Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 76 Asking for money
"Do you know why the Earl of Anping wanted to kill Zhang Yu?" Gao Yuntian didn't understand why Jia Chuan was stunned for so long, so he thought of finding another thing that Jia Chuan cared about and put the matter behind him.

Jia Chuan closed his mouth, blinked, took a deep breath, and then asked, "Why?"

"This has to start with where the title of Anping Earl came from. Li An did have some merits in the Jingnan Campaign, but there were many people who made greater contributions than him at the time, so why was he awarded the title? His real merit was when he captured Emperor Jianwen's old ministers..." Gao Yuntian looked around, sat down on the bed and whispered, "At that time, Emperor Taizong had not yet fully restored the Jinyiwei, so the capture of Emperor Jianwen's old ministers fell on a few trusted people. Li An was eager to make a contribution and slaughtered many people. Listen carefully, it was slaughter, not just killing."

Jia Chuan took a deep breath and said, "So he didn't dare to say anything about the assassination."

"That's right. It happened in Nanjing. There were more than one person who wanted to kill him, but he dared to report it to the authorities at that time. If we had checked the files in Yingtian Prefecture, we would have found out. Why do you think he didn't dare to report it to the authorities when it happened again in Beijing?"

Jia Chuan thought about it and shook his head.

"This matter has to start from the time when the late emperor ascended the throne. After the late emperor ascended the throne, it should have been a matter of following the rules and implementing everything he wanted to do. However, the late emperor did not wait and immediately changed some of Emperor Taizong's decrees, especially regarding the old ministers of Jianwen. All the family members of the ministers who were enslaved as punishment for the Jingnan Rebellion were pardoned and became common people. They were also given land so that they could live and work in peace."

Jia Chuan said "Oh" in understanding, and said:
"Before, those who killed him were criminal slaves, so he dared to report to the authorities. Moreover, during the Yongle era, he would receive benefits after reporting to the authorities, as a reminder to the emperor of his past achievements. But after the previous emperor ascended the throne, these cases were overturned, and those people were no longer criminal slaves. Zhang Yu might be one of them. He is not a craftsman, but he learned the jade craft from somewhere and found his way to the capital. Li An knows that things are different now. Reporting to the authorities will only remind the emperor how he obtained his title. Whether it is the previous emperor or the current emperor, they all detest what he did in the past."

"I knew that as soon as I gave you a general idea, you would know everything. Oh, talking to you is so much easier." Gao Yuntian patted Jia Chuan on the shoulder and said, "You haven't seen Li An's face. Now he's scared and begging for mercy. Brother Chen said that your title was funded by human blood, and you will have to pay it back sooner or later."

Jia Chuan asked, "Why did he kill the jade shop owner? Was the jade shop owner a business of the Anping Earl family?"

"It can be said that it was true, but it can't be said that the owner of the jade shop also sought his own death. He is the brother of the favorite concubine of the prince of Anping Marquis's mansion. He wanted to use the power of the Marquis' mansion to open a shop in the capital to make more money. Li An found out the whereabouts of Zhang Yu, so he wanted to use the name of the jade shop to do it. Xiao Jian could have done it alone. The first time the jade shop owner took Xiao Jian to the workshop, he saw Zhang Yu, but Xiao Jian didn't do anything. He thought that he would make a acquaintance with Zhang Yu. Next time, he would just go in the name of the jade shop owner. A jade craftsman died, and Li An felt that he could handle it..."

"Why not lure Zhang Yu out, or kill him while he's out? That way, we can save Shuntian Prefecture the trouble and save a lot of money."

"It's easy for you to say. Li An also wanted to do this, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't lure Zhang Yu out. Li An sent people to wait for some time. Zhang Yu's skills are extraordinary. I don't think I could stop him even if I met him. According to Li An, he arranged five guards, all of whom are skilled. They caught up with Zhang Yu when he went out, but unfortunately they didn't succeed. Li An was afraid of making a big deal out of it and alerting Zhang Yu. He was even more afraid that Zhang Yu would be forced into a corner and attack again. He had never found out who Zhang Yu contacted when he went out, so he came up with this method."

"The second time I went to the workshop, the jade shop owner insisted on following me?"

