My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 119: The Fall of the Liao King
On November 11, Shen Shixing woke up to a commotion.

Shen Shixing put on his clothes in confusion and walked out of the room, only to see that the entire patrol office was in chaos.

Shen Shixing quickly stopped a colleague from the delegation and heard a shocking piece of news:

"The King of Liao has rebelled!"

Shen Shixing was completely dumbfounded. He suspected that he had heard it wrong and asked again.

The colleague added:
"The King of Liao raised a large banner in his palace, inscribed with 'The Banner of Redressing Injustice'!"

The first thing Shen Shixing thought of was that the King of Liao was crazy!

A banner is a military flag.

The last vassal king who raised a large flag in his palace was Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao, and he ended up being defeated by Wang Yangming's troops.

The King of Liao raised a large banner in the palace. No matter what was written on the banner, it was tantamount to treason.

Shen Shixing immediately asked, "Where is Minister Hong? Where is Deputy Envoy Shi?"

Just as Shen Shixing finished asking, he heard the sound of drums in the patrol office. It was the drums that Hong Chaoxuan used to gather the officials of the delegation.

Shen Shixing immediately returned to his room, quickly changed into his official uniform, and rushed to the Mingtang of the patrol office.

The chief envoy of the Liao inspection delegation, Hong Chaoxuan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, had a dark face.

Hong Chaoxuan really couldn't understand. He was about to clear the King of Liao from the case, so why did he insist on committing suicide?

When Hong Chaoxuan heard the news, his head was buzzing.

However, to be able to reach the level of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Hong Chaoxuan does have some ability.

He immediately thought that he had to quickly stabilize the delegation and take the right to interpret the case into his own hands, so as to save the King of Liao.

And protecting the King of Liao is protecting yourself.

Hong Chaoxuan felt bitter in his heart. His political life was tied to the King of Liao. If the King of Liao fell, his political life, as he had always advocated for protecting Liao, would come to an end.

At that time, what was waiting for him was Zhang Juzheng's counterattack.

First, take control of the entire delegation, quickly form a unified resolution, and then determine the nature of the King of Liao's "raising the banner to appeal for justice."

This is the three-step plan that Hong Chaoxuan came up with.

For an official of his level, these operations are like instinct and his movements are extremely fast.

But when the gathering drumbeats stopped, Hong Chaoxuan's face became even uglier.

Hong Chaoxuan's confidant was quickly counting the number of people, and soon this confidant said to Hong Chaoxuan:
"Mr. Minister, Deputy Envoy Shi is not here, and neither are several of his entourage."

Hong Chaoxuan's face flushed, and he asked loudly:
"Where is Deputy Envoy Shi?"

"Call the guards guarding the Patrol Office!"

Hong Chaoxuan thought of another possibility, a terrifying one. He quickly called the gatekeeper over, who immediately said:
"In reply to the Minister, a quarter of an hour ago, Deputy Envoy Shi and several others rode away from the Patrol Office."

Hong Chaoxuan sat down on the armchair. He didn't expect Shi Duchen to be so decisive!

These days, Hong Chaoxuan relied on his status as the chief envoy to suppress Shi Duchen severely, and Hong Chaoxuan gradually relaxed his vigilance against Shi Duchen.

Originally, Hong Chaoxuan thought that as long as he firmly controlled the trial power of the Liao case, Shi Duchen would have no choice but to submit.

But Hong Chaoxuan forgot that this was not the Ministry of Justice.

Shi Duchen's previous position was Deputy Censor of Huguang.

The provincial governor, the provincial judge, and the military commander-in-chief are the three pillars of a province responsible for government affairs, supervision, and military command.

Shi Duchen was the local tyrant in Huguang and a close confidant of Zhang Juzheng stationed in his hometown. How could he be incompetent?
Shen Shixing secretly sighed that his teacher Zhang Juzheng was so capable that even he had misjudged the deputy envoy Shi Duchen.

But Shen Shixing was also curious about where Shi Duchen had gone.
Fortunately, Shen Shixing's curiosity was soon satisfied, and a confidant selected by Hong Chao rushed into the Mingtang, crawling and tumbling.

This confidant knelt down in front of Hong Chaoxuan and shouted:
"Master Hong! Deputy Envoy Shi led the soldiers and surrounded the Liao Palace!"

Athlete Hong Chao's feet were cold, his vision went dark, and he almost fainted.

He forced himself to stand up, patted the armrest of the armchair and said:

"Shi Duchen! Who gave him the power? He mobilized the army without permission. Is he planning a rebellion?!"

Hong Chaoxuan held on to his body and said to his confidant:

"Follow me to the Prince of Liao's Palace!"

Hong Chaoxuan looked around again and said:
"Everyone's going!"

But just as Hong Chaoxuan finished speaking, someone wailed:

"Ouch, my stomach hurts. Master Hong, I had an upset stomach yesterday."

"Me too!"

"My old illness has relapsed and I can't walk."

Shen Shixing looked around and found that these were all officials under the command of Deputy Envoy Shi Duchen.

