Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 541 Involvement
Yang Lian's words surprised both Yuan Keli and Lu Wenzhao, especially Yuan Keli. Although Yuan Keli hadn't even returned to Beijing to resume his duties when Yang Lian was exiled to Liaodong, he had heard on his way there how Yang Lian had defied the emperor and suppressed corrupt officials. Yuan Keli had imagined Yang Lian to be a stubborn and easily broken man. He hadn't expected him to say such words.

Despite the surprise, Yuan Keli remained silent. After all, he still had a Jinyiwei sitting beside him. Even now, Yuan Keli still didn't know what the mission of this Jinyiwei, who was almost inseparable from him, was. But one thing was certain: the Jinyiwei assigned to him by the emperor were definitely not just personal guards for Korean supervision; they also had the duty of monitoring his words and actions as the emperor's eyes and ears.

Yuan Keli had learned that this young Jinyiwei had been promoted three ranks within a year, from trial centurion to regular centurion. Three ranks in six months wasn't a difficult feat within the Jinyiwei system; as long as one could get close to a high-ranking eunuch, even a commoner could be promoted to centurion in a day. Wei Zhongxian's nephew, Fu Yingxing, was a prime example.

However, as far as Yuan Keli knew, Lu Wenzhao's three promotions were backed by solid achievements.

Lu Wenzhao's first promotion was due to his surveillance of Westerners who were friendly with Xu Guangqi. Yuan Keli didn't know what Lu Wenzhao reported to the emperor, but the facts proved that those Westerners had indeed had ill intentions and had caused such a difficult situation. If it weren't for the emperor's own bias, Xu Guangqi would have been dragged into the stinking ditch by now.

Lu Wenzhao's second promotion was due to the case of Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing. This young man brilliantly obtained decisive evidence sufficient to calm public opinion and establish the case's verdict: a confession from Sun Ruyou himself, who had not been tortured. Following that trial, a turbulent political climate quickly subsided. Following the death of Zhang Juzheng during the Wanli reign, the increasingly intense political infighting also gradually subsided, fading into an undercurrent.

His third promotion was due to the second of the three cases of Wuqing Marquis - the Tianjin corruption case. In terms of the time of the incident, the Tianjin case can even be said to be the first of the three cases of Wuqing Marquis. When the case reached its climax, Yuan Keli had already returned to the capital after nearly thirty years. The case came to an abrupt end when most of the Jinyiwei were dispatched. Yuan Keli thought that the case would end with Shen Caiyu's arrest, but unexpectedly, not long after Shen Caiyu arrived in Beijing, the Guangning smuggling case broke out. Then, as if prepared in advance, the Jinyiwei sent the Tianjin corruption case to the Ministry of Public Security. Later, the East Factory uncovered another horrific case.

The three cases happened one after another, making it difficult to keep up. After a moment's reflection, Yuan Keli felt a chill run down his spine.

Yuan Keli didn't think the young man possessed any formidable skills. Even a Jinyiwei like Lu Wenzhao, no matter how powerful, was just a sword; it was merely a matter of wielding it properly and not missing the target. The key was always the person holding the sword.

Whether it was the cases of Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing, the cases of Westerners, or the recent cases involving nobles and relatives, they all evoked a puzzling sense of strangeness. Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing inexplicably committed suicide; Westerners in Liaodong committed "slandering the emperor and stirring up trouble," but Xu Guangqi, who guided them into the capital, relied on the imperial examination to almost completely avoid a political trend that could have ruined his reputation; the three cases of Wuqing Hou occurred one after another, forcing the Li family to the point where their titles could be stripped away.
But with a different perspective, that perplexing sense of strangeness vanished. Instead, a chilling sense of terror took over. Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing died because the emperor wanted them dead; Xu Guangqi escaped unscathed because the emperor allowed him to; and the fact that Shen Caiyu's case implicated the Marquis of Wuqing must have been because the emperor allowed the Imperial Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot to implicate the nobles. Perhaps the emperor had long intended to take action against the Marquis of Wuqing, even back when he was still the crown prince.

Now, what on earth did His Majesty want this Jinyiwei, who had been promoted three times in a row, to do with him?

Yuan Keli couldn't guess, but it was always better to be cautious.

Yuan Keli tilted his head slightly and glanced at Lu Wenzhao furtively. At that moment, Lu Wenzhao spoke up, "Did Yang Zhongcheng also include the phrase 'don't implicate too many people' in the official letter to the Censorate?"

Unlike Yuan Keli, Lu Wenzhao's surprise was not so pure. He was somewhat disappointed and even sad.

