Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 466 Shen Yourong

According to regulations, when someone arrives at the post station, a postman should come out to greet them. They should first check the post station pass, inquire about their needs, and then provide supplies as needed. However, Bi Ziyan, Sun Yuerong, and their entourage entered the post station and waited for a long time, but no one came to greet them.

"It seems this guy has quite a background, so there's not even anyone to pick him up at the station," Sun Yuerong turned his head and ordered a Dongchang guard, "Go ask."

"Yes!" The man accepted the order and turned around and shouted, "No one is picking us up? Are they all dead?!"

When Bi Ziyan heard this, he frowned slightly, shrank his body, and thought: This is too rude.

"I told you to go and ask what you are yelling about here." Sun Yuerong noticed Bi Ziyan's little action and felt really embarrassed, so she stretched out her hand and gently patted the guy on the back of his head.

"Yes." The man nodded awkwardly after being hit.

Although the East Factory guard's shout was rough, it was indeed effective. Not long after he shouted, the postman who was supposed to be in charge of the reception came out from the direction of the stable. He was seen with his sleeves rolled up, holding a brush in his hand, and as he walked, he kept grinning: "What are you yelling about! We are busy!"

Not long ago, about twenty people arrived at the post station, all on horseback. As soon as they arrived, they demanded fodder and food, and they also wanted the postman to help them groom their horses. The post station only had a few postmen, and after Governor Sun took office, he laid off some of the elderly and weak who did odd jobs. It was difficult to cope with such urgent needs at the moment, so they had to ask the postmen who met them to groom the horses as well.

The postman approached and saw another group of people coming. His brows furrowed even more. "Which government office are you from? What are you doing there? Do you have a post station pass from the Imperial Chariot Office?"

"We're from the capital, so we don't have a postal token, but I think," Sun Yuerong took off his waist badge and showed it to the postman, "this one should work." They were pressed for time and had a heavy workload, so they didn't have the time to go to the Ministry of War to ask for a postal token. So, throughout the journey, Sun Yuerong and Bi Ziyan used the East Factory waist badge as a postal token.

"What's that? Dong Aiyo!" Clearly, the East Depot badge was far more valuable than the postal token. The postman perked up as soon as he saw the blaring "Eastern Jishichang" on the badge. In an instant, his attitude shifted from impatience to flattery, his eyes widening considerably. "I'm not prepared for the arrival of Eunuch Sun! I'm blind! I'm blind!" The postman's knees buckled, and after two bows, he was about to kneel.

"Alright, shut up. You don't need to kneel." Sun Yuerong put away the badge, rolled his eyes at the postman, and asked, "Who's in there? Who are they? Why did you take everyone out of the post station?"

"It's Shandong," the postman was about to say when the postmaster of Tianjin Post and three tall and strong men came out from the backyard of the post station. They had also come out to check the situation after hearing the shouts of the Dongchang guards.

The two sides did not know each other, but when Bi Ziyan and Sun Yuerong saw their tall and strong appearance and vigorous gait, they knew that these people were warriors, and they were the elite who could wear full armor and walk freely.

"It's them." The postman said, then stepped aside and called on the followers of Bi and Sun to lead the horses to the stable.

The leading warrior was about sixty years old, with a thicket of white beard and brow, but his eyes sparkled with confidence, his leadership aura evident at a glance. The two men beside him, though also dark-skinned, muscular, and still young enough, had expressions of flattery, deference, and even uneasiness in their eyes. They must have been the leader's entourage.

While Bi and Sun were looking at these warriors, the warriors were also looking at them.

Bi Ziyan wasn't much to look at. He wore a gauze crown, a blue robe with the right side of his neck, and a long beard, a typical scholarly image. Sun Yuerong, though also dressed in plain clothes and looking dusty, caught the attention of the warriors. He was the only one present without a single beard. This meant he was either a bedmate or a eunuch from the palace. Judging by his air of wanting to overshadow the host at any moment, the latter was more likely.

The leading warrior spoke first. He quickly walked up to Bi Ziyan and Sun Yuerong and said with a bow, "My name is Shen Yourong. I am currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Shandong's Coast Guard and Deputy Commander-in-Chief. These two are my subordinates, Captains Yuan Jin and Li Zhong."

"My humble name is Yuan Jin."

"My name is Li Zhong." Yuan Jin and Li Zhong also followed and bowed.

"Excuse me, who are you two?" Shen Yourong asked after Yuan and Li finished their greetings.

