Chapter Fifty-Four: The Test

  After visiting the Neishu Hall, Yang Reform changed his mind again and decided to go to Sun Chengzong's place to see the new army and exercise. However, the Neishu Hall is located in the northeast corner outside the Imperial City, while the new army is in the southwest corner outside the Imperial City. To get from the Neishu Hall to the new army training camp, one has to go through the entire Imperial City, which is a "distant" journey.

  Yang is now insisting on physical exercise, so he also abandoned his sedan chair and walks every day.

  Walking in the dazzling "Palace Museum", Yang Gaizhi felt a little uncomfortable. There were too many eunuchs, enough to form an entire eunuch army! If these eunuchs were equipped with AK47s and given some training, wouldn't he be able to conquer the world? Yang Gaizhi thought randomly.

  Wang Chengen followed Yang's reform behind, looking at the emperor's gloomy face, his expression seemed not very happy. From time to time, he smiled foolishly and gritted his teeth. Wang Chengen followed the emperor and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, what makes you so unhappy?"

  "Alas, Da Ben, I've finished reading the Nei Shu Tang and only now do I feel that there are too many eunuchs in this palace... over a hundred thousand eunuchs..."

  "Your Majesty, ... Alas, Your Majesty, do you have pity on those poor children? In fact, in the countryside, there are many people who have castrated themselves, and they can't even remember their own names, let alone enter the palace to serve... Poor families, in order to survive, have castrated themselves, not a small number. All for just one meal, to stay alive..." Wang Chengen said, tears streaming down his face, he must have touched on a painful spot. He stopped talking, this was something that shouldn't be said.

  Yang Reform was speechless for a moment, one eunuch army is not enough, there are also reserves, militia? Isn't that saying, even if his own eunuch army is completely lost, with just one order, he can replenish it? Hmm, great, use the eunuch army to sweep across the globe, organize reserve eunuchs for replenishment, Iron Eunuch Regiment, Eunuch Dragon Rider Battalion, Great Ming Empire Navy First Eunuch Fleet [seems to be talking about Zheng He, haha]... Yang Reform was thinking evilly without a purpose like this...

  It seems that someone has said that the two words "feudal" are actually "cannibalism", and it's true! Yang Reform now has a deep understanding of this. When I read about "Nine-Year Compulsory Education" before, I didn't have much feeling, but now it seems that someone was telling the truth.

  ……

  Yang said suddenly: "Return to the palace, today's weather is not early, do not go to Sun Shifu's place, you send someone to inform Sun Shifu, and also ask him for me."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Chengen replied.

  ……

  "In addition, summon Cao Huizhong over, I have something for him to take care of." Yang decided to start reforming from the eunuchs around him, educating and cultivating his own talent team. Although they were eunuchs, who else could he trust besides them? That group of pig-like colleagues?

  ……

  Qianqing Palace, inner chamber.

  Yang paced back and forth, trying to get his thoughts running more efficiently.

  "Cao Huachun, your humble servant, pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, forever and ever!" Cao Huachun kowtowed in reverence.

  "Rise, in the past few days, I entrusted you with a task, how did you accomplish it? Are there any results?"

  "Yes, thank you Your Majesty. Since receiving the task from Your Majesty, I have been thinking day and night about how to do a good job for Your Majesty. I have already found many people in the Imperial Guard to fill up the 'Military Intelligence Bureau'. In just a few days, I will be able to collect intelligence on Dongyu and Mongolia for Your Majesty." Cao Huachun still has some ability after all, it's only been a few days and he's already got things looking organized.

  "Hmm, very good, still a bit capable, I've received some information that there are people in our dynasty who are secretly collaborating with the Eastern Barbarians and Mongols, providing them with supplies, food, ammunition, and intelligence. I plan to investigate this matter, but once it's set in motion, it will be swift and decisive, and we must do it perfectly without letting a single person escape. We need to take them all down before they even realize what's happening... Do you understand?"

  Yang Reform said a lot, actually it's about Shanxi merchants secretly communicating with foreigners, eating inside and peeling outside. Yang Reform is ready to take action, but doesn't know who are the good people and who are innocent. If the crackdown is too big, it's not a good thing either. Those who really privately communicate with foreign devils, Yang Reform doesn't mind taking their property for himself. However, they can't let them know about the wind, secretly hide their property, or escape to Mongolia or Later Jin, that would be his own loss. So this matter must be done without any leaks, seamless like a heavenly garment.

  Cao Huachun was shocked! The phrase "eating inside and peeling outside" has been used, which shows that the emperor's news is basically true. It can be seen that the emperor hates this group of people very much, and it can also be seen that the emperor not only has a "secret" department here, but also has other sources of information. It seems that one's own competitive pressure is still great! You have to work hard, otherwise the emperor will ignore me. Cao Huachun secretly made up his mind, he must let the emperor see more, look highly at him, and do a good job for the emperor.

  He colluded with the Eastern Barbarians and Mongolia, privately trading goods, food, ammunition, and intelligence. This crime is really too serious, how can he be punished to atone for his sins? Cao Huachun was also shocked by this sudden turn of events. He secretly wondered who it could be, Mao Wenzhong? All these clues point to him, but it's unlikely that the Emperor would move against Mao Wenzhong. The Emperor had even planned to increase Mao Wenzhong's salary just a few days ago. It's possible that he was colluding with the Later Jin, but he didn't have any dealings with Mongolia, so this probably isn't about him. If it really is about him, his own "Military Intelligence Bureau" would have to go to the East River Sea to deal with Mao Wenzhong, which is no trivial matter. They don't have the guts to do that.

