pappabearbooks Chapter 54 The Hidden Affairs of the Jiajing Emperor
Chapter 54 The Hidden Affairs of the Jiajing Emperor
The Ming Dynasty did not have many military ranks.
From the lowest rank of soldier upwards, there are ten ranks: squad leader, general squad leader, trial centurion, centurion, deputy centurion, chief centurion, assistant commander, deputy commander, commander, and supervising commander.
If it were a field army unit in a major border town, there would also be guerrilla commanders, brigade commanders, and generals, but those were positions rather than ranks.
What if my rank isn't high enough for rewards and punishments?
Of course, it should be increased, but it can't be increased arbitrarily.
Thus, the titles of Xing and Quan were added.
Taking a centurion as an example, a centurion is someone who has the rank of a general and enjoys the treatment and salary of a centurion, but cannot wear the uniform and accessories of a centurion, nor can he exercise the power of a centurion.
Quan Baihu was treated as a Baihu, and could wear Baihu uniforms and accessories such as Baihu waist badges.
When faced with the crisis of a centurion being killed in action, the junior centurion can temporarily command the battle in the capacity of a centurion.
The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) superhumans that Chang Yuan had encountered before, who had few subordinates but held the titles of commander of a thousand or a hundred, were all officials in charge of a hundred or a thousand.
Chang Yuan, a man navigating the officialdom, was unaware that his promotion meant he had completely won against his four colleagues.
By tomorrow at the latest, the commander of the Henan Provincial Thousand-Household Office will know that Chang Yuan, whom he sent to the capital to deliver guns, has been promoted.
Promotion was a minor matter, and it was even something that Commander Qianhu had anticipated.
But when the promotion process is: the governor proposes, the commander of the Southern Garrison agrees and signs it personally, everything is different.
Even if the commander of the Henan Provincial Thousand Households had eight times the courage, he wouldn't dare to submit a candidate other than Chang Yuan after Zhang Baihu retired.
Before long, the people from the Southern Garrison presented Chang Yuan with a centurion's uniform and a centurion's waist tag engraved with Chang Yuan's name, and Chang Yuan changed into a new outfit.
Chang Yuan happily thanked the Superintendent, the Commander, and all the esteemed officials once again.
After seeing the esteemed guests off, he sincerely thanked Xiao Zexing: "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Xiao. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, I will certainly not let you down."
Xiao Zexing laughed heartily. With Chang Yuan's help, he had captured nearly forty cult members today, a truly fruitful day.
But compared to the great achievement he had already accomplished, he valued Chang Yuan more.
Human nature is never satisfied. The more Xiao Zexing accomplished, the more he wanted to capture more people and achieve even greater merit.
However, he knew that his talents were limited and he was not good at investigating and identifying people. If he wanted to make a name for himself, he had to firmly grasp the talents.
Chang Yuan looks very capable, so we must win him over as a brother!
The Jinyiwei officers left, the blockade was lifted, and Chang Yuan and his men returned their weapons.
The elite cavalry squad gathered around their captain, staring blankly at him in his centurion uniform, completely dumbfounded.
Gao Su and his team members were not blind; they could see the scene before them and knew how serious the situation was.
The Grand Commander has arrived, as has the Commander of the Southern Garrison, and there are dozens of other commanders and assistant commanders as well!
These were all high-ranking officials, practically like gods in the heavens to these local Jinyiwei officers.
The commander-in-chief can change their fate with just one glance.
With a flick of the little finger, one could decide the fate of the Henan Provincial Thousand-Household Office and its commander.
The lives of the thousands of Imperial Guards in the Thousand Households are entirely at the mercy of the Commander-in-Chief's decision.
The Imperial Guards witnessed their captain being summoned by the Commander-in-Chief!
And twice!
What a stunning scene!
In contrast, it seemed that there was nothing unusual about Chang Yuan walking side by side with the commander of the Northern Garrison of the capital, addressing each other as brothers.
But upon closer reflection, they were horrified to realize that the commander was the commander of the capital's troops, three ranks higher than the commander of the Henan Province's garrison!
