In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 775 Sacrificing the pawn to save the king, a beautiful woman's tender embrace

Seeing that Mao Xiang was unyielding, Liu Sili was furious, but dared not lash out.

At this point, a direct confrontation with the Embroidered Uniform Guard would only make things worse.

He suppressed his anger and spoke again:
"Lord Mao, Yingtian Trading Company bears a heavy responsibility and is trusted by the palace."

If this matter is not handled properly, it may cause unnecessary trouble. I hope you will think carefully before acting.

Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Mao Xiang's eyes:
"Lord Liu, are you threatening me?"

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I only obey the Emperor's orders. Why should I fear threats from others?

"I will investigate today's events thoroughly, and no one will be allowed to stop me."

The two sides were at a stalemate and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

The surrounding crowd quieted down, their eyes wide as they watched the contest unfold before them.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Everyone turned to look, and saw a group of people galloping towards them. The leader was also dressed in a scarlet robe and was an old man who was nearly fifty years old.

His eyes were bright and piercing, exuding an air of authority.

Many people with connections recognized him and were taken aback.

Qin Kui reined in his horse, dismounted, and led the officials from the Ministry of Works to the front of the crowd.

He glanced at Liu Zixian, who was tied up to the side, and then at the mountain of smuggled goods, and he already understood a few things.

He said to Mao Xiang:
"Lord Mao, what has happened?"

Upon seeing that it was Qin Kui, Mao Xiang's pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Lord Qin. This humble official is here to thoroughly investigate smuggling and is currently verifying the facts."

Qin Kui nodded and looked at Liu Sili:

"Lord Liu, is this true?"

Seeing Qin Kui arrive, Liu Sili felt somewhat relieved and quickly said:
"Lord Qin, there must be a misunderstanding."

Yingtian Trading Company makes a fortune every day, so why would they engage in smuggling?

We urge Lord Qin to uphold justice for the merchant guild.

Qin Kui pondered for a moment and said:

"Lord Mao, this matter is of great importance and should not be handled hastily."

It would be better to seal up the smuggled goods first.

Let's conduct further investigation before making a conclusion, shall we?

Mao Xiang frowned, somewhat displeased.

However, given Qin Kui's special status, he couldn't directly refuse.

After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Lord Qin, the quantity of smuggled goods seized this time is enormous, truly astonishing."

"Why don't we summon officials from the capital and the Ministry of Justice now to record this, so we can avoid any misunderstandings later?"

Qin Kui glanced at Mao Xiang indifferently, placed his hands on his lower abdomen, and his voice turned colder:
"Lord Mao, leave a way out for others, so you can meet again in the future."

As a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard
You should know the importance of Yingtian Trading Company.

If you're going to keep pressing this issue, be prepared.

Having said that, Mao Xiang, instead of showing any concern, looked around indifferently and shouted:
"Take all the smuggled goods off the ship and impound it!"

No one is allowed to leave until the matter is fully investigated!

Qin Kui's face suddenly turned extremely ugly:

"Mao Xiang!"

"Lord Qin, I was just following the rules, please forgive me."

"Men, cordon off the scene and interrogate Liu Zixian on the spot!"

Having said that, Mao Xiang suddenly turned around.
He strode toward the pavilion where the two had been, his mind made up.

Qin Kui watched his retreating figure, his face thoughtful, his brows furrowed.

He now suspects that there is a deeper meaning behind today's events.

Otherwise, why would they investigate Yingtian Trading Company at such a crucial moment, and why would Mao Xiang be so fearless?

Is it
Qin Kui was startled, thinking of the widely rumored Market Exchange Bureau.
Could it be that the palace is dissatisfied with the share that various government departments occupy in the Yingtian Trading Company?

That's why the Embroidered Uniform Guard took action at such a crucial juncture.

The more Qin Kui thought about it, the more likely it seemed; otherwise, Mao Xiang wouldn't have dared to seize Yingtian Trading Company's ship.

As the Imperial Guards occupied the entrance, the entire section of the dock was shut down.

