The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 536: The Imperial Prisoner
Emperor Taichu summoned the remaining civil and military officials to the Dazheng Palace in Shenyang to discuss state affairs.

Liu Kan just turned six this year and cannot participate in core decision-making. According to convention, important state affairs are still handled by Empress Dowager Cisi Jin Yuji and Empress Dowager Dong Yang Qing'er.

Emperor Wuding exhausted all his resources and finally built the State of Qi into a sophisticated and huge war machine.

As early as the beginning of the abdication of the emperor, the division of power inside and outside the country was already very clear:
In the event of war, the retired emperor would lead the troops outside and command all the soldiers in the world; internal civil affairs would be handled by the two empress dowagers and the regent ministers.

Because Emperor Wuding was often away at war, the actual ruling power of the empire fell into the hands of the following forces in the more than ten years before Liu Kan took power.

The Empress Dowager's group headed by Jin Yuji and Yang Qing'er; the cruel officials group headed by Sun Chuanting and Yang Tong; the civil officials group headed by Ma Shiying and Hou Xun;

Various forces and armies were intertwined. At least before the Great Purge, each corps had its own spokesperson in the court.

Whether it was the temperament of the retired emperor or the totalitarian nature of the empire, it was impossible to allow such cliques to exist for a long time.

Taking into account that the Great Qi was just a newly established state and many things needed to be done, there was a delay in adjusting the original political structure, or to be more precise, a purge.

~~~~~
Shenyang, Dazheng Palace.

The young emperor Liu Kan sat upright on the large dragon throne, looking down at the civil and military ministers.

Li Juying, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, looked around and said to the huge crowd in front of him:

"If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court!"

As per custom, all civil and military officials remained silent, waiting for the young emperor to announce the end of the court session. After all, the morning court session was largely ceremonial, and important court affairs would be discussed privately by a few ministers.

Just as Li Juying was about to step forward to help the little emperor leave, she suddenly heard someone in the hall say:

"The head of the Ministry of Revenue, Fu Baike, has an important matter to report to His Majesty."

The ministers who were about to punch out and go home were startled by the shouting, and they all looked at the head of the Ministry of Revenue who had inexplicably come out to cause trouble.

He is just a small official of the Ministry of Revenue, a sixth-rank official. On normal days, he would be the last person in the queue and would have no right to speak. I don’t know what he is doing today?

After all, Liu Kan was only six years old and it was his first time experiencing such a thing. He quickly turned around and looked at his two mothers.

The ministers around were whispering to each other. Empress Dowager Cisheng looked annoyed. Empress Dowager Dong said in a deep voice:

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Let him speak."

After hearing what his mother, Queen Yang Qing'er, said in a baby voice:

"Prelude!"

Fu Baike ignored the surprised looks of his colleagues and quickly stepped forward with his tablet in hand, kneeling down and saying:

"Your Majesty, spring plowing is imminent in Henan's counties this year, but there is a severe shortage of seeds, oxen, and even iron plows. The Henan Governor has sent envoys several times to urge the government to urge the plowing. I wonder if the Imperial Household Department has submitted a memorial to Your Majesty?"

"The chief steward, Eunuch Dongfang, is currently with the Emperor, and has a lot of work to do. Regarding the matter concerning the Imperial Household Department, please contact our family."

Li Juying raised her index finger, neither positive nor negative.

"The emperor issued an edict a few days ago directing all prefectures and counties to take charge of the spring plowing in Henan. Could it be that Fu Zhushi was unaware of this? Why are you asking about this today?"

There was a burst of sneers from the ministers, and some of them stood coldly by without saying a word, waiting to watch the show.

"Your Majesty, please understand," Fu Baike said solemnly, holding his tablet in his hand. He suddenly became agitated. "Henan suffered from floods two years ago, droughts last year, and now plague. Local governments, following North Korea's orders, forbade the people from leaving the city at will and issued red signs declaring a curfew. This year, the weather is warmer, and spring plowing has started early. How can we proceed with the plowing? Besides, the limited food and oxen in the provincial warehouses are simply not enough for the people."

Liu Kan stared at Fu Baike with wide eyes, while Jin Yuji and Yang Qing'er frowned. What Fu Baike said made sense.

"Your Majesty, please tell me clearly how the Ministry of Revenue should respond to the Henan Governor?"

The Ministry of Revenue official continued, "Your Majesty, please advise us. Millions of farmers in Henan are waiting for the spring plowing season."

The Taisho Palace was in an uproar, with civil and military officials discussing the matter. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Ma Shiying was going to attack the Hou Party. It should be noted that the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Fu Baike, was a disciple of Ma Ge Lao, and the two had a close relationship.

Everyone knows that Henan is in a difficult situation. This Fu Baike talked a lot and finally threw the problem to the young emperor. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is despicable.

Liu Kan's lips moved, and he wanted to speak several times but no words came out.

Jin Yu Ji and Yang Qing'er looked at each other. Yang Qing'er reached out to lift the bead curtain and was about to come out to speak when a familiar voice came from the prince.

"Master Fu is worrying too much. Grand Secretary Hou just returned from Xuzhou. The annual tribute, tea, cloth, and porcelain paid by the Southern Dynasty arrived at the port of Lushun in southern Liaoning the day before yesterday. They don't need to be deposited into the national treasury yet. They can be used directly to provide relief to Henan. This is very good."

The person who spoke was Sun Chuanting.

Before the bundled official could react, he heard Emperor Liu Kan, who was sitting on the dragon throne, give the order: "Okay, do as Lord Sun says."

