Huangming

Chapter 144: Lang Feng sleeps, Sang Ma resumes cultivation

Wang Chengen, along with Qi Zuoguo and a thousand Zhejiang soldiers, had already arrived outside Taiyuan City.

Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi, guarded the Yanmen and Ningwu passes to the north and controlled the Fenhe River Valley to the south, but it was already showing signs of decline at this time.

The majestic city wall, with a circumference of twenty-four li, is constructed of brick and rammed earth, but many of the crenellations have collapsed, and weeds grow rampant between the parapets, which the guards patch up with thatch.

Of the eight gates, only Cheng'en Gate still retains the copper nails and vermilion lacquer from the Hongwu era; the doors of the others are rotten and cannot be locked at night.

Upon entering the city, Zhonglou Street and Liuxiang were lined with shops, but due to the war in Liaodong, trade routes were cut off, so silk shops switched to selling elm bark buns, and pawnshops refused to accept broken armor from the border troops.

Everything Wang Chengen saw along the way weighed heavily on his heart.

As drought victims continued to pour into northern Shaanxi, people selling their children filled the corridors of the Di Liang Gong Ancestral Hall, with prices no more than a peck of millet.

The soldiers of the Taiyuan Left Guard were poorly clothed, patrolled with rusty knives, and looked like starving corpses.

This is the current situation in Taiyuan Town.

Hey~
Wang Chengen sighed softly, but he quickly composed himself and went to the outside of the General's Mansion.

The wind was biting, the snow had not yet melted, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the bluestone slabs outside the General's Mansion.

Zhang Xiao, dressed in a scarlet official robe, stood calmly at the front; Zhang Honggong, wearing a robe with a qilin emblem, had fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and his hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched; the Military Commissioner of Shanxi Province stood to one side, his eyes lowered, as if deep in thought.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer in the distance, and Wang Chengen's entourage slowly approached.

He was dressed in the imperial envoy's python robe, with Qi Zuoguo leading Zhejiang soldiers in formation behind him, their armor imposing.

Wang Chengen's gaze swept over the three men, finally settling on Zhang Honggong's face. Seeing that Zhang's complexion was pale, he couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly and said indifferently, "General Zhang, it's freezing cold, why are you sweating?"

Zhang Honggong's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile: "Eunuch Wang has come from afar, and I am so excited that I have a fever."

Zhang Xiao stepped forward at the opportune moment, cupped his hands and said, "Eunuch Wang, you have had a long journey. His Majesty's decree is of utmost importance. Please come into the residence to proclaim the decree."

Wang Chengen nodded and flicked his whisk: "Very well."

The group entered the main hall of the General's Mansion.

The incense table was already prepared. Wang Chengen stood before it, unfurled the yellow silk imperial edict, and proclaimed loudly: "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:..."

Zhang Honggong knelt on both knees, his heart pounding like a drum, his ears ringing. He could only vaguely hear words such as "the Fan family case involves the border town" and "if you do not obey the imperial order, you will immediately resign as general and go to the capital for investigation." Suddenly, everything went black before his eyes, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Wang Chengen closed the imperial edict and looked coldly at Zhang Honggong: "General Zhang, accept the edict."

Zhang Honggong, his hands trembling, raised them high above his head, his voice hoarse: "Your subject receives the imperial decree and thanks you."

The assistant clerk sighed inwardly, while Zhang Xiao remained expressionless, as if he had expected this all along.

After the imperial decree was read, Wang Chengen, with a smile on his face, helped Zhang Honggong up and asked, "General Zhang, do you have any objections?"

Zhang Honggong's face turned ashen.

"Thunder and rain, are they not all the emperor's grace? Your subject dares not object."

Wang Chengen chuckled and said, "If you don't dare, then you're pregnant?"

Zhang Honggong dared not take on another crime and had to explain himself immediately.

But Wang Chengen stopped him, and the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial slowly said:
"General Zhang, there is no need to be afraid. His Majesty has given you a chance to redeem yourself through meritorious service."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Honggong's eyes lit up. He knew that there might still be a chance for things to turn around.

"Please, angels, speak plainly!"

Wang Chengen said slowly:
"The state of officialdom in Shanxi has reached this point, and it is not solely the fault of the General. From Fenzhou Prefecture all the way to Taiyuan City, what I saw along the way was truly hell on earth. Even after entering Taiyuan City, the scenes I witnessed still filled me with unease."

Seeing Zhang Honggong's slightly shifting expression, Wang Chengen continued, "Even the garrison soldiers in Taiyuan are starving, to the point of selling their wives and children. It's understandable that the general was deceived by the Fan family in order to help the garrison soldiers survive."

