There were three platforms in the back garden of the Qingyang Palace. The left platform was the birth platform with a white-haired baby. Legend has it that this was the newly born Taishang Laojun. Below the platform was a tall ginkgo tree. Under the tree was a praying mat. A man in a green robe was sitting on it, meditating. His legs were wide and his hands were on his knees. His face was thin and he looked to be in his forties.
Zhu Rangjin, Administrative Commissioner An Wentao and Inspector Lu Zheng walked over. Seeing him meditating with his eyes closed, the three quickly lightened their footsteps and slowly walked behind him, waiting solemnly.
The face of the man in the green robe was pale, without a trace of blood. He sat quietly for a long time before letting out a long sigh and said, "Jin 'er?"
Zhu Rangjin hurriedly bowed and said, "Father, it's me. Official An and Official Lu have also come to visit father. "
This cultivator meditating under the ginkgo tree was the famous First Virtuous King of Ming Destiny, Zhu Binhan. He made a noncommittal sound and put down his wide legs. He turned around and said, "Has the imperial envoy been settled?"
An Wentao hurriedly said, "Yes! This lowly official has just led the civil and military officials of Sichuan to welcome the Imperial Envoy into the city. The Imperial Envoy said that the Emperor is also very concerned about Wangye's illness in the capital and specially ordered him to go to Sichuan to visit. Tomorrow the Imperial Envoy should be here. "
"Hehe, did the Emperor order him to visit on behalf of the Emperor?" Shu Wu smiled faintly and said, "My illness is erratic. I won't be able to see day and night. What is there to visit?"
An Wentao and Lu Zheng said fearfully, "Your Highness is the soul of Ba and Shu, the pillar of the southwest. The court and the people of Ba and Shu hope that you will recover soon. Your Highness is in the prime of your life. You just need to rest and you will definitely recover soon. Please be careful not to say anything inauspicious."
The King of Shu shook his head and waved his hand, saying, "I know my illness. Let's not talk about this. What I am worried about is the Crown Prince. Xu Zheng is in Xuzhou to mediate the dispute between the Barbarian tribes and the Han people. This matter concerns the safety of Ba and Shu and even Yungui provinces.
This time, I cannot handle this matter personally. It is also the first time that the Crown Prince has taken on such a heavy responsibility. I am deeply worried. Now, I can only ask for your help and help the Crown Prince eliminate this disaster. This is the fortune of Bashu. "
"This matter is also this lowly official's responsibility, this lowly official is duty-bound. Please rest assured, Your Highness." An Wentao and the other two hurriedly bowed.
The King of Shu nodded his head and said, "Yes, now that the imperial envoy has arrived in Sichuan, I will definitely have to understand the military law in Sichuan. The two of you are busy with official duties and have to receive the imperial court's ambassador. There is no need for you to come and visit me these few days. My illness is neither life nor death.
An Wentao and Zhuge Liang still wanted to persuade him, but seeing that the King of Shu was already somewhat exhausted, the two could only sigh and bow, saying: "This lowly official obeys. We will return to the yamen at once and prepare the documents for the Imperial Envoy to inquire. Your Highness, please rest well."
The two of them knew that the King of Shu must have something to say to the Second Prince for him to ask them to leave so early. Therefore, they did not stay any longer. After a few brief words, they took their leave. As soon as the two of them left, Zhu Rangjin's demeanor immediately became restrained. His sleeves drooped down and he stood respectfully, not daring to move an inch.
The King of Shu was very strict in his upbringing. Zhu Rangjin had always kept himself clean. He did not indulge in alcohol, did not indulge in women, and did not make frivolous friends. Other than Yang Shen and Madman Qingcheng, most of his close friends were royal relatives. Even so, he was often reprimanded by the King of Shu for being frivolous and not making progress. Zhu Rangjin had respected and feared his father since he was young.
Zhu Rangjin only knew that his father had found out when he left Lu County and would surely reprimand him again. Therefore, he lowered his head and did not dare to look at him, waiting for his father to reprimand him. Unexpectedly, there was no movement during the day. Zhu Rangjin raised his head in puzzlement and saw the King of Shu frowning slightly. After a moment of silence, he said as if talking to himself: "Yang Ling is the Emperor's most trusted official. The Emperor has just ascended the throne and it is normal for him to send his most trusted official to tour the world and understand the people under his rule and the military affairs of various regions. However, Yang Ling left the capital and did not stop for a moment in Shandong. He stopped at Jinshan in Jiangsu for two days in order to eliminate the remnants of the White Lotus, the Red Ying Society.
