Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2339: Lucky Nanjing (VI) Tianshu Sword

The rain was pouring down, and the scenery of Chunhe Palace became particularly vivid in this sudden baptism of water. Inside and outside the palace wall, there was a hazy mist, as if covering this ancient palace with a mysterious veil.

The rain hit the glazed tiles of the palace fiercely, making a crisp sound, like an exciting symphony. The rain on the tiles gathered into countless streams, pouring down along the eaves, forming a series of crystal water curtains, decorating Chunhe Palace like a fairyland.

In the courtyard of the palace, the accumulated water gathered into a pool, and the fallen petals and leaves floated on the water surface, slowly rotating with the water flow, as if they were dancing gracefully in the water. The fish in the pond in the backyard of the West Side Hall seemed to feel the passion of the rain, and jumped out of the water from time to time, drawing beautiful arcs.

The trees in the palace looked even greener under the heavy rain. The leaves swayed in the wind, making rustling sounds that intertwined with the sound of rain, forming a piece of music from nature. Some treetops could not bear the weight and bent down, allowing the rain to drip from the tips of the leaves, forming strings of pearl-like water droplets.

In the corridor of Chunhe Palace, eunuchs walked hurriedly with oil-paper umbrellas in their hands. Their hems and trouser legs were soaked by the rain, but they still did not stop to take shelter from the rain, and no one knew what they were busy with. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, echoing the sound of rain outside, adding a bit of loneliness and tranquility.

In this rainstorm, everything in Chunhe Palace seemed so fresh and refined, as if time had stopped at this moment, making people forget the troubles of the world.

Gao Fusi stood quietly in front of the window, his eyes penetrating the rain curtain, his thoughts drifting away with the rain. He knew that this rain had different meanings for different people.

For the common people, a heavy rain may mean “spring rain is as precious as oil”. But for officials, it may make it easier to communicate with others secretly. After all, if the rain is too heavy, even the guards of the East Factory and the Imperial Guards will inevitably relax their surveillance, but the conspirators will not stop.

Compared to conspiracy, Gao Youshi always prefers to use open conspiracy, because as a time traveler, he is more capable of creating momentum and taking advantage of it. Open conspiracy is upright, like a strong army attacking a weak brigade. As long as it moves forward steadily step by step, it can force any conspiracy to be exposed and finally defeat it.

However, the world is not all sunshine. As long as there are things, everything under the sunshine will have its shadow. The same is true for strategy. When it is time to use open conspiracy as a means, it is naturally the best strategy because it is almost impossible for people to find flaws. However, sometimes, means like conspiracy are necessary, which is what the art of war says, "Use the right to unite and the unusual to win."

From the moment the emperor insisted on letting him stay in Chunhe Palace, Gao Youshi knew that he would have to use some conspiratorial means this time. After all, the emperor's actions had naturally put him in the spotlight, and the intricate situation behind the Nanjing officialdom could not be sorted out simply by using fair means, such as normal administrative means.

At the very least, Jinghua's Internal Affairs Department, which has long been responsible for internal and external intelligence work, must do something this time, and it is time for many of Jinghua's business partners in Nanjing to make some kind of statement.

Gao Fusi stood silently at the window and watched the rain for a while. Gao Qi, who was staying at Chunhe Palace as an attendant, came to report. The deputy director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the intelligence secretary of the Secretariat, who was not much younger than his sixth uncle, stood at the door respectfully and asked, "Uncle, the things you just told me to do have been completed. I wonder if you have anything else to tell me?"

Gao Fusi seemed to be fascinated by the rain, and was slightly surprised by Gao Qi's sudden words. He turned his head to look at him, then came to his senses, waved to his cousin, and said, "It's Yu Fu, thank you for your hard work, come and sit down."

That being said, if Gao Youshi was standing, Gao Qi would definitely not sit down, so Gao Youshi took the initiative to walk back to the host seat and sit down. Gao Qi then sat down, but his body slightly leaned forward, as if waiting for his uncle's instructions.

Gao Youshi waved his hand and said, "Relax a little. This time, our uncle and nephew have been imprisoned in the palace by the emperor... Oh, that's not right. I am the one who is imprisoned, but you are fine. You are just imprisoned with me, hehe..."

He was just teasing, but Gao Qi didn't dare to take it lightly. When he heard what his uncle said, his pupils suddenly dilated. He looked around subconsciously and asked in a low voice: "Uncle, what do you mean by this? Could it be that the emperor has... murderous intentions towards you?"

Gao Youshi then realized that his joke might not be funny to others, but rather very creepy. After all, according to the general script of Chinese history, it seemed that he, Gao Youshi, had almost reached the point of "being difficult to be rewarded for his achievements" this time, and his power was ridiculously great - at least in the Ming Dynasty, it was already outrageous.

