Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 371 Li Kezhuo's Red Pill
"Isn't this Chao Nei Khalkha also a subsidiary of the Chahar tribe? Why would they stab the Chahar tribe in the back in advance because they are afraid of being attacked from both sides?" Zhu Youxiao was puzzled.

Zhu Youxiao asked this question because, during the military campaign of the 43rd year of the Wanli reign, Ligdan Khan joined forces with the leaders of the five Inner Khalkha tribes, commonly known as the Chaohua, to harass the Ming border. Official Ming documents indicate that the Inner Khalkha were under Ligdan Khan's control. This was also what Cui Jingrong had said when he taught the prince.

"They're only a loose alliance. You can't treat them as a unified, well-organized empire." Zhu Changluo pondered for a moment and added, "Let's put it this way. The imperial court can transfer or even remove a general with a single decree. But the Chahars don't have that kind of influence over the Inner Khalkhas. Not only that, but each side has to be wary of the other, lest they be swallowed up."

"Just like the Zhou emperor to the princes?" Zhu Youxiao thought about it.

Zhu Changluo said, "Almost the same, but it's more accurate to say they are the greater princes compared to the lesser princes. This Lindan Batur wants to be the emperor of Zhou, but he's far from it."

Zhu Youxiao asked again, "Will Lindan Batur really not turn to the enemy? After all, Nurhaci killed their envoys, but they are still keeping his envoys."

"No." Zhu Changluo shook his head and said, "What can Nurhaci give them? Tea? Food? Cloth? Salt? Or even iron pots? Nurhaci has no way to provide Lindan Batur with what he needs. These things are only available in the Ming Dynasty. To put it bluntly, at this time, Nurhaci is actually just a bargaining chip for Lindan Batur. Lindan Batur is gritting his teeth to maintain the ambiguous relationship with Nurhaci, just to demand a high price from the Ming Dynasty."

"So that's how it is!" Zhu Youxiao suddenly understood. He looked at his father with even more admiration. "So, father has already made up his mind."

Zhu Changluo put down his pen and turned to face Zhu Youxiao. "Remember, the prerequisite for strong negotiation is always strength."

"If the Ming Dynasty could not defend Liaodong, this Amudaihong Taiji would not have this attitude."

"From the 40th to the 45th year of the Wanli reign, Lindan Batur repeatedly led a large army to raid the border, frequently launching attacks along the hundreds of miles-long front from Guangning to Jinzhou, with great momentum. But he was always repelled by our army, and in the end he could only seek tribute and trade."

"Two years ago, the Ming Dynasty took the initiative to negotiate with them about jointly carrying out the slave killing. What was their attitude then? Lindan Batur first claimed illness and refused to see us. Then, he used the excuse that none of his subordinates knew Chinese characters and discarded the imperial edict brought by our Ming Dynasty envoy. Later, Lindan Batur sent someone to negotiate, and it was this Amudaihong Taiji who came forward. At that time, they said, 'Power lies with the Khan, and it may be difficult for him to act arbitrarily,' but in fact they were just asking for too much. But last year, the defense line built by Xiong Tingbi blocked Nurhaci's repeated attacks, and our Ming Dynasty held Liaoning and Shenyang without any substantial help from the Chahar tribe. Does this Amudaihong Taiji still dare to say, 'Power lies with the Khan'?"

"On the other hand, if the combined forces of Chahar and Inner Khalkha conquer Guangning, Lindan Batur won't be seeking tribute or market power to trade with the Ming. He'll simply come and rob when he needs something." Zhu Changluo's brow furrowed unconsciously. "If Liaoshen falls to Nurhaci, the Chahars' patience in not executing their envoys will immediately become a bargaining chip between Lindan Batur and Nurhaci." Zhu Changluo slammed the table. "What you can't get on the battlefield, you can't get at the negotiation table!"

"I understand." Zhu Youxiao nodded seriously. "I have one last question, and I hope your Majesty can answer it."

"Just say it." Zhu Changluo nodded.

"Since Lindan Batur is so indecisive and useless, why not just take back the annual reward or even suspend the tribute market?" Zhu Youxiao asked.

"Two reasons." Zhu Changluo held up his right index finger. "Stop paying tribute and cutting off rewards wouldn't be worth the cost. The Ming doesn't expect Chahar to be of any use, but it also doesn't want them to cause trouble in western Liaoning at this time. If something were to happen in western Liaoning right now, suppressing the rebellion would be a minor matter. If Nurhaci were to take advantage of the situation, it would be disastrous."

Zhu Changluo raised his middle finger again. "If their tribe suffers a disaster and our Ming Dynasty's tribute market is cut off, then Lindan Batur will go south to plunder and find nothing. Not only will he never become the Great Khan of Mongolia, he might even fall from power."

"Isn't it good that he fell?"

