Huangming

Chapter 431 Appeasing Border Officials to Force Them to Accept Bribes, a Scheme Brewing
Xuanfu.

Xuanfu Town, also known as Xuanfu Garrison, was one of the nine border garrisons established in the early Ming Dynasty. It was named after the garrison commander stationed in Xuanhua Prefecture, and is also sometimes simply referred to as "Xuanzhen".

The border wall under its jurisdiction stretched from Juyong Pass in the east to the Xiyang River in Yanggao County in the northeast of present-day Shanxi Province, with a length of 1,023 li.

It belonged to the capital city during the Ming Dynasty and was under the jurisdiction of the Wanquan Commandery.

Xuanfu Town has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists, and its strategic position is extremely important.

Especially after the Ming Dynasty established its capital in Beijing, Xuanfu Town became a vital strategic location for protecting the capital and defending against the southward advance of the Mongols.

This place is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and the terrain is dangerous and narrow. The number of garrisons here is twice that of other towns, so it is considered to be easy to defend. However, it is less than 400 li from the capital, and its strategic location is well known.

Due to its important geographical location, Xuanfu Town received significant investment starting from the Ming Dynasty.

In the tenth year of the Yongle reign, an imperial edict was issued ordering border generals to build stone walls and deep trenches from Chang'an Ridge westward to Ximalin.

During the Zhengtong era, the Oirat Mongols rose to power, and tensions rose on the borders of the Ming Dynasty. As a result, twenty-two forts and beacon towers, including Chicheng, were added.

In August of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign (1444), Emperor Yingzong of Ming was captured in the Tumu Crisis, and the border post in Xuanfu Town suffered severe damage.

After Emperor Jingtai ascended the throne, the Ming army recovered the lost border passes.

During the Jiajing era, the northern part of Xuanfu underwent extensive repairs, with the addition of numerous border walls, watchtowers, and fortifications.

After the Jiajing reign, the Xuanfu Great Wall was repaired during the Longqing and Wanli reigns.

By the second year of the Tianqi reign, Xuanfu had become a colossal place.

The town has a total of 1,116 li of border wall, 1,274 border beacon towers, and 192 strategic passes.

The Xuanfu Garrison once had 15.1 troops during the Yongle era, but by the Tianqi era, due to the withdrawal of troops from the Liaodong campaign and long-term losses, the actual troop strength had shrunk significantly.

But on paper, there are still 80,000 people and 32,400 horses.

now.

Xuanfu City.

Zhenguo Mansion.

Lobby
Zhang Heming, the Imperial Commissioner for Pacifying the Border, sat in the main seat in the hall. He looked at Ma Shilong and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and asked:

"I see on this roster that Xuanfu has more than 80,000 people and over 30,000 warhorses. I wonder if that's true?"

"Lord Budo."

Ma Shilong bowed and cupped his hands, saying:

"The number of 80,000 government troops is just on paper; the number of 30,000 warhorses is even more inflated."

Zhang Heming frowned slightly and asked:

"What do you mean? Please explain in detail."

Li Zhong, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stepped forward and took out a small booklet from his robes. It was a record of his secret investigations of more than ten guards:
"My lord, I have investigated Chaigoubao in the west, Wanquan Right Guard in the middle, and Sihaizhi in the east. Take Chaigoubao for example, the records show that there are 5,000 troops stationed there, but when we actually counted them, there were less than 2,000, including the old and weak."

Some soldiers deserted to the grasslands, some were sent by their generals to cultivate private land, and others simply froze and starved to death, yet their names remained on the roster, all for the sake of receiving an extra share of pay.

"Where are the warhorses?"

Zhang Heming's voice deepened.

"The warhorses fared even worse."

Ma Shilong shook his head with a wry smile, his tone full of helplessness.

"Thirty-two thousand horses? In reality, they couldn't even gather ten thousand, and most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled."

Last month, when my subordinates went to the stables to inspect the horses, they found that some of the horses were so thin that their ribs were clearly visible, and they could not even carry the saddle.

