Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 376 The reception banquet

"Deputy Captain Lu, thank you for your hard work on the journey." Sun Chengzong understood. He first bowed in return, then stepped aside to introduce, "This is Deputy Director Jin of the Miscellaneous Construction Bureau of the Internal Affairs Bureau."

"My humble name is Jin Zhong." Jin Zhong bowed and said, "Jin means gold, and Zhong means loyal to the emperor."

Lu Wenzhao wanted to ask what the "Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau" was, but he held back and simply returned the greeting, "So it's Deputy Jin. I apologize for my disrespect."

Jin Zhong returned the greeting. "Deputy Captain Lu, you're very polite."

"This is Doctor Mi from the Construction Department of the Ministry of Works." Sun Chengzong then introduced another unfamiliar face to Lu Wenzhao.

"My humble name is Mi Wanzhong, an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Mi Wanzhong did not introduce himself like Jin Zhong did, but said, "My younger brother Mi Wanfang, currently serving as the General Flag Officer of the Left Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"So it's Doctor Mi. I'm sorry for being disrespectful." Lu Wenzhao's tone sounded very friendly, but it was all an act.

Lu Wenzhao didn't recognize Mi Wanfang, the Left Commander-in-Chief. From the perspective of the military officers in the two offices and two departments, the vacancies at the Thousand Households Office were all miscellaneous positions. A transfer from the Thousand Households Office to the East Office as the Chief Commander was considered a promotion, and this required successful military examinations.

Moreover, it wasn't uncommon for someone from the Imperial Guard to become a civil servant through the imperial examination. Even Fang Congzhe, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, was a member of the Imperial Guard. But since Mi Wanzhong had said so, Lu Wenzhao wouldn't give him the cold shoulder for no reason.

"Thank you for your courtesy, Deputy Captain Lu." Mi Wanzhong returned the greeting.

After recognizing two unfamiliar faces, Lu Wenzhao looked at Mao Yuanyi again: "What's this, Mao Zanhua? Why is he wearing the uniform of a fourth-rank official?"

"Oh!" Sun Chengzong then remembered that when Lu Wenzhao went south to Hangzhou, Mao Yuanyi had not yet been appointed. So he called Mao Yuanyi closer and waved his hand, saying, "Let me introduce you again. This is the deputy commander, the commander of the governor's standard camp, and the guerrilla Mao Yuanyi."

"So Mao Zanhua has already eliminated the guerrillas." Lu Wenzhao pretended to understand. "My humble servant is rude."

The Ming Dynasty military system implemented a separation of duties. Posts like General, Deputy General, Lieutenant General, Guerrilla, Garrison, and Captain General were unranked and had no fixed quotas. To establish a correlation between rank and remuneration, these posts were assigned a corresponding military rank under the Five Prefectures system. For example, Guerrilla General could rise to the rank of Second Rank Commander-in-Chief, and below that was Mao Yuanyi, a Fourth Rank Commander-in-Chief. In terms of rank alone, Mao Yuanyi was undoubtedly Lu Wenzhao's superior.

"Land envoy, you are so polite," Mao Yuanyi hurriedly returned the greeting. "I am but a mediocre person. I have achieved my current position entirely thanks to the favor of the emperor and the support of the chancellor. I am truly overwhelmed by the fact that you have appointed me a fourth-rank official."

Mao Yuanyi, though young, possessed a clear mind. He knew full well that the honor bestowed upon him by these arrogant Jinyiwei had nothing to do with his appointment as a guerrilla sergeant. Lu Wenzhao's willingness to follow him was purely due to his having been brought up by Sun Chengzong. Without this connection, the fact that these Jinyiwei, escorting him out of the capital, didn't even bother looking down on him would be a huge honor.

There was a minor incident surrounding Mao Yuanyi's appointment to the imperial court. Sun Chengzong, on Mao Yuanyi's behalf, had submitted a copy of his military manual, "Wu Bei Zhi," to the imperial court, proving Mao Yuanyi's knowledge of military affairs. He also submitted a petition to the emperor requesting Mao Yuanyi be given a military commission so he could lead troops in practice.

After seeing the petition, Zhu Changluo didn't waste any words. He picked up his red pen and approved Mao Yuanyi as a commander, letting him serve as a guerrilla and be in charge of the Tianjin Governor's Camp. After that, the petition entered the issuance process and was classified as a military department. Unsurprisingly, it was rejected by the military department.

The military department's rebuttal was justified: Who was this Mao Yuanyi? He had no achievements, no merit. He was merely a student of the Imperial Academy, lacking even the honors of a military examination. He could be granted a fourth-rank rank simply for his supposed military knowledge, relying on a collection of theoretical military treatises. This was excessively indiscriminate. If the governor's battalion needed a commander, the emperor could simply order the Ministry of War to select one. There was no such thing as a governor recommending himself for a position.