Qin Kui was also getting further and further away from the location where the goods were piled up.
But in his eyes, the goods did not decrease at all; on the contrary, they piled up more and more!
Taking a deep breath, Qin Kui looked at Liu Sili, whose face was equally pale, and said:
"Lord Liu, let's talk somewhere else."

The two went to a corner.
Qin Kui spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"Lord Liu, tell me honestly, do you know anything about these goods?"

Liu Sili frowned, his expression shifting several times before finally letting out a heavy sigh and saying in a deep voice:
"Lord Qin, I have heard of you before."

However, no clues were found during several investigations, so the matter was dropped.

I originally thought they were just using merchant ships to smuggle some goods.
This is commonplace in canal and river transport, but I never imagined it would include items from Liaodong.”

"Liaodong? What's Liaodong?"

Qin Kui frowned deeply.
The misuse of public vessels for private purposes was a practice almost universally tacitly accepted by the entire canal transport government.

He wasn't dwelling on such matters; what he was concerned about was how it had become associated with Liaodong.

"Some herbs, fur."

Liu Sili seemed to have lost all his strength as he spoke, and let out a long sigh:

"Although no spices were found, the managers I brought are all seasoned merchants."

I smelled some spices, so I guessed the horse hadn't been opened yet, and was being kept as a backup.

"what?"

Qin Kui frowned deeply, his expression extremely serious.

If spices are found,
Things will never end well.

He also understood why Mao Xiang was so assertive.

When it came to the maritime ban, the imperial court did not hesitate against anyone.
Anyone who tries to interfere in maritime trade and seize money from the imperial court can be killed, even if they are a nobleman.

"Who is Liu Zixian?"

How could they be so audacious?

Qin Kui glared angrily and rebuked him.

"He is my nephew."
When I first arrived in the capital, I was besieged on all sides.
So they thought of finding some family members to help out, and since he happened to be traveling in Yangzhou at the time, they arranged for him to work in the business.

Liu Sili replied.

"Foolish!!"

Qin Kui angrily rebuked,
"How could we entrust such a dangerous matter to our relatives? Now look what's happened, we can't even get rid of this trouble!"

Liu Sili was now filled with regret and shook his head repeatedly:
"My lord, it's too late to say all this now."

What should we do?

"How to do?"

Qin Kui's eyes narrowed, his breathing heavy. "You made this mess of your own business, so you have to deal with it yourself."

I only have one piece of advice for you: Mao Xiang chose to launch his attack at this time because he was certain that the matter in Liaodong was not yet resolved.

If he were to implicate Mei Ni...
You can't even save yourself!

Liu Sili's hands trembled slightly.

They were clearly aware of the seriousness of the situation.

If he were to be charged with colluding with rebels, he would also be implicated. Even if his life was not in danger, his career would be over.

"Lord Qin, may I ask... is there any way to remedy this?"
"I've only been in the capital for less than a year, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the place and its people. Even if I wanted to make a move, I have no connections."

Liu Sili pleaded.

Qin Kui glanced at him, sighed helplessly, and said in a deep voice:
"You should give up on that nephew of yours as soon as possible."

The business must investigate his crimes, and no one implicated with him should be let off the hook.

Furthermore, we must prioritize the greater good over the lesser good. Smuggling is permissible, but maritime smuggling is not!

"Does Lord Liu understand what I mean?"

Liu Sili only considered it briefly.

Then you'll understand the key point.

Goods can be transported from Beiping, or even from Liaodong, but they absolutely cannot be transported from Southeast Asia!
But the strong aroma of spices almost blocked my nose.

If it weren't from Southeast Asia, who would believe it?
"Lord Qin, this matter cannot be concealed."

Liu Sili said with a worried look on his face.

"We have to keep it a secret even if we can't hide it!"
Your damn nephew
How greedy must he be to use such a large merchant ship for smuggling? Is he trying to avoid attracting attention?

Qin Kui's expression suddenly turned ferocious, and he spoke in a vicious tone.

