Chapter 754: Firm Words and Just Judgment, Thousands of Sails Blocking the Sun

The small main hall of the three-room inquiry office naturally couldn’t compare to the spacious and grand five-room tribunal of the Administrative Commission. With over a dozen people gathered there, it already felt cramped. When Fangling spoke those words, it wasn’t just Gu Xingzu who was shocked—Zhang Yue was equally surprised. Gu Xingzu would naturally welcome such a swift decision, but to others, reaching a verdict so quickly could be seen as exceptional efficiency or, more negatively, as a hasty conclusion. Neither of these two was reckless—could it be they had orders?

Though they were already doomed to lose, human nature meant they refused to admit defeat until the very end. Before leaving Guangxi, Gu Xingzu had prepared for the worst, thinking that Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Anyuan, was unfamiliar with the western region. If there were further unrest in Dateng Gorge, he could at least return with troops to atone for his faults. Now, he was content to settle for the next best thing—hoping the case could be dragged on for three to five months. At this moment, his face turned red as he, ignoring the fact that the two opposite him had imperial orders, blurted out in anger,

“What kind of joke is this? You just arrived yesterday, and already you’re saying such things! This lord sees that you haven’t even understood the whole situation—clearly, you’re neglecting your duties!”

“Neglecting duties? Then, if we drag such a simple case on for ten days or half a month, is that considered diligence?” Fangling met Gu Xingzu’s furious gaze unflinchingly and then said calmly, “Before leaving the capital, this official and Censor Yu received imperial orders to resolve the matter immediately once all the facts were understood, so as not to delay governance in Guangdong Province. Last night, this official got everyone to confess. Now, with testimonies and physical evidence, the case is settled—what more facts are needed?”

Gu Xingzu had never been confronted so bluntly before. His face turned pale and red in turn, and he nearly lost his balance. Remembering the news about Fangling that he had finally managed to bring in last night, he forced himself to stay strong and snapped, “Commander Fang, if you don’t want others to know, don’t do it yourself. Don’t think this lord doesn’t know about your friendship with Zhang Yue. If not for his recommendation, you would still be a dismissed student from the Imperial Academy! Now, you’re clearly shielding and conniving…”

Zhang Yue had long been disgusted by such a vicious and ungrateful noble. Seeing him bring up such old grievances, he became angry. Yet before he could speak, Yu Qian, whose expression remained as stern as ever, suddenly interrupted Gu Xingzu’s accusations.

“At this point, Marquis Zhenyuan, you still show no sign of repentance! As a military commander, you should spread the court’s benevolence alongside force when leading troops against barbarians. Yet you’ve killed thousands, turning the land of Sien into a river of blood, without even knowing how many innocent people have fled into the mountains! The allocation of military provisions is of utmost importance, but during the floods in Guangdong, you took away the provisions that could have been distributed and even instructed corrupt merchants to drive up prices for profit—such vile behavior is unheard of. Not to mention your past collusion with those merchants to smuggle people out of taxes to avoid payment. Ask yourself—do you still deserve to bear the title of Marquis Zhenyuan?”
Yu Qian grew angrier as he spoke, his resounding voice filling the three main halls. Even Yu Liang and Li Long, who had previously looked down on him as a seventh-rank censor, were stunned. Faced with Yu Qian’s imposing presence—both calm and fierce—Gu Xingzu couldn’t help but take two steps back, his face growing paler.
“The most despicable part is that, for your own selfish gains, you ordered your troops to massacre over a hundred tribal leaders in Chengmai County, aiming to incite rebellion! You only care about your own wealth and glory, ignoring the laws of the kingdom and the common people. How could the loyal Gu family produce such a worthless descendant? How could among the honored officials be such a shameless scoundrel? How can the court tolerate such a traitor who brings disaster to the nation!”
Under this torrential outburst, Gu Xingzu felt like a small boat adrift. Upon hearing the last three accusations, his legs could no longer support him, and he could even hear the sound of his nerves snapping after days of strain. Just before losing consciousness, those words echoed in his ears: worthless descendant… shameless scoundrel… traitor who brings disaster to the nation!
Seeing Gu Xingzu finally collapse to the ground, the hall fell dead silent. Li Long, Yu Liang, and Zhang Qian almost simultaneously stepped back from Yu Qian. Fang Ling watched strangely as two Jinyiwei officers rushed forward to help Gu Xingzu, while Zhang Yue stared at Yu Qian’s stern expression, filled with emotion.
At first glance, Yu Qian didn’t seem like someone skilled in speech, yet he managed to shame Gu Xingzu into passing out in public! People say a censor’s pen is like a knife, but now it seems the phrase should be changed to a censor’s mouth is like a knife!

