Huangming

Chapter 349: Confiscating Property and Seizing Stolen Goods – A Shocking Scene

The smoke of gunpowder had not yet completely dissipated in the den of iniquity, and the bloodstains on the ground were still congealing.

But Yang Lian's gaze was no longer on Zhang Shixian and Wang Wei.

It's time to cleanse Jizhou of its filth!

"Lord, Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei still have over a thousand retainers scattered throughout the city. They escaped during the chaos of the arrest. Should we send men to search for them immediately?"

A battalion commander stepped forward quickly, bowed, and reported.

Yang Lian nodded slightly, his eyes grave: "Not only must we search for them, but we must also thoroughly investigate their hideouts. These people are Zhang Shixian's loyal followers, armed with knives and provisions. If left unchecked, they may rob the people at best, or incite riots at worst. We must eliminate them as soon as possible."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he remembered an even more critical hidden danger.

The three places—Shimenzhai, where Zhang Shixian was stationed; Xifengkou, which Du Yingkui once guarded; and Gubeikou, which was controlled by Wang Wei—were all vital strategic locations for the Jizhou Garrison to defend against the Tartars. Now that their commanders have been captured or are dead, there must still be a large number of their trusted former subordinates in the camp.

If we do not seize this opportunity to quickly take over the defense, once these people learn the news, they may at least conceal evidence of their crimes and embezzle military funds, or at worst incite soldiers to mutiny, or even secretly communicate with foreign tribes, giving the Mongol tribes on the grasslands an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

"The tribes on the grasslands are always opportunistic wolves; we must be wary of them!"

Yang Lian muttered to himself, fully aware of the nature of these Tartars.

When the Ming army was at its peak, they came to pay tribute with cattle and sheep, singing praises and demonstrating their talent for singing and dancing.

However, once the defenses of Jizhou were breached, they would turn into hungry wolves, march south, plunder the grain and livestock of the people of Jizhou, and even kidnap men as slaves and women as maids. Such tragedies have long been common in the history books of Jizhou.

Thinking this through, Yang Lian no longer hesitated. He turned to Liu Qu, who was directing his soldiers to count the prisoners, and said, "General, the situation is urgent. I need to trouble you to temporarily hand over command of the standard battalion to me. I will handle the search and arrest in Jizhou City and the pacification of the people."

"General, please immediately travel with Lieutenant General Li to Santunying, mobilize the regular troops there, and send them separately to Shimenzhai, Gubeikou, and Xifengkou. You must eliminate the confidants of Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei as quickly as possible, take over the defenses of these three locations, and stabilize morale!"

"This operation must be swift yet cautious. If we encounter any stubborn elements who refuse to relinquish power, we must first subdue them, and never escalate the conflict to the point of a mutiny. These three locations are the northern gateway to the capital; we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes at this time, lest we give the Tartars an opportunity to take advantage!"

Liu Qu felt a chill run down his spine and instantly understood the gravity of the situation.

Although he was the commander-in-chief of Jizhou, he knew that his primary task at the moment was not to control military power, but to guard the border.

If the defenses of the three regions collapse, not only will he lose his position as commander-in-chief, but the entire Jizhou region could be engulfed in war.

He immediately clasped his hands and bowed, his tone solemn: "Rest assured, Commander! This humble general will depart with Lieutenant General Li immediately. I will certainly live up to your trust and within five days, I will wipe out the rebels in the three regions and stabilize the defenses!"

Having said that, he didn't delay any longer and turned to summon the core generals of the standard battalion to explain the defense of Jizhou City.

Li Hongji quickly walked up to Yang Lian and bowed solemnly: "Commander, I will accompany General Liu to Santunying. Brother Han Hu and my confidants will stay by your side. If you encounter any danger, please send a letter immediately, and I will lead the troops back to your aid!"

After saying this, Li Hongji turned to Han Hu and the dozen or so guards beside him and said, "Listen up! While I'm away, your only task is to protect the safety of the Chief Minister. Even if it costs you your lives, you must not let the Chief Minister suffer the slightest harm!"