"Not good," Zhu Changluo explained. "Having a moderately powerful leader for the Chahar tribe and even the entire Mongolian region is beneficial to the Ming Dynasty. At least for now. If Lindan Batur falls, his people will fragment into smaller tribes. This will greatly reduce the resistance to the westward expansion of the slave bandits. If Nurhaci seizes the opportunity to devour Mongolia, it won't just be the eastern Liao regions that will face the threat of the slave bandits. Places like Xiping, Guangning, and Yizhou will also face direct confrontation with them."

"I maintain the tribute market and use silver to buy heads. The first is to break his ambiguity and force Lindan Batur to break with Nurhaci. The second is to maintain his position as the co-leader and create a buffer zone between Liaoxi and the slave bandits. This is all to relieve the pressure on Xiong Tingbi and increase the odds of winning the war against the slaves. Suppressing the slaves is the top priority of my Ming Dynasty at present."

"It's so complicated." Zhu Youxiao sighed.

"It's complicated." Zhu Changluo transformed his fingers into a palm and rubbed Zhu Youxiao's head. Then he patted the armrest of the chair. "But if you want to hold this position firmly, no matter how complicated it is, you have to understand it."

"My son, I understand."

"Go play, there are so many things piled up on this table waiting to be stamped."

"Yes." Zhu Youxiao stood up and walked to the imperial desk, bowing deeply to his father. "Your son will take his leave."

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At the Dong'an Gate, Wei Chao, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, who had seen off the foreign envoys and a group of accompanying officials, was about to leave when he was stopped by Li Kezhuo, the interpreter at the end of the team and the Minister of the Honglu Temple.

"Chief Wei!" Li Kezhuo walked quickly towards Wei Chao, but before he could get close to Wei Chao, he was stopped by Wei Chao's entourage.

Wei Chao turned around. He had a deep impression of Li Kezhuo and was willing to talk to him. "Send Li Dianke over."

"Yes." The eunuch stepped aside. Li Kezhuo immediately trotted over.

"What advice do you have for me, Li Dianke?" Wei Chao asked.

Li Kezhuo bowed first, then took out a small octagonal wooden box from his arms. He opened it and found two round red pills inside.

"What is this?" Wei Chao asked in confusion.

"This is 'Sanyuan Dan,' also known as 'Red Lead Pill.'" Li Kezhuo smiled proudly, handing the wooden box to Wei Chao. "It's made by adding 'Xiantian Red Lead' to the first drop of midnight dew and other herbs like black plums. It's boiled seven times, and then dried in the sun. Then, autumn stone, human milk, cinnabar, pine resin, and other herbs are added to make it."

If Cui Wensheng, who was "well-versed in medicine," were here, he would have immediately engaged in a lively discussion with Li Kezhuo. But Wei Chao knew nothing about "medicine." Not only did he not take the medicine to look at it, he actually took a step back. "What are you talking about?" Li Kezhuo hurriedly explained, "The so-called 'innate red lead' is the menstrual blood of a virgin's first period. It is the yang within the yin, the essence of pure fire. Autumn stone is the essence extracted from the urine of young boys and girls. It nourishes yin and moistens the internal organs, astringes essence and consolidates qi. Cinnabar is the ghost immortal cinnabar produced in Chenzhou, Huguang. The longer this sand is burned, the more wonderful its transformation becomes. Red lead, autumn stone, and cinnabar are called the Three Yuan. When these three yuan are condensed into one elixir, this is the Three Yuan Elixir."

"Oh." Wei Chao nodded, but he still didn't quite understand. "What's the use of this thing?"

"This is an elixir. It can be used to lock in the essence and help with the ascension. I have spent a long time and tried my best to make it, but only these two pills can be called a finished medicine." Li Kezhuo said with a flattering smile.

"Locking Sperm Pills, you think I have this..." Wei Chao only said half of his words when he understood. "Oh! You want to present this thing to the emperor?"

"Chief Wei is wise! I hope you can present the medicine on my behalf." Li Kezhuo had always wanted to offer the medicine to the emperor, but fearing retaliation from the censors, he dared not submit a petition. A few days ago, he learned that the emperor was summoning Tatar envoys and needed him to accompany them, and he immediately considered asking a eunuch to present the medicine on his behalf.

Li Kezhuo loved alchemy, and he had readily available autumn stone, cinnabar, and various other materials. However, "Xiantian Red Lead" couldn't be preserved for long, so he searched all over Beijing for it. Fortunately, Beijing was crowded, and Li Kezhuo didn't hesitate to ask for a price, so he finally managed to acquire it in time.

"You..." Wei Chao seemed a little hesitant.

But in Li Kezhuo's opinion, Wei Chao simply wanted a small gift of respect. He had already prepared for this. He held the wooden box with his left hand, reached into his sleeve with his right hand, and with a flick of his finger, a twenty-liang silver note appeared. "Chief Wei, I understand."

