Chapter 75

Recently, Xu Hao's actions, if judged by modern standards, would have been front-page news in the gossip section of the capital, and it was impossible for the Mu family not to hear about them. With Xu Hao becoming a young guard and the chance encounter in the snow, his connection with Mu Ningsnow was almost at an end, and the role of study companion naturally came to a quiet end.

Xu Hao's relationship with Mu Sheng was very distant, but over the past half year, he had developed a good relationship with Mu Ang. However, the carefree Mu Ang definitely did not take him seriously. As for Lady Mu, he had only met her two or three times, and the last time he even upset her.

Given this situation, the Mu family still sent someone over. Xu Hao could not think of anyone besides Mu Ningsnow who would care about him.

Was it necessary for a military officer with a noble rank to continue studying? It was necessary, but there was no need to be a study companion. Anyone would know this, yet someone still cared about his studies. At this moment, Xu Hao's heart was filled with warmth, and his cousin Xiao Yuying automatically became a minor character.

Xu Hao, feeling happy, slept particularly soundly that night, even dreaming of beautiful scenes where he strolled with a beautiful woman, enjoying the moon and flowers, living a life of endless pleasure. Suddenly, a roaring white tiger with a black stripe appeared.

The next day, the situation in the capital changed dramatically. Before Xu Hao could excitedly run to the Mu family, the worst thing happened.

During the morning court, just as Zhu Yuanzhang was about to appoint Lan Yu as the Grand General to lead the northern expedition, a censor impeached him, detailing his arrogance and the lawlessness of his adopted son Zhuang Nu, who had occupied civilian land and expelled censors, allowed soldiers to break through the border, whipped border guards, and mistreated the former empress. The censor concluded that Lan Yu was unfit to be a general.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very displeased and immediately canceled the ceremony. The imperial decree to further elevate Lan Yu to the rank of Duke of Liang was destroyed on the spot, and he ordered that these crimes be inscribed on the iron scroll of the Lan family as a warning.

This was not the end. Another censor, Xu Zengshou, accused Lan Yu of being arrogant and tyrannical, arbitrarily dismissing and promoting military officers, and acting on his own.

The tutor to the crown prince, Huang Zicheng, also impeached Lan Yu for being dissatisfied with his appointment as Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, unwilling to rank below the Duke of Song and the Duke of Ying, and even saying, "Am I not fit to be Grand Tutor?" This made Zhu Yuanzhang so angry that he left the court in a huff.

These accusations had been made before, and Lan Yu had been reprimanded by the emperor, but today they were all brought up again in court. Everyone could see that this was a sign of an impending storm.

Xu Hao was anxious. He never expected the Lan Yu case to erupt so quickly. He had no time to think about personal matters and hurriedly prepared everything needed for the grand wedding, hoping to get the marriage settled before the storm. He immediately sent people to the military camp to ask his uncle and Xu Wen to take leave and return home.

However, just as he sent his family away, he received an urgent military order from the Forward Guard, summoning all the guards to report to the office at noon.

Xu Hao had no choice but to go to the capital. As soon as he entered the palace, he saw that the usually quiet imperial city was tense, with countless guards crowding the streets.

Xu Hao, feeling uneasy, went directly to the office. He was soon dispatched, following a sword-bearing officer with over twenty guards, to patrol the imperial road in front of the Qianqing Palace.

His colleagues all had stern faces and remained silent. Xu Hao also held his Xiu Chun knife and walked in silence. The atmosphere in the palace was oppressive, and he frequently saw the brocade-clad guards of the Jinyiwei moving about with cold faces. No one knew what was happening inside or outside the palace. After an hour, they returned to the office to rest.

While resting in the office, Xu Hao deliberately sat next to the sword-bearing officer, hoping to hear some news. The officer, about thirty years old, was quiet and just drank tea with his head down.

Xu Hao did not know the names of his colleagues in the office, but he had trained with them on the playground for over a year. No one cared about seating arrangements and all sat on the long benches, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a fifth-rank official entered, followed by two Jinyiwei. He glanced at the guards on both sides and then bowed to the sword-bearing officer, saying, "Duke of Liang has rebelled and has been arrested and interrogated by the Jinyiwei commander. The emperor has ordered the Young Guard to assist the Jinyiwei in sealing the Duke of Liang's residence."

The sword-bearing officer quickly stood up and asked, "Are you sending the Young Guard? I am concerned that we might make a mistake and fail to live up to the emperor's trust."

Xu Hao and his colleagues also stood up. The official did not answer but instead loudly asked, "Who is Xu Hao?"

Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he calmly replied, "Reporting to the superior, it is me."

"Are you from the Wei family?" the official asked, expressionless.

"Yes," Xu Hao replied, his heart tightening and his palms sweating.

