Chapter 735: Chaos Reigns

Although it was already September, the temperature in Guangzhou had only slightly dropped. The hottest part of the day came in the early afternoon, with the scorching sunlight pouring down relentlessly. Passersby on the cobblestone streets even felt the heat on their feet, so they hurried along. In front of various shops, workers had already brought buckets of well water to sprinkle on the ground; after a few sprinklings, mist rose from the cobblestones. Under the shade of the trees near Caiyun Tower, a row of black-lacquered carriages was neatly parked, with servants from various households fanning themselves and chatting, all discussing what was happening inside the building.

The merchants were wealthy, but the servants dared not spend money recklessly. Most of them rested in the shade near the carriages or beside them, spending a copper coin to buy a bowl of herbal tea to quench their thirst. There were few people at the teahouse facing Caiyun Tower. Due to the extreme heat, it was unbearable to sit in the carriages, so Amber, along with Peng Shisan who had come with her, found a corner seat to wait. Dressed in men’s clothes, she appeared pale and thin, unremarkable. With Peng Shisan, a tall man, sitting beside her, she drew even less attention and could observe what was going on outside in peace.

The tea had been brewed to a very weak taste by now, and finally, movement appeared at Caiyun Tower across the way. Groups of merchants came out from the main entrance—some smiling, some dejected, some shaking their heads in sighs, some still shaken—yet none of them dared speak loudly. Amber watched carefully as each person came out, while Peng Shisan whispered, “There’s no need to rush. She hasn’t come out yet. How can you see her clearly among such a crowd? Don’t worry; I’ll warn you when she appears. You won’t miss her.”

“Thank you, Brother Peng.”
Amber nodded, but her hands under the table clenched into fists unconsciously. Her family had not been united in the past, and she didn’t have a particularly close relationship with her uncles and aunts. But after years of living alone, feelings of longing gradually settled in her heart. After waiting for a while longer, she suddenly heard Peng Shisan’s warning and immediately raised her head to look outside.

At first glance, she recognized Zhang Yue in the Qilin robe. Next to him stood an old man in his fifties. With his back turned, she could only see that he was wearing a sapphire-blue robe; he seemed thin, and his gray hair stood out sharply in the sunlight. After a while, the man turned around, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, then called out to someone not far away. It was then that she saw his features, which resembled her grandfather’s. Yet, compared to the once imposing and dignified old man, this one appeared pitiful.

As Amber watched intently, the old man suddenly glanced in her direction. Though it was just a brief exchange of glances, it still startled her greatly. She didn’t breathe easy until he boarded the approaching carriage as if nothing had happened. Peng Shisan, who was nearby, saw Zhang Yue nod at him before returning to the restaurant. He then said to Amber, “Since you’ve seen them, let’s go back first. Since we’re already here, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet again…”

“No, I won’t see them again. The young master has already done so much for me; I can’t burden him any further. It’s just a lingering thought. Once I get the chance to return home and bury my mother’s grave, I’ll be able to let go of the past and live my own life in peace. I finally understand that one shouldn’t dwell on the past. Even my mother in heaven, if she saw me now, would surely be at peace.”

Seeing Amber turn around with a smile—filled with relief, satisfaction, and indescribable joy—Peng Shisan was taken aback. Though he didn’t enter the household often, he knew something about Amber’s temperament. Even Lingxi had sighed over her reticence and lack of expression. Now that she could smile so freely, it was clear she had truly let go of this matter.

A banquet at Caiyun Tower ended with Zhang Yue suddenly attacking and capturing Xu Zhengping, causing a stir throughout Guangzhou. Streets and alleys were filled with discussions. The Xu family had been the wealthiest in central Guangdong for over a decade, living in luxury. The bridal processions that entered their home every year were a popular topic among the people. Although the imperial court had strict rules regarding concubines, even nobles often took more than allowed, and this practice was even more common among the common people. According to gossip, the Xu family had a bridal procession almost every year—either the patriarch taking a concubine or the young master getting married. Money was spent like water.

