Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 20 Warning
Ding Kuichu walked into the hall of the Ding Mansion. There were already two figures sitting in the hall.

On the left is a middle-aged man with a white face and no beard, wearing a bright red eunuch's uniform. He is Wang Kun, the former eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department during the Longwu Dynasty.

The middle-aged man on the right is wearing a Feiyu suit and has a cold expression. He is Ma Jixiang, the former commander of the Jinyiwei of the Longwu Dynasty.

Ding Kuichu didn't even look at the two of them. He sat directly on the first seat, picked up the teacup and drank the tea, with a gloomy expression on his face.

"Who is so bold as to make Lord Ding so angry?"

Seeing that Ding Kuichu didn't say anything and didn't care, Wang Kun said softly
"Today, Qu Shisi and the other man invited me to meet them at the government office, and the King of Gui also issued an edict to summon Chen Zizhuang and He Wuzuo to the court," Ding Kuichu said coldly.
"These two people have great reputations in Guangdong Province and are important officials of the previous dynasty. It would be disadvantageous for Lord Ding if they came to the court at this time," Ma Jixiang frowned slightly.

"How could I not know? But Qu Shisi and Lu Daqi have been in collusion for a long time. Chen Zizhuang and his men are too popular in Guangdong Province. I can't stop them by force alone."

"Don't those two old bastards know that although these two people entering the court will certainly divide my power, their power will also be greatly reduced. The credit of supporting the emperor is not enough for three people, and they actually want to bring two more people into the court. It is simply harming others and not benefiting themselves."

"Do they really think that Chen and He are vegetarians? They have no relationship with me, but Chen Zizhuang and He Wuzuo may not necessarily be on the same page with them."

"Just wait and see. These two are old foxes with many years of experience. They are well-known in Guangdong Province. After they enter the court, there will definitely be a fierce battle. I will see if they can still smile when the time comes."

Ding Kuichu's face was filled with anger. The anger that he had just suppressed in the hall could no longer be controlled and he vented it all out.
"That group of people who seek fame and reputation, claiming to be upright, talk about justice all day long. But look at He Wuzuo, who followed the late emperor and returned to Guangdong Province unscathed when the late emperor was in trouble. He is truly an important minister valued by the late emperor."

Wang Kun sneered, and then continued

"Qu Shisi and his men are no different from those people. Seeing that they are weak, they immediately want to bring these two people into the court. I am afraid that in their eyes, Lord Ding is now a thorn in their side."

"Let's not talk about that old man Qu Shisi for now, but I'm a little unsure about the King of Gui now."

"This King Gui's words and deeds are very different from before. Is it possible that this memorial was really sent by the King Gui?" Ding Kuichu looked gloomy and looked at Wang Kun.
The eunuchs brought by Wang Kun lived next door to the Guiwang Mansion, and the front yard of the Guiwang Mansion was also under Wang Kun's control. It can be said that every move of the Guiwang Mansion was under the control of Wang Kun.

"This Gui Wang is a bit smart, which is different from what was rumored, but that's all. I sent someone to check the details of the Gui Wang, and he is just a rich and noble prince who was raised in the palace since he was a child."

"The palace has been constantly fleeing in recent years. The Prince of Gui is not the eldest son of the palace. He has not been carefully trained by the palace and his admission to school was delayed. I have seen the handwriting of the Prince of Gui, and even the characters are written crookedly. These cannot be fake. The Prince of Gui is at most an ordinary person with some cleverness."

Wang Kun sneered and said, but he remembered that he was careless for a moment and was noticed by the King of Gui, which caused him to lose control of the King of Gui's Mansion. His face was a little gloomy.
Ding Kuichu's eyes were filled with contemplation when he heard this. He had only some doubts to begin with, but after hearing what Wang Kun said, the last bit of doubt in his heart was gone.

The previous matter of transferring Jiao Lian to the capital might have been because the King of Gui was afraid of death and acted on his own initiative, but this time the memorial to transfer Chen Zizhuang and the other two to the capital was definitely not something that the young King of Gui could have thought of.
One's experience cannot be faked. Even he felt the cunningness of this memorial was difficult to handle. If he was not an experienced official who was familiar with the situation in the two provinces, it would be impossible for an ordinary person to find such a tricky starting point, which made it difficult for him, the governor of the two provinces, to cope with it.

How could the King of Gui, a second son who had never served in the royal court, learn these tactics?

"In my opinion, this was done by Qu Shisi. The reason why the King of Gui agreed to this was probably just to gain a reputation for being courteous and humble. We know the princes of the Zhu family best. They are all generous on the outside but cautious on the inside, and they only seek fame and reputation."

"The King of Gui was being played around by Qu Shisi, but he was totally unaware of it and he must be secretly feeling proud of himself," Wang Kun said softly.

"Qu Shisi, good Qu Shisi, I really underestimated this old thief before," Ding Kuichu said with a grim look.
Ding Kuichu snorted coldly, and then looked at Wang Kun below.

"What has the King of Gui been doing these days? Is there anything unusual?"

"You're still working out every day, doing push-ups. It's really unbecoming, and you don't look like a king," Wang Kun snorted.

Ding Kuichu seemed not to have heard it and turned to look at Ma Jixiang on the other side.

"Where is Commander Ma? How is the investigation going?"