Before His Majesty came to our house, he said: "General Zhang is a seasoned and capable minister."

After a brutal beating, they're now being given a few sweet treats.

Zhang Honggong immediately knelt down, climbed up the pole, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise! You know the hardships of the border towns. We accepted the bribes from the Fan family only to survive!"

Wang Chengen helped Zhang Honggong up and said, "General Zhang, His Majesty remembers that you have guarded the border for many years. Although you have made mistakes, you are not the main culprit. Now the situation in Shanxi is turbulent, and it is a time when people are in need. If you are willing to atone for your crimes by assisting the court in reorganizing military affairs and eliminating the long-standing problems in the border towns, you may be pardoned."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Honggong trembled and hurriedly knelt down, his voice trembling:
"This humble general...this humble general is willing to serve with his life! I beg Eunuch Wang to put in a good word for me before His Majesty!"

Wang Chengen flicked his whisk lightly, his tone chilling:

"You know perfectly well how many border generals are implicated in the Fan family's iron smuggling and Liu Zunxian's embezzlement of military funds. Within three days, hand over the list of all accomplices and cooperate with Qi Zuoguo and the Xuanfu troops to reorganize Taiyuan Town. If you dare to disobey, you will be punished."

Wang Chengen said in a chilling tone, "Then don't blame the law for not tolerating it."

Upon learning that he would land safely, Zhang Honggong immediately replied, "This humble general will certainly cooperate!"

As for the fate of those adjutant generals...
Excuse me.

He's in dire straits, barely able to save himself; he should be thanking God if he can even manage to take care of himself.

Wang Chengen nodded in satisfaction and said, "General Zhang's willingness to cooperate is excellent. This is a great achievement. I will report it truthfully. At that time, not only will I be able to redeem myself for this achievement, but it is also possible that I will be promoted!"

Faced with the bait thrown out by the eunuch, Zhang Honggong immediately took the bait and said, "Within Shanxi Province, whatever the envoy commands, this humble general will certainly obey!"

After subduing Zhang Honggong, Wang Chengen immediately ordered an operation!

Outside the mansion, Qi Zuoguo waved his hand, and the Zhejiang soldiers quickly took over the defense of the general's mansion.

The soldiers in Taiyuan Town looked at each other, none of them daring to move.

Seven border generals with deep ties to the Fan family were immediately arrested.

of course
There was resistance, though.

However, Wang Chengen showed no mercy to those who dared to resist, executing them on the spot.

With the help of Zhang Honggong, the general of Taiyuan, the soldiers of the standard battalion poured in and, together with Qi Jiguang's army, quickly quelled the situation in Taiyuan.

After interrogation, the offender was killed on the spot!

The number of border troops involved was as many as several hundred.

After being interrogated and convicted, these people were either exiled to Liaodong or beheaded on the spot!
The ground was littered with corpses and piles of heads, a scene resembling a living hell.

The bloodshed was truly horrific, chilling the soldiers of Taiyuan Town to the bone!

General Zhang Honggong of Taiyuan swallowed hard.

The emperor is the same as the eunuchs.

Wang Chengen dared to carry out such a large-scale massacre because he must have the emperor's backing.

It seems that the current emperor of the Ming Dynasty is a decisive and ruthless ruler who acts with great care.

The weather in Shanxi is about to change completely.

The sight of over a hundred corpses was shocking, and Wang Chengen began to show mercy.

After all, killing can only deter for a short time, while kindness can make them defy and risk their lives.

At Wang Chengen's instruction, the garrison in Taiyuan immediately gathered at the drill ground.

Wang Chengen ordered his men to carry out the grain confiscated from the Fan family. In front of everyone, the tarpaulin was lifted, revealing a small mountain of golden millet that gleamed in the winter sun.

There were also piles of cotton cloth and cotton-padded clothes, and meat and cured meat, emitting a mouthwatering aroma.

Wang Chengen pointed to the grain pile and shouted to the ragged soldiers of Taiyuan Town:

"His Majesty knows the suffering you have endured from the withholding of your military pay! This grain was smuggled by Fan Yongdou in collusion with border generals, and today it will all be distributed to the soldiers!"

Before the words were even finished, the drill ground was already in an uproar.

The soldiers, emaciated from hunger, craned their necks, some trembling as they reached for the empty grain sacks at their waists.

Upon seeing this, Qi Zuoguo immediately ordered the Zhejiang soldiers to maintain order and distribute the grain according to the register.

Each soldier received three dou of millet, half a bolt of cotton cloth, and a jin of cured meat.

