In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 741 Henan Councilor Li Zhigang's actions could lead to unforeseen changes.
The bustling activity at Zhuxian Town Port continued until dawn.

When the officials and laborers who arrived at the port to start work saw the sea of ​​people ahead...

I looked around blankly, wondering if I had come to the wrong place.

Why are there so many people at the port today?
Where did they all come from?

On the shore of the harbor, Ma Lingchuan leaned back in a wide chair.

His eyes were vacant as he stared at the boats on the river ahead.
His fingers tapped incessantly on the armrest of the seat, his mind heavy with worry.

In one night, a thousand people were mobilized.

The ships in the port were thoroughly inspected.
Aside from finding some scrap metal and smuggled goods, there was no other discovery.

Although I was mentally prepared for this long ago

But the reality is still disappointing.

Beside him, the tall and imposing Tang Jingye had a gloomy expression.

He held the long sword at his waist, feeling the same way as Ma Lingchuan.

But regardless, the facts are undeniable.
He is not in Zhuxian Town, at least not in Zhuxian Town today.

Just then, Song Yue walked up anxiously.

Not having slept all night had left him feeling rather unwell; his face was covered in oil.
But he forced himself to stay alert and said softly:

"My lord, it's almost Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
"You see, the dock is still closed. Shouldn't we let the laborers in to work first?"

Ma Lingchuan sighed deeply and suddenly stood up:

"Let the porters in, and bring all the merchant ships that were anchored outside into the harbor."
Merchant ships that underwent inspection yesterday should leave immediately and not linger.

Although Song Yue knew that this statement was somewhat unreasonable, he still nodded repeatedly in agreement:

"Yes, my lord."

"Walk."

Ma Lingchuan waved his sleeve, making a move to leave.

Tang Jingye, standing to the side, took a deep look at the ship before him.
He sighed softly and turned to leave as well.

But just as the group reached the entrance, a team of people was already waiting there.

The leader, dressed in a scarlet official robe, was over fifty years old.
Sitting on a bench, holding a teacup in his hand, he gently blew steam over the teacup with the lid.

Noticing the group's arrival, he raised his eyes.

He gave them a veiled and chilling glance, his voice rising and falling in a melodic, inflectional tone:

"Lord Ma, after a whole night of commotion, are you alright?"

When Ma Lingchuan saw this person, he stopped in his tracks and his face stiffened.

The leader was Wei Qiwen, the Left Assistant Administrator of the Henan Provincial Administration Commission and also the Grain Transport Commissioner of the Grand Canal Office.

He was responsible for overseeing the overall situation and supervising the collection of taxes and grain.

He himself was the Right Vice Minister, in charge of all matters related to the Grand Canal Transport Office.

Ma Lingchuan and this colleague had never gotten along, and he always spoke to him with barbs and sarcasm, showing no fear whatsoever.

But today, there was one person in the crowd ahead who made him extremely wary.
That was the person standing next to Wei Qiwen.
He looked to be in his thirties, but his complexion and exposed skin...
They were all as dark-skinned as fifty-year-old farmers, and at that moment they were staring intently at him.

He was Li Zhigang, the newly appointed Right Councilor of the Henan Provincial Administration Commission, who came from the capital!

Because the grain transport supervisors of the Grand Canal Administration were appointed by the Left and Right Councilors and the Left and Right Advisors respectively,
Therefore, the person in front of us also holds an official position in the Grand Canal Transport Office.

He was in charge of dredging the canal and overseeing the grain transport administration.
He was sent by the capital to handle the Yellow River breach.

Furthermore, Ma Lingchuan had even heard that...
The person in front of us is also in charge of the subsequent construction of dams and reservoirs, which has aroused great enthusiasm among the people.

Although his official rank was not high, only fourth grade...
But the identity of the "Imperial Envoy" made Ma Lingchuan extremely wary!
"Why aren't you saying anything, Lord Ma? Have you been busy all night and your voice is hoarse?"

Wei Qiwen's lips curled into a cold smile as he set the teacup aside.
He slowly stood up and walked over to Ma Lingchuan.

The two are about the same height, but Wei Qiwen appears more arrogant.

