Chapter 97

As the gentle spring breeze blew over the land of Shanxi, the originally withered earth gave birth to greenery. By May, the weather had become hot, and the number of people on the roads had increased.

Today, a group of guests arrived at the top of Longshan Mountain, forty miles southwest of Taiyuan City. There were about forty to fifty people in the group, most of whom were dressed in red and black robes. Most of them had a Yanxiang knife hanging from their waists, and they moved nimbly, constantly looking around with a sharp and capable demeanor. In the center of the group were two small sedan chairs, wrapped in dark green silk, making it impossible to see who was inside.

The group stopped outside the Longmen Grottoes and began to disembark from the sedan chairs. Two people emerged from the chairs. The first was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a dignified appearance and a commanding presence. This man was Xu Dingchen, the governor of Shanxi. The other person was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a dark blue robe, with a fair complexion and no beard.

After getting down, the middle-aged man looked around and smiled at Xu Dingchen, saying, "Governor Xu, although I have just arrived in Shanxi, I have heard of the fame of the Longshan Grottoes. The moment I stepped out of the sedan chair, I felt a solemn atmosphere. It is indeed impressive."

The middle-aged man's voice was sharper than that of an ordinary man, which might sound strange to some, but Xu Dingchen was used to it. He stroked his long beard, looked around, and smiled, "Eunuch Wei, you have lived in the capital for a long time and have seen all kinds of scenery. The Longmen Grottoes are indeed beautiful, but for you, they might be just ordinary."

It turned out that the fair-faced, beardless middle-aged man was the newly appointed eunuch supervisor of Shanxi, Wei Tonghe. The eunuch supervisors in the late Ming Dynasty had considerable power, including supervising military leaders, assisting in military operations, and maintaining military discipline and border defense.

Logically, as a eunuch supervisor, Wei Tonghe should have stayed in Datong, a military stronghold. However, Wei Tonghe found Datong too close to the border and, using an excuse, submitted a report to Emperor Chongzhen to transfer his base to Taiyuan. Although Xu Dingchen was unhappy with his arrival, he did not dare to offend these eunuchs. As an experienced official, Xu Dingchen knew that while these eunuchs might not necessarily help him, they could ruin his plans with just a word. Therefore, he specially chose a time to accompany Wei Tonghe to visit the Longshan Grottoes.

Wei Tonghe looked at the solemn scenery around him, raised his eyebrows, and felt that the surroundings were too monotonous. He then walked into the grottoes. However, when he entered, he was stunned by the simple, solemn, and dignified statues inside.

At this moment, Xu Dingchen, who was following behind, introduced, "Eunuch Wei, there are 66 Taoist stone statues, 8 carved cloud dragons, and numerous stone carvings of phoenixes and cranes, all carved during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the previous dynasty. The statues are very exquisite and are truly rare treasures!"

Looking at the statues that exuded a simple and solemn aura, Wei Tonghe nodded and said, "Impressive. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed such a masterpiece existed. It's a pity that the Emperor can't come to appreciate it."

Xu Dingchen laughed, "The Emperor is busy with state affairs and has no time to visit. As his subjects, we cannot help him with his worries, which is truly a shame!"

The two chatted for a while and walked around the grottoes. Wei Tonghe, who was visiting for the first time, often praised the lifelike statues. After about half an hour, they walked out of the grottoes.

By then, the attendants had already set up a low table and two stools on the flat ground at the top of the mountain. A pot of steaming tea was placed on the table. Xu Dingchen and Wei Tonghe sat down, enjoying the scenery and sipping tea.

Wei Tonghe took a sip of tea and smiled at Xu Dingchen, "Governor Xu, before I came, the Emperor praised you. He said that the rapid suppression of the bandits in Shanxi was due to two people: one is the governor of Xuan and Da, Zhang Zongheng, and the other is the governor of Shanxi, Xu Dingchen. With these two people in Shanxi, the Emperor has no worries!"

Hearing Wei Tonghe mention Zhang Zongheng, a flash of displeasure crossed Xu Dingchen's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He laughed lightly and said, "The Emperor is too kind. I have merely done my duty as a subject. Besides, I am just a governor with no troops under my command. How could I suppress the bandits?"

Xu Dingchen's words, which seemed humble but were actually a complaint, did not escape Wei Tonghe's notice. In any dynasty, the most dangerous and dirty places were the imperial palace and the brothels. Wei Tonghe, who had come from the palace, was skilled at reading people's expressions. He noticed Xu Dingchen's fleeting resentment.