~~~
After leaving the court, Sun Chuanting stopped Ma Shiying who was walking in front.

"Lord Ma, the examples of Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi are not far away. It's certainly a good feeling to hold this power, but if you can't distinguish between the important and the unimportant, your end will be no better than theirs."

Ma Shiying lifted up the wide sleeves of his robe and raised his tablet. Sun Chuanting thought he was going to hit him and quickly took two steps back.

"Thank you, Lord Sun, for reminding me. I was rude in the palace just now."

Sun Chuanting knew Ma Shiying's temper. He was good at superficial writing and tactics. He was far superior to Kang Yingqian. It was just because he joined the army late and his stance was unclear when Song Yingsheng rebelled. Therefore, he was never valued by Emperor Wuding. Now, relying on his seniority, he finally became the Prime Minister of Da Qi. Once he gained power, he became a little too proud of himself.

"As officials in the same court, we should work together. Let's not say these polite words. The Emperor has been engaged in wars for years, and we still have to rely on Elder Ma to share the responsibilities of the court."

The two chatted for a while, then took a sedan chair and went back home.

~~~~~~
At Guangji Gate in Shenyang, Li Yanhong, handcuffed, followed a group of criminals on their journey to Ningguta. Those accompanying Li Yanhong were mainly well-behaved prisoners of war and death row prisoners released from the Ministry of Justice.

According to the laws of Qi, if they could make meritorious contributions in Ningguta, whether it was reclaiming land or defending the city, they would be free as long as they served for five years. Of course, they could not return to their hometown.

For prisoners and prisoners of war, going to Ningguta was a dream come true.

Because, in the Da Qi Dynasty with its strict baojia system, the fate of a prisoner was miserable and he could hardly move. Even if he was released from prison, he would be discriminated against by the people around him. Establishing military merit was undoubtedly the fastest and most effective way to whitewash one's identity. The Da Qi Dynasty valued military merit.

"Ninggu is the coldest place in the world. From the beginning of spring to mid-April, there are strong winds like thunder and lightning, and people are dizzy even within a few feet. From May to July, it rains continuously. In mid-August, it snows heavily. In early September, the rivers are frozen, and the snow turns into solid ice as soon as it reaches the ground. There is a vast expanse of white snow for thousands of miles."

Li Yanhong sucked in a breath of cold air. If he had known this would happen, he would have just let the emperor kill him with a single blow.

A fat prisoner came up to him. He was originally a cloth merchant from Jiangnan. He entered Shandong to sell cloth without permission and was sent here by the Pacification Office.

"Old man, do you have any family in Liaodong?"

Li Yanhong quickly replied:
"Yes, I have a son and a daughter."

"Then you can't run away. If you go, your family will be implicated, and you'll probably be stuck in a life where you can't live or die."

"What did this little brother do wrong?"

Li Yanhong looked at the young prisoner in front of him and felt that the child was about the same age as his son.

"His father was a wealthy family in Nanyang, but was destroyed by the retired emperor and his property was confiscated. He was sent here because he wrote a poem cursing the emperor."

"Oh." Li Yanhong said, "Oh," and comforted the young man, "So he's actually a young master. This kind of thing happens everywhere. Think positively. You're still alive, right?"

The young man glanced at everyone with pity, turned his head and walked away without saying a word.

"You guys have to keep a close eye on him. This thief is different from us. He has a blood feud with the government. If he does something bad on the road, we will be implicated and have no choice but to bear the consequences!"

Several prisoners were still whispering to each other when suddenly a team of elite cavalry came roaring past, sending clouds of dust rising from the post road. The prisoners who were staggering along the road all looked up at the riders.

The cloth merchant pointed at the backs of the cavalrymen in the distance and whispered to the people around him, "Do you know? This is the living devil who is escorting us to Ningguta?"