"Please rest assured, General Li! We will protect the capital with utmost care!"

Han Hu and his guards responded in unison, their eyes filled with determination.

Having just survived a fierce battle at the Debauchery, they already regarded Yang Lian as the hope of the people of Jizhou, and naturally would not slacken their efforts in the slightest.

Li Hongji nodded, glanced at Yang Lian one last time, then turned and followed Liu Qu, speeding out of the city.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance, raising a cloud of dust as they disappeared into the morning light of Jizhou City.

Yang Lian stood there, looking in the direction the two had left. He then looked at the busy soldiers of the standard battalion beside him, Han Hu and others who were still covered in blood, and Zhang Shixian and others who were being held aside and looked dejected. A heavy sense of responsibility welled up in his heart.

He took a deep breath, turned to the clerk beside him, and said, "Draft two documents immediately."

The first order was to inform the people of Jizhou City that the rebels, including Zhang Shixian, had been captured, and that the imperial court would thoroughly investigate the long-standing problems in Jizhou, return the land that had been seized and the military pay that had been withheld from the people, and appease the people.

The second message was sent by fast horse to the capital to report to His Majesty on the suppression of the rebellion in Jizhou, and to request that officials be dispatched to assist in auditing the accounts and taking over the defenses.

"Yes! I will do it now!"

The clerk bowed and accepted the order, then hurriedly left the inner hall, fearing that he might delay the important matters of appeasing the people and submitting a memorial to the court.

Yang Lian stood still, her eyes flickering.

While it was important to purge the scattered soldiers in the city and take over the border defenses, there was another matter that was fundamental to this investigation in Jizhou: "confiscating property and recovering stolen silver."

Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei, these parasites who had entrenched themselves in Jizhou for many years, had already amassed enormous wealth in their mansions by drinking the blood of countless soldiers, swallowing up military pay, and smuggling countless contraband materials.

This money originally belonged to the imperial court's military pay and the people's hard-earned money; now it's time to return it to its rightful owner.

"Someone is coming."

Yang Lian called out loudly, "Summon Shen Lian, the centurion of the Imperial Guard accompanying the army, and Cui Yingyuan, the scout of the Imperial Guard in Jizhou, to come to the inner hall of the official post station to see me immediately."

The guards obeyed and left. Before long, they led the two into the inner hall.

Walking in front was Cui Yingyuan.

He was about forty years old, dressed in a flying fish robe, with a specially made waist tag from the Eastern Depot hanging from his waist. His face was plastered with a fawning smile, but his eyes revealed a hint of mercenary shrewdness.

This man was from Daxing County. In his early years, he was a street ruffian. Because of his cunning, he falsely claimed the merit of arresting criminals in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and climbed step by step to the position of Chief Investigator of Jizhou. In reality, he was an informant planted in Jizhou by the Eastern Depot. He had frequent contact with Zhang Shixian and others, but he was never caught red-handed.

Following behind was Shen Lian.

He was dressed in the same Jinyiwei uniform, but it looked somewhat loose, his hair was casually tied back, and his face showed a hint of undisguised decadence.

However, Yang Lian knew in his heart that this person was by no means as useless as he appeared on the surface.

This year, Shen Lian made great contributions to the Ming army's successful surprise attack on Hetu Ala, the capital of the Later Jin Dynasty. He is a truly brave and resourceful ruthless character, but for some reason, he has been looking depressed lately.

"Your subordinate Cui Yingyuan (Shen Lian) greets Your Excellency!"

The two clasped their hands in a respectful greeting, their tone humble, yet each harbored their own thoughts.

Yang Lian didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"Now that the rebels Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei have been captured, the Jizhou region is temporarily stable, but there are still rioting soldiers coveting the wealth in the rebels' mansions. That wealth is all the military pay they embezzled and the people's hard-earned money they have plundered. It belongs to His Majesty and must not be allowed to be embezzled."