"You know shit." Wei Chao pushed Li Kezhuo's banknote away, but took the box containing the 'Sanyuan Pill'. "Let me try."

"You try?" Li Kezhuo was surprised.

"What are you thinking about!" Wei Chao rolled his eyes at Li Kezhuo. "I'll try to get it in." If this thing really can astringe essence and strengthen qi, and help the emperor, then he can also win a small favor from the emperor.

"Is this thing of yours non-toxic?" Wei Chao looked at the two red pills and thought they were pretty.

"How dare I joke about such a thing?" Li Kezhuo said, "All the medicines were prepared according to the prescription."

"Have you tried it?" Wei Chao closed the lid of the box.

"I've tried it before, but 'Xiantian Red Lead' is as rare as ambergris and more valuable than gold. I only managed to make two pills this time. If I try it again, I won't be able to test it in the palace." Li Kezhuo chuckled. "If His Majesty needs it, just send a decree and I'll go to the palace to test the medicine in person."

"Oh. That's a nice thought." Wei Chao put the box into his arms and turned back. "Wait."

Li Kezhuo bowed deeply towards Wei Chao's back. "Thank you, Chief Wei, for your help!" He seemed to have a vision of high office and generous salary coming his way, and his face was filled with obvious joy.

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At about the same time, Shen Lian, the chief flagman of the Jinyiwei's Eastern Division, arrived at the Eastern Division Yamen upon being summoned. As he entered the main hall, Liu Chengxi, the Eastern Division's deputy commander and seal-bearer, was looking down at something. He held a pen in his hand, but made no effort to put pen to paper.

"Your humble servant greets the Admiral." Shen Lian walked up to Liu Chengxi and knelt on one knee to salute.

"Stand up and talk." Liu Chengxi put down his pen, turned his head, and pulled out a piece of paper from wherever he came across.

"Thank you, Admiral." Shen Lian bowed again.

"This is the case submitted by the patrol camp. Take a look first." Liu Chengxi handed the post to Shen Lian.

The Patrol Battalion was considered a regular military unit outside the three major battalions: the Five Armies, the Divine Shu Battalion, and the Divine Machine Battalion. Its history can be traced back nearly two hundred years to the Xuande period. At that time, banditry was rampant, overwhelming the Five Cities Military Commission. Even the Beijing residence of Tan Guang, the Left General stationed in Xuanfu, was robbed. To maintain public security in the capital, Emperor Xuande ordered the temporary transfer of troops from Beijing to assist the Five Cities Military Commission in cracking down on thieves and maintaining law and order. It was during this period that the Jinyiwei began to intervene in the capital's security.

However, at that time, there was no formal system for patrolling the imperial army, so secondment was considered a temporary measure. By the Zhengde period, temporary secondment had become a regular practice. By the tenth year of the Zhengde reign, the number of imperial troops involved in patrolling the imperial army had reached over a thousand. The imperial court simply modeled the twelve-regiment battalion system of the imperial army at the time on this system, giving it a separate designation. Thus, the patrol battalion gained its own independent organization and its personnel grew in number.

The primary mission of the patrol battalion was to maintain public order in the capital, operating both inside and outside the city. Within the city walls, the patrol battalion and the military command split patrol time between day and night. In the suburbs outside the city walls, the patrol battalion operated along the streets day and night.

Because the Patrol Police Battalion possessed only the power of arrest, not trial, it ranked very low in the hierarchy of public security, comparable to the Military Affairs Commission. The Imperial Guard, the Imperial Censorate, and even the Shuntian Prefecture Office were able to mobilize the Patrol Police Battalion on a small scale within their respective purviews. However, the Imperial Guard had the most direct contact with the Patrol Police Battalion. After all, in addition to routinely monitoring subjects for "treason" and officials for illegal behavior to prevent them from endangering imperial power, the Imperial Guard was also responsible for investigating all manner of crimes, both large and small, that threatened social order within and beyond the capital.

"Robbers armed with bows and horses robbing?" Shen Lian took the notice and looked at it, his eyes suddenly brightening. This was clearly a major case.

"Take two small bannermen and go outside the city to investigate," Liu Chengxi said sullenly. "This is truly lawless. Investigate the case as quickly as possible and apprehend the criminals." Lower-ranking officials favored major cases, but those at Liu Chengxi's rank simply sought peace. Rather than being commended for solving a case, Liu Chengxi worried more about the censors or the Ministry of War reporting him for lax enforcement.

"Yes." Shen Lian held the note and bowed to Liu Chengxi again.

"Go ahead." Liu Chengxi waved his hand.

"Yes." Shen Lian turned and left. He had just reached the main courtyard and had not yet passed the screen wall when he heard the sound of horse hooves gradually slowing down from afar.

Shen Lian slowed down his pace, and after a few breaths he saw Captain Zheng Shiyi rushing into the yamen.

(End of this chapter)