As the governor of six provinces in Zhejiang and Fujian, he presided over the resistance against the Japanese pirates and appeased the pirates. He also helped the Manchus to restore their country. Everywhere he went, he had a motive. After that, he passed through Jiangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou. He did not stay more than four days in each place. Oh … did he say how long he would stay in Bashu? "
"I do not know." The distinguished and knowledgeable Young Master Black Gown Zhu Rangjin did not even dare to breathe loudly in front of his father. He answered every question and did not say anything more.
The King of Shu glared at him and shook his head with a sigh: "Oh Rangjin, you should learn more from your elder brother when it comes to handling affairs. That way, I can worry less for you. You spend all day with those arrogant scholars and talented women, reciting poems and painting, and boasting about yourself as a romantic. You really do not think about improving yourself. You are the second son of the King of Shu, yet you still want to be known as the Young Master Black Gown. Is it that interesting? "
"Yes, yes, I know." Zhu Rangjin lowered his head even more.
"Yang Ling did not stop when he passed through Jiangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou. He did not seriously investigate the local government, military, and law either. It seems that his patrolling on behalf of the heavens is just a pretense. His real purpose is to deal with the Japanese pirates and the Frang Ji pirates. If that is the case, he should not stay in Sichuan for long."
The King of Shu stood up gently and Zhu Rangjin hurried forward to support him. The father and son walked up the stairs towards the stone path behind his father's platform. As soon as the two left, two young eunuchs appeared out of nowhere. They picked up the King of Shu's praying mat and followed from afar.
"The Qiang, Tibetan, Miao, and Yi tribes in Shu have many races. Most of them are fierce and brave, making them the most difficult to appease. Now the barbarians are stirring up trouble again. Yang Ling is a man who loves grandiose achievements. If he knew about this, he might use his weapons and stir up trouble in order to seek credit. This would cause our Bashu to be constantly embroiled in war and ruin the good situation that I have worked hard for many years to maintain.
Jin 'er, you usually like to gather and drink with friends, and father has often reprimanded you. This time, why don't you show off your talents? Your royal brother isn't home, so you can visit on behalf of father. Invite Yang Ling to a few banquets, and let this official of the Emperor have something to do, so that he doesn't cause trouble in Sichuan. Since he said that he is visiting me under the orders of the Emperor, we will return the invitation and reward him. This way, we will not overstep the etiquette and make friends with the court officials. "
"Yes, don't worry, Father. I understand."
"Sigh, these are really troubled times. After I fell ill, the tribe leaders of the various tribes became restless. This is the first time your royal brother has taken on the role of mediating disputes between the tribes. These barbarians are tough and tough. Just two commoners, because of a bamboo tube of salt, can cause a war between two large tribes of tens of thousands of people. I am worried.
The barbarians are especially difficult to deal with. They have never accepted the orders of the Emperor and have ruled the country with their own Ming Destiny. For the past hundred years, they have had conflicts with the Han people without a break. Two years ago, the Former Emperor even issued an edict praising me for my meritorious governance, enlightening the people and making Shu a scene of prosperity. He ordered all the kings to learn from me.
These words are still ringing in my ears. If I cannot suppress the matter of the barbarians and cause trouble, wouldn't I be a joke? The Commander has just been replaced. If something happens, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide it even if I want to. Although I'm in the Qingyang Palace, how can I be as calm as water? How can I cultivate my moral character? "
The King of Shu, Zhu Binhan, was only about forty years old, but he seemed to be weighed down by a heavy burden. He became a frail old man. Supported by his son, he spoke worriedly as he walked towards the residence under the shade of green trees.
* * *
"The King of Shu has been in poor health for the past two years. He lives in seclusion and seldom goes out. The affairs of the Prince's mansion are mostly handled by the Crown Prince, Rangxu. The Crown Prince has the style of his father. He is steady, experienced, and calm. He has outstanding achievements in governance. Not only has he been praised by the King of Shu, but he is also loved by the people of Shu. "
"So, in fact, for the past two years, the real King of Shu is not Zhu Binhan, but Zhu Rangxu?"
