed to live."

"Do you have to kill someone?" Yuan Yingtai felt reluctant.

Xiong Tingbi didn't respond, but turned to Yang Lian and asked, "What do you think?"

After a long pause, Yang Lian exhaled, "Please raise the flags and banners, my king. Once you've finished writing the memorial, I'll sign it."

"Alas!" With Yuan Yingtai's helpless sigh, the fate of Alfaro González de Mendoza, a missionary from a Spanish aristocratic family, was sealed.

--------

"Right Assistant Yang." Zu Dashou waited for a long time after the commanders left the yamen. When he saw Yang Lian come out, he immediately led his horse to greet him.

In Zu Dashou's view, Yang Lian was his second benefactor. The previous year, in the 48th year of the Wanli reign, Zu Dashou had been transferred to his guerrilla position by Xiong Tingbi, his first benefactor. In June, Jiannu cavalry harassed the Baiguanren Tun. Although Zu Dashou fought bravely, he was impeached and dismissed from his post by Chen Wangting, then the Liaodong Provincial Governor, for allegedly "lax supervision."

In order to stop the increasingly turbulent court discussion, Xiong Tingbi ordered him to be beaten with forty military sticks and ordered him to take up his post while under penalty of punishment and be stationed on the south bank of the Hun River.

In reality, Xiong Tingbi believed Zu Dashou was innocent and hoped his merits would offset his punishment. In August, the Jiannu invaded again, and Zu Dashou engaged them in battle at Huishan, north of the Hun River, and repelled them. In October, Xiong Tingbi submitted a memorial to the court, requesting commendations for the generals. He mentioned that Zu Dashou had captured over thirty heads of the Jiannu over the course of two years, and hoped the emperor would grant him reinstatement.

That same month, the emperor, in recognition of Xiong Tingbi's report of his initial merit, ordered the Ministry of War to reinstate Zu Dashou. During this period, Yang Lian was also released from prison and exiled to Liaodong, replacing Chen Wangting as the new Inspector General.

To avoid being impeached by the inspector again, Xiong Tingbi suggested that he take the initiative to serve as an escort for Inspector Yang. In any case, it was always a good idea to maintain good relationships.

Zu Dashou accepted this suggestion, but he soon regretted it. Yang Xun'an traveled all over Liaodong every month on average, and the horses he rode were so tired that he lost weight every day.

But then again, the benefits of following Inspector Yang were obvious. During their tours throughout Liaodong, they had witnessed several small-scale Mongol raids. Zu Dashou's cavalry fought bravely, killing numerous men and reporting every severed head. All of them were effectively converted into rewards and merit. This was far more efficient than spending half a year examining each head.

"Let's go." Yang Lian did not take the rope.

"Don't you ride a horse?" Zu Dashou asked.

"I want to walk for a while." Yang Lian said quietly.

"Alright." Zu Dashou simply took the reins and began to serve as Yang Lian's groom. After walking a few steps in silence, Zu Dashou suddenly said, "Yang Youchen. Commander Li Zhenshu said he would like to invite you to dinner."

"Why?" Yang Lian asked subconsciously.

"He didn't tell me," Zu Dashou said, "he just said he'd be waiting for you at Su Chunlou."

Yang Lian was stunned for a moment, then grabbed the reins and stepped into the stirrup to mount his horse. "Go tell him that eating in his barracks is his way of thanking me." Yang Lian adhered to the philosophy of "firsthand experience, firsthand information." Upon arriving at a location, he would stay in the barracks instead of the government office or inns. If Xiong Tingbi hadn't summoned him, he would have already changed out of his official uniform and been chatting with the lower-level officers and soldiers in Li Huaixin's camp.

"Oh my." Zu Dashou sighed regretfully, "This is not even a meal."

"If it's not a meal, then what is it?" Yang Lian asked in dissatisfaction, "He dared to bribe me?"

"Look at what you said. I'll go right away." Zu Dashou smiled bitterly and shook his head. Then he said to the other cavalrymen who followed him, "Send the master back to the camp."

(End of this chapter)