Chapter 149: The Big Fish Takes the Bait

"Absolutely not!"

As soon as Yu Qian finished speaking, a brief silence fell upon the city wall, followed immediately by someone shouting in opposition.

Subconsciously, the crowd looked over to see Xue Rui stepping forward with large strides, dissuading him earnestly: "Lord Yu, Esen specifically named you and General Shi to go, which clearly harbors malicious intent. If you truly follow his wishes, wouldn't that be walking straight into a tiger's den? You must not go!"

Yu Qian looked at him and sighed, "The Grand Emperor is trapped in the enemy's camp, which is truly a disgrace to our national dignity. We must find a way to bring him back as soon as possible. As a subject of the Great Ming, I truly cannot bear to see the Grand Emperor toyed with in the palm of the bandit. Furthermore, the Grand Emperor has issued an imperial decree; how can Yu Qian dare disobey it?"

To put it frankly, Yu Qian was in a very difficult position making this decision.

As early as shortly after the Tumu Crisis, when Yu Qian was acting as the Minister of War, he had issued military orders to all border garrisons to rescue Zhu Qizhen at all costs. Later, after Liu An and Guo Deng's failed attempt to raid the enemy camp, Esen took Zhu Qizhen hostage and fled far away, forcing the Ming side to reluctantly abandon the rescue plan.

Today, Esen used the pretext of sending Zhu Qizhen back to the capital, demanding that Yu Qian and the others go personally to receive him. If Yu Qian were to cower out of fear of death and refuse to go, it would inevitably give Esen an excuse to refuse sending the Grand Emperor back.

Many officials had risen to prominence during the Zhengtong era, and quite a few of them likely still harbored loyalty toward Zhu Qizhen.

If Yu Qian refused to go and receive the emperor, these people might not say it aloud, but in their hearts, they would despise him as a coward who was all talk and no action—someone who forgot his previous proclamations of saving the Grand Emperor at all costs the moment things got real.

The ministers present dared not take the lead in expressing their opinions either. After all, this concerned the Grand Emperor, and if they opposed it, they would offend Zhu Qizhen, leaving themselves vulnerable to potential retaliation should he ever return to the throne.

Conversely, if they expressed agreement, it would thrust Yu Qian and the others into extreme danger. Neither outcome was something they could bear, plunging everyone into a dilemma for the moment.

Zhu Qiyu's face was dark; in his heart, he had already cursed his imperial elder brother a thousand times over.

Esen's wolfish ambition was clear, and his demand for several key pillars of the court to go and receive him had an obvious purpose.

Yet his imperial brother was naive enough to believe that Esen genuinely wanted to send him back, even going so far as to issue an imperial decree in his capacity as the Grand Emperor, ordering Yu Qian and the others to go and receive him in uncompromising terms.

From the bottom of his heart, Zhu Qiyu did not wish for his elder brother to be sent back, as this would put him, the reigning emperor, in a terribly awkward position. After all, a country cannot have two sovereigns; when that time came, should he abdicate, or should he remain subservient to his elder brother?

This was a profoundly agonizing choice.

Yet Yu Qian, upright by nature and unyielding in character, was being roasted over a fire by Zhu Qizhen's imperial decree, forcing him into this helpless decision.

Zhu Qiyu wanted to object, but if he voiced it in front of so many people, historical records might brand him as an emperor afraid of losing his throne who refused to welcome his elder brother back—a reputation far from pleasant.

Fortunately, Xue Rui stepped forward and voiced the first objection, bringing a simultaneous sigh of relief to both Zhu Qiyu and the ministers.

Seeing that the ministers remained silent, Zhu Qiyu set the tone by declaring: "What Xue Rui says makes a certain degree of sense. Lord Yu and the others are the pillars of our Great Ming state, and at present, not a single one can be spared. That Esen is cunning and despicable, and is likely plotting yet another conspiracy. How about this: let all the officials below the city wall ascend the Wufeng Tower so we may deliberate further and listen to the opinions of the other officials."

Earlier, when ascending the city wall, Zhu Qiyu had ordered officials of the third rank and below to wait at the foot of the wall out of concern for crowding. Now that a court assembly was required, it was naturally better to have more officials participate.