The official nodded and said, "You are a fine young man. I hope you do not辜负 the emperor's grace and handle your duties impartially without favoritism."

Xu Hao immediately felt dizzy and thought, "This is asking me to lead the sealing of my own family's residence? No way, I have some integrity."

Xu Hao took a deep breath and slowly said, "Reporting to the superior, as a son of the Xu family, I will not do anything to disgrace my ancestors. I will not take action against my own family."

The official immediately sneered, "Is the Duke of Liang's family your family?"

Xu Hao was taken aback and quickly said, "No, I mean the Xu family."

"You are talking nonsense," the official scolded, then turned and asked, "Who is Cao Chun?"

"Reporting to the superior, it is me," the young man opposite Xu Hao said excitedly.

Those who knew Cao Chun knew he was also from a noble family. It seemed he would be encouraged by the superior like Xu Hao, but Xu Hao had made a fool of himself and felt embarrassed.

The official looked Cao Chun up and down and said, "Step forward."

"Yes," Cao Chun stepped forward, but before he could stand steady, two Jinyiwei rushed out and quickly pinned him to the ground. The official sternly said, "If you resist or shout, you will be killed without mercy."

Cao Chun was terrified and did not struggle, just asked, "Why are you arresting me?"

The official remained expressionless, "I do not know. I am following orders. You will go with us, and whether it is good or bad will be determined by the Ministry of Justice."

Hearing that he was going to the Ministry of Justice and not the Jinyiwei, Cao Chun, with a bitter smile, felt relieved and followed the official with heavy steps.

The sword-bearing officer looked deeply at Xu Hao, slowly sat down, and ordered, "Xu Hao, you go outside and receive any military orders."

Under the envious gazes of the guards, Xu Hao quickly saluted and walked out the door.

Xu Hao stood at the door and soon saw many guards being escorted out by the Jinyiwei, walking aimlessly toward the Ministry of Justice. Others did not know why, but Xu Hao understood. These were all the noble descendants related to the various dukes and marquises who had ties to Lan Yu. The Lan Yu case was not a sudden decision by Zhu Yuanzhang but a long-planned move to eliminate all obstacles for the future Grand Prince Zhu Yunwen, leaving no room for future trouble.

In just a short half-hour, twelve regiments of nearly ten thousand guards were completely cleared out by the well-prepared Jinyiwei, making the atmosphere even more tense.

After a hurried meal, under the leadership of the Forward Guard commander, over three thousand guards surrounded the Duke of Liang's residence, leaving no gaps. Xu Hao, in the formation, silently looked at the street where he had recently paid respects. Now it was empty, but it had been grand and lively just a few days ago. All the doors were tightly closed, and the colorful pavilions and paper horses were knocked down and trampled. The offerings on the altars were scattered everywhere, presenting a scene of impending disaster.

As over a hundred Jinyiwei rushed into the gate, Xu Hao stopped and turned, standing in front of the screen wall. He did not want to witness the scene that was about to unfold.

Seizing property has always been the favorite activity of soldiers, and this time, with no high-ranking officials present to supervise, they could act even more recklessly. The guards rushed in like a pack of wolves, beating people, looting, and taking advantage of women, as if they were venting the emperor's anger.

Soon, cries and screams filled the large Duke of Liang's residence. When the commander and a group of officials walked to Xu Hao's side, he frowned and said, "Tell the men to behave. The property and valuables of Lan Yu and his family must be recorded, and no one is allowed to molest the women."

Thus, the guards ransacked the Lan family's residence, and many guards filled their pockets, sleeves, and even boots with gold and silver. Some, like Xu Hao, took nothing.

In fact, every profession has its rules. The stolen goods must be handed over, and during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, petty theft was allowed, but large-scale looting was strictly forbidden. The officials meant to record the stolen goods separately and report to the emperor, who would then distribute them as rewards based on rank.

This time, they were given strict orders to not let anyone escape from the entire Lan family, including the three generations. The cries were deafening, and all the men were tied up and confined in a room, with Lan Yu's direct relatives in a separate room.

The women were treated slightly better, being herded into a small courtyard. It was still very cold in February, and hundreds of women, with disheveled clothes, shivered and crowded the courtyard. Lan Yu's wives and daughters-in-law were listlessly crying in the house.

Xu Hao's team was assigned to guard the small courtyard. Hearing the cries and the constant wailing of infants, Xu Hao felt sorry and asked a few guards to bring wood, charcoal, and some steamed buns and flatbreads to the women.

The sword-bearing officer saw this and did not say anything but sighed and went elsewhere. When the guards entered, all the women knelt and begged, with some mothers even knocking their heads until they bled, pleading to have their children raised by the guards.

High treason was an unforgivable crime, and everyone knew what would happen next. Even if the children survived, they would be reduced to the status of musicians and slaves, with no hope of ever rising in society.