Chapter 141 Going into Battle to Kill the Enemy

The father and son of the Xue family stepped out of the Directorate’s official office, and the waiting astronomical students immediately swarmed around them.

While speaking with Xu Dun earlier, the group had already learned from the clerks and attendants why their salaries had not been disbursed, leading them to all talk at once, inquiring about the inner details.

Xue Yuanhao instantly felt an overwhelming sense of pressure. This was his first time encountering such a situation; with two or three hundred people in the Directorate unable to collect their stipends, the accumulated anger could likely reduce him and his son to ashes.

Yet the problem was that they still did not even understand why Han Zuo was acting this way, and they would probably be unable to resolve it anytime soon.

Fortunately, Xue Rui was rather quick-witted. He addressed the crowd, saying,

"Gentlemen, the Ministry of Revenue has withheld the stipends of the officials and students in this Directorate, and the specific reasons are not yet finalized. However, please rest assured that the Director of Astronomical Observation and I will investigate this as quickly as possible, resolve the matter, and guarantee that everyone receives their salaries."

After a brief pause, he added, "By the way, if any family in the Directorate is facing difficulties or is about to run out of food, you can go directly to the Yonghe Grain Shop in the East City and mention my father's name. The price of rice will be calculated at three wen per catty. For those whose hands are truly tied, you can also write an IOU and draw on credit first, with zero interest!"

"Three wen a catty?"

The astronomical students, who had just appeared rather ready to settle accounts, were instantly astonished.

Currently, grain prices in the city had risen to at least four wen, and three wen was the price from half a month ago. Their urgency in collecting their stipends was precisely to hoard grain before prices climbed further, preventing things from becoming increasingly expensive.

Now, not only had they failed to receive their stipends, but they could also purchase cheap grain instead? Was this actually a good thing?

Someone questioned, "Brother Xue, grain merchants are hoarding goods for speculation right now, waiting for prices to rise again. Can what you say be trusted? You aren't trying to trick everyone, are you?"

Xue Rui spread his hands. "That Yonghe Grain Shop is run by my maternal grandfather's family. If it cannot be honored, come find me directly. Besides, with my father here, could the old gentleman possibly deceive you all?"

Everyone looked at Xue Yuanhao and saw him nod slightly.

"Then many thanks, Official."

The astronomical students were filled with joy. Either way, postponing the collection of their salaries by a few days had earned them the qualification to purchase cheap grain, or the promise of interest-free grain loans. This benefit was solid and tangible. In their hearts, they were already planning to go straight to the Yonghe Grain Shop to buy grain after finishing their duties, lest it be entirely snatched up.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to draft documents for the Ministry of War, Xue Rui first made a trip to the Yonghe Grain Shop to tell his eldest uncle, Liu Ren, about what had happened earlier.

Learning that the Xue father and son had offended the Ministry of Revenue, Liu Ren immediately guessed that grain merchants were pushing things from behind the scenes, and he asked Xue Rui if he had a countermeasure.

However, Xue Rui did not know anyone in the Ministry of Revenue; even inquiring about news was difficult, let alone resolving the matter of the Imperial Astronomical Directorate officials' salaries. For the moment, he truly had no good solution.

Still, Xue Rui having the Directorate's astronomical students come here to purchase grain was a good approach. Not only did it temporarily relieve the officials' and students' urgent needs, but it also bought a few more days of buffer time, preventing them from falling into a chaotic scramble.

After finishing his duties, Xue Rui did not even return home; he went directly to Chen Yi's residence.

With a war right at the doorstep, the Censors of the Censorate, who usually criticized the heavens, the earth, and the very air, had quieted down considerably, leaving even Chen Yi with much spare time.

When Xue Rui was led into the backyard, Chen Yi was rolling up his sleeves and watering the potted plants in the courtyard.

Seeing Xue Rui enter, Chen Yi tossed his water ladle into the bucket and said with a smile, "Well now, judging by your expression, good news has arrived?"

"Your Excellency the Chief Censor is quite humorous indeed."

Xue Rui could not help rolling his eyes.

For Chen Yi to speak this way clearly meant he had guessed that trouble had brought Xue Rui to his doorstep.

