Chapter 719: Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Compared to previous dynasties, the Ming Dynasty’s household registration system was extremely strict. The Yellow Register, which recorded household information, and the Fish-Scale Register, which depicted the distribution of land across the country, together essentially determined a person’s future. A son from a peasant or military family who could not pass the imperial examinations was forced to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Leaving one’s residence without local authorities’ permission was strictly forbidden, making the forgery of travel permits a grave crime.

Qiu Guoyong relied on a forged permit to travel from Chengmai County in Qiongzhou Prefecture to Guangzhou City. Although the authorities did not conduct regular population checks, the Qiu family was too prominent, so he had stayed indoors most of the time back home. Even after arriving in Guangzhou, he remained confined to his house, directing his subordinates from within. Yet now, he faced the greatest challenge since taking charge of this declining family.

The common people only knew that Qin Huaijin had been rescued after falling into the water and spent a few days in a residence; they were unaware of the incident at the Huangpu Town dock that night. But no wall is airtight, and there are always influential people in both government and business circles. After more than a decade of hard work in Hainan, the Qiu family owned several businesses in Guangzhou. Once the incident occurred, everyone rushed to investigate and eventually understood what had happened.

Lao An, a long-time servant of the Qiu family and a trusted confidant of Qiu Guoyong, was deeply worried seeing his master’s distraught expression and trembling hands gripping the armrests. At this point, he could only try to reassure him, “Second Master, things might not be that bad…”

“Stop trying to sugarcoat things for me! Qin Huaijin, a eunuch in charge of the maritime administration, pretended to fall into the water and then appeared at the dock with gold and valuables—clearly trying to flee! If he weren’t in decline, why take such a huge risk? Changxin didn’t warn us about this at all; instead, he went with him. It’s obvious he no longer sees himself as part of the Qiu family—he’s ready to abandon everything and go overseas with that old eunuch! I thought he was just greedy for pleasure or acting foolishly. I never imagined he would… that damned bastard! Does he even know where the money he sent to that old eunuch over the years came from? The whole family scrimped and saved, all for him…”

Seeing the veins bulging on Qiu Guoyong’s forehead and his speech becoming increasingly incoherent, he eventually clutched his chest, struggling to breathe. Lao An hurried over to pat his back for comfort and brought him a teacup. After Qiu Guoyong managed to swallow a few sips of tea and his expression eased slightly, Lao An gently asked, “Second Master, so what should we do now?”
“You’ve already found out that Qin Huaijin is under house arrest, while Qiu Changxin is locked up in a prison?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I bribed several people heavily. I heard that the Fifth Young Master is kept in a single cell.”
“He’s never suffered much in his life. If he’s locked together with a bunch of prisoners, I’m afraid he’ll confess within less than fifteen minutes!” Qiu Guoyong sighed deeply, feeling even more regretful for choosing such an incompetent nephew. “But even if he’s kept alone, he surely won’t last two days in a place like the interrogation office. We need to find a way to see him. If nothing else works…”
For a moment, he considered killing him, but ultimately shook his head in despair. His elder brother had spent his entire life striving hard, yet only had two sons. Qiu Changtian had fled by pretending to die, and there had been some communication at first, but later he disappeared without a trace. If anything happened to Qiu Changxin, even his elder brother’s spirit would not rest in peace. But if the authorities discovered their plans, no matter who reported them, the Qiu family would be ruined. If only… if Zhu Gaoxu, the King of Han who rebelled last year, had been more capable…
Realizing Qiu Guoyong was deep in thought, Lao An figured it would be hard to make a decision right away, so he quietly stepped back, intending to give his master some time alone. Yet as he pulled back the bamboo curtain to leave, he saw someone rushing over at top speed. Before the person could catch his breath, he said frantically, “Uncle An, it’s bad! News came from the spice shop… Someone came straight to the house with the Fifth Young Master’s token, claiming to be looking for the Qiu family’s leader! Manager Wu pretended to invite him inside, planning to seize the opportunity to question him, but that person was extremely skilled and quickly subdued Manager Wu, claiming to be from the provincial government office! They didn’t dare act rashly, so they sent me to bring you the news!”
For already worried Lao An, this news was like a thunderbolt. He stood there stunned for a long time before realizing the messenger was waiting for his reaction. He quickly ordered someone to wait outside and rushed inside. When he entered, he saw Qiu Guoyong still in the same position, so he forced himself to deliver the bad news.

