Chapter 198: The Merchant’s Desire

Someone tied a knot, and this time, they tied his legs in it.

If they don’t find the person lurking in the shadows, next time, the knot might be tied around his neck, tightening slowly until he suffocate!

“Do you think, among the vassal kings, who have the ambition?”

Zhu Yunwen’s voice was low and filled with a killing intent.

Tang Buping stared wide-eyed and quickly knelt down, not daring to speak.

Who would dare to say such a thing?

Not to mention not knowing, even if they did know, they wouldn’t dare to say it directly. Without taking a roundabout approach, speaking out would be seeking death – a charge of inciting discord in the royal family is enough to send one to serve the Taizu.

Zhu Yunwen suddenly remembered something, picked up a memorial from the desk, and said, “Zhang Xianzong encountered an old boatman in Lin’an who spoke of the Yellow River’s diversion to the Huai River in the 24th year of Hongwu, claiming that although it was a natural disaster, it was also caused by human actions, even mentioning King of Zhou.”

Tang Buping’s heart trembled.

King of Zhou?

Isn’t he in Kaifeng, Henan?

Even with his long reach, he couldn’t extend it nine hundred miles away to Fengyang Prefecture in Dingyuan.

Zhu Yunwen also found it hard to understand, but from the current perspective, among the vassal kings, who had ambition and real power?

The most dangerous Zhu Di had already submitted, and without actual military power, even if he made some moves, he couldn’t escape the Security Bureau’s watch. Besides Zhu Di, the most capable was King of Ning, Zhu Quan.

But he was in Da Ning, in the far northeast, so it was impossible for him to stir up trouble in Fengyang Prefecture.

In terms of proximity and capability, only the King of Zhou Zhu Su and the King of Qi Zhu Fu remained.

Zhu Fu had a history of guarding the border, took pride in his military prowess, was violent in nature, and often beat his servants. He was a typical violent maniac. Zhu Yuanzhang had reprimanded him several times. After Zhu Yunwen ascended to the throne, Zhu Fu had been relatively honest.

However, Zhu Yunwen felt that as a rough person, Zhu Fu could be relied on for a fair fight, but if it came to scheming, it would probably become a well-known overt conspiracy.

The art of conspiracy, although easy to enter, is difficult to excel in.

Who would engage in conspiracy?

Zhu Di would!

But would his younger brother?

Zhu Yunwen didn’t know if Zhu Di taught his brother any tricks while they were playing with mud…

From the current perspective, someone mentioned Zhu Su in relation to the Yellow River’s diversion to the Huai River, and court-style weapons appeared in Dingyuan. Although Zhu Su seemed honest and focused on medical studies, when honest people started to rebel, it was really dangerous.

“All of you can’t just stay in Dingyuan; all of you also need to go to Kaifeng.”

Zhu Yunwen didn’t know whether Zhu Su was related to the White Lotus sect, but adhering to the principle of “reporting is accepting,” he instructed Yu Xin to investigate the cause of the Yellow River’s diversion to the Huai River in the 24th year of Hongwu.

“Tang Buping, since Xiong Wucheng has requested merits for you, saying your martial skills are extraordinary, I will give you another task. If you complete it, you will be promoted to Vice Commander.”

Zhu Yunwen looked at Tang Buping seriously.

“Your Majesty’s command, I shall not hesitate to die!”

Tang Buping was overjoyed and replied loudly.

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and arranged, “I hope you enter Kaifeng and investigate whether the King of Zhou residence is related to the White Lotus sect. But remember, your team can only investigate secretly, not reveal themselves. Except for Xue Xia and the people you bring, no one should know you’re in Kaifeng.”

Tang Buping looked at Zhu Yunwen in surprise and promised, “I will not reveal my identity!”

Zhu Yunwen, with his hands behind his back, looked thoughtful and worried, “Xue Xia going to Kaifeng will surely attract attention with his identity. He can only restrain openly, while you are responsible for the secret investigation. I want to know the situation of the White Lotus sect inside and outside of Kaifeng, understand?”

“Understood!”