How could the Imperial Guards not be alarmed?
When the Embroidered Uniform Guards withdrew, their surveillance was lifted, and they retrieved their weapons. The captain they saw again was now dressed as a centurion.
Therefore, Gao Su's pupils trembled violently when he saw Chang Yuan, as if he had seen a god.
The three men stammered, "Captain, you've been promoted?"
The youngest, Li Hui, was even more exaggerated, starting with, "Aba, aba aba..."
They can no longer speak in complete sentences.
Chang Yuan nodded and replied, "Yes, he's been promoted to Commander of a Hundred Households."
He understood his subordinates' shock; after all, he was also quite dazed.
If he hadn't lived two lives and accumulated his character over the years, he wouldn't have been able to pretend to be completely unaffected.
Chang Yuan composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Gao Su!"
Gao Su was startled and solemnly replied, "Your humble servant is here!"
Chang Yuan reached into his clothes, seemingly to take something from his bosom, but in reality, he took out a document from his gourd space and handed it to Gao Su.
"I have an urgent task to handle and I can't leave for the time being."
"Take the documents and lead the brothers to the Jinyiwei training ground at Bailiuzhuang. Rest there temporarily and await my new orders."
Gao Su accepted the document with both hands: "Yes!"
"Captain, don't worry, I'll take good care of the brothers."
Xiao Zexing laughed and said, "Brother Chang, don't worry. I am the local tyrant of the capital, and I will never let your men suffer any injustice."
As he spoke, he beckoned to a flag officer and said, "Take the brothers from Henan Province to Bailiu Village and tell them it was my idea. Tell them to treat them well and not to neglect them."
The flag officer bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, sir!"
He turned to Gao Su and the others and smiled, "Brothers, please come with me."
After arranging their respective teams, Chang Yuan and Xiao Zexing went to the prison of the Northern Garrison Command.
The Northern Prison was the Imperial Prison, a living hell in the legends of the common people of the Ming Dynasty, specifically for imprisoning loyal officials.
Xiao Zexing introduced the famous people who had lived here as if they were his own family, including the chief minister, the ministers and vice ministers of the eighteen ministries, and princes and vassal kings.
Chang Yuan asked curiously, "Brother Xiao, who do you think is the most famous?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Zexing replied, "Of course it's Lord Hai Rui, the most incorruptible official in the land!"
Upon hearing this familiar name, Chang Yuan couldn't help but ask, "The honest official from Haida University?"
"It's him!" Xiao Zexing said with a hint of doubt, "But there's something strange. Nobody knows why this upright official was imprisoned, and nobody knows why he was released."
Upon hearing Xiao Zexing's words, Chang Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed back the words he was about to say: "Is it because of the 'Public Security Treatise'?"
As a time traveler, Chang Yuan was naturally interested in the history of the Ming Dynasty's revival.
Especially after learning that the Jiajing reign lasted for a full 279 years, and having obtained the Jiajing Emperor's treasured porcelain gourd, he immediately guessed an astonishing answer:
The Ming Dynasty is in turmoil because of time travelers!
The Jiajing Emperor himself is the most likely candidate!
But as Chang Yuan went to learn more about this history and the Holy Emperor Shizu, he discovered a chilling fact: the Jiajing Emperor left very few traces in the Ming Dynasty.
It is important to know that the Jiajing Emperor lived for over three hundred years, creating the Jiajing Restoration of the Ming Dynasty, breaking the historical cycle, and extending the Ming Dynasty's reign for over five hundred years.
Emperor Jiajing, known as the Holy Emperor Shizu, should have left behind countless legends, deeds, and imperial edicts...
But it didn't.
Chang Yuan went to great lengths to find traces of his predecessors, but all he could find were evaluations, without any specific actions or facts.
Today, he discovered that even Commander Xiao of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not know the reason why Hai Rui was imprisoned, nor did he know the reason why Hai Rui was released.
That's even more terrifying.
It seems that someone... many people, tacitly erased the history of the Jiajing Emperor.