Faced with these officials playing tricks and delaying time, Hong Chaoxuan was decisive and directly ordered the soldiers of the patrol office to escort everyone to the Liao Palace.

Hong Chaoxuan reacted quickly and gave orders decisively, but when he arrived at the Liao Palace, the gate had already been breached.

"Master Hong, be careful!"

Hong Chaoxuan watched as the big banner in the Liao Palace was chopped down and fell straight towards the main gate of the Liao Palace. His close associates quickly pulled him away.

The big flag fell to the ground with a bang, smashing half of the side door of the palace and raising a large amount of dust. Several officers led the soldiers and rushed out, happily taking down the general flag.

Hong Chaoxuan finally recovered from his shock. Seeing these officers snatching the military flag, he immediately stepped forward and said:
"I am Hong Chaoxuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. This is important evidence in the Liao King case. Please hand it over to me immediately!"

The officers looked at each other in confusion. Just as they were hesitating, a loud shout suddenly came from behind them:
"Where's the thing Shi Nietai wants!?"

When these officers heard the commander's voice, they rushed into the Liao Palace with their military flags. Hong Chaoxuan saw an elderly officer in a red cloak put away the military flag with the words "Flag of Litigation for Injustice" written on it, and turned to walk into the Liao Palace.

Hong Chaoxuan certainly couldn't let this officer take the flag away, so he quickly said:
"Who are you? I'm Hong Chaoxuan, the official investigating the Liao Dynasty. This item is crucial evidence in the Liao case. Why don't you hand it over to me immediately?"

Hong Chaoxuan stared intently at the veteran in the red cloak, but the veteran didn't buy it at all. He just looked at Hong Chaoxuan, gave a simple military salute and said:

"I am in armor, so I cannot perform full formalities." "Your humble servant is Yu Dayou, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Huguang. The King of Liao raised his banner and gathered his troops in rebellion, but I have led the troops to suppress it."

Hong Chaoxuan said with a ferocious expression:

"Whether the King of Liao is guilty or not still requires this envoy to investigate. How dare you, a mere deputy commander, disobey orders?"

At this moment, Shi Duchen walked out of the Liao Palace, and next to him was a middle-aged man wearing a royal robe but tied up.

The person who was kidnapped was naturally the King of Liao, Zhu Xianwei.

Shi Duchen took the military flag from Yu Dayou and said to Hong Chaoxuan:
"Minister Hong, the King of Liao has gathered his troops to rebel. This case is beyond your and my jurisdiction. You and the other criminals must be brought to the capital for a joint trial with the cabinet and your majesty's judgment."

Hong Chaoxuan was unwilling to accept that the situation was hopeless, so he said forcefully:

"The King of Liao is rebelling? What evidence do you have that the King of Liao is rebelling?"

Shi Duchen sighed and said:
"Minister Hong, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Jingzhou City saw a large banner raised in the Liao Palace, indicating rebellion. Do we still need evidence?"

Shi Duchen added:

"If it weren't for the fact that Yu Dusi had just arrived and was leading troops to patrol the camp near Jingzhou, and the King of Liao really started a rebellion, would you be responsible, Minister Hong?"

Then Shi Duchen changed the subject and said:
"Ever since the Liao expedition arrived in Jingzhou, Minister Hong has consistently defended the Liao king. Could it be that Minister Hong is colluding with the Liao king and plotting a rebellion?"

Shi Duchen's accusation could be said to be very severe, and as Shi Duchen finished speaking, more well-trained soldiers ran out of the Liao Palace. These people were lined up neatly and well-trained, and soon surrounded Hong Chaoxuan and his group.

Shen Shixing was secretly puzzled. How could Huguang have such elite troops?
Oh, Shen Shixing just remembered this Yu Dayou. He had heard Su Ze mention this name before. He was a famous general who followed Hu Zongxian in the fight against the Japanese pirates in the southeast.

Why was Yu Dayou in Huguang? And why was he the deputy commander of Huguang?
Just happened to be patrolling in Jingzhou?
Shen Shixing broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at the Liao Palace. As the residence of a vassal prince, and Jingzhou being an important military defense town, the Liao Palace was actually built according to the rules of a military fortress.

Being able to capture the Liao Palace so quickly and capture the Liao King alive was definitely not something the long-exhausted Jingzhou garrison soldiers could do. These must be elite soldiers trained by Yu Dayou in the southeast to fight against the Japanese pirates!

After thinking about this, Shen Shixing finally understood his master's methods.

Even if the King of Liao did not raise the banner, as long as there was a rumor that the King of Liao was rebelling, Yu Dayou, who was patrolling in Jingzhou, could immediately lead his troops to "suppress the rebellion."

Zhang Juzheng had no intention of giving the King of Liao a chance to live!
Is this the elder's method?
After thinking this through, Shen Shixing gained a new understanding of power politics.

He looked at Hong Chaoxuan with sympathy. Hong Chaoxuan seemed to be taking the initiative along the way, but in fact he had already fallen into the trap.

