Chapter 144 – Celebration

Although Xu Chun felt a little melancholic after seeing Xie Yi off, it wasn’t long before Sheng Changtian and Huo Shiduo returned victorious with good news. They had captured many bandits, all of whom were sent to the Prefectural Government Office for trial and punishment. The fragrant pigs and peacocks were separately entrusted to Dong Xian, who continued to escort them to the capital. As for the so-called spices, gems, and fine wines used as bait, they were all fakes and were scattered on the spot.

Xu Chun was delighted, especially since he had just been promoted. He was delighted and hosted a banquet in the back garden of the Board of Shipping Administration, and also arranged a feast for those who had participated in the bandit suppression, rewarding them with money and grape wine, promising to jointly submit a memorial with Governor Qin to commend everyone for their efforts.

This grape wine was a rare commodity, and Xu Chun distributed it all, reporting losses to his superiors. Huo Shiduo knew that it was a tribute item, which made him somewhat alarmed. Privately, he reminded Xu Chun, “Master Xu, this wine is ultimately a tribute. After reporting losses, privately gifting it to a few close acquaintances would have sufficed. To openly reward soldiers like this, there might be one or two loose-lipped individuals who could leak this information, leading to reports that you retained tribute items, which is a grave disrespect.”

Xu Chun smiled. “Don’t worry, Master. This grape wine has very troublesome storage requirements. After a few days, the taste changes. Sending it to the capital would require finding a place for careful preservation, and His Majesty doesn’t even enjoy drinking it. Ultimately, it would be given away anyway. There isn’t much left, and losses during bandit suppression are normal. If the flavor has faded, why would we send it in to bother His Majesty? Naturally, we should distribute it among everyone; it’s not a big deal.”

Huo Shiduo was a local, and he naturally knew about the discord between the people of the Supervisory Office and this newly arrived supervisor. He was concerned, but he saw Xu Chun leaning against a pavilion seat, his posture relaxed and leisurely. Instead of the jade cicada he wore daily at his waist, he now had a duck egg light green dragon ring, with an uneventful tablet hanging below, still carved with the four characters “Jade Pool Bright Scales.” The entire piece was exceptionally smooth and lustrous, complementing his azure official attire, making him appear even more elegant and distinguished.

Initially, Huo Shiduo thought that Xu Chun, having been promoted, might be overly elated and lost his sense of propriety. Now, however, observing his carefree demeanor, his eyes like spring water, and a smile often playing on his lips, it was clear that this wasn’t merely due to the joy of promotion. Rather, it stemmed from genuine inner happiness.

Influenced by his joyful mood, Huo Shiduo seemed to feel more relaxed as well. With a smile, he asked, “Why aren’t Supervisor Xu and Registrar Liu present at today’s banquet?”

Xu Chun replied casually, “Early this morning, Lord He of the Ministry of Justice summoned them from the Prefectural Government Office to inquire about some old cases.” As he said this, another thought occurred to him. “But General Huo’s reminder is indeed correct; we should send some gifts to Governor Qin and submit the memorial for commendations.” While speaking, he instructed Jiang Mei accordingly. Jiang Mei hurriedly agreed and went to write the memorial and prepare the gifts, which won’t be mentioned further.

Huo Shiduo hesitated, unsure whether to bring up his concerns at a time when everyone was celebrating their success.

At the Governor’s Mansion, Qin Jie received twenty jars of grape wine, ten fragrant pigs, and ten catties of pepper from the Supervisor’s residence, along with a draft memorial jointly proposing commendations for the successful suppression of bandits.

Qin Jie looked at the names listed on the memorial—Huo Shiduo and other members of the city guard, as well as Xu Chun’s cousin, Sheng Changtian, and other capable individuals. Specific details were provided about how many bandits each had captured alive and how many bandit leaders had been slain. All that was needed was for him to stamp his seal.

One of Qin Jie’s advisors said, “Master, this Supervisor Xu seems to misunderstand the situation. It was said that the credit for suppressing smuggling need not be reported immediately, yet he has now relied on the merits of maritime defense to obtain the rank of a fourth-grade Rangwei General. Clearly, he has distanced himself from you and secretly sought commendation. Now, he’s sending gifts and forcefully seeking commendation for his maternal family’s cousin. Is this not treating you with too little respect?”

