Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 129 Wang Chengen, take note.

It was very late at night.

The gold bricks in front of the Meridian Gate, soaked in blood, have not yet been completely washed away by the cold dew and frost of the capital city at night.

Zhou Quan witnessed firsthand the insane massacre of last night, a spectacle worthy of being recorded in history.

Dozens of human heads rolled on the ground, the gushing hot blood that stained half of the Meridian Gate Square, and the absolute authority of the emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where he was the only one who could speak, treating all the civil and military officials as nothing...

All of this was like the hottest branding iron, deeply imprinted in his mind, still burning hot to this day, making him feel a shiver rise from his very bones every time he recalls it.

However, amidst the extreme shock and awe, an emotion he himself was unwilling to delve into quietly sprouted in his heart, like a seed buried deep beneath the frozen soil.

That was... a hint of indescribable envy towards Tian Ergeng, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

To be so favored by His Majesty and to personally oversee such an unprecedented event, destined to leave a lasting mark on history, is an immense honor and an incredible opportunity for any minister eager to achieve great deeds.

Therefore, when the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs came with his head down at dusk to summon him, saying that His Majesty wanted to see him alone in the East Warm Pavilion, Zhou Quan's first reaction was that he thought there was some routine matter concerning the patrol of the Imperial Guards to be explained.

He quickly and skillfully suppressed the turmoil of awe and longing in his heart, tidied his appearance, and transformed himself back into the calm and reliable Director of the Western Depot. Step by step, he walked into the center of power.

……

At this moment, in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

Zhou Quan had been standing at the intersection of light and shadow like a clay statue for the full time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

My heart, too, followed the flickering candlelight, like the burning incense stick.

Several thick tallow candles burned quietly, their flickering flames casting enormous shadows on the wall, like lurking beasts.

A faint scent, a blend of fine sandalwood and aged ink from books, filled the air. It was both comforting and strangely intimidating.

As the director of the Western Depot and the chief of the Imperial Guards of the Forbidden City, he was already a rising star in the eyes of officials in the outer court.

But only Zhou Quan himself knew how uneasy and awe-inspiring he felt every time he stepped into this room that represented the highest power of the Ming Dynasty.

This is especially true today.

He was summoned here alone; there were no other cabinet ministers, no other leaders of the secret police, only him.

A person sat before the enormous desk behind the throne.
The man was dressed in a bright imperial-colored robe, without a crown, his hair simply tied back with a jade hairpin. He was looking down, using the candlelight to peruse a mountain of memorials.

His focused expression and the occasional slight furrowing of his brow over a particular word made him look less like a majestic monarch and more like a weary, ordinary student burdened by heavy coursework.

However, Zhou Quan dared not be negligent in the slightest.

He knew that this seemingly ordinary young man had, last night, used a bloody massacre at the Meridian Gate and a swift and decisive autocratic decision in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to silence and terrify the entire civil official group of the Ming Dynasty.

"coming?"

The emperor didn't even raise his head, and spoke very softly, as if asking a casual question.

Zhou Quan was startled and immediately bowed, almost burying his head in his chest: "Your subject, Zhou Quan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Don't stand there," Zhu Youjian finally looked up from his memorial, a hint of weariness on his face. He pointed to a brocade stool beside him. "Sit down. Wang Chengen, serve tea to Admiral Zhou."

"The slaves obey the order."

Wang Chengen, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who had been standing like a shadow in the corner, silently slid over and personally served Zhou Quan a steaming cup of fragrant tea.

Zhou Quan was flattered and only dared to touch the edge of the stool with half of his buttocks, holding the teacup with both hands and keeping his back straight.

Zhu Youjian seemed to notice his restraint, smiled, put down the vermilion brush in his hand, leaned back, and adopted a casual tone.

"Is your mother settling in well in the capital?"

Zhou Quan was taken aback, seemingly not expecting the emperor to ask this question.

