Huangming

Chapter 105 Observing Abuses at the Inn, Analyzing Deception at the Gate

Wang Tiqian and his son-in-law Wan Wei set off from Beijing to Luoyang, mainly traveling along the official road south of Beijing.

Because of the urgency of the matter, the two did not travel by carriage, but instead rode on post horses.

Aside from meals and accommodation, there was basically no time wasted.

On the first day, we traveled about 120 li (approximately 60 kilometers) to Zhuozhou Zhuolu Post Station to rest.

On the second day, they traveled 90 li and rested at Jintai Post Station in Baoding Prefecture.

On the third day, after traveling 120 li, they stopped to rest at Hengshan Post Station in Zhending Prefecture.

It was already dark by then.

The group was exhausted.

Wang Tiqian's body was almost shaken apart.

My thighs were chafed so badly from the fast travel that they were in excruciating pain.

Fortunately, he didn't have any eggs. If he did, they would probably have been scattered by the journey.

However, today's hardships are finally over, and Hengshan Post Station in Zhending Prefecture is not far away.

Zhengding Prefecture was an important town in the southern part of Beizhili. Hengshan Post Station was a hub of the north-south post road, connecting Baoding in the north and Henan in the south. It was equipped with horses, grain supplies, and post station guards.

The sky was as black as ink, and the lanterns at Hengshan Post Station swayed in the wind, their dim yellow light barely illuminating the uneven stone path in front of the post station gate.

Wang Tiqian endured the burning pain in his inner thighs and nearly fell when he staggered off his horse, but was quickly caught by a courier.

He looked up and saw the outline of the gray brick walls of the post station appear particularly grand in the night, with the iron eaves jingling as if echoing the faint sound of pine trees in the distance.

"This establishment is comparable to the Huitong Hall in the suburbs of the capital." Prince Consort Wan Wei dusted off his brocade robe. Before he finished speaking, the post station chief had already hurried out to greet him with an oil-paper umbrella.

He was a lean man in his early forties, his indigo robe faded from washing, but the copper plaque at his waist was polished to a shine, and the frayed edges of his cuffs were visible when he bowed.

After the group passed through the three courtyards, Wang Tiqian noticed the strangeness of the post station. Although there were more than twenty horses tied up in the stable, the mangers were only piled with some withered straw. The wooden sign under the corridor clearly read "bells and clappers day and night," but the postmen on duty were mostly old and weak with gray hair and beards.

The food laid out on the octagonal table in the main hall was even more astonishing: a bowl of radish soup with a few specks of oil floating on it, two dishes of pickled mustard tubers that had turned black, and the staple food was a coarse flour pancake mixed with bran.

"Angels forgive."

The officer rubbed his knuckles together.

"Last month, the Ministry of War's troops who passed through Liaodong emptied their grain reserves, and the newly collected postal funds have not yet arrived. Therefore, we can only apologize to you all for this inconvenience."

The corruption in the Ming Dynasty was so deep that it reached the very marrow of one's bones.

Problems have also emerged at the grassroots level, such as post stations.

Prince Consort Wan Wei sighed, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and began to eat.

Although the food was not good, he was so hungry that he didn't care.

Wang Tiqian, accustomed to the finest food in the palace, frowned upon seeing these things.

He took out a silver ingot from his pocket, handed it to the post station chief, and said, "The brothers have traveled a long way and are covered in dust. How can we not have any food or drink? Go outside and get some wine and dishes. Consider the rest your reward."

Upon hearing this, the accompanying officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard all showed joy on their faces.

"Eunuch Wang is so righteous! We thank you so much!"

Wang Tiqian grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and said with a smile, "No need to thank me, thank His Majesty. His Majesty gave me money for this trip so that we could treat everyone on the road. With His Majesty's grace, I must do my best to complete the task assigned to me by His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, everyone shouted, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! We will certainly do a wonderful job!"

The courier, having received the money, worked extremely quickly, and soon returned with several servants carrying food boxes.

As soon as the food box was opened, the aroma filled the main hall, causing everyone to crane their necks to look.

First came a large jar of Baoding Shaochun liquor sealed in mud. When the jar was opened, the strong aroma of the liquor, mixed with the mellow flavor of sorghum, rushed straight to the nose. The amber-colored liquor shimmered with tiny sparkles in the rough porcelain bowl.

Next came four oil paper packages:

The first package, when unfolded, contained donkey meat sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings. The dark brown slices revealed the tendons and membranes, and when garlic and vinegar sauce were poured over it, the tangy aroma made one's mouth water.