"This cured meat is the imperial gift of yellow sheep meat from Yanmen Pass!" Wang Chengen deliberately held up a piece of dried meat wrapped in oil paper.

"His Majesty specifically instructed that the border troops should eat meat to keep warm during the bitter winter garrison season!"

On the drill ground where the cold wind howled, soldiers from Taiyuan Town stood in long lines, staring in disbelief at the mountains of grain sacks and meat and wine piled up in front of them.

"Is it really for us?"

A gaunt old soldier shakily reached out his hand, but the moment his fingertips touched the cotton cloth, he recoiled as if electrocuted, fearing it was an illusion.

The young soldier beside him had already grabbed a piece of cured meat and stuffed it into his mouth, grease dripping from the corner of his mouth. He chewed and cried, "Three years! Three years without tasting meat!" In a corner of the drill ground, several soldiers surrounded the Zhejiang soldiers distributing military supplies, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing, "Guys of the Qi Family Army, is this grain really a reward from His Majesty? Or is it just money to buy our lives?"

The Zhejiang soldiers helped them up and shouted, "His Majesty knows that your military pay has been embezzled! The Fan family has embezzled your hard-earned grain, and now it will be returned in full!"

Suddenly, a furious roar erupted from the crowd: "Where are those corrupt officials? How much silver have they embezzled from us!"

An angry roar instantly swept across the training ground.

Wang Chengen watched coldly, and only when the crowd was extremely agitated did he order his men to drag out several boxes—when the lids were opened, they revealed the stolen silver recorded in the Fan family's account books!

"The general who embezzled public funds has been executed!"

Qi Zuoguo kicked the box over, and the snowflake silver spilled onto the ground.

"From this day forward, anyone who dares to touch a single penny of military pay will face this fate!"

The soldiers, their eyes red, clutched their newly received cotton cloths. Someone shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and in an instant, a deafening roar erupted.

"Long live your Majesty!"

Long live the Ming Dynasty!

The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded throughout Taiyuan Prefecture.

That night, smoke rose from the military camp in Taiyuan Town, a rare sight.

The soldiers huddled around the iron pot, wolfing down their food. One old soldier, chewing on a long-missed piece of meat, suddenly burst into tears: "Long live the Emperor! Our Great Ming Dynasty has finally produced a wise and virtuous ruler!"

Qi Zuoguo was also filled with emotion upon seeing this scene.

"With this grain and pay, the soldiers in Taiyuan Town can be used by us. It's a pity that these soldiers have had such a hard life before."

The imperial court did issue rewards, quite a few times.

For example, when Zhu Changluo ascended the throne, he generously distributed funds from the imperial treasury to reward the nine border regions.

However.
The money and silk that came from the imperial treasury were siphoned off by officials, and by the time they reached the nine border regions, less than half remained. After passing through the hands of the border generals, less than one-tenth of the money was left.

Some of the bolder ones weren't even given a reward, while the timid ones were given only a token amount of grain.

But that's about it.

In the Ming Dynasty, if you didn't climb the ranks in the army, you'd go hungry.

Civil officials looked down on them, while military generals leeched off their soldiers.

Those who can remain steadfast in their posts can be called loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty.

"His Majesty has arrived, and the world is at peace. His Majesty has arrived, and the heavens are clear."

Wang Chengen believed that with the Emperor's current ambition, all these problems could be solved!
However, we must take things one step at a time.

The Emperor sent him to confiscate property, and also to investigate the situation in the Nine Border Regions.

Nowadays, it's not really about rectifying Taiyuan Town.

It's just a superficial control; the underlying interests of the generals haven't been touched at all.

This is also something that can't be helped.

If a real overhaul is needed, his manpower is simply insufficient.

The troops from Xuanfu will not help with the reorganization.

After all, they understand the principle of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death, and the bow is put away when the birds are all gone."

Only when the emperor trains his own personal army will it be possible to truly reorganize the nine border regions.

Therefore, Wang Chengen was not too radical.

He merely executed the border general involved to intimidate the troops, rewarded them to win their loyalty, and made the soldiers of Taiyuan Town work for him; that was all.

"With the help of the Taiyuan garrison soldiers, the resistance to confiscating the property of the eight major Shanxi merchants will be much smaller."

Wang Chengen turned his gaze to Zhang Honggong, the General of Taiyuan, and said, "General Zhang's contributions in assisting with the confiscation of the Fan family's property and stabilizing the situation in Taiyuan will certainly be truthfully reported to His Majesty. However, at present, we still need the General's continued cooperation."

Wang Chengen's series of moves have given him complete control of Taiyuan Town.

Zhang Honggong understood that, at this moment, apart from his own trusted battalion, the rest of his men probably listened to this eunuch more.