Of course, Zhu Qiyu also harbored his own little calculations. Higher-ranking officials were more inclined to protect their own interests, whereas lower-ranking officials, eager to advance, would seize every opportunity to make their presence known. Since he had already set the tone, many would surely echo his words, sparing him, the emperor, from having to intervene personally.

The main hall of Wufeng Tower was not large, formerly serving as the office for the eunuch in charge of the city gates, and was now repurposed as Zhu Qiyu's temporary venue for attending to state affairs. Crammed with fifty or sixty officials, the hall instantly became tightly packed.

As the court assembly commenced, Zhu Qiyu had someone read Esen's letter and Zhu Qizhen's imperial decree, reiterating the extreme danger awaiting Yu Qian and the others on their diplomatic mission.

Sure enough, no sooner had he finished speaking than several officials of the fourth and fifth ranks stepped out of the ranks to oppose the diplomatic mission of Yu Qian and other ministers, their reasons identical to those Zhu Qiyu had just laid out.

Seeing others take the lead, the remaining officials successively voiced their opinions, detailing the pros and cons.

Zhu Qiyu was quite satisfied with the officials' performance, but another issue now lay before him.

Wang Zhi stepped out of the ranks and said, "Your Majesty, regardless of whether Esen's offer to return the Grand Emperor's carriage is true or false, the court cannot simply ignore it. We still need to dispatch envoys to make the journey, lest Esen use this as an excuse to launch an attack."

Zhu Qiyu immediately found himself in a difficult spot.

Were the lives of Yu Qian and the others precious, while the lives of other officials were worthless?

If envoys were dispatched to the enemy camp and Esen felt the caliber of the men was lacking, those who went would face a nine-to-one chance of death. Should the envoys be killed by Esen, wouldn't he, the emperor, have to take the blame?

Just as he was hesitating, a figure strode out gracefully and said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, this humble subject is willing to serve as an envoy to the barbarian camp and welcome the Grand Emperor back to the court!"

The ministers cast sideways glances in surprise, and Zhu Qiyu was slightly taken aback as well.

The person before him was obscure and unknown. He wore blue official robes, and the square patch on his chest featured a mandarin duck, making it easy to identify him as an official of the low seventh rank.

Not recognizing him, Zhu Qiyu asked curiously, "From which department is my lord, and what is your current post?"

"This humble subject currently serves as a Secretariat Drafting Officer, surnamed Zhao, given name Rong," Zhao Rong replied, bowing deeply.

"Do you know that going on a diplomatic mission to the enemy camp carries the risk of being detained? Are you not afraid?" Zhu Qiyu continued to probe.

"To be able to show utter loyalty to the court—even in death, what is there to fear!"

Zhao Rong answered with resolute generosity.

"Splendid!"

Zhu Qiyu could not help but slap his desk in admiration. "Lord Zhao is truly a brave warrior. I shall certainly fulfill this patriotic aspiration of yours!"

Since Zhao Rong served in the Cabinet, Grand Academician Gao Gu also recognized him. Moved by his loyalty and righteousness, Gao Gu patted him on the back emotionally and said, "You are truly a man of loyalty and righteousness!"

With that, he untied the rhinoceros-horn belt from his waist and bestowed it upon Zhao Rong.

For a moment, all the ministers praised the event as a fine tale to be remembered.

Gao Gu's gesture instantly pushed the atmosphere to a climax. Since Zhao Rong was willing to travel to the enemy camp, he naturally became the chief envoy. As diplomatic missions typically featured both chief and deputy envoys, seeing Zhao Rong admired by the ministers, many grew eager to try their hand.

At that moment, another figure stepped forward and volunteered, "This humble subject is also willing to accompany Lord Zhao on the mission!"

As everyone turned back, someone immediately recognized the identity of this official.

This man was named Wang Fu, also dressed in blue official robes, yet holding a rank several levels higher than Zhao Rong: a fifth-rank Supervising Secretary in the Office of Transmission.

Zhu Qiyu said happily, "My lord's courage is highly commendable; you shall serve as the deputy envoy."

The officials who had earlier missed out on vying for the post now beat their chests in frustration, silently cursing themselves for not stepping out a step earlier, letting others snap up the opportunity to steal the spotlight.