Some of the horses had cracked hooves, making them wobble as they walked.

Last winter, due to insufficient fodder, more than two thousand warhorses froze and starved to death. When the commanders reported this, they only said, "There was a sudden outbreak of epidemic, resulting in the loss of over a hundred horses." The remaining horse proceeds had already been diverted to build private residences and buy concubines.

Zhang Heming leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, but couldn't suppress the chill in his heart.

These border generals are insatiable and have already emptied the very lifeblood of Xuanfu Town.

Before he could catch his breath, Li Zhong continued:

There's also the matter of pay.

From the end of the Wanli era to the present, the longest period of arrears in military pay in Xuanfu Town was five months.

Senior officers pocketed the vacant 'horse price silver' and 'weapon silver' funds year after year, but what about the soldiers?
Some could only survive by digging for wild vegetables and gnawing on tree bark; others couldn't even afford winter clothes and stood guard along the border wall in only thin clothing, their hands so cold they could barely hold a knife.

"As for falsely reporting military achievements, that's commonplace."

Last autumn, a Mongol tribe came to the border and robbed a few cattle and sheep, but the generals reported that they had "defeated the Mongol cavalry and killed more than a hundred of them." They not only received rewards from the court, but were also promoted.

In reality, the soldiers didn't even see the enemy; the heads they "captured" were all cut off from the bodies of dead refugees.

Zhang Heming's expression turned even uglier.

It seems.

The decay of Xuanfu Town was not as simple as "long-term damage".

It is corruption from top to bottom, and "border defense" has been turned into a tool for personal gain.

"What about the junior and middle-ranking officers? Don't they have any scruples? Doesn't the Five Military Command care?"

Zhang Heming asked.

"Concerns? They act without any scruples, only thinking about how to gain more benefits. As for the people of the Five Military Commands, they have all joined in."

"Eating empty quotas is just a basic operation; what's even more ruthless is 'collecting monthly allowances through science and technology.'"

Before each month's pay was distributed, the generals would deduct "tribute money," "pens and ink money," and "post station money," claiming it was for "official business," but in reality, it all went into their own pockets.

Soldiers are already owed very little pay, and with this deduction, they receive less than 60% of it.

"And there was also the supervising eunuch Liu Kun."

After he came to Xuanfu last year, he tightly controlled the power to distribute grain and rations. If the generals wanted to receive grain and rations, they had to give him gifts first.

If less than the required amount is delivered, they will say, "The supplies haven't arrived."

If they don't deliver it, just say, "Military equipment is in disarray, so delivery will be postponed."

There was a military officer who, because he hadn't delivered enough silver, had his soldiers go without food for three days and almost mutinied. But Eunuch Liu said in front of everyone, "What does it have to do with us if the officers are incompetent and can't control their soldiers?"
Now all the officers are afraid of him, and no one dares to disobey him.

"Liu Kun..."

Zhang Heming murmured the name, his brows furrowed in worry.

The eunuch supervisors of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs were originally intended to check and balance the generals, but now they have become another malignant tumor that erodes the border towns.

With eunuchs interfering in politics, generals being corrupt, and soldiers suffering, Xuanfu Town was no longer a "key" to guarding the country's gates, but a quagmire rotten to the core.

During the Yongle era, Xuanfu Garrison once had 150,000 elite troops, with herds of warhorses. The soldiers were always ready to fight, which deterred the Mongol tribes from moving south.

But now, the 80,000 government troops and 30,000 warhorses on paper are nothing but an empty shell to cover up the truth; the inside has long been riddled with holes by corruption.

"What a mess... what a mess."

Zhang Heming sighed deeply, his voice filled with exhaustion.

His Majesty sent him to Xuanfu in the hope that he could sort out the situation.

However, cleaning up this mess proved to be far more difficult than he had imagined.

Fortunately
He's only here to appease the border.

