The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 400

"However, Lord Zhou seems quite strange."

Xie Qian was very satisfied with Mao Ji's reaction. No matter who it is or what position they hold, it brings a sense of satisfaction to those of the same status.

Moreover, the fact that Yang Yiqing and Mao Ji did not know that Zhou Chu was still alive suggests that, apart from a few people close to the emperor, probably no one else in the capital knew.

The thought that he could know this news in advance made Xie Qian feel as if he had drunk sweet spring water, and his whole body felt comfortable.

"Oh? What's strange about it?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Ji immediately perked up.

If we were to say who among them cares most about Zhou Chu's current situation, it would undoubtedly be Mao Ji. When Zhou Chu rose to prominence, Mao Ji kept an extremely low profile. As a cabinet member, he hoped that no one would notice his existence.

It was precisely because of Mao Ji's low profile that he was able to get through the previous turbulent year peacefully. A few days ago, when he received the news of Zhou Chu's assassination, Mao Ji's mind immediately became active.

Originally, he thought similarly to Yang Yiqing, taking the opportunity to promote Xia Yan into the cabinet. However, Zhou Chu was a variable that both Mao Ji and Xia Yan were wary of. Therefore, after discussing it, the two decided to let Xie Qian re-enter the cabinet to test the waters.

Xie Qian is already this old, and he can't cause any more trouble. Now, his entry into the cabinet is just to test how deep the waters are in the court. If Zhou Chu is really assassinated, or if the emperor didn't really want to fish, then what Xie Qian has to do will be over.

When that time comes, it will be the time for Xia Yan to truly enter the cabinet, and also the time for the Jiangnan faction to make great strides.

"Lord Zhou appeared in a mountain village outside Shaoxing City. He must have been rescued by the villagers. However, he did not return to Yuyao or go anywhere else immediately. Instead, he stayed in that mountain village."

Xie Qian said as he refilled his teacup.

"Isn't Lord Zhou afraid of being assassinated again?"

Mao Ji did not understand.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yiqing became interested and looked at Xie Qian, seemingly waiting for him to continue.

Seeing the thirst for knowledge on their faces, Xie Qian felt a great sense of satisfaction. He took a sip of tea slowly. At his age, he moved very slowly. Mao Ji was anxious, knowing that Xie Qian was being coy, but he didn't want to urge him.

"It is said that an army is stationed outside that mountain village. There are not many people, only one or two thousand, but they are all fully armored soldiers."

After finishing his tea, Xie Qian looked at Mao Ji meaningfully and said...

Upon hearing this, Mao Ji gasped, immediately understanding where Zhou Chu's confidence came from.

"Could it be the army that Lord Zhou used to quell the Japanese pirates last year?"

Mao Ji was somewhat uncertain.

Both Yang Yiqing and Mao Ji were aware of the existence of the Tiger Legion. After all, Zhou Chu used the Tiger Legion to quell the Japanese pirates everywhere, which was something that the garrison troops in Jiangnan Province could not do. It would be unrealistic to say that it did not attract any attention from others.

In fact, it wasn't just the Tiger Legion; the Xuanwu Army, a naval force, was also attracting more and more attention. Many Jiangnan gentry even connected it to the smuggling ships that had been repeatedly robbed, realizing that the Xuanwu Army was likely responsible for the incident.

But since they had no evidence and smuggling was illegal, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and accept it.

"It shouldn't be. That army is currently in Datong. The fact that Zhou Hengqi was able to so easily sort out things in Datong before was largely due to the crucial role played by that army."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yiqing subtly replied.

Upon hearing this, Mao Ji frowned, and after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure out where these two armies had come from.

"Is Lord Mao wondering where these two armies came from?"

Yang Yiqing seemed to be able to see what Mao Ji was thinking, and said with a hint of teasing.

"Yes, logically speaking, these two fully armored armies should be exceptionally strong. How could they suddenly appear?"

Mao Ji said with distress.

"Have you forgotten Zhou Hengqi's identity? He's the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How many people are in the Embroidered Uniform Guard? It's perfectly reasonable for Zhou Hengqi to recruit and train several thousand elite soldiers within the Embroidered Uniform Guard's system."

Yang Yiqing saw it clearly and offered a reminder.

Upon hearing this, Mao Ji's doubts were not cleared up; instead, he became even more distressed.

"I am familiar with ordinary armies, but these two armies are far too powerful. The Grand Secretary should know about Lord Zhou's achievements in suppressing the Japanese pirates and his casualty ratio. Looking back, no army has ever been able to achieve this. They even struggled to suppress the Japanese pirates."

Mao Ji's words were not without reason. The emergence of any army is always traceable, especially these two armies that were stronger than they knew, which just appeared suddenly.

There seemed to be no trace of them. Every time Mao Ji thought of this, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his fear of Zhou Chu reached an unprecedented level.

Such a person is both a scholar and a warrior. If he were also skilled in training troops, who in the entire Ming Dynasty could possibly restrain him?

That's why the plan to praise Zhou Chu to death came about. At that time, the plan to praise Zhou Chu to death was carried out by Mao Ji and Xia Yan, who instigated Yang Yiqing.

Unfortunately, Jiajing later used Chen Wanyan to break the plan.

"Then it should be the one at sea. Now that the Ming Dynasty's naval forces are strong and well-equipped, this army can withdraw."

Mao Ji thought for a moment and then said.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yiqing nodded without saying a word.

"Why do you think Lord Zhou would stay in a mountain village? Is there any deeper meaning behind it?"

Mao Ji looked at Yang Yiqing, trying to get some information out of this old fox.

Mao Ji and Yang Yiqing were not on the same side after all, and neither of them would ever genuinely consider the other's feelings. Mao Ji asked Yang Yiqing this question because he knew that Yang Yiqing was hedging his bets. Naturally, the fact that Yang Yiqing sent his grandson to study in Yuyao could not be kept from Mao Ji.

Yang Yiqing could do this because he had no irreconcilable conflicts with Zhou Chu or the emperor. After all, since joining the cabinet, Yang Yiqing had not done anything particularly bad for Zhou Chu or the emperor.

The conflict between Yang Yiqing and Zhou Chu is merely a conflict of identity, unlike Mao Jixia and others, who are completely bound to the Jiangnan faction. The conflict between the Jiangnan faction and Zhou Chu is a matter of life or death, and they have already clashed head-on.

Therefore, neither Mao Ji nor Xia Yan would send their descendants to study in Yuyao like Yang Yiqing did.

If they do that, they will be suspected by the Jiangnan faction, which would truly please neither side.

"Perhaps Zhou Hengqi is afraid. How old is he? Is he the same age as His Majesty? He has always had things go too smoothly and has never encountered any setbacks. Now that he has almost lost his life, he is probably deeply affected and dares not act rashly."

Yang Yiqing raised an eyebrow and said.

His words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, or rather, his own wild guesses. However, he naturally didn't need to be so rigorous with Mao Ji, and could say whatever he thought.

Mao Ji nodded upon hearing this, seemingly agreeing with it.

"That's quite possible. Lord Zhou was young and impetuous and hadn't encountered any setbacks, which is why he acted so recklessly in the past. It's good that he's learned some lessons now."

Mao Ji spoke very softly, so that only the three of them could hear him, for fear that his words would be overheard by outsiders.

After all, these words were somewhat treasonous.

Upon hearing this, Xie Qian raised an eyebrow. He could sense Mao Ji's restlessness and even his eagerness to make a move.