"If you put it that way … it is not wrong. Zhu Rangxu is the Crown Prince of Shu, the future King of Shu. With the support of the people and the King of Shu, his prestige in the Sichuan army and people is indeed no less than his father. However, the power and influence of the fifteen chieftains in Shu is greater than the King of Shu's mansion, the Administrative Commissioner, and the Commander's Yamen. "
Liu Biao had only been in Sichuan for a few months, but he seemed to know a lot of things like the back of his hand. He answered fluently, "The imperial court gives the chieftains great power. As long as the tribes do not involve the Han people, whether it is civil affairs or laws, it is completely up to the chieftains to decide. The people of the tribes only know about the chieftains, but not the imperial court.
The world says that the King of Shu is virtuous. He uses etiquette to assimilate the four barbarians, gives the people benefits, and recuperates. As a result, Bashu is rich and the people live in peace. According to my investigation, this is indeed true, but it is a bit exaggerated.
There are many royal families in Shu. For more than a hundred years, they have been buying land. Now, just take Chengdu as an example. The King of Shu's family owns seventy percent of the land, and the garrison occupies twenty percent. The farmers who own the land only make up ten percent. The rest are all tenants of the King of Shu. However, the land taxes collected by the King of Shu are relatively low, and the income of the tenants is no less than those who own the land. Therefore, the tenants can only be grateful and no one has ever complained. "
Yang Ling smiled faintly, "Not killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, or draining the pond to catch the fish, is indeed one of the more benevolent kings who treat the people like dogs. However, as such a large interest group, the continuous concentration of land will cause trouble sooner or later. As long as the future King of Shu does not treat the people generously according to the ancestral teachings, with so much land he owns, he can immediately cause the people to fall into dire straits. "
He interrupted Liu Biao's words and said, "Is there no harm in doing this? No matter how wise the King of Shu is, he cannot guarantee that everyone in his family will be benevolent. With more land occupied, there is no need for so many tenants. Why has the imperial court never heard of a large number of Sichuan refugees fleeing to the Central Plains? Could it be that the King of Shu has other arrangements? "
A trace of admiration flashed across Liu Biao's eyes as he replied, "Your Excellency is wise. In Bashu, there are indeed many refugees who have no land and cannot be hired. However, the policy that the people are not allowed to leave their land without a travel permit has long been abolished. Only Shu is still the same. The refugees are under the control of the government. Unable to leave Sichuan, they are scattered into the mountains and wilderness, seeking refuge with various tribes in order to survive.
These barbarians are brave, but we Han people are intelligent. With their participation, the Chieftains of the various regions will be even more difficult to deal with. The current Chieftain of Zhuoji, Tuoba Yu, was homeless because he had no land and no job. He sought refuge with the previous Chieftain, Head Lama Kaba, and became his most trusted aide.
Kaba is a Yellow Sect Lama. Because he did not have a wife and children, he passed on the position of Chieftain to Tuoba Yu. However, because of his painful experience of wandering from place to place, this Chieftain hates the Han people even more than the Tibetans. Even now, although his daughter is in contact with the King of Shu's son of concubine, Tuoba Yu still does not easily take a step into Chengdu. "
Yang Ling frowned slightly. "Shu looks like the most peaceful region, but in fact, undercurrents are surging. Who knows how many forces are secretly fighting each other. It is really difficult for the King of Shu. I don't know how much effort he has put in to mediate the balance in order to maintain this temporary calm on the surface. However, if it is not handled properly, the exposure of a problem will cause a series of problems, causing a huge uproar. The King of Shu is literally sitting on the mouth of a volcano. "
"However, for an ambitious person, this kind of multi-ethnic region is also the easiest place to intensify conflicts and nurture rebels. Imagine if there is such a person who controls the entire Heavenly Province. His family has accumulated enough wealth over hundreds of years to support a war, and also has enough land to provide food and fodder.