“The camp remains, but the soldiers change; it seems the Xu family’s mansion will have a new owner! Decades ago, this house belonged to the Ye family, then it passed to the Xia family. After that, the Xu family held it for over a decade. Who knows which family will be lucky enough to own it next?”
The official posting announcements on the wall heard the chatter among the people and shouted such words. After struggling to make his way out of the crowd, more people gathered around to inquire about news, prompting him to scowl in annoyance.
“How would I, just a name on a document, know anything about the Xu family? But with their greed and cruelty, they deserve to perish! Leaving this year aside, whenever there have been disasters or famines, they always raised grain prices and even bought villagers’ farmland at low prices. Not to mention selling our people from the Great Ming Dynasty—those young and beautiful ones—to foreign countries! Now, heaven has sent Lord Zhang, a man with iron-fisted methods, to finally put an end to them!”
With such discussions among the people, those in official positions were naturally shocked as well. Especially the advisors in the Provincial Administration Office were both surprised and uneasy. They had thought that even if Zhang Yue was capable, he wouldn’t be able to do much as a newcomer, and they could easily undermine him. But after this flood disaster, power gradually fell entirely into his hands. Now that both the military and judicial officials obeyed him, what could these subordinates do?
In the Bo Shui Hall, as a minor official helped Vice Provincial Governor Xiang Shaoyuan in, several people gathered around. Xu Tao waved his hand to send the official away and personally supported Xiang Shaoyuan’s right arm. After helping him sit down, he sighed, “If not for Lord Xiang’s illness, which has persisted for so long, we wouldn’t have had to watch helplessly from the sidelines, unable to intervene. With such a major issue and countless people asking questions outside, I can’t even answer a single one.”
“It’s better you can’t answer. Do you really want to protect such a greedy and cruel family as the Xu family?”
“Where did you get such an idea, Lord Xiang? As you know, it was they who tried to forge a connection with us. I’ve never recognized them as family.”

“You never denied it either!” Xiang Shaoyuan snorted irritably. Seeing Xu Tao lower his head sheepishly and the others exchange glances, he warned them seriously, “I told you back then that those merchants were just using you as a shortcut—they all had ulterior motives, but you wouldn’t listen! I’ve been working in Guangdong for years now and have served as the governor for three years. Whenever I try to crack down on those unscrupulous wealthy merchants, you all turn against me. It seems Lord Zhang is more skillful than I am; he knows better than to overstep in his actions. Everyone, calm down and don’t bring trouble upon yourselves.”

Although the various advisors were dissatisfied, they didn’t dare defy Xiang Shaoyuan, who still had the power to protect them, so they reluctantly agreed. Xu Tao quickly changed the subject. Hearing that the governor’s office could now oversee the Maritime Administration, everyone was delighted, even Xiang Shaoyuan nodded in approval.

“With Lord Zhang’s words, our governor’s office will be much more comfortable from now on. We won’t have to beg around just to build an examination hall or cater to those unscrupulous merchants!”

“Your Excellencies, there are official documents from the Cabinet and the Emperor’s personal comments, as well as documents sent by General Gu Xingzu of Guangxi.”

At these words, everyone in the hall stood up. After a brief pause, Xiang Shaoyuan ordered someone to bring them in. After receiving the two letters, he hastily placed General Gu Xingzu’s document on the table. Just as he was about to open the document from the capital, he stopped and asked, “Has Lord Zhang not returned yet?”

“Yes, Lord Zhang left at noon at Lord Zhang’s invitation to the Maritime Administration building and hasn’t returned yet.”

Hearing this, Xiang Shaoyuan finally opened the document. He carefully took out the stack of papers and spread them out on the table one by one, just as he used to. The advisors gathered around to take a look. Once they saw the contents, someone couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. After everyone had read it, Xiang Shaoyuan sneered at them, “See? Li Wenchang, the head of the Maritime Administration, is a well-known tough nut here. Moreover, his petition received support from Grand Secretary Huang of the Cabinet. Yet the Emperor’s comments still thoroughly criticized him!”

“The Emperor really trusts Lord Zhang too much.”