Chen Yi was unconcerned, smiling as he said, "If the grain merchants don't make a move, how can we get a hold on them? As long as it's not a life-or-death matter, there's no need to worry overly much."

"Though it hasn't reached the point of life and death, it's not necessarily much better. If this isn't resolved quickly, my father and I will be torn limb from limb by people. Alas," Xue Rui sighed.

Chen Yi ignored his complaints, clapped his hands, and said,

"Coming over at this hour, you probably haven't eaten yet. It just so happens you can accompany the old man in partaking of some plain tea and simple fare."

"Without a settlement for this matter, how could this student possibly have any appetite to eat?" Xue Rui said with a bitter face, refusing to budge.

Chen Yi walked over, patted Xue Rui's shoulder, and smiled amusedly, "Whenever one encounters major events, one must possess a calm mind. Where are we even at? Accompany the old man to finish your meal first, and we can discuss other matters later without delay."

Seeing Chen Yi remain so calm, Xue Rui had no choice but to accompany him into the dining hall.

On the round table in the hall were set two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup. They were dishes eaten by ordinary households and looked not at all delicate. For a second-rank senior official of the imperial court, this could truly be called plain tea and simple fare.

The two took their seats, and a servant brought a basin of water for them to wash their hands. Chen Yi sighed,

"Ever since your elder brother went off to serve as an official elsewhere, this residence has grown much more desolate. You are the very first young man to accompany me in a meal."

"Thanks to Your Excellency's favor, this student is truly flattered."

Xue Rui put on an expression of overwhelming gratitude.

Chen Yi glanced at him and said with amused annoyance, "When speaking properly with you, why must you put on such a hypocritical act? Fine, fine, just make do with this plain fare and have a bite."

With that, Chen Yi picked up his chopsticks and bowl, diving right into the meal.

Seeing this, Xue Rui began to eat as well.

He was currently at an age where he was growing and possessed quite a large appetite. Coupled with the fact that he hadn't eaten his fill at the canteen at noon, his stomach was growling with hunger at the moment, and once he started eating, it was a ravenous frenzy that could not be reined in.

More than half of the food on the table ended up in his belly, leaving even Chen Yi only half-full.

Reluctantly putting down his chopsticks, Chen Yi felt too embarrassed to continue eating and led Xue Rui to the side hall, having a maid serve fragrant tea before finally getting down to business.

Blasting away the foam in his tea cup, Chen Yi took a sip of the tea and asked, "Speak. What trouble have you run into?"

This meal had been so plain that Xue Rui didn't even need tea to cleanse his palate. He complained to Chen Yi, "For the sake of Your Excellency's grand strategy, my father and I almost offended everyone in the entire Directorate..."

"Almost?"

Chen Yi put down his tea cup and stroked his beard, "That means you haven't offended them yet. Then what is there for you to worry about?"

"Your Excellency does not understand. The consequences of this matter are severe. If it is not resolved well, my father and I will have no way to stand firm in the Directorate," Xue Rui urged anxiously.

Chen Yi nodded. "Then tell me in detail, and let's see if this old man can be of any help."

After recounting how the Ministry of Revenue had withheld the stipends of the Directorate's students, Chen Yi pondered aloud,

"I have crossed paths with this Han Zuo a few times, but we have no deep friendship, making it hard to judge his character. However, if he rejected the name list submitted by the Rites Ministry under the pretext of falsified accounts, this matter is indeed rather difficult to handle."

"Why is that?"

"Just think, submitting inflated accounts is already behavior prohibited by the court. Although the Imperial Astronomical Directorate didn't exaggerate things as much as other offices, a handle has still been caught by someone. When Han Zuo rejects it, he has both reason and evidence. Unless Minister of Revenue Jin Lian speaks up, truly no one can make Han Zuo change his mind."

"Then can Your Excellency have a word with Minister Jin?"

Chen Yi looked at Xue Rui and said in a deep voice, "I can speak to him, but I cannot!"

"Why is that again?" Xue Rui could not help frowning.

Chen Yi explained, "Think about it. This matter inherently violates the court statutes. If Minister Jin applies pressure, and Han Zuo makes the matter public, never mind Minister Jin, even this old man would find himself in a very passive position. At that time, forget about dealing with these treacherous merchants, I fear both Minister Jin and I would be dismissed from office and left awaiting investigation."

