Chapter 65

In the Ming Dynasty, it was true that scholars were esteemed while military officers were despised, but in the early Ming, military officers and nobles were still highly favored. When the Great Ming Code was established, scholars of the third rank and above needed to report to the court for their crimes, while there were no such restrictions for military officers. If a military officer committed a crime and it was not reported, the penalty was hanging, while scholars only received a hundred strokes of the cane!

Of course, this was just the stipulation of the Great Ming Code. In practice, military officers were treated worse than dogs. For example, the commander of the Dongjiang Garrison, Mao Wending, was killed without any reason, depending on whether someone wanted to make an issue of it.

Now, Hong Fugao stood up, and all the high-ranking civil and military officials present could not help but feel a chill.

Ge Chunfang was still不服气 (unconvinced), and he glared, arguing, "Your Excellency Hong, as the saying goes, in times of emergency, one must act swiftly. Generals away from the capital have the authority to act without the emperor's command. The law also stipulates that in border cities, if a soldier commits a crime, he can be executed first and reported later! With the Censor-in-Chief here, can't we execute a battalion commander?"

Hong Fugao smiled slightly, "It is true that the nine border garrisons have the authority to execute first and report later, but this is limited to military officers who have committed treason. Can any of you officials say whether this battalion commander has committed treason?"

Hong Fugao had been planning how to save Zhang Feng all along, and he had a clear understanding of the relevant laws and regulations. Each of his words hit the key points, leaving no room for rebuttal. Zhang Feng's crime was forcing a merchant to commit suicide, which had nothing to do with treason. Ge Chunfang was left speechless and could only secretly look at Zhou Yongchun, hoping the governor would step in.

Zhou Yongchun was also furious. Ge Chunfang, as the vice inspector, was Hong Fugao's superior, but he had no arguments, making him a complete fool!

Zhou Yongchun glared at him and then smiled, "Your Excellency Hong is well-versed in the laws of the court, which is commendable. However, this is a military matter, and there is evidence. Executing Zhang Feng will give an account to those who have been wronged and will help to maintain military discipline and boost morale. Your Excellency Hong, I will have the case files delivered to you later. We will not wrong a good person!"

After Zhou Yongchun spoke, the general Li Guangrong stepped forward, and countless soldiers surged forward.

The cold blades and spears were raised, and the footsteps seemed to echo in everyone's hearts. Those in the center of the storm felt as if they could vomit their hearts out just by opening their mouths!

Zhang Feng asked in a low voice, "Second Brother, can we really do this? Don't let my affairs drag you down!"

"Big Brother, this is no time to back down! We have no choice but to see if our teacher can hold out!" Zhang Ke's palms were drenched in sweat.

Everyone's eyes were on Hong Fugao, a newly appointed censor who was facing the governor, a situation akin to a mosquito trying to knock down a stone.

Li Guangrong and He Guangxian were ready to act.

The countless eyes on Hong Fugao felt like being placed in a steamer, even more uncomfortable than the imperial examination!

In fact, this was also a test, a major test for entering the bureaucracy! If he could withstand the pressure and uncover the truth, Hong Fugao would gain both fame and fortune. If he backed down, he would be just a pawn in the Liaodong bureaucracy, at the mercy of others.

He always taught his disciples to remain calm even if Mount Tai were to collapse before them and to act even if it seemed impossible. Why, when it came to himself, did he hesitate and lose his courage...

Are you still a Liaodong person? Can you just watch evil people act recklessly, knowing that it will ruin your homeland?

Hong Fugao was silent for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, his body radiating a sense of determination. Zhou Yongchun secretly glanced at him, his heart pounding, wondering if this man had taken some kind of drug.

"Your Excellency, according to the Great Ming Code, any official appointed by the court, if they have not lost territory, committed treason, or engaged in corruption, the governor has the right to report but not to detain. Moreover, executing someone without due process, even in a military setting, is a violation of the law. I must report this to the court, and I hope you understand!"

"You!"

Zhou Yongchun thought that Hong Fugao would back down after he spoke, but instead, he became even more aggressive, threatening to report him to the court, which was completely out of line! Anger surged in his heart, and he felt like he was about to explode.

He gritted his teeth and glared at Hong Fugao, saying fiercely, "Your Excellency Hong, do you know what you are saying?"

"Your Excellency, I was sent to Liaodong by imperial decree to enforce the law. Everything must be done according to the rules. As you all said, Zhang Feng is just a battalion commander. Waiting for the court's approval won't be much trouble. Do you lack the patience?"

Zhou Yongchun opened his mouth but found no words to say.

At this moment, Ge Chunfang caught his breath and glared at Hong Fugao, saying fiercely, "You are causing chaos in the military, inviting the Jurchens to invade Liaodong. Is this what you want?"

Before Ge Chunfang finished speaking, a roar like thunder echoed.

"With He here, the Jurchens can only dream of taking Liaodong!"

With the roar, a large black horse galloped forward, carrying a general.

