Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 79 It’s all mine!

"Who is this young man, so arrogant?"

The soldiers and civilians of Yanghesai were still in a bad mood when they suddenly heard this extremely disruptive sound, and they couldn't help but stick their heads out of the city wall to look down.

But all they saw was a young man, barely out of hair, shouting loudly below, even holding up five fingers and pretending to count down.

Most of them had never even met Yan Maoqing and had no idea where this young man got his confidence from.

However, to be fair, his words, though crude, were not without merit.

If what Shen Lian said before was true, and Anda truly surrendered sincerely, then this merit is indeed considerable.

These envoys, the Tatar prince, and the more than 100,000 Ming soldiers and civilians entered the pass through Yanghe Pass. Even just having the name Yanghe Pass should have brought them considerable glory.

When these events reach the capital, the Emperor will be overjoyed and will likely issue an order to reward the soldiers and civilians of Yanghe and Sai. Military officers may be promoted, and registered military households on the Yellow Register may also receive meat and rice as rewards.

In fact, if the emperor were to have a sudden whim, he might just write a few words and bestow upon Yanghe Pass the reputation of being "the best pass under heaven"!

But if they don't open the city gates to prevent people from entering, this good thing will not only benefit others, but may also cause considerable trouble...

These are the thoughts in my mind.

The soldiers and civilians unconsciously turned to look at Zhou Shangwen, as this matter still had to be decided by Zhou Shangwen, the General of Datong.

They neither have the authority nor can they bear the responsibility.

After Shen Lian's previous explanation, many people were already inclined to believe it.

If the Tartars had truly amassed over 100,000 men to raid the passes and deal with a small place like Yanghe Pass, they wouldn't have needed to resort to such underhanded tactics. This move was utterly pointless.

"This……"

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Zhou Shangwen unconsciously looked at Guo Xun.

He had known for a long time that Yan Maoqing was Guo Xun's adopted son, and Guo Xun must have known the inside story, whether it was his private contact with the Tartar envoys or his secret mission to Anda.

Most importantly, Guo Xun is the Duke of Yi, and since he is the highest-ranking nobleman here, no one can take the blame for him if something goes wrong...

"Open the door immediately to welcome them; I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

Before Zhou Shangwen could even speak, Guo Xun's eyes lit up, his face flushed, and he shouted loudly without hesitation.

He had already clearly seen the tracks left by the oxcarts that Yan Maoqing had personally escorted back!
That depth... must mean it was carrying a heavy load!

Based on Yan Maoqing's exorbitant demands in front of the Tartar envoy and the volume of the heavy objects on the cart, Guo Xun made a deduction about the contents of the oxcart almost instantly.

silver!

It must be silver!

However, Guo Xun was someone who had actually seen what 100,000 taels of silver looked like, and knew how much volume that amount of silver could take up.

Therefore, when he saw those oxcarts, he felt that there seemed to be more than he had expected, and perhaps some other valuables as well.

But this is not the time to worry about these things!
Since Yan Maoqing was able to bring back silver from Anda, it means that the "ingenious plan" has succeeded.

In this way, his old life was completely saved, and he no longer needed to worry!

……

Despite Guo Xun's guarantee, Zhou Shangwen maintained the composure and caution characteristic of a veteran when arranging the entry into the city.

After the city gates were lowered, the soldiers and civilians of Yanghe Pass remained vigilant and allowed Yan Maoqing and others into the city first.

As for the more than 100,000 prisoners released by the Tatars, they were temporarily ordered to remain where they were, and cavalry were sent to patrol and confirm that no weapons were hidden. Then, their identities were verified one by one and they were allowed to enter the pass in turn.

"Commander Shen, what exactly is going on?"

Yan Changping then pulled Shen Lian aside and questioned him privately in the tone of a superior.

"Commander Yan, please forgive me. It's not that I'm unwilling to speak frankly."

Shen Lian bowed and apologized.
"But this matter is of great importance, and I can only report the relevant secrets to Commander Lu. If I were to tell Commander Yan rashly, it might be detrimental to him."