However, Zhang Honggong was already satisfied that he was able to land safely.

He immediately declared, "Angel, please give your orders. The soldiers of Taiyuan Town will serve you without hesitation!"

Wang Chengen shook his head and said, "It's not about serving my family, but about serving the Great Ming Dynasty and His Majesty!"

As he spoke, Wang Chengen clasped his hands in a salute towards the direction of Beijing.

"The angel is right. The 50,000 soldiers of Taiyuan are ready to serve the Ming Dynasty and die for His Majesty!"

Zhang Honggong immediately changed his tune, a fawning smile spreading across his face.

"Angel, the training ground is freezing cold. Why don't you come inside and have some food and wine to warm yourselves up?"

Wang Chengen grinned and said, "I appreciate the general's kindness, but I am under imperial command and dare not slack off in the slightest."

Zhang Honggong had no choice but to follow Wang Chengen like a beast of burden.

A few days later.

Wang Chengen dispatched soldiers from Taiyuan Town, along with personnel from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to assist the eunuchs from other routes in confiscating property.

On one hand, he took the extra grain and cotton cloth confiscated from each household and went to Taiyuan Sanguan to reward the army. Afterwards, he turned to Datong Town and used the same method to control the border town of Datong.

of course
To call it control is merely to slightly alleviate the conflict and spread imperial favor.

The grain, fodder, and cotton cloth confiscated by the eight major Shanxi merchants were difficult to transport, so it would be better to use them to reward the army and win their hearts.

Wang Chengen also gained a lot along the way.

I now have a clearer understanding of the situation in Shanxi.

After the eunuchs who had been busy confiscating the property in the border towns of Taiyuan and Datong, the seven eunuchs—Liu Ruoyu, Shi Yuanya, Liang Dong, Li Chaoqin, Cao Huachun, Li Fengxiang, and Wang Dehua—finded the property of the other seven major Shanxi merchants much more smoothly.

Cao Huachun raided the Hou family residence in Jiexiu. The Hou family had secretly stored armor and kept more than a hundred assassins. Upon hearing the news, they closed their doors and resisted stubbornly.

Cao Huachun ordered the Xuanfu Firearms Battalion to bombard the courtyard wall, killing the Hou family head on the spot. Secret letters between the Hou family and various Mongol tribes, as well as military documents that had not been destroyed, were found in the Hou family's cellar, which implicated two guerrilla generals from Datong Town.

When Liu Ruoyu was dealing with the Kang family of Pingyang, he searched the granary and discovered that there was a hidden compartment in the granary where 100,000 shi of old rice were hidden.

Liu Ruoyu ordered his men to break through the wall and inspect the grain sacks. They discovered that the ledgers showing the division of spoils between the Fan family and the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission were buried under the grain sacks. He immediately sent them to the capital by fast horse and ordered his soldiers to take control of the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commission.

When Li Fengxiang dealt with the Qu family in Qi County, salt workers gathered a crowd and made a fuss, blocking the official road.

Following Wang Chengen's example, Li Fengxiang dumped the confiscated salt piles in the street and shouted "His Majesty bestows salt!" The mob instantly disintegrated.

After a period of time, the assets of the eight major Shanxi merchants were almost completely confiscated.

Of this, more than one million shi of grain were collected, half of which was used locally as military pay and for rewards.

Cotton-padded clothes and ironware were given as rewards directly to the border troops and homeless civilians.

More than seven million taels of silver have been ordered to be escorted to the capital by fast horses.

Boxes of evidence of smuggling, including ironware and salt permits, have been swiftly transported to Beijing.

Just because this evidence is useless now doesn't mean it won't be useful in the future.

Once the new army is trained, it can be used as a weapon to reorganize the towns of Datong and Taiyuan.

After clearing out a large portion of the Shanxi officials, killing dozens of military officers in the border towns, and confiscating the homes of the Eighth Route Army's eunuchs, they were finally ready to return to the capital.

However, Qi Zuoguo and Qin Minping did not return to the capital with them; instead, they headed towards Shaanxi.

They weren't there to investigate the Shaanxi officialdom; they were there to recruit soldiers.

Shanxian County has many displaced people, and its people are known for their fierce and unruly nature!

Recruiting their able-bodied men would serve two purposes: firstly, it would fill new ranks, and secondly, it would eliminate the people's suffering. This would be a win-win situation.

At the same time, Zhu Youxiao also did not want the nobles to become too powerful in the new camp.

The way of checks and balances lies here!
With that, the confiscation of the property was completed.

Meanwhile, Zhu Youxiao in Beijing was already preparing for other important matters!

(End of this chapter)