Xue Rui said with vexation, "Then is there truly no way out of this?"

Instead, Chen Yi laughed. "Didn't you already think of a method?"

"This delaying tactic isn't a long-term solution either!" Xue Rui pouted.

"You think that by dragging it out, those grain merchants are having an easy time of it?"

Chen Yi sneered, "Just keep dragging it out. I estimate that in two or three days at most, the other party will definitely take the initiative to show their hand to you father and son. At that time, the initiative will be in your hands. As long as you hook out the officials they are colluding with in secret and grasp solid evidence, you can solve this once and for all and eradicate them completely!"

"Another two or three days? I reckon that by the time that arrives, the Oirats will already be attacking the capital. If we just let things go like this, will something go wrong?" Xue Rui was still worried that the capital riots from the original history would happen again.

"Rest assured, this old man has his own calculations!"

Chen Yi said with complete confidence.

Seeing him so assured, Xue Rui finally set his mind at ease, and then took his leave, departing Chen's residence.

Over the next two days, the Xue father and son withstood the pressure from the Astronomical Directorate, not proactively contacting Han Zuo, the Ministry of Revenue bureau director, and coming and going to work as usual every day, as if they had forgotten all about the matter.

Fortunately, the father and son held some prestige within the Directorate, which allowed them to pacify the astronomical students.

Until the third day, when things finally changed.

At noon that day, Xue Rui and Liu Jin were eating at the canteen. Just halfway through their meal, they saw someone run in and shout at the top of their lungs, "The Oirats are invading the capital! The Oirats are invading the capital!"

With that, the dining hall instantly exploded into chaos.

The astronomical students could no longer care about eating; they surrounded the person who brought the news so tightly not even water could leak through, inquiring about the details.

After asking, everyone learned that reconnaissance riders sent out by the court had reported that twenty thousand elite Oirat cavalry pulled from Juyong Pass had joined forces with Esen's army.

Perhaps fearing the delay of military opportunities, Esen had immediately broken camp and was leading an imposing army of fifty to sixty thousand directly toward the capital. In at most an hour, they would be pressing right up to the city walls!

This news threw everyone into a panic, and some were already thinking of asking for leave to go home and pacify their families.

With war approaching, Xue Rui could no longer care about greeting the Directorate officials. He stuffed a large steamed bun into his bosom, bolted out of the Astronomical Directorate like a flying arrow, and ran toward the nearby Ministry of War.

Just as he stepped into the Ministry of War offices, before Xue Rui even had time to display his identification tally, he saw Yu Qian striding outward in long steps.

Behind him followed four robust soldiers. These four were personal guards assigned by the Ministry of War to protect Yu Qian, and their presence now indicated that Yu Qian was going out on official business.

"Greetings, Grand Coordinator."

Xue Rui stepped aside and bowed in salute.

Yu Qian clearly saw him as well, but the situation was urgent, and he had no leisure for excessive words. Walking as he spoke, he said,

"The Oirats are invading; this old man is going to oversee the battle. Return to your office; if there's anything, someone will naturally be sent to find you."

"This student is willing to follow by Your Excellency's side!"

Xue Rui hurried to catch up. This was a once-in-a-lifetime famous historical scene; how could he possibly miss it?

Hearing this, Yu Qian paused in his steps, turned his head, and asked Xue Rui, "Swords and spears have no eyes. Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?"

"A real man has nothing to fear in death! Although this student is young, I too possess the ambition to kill the enemy and serve the country!"

Xue Rui spoke unblushingly.

Coming from the mouth of a raw youth, these words carried a very strong sense of contrast. After hearing them, several of Yu Qian's personal guards could not help smiling inwardly; had it not been wholly inappropriate for the occasion, they surely would have burst into laughter.

Yet Yu Qian greatly appreciated his courage, praising him,

"Not bad, you possess quite some ambition. It truly makes this old man look at you in a new light. Very well, since you wish to follow, your wish shall be granted."

With that, he told an attendant to fetch an extra horse for Xue Rui.

Yu Qian and the four personal guards mounted their horses one after another and, without further ado, cracked their whips and rode toward Desheng Gate.

Xue Rui had ridden horses a few times before, but it had always been circling around his own courtyard, and he had never ridden out into the streets; his horsemanship could naturally not be considered very refined.