"Yes, he thought it was a good thing. Li An and Xiao Jian both told him to keep his mouth shut. At that time, Xiao Jian thought it would be easier with more people, so he took him with him. But that night he told his sister about it and asked her to use it as a threat to get some banknotes to keep her mouth shut. His sister was also stupid. She told the prince everything directly. So she lost her life. We only know that the jade shop owner was killed. In fact, both the brother and sister are dead. As you inferred, the jade shop owner died somewhere else and was buried. But Shuntian Prefecture has caught someone to take the blame and needs to be interrogated. We also need the jade shop owner as a witness. We don't know what kind of relationship each other has, but Shuntian Prefecture knows."

Jia Chuan nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "That makes sense. They dug the body out and put it back in the jade shop, and Shuntian Prefecture caught someone else to take the blame. After all, jealousy and hatred can be used once or twice, which is better than not being able to find the jade shop owner... The coroner still didn't tell the truth. A body dug out of the mud will always have some dirt on it. Maybe he knew the severity of the matter, so he didn't even tell the government office."

"The coroner... he can say whatever the government tells him to say. But I'm wondering, if the jade shop owner can't be found, they should just lock up the criminals. Isn't this kind of imprisonment common in many places?"

"You forgot this is the capital! Unsolved cases aren't necessarily a good thing. I can only say that whether it's the prefect of the capital or the Earl of Anping, they've done this kind of thing a lot."

"Well, that's what Big Brother Chen said. The trial will continue. There's also the kidnapping case involving many high-ranking officials. Sigh, it's so complicated that I don't even dare to think about it. I'm afraid it won't be fully investigated in a few months, but those children and girls have been rescued. I was wondering why Big Brother Chen hadn't allowed Duoduo and Yuanyuan to visit them yet. It's impossible to see them! I went to see them today, and they're okay. They'll be sent back to their hometown after a few more days, but this case..."

Gao Yuntian glanced at Jia Chuan, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Brother Chen said he heard the pacification envoy and Xu Chenshi say that this case should be blamed on the Jinyiwei, saying that it would benefit you."

Jia Chuan hummed, rubbing his face and saying, "This case has offended too many people. Not to mention those who have been arrested, it's impossible to fully investigate the case. Those involved aren't necessarily all in the capital. This incident has already caused quite a stir. If I were to claim to have uncovered the case, humph! We'd be stuck for the rest of our lives. But since the Jinyiwei have taken it over, they can only endure it."

Gao Yuncheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I thought I'd have to waste more time talking to you about this kind of achievement that can bring me fame..."

"If you want to talk about the credit, it's your sister's..."

"Don't tell anyone! I've already told Brother Chen that what happened in that shabby house must never be mentioned to anyone. Yuanyuan is already wanted, but Duoduo isn't!"

"You knew to keep it a secret for your sister. Am I any more foolish than you? This kind of achievement will only bring trouble and nothing else!"

"What's the difference between this and Earl Anping's case? Isn't Earl Anping's case the same?"

"That's a huge difference! In the case of the Earl of Anping, at least the target was clear, and the area of ​​​​offense seemed small, but the power was huge. I'm just a small fry, but I brought down an earl and even sent the governor of Shuntian Prefecture to jail. If this matter gets out, even if I'm just a small official, who would dare to look me in the eye?"

"Who do you want to look at you straight in the eye?"

"King of Han! If we weren't waiting for news, we should be on our way to Jinan now."

Gao Yuntian quickly asked the reason, and Jia Chuan explained it in detail. Finally, he said, "It's okay for you to know about this matter. Don't tell anyone for now. It will only cause trouble. We can talk about it when we get to Jinan."

"Can I do without Duoduo?"

Jia Chuan seemed to see Dong Shuben, but Gao Yuntian's attitude was better and he spoke in a negotiating tone.

"I'm not worried about anything else. I'm afraid she'll get into trouble. You're going on such a difficult mission, and if she gets you into trouble for no reason, you... you know her temper. She doesn't care about the occasion or the place when she sees injustice. She's so bold! Even though I'm her brother, I can't control her. Otherwise, why do you think I've been staying in Dongzhao County and not returning to the capital?"

Jia Chuan patted Gao Yuntian on the shoulder and said righteously, "Don't worry, even if she makes a hole in the sky, I can fix it! Besides, going to Le'an will only lead to trouble, which I'm not good at. With Duoduo here, I don't have to think about it. She doesn't listen to you as her brother, but she will listen to me a little bit."

