Chapter 182 – Sea Fishing

In the thirty-fourth year of the Yuanhui era, the plaque of the “Imperially Constructed Myriad Nations University” gleamed under the rising morning sun.

The weather was still chilly in early spring, yet the snack shops in front of the city god temple had already opened. Amidst the steamy white fog emanating from the bun shops and wonton stalls, a group of young men clad in green scholar robes trudged past with various tools such as measuring rods, buckets, and iron hooks in hand, their faces weary. The stall owners skillfully beckoned them over, “Come have some piping hot wontons! Sesame and shrimp in the broth! Perfect after a night class!”

The young scholars couldn’t resist the enticing aroma. “At this hour, there’s probably nothing left at the cafeteria. Might as well eat out; it’s cheaper inside the school though.”

Some said, “I’m sick of the cafeteria food…”

Another added, “Be grateful. At home, I barely saw any meat throughout the year. Here, I gained ten pounds in a year, and I’ve grown taller too. All thanks to that free fish soup and egg flower soup every day.”

“It’s exhausting, this homework on observing tides. I should have never chosen astronomy.”

“The Naval Academy is the hardest to get into. Stop complaining; you’re here now. Astronomy it is. I heard that the Oceanography Department is the worst; they spend half the year at sea for practical training.”

“I originally came for the Command College…”

“What were you thinking? Didn’t you do your research? The Command College selects students from the other departments. Many of them are from the Jinhai Martial Arts School. They say plenty come from military families and get extra points. Children of soldiers can enter without exams.”

“Military families get five extra points, but not many make it into the Command College. Most can’t read and write, so they fail the exams. Most go to the Artisan Garden; they teach literacy and skills there. It’s a work-study program; you work and earn money… even I’d consider it. They say since room and board are provided, the wages basically go straight to supporting their families.”

Amidst their chatter, the boys suddenly fell silent. Laughter could be heard as a group of girls in purple-trimmed green scholar robes emerged from the city god temple and leisurely made their way towards the university gates.

The boys held their breath as they watched the girls enter, then commented, “Are those the female students from the Medical Hall? They love to burn incense at the city god temple before big exams.”

“No, the Medical Hall has apricot-white trim. Those must be from the newly established Translation Hall; it has a lot of female students. They learn foreign languages there; I heard there are many foreign teachers.”

“There are so many female students in the Medical Hall, Math Hall, and Drawing Hall. Now there’s also the Translation Hall. I heard Lord Xu was criticized again in court. They said it’s indecent for men and women to mix, having foreigners as teachers… ”

A senior student laughed. “Our school always has a few runaway brides or wives sent by their families every year. Last year, a female student suddenly died from illness, and her family caused a scene. Which time didn’t involve the authorities? We’re used to it.”

“Criticize all they want. Hasn’t Lord Xu been criticized enough? Two years ago, people died in the torpedo experiments. Their families were incited to block the school gate with corpses. Last year, rumors spread that a cargo ship sank in a storm. Thousands went to the Four Seas Silver House to cash in their bonds early. There were also rumors that Lord Xu was smuggling goods and embezzling public funds. I heard the emperor took notice, and even sent an imperial envoy to investigate. Which incident wasn’t more shocking than this?”

A freshman who hadn’t heard about these incidents before eagerly asked, “What happened then?”

The senior replied, “Everything turned out fine.”

The freshman wasn’t satisfied. “That’s it?”

The senior said, “If I told you everything, it would take a long time. Let’s head back to the dormitory; I’m exhausted. You can find out later; which incident wouldn’t take half an hour to explain? By the way, last year, weavers petitioned against Lord Xu, saying his textile factory deprived them of income and livelihood. In the end, Lord Xu resolved it by hiring all the weavers as female workers. If their families didn’t want their daughters working, they could arrange for a male relative to work in the factory instead. Our lord…” He extended his thumb. “He’s truly a hero.”

The freshman exclaimed, “I thought whatever Lord Xu did succeeded. So he faced so many issues. This time, criticizing him for indecency… will it just pass?”

The senior said, “Lady Wu Yinggong and Princess Hexun came personally to serve as female supervisors. During the spring semester, several princesses and duchesses from the imperial clan enrolled, and a new hall was created specifically for these noble daughters.”

The freshman was shocked. “Imperial clan females attending school? Did the emperor approve?”

