Chapter 345: Killing a Chicken to Warn the Monkeys, Pretending to Die

The Maritime Administration had begun registering ships ready to set sail! An imperial edict lifting the sea ban from Ningbo’s Maritime Administration drew merchants from all over the country to Ningbo, with those from Lianghuai, Nanjing, and Zhejiang rushing there swiftly. As a result, the three days of arrests and searches naturally terrified them, causing some to reconsider leaving. Even those who had packed their bags to depart delayed their plans upon hearing such news, flocking to the Maritime Administration’s entrance to gather information, though few actually went inside to handle affairs.

The reason was simple: on both sides of the wall at the Maritime Administration, hundreds of people were displayed in shackles, packed tightly together! Though shackling was not a formal punishment—unmentioned in the Ming laws—it was commonly used by officials. Especially during tax collection, dozens or even hundreds of people would be displayed outside government offices. With the presence of imperial censors, local officials dared not go too far and kill people, usually using light shackles weighing seven and a half jin. Yet even casual observers could tell that the shackles on those displayed at the Maritime Administration’s entrance were extremely heavy, sparking discussions.

“In the dead of winter, looking at them sweating profusely—those must weigh at least twenty jin!”
“Twenty jin? You’re uninformed. If it weren’t for these guys colluding with the Japanese pirates, why would we keep facing attacks? I have a relative working at the Maritime Administration. He said the imperial envoy declared that no one may kill without an imperial edict or approval from the Ministry of Punishments and the Supreme Court. So let these damned dogs wear thirty-jin shackles for three months!”
“Three months in shackles? That’s sure to kill them. That envoy is ruthless! But then again, this campaign against pirates along the coast is serious. I heard several pirate camps on the islands near Linhai have been wiped out!”
“Of course. If the coast isn’t secure, ships will be like sheep led into a tiger’s den once the sea ban is lifted.”

From a distance, a chilling atmosphere greeted them. Upon approaching and seeing the pale, desperate faces of those in shackles, Ma Qinjiu felt even more uneasy. No one dared to go to the Maritime Administration to handle affairs at that moment, and he initially didn’t want to either. But since Zhang Yue sent a message, he had no choice but to go. Fortunately, Fang Qing was with him, and together they felt a bit more courageous. Even so, once they passed through the two gates, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Just as Zhang Yue had predicted, although Wang Darong, the eunuch supervisor, was somewhat greedy and scheming, he indeed had his own methods. Within just three days, he had people consult the old regulations of the Song and Yuan dynasties to determine the format for the permits, and the 30% tax rate was temporarily retained. The clerks in the Maritime Trade Bureau printed 180 permits first, and then ten prototypes were made based on those issued to various foreign countries. Since the first two people who came were already arranged in advance, after verification and signing, Ma Qinjiu and Fang Qing completed the process in just fifteen minutes.

“A 500-shi sea ship will set sail from Ningbo in April next year for the Wokou country.”

Seeing people coming out of the Maritime Trade Bureau, onlookers naturally approached to ask what was going on. Upon learning that the permits had been issued, the merchants who had been watching hesitantly became eager. Unlike Ma Qinjiu, still in a daze, Fang Qing simply smiled and said that since this was only a preliminary arrangement and only ten prototypes had been made, they would have to wait for the next batch if they missed this opportunity. Immediately, a crowd of merchants rushed into the Maritime Trade Bureau office—no longer showing any hesitation.

While the merchants were vying for those first ten permits, Zhang Yue was in the room reading the good news about the suppression of pirates sent by Song Menwei, feeling quite satisfied. Although Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s ban on sea travel was not entirely due to the Wokou pirates, it was undeniable that their harassment played a significant role. With unrest along the coast, merchant ships couldn’t operate safely, making it impossible to talk about making profits or collecting taxes. However, Zheng He’s fleet had previously eliminated several pirate groups, ensuring safety along the Southeast Asian routes.

“This first step is finally completed!”

Zhang Yue sighed in relief and put the letter back in the envelope. Seeing Qiu Hen standing there staring at him, he remembered that he had been talking to her moments ago before being interrupted by this good news. But he naturally had a plan for dealing with such a straightforward girl. He immediately smiled and said, “Uncle and my elder brother have been receiving good news and achieving great success. It’s time for the letter I sent last time to arrive as well. I’ve already prepared a memorial and sent it by postal relay to the imperial court in Beijing. We should be able to go back for the New Year soon.”

“Young master, we’re asking what to do if the Emperor’s Sword breaks!”