His biggest worry now is that the Market and Commerce Bureau will take this opportunity to legitimately interfere in the affairs of the Yingtian Trading Company, and then extend its reach into various government departments. And his Ministry of Works happens to be the department with the most trading companies and workshops, spread throughout the Ming Dynasty.

Without these trading companies and workshops, the Ministry of Works would not need to operate.
Liu Sili was somewhat flustered, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

He suddenly remembered something and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Qin, how could he possibly smuggle spices from Southeast Asia by himself? There must be someone else behind him."

"Wouldn't it be much safer if we could find these people?"

Qin Kui calmed down and said indifferently:
There are two sides to every story.

If the palace wants to investigate further, wouldn't finding the person help the palace solve the case?

If the palace doesn't want to investigate further, finding the person might help you avoid this trouble.

Think about it carefully. Mao Xiang wasn't a reckless person; he must have had a reason for doing this. Let's find out what happened first.

Liu Sili nodded repeatedly:

"Yes, yes, Lord Qin is right. I will order someone to investigate immediately."

The two managers of the business left without stopping.

The two were just outside the human wall.

Watching the Imperial Guards move the goods box by box.

The sky quickly became completely dark.
Only the torches provided light, illuminating Mao Xiang's face, which flickered between light and shadow.

He sat in the shade, looking at the goods in front of him, a sinister glint in his eyes.
Just then, Qian Xinghuai, a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rushed off the merchant ship, covered in sweat, his face extremely solemn.

He approached Mao Xiang, bent down slightly, and whispered:
"My lord, we have discovered more than a dozen Koreans, both men and women, in the lowest cabin of the Hengsha merchant ship. They are all extremely handsome."

Upon hearing the news, even Mao Xiang was stunned, looking at Qian Xinghuai with some suspicion:

"What did you say?"

Qian Xinghuai repeated it again.
Mao Xiang then confirmed that the news was true.

He leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently.
After a few pauses, he spoke in a deep voice:
"Get rid of it, don't make a fuss."

Qian Xinghuai froze, blinking blankly, wondering if he had misheard:

"My lord, there are these Koreans here..."
This would convict the Yingtian Trading Company of its crimes.

"I told you to dispose of it quietly, leave no trace, and there were no Koreans on board."

Mao Xiang emphasized it again,
His eyes held a strong sense of absurdity, while his heart held a hint of secret joy.

Fortunately, not only did he have incompetent allies by his side, but the enemy had even more under his command.

Mao Xiang simply couldn't understand what kind of fool would go to such lengths to bring Koreans here.

Are these dozen or so people more valuable than a box of spices?

"Yes"

Seeing the adults' expressions change repeatedly, Qian Xinghuai didn't understand, but even if he didn't understand, he still had to carry out the orders!

After Qian Xinghuai left, Mao Xiang sat comfortably in his chair, even humming a little tune.

Compared to finding evidence of the crimes committed by the Yingtian Trading Company,

Discovering that the enemy was foolish made him even happier, as it meant there would be more opportunities to fight them in the future.

News of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's actions at the Yingtianfu River port spread rapidly.
In less than half an hour, all the important figures in the capital knew about the operation.

Their reaction was exactly the same as Qin Kui's.
They believed this was a test from the palace against the Market and Exchange Bureau!

And the target of the test

Nothing is more authoritative than Yingtian Trading Company.

In the enchanting room of the Lu Mansion in the Third Alley of Xi'an Gate, Feng Yunfang's voice suddenly rang out:

"Sir, something has happened!!"

The rhythmic melody in the room suddenly stopped.

Lu Yunyi frowned, abruptly pulled away, eliciting a soft moan.

He pulled his clothes over his shoulders, walked quickly to the door, opened it, and saw Feng Yunfang looking anxious.

"What happened?"

A hint of displeasure flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes.
Feng Yunfang shrank back, knowing he had come at an inopportune time, but he still quickly said:

"My lord, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has seized several merchant ships belonging to the Yingtian Trading Company at the port of the Yingtian River and found a lot of smuggled goods on board."