The senior said, “Why wouldn’t he? Our school’s gate was inscribed by imperial brush. Besides, things are thriving in Jinhai Fort. The machinery bureau, textile factory, and grain separation factory are all up and running. It’s not an exaggeration to say they bring in a ton of gold daily. People fight over annual bond subscriptions, right? And they’re cultivating talents for the empire…”

Another freshman asked, “What’s the hall for those noble daughters called?”

The senior noticed the freshman’s longing expression and sneered. “It’s called the Four Arts Hall. Have you heard of the four arts of the study? Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They’re all refined arts, learned by ladies of high society. They invite scholars and Confucian masters from the Hanlin Academy to teach. It’s not our place to enter. If a man and woman have a secret affair here, they’ll be expelled immediately.”

The freshman said awkwardly, “I heard Doctor Guan Wanwan married Mr. Lu. That was a student marrying a teacher.”

The senior said, “Do you think she’s from here just because she’s a female doctor? She graduated from the Maritime School in Minzhou and came here to teach. They got married after that, with Lord Xu presiding over the wedding. It’s not allowed in school, but once you graduate, it’s fine. It’s to prevent people from coming here with improper intentions, seeking a golden marriage.”

He whispered, “Actually, this rule was added by imperial decree. Not long after the school opened, a noble girl from the capital enrolled. Her father and brother went to the Jingguo Duke’s Mansion to propose, claiming their daughter had feelings for Lord Xu. Unexpectedly, Lord Xu denied it outright. The two families took their dispute to the emperor. The opposing side insisted Lord Xu intentionally seduced their daughter and abandoned her afterwards. However, Lord Xu firmly refused to acknowledge it.”

The freshmen were intrigued. “What happened then?”

One of them said, “How could a woman’s reputation be dragged through the courts? Besides, in general, such cases favor the woman, especially when she’s a noble. The man doesn’t suffer much loss.”

The senior said, “The emperor is wise. He said it concerns the morals of the new school and cannot be taken lightly. He ordered the Dali Temple to handle the case. After several days of investigation, they found evidence that Lord Xu rarely met with this noble girl. Every time he met her, other teachers and students were present. That settled the matter. The influential family lost face and withdrew their daughter from school, marrying her off far away. Some people felt Lord Xu was too cold and heartless, ruining the girl’s life. It could have been a beautiful story.”

“But since then, a rule was added to the school: the school is a place for learning and honing skills, not for matchmaking. If a secret relationship between a man and a woman is discovered, they’ll both be expelled to maintain proper morals. Since then, Lord Xu has rarely visited the school. He says he’s busy, but occasionally shows up at the beginning of each spring semester. He never privately meets female students anymore.”

The senior looked regretful, while the freshmen were surprised. “Lord Xu is still unmarried?”

The senior said, “Isn’t that right? With his achievements and wealth, which maiden doesn’t have her eyes on him?” As they spoke, a series of hurried horse hooves sounded. They all stopped talking and looked towards the source of the noise. A group of guards from the City Defense Camp rode past on horseback, their long guns slung on their backs and long swords hanging from their waists. Their leather boots shone brightly, and the people gave way.

Someone envied them. “The City Defense Camp is so imposing. Where are they going? Could they be investigating smuggling again?”

“How could there still be smuggling? The river and sea here are clear. I vaguely heard that His Majesty is coming to review the troops in Jinhai Fort.”

Everyone perked up, even the boss cooking wontons glanced over. The student with good information felt proud. “Jinhai Fort has been rigorously training the troops recently. Whether it’s the Navy Camp, Land Army Camp, Artillery Camp, or Musketeer Camp, they’ve all tightened military discipline and appearance. They’ve issued brand new uniforms. The warships have been practicing formations at sea these days.”

“Moreover, the city walls and roads outside are being repaired. Besides drilling the troops and repairing the city walls, the dockyards, machinery factories, and textile factories are being renovated. The eight gun batteries have been repainted with new letters. Rumor has it that the emperor is coming to inspect the coastal defenses.”

Everyone was envious and eager. “I wonder if we’ll get to see His Majesty.”

“The others are uncertain, but Lord Xu will definitely meet the emperor.”

Meanwhile, Xu Chun, the Lord of Linhai, wore casual clothes and a hat, lazily leaning by the riverside near the port. He held a long fishing rod and a wooden bucket, appearing relaxed and engrossed in fishing. Behind him in different directions, inconspicuous guards waited. They appeared in civilian clothes at first glance, but under their hats, their eyes were alert.

The sea mist was thick and white, and the dawn light faintly revealed a crimson sun slowly rising over the sea.