Seeing that Yu Qian and the others had already vanished from sight, he could only grit his teeth and mount the horse's back.

Fortunately, this was a docile mare that cooperated fully with Xue Rui's commands. He tried walking it forward slowly a few steps before softly urging it to accelerate, chasing after Yu Qian.

Rushing all the way, by the time he reached Desheng Gate, Yu Qian had already dismounted and was having the soldiers don their armor beneath the city walls.

At this sight, Xue Rui's heart skipped a beat.

Previously, he had assumed Yu Qian was inspecting the city defenses and would at most observe from the ramparts.

The Ming army was arrayed on the opposite bank of the moat, far away from the city walls. No matter how powerful Oirat bows and crossbows were, arrows could not reach the battlements, making it fundamentally risk-free.

He never imagined that Yu Qian would now be donning heavy armor—this clearly showed an intention to go outside the city.

Just moments ago, to demonstrate his fearless spirit, he had spoken brazenly about killing the enemy and serving the country.

Unexpectedly, Yu Qian had actually believed his nonsense. Now that Yu Qian was heading out of the city, should he follow or not?

While he was worrying, he heard Yu Qian say, "Give this lad a set of armor; he is also going to follow this official out of the city."

You truly fear what comes; upon hearing this, Xue Rui wanted nothing more than to slap himself twice.

Had he known he would have to go out of the city, he wouldn't have blown that boastful wind. Now, even if he wanted to back out, he could not afford to lose face.

Soon, the soldiers beneath the wall found a set of armor for Xue Rui.

It was already the smallest size, but when Xue Rui slipped it on, it was still a full size too large, looking rather comical.

Trying to walk a few steps, Xue Rui felt his footsteps become much heavier. Let alone going onto the battlefield to kill the enemy, if he were made to stand in formation for even half an hour, he would likely collapse from exhaustion.

After Yu Qian finished giving instructions to the officers guarding the city gate, he turned around, saw that Xue Rui had put on his armor, and waved his hand, saying, "Follow this old man up the wall!"

"Yes."

With a fluttering heart, Xue Rui followed step by step.

Merely climbing up to the ramparts left him gasping for breath.

However, he had no mind to rest now; he immediately rushed to the battlements and peered into the distance to see what the situation outside was like.

Yu Qian stood atop the wall, cupped his hand to shield his eyes, and gazed far into the distance. After a moment, he spoke to Xue Rui,

"Before, you dreamed day and night of slaying Esen with your own hands. Now the opportunity has come. Do you dare follow this old man out of the city for a battle?"

"This... this junior dares to, I'm just afraid it won't be my turn to strike..."

Xue Rui hesitated.

"Ha ha!"

Yu Qian laughed out loud and said to those around him, "Prepare to lower the suspension basket!"

"Yes!"

The defending soldiers on the wall acknowledged the order.

Only then did Xue Rui notice that on the ramparts stood a winch as tall as a man, with a large bamboo basket secured by thick ropes on a wooden frame.

Now that the city gates were sealed, going down the wall relied entirely on this bamboo basket.

"This contraption has zero safety guarantees! What if the bamboo basket flips over—wouldn't that mean falling to my death?"

Just one glance made Xue Rui's legs tremble. If he hadn't feared collapsing his persona in Yu Qian's eyes, he would have desperately wanted to turn tail and run.

Unexpectedly, Yu Qian wore a calm and collected expression, stepped onto the battlements, crossed directly into the large bamboo basket, and ordered, "Lower the basket."

With the command given, several soldiers on the wall slowly turned the winch, lowering Yu Qian down the ramparts inch by inch.

When the personal guards had also descended, Xue Rui had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, preparing to climb onto the wall and squeeze into the basket.

Unexpectedly, the moment he lifted his leg, he was yanked back by the soldier operating the winch.

Xue Rui was baffled. Just as he was wondering, he heard the soldier grin broadly at him and say,

"The Minister just said that matters of going to battle and killing the enemy are for us men to handle; it's not yet your turn to go onto the field, little fellow! Just watch from the ramparts!"

"This..."

Watching Yu Qian march into the military formation, Xue Rui felt that his retreating figure rivaled a towering mountain!