Zhang Heming composed himself and continued to ask:

"Commander-in-Chief Wang Guoliang, along with seven deputy commanders, three guerrilla generals, two officers stationed in the camp, thirty-one garrison commanders, and two squad leaders—are all of these people corrupt?"

"Xuanfu is full of filth; who can remain untainted?"

Zhang Heming, however, was unwilling to give up.

Even sewage should have some cleaner parts, right?
"We can't all treat military pay as private property and sell warhorses like commodities."

Ma Shilong slowly shook his head, his tone full of helplessness:

"Your Excellency may not know this, but the military families of Xuanfu have far greater influence than those of Jizhou and Liaodong."

The generals here are either related by blood or have vested interests.

The marriage alliance between the Wang and Li families, and the Li family's subsequent acquisition of positions through their connections with the Liu family, created a complex web of relationships.

Their exploitation of soldiers had long been the 'rule'.

When a new official takes office, the first thing he should learn is how to embezzle funds.

Generals were promoted by exaggerating their military achievements and currying favor with their superiors.

What you mean by 'relatively clean' simply doesn't exist in Xuanfu.

If we follow the rules of Jizhou and Liaodong and execute all the corrupt officials, then the command of Xuanfu Town will likely be vacant by more than half.

"Sigh~"

Zhang Heming gasped.

Although he knew that Xuanda University had deep-seated problems, he did not expect it to have reached this point.

Last year, the Jizhou garrison underwent a reorganization, during which many people were killed, but at least some generals were willing to repent.

Needless to say, in Liaodong, under Xiong Tingbi's iron-fisted rule, the soldiers were united as one.

But what about Xuanfu?

They couldn't even find a single general who was "relatively clean" in the field.

He leaned back in his chair, a sense of powerlessness washing over him.

His Majesty sent him to "pacify the border," not to "suppress the generals."

If all the generals of Xuanfu are killed, the morale of the army will be shaken, and the Mongol tribes will take the opportunity to invade. Then he will be a sinner.

However, if left unchecked, corruption will continue and military pay will be delayed, and the soldiers will eventually mutini, and then Xuanfu will still be lost.

Just then, as if remembering something, Ma Shilong suddenly spoke:
"However, it's not entirely hopeless."

When news of the Jurchens' defeat and the great victory in Liaodong reached Xuanfu, some generals were probably afraid.

They knew that if His Majesty could pacify Liaodong, he would naturally be able to deal with Xuanfu as well.

Among the three military commanders, Zhou Tong, the military commander of Yongning on the East Route, Wu Qian, the military commander of Wanquan Right Guard on the West Route, and Zhao Chengye, the military commander of Shunsheng Weiguang on the South Route, have voluntarily submitted their documents, confessing their crimes and stating their willingness to make up for the embezzled funds and atone for their crimes through meritorious service.

"Oh?"

Zhang Heming sat up abruptly, his eyes instantly lighting up.

This was the first good news he had heard in more than a month since he arrived in Xuanfu!

"What crimes did they confess to? How much could they possibly raise to make up the difference in pay?"

Zhou Tong admitted to embezzling 300 people's quotas and offered to pay 6,000 taels of silver in return.

Wu Qian embezzled three thousand taels of silver from the horse's price, claiming he could raise the money within ten days.

Zhao Chengye, who had been extorting monthly wages from the soldiers, was also willing to return two thousand taels of silver.

As Ma Shilong spoke, he took out three documents from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Heming.

"These are their self-confessions, all with their fingerprints on them."

Zhang Heming took the document and quickly flipped through it.

Although it was only three adjutant generals and the amount of silver they were given was not much, it was a signal.

Finally, some of the generals in Xuanfu were afraid, and some were willing to repent!

His heart, which had been hanging in suspense for over a month, finally eased slightly, and the first smile since arriving in Xuanfu appeared on his face:
"Good! Good! His Majesty said that as long as one is willing to repent and start anew, one can be given a chance."