Under the astonished gazes of those around him, Yu Qian took a deep breath and then nodded calmly at everyone. “My lords, as Commander Fang just said, we indeed received an imperial order before leaving to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Now that everything is clear, Commander Fang will lead the Jinyiwei to escort Marquis Zhenyuan back to the capital for the emperor’s judgment. As for me, having received the official seal for ‘correcting mistakes,’ I will immediately step down from my position as imperial envoy and take on the role of censor in Guangdong, overseeing the three- or two-crop rice farming system there as well as the operations of the maritime trade.”

Just moments ago he had been asking questions vigorously, but now he suddenly shifted to talk about a new appointment, leaving everyone present somewhat puzzled. Although Zhang Yue had guessed that Yu Qian might have other motives, he hadn’t expected the censor to be replaced so quickly. Yet, including him, everyone present was an experienced veteran of the bureaucratic world. After expressing their surprise, they exchanged pleasantries with Yu Qian, their new colleague, and expressed their willingness to work together in the future.

Once the Jinyiwei officers led Gu Xingzu away, Fang Ling sent them to prepare for the return journey. Seeing that everything was settled, Li Longyu, Li Liang, and Zhang Qian took their leave one after another. Yu Qian also said he needed to hand over his duties to the former censor in Guangdong before departing. In just a short while, the once crowded main hall was left only with Zhang Yue and Fang Ling.

The two former close friends exchanged glances, and eventually Zhang Yue spoke first. “Is he really leaving?”

“Mm, he should set off this afternoon. Traveling by water allows us to rest a bit; otherwise, even the strongest man couldn’t endure it.”

Seeing a smile appear on Fang Ling’s usually expressionless face, Zhang Yue suddenly stepped forward, wrapped his arms tightly around Fang Ling’s shoulders, and then released him. “Take care when you return to the capital. This job isn’t easy. I know there are countless eyes watching you, but after all, the emperor is aware of what happened between us. You don’t need to be cautious around me, but you don’t have to be so reserved with Sun Han. He’s about to be transferred back to Beijing. Though he’s a man without great ambitions and no title to inherit, he’s a loyal and honest fellow!”

“I know.”

Fangling opened his mouth but only managed to utter three words in the end. After staring at Zhang Yue for a while, he took a deep breath, said “Take care,” then turned and walked toward the door. Just as he stepped outside, he paused briefly, spoke in a low voice without looking back, and said, “Don’t linger in Guangdong for too long. Once you’ve achieved something, return to the capital as soon as possible. The emperor’s intentions are hard to fathom. If you’re too far away, you won’t be able to influence matters in the capital. After all, there’s constant intrigue among the ministries and cabinets these days.”

Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned. By the time he recovered, Fangling’s figure had already disappeared at the entrance of the front courtyard. Thinking about how both of them had gone from ordinary members of wealthy families to where they were now after enduring countless hardships, he shook off his slight melancholy and strode out the door. After stepping down the steps, he looked up squinting and saw the sun high in the sky. The entire courtyard was bathed in warm, bright sunlight. The trees and plants remained lush and green, showing no sign of the winter’s desolation or coldness—just like his mood at that moment.

For the people of Guangzhou, the two imperial envoys arrived the day before. One left quickly by water the next day, escorting Marquis Zhenyuan away, while the other took office as the censor of Guangdong. They had thought this would be a major event that would cause a huge stir in the city, but it settled down completely within two days. It was as if two unarmed men were locked in a fierce struggle when one suddenly pulled out a heavy hammer and knocked the other to the ground.

So, despite Xu Zhengping’s execution, the Xu family’s confiscation of property, and the involvement of two small affiliated businesses, the news barely made a ripple, like a drop of water falling into the ocean. This was because the people of Guangzhou soon welcomed Zheng He’s fleet.

Although Zhang Yue had seen even more magnificent scenes in his past life and had witnessed sea sails covering the sky in Shandong, seeing those hundreds of magnificent treasure ships again from the platform still filled him with excitement. As for Yu Qian, who had never seen such a sight before, he was utterly stunned. At that moment, he almost forgot that many censors in the capital had once passionately debated with him about the waste of money and resources on voyages to seek treasures in the West. But upon seeing these huge ships, he was speechless.

