Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 232 Taking the Opportunity to Develop the Yinglue Society

Sun Weixian's meaning is very clear.

Previously, no one knew that the Hai family could produce the second-highest scorer in this imperial examination and a rising star in the Hanlin Academy. As the commander of the Southern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Hai Hao and Zhu Lin were just local powerful figures and江湖客 (jianghu people) with some influence. Naturally, they were interrogated and pursued.

Now that Haiyue has passed the imperial examination with flying colors and is favored by the emperor, and both of them are officials, they should make other plans—rather than suffer losses together, it would be better to form an alliance!

There's nothing wrong with this plan. After all, the two families have special backgrounds, and this bond is far stronger than friendships between classmates or teachers and students. If they can help each other, they can truly support each other in their careers.

As long as Sun Weixian is willing to swallow his pride and humble himself, he can resolve the previous conflicts and grudges.

But he overlooked the future prospects of the Yixin Society.

Who are the people Haiyue recruited in the Yixin Society?

Many of these figures are renowned historical officials, and even those who are less well-known are still great talents in their respective fields.

Even though Jiajing urged them to recruit more members, Haiyue settled for second best, and all of them were pillars of the state, capable of governing the country with their literary skills and fighting with their martial prowess.

After recruiting this group of elites, Haiyue's biggest shortcomings now are time and experience.

Even if Sun Weixian were only a fourth-rank commander, what difference would it make if he were already the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
Because during the Jiajing reign, neither the Embroidered Uniform Guard nor the Eastern and Western Depots held the same level of importance in the imperial court as they did in other periods of the Ming Dynasty.

Otherwise, Lu Bing in history would not have needed to have close ties with Yan Song and his son. On the one hand, they had a relationship of jointly plotting to bring down Xia Yan, and on the other hand, the Grand Secretary's power was far above that of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He might have Jiajing's trust, but he couldn't ask Jiajing for everything, big or small. He still had to ask the Grand Secretary on ordinary days.

If Lu Bing was like this at his peak, then Sun Weixian was even more so.

Haiyue remained unmoved, but asked aloud, "I do not doubt the sincerity of Vice Commissioner Sun, but I am merely a Hanlin compiler who spends my days with old papers. I really cannot think of any important matter that would require the intervention of a Vice Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Sun Weixian was not surprised but pleased. He took the other party's words as a sign that he was interested. He immediately said humbly, "I am new to the capital and my foundation is still shallow. How dare I presume before Hanlin Hai? However, the Hai clan is still in the south. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Haiyue understood: "Does Vice Commissioner Sun intend to take care of my family?"

"To say you will be favored is an exaggeration. With the prestige of the Hai family's two Hanlin scholars, your family's rise to prominence is just around the corner!"

Sun Weixian smiled and said, "I will only help a little. For example, if a noble child wants to leave Qionghai to do business in the coastal areas of Guangdong and Fujian, or to study at the Imperial Academy in Nanjing, I can arrange it immediately!"

Sun Weixian had carefully studied the Hai family of Qiongshan.

This family has a shallow foundation. The highest-ranking official they ever produced was only a Supervising Censor of Sichuan Province. They could indeed be called the "Hai Family of Embroidered Robes," a scholarly family that ordinary people would respect. However, they were not a first-rate family in Qionghai, let alone outside of Qionghai.

Haiyue was ranked second in the imperial examination and was admitted to the Hanlin Academy. Although her future was promising, it would take at least ten years, or even twenty or thirty years, to realize this promise and truly bring glory to her family.

Now, he can leverage his connections in the south to make the Hai family rise to prominence, so that when one person achieves success, even their chickens and dogs benefit.

But Sun Weixian knew nothing about Haiyue.

He was an anomaly of his time, and his attitude toward his family was quite similar to that of Hai Rui.

Xie and Hai Rui, mother and son, did not want to accept favors from others, so after Hai Han's death, they had little contact. With their direct brother dead, the widow and her son did not ask for help, so others rarely took the initiative to help them, and their relationship naturally faded away.

Haiyue, on the other hand, exudes a sense of detachment.

He wasn't close to his parents and brothers at first, but they developed feelings for each other through their interactions. As for his dozen or so brothers from the same clan, even though they had some contact, he couldn't say anything good about some of them. For example, the ninth and tenth brothers were typical spoiled brats.

Don't look down on historical figures like Xu Jie and Yan Song, who allowed their families to commit crimes and oppress the local people. As a result, the Hai family followed in their footsteps, seizing thousands of acres of fertile land through trickery and force.

Therefore, if the Hai family were to use the names of the two brothers to bully and oppress the local people, he would not show any mercy, let alone ask outsiders for help or protection to allow the family to do evil in the local area.

"If merchant ships travel along the canal, Mr. Liang of Wantong Shipping is an old friend of mine."

"If Qionghai lacks medicine, the Jishetang pharmacy along the Qinhuai River has many renowned doctors; a single letter from me can arrange for them to travel south."

"There's also the Jinlan Society within the Imperial Academy in Jinling. That society is extraordinary; it's full of people from prominent families in Jiangnan. Once a member of the Hai family joins, all they need to do is obtain the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). They'll be able to thrive in the local government and won't be afraid of being targeted by clerks!"

Sun Weixian, unaware that his flattery had backfired, continued to introduce his extensive network of connections in the south, a confident smile playing on his lips. He even changed his form of address: "Mingwei, you might want to give this a good consideration!"

Haiyue paused for a moment, then slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to ask my parents for their advice. We don't see each other often, so how do we keep in touch?"

