Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 492 Conspiracy Under the Cover of Night

No sooner had the three men left than Yan Guang entered, asking curiously, "General, what brings the messengers from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue?"

Liu Ye briefly explained the purpose of the three men's visit and their conversation to him.

"Donate funds?" Yan Guang was astonished. "Has the imperial court fallen to such a state? But regardless of whether the general's promise of 200,000 taels is worthwhile, what do these two conditions mean?"

"The first condition is simple: to fight bandits deep in the northwestern inland areas such as Shaanxi and Gansu. Unlike the Jiangnan and Anhui areas, logistical support and the supply of weapons and ammunition are major problems. Moreover, we should not send our main forces to places far away from our base in Qiongzhou. If the battle goes badly, we will not be able to send reinforcements in time. Conversely, if something happens in Qiongzhou, it will be too late to bring the troops back."

Yan Guang immediately understood: "The general has a long-term vision, that makes sense."

"As for the second condition..." Liu Ye laughed, "I've already become an earl, so I should at least give Second Master Lin an official position to prevent him from feeling resentful."

Yan Guang asked slyly, "I'm afraid this isn't the general's real purpose, is it?"

Liu Ye pointed at him and laughed, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, you old fox." He explained, "The governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou is already one of my own. If I replace the garrison commander of Dengzhou with one of my own, I'll have both civil and military officials under my control. Then wouldn't the three eastern prefectures of Shandong become my territory? Now that the Qionghai Army is growing stronger, it's time to establish a forward position for the northward march. Shandong's strategic location is very important. From Dengzhou, it's only a few hundred miles by sea to either Tianjin or Jinzhou, a journey that can be completed in a day. But from Lingao, it's thousands of miles away. If something happens, it'll be too late."

Yan Guang immediately understood Liu Ye's implication: being close to Tianjin meant being close to the capital, and being close to Jinzhou meant being close to Shenyang. Whether it was controlling the capital or launching a northern expedition against the Tartars, they could maintain the initiative.

However, he still had a slight doubt: "Master Liang likes to study the skills of the Western barbarians. Would he be willing to abandon his pen for the sword? And could he do a good job as the General of Dengzhou?"

Liu Ye smiled faintly: "He only needs to be in name only, and a capable deputy general can be assigned. If someone else were to do it, who would be suitable? Besides, his official rank is nominally equal to mine, so who would dare to take that position?"

Yan Guang slapped his forehead, realizing how foolish he hadn't thought of such a simple truth. Currently, Shi Ying, Xu Yifan, Qin Tian, ​​Lin San, and others were each fulfilling their duties, creating a rough balance. If one were rashly promoted to a position above the rest, it would disrupt this balance, and the others might complain. Moreover, even a general of miscellaneous ranks was still a general; nominally, his rank was equal to Liu Ye's. The aforementioned individuals were all his subordinates, and appointing them to that position would be a great disrespect to Liu Ye. Only Liang Xiaoming, with his superior status, didn't have such concerns.

He said with heartfelt admiration, "I understand, General. You are truly a man of profound wisdom."

Liu Ye nodded: "Tomorrow, arrange both fast boats. One boat will take the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue back to the capital and be responsible for bringing them back. This matter needs to be finalized as soon as possible. The other boat will go back to Lingao and bring Master Liang here. Once the court's appointment arrives, we will send him to Shandong to take up his post."

"I obey my orders."

After everything was arranged, it was almost dark. Liu Ye remembered that he had a dinner party at the Duke of Wei's mansion, so he called Shimazu Chiyo and the Battō Team to go with him.

Shimazu Chiyo maintained her composed and icy beauty image, but her red and white samurai uniform seemed to have been altered, differing somewhat from her Japanese attire. The fitted, cinched waist couldn't conceal her athletic figure. Liu Ye leaped onto his horse, looking down at her graceful form, finding it pleasing to the eye. Compared to burly men, such a bodyguard was far more enjoyable.

The Meilou mentioned by the steward of the Duke of Wei's mansion is located near the confluence of the Qinhuai River and the ancient Qingxi waterway, in a place called Taoye Ferry. This was also an important ferry crossing in the Ming Dynasty, lined with shops, with busy river transport, and the sounds of lanterns, flutes, and drums on the boats. It has been a prosperous place since ancient times.

Liu Ye rode his horse freely to the riverbank, where layers of green willows and oleanders stretched out, their fragrance wafting through the air. It was already dusk, and as far as the eye could see, gilded pavilions lined both banks; music and song filled the air, and painted boats glided back and forth on the river, the sounds of oars and the reflections of lanterns creating a dreamlike and enchanting spectacle. At this moment, the Qinhuai River was like a beautiful woman half-veiled in white gauze, alluring and enchanting in its hazy glow.

The thought of those glittering pavilions and painted boats, teeming with beautiful women, each talented and charming, using this place as their stage to enact captivating stories and legends filled Liu Ye with curiosity. He had visited Bantang Street, known as the "Little Qinhuai," and had actually been to the legendary Qinhuai River twice before. Thinking of Bantang Street, he thought of Dong Xiaowan from Leyun Tower, wondering what had become of the woman who had escaped Chang Wei's clutches through her own efforts.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at Taoye Ferry. A man carrying a lantern came up to greet us and said respectfully, "The Earl of Pingnan has arrived. Please come into Meilou. The Duke of Wei is already waiting inside."

Using the light of the lanterns, Liu Ye recognized the man as the steward of the Duke of Wei's mansion. He dismounted and asked, "Besides the Duke, is there anyone else?"

"There are also several talented scholars who are famous in Jinling."

Liu Ye was greatly disappointed upon hearing this. He had no interest in so-called talented men; beautiful women would have been much more to his liking. However, this was also the Duke of Wei's intention, probably wanting to appear cultured and unconventional. Even though Liu Ye was displeased, he couldn't complain.

He stepped inside, followed by Shimazu Chiyo and the samurai of the sword-drawing squad. The steward caught up with a wry smile and whispered, "Lord Heinan, if so many people go in, it might be too crowded. How about letting them wait outside?"

Chiyo Shimazu said expressionlessly, "Chiyo must be responsible for her master's safety."

The steward pointed ahead: "Please rest assured, General, the gate is guarded by the Duke's personal guards; not even a mosquito can fly in."

Liu Ye looked ahead and saw that there were indeed more than a dozen soldiers guarding the entrance. He then said to Shimazu Chiyo, "Have the rest of you wait outside. You come in with me alone."

"Hai!" Shimazu Chiyo responded and waved for the other samurai to disperse.

Meilou is an exquisite pavilion located on the riverbank. Liu Ye walked into the front yard and before he even reached the main building, he could hear the rushing water outside the wall. It seemed that the back half of Meilou was built on the water, which was quite charming.

Unbeknownst to him, several dark figures emerged from the water at that moment. Under the cover of darkness and the sound of the water, they swam to the foot of the Meilou Tower, leaned against the pillars standing in the water, and rose and fell in the water, quietly waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to silently climb up and get closer to the main building.