"When I heard last time that you were newly married, I casually bestowed upon you a small congratulatory gift. I wonder if your new wife liked it?"

His meticulous mind went blank for a moment.

He felt as if he were not sitting on a cold brocade bench, but rather in a warm cloud.

That was no ordinary congratulatory gift.

Those were a pair of top-quality South China Sea pearls, a jade ruyi symbolizing "everything goes as you wish," and two bolts of cloud brocade, the kind only found in the palace. This favor was enough to make his Zhou family mansion shine with glory.

He had thought this was just a casual reward from the emperor, a tiny fraction of the vast imperial grace.

But to my surprise, His Majesty... still remembers.

Moreover, it was asked so casually, in such a private setting, on such a night, in such a relaxed tone, as if it were a casual conversation among family members.

Zhou Quan slid off the brocade stool with a "plop" and half of his body knelt on the ground, his hand holding the teacup trembling slightly with excitement.

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless! I am deeply grateful!" His voice carried a hint of barely suppressed, simple excitement. "Thanks to Your Majesty's blessing, my mother is doing well in the capital! My wife... my wife received Your Majesty's reward and was so happy that she couldn't sleep well for several nights, burning incense and praying for Your Majesty's blessings every day!"

He described in detail, even somewhat incoherently, how his mother praised the prosperity of the capital, and how his wife regarded the pair of pearls as precious treasures, daring not to wear them, but only to enshrine them.

Zhu Youjian listened quietly, a gentle smile always on his face.

……

The idle chatter eventually came to an end. When Zhou Quan finally finished recounting the trivial matters at home, he sat back down on the brocade stool with a face full of gratitude and satisfaction.

Zhu Youjian slowly picked up the teacup in front of him, gently blew away the foam, and then gently put it down.

"Snapped."

A crisp, light sound.

The clinking of the white porcelain teacup against the rosewood desk sounded particularly jarring in the quiet, warm room.

It's like a signal.

A signal of... a sudden and dramatic change.

Zhou Quan's heart skipped a beat.

He saw the emperor's gentle smile vanish instantly, like the receding tide, replaced by a sharp, hawk-like scrutiny. His eyes, which had previously held a hint of weariness, now seemed unfathomable.

"comprehensive."

The emperor's tone also turned serious; his voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"Now that your family affairs are settled, I have some state matters to attend to and will give you more responsibilities."

Zhou Quan shuddered suddenly!
The gentle warmth of the past vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of oppressive power.

He sprang up from the brocade stool almost reflexively, quickly straightened his robes, and then knelt down on both knees.

"Your Majesty, I would gladly die for you! Please give your orders!"

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, due to extreme tension.

Zhu Youjian did not ask him to get up.

He sat there, looking down at Zhou Quan, who was crawling on the ground, as if examining a precious sword about to be sharpened.

He called out loudly, "Wang Chengen."

"This servant is here." Wang Chengen appeared silently beside the desk.

"Bring me pen and ink."

"Every word I said today must be written down by Zhou Quan. Let him take it back and study it day and night, making sure there is not the slightest mistake!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Quan's back was instantly soaked with a layer of cold sweat.

Wang Chengen didn't ask any further questions. He simply bowed and accepted the order, skillfully taking a roll of blank yellow silk from the shelf beside him and carefully spreading it out at the other end of the desk. He then took a stick of Huizhou ink, added a drop of water, and began grinding it slowly and deliberately with a small ink stick.

“Rustle…rustle…”

Zhou Quan understood.

The nature of this conversation has been completely changed.

It was no longer a private conversation between the emperor and his ministers.

Rather, it was an oral decree that could not be disobeyed or forgotten, and needed to be recorded in writing as the highest proof!
The ceremony has begun.

And he was the sole recipient of the decree in this ceremony.

……

Zhu Youjian slowly stood up, left his desk, and began pacing around the warm pavilion.

His footsteps were so light they were almost inaudible, but each step seemed to be on Zhou Quan's heartbeat.