Furthermore, the Military Department also criticized the Cabinet. In its rebuttal, the Department argued that the Cabinet should have clearly recommended that the Emperor reject Governor Sun Chengzong's request in its draft proposal, rather than vaguely agreeing and then throwing the issue back to the Emperor for his decision.

At that time, the person who drafted the draft for Sun Chengzong's memorial was Ye Xianggao, the second assistant minister of the cabinet. After receiving the rebuttal from the military department, he immediately submitted a memorial to defend himself.

Ye Xianggao first said that the "Wubei Zhi" compiled by Mao Yuanyi is not just "army talk", but a complete book on military affairs with a grand system, clear structure and unified format. If you have any doubts about it, you may wish to read it yourself.

Ye Xianggao then went on to say that Mao Yuanyi was not only knowledgeable about military affairs but also had military experience. He had served as a military advisor to the now-deposed Liaodong Governor Yang Hao, and had actively dissuaded Yang Hao from advancing on Sarhu. He could be said to possess considerable military acumen. These are extraordinary times, calling for extraordinary measures. The country is in the midst of a war, and all the garrisons are staffed by veteran generals. The country desperately needs young generals, so why not promote them?

Finally, the cabinet agreed to reject the military department's objection. Mao Yuanyi was allowed to submit the "Wu Bei Zhi" and was appointed as the deputy commander. He was ordered to take charge of the Tianjin Governor's Camp.

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After exchanging greetings, Sun Chengzong invited them, saying, "Deputy Captain Lu and the other imperial envoys have traveled a long way. As per custom, my office has prepared some light dishes and wine to welcome the imperial envoys. The banquet will be held at the Jinmen Tower. Please come and enjoy the meal."

"We're just stopping by for a bit," Lu Wenzhao said modestly, as usual. "How can I be so embarrassed to bother you all?"

"You should use at least a little." Sun Chengzong also advised as usual: "The table is already set. Wouldn't it be a waste if you don't use it?"

"In that case," Lu Wenzhao bowed again. "Then I will accept it with all my heart."

Lu Wenzhao wasn't one to "take it easy." He departed quickly and returned quickly on this mission, not even flying the Jinyiwei flag on his ship. Even his customs clearance relied on an official letter from the Tianjin Governor's Office, issued by Sun Chengzong. Aside from revealing his identity in Hangzhou and requesting local authorities send troops to assist in apprehending the suspect and confiscating the official's assets, he made little noise. Many places were unaware of the imperial envoy's passage until he arrived and left.

Lu Wenzhao did this, firstly to prevent the news from leaking out, and secondly because he disdained to have any dealings with the local officials along the way, as he didn't expect them to pay him tribute or offer him any favors. However, upon arriving in Cangzhou, Lu Wenzhao immediately sent a swift message to Tianjin via the local water post. He then slowed down his pace, hoisted the banner of the Imperial Guard, and headed north.

All he wanted was to get close to Master Sun. It could even be said that Lu Wenzhao stopped his ship in Tianjin just for this meal.

"Please." Sun Chengzong waved his hand towards the carriage that had been prepared long ago.

Lu Wenzhao smiled and nodded, then looked at Lu Jianxing beside him. "You stay here and watch the boat."

"Yes." Lu Jianxing seemed to have anticipated this. He accepted the order and turned back to the ship. After the brief welcoming ceremony, the officials boarded the pre-prepared carriages and left the dock under the escort of the governor's standard-bearer. Unbeknownst to the officials, just outside the area cordoned off by the officers and soldiers, a pair of seemingly simple eyes withdrew their silent gaze.

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The banquet was held at the Jinmen Tower, near the Tianjin Bell Tower. Just like last time, before the officials arrived, the Jinmen Tower had already been cleared by soldiers. However, the troops clearing the area and guarding the Jinmen Tower were no longer the Beijing soldiers Sun Chengzong had borrowed from the Ministry of War, but rather his newly recruited soldiers from the Standard Battalion. The previous contingent of Beijing soldiers had already been sent back to Beijing.

The officials, led by the waiter, arrived at the largest private room. Lu Wenzhao took a closer look and observed that two large tables were piled high with delicacies from land and sea, along with wine, drinks, and dried fruits, but there were no particularly expensive or rare dishes. When Lu Wenzhao first joined the Imperial Guard, he had conducted research on prices in the capital. Based on this experience, and considering the high standard of Jinmenlou, Lu Wenzhao estimated that this feast of fish and meat would be worth between fifteen and twenty taels of silver.

Lu Wenzhao felt a little relieved. Fifteen to twenty taels of silver per meal was expensive, but it was not excessive to welcome the imperial envoy Jinyiwei. It could even be said to be just right, neither flattering nor dishonoring.

Everyone filed in and soon they were toasting each other. After several rounds of persuasion, the atmosphere became lively.

"Deputy Captain Lu, please drink again." Sun Chengzong raised his glass to toast again.