"Lord Ma, you have arbitrarily blocked the port and searched ships without consulting the Provincial Administration Commission and the Grand Canal Administration."
Who gave you the guts?
If word gets out, wouldn't the reputation of our Henan Grand Canal Transport Office be ruined?

Wei Qiwen's aged face suddenly contorted into a ferocious expression, and his voice rose, carrying an undeniable reprimand!
He stared intently at Ma Lingchuan, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

Although the person before me is of the same rank,
However, his official rank was below his, and he used his powerful connections to oppose him at every turn.

After waiting for ages, we've finally caught the wrong person!

Even, in order to deflate the arrogance of the person in front of them,
He did not rush to the scene immediately after receiving the news.

Instead, they went to fetch the "imperial envoy" from the capital.
Let's take a look at the outrageous behavior of the person in front of us.

Ma Lingchuan felt that his face was covered in spittle.
Looking around, he saw that more and more people had gathered, and the scene was deathly silent.
He felt as if countless eyes were piercing him, making his whole body burn!
Taking a deep breath, Ma Lingchuan said in a deep voice:
"Lord Wei, the Yellow River has breached its banks upstream, and the large number of merchant ships piled up at Zhuxian Town are silting up the river channel."
I believe it is appropriate to remove it promptly to clear the waterway.
If it rains again upstream, it will make room for the floodwaters and prevent Zhuxian Town from being submerged.

"Ah"

Wei Qiwen merely scoffed, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes:
"Lord Ma, what is the relationship between the rising water level upstream and the number of boats on small tributaries?"

Having worked in the canal transport office for so many years, surely you don't understand this principle?
Furthermore, there have been rumors circulating for the past few days that the upstream waters are about to rise, and Zhuxian Town will suffer.

Didn't I tell you that there was nothing to worry about?

Merchant ships can stay as long as they want. Don't kick them out after they've only been there for less than three days. That's not how you treat guests in the Central Plains.

But what about you? You just won't listen, causing a lot of complaints.

"We're all doing things for the court and the people, yet it's as if I, the official, am harming you."

With that huge accusation pinned on him, Ma Lingchuan's face immediately turned red.
He suddenly raised his head, ready to start a big argument with the person in front of him.
But Wei Qiwen raised his hand to stop him, pointing to Li Zhigang, who had dark skin, beside him:

"Lord Ma, if you don't believe me, surely you'll believe Lord Li from the Ministry of Works in the capital?"
He kept telling me that the weather in the city had been fine and sunny lately, and the water level was low.

There was no wind or rain, and no possibility of sudden flooding.

"I don't know where Lord Ma heard those rumors, but he insists on targeting these few merchant ships!"

Upon hearing this, both of their faces turned as black as charcoal.

Li Zhigang stood there woodenly to the side, cursing inwardly:

"That old scoundrel, no wonder he keeps asking so many questions, he was planning to use me as a pawn!"

Ma Lingchuan's face flushed red, unable to explain for a moment. After a long pause, he finally spoke in a strained voice:
"I am doing this to be on the safe side. If it doesn't rain today, does that mean it won't rain tomorrow?"

"safe?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wei Qiwen reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his whole body filled with disbelief:

"Lord Ma, since it's for the sake of caution..."

Could you please explain to me where these people in front of me came from?
"I recall that the Grand Canal Transport Office doesn't have this many people."

As he spoke, Wei Qiwen glanced at Tang Jingye, who had been standing there silently, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
He naturally knew who the person in front of him was.
Tang Jingye, who was in charge of repairing the Zhou Prince's Mansion and refused to leave Kaifeng,
What he feared even more was the person behind him.

The news that Marquis Tang Shengzong of Yan'an had left Liaodong and returned to the capital had spread like wildfire.
As a high-ranking official, Wei Qiwen was naturally aware of this matter.

However, what he wasn't sure about was...

Will he be given another important post upon returning to the capital, or will he simply retire and live out his days in peace?
After all, many marquises in the capital were like that; once they returned to the capital, they disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, Tang Jingye, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Wei, the man was lent to Lord Ma by me. What is there to doubt?"

