Chapter 961 - 800: Removing the Fuel from Under the Cauldron

Jianing 33rd Year, March 18.

Auspicious for establishing agreements, opening markets, sweeping homes, and breaking ground.

Inauspicious for moving, setting beds, starting positions, and proposing marriage.

In the early morning, before dawn.

In the past, Dinghai Port would start bustling at midnight, with porters loading and unloading continuously. But now, the hustle and bustle is gone, leaving only five three-masted cargo ships quietly drifting in the sea several hundred yards away.

Just these solitary five ships, like a shadow, pressing over the entire port.

Chen Ji lowered a small boat into the sea, alone, clutching Wu Yun as he jumped onto the boat, paddling slowly toward a secluded spot on the shore under the cover of darkness.

The sound of paddling grew further away, Yuan Xing peered over the ship’s edge to watch Chen Ji paddle further: "Where is godfather going?"

Jiang Chai leaned against the ship’s railing: "He didn’t say."

Yuan Xing curiously said: "Why did we change the pirates’ Anzai Tower Ship to this cargo ship? Living on that ship was comfortable and stable. This three-masted ship is so wobbly, the brothers have been vomiting every day, their legs are soft from vomiting."

Jiang Chai thought for a moment: "The pirates’ Anzai Tower Ship is tall and stable, carrying more soldiers, yet heavy. These three-masted ships are smaller, but fast and agile, godfather probably kept these cargo ships to fight sea battles."

Yuan Xing rested his elbow on the ship’s railing, gazing boredly at the distant shore: "In the Jing Dynasty, a war wouldn’t start for five or six years, but in the Ning Dynasty, there’s a fight every day."

Jiang Chai suddenly asked: "Do you want to return to the Jing Dynasty or stay in the Ning Dynasty?"

Yuan Xing was startled: "Why do you ask this? We’re all people of the Jing Dynasty, if we don’t return, can we really stay in the Ning Dynasty and fight against our own country? If we stay, how will history write about us? Two-surnamed servants? Traitors seeking glory?"

Jiang Chai gazed at the distant Dinghai Port: "Ah Xing, we’re different from you; if you return, the Minister of the Secretariat will protect you, half the Jing Dynasty’s nobles are backed by your Yuan Family, you can continue being the Right Martial Guard Commander. We are different, if we don’t bribe, we become cannon fodder, now we have backing in the Ning Dynasty."

Yuan Xing suddenly angry: "Did you guys discuss this and ask me last?"

Jiang Chai didn’t answer.

Yuan Xing angrily said: "I treat you as brothers, but you secretly plot behind my back, what, afraid I’d stop you from enjoying the riches in the Ning Dynasty?"

Jiang Chai sighed lightly: "No, we all know that among us five, only you can’t stay. Also, keep your voice down."

Yuan Xing’s chest heaved: "Have you considered, what if your identities get exposed, will the Ning Dynasty tolerate you then?"

Jiang Chai countered: "But we were Ning Dynasty captives, if we return would anyone trust us? You’ve seen how captives of my dynasty are treated after returning, once a captive, you’re no longer human, only a ghost."

Yuan Xing hesitated for a moment: "Don’t worry, no one will find out."

Jiang Chai smiled and said: "There’s no wall without wind, we’ve been missing from our fiefs for so long, surely someone will notice something."

Yuan Xing sighed: "But staying in the Ning Dynasty isn’t a long-term plan. You staying in the Ning Dynasty, someone will still figure out your identities, it’s just a matter of time."

He looked at the distant, said quietly: "Moreover, Jiang Chai, people have roots. Initially when leaving home, I didn’t think of this, but being idle these days, it’s like eating a bite of little chicken stewed with mushrooms, then a piece of braised pork belly, if I could get some spring pancakes rolled with shredded sauce pork, that’d be even better."

"I’m tired of looking at the sea, tired of looking at the rice fields, I want to see the vast white snow of the northern frontier, the setting sun dyeing the world red... The best way is to take godfather to the Jing Dynasty, not stay here."