  What about Jin Ning's side? It's possible that they would do such a thing, as both sides are adjacent. However, isn't Yuan Chonghuan still in the capital? I heard that the emperor wants to release Yuan Chonghuan to take charge of Liaodong. If that's the case, what's the need for the "Military Affairs Bureau"? A small eunuch with an imperial edict can take Yuan Chonghuan's life. It doesn't seem like it!

  Is that the Great Wall and all its passes? That group of poor soldiers? It doesn't seem like it, they can only communicate in Mongolian or Manchu. They don't share a border, let alone those soldiers crossing the Mongolian border to get to Eastern Barbarian's place, it's really too difficult for them.

  ……

  Cao Huachun thought for half a day and still couldn't figure out who the emperor was talking about.

  "Dare I ask Your Majesty, who is this person so treacherous and disloyal, secretly communicating with the barbarian slaves? I will definitely expose them, it's just that I'm foolish and really don't know who Your Majesty is referring to..." Cao Huachun was also anxious, this being his first time serving the Emperor, yet he didn't know who the Emperor was talking about. This could cost him his life! A classic case of not being able to read the Emperor's mind, how can he continue like this? He too became flustered."

  Who knows what the emperor said is even more absurd.

  "This matter, I am clear about the ins and outs, but for now, I won't tell you who did it. Anyway, it's a very big deal, that's why I'm not too confident in entrusting this matter to you and your 'Military Intelligence Bureau'. I plan to test your abilities, if you can pass this test, I will then inform you of the details and have you handle it. If you succeed, I will give you great credit..."

  The emperor's words made Cao Huachun feel that it was indeed unpredictable, the emperor's mind is not to be guessed, and guessing is also a waste of effort. A big event, you let me do it, but don't tell me who it is, and I have to test my ability, it seems that this is indeed a big event, I must be cautious and complete the task given by the emperor seriously.

  "I beg your majesty to instruct me, what is the task? I will definitely do my best to complete the task for your majesty. I will not disappoint your trust." Cao Huachun said seriously at once.

  "This matter is to find a person, whose surname is Xu. In my great Ming dynasty, he is a wandering person who travels extensively throughout the mountains and rivers, with no fixed abode. He is probably in the south, but I know exactly where and who he is. However, to test your ability, this is all I can tell you. You help me find this person, see if you can find the right one. If you can, then I will trust you to handle the next big matter. Otherwise, it would be a demonstration of incompetence, and I won't let you handle such an important task..."

  Cao Huachun was stunned. Looking for someone, Emperor, you know who he is, what he's doing, and where he is, why not tell me directly? Why make me find him myself? This is really torturing me to death! Don't even try to guess the emperor's thoughts, it's pointless to guess anyway.

  ……

  Cao Huachun is not a fool, he understands that this is the emperor's test of his ability. It seems that what comes next is the real deal, the big thing. What came before was just a small matter, insignificant, purely to test his own ability. Then go find it yourself. Cao Huachun's heart is greatly settled.

  "Cao Huachun, do you still remember what I said?" Yang Gaizhi asked again.

  "Your Majesty... this, I remember... Your Majesty is referring to 'Military Intelligence always walks in the dark'?" Cao Huachun was not a foolish person either and quickly recalled that sentence which made him feel extremely painful: Always walking in the dark.

  "Hmm, good, you still remember, it means you listened to my words carefully. Don't forget the requirements I have for you. Whatever Military Intelligence Bureau does, can only be done in the dark. If exposed, it's considered a failure. If everyone knows that I'm looking for someone like this, what's the point of having you do it?"

  Cao Huachun was thoroughly speechless. Do you still want to secretly manipulate? Most of the imperial court's resources can't be used now, it's really a test of one's abilities. I also admire the emperor's ability to play with people.

  "...I understand, I will not forget your teachings, everything is walking in the dark..." Cao Huachun has now embarked on this path and cannot help but agree. He forced himself to respond, and his heart was thinking back to the emperor's words and that person's characteristics.

  "Very well, go and handle it then. Complete the task as soon as possible. Once you've completed it, I'll entrust you with that great matter of heavenly merit. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

  "Yes, I'll take my leave..." Cao Huachun left the Warming Pavilion of the Palace of Heavenly Purity with a complicated heart.

  Yang Reform was looking for Xu Xiagu, a famous person in later generations. Yang Reform found that he was from the same era and was his "subject". Yang Reform wanted to reform education, how could he miss this geography? So, there was also the matter of letting Cao Huachun go find someone, also to test Cao Huachun's ability, if passed, let him handle the group of Shanxi merchants, handle their property. Yang Reform had thought it through, if handled well, would earn at least tens of millions. This group of people who ate inside and scratched outside, colluding with Mongolia for years, didn't happen in one or two days. They had been contacting Mongolia to invade and plunder the south for years. Don't know how many border military households were harmed, those poor owners knew, they would eat their flesh and drink their blood. Those Shanxi merchants, later seeing that the Ming dynasty was gradually declining, began to collude with the Later Jin, providing them with military supplies, materials, intelligence... As soon as the Later Jin entered the pass, they became high-ranking officials. A group of high-level slaves. Truly detestable.