“Well, what’s meant to happen will happen!”
Exhausted, Qiu Guoyong narrowed his eyes and then said calmly, “Prepare a carriage. I’ll go in person.”
“Second Master, isn’t it too risky to go out at this time? It would be better if I went to welcome them myself. Since Lord Zhang bears that surname, he should surely remember old friendships…”
“Now I’m like fish at the mercy of the butcher. That official from the Bureau of Administration is in his early twenties yet already holds a high position, enjoying imperial favor unmatched by anyone his age. Moreover, he’s the notorious Zhang the Executioner. If he won’t show mercy, who dares to criticize him? A single misstep could lead to disaster. What’s my safety worth at such a time? Stop talking and hurry and get preparations done!”
The Wuyue brand had only risen in Guangzhou over the past decade or so. At first, it remained low-key, merely sharing profits with a few major merchant firms, but gradually it grew prosperous. Thanks to its good relations with the authorities and rumored connections in the capital, the leading merchant houses saw it as not overly ambitious or greedy, so they tolerated it. Medium-sized firms, seeing it approach them proactively, welcomed it even more. Over the years, Wuyue had established three spice shops and five cloth stores, and also held a share in dealing with foreign merchants. Thus, for the first time, the young clerks in Wuyue Spice Shop on Yuansheng Street saw their boss looking anxious and panicked.
Peng Shisan, who was being entertained with fine tea and snacks in the back room, didn’t bother to care about what was going on elsewhere. After interrogating such a despicable scoundrel with Zhang Yue, he was already full of anger. So when others attacked him, he didn’t hold back at all, finally venting some of his fury. Now, he paid no attention to whether anything was suspicious about the tea and snacks—eating what he wanted and drinking what he wanted—leaving Wu, the attendant sitting beside him, extremely uneasy.
Finally, he saw Lao An enter the room with Qiu Guoyong and hurriedly got up to greet them. In front of Peng Shisan, he didn’t dare say much, only admitting his mistake and offering to take responsibility. Yet, to his surprise, what he heard after bowing was a casual remark.
“Your matter can be dealt with later. Lao An, take him out!”

When all the casual onlookers had left, Qiu Guoyong couldn’t help but gaze at Peng Shisan before him with a complex expression. The three lords who had played key roles in the Jingnan Campaign—Qiu Fu, Zhu Neng, and Zhang Yu—were all close friends who had risked their lives together. Since Zhang Yu died in battle and was posthumously granted the title of duke, Zhang Fu did not inherit it; he was initially only made a marquis. It was only after his father Qiu Fu and Zhu Neng jointly petitioned that Zhang Fu and other young meritorious officials were gradually granted noble titles. Now, that man held the prestigious title of grand tutor and duke, while his own family could only live in obscurity in Hainan. Success and failure could indeed be so cruel. Peng Shisan used to be just one of Zhang Fu’s household soldiers, not even worthy of a seat in front of his father Qiu Fu, yet now he had to come and meet him personally.

“It’s been over a decade, and Brother Thirteen still looks magnificent. I heard you’ve been appointed as a hereditary military commander—congratulations!”

After observing for a while, Peng Shisan finally recognized this nobleman he had met before. He stood up and said, “Peng Shisan is but a humble servant. I dare not accept the title of ‘brother’ from you, second young master. Besides, any official title is a grace from the emperor. I, Peng Shisan, remain merely a soldier in the House of Ying.”

Though annoyed, Peng Shisan felt uneasy thinking that once this man was a duke while he was just a household soldier, and now it was the other party who had to show him deep respect. With a long sigh, he grew impatient to use such formal speech and decided to get straight to the point.

“Since you’ve met me, you should know what’s going on. I’m here by the lord’s orders. I don’t want to say anything else. I just want to ask: Even though the Qiu family has lost its duke title, they were once a prominent family. How could they produce such disloyal, unfilial, shameless scum? Do you know that in order to save his own life, he not only betrayed all your family’s plans but also handed over all the Qiu family’s secrets to the lord, claiming it would allow him to control the Qiu family from then on? Not only that, he’s even willing to sign a contract to become someone else’s slave, planning to change his surname to Zhang!”

The more Peng Shisan spoke, the angrier he became. Only when he saw Qiu Guoyong’s face turn purple did he reluctantly hold back the vulgar insults on the tip of his tongue. With a resentful tone, he said, “At that time, I couldn’t stand seeing that face, so I just slapped him a few times!”