The rider was a tall and robust figure with a large black face, holding a saber, looking like a reincarnation of Zhang Fei, galloping forward.

"It's General He!" Yang Long exclaimed.

It must be the Liaodong general He Shixian. Zhang Ke quickly looked over, and by the time he did, He Shixian was already in front of him. Without waiting for the horse to stop, he leaped off and strode toward Zhou Yongchun.

"Your Excellency, I have seen you!"

"It's General He, you may stand down." Zhou Yongchun awkwardly smiled.

He Shixian stood up, his hand on his sword hilt, his eyes scanning the execution platform, his teeth grinding.

"Your Excellency, I have already said that Zhang Feng is innocent. Why did you exclude me and act behind my back?"

Facing the live Zhang Fei, He Shixian, Zhou Yongchun and Ge Chunfang felt a bit intimidated, afraid that if they argued, he might start swinging his fists, which they could not withstand.

The general Li Guangrong from Guangning stepped forward with a stern face, saying, "Brother He, Zhang Feng's crimes are related to your protection and indulgence. How dare you act so recklessly in front of the Censor-in-Chief? This is a serious breach of decorum!"

"Decorum? You think it's decorum to exclude me and kill people? Li Guangrong, if you dare to frame an innocent person, I will be the first to take your head!"

"Enough!" Zhou Yongchun said with a stern face. "Since Your Excellency Hong says it doesn't comply with the court's rules, we will not execute him for now. We will wait for the court's decree. Everyone, disperse!"

"Wait!"

As everyone turned to leave, Zhang Ke suddenly rushed forward and bowed to everyone.

"Commoner Zhang Ke greets all the officials. Someone just tried to kill to silence him. If he is not to be executed, he should be placed in a safe place for protection to prevent any underhanded actions!"

"Right, that makes sense!" He Shixian quickly agreed, saying, "Take Zhang Feng to my camp and protect him strictly!"

"Wait!" Ge Chunfang quickly said, "This is not appropriate. What if General He secretly releases him?"

He Shixian's face darkened, saying, "I will not violate the law. Moreover, Zhang Feng is innocent and does not need to be released secretly!"

"Enough!"

Zhou Yongchun suddenly smiled, "Let's place him in General He's camp. It won't be long, and I will immediately write to the governor to handle this. I cannot execute him, but Governor Xiong might!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave, followed by Ge Chunfang and the others, who quickly left the execution ground.

After everyone left, Zhang Ke hurried to Hong Fugao and knelt down.

This knee was truly from the heart. His teacher had stood up to the governor for him, enduring immense pressure, risking his career. Zhang Ke, who had previously seen his teacher as a means to an end, now felt only respect, with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Thank you, Master, for saving my brother. I don't know what to say..."

"Ah, if you don't know what to say, don't say anything. Think carefully!" Hong Fugao smiled and pulled Zhang Ke up. "You're a grown man, crying won't do. It's just a delay of a few days. Did you hear what Governor Zhou said at the end?"

"I heard it!"

"Good. Governor Xiong is appointed to oversee the military affairs of Jizhou, Liaodong, and Baoding, with the authority to execute officials of the fifth rank and below without prior approval. If he insists on executing someone, even I can't stop him!"

Hong Fugao's words were like a bucket of cold water, dashing the hope that had just risen.

He Shixian's black face turned even darker, and he bowed to Hong Fugao.

"Your Excellency, thank you for your help. Please come to my camp to discuss this further."

Hong Fugao nodded, and everyone followed He Shixian to the camp.

On the way, they exchanged information. Zhang Ke briefly described his encounter, and He Shixian was greatly pleased.

"Good, good, I never thought that Zhang Haichuan's two sons would both be heroes, especially Yongzhen, who is both literate and martial. I am very proud as their uncle!"

Hong Fugao raised an eyebrow and quickly asked, "General He, do you have a connection with the Zhang family?"

"Yes, about sixteen or seventeen years ago, when Zhang Haichuan returned from Korea after establishing merit and became a battalion commander, I was once ambushed while suppressing bandits. It was Haichuan who led his troops to save me. Since then, we have been sworn brothers. Now the children are so grown up, and Haichuan... sigh!"

He Shixian sighed, "Your Excellency, given my relationship with Haichuan, I cannot let them harm his nephew Zhang Feng! It's just that I am foolish, and they said the Jurchens were attacking, so I foolishly left the city, almost letting them succeed."

Hong Fugao understood that no matter how many tricks a general had, he could not match the civil officials. If it weren't for He Shixian's strong character, martial skills, and strong troops, he would have been completely outmaneuvered.

When they arrived at He Shixian's camp, they dispensed with formalities. Hong Fugao and He Shixian sat facing each other, with the others standing below.

Hong Fugao sighed slightly, "I thought Zhou Yongchun would report to the court and request an imperial decree, which would delay things until after the New Year. But if he really lets Xiong Tingbi act, we only have a few days to come up with a plan. Time is running out!"

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