The last package contained steaming hot mutton flatbread, with finely chopped lamb meat wrapped in sesame shells. One bite and the cumin-infused juices burst forth.

Another celadon plate holds fresh seasonal delicacies:

A steamed crucian carp from the Hutuo River is topped with shredded ginger, its eyes still bulging; two bunches of bright green mint are stir-fried with minced garlic, the leaves still glistening with oil.

The post station clerk said with a forced smile, "We only had this much coarse food in a hurry. Please make do with it, esteemed guests."

"They are quite efficient in handling matters."

Wang Tiqian was very satisfied.

The Imperial Guards could no longer contain themselves; amidst the clinking of wine bowls, the roast duck bones were chewed with a crunching sound.

Prince Consort Wan Wei picked up a piece of deer tendon with his chopsticks and sighed in the candlelight, "I never expected to taste something of the capital in this desolate post station."

The lights in the hall reflected the mess of cups and plates, and the once deserted inn suddenly seemed to have a touch of illusory warmth.

After eating and drinking his fill, Wang Tiqian picked his teeth and asked the post station official, "Hengshan Post Station is a major post station, so why is it worse than Zhuolu Post Station and Jintai Post Station, where I stayed before?"

The post station official gave a wry smile and said, "It is precisely because Hengshan Post Station is a major post station that those officials come here to order us around."

An angel was present, and the postman was also pouring out his grievances.

In the later years of the Wanli reign, due to the "Three Great Expeditions" and the war in Liaodong, the national treasury was empty, and the funds for the post stations were often misappropriated or delayed.

Officials abused the post stations, arbitrarily conscripting laborers and horses, and embezzling funds, leading to the desertion of post station workers and the abandonment of facilities.

After hearing this, everyone fell silent.

How can they solve this drawback?

However, upon hearing these things, Wang Tiqian's eyes lit up, as if he had an idea.

He traveled south from Beijing, and perhaps he could write down what he saw and heard along the way and then report it to His Majesty. His Majesty would surely be very interested in these grassroots affairs of the Ming Dynasty, and he might even be rewarded for his actions.

Thinking of this, Wang Tiqian also became interested in chatting with the post station official.

It wasn't until the Imperial Son-in-Law, Wan Wei, urged him to rest that Wang Tiqian got up and went to rest.

However, he had only been in the main room for a short time when Wan Wei pushed the door open.

He looked around warily, and only after confirming that no one was following him did he gently close the door.

"Eunuch Wang, when you go to question him, tell me the whole story: what is His Majesty really thinking?"

Wan Wei was the husband of Princess Ruian, the fifth daughter of Emperor Muzong. As is well known, the power of the imperial sons-in-law in the Ming Dynasty was practically nonexistent.

The Ming Dynasty's "Collected Statutes" explicitly restricted that imperial sons-in-law could only be granted honorary titles (such as "Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant," a first-rank noble title), but could not hold positions of real power such as the Nine Ministers or the Six Ministries, nor could they participate in military and political affairs.

If a prince consort interferes in court affairs, he will be dismissed from his post at best, and executed at worst. Having been a prince consort for decades, Wan Wei only thinks about a life of wealth and honor, and hopes there will be no more trouble.

However.
His Majesty actually ordered him to go to Luoyang to question the Prince of Fu.

If Prince Fu were to become enraged, wouldn't his life be in danger?

Wang Tiqian narrowed his eyes and said, "Captain, there is no need to worry. His Majesty has already dispatched the Beijing Garrison to Kaifeng. If we question them, Prince Fu will not dare to do anything to us."

It turns out that the Beijing garrison was also accompanying them.

Wan Wei finally felt relieved.

"My father-in-law said long ago that the Beijing Garrison would be accompanying us, so what am I worried about?"

"Can these soldiers from the Beijing garrison really make it to Kaifeng?"

While Wan Wei in Zhen Ding Prefecture felt things were settled, outside Desheng Gate, at the Five Armies Camp, in the central army camp and the main hall of the Governor's Mansion.

Zhang Zhiji, however, dared not be so optimistic.

He looked at his father, Duke Zhang Weixian, who was handling military affairs in the main hall, and said, "Those good-for-nothings who used to frequent brothels actually want to go to Kaifeng with us to train troops? Father, what other talents do they have besides eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring? Sending people like that to Kaifeng is a disgrace to our Beijing garrison."

Zhang Weixian glanced up at his eldest son, then immediately looked down at the military report in his hand.

Seeing that his father was ignoring him, Zhang Zhiji was extremely frustrated.

"Thank you!"

