Chapter 433: A Mere Fan Family of Fan Yongdou

After entering the city, Zhu Youxiao quickly found a place to stay.

This place had actually already been arranged by Chen Hong, and the people here were basically all his own men.

After a brief rest, Zhu Youxiao summoned his people.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him, Zhu Youxiao sized him up from head to toe.

This was a typical northern man—tall and sturdy, with a dark complexion, and an overall appearance of simple honesty. Anyone who believed his character was as honest as his looks would be deceived until not a shred of skin was left on them.

Everything Zhu Youxiao knew about this man had basically been heard from Chen Hong.

This man had originally been a horse trader in the north. Over the years, he had traveled far and wide doing no small amount of business, deceiving many people with that honest-looking face of his. Only now, business in the north was getting harder and harder to do, and merchant monopolies were growing more and more severe—a small trader like him naturally found it very difficult to survive.

After one failed business venture, he was practically at the end of his rope, and that was when the Embroidered Uniform Guard took him in, making him a spy in the north who helped the Guard do business. This time, he could be considered to have been given real responsibility.

"Zhang Cheng," Zhu Youxiao said slowly as he looked at him, "how long have you been in Zhangjiakou?"

"To answer Your Excellency, over ten years now." Zhang Cheng said respectfully.

Nodding, Zhu Youxiao said, "Then tell me about the smuggling here. I hear that many people doing big business have their own channels. I very much want to know the ins and outs of it."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng quickly said, "Call it channels if you like, but in truth it's very simple. Once said plainly, it's not worth mentioning—nothing more than officials and merchants colluding to smuggle."

Zhang Cheng looked at Zhu Youxiao and said, "Whatever the grasslands lack, that's what you sell. Business has always been like this—what's scarce is what's valuable."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said with a smile, "That makes sense. Go on, let's hear it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhang Cheng quickly nodded and said, "Trade between the Great Ming and the grasslands has always been just this way. What the grasslands lack is nothing more than silk, tea, porcelain, and ironware. Some goods the court permits, like tea and porcelain; others it does not, like ironware and various weapons. Get caught and your head rolls. Under such circumstances, the more strictly something is banned, the more money it makes. Ironware is the biggest part of the trade."

Zhu Youxiao nodded.

Arms smuggling—not just in this era, but in later ages too—was big business.

Seeing that Zhu Youxiao seemed interested, Zhang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

As long as His Majesty was interested, all was well. If His