Chapter 88

Liu Yaohui spoke calmly, but his tone was not good.

Funing Dao's Censor-in-Charge quickly said, "Your Excellency, the matter of supervising the distribution of military pay has always been handled with utmost care. However, two months ago, Inspector Li impeached General Yu, and instructed us to suspend the distribution of military pay. We were simply following the orders of the Military Commissioner."

Liu Yaohui was also angry. The conflict between Yu Dayou and the Military Commissioner had escalated to the point where the Military Commissioner had instructed the Censor-in-Charge to stop the military pay. This was sheer chaos. The Censor-in-Charge was under the Board of Revenue, which had the authority to manage the province. The Military Commissioner was under the Board of Censors, responsible for training and maintaining the military.

The Military Commissioner could actually give orders to the Censor-in-Charge. This was a typical case of civil officials colluding to exclude military officers. On a normal day, Liu Yaohui might have turned a blind eye, but at this critical moment...

Liu Yaohui, suppressing his anger, thought that he would have to clean up this mess himself. He then asked a Military Commissioner's official, "Where is Inspector Li?"

The official quickly replied, "Your Excellency, Inspector Li has gone to Jianning Prefecture to review military affairs."

"Then do you know about the matter of the military pay?"

"This official, this official..."

"Never mind," Liu Yaohui waved his hand and said to the official, "Rest assured, I will make Inspector Li give you an explanation. Tell the soldiers that they should focus on fighting the enemy and serving the country. You should lead your troops out of the city to Wuhumen to meet the enemy."

Before the camp commander could speak, several battalion and company commanders knelt down and said, "Your Excellency, it's not that we are unwilling to do our best, but with the general being impeached, all the soldiers are discontented. They say there are treacherous ministers in the court who want to harm loyal officers. How can we have the heart to fight? Even if we win, we won't have the chance to enjoy it!"

As soon as the battalion and company commanders finished speaking, the officials from the Board of Censors and the Military Commissioner stood up and rebuked them, "You scoundrels, what nonsense are you spouting? Who are the treacherous ministers, and who are the loyal officers? Inspector Li is just following the rules."

"Another word, and I'll have your heads cut off."

The officers knew that these civil officials had the authority to do so, and they dared not respond.

Liu Yaohui sighed silently. This was a difficult situation. Although Yu Dayou was very popular among the soldiers and the people, he had always had a poor relationship with the civil officials. This was in stark contrast to Qi Jiguang. Over the years, Yu Dayou had repeatedly faced demotions, loss of rank, and even the threat of imprisonment and execution.

This year, after the defeat at Luxia Bay, Yu Dayou had already been impeached. And during the New Year's Festival, when local civil officials went to temples to pray for the emperor's longevity, Yu Dayou had made a mistake by yawning, which was considered disrespectful. The Censor of Fujian, who had always been at odds with Yu Dayou, reported this as a serious breach of etiquette.

Yu Dayou submitted a petition to defend himself, saying that it did not happen. However, the court was already furious and ordered Yu Dayou to be suspended and Liu Yaohui to thoroughly investigate the matter and give an explanation.

Seeing the military officers kneeling before him, Liu Yaohui felt a slight pang of sympathy. He still needed to use them. If he forced them to fight, the morale of the troops would be unstable, and if they were unwilling to fight, a defeat could lead to the Japanese pirates attacking the city, which would end his political career.

Liu Yaohui then said, "I have heard what you have said. I will give you an explanation about General Yu within three days. You should prepare your troops for battle."

The officers exchanged glances, all showing signs of worry, and said, "Yes, Your Excellency."

Liu Yaohui looked at the Prefect of Fuzhou, Chen Nan, and said, "The matter of General Yu's breach of etiquette will be reviewed by you. I want to see your detailed report within three days."

As he spoke, Liu Yaohui glanced at the eunuch, wondering what he was thinking.

Chen Nan's face turned pale. This was a difficult situation. On one side were the Board of Censors and the Military Commissioner, and on the other side was the Fujian Garrison Commander. If he favored the Military Commissioner, not only would he lose the support of the garrison commander, who was essential for maintaining order and repelling the pirates, but the people of the province, who admired Yu Dayou, would also criticize him.

But if he favored the garrison commander, he would lose his standing among the civil officials. Only a few officials like Zhang Juzheng and Tan Lun firmly supported Qi Jiguang. This was a no-win situation.

After the meeting, Chen Nan sat in his sedan chair, exhausted, and returned to the prefectural office.

