SWDnovel Chapter 54 Just One Step
Chapter 54 Just One Step
Chapter 054
Chen Ying did not actually plan to launch a sudden attack.
The problem is, no plan can keep up with changes. He discovered that Mao Wenlong was a scoundrel and a scoundrel, and he and Mao Chenglu played good cop and bad cop, respectively.
Chen Ying sadly discovered that he actually had no other choice.
In his plan, he actually wanted to use a hen to lay eggs and enhance his own strength. Of course, his suggestion to Wei Zhongxian that they could obtain iron ore from Maoshan in Korea to make weapons was also part of Chen Ying's plan.
Because of his personal preference, Emperor Tianqi transferred Chen Ying from Yongcheng to Shahe in Changping. Changping was close to the capital, which also made it easier for Emperor Tianqi to meet with Chen Ying.
The problem is that in Shahe, Changping, which is actually under the emperor's nose, there are many things that Chen Ying cannot do. For example, in the army, Chen Ying only trained three hundred-household soldiers in the Shahe Garrison Command. The other military households and craftsmen were all responsible for industrial production.
The Shahe Garrison Command is now basically stuck in a development bottleneck. Chen Ying cannot recruit refugees indefinitely. Although he used the technology and craftsmanship of later generations to reduce most of the production costs, he also increased the treatment of the craftsmen and had to give Wei Zhongxian benefits.
In fact, Chen Ying's profits were very limited, especially the investment in Shahe Academy, which made Chen Ying work almost for nothing. When proposing to cooperate with Mao Wenlong, Chen Ying's plan was to get a small island from Mao Wenlong.
Chen Yingqi had long set his sights on Weihua Island, located in the center of the Yalu River. This island is the largest firewood island in the Yalu River, covering an area of 67 square kilometers. It is currently uninhabited and unoccupied.
Since the Jurchens occupied Liaodong, the Yalu River has been frozen for nearly four months, allowing Jurchen cavalry to cross the river along the ice and reach North Korea.
Although Mao Wenlong occupied more than 160 islands along the Liaodong coast, he did not occupy this particular island because the Jurchens could land on it directly without a navy.
Chen Ying believed that both Mao Wenlong and North Korea would agree to let him use the island. Only with the island could Chen Ying more easily develop the Maoshan iron ore mine.
The problem was that Mao Wenlong's attitude greatly displeased Chen Ying. Chen Ying also considered that Mao Wenlong came from a family of centurions. In the corrupt system of the late Ming Dynasty, Mao Wenlong, a member of a prominent family in Liaodong, had not risen through the ranks after more than twenty years, which indicated that there was something wrong with him.
Not good at uniting people or building relationships, Chen Ying also judged that Mao Wenlong was not good at political struggle. Anyone with a brain would not have detained Wei Zhongxian's nephew and killed the guards of the Eastern Depot.
What's the point of killing those Eastern Depot guards?
Even if Mao Wenlong killed all the guards of the Eastern Depot, Wei Zhongxian wouldn't feel sorry for him. Instead, it would give Wei Zhongxian an excuse to deal with him. With Wei Zhongxian's power, would it be difficult for him to deal with Mao Wenlong?
There's no need to put in any effort. There are already plenty of memorials impeaching Mao Wenlong. Just take a few court discussions and you'll be in a terrible state.
In addition, Mao Wenlong was extremely arrogant. Yuan Keli was very clear about the importance of Dongjiang Town to the Ming Dynasty. When using the Dongjiang Army, he coaxed him like a child. After Wu Zhiwang became the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, he became Mao Wenlong's direct superior. As a result, Mao Wenlong refused to be managed, and the two impeached each other for more than a year.
Back then, Mao Wenlong's character had nothing to do with Chen Ying. The problem was that Mao Wenlong shouldn't have tried to manipulate Chen Ying. In later years, Chen Ying also had no powerful backers. To survive and thrive within the system, one couldn't be too weak. Most novels about officialdom depict that one needed to be shrewd and calculating to succeed within the system.