Since they are willing to confess their crimes and make up for the embezzled funds, then let bygones be bygones and allow them to remain in their posts to atone for their crimes.

"Perfect, let them go and rectify the discipline of their respective garrisons, and set an example for the other generals."

With Liaodong pacified, the Liao army is about to march south.

With Xuanfu no longer a monolithic entity, he finally felt more confident.

First, stabilize the nine border regions.
As for how to handle it afterward, that's not his business.

He just needs to do his job well.

leftover.

Then they came to believe in the wisdom of later generations.

Thinking of this, Zhang Heming immediately said:
"Deputy Commander Ma, immediately send someone to the Commander's Mansion to ask Wang Guoliang what he really means."

Should they confess their crimes and atone for their sins like Zhou Tong and the others, or should they wait for Xiong Tingbi to lead a large army over and then settle accounts with him?

Tell him, if they could capture Huang Taiji in Liaodong, they can capture him, the commander-in-chief, in Xuanfu too!

"Yes!"

Ma Shilong immediately sent someone to question him.

the other side.

Xuanzhen General's Mansion.

In the study.

On the large sandalwood desk lay a document, a message from Zhang Heming, instructing him to question someone.

Wang Guoliang, dressed in the robes of a general, had lost his usual imposing manner and paced restlessly.

The teacup on the table had long since gone cold, and the tea leaves had sunk to the bottom, just like his mood, which had sunk to the bottom at that moment.

"More questioning... That old bastard Zhang Heming is really pushing me to the limit!"

Wang Guoliang suddenly stopped and slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to bounce and spill a few drops of cold tea.

prior to.

The war in Liaodong has not stopped, and the nine border regions are in turmoil.

The imperial court relied heavily on him to guard Xuanfu, but he dared to embezzle military pay and take bribes without working. He even dared to take 40% of the bonus money that Zhang Heming gave to the soldiers when he first arrived.

In his view, these were all "earned through his own abilities," so why should he give them back?
But it's different now.

The news of the great victory in Liaodong was like a bucket of cold water, making him completely sober and even fearful.

With Huang Taiji captured alive and the Jurchens destroyed, Xiong Tingbi's army, no longer restrained by Liaodong, could march south at any time. His previous reliance—"If Xuanfu cannot be in chaos, the court dares not touch him"—has now become a joke.

The soldiers in Xuanfu were mostly old, weak and disabled, and they couldn't even muster 10,000 warhorses. How could they compare to Xiong Tingbi's elite troops in Liaodong?

To do the opposite is to court death.

If he didn't rebel, Zhang Heming would press him hard, demanding that he confess and hand over the embezzled funds, which was worse than killing him.

"Commander, don't panic."

A deep voice came from the side.

Hei Yunlong, the military commander of Dushikou, stood up. He was a burly man with an arrogant look in his eyes.

As a key figure in the military family of Xuanfu, he rose to power by exploiting the border troops. His private lands and shops were scattered throughout Xuanhua Prefecture. When Zhang Heming wanted to rectify military discipline and recover embezzled funds, the first person he would target was someone like him.

"Xuanfu has an authorized strength of 80,000. Even if the actual number is less than 40,000, when you add the troops in Datong and the border towns of Yansui and Ningxia, the total force is hundreds of thousands. Do you think Zhang Heming, a mere civil official, can shake us?"

Wang Guoliang looked up at him, a hint of hesitation in his eyes:

"Hundreds of thousands of troops?"

But those border town generals are fighting their own battles; who among them would truly disobey orders alongside us?
Zhang Heming wants to target Xuanfu, not them.

Perhaps he can't shake all the border towns, but Xuanfu is the first to bear the brunt. Do we want to be the first to stick our necks out?

He remembered that Zhou Tong and the other two brigade commanders had voluntarily confessed their crimes, and he became even more panicked.

Even our own people are starting to waver; this situation is probably unsustainable.

"The nail that sticks out?"

Hei Yunlong sneered, took a step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with a seductive tone.

