Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 548 Guardianship Certificate
The footsteps outside the signing room gradually subsided, and Xiong Tingbi also put down the teacup in his hand.

"Okay. Yuan Bingxian, Lu Qianhu, this secret room has been vacated for you two. What's going on that requires such secrecy?" Xiong Tingbi looked at Yuan Keli and Lu Wenzhao and asked quietly.

"Did something go wrong with the case in Yizhou?" Yuan Yingtai was already very concerned about the smuggling case in Yizhou. After Lu Wenzhao revealed his identity as a Jinyiwei, it became even more difficult for him not to associate it with the unusual fact that "Yuan Keli, as the newly appointed Zhenjiang military councilor, took a detour through Yizhou."

Yuan Keli actually laughed. "My request for a secret room to speak is indeed related to Yizhou. But it's not the Yizhou in Guangning Road."

"Which Yizhou is that?" Yuan Yingtai looked confused.

"It's not Uiju in Gwangnyeong Province," Xiong Tingbi responded quickly. "It must be Uiju in Pyeongan Province."

"Right!" Yuan Keli put away his knowing smile and said solemnly, "The first thing I will do after arriving in Zhenjiang is to lead my troops across the Yalu River and control Yizhou, Korea."

"Lead troops to control Yizhou, Korea!?" Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yingtai were shocked at the same time.

"Yes," Yuan Keli said, "Zhenjiang Military Affairs Councillor is just a disguised identity to deceive others. My real job is to monitor North Korea."

"Hide the truth and protect North Korea? Are you kidding?" Xiong Tingbi was even more surprised. He looked at Yuan Keli intently. A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"How dare I joke about such a thing? The imperial edict, the imperial decree, the royal banner, and the imperial sword are all kept by the Jinyiwei." Yuan Keli turned to look at Lu Wenzhao, "Lu Shangcha, please show the imperial edict to Xiong Jinglue and Governor Yuan."

"Okay." Upon hearing this, Lu Wenzhao immediately took out a silk envelope from his arms.

Under the watchful eyes of the three provincial governors, Lu Wenzhao slowly untied the knot of the bag and carefully took out a thin wooden tube about thirteen or fourteen inches long from it.

Lu Wenzhao opened the lid of the thin wooden tube, then shook it gently, and a roll of yellow paper with a dragon pattern edge tied with a thin ribbon was revealed.

Seeing the yellow paper, Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yingtai both stood up.

"Guardian Yuan, please come in." Lu Wenzhao held the envelope and the thin wooden tube with his thumbs, and handed the imperial edict to Yuan Keli with both hands.

"Thank you." Yuan Keli took the imperial edict, untied the thin silk ribbon, walked to Xiong Tingbi's desk and slowly unfolded it.

The moment the imperial edict was fully unfolded, Lu Wenzhao also took two stone paperweights to press down the edges of the paper that were curling back.

"What I said is supported by the imperial edict," Yuan Keli stepped aside and gestured, "Please take a look, both of you."

"This is my badge." Lu Wenzhao also placed the badge of the Jinyiwei captain, which was used exclusively by imperial envoys, next to the imperial edict.

Xiong Tingbi walked around the table and stood on both sides of Yuan Keli with Yuan Yingtai, reading this imperial edict of great importance together.

The imperial edict was written in a very standard official script:

The emperor ordered Yuan Keli, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, to

Today, the rebellious chieftain of Jianzhou, Nurhaci, has defied the will of Heaven and is now roaming the borderlands, repeatedly invading our vassal states and becoming increasingly rampant. Joseon, having received the title of King for generations, serves as our eastern vassal state and is bound by it to observe its loyalty and steadfastness.

However, King Yi Hun of Joseon forgot the great kindness of his father in restoring his country and had no thought of repaying his father. He was two-faced and secretly harbored two minds. He communicated with the enemy envoys, secretly sent gifts, and exchanged gifts, money, and food, and returned them as rewards. This resulted in the loss of troops in the south and the death of Liu Jing in battle. It is deeply hateful!
You, Yuan Keli, are loyal, bright, resolute, and knowledgeable about military strategy. I hereby appoint you as Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate to serve as the Guardian of Korea, stationed in Hanyang, the capital of Korea, and to act exclusively under your orders.

As for King Yi Hun of Joseon, I order you to strip him of his royal title, demote him to a commoner, and imprison him on the spot, awaiting your fate.

Crown Prince Yi Il will oversee the affairs of state, and all of this will be supervised by you. You will be in charge of military affairs and also manage food and supplies. You will be in charge of the military forces of the eight provinces of Korea, coastal garrisons, and military and civilian finances. Any civil or military official below the third rank who violates this order, regardless of whether they are Chinese or foreign, will be subject to military law.

You should work together with the civil and military officials at home and abroad to make the ugly enemy flee at night and ensure the safety of the vassal states.