He glanced at the two men and continued, “Commander Cui, you have been in Jizhou for a long time and are familiar with all the forces; Commander Shen, you came with me and are cautious and reliable.”

Today I order you two to immediately lead the soldiers of the Jizhou Garrison Command to search the residences of Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei.

Remember, you must thoroughly inventory all gold, silver, grain, and utensils in the manor, register them meticulously, leaving nothing out, and absolutely no one may keep a single item for themselves. Anyone who violates this rule will be punished as an accomplice to thieves!

"As ordered!"

Cui Yingyuan immediately bowed and agreed, his smile becoming even more obsequious, but he was already making plans in his heart.

As the deputy commander-in-chief, Zhang Shixian must have many treasures hidden in his mansion. If I can take this opportunity to make a fortune, it will not have been in vain that I have spent so many years in Jizhou.

Shen Lian simply nodded slightly, his voice flat: "Understood."

After receiving their orders, the two turned around and walked out of the official post station together.

As soon as they reached the door, Cui Yingyuan approached Shen Lian, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke with a hint of "concern" in his voice:

“Brother Shen, you’re new to Jizhou, so you’re probably not familiar with these rebels. Zhang Shixian is the deputy commander-in-chief, and Du Yingkui is the brigade commander. Their residences have many servants, so investigating them would be time-consuming and dangerous. Why don’t I take charge? As for Wang Wei…”

He paused deliberately, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "He's just a guerrilla general, with at most a few dozen servants in his mansion. He's perfectly safe. I'll leave him to you, Brother Shen, so you won't have to make any unnecessary trips. What do you think?"

It was obvious to everyone that Cui Yingyuan wanted to monopolize the lucrative positions of Zhang and Du, leaving the least profitable position, Wang Wei's residence, to Shen Lian.

Anyone else would have shown their dissatisfaction long ago, but Shen Lian merely glanced at him indifferently, without any argument, and simply nodded, his tone still calm: "Let it be arranged this way."

Seeing that he was so "sensible," Cui Yingyuan became even more pleased with himself. He smiled and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Then I thank Brother Shen in advance! How about we each bring our men and meet at the official post station at noon to hand over our tasks?"

"it is good."

Shen Lian uttered a single, concise word as he turned and walked toward the Jinyiwei garrison in Jizhou. His steps were steady, showing no sign of the anxiety that came with being "taken advantage of."

Others thought he was just aloof and indifferent to gains and losses, but they didn't know that he was on a tour of the nine borders with Yang Lian not to seek merit.

He just wanted to get away from the heartbreaking prison that was the capital and find a place to clear his head.

As for why?

This story begins about two weeks ago.

Shen Lian made outstanding contributions to the Ming army's surprise attack on Hetu Ala.

After the war, he was promoted to the rank of centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and awarded 500 taels of silver, making him quite well-known in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a time.

At that time, his heart was filled with joy.

Not for official rank or money, but only so that he could use this "merit" to ask for the hand of Zhou Miaotong, the beauty he had long admired, at Nuanxiang Pavilion.

He had lingered outside Nuanxiang Pavilion countless times, watching Zhou Miaotong playing the zither and writing calligraphy, and secretly resolved to earn a decent living, redeem her from the brothel, and treat her well.

But when he arrived at Zhou Miaotong with the reward money and full of anticipation, he was met with a cold rejection:

"Lord Shen, I already have someone I love, and I would not dare to hinder your future."

He later learned that Zhou Miaotong's sweetheart was a wealthy young man from Jiangnan, and the two had already secretly pledged their lives to each other.

At that moment, Shen Lian felt as if the flame in his heart had been completely extinguished.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, realizing that all his struggles along the way were nothing more than an insignificant farce in her eyes.

The feelings he had carefully hidden for so many years ultimately amounted to nothing, like a "simp who ends up with nothing."

He didn't cause trouble for Zhou Miaotong, nor did he confide his bitterness to anyone. He simply drank alone in the tavern for three days and three nights until he was completely drunk.

