flstandardbreds Chapter 497
Chapter 497
Lin Zhi has returned to Beijing. After spending more than half a year in Japan, Lin Zhi had long missed home. Japan was great, and for Lin Zhi, it was like a fish in water. Lin Zhi was practically lawless in Japan, doing whatever he wanted.
In fact, it wasn't just Lin Zhi; the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were lawless in Japan, often beating and killing the Japanese. Whenever Wang Zhi learned of their actions, he would only say a few words, but he never actually did anything about it.
Wang Zhi always remembered Zhou Chu's advice: there was no need to feel pity for the Japanese.
But no matter how good Japan was, it was still a barbaric land to Lin Zhi. After playing with too many Japanese women, Lin Zhi found it all unpleasant, and he even began to miss the brothels.
So he wrote a memorial to the emperor early on, requesting to return to the capital.
As for his cousin, Jiajing would naturally not be harsh. Anyone could be the one monitoring Wang Zhi; it didn't necessarily have to be Lin Zhi.
For Wang Zhi, having the emperor send someone to his side actually made him feel more at ease and more wholeheartedly serve the Ming Dynasty. This was because Wang Zhi had always had only one thought: to bring glory to his ancestors. When his father died, he didn't even deserve to have a name. From then on, he secretly vowed that he would never become a pirate again.
This is also the fundamental reason why Zhou Chu chose Wang Zhi. If Lin Zhi were to be the commander, given his personality, he wouldn't stay in Japan for long. Moreover, history has already proven to Zhou Chu Wang Zhi's loyalty and ability to the Ming Dynasty. It would be a waste not to use such a person.
After receiving Lin Zhi's memorial, Jiajing sent someone to Japan to replace Lin Zhi. As for Wang Zhi, he was a homeless man, so it didn't matter if he stayed in Japan for a few years.
The new envoy sent was also very particular. If this person went to Japan and acted like a tyrant, constantly behaving arrogantly towards Wang Zhi as if he were an imperial envoy, even the most loyal Wang Zhi would probably not be able to stand it.
Just like the envoys that Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen sent to the various vassal kings, he didn't treat those vassal kings as human beings at all. Even if the vassal kings originally didn't intend to rebel, they had no choice but to rebel.
The newly dispatched envoy was none other than Qi Liang, the eldest son of Princess Renhe and the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Qi Liang's status was similar to Lin Zhi's, but his abilities and position were much higher. In the fourteenth year of Zhengde, Qi Liang was already the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Although he was only a fourth-rank official, the Embroidered Uniform Guard officials were three ranks higher than him. The Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was mainly responsible for land reclamation and troop training, so Qi Liang always kept a low profile and was not well-known.
Before Qi Liang set off for Japan, Jiajing specifically asked him to visit Zhou Chu. Jiajing wanted Zhou Chu to explain to Qi Liang what to do and not to act rashly.
As a deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Qi Liang had been completely obedient to Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for the past two years, and admired Zhou Chu's work to the point of prostration.
Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, was his cousin. The previous commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard valued him highly, which is why he became a vice commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at a young age, keeping him away from the court's intrigues.
When Jiang Bin was accused of treason, Qi Liang refused to believe it no matter what. He wanted to speak up for Jiang Bin, but Jiang Bin stopped him.
"it's useless."
Qi Liang still remembers Jiang Bin's eyes filled with despair.
It was only then that Qi Liang realized that those who truly controlled the court and the capital were never the emperor or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but rather the civil officials.
Six months later, Emperor Zhu Houzhao also died, which sent chills down Qi Liang's spine and brought his hatred for those civil officials to its peak.
But he was completely helpless. He even knew that Emperor Zhengde was killed by Yang Tinghe and others, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
Later, his other cousin, Zhu Houcong, inherited the throne. In Qi Liang's opinion, his cousin's rash arrival in the capital was no different from venturing into a dragon's den or a tiger's lair alone. Qi Liang originally thought that Zhu Houcong would also end up in a miserable state, either becoming a puppet in the hands of civil officials or being killed by those same officials.
Until the appearance of a man, Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
When Qi Liang learned that the new emperor had actually appointed a teenager as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he thought that Zhu Houcong had lost his mind or was just young and impetuous and didn't even know what he was doing.
It wasn't until Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrested dozens of officials and even killed Liao Feng, the vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, that Qi Liang realized he had misjudged the emperor and this commander.
From then on, Qi Liang always addressed Zhou Chu as "Commander" whenever he was in front of anyone.
Zhou Chu did what he couldn't do, and Zhou Chu accomplished what he never dared to even dream of.
The emperor has taken power, and so has the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Qi Liang felt as if he were in a dream.
"My lord, His Majesty has sent me to see you."
Qi Liang approached Zhou Chu and said respectfully.
Zhou Chu nodded upon hearing this.
"His Majesty has sent you to Japan. Do you know what you're being sent there to do?"
Zhou Chu looked at Qi Liang and asked.
"His Majesty has ordered me to supervise Wang Zhi."
Qi Liang said.
"So what should you do?"
Zhou Chu glanced at Qi Liang and asked.
When Qi Liang heard Zhou Chu ask this question, he was unsure how to answer.
"Please enlighten me, sir."
Qi Liang bowed and said.
“You must remember, the one who will be in Japan in the future is Wang Zhi, not you or Lin Lao Er. At most, the two of you will take turns, but the overall situation in Japan still needs Wang Zhi to take charge. Do you understand what I mean?”
Zhou Chu took a bite of the pastry and said.
"I understand, sir. You mean I should only supervise and not offer opinions or give unsolicited advice."
Qi Liang understood immediately and bowed.
Zhou Chu nodded.
“That’s right. In Japan, you can play with Japanese women as you please and kill Japanese people as you please. No one will care what you do or ask any questions. But there’s one thing: don’t criticize what Wang Zhi does. You just need to listen and observe more, and report everything Wang Zhi does to His Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Liang instantly understood Zhou Chu's meaning.
"Rest assured, sir, I will do as you instruct."
"Get lost."
Zhou Chu waved his hand impatiently.
Upon hearing this, Qi Liang respectfully withdrew.
When Qi Liang set off for Japan, it was right after Lu Wei's wedding. In fact, Lin Zhi had already started his return to the capital by ship when Qi Liang had just begun his journey to Japan.
In order to return to the capital as quickly as possible, Lin Zhi did not even take the silver transport ship, as the ship was too heavy and moved very slowly.
He traveled alone on a warship belonging exclusively to the Tiger Army, and it only took him about a month to return to the Tianjin dock from Japan.
Princess Deqing was the most excited about Lin Zhi's return to the capital.
Before, when he was at home every day, Princess Deqing couldn't stand him no matter what she looked at. Now, after more than a year apart, seeing Lin Zhi who had become darker and thinner, Princess Deqing felt so sorry for him that tears streamed down her face.
"Mom, why are you crying?"
Lin Zhi asked, looking puzzled.
"You heartless rascal, you've been gone for over a year, and then you even went to Japan. How could your mother not worry?"
Lin Yao rolled her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhi scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
“I miss my mother too, otherwise I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to return to the capital.”
"Have you ever seen a weighing instrument? You owe your success today to the cultivation of weighing instruments."
Princess Deqing looked at Lin Zhi and spoke earnestly.