My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 125 One-Way Transparency
While awaiting orders from the capital, Mao Xiang did not remain idle; he also investigated all the families closely associated with the Wan family.

We can kill two birds with one stone and solve them all at once.

Although he was unaware of Zhu Yuanzhang's plan to weaken the powerful clans, he knew that the bigger the commotion, the more credit he would receive.

It also helps to fill your wallet.

Half a month later, Zhu Shuang's order arrived, instructing him to lure the Japanese pirates and Zhang Shicheng's remnants according to the plan.

He also had Wu Zhen and Shen Shutong, the Guangzhou Provincial Governor, cooperate with his actions.

Mao Xiang was overjoyed; half of his monumental achievement was within reach.

He became even calmer during these times.

He first went to Shen Shutong to discuss the matter with him.

Shen Shutong had already received Zhu Yuanzhang's edict, and although he was unwilling, he dared not disobey.

They indicated they would send personnel to maintain order within the city on the day of the incident.

However, he was very rude to Mao Xiang, after all, as a minister, he really didn't like the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Mao Xiang didn't care at all. "My Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's henchman. Why would I care about the thoughts of you foreign officials?"

However, he dared not do that to Wu Zhen. He sent several groups of people to contact him, and his attitude was very respectful.

Wu Zhen had already received Zhu Yuanzhang's orders, and upon learning of the opportunity to plot against the Japanese pirates, he naturally cooperated fully.

They publicly announced that they would conduct live-fire exercises at sea, and then deployed their main force into the ocean.

Not long after, a portion of the main force moved south and hid in the vicinity of Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay (Huizhou and Shenzhen).

He himself led the majority of his troops, drifting at sea hundreds of miles away, awaiting further news.

Meanwhile, Mao Xiang also contacted Wantong and delivered the completed household registration and travel permit to him.
"Once this is over, your whole family will move to the north and live in anonymity."

The main reason for doing this is to avoid retaliation.

Upon seeing the household registration and travel permit, Wantong finally felt relieved and said:
"Commander Mao is a trustworthy man. If there is anything I can do to help you, just let me know."

So Mao Xiang instructed him to use Wan Baoquan to lure the Japanese pirates and Zhang Shicheng's remnants into Guangzhou Bay.

The terrain of Guangzhou Bay resembles a funnel, so as long as the Japanese pirates entered, the navy could block the entrance from the outside and trap them like turtles in a jar.

Vantone seemed to have anticipated this and was not surprised at all.

After returning home, he first forged a letter, and then, looking terrified, went to find Wan Baoquan:
"Master, something terrible has happened! Something has occurred in Fengyang."

Wan Baoquan's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly stood up from his chair:
"What happened?"

Wan Yong took out the secret letter with trembling hands, swallowed hard, and said:
“Someone couldn’t hold back and confessed to the theft and sale of building materials in the capital.”

Even though he was mentally prepared, Wan Baoquan still felt dizzy upon hearing the news.

He snatched the secret letter and quickly scanned it.

The letter contained more details. It stated that a craftsman had first reported the incident, and Liu Bowen, noticing something amiss, began interrogating people. Some of them couldn't withstand the pressure and confessed.

Liu Bowen has now sealed off Fengyang and is conducting a large-scale manhunt for those involved in the case.

The only good news is that Zhao Yanjun and other high-ranking officials are still holding out and haven't confessed, but no one knows how long they can hold out.

After reading the letter, he cursed, "Useless, a bunch of useless trash."

Originally, Li Shanchang thought that the matter was over after he was granted the title of Duke.

He judged others by his own standards. If he were the emperor, he would not let anyone get away with stealing and selling building materials for the imperial city.

Everyone knows that this matter is inextricably linked to Li Shanchang, and Zhu Yuanzhang certainly knew it as well.

Even if they spared him punishment out of consideration for his contributions, they would not grant him the title of Duke again.

He thought Zhu Yuanzhang would do the same.

The fact that the emperor has now bestowed upon Li Shanchang the title of Duke means that he was unaware of the theft and sale of building materials.

As long as this matter is not exposed, the other charges are actually easy to explain.

Perhaps Zhao Yanjun can also escape unscathed.

Everything was moving in a positive direction, and he no longer needed to flee to the sea.

Just when things were about to settle down smoothly, another problem arose.

Wan Tong asked in a panic, "Master, what should we do now?"