I also order Xiong Tingbi and other Liaodong officials to coordinate their efforts and work together to suppress the rebellion. Military matters and vassal state affairs are at your disposal. But you must maintain a prudent and moderate authority and not betray the prestige and virtue of our ancestors.

You have a heavy responsibility, I hope you will be cautious and careful.

Therefore, the edict.

March 24th, the first year of Taichang.

Stamped with Guangyun’s Treasure and a big seal.

"Dethrone the king!?"

Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Keli carefully read the imperial edict issued by Emperor Taichang to Yuan Keli. Initially, the two ministers, the Imperial and the Governor, were unmoved. After all, the form, format, and writing style of this edict were almost identical to those issued by Emperor Wanli to Xiong Tingbi. Both first stated the reason for the edict, followed by the content and scope of authority. However, upon seeing that the emperor's powers granted to Yuan Keli included depriving the King of Xian of his title and temporarily supervising state affairs, both of them were overwhelmed.

This wasn't a tutelage of Joseon, it was clearly a regent. Given the sentence, "Heading over military affairs, managing food and wages, all the troops of the eight provinces of Joseon, coastal garrisons, and military and civilian finances are under his command. Any civil or military official below the third rank who violates this order, regardless of whether they are Chinese or foreign, may be prosecuted by military law," the sentence "State affairs are managed by Crown Prince Yi Il" feels like a simple perfunctory remark.

"Yes. The emperor has decided to depose King Hun of Xian." Yuan Keli responded with a sigh.

Although Yuan Keli had heard the eunuch Wang An read out the imperial edict when he met the emperor, he still felt an overwhelming invisible pressure rushing towards him when he read it again.

"This idea should have been proposed to the emperor by Grand Master Xu, right?" Xiong Tingbi raised his head and looked at Yuan Keli.

"Why does General Xiong ask this?" Xiong Tingbi took the initiative to mention Xu Guangqi, which made Yuan Keli slightly startled.

Yuan Keli and Xiong Tingbi had no prior acquaintance. Before departing for Liaodong, Yuan Keli had been worried that Xiong Tingbi might harbor resentment towards Xu Guangqi because of the incident involving Westerners inciting unrest in Shenyang, which would in turn affect him. "Haha, don't be so polite," Xiong Tingbi suddenly laughed. He didn't immediately respond to Yuan Keli's question. Instead, he put on a broad smile and said cordially, "Since we are not subordinates, but comrades, please, courtesy, call me by my courtesy name, Xiong Feibai."

Although Xiong Tingbi had a fiery temper, he was not one to act on impulse, nor would he, as some Jinyiwei had unfoundedly speculated, create an incident to deliberately retaliate because he had been attacked. Even if Xu Guangqi himself were standing here, let alone Yuan Keli, who had been recommended by Xu Guangqi, he would still be willing to show goodwill first.

If the other party is really impossible to communicate with, it’s not too late to point at their nose and curse.

"Li Qing, please just call me by my courtesy name, Dalai." Yuan Yingtai also responded with a bow.

"Then I will respectfully obey your orders." Seeing Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yingtai's attitude, Yuan Keli felt a little relieved. He straightened his posture, bowed, and said, "Brother Feibai, Brother Dalai."

"Brother Li Qing." Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yingtai bowed in return.

Lu Wenzhao, standing nearby, suddenly felt like an insignificant outsider, observing the friendly atmosphere. But he couldn't interrupt rashly. In front of these three, his status was essentially the equivalent of a waist badge. It was merely a form of identification.

"I have no doubts about your identity. Please take the imperial edict back, Brother Liqing." Xiong Tingbi waved his hand.

Although Xiong Tingbi was mentioned in the imperial edict, it was not specifically addressed to him, so Xiong Tingbi did not need to kneel to receive it. After taking note of the contents, he returned to his seat and stood.

Yuan Yingtai looked at Yuan Yingtai silently, and when he saw him smile and nod, he moved the paperweight and rolled up the imperial edict and put it away.

"Thank you for your visit." Yuan Keli handed the imperial edict to Lu Wenzhao again.

"It's my duty, Guardian Yuan, so there's no need to be so polite." Lu Wenzhao took the imperial edict and carefully put it back into the wooden tube.

"Please take a seat, both of you." After Lu Wenzhao tucked the envelope into his arms, Xiong Tingbi sat down again, looked at Yuan Keli, and continued the previous conversation. "Li Qing, I immediately thought of Grand Master Xu because, firstly, I know he recommended you, and secondly, I've read Grand Master Xu's memorial. I can't remember the title or other details of the memorial, but I do know that one of the items was 'Sending an envoy to monitor Korea and align with foreign powers.'"

"Xiong Jing," Yuan Keli subconsciously called out his official title, "Brother Feibai, are you talking about 'The Crisis in the Left of Liao Has Been Very Fearful'?"

