Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Seventy-Seven: Overnight (Part II)

Upon reflection, this was entirely reasonable. What was the current situation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? And how insecure did Zhu Chen, the Commander of the Guard, feel? After all, the two previous commanders had been sentenced to death and executed by slow slicing at the Caishikou execution grounds. How could he not be terrified?

Fear naturally led one to seek a patron. Yet, for a commander of the Guard, the available patrons in the imperial court were limited, and the greatest among them was undoubtedly the Senior Grand Secretary, Yang Tinghe. Zhu Chen had simply never found an opportunity—until Yang Dun committed such a grave error. Zhu Chen had seized the moment to defect, offering this intervention as a gesture of goodwill, or rather, a formal pledge of loyalty.

Having reasoned this through and observing the man’s demeanor, Yang Tinghe was convinced that he was telling the truth and that this was not a trap.

"Commander Zhu."

"I am here, Excellency," Zhu Chen replied, straightening his posture, nearly rising to salute.

"So, you are saying you will help Yongcheng leave this place of trouble? And perhaps even provide some cover regarding the case?"

"Exactly. As long as you give the word, I will do everything in my power to quell the matter, leaving no future repercussions. As for the Second Young Master Yang, he need only hide away for a year or so; once the fervor dies down, he may return. At most, he will only miss the next imperial examination."

"Waiting an extra three years is something he can afford."

"Then I shall return and make the arrangements. I will ensure you are not troubled, Excellency. By the way, my men should have reached South Tongzhou by now; they will ensure the Second Young Master’s safety."

"Very well. I appreciate your efforts, and I shall remember this," Yang Tinghe replied, offering a noncommittal assurance. Even this lukewarm response left Zhu Chen overjoyed; he stood up and clasped his hands in gratitude. In his eyes, by latching onto the influential Grand Secretary, his position was now as stable as Mount Tai, and he no longer needed to fear being impeached or losing his office—or his life—for no reason.

After seeing Zhu Chen off, Yang Tinghe’s expression shifted. The situation was more complex than he had anticipated.

Furthermore, the most critical issue was that they were still concealing a dire truth from him. He had to make Yang Shen reveal everything. Returning to his study, he found Yang Shen still kneeling, terrified to move.

"Speak. What schemes have you been hiding behind my back? You were even willing to resort to murder and kidnapping to keep this secret."

Realizing there was no longer a way to hide it and crushed by his father’s immense pressure, Yang Shen finally decided to confess: "Father, your son has indeed committed a monumental act... but I dare say, I did not do this for myself, but for the sake of the Ming Dynasty itself!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Tinghe’s face grew even graver. Had the matter truly reached such a cataclysmic scale that it involved the very foundation of the empire?

"Continue. Do not leave out a single detail!"

When he finally heard the full truth from his son, even Yang Tinghe, who had weathered countless storms throughout his life, was left stunned. He sat in silence for nearly an hour before slowly exhaling. His face showed no relief; instead, he appeared even more fearful. Overnight, he seemed to have aged more than a decade.

...

On the Grand Canal, the passenger boat carrying the Second Young Master, Yang Dun, drifted southward with the current. On the riverbank, two groups of men stood in a tense, weapon-drawn standoff. Under the flickering torchlight, one would be surprised to discover that both sides were dressed in the same uniform—they were all members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Thousand-man Commander Xu Xingzhi’s face was as dark as the night sky, his tone cold as a blade: "Lord Qu, is this appropriate?"

Just moments ago, he had intercepted Yang Dun before the boat could depart. Before he could make an arrest, Qu Shan, a fellow Thousand-man Commander, had arrived with his own men. Without a word, they charged, scattering Xu’s formation, blocking his path while escorting Yang Dun’s party onto the boat. Xu had tried to break through, but his men, realizing the true identity of the target, were hesitant to act. They only feigned a standoff once the boat had already sailed.

"Thousand-man Commander Xu, that is a question I should be asking you. What do you think you are doing? You dare to abduct the son of Grand Secretary Yang? If you have a death wish, keep it to yourself—the rest of us brothers in the Guard have no intention of dying with you!"

"It has only been a short time; have you forgotten how Qian Ning and Jiang Bin died?"

The final remark sent a wave of panic through Xu’s subordinates, causing their grips on their blades to falter and their morale to plummet. Xu Xingzhi’s heart tightened. It was clear that this was not a rogue action by Qu Shan, but an order from above to protect Yang Dun.

Still, he persisted: "Do you even know what crimes Yang Dun has committed? Inciting murder, kidnapping, and worse! Are you not afraid of being implicated and executed?"

Seeing his men hesitate, Qu Shan laughed. "Is there solid evidence for these cases, or is it just your word, Commander Xu? Besides, the Embroidered Uniform Guard only acts on imperial edicts. Since when do we handle such common crimes? Had the Shuntian Prefecture or the Ministry of Justice come to make the arrest, I would not have dared to let him go!"

This was pure sophistry, yet Xu Xingzhi had no way to counter it. He glared at him with resentment: "We shall see!"

"We shall see indeed. I might as well tell you the truth: this was ordered by the Commander. From here on out, the one who needs to worry about how to answer for this will be you, Xu Xingzhi!"

With that, he waved his hand. "Let’s go! We have a report to make!"

With a rumble, the dozens of cavalrymen retreated rapidly. Xu’s twenty men could only watch them leave. "Just wait. We will see who has the last laugh!"

He had uttered the threat, but in his heart, he felt no certainty. The developments of the past twenty-four hours had completely spiraled out of his control. Perhaps his only hope lay in Huang Ming, praying that he could still turn the tide and resolve this deadlocked situation.

Regardless, this night had brought too many changes to the capital. Even within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which should have been united in times of crisis, fractures and infighting had emerged.

As Xu Xingzhi led his men back, time slipped away. By the time they reached the gates of Beijing, the sky had brightened, and the city gates were opening one by one. At the same time, on the other side of the city at the Desheng Gate, Huang Ming’s party escorted Meng Chuyao’s carriage into Beijing.