novelAbuy Chapter 122: The Lin'an Defense Line
Chapter 122: The Lin'an Defense Line
April 29th, the thirteenth year of Shaoxing, in Lin'an City.
Zhao Shi was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
As Lao Zong sat up in bed, he heard a clerk's hushed voice from outside the door: "Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, someone from the Ministry of Revenue has arrived."
After listening, Zhao Shi frowned slightly, put on his coat, got up, and pushed open the door.
The clerk stood outside the door, holding an official document, looking somewhat anxious.
"The Ministry of Revenue has issued a notice that the allocation of funds for archives needs to be reviewed again. The reason given is that during the period when the tribute missions are away from the capital, the affairs of the imperial clan should be handled in a simplified manner. This is the original wording of the Assistant Minister of Revenue."
Zhao Shi took the official document and carefully read it through in the morning light.
The official documents are politely worded, but the content is uncompromising.
The allocation of funds for the next quarter of the mission has been suspended, pending verification of mission expenses before a further decision is made.
"Verify the mission's expenses." Zhao Shi folded the official document and put it into his sleeve.
He sneered, "The investigation has reached my desk. Do they really think that just because Prince Puan isn't in Lin'an, I'll be at their mercy?"
The clerk lowered his head and dared not respond.
Zhao Shiyi was not angry. He leaned on his peach wood cane, walked into the main hall of the Grand Temple, sat down at the desk, and wrote a palindrome.
The palindrome consists of only three lines: First, the allocation of funds for the Grand Court of Imperial Clan Affairs follows the old system established by Emperor Taizu, and does not require review by the Ministry of Revenue.
Secondly, if the Ministry of Revenue insists on a "re-examination," please provide an official document from the Ministry of Revenue, specifying the legal provisions on which it is based.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Revenue shall not arbitrarily suspend the issuance of document and archive funds before the official document is delivered.
After writing it, he handed the reply to the clerk.
He instructed, "Send it to the Ministry of Revenue immediately. Let them see clearly that although I am old, I have not forgotten the rules established by the founding emperor."
The clerk took the document and quickly left.
Zhao Shi sat down at the table, picked up the tea that had long since gone cold, and took a sip. He knew in his heart that this was only the beginning.
The Ministry of Revenue is merely testing the waters; more methods will follow. It's likely that the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Court of Judicial Review—any government office that Qin Hui can intervene in—will take turns coming to provoke him.
He served in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs for forty years and was accustomed to such tests.
Every test is inevitably followed by even tougher suppression.
The key to success or failure lies in whether or not the first line of defense can be held.
If the defenses are held firm, the subsequent difficulties will naturally subside; if we keep retreating, the other side will only become more aggressive.
"Pass on my orders," Zhao Shi'an instructed another clerk beside him, "From this day forward, all official documents submitted to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, regardless of which department they originate from, must first be reviewed by me personally. Without my signature, they shall not be filed. Furthermore—"
Zhao Shi paused briefly, thought for a moment, and continued, "Lock all the copper boxes containing the documents into the metal cabinet, and I will keep the key myself."
The clerk accepted the order and withdrew. Zhao Shi got up and walked to the window, gazing at the gradually brightening sky.
Prince Puan is far away, and the game he left behind is now up to me to play.
At 7:00 AM on the same day, inside the Cining Palace.
Zhang Quwei stood inside the side room, holding a food box in his hands.
The box contained several kinds of pastries sent by Consort Zhang: jujube paste cake, osmanthus cake, and two dishes of candied fruit.
The various snacks were neatly arranged, seemingly nothing more than a common greeting.
There is a hidden compartment at the bottom of the food container.
Zhang Quwei opened the hidden compartment in the side room and found only a folded note inside.
The handwriting is from Feng Yi's hand: "This morning, the Imperial City Guard added six guards to the perimeter of Cining Palace, two at the main gate and four at the back gate."
Two other people disguised themselves as peddlers and set up a stall at the alley entrance, reducing the frequency of their correspondence from that day forward.
After reading the note, Zhang Quwei crumpled it up, chewed it, swallowed it, picked up the food box, and went into Consort Wei's bedchamber.