In fact, shrewdness is a major taboo in the system; it is something that only people in a certain position are qualified to possess. If you want to stand firm and gain a foothold, you must demonstrate extremely strong fighting power.
Only those who can fight will be used as tools by those in power. The current situation is no different. Chen Ying wants Wei Zhongxian to see that he has other abilities besides being a foreman.
In this way, Wei Zhongxian would support Chen Ying and gain greater power.
More importantly, if Mao Chenglu didn't force Chen Ying to drink, or even if he did drink, at least get him some good wine.
Whether intentionally or due to genuine limitations, the wine Mao Wenlong brought out was sour, astringent, and had a strange taste, like leftover dishwater with some alcohol added.
Let alone drinking seven or eight jin in one go, even two or three liang would probably make Chen Ying vomit. Since they're being so ungrateful, he might as well just tear off the mask.
Chen Ying had always been thinking of using others to his advantage. Whether it was building iron plows or seeders in Yongcheng, these were his means, not his ends.
The same applies now; dealing with Mao Chenglu is merely a means, not his true goal.
"Mao Chenglu, look at me!"
Mao Chenglu looked up, his eyes filled with resentment and malice.
Chen Ying remained unmoved and said calmly, "In November of the first year of the Tianqi reign, you led eight hundred retainers to transport grain to the Right Garrison of Guangning. On the way, you encountered a hundred Jurchen vanguard cavalry... You could have relied on the terrain to hold your ground and wait for reinforcements, or sent someone to the Right Garrison of Guangning to inform them of the Jurchen attack. Instead, you abandoned the grain and fled without firing a single arrow..."
Mao Chenglu's expression changed drastically: "You're spouting nonsense..."
"Ha ha!"
Chen Ying smiled faintly: "You're spouting nonsense. What have I said about you? The more than 5,000 shi of military rations you were escorting fell into the hands of the Jurchens. The Jurchens sent spies to impersonate your ration escort team and infiltrate the Right Garrison City of Guangning. Mao Shuai's entire family and more than 300 of his soldiers were killed..."
"Father, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Mao Chenglu knelt before Mao Wenlong: "He wronged me... Father..."
At this moment, Mao Chenglu noticed that Mao Wenlong's face had become gloomy, almost as if water could be wrung out of it.
Of course, Chen Ying was unaware of these secrets. It was just that someone wanted to use Chen Ying's knife to kill Mao Chenglu last night. This person was Mao Wenlong's adopted son, Mao Chengjun.
Like Wei Zhongxian's adopted son, Mao Wenlong's adopted son was also embroiled in fierce internal strife. Recently, Mao Chengjun had been spending more time with Mao Wenlong and had independently led a battalion of soldiers to garrison Haiwang Island. This battalion was very well-equipped, which made Mao Chenglu extremely jealous.
Mao Chenglu then devised a plan. Under the guise of a personal guard commander, he ordered Mao Chengjun to attack Phoenix Fort in Liaodong, but instead sent troops to ambush Mao Chengjun's men, hacking them to death.
Mao Chenglu never expected that Mao Chengjun would be so lucky. Despite being stabbed nineteen times, Mao Chengjun did not die and was saved by Shang Keyi.
Mao Chengjun was in a coma for five days before finally waking up. He wanted to let things go and escape back to the interior of China to live in anonymity, but he never expected that Mao Chenglu would go to such extremes. He ordered his men to set fire to Mao Chengjun's house, and Mao Chengjun's son, who was not yet three years old, and his pregnant wife all perished in the fire.
Under these circumstances, Mao Chengjun has almost no hope of revenge. The personal guards around Mao Wenlong are all Mao Chenglu's confidants, and he can't even get close to Mao Wenlong.
Until Chen Ying arrived at Pi Island, the problem was that Chen Ying originally did not want to get involved in Mao Wenlong's family affairs, but Mao Chenglu took advantage of him, and Chen Ying naturally did not mind being used by Mao Chengjun.