Wei Qiwen's face stiffened; he had already experienced the rudeness of the person before him.
But it was still the same at this moment, which infuriated him!

Taking a deep breath, Wei Qiwen said in a deep voice:
"General Tang, you are stationed in Kaifeng."
Why are you not guarding the Zhou Prince's Mansion properly, but instead running to Zhuxian Town?
He's even getting involved with the Grand Canal transport department? Could it be that General Tang intends to abandon his military career and pursue a civil service position?

A shadow crossed Tang Jingye's eyes. He'd spent the entire night searching and hadn't even found the person.

To be ridiculed by a mere politician like this, a surge of anger welled up in his chest.

He stepped forward, about to unleash a torrent of curses.

But Ma Lingchuan quickly pulled him back, shaking his head with a serious expression.

At this point, Tang Jingye forcibly suppressed his anger and looked at Wei Qiwen:

"Lord Wei, I don't need you to teach me how to do things."

The upstream floods are severe. Concerned for the people of Zhuxian Town, I have specially dispatched troops to handle the flood.
If Lord Wei has any questions,
"Whether you report to the Commander-in-Chief or submit it to the Imperial Court, it's up to you. As for anything else, I don't have time to discuss it here."

Having said that, Tang Jingye waved his hand forcefully towards the "clerk" behind him:

"go!"

The group left in a grand procession, completely disregarding Wei Qiwen and his companions.
Wei Qiwen was so angry that his face turned red and his fists clenched!

Ma Lingchuan glanced at him, took a deep breath, and reminded him:

"Lord Wei, this matter concerns flood prevention and cannot be neglected."

"Too many merchant ships can't be allowed to accumulate in Zhuxian Town; they need to leave as soon as possible."

He looked at a middle-aged man standing next to Song Yue and said in a deep voice:

"Xiao Yi, you were on duty at the port during the day, weren't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, the ships inspected last night should leave their posts as soon as possible."

Let the new merchant ships in; continue boarding and inspections tonight!

"Yes!"

Xiao Yi agreed without hesitation, which drew an angry glare from Wei Qiwen, but he did not react at all.

Having done all this, Ma Lingchuan led his men away triumphantly.

The group was left looking at each other at the port entrance, the atmosphere extremely heavy.

Li Zhigang frowned as he watched what had just happened.
It is immediately apparent that the Henan Grand Canal Administration was divided into two distinct factions.
The two political advisors, one on the left and one on the right, are locked in a fierce battle.
This struggle has even extended to specific ports.

Just like Song Yue and Xiao Yi right now,

Song Yue, who was in charge of the evening, was clearly one of Wei Qiwen's men.
Xiao Yi, who was in charge of the daytime affairs, was from Malingchuan.
This scene broadened Li Zhigang's horizons. Although the Ministry of Works in the capital was also divided into two factions, fighting each other...

But in the capital, people still valued appearances.
The Minister and the Vice Minister of the Left maintained a harmonious and courteous relationship.

But here
Li Zhigang believed that if there hadn't been so many people around, the two would have cursed him out without hesitation.

The more Li Zhigang thought about it, the more serious his expression became.

He is now the Right Councilor of Henan, which is equivalent to a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.
Although his rank was promoted, his power and influence were greatly reduced.
Fortunately, he was in charge of the dam and the Yellow River flooding issues.
If you do this well, you can rise to the top in one step.
Once he returned to the capital, he would be no longer someone a mere minor doctor could compare to.

But the current situation makes him hesitant about building dams and controlling the Yellow River.
His initial enthusiasm for being transferred to another place was instantly shattered, and he became listless.

Wei Qiwen noticed the change in his expression, a thought flashing through his mind, and said softly:

"Lord Li, you're new to Henan and don't know much about it yet."

This Ma Lingchuan, relying on his powerful background...

He constantly opposed the official in the government office.
This prevented some water management strategies that could have been implemented from being carried out properly, causing unnecessary suffering to the people.

If this disturbance reaches the Provincial Administration Commission, you'll have to be my judge."

Li Zhigang gave an awkward smile and didn't respond.

In his opinion, the person next to him was no better.
They hurriedly brought him from the city to use as a tool, and it was already a matter of saving face that they didn't leave him immediately.