"Living Yama? Who is it?" Li Yanhong asked curiously.

"You do not know?"

"I don't know him. Why is he called Living Yama?" Li Yanhong has been active in the interior of the country for many years, so of course he doesn't know the name of Living Yama.

Several prisoners around him immediately showed contempt towards Lao Li.

"He's the chief of the pacification troops. He only obeys the emperor's orders and controls thousands of pacification troops across the country. He's incredibly powerful, almost as powerful as the Suoyi Guards. He can kill anyone he wants. Even prefects and governors have to give this living devil some respect."

"So powerful, but you sent him to escort us? Isn't that like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? We are going to cultivate land and gain military merit, not to die!" A short prisoner sent from the south said with disdain. This man was the most unlucky one. He was originally from Xiangyang Prefecture, Huguang, and had learned divination and fortune-telling from his master for five years. However, he was caught by the pacification soldiers on the first day he went to the street to set up a stall. The Great Qi strictly prohibited all kinds of Taoist superstitions. This young apprentice who had just graduated was taken as an example and was directly escorted to Shenyang. After spending two years in prison, he was exiled to Ningguta.

"Don't talk nonsense, damn it, it doesn't matter what you say, it will bring you bad luck."

The fortune teller with a gloomy face came out to tell everyone around him about his ridiculous experience of being arrested that year.

"Fuck you, you bastard! I just set up my stall and haven't done any business yet, and I'm attacked by the Leizi (pacification soldiers). They insist on accusing me of colluding with the White Lotus Sect and want to kill me."

Li Yanhong had already forgotten about the Living Yama and asked curiously, "Are you really the White Lotus Sect?"

"I only tell fortunes, I don't believe in that crap."

Everyone laughed for a while, and the cloth merchant interrupted them and said coldly:
"You're still laughing! Ningguta, I'm afraid something big is about to happen. We just happened to be caught in it. What bad luck!"

~~~~~~
Yang Tong rode his horse past the crowd walking slowly on the roadside, and after he had put a few dozen steps between him and the prisoners, he pulled the reins. At this time, Wu Xiao, the battalion officer of the Imperial Guard who had been following behind him, rode forward.

"Old Wu, Shilipu is just ahead. There's a post station where we can rest for a while."

Wu Xiao nodded and asked a few of his men to lead the way. Several fast horses whistled and disappeared at the end of the post road. Although it was his first time to go to Ningguta on business, he and Yang Tong were quite familiar with each other. They had drunk together in Kaiyuan.

People were bouncing up and down on the horse's back. The endless hills stretched all the way to the horizon. The road seemed to have no end. It had been five days since they set out from Shenyang, and they had not yet traveled halfway.

"How could these prisoners have walked such a long distance after receiving twenty lashes of the cane?"

Wu Xiao muttered this more than once along the way.

"Old Wu, the people we're escorting are all death row prisoners. Some have rebelled against the Qi Dynasty, or are involved in serious crimes that cost several lives. Sending them to Ningguta would be a good idea for them."

Finally, the taciturn Yang Tong couldn't help but remind Wu Xiao and let him know the purpose of this trip.

"The army is still behind us, so let's arrange for these prisoners to go and reinforce them. We'll try to delay them for a few days."

Wu Xiao was from the Imperial Guard, but he didn't know much about the Ministry of Justice and the Minotaur Guard, so he took the opportunity to ask Yang Tong:
"I heard that the Emperor is planning to purge a group of corrupt officials and send them to Ningguta. Is this true?"

When they arrived at Shilipu, the pacification soldiers, armed with swords, guns, sticks and clubs, drove the prisoners to set up camp nearby. Yang Tong took off the iron hook on his left arm and put some cotton wool inside to keep his arm warmer.

Two people sat by the campfire and looked towards the fire.

"I don't know who told you that."

(End of this chapter)