Chapter 33: Expansion

Within the office of the Imperial Guard, Cao Huachun, having learned in advance of the Emperor’s planned inspection today, had long since led the entire contingent of the Imperial Guard to stand in respectful attendance at the training grounds.

At this moment, seeing the Emperor arrive in person, the gathered guards felt their hearts surge with emotion, and they knelt to proclaim their long live to the sovereign. For men such as them, catching even a fleeting glimpse of the Emperor from such close proximity was an accomplishment worthy of years of boasting. This was to say nothing of the silver, new uniforms, and new blades the Emperor had bestowed upon them.

Most importantly, ever since the day the Emperor had executed a hundred officials, the lower-ranking officers of the Imperial Guard—those most affected by the fallout—had been secretly speculating about what this new, iron-fisted Emperor truly looked like. Thus, when they finally beheld the young monarch, clad in armor, his brows like swords and his eyes like stars, radiating a formidable and predatory aura, they could not help but be filled with genuine reverence. There was no helping it; such a heroic and martial emperor was the very embodiment of the figure they had imagined in their hearts.

Zhu Youjian was well satisfied with this. After a brief inspection of the guard, he summoned Cao Huachun and ordered, "Apprehend everyone on the list compiled over the past two days."

Cao Huachun had been prepared for this and replied with a bow, "Your servant obeys. I have already identified the hiding places of those on the register, but given the large number of individuals, I fear it will take two days to complete the arrests."

Zhu Youjian interrupted him directly, "Stay at the Imperial Guard office tonight. I will have two hundred men from the Shenwei Camp transferred to your command to assist with the operation." The time wasted traveling back and forth was too precious to him; he would not return to the palace.

"Your servant obeys. I shall go and prepare the imperial bedchamber for Your Majesty immediately." It was indeed against protocol for the Emperor to stay outside the palace, let alone in the offices of the Imperial Guard. But for Cao Huachun, what was protocol? Even the grandest of rites paled in comparison to the Emperor’s whim. He immediately set about making arrangements and dispatched the officers of the Imperial Guard, alongside the men of the Shenwei Camp, to begin the arrests according to the list.

For the personnel of the Imperial Guard, this task was simple. It was merely time-consuming due to the sheer volume of arrests, as the hideouts of these local thugs and bullies were common knowledge.

There was no need to worry about anyone leaking information in advance. First, the lower-ranking officers had no financial ties to these gangs; such benefits were reserved for officers of the rank of centurion or higher. Moreover, many of these guardsmen had themselves been bullied by these gang leaders and were eager to see them brought to justice.

Secondly, setting aside the terror inspired by the Emperor’s mass execution of officials and the constant, daily reminders from the commander, who would dare to collude with such filth when their own futures now looked so bright? While some of the more cunning thugs had sensed that the situation was dire, they could not simply abandon their families and flee at the first sign of trouble. Thus, as it turned out, the operation proved even easier than their daily training exercises.

After issuing these orders, Zhu Youjian did not linger. Surrounded by his personal guards from the Shenwei Camp, he marched out of the Imperial Guard office. He was determined to see this long-slumbering dragon of the Great Ming begin to awaken.

As the Emperor’s procession passed through various government offices and bustling streets, and since no order had been issued to seal the city, many of the capital’s commoners, officials, merchants, and peddlers witnessed the legendary sovereign with their own eyes. The Emperor’s appearance sent a shockwave through the entire city—a shockwave, naturally, that was confined to the hearts of the people.

Ordinarily, when high-ranking officials traveled, the people were expected to kneel or clear the path spontaneously. The arrival of the Emperor himself, surrounded by guards and preceded by prominent dragon banners, evoked a fear deeply ingrained in the bones of the Ming people. For those kneeling on the sides of the street, being able to sneak a glance at the sacred countenance of the Emperor was a stroke of immense good fortune; they might even be blessed with better luck for years to come because of it.

Throughout the day, Zhu Youjian toured the entire capital with the Shenwei Camp, only returning to the Imperial Guard office as darkness fell. Beyond the profound impact he had on the citizens, he had gained a firsthand understanding of the city’s layout—from the miserable living conditions of the common folk to the imposing, extravagant mansions of the dukes, nobles, and powerful ministers.

Meanwhile, within the courtyard of an inconspicuous residence in the capital, the four senior ministers of the Grand Secretariat sat expressionless at a table laden with food, accompanied by several other high-ranking officials with silver hair and beards.

Though the residence appeared unremarkable on the surface, it naturally possessed unique qualities to be graced by so many powerful dignitaries. Take the room in which they sat: the dishes were of Ru ware, the air was filled with incense from the South China Sea, the table was crafted from premium rosewood, and the supporting beams were of golden nanmu. The handmaidens serving them, with their slender waists and charming postures, were clearly special imports from Yangzhou.

Even the seemingly ordinary food on the table was extraordinary. Take, for instance, the clear cabbage soup: the cabbage was selected from the hearts of hundreds of heads, then simmered in a broth made from dozens of old hens. Only through such an arduous process could a dish fit to be placed before these gentlemen be created. A single serving of this cabbage cost as much as a farming family earned from a year of hard labor.

Yet, despite the spread of delicacies, no one in the room had the heart to lift their chopsticks. The Emperor had swaggered out of the palace and paraded through the capital—how could they have any appetite?

Finally, Huang Liji, the Senior Grand Secretary, broke the silence. With no one from the palace present, his tone was more direct. "Before the Emperor left the palace, I sent men to the Capital Garrison, but the troops there were restrained by Zhang Weixian under an imperial decree."

The others nodded slightly, noncommittal. Everyone already knew this; mentioning it now merely served to open the conversation. A moment later, another added, "I have heard that apart from this, the palace has been gathering large quantities of grain and supplies."

"The Emperor’s actions... it seems he intends to travel far."