"Since I ascended the throne," the emperor's voice rang out softly, yet each word was like a hammer blow, "I have slaughtered Shanxi merchants and grain traders, killed corrupt officials and dismissed cruel bureaucrats, until yesterday when blood was spilled at the Meridian Gate. In the eyes of my officials, I am probably already an absolute cruel ruler."

He paused, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"But they don't know that this is just the beginning."

Zhu Youjian stopped, turned around, and stared intently at Zhou Quan, who was still prostrate on the ground.

"What I want to do is to change the world for my Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Internal and external troubles are deeply entrenched and difficult to reverse! Land annexation is rampant, and refugees are everywhere! Party strife is constant, and the national treasury is empty! The northern barbarians are eyeing us covetously, and the Japanese pirates in the southeast are making a comeback! If we do not take drastic measures to restore order, this country will perish!"

It was as if a thunderbolt had been thrown into Zhou Quan's mind, causing it to explode with a deafening roar!

Change the sky! Change the day!
He suddenly realized that what he was about to participate in was neither a court infighting nor a simple power reshuffle.

Instead, it was a high-stakes gamble that was destined to unleash a massive wave and overturn centuries of Ming Dynasty policies!
And he, Zhou Quan, an unknown figure who was just a minor officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard a year ago, actually became the first person to hear this earth-shattering secret!

ecstasy!

fear!

These two completely opposite, yet equally extreme, emotions were swirling and colliding wildly in his chest, almost bursting his reason.

He could even hear his heart pounding wildly like a war drum.

Zhu Youjian didn't give him much time to process the shock before his voice rang out again. "If we want reform, if we want to change the world, my safety is the most important thing in all of this!"

He pointed out the window to the silent palace.

"Zhou Quan, look at the Imperial Guards you command now! What are the Flag Bearers, the Golden Guards, the Feathered Forest Guards... The names are impressive, but what's the substance?"

The emperor's tone was filled with undisguised contempt and disgust.

"In reality, it's mostly a haven for the sons of noble families! They're all bloated and fat, relying on their ancestors' merits to act arrogantly and domineeringly in the capital, indulging in cockfighting and dog racing! They're utterly corrupt and their fighting capacity is completely depleted!"

“Tell me,” Zhu Youjian’s voice suddenly turned stern, “if there are truly villains causing trouble, or treacherous officials forcing the palace and rebelling against me, will they be my steadfast shield, or… will they turn their spears on my weak points at the first moment?!”

Zhou Quan's body trembled violently.

He was speechless.

Because everything His Majesty said was the truth.

“Therefore, the first task I’m giving you,” Zhu Youjian’s gaze turned to Wang Chengen, who had already prepared the ink and stood to the side with his hands at his sides, “is to forge a truly indestructible shield for me!”

He began to clearly and verbally describe to Wang Chengen the plan that he had already mentally rehearsed countless times.

"Wang Chengen, write this down."

"First, 'demolition'."

"From this day forward, abolish all the old garrison names in the capital! Flag Bearer Guard, Golden Guard, Feathered Forest Guard... all these nonsensical names, abolish them all! Those lazy noble sons who are just loafing around, investigate their eligibility for severance pay, give them a lump sum of severance pay, and send them home to hug their wives! In the army, I will not support idlers, much less parasites!"

“Those who are old, weak, sick and disabled will be incorporated into the logistics battalion to do odd jobs, which will give them a way to make a living.”

"The remaining able-bodied men, regardless of their background or past, will all be dispersed and you will personally oversee the most rigorous screening and assessment! Physical fitness, martial arts skills, and loyalty—if any one of these three is lacking, the candidate will be deemed unqualified!"

Zhou Quan was terrified.

Every word signifies a ruthless severing of the deeply entrenched interests of the old nobility! Once this order is announced, who knows what kind of storm it will unleash!

"Second, 'union'."

