Chapter 332: Everyone Plays Their Own Games

The Ningbo Maritime Administration was prosperous during the Yuan Dynasty, but it was abolished in the early Ming Dynasty under Emperor Hongwu. The once bustling area suddenly became deserted until the administration was reestablished at the beginning of the Yongle era. One after another, tribute missions arrived, and the trading posts attracted countless merchants and people, gradually restoring the area to its former prosperous state.

The dock where the Maritime Administration was located and the trading posts were in a remote area east of the city. However, as the court built many buildings to accommodate the tribute missions, the surrounding streets and alleys also began to thrive. Restaurants and various shops sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and several pawnshops also opened. Whenever tribute missions from different countries arrived, these shops would instantly fill up, and even many poor people would try their luck around the trading posts. Yet now, although the tribute missions from Champa and Malacca had just arrived, people’s conversations revolved around another major event.

“Eleven ships were burned, 321 enemies were killed, and 232 were captured alive!”
“Who would have thought the emperor would send the commander in charge of fighting pirates to lead the troops? Several military units on land were also deployed! We’ve heard before about how many pirates killed, but rarely about such a decisive victory!”
“It’s not even a decisive victory. If it weren’t for the soldiers defending the city who held out all night, losing nearly half of them, who knows how many people would have died that night! Fortunately, County Magistrate Zhang remained calm in crisis and sent all his officers out, barely managing to hold the line!”
“What do you know? If it weren’t for a high-ranking Jinyiwei official in the city that night who gave orders from the county office and then personally led forces to intercept the pirates in the southeast, and if reinforcements hadn’t arrived in time, Shanghai County would have been ruined by now!”

Zui Xiang Lou, located near the trading posts, was one of the best restaurants in the area. On the second floor, many tables were filled with guests eagerly discussing this issue and worrying whether the lifting of the sea ban would fail. In just a few days, rumors had changed—since the sea ban hadn’t been officially lifted yet, pirates were already rampaging along the coast. If the ban were lifted, things would be even worse. This undoubtedly worried the well-informed merchants, who feared their emerging sources of income might be cut off. Some of them grew louder in their concerns.

At a table by the window, three guests were also sitting. Zhang Yue, the youngest-looking, sat firmly in the center, while Ma Qinjiu appeared uneasy, handling food and drink with great caution. Fang Qing, seated at the far end, though preoccupied, had more experience dealing with Zhang Yue and thus maintained a calmer expression.

Although Wang Quanbin left in a fury as soon as he woke up at dawn, Ma Qinjiu, after much consideration, decided to stay. Though his status as a merchant was low these days, he couldn’t just stand by while being called a scoundrel. He thought about trying to find a way to make progress with Zhang Yue. When it was time to set off and he saw Fang Qing, the son-in-law of the Yang family, following along, he felt even more certain his choice was right. He spoke extremely carefully, constantly glancing at the other person’s expression.

“Young Master Zhang, I’ve been to Ningbo Prefecture several times. The trading post is lively, but lacks elegance. Speaking of which, Tianxiang Pavilion across the way is a higher-class establishment than our Zuixiang Tower. They serve a delicacy made from snail meat that’s extremely delicious. I originally wanted to invite you to try it, but it’s strange that they’re closed for business today.”

Zhang Yue casually looked down at the street below, his mind still on his encounter with Zhang Chao earlier. Dozens of sea ships suddenly cut off the pirates’ retreat, using cannons and sturdy hulls to force them onto the coastal shoals. Then, soldiers were sent to sink and burn the ships—complete one-sided victory. By the time some pirates managed to escape from the encirclement by over a thousand soldiers from various garrisons and reach the sea to board ships, they found those ships already on fire, sinking into the sea—caught in the act by the elite soldiers who had set them ablaze.

If not for the hundreds of casualties among civilians and soldiers defending the city, this could barely be called a great victory. But what was most concerning was that some people were using this incident to claim that the pirates came because of the lifting of sea bans. It should be remembered that during the Jiajing era, almost all maritime trade offices were closed and stricter sea bans were imposed precisely because some argued that these offices were the cause of the pirate invasions, which in turn led to chaos along the coasts. This wasn’t just avoiding a problem by giving up something useful—it was starving oneself to the point of total collapse!

Before leaving, he had suggested to the emperor that a large army be sent along the coast to hunt down the Japanese pirates and eliminate the threat. He never expected that Zhu Di would so quickly appoint Zhang You as the commander-in-chief and Huang Su as the deputy commander, leading 5,000 soldiers from Zhenhai Guard to patrol the seas near Liujiagang to hunt pirates. Fortunately, a fleet cut off the pirates’ supply routes, destroying their bases on those islands as well—another even more pleasing outcome. Yet, once news of this campaign spread, many people must have been worried.