Bi Ziyan was visibly stunned. "So it's Lieutenant General Shen and the two captains. My name is Bi Ziyan, and I'm currently the Minister of Revenue, specializing in supervising Liao military supplies." Upon hearing this, Shen Yourong was also startled.

"Sun Yuerong," Sun Yuerong looked Shen Yourong up and down, and gently bowed. "Head of the East Factory."

"Greetings to Captain Sun and Minister Bi." Shen Yourong nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.

The two groups exchanged greetings, and the atmosphere immediately fell silent. Civil officials, military officers, and eunuchs alike remained silent. Everyone stood silently in the front yard until a postmaster standing nearby broke the silence, saying, "My Lords, it's windy outside. Let's go inside and sit down."

"We've already finished our meal, so there's no need to sit here any longer," Shen Yourong said, taking the opportunity to say goodbye to Bi and Sun. "Master Sun, Minister Bi, I'm leaving."

"Deputy General Shen, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Sun Yuerong immediately raised her hand to stop him and asked with a smile, "Where are you going?"

"Go to Beijing." Although Sun Yuerong had a smile on her face, Shen Yourong felt a sense of crisis in her heart as if she was being closely watched by a predator.

Shen Yourong's feelings were unsurprising, as leaving one's post without authorization was a serious crime for a garrison officer. For the East Depot, a serious crime committed by an official meant they could achieve great success. Furthermore, the East Depot had recently sent a letter to Shandong, requesting their assistance in apprehending a fleeing suspect. Logically, Shen Yourong should be leading his navy on a roundup of suspects.

"What are you going to Beijing for?" Sun Yuerong asked immediately.

"Report to the Ministry of War." Shen Yourong said.

"Performance report?" Sun Yuerong asked, "If I remember correctly, Lieutenant General Shen was transferred to Shandong last June, right?" Sun Yuerong had never met Shen Yourong, but he had specifically learned about the resumes of officials at all levels in Shandong.

"Master Sun remembers it well." Shen Yourong realized that Sun Yuerong was questioning him. But he didn't shy away from it. Instead, he added, "I only arrived in Dengzhou at the beginning of this year."

On June 13th of last year, the court decided to transfer Shen Yourong to the position of Deputy General of Shandong Coastal Defense. At that time, Shen Yourong was still in Fujian. At the end of August, Shen Yourong received a transfer order and set off north with hundreds of soldiers. Just a few days after leaving, Shen Yourong learned the news of the emperor's death. He immediately burst into tears and found a nearby county government office to mourn the emperor for three days. Three days later, Shen Yourong wore mourning clothes and continued on his way. Twenty-four days later, the mourning period was over, and Shen Yourong took off his mourning clothes and continued on his way. He arrived in Dengzhou in the first month of the first year of Taichang. "Since you have just taken up the post, what kind of position do you want to describe?" Sun Yuerong asked.

"I don't know either." Shen Yourong glanced at Yuan Jin subconsciously. "The official letter from the Ministry of War only mentioned the report on the work, nothing else."

"Can you let me see the official letter from the Ministry of War?" Sun Yuerong stretched out his hand.

"Of course." Shen Yourong reached into his arms and took out an envelope he carried with him and handed it to Sun Yuerong.

Sun Yuerong took the envelope and shook out the official letter. Unfolding it, he saw the seal of the Ministry of War and the signature of "Soldier Cui Jingrong." With this, Shen Yourong's departure from the garrison was legitimate. "The beginning of the month. Huh." Sun Yuerong took a final glance at the date.

"Is there any problem?" Shen Yourong asked.

"No problem, I was rude." Sun Yuerong returned the official letter to Shen Yourong without any intention of explaining, but the scrutiny in his eyes gradually faded away.

"Master Sun, you're too polite. It's just a casual chat." Shen Yourong put away the official letter and asked, "Do you two have any other questions?"

Sun Yuerong glanced sideways at Bi Ziyan, who had saluted and remained silent. Bi Ziyan had something else to say, but Sun Yuerong had already gotten nearly everything he wanted to know. So, he simply shook his head and smiled, kindly reminding him, "It's still another three hundred miles north; Lieutenant General Shen won't be able to arrive today."

"Rest wherever it gets dark." Shen Yourong said goodbye again. "Take care, both of you. We're leaving now."

"Take care of yourself."

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On the evening of March 15th, the first year of Taichang, the blood-red sunset spread across the entire northern land from Liaodong to Shandong.

Bi Ziyan and Sun Yuerong galloped in the sunset. Their cavalry had just passed the last post station. If they continued on their way, they would reach the Beitang Supply Department before the sun set. Meanwhile, poor Li Changgeng still didn't know he had been dismissed. He continued working in the signing room of the government office, awaiting the arrival of the April Liao salary.

