Chapter 28: Mao Wenlong’s Predicament
Page (1/3)
Soon afterward, Xu Yingyuan brought over several dozen experienced tailors from the Directorate of Palace Attire.
Zhu Youjian personally explained his design concepts to them.
For everyday clothing, black would be the primary color, with gold trim along the cuffs and collars.
Apart from the limitations imposed by the available fabrics and the level of production, the overall spirit and style of the garments were already more than superior enough.
As for the armor worn in battle, there was likewise little room for elaborate design at present because of the limitations of production.
It was not merely a matter of clothing.
Zhu Youjian also bestowed a new name upon his corps of palace-trained guards: the Divine Might Camp.
With his own aesthetic sensibilities in mind, he furthermore redesigned a great standard emblazoned with a dragon motif.
Given the efficiency of the palace these days, all these things could be produced within a few days and would not delay Zhu Youjian’s planned tour outside the palace.
By the time he had finished giving these orders, night had nearly fallen.
After spending an hour practicing archery on horseback, Zhu Youjian returned to the Qianqing Palace under the escort of his guards.
A coffin covered in ice still stood in the main hall of the Qianqing Palace. Inside lay the body of his elder brother, the former occupant of his body.
Since Zhu Youjian had repeatedly refused memorials proposing the construction of a tomb, the matter had dragged on until now.
Thinking of this, he immediately issued an order: the body was to be buried in the imperial mausoleum for the time being. The construction of a separate tomb could be discussed later.
The affairs of the living had yet to be settled. Where was there time to concern oneself with the dead?
……
The following day.
Zhu Youjian summoned Cao Huachun and asked him about the matter he had previously assigned:
“How is the list of ruffians and local bullies in the capital coming along?”
Cao Huachun had been occupied with this task for the past few days. Upon hearing the emperor’s question, he immediately took out a register.
“Your Majesty, the matter is already seventy to eighty percent complete. Some of the bullies and ruffians have connections with officials at court and are hiding rather deeply, so they require further investigation.”
“Still, at most five days, and at least three. This servant will uncover the names of every last one of them.”
For Cao Huachun and the Brocade Guards, compiling such a register was hardly difficult.
There was a simple reason.
The vegetable monopolists, manure monopolists, beggars’ gangs, and assorted ruffians around the capital and its outskirts had originally been protected by officials within the Brocade Guards themselves.
The lower-ranking officers therefore knew the situation extremely well.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
There was naturally no need to mention those they already knew.
Even if they did not know someone personally, as long as they had heard the name or seen the person associating with one of their former commanders, they wrote that name into the register without hesitation.
Their guiding principle was simple: better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape.
Zhu Youjian nodded and continued issuing orders.
“When I leave the palace, I will need to take some Brocade Guards with me. I will also allocate you a sum of silver. Recruit more men from fallen military officers, impoverished members of the hereditary nobility, and respectable sons of farming families to replenish your ranks.”
“This servant understands. I shall certainly select a group of loyal and capable men for Your Majesty.”
From the very first day Cao Huachun had sorted out the Brocade Guards’ numbers, he had reported to Zhu Youjian that he wished to expand the organization.
Recruitment had already begun, but now the pace would have to be accelerated.
Just as Cao Huachun was preparing to leave and carry out his duties, Zhu Youjian suddenly called him back.
“What do the Brocade Guards wear these days?”
Cao Huachun froze. He did not understand why His Majesty had suddenly asked such a question, but he answered honestly.
“Most of them wear coarse hemp clothing.”
“Go to Xu Yingyuan and have him produce a batch of Flying Fish Robes. From this day onward, every Brocade Guard is to wear a Flying Fish Robe and carry an Embroidered Spring Saber while on duty.”
“This servant receives Your Majesty’s command.”
The Flying Fish Robe and the Embroidered Spring Saber were naturally things Zhu Youjian had learned about from the history books.
When he heard Cao Huachun say that the Brocade Guards wore coarse hemp garments, Zhu Youjian’s expression remained utterly unchanged on the surface, but inwardly he was already furious.
His anger did not stem from the fact that the Brocade Guards had fallen from their former glory and could not even afford proper uniforms.
That was no concern to him at all.
Even the most backward army could be transformed into a powerful force in his hands.
What truly infuriated him was that he, the emperor, had to learn what uniform his own intelligence service wore through someone else.
To a ruler, nothing was more important than obtaining accurate and effective information in a timely manner.
Without that, trying to lead an empire forward would be nothing short of a colossal joke.
Fortunately, this obstacle would soon cease to exist.
The day he left the palace was fast approaching.
In three to five days, the heads of those bullies and ruffians would provide the best possible beginning.
……
At the same time.
The eunuch Zhu Youjian had dispatched to the Dongjiang Garrison with an imperial edict had finally reached his destination after hurrying day and night along the road.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
Before coming here, the eunuch had already received clear instructions from the emperor: he only needed to read the imperial edict. Whether Mao Wenlong chose to come or not was entirely up to him.
Thus, after reading the edict, the eunuch did not urge the commander-in-chief, who had been granted authority to act expediently in pacifying Liaodong. Instead, he found a place to rest.
If Mao Wenlong accompanied him to the capital, he would escort him there. If Mao Wenlong found an excuse not to go, the eunuch would simply return and report his mission completed.
Inside the military camp.
After receiving the edict, Mao Wenlong’s expression revealed nothing. Several of his trusted aides, however, appeared somewhat anxious.
Chen Jisheng, the most important general under his command, spoke up directly.
“General, the officials at court are deeply dissatisfied with you. They have repeatedly impeached you for disobeying the court’s orders. Now that the new emperor has only just ascended the throne, it would be all too easy for him to be misled by those damned bureaucrats.”
“What if something happens to you after you enter the capital? What would become of the Dongjiang Garrison?”
“Therefore, I believe you should say that the military situation is too urgent for you to leave, send the eunuch who delivered the edict back to make his report, and remain here. That would be the wisest course.”
After Chen Jisheng finished speaking, the others voiced their opinions in turn, all urging Mao Wenlong not to go to the capital to report on his duties.
From their perspective, there was not the slightest thing wrong with such a decision.
The court did not provide them with a single coin in military pay. Most of the funds for fighting the Jin were raised by the men themselves.
While they risked their lives on the front lines and slept beside corpses, those damned civil officials in the capital lay on the bellies of slender beauties from Yangzhou, enjoying every luxury.
And after all that, the officials at court still impeached them day after day for refusing to obey orders.
What the hell did they expect them to do under such circumstances?
Were they supposed to hear some official casually say, “Move the archers five meters to the left,” and then immediately carry out the order?
……
Postscript: This book has made it onto a recommendation list. To all honored readers, please continue reading and supporting it. Whether it can advance in the rankings now depends entirely on the number of readers who keep following it.
Oh, and the last day of the month is almost here. Those who have monthly votes are welcome to cast one for the book. It will help improve its ranking on the new-book list and strengthen its recommendation performance.
There are word-count limits during the early release period. Once it goes on sale, there will be major updates. or2
Page (3/3)