Fang Rui’s advice could be taken with some skepticism by Zhang Yue, but he managed to obtain quite a bit of information from the captured prisoner, so he rushed to Ningbo without delay. He brought Fang Qing along because of his status as a son-in-law of the Yang family, which was very useful, and since he had extorted a large sum from them, some compensation was necessary. Ma Qinjiu had been to this place many times and knew the area well. As for Wang Quanbin, a minor figure, he didn’t really care about him—if he left, so be it.

“The food and drinks here are quite good. It’s just a casual meal, so there’s no need to be too fussy about the place.”

Ma Qinjiu quickly nodded in agreement. He used the drink to calm himself down while planning what to discuss next. Glancing out the window, he suddenly saw a group of people coming this way, escorted by others. The carriage in the middle was adorned with gold decorations and silver dragon embroidery, covered with colorful brocade curtains—extremely magnificent. When the carriage finally stopped and people got out, he took a closer look and was both surprised and delighted. He quickly stood up and said to Zhang Yue, “Young Master Zhang, that’s Eunuch Wang, the head of Ningbo’s Maritime Administration!”

Zhang Yue didn’t want to meet Eunuch Wang Darong so soon, so he merely glanced through the gaps in the railing. He recognized Lu Feng and Cheng Jiu among those who got out of the carriage following Wang Darong. He frowned slightly, and Fang Qing, who was to Zhang Yue’s right, also recognized Lu Feng at the same time. Being observant, Fang Qing noticed Zhang Yue’s subtle facial changes and began to ponder. After all, he had also been involved in the earlier events.

Dozens of brightly dressed guards came with the carriage. Most of them blocked both ends of the road to prevent anyone from passing through. Soon, a middle-aged man with a potbelly came out of Tianxiang Pavilion across the street and politely welcomed the people out of the carriage inside. Once the restaurant’s doors closed, the group of guards quickly took positions at the entrance, looking highly vigilant. Seeing this, the guests on the second floor began to discuss it among themselves.

“Who is that person, able to ride in the same carriage as Eunuch Wang? And they even sealed Tianxiang Pavilion just for this?”
“I’m not well-informed, I guess? Eunuch Wang has been receiving this person for several days now; he personally took them from an inn to the mansion in a carriage! According to those guys from the Maritime Administration, this is a very important person!”
“Important person? Judging from his pale face and no beard, could he be some young eunuch trying to take Eunuch Wang’s place?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the drinkers burst into laughter, but none dared say anything more and continued eating and drinking in silence. Zhang Yue remembered Lu Feng’s furious expression when he mentioned Wang Darong before and couldn’t help but smile coldly. Sure enough, that was Lu Feng’s nature—whenever someone was willing to bow low and pay enough, all hatred had to take a backseat.
Ma Qinjiu had originally gone to Ningbo Prefecture hoping to gain access through Eunuch Wang. Now that he saw the person so close, he grew impatient and deliberately said to Fang Qing, “Young Master Fang, Eunuch Wang has been in charge of the Maritime Administration in Ningbo for quite some time now. If the sea ban is lifted, his position as head of the administration will become even more lucrative. You must be here representing the Yang family—do you have any plans?”
Fang Qing knew that Zhang Yue was after that position as head of the Maritime Administration, and it was uncertain whether Eunuch Wang’s position as eunuch supervisor was secure. So he pretended to be casual and shook his head, saying, “I’m just here to watch the excitement; I don’t have any plans!”
In a corner far away from Zhang Yue and the others, there stood a screen. Behind the screen, at a table, a man and a woman sat facing each other. The man kept glancing at Zhang Yue by the window through the gaps in the screen, while the woman focused entirely on the man in front of her. Neither of them paid attention to the lavish food and drinks on the table. After a while, the man finally withdrew his gaze and sneered, “Why are you staring at me nonstop, Miss Fan?”
“I’m just wondering if you plan to start a massacre here, after all, that person can be considered your enemy. But I seem to have heard that Young Master Yue has already defected from the White Lotus Sect, and there are even orders to kill you here in the Jiangnan region.”

“Enemies… I have many enemies.” Yue Changtian casually raised his eyebrows, then glanced at the woman smiling sweetly before him. “Although the White Lotus Sect was originally just a stepping stone for me, it still feels unpleasant when someone ruins my plans for no reason. But I always know when to stop. Miss Fan, since we’re both now under the princess’s control, there’s no need for you to test me. I think you know who was behind me back then, right?”
Fan Xiyan froze upon hearing this and dared not argue anymore. Yue Changtian hadn’t mentioned it explicitly back then, nor had Fan Tong spoken openly, but she had guessed it somehow. Worried that Princess Yongping might not spare her after she completed her mission here, she had kept this to herself. Who would have thought that two years later, Yue Changtian would have become the princess’s special envoy!
Could it be that Princess Yongping and the King of Han were originally on the same side?
Seeing Fan Xiyan’s expression change, Yue Changtian spoke seriously, “The princess believes it’s becoming harder and harder to control Fan Tong, so she asked you to find a way for Zhang Yue to get rid of him. The princess already has a replacement ready. Now that Wang Darong has allied himself with Lu Feng, Fan Tong must be extremely worried. Go back and tell him Zhang Yue is coming—he’ll surely rush here to meet him. Hurry back; I’ll keep an eye on things here. If they leave, I’ll delay them a bit.”
Though Yue Changtian spoke earnestly, Fan Xiyan still wasn’t fully convinced. It wasn’t until he handed her a note and she glanced at it that she believed him about eight out of ten. She immediately stood up. Before leaving, she glanced at Yue Changtian again and said with a half-smile, “Regardless of whether you have other missions or not, I want to say one thing: always leave a backdoor.”
Wang Darong couldn’t care less about what others thought now; his entire focus was on Lu Feng. He wasn’t one of the old members of the YanMansion of the Prince： Prince’s Mansion / Mansion of the Prince. He got the lucrative position as supervisor of the Ningbo Maritime Administration by clinging to Huang Yan, the eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat. He handed over 30% of the revenue generated each year to Huang Yan and spent more on bribes, leaving him with very little money left. If he could have stayed in that position forever, it might have been fine, but as luck would have it, disaster struck just then!