In this case, if an emperor really wanted to kill him, it would not be impossible. However, according to Gao Youshi's understanding of Zhu Yijun, this would not be what Zhu Yijun would do. Especially, Zhu Yijun had just finished Fengshan.

The current Wanli Emperor must insist on playing this model drama of harmony between the monarch and his subjects well - unless Gao Youshi himself shows obvious signs of rebellion, or even puts part of the plan into practice, and is found out by the East Factory and the Jinyiwei. Otherwise, the "Wanli Holy Emperor" will never slap himself in the face and suddenly do something to Gao Youshi.

So Gao Fusi was slightly startled, then laughed and shook his head, waving his hand and said: "Yu Fu, you worry too much. The emperor trusts me very much, how could he have any intention of killing me? What I said just now was just a joke. The emperor let me stay in Chunhe Palace out of trust and respect for me, and also to facilitate my assistance in government affairs. You don't have to think too much about it."

Gao Qi heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, but he still maintained a cautious attitude and said, "Uncle, although you said so, you are now at the top of the official hierarchy after all, and there will inevitably be rumors. I think we should be cautious and not be careless."

Gao Youshi nodded in agreement: "You are right. It is always right to be prepared for danger in times of peace. However, what we should pay more attention to right now is how to deal with the complex situation in Nanjing officialdom. The emperor's southern tour this time is probably not just for the purpose of paying homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

Based on the emperor's behavior and arrangements today, I suspect that the emperor may be interested in taking this opportunity to rectify the Nanjing officialdom, or even weaken the power of the Xinxue School in Nanjing, or... the emperor wants to separate the Xinxue School officials from the Nanjing nobles and prevent them from forming a joint force. "

Gao Qi's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, and he said: "Uncle, you have a sharp eye! Nanjing officialdom has always been the base camp of the School of Mind. If we can take this opportunity to weaken their power, it will undoubtedly be a great boon to the development of practical learning. As for whether the emperor only intends to strike at the power of the School of Mind, or wants to separate the officials of the School of Mind from the nobles of Nanjing, in the eyes of his nephew, it doesn't make much difference.

In the final analysis, no matter which of these two situations is the emperor's true intention, it is a good thing for our practical learning lineage. However, it may not be easy to accomplish this. After all, the School of Mind has deep roots in Nanjing, and it has long had complicated and difficult to sort out interests with the nobles in Nanjing... and they will never sit idly by and wait for death. "

"Of course it's difficult to do." Gao Youshi pondered, and began to tap the armrest with a few fingers of his right hand in a rhythmic manner, and slowly said: "The emperor placed me in Chunhe Palace, which is a gesture in itself. It shows that he favors me, but at the same time, it also means that I will be under the watchful eyes of the public, and any action may be magnified and interpreted. What's more, Shen Yiquan and others are eyeing us covetously. The situation in Nanjing is far more complicated than it seems on the surface."

  "Uncle, what should we do?" Gao Qi's tone revealed a trace of worry. This situation was not common for him, probably because he was far away from the capital and came to someone else's home. Gao Youshi was calm, with a slight smile on his face, but a gleam of light flashed in his eyes: "Since the emperor has given me this stage, I naturally have to perform well, otherwise wouldn't it be a disappointment to the emperor's expectations?

Don't worry, although some things are much more difficult to do in Nanjing than in the capital, it doesn't mean that they can't be done. Nanjing is the Nanjing of the Ming Dynasty after all, and although the influence of our capital in Jiangnan is not as strong as in the north, it is not alone.

What you need to do next is to follow my instructions. But this time is different from the past. I will only tell you a goal and a general plan. You need to adapt to the situation. "

Gao Qi's expression immediately became serious, and he looked at his Sixth Uncle intently, waiting for his instructions.

However, Gao Fusi did not seem to be in a hurry. Instead, he stood up, walked to the window, stared at the rain outside, and said slowly: "Although this rain came suddenly, it is not a bad thing. It can make some people relax their vigilance and make it easier for us to do some things. Yu Fu, do you understand what I mean?"

Gao Qi nodded, showing his understanding: "Uncle, do you want to use this rain as a cover so that I can take the opportunity to carry out some secret operations?"

"Not bad." Gao Youshi looked at Gao Qi approvingly, "Yu Fu, you are very smart. This time, the geographical advantage is not on our side, but this rain is the right time for us. Now, what we have to strive for is the harmony of people. So next, I want you to do a few things..."

He whispered a few words to Gao Qi, who nodded as he listened. When Gao Qi finished speaking, he immediately stood up and bowed, "Uncle, rest assured. I will do it right away."