He strode forward and said with some displeasure, "Even if His Majesty rewards the generals of the Beijing garrison who went to Kaifeng, wouldn't it be better for my son to serve in the Qianqing Palace, right in front of the Emperor? You're pushing your son into a fire pit!"

Zhang Zhiji was extremely frustrated. He was working properly in the Qianqing Palace, but his father transferred him to the list of soldiers in the Beijing garrison heading south to Kaifeng.

The key is!
How could that brat Luo Yangxing be allowed to stay in the Qianqing Palace?
This is not fair!

ah~
My own son is more annoying than a fly when he's around.

Zhang Weixian finally put down his pen, looked at his son, and asked, "Is the transfer of you here by His Majesty's decree?"

His Majesty?

Zhang Zhiji was stunned.

He frowned, somewhat unsure of the emperor's meaning.

“Since His Majesty wants to transfer me here, why would he do so through a recommendation process? The 20,000 soldiers currently stationed in the south of the capital are simply a rabble.”

He looked at his father's expression as if he were a fool, and suddenly his expression froze.

"Does His Majesty think I'm the same as those useless people?"

Boom~
It felt like a thunderbolt had struck right on my head.

"I'm just pretending to be a spoiled brat, I'm not actually a spoiled brat!"

Zhang Zhiji was filled with grief that felt worse than death: I was just pretending to be stupid, how come people actually treated me like a fool?

Duke Zhang Weixian of England covered his face and said weakly, "How could I have given birth to a son like you?"

He slowly rose and said, "His Majesty's thoughts are beyond our comprehension, but this matter is by no means simple."

After so many days, Zhang Weixian has come to understand many things.

Monitoring Prince Fu and preventing him from rebelling may not be His Majesty's ultimate goal.

After all, the 20,000 men taken away were essentially the dregs of the Beijing Garrison. The Beijing Garrison was already weak in combat, and from among those weak men, another 20,000 were selected who were even weaker in combat.

If Prince Fu were to truly rebel, these people would likely crumble at the first sign of trouble.

His Majesty's ultimate goal may still be to reorganize the Beijing Garrison!
By transferring the most arrogant people away from the capital, it would be easier to reorganize the Beijing garrison.

Similarly, once these arrogant people left the capital, they were like water without roots, unable to stir up any waves.

His Majesty!

That's a really clever tactic!
Zhang Zhiji was still young and couldn't have thought of this.

"What's so hard to guess? His Majesty just punished Consort Zheng, and now he's definitely preparing to take action against Prince Fu. There's a saying that goes, 'If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they'll grow back in the spring breeze.'"

"Humph!"

Zhang Weixian snorted coldly and said, "So nonchalant. I wonder if you act the same way in front of His Majesty? Your mouth is full of rhymes. Are you trying to become a scholar?"

After being glared at by his father, Zhang Zhiji finally quieted down.

"His Majesty specifically sent you here to make a show of things to outsiders. By transferring you here, they will think: His Majesty said this trip would be very beneficial, and the Duke of Yingguo has even transferred his own son here, so this matter must be absolutely true!"

Zhang Weixian gave Zhang Zhiji a deep look and asked, "Now, do you understand?"

Looking into Zhang Weixian's deep gaze, Zhang Zhiji asked, "Your Majesty, is this a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole?"

The Duke of England nodded and said, "You're not too stupid. Try to get along well with those troublesome playboys. That's something you're good at. You'll probably be able to make a name for yourself on the march."

To perform meritorious service?

Zhang Zhiji's eyes lit up, and he immediately knew what kind of merit he was going to achieve.

"I, Zhang Zhiji, would never betray my brothers and friends!"

He spoke righteously.

Zhang Weixian snorted and said, "I didn't realize you had such a deep relationship with those people?"

Zhang Zhiji crossed his arms and said, "Of course, they are closer to me than blood brothers."

Zhang Weixian's face darkened.

"If you don't want to do this job, I'll let someone else do it."

Zhang Zhiji couldn't hold back any longer.

"Cough cough."

He looked at his father and said, "What I mean is, they are all my dearest friends and family. If I were to betray them, I'd have to pay more!"

"You brat, get out of here!"

Zhang Weixian finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He leaped into the air and delivered a Leo Flying Kick to Zhang Zhiji.

Zhang Zhiji had already been beaten up by Zhang Weixian many times. When he saw Zhang Weixian's starting stance—no, his kicking stance—he immediately ran away.

Watching his son flee in a disheveled state, Zhang Weixian let out a soft snort.

Back then, we should have shot him against the wall!
It's just that these spendthrift sons of big men are making us angry!
(End of this chapter)