Jiang Chai responded: "Let’s see."

At this time, Chen Ji rowed the boat back, climbing back to the deck along the rope.

Yuan Xing puzzled: "What did godfather do?"

Chen Ji pulled out several Wuxiang Morning News issues from his pocket: "These few days of Wuxiang Morning News I’ve missed, just caught a free day today to read them."

Yuan Xing’s eyes widened: "You worked hard rowing out just to buy some newspapers?"

Chen Ji nodded, sitting cross-legged against the mast, quietly browsing through the Wuxiang Morning News.

He glanced at the front page, directly turning to the end about Jinling’s local customs, where it read: "In Jinling, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, Duanwu Festival, is the day when all sons-in-law return home, sons-in-law customarily bring zongzi to greet, even the mother-in-law from large clans personally prepares a table of good wine and dishes as hosts. If a son-in-law travels afar, the Yue Family concerns for his safety..."

Chen Ji smirked and continued reading: "Young scholars from all over the world gather in Jinling, Old Courtyard bustling with famous scholars sending invitations for feasts, poetry and wine together, Great Bao’en Temple literati eagerly debating scriptures, lively and noisy. During the event, many literati avoid discussing the Marquis Wu Xiang’s two scripture debates, if the Marquis Wu Xiang were still present, perhaps both the Literary Meeting and scripture debates would be less..."

Jiang Chai also leaned over to read the papers, seeing Chen Ji switch to the previous day’s Morning News, this issue’s front page detailed the Xu Family’s clan leader election process, mentioning the interruption due to suspicions of collaborating with the Japanese.

Jiang Chai read with interest: "That old Xu Houye’s son is no good, Zhou Chang didn’t even start his tactics and he confessed everything, now locked in the ship’s hold not making a sound, quite obedient."

Chen Ji nodded.

Yuan Xing looking at the paper, suddenly shouted quietly: "No good!"

Jiang Chai puzzled: "What?"

Yuan Xing pointed at the newspaper and said, "Damn it, that old bastard Li Si is making a big scene, and he’s surely been plotting against us behind our backs."

Jiang Chai replied irritably, "I thought you found some earth-shattering news."

Yuan Xing sneered, "How do you think he would speak of you in front of your foster mother?"

Jiang Chai pondered for a while, then muttered under his breath, "That damn Li Si..."

Chen Ji smiled, "It’s okay, it’s not a big deal."

Jiang Chai thought for a moment, "Foster father, the Jinling Xu Family and Huqiu Xu Family surely won’t let this go easily. We should move quickly to raid Songjiang Port and capture a few Xu Family members to sway a few more clan elders... Why have we stopped outside Dinghai Port?"

Yuan Xing perked up, plotting, "The wind is favorable now, we could reach Songjiang Port in a day and catch them off guard."

Chen Ji, without lifting his eyes from the newspaper, said, "No rush, wait a bit longer."

Jiang Chai was puzzled, "Wait? But the newspaper says the Xu Family won’t discuss again for another seven days? It’s been three days already; now my foster mother has only Xu Houye’s support, not four votes anymore. I’m afraid the position of the clan leader will fall into someone else’s hands. Foster father, once those at Songjiang Port get the news and hide in the port, we won’t get another chance."

Yuan Xing scoffed, "You don’t understand the filth within the court circles. Even if you’ve secured four votes, they might turn into two or three votes later. If you ask me, we should capture all those Xu Family elders to be sure."

Chen Ji repeated the same phrase, "No rush, wait a bit longer."

Jiang Chai and Yuan Xing exchanged a glance, "What exactly are we waiting for, foster father?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment and looked towards the vast sea opposite Dinghai Port, "Waiting for the monsoon."

At that moment, a small boat unexpectedly left the port, heading straight for Chen Ji’s five large ships.