After sobering up, he looked at the familiar streets of the capital and felt utterly disgusted.

Just then, the imperial court issued an edict ordering Yang Lian to inspect the nine border regions and investigate long-standing malpractices, requiring the assistance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This was a job that almost everyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard avoided like the plague.

Not only are the Nine Border Regions bitterly cold, but they are also rife with powerful border generals. A slight misstep while inspecting the Nine Border Regions could offend influential figures and even lead to execution. However, faced with this arduous task, Shen Lian took the initiative to approach his superior and accepted the assignment.

Perhaps, in Shen Lian's view, dying in office might not be a bad choice.
"Mr. Shen, we've arrived at Wang Wei's residence!"

The voice of his subordinate pulled Shen Lian back to reality.

now.

He stood in front of Wang Wei's residence with dozens of Imperial Guard captains and five hundred standard-bearer soldiers.

"Is this the residence of a guerrilla general?"

Shen Lian frowned deeply.

Wang Wei was merely a guerrilla general, and according to the regulations of the imperial court, his residence could not exceed three courtyards.

But the mansion in front of us has a towering vermilion gate with two stone lions standing in front of it. Looking inside, you can see a series of courtyards, as many as five, which probably covers more than ten acres and has long exceeded the limit!

To his surprise, the mansion gates were tightly shut, and dozens of servants stood on the walls, armed with bows and arrows and long knives, clearly putting up a stubborn resistance.

"It seems that Wang Wei has raised quite a few loyal dogs."

Shen Lian smirked and said to the centurion beside him, "Order the attack on the mansion! Remember, try to leave some alive. If the women and servants in the mansion do not resist, do not harm them."

"Yes!"

The battalion commander responded loudly and immediately ordered his soldiers to set up ladders and rush towards the top of the mansion wall.

Although the servants on the wall put up a stubborn resistance, they had lost their morale and were no match for the standard battalion soldiers.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the gate was smashed open, and the servants were either killed or surrendered, and were quickly wiped out.

As Shen Lian led the Imperial Guard captain into the mansion, his gaze swept over the exquisite pavilions, towers, and precious flowers and trees in the courtyard, and his surprise deepened.

This is hardly the residence of a guerrilla general; it is far more luxurious than the residences of high-ranking officials in the capital!

Without delay, he immediately ordered: "Divide into two teams. One team will search the front yard storeroom and study, and the other team will search the back yard bedrooms and outbuildings. All valuables, whether gold, silver, land deeds, or antiques, must be registered and recorded. No one should be missed!"

The Imperial Guard officers obeyed the order and left, and soon exclamations of surprise could be heard.

In the front yard storeroom, there were wooden boxes of all sizes piled up. When you opened them, you could see that they were filled with neatly stacked silver ingots, as well as a lot of gold of excellent quality.

Hidden in a secret compartment of the study were dozens of land deeds, involving fertile fields and shops inside and outside Jizhou City, roughly amounting to over a thousand acres.

In the bedroom in the backyard, the dressing table was filled with precious jewels such as pearls, jade, and agate, and the silks and satins hanging in the wardrobe were even more luxurious than those of the top maids in the Warm Fragrance Pavilion.

What shocked Shen Lian even more was that dozens of women were living in the side rooms in the backyard.

He had young and beautiful wives and concubines, gentle and charming maids, and several musicians skilled in singing and dancing.

These women, dressed in gorgeous clothes, had faces full of terror, yet their exquisite makeup was still undeniable.

"Sir, the initial inventory is complete!"

A captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard strode over with account books in his hand, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"The gold and silver jewelry is worth about 200,000 taels of silver, the land deeds and shops are valued at about 150,000 taels, and there are also many antiques and paintings. The total price is conservatively estimated at 300,000 to 400,000 taels!"

"Three or four hundred thousand taels?"

Shen Lian took the ledger, his eyes gradually turning cold.

