Chapter 38: Mao Wenlong Furrowed His Brow, Sensing That Something Was Amiss

"From the moment I entered the borders of Shaanxi, I saw vast stretches of refugees fleeing and fields laid waste by disaster."

"Not only that, but the wealthy families in the cities have seized this opportunity to collude with corrupt officials, hoarding goods and driving up grain prices, forcing our Ming subjects into homelessness and displacement."

"By the time I reached Yan'an Prefecture, where the disaster is most severe... I witnessed with my own eyes the horror of people... people eating each other! My companions and I were nearly captured to be eaten ourselves!"

"If we hadn't been swifter on our feet than the starving masses, we would never have returned to see Your Majesty again!"

Finally, the eunuch, his voice choked with emotion, paused as if making a firm resolution:

"Your Majesty... if this continues any longer, I fear Shaanxi... will erupt in a massive popular uprising!"

After hearing their accounts, Zhu Youjian nodded expressionlessly. These reports were much as he had imagined. Given the productivity of this era, the onset of famine inevitably leads to the tragedy of mass cannibalism. Addressing the plight of disaster victims across an entire province was indeed a dauntingly complex issue.

Transporting grain, seizing grain, disaster relief... these were merely stopgap measures. Moreover, Shaanxi had been suffering for years, and Zhu Youjian could not predict how much longer this catastrophe would persist. He would have to wait until he could travel there himself to assess the situation and devise a strategy to break the cycle.

Zhu Youjian looked at the secret agents and removed several personal items he had been carrying:

"The current situation is critical. I cannot openly reward you, or others might target you. Take these items for now."

Upon hearing this, the men hurriedly knelt and kowtowed: "Your Majesty’s grace is boundless; we would gladly die in your service!"

Although they were unaware of the specific political turmoil within the capital, the Emperor’s words signaled that the situation was grave. Furthermore, receiving items that the Emperor had kept on his person was a profound honor, regardless of their material value. Touched, they felt that all the suffering they had endured was worthwhile.

Zhu Youjian then turned to Wang Cheng'en: "Take another thousand taels of silver for each of them from the inner treasury. Keep them by your side during this period; do not allow any outsiders to approach them."

"I obey your command."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, and Wang Cheng'en led the men out of the room. Left alone, Zhu Youjian pulled maps of the various prefectures in Shaanxi and the rosters of their officials from a stack of documents, studying them carefully.

...

Within the capital, in that same inconspicuous courtyard:

Huang Liji looked at his colleagues and was the first to speak: "You have all heard about the Emperor exempting the regions surrounding the capital from the Liaodong tax, have you not?"

The others nodded.

"Since the Emperor does not wish to tax the people, the burden of these funds will ultimately fall upon us. Combined with his recent actions, it is now an indisputable fact that he intends to conduct an imperial tour."

"I sent a secret letter home; it should be arriving any day now."

Shi Fenglai took up the thread: "Zhejiang is slightly further than Hebei, but my letter should arrive within the next two days as well."

An official of Jiangnan origin interjected, "Is there a candidate for the new monarch?"

Huang Liji frowned and snapped, "There is no result yet, why discuss such useless things?!"

The official smiled sheepishly and said no more.

A moment later, Huang Liji softened his tone: "In any case... once the deed is done, no matter the cost, we must choose a young, weak master to inherit the throne. At that time, we will need to act in total unity."

The others nodded silently. This seventeen-year-old boy emperor had left them with deep psychological scars. With this lesson in mind, once the Emperor met his untimely end, they were determined to install an illiterate child as his successor. Although this move would face significant resistance, it would not be difficult if they all worked together. After all, unlike the late emperor, the current one had not designated an heir before his death, which made their task much easier.

Thinking of this, the men sighed. If they had known things would reach this point, they should have made their move a month ago.

At this moment, Li Guopu, who rarely spoke, chimed in: "Given the intelligence and methods of the one in the palace, I fear he will seize the opportunity to purge the Capital Garrison before his departure."

"What does the Senior Minister mean by that...?"

Li Guopu sipped his tea: "Over the past few years, the men in the Capital Garrison have become somewhat disobedient. It would be better to take this chance to replace them."

"Hahaha, as expected of the Senior Minister's brilliant insight. In this way, the Emperor can depart from the palace with peace of mind."

Because of this double-entendre, a faint smile appeared on the faces of everyone in the room.

...

Meanwhile, outside the capital, a caravan of carriages and horses finally arrived at the city gates after a long journey across mountains and rivers. This was Mao Wenlong, arriving in the capital to report on his duties.

Along the way, the eunuchs sent to deliver the imperial edicts had chatted idly about how wise and martial the newly enthroned young emperor was. Mao Wenlong, however, paid them no mind.

The eunuchs were naturally biased toward imperial power; their words were not worth considering. As for the character of the young emperor, he would have to see for himself.

After entering the city, the group switched to an inconspicuous sedan chair. When they reached a palace-affiliated relay station, Mao Wenlong was let out.

The accompanying eunuch bowed to him and said: "Lord Mao, please rest here. We shall return to the palace to report."

Mao Wenlong nodded slightly and moved into the station with two attendants.

Soon, the eunuchs who had been sent to Dongjiang Town were brought before Zhu Youjian:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Mao Wenlong has been brought to the capital. We have placed him in the relay station, awaiting Your Majesty’s summons."

Zhu Youjian set down his book and nodded. He had not expected Mao Wenlong to be such a quintessential anti-Jin warrior. He liked such men. Moreover, regardless of the mindset with which he had come to the capital, Mao Wenlong had, to some extent, proven his loyalty.

However, Zhu Youjian did not immediately summon him to the palace. Instead, he ordered: "Let him stay at the relay station for now; bring him into the palace tomorrow night."

"I obey your command."

On one hand, Zhu Youjian had many matters to handle. On the other, if he wanted to truly win the heart of a man like Mao Wenlong and maximize his initiative, he had to let him witness the changes in the capital for himself.

In the palace relay station, when Mao Wenlong heard that he was to be brought to the palace the following night, he could not help but feel surprised.

He looked at the eunuch who had delivered the message and confirmed once more: "Are you certain His Majesty wants me to enter the palace tomorrow night, rather than during the morning court session tomorrow?"

The eunuch nodded vigorously: "Certain! This is the Emperor's oral decree; I would not dare convey a single wrong word."

Hearing this, Mao Wenlong frowned, sensing that something was not quite right.