Gao Yuntian turned his head and looked at Jia Chuan scrutinizingly. After thinking for a moment, he asked in a low voice, "Even if someone dies, can you still protect her?"

"If Duoduo killed someone, that person must have a reason to kill him..." When Jia Chuan said this, he thought of the news he had just heard. If the emperor felt that the crime was extenuating, he could release the murderer without charge. What laws and regulations, in an imperial society, it all depends on what the people in power think. The people in power are not just the emperor. In a county, the person in power is the county magistrate, and in a state capital, the person in power is the prefect. If the people are lucky enough to meet a good official, their lives will naturally be more comfortable. Otherwise, how many people are imprisoned?

Since the law is not greater than emotion and power, how difficult is it to save Gao Yunduo?
Evil people have protection, and good people should have even more!
This is called balance.

What if I can’t protect it?

The solution Jia Chuan thought of was to retreat to the mountains, but that would require some money, right?
So, the next morning, Jia Chuan went to the palace again, not for anything else, but for money and the promise of being spared from death.

Zhu Zhanji met him at lunch and allowed him to have lunch with him.

This matter did not seem to be a big deal to Jia Chuan. He had eaten with Zhu Zhanji quite a lot during those days. It was just a matter of changing the place and the food.

But in the eyes of others, this was a great gift from heaven, and Zhu Zhanji intended to let others know. Therefore, the news that Jia Chuan was rewarded with lunch with the emperor spread everywhere before Jia Chuan left the palace.

Jia Chuan is trying his best to get the reward he wants.

"...I've been using other people's money to pay for my journey here. Once we get to Jinan, my expenses will be even higher. With so many people following me, I can't let them starve or freeze, can I? The Jinyiwei members naturally have monthly salaries, but there are still a few who don't. Even without a monthly salary, I really can't bear to let them follow me on this adventure for nothing."

Zhu Zhanji just listened with a smile. He really liked listening to Jia Chuan speak. Jia Chuan was different from other officials. He spoke frankly and his emotions were all written on his face. He felt that he could see through him at a glance. Talking to Jia Chuan was extremely easy.

"It's okay for me to suffer a little, but I have to win people's hearts. I don't know what dangers I might encounter on this trip, perhaps even life-threatening ones. If I don't spend more generously, who would be willing to risk their lives for me?"

"How much do you want?" Zhu Zhanji asked, putting down his chopsticks.

"Your Majesty, give it as you see fit. This job won't be completed in a few days. I estimate it will take two or three months. It's going to be cold that day, and I haven't even paid Chen Mo for this set of clothes yet."

Zhu Zhanji frowned: "I never thought that my subjects would be so hardworking and cold in their work."

Jia Chuan nodded seriously.

Zhu Zhanji waved his hand and said, "Well, your salary is indeed not enough. I will ask Haishou to bring you some when he sends you there. If it is not enough, you can ask the officials in Jinan for money. If they dare to give it to you, just accept it." Jia Chuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is the emperor teaching me to be corrupt?"

"Do I need to be taught about this? I trust you. You won't take things you shouldn't take. If you do, you won't feel comfortable. I can't say if you'll still be like this in a few years."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I cherish my life very much and will only enjoy the good days. Some problems are inherited from my mother, and I am timid. This is a problem that cannot be changed. I would rather sleep peacefully than guard a room full of gold and silver and worry about it, but I can't spend it. Besides, my children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, and I won't worry too much about them. The most important thing is that I can't become a high-ranking official. What's the saying? A kind heart cannot command an army. For someone like me, it is best to be an idle rich man and find a secluded place in the mountains to live in seclusion one day. Without power, no one will bother me."

"You think clearly."

"That's all I can do. I can only help His Majesty at this time, but I have to be frank. If I go, I'm bound to get into trouble. Don't worry about it, whether it's me or the people I bring with me. If I end up in jail before I get anything done, His Majesty will have to get me out. It's really troublesome."

Zhu Zhanji snorted and said, "Don't worry, unless you have any intentions."

"No! Now I just want to come back alive, and then ask the emperor to grant me marriage." Jia Chuan said with a grin.

"I won't make things difficult for others in this matter. If you want to grant me the marriage, you can get Miss Gao's approval first."

Jia Chuan's face fell.

Zhu Zhanji laughed heartily.