Xu Chun pressed down his hat, his eyes squinting as if he was getting sleepy. He placed the fishing rod on a stand and leaned back on the reclining chair, yawning widely and closing his eyes.

As the sound of hooves approached, he didn’t open his eyes. He knew that if it was an unexpected visitor, the Fengxiang Guards would intercept them far away, preventing them from reaching him.

Indeed, the hooves reached him, and Huo Shiduo dismounted, somewhat speechless at his lazy appearance. “Lord Xu, the date for His Majesty’s grand inspection is drawing near. Why are you still so relaxed? These days, we’re all so busy we barely touch the ground. Only you still come fishing every day. Aren’t you worried something might go wrong during the emperor’s inspection of the coast?”

Xu Chun opened his eyes and smiled. “With you around, I naturally sit idly by the fishing platform. What’s there to rush?”

Huo Shiduo said, “Poor Third Master Sheng trains formations at sea every day. What’s so good about fishing? You come fishing before dawn every day. Can’t you just ask someone to deliver whatever you want to eat?”

Xu Chun chuckled. “Brother Huo, what’s the urgent matter?”

Huo Shiduo said, “We seized a ship at the port. There were some contraband goods on board. According to regulations, we should confiscate and detain them, but the captain was a eunuch. He insisted he was a disciple of Eunuch Su Huaibai, someone named Qi’an. He threatened that if we dared to detain their ship, they would make us pay dearly.”

Xu Chun laughed. “I thought it was something else. Handle it as usual. If there are imposters pretending to be eunuchs, tie them up and send them to the yamen. Let the authorities send them back to the capital for punishment.”

Huo Shiduo was taken aback. “Aren’t you afraid that might actually be Eunuch Su Huaibai’s cargo? He’s the chief eunuch beside the emperor. Even though you’re favored by the emperor, you should still be wary of the people close to him.”

Xu Chun said, “Don’t worry. In the past, Eunuch Su Huaibai was in charge of the Jinhai Customs Office. Back then, he didn’t smuggle. Now that I’m in charge, he’s smuggling? There’s no such logic in the world. They must be impostors. Bind them and examine their bodies. If they’re not eunuchs impersonating an imperial official, their punishment will be doubled. If they are eunuchs, leaving the capital without an imperial decree, local officials can directly arrest and punish them. Kill them if necessary. Rest assured in handling it.”

Huo Shiduo realized it made sense and laughed. “You’re more meticulous. I forgot that there used to be a resident eunuch at the customs office. I also forgot about Eunuch Su’s absence back then.”

Xu Chun said, “You’re panicking because you heard the imperial carriage is coming. Don’t panic. We’ve done everything excellently. The emperor will surely be pleased.” He looked at the coast nearby, where several foreigners walked along the beach, holding fishing rods as if they were also fishing.

Huo Shiduo noticed his gaze and looked over as well, but didn’t think much of it. Foreign merchants were abundant in Jinhai Fort due to the flourishing maritime trade. It was normal to see foreigners here since it was a popular spot for fishing and sightseeing.

However, Xu Chun turned and instructed, “Reel them in.”

As soon as he spoke, numerous agile figures pounced on the foreigners’ location. The foreigners were startled and pulled out guns from their waists.

Huo Shiduo was initially surprised, but when he saw the foreigners pull out guns, he was also shocked. He quickly shielded Xu Chun. Indeed, Dinghai and Chunxi appeared on both sides, blocking the front while shouting, “Hand over the guns! Tie them up! Don’t alarm anyone!”

In no time, the agile guards rushed forward and swiftly confiscated the guns, gagged the foreigners, bound their hands and feet, and hooded them. Someone led horses over, hanging the bags containing the captives on the horses and taking them away. In a moment, the coast was quiet again, with seagulls flying over the sea and waves crashing rhythmically.

Huo Shiduo was speechless.

Xu Chun clapped his hands. “Let’s go back. I caught a few fish. Have them cook fish soup; we’ll have breakfast together.”

Huo Shiduo was bewildered. “What’s this about? Catching these foreigners will surely lead to their embassy sending representatives to negotiate.”

Xu Chun said, “They are measuring water levels and setting buoys at this river mouth every day, harboring ulterior motives. Of course, we need to catch them and find out what they’re up to.”

Huo Shiduo was speechless. “You’ve been coming to fish these past few days for this?”

Xu Chun smiled. “I noticed their suspicious behavior a few days ago when I came fishing. I decided to come for a few days, and sure enough, they showed up every day. Naturally, I had to reel them in to see what they were planning.”