No one knew who muttered those words, but everyone in the room secretly agreed. Even without considering Zhang Yue’s numerous past contributions, just protecting Zhu Zhanji on his return to the capital and resolving the Han vassal rebellion were enough to prevent them from arguing against him. After putting away the petition from Li Wenchang sent by the Cabinet along with the corresponding comments and imperial replies, Xiang Shaoyuan opened the urgent document from Marquis Zhenyuan, Gu Xingzu. This one was merely a thin sheet of paper; after glancing at it at first, his expression immediately changed drastically.
“Absurd! How is this possible?”
The other advisors were also shocked after reading it. Xu Tao was even more furious and said, “How can Marquis Zhenyuan draw such a conclusion based on the words of a rebel? The Yao people in Guangxi have been in rebellion for years, but ever since Qiongzhou Prefecture began governing the Li people through their tribal leaders, Guangdong has remained peaceful. How can the Yao and Li people be in collusion? Marquis Zhenyuan also wants to request permission to lead troops here—such a large army would consume countless resources. How can we act so rashly based on such one-sided information?”
“Lord Xiang…”
Seeing everyone looking at him, Xiang Shaoyuan felt his chest tighten. He closed his eyes and rested for a while before speaking slowly, word by word, “Send someone to inform Lord Zhang first. It would be best if Eunuch Zhang could be aware of this. This is a serious matter. After all, the Li people in Qiongzhou Prefecture are not monolithic; there are many disputes over tribal leaders and other issues. If an army really enters Qiongzhou Prefecture, trouble will arise even if nothing else happens!”
Since the Maritime Trade Office was located in Yaozhou, it was naturally in an area with a dense network of waterways. The back courtyard was connected to the Wenxi River from Yaozhou, giving it a somewhat garden-like feel by the water. At that moment, in the water pavilion in the back courtyard, Zhang Yue and Zhang Qian were sitting face to face listening to music, while on the platform by the water, several men and women were performing the entire version of The Romance of the Western Chamber. The melodious tunes flowed gracefully from the voices of the lead male and female performers. Zhang Qian occasionally kept time with the music, but Zhang Yue, who had little interest in such things, was preoccupied with other matters, and the lyrics and melodies passed by in an instant.
“I thought Jade Fairy had left the Azure Heights—turns out she came here to invite me to a ritual. I’m a melancholic and sickly young man; how can I compare to her stunning beauty?”

After listening to the fourth act, Zhang Qian waved his hand to dismiss the troupe, then couldn’t help singing another line before smiling at Zhang Yue and saying, “You’re a man busy with countless affairs, yet you came here and spent so much time listening to operas with me. Don’t you find it boring? All these things are excellent—not only did Emperor Taizong deeply appreciate them, but even the current emperor loves them greatly. The late King of Zhou was an expert in this field, and even the newly appointed King of Zhou shares the same passion. Poetry, lyrics, music, chess, calligraphy, painting—plus opera—you must master all of these. In the future, whether you enter the government departments or the cabinet, these skills will come in handy for social interactions.”

Realizing the truth in his words, Zhang Yue replied with a thank you. Although Zhu Zhanji wasn’t as renowned for his skills in calligraphy and painting as the emperor in history, over time he had witnessed many of this emperor’s extraordinary talents. Leaving chess and calligraphy aside, his works in poetry and painting were often outstanding, which also improved Zhang Yue’s ability to respond appropriately. Yet, although he had spent over a decade listening to folk operas with his grandmother, Lady Wang, he hadn’t developed any real interest in them, so truly appreciating them seemed difficult.

“Eunuch Zhang, both the imperial examination centers and the docks are under repair. Since the deposits from the official brokers have been paid, I’ve also allocated funds for rural water management. This year, those whose livelihoods were ruined by flooding have been taken care of. Fortunately, the affected provinces have mild climates year-round, so even in December, there’s no need to worry about extreme cold.”

As the governor of Guangdong, he was just warming up; the real point came next: “By calculating the dates, Eunuch Zheng’s treasure ship should arrive soon. Although many merchants plan to set sail, it’s not easy to prepare ships in such a short time. So, the first shipment at the end of this year will likely have to come from our own Maritime Trade Office. I’ve already submitted a report to the emperor—this year, the products from the Jiangnan Textile and Dyeing Bureau will definitely be sent to the palace. Therefore, the ships leaving Liujiagang will be empty, and it might even be hard to find porcelain to weigh down the cargo. That’s why I’ve ordered silk, pottery, traditional Chinese medicine pills, and powders to be sent from Foshan, ready to set sail at any time. The Provincial Administration is almost depleted, so I’d like to ask Eunuch Zhang to vouch for me.”

“Hahaha! You really are clever, Yuanjie—coming up with this idea for me!” Though Zhang Qian laughed heartily, he quickly did some calculations in his mind before nodding. “Very well, I’ll help you with this. Once this deal is done, even if the Maritime Trade Office can’t send any ships out for the next three years, the profits will still be sufficient!”