Wan Baoquan took a deep breath to calm himself and said:

"Don't panic, the sky isn't going to fall."

"Zhao Yanjun is probably still hoping that Li Shanchang will save him, so he won't confess anytime soon. We still have a chance to get away."

Wan Tong asked in bewilderment, "This matter has already been exposed. As the person in charge of the construction of the imperial city, he cannot escape unscathed. Why should he continue to suffer unnecessary torment?"

Wan Baoquan said, "He won't accept his fate until the very last moment; that's human nature."

A hint of sarcasm surfaced in Wan Tong's expression. "You think you're qualified to talk about humanity?"
However, he quickly lowered his head to hide his expression, and said with flattery:
"Master is wise."

A hint of arrogance flashed across Wan Baoquan's face as he said:
“Our family owns property in Luzon, so we decided to move there as a family.”

"At that time, the emperor will truly be far away and the sky will be high."

At this point, he looked at Wantong and said, "Do your job well, and I'll release your family when we get to Luzon."

"When the time comes, you can buy a few merchant ships, join the fleet of thousands, and enjoy endless wealth and glory."

Wantong said excitedly, "Thank you so much, sir. Wantong will definitely follow in your footsteps."

Wan Baoquan was very satisfied with the result and then said:

"I asked you to contact the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong before, where are they?"

Wantong quickly replied, "Sun Yunzhong and his group are near Beigang (Taiwan Island)."

"The Japanese pirates' whereabouts are unpredictable, and their exact location is unknown, but it is likely not far from Guangzhou."

Wan Baoquan said, "Contact them and arrange a time to launch an attack on Guangzhou."

Wan Tong hesitated for a moment, then advised, "Guangzhou is a well-fortified city with a large garrison. Even with our inside help, it will be difficult to break through in a short time."

"If the delay is too long, the Ming army in the surrounding areas will come to our aid, and we may suffer more losses than gains."

"Moreover, if Guangzhou is actually captured, the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong will benefit the city."

"I thought it would be better to plunder Guangzhou Port, and preferably seize as many ships as possible."

"It would be even better if we could capture some shipbuilding craftsmen, then we could build our own ships."

Wan Baoquan thought for a moment and said approvingly, "That's right, our goal is to safely evacuate Guangzhou."

"We can't even move all of our own property, let alone plunder the people in the city."

"Okay, let's negotiate with them like this and determine a date for action as soon as possible."

After finalizing the general plan, Wantong disguised himself and left the Wan family.

They arrived at two separate meeting points, met with the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong's liaison officers, and told them about the plan to attack Guangzhou Bay.

The two liaison officers did not dare to delay and immediately relayed the message.

While waiting, Wanbaoquan also began to prepare for the evacuation, packing up everything he could take and loading it onto the ship.

At the same time, he also began acting.

First, they pretended that a caravan had been robbed by pirates in the Western Ocean and had no choice but to sell their flesh and blood.

They sold off many properties at relatively low prices.

He also voluntarily relinquished his position as president of the chamber of commerce in exchange for certain benefits.

This move did not arouse suspicion, as maritime trade is both highly profitable and risky.

One wrong move and you could lose everything.

The news spread quickly, and the Wan family once again became the topic of conversation among everyone.

The more glorious they were before, the more pathetic they are now.

This made Wan Baoquan, who had an excessive sense of pride, very uncomfortable. He rarely went out, and when he did, his expression was always very unpleasant.

This only reinforced the belief that something was wrong with Wan Jia's fleet.

Otherwise, Wanbaoquan wouldn't have been so easily breached.

After recovering some of the funds, Wanbaoquan began purchasing merchant ships and various goods, making it appear as if he was setting sail again.

But taking advantage of this opportunity, he quietly transferred his valuables from home to the ship.

What pained him was that he couldn't take the real estate with him.

The most regrettable thing is that the newly built mansion was not even lived in for more than a few days.

Moreover, he couldn't sell it to avoid arousing suspicion, which was the most difficult part.

but……

Once I plunder Guangzhou Port, I can take everything back tenfold or a hundredfold.
-
The leader of the Wokou was named Muto Hideta, a branch of the Fujiwara clan, a prominent family in Japan. He turned to piracy after his family fell into decline.

Although they were impoverished nobles, they were still nobles.

In Japan, a society that values ​​lineage, even those who fall into the trap of becoming pirates still enjoy a high social status.

In addition, he studied from a young age, and his knowledge and experience far exceeded those of ordinary people.