Although he was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had seen many corrupt officials, he never imagined that a mere guerrilla general could amass such a huge fortune!
It should be noted that the annual salary of a Ming Dynasty guerrilla general was only 150 taels of silver, and even with various subsidies, it would not exceed 300 taels a year.

Three or four hundred thousand taels of silver, if one relied solely on their salary, it would take more than a thousand years to save up that amount without eating or drinking!
This money was undoubtedly the money Wang Wei had embezzled over the years, the money he received from falsely reporting troop numbers, and even the money he obtained by colluding with the Tartars and Jurchens and smuggling iron cavalry and gunpowder!

"These people have really drained the blood of the soldiers in Jizhou."

Shen Lian muttered to himself, recalling the sight of the military households and civilians eating wild vegetable porridge and wearing tattered clothes when he accompanied Yang Lian on his previous visits.

On one side, the people were suffering from hunger and cold, while on the other side, these parasites were indulging in luxury and pleasure. This stark contrast caused the pent-up resentment in his heart to gradually transform into an uncontrollable rage.

He raised his hand and handed the ledger to the captain beside him, his tone stern: "Continue the investigation, search every corner carefully, especially the walls and the floor, and make sure to find all the hidden stolen money!"

Furthermore, gather all the women and servants in the mansion in the front courtyard and interrogate them one by one to see if we can extract more information!

"Yes!"

The captains responded in unison and turned to continue their work.

Shen Lian stood in the courtyard, gazing at the luxurious yet sinful mansion. The pain in his heart seemed to be somewhat diluted by this anger.

He suddenly realized that perhaps accompanying Yang Lian on his inspection tour of the nine border regions was not just for relaxation.

Being able to recover what rightfully belongs to these suffering people and make these corrupt officials pay the price they deserve is perhaps more meaningful than anything else.

What does romantic love matter?
A man should strive to make something of himself!

By then, what kind of woman won't be there?
Late that night.

Cui Yingyuan and Shen Lian then presented the confiscated property ledger to Yang Lian.

The three to four hundred thousand taels of silver that Shen Lian confiscated from Wang Wei's residence had already shocked Yang Lian, but the accounts that Cui Yingyuan brought back from Zhang Shixian and Du Yingkui's residences made him gasp in astonishment.

They had 650,000 taels of silver in cash alone. Adding in land deeds, shops, antiques and jewelry, and stockpiled grain, their combined wealth exceeded 1.5 million taels!
"One million five hundred thousand taels..."

Yang Lian's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

The annual revenue of the Ming Dynasty's national treasury was only 25 million taels, while the private property of three generals in Jizhou was equivalent to nearly a month's worth of taxes from the entire country!
Behind these cold numbers lie the blood and tears of countless military households and civilians, and the hunger and cold of countless soldiers on the frontier—he dared not think too deeply about it.

Five days later, with the news sent back from the border by Liu Qu and Li Hongji, Yang Lian finally understood the source of this money.

During these five days, Liu Qu and Li Hongji led the regular soldiers of the Three Battalions Camp to Shimenzhai, Gubeikou, and Xifengkou with lightning speed.

They first took control of the trusted generals of Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei in each camp, and arrested them on the spot if they resisted. Then they quickly promoted veteran soldiers who were loyal to the court to fill the vacancies. In just three days, they stabilized the morale of the troops in the three places and firmly controlled the vital strategic location of Jizhou.

But when they began to inventory the warehouses and soldiers of each battalion, the scene before them made Liu Qu and Li Hongji's eyes widen in anger.

In the armory of Shimen Village, the long spears and bows that should have been piled up were reduced to only a few hundred pieces, most of which were old weapons that were rusty and unusable.

The gunpowder depot was completely empty, with only a few empty wooden barrels of gunpowder remaining, and a small amount of damp and deteriorated gunpowder scattered in the corner, making it completely unusable.

The old soldier in charge of guarding the warehouse said tremblingly, "General, a few years ago when Lieutenant General Du was still in power, he would have a large amount of gunpowder and weapons transported away every month, saying it was 'sent elsewhere for repairs,' but they've never been seen coming back..."