"We have already found out that the person who secretly entered the palace that day was Li Mingzhong outside the city," Ma Jixiang said coldly.
"Can you confirm whether Li Mingzhong has surrendered to the King of Gui?" Ding Kuichu asked immediately. "I don't know. It is not easy to confirm Li Mingzhong's identity within two days. The King of Gui's Mansion is now strictly guarded. Even the eunuch can't get much information. How can I find out what they talked about?" Ma Jixiang said
When the two heard this, their faces turned gloomy.

Unlike Qu Shisi's previous invitation to Chen Zizhuang and others to enter the court, Li Mingzhong is outside the city and controls 6,000 wolf soldiers, which can actually threaten everyone's lives.

"Well, first it was Jiao Lian, and then it was Li Mingzhong. It seems that not only that old man, but also the King of Gui is not an easy person to deal with." Ding Kuichu laughed in anger, but a fierce look flashed on his face.

"This Gui Wang is too restless. He is old and mean. We are outsiders to him. There are so many princes in the Zhu family. Can we replace him with a young and benevolent king? In this way, we can make him as good as Yao and Shun. If we can do so, it will be a blessing for the country," Wang Kun said in a cold voice.

Ding Kuichu and the other two, who had originally looked gloomy, looked at Wang Kun in astonishment after hearing this, but Wang Kun's expression remained unchanged.

Everyone in the world thinks that the emperor is so powerful and unpredictable, but only the eunuchs who serve him day and night know best that the so-called emperor is just an ordinary person.
As we get closer, the so-called true dragon, emperor, and nobles of the royal family all have everything, including wine, sex, money, and power, and are not even as good as ordinary people.

Besides, Wang Kun had served three real emperors, let alone a prince who was still the Prince of Gui.
"No, if we hadn't persuaded him to ascend the throne before, there might still be some possibility, but now that the memorial has been submitted, it's too late to regret it," Ding Kuichu thought for a moment and said in a deep voice.
"Why should we support the King of Gui? Isn't it because his bloodline is the most pure? If we support a member of the royal family at random, then the local ministers will naturally follow suit and find a member of the royal family to support. We have worked so hard, but in the end we can only control Guangdong Province. What's the point?"

Ding Kuichu's eyes flashed with a gleam of brilliance, and he said coldly

Why was he willing to support the King of Gui? It was because the King of Gui could win the hearts of the people and no one could find fault with him. As long as the King of Gui was supported, all localities would regard him as the legitimate ruler no matter what.

By then, if he controls the King of Gui, he will be able to extend his power to the entire territory of Ming Dynasty. This is why he is so active.
Wang Kun and the others fell silent for a moment after hearing this. The most important thing about the King of Gui was not him as a person, but his bloodline of the legal system. As long as they couldn't find a member of the Zhu family who could rival him and convince the people of the world, they couldn't easily replace the King of Gui.
Seeing the silence in the room, Ding Kuichu spoke in a cold voice

"Don't be discouraged, the military power and money of Guangdong Province are all under the control of the Governor's Office. Neither the King of Gui nor that old man Qu Shisi can hinder our overall situation."

"Doesn't the King of Gui want to win over Li Mingzhong? Then let him do it. From today on, the Governor's Office will not allocate a single grain of food to Li Mingzhong's army. I want to see how the King of Gui can turn the food and wages for these 6,000 people into something."

"Or maybe we can see if Li Mingzhong can really use some magic to make his 6,000 soldiers starve to death and not cause trouble."

"Without food and money, Li Mingzhong will either come to the Governor's Office to ask for money, or fight back on his own. Even if the King of Gui wins over Li Mingzhong, what can he do?" Ding Kuichu sneered.
"Li Mingzhong has a rough temper and is a long-time military leader. Lord Ding must guard against him entering the city and causing trouble," Ma Jixiang said.
"Commander Ma reminded me that I will ask the gatekeepers to pay attention to the city gate defense recently, but I don't think Li Mingzhong has the courage to do that," Ding Kuichu said softly.
"Whether Li Mingzhong surrenders or leaves, as long as Li Mingzhong is gone, the King of Gui and that old man will be left without any minions. With the qualifications of the three of us, the court will still be ours by then."

"Eunuch Wang was the chief of the Imperial Household Department during the Longwu Dynasty, and Commander Ma was also in charge of the Imperial Guard during the Longwu Dynasty. He followed the imperial court all the way here, and he has made great contributions. Naturally, he should be given his original position, and it is only natural that he should be granted the title of Marquis."

Ding Kuichu began to confer titles and make wishes. When the two heard this, their expressions also eased a little.

Ding Kuichu aside, just based on the identities of Wang Kun and Ma Jixiang, there is really no one in the city who can replace these two people.

"As for the King of Gui, he has become a little too proud of himself. We should give him a warning," Ding Kuichu said coldly.
"Well, there are many officials from Fujian in the city now. Commander Ma, send someone to find one or two of them and have them go to the Governor's Mansion to cause trouble."

"I will take this opportunity to give these people some silver so as to shut up those old officials of Fujian Province."

"Since the Governor's Office has distributed money to the ministers in the court, then naturally the Governor's Office does not have much money to give to the Prince of Gui's Palace. The state affairs are difficult at this time, and I think the Prince of Gui will understand if we cut some of the expenses of the palace."

Ding Kuichu looked indifferent, and the two of them smiled when they heard this.

Wang Kun heard this, his eyes turned, and he suddenly said

"Since Lord Ding has this plan, why not help him and do us a favor?"

Ding Kuichu and the other two looked at Wang Kun, who had narrowed his eyes. As Wang Kun spoke, a smile appeared on their faces.

(End of this chapter)