As Zhang Qian had anticipated, although the work-relief program had greatly improved the docks in Huangpu Town, those large, medium, and small treasure ships could only accommodate one-fifth of them at most; most had to anchor off shore and take turns placing orders. Twenty shipping permits had already been distributed, but due to issues with ships and goods, only five or six merchants would be able to set sail by the end of the year, while more than a dozen foreign ships remained at the docks waiting for favorable winds. Upon seeing the treasure ships arrive, the foreign merchants were overjoyed at the prospect of avoiding pirates along the way, while those who had heard some rumors looked worried.

“If all these ships are loaded with goods, even if we send them out, who will want the goods?”

“That’s right. It’s said that Lord Zhang has acquired most of the silk, medicinal herbs, and porcelain from Foshan Town, and they get forty percent of the profit. So, the merchants there refuse to sell to us now!”

“Sigh, Lord Zhang is just too strict. The people collecting taxes at the docks are now twice as harsh as before.”

“Shut up! They’re already down there. If they hear you, you won’t know how you die!”

Despite the eunuchs ahead helping them, Zheng He and Wang Jinghong didn’t even glance at them and swiftly jumped off the deck one after another. Seeing Zhang Qian in a bright red cloak at the front, they walked over smiling. As they met, Zheng He joked cheerfully, “While Jinghong and I struggle at sea, you effortlessly got the most suitable job for yourself! Let me tell you, only a small portion of the porcelain from Jingdezhen is on this ship; the rest is empty!”

“Don’t worry, Lord Zheng. It will definitely be fully loaded!”

Only then did Zheng He notice Zhang Yue behind Zhang Qian. His smile grew even wider, and he bowed to him again, saying, “I can’t express enough gratitude. The fact that Jinghong and I can still be out at sea owes everything to your guidance! Not to mention us, even the military officers joining us on this journey to the West all value your kindness. People say those far from home are humble, but here abroad, we’re treated like envoys of the Celestial Empire. Even a common soldier seems noble. Naturally, they don’t want to toil hard. As for Jinghong and me, we seek the freedom of the vast seas… Enough about this. Lord Zhang, your future is bright. If you can give those soldiers with no hope a reason to look forward, more people in the world will thank you.”

During his previous visit to Nanjing to meet Zheng He, Zhang Yue had simply not wanted a famous navigator to waste his time there and grow old slowly, nor had he wanted a group of mighty naval troops to become mere third-rate bricklayers building palaces. He hadn’t thought things through that deeply. But now, with Zheng He revealing this layer of truth, he saw that a group of soldiers had gathered behind them. Though they stood with their hands at their sides, almost all of them were staring at him curiously. Among them was a familiar face—the soldier who had rebelled that day over unfair distribution of rations for the New Year.

Seeing Yu Qian and the other officials approaching, he stopped talking and instead smiled as he introduced these colleagues to Zheng He and Wang Jinghong, inviting the two of them to board the vehicle together.

At Zhang Qian’s insistence, the banquet that day was held at the Maritime Administration Office. Unlike the usual eight bowls, eight plates, and eight dishes, it featured a variety of home-cooked dishes. Each person had a low table with two stacked boxes and a small clay pot. The kitchen prepared hot meals, steamed dishes, and pastries on the spot, all steaming hot, served for everyone to choose from before being removed. As a result, Zheng He and Wang Jinghong, who were used to dry meat and vegetables on the ship, had their appetites whetted. Even the other officials, who had only come as a formality, feasted extravagantly for once.

“If we could always eat as well as we did today during social gatherings, we wouldn’t dread attending banquets!”

Zhang Yue, tired of the situation where tables were filled with delicacies yet no one could eat, came up with this idea and specifically asked for more vegetables and less meat. To his surprise, all the high officials agreed. He couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, thinking that no matter when, it was the ordinary people who couldn’t afford meat who craved meaty dishes, while the nobles who could eat meat every day preferred lighter flavors.

After eating their fill, Zheng He stood up, raised his cup, and said to everyone, “According to Lord Wang’s observations, favorable winds will blow in about half a month, making it the perfect time to set sail. So the ships will need to stay here for about ten days to half a month. During this time, we’ll need your help with supplies and deliveries…”

While Zheng He spoke polite words, Wang Jinghong, who was sitting right next to Zhang Yue, whispered, “Lord Zhang, our fleet is second to none when it comes to navigating and setting sails, but few of us are good at figuring out how to sell the goods on board. Although you found us a few experts before, people are greedy. It would be best if you chose another reliable person to accompany us. Also, you’ve already submitted a request to sail westward past those island nations, and the emperor has approved it. After visiting all the countries in the West this time, I will take a few ships to the farthest western lands to see where those countries mentioned in historical records actually are and create a more detailed sea map!”