“Is this General Huo of the city guard trying to turn his back on you and find a new powerful patron? Shouldn’t you teach him a lesson?”

“And what about his large-scale procurement of military supplies under the guise of raising funds for the Jinhai Defense Corps? We haven’t seen a single catty of military provisions. What does he mean by not informing you, showing no respect for our Defense Corps? In terms of investigations, shouldn’t we cooperate less with them? Going out to sea every day to catch thieves is exhausting for the brothers.”

Another advisor, thinking he had found a clever solution, suggested with a smile, “All the gifts he sent over are tributes. By doing this openly, wouldn’t he be trying to implicate you? Why not return the gifts and submit a memorial to impeach him for retaining tribute items? This would surely put him in a difficult position.”

Qin Jie’s expression was unreadable as he put the memorial for commendations aside. “Stamp it and submit it.”

The advisor was startled. “Master?”

Qin Jie replied, “The Ministry of Justice has dispatched someone to investigate the smuggling case—the private salt from Marquis Wu’an last time. Marquis Wu’an is likely to suffer misfortune.”

The advisor commented, “That’s also your achievement, Master.”

Qin Jie gave a cold laugh. “Have you forgotten? Marquis Wu’an has someone backing him, but it appears that this Supervisor Xu has support as well, which is why he’s acting so boldly.”

The advisor was confused. Qin Jie explained, “Yesterday, the imperial envoy He Zhiqiu of the Ministry of Justice came to Jin Harbor to investigate the smuggling case. Incidentally, he brought an imperial edict, promoting Xu Chun by one level. Then, the Imperial Guards sent a team to assist in the investigation. Guess who led the team?”

“The commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards, Fang Zixing. You don’t need me to tell you about his background. He’s favored by the Emperor. His elder brother, Marquis Wuying Fang Zijing, married a princess and recently assumed the position of governor-general of Zhe and Min provinces, overseeing military and administrative affairs in both regions.”

“And this Commander-in-Chief Fang didn’t go anywhere else upon arriving in Jinhai. He only went aboard Xu Chun’s ship for a night cruise before returning to the capital.”

Another advisor, who had remained silent, whispered, “I’ve just heard that Deputy Supervisor Xu and Registrar Liu of the Board of Shipping Administration were summoned to the Prefectural Government Office for questioning and haven’t been released since. Rumor has it that they were stripped of their official robes and hats in court and are now detained in the Prefectural Government Office.”

Qin Jie remarked indifferently, “I underestimated this Supervisor Xu. It seems that the Board of Shipping Administration was just a stepping stone, and the Rangwei General title was merely a foundation. With a military rank, in times of urgent military affairs, the court can mobilize him to lead military operations at any time. My position as governor is probably reserved for someone else, and I’m blocking their path. If I don’t understand the situation now, I’ll likely be kicked out.”

An advisor exclaimed in surprise, “Master, why say such things? You’re also a descendant of a noble family. Who can easily touch you?”

Qin Jie replied, “Consider Governor Lei Ming of Min Province, who returned to the capital to serve in the Ministry of War. If not for that, hmmm, finding a pretext to dismiss someone isn’t difficult, is it? The Emperor’s will is like a deep abyss, who dares to defy it?”

With a hint of sorrow and disillusionment, he continued, “Despite my years of hard work in Jinhai, I still can’t match someone who’s favored by the Emperor. From the beginning, with those two ironclad ships, it was clearly the Emperor’s intention. The Emperor wants to clean up maritime defense and open up sea routes. Establishing the governor-general of Zhe and Min provinces clearly indicates his intentions.”

“Regarding the achievements of his maternal family’s cousin, they must have been planned long ago as a means of advancement. Look at how many people Third Master Sheng brought to Jin Harbor. This was meticulously planned. How naive I was to think I could make use of them. Now, it seems that everything was part of a calculated strategy. At this point, I can only cooperate with him.”