At the same time, in the Forbidden City, Lu Chunru, the fifth-rank Shaoqing of the Guanglu Temple, and Deng Yuhan, the fifth-rank Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Rites, also directed the eunuchs sent from the palace to move the tables and chairs moved from the various wings back to their original places.

"Let's go, stop looking." Lu Chunru patted Deng Yuhan's shoulder, pulling Deng Yuhan out of his endless emotion and immersion.

"Okay." Deng Yuhan turned around, retracted his gaze from looking up at the Huangji Palace, and followed Lu Chunru towards the Huangji Gate.

After passing through the Huangji Gate, Deng Yuhan suddenly seemed to think of something. "Sir Lu, I have a question. May I ask you?"

"Mr. Deng, please feel free to ask." Lu Chunru nodded.

"I'd like to know. The cushions used in the Ming Palace's trial desks were provided by the Imperial Palace, and the transportation was handled by palace personnel. Why do we have to be the supply officers? Aren't there many eunuchs in the Imperial Palace?" Deng Yuhan felt that he hadn't played any role at all, that he had been given a job and a reward for nothing. He felt a strange sense of guilt for getting something for nothing.

Lü Chunru wasn't entirely sure about this question, but she was too embarrassed to admit her ignorance in front of such a high-ranking official. After pondering for a long time, Lü Chunru finally came up with an answer: "Since ancient times, there has been no place for eunuchs in the palace examinations."

"Lord Lu," Deng Yuhan followed up with a question. "They say there's a difference between internal and external officials, but I've been here since I came to the Celestial Empire and still don't know what the difference is. Could you tell me what the difference is between internal and external officials?"

"Well..." Lu Chunru hadn't really thought about the obvious distinction between insiders and outsiders. "First of all, eunuchs don't have any roots, right?" Thinking carefully, this was the first thing that came to Lu Chunru's mind.

"I know that. You have to be castrated before entering the palace. Besides that?" Deng Yuhan nodded. "I thought that, in terms of power, the inner and outer officials were very similar. I even thought that the Grand Secretary and the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department were the same official, just with different names. Just like a name and a surname."

"." When Lu Chunru heard this, her eyelids and mouth corners began to twitch uncontrollably.

On closer inspection, the term "Western dignitaries" isn't entirely wrong. Cabinet ministers were close to the emperor, known as external ministers. The eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department were also close to the emperor, known as internal ministers. But ultimately, these two categories were merely ministers in name only, serving as advisors and counselors. Their power depended solely on the emperor's trust. If the emperor trusted eunuchs too much, it would easily lead to people like Liu Jin and Wang Zhen; if the emperor trusted eunuchs too much, it would easily lead to people like Yan Song.

After walking for a long time, Lü Chunru, a Jinshi (Jin Chou year) who had graduated from the imperial examination in the 29th year of the Wanli reign, was unable to come up with a proper answer. Finally, as she passed through Huiji Gate, she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Mr. Deng, as the saying goes, disaster comes from the mouth. I'll just listen to your explanation, but please don't spread it around."

Deng Yuhan was stunned for a moment. "Yes." After Lu Chunru's reminder, Deng Yuhan realized that he had made a mistake. A eunuch might not mind being compared to a Grand Secretary, but the opposite might be very offensive.

The two of them walked along without saying anything else and soon arrived at Wenhua Hall.

By this time, the palace lanterns surrounding the Wenhua Hall had all been lit. In the right side hall, the sealing officials, led by Dali Temple Minister He Zongyan and Censor-in-Chief Zhang Wenda, were sealing the last batch of answer sheets. On another large desk in the side hall, sealed volumes, their names obscured and stamped with official seals, were already stacked in order.

The palace examination consisted of only four stages: answering the papers on the 15th, grading them on the 16th, reading them on the 17th, and announcing the results on the 18th. If only the grading on the 16th is counted, then the examiners actually only had one day to read the papers.

Because of the tight deadlines, the imperial examination papers did not need to be transcribed into red scrolls, as was the case with the imperial examinations. Instead, the examinees' personal information was obscured and the papers were sent to the examiners for evaluation on the morning of the 16th. Since there were no personal records, the examiners could rely on their familiarity with the handwriting to identify familiar examinees. Therefore, it was not uncommon for the examiners and sealers to overlap over the years. As long as the emperor didn't mind, "cheating" wasn't actually cheating.

(End of this chapter)