Zhu Youjian's voice did not pause at all.

"On the ruins, establish a brand new 'Imperial Guard' system! This system is modeled after concentric circles, divided into three layers: inner, middle, and outer, which are mutually supportive and mutually restraining!"

"The outermost layer is the 'Capital Garrison Army,' numbering 50,000. They are responsible for guarding the nine gates of the capital and the city's fortresses. Their recruitment..." Zhu Youjian paused, then uttered a word that made Zhou Quan's heart clench, "From the three major battalions of the Beijing Garrison that are about to be dismantled, excluding the New Army, select the elite and reorganize them!"

The three major battalions of the Beijing Garrison!
Zhou Quan's pupils suddenly contracted!

That's hundreds of thousands of armed troops in the capital! They were the foundation of the Ming Dynasty!

His Majesty... he actually intends to mobilize the three major military camps?!

At this moment, Zhou Quan truly understood just how ambitious and insane the emperor's "changing the world" really was!
The emperor was not joking.

The emperor truly intends to turn the Ming Dynasty upside down!

"The middle layer is the 'Imperial City Guard,' consisting of 10,000 men. They are responsible for patrolling and guarding the entire Imperial City, and you will personally command them."

"And the most core and innermost layer, which is also what I value most," Zhu Youjian's gaze returned to Zhou Quan, carrying a hint of burning heat, "is the 'Imperial Guard Office'! The staff will consist of three hundred people! These three hundred people are not many, but each one must be the elite of the elite, one in a hundred! You will personally select them for me from the Jinyiwei, the New Army, and even the best martial artists in the land!"

"Their identities will be directly recorded in the Western Depot's secret archives! Their salaries will be paid directly from my own private treasury, three times that of ordinary Imperial Guards! Their equipment will be the best I can provide! The best armor, the best swords, and the finest firearms!"

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Zhou Quan's blood boiled. He felt an incomparably hot torrent of power rush into his limbs and bones.

He was no longer a figurehead commander of the Imperial Guard, nor a governor who could only point fingers at the deeply entrenched noble garrisons.

He will have an army that is loyal only to him and the emperor, an army that has abandoned all old customs, an army that is supported with the best treatment, an army that will soon be armed to the teeth with absolute power!
This will be the foundation for his safe and secure life!
This will be the cornerstone of his life's achievements!
Zhu Youjian seemed quite pleased with Zhou Quan's face, which was flushed with excitement, but he didn't give Zhou Quan much time to fantasize. He changed the subject and became more serious.

"The Imperial Guards are my shield, protecting me. But a shield alone is far from enough. You, Zhou Quan, are still my Western Depot Commander."

"And the Western Depot," Zhu Youjian's gaze became deep and complex, "is my blade."

He looked at Zhou Quan and slowly corrected any misunderstandings he might have about this newly established institution.

"But I don't want a butcher's knife that only knows how to kill. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot are enough."

"What I need is a scalpel that can precisely and silently dissect the rotten body of the Ming Dynasty and find the source of the disease!"

Anatomy?

Zhou Quan was somewhat bewildered.

Zhu Youjian didn't keep him in suspense and directly revealed the true and core mission of the Western Depot.

"Within the Western Depot, I order you to establish a special agency independent of all other departments, called... the 'Political Supervision Department'!"

"Its only function is to be my eyes and my ears!"

Zhu Youjian's voice was even lower, carrying a hint of sinister intent.

"I have promulgated the new policies of lifting the sea ban and implementing the salt ticket system in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Your 'Political Supervision Office' must infiltrate Songjiang Prefecture and the Lianghuai Salt Fields as thoroughly as mercury seeps into the ground! I want to know how these policies have actually been implemented in the local areas. Are the people applauding or complaining? Are the local officials genuinely implementing them, or are they paying lip service while secretly doing something else entirely!"