Consort Wei was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror when she heard footsteps. Without turning her head, she asked, "What food has been brought?"
"These are jujube paste cakes, osmanthus cakes, and two dishes of candied fruit. Consort Zhang sent them over." Zhang Quwei placed the food box on the table.
Consort Wei glanced at Zhang Quwei through the mirror, and in that single glance, she saw that the hidden compartment had been opened. "What's the situation outside?"
"The Imperial City Guard has increased the number of personnel stationed at the alley entrance, claiming that they are there to protect the Empress Dowager's safety," Zhang Quwei said in a low voice.
"This morning, when I went to the back gate to fetch water, I saw with my own eyes them ransack a vegetable delivery cart from top to bottom."
Consort Wei slowly inserted a silver hairpin into her hair: "What clues have they discovered?"
"We got nothing. The carriage was for delivering vegetables from Deshou Palace, and the driver and servants were all old acquaintances of the Empress Dowager."
The Imperial City Guard searched the area thoroughly but found nothing amiss, so they had no choice but to let them pass, but—"
"But next time, I might not let it go so easily." Consort Wei got up, walked to the table, opened the food box, picked up a piece of jujube cake, and took a bite.
"Order Deoksoo Palace to reduce the frequency of deliveries to once every five days, instead of daily trips."
"Empress Dowager..."
"I've endured sixteen years of hardship in the North, I certainly haven't lacked a single bite to eat." Consort Wei swallowed a pastry, brushed the crumbs from her palm, and asked, "Where have Zhao Bozong and his entourage gone?"
"Based on the itinerary, they should have already passed Yangzhou and were heading towards Huai'an. Your Highness changed course to waterway at the last minute, and Qin Hui's ambush on the land route has completely failed."
Consort Wei's lips twitched slightly: "Changing to the waterway, this child is more adept at judging the situation than his biological father."
Zhang Quwei stood to the side with his head down, remaining silent.
Consort Wei sat back down in front of the mirror, picked up a wooden comb, and slowly combed the stray hairs around her ears: "Zhang Quwei, guess what tricks Qin Hui will use next?"
"This old servant dares not presume to speculate."
"Then I'll cut it for you." Consort Wei put down the comb and gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
"He would first cut the funds of the Grand Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, then send troops to besiege the Cining Palace, and finally, investigate the Prince of Puan's residence."
Three things were carried out in succession, one after another, leaving everyone in Lin'an City overwhelmed and powerless to resist.
Zhang Quwei's heart tightened: "The Empress Dowager means..."
"What I mean is, when the first two things happened, I remained inactive, waiting until he reached out to the Prince's residence—"
Consort Wei took out a shard of porcelain from her sleeve and gently placed it on the dressing table. "I want him to understand that a tiger that has been lying dormant in the North for sixteen years has returned to its cage not to spend its old age in peace."
At noon on the same day, at the East Gate of Deshou Palace.
Tang Situi, dressed in the blue robe of a sixth-rank civil official, walked out of the East Gate carrying a stack of official documents from the Ministry of Rites. The old handyman who delivered vegetables every day just happened to brush past him.
The old handyman pushed a wheelbarrow, with a basket containing a few bunches of green vegetables, a bundle of scallions, and two jars of pickled vegetables.
In the instant their figures crossed, a folded piece of paper from Tang Situi's sleeve silently fell to the bottom of the vegetable basket.
The whole process took no more than two breaths. The old servant kept his eyes straight ahead and pushed the cart to continue towards the market. Tang Situi did not stop and went straight to the Ministry of Works.
That night, the note was delivered to Zhao Shiyi.
The note contained a copy of the recent personnel transfer records of the Imperial City Guard, made by Tang Situi.
The number of guards added to the perimeter of Cining Palace, the dispatch order numbers for the patrol troops of Huai'an Prefecture, and another crucial piece of news.
Tian Ruyi left Lin'an two days ago and headed north.
After reading the note, Zhao Shiyi held it up to the oil lamp and burned it to ashes.
"Tian Ruyi has gone to Huaibei," he muttered to himself in the empty study.
"Qin Hui laid out these moves in Lin'an, but the real killing move to strike at the border was handed over to Tian Ruyi."