This is hardly a renovation.

They were clearly sold to those Tartars and Jurchens!
Driven by greed, these people have colluded with foreign powers, a path that has led to their demise!

The granary at Gubeikou was in a similarly dire state.

The grain and fodder that should have been stored enough to feed the entire battalion for half a year is now reduced to a few piles of moldy brown rice, and weeds have even grown in the grain bins.

A veteran said with tears in his eyes, "General, we only receive 30% of our monthly rations, and it's all coarse rice mixed with sand. Some of our brothers are so hungry that they have to go outside the city to dig for wild vegetables... But those officials secretly sell the grain for money!"

Clearly, Zhang Shixian and his ilk were not content with simply receiving salaries without working; they also wanted to exploit their soldiers.

Moreover, it consumed the bulk of the soldiers' rations and pay, leaving only one-third for the soldiers.

The shortage of soldiers is even more alarming.

Shimen Village was supposed to have 15,000 men, but in reality, fewer than 6,000 were combat-ready. The remaining 9,000-plus positions were all fraudulently claimed by Zhang Shixian and his associates, and the vacant military pay went straight into their pockets.

The Xifengkou military unit was authorized to have 8,000 men, but only 3,000 were actually in service, and most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled, unable to even complete basic drills.

What's even more ridiculous is that some "soldiers" had been dead for many years, but their names still appeared on the military register. Their pay was still paid every month, but it was all embezzled by the generals.

"No wonder...no wonder they were able to seize so much wealth! No wonder their mansions are comparable to those of royalty!"

As Yang Lian looked at the report sent back by Liu Qu, he clenched his fists tightly, his anger almost bursting out of his chest.

One million taels of silver, three to four hundred thousand taels of military pay, countless gunpowder, weapons, and provisions...

These supplies, which should have been used to protect Jizhou and defend against foreign invaders, were instead resold and embezzled by corrupt officials like Zhang Shixian, Du Yingkui, and Wang Wei!
They lived in luxurious mansions, embraced beautiful wives and concubines, and drank fine wines, while the soldiers on the frontier were hungry and guarded the land with broken weapons.

They were rolling in money, while the military households and ordinary people were selling their children and eating chaff and wild vegetables!
"These people deserve to die ten times over!"

Yang Lian slammed the military report on the table, his voice trembling with anger.

The scenes he had witnessed during his visits flashed before his eyes.

An old man with a wrinkled face holds a bowl of wild vegetable porridge mixed with tree bark; a woman sobs uncontrollably as she recounts how her daughter was sold to a brothel; a young man's lips are purple from the cold, and his eyes are filled with longing...

These images, superimposed on the numbers in the ledgers and the empty warehouses, intensified his anger and heartache.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, but his eyes became incredibly sharp.

Executing Zhang Shixian and others is not enough; we must thoroughly investigate all the long-standing problems in Jizhou, recover all the embezzled funds, and expose all the corrupt officials hiding in the shadows.

另外
It's time to open the granaries, distribute grain, replenish military pay, and stabilize the morale of the people in Jizhou.

Without popular support, reforms cannot be carried out in depth.

Thinking of this, Yang Lian immediately shouted:

"Someone is coming."

"Immediately draft a document to report in detail to Your Majesty the evidence of Zhang Shixian and others' corruption and collusion with foreign barbarians, as well as the shortage of soldiers and supplies in Jizhou."

Furthermore, order Liu Qu and Li Hongji to continue investigating the crimes of the generals of Jizhou, especially clues about their collusion with foreign barbarians, and to bring them all to justice!

He wanted to make Jizhou a model for the nine border regions, so that those generals could see the consequences of embezzlement, dereliction of duty, treason, and refusal to confess, obey orders, or atone for their crimes.

Later, when he went to patrol the border, those people should understand eight words:
Leniency if you confess, severity if you resist!
Only in this way could he achieve his goal by inspecting Jizhou!
(End of this chapter)