Chapter 314: Building Public Roads While Secretly Making Moves

Although it was likely to cease being the capital soon, Nanjing remained the most prosperous city in the land until the construction of the new capital in Beijing was completed. Thus, compared to the magnificent imperial palace and the opulent residences of nobles, the grand mansion requisitioned by Zhang Yue and Lu Feng as their headquarters was rather modest. Only the sentries at the entrance and the guards patrolling the courtyards could hint at the authority of an imperial envoy.

It was already late October. Though snow had not yet fallen in Nanjing, it became extremely cold after dusk. Captain Zhou Bailing, wrapped in a thick oilcloth cloak, was inspecting the area beneath the high walls when he encountered Fang Ling on his way. Seeing the newly promoted captain’s face red from the cold, yet still bowing neatly, Zhou Bailing quickly held up his hands to stop him and chuckled.

“At this late hour, Brother Fang, you really don’t need to go to such lengths. This is the capital, not some remote wilderness—there’s no need to worry too much about safety. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to leave only fifty men for defense while the rest are stationed in nearby homes. But you do seem resourceful—having set a good example right from the start, those veteran soldiers are gradually starting to respect you.”

Although his noble status only dated back to his grandfather’s generation, Fang Ling, as a concubine’s son, had to rely on his own efforts for success. Yet he had not suffered much hardship. Aside from a few special circumstances, he had lived and eaten like the other captains, but he still felt somewhat out of place among these comrades who had fought in battles. Hearing Zhou Bailing’s words, he glanced at the scar on Zhou’s face, said to be from his second northern expedition, before lowering his eyes.

“Compared to Lord Zhou and the others, I am young and inexperienced, so I must work harder. If I make any mistakes, please kindly advise me.”

“Of course!” Zhou Bailing was the kind of person who returned kindness with generosity. Seeing Fang Ling’s humility, he smiled and said, “If Brother Fang is willing, I have some insights I can share with you. It’s getting late, and since we happened to meet, it seems you’ve already inspected the area. I can’t sleep either, so why not come to my room? We can talk at ease.”

At the same time, in a spacious room lit by oil lamps, thick account books with blue covers were piled everywhere. Two middle-aged accountants, who claimed to be experts at auditing, were sitting leisurely drinking tea and chatting, showing no intention of getting to work. It wasn’t until the door creaked open and they saw who had come that they hurriedly stood up to greet them, their faces filled with extreme embarrassment.

Zhang Yue glanced at the two cups of tea on the table and frowned, sneering, “You really know how to relax. Sitting here drinking tea and chatting—do you need me to send someone with some sunflower seeds as well? You’re all experienced officials in the Ministry of Finance; you should know the rules. Whether these are real accounts or fake ones, I have only one word—investigate. If you finish the investigation in a month, your names will surely be on the list of merit. But if you fail to finish it, don’t even hope to keep your current positions.”

Hearing this, the two middle-aged accountants finally panicked and began to apologize repeatedly. At Zhang Yue’s glare, they quickly rushed to their desks, flipping through account books while the abacuses clicked noisily. Seeing this, Zhang Yue’s expression softened slightly. He turned around and ordered the two soldiers standing outside to ensure three meals a day plus snacks were provided without delay, before leaving the room.

After stepping out of the courtyard onto the path, Hu Qi, who was following behind Zhang Yue, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before whispering, “Young master, hasn’t Lord Yuan already ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate? Why do we still need to check those fake accounts?”

“The highest level of deception is naturally to keep even one’s own people in the dark. The servants in this house are still the same as before. What if someone bribes them to spy on this place and finds out that I’ve sealed the account books but am not actually investigating? Wouldn’t that reveal to others that I have other plans? Tomorrow, we’ll cause a stir at the other grain warehouses, then we can leave here and head straight for Songjiang and Ningbo prefectures.”

Hu Qi finally understood. Creating a commotion in the city before slipping away quietly was indeed a clever tactic of appearing to take one path while secretly taking another. Even if the Ningbo Maritime Administration heard about it, they might not expect such quick action from them. But as they walked, he suddenly thought of a very important question and stopped in his tracks.

“Then will all these soldiers from the imperial army stay in the capital?”

“Of course they will all stay,” Zhang Yue replied. Turning to see Hu Qi frozen in shock, he smiled slightly. “You also said before that Lord Yuan still has a few people like you four. It’s just that they can no longer be casually transferred to the Jinyiwei, and it’s even harder to get them into the Eastern Depot. That’s why I asked you to inform Lord Yuan.”

Eunuch Lu listened to my idea and decided to recruit more people who were not part of the Jinyiwei, which would make it easier to plant them there. As for finding an opportunity, it’s quite simple—you told me before that Ying Tianfu is recruiting constables in a few days. At that time, I’ll persuade Eunuch Lu to go and watch. As long as they participate and perform well, how could they not be taken seriously? Once they protect me and Eunuch Lu on our journey south, it will be even easier to secure identities for them.”

It was only then that Hu Qi realized everything and nodded in agreement, then left to discuss the plan with his three brothers. Zhang Yue went straight to the study and saw Lian Sheng and Lian Hu dozing off on the chairs outside. Annoyed, he went over and patted their heads.