Taking advantage of Zhu Zhanji's good mood, Jia Chuan made a few small requests, and Zhu Zhanji agreed to all of them.

Jia Chuan left with satisfaction.

……

After Jia Chuan left, Zhu Zhanji picked up the memorial on the table and looked at it for a while. When Qian Guan carefully served tea, Zhu Zhanji suddenly asked, "Whose descendant did my second uncle tell others that Jia Chuan was?"

"Sun Yan, once the Earl of Yingcheng."

Zhu Zhanji put down the memorial in his hand, smiled and said, "My second uncle wants to use someone else to get rid of Jia Chuan."

Qian Guan lowered his head and dared not answer.

"Sun Yan's grandfather stripped him of his title and sent his entire family to Jiaozhi. The only thing he said was that he had tortured and killed someone without permission. However, Sun Yan made great contributions during the Jingnan Campaign. It all depends on who he tortured and killed."

Several images that he had heard flashed through Zhu Zhanji's mind:

Minister of War Tie Xuan was defeated and captured. My grandfather personally interrogated him. Tie Xuan stood with his back to me in the courtyard, cursing my grandfather for being treasonous and unjust. His ears and nose were cut off, boiled, and the meat was stuffed into his mouth. My grandfather asked, "Are you willing?" Tie Xuan replied, "I am the flesh of a loyal minister and a filial son. Why shouldn't I accept it?" After being executed by slow slicing, my grandfather ordered his men to set up a wok and fry Tie Xuan. The hall was suddenly filled with burnt smells. My grandfather angrily said, "If you didn't worship me when you were alive, you will have to worship me even if you are fried into ashes!" He also killed his son. Tie Xuan's wife and daughter were exiled to the government camp to be prostitutes. Sun Yan was present during this process.

Huang Guan, the Right Vice Minister of Rites, committed suicide by drowning in the river during the fall of Nanjing. However, my grandfather did not forget him and executed his entire clan, imprisoned his relatives, and exiled over a hundred people. Hu Run, the Junior Secretary of the Supreme Court, and Gao Xiang, the Supervisory Censor, entered the palace in mourning clothes. My grandfather ordered Hu Run to change, but he refused. My grandfather then ordered strong men to break Hu Run's teeth. Hu Run still refused, so he was hanged, soaked in lime water, skinned, and stuffed with hay, then hung in Wugong Square. Then, his entire clan was exterminated and executed in the market, totaling 217 people. Sun Yan was present during this process.

Gao Xiang exterminated all nine of his clans, dug up his ancestors' graves, and sent all his relatives and friends to guard the border. He also increased taxes on all those with the surname Gao, saying, "This will make people curse Gao Xiang for generations to come." It is said that this idea was proposed by Sun Yan.

During the Jianwen era, Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, who advocated for the reduction of feudal fiefdoms and the use of military force against Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, were both executed by lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), their entire clans exterminated, and their wives and daughters forced into prostitution as prostitutes. Zhuo Jing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was also executed by lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), along with his entire clan. Wang Du, the Censor-in-Chief, had his entire family executed, along with all 155 of his in-laws. Hou Tai, the Minister of Punishment, had his entire family executed. Censor Lian Zining was bound and brought to the main hall. He said, "I want to emulate Zhou Gong and assist King Cheng." Lian Zining dipped his tongue in the blood and wrote on the ground, "Where is King Cheng?" He was then crucified, his entire family exterminated, and all his in-laws sent to the border. These events seem to have had some connection to Sun Yan, either through his actions or his ideas...

Zhu Zhanji took a deep breath. If someone wanted to kill Anping Earl Li An to avenge their ancestors, that was because Li An was still Li An. For someone like Sun Yan, his entire family had likely perished in Jiaozhi long ago, so naturally no one would seek revenge on him. But if someone suddenly spread the rumor that Jia Chuan was Sun Yan's descendant...

Zhu Zhanji snorted coldly. It was satisfying when he killed him, but after the passage of time, the words left behind were not good to hear. So his grandfather wanted to calm the anger in some people's hearts, and perhaps also wanted to blame Sun Yan. Depriving him of the title was considered a leniency, and sending him to Jiaozhi was because he didn't want to stain his hands with the blood of a meritorious official. Unexpectedly, this matter was used by his second uncle.