Under his rule, there are many tribes that can immediately recruit hundreds of thousands of brave warriors without training. Moreover, they are not friendly to the imperial court. As long as they make good use of them, with a little trick, they can easily transfer their opposition to him to their hatred of Ming Destiny's imperial court. On the other hand, he can use the knowledge of the region that he has lived in for more than a hundred years, and promise them certain benefits, to make them his staunch supporters. At the same time, he has a reputation of being virtuous, but the supreme leader of the central government is an absurd and unscrupulous emperor in the eyes of the people. So, what are the chances of success? "
Yang Ling carefully calculated for a while and came to a shocking conclusion. "If I want to be the emperor, if I have so many conditions, then the chances of success are high enough for me to risk the extermination of my family to rebel. Then... does the King of Shu want to be the emperor? Does the future King of Shu have the ambition to be the emperor? "
He remembered the secret letter from Dongchang that Emperor Zhengde showed him. It was a very scribbled and very simple sentence. It was written by Wang Qing, the Qianhu of Dongchang stationed in Suzhou, to his good friend, Han Youhui, who was on a mission in Jiangnan at that time. "Brother Han, I have to put aside the task that I have assigned to me. I found something strange in Lu Mu Town in Suzhou. Someone secretly bought gold bricks and transported them to Bashu. This is a serious and urgent matter. I am afraid that the King of Shu has the intention of rebelling, so I immediately went to investigate. I will report the details later. Because this matter involves the royal family, if the information is not true, it will be a great disaster. So, please destroy it immediately after reading it. "
The so-called gold bricks were, of course, not made of real gold. They were giant bricks that only the emperor could use to pave the ground. They were only produced in the Imperial Kiln Village in Lu Mu Town in Suzhou. However, the craftsmanship of these bricks was unique and expensive. From preparation to firing, a batch took more than a year.
More importantly, it had political significance. There was a great general in the Hongwu Dynasty. Because his beloved wife violated the rules and wore a phoenix hairpin that only the imperial concubines had the right to wear, his entire family was executed. The Imperial Kiln Village was like a military camp. It was guarded very strictly. Without an official document from the Ministry of Works, anyone who made a gold brick privately would be executed.
Just by bribing the officials, soldiers, and brick craftsmen, it was already a huge sum of money. If he did not want to declare himself emperor and rebel, change the prince's mansion into the throne room, and enjoy the treatment of an emperor, why would he buy it? The terrain of Shu could be changed when advancing and defended when retreating. If he could not conquer the world, he could retreat to Bashu. With the support of the natural stronghold and the whole of Sichuan, he could at least live the life of an emperor for more than ten years.
So, although it was just someone buying gold bricks privately, Wang Qing was not exaggerating. This case was indeed of great importance and should be investigated immediately. However, Wang Qing's departure was like a stone sinking into the ocean. Along with his four personal guards, they disappeared without a trace and could no longer be found. Han Youhui then realized the urgency of the situation and did not dare to hide it. So, he copied the contents of Wang Qing's letter and rushed back to the capital.
Fan Ting reported it to the inner court eunuch Wang Yue. Wang Yue was a cautious person. With such a letter without any evidence, how would he dare to present it to the Emperor of Hongzhi, who had repeatedly praised and praised him and called on all vassal kings to learn from the King of Shu? So, he could only order Dongchang to investigate secretly. Dongchang sent out a large team of people to investigate for more than a year, but found no clues. This case became a mystery and unsolved case. From then on, it was left in the secret box where Wang Yue kept the top secret letter until it was copied and used by Liu Jin.
Yang Ling did not say anything while Liu Biao waited quietly at the side. After a while, Yang Ling said, "If the King of Shu has the intention to rebel, he would hide it from anyone but the Crown Prince. Zhu Rangxu must know the situation. Regardless of whether the King of Shu is sick or not, the Crown Prince who is acting as the King of Shu will have to share more of his responsibilities.