At this moment, after persuasively offering several drinks, recalling that he hadn’t managed to secure any firm commitment these past few days, he took advantage of the drunken state to start talking again: “Eunuch Lu, to speak frankly, there are probably not many people you can trust in the palace these days. Otherwise, why bring along such an innocent kid like Cheng Jiu instead of others, and why go to such lengths to recruit people outside? Eunuchs like Huang are already old; from now on, it depends on you. Don’t you want to win people’s hearts at all?”
Having said enough to test things and stir up disputes over these days, he decided to be bold and, ignoring Lu Feng’s suddenly darkened expression, spoke directly: “I know I offended you before for not recognizing your importance. Even if you become very powerful in the future, if you’re willing to lend a hand, others will surely praise you for your generosity, and more people will come to seek your support. Besides, in the Bureau of Maritime Trade, a new official can’t take control until at least half a year after taking office, and there’s little profit to be made. I’m used to this kind of work; aside from other things, I can give you this amount every year!”
After collecting money for days and hearing flattery, Lu Feng had originally planned to find a way to remove Wang Darong from his position to spare him, but after hearing this blatant offer and seeing the gesture of tripling the amount, his firm resolve began to waver. Just as he frowned in thought, Wang Darong suddenly placed another piece of paper on the table.
“Eunuch Lu, I know you met with the head of the local powerful Yan family after arriving in Ningbo Prefecture. The Yan family is a prominent family in the Jiangnan region and has always wanted to expand northward. With your help, they’ll be even stronger. I heard they even signed a contract to give you 10% of all their assets. I managed to get a copy of the document still in the Yan family’s possession… Tsk tsk, do you realize you’ve boarded a ship of thieves? The Yan family’s biggest assets aren’t land or shops but ships at sea. They’re the biggest smugglers in the area, and the person behind them is none other than Marquis Fuyang!”
Seeing Lu Feng’s expression suddenly freeze, Wang Darong felt he had finally gained the upper hand and chuckled, “Marquis Fuyang Li Maofang is the legitimate son of Princess Yongping, so his status is naturally noble. But as far as I know, he isn’t aligned with the Crown Prince but seems to have some connection with him. If people find out that you, Eunuch Lu, are colluding with the Yan family he supports…”

Hearing this, Lu Feng couldn’t help but glance behind him. He saw that Cheng Jiu’s expression of fear was unmistakable, while the short, wooden-looking Liang Ming remained motionless, his gaze somewhat cold. He briefly considered having this highly skilled fighter kill them to silence them, but he snapped out of it when he saw Wang Darong’s sly expression—this damned guy had been deceiving him all these days; there must be another trick up his sleeve!

Thinking of this, he pretended to laugh nonchalantly, “So Old Wang, you’ve made such preparations. No wonder you kept circling around our household these past days—truly clever! Although we have taken the document from the Yan family, we might still give it to someone else as a gift. Even if we hand it over to the emperor, he would surely understand our intention to investigate secretly, and any punishment would be mild. Don’t think we really don’t know anything these days—like how those pirates from Songjiang Prefecture arrived; we know exactly!”

Wang Darong had thought he had already trapped Lu Feng with evidence, but upon hearing those words, he felt uneasy before finally relaxing, “Eunuch Lu must know that I work for Eunuch Huang of the Imperial Secretariat. Eunuch Huang is closest to Prince Zhao, and I offer him countless gifts every year. So where those pirates came from has nothing to do with me. Perhaps Marquis Fuyang knows something. If Eunuch Lu wants to investigate this thoroughly and earn great merit, I’ll surely serve him wholeheartedly!”

“You…”

Lu Feng clenched the wine cup in his hand, filled with anger. He had no idea why those pirates had arrived; he was just trying to trick him with words. If he followed Wang Darong’s advice and caused trouble for that Marquis Fuyang, even if he could handle Princess Yongping, how could he possibly deal with such a reckless man?