"Tan Jing, the commander of a thousand households, can relay messages between us!"

Sun Weixian quickly made arrangements with his trusted confidants and then emphasized in a low voice, "However, he does not know our true identities, and he only thinks that we obtained the treasure map by chance and have been searching for it all this way. Do not let this slip out. Except for those who are in life-or-death situations, you must not reveal this to even your closest friends!"

Haiyue nodded slightly: "Commissioner Sun is cautious enough..."

"Just call me by my courtesy name, Defu."

Sun Weixian stood up gracefully, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "It would be even better if you added the word 'brother,' haha!"

Having said that, he put his hands behind his back and left with his sleeves fluttering. It seemed that through this conversation, he had also absorbed the scholarly air of the Ledao Residence.

Haiyue watched his figure disappear, smiled, and left the house, heading towards the Yinglue Society.

Upon entering the courtyard, I saw my parents, who were also busy preparing for the wedding day. The first thing they said to me was, "Sun Weixian came to visit just now."

Haihao and Zhu Lin's expressions changed immediately, and they pulled him into the house: "What did this scoundrel say?"

Haiyue recounted Sun Weixian's purpose in pursuing the secret treasure: "Do Father and Mother really think that his tireless pursuit of the secret treasure over the years is just an obsession stemming from his belief that he is a descendant of Jianwen?"

Hai Hao frowned deeply, while Zhu Lin slowly said, "When this person first appeared, he did say something similar, but it's really strange that he didn't covet wealth and only pursued us for years, traveling through seven provinces, driven by a single-minded obsession..."

"That's a lie!"

Haiyue said, "The behavior is worldly, but the motivation is otherworldly. It's too contradictory!"

Just as a high-ranking official loses his scholarly air, Haiyue doesn't believe that Sun Weixian, who could climb to the top of the Southern Garrison and have connections with various forces in Jiangnan, is just a fool bound by his obsession with his birth.

The key point is that this matter involves more than just Sun Weixian.

Take, for example, the reason he's been chasing after Hai Hao and Zhu Lin all these years. He's been leading a group of trusted subordinates. Even if these people don't know the details, they can tell that their boss is doing things behind the court's back. Isn't that all dangerous?

Once the secret treasure is unearthed again, if it truly contains a vast fortune, it will be even more difficult to keep quiet. Who knows, the news might leak out, and we'll end up benefiting others!

“Sun Weixian is extremely shrewd and far from being a fool!”

Haiyue said, "This person may not want to rebel, but he probably has ulterior motives. To completely capture him, figuring out his motives is crucial! Now he has proposed an alliance..."

Haihao frowned: "We can't agree to him!"

"No!"

Haiyue shook her head, her gaze unwavering: "I believe we can unite, but not in the imperial court, but in the far reaches of the martial world!"

Both parents were taken aback upon hearing this.

While Hai Hao was still pondering, Zhu Lin already understood: "You want to use the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to develop the Yinglue Society?"

"Exactly!"

Hai Yue nodded: "The Yinglue Society has always been law-abiding. When we were investigating the imperial physician Li Shaoting, Elder Fan was able to provide information immediately because he had close ties with the martial arts world. However, the society never gets involved in matters of the imperial court..."

"This is indeed the foundation of one's livelihood. The once arrogant and domineering Hawks, who dominated Tianqiao, are now overgrown with weeds at their graves. That's the consequence of overestimating one's abilities..."

"But things are different now than they used to be!"

Firstly, his status has risen significantly, giving him the ability to protect a martial arts society.

Secondly, their capable parents returned.

The father, Haihao, was both brave and resourceful. He was able to eliminate Mo Dengyong's son, Mo Guangqi, with swift and decisive methods, killing several guards in the process, demonstrating his exceptional martial prowess.

As a wise and capable wife, Zhu Lin, the mother, offered advice and insightful observations. She saw that Mo Guangqi was neither valued by the court nor recognized by the envoys, which was also the reason why Hai Hao took decisive action.

The two complemented each other perfectly; with such leaders, the British Strategic Research Institute should not be what it is today.

Of course, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has a strong suppression over the common people. They may be infiltrated by various forces, but they are also ruthless in confiscating property and exterminating clans. The Yinglue Society was originally targeted by the Southern Garrison Command. It was difficult enough for them not to close down, let alone develop.

But now things have taken a turn for the better.

“Sun Weixian wants to form an alliance with me, which is nothing more than his desire to bind us together with our family background, so that we can share both glory and loss.”

"In my official career, I will never get too close to this commander; it would be detrimental in every way!"

"But in the martial arts world, using the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to weave a net of inescapable traps is entirely beneficial, and it can even be a way out in critical moments!"

Haiyue explained the reasons clearly and added: "Now that the White Lotus Sect spies within the Embroidered Uniform Guard have not been eliminated, they have no time to deal with people in the martial arts world in the short term, which is also a great opportunity. As for the future, my good friend Lu Wenfu is a close friend to whom I can entrust my life and death, and he will not pursue a force in the martial arts world too much!"

Haihao was deeply moved.

Zhu Lin exclaimed with emotion, "My son's plan is truly well-thought-out!"

In his parents' eyes, this was not only a grand plan that their son had devised for the British Strategic Society, but also a filial act of not wanting his family to wander any longer.

In light of this, the two no longer hesitated. Haihao, even more so, slammed his fist on the table and said, "Since my son has such foresight, how can I, as his father, hesitate? Let's develop the Yinglue Society, strengthen the power of the martial arts world, and accompany Sun Weixian to the very end!"

(End of this chapter)