GBP Chapter 487 Lin 3 Refuses Official Position
Chapter 487 Lin 3 Refuses Official Position
Upon hearing Chongzhen mention this matter, Cao Huachun suddenly remembered that he still had excrement on his crotch and couldn't care less about Lin San's affair. He quickly tried to clear himself of responsibility: "Your Majesty is wise. I only recommended Chang Kun because I thought he was clever and didn't have any deep connection with him. I never expected him to act recklessly in Nanjing and betray Your Majesty's trust. I will send men to arrest him and bring him back to the capital to be beaten to death!"
When Chongzhen realized that Cao Huachun already knew the details without him explaining, he knew that Wang Chengen must have tipped him off. He glared at Wang Chengen and said to Cao Huachun, "We don't need the Eastern Depot to arrest people and bring them back to the capital. I'll send the Embroidered Uniform Guard instead." Although he didn't intend to punish his chief attendant for Chang Kun's matter, he still needed to give him a necessary warning. Using the Embroidered Uniform Guard instead of the Eastern Depot to arrest people was one of the ways to do so.
Cao Huachun was terrified and dared not speak again.
Emperor Chongzhen dismissed Cao Huachun with a few words and asked Wang Chengen, "Where is Lin San now?"
"Your Majesty, I have been subdued by the guards and am awaiting my fate outside the Imperial Garden."
"Bring him in; I will handle this matter personally."
With a knife to his neck, Lin San arrived at the pavilion surrounded by a large group of guards, his face full of utter defiance.
Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand: "Let him go."
The guards looked at each other, knowing firsthand how dangerous this brute was. If they let him go and the emperor was injured, who would bear the responsibility?
Cao Huachun hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Your Majesty, you mustn't! This fellow is extremely dangerous. Be careful, he might go completely mad..."
Chongzhen frowned and said, "If he wanted to hurt me, he would have done so when he summoned me earlier. Why would he wait until now?"
The guards slowly released their knives. Lin San rubbed his neck, which was bleeding from the pressure, and said loudly, "You're a good emperor, but the people around you are no good, especially this old eunuch!" He pointed at Cao Huachun as he spoke. Cao Huachun was furious upon hearing this, but dared not be disrespectful in front of Chongzhen, and almost suffered internal injuries from holding it in.
When Chongzhen heard his evaluation, he was not angry. Instead, he found it very true and smiled, saying, "Since you think I'm not bad, would you be willing to stay in the capital?"
Lin San thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "If I had had such an opportunity four years ago to serve you, it would have been something I never dared to dream of, and I would definitely have agreed. But I value loyalty and righteousness. I have already decided that the General is my master, and I will not betray him unless he drives me away. But then again, without the General's support, I would not have had the opportunity to enter the palace. Everything I have today is thanks to the General."
Emperor Chongzhen was somewhat disappointed, but this also showed that Lin San was a loyal and righteous man, worthy of trust.
Cao Huachun said sarcastically, "What your general can give you, His Majesty can give you ten times or a hundred times more. You don't even know how to appreciate it. You are indeed a crude and ignorant country bumpkin."
Lin San glanced at him disdainfully and asked Chongzhen directly, "Your Majesty, if I stay, what will you assign me to do?"
Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed, thinking that Chongzhen had wavered, and blurted out: "I will make you the commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the Great Han Generals, the Gentlemen-at-Arms, and the Vanguard of the Imperial Guards who carry swords, and concurrently the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"
The Ming Dynasty emperor's bodyguards were a complex force, including the Jinyiwei (Imperial Bodyguard) generals, the Imperial Guards, the Three Thousand Battalion Red Helmet Generals, the Five Armies Battalion Sword-wielding Enemies, and the Imperial Guards' Attendants, totaling over eight thousand men. These men were commanded by six bodyguard officers, the most important of whom was the officer in charge of 1500 Jinyiwei generals, 40 Imperial Guards' sword-wielding men, and numerous Imperial Guards' Attendants; the emperor's safety rested entirely on his shoulders.
Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun stared wide-eyed in disbelief upon hearing Chongzhen's promise. This meant that with just a nod, Lin San could rise from an insignificant battalion commander to become the most powerful bodyguard in the land, and unprecedentedly, concurrently serve as the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, instantly placing him among the elite of the capital. Even Cao Huachun, the head of the Eastern Depot, dared not easily provoke him, as this position was closer to the emperor than his own.
This promotion was meteoric, astonishing. But after witnessing Lin Sanli's valiant fight against the guards, even Cao Huachun had to admit that he deserved the position. The saying "one man can hold off ten thousand" perfectly describes this kind of person.
Hearing the emperor's words, the guards surrounding Lin San exchanged glances and discreetly sheathed their swords, lest they provoke Lin San. They were joking; this burly man might very well be their superior officer. Pointing a knife at him? Did they expect to have a good life afterward?
Just when everyone thought Lin San would readily agree, Lin San shook his head again: "Even without our general's involvement, I wouldn't take this guard position. I grew up in the deep mountains, and all I've ever known is fighting and killing. I'd rather be a wolf in the forest than a bird in a cage—the palace has too many rules and isn't free enough for me."
Cao Huachun almost blurted out, "You're a complete idiot!" Luckily, he held back in time. Refusing an official position personally bestowed by the emperor, especially such a prestigious one, what kind of idiot would refuse? However, he quickly realized that it was better for him than for this brute to refuse. Not only had he lost the readily available wealth and honor, but he had also offended the emperor. Otherwise, the feeling of this guy becoming the commander of the Imperial Guards and the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, constantly hovering in front of him with no way to do anything about it, would be disgusting.
Wang Chengen couldn't help but say, "Commander Lin, there are no eyes on the battlefield, how can it compare to serving by His Majesty's side and being able to grant titles and privileges to one's wife and children?"
Lin San grinned: "My lord, we're all used to being wild and can't stand living a proper life. I prefer to be invincible on the battlefield."
Actually, he wasn't stupid; he was shrewd despite his rough exterior. They say, "It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings." Whether the emperor was easy to serve was another matter, but he had just offended the chief eunuch by the emperor's side, and his days wouldn't be easy. Rather than staying by the emperor's side in fear as a lowly errand boy, it would be better to return to the Qionghai Army and continue his prestigious life as the captain of his own guard—the Qionghai Army offered generous pay and high rank; staying in the capital, he might not gain as much as he did in Lingao.
Emperor Chongzhen sighed, not bothering to acknowledge Lin San's lack of appreciation. Although Lin San would have to stay whether he wanted to or not if he spoke up, it would be pointless—what use was there in forcing a guard commander whose heart wasn't in the matter to stay?
After thinking for a moment, he decided to show the magnanimity of a monarch: "Since you are unwilling to stay, I will not force you. In the future, if you kill a few more bandits on the battlefield, you will still be serving me. You have rendered meritorious service in capturing Gao Yingxiang, so I will reward you with one hundred taels of gold, grant you the title of commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and allow you to continue serving in the Qionghai Army."