Having finalized the chief and deputy envoys, Zhu Qiyu recalled a matter and asked:

"Lord Zhao is of the low seventh rank, whereas Lord Wang is of the proper fifth rank. The disparity in their ranks is somewhat unfitting. Furthermore, the Oirat Grand Tutor Esen explicitly stated that our court must welcome the Grand Emperor back with the rituals due to the Son of Heaven. If the envoys' ranks are too low, it might give Esen an excuse to find fault. How about this: since Lord Zhao is the chief envoy, I shall break convention and promote you to Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, while retaining your duties in the Cabinet. As for Lord Wang, I shall elevate him to Right Vice Administrator in the Office of Transmission. What do my lords think?"

The Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was a proper fourth-rank official, whereas Zhao Rong's original post had been a low seventh-rank. Calculated this way, it was equivalent to a consecutive promotion of seven ranks—a speed of advancement scarcely seen in the present age!

Meanwhile, Wang Fu, originally a proper fifth-rank Supervising Secretary in the Office of Transmission, now became a proper fourth-rank Right Vice Administrator, a promotion of only two ranks, incomparable to Zhao Rong's meteoric rise.

Using a proper fourth-rank official as an envoy represented the utmost sincerity the court could muster, providing a modicum of dignity for Zhu Qizhen.

To elevate them by yet another rank—putting aside whether an appropriate third-rank post was available—would risk making their positions too lofty, which might prompt Esen to detain them and use them to blackmail the court, causing even greater trouble.

After Zhao Rong and Wang Fu expressed their gratitude, Zhu Qiyu dispatched men to reply to the Oirat envoys waiting outside the city, stating that the court agreed to welcome back the Grand Emperor, instructing them to inform Esen that envoys would be sent to the agreed Earth City on the morrow.

Upon learning the outcome of the court assembly, Xue Rui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Viewed in this light, although history had shifted slightly, it was largely following its original trajectory and had not slipped out of his control.

With no military engagements today, Zhu Qiyu returned to the palace, and the ministers dispersed one by one. After bidding farewell to Yu Qian, Xue Rui returned to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

For the past two days, he had been too busy to report for duty at the Bureau, but fortunately, after the archives office reform implementing the monitor system, the hereditary students managed without major mishaps despite lacking Xue Rui's direct supervision.

As soon as Xue Rui stepped into the archives office, Fan Yan and the others crowded around him, inquiring about the news of the battle.

Having secured a great victory yesterday, the hereditary students were naturally aware of it, but they had only heard sketchy details. Knowing that Xue Rui had recently been on duty at the Ministry of War, they all sought him out for information.

Recounting the course of the battle in broad strokes, Xue Rui watched as the hereditary students listened with bloodshot eyes, burning with the desire to charge onto the battlefield themselves.

Deliberately omitting his own contributions, Xue Rui shifted the topic to the progress of the students' coursework after finishing his account.

Peace had largely returned to the Bureau recently. According to the curriculum set by Xue Rui, the resident officials took turns lecturing the students daily. Coupled with the discipline enforced by Fan Yan and Lu Wen, the students' learning progress naturally did not lag behind.

Expressing general satisfaction after his inquiries, Xue Rui stepped into the inner office.

Inside, Guo Heng sat in Xue Rui's chair, head bowed and writing furiously, completely unaware of Xue Rui's entry.

A month prior, after the two of them collaborated to streamline the calendar calculations, Xue Rui had imparted the specific methods to Guo Heng. Aside from certain issues touching upon modern geometry, Guo Heng was basically capable of solving problems independently.

Xue Rui's return today was precisely to inspect the results of Guo Heng's independent calculations.

Walking quietly to Guo Heng's side, Xue Rui watched for a moment before nodding in approval: "Not bad. To be able to calculate six or seven tenths of it shows your proficiency has improved immensely."

Startled, Guo Heng turned around and, seeing Xue Rui, shifted instantly from alarm to delight, exclaiming excitedly, "Director, you're finally back! Come take a look and tell me where I went wrong; I can't calculate any further here."