The advisors looked at each other, trying to console him. “Master, it’s not as bad as it seems. Isn’t he still sending such lavish gifts? Maritime defense and smuggling still depend on you, and you’ve always supported him wholeheartedly.”

Seeing the advisors’ intentions, they quickly changed their tune, agreeing that Xu Chun was indeed in control. Qin Jie felt even more disheartened inwardly. He said, “He dared to send tribute items as gifts, clearly showing off his confidence. If I really submit a memorial to impeach him, I’ll end up like Deputy Supervisor Xu. I’ve heard that the two deputy supervisors were dissatisfied with him and gathered a group of maritime merchants to lodge complaints in the capital. Look at what happened as a result? Dong Xian’s trip to the capital will definitely be one-way. The issue of tribute items can be serious or trivial. But if anyone impeaches him, the Emperor can simply say that it was His Majesty’s gift, who dares to say anything more?”

At this moment, an advisor said, “Master, this is precisely the opportunity you’ve been waiting for years! Since this Master Xu arrived in Jin Harbor, you’ve provided him with personnel and clues. We’ve exerted great effort in maritime anti-smuggling! You haven’t competed for credit, and the city guard has been assisting him continuously. Now, as a meritorious general, you don’t have to be disheartened. Since he’s the Emperor’s man, could he possibly only be aiming for a small fourth-grade governor position? He’s a marquis’s heir, destined for a dukedom or a generalship. Can’t the Emperor see your contributions these past few days?”

The advisors suddenly realized the truth and began to comfort Qin Jie, praising his loyalty, diligence, and lack of greed for credit and profit, deeming him a rare good general.

Encouraged by their praise, Qin Jie almost forgot his initial intentions of tripping up Xu Chun. Feeling reassured, he believed that he was indeed like that. A smile appeared on his face, and he ordered, “Distribute the fine wine and fragrant pigs to the various battalions. Say that due to our successful maritime anti-smuggling efforts, these are rewards from the court. The military provisions are currently being organized by the Board of Shipping Administration and will soon be distributed on time. Everyone, please cheer up. Capture a few more smuggling ships, and we’ll have a prosperous New Year!”

Meanwhile, Xu Chun was unaware that Xie Yi’s casual moves had once again pacified Governor Qin. Instead, he joined forces with He Zhiqiu to thoroughly investigate the Board of Shipping Administration’s involvement in smuggling activities by the two deputy supervisors over the years. They confiscated their properties, causing a stir in Jin Harbor and spreading the news among the maritime merchants.

Upon hearing about this, Wright paid a visit, scheduling a joint trip to the capital with Xu Chun.

Xu Chun wasn’t surprised. He played with a light green jade seal that matched the color of the jade pendant on his waist. Xie Yi had commissioned a set of dragon-shaped pendants, uneventful tablets, seals, rings, rulers, and paperweights for him from the same material. These days, he casually handled them, feeling an increasing longing despite having just met. While conversing with Wright, his mind wandered, leaving the task of drafting regulations to Jiang Mei, Wright, and Sheng Changtian.

He then remembered something else and told Jiang Mei, “We should recruit more interpreters. With so many foreign envoys and maritime merchants coming these days, I feel like we’re short on talent.”

Jiang Mei laughed. “Master, you’ve only been here for a few months, yet you’re doing so many things. Take it slowly.”

Xu Chun replied, “Time waits for no one. Speaking of which, have any Southeast Asian barbarian envoys arrived? I’d like to meet them and gather intelligence on Japan and Silla. The people who came recently weren’t involved in military affairs and were completely oblivious.”

Jiang Mei responded, “A new group arrived yesterday and is staying at the Four Barbarians Hall arranged by the Board of Shipping Administration. They are Prince Nong Siji, envoy of the Guangyuan King of Barbarian State, bringing birthday gifts and tribute items.” “I noticed that Prince Nong wears a sword and is accompanied by warriors, so he should know something about military affairs.”

Xu Chun said, “Arrange for me to meet this Prince Nong then.” Recalling his previous journey to the South Seas, he added, “When I went to sea before, I saved a general from Barbarian Island. I wonder how Little General Ji is doing after returning home.”