At that moment, even Lingxi couldn’t help but ask a question, while Qiuhen lost her patience entirely and said in frustration, “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have insisted on bringing that sword. If I had kept it at home, nothing would have gone wrong. Who would have thought it would attract thieves? Amber, you’re always so resourceful. What do you think we should do?”
Ever since they started talking, Amber had stood silently aside without saying a word, as if she hadn’t heard anything. It wasn’t until Lingxi gave her a gentle nudge that she snapped out of it. She glanced at the calm Zhang Yue, then at the anxious Qiuhen, before smiling slightly. “They say the emperor won’t die from haste—since the young master isn’t worried, why should we be?”
“Amber, what are you talking about? The young master is confused. Have you also become confused?”
Seeing Qiuhen getting furious, Lingxi shook her head and stepped forward to force her to sit down in a chair. Realizing that Zhang Yue’s composure must stem from some confidence, she gradually figured out something and soothingly said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. The young master knows what to do. Qiuhen, stop making a fuss. Instead of worrying, go check on Miss Fan. She’s been alternating between consciousness and unconsciousness for the past three days, in very poor condition, and she won’t let us call a doctor.”
“Hmph… It’s not just my problem. If you want to see her, go see her yourself!”
Seeing Qiuhen acting spoiledly while sneaking glances at him, Zhang Yue smiled. He simply lifted the green-patterned curtain at the side door and entered the inner room. Before he could steady himself, he felt someone behind him. Turning around, he saw Qiuhen, still looking annoyed. Knowing full well that the girl was just pretending to be strong, he turned back toward the bed.
Qiuhen was faster, pulling back the silver-red gauze curtain hanging over the bed. Seeing that Fan Xiyan was awake and alert, she quickly sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a thick pillow behind her shoulders, leaving no space for Zhang Yue to sit.
Lingxi, who had followed in, saw her behavior and quickly brought over a brocade cushion for Zhang Yue to sit on. She observed Fan Xiyan’s pale face thoughtfully. Fan Tong’s downfall was due to the appearance of this fake princess. Although she avoided being sent to military service, she had managed to earn some merit. But even if Fan Xiyan survived, could she really return to the Fan family?

“Thank you this time for sending someone to take care of me; otherwise, I would have already lost my life.” Fan Xiyan’s complexion had improved somewhat since three days ago, but her speech still sounded forced. “Now that Fan Tong is doomed to die, I don’t want any credit for exposing him, nor do I want to live under the name Fan Xiyan anymore. I hope you can help me by pretending I’m dead.”
“You want to feign death?”
“That’s right—I want to feign death!” Straining to say these words, Fan Xiyan covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed several times. Without even looking, she crumpled the snow-white handkerchief in her hand and then raised her head again. “You once declared that I was dying from poisoning, and the doctors said I was beyond saving. That day, Eunuch Chen and Eunuch Wang both saw me in a half-dead state. If now people say I’m dead, it probably won’t arouse suspicion.”
“Fan Tong’s crimes deserve death, and by law, his family property should be confiscated. If you expose him, you’ll be rewarded. Besides, since he killed you to silence you, most of the Fan family’s wealth will likely be returned to you. Don’t you want it?”
“Family wealth? What use is that filthy money to me?” Fan Xiyan sneered before coughing repeatedly, blood even dripping from the corners of her mouth. Seeing Qiu Hen frantically bringing a silk handkerchief to wipe it away, she gave a bitter smile. “I knew who poisoned me with those two poisoned swords. Though I’ve never regarded him as a father, I still did many things for him over the past two years. I never expected him to try to get rid of me all along.”
Feeling sharp pains in her chest, she gripped the brocade mattress tightly until she regained her strength. Then she looked up at Zhang Yue. “I was sent by Princess Yongping to oversee this trade route, as both the princess and Marquis Fuyang have invested a lot of wealth in it. I reported the pirate issue to the princess before, and she told me to follow that fool. A few days ago, the princess sent a special envoy. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the one who shot that arrow from the roof. But with just my word alone, you can’t expect to prove anything, and I dare not accuse a princess.”
With everyone in the room being his own people, Zhang Yue thought of that astonishing arrow shot that day and felt an indescribable sense of horror. Ever since the emperor had shown such an attitude last time, he hadn’t expected to be able to take action against those princes and princesses while Zhu Di was still alive. So he simply asked directly, “Who is that special envoy?”

Fan Xiyan took a deep breath, then said with a bitter smile, “That’s Yue Changtian, a traitor from the White Lotus Sect.” Upon hearing this, not only was Zhang Yue shocked, but Amber, who had just entered, also froze in place, unable to move. Yet Fan Xiyan didn’t notice their reactions and continued, “The Jiangnan region is a prosperous area, but the heavy taxes burden the people, so many of them worship gods at home and follow the White Lotus Sect. Because the authorities are strict in cracking down on them, there’s little coordination among them, so it hasn’t caused as much trouble as in the north. Two years ago, Yue Changtian came to talk to Fan Tong, and that’s how I knew he was part of the White Lotus Sect. I just didn’t expect him to betray them.” Zhang Yue took a deep breath and asked his last question, “Where is Yue Changtian now?” “He came to me; I don’t know where he is now. He must have fled far away. But…” Fan Xiyan frowned and then said thoughtfully, “His skin color is much darker than before, almost tanned. He certainly can’t be working as a laborer in the fields. If so, it’s likely he’s hiding under a false name on a cargo ship along the canal.”