Shi Duchen bowed to Hong Chaoxuan one last time and continued:

"I am the Deputy Censor of Huguang. The King of Liao is plotting a rebellion, and Deputy Commander Yu Dayou is leading the troops to suppress it. I am now escorting a group of prisoners to the capital. I bid you farewell!"

After saying this, Shi Duchen ignored Hong Chaoxuan, stuffed the King of Liao into the prison car, and headed straight out of the city.

As soon as Shi Duchen left, the officials from Hong Chaoxuan's faction immediately surrounded Hong Chaoxuan to ask for countermeasures.

Hong Chaoxuan finally recovered from his stupor. He sighed and said:
"What else can we do? Hurry up and submit a petition. The King of Liao is plotting a rebellion. This news must be delivered to the court before Shi Duchen arrives in Beijing!"

After the commotion, Shen Shixing returned to the room. He picked up a pen and saw the pigeons in the corner of the window. He quickly wrote down what happened today.

After stuffing it into the envelope, Shen Shixing opened the window. The pigeon that had been quietly staying in the room spread its wings and flew out of the window in a blink of an eye.

"Brother Zilin, this pigeon is truly a spirit."

Shen Shixing murmured, and then he began to rub his hands. With Su Ze's political acumen, how much benefit could Su Ze gain during the period of time before the news of the Liao King's rebellion reached the capital?
Shen Shixing sighed again. His wife's sister had a very eccentric personality. Before he could even propose marriage, Zhao Ge Lao's family got there first.
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Two days later, when the carrier pigeon flew into the History Museum and landed on Su Ze's desk, Su Ze opened the envelope and immediately passed Shen Shixing's letter to Shen Yikuan and Luo Wanhua.

He then sat down at the desk.

Yu Dayou was actually transferred to Huguang by Zhang Juzheng. Does this mean that Zhang Juzheng had already been preparing to deal with the King of Liao?

The position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Huguang is really very clever. It is not as eye-catching as the commander-in-chief of a province, but it can play the same role as the commander-in-chief.

Just like Shi Duchen, the deputy envoy of Huguang.

I learned that an inconspicuous deputy position, when placed in a key position, plays a role that is no less important than that of the main position, and is even more covert.

That's right. When Su Ze submitted "The Strategy for Subduing the Japanese", he recommended three people who fought against the Japanese pirates in the southeast to the cabinet: the civil official Tan Lun, and the military generals Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou.

Qi Jiguang was recruited by Gao Gong and now serves as the general of Datong.

Tan Lun was recommended by Zhang Juzheng and served as the Governor-General of Ji and Liao.

It turned out that Zhang Juzheng also recruited Yu Dayou.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Huguang, this is a temporary assignment. Now Yu Dayou should escort the King of Liao to Beijing.

Yu Dayou is one of the few generals of this era who is proficient in both land and naval warfare. Su Ze suggested opening a port in Denglai, and he needed a famous general like Yu Dayou to take charge!
No, we have to find a way to get Yu Dayou here!
Su Ze further thought, was the cabinet so silent this time because they were caught off guard by the attack from the foreign court, or was it a trap set by the elders?

The more Su Ze thought about it, the more he felt that the latter was more likely.

This is the cabinet of the Longqing Dynasty. Every cabinet minister is a powerful person who can suppress the world. This is not the cabinet of the Wanli Dynasty that is so corrupt.

Su Ze thought about next year's imperial examination, and then about the silent Ministry of Personnel, and the conclusion was obvious.

These people in the cabinet are so scary!

Su Ze thought about the historical texts he had read in his previous life. Did he really think that traveling to ancient times would allow him to dominate the world? If he didn't have a system, he wouldn't even be able to beat Shi Duchen.

But things would have been easier if we had received news of the Liao King's rebellion in advance.

Before the news of the Liao King's rebellion reached the capital, Su Ze could simply write a frantic letter to impeach the Liao King.

As long as Su Ze madly attracts hatred, the hidden enemies in the cabinet will jump out to attack him, which will fulfill the wishes of the cabinet elders and boost their reputation.

For Su Ze, who has accumulated rich experience in attracting hatred, this is a common thing.

Seeing Su Ze writing a memorial, Shen Yiguan immediately reacted and pulled Luo Wanhua and said:
"Brother Yifu, starting today we will submit a memorial every day to impeach the King of Liao!"

Luo Wanhua seemed to understand, but he nodded in agreement. After all, it was always right to follow Su Ze.

In the next few days, as Su Ze had expected, as Su Ze, Luo Wanhua and Shen Yikuan successively submitted petitions requesting the court to severely punish the King of Liao and abolish the Liao vassal state, more ministers jumped out to attack the three.

Even because of Su Ze's interference, the officials who had originally attacked the cabinet began to impeach Su, Luo and Shen.

The four ministers in the cabinet were all at a loss whether to laugh or cry. Every time Su Ze made a move, he would immediately become the center of the storm.

But thanks to Su Ze, many ministers who secretly opposed the cabinet also took the opportunity to jump out, allowing more names to be recorded on Gao Gong's list.

And so it was, November 20th.

Shi Duchen sent a fast horse to send the memorial to the capital, and it was delivered to the cabinet's desk.

(End of this chapter)