After glancing over it for a few moments, Xue Rui said helplessly, "Given the meager geometry knowledge you've mastered, reaching this point is already quite impressive. Furthermore, geometry must be paired with corresponding mathematical knowledge. Lacking a systematic study, you naturally cannot solve it."

"I beg the Director to teach me!"

Bending ninety degrees at the waist, Guo Heng delivered a deep, formal bow to Xue Rui.

"Quickly, stand up."

Xue Rui helped him up, drew a stack of paper from his sleeve, and said to him:

"What I taught you previously were merely basics. These are more profound than what you've finished learning, serving as advanced reading. Ponder them on your own first; if you encounter any problems, I will explain them when I return."

"The Director's kindness is a grace this student will never forget!"

Clutching the manuscript, Guo Heng trembled with excitement.

In ancient times, knowledge was easily monopolized, especially advanced specialized knowledge involving astronomical calculations, which was rarely disseminated outwardly and typically circulated only within family clans.

The very reason the Guo family had endured across both the Yuan and Ming dynasties was precisely due to those untransmitted family secrets. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau had valued Guo Gui and his son so highly precisely to see if they could unearth any useful fragments.

Yet the geometrical teachings compiled by Xue Rui had been handed to him so casually. This immense grace and trust could not be repaid with mere words of gratitude.

Unbothered, Xue Rui waved his hand with a smile. "Take a look first. Once you've mastered it, I'll have more tasks for you to assist with, and you won't be allowed to shirk them then."

"I await the Director's commands; this student will never refuse!" Guo Heng said with a solemn expression.

"Very well. I have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving."

Nodding, Xue Rui turned and left the inner office, instructing the hereditary students not to cause trouble before making his way to his father's office.

Arriving at the destination, Xue Rui peered into the room to see his father seated behind the desk, staring gloomily at the tabletop.

"Father, what are you looking at?"
Stepping in on tiptoes, Xue Rui spoke up abruptly.

"Goodness..."
Startled, Xue Haohao glared in annoyance upon seeing his son enter. "You scoundrel, why do you walk without a sound? You nearly scared your old man to death!"

"Judging by your expression, have you run into some vexing trouble?" Xue Rui walked over curiously.

"Here, see for yourself." Xue Haohao pointed toward the desk.

Fixing his gaze upon the desktop, Xue Rui saw an envelope and a piece of paper inscribed with a few lines of small characters.

Picking it up for a glance, Xue Rui's expression turned grave as well.

It was an invitation addressed to Xue Haohao, asking him to attend a banquet at the Huijiang Pavilion at noon the following day. The sender was none other than Han佐, the Ministry of Revenue director who had withheld the stipends of the Astronomical Bureau's officials and students!

"Old man Chen's prediction was right after all. We've held out for all these days, and those grain merchants are finally dropping their disguises!" Xue Rui sneered.

"So, should I go or not?"

Xue Haohao was in a difficult dilemma. Having served in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for over a decade, he rarely interacted with officials from other offices. In particular, since Han Zhao was in league with the grain merchants, this banquet would certainly not be amicable, and he feared he lacked the ability to handle it.

After a moment of thought, Xue Rui said, "How about this: I will go to the Censorate first and let Old man Chen call the shots. We can't have us bearing the brunt of it while he sits back and does nothing, can we?"

"Off with you then! The Chief Censor has been laying out his strategy for days; he's probably just waiting to wrap it up!" Xue Haohao instructed earnestly.

"I'm off then."

Folding the letter and tucking it into his robe, Xue Rui trotted all the way out of the official office.

Because the Three Judicial Offices were in charge of penal matters and feared that heavy resentment might offend the nobles in the palace, they were located in Fucai Fang in the eastern part of the city, quite a distance from the imperial palace.

After riding in a carriage for a little under half an hour, he finally reached the Censorate.

Stating his identity and presenting his calling card, he waited quite a while before a minor clerk led Xue Rui into the Censorate compound.

Though the Censorate's official quarters looked somewhat aged, they were built with utmost solemnity; the moment one stepped inside, an oppressive atmosphere enveloped them.

After walking for a while, Xue Rui was led into Chen Yi's office.

Seeing him enter, Chen Yi smiled and said, "You've come at this hour—could it be that a big fish has bitten the hook?"