He gradually became the leader of the Japanese pirates.

Thanks to his efforts, the Japanese pirates grew stronger and stronger, with a total number of about seven thousand.

From initially only daring to plunder merchant ships at sea, they have now developed to openly landing on land to conquer cities.

Of course, the reason he dared to land and attack the city was because he had insiders tip him off.

Many families within the Ming Dynasty were connected with him.

They not only provided them with intelligence, but also helped them procure supplies and sell stolen goods.

Guangzhou Wanjia is one of their main partners, which is why Muto Hideta summoned his men after receiving the message from Wantong.

However, he did not gather everyone together.

First, there wasn't enough time; second, he habitually kept a backup plan. Moreover, out of caution, he didn't reveal his location, nor did he immediately trust Wan Baoquan.

Instead, they first sent someone to contact Sun Yunzhong and reached a partial deal.

Then they sent people to Guangzhou to investigate the situation.

Sun Yunzhong naturally wouldn't easily trust Wan Baoquan.

However, as former subordinates of Zhang Shicheng, they brought their families with them when they fled to the sea.

Most of them were non-combatants.

The pressure of supporting these people is immense.

Even though he was skeptical of Wan Baoquan's plan, he still gathered his main force to see if he could gain an advantage.

He also did not act rashly, but instead sent people to scout out the situation first.

First came news from the imperial city of Fengyang: Imperial Envoy Liu Bowen had discovered the theft and sale of building materials for the imperial city and was arresting people everywhere.

Then Wanjia began selling off their own property, making it appear as if the entire clan had moved away.

In addition, the sources of many materials used in the mansions that Wan Baoquan built before were indeed very suspicious.

Sun Yunzhong and Mutō Hideta's doubts were immediately dispelled.

Finally, all three parties agreed to take action on December 10th.

However, Guangzhou Port was defended by a garrison, and the garrison commander, Geng Tianbi, was also a fierce general.

If we can't capture him beforehand and force him to defend the water fortress, we really don't have the confidence to break through the gates of the water fortress and enter the inner harbor of Guangzhou Port in a short time.

Wan Baoquan had a sudden inspiration and came up with an idea.

So on the morning of the day he took action, he brought wine, meat, and grain to reward the troops.

As a prominent business family in Guangzhou, the Wan family had to manage various aspects of their affairs.

The navy that controls Guangzhou Port, in particular, is a key target for bribery.

In the past, when he had nothing to do, he would often visit and comfort the entire army.

This time, Geng Tianbi had no doubts and received him very warmly.

He immediately ordered the kitchen to cook the meat he had brought, so that everyone could have a good meal today.

Naturally, the entire army couldn't eat together; instead, they ate in battalions.

Wan Baoquan didn't think much of it. He was very happy to see the soldiers eating the food he had brought.

Eat up, eat up, have a good last meal so you can go on your way.

Then he left under the pretext of business. Geng Tianbi personally saw him off at the gate of the water village and warmly invited him to come often in the future.

After he walked away, Geng Tianbi's face turned cold:

"Pah, what kind of trash dares to scheme against me? I'll let you live a little longer."

"Just wait and see how I deal with you."

Afterwards, he returned to the military camp, ordered the soldiers to throw away all the meat, and took medicine to treat diarrhea.

The soldiers below had no idea what was happening. When they saw that they were being told to throw away the meat, they were very confused and even more distressed.

This is real meat, how can we waste it?

When they learned that there was something wrong with the meat, they cursed Wan Baoquan and his ancestors for eighteen generations.

Yes, this batch of meat was problematic; it contained trace amounts of croton oil.

Wan Baoquan didn't dare to add too much, fearing that the unusual smell would be noticed.

However, even a small amount can have a strong effect.

Diarrhea will occur approximately half an hour to an hour later.

Just imagine what would happen if one side suddenly had diarrhea during a war.

Even if only a portion of people have diarrhea, it can be extremely fatal.

To be honest, Geng Tianbi was still quite frightened afterward.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard hadn't given him advance notice, he would most likely have fallen into their trap, and he wouldn't even know how he died.

I need to be more careful in the future; I can't accept every benefit.

However, precisely because of these precautions, only this one battalion actually managed to eat the meat, which did not affect their combat effectiveness.

I'm going to give them a surprise later.

Wan Baoquan had been monitoring the situation in the military camp. About half an hour later, a slight disturbance occurred in the camp.