If Zhu Gaoxu had thought of this in advance, his self-proclaimed clever move would actually make Zhu Zhanji trust Jia Chuan even more, and he might have considered whether to do so. But then again, Zhu Gaoxu didn't want Jia Chuan to return to Beijing alive, so what did it matter whether Zhu Zhanji trusted him or not?

Seeing that the emperor had been in deep thought for a long time, Qian Guan finally mustered up the courage to ask softly, "Should Jia Chuan know about this?"

Zhu Zhanji withdrew his thoughts, waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about it when we get to Jinan. Second uncle wants to borrow someone else's hand, so I'll see who else can jump in."

Zhu Zhanji glanced at Qian Guan, who was looking down, and realized that it was useless to tell him all this, so he changed the subject and asked, "Has Han Zhen found out about Jia Chuan's background?"

"It's been found out. Jia Chuan's parents were originally from Zhangqiu, Hebei. After his parents died, he followed his uncle to the canal to pull boats for a living. Later, his uncle passed away, and because of his eloquence, he got the opportunity to join the Inspection Office."

Zhu Zhanji sighed.

Qian Guan didn't know whether the emperor was feeling regret or pity, or whether he was thinking about the suffering of the people. No matter what, Qian Guan was thinking now that Jia Chuan had to survive this trip!

……

Jia Chuan stayed in the capital for another two days before finally receiving the order to set off.

Jia Chuan had not seen Chen Mo in the past two days. He thought that Chen Mo knew the difficulty of this journey and took the opportunity to hide. However, the night before departure, Xu Gong came to his house and took him to meet Liu Mian, the commander of the Jinyiwei.

In the study at Liu Mian's mansion, Jia Chuan also met Wang Yu and Chen Mo.

Xu Gong had mentioned the matter of meeting the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to Jia Chuan when he arrived in Beijing, but it had not been fulfilled. Jia Chuan hoped that Xu Gong would forget about it. He really didn't know what the point of the commander meeting him was.
The purpose is to cheer Jia Chuan up.

Liu Mian looked about the same age as Xu Gong and Wang Yu, both around forty years old, but Xu Gong looked more like a scholar, Wang Yu looked pure and unselfish, and was very good at putting on a fake smile, while Liu Mian looked like a military general, with a square face, a beard, and an unstoppable aura. When he sat there, Jia Chuan felt that the chair could not accommodate Liu Mian.

The purpose of this meeting was to explain to Jia Chuan that he was not fighting alone on this trip, and that he was followed by the Jinyiwei throughout the trip. In order to demonstrate the Jinyiwei's support for Jia Chuan, the Zhenfu Division sent Chen Mo to lead the Sanming Hundred Households, and several general and small flags to follow, so as to facilitate the investigation of illegal officials and immediately escort them back to Beijing.

The more Jia Chuan listened, the more confused he became. If that was the case, just like in the case of the Anping Marquis' Mansion, the Jinyiwei could have taken direct action. Why would they have to let him come to the front and take a role?

Jia Chuan simply understood that Zhu Zhanji didn't want to leave behind the same reputation as his grandfather. Both of their grandfathers had their own opinions on the use of the Jinyiwei. He simply felt sorry for himself, wondering if one day he would be rumored to be a demonic figure, stirring up bloodshed wherever he went, and with the heads of local officials falling off, he would become famous...

In fact, Zhu Zhanji was more impressed by his brain. Looking at the Jinyiwei, no one could match him.

Although Liu Mian had argued for this matter, he really couldn't find someone with a clear mind, decisiveness, strong adaptability, and the ability to investigate the case.

After Jia Chuan sympathized with himself for three seconds, he suddenly thought of a question: if he had done all these things, why was his name not recorded in history books?

Jia Chuan subconsciously rubbed his face. Liu Mian saw that he was worried about the difficulty of the mission, so he spoke to him in comfort, "This journey is indeed full of difficulties, but you are young, and the King of Han is at the end of his strength. He has many people around him to protect him, and most local officials will try their best to cooperate. I think it won't be as difficult as you imagine."

Jia Chuan thought to himself: It’s not difficult, just go!
Xu Gong also said: "Jia Chuan is thoughtful and prudent. The commander can rest assured that he will live up to the emperor's grace."

Jia Chuan knew it would be rude if he didn't express his opinion at this point, so he quickly stood up with a determined look on his face, bowed and said, "I will do my best, go through fire and water, and risk my life to complete the mission!"

……

(End of this chapter)