Tang Buping responded solemnly.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand, letting him stand up, and instructed, “Go find Xue Xia and plan this matter. After I draft the edict for Yu Xin, you can return to Dingyuan.”

Tang Buping bowed and exited the hall.

Zhu Yunwen carefully reviewed Yu Xin’s memorial several times, called Shuangxi, and said, “Take this memorial, submit it to the grand secretariat for review, and send a copy to the Hanlin Academy to come up with a program.”

Just as Shuangxi was about to leave, Zhu Yunwen called him back, “Tell Xie Jin, although the prince is young, he still needs to be educated. I am unable to do it all, so let him draft a list of names to enter the Eastern Palace as the prince’s teachers.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Shuangxi left with a smile.

Taicang Prefecture, Liu Jia port.

“Unfurl the sail, set sail!”

Shouts echoed one after another.

Shen Yiyuan stood on the Ship, watching the distant fleet, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.

The sea!

I, Shen Yiyuan, can finally go to sea, sail to the South Seas!

On the ship, skilled soldiers acted as sailors and guards, with fully armed warships guarding the perimeter, ensuring absolute safety.

However, the companions who came with me are really suffering. Out of the thirty companions, less than half of them can still stand.

Seasickness is a big problem. According to the soldiers, it gets better with time. But from Nanjing to Liu Jia port, with stops along the way, it’s been seven or eight days of seasickness. If it weren’t for the high pay, they would have gone back home by now.

Another person vomiting…

Shen Yiyuan shook his head slightly, stood by the ship’s side, and watched the increasingly distant coastline, his eyes filled with longing.

“Hey, Brother Shen, come over for a drink? We have important matters to discuss.”

Standing on the deck of the ship opposite were the salt merchant Huang Facai and the pawnshop owner Wu Tang.

Shen Yiyuan responded with a hearty smile, calling out loudly, “We’ve just set sail, and you’re already drinking? You know, it’s a long journey ahead. Aren’t you afraid I’ll drink all your wine?”

“Haha, as long as you come, there’ll be enough.”

Huang Facai gestured with his hand.

Shen Yiyuan agreed and turned to switch to a smaller boat, but unexpectedly bumped into one of the companions.

“Are you alright?”

Shen Yiyuan quickly asked, looking at the companion who had fallen.

These people were following him on this adventure; he couldn’t afford any accidents.

“I’m fine, ugh…”

The companion avoided Shen Yiyuan’s gaze and started vomiting again.

Shen Yiyuan nodded slightly, not thinking much of it, and prepared to disembark. Suddenly, he realized something and turned back to look, only to see that the companion’s figure seemed very familiar, even the voice just now was a bit strange.

“Who are you?”

Shen Yiyuan walked behind the companion and asked in a deep voice.

“Ah?”

The companion turned around sharply, glanced at Shen Yiyuan, and quickly turned away.

“Run, Runniang?!”

Shen Yiyuan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Runniang disguised as a man, almost thinking he was dreaming.

“You, how did you get here!” Shen Yiyuan was panicked and quickly turned to shout, “Captain Wang, turn around, back to the port!”

Captain Wang was the captain of the ship under Shen Yiyuan’s feet.

Captain Wang, who was steering, glanced back at Shen Yiyuan and pointed to the unfurled sails, saying, “If we return to port, we’ll lose track of the fleet. Think it through before you decide.”

“I’m not going back!”

Runniang shouted determinedly.

Shen Yiyuan yelled angrily, “You’re being reckless! The sea is so dangerous, is it a place for a woman like you to be? I’ll have someone send you back in a small boat!”

“It’s precisely because it’s dangerous that I’m here!”

Runniang bit her lip.

“You do this, what about the child? I’ve indulged you enough on normal days, but now you do something like this. If something goes wrong, how can I explain it to the old master?! Get off the ship!”

Shen Yiyuan was both angry and worried.

Runniang shook her head slightly, stubbornly saying, “I’ve already arranged for someone to take the child back to Wuyuan and sent a letter to the old master. I’m here because I’m afraid you won’t find your way home. At least then, I can be with you if we get lost.”