Even the number of people guarding the water fortress has been significantly reduced.

He was overjoyed; his plan had worked.

He then sent men to light smoke signals from a high place to notify the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong's troops in the open sea that they could take action.

To his surprise, before the smoke signals could even rise, deafening sounds of battle erupted from the distant waters.

He was initially puzzled, but then he realized that he had been tricked by the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong.

Luckily, I got out of the water village beforehand, otherwise I would probably be stuck there forever.

But what can he do even if he knows? At this point, he can only swallow his anger and resentment.

"Good, good, you're all great. We'll settle the score later."

On the other side, Geng Tianbi was also very shocked.

He had assumed that the enemy would wait until they were infected before notifying those outside to take action.

This round trip would take at least one or two hours, and the enemy wouldn't be able to launch their attack until at least the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, only half an hour later, the Japanese pirates and Zhang Shicheng's remnants attacked.

There is only one possibility: when Wan Baoquan came to the camp to deliver wine and meat, the enemy set off at the same time.

These people are truly remarkable for being able to calculate time so precisely.

He was unaware that internal discord had arisen among the three parties involved in Wanbaoquan, and simply assumed it was a perfect collaboration.

At the same time, I admire Wan Baoquan's courage.

They dared to take such a risk; no wonder they were able to build such a large business empire.

Inside Guangzhou, upon hearing faint shouts of battle, Provincial Governor Shen Shutong's face darkened.

The Wan family dared to collude with Japanese pirates and the remnants of Zhang Shicheng; they truly deserve to die.

Fortunately, I haven't been in Guangzhou for long and haven't had time to establish any connections with the local powerful figures.

Otherwise, he would have been doomed this time as well.

The people in the city thought there was a rebellion and desperately fled back home, locking their doors tightly.

Naturally, there were also local thugs who took advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.

However, the well-prepared constables and city garrison troops quickly mobilized and arrested them all.

The city's security situation quickly stabilized.
-
Just as Wan Baoquan had predicted, the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong also harbored ulterior motives.

The migration of thousands of families to Luzon meant they were no longer of much use to them.

Competition between the two sides will actually intensify.

If we can take this opportunity to trick the other party, it would be even better if we could kill Wan Baoquan.

Therefore, both sides launched their attacks ahead of schedule.

The Japanese pirates numbered over 5,000, while Sun Yunzhong's forces numbered over 20,000.

The combined manpower of both sides was also quite large.

However, they do not trust each other. Although they appear to be united, they are actually wary of each other.

Guangzhou Port seemed to be completely unprepared, and they easily broke into the harbor and entered the funnel-shaped opening.

Some of the merchant ships and fishing boats along the way began to flee upon seeing their arrival.

They didn't pursue them; it was completely unnecessary.

Once we seize Guangzhou Port, we'll have everything we need; there's no need to worry about such a small gain.

What they didn't know was that after two fishing boats escaped to safety, they took out wood and dried cow dung from their holds and set them on fire.

A plume of smoke rose.

On a small island more than ten miles away, a group of strong men saw the smoke signal and lit the pile of firewood next to them.

In less than fifteen minutes, Wu Zhen, who was hiding in Dapeng Bay and Daya Bay, received the intelligence and slammed his fist heavily on the table:
"The entire army must launch an attack and not let a single enemy escape."

The massive fleet moved slowly, its speed increasing as it headed towards Guangzhou Bay.

The Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong led their army unimpeded until they reached the inner harbor water fortress, where they encountered resistance.

Looking at the few defenders on the water fortress, they knew that Wan Baoquan's plan had worked.

They dispatched men to launch a fierce attack on the water fortress.

At the same time, more than a thousand fierce-looking, burly men emerged from the cabins of the thousands of merchant ships docked at the inner harbor wharf.

They hacked and burned everywhere, and soon the inner harbor was plunged into chaos.

Geng Tianbi merely glanced at it coldly and then ignored it, focusing all his forces on defending against external attacks.

As long as we hold this line of defense and keep the Japanese pirates and Sun Yunzhong's troops tied up here, we can annihilate them all once the navy surrounds them.

As for the rest, I can't worry about that anymore.

He really couldn't care about anything else.

Muto Hideta and Sun Yunzhong were certain that he had fallen into a trap, had few troops at his disposal, and was just holding on for the moment.

Therefore, they dispatched their elite forces to launch a fierce attack, preparing to take the water fortress in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)