Lu Wenzhao quickly raised his glass in response. "Master Sun, you're so polite. It's the junior who should toast you." From the moment he sat down at the table, Lu Wenzhao had been referring to Sun Chengzong as "Master Sun" and himself as "the junior." Several times, he wanted to call himself "student," but he swallowed the words back when they were on the tip of his tongue.

"Deputy Captain Lu, did the imperial envoy's mission go smoothly?" Sun Chengzong took the initiative to bring up the matter of the imperial envoy. Shen Zhengping, who was sitting at the last seat at the table, and the five captains of Tianjin Zhongwei, who were sitting at another table, immediately pricked up their ears.

"I rely on Your Majesty's blessing," Lu Wenzhao said, bowing towards Beijing. "The principal culprit, Shen Caiyu, has been apprehended and is being held captive on the ship."

"Deputy Captain Lu is indeed a young talent." Sun Chengzong praised, and the officials present raised their glasses to agree.

"No, no, I'm just following the instructions. I just do what the higher-ups say." Lu Wenzhao bowed humbly and asked, "Are Han Chengkui and his prisoners still in Tianjin?"

"Not long after you went south, Captain Liu from the East Office came to Tianjin with an imperial decree to take Han Chengkui and other prisoners back to Beijing." Sun Chengzong shook his head.

"Is Captain Liu the same as Liu Qiao?" Lu Wenzhao asked.

"Yes." Sun Chengzong replied.

"I was thinking of taking them all back at once," Lu Wenzhao nodded. "Since Captain Liu has already taken them away, we can save ourselves the trouble."

"Then..." Seeing that the topic of the Qin case was about to end, and once the topic was over, it would seem very abrupt to bring it up again, Shen Zhengping, who was sitting at the end of the table, hesitated for a moment, but finally stood up with his glass, toasted, and continued the topic by asking, "Did these criminals confess anything?"

His words set all the garrison officials on edge. Those still on duty in Tianjin had been living in constant fear, uncertain whether this case would ultimately affect them.

"Haha. The Divine Concierge really knows how to joke." Lu Wenzhao didn't accept his toast, but just smiled and said, "Of course the trial must be conducted in court. This official ship is not the government office, and the cabin is not a court. How can we conduct an interrogation casually?"

"Uh, haha, haha!" Shen Zhengping was stunned for a moment, then laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah."

In fact, Lu Wenzhao treated the official ship as the government office and the cabin as the court, and interrogated Shen Caiyu and his inner chamberlain and bedmate Shen Bo.

Not only did they confess, but they did so quickly. Lu Wenzhao didn't even resort to subtle torture like water torture; he simply threatened to do so, and the two men spilled everything they knew. They'd revealed everything, from whom the Shen family had received gifts, from whom they'd given them gifts, and basically, they'd implicated everyone they could. This, of course, included Shen Zhengping and several other captains of the Qianhu Division.

However, Shen Caiyu's reckless and unbridled talk made Lu Wenzhao a little afraid to touch the matter. Shen Caiyu not only explained the Shen family's interpersonal relationships clearly and clearly, but also revealed the person who leaked the information to him and caused him to escape.

When Shen Caiyu confessed to Li Mingcheng, the Marquis of Wuqing, Lu Wenzhao had already obtained a detailed confession, but after much deliberation, he decided to simply burn the confession and dump it into the canal. After all, the order from above was only to arrest people, so he just had to "follow orders."

Shen Zhengping's inexplicable laughter not only failed to liven up the atmosphere, but instead made it awkward. The captains who had been sitting at the same table with the Jinyiwei generals, who had been forcing themselves to joke around, had now fallen silent.

But Lu Wenzhao didn't care about their feelings. He just wanted to get closer to Master Sun. "Master Sun, weren't the officers and soldiers at the dock earlier soldiers from the garrison?" Lu Wenzhao asked knowingly.

"Those are all soldiers from the standard battalion." Sun Chengzong said with a smile.

Lu Wenzhao immediately raised his glass and praised: "I still remember. When I left Tianjin, you were still planning to build a base. In just a few days, the army has become so rejuvenated. I toast you again. If I have the chance, I will definitely ask for your advice."

Sun Chengzong raised his glass in return, but humbly declined, "This is all thanks to Youji Mao."

"To you, General Mao," Lu Wenzhao sighed. If Sun Chengzong had agreed, he would have called himself a "student." But since Sun Chengzong had pushed the blame onto Mao Yuanyi, he had no choice but to refill his glass and toast to Mao Yuanyi.

After another round of pleasantries, Lu Wenzhao asked, "Is the recruitment for the standard camp going smoothly?"

"Thanks to the generous assistance of the Divine Guards and the other captains, the recruitment process is proceeding smoothly," Mao Yuanyi said, praising the garrison officers. "So far, the battalion has already recruited a number of soldiers. Perhaps in a month or so, we'll have the full quota."

(End of this chapter)