Although Lu Wenzhao and Yang Lian had never met, he always held high hopes for these upright censors who were loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and who dared to speak out against him. Lu Wenzhao hoped that these upright scholars would remain as pure as before, even though he himself was no longer the same as before.

Yang Lian could vaguely sense the disappointment in the tone of voice, but he interpreted it as the Jinyiwei's disappointment that he, the chief official, did not advocate for the escalation of the punishment.

Yang Lian had indeed changed, becoming more pragmatic than before. He now realistically believed that with a formidable enemy at the doorstep, it was not the right time to launch a major anti-corruption purge in Liao.

"That's not the exact words, but it's pretty much the same. 'Handle the ringleaders severely, punish those who were coerced with leniency, and allow them to serve their sentences while serving.' I wrote this in the official letter. If the emperor needs to report this to His Majesty, I won't mind just reciting the exact words I just mentioned." As he spoke, Yang Lian subconsciously glanced at Li Guangrong. "Since the first aid mission, Wan Youfu has been deeply involved in Liao affairs. He's one of the longest-serving members. He's had dealings with many people in Liao, and even I've been treated to his hospitality. If we pursue this too far, it might intimidate many officials in key positions, and the Han tribes with whom he's had long-term contact might also become suspicious. I believe this would be detrimental to the overall situation."

Lu Wenzhao could tell that Yang Zhongcheng, once a renowned figure in the capital, had mistaken him for an imperial envoy. He had no intention of correcting him, so he simply smiled with a sense of loss. "Yang Zhongcheng, I want to ask about the people directly involved in the case."

"It's hard to say." Hearing this, Yang Lian's frown relaxed considerably, and Li Guangrong's tense nerves also relaxed a little. "Based solely on Wan Youfu's own confession, there were indeed quite a few nobles and officials involved in the city horse case and smuggling scandal. But who directly profited from it, who indirectly benefited, and who was simply dragged into the affair by Wan Youfu's random accusations? Further investigation is needed."

"Wan Youfu's confession mentioned Governor Wu but did not implicate anyone else, but Yang Zhongcheng thinks he might implicate other people? What does this mean?" Lu Wenzhao quickly calmed down.

"The land envoy may not know that Governor Wu and Wan Youfu's late father, the late Minister of War Wan Shide, have always had dealings with each other. At present, we cannot rule out the possibility that Wan Youfu is shielding Governor Wu for this reason." Yang Lian said.

Wan Youfu's father was Wan Shide, the first Governor of Tianjin. After the defeat of Ulsan Castle, Wan Shide replaced Yang Hao as Governor of Korea. In September of the 27th year of the Wanli reign, Wan Shide was awarded the title of Right Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate for his contributions to the Eastern Expedition, and one of his sons was admitted to the Imperial Academy. In February of the 29th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming court confirmed that Japan no longer had any plans to invade Korea, and that Korea was safe. After three years in Korea, Wan Shide was allowed to return home and appointed Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate to assist in the administration of the Censorate. In May of the same year, Wan Shide, from Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate, was promoted to Right Vice-Minister of the Ministry of War, and Governor-General of Ji, Liao, and Baoding. In September of the 30th year of the Wanli reign, Wan Shide was promoted to Right Vice-Minister of the Censorate and Right Vice-Minister of the Ministry of War, retaining his position as Governor-General of Ji and Baoding. Shortly thereafter, Wan Shide died of illness while in office. The emperor was shocked and mourned, offering him a funeral. He posthumously awarded him the title of Minister of War and granted his son a position in Beijing. "Minister Wan and Governor Wu were both Jinshi graduates from Shanxi in the fifth year of Longqing's reign, and one from Shandong in the fourteenth year of Wanli's reign. Moreover, Governor Wan passed away nineteen years ago. If there was any contact between the two, it would have faded long ago, right?" Lu Wenzhao said.

"Lu Shangcha is right. So I'm just skeptical, not certain," Yang Lian said. "What I'm saying is, whether it's accusing the innocent or shielding the guilty, the Censorate needs to send more personnel to investigate further. Jumping to conclusions based solely on Wan Youfu's confession is clearly inappropriate."

"I understand what you mean. Can I see the list?" Lu Wenzhao began to question the case like a true Jinyiwei envoy. Since the emperor hadn't assigned any other factory guards to investigate the matter, nor had he told him not to investigate, it wouldn't hurt to write a simple inquiry record and have it sent back by the post station.

"Of course," Yang Lian nodded. "I've also included the list in the official letter I'm submitting to the Censorate, but I've also kept a copy with Zu Dashou's troops. If you'd like to know more, please come back later."

"Is Yuan Bingxian willing to move?" Lu Wenzhao looked at Yuan Keli. He had not forgotten the main purpose of this trip.