"Don't worry, there's something for you to take with you and return it to me after you're done." After saying that, he turned and went to the place where decorative items were placed next to the desk, reached out and took a beautifully decorated sword in his hand, then turned around and handed it to Gao Qi.

Gao Qi looked up at the sword, his face changed, and he didn't even dare to reach out to take it. Instead, he asked in surprise: "Uncle, this is Tianshu..."

There are seven brothers in the six branches of the Gao family, so Gao Youshi specially made the "Seven-Star Horizontal Sword" several years ago as one of the symbols of his identity when commanding the internal armed forces of Jinghua. The "Seven-Star Horizontal Sword" is not just one sword, but a total of seven swords, each with a different style. Gao Youshi kept one "Tianshu" for himself, and gave the six horizontal swords of Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang to his six younger brothers respectively.

When his brothers were ordered to command the Jinghua armed forces, the "Seven-star Horizontal Sword" they held was a symbol of their status that distinguished them from other Jinghua generals. To a certain extent, the Seven-star Horizontal Sword in their hands directly distinguished between the master and the servant.

  Specifically speaking, the Tianshu is even more respected. Simply put, the three most important armed forces in Jinghua - the Southern Xinjiang Garrison, the North and South Ocean Fleets, and the Jinghua Commercial Security Team - see the "Tianshu" as if they saw Gao Youshi himself. The military orders issued by the holder of the "Tianshu" are equivalent to the orders of Gao Youshi himself. [Note: However, the Tianshu is in charge of the military but not the government.]

Seeing that Gao Qi did not dare to take the knife, Gao Youshi nodded and said, "You should be able to transfer the people in the Nanjing Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs now. I am not worried about that. However, the Nanjing Office has limited manpower, and I am afraid that they are not enough to ensure that some of the tasks at hand can be completed successfully.

Therefore, I grant you the Heavenly Privy this time, and allow you to mobilize the security forces of Nanzhili and Zhejiang Provinces of Jinghua Commercial Company. As for whether to mobilize them, or how to mobilize them, it is up to you to decide. I have only one request: don't attack, or kill them with one strike. "

As one of the three major armed forces in the Jinghua system, the Jinghua Security Team is quite powerful, but it has always been seriously underestimated by the outside world. This is because the force is very scattered and rarely used in a concentrated manner. However, even so, if it is calculated by province, it will be found that this is really a hidden but very powerful force.

At the beginning, Gao Youshi asked Gao Wuruo to return to Henan to resolve the matter of Shen Yikuan's intention to assassinate Gao Jian and his wife in order to force Gao Youshi to observe mourning. At that time, Gao Youshi gave Gao Wuruo the power to command the Henan Security Column. The total strength of the Henan Security Column was as high as 25,000 people, almost catching up with the actual strength of the Ming Dynasty court in Henan (of course, the strength on paper was far less).

However, one thing needs to be explained. Henan is Gao Youshi's home province, so the Henan Security Column has sufficient personnel. Nanzhili and Zhejiang provinces are areas where Beijing's forces are relatively insufficient, so the security columns of the two provinces combined only have more than 19,000 people, less than Henan Province alone.

But no matter what, this is a group of elite private soldiers. If they were really mobilized together, they might be able to capture Nanjing City in one fell swoop - after all, Nanjing was frightened to death by a group of Japanese pirates back then. It was a typical example of a pack of wolves, and it is probably not that strong now.

Of course, this situation would not happen. After all, although the task assigned by Gao Youshi required some force, it would not require the mobilization of the security team on a large scale. Gao Qi, who was cautious, would never do such a taboo.

Gao Qi took a deep breath, knelt in front of Gao Youshi, took the Tianshu Knife with both hands, kowtowed and said: "Thank you for your trust, uncle. I will use it with caution. Please rest assured, uncle."

"Get up and go." Gao Fushi patted Gao Qi's shoulder and turned back to the window. Gao Qi stood up and left respectfully.

Gao Fusi, standing by the window, watched Gao Qi leave the hall, then cast his gaze back to the rainy scene in the courtyard. He had already made up his mind.

For him, this rain is not only a "welcome" but also an opportunity. He wants to use this opportunity to gain a favorable position in the chess game in Nanjing.

He knew that this game would not be easy, but he also had confidence. To date, he already had enough means and power to control the situation and was able to lead the game towards his victory.

  It was late at night, the rain was still falling, and the lights in Chunhe Palace were still bright. Gao Fusi stood in front of the window, his figure under the light, looking particularly firm and profound.
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PS: I got confused after writing it last night due to a phone call. I thought I had updated it at that time. After I woke up and took a shower in the morning, I suddenly felt a little suspicious. I quickly went online to take a look. Oh, I really forgot to post it. I will update it quickly...