Having gone through so much with Yan Maoqing, Shen Lian still hadn't figured out the logic behind it all. But as he learned more, even the slow-witted man sensed something amiss.

Then, considering that Guo Xun was nominally there to oversee relief efforts and even carried the imperial sword bestowed by the emperor, but in reality he never seriously inquired about the relief work.

Furthermore, Yan Maoqing openly solicited bribes from Anda in front of him and Gao Gong, but afterwards did not give him and Gao Gong any money in order to shut them up.

Furthermore, the outcome of this matter was ultimately absolutely beneficial to the Ming Dynasty, and Gao Gong always seemed to have something to say but couldn't bring himself to say it...

He always felt that this matter was far more complicated than he had imagined, and that it might even have been at the Emperor's behest!

There was just one thing he couldn't understand no matter what.

That's why he was pulled into this situation.

Upon closer reflection, he was utterly useless in the process. He merely ate a few pounds of sand in the desert and endured some hardship from the long journey, the wind and sun, mosquito bites, and sleeping outdoors.

Upon closer reflection, aside from possibly knowing some things, Gao Gong seems to serve no different purpose from him...

"In that case, I will not inquire further."

Yan Changping sensed the hidden meaning in Shen Lian's words and realized that this matter was probably not simple, so he did not press the issue, but instead said,
"His Majesty has ordered me to escort Guo Xun, Zhou Shangwen, Yan Maoqing, and Gao Gong back to the capital with you to report on the matter. What is your opinion on this?"

"Is there anything else going on?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian became confused again. After pondering for a moment, he said seriously,
"In my humble opinion, apart from myself, before His Majesty issues any further clear decrees, Commander Yan should not only refrain from being disrespectful to the others, but should also be extra careful to ensure that they are escorted back to the capital safely."

……

the other side.

Yan Maoqing was also summoned to a secluded spot by Guo Xun, who, speaking in a fatherly tone, winked and inquired:
"Shouchang, have we received all 100,000 taels of silver?"

He was certain that his scheme had succeeded and that his old life would be spared, so he set his sights on Yan Maoqing's oxcarts.

That's 100,000 taels of silver, a whole 100,000 taels of silver!
This amount of silver is equivalent to one-third of his family fortune. How could he not be moved?

"Godfather, it's not 'us,' it's me, it's all mine."

Yan Maoqing immediately became serious and corrected him.

"What do you mean?"

Guo Xun was stunned, as if he could hear his own heart breaking. His old face contorted with worry as he said...
"Shouchang, your godfather has treated you well, you can't just turn your back on him after you've served your purpose!"

"What does Godfather mean by that?"

Yan Maoqing also frowned, and said with great distress,
“I went to great lengths to rescue my adoptive father, and now I have worked day and night as an envoy to the Tatars, risking my life to earn such merit for my adoptive father.”

“I have treated my godfather with such sincerity. He is, after all, the Duke of Yiguo. If he still covets the little pocket money I earned with my life, then he is unrighteous. We, father and son, have no choice but to sever all ties today!”

"..."

Guo Xun was immediately dumbfounded. Protecting his food?
at this time.

"Who can tell this governor what exactly is going on today?"

Suddenly, the affected voice of Long Dayou, the governor of Datong, rang out from not far away; it was only then that he arrived late.

In fact, he already knew about what was happening today. Half an hour ago, he had already packed his valuables and ordered his personal guards to prepare horses to abandon the city and flee.

It wasn't until he learned later that it wasn't the Tartars coming to raid the pass that he finally stopped fleeing on horseback and came to inquire about the situation with a heart full of worry.

How could he not be worried?
Now, in order to express his sincerity in surrendering and submitting to the Ming emperor, Anda has been able to behead all those traitorous generals.

Then it is also possible that he had previously secretly contacted and communicated with Anda, and privately sold the goods that were strictly prohibited from leaving the country to the Tatars at high prices for his own profit.

It should be noted that apart from the small portion that the smugglers took, the majority of these supplies came from the border troops' rations and military funds that he had embezzled. If these things were exposed, he would probably not escape death.

Therefore, in order to protect himself, he had to do something to seize the initiative!

(End of this chapter)