"Yes, yes, yes. That's it," Xiong Tingbi smiled softly. "I've seen a copy of this memorial, and shortly thereafter, the Koreans sent me a memorial regarding this matter. I'm quite impressed by this incident, so when I heard that you were recommended by Grand Secretary Xu to go to Zhenjiang to prepare for military deployment, I had already thought of it." A look of admiration flashed across Xiong Tingbi's face. "But I never expected that he would be able to persuade the emperor to send a regent to Hanyang, and even to depose King Xian."

"No," Yuan Keli shook his head and said, "Deposing the Xian King was truly a dictatorial decision. It wasn't his suggestion."

"Holy decision, dictatorship?" The admiration on Xiong Tingbi's face quickly turned into admiration and respect for His Majesty.

"Yes. Xu Zixian told me that the emperor summoned him privately one day and told him directly that the Xian King's rebellion was obvious and should be deposed." Yuan Keli said.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Xiong Tingbi bowed towards the capital. Although Yuan Yingtai was still in a state of contemplation, he instinctively followed suit.

"It seems," Yuan Keli asked, "Brother Feibai and Brother Dalai have also noticed the Xian King's rebellious behavior?"

"There are many signs," Xiong Tingbi said, "For example, Jiang Hongli. You should have heard of this person."

"The Korean marshal who participated in the nest raid?" Yuan Keli glanced at Lu Wenzhao unconsciously.

"That's him," Xiong Tingbi said. "After our army lost three divisions, Jiang Hongli voluntarily surrendered to the enemy. Upon returning to Joseon, he merely lost his official position. The fact that he's still alive proves something is seriously wrong with the Joseon king. I suggest you capture him as soon as possible upon your return. With his confession, we can give our subjects, both Chinese and foreign, an explanation. And your mission will go much more smoothly."

"Thank you for your guidance." Yuan Keli seemed to see Xu Guangqi's shadow in Xiong Tingbi's face. Before leaving Beijing, Xu Guangqi had emphasized to him that upon entering the court, they should quickly arrest the Joseon Grand Marshal Jiang Hongli and obtain his confession, so as to declare to the world the legitimacy of the emperor's dethronement of the Joseon king.

"You don't have to thank me, Li Qing. I just said something that everyone knows." Xiong Tingbi waved his hand and asked seriously, "After we go south to Yizhou, what do you plan to do?"

"The first thing to do, of course, is to control the three cities of Pyongyang and Hanyang."

"Of course," Xiong Tingbi nodded solemnly, "but I must remind you that there are only about 23,000 troops stationed in Zhenjiang and its surrounding forts, and most of them are garrison troops stationed in various places. These people cannot be moved lightly. If Zhenjiang is lost, then North Korea will be finished."

"Currently, Zhenjiang has only two battalions of 4,000 mobile and special forces at its disposal. Crossing the river and controlling Uiju with these troops shouldn't be a problem. But occupying and controlling Pyongyang and Wangjing is unlikely." At this point, Xiong Tingbi held up two fingers. "I can only allocate 20,000 men for you. Any more, and I won't have the troops to support the four fronts."

Xiong Tingbi knew that Yuan Keli had come almost alone, with only a few guards. Furthermore, the emperor's edict to Yuan Keli included the words "I also order the ministers of Liaodong to work together to suppress the rebellion." Therefore, he naturally assumed that Yuan Keli needed the support of Liaodong troops to effectively control the Xian Kingdom.

Seeing Xiong Tingbi's sincerity, Yuan Keli felt a surge of warmth, and the hesitation and anxiety caused by the invisible pressure also subsided a lot. "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Feibai, but this matter has already been taken care of. There is no need to withdraw troops from Liaozhen." Yuan Keli said with a bow.

"If you don't withdraw troops from Liaozhen, then you..." Xiong Tingbi pondered for a moment, his eyes suddenly brightening. "Send the navy from Shandong?"

Yuan Keli was shocked. "Brother Feibai, have you guessed it already?"

Xiong Tingbi smiled faintly. "To send troops to Korea, we must either march south from Liao or east from Shandong. There's no other way."

"He is worthy of being the pillar of Liaodong who took on the task when all others were silent and turned the tide." Yuan Keli's favorability towards Xiong Tingbi grew rapidly.

"You're being too kind. I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it." Xiong Tingbi humbly waved his hand and quickly changed the subject. "When will the court decide to send troops?"

"The scheduled date for the training is May 1st," said Yuan Keli.

"That's still early," Xiong Tingbi nodded, then asked, "How do we get there?"

"Three routes," Yuan Keli pondered, gradually sketching out the map centered on Bohai in his mind. "The first route, from Chengshan to Hanyang, will involve 15,000 troops, commanded by Shen Yourong. The second route, from Penglai to Pyongyang, will involve 10,000 troops, commanded by Li Rubai. The third route, from Zhenjiang to Yizhou, will involve me directly using the Zhenjiang troops to take over the city defense."

(End of this chapter)