"General, you've misunderstood!"
Zhang Heming didn't want three deputy generals; he wanted military power over the entire Xuanfu region!

He's trying to divide us by making Zhou Tong and the others confess.

Once he has control of the situation in Xuanfu and has figured out our crimes, do you think he will let you go?
How did Zhang Shixian, the deputy commander of Jizhou, die?

How were those generals in Liaodong sent to the guillotine?
They're always appeased first, then purged!

Upon hearing this, Wang Guoliang immediately began to waver.

"Then... then what do you suggest we do?"

"We cannot rebel against nature, but we also cannot surrender without a fight!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Hei Yunlong's eyes.

“We can stall for time and secretly contact the garrison commander in Datong to put pressure on Zhang Heming as well.”

As long as we stabilize the troops in Xuanfu and prevent a mutiny, Zhang Heming will not dare to do anything to us.

He's the Imperial Commissioner for Pacifying the Border, not the Governor-General for Suppressing Bandits. If Xuanfu falls into chaos, he'll be the first to be implicated!

"Besides, even if Xiong Tingbi's army marches south, it will take time."

If we delay for a month or two, and wait for things to escalate in Datong and Yansui, the imperial court will naturally make Zhang Heming restrain himself.

At that point, not only will he not dare to force us to hand over the embezzled funds, but he'll also have to rely on us!

Seeing the fierce look in Hei Yunlong's eyes, Wang Guoliang's hesitation gradually dissipated.

But just as he was about to nod and speak, he stopped.

He wasn't afraid of Zhang Heming, who was just a pedantic scholar. But he was afraid of the person behind Zhang Heming, the Ming Emperor Zhu Youxiao, who had only been on the throne for two years and had managed to bring the decades-long turmoil in Liaodong under control!

That was a ruler who could even capture Huang Taiji alive; he had no confidence in challenging such a sage ruler.

"But can we hold out?"

Wang Guoliang finally voiced his concerns.

"His Majesty is not like Emperor Shenzong. If he were to truly become enraged, Xuanfu would likely be stained with blood. We..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the study, accompanied by the panicked shouts of his personal guards:
"Commander-in-Chief! Commander-in-Chief! A secret message has arrived from Liaodong!"

Liaodong?

Wang Guoliang suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly sharpening.

He rushed to the door, grabbed the guard's arm, and his voice trembled:
"Where's the letter? Give it to me now!"

The guard quickly took out a sealed letter from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

Wang Guoliang snatched the letter and unfolded it with trembling hands.

With just one glance, the color drained from his face, his lips turned white, and he could barely stand, staggering back two steps.

"Commander-in-Chief, what's wrong?"

Hei Yunlong hurriedly stepped forward, and seeing his appearance, his heart skipped a beat.

Wang Guoliang raised his hand, pointed to the letter, and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Chen Ce and Qi Jin... have led the Sichuan and Southern troops south out of the pass, and will arrive at Jizhou soon!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Hei Yunlong's expression changed drastically.

The Sichuan soldiers were brave and the southern soldiers were skilled in battle; both were among the top elite troops of the Ming Dynasty and had already gained fame during the fight against Japanese pirates.

Jizhou is right next to Xuanfu. If cavalry were to gallop, they could reach the city of Xuanfu in two or three days!

His Majesty sent them to provide support.

The situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for them.

"That's enough...that's enough..."

Wang Guoliang slumped into his chair, let out a long sigh, and the last glimmer of hope in his eyes vanished.

He appointed him.

"It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it's no different from suicide. Since His Majesty is to pacify the nine border regions, not to suppress them, then Xuanfu... still has a way out."

Although having to return the ill-gotten gains accumulated over the years was painful for him, it felt like his own flesh was being torn apart.

But as painful as it may be, at least my life was saved, wasn't it?

After all, no matter how much money you have, it's all for nothing if you don't live to spend it.

Moreover, he had already done the math in his head.

His Majesty must appease the nine border regions. If Xuanfu resists, it will surely be the first to be dealt with.