Wei Tonghe smiled, "Governor Xu, you are too modest. According to my knowledge, Zhang Zongheng sent Yang Guozhu to suppress the bandits. Although Yang Guozhu is a brave general, he also has his limits. Before his arrival, Gao Yingxiang and others captured several cities, including Daming, Xizhou, Zezhou, and Shouyang, and then attacked Yingzhou. However, they were repelled by the people of Yingzhou. After this defeat, the bandits' arrogance was suppressed, all thanks to your efforts!"

When the bandits invaded last time, Emperor Chongzhen ordered Zhang Zongheng and Xu Dingchen to suppress them within a set period and assigned them defense zones. However, the military power in Shanxi was almost entirely in Zhang Zongheng's hands, making Xu Dingchen feel very frustrated. Yingzhou was within Xu Dingchen's defense zone, and the great victory at Yingzhou naturally counted as his achievement. Wei Tonghe's flattery made Xu Dingchen feel warm inside. He smiled and said, "Eunuch Wei, you are too kind. This victory was due to the unity of the people and the bravery of the soldiers in Yingzhou. However, I must admit that the victory was also due to one person. Without him, Yingzhou might not have been saved, let alone achieved a great victory!"

"Oh, who is this person, and what is his position?" It was rare to hear a governor praise someone so highly, and Wei Tonghe became curious.

Xu Dingchen stroked his beard and smiled, "This person is named Yue Yang, with the courtesy name Zhenghong, from Wulizhai in Yingzhou. He has a degree of xiucai. During the bandit invasion, he led five hundred militiamen to Yingzhou to help defend the city. He defeated over ten thousand bandits outside the city, forcing Zhang Xianzhong to flee in disgrace, thus lifting the siege on Yingzhou!"

"Oh, our dynasty has such a loyal and righteous person?" Wei Tonghe was also surprised to hear this.

It must be said that Wei Tonghe, like most eunuchs, was greedy and afraid of death, but he had one virtue: he was loyal to the Emperor. His interests were closely tied to the Emperor's, so when he heard about such a talented person, he was genuinely impressed.

"Governor Xu, if this person is truly talented, why don't you recommend him to the court? The Emperor is eager for talent and will surely give him an important position!"

Xu Dingchen shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Eunuch Wei, you must remember that although Yue Yang has a degree, he is only a xiucai. How can I recommend him to the Emperor? In the end, I appointed him as the military commander of Yingzhou, which is the most I can do within my authority."

"Tsk, tsk, what a pity, what a pity!" Wei Tonghe shook his head and repeatedly expressed his regret.

The two sipped their tea, and Wei Tonghe slowly asked, "Governor Xu, now that I have come to take office, the Emperor has given me two tasks: to monitor the bandits and to handle another matter. How is that matter going?"

Xu Dingchen sighed inwardly, knowing that the inevitable had finally arrived. He put down his teacup and smiled bitterly, "Eunuch Wei, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have reported to the Emperor. The Emperor ordered the provinces to clear the accumulated salt tax arrears, which is a good intention. However, everything has its priorities. The salt tax arrears are a long-standing problem, and the Emperor wants us to clear them in a few months, which is... difficult." Xu Dingchen did not continue, but only shook his head lightly.

Wei Tonghe gritted his teeth, "We must do it, or the Emperor's anger will bring us no good days."

Xu Dingchen said irritably, "But how can we collect this money? Eunuch Wei, you know that collecting money from salt merchants is like burning their houses. Although I am a governor, I cannot take such drastic measures!"

"What should we do? Should we just wait for the deadline to pass and then face the Emperor's reprimand?" Wei Tonghe was also anxious. As a eunuch supervisor, his duty was not only to supervise local officials but also to manage the Emperor's finances. If he failed in this task, it would affect his standing with Emperor Chongzhen.

Xu Dingchen sighed and shook his head. At this moment, he could only hope that Tang Xueying, who had left a few days ago, would bring some good news.

Just as the two were frowning, the sound of hooves came from a distance and quickly grew louder. Soon, a man in a black robe appeared at the foot of the mountain, riding a horse. The man dismounted and ran up the mountain. The guards, recognizing the man, did not stop him and let him run up.

The man ran to Xu Dingchen, knelt on one knee, and said loudly, "I have seen Governor Xu. I am here to deliver this letter from Master Tang!" He then took a letter sealed with wax from his chest and handed it to Xu Dingchen with both hands.

Xu Dingchen took the letter, checked the seal, and quickly tore it open. He read the letter quickly, and a smile of relief appeared on his face!