“Good! Well done!”

At first, Qiu Guoyong was shocked, then furious, and finally disheartened; his clenched fists gradually relaxed. It wasn’t until he heard Peng Shisan’s words that he couldn’t help but blurt out those three words in agreement. At that moment, all thoughts of being the only son of his elder brother or of their blood relation vanished from his mind. All he knew was that the face the family had painstakingly maintained had been completely ruined by this selfish nephew. If possible, he would even kill him himself to wash away this shame.

Though angry, he still remembered Peng Shisan’s current status. After another long silence, he asked hesitantly, “Since Lord Zhang already knows everything, what does he intend to do?”

If it were up to him, Peng Shisan would naturally want to reveal everything about Amber. Yet, Zhang Yue’s words came to mind instantly. Indeed, Qiu Fu had been kind to Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo, but if it weren’t for Zhang Fu’s secret intervention after Qiu Fu’s defeat in the northern campaigns, the Qiu family would not have merely had their titles revoked and been exiled to Hainan—many of their assets would have been lost as well.

Human nature is evil. Though Qiu Guoyong hated Qiu Changxin deeply at that moment, if the head of the Qiu family learned Amber’s identity, he would surely cling to it tightly and even use it as leverage if dissatisfied.

So, following what Zhang Yue had instructed him beforehand, he spoke slowly, “Before leaving, my lord asked me to tell you that since the Qiu family has been exiled to Qiongzhou Prefecture, he hoped you would offer some assistance wherever possible. This matter concerns only Qin Huaijin and Qin Yi, father and son, and has nothing to do with the Qiu family. Do you understand, Second Young Master? There’s one more thing Lord Zhang asked me to convey to you: under these circumstances, the title of Duke of Qiguo can never be restored. If you want your entire family to return to the capital, you must focus on your descendants rather than seeking such a seemingly convenient shortcut! He may have been able to suppress this matter this time, but next time he might not be so lucky!”

By age, Zhang Yue was undoubtedly younger, but now he was the highest-ranking official in Guangdong Province. Qiu Guoyong had no choice but to listen, and he dared not ignore him. Moreover, when Zhang Yue mentioned his descendants, Qiu Guoyong felt a chill down his spine, along with an indescribable sadness and despair. If even one of his nephews or nieces were capable, why would he have to go through all this? Take his own generation—for example, he and his elder brother only realized the seriousness of the situation after the family’s misfortunes. Yet his younger brothers still relied on the family’s monthly allowance, unchanged. Among the younger generation, aside from Qiu Changtian and Qiu Changxin, at best they were honest and hardworking, but none of them stood out.

But the most important thing at the moment was Zhang Yue’s assurance that the Qiu family would not be punished, only that scoundrel within their family would be held accountable. Seeing Peng Shisan about to leave, he hurried after him, disregarding his reputation and dignity: “Brother Shisan, thank you for coming all this way to inform me. I… I have another request. Since Lord Zhang has taken up his post in Guangzhou, he surely intends to reopen the Maritime Trade Office. I promise that from now on, the Qiu family will never take such wrong paths again. Could you please intercede and ensure that the whole family has no worries about food and clothing?”
Peng Shisan had already reached out to pull back the curtain but stopped immediately upon hearing this. At first, he didn’t believe Zhang Yue’s claim of taking advantage of the situation, but now he had no choice but to. Just as the crisis had been resolved, the other party immediately dropped those requests for favor. What if they found out that the real culprit was a girl from the Qiu family, right by Zhang Yue’s side? Fortunately, he was facing away from them, so he didn’t have to worry about them seeing his changing expression.
“The Second Young Master’s Wuyue Trading Company is quite well-known in Guangzhou. Is that not enough?”
“Brother Shisan, the trading company has indeed prospered over the years. The Qiu family doesn’t need to engage in many social activities in Chengmai, so the expenses aren’t high. But the amount of silver sent to the nobles over the years has been substantial, and we now have little left. If Lord Zhang could be lenient, there are about thirteen or fourteen medium-sized companies in Guangzhou that are struggling to compete with the larger firms. If it can be of some use to Lord Zhang, I can persuade them to lend a hand. Though merchants are profit-driven, when used wisely, they can achieve great results. Whether it’s for education or pacification, where isn’t money needed?”