However, if he submits, it will be like "spending a fortune to buy a horse's bones," setting an example for other border towns such as Datong and Yansui. His Majesty, in order to demonstrate "benevolence," will certainly not treat this "pragmatic" general unfairly.

His horse bone is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Think about this.

Wang Guoliang sat up abruptly, his gaze hardening once more, and his tone becoming calmer:
"Then confess your crimes!"
His Majesty is now diligent in his duties, unlike during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, when the court was clear and the military was at its peak. I think we should stop making trouble.

In the end, after all that trouble, there probably won't even be any bones left.

He was no longer willing to take any risks; when faced with the threat of death, his greed ultimately had to give way.

However, Black Cloud Dragon was still unwilling to give up.

He stepped forward and earnestly offered his words of comfort:

"Commander! Wait a little longer!"

The general in Datong hasn't replied yet. If we delay for a few more days, there might still be a chance!

That money represents your hard work over the years; how can you just hand it over so easily?

His Majesty distributed the money to those military households to supplement their pay, which is simply a waste of money.

He also wanted to explain the pros and cons, hoping to change Wang Guoliang's mind.
Once Wang Guoliang confesses, he, as the core of a military family, will inevitably be implicated, and his long-standing foundation will be destroyed in an instant.

But Wang Guoliang was determined this time. He waved his hand, interrupting Hei Yunlong.

"No need. We've both witnessed His Majesty's methods. Dragging this out will only backfire."

"If you wish to disobey orders, then go yourself; I will not stop you. But Xuanfu cannot be buried with you."

Looking into Wang Guoliang's determined eyes, Hei Yunlong knew that further persuasion would be useless.

He opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He just sighed deeply, his eyes filled with resentment and desolation.

He slowly turned around and walked out of the study step by step.

Hei Yunlong left the General's Mansion.

The sky had already turned gray, and the twilight was so thick it seemed impossible to break through.

He immediately rode back to his own residence.

Two large red lanterns in front of the mansion gate cast a dim yellow light, making the fangs of the stone lions in front of the gate appear even more ferocious.

The sound of string and wind instruments drifted from inside the door, but it did nothing to warm the chill in his heart.

He flung off his riding whip and strode inside without waiting for his servants to approach.

Upon entering the inner courtyard bedroom, two concubines, aged thirteen or fourteen, were already waiting, one holding a wine pot and the other a wine cup, timidly not daring to raise their heads.

These two girls were originally daughters of military households. Last year, he forcibly took them into his mansion. Now, their faces still have a touch of childishness, but they have been worn down and lost all their vitality.

Hei Yunlong snatched the wine jug, tilted his head back and drank most of it. The spicy wine burned his throat, but he couldn't suppress the panic and anger surging in his heart.

"come over!"

He suddenly waved his hand, his voice hoarse.

The two concubines trembled and rushed forward, only to be pulled into his arms.

The smell of alcohol mixed with his sweat hit them, and the girls froze in fear, but dared not struggle.

Hei Yunlong grabbed their wrists, splashed the wine onto their thin clothes, then roughly tore them apart. He then pressed himself against them, pinching their waists hard.

The music in the bedroom had stopped sometime earlier, leaving only his heavy breathing and the girls' suppressed sobs. The candlelight cast distorted shadows on the wall, much like his twisted thoughts at that moment.

Half an hour later, Hei Yunlong slumped on the soft couch, while his two concubines huddled in the corner, their clothes disheveled and their faces streaked with tears.

After venting his anger, the effects of the alcohol gradually wore off in Hei Yunlong's mind, and his rationality returned.

But the lingering fear immediately welled up in my heart.

He knew he was deeply sinful.

For many years, they have been embezzling military pay, falsely reporting 1,000 soldiers in Dushikou alone, and embezzling 20,000 taels of military pay every year.

They embezzled soldiers' rations and distributed moldy grain to the soldiers, while hoarding the best rice for themselves.