Let's assume that the King of Shu really has the intention to rebel. For example, contacting allies or discussing military affairs, he cannot show his face in public. Ordinary people are not qualified to negotiate. Then there is only one person who is qualified to replace him. That is his future successor, the Crown Prince. Then, we should be able to find something if we keep a close eye on the Crown Prince. Where is he now? "
"In Xuzhou. It is said that the Barbarians have some friction with the local Han people." Liu Biao said disapprovingly, "The imperial court shows kindness and uses soft methods to govern the local barbarians. The King of Shu often boast that he has enlightened the barbarians with benevolence and has become even more aggressive. Every time there is a conflict, they adopt a peaceful attitude and are biased towards the barbarians. So every time there is a conflict between the tribes, it is not big. Often the King of Shu will come forward to mediate and turn big problems into small ones and small ones into nothing. "
Yang Ling did not know what had happened with the Barbarians. Although the people Li Sen had brought were monitoring the local tribes, they had only gone to the areas where the two tribes lived together and disguised themselves as traveling merchants to gather information. So they did not know much about the conflict between the Barbarians and the Han people or the current development of the situation.
Those places were all deep in the mountains, with steep cliffs and precipitous cliffs. The people who lived there were like wild savages. If an unknown outsider barged in, even if he did not die at their hands, he would die in the poisonous valleys or starve to death in the primitive forests.
To send in spies to gather information was no different from a fool's dream. If one hundred thousand soldiers were to be sent in, after a month, more than half of their non-combat strength would be lost. The remaining people would not even be able to maintain thirty percent of their usual fighting strength. In addition, it was impossible to find a place where one thousand eight hundred people could concentrate and charge. The Ming army would not be able to display its superiority in group warfare.
After hearing this, Yang Ling treated it as an ordinary ethnic dispute and did not pay enough attention. Yang Ling said, "Your subordinates have already gathered some Sichuan people to enter the inner workshops. Send them all to Xuzhou. Just like how you monitor the King of Shu, they must keep a close eye on Crown Prince Zhu Rangxu's every move. Be careful that he will use the excuse of resolving disputes and pacifying the natives to collude with the Barbarians and do something bad in secret. "
Liu Biao worriedly said, "Daren, right now, these people have all been stationed in the vicinity of the imperial envoy's residence, as well as in the teahouses and restaurants. They are locals and have good ears and eyes. If these people are transferred away, this lowly official will become deaf and blind. If anything happens to daren, even if this lowly official dies nine times, it will still be difficult to atone for my crimes."
Yang Ling smiled and said, "Being cautious does not mean doing nothing. Send your people to do their work. After visiting the King of Shu tomorrow, I will live in seclusion and will not easily leave the residence. If the King of Shu wants to send troops to capture me, the three thousand soldiers in my hands cannot guarantee my safety. It is as good as nothing.
If he sends assassins, I only need three hundred bodyguards to protect me. The purpose of your men is to make use of the advantages of the Shu people to find out the information I need. If you do nothing and only care about your personal safety, I can just bypass Sichuan and go to Shaanxi. Why would I come to Chengdu? "
Liu Biao had no choice but to say, "Yes, then... after you visit the King of Shu tomorrow, I will immediately send people to Xuzhou."
※ ※ ※
The Qingyang Palace was located in the western suburbs of Chengdu. The Three Pristines Hall had statues of Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun. They were nine meters tall and could be considered the best Taoist temples in the country. The original name of the Qingyang Temple was Qingyang Temple. It was said that Taishang Laojun had come here to preach to Immortal Yi Xi.
Yang Ling entered the Qingyang Temple accompanied by the administrative envoy An Wentao, the inspector Lu Zheng, and the commander Li Sen. Behind them were the officials of the Chengdu government.
In front of the gate of the Qingyang Temple were the Earth God, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger. There was also the Seven Stars Pillar, which was engraved with the Taoist secret book cloud seal script. It was arranged according to the Big Dipper Seven Stars Pillar. There was also the Dragon and Phoenix Pillar, a pair of Giant Stone Lions, and a Dragon King Well.
The King of Shu was recuperating at the back of the temple. Visitors could only walk as far as the Douma Palace and were not allowed to go any further. Now that the imperial envoy had come to visit, they simply closed the gate and did not allow visitors to enter. It was not until Yang Ling arrived that they opened the gate and let the officials in.
Therefore, when Yang Ling entered the Qingyang Temple, the huge Taoist temple was quiet. Only the temple master, Taoist Qian Yuan, led a group of disciples to welcome him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Taoist Qian Yuan accompanied the imperial envoy all the way to the back. He briefly introduced the history of the Taoist temple and the various historical sites. He looked quite proud of the long history of this Taoist temple.