Shen Yiyuan looked at his pale-faced wife, then at the sea, and said helplessly, “After we reach Yangjiang in Guangdong, get off the ship. I’m going to Nanyang. You wait there. This is my final bottom line. If you continue to be reckless, I’d rather not go to sea than let you take such a risk.”

Runniang didn’t agree or object, but simply turned around, holding the ship’s rail, and looked out at the sea, saying, “This is my first time at sea. The sea is so vast, seemingly endless.”

“There will be an end.”

Shen Yiyuan walked over, gently embracing Runniang, and sighed, “Well, let’s indulge your whims this once. Let’s go, we’re off to the feast.”

“I won’t go, how can I meet people like this?”

“Just like this, so they won’t be jealous.”

Shen Yiyuan pulled Runniang, crossed over on a small boat, climbed the rope ladder, and boarded Huang Facai’s ship. After getting on board, Runniang’s hands were somewhat weak, as climbing the rope ladder wasn’t an easy task.

“I never expected that sister-in-law would also come, haha, my apologies, my apologies.”

Huang Facai laughed heartily.

In the Ming Dynasty, there was no notion that women couldn’t board ships.

In the historical accounts of Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas, there were quite a number of women on board, although most of them were middle-aged women responsible for cooking, laundry, cleaning, and yes, even midwifery – assisting in childbirth…

It should be noted that these midwives were not prepared for the crew of the Ming fleet, but rather for the countries in the Western Seas, intended to showcase the childbirth techniques of the Ming Dynasty…

Crew members would not bring their families on voyages, but merchants had no such concerns. They could bring whoever they wanted.

Seeing the lavish banquet prepared by Huang Facai, Shen Yiyuan couldn’t help but ask, “Are we expecting more guests?”

Wu Tang nodded slightly and said, “All thirty-six families have been invited.”

“Such a large gathering?”

Shen Yiyuan was somewhat surprised.

Huang Facai nodded slightly and said, “There is an important matter that needs to be discussed collectively.”

Shen Yiyuan waited quietly.

In less than half an hour, the managers from other ships also arrived one after another.

On this voyage to Nanyang, twenty merchants were personally on board, while the remaining sixteen, due to health or business reasons, had to appoint their most capable sons, nephews, or managers to take full responsibility.

Once everyone was present, Huang Facai raised his glass and said, “Gentlemen, I have invited you here today because there is an important matter to discuss. You must have heard at Liu Jia port about the flooding in Huaiyuan under Fengyang Prefecture. The disaster has affected many people, and the court has used the grain reserves of the capital, appointing grand secretary to personally oversee the relief efforts.”

Everyone nodded; this matter was of national concern.

Huang Facai sighed and continued, “We merchants have always been regarded as lowly. However, since the new Emperor ascended the throne, he has broken many shackles and promoted new policies for commerce. First, we saw King of Liao and King of Min engage in commerce, followed by King of Dai, Zhu Gui, appraising black gold. Now, as we accompany the envoys to Nanyang, we are pioneers in foreign trade. But as you all know, the court officials have not yet accepted us.”

Wang Zhongfu and others shook their heads and sighed. Huang Facai’s words were true.

Whether it was the court officials or local magistrates, they often looked down upon merchants, relegating them to the abyss with the phrase “not engaged in production, yet seeking huge profits,” struggling for thousands of years without gaining any respect.

Huang Facai looked at everyone and said solemnly, “After much consideration, I believe that the court’s suppression and disdain for merchants, aside from our lack of engagement in production and constant movement, is mainly because we have not brought benefits to the court or to this great Ming empire. Now there is an opportunity for us to change the court’s attitude. However, I don’t know if everyone is willing to work together to achieve this.”

“Brother Huang, just say it. If it can get the court to loosen our restriction, it’s worth paying a price.”

Qin Heng said.

Huang Facai looked at everyone and slowly said, “In Nanyang, places like Srivijaya have triple-cropping rice, with food piled up like mountains. If we use half of our ships’ capacity to carry grain and supply it to the court upon our return, what would the officials think? What would the Emperor think? What would the people think? Only by changing the world’s view can we trade across the four seas!”