"If the imperial envoy on land wants to see it, I will go with him." Yuan Keli also regarded Lu Wenzhao as an imperial envoy who came to investigate the case.

"Since the list is questionable and has already been sent to the capital, there is no need to bother. Yang Zhongcheng just needs to briefly state the main people involved in the case." Lu Wenzhao didn't think too much about it and directly regarded Yuan Keli's meaning as "no intention to move."

"If we put aside Governor Wu, who also serves as the Xuanfu Governor, for the moment," Yang Lian said, "then what is certain is that in the Shima corruption case three years ago, Du Chengshi, the current Gansu Governor and then the Deputy Military Commissioner of the Xuanfu Koubei Road, is highly suspected of involvement. In Wan Youfu's own confession, Du Chengshi even orchestrated the corruption. But as I said earlier, we can't just believe one side of the story when it comes to who's in charge."

According to custom, officials from the Ministry of Revenue and local officials were required to be present when purchasing foreign horses. However, the person who directly accompanied Wan Youfu to the Xuanda market to purchase horses was Du Chengshi, the Deputy Military Commissioner of the Xuanfukoubei Road. It was precisely because of his "meritorious service in the horse trade" that he received the highest performance in the assessment and was promoted to Governor of Gansu in March of the following year. Therefore, if Wan Youfu had indeed embezzled the horse purchase silver jointly issued by the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department, Du Chengshi would have been unaware of it. Although Du Chengshi was still serving as Governor of Gansu at this time, he was already doomed. The only question was whether he was the main culprit.

Lu Wenzhao nodded and asked, "What about this smuggling case?"

"People from the four families of Marquis Wuqing, Marquis Yangwu, Earl Pingjiang, and Earl Yongnian all participated in smuggling. Among them, the Xue family of Marquis Yangwu smuggled the largest amount of smuggling. In this year, his family alone smuggled no less than 150 iron pots of various sizes, many of which were small Guang pots that could be placed directly in grain bags." Yang Lian said.

"The criminals you caught are the family members of Marquis Yang Wu?" Lu Wenzhao asked.

"Not only that, but also the family of Marquis Wuqing." Yang Lian said.

Upon receiving the imperial edict ordering him to investigate the smuggling of ironware, Yang Lian immediately led Zu Dashou's troops from Liaoyang all the way to Yizhou. They finally secured the trading site the day after the reward, the day the border market was reopened. They seized the Xue and Li caravans trading contraband. Zu Dashou's troops then arrested Wan Youfu while he was working at the Liaohai Dongning Circuit Office. To prevent further complications, Yang Lian that same evening drafted the official letter to the Censorate, which ultimately caused a stir in the capital.

"Wasn't there only Marquis Wuqing, Marquis Yangwu, and Earl Pingjiang before? How come there's also Earl Yongnian?" Lu Wenzhao frowned slightly. The current Earl Yongnian, Wang Mingfu, was the nephew of Empress Wang, who passed away the previous year. At least before Lu Wenzhao left the capital, the emperor hadn't yet ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest Wang Mingfu. Therefore, the appearance of Earl Yongnian immediately made Lu Wenzhao hesitate to write the interrogation statement.

"This was discovered recently," Yang Lian said. "Currently, only Yang Wuhou's servant mentioned Yongnianbo in his confession. Wan Youfu also seems unaware of Yongnianbo's involvement in smuggling. So I think Yongnianbo's case could just be a private affair between the servants and others."

Even with Yang Lian's words, Lu Wenzhao's brow remained furrowed. After much reflection, he decided it was best to report the truth. If Yongnianbo truly hadn't been involved, then at most he would be criticized for looking for trouble. If Yongnianbo had been involved, the emperor was prepared to punish him. If Lu Wenzhao had inquired about the matter but failed to report it, he might be seen as disloyal and dishonest, a grave taboo for the Jinyiwei.

"When did they start smuggling?" Lu Wenzhao continued to ask.

"According to Wan Youfu's own confession, his first involvement in iron smuggling occurred in February of the 48th year of the Wanli reign. Without the court's approval and without the knowledge of the Jinglüe Yamen, he allowed the envoys of the Chahan tribe to take away ten small, ten-inch-long pots at a price of ten taels of silver each. This price was ten times the official trade price for iron pots, and if calculated based on the typical market price of small, ten-inch pots within the Great Wall, it would be nearly twenty times that."

After a long period of trade blockade, the price of iron products on the grasslands had reached an unbelievable level. Inside the Great Wall, a brand new, undamaged small iron pot would only sell for five or six coins of silver, while on the grasslands, the same pot could be traded directly for a good horse from other tribes.

(End of this chapter)