Military households were forced to work in illegal mines. There were at least 80 to 100 military households who died from exhaustion in the mines. When the mines collapsed, they were simply sealed off, and no one even bothered to collect the remains.

Not to mention last winter, in order to curry favor with the supervising eunuch Liu Kun, he forced more than ten female soldiers into prostitution. Those who refused were thrown to be fed to the vicious dogs in his mansion.

Each and every one of these things is punishable by death by a thousand cuts.

Wang Guoliang's corruption could be attributed to "long-standing problems."

But the blood of military households is on Hei Yunlong's hands!

Zhang Heming said "past offenses will not be punished," but that was meant for Zhou Tong and other corrupt military officers who only cared about money. It was not for someone like him with blood on his hands!

He sat up abruptly, his face contorted in extreme pain.

Confessing your guilt means certain death.

By refusing to plead guilty, Wang Guoliang had already backed down. As a mere military officer with only five hundred personal guards, how could he possibly stand up to the imperial court?
Emperor Zhu Youxiao of the Ming Dynasty had only been on the throne for two years when he brought Liaodong, which had been in turmoil for decades, under his control, captured Huang Taiji alive, and destroyed the Jurchens. How could he possibly contend with such an emperor?

Even Wang Guoliang, who holds the seal of the General of Xuanfu, dares not challenge His Majesty. What is Hei Yunlong compared to him?
He was just a military officer who rose through the ranks by virtue of his family's connections.

"Are we really going to surrender?"

He muttered to himself, his heart filled with resentment.

He rose from the son of a stable boy to the position of military commander, not through military merit, but by stepping on the corpses of soldiers and swallowing their blood and sweat. How could he be willing to give it all up?
at this time.

His gaze fell on a letter on the corner of the table.

That was a letter from the garrison commander of Datong Town yesterday, saying that the general of Datong was also unwilling to hand over the embezzled funds and wanted to join forces with Xuanfu to put pressure on Zhang Heming.

He slapped his thigh suddenly, his eyes lighting up as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Wang Guoliang is unwilling to rebel, but what if he is forced to rebel?"

A sinister thought began to take root in his mind.

He could forge letters, pretending that Wang Guoliang was plotting with the General of Datong to "purge the emperor's inner circle," and then secretly deliver the letters to Zhang Heming.

He then sent his trusted confidants to Dushikouwei to incite the soldiers whose pay he had embezzled to mutini, and to frame Wang Guoliang for "embezzling military pay and forcing the soldiers to rebel."

At that time, Wang Guoliang will be unable to defend himself. Even if he doesn't want to rebel, the court will assume that he has rebelled, and he will have no choice but to raise an army!

As soon as Wang Guoliang rebelled, he would immediately contact the military commanders of Datong, Shanxi, Yansui, and Ningxia.

Which of those people doesn't have dirty hands?

As long as Xuanfu falls into chaos first, they will definitely rebel in order to protect themselves!
When the nine border regions are in turmoil, in order to prevent greater chaos, His Majesty will have no choice but to appease them, pardon their crimes, and even rely on them to stabilize the border towns!
Thinking of this, a ferocious smile curled at the corner of Hei Yunlong's mouth.

He got up, walked to a corner, grabbed one of his concubines by the hair, and his eyes were filled with madness.

"Go, summon my trusted guards! Tell them I have important matters to discuss with them!"

The concubine was so frightened that she trembled all over and scrambled out of the room.

Hei Yunlong watched her retreating figure and took another swig of wine.

At this moment, his face no longer showed fear, only madness.

"Anyone caught?"

"Humph!"

He snorted coldly, his voice full of ruthlessness.

"My wealth and status were earned with blood, and to take them back, I will have to pay with blood!"

His Majesty wants me dead, but I'll live!
We must live on with those people in tow!

He wanted to see what would happen if the Nine Borders really revolted.
Your Majesty, what can you do to us?

ps:
A long chapter of 7200 words!
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(End of this chapter)