As soon as he arrived, Chen Nan received countless name cards from local gentry, all asking him to expel the pirates and protect the people. Chen Nan couldn't help but smile bitterly. Outsiders thought he, as a prefect, had great power, but in the city, he was under the jurisdiction of the provincial governor, the Board of Revenue, and the Board of Censors. He had no authority to decide on military action.

The provincial governor had skillfully passed the responsibility to him, and he might end up taking the blame. This was a truly unfortunate position to be in.

Back in the inner hall of the prefectural office, Chen Nan changed into his casual clothes, drank a cup of tea, and calmed himself. He then said to his attendant, "Call Mr. Zhang."

Soon, a man dressed as a secretary came to the inner hall and asked, "Sir, how did the meeting at the provincial office go today?"

Chen Nan was from Shangyu, Shaoxing, and Mr. Zhang was also his fellow townsman. In an era where Shaoxing officials dominated the bureaucracy, no one was more reliable than a fellow townsman from Shaoxing.

Chen Nan recounted the events of the day, and Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment before analyzing the situation, "Sir, this is a difficult matter. On one side are the people's hearts, and on the other side are your colleagues in the bureaucracy. You can't afford to offend either side."

Chen Nan said, "I want to stay out of it, but is there any way to have a win-win solution?"

Mr. Zhang thought for a moment and said, "If the civil and military officials are trying to avoid this matter, you can't rely on them. I can't think of any other solution."

Chen Nan sighed, "Then which is the lesser of two evils?"

Mr. Zhang said, "Of course, your colleagues in the bureaucracy."

"Why?"

"Sir, your term as prefect will be no more than two years. The bad reputation will pass, but you will have to deal with your colleagues for the rest of your life. Which one would you choose?"

Chen Nan nodded. Since he became a prefect, he had been cautious, and his reputation was not bad, but it was not excellent. He had a sense of justice, but compared to his sense of justice, his own interests were more important.

After much thought, Chen Nan realized he had no other good solution. He picked up a pen from the desk, hesitated, and then put it down. Mr. Zhang asked, "Sir, do you want me to write it for you?"

Chen Nan sighed, "I don't want to make this decision unless absolutely necessary. My dear Mr. Zhang, is there really no other way?"

Mr. Zhang also paced and thought for a moment before saying, "I can't think of anything. The other secretaries in the guild probably can't either. Perhaps only Mr. Shen from Houguan County has some ability. I'll go and ask him."

"Mr. Shen," Chen Nan mused, "Speaking of Mr. Shen, I remember he mentioned someone before. What was it again?"

Mr. Zhang said, "Could it be 'Can Yan be attacked?'"

"Right," Chen Nan slapped his forehead, "I almost forgot. I met this person at Lianjiang Academy last time. What do you think?"

"Indeed, Mr. Shen said that if there is a difficult decision to be made, you can seek his advice. Perhaps there is hope," Mr. Zhang said.

Chen Nan's eyes lit up, "Then what are we waiting for? Tell someone to prepare a sedan chair immediately. I need to go to Houguan County."

Mr. Zhang quickly said, "Sir, you can't do that. A prefect doesn't enter a county office. That's a rule in the bureaucracy. It would be a loss of dignity."

Chen Nan laughed, "You're right. I am a prefect. Normally, if a superior has something to discuss, they would summon the subordinate to their office. A superior never goes to a subordinate's office. If a superior goes to a subordinate's office without prior notice, it's usually to find fault."

Mr. Zhang then said, "Please rest assured, Sir. I will go to Houguan County and do my best to bring those two people here."

Chen Nan breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm counting on you, Mr. Zhang."

At this moment, Lin Yanchao, who was being pinned with great hopes by the prefect, was still locked outside the city gates.

The sky was already light, and the cannon fire in the east of the city had finally stopped, which somewhat reassured the people.

However, it was unfortunate that it started raining. The rain was heavy, and the people below the city walls were drenched like wet chickens.

The people below the city walls waited for the gates to open, and no one sought shelter from the rain. The scene was quite pitiful. Lin Yanchao could only take off his clothes and share them with Lin Qianqian to shield them from the rain. The people couldn't help but curse the government. Finally, after much anticipation, the city gates slowly opened.

PS: It's a new day, and I'm asking for recommendations and votes. You can vote once a day, and there are only a few votes left to the top. Please help, and I will be very grateful!

[AD begins]

[AD ends]