So what if he's being used? All he wants now is for Mao Chenglu to die.
Throughout history, many generals have been unjustly killed, but Mao Wenlong is truly unique in being killed directly by Yuan Chonghuan in his own central command tent.
Because his personal guard, Mao Chenglu, betrayed Mao Wenlong.
Mao Wenlong looked at Chen Ying and asked, "What evidence do you have?"
"This matter involves Mao Chengjun, one of your subordinates, along with his three personal guards. Additionally, the Shuangdao guerrilla generals Ma Shun and Wang Fu are all eyewitnesses. Commander Mao can verify this personally!"
Chen Ying pulled a note from his pocket and threw it at Mao Wenlong: "Commander Mao, you can verify this yourself..."
Mao Wenlong's expression shifted, his fingers gripping the note tightly.
This wasn't intelligence provided by Mao Chengjun, but rather intelligence given to Chen Ying by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After Mao Wenlong's entire family was killed, including his wife, children, and elderly relatives, Mao Wenlong was left without an heir.
Of course, Mao Wenlong did not give up. He was not yet fifty years old and should still be able to have a son. But Mao Chenglu was an ingrate. Three of Mao Wenlong's five concubines had affairs with him. He wanted to use Mao Wenlong's son to seize the Dongjiang Army.
Looking at the contents of the note, Mao Wenlong trembled with anger. He pointed at Mao Chenglu and asked, "Is...is this all true?"
Mao Wenlong only asked whether Mao Chenglu had abandoned the grain and fled, not whether he had fought valiantly but was defeated.
Mao Chenglu collapsed to the ground, his face ashen. He didn't know how Chen Boying, an outsider, had found out. But the problem was, he hadn't expected the Jurchens to invade Guangning Youtunwei City so quickly. To be fair, it was just his cowardly reaction.
Mao Chenglu could naturally make excuses, but he had always wanted to silence the names Chen Ying mentioned. It was easy to deal with low-ranking soldiers, but who among those who could become leading generals was a fool?
Mao Wenlong's chest heaved violently as he stared intently at Mao Chenglu, who was kneeling on the ground. This adopted son, whom he had raised for over a decade and was preparing to entrust with his legacy, turned out to be nothing but a shadow of his former self.
"Someone come here."
Mao Wenlong said coldly, "Put Mao Chenglu...into the death row and keep him under strict guard. Once the matter is investigated, he will be dealt with according to military law."
"Father! Father, spare my life!"
Mao Chenglu crawled toward Mao Wenlong, tears streaming down his face: "Your son knows he was wrong... Your son was forced into this... Someone framed him..."
Two guards stepped forward and dragged Mao Chenglu out, his screams fading into the distance.
Mao Wenlong seemed to age ten years in an instant. He slumped back into his chair and waved his hand: "All of you, step down. Commander Chen, stay."
The generals looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally filed out in silence.
When Shen Shikui reached the door, he turned around and bowed deeply to Chen Ying, everything was understood without words.
Only Chen Ying and Mao Wenlong remained in the hall.
"Commander Chen's move today... was quite skillful."
"General Mao, you flatter me."
Chen Ying sat down again, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of fish, saying, "I just don't want to see the Dongjiang Army destroyed by villains. Marshal Mao was loyal and righteous all his life and should not be deceived by such people."
Mao Wenlong had regained his composure and said calmly, "Commander Chen, what do you want?"
"One step!"
Chen Ying calmly said, "Commander Mao was deceived by treacherous people. Mao Chenglu, the military advisor, colluded with the Jurchens and offered Commander Mao up in an unjust way, trying to force Commander Mao to surrender to the Jin. Commander Mao saw through Mao Chenglu's conspiracy and put righteousness above family ties, but the mistake has already been made. Commander Mao, how about writing a memorial to apologize?"
Chen Ying shifted the blame for the conflict between Mao Wenlong and Wei Zhongxian onto Mao Chenglu. Mao Wenlong then sent his adopted son out to apologize, which gave Wei Zhongxian a way out.