Lord Qin said there's a high chance it contains spices smuggled from Southeast Asia.

"what?"

Lu Yunyi clenched his fists tightly, his brows furrowed. "Who did this?"

"He is a nephew of Lord Liu, named Liu Zixian."

He has now been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and is being severely tortured on the spot.

Lord Qin said
He can buy us a little more time; please, sir, think of something quickly.

Feng Yunfang said eagerly.

Lu Yunyi frowned:
"I understand. Hold your position for now and wait for my message."

"Yes!"

Feng Yunfang responded and withdrew.

Lu Yunyi closed the door, walked solemnly to the round table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and fell into deep thought.
News of Daning had just arrived today, and Mao Xiang made his move that very evening.

If it were a matter of immediate investigation and arrest, Lu Yunyi would certainly not believe it; the Embroidered Uniform Guard certainly didn't have that capability.
They must have discovered some information beforehand, but kept it a secret.

Lu Yunyi just couldn't understand it.
Why did Mao Xiang resort to this method of retaliation?

What is his relationship with Yingtian Trading Company now?
Moreover, neither the palace nor the court would shut down a business just because of a small smuggling operation, so what was his purpose in doing so?
At this moment, a small head peeked out from the gap in the gauze curtain of the mahogany bed; it was Su Wanheng, the top courtesan of Lotus Pavilion.

She supported her limp body with her slender arms, her face flushed, her dark hair clinging to her snow-white skin, her eyes somewhat vacant, her voice soft and gentle:
"Sir, what's wrong?"

Lu Yunyi did not answer, but instead tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

"Taking revenge on Da Ning is somewhat possible."

Lu Yunyi muttered to himself.

The Jinyiwei suffered heavy losses in the Da Ning affair.
As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Mao Xiang must have been burning with resentment.

"But if it's just for revenge, this method is far too radical; it's practically a fight to the death."

Lu Yunyi frowned, and doubts arose in his heart again.

Mao Xiang was always cautious and shrewd, and he would not easily put himself in the spotlight.

He seized merchant ships with such fanfare.

Aren't you afraid of incurring the displeasure of the palace and angering the powerful figures behind the merchant guild?
"Was he trying to protect himself?"

Lu Yunyi thought of the prominence the Embroidered Uniform Guard had gained during this turmoil.
Several dukes and marquises were arrested.
Many people are already wary of the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Perhaps, he used such drastic measures to protect himself and remain a loyal subject.

"Or...have we misunderstood what the palace means?"

This thought suddenly flashed through Lu Yunyi's mind.

The Market Transaction Office caught all the court officials off guard and made everyone in the capital's government offices feel insecure.

Perhaps Mao Xiang intended to act as a vanguard to demonstrate his loyalty?

Did they take the initiative and try to claim credit for it?
"Whatever his purpose, let him make a scene."

Lu Yunyi made a decision quickly.
"Somebody come!"

Feng Yunfang hurriedly entered the room:
"grown ups!"

"Send people to the port of Yingtianfu River to keep an eye on things and record everything in detail."

in addition"

Lu Yunyi waved, and Feng Yunfang, sensing the opportunity, approached.

"Send some brothers to keep an eye on Miaoyinfang and see what's going on there."

"Yes!"

Feng Yunfang nodded slightly and tentatively asked:

"Sir, aren't you going to take a look?"

“I’m not going. What does the business have to do with me? Let them make a scene. If I go, things will only get worse.”

Lu Yunyi said coldly.

"Yes!"

Feng Yunfang responded and withdrew.

After Feng Yunfang left,
Lu Yunyi returned to the mahogany bed.

Su Wanheng's languid yet alluring gaze was fixed on him.

Lu Yunyi's lips curled slightly upward as he leaned down and gently traced his fingers across Su Wanheng's cheek.

"Our mood was just dampened, let's continue."

Su Wanheng gave him a coquettish look, then gently wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice soft and gentle:
"My lord, you are so mean, you scared me to death."

(End of this chapter)