“Ah, young master!”

“Grind ink and prepare paper and pen—I need to write a memorial!”

Though still half-asleep, the two brothers understood the simple command and hurried to the desk to get to work. Zhang Yue didn’t sit down right away but paced back and forth in the room until he had a complete draft in mind. Then he sat down at the chair behind the desk, dipped his brush in thick ink, and began writing swiftly after a brief moment of thought.

“Confucius said: Be sincere in faith and eager to learn; uphold the right path even at the cost of life. Do not enter a state in crisis, nor reside in a chaotic one. When the world is governed by righteousness, one should appear; when not, one should hide. In a just state, it is shameful to be poor and humble; in an unjust state, it is shameful to be rich and noble. The Great Ming is a state of righteousness, hence other nations come to pay homage, and all countries regard it as the supreme state, admiring its prestige and wealth. As Guanzi said: A nation with abundant wealth attracts those from afar; open lands encourage people to settle there; full granaries foster propriety; sufficient food and clothing bring awareness of honor and shame; proper leadership strengthens family ties, and stable order ensures the ruler’s commands are obeyed. Why is His Majesty’s fame known far beyond the seas today? …”

Zhang Yue wrote for over a thousand words. Lian Sheng and Lian Hu, who were quite literate, watched curiously beside him. Only after all the ink was used did they realize what had happened, and they hurriedly started grinding more ink. It wasn’t until the desk was covered with pages filled with ink, and even extra chairs and shelves had to be used, with only a tiny amount of candle left, that the article was finally completed.

Although he was now an imperial envoy, he would not forget his task of reading The Analects and writing notes as ordered. Even though Zhu Di was not a hesitant emperor, this matter was entirely under his control; if he did not see it through to the end, trouble might arise in Beijing while he worked diligently here. Moreover, after all this effort, it would give the crown prince Zhu Zhanji a chance to see his work—why not do it? As for the arguments in the court, he would have to get involved even if he didn’t want to!

By now, the midnight drums could be heard outside. Zhang Yue forced himself to stay awake, waiting until the ink on each piece of paper had completely dried before neatly folding them and placing them into an envelope, sealing it with wax before handing it to Lian Sheng, who was waiting nearby.

“Send it out immediately—deliver it to Beijing by overnight courier.”

Since letters had already been sent to Beijing upon his arrival, Lian Sheng naturally wouldn’t ask silly questions like whether to use an urgent or extremely urgent delivery service—this was just ordinary mail. He took the envelope and rushed out of the room, while Lian Hu quickly cleared the desk. Seeing Zhang Yue start yawning, he said with a smile, “No wonder people say the young master writes as if inspired by the gods. He didn’t even use a draft during the imperial examinations, and now it’s the same. It’s amazing how he completed such an article in such a short time.”

This was thanks to the fact that he had made a living through writing in his past life, and now he had a great teacher in this life!

Zhang Yue was completely immune to such compliments. He simply smiled slightly and ordered Lian Hu to turn off the light in the study. After Lian Hu escorted him to the gate with a lantern, he sent him off to bed before pulling back the curtain and entering. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the brightly lit hall, where Qiu Hen was sleeping soundly against the wall, covered with a thick blanket, while Ling Xi and Hu Bo were sewing by the oil lamp.

“The young master is back!” Ling Xi quickly put down her sewing and stood up. Seeing Zhang Yue’s tired expression, she said, “There’s hot water hanging in the kitchen—perfect for washing your feet. The bed has already been warmed up. You should wash and go to bed right away.”

Thinking of the three of them staying up late for him, Zhang Yue saw Ling Xi go to fetch water and wanted to tell her they didn’t need to wait together anymore. But just then, Qiu Hen, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly woke up, rubbing her eyes and saying drowsily, “Is it already morning? Why didn’t the young master come back to bed all night… Hmm, it seems it’s not yet dawn…”

Amber had gone to get the copper basin and soft cloth. Seeing that Qiuhen was still very dazed, she simply sent her to the room on the east side to sleep, then returned to fill the basin with the cool water she had prepared earlier. Before long, Lingxi came in with a full copper kettle and added hot water. Zhang Yue kept his eyes half-closed, resting his head on his elbow on the kang table while leaning back in the kang chair. In a daze, he felt someone remove his shoes and socks and then his feet being soaked in hot water before finally opening his eyes.
“I can soak my feet by myself. You all go to sleep.”
Although Zhang Yue said this, Lingxi ignored him and skillfully massaged his feet with the hot water. She then raised her head and said, “Young master almost fell asleep just now. If we go to sleep, who knows if you might fall asleep halfway through washing and catch a cold by dawn. After a tiring day, it’s necessary to press the acupoints while washing feet. I used to serve the old lady this way too.”
As a tingling sensation spread through his feet, Zhang Yue had to swallow back what he was about to say. Meanwhile, Amber handed him a warm towel. Suddenly, she remembered that Lingxi had been called by Lady Gu before they left and hadn’t returned until an entire hour later.