Yuan Xing stood up, puzzled, "We’ve got one coming right to us? Are they here to negotiate, wanting us to spare Xu Houye? If that’s the case, how should we respond?"

Chen Ji also stood up calmly, "First, call the brothers up to work."

The next moment, Yuan Xing and Jiang Chai ran into the cabin yelling, "Wake up, you bastards, get up and start working!"

The Anti-Japanese Army and Red Gate ruffians poured out of the cabin and rushed onto the deck.

...

...

On the shore, Xu Chuanyin’s carriage stopped at the Berth Pier. He lifted the curtain and silently watched the small boat carrying the Ministry of War officers heading toward the Anti-Japanese Army’s large vessel with Ministry of War documents.

Having traveled from Jinling by ship to Dinghai Port in Ningbo Prefecture, crossing Longjiang Pass, descending the Yangtze River, passing Zhenjiang, Jiangyin, out Wusongkou, and along the East Zhejiang coastline to reach Dinghai, the journey lasted two days and three nights without stopping, all to deliver the Ministry’s orders promoting Zheng Jiye to the Anti-Japanese Army.

Chen Zhang stood outside the carriage, respectful, "Master, this move of yours is akin to taking out the firewood from beneath the pot, elevating Zheng Jiye to an official position. The public will only assume he has made great achievements and the court has rewarded him, without saying a word. With this change in leaders for the Anti-Japanese Army, the Zhang Family losing their military power won’t be able to stir up trouble anymore. Brilliant."

Xu Chuanyin replied deeply, "Brilliant? It cost fifty thousand taels of silver. You, being from the Imperial Capital, should know that even the Minister of the Ministry of Work paid only eighty thousand taels to buy a position from His Majesty. Silver does not go far in Jiangnan. Outsiders speak of Jiangnan as if it’s an ironclad unity, but we insiders know our affairs. When has Jiangnan ever been united? It’s only silver that binds us together."

Just at that moment, the small Ministry of War officer’s boat quickly sailed out to sea, but those five large three-masted ships suddenly raised their sails.

Xu Chuanyin sat in the carriage, stunned, "Wait a moment? What are they planning to do?"

As soon as his words fell, he saw eighteen pairs of long oars extended from the sides of the three-masted ships, rowing vigorously. The Ministry of War officer’s boat was about to approach when those five large ships suddenly ran away!

Xu Chuanyin was dumbfounded, "They just ran away like that?"

Seeing the large ships moving further and further away from the small boat, the Ministry of War officers stood helplessly on the small boat, rolling with the waves, and could only watch as the large ships sailed into the distance.

Chen Zhang hesitated for a long time, "They really did run away..."

Xu Chuanyin fumed, "I wondered why they wouldn’t come ashore. Turns out they want to play the trick of a general in distant lands ignoring orders! Those bastards guessed I was going to pull the firewood from under the pot, and stubbornly refused to accept the order! My fifty thousand taels of silver!"

Chen Zhang glanced at the gap in the curtain, "Master, what now?"

Xu Chuanyin caught his breath to calm his mood, thinking for a long time, "It’s fine, in four more days it’s the family council meeting again. Pushing them away, they can’t come and interfere with my Xu Family’s matters."

Chen Zhang pondered, "Earlier you swore..."

Xu Chuanyin sneered, "When did our Xu ancestors ever protect me? Haven’t they always protected that bastard Xu Chuanxi? Swearing by them means nothing."

Chen Zhang was skeptical, "The third branch’s property is still at the Great Bao’en Temple."

Xu Chuanyin lowered the curtain, "I donate tens of thousands of taels of incense money to the Great Bao’en Temple every year; the abbot knows what to do."

Chen Zhang watched the swaying curtain, "Wang Zhi’s fleet must already be on the sea."

Xu Chuanyin snorted, "Perfect, let Wang Zhi sink them in the sea. When he comes to the door, tell him that the business with Songjiang Port, we at Dinghai Port can do it too. Business, after all, is business, who you do it with makes no difference."