Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 565 Outside Phoenix City
"Captain Lu," Yuan Keli was stunned for a moment before asking in surprise, "Why are you just telling me about such a big thing?"

Lu Wenzhao chuckled, revealing a row of perfectly even teeth. "You just asked that, didn't you?"

"Haha, that's true." Yuan Keli's eyes twitched unconsciously.

"Hiss!" Yuan Keli suddenly took a breath of cold air.

He suddenly remembered that on the day the emperor summoned them to discuss the guardianship of Korea, the head of the Jinyiwei, Luo Sigong, was also called in. And when they left, the emperor left Luo Sigong alone.

At the time, Yuan Keli had only guessed that the emperor had asked Luo Sigong to stay because he was discussing the major case that had shaken the capital, and at most, he had ordered the Imperial Guard to keep a close eye on the attendees to prevent any leaks. But now it seemed that the emperor had given Luo Sigong some other explanation.

"The emperor ordered the Jinyiwei to set up a branch in Korea. Are there any specific arrangements?" The surprise in Yuan Keli's eyes had turned into solemnity.

"The higher-ups only ordered me to escort you to Hanyang and then follow the instructions of Luo Chenshi." Lu Wenzhao shook his head and said, "I don't know about other matters. But after we arrive in Hanyang, Luo Chenshi will definitely come to visit you. It won't be too late for you to ask him then."

Yuan Keli didn't believe a word Lu Wenzhao said. But he didn't ask further questions, instead nodding. "Did Luo Chenshi also travel by sea from Shandong to Hanyang?" Yuan Keli asked again.

Shen Yourong, Li Rubai, and other generals were scheduled to depart with the Beijing garrison slightly earlier than Yuan Keli and his entourage. The day before the army's departure, Yuan Keli even hosted a low-key farewell banquet with a group of high-ranking officials who knew about the event to encourage Shen Yourong, Li Rubai, and the others. However, throughout the banquet, no one mentioned that Luo Yangxing would also be accompanying them.

"That's probably it. It's also possible they'll take a boat to Tianjin," Lu Wenzhao said uncertainly. The inside information he'd received ahead of time was limited to the Jinyiwei's planned establishment of a branch office in Korea and Luo Yangxing's promotion. Beyond that, Lu Wenzhao knew nothing.

In reality, Luo Yangxing's promotion and assignment process was quite tortuous, mainly because the emperor wanted the Jinyiwei to do something that could not be made public, at least for the time being.

In order to make Luo Yangxing's promotion and assignment seem reasonable, the Imperial Household Department planned a big detour.

Since Luo Yangxing had been promoted three times at the beginning of the year, the Imperial Household Department needed to promote him as much as possible in public opinion, portraying him as a "good leader with outstanding skills." This would allow him to be promoted two more levels based on his so-called "first merit."

In order to make this narrative seem true, the Imperial Household Department even instructed the East Factory to say in its latest public report that the reason why the East Factory was able to follow the clues and find out the tricks of the Tianjin Finance Department was because the East Office under the leadership of Luo Yangxing had found some subtle clues.

Immediately after this report was made, officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Court submitted a petition requesting that the officials involved in the investigation be commended and that the case be handed over to the court for a thorough investigation. To outsiders, this petition seemed like a politically astute civil servant's attempt to bring the case to a final conclusion, hammering home the crimes committed by the nobles and relatives.

At the same time, the Imperial Household Department arranged another group of officials to raise moderate objections, saying that the case was still unclear and required further investigation.

Afterwards, the emperor selected the two competing memorials and approved them. He ordered the Ministry of War's Examination Office to commend Luo Yangxing and others for their meritorious service and promote them to higher positions. He also ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a rigorous interrogation of the nobles and their relatives. He also ordered Luo Yangxing to lead his men south to conduct a detailed investigation of the cases.

Unsurprisingly, this imperial decree met with opposition from the Ministry of Personnel. This opposition came from two different perspectives. Some argued that Luo Yangxing's promotion was unprecedentedly rapid and should be suspended. Others argued that a detailed investigation was appropriate, but that officials uninvolved in the case should be dispatched to ensure impartiality.

These two voices were almost drowned out as soon as they emerged. Many officials had only one attitude towards these nobles: Screw impartiality! Quickly crush these state parasites into the dirt while the emperor's wrath is still lingering.

Therefore, many uninformed but realistic civil servants openly supported the commendation of the Jinyiwei, led by Luo Yangxing. In their view, as long as Luo Yangxing could be promoted and sent abroad, the so-called detailed investigation would surely achieve the desired results.