"If I wish to promote a cabinet minister or give an important position to a governor-general, your 'Political Inspectorate' must immediately investigate him thoroughly! Is he a pillar of the nation or a mere figurehead? What are his abilities? What is his factional background? What shady dealings does he have? And what weaknesses can I exploit to benefit him?"

"I... need to know everything!"

Zhu Youjian spoke these words with absolute certainty, revealing an overwhelming desire for control.

This was a complete and enlightening revelation!

He finally understood the true purpose behind His Majesty's establishment of the Western Depot and his promotion to this position!
The Western Depot's duty was not to compete with the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot for the dirty and tiring work of torture, interrogation, and arrest.

From the very beginning, its position has been above all other violent institutions!
It is destined to become a ghost hanging over the entire bureaucratic system of the Ming Dynasty!
A super agency that is accountable only to the emperor himself, and responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and secretly reporting all "political affairs"!

This power...this power is more secretive, more central, and more...terrifying than simply controlling an army!
It's even more tempting!

His thoroughness will no longer be merely a sharp blade hanging in the open.

He will become the most secretive, profound, and deadliest piece in the emperor's turbulent political game of the entire Ming Dynasty.

……

After Zhu Youjian finished recounting the last detail about the structure of the "Political Supervision Department," a deathly silence fell over the East Warm Pavilion.

Only when Wang Chengen stopped writing did the tip of his brush make a slight "rustling" sound as it rubbed against the yellow silk.

Zhu Youjian slowly walked back to Zhou Quan. This time, he did not make him kneel. He reached out his hands and personally helped Zhou Quan, who was still in great shock, up from the cold ground.

His movements were steady and powerful.

"The Imperial Guards are my shield, protecting my body."

"The Western Depot is a knife, and also my eyes."

“Zhou Quan,” the emperor’s voice was deep and solemn, “I have staked my life and the future of this crumbling Ming Dynasty on you.”

"This burden," he paused, then asked, emphasizing each word, "do you dare to take it?"

At that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Zhou Quan's mind.

To answer or not to answer?

This question requires almost no thought or hesitation from Zhou Quan.

He came from humble origins, and without His Majesty's exceptional promotion, he would still be an insignificant figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, living a mediocre and uneventful life.

It was the emperor who gave him a new life.

It was the emperor who gave him the opportunity to see a higher view.

Now that the emperor has entrusted his life and the fate of the nation to him, how could he possibly back down in the slightest?!

Zhou Quan's body tensed up again. He slowly broke free from the emperor's support and knelt down once more with utmost solemnity.

This time, it wasn't out of fear, nor out of overwhelming flattery.

Rather, it was because of a burning passion and loyalty that came from the heart.

He bowed three times to Zhu Youjian.

Three dull yet resolute sounds came from his forehead hitting the hard, gold-brick floor.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Your Majesty, I, Zhou Quan, am willing to die for you, even at the cost of ten thousand lives!"

His voice was hoarse with excitement, yet it was filled with an unprecedented determination.

"I am willing to be Your Majesty's shield, clearing away thorns and brambles to protect Your Majesty!"

"I am willing to serve as Your Majesty's blade, braving fire and water, to slay all the villains!"

Zhu Youjian looked at him, and finally a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Wang Chengen had carefully rolled up the yellow silk that he had just finished writing, the ink still wet, and tied it tightly with a ribbon.

Zhou Quan received the light yet incredibly heavy "imperial edict" from Wang Chengen with trembling hands.

He felt that he had taken over the rest of his life, his entire destiny.

Zhou Quan bowed and retreated step by step from the East Warm Pavilion.

The moment he turned and walked out of the palace gate, a cool night breeze blew in his face, making his burning cheeks feel a shiver.

He raised his head, tightly clutching the yellow silk still faintly scented with ink, and gazed at the deep, boundless night sky with its sparse stars over the Forbidden City.

Zhou Quan knows.

From this night forward, Zhou Quan, who was once cautious and meticulous in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is dead.

(End of this chapter)