Chapter 21: Surveillance of the World

Under the gaze of Zhu Yuanzhang, Hu Shan felt as though he were suffocating. It seemed as if the Emperor could see through everything, and that no secret could remain hidden in his presence.

Fortunately, this sensation did not last long before Zhu Yuanzhang shifted his gaze away.

"The most vital requirement for the Imperial Guard is loyalty. For now, the main personnel will still be selected from among you. If any of you feel you are not up to the task or are unwilling, stand out now, so you aren't selected. That way, you won't be miserable, and I won't have to be annoyed with you later! If you are unwilling, stand over there. Let it be known beforehand: if you step forward now, I will not blame you, and you will even receive a severance payment. But if you do not step forward now, and are later selected into the Imperial Guard only to prove disloyal, don't feel wronged when the blade falls upon your neck! I give you the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang gestured toward a stone on the left, signaling those unwilling to join the Imperial Guard to move there. He then ordered an incense stick to be lit to mark the duration. Having done this, he turned his back on them, allowing them to make their own choices.

As the incense burned, many from the Imperial Bodyguard Command felt a mountain of pressure pressing down upon them. Many were parched with thirst, their hearts conflicted and hesitant. Yet, in the end, not a single person stepped forward.

When the incense had burned away, Zhu Yuanzhang was alerted and turned back. His eyes swept slowly over the crowd. He nodded, and without unnecessary words, he commanded, "Mao Xiang, you shall be the Vice Commander!"

Mao Xiang was one of the orphans raised by Zhu Yuanzhang within the military. He was profoundly loyal and possessed great resourcefulness. When the Imperial Guard was first established in the fifteenth year of the Hongwu reign, it was he whom Zhu Yuanzhang had appointed as its Commander. Naturally, Zhu Yuanzhang would not forget him now.

Following this, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to issue appointments, swiftly and personally finalizing the key officials of the Imperial Guard. Furthermore, he personally selected over two thousand six hundred men from the Imperial Bodyguard Command to join the new force.

Ordinarily, such a significant task would require meticulous investigation of every individual. It was truly unprecedented for someone like Zhu Yuanzhang to handle such a reorganization in one fell swoop, as if it were a mere game. But then again, Zhu Yuanzhang was no ordinary man; he had returned to the eighth year of the Hongwu reign. Possessing immense energy and a desire to oversee everything—even designing the palace latrines himself—he had spent nearly an entire year in his previous life selecting and vetting the personnel for the Imperial Guard when he first established it in the fifteenth year.

Since the personnel of the Imperial Bodyguard Command were relatively stable, and despite it being only the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, most of the men who had passed his rigorous vetting in his previous life were already serving there. Combined with his knowledge of their performance after becoming Imperial Guards in the fifteenth year, Zhu Yuanzhang handled these matters with ease and absolute confidence.

Of course, others were unaware of his extraordinary experience. Most thought the Emperor’s actions were frivolous and rash. However, a few of the more insightful men were shocked, suspecting that Zhu Yuanzhang must have been planning to abolish the Imperial Bodyguard Command for a long time, and that the incident involving Cao Xiu was merely a coincidence.

Hu Shan, Zhu Xian, and Mei Yi, the former commanders of the Imperial Bodyguard Command, were not selected for the new Imperial Guard. On the surface, this was because they had been the ones to accompany Cao Xiu to ransack Liao Yongzhong’s estate, and were suffering the consequences of their association with him. But in truth, Zhu Yuanzhang knew better. Hu Shan was the nephew of Hu Weiyong, who would eventually rebel. Zhu Xian was the son of Zhu Liangzu; their involvement in the Dao Tong case had led Zhu Yuanzhang to have both father and son beaten to death on the throne room floor. As for Mei Yi, he had been far too close to Hu Weiyong’s son, Hu Tianci—his character and his fate were self-evident.

Zhu Yuanzhang had truly wanted to have them all executed at once to save himself the trouble, but reason dictated otherwise. He needed to concentrate his strength to resolve the issues in Zhongdu and handle Li Shanchang without further complications. The sooner those matters were settled, the fewer lives would be lost and the less suffering the people would endure. Having just returned to the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, he faced a myriad of tasks and had to prioritize, refusing to act blindly.

...

"The duties of the Imperial Guard must differ from those of the Imperial Bodyguard Command. Beyond the original tasks of guarding the palace and managing the Emperor’s ceremonial processions, we must establish a secret branch dedicated to intelligence gathering and the covert surveillance of the entire realm!"

"First and foremost, at least two Imperial Guards must be placed in the household of every high-ranking official. They are not to know of each other's presence... For those requiring special attention, I want to know who they meet, what they say, and even who they sleep with at night, how often, what they discuss, and how many times they break wind. Record everything and report it to me!"

"You may use bribery or blackmail to subvert those closest to the targets, or arrange for trained Imperial Guard spies to be planted when the targets recruit maids or servants..."

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang detailed his vision and requirements to the newly appointed head of the Imperial Guard, Liu Ying. Liu Ying listened intently, nodding occasionally. Even knowing that this task was arduous and perilous—sure to make him a target of hatred for many powerful figures—he did not hesitate. Whatever the Emperor commanded, he would do.

Yet, despite his resolve, he was shocked by the ruthless and bizarrely specific requirements set by the Emperor, particularly regarding the training and management of spies. *How is it that His Majesty is so proficient in this?* he wondered. *Why does it feel like the Emperor is better suited to be the Commander of the Imperial Guard than I am?*

After the instructions were given, Liu Ying left to carry them out. Zhu Yuanzhang stretched his limbs, feeling quite pleased after reviewing his arrangements and confirming there were no flaws. The hidden threats had been cleared, and the sharp blade of the Imperial Guard was being forged. His future actions would be far more convenient.

However, after a moment of satisfaction, a wave of concern washed over him. Once the Imperial Guard’s role in monitoring the realm became known, it would inevitably cause an uproar and resistance from the civil officials. That, however, did not worry him; he would simply meet force with force. What truly concerned him was his son Biao’s attitude. In his previous life, Biao had frequently voiced his objections, and the two had held deep disagreements on the matter. Even when Biao eventually stopped speaking of it, Zhu Yuanzhang could feel that his son had never truly moved past it in his heart.

Now that he had re-established the Imperial Guard, he knew that once Biao discovered its true function, he would react just as he had before. This gave Zhu Yuanzhang a headache. He rubbed his face vigorously, wondering how he might resolve this issue perfectly in this lifetime. He found himself filled with such "happy troubles." The Hongwu Emperor, who could strike down corrupt officials without a second thought, found himself unable to be so decisive when it came to his own sons—especially his eldest.

Unable to find a solution for the moment, he put the matter aside. He rubbed his temples and prepared to have the fourth son, Zhu Di, brought in for a sound beating. That thrashing was unavoidable. While he wouldn't punish his other sons for past transgressions, this time, it was non-negotiable.

Zhu Di, however, remained blissfully ignorant of this display of paternal "love," feeling rather smug that he had escaped unscathed after his third brother had taken the beating for them all.