They entered the back hall through the Three Pristines Temple and the Hunyuan Temple. This place was dedicated to Immortal Cihang, also known as Guanyin in Buddhism. It was said that she was originally one of the twelve Golden Immortals of Taoism. As for whether she had jumped ship to become a disciple of the Buddha of Spirited Mountain because of the poor welfare, Taoist Qian Yuan did not elaborate. Yang Ling only listened vaguely and did not ask further.
After passing the Douma Palace, they went down to the back garden. Taoist Qian Yuan bowed and said, "His Highness the King of Shu is meditating here. In order not to disturb him, this place has been designated as a forbidden area. It is inconvenient for me and my disciples to enter. Sir, please."
Yang Ling stopped and said with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance and explanation along the way." At this moment, Zhu Rangjin, dressed in a long black robe, came forward with two eunuchs. When he saw Yang Ling face to face, he did not reveal a look of familiarity. He said calmly, "Let me respectfully welcome the Marquis. Father is in the quiet room. Marquis, please."
With a tacit understanding, Yang Ling did not expose his identity. He said with a smile, "I am late. Second Prince, thank you for your hospitality."
Zhu Rangjin addressed him as Marquis. Yang Ling guessed his intention and secretly praised him. He immediately changed his way of addressing him and did not refer to him as an official but as a nobility. Both of them understood and could not help but look at each other and smile, feeling a deep appreciation for each other.
Although Yang Ling was the imperial envoy, he was still a subject of Ming Destiny. The King of Shu was highly respected and there was no reason for him to bow down to him. However, yesterday at the banquet, Yang Ling said that the Emperor had instructed him to visit the King of Shu. That was equivalent to an oral order from the Emperor.
If he came as the imperial envoy, it would be equivalent to visiting the King on behalf of the Emperor. The King of Shu would have to first bow and thank him in gratitude for the Emperor's kindness. Now, both of them exchanged their identities and did not even mention the imperial envoy's orders. When a Marquis bowed to a Prince, there would be less formalities.
The King of Shu was a man who valued rules. Although he was ill and weak, he still forced himself to get off the bed and pay his respects. Yang Ling hurriedly stopped him and did not even mention the imperial envoy's orders. He only said that he heard that the Prince was unwell and came to visit. The King of Shu did not insist and lay back down on the bed. Looking at his face, it was obvious that he was satisfied with Yang Ling's understanding.
Today, Zhu Binhan's condition was indeed worse than yesterday. His limbs were weak and he was short of breath due to guilt. It was not that he was putting on an act when he saw Yang Ling. He saw that this official close to the Emperor was humble and his mood improved. He leaned on the bed and said with a smile, "Marquis Weiwu has left the capital this time to patrol the southeast and has made great contributions. I heard that on your journey to the west, you are vigorously promoting some Nanyang crops. It is said that these crops are drought tolerant and have high yields. Is this true? "
"Yes. After planting them in Shaanxi, Hunan, the capital and other places, the current situation is that these crops have good harvests. It seems that they are indeed better than traditional crops. Although the taste of these crops is slightly inferior to wheat, it is fortunate that they do not compete for fertile land and can be planted in barren sandy lands as food reserves."
As Yang Ling spoke, he observed Zhu Binhan's expression. Zhu Binhan's tired eyes carried the grace and calmness of someone who had been in a high position for a long time. His expression was indifferent and he did not show any signs of happiness or anger. When he looked at Yang Ling, he seemed to have the unique superiority and calmness of the royal family. His eyes were extremely peaceful and there was absolutely no abnormality in his expression or actions.
Yang Ling's heart jerked violently, "I may have come to Sichuan to deal with the King of Shu. This is such an important matter. Since Zhu Rangjin knows this news, there is no reason for the King of Shu not to know. How can he be so calm and composed?
No matter how good a person's temperament is, if he is innocent, after hearing this news and seeing me, the imperial envoy, he will inadvertently reveal some resentment and grievance and think of ways to reveal his true intentions. If I hit his sore spot, no matter how hard he tries to hide it, how can he be so graceful, watertight and unquestionable? Could it be that he is so scheming? "
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