Seeing that he still wanted to speak, Li Zhigang quickly pointed to the port ahead and said in a deep voice:
How many merchant ships can Zhuxian Town Port dock in a day?

"Lord Li, although after governance, it is still far from comparable to the Song and Yuan dynasties."
But it can still accommodate over a hundred merchant ships.

If we were to be even more reckless and disregard the consequences, we could have around 150 ships docked.

"There are far fewer ships now. I only see about sixty or seventy."

Wei Qiwen sighed and shook his head helplessly:
"It was all that guy Ma Lingchuan's doing."

To prevent congestion at the port, he sent people to spread rumors that the floodwaters might spread further.

The merchant ships must leave within three days.

Lord Li, do you think these merchant ships will still dare to stay here after this news comes out?

"If there is flooding, it shouldn't affect the port of Zhuxian Town, at most the water level will rise a little," Li Zhigang asked doubtfully.

"Alas, those merchants don't care about that."
If there's danger or potential hazard, run for your life; this even reduces the amount of supplies you can buy.

This has caused many merchants in the port to complain and lodge complaints with me.

Li Zhigang nodded, acknowledging his statement.

Merchants are driven by profit and don't want to take any risks whatsoever.

However, the ensuing problems puzzled Li Zhigang even more.
"Lord Wei, what is Lord Ma's purpose in doing this?"

This question immediately stumped Wei Qiwen.

His eyes darted around, and he moved closer.
He pulled Li Zhigang away from the crowd and said in a voice that could only be heard by the two of them:
"I reckon this is just causing trouble for me and Lord Li."

Just think about it, Lord Li has just arrived in Henan with an imperial edict from the court.
This incident happened right after we started inspecting the river embankment.

They are clearly using the guise of 'flood prevention' to harass merchants and ordinary people.

If this matter is not stopped, Lord Li will bear the brunt of the blame.

"Shall I carry it?"

Li Zhigang raised an eyebrow, then laughed:

"Lord Wei, is the matter not that serious?"

Wei Qiwen, however, appeared confident and chuckled lightly:
"Sir, if merchants flee at the first sign of trouble, will the common people not follow suit?"

You and I both know that Lord Li was only inspecting the dikes, and it had nothing to do with these merchant ships.

But public opinion is a powerful force; some people are using flood prevention as a pretext to cause trouble.

"You, the newcomer, will most likely have to take the blame afterward."

Li Zhigang's face suddenly stiffened, and the smile on his lips froze.

He also figured out the key point.

His own foundation was still weak, and his involvement in the river repair project offended the existing powerful figures.

In Zhuxian Town and even Kaifeng, how much filth is being thrown at us?

A sudden sense of crisis made Li Zhigang's hair stand on end; it wasn't impossible.

But then, after a moment's thought, Li Zhigang looked at Wei Qiwen and frowned:
"Are these two putting on a show?"

Building dams and reservoirs has always been a lucrative and rewarding task, and now he's snatched it away himself.
Thinking about it that way, it is indeed possible.

Li Zhigang pursed his lips and said in a deep voice:
"Justice resides in the hearts of the people; Lord Wei is overthinking it."

Wei Qiwen was stunned, then slapped his thigh in frustration:

"Lord Li, what time is it? Why are you still talking about fairness?"
"The most important thing is for us to work together to get the port back to normal."

Li Zhigang gave an awkward smile and pondered carefully in his heart:

"I'll think about it some more."

Just as the two were whispering to each other,

On the Wanbao merchant ship, Chen Jingyi had already taken out the latest panopticon.
Staring blankly at the entrance to the port.
The two figures suddenly became enormous, and even their expressions could be roughly discerned.

He knew Li Zhigang very well; he had been there when the Yingtian Trading Company was being built in the capital.

He was in charge of the merchant guild's defenses, and he even secretly led a group to protect him.

Unexpectedly, I actually met him in Kaifeng.

Upon seeing him, Chen Jingyi frowned slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

After a moment's hesitation, he decisively gave the order:

"Stop the boat and dock at the shore; we'll leave again in the evening."

(End of this chapter)