So, with public support, Luo Yangxing, assuming the title of Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, led dozens of Imperial Guards south from Beijing to investigate the details of each case. The entire process was as smooth as Yuan Keli's ascension to serve as the Military Commissioner of Zhenjiang while holding the title of Shandong Provincial Governor. However, their respective paths led to the same destination: Korea.

"Then..." Yuan Keli wanted to ask something else, but at this moment, there was a sudden commotion in the team in front and behind him.

"Look!" Lu Wenzhao raised his hand and pointed against the sunlight at the tower where the cannon fire and smoke signals were heard.

Yuan Keli looked sideways in the direction he was pointing, and saw that another signal smoke had been lit on the pier.

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The two smoke signals indicated to the lower-ranking officers guarding the fort that the situation was extremely urgent. Not only did they need more reinforcements, but they might also abandon the fort and retreat.

boom.
After another cannon shot, a smoke column lit up in another direction. The enemy situation changed from a point to a line.

"Calm down! You idiots!" Behind Yuan Keli, the voices of Gao Yang, the captain of the Beijing Battalion, and the lower-ranking officers at all levels kept coming. It was obvious that these new recruits, who had never seen blood, were starting to panic again.

"Yuan Bingxian!" As Liu Zongzheng rode up to Yuan Keli, another smoke signal rose from another direction. The enemy's presence continued to spread.

"What happened?" Yuan Keli was very calm.

Liu Zongzheng pointed in the direction of the first cigarette and said, "From the looks of it, we've spotted at least dozens or even hundreds of slave thieves over there, and they should be planning to attack, otherwise they wouldn't be lighting three cigarettes and two more."

"Where is that over there?" Yuan Keli asked, "Wenjiabao?"

Liu Zongzheng shook his head slightly. "It should be near Tianjiabao. It's only five or six miles from here. While we don't have to go that direction, it's still not far. I suggest you stop at Zhangjiabao for a while. Once the situation becomes clearer, we can resume our advance." Zhangjiabao was a fort they had recently passed through, and its rank and defenses were comparable to Yuanjiabao, where Liu Zongzheng was stationed.

"Doesn't that mean we have to retreat?" Yuan Keli immediately shook his head.

"This is also for your safety!" Liu Zongzheng's face was full of anxiety, as if his eyebrows were on fire.

Liu Zongzheng didn't think the bandits could take the route from Tianjiabao and attack them directly, but if anything happened to Yuan Keli in his hands, the crime would be grave. In Liu Zongzheng's view, Yuan Keli was a delicate and precious person, like a porcelain doll in his hands. He couldn't rest easy unless he put her in her designated place.

"Don't worry, Commander Liu. I'm not some old scholar who can't even lift a finger." Yuan Keli looked solemnly in the direction of the rising smoke. "Haha, that's not what I meant," Liu Zongzheng said with an embarrassed smile.

"Why don't we go over and take a look?" Yuan Keli said suddenly.

"Look?" Liu Zongzheng was startled. "What do you want to see?!" Lu Wenzhao, who was following him, was also startled.

"Of course, it's to see how both sides fight." Yuan Keli said.

"No, no, no, absolutely not!" Liu Zongzheng's head shook like a rattle. "As the saying goes, a gentleman doesn't stand on a dangerous wall. The situation is unclear right now, and only God knows if more enemy troops will arrive. Even if you really want to go to the border wall yourself, you'd better wait until the enemy situation is clear." As Liu Zongzheng finished speaking, another pillar of beacon smoke rose.

Even though the watchtowers and towers in places like Kuandian were densely packed, the four watchtowers capable of lighting cigarettes were at least three miles apart. The fact that four outer watchtowers could simultaneously call for help indicated that the enemy numbered at least two hundred.

"Yes, let's wait until we understand the enemy situation." Lu Wenzhao also echoed, "You have an important responsibility, so don't put yourself in danger."

"Yes, yes, yes! This brave man is right!" Liu Zongzheng nodded again.

Yuan Keli thought for a moment, but the commotion behind him convinced him. "If I remember correctly, Chejiabao isn't far away."

"Chejiabao is not far away," Liu Zongzheng continued to shake his head. "But it's just a small fort, and the garrison there isn't as numerous as ours. I think it would be safer to retreat to Zhangjiabao and wait a while."

Yuan Keli waved his hand to interrupt Liu Zongzheng. "You're talking as if the bandits have already captured Tianjiabao. Besides, aren't we all going to Phoenix City?" Yuan Keli's thoughts became clearer and clearer, and the map of Phoenix City and its surroundings that he had seen yesterday slowly emerged in his mind.

"This..." Liu Zongzheng frowned and didn't continue to persuade. "Okay, let's go to Chejiabao."

Liu Zongzheng turned his horse back to the cavalry formation and said to his personal guards, "Hurry up and head for Chejiabao."

"Go to Chejiabao!" The personal soldier turned around and shouted.

The halted cavalry continued their advance, and Liu Zongzheng immediately punched the guard on the shoulder. "Take a few men to Phoenix City and find Lieutenant General Hu. Tell them that General Yuan Bingxian is staying in Chejiabao and ask him to send someone to pick him up as soon as possible." Liu Zongzheng handed him his badge.

"Yes!" The personal soldier took the badge, kicked the horse's belly lightly, and quickly ran out of the team with a few close comrades.

Liu Zongzheng looked at one of his personal soldiers and pointed in the direction of the rising beacon smoke and said, "Take a few people over there to see what's going on."

"Yes!"

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The enemy came and went quickly. When Kuandian Lieutenant General Hu Guochen led his elite troops to Chejiabao, the smoke from Tianjiabao had stopped rising.

After the city gates were opened, Hu Guochen left most of his soldiers outside the fortress and rode into the city with only a few close followers and the personal soldiers sent by Liu Zongzheng to look for him.

Passing through the rammed earth wall without bricks, Hu Guochen saw several people walking towards him.

Hu Guochen had never met Yuan Keli before, but he recognized his future superior immediately. After all, Liu Zongzheng, the garrison commander of Yuanjiabao, and Li Xuanming, the garrison commander of Chejiabao, were both following him with their heads bowed.

Yuan, Liu, and Li were followed by a number of followers. One of them, a young man with his head held high, was particularly close, almost sticking to Yuan Keli's back. Hu Guochen saw that he seemed to have even more momentum than Liu Zongzheng, so he glanced at him twice.

Hu Guochen certainly didn't dare act arrogantly in front of the military advisor. Without waiting for the group to approach, he dismounted and, with a slightly panicked smile, trotted over to greet them. "I'm sorry for being late to protect you, Yuan Bingxian! I hope you'll forgive me!"

"General Hu, there's no need to be so polite," Yuan Keli took two steps forward, supporting Hu Guochen as he was about to hit his knees. "We're only a few steps away from Phoenix City, yet you still made the trip. Thank you for your hard work."

"I dare not, I dare not." Hu Guochen bowed firmly before straightening up and speaking with his head lowered. "From the day I learned you were coming, I have been thinking of you. If Liu Shoubei hadn't sent someone to look for you, I would have come looking for you myself."

Hu Guochen's words were absolutely true. When Liu Zongzheng's personal guards found Hu Guochen, he was already leading the imperial escort on the road Yuan Keli had to take to reach Fenghuang City. Even if Liu Zongzheng's personal guards hadn't arrived, within three quarters of an hour, Hu Guochen would have seen the Shandong Provincial Government's flag issued by the imperial court to Yuan Keli on the flagpole at Chejiabao.

Yuan Keli smiled and nodded, pointing to the cloud of smoke that was still hanging in the air but had dispersed a lot. "Was the place where the signal smoke was just lit the Tianjiabao?"

"It's from Tianjiabao." Hu Guochen glanced at Liu Zongzheng.

"Has Brigadier General Hu gone over to take a look?" Yuan Keli asked.

"No," Hu Guochen shook his head. "It's just a couple of cigarettes. At most, there are only three or four hundred bandits. There's no need for me to personally lead the troops to help. Garrison Huang will take care of it."

Even without the six forts of Kuandian, the Kuandian lieutenant general's jurisdiction still spanned nearly 150 li. If two pillars of smoke were set off somewhere, Hu Guochen would personally lead his troops to support them, and he would be exhausted to death.

"It looks like it's been handled." Yuan Keli's voice tinged with a hint of disappointment. Since arriving in Liaodong, Yuan Keli had never witnessed a direct, close combat situation. Even when he visited Shenyang, he only learned the basics through word of mouth. The only thing that struck him as slightly unsettling was the collection of miniature Jingguans (a type of imperial shrine) on the outskirts of Shenyang.

Hu Guochen keenly sensed Yuan Keli's fleeting, unusual mood. However, he assumed it was simply the lingering fear of a pampered civil servant, so he reassured himself, "Don't worry, Yuan Bingxian. Tianjia Fort is nestled between mountain passes and protected by the frontier wall. The person who lit the cigarette earlier must have been one of those guarded towers outside the city walls. Even if the enemy truly broke through the border town and captured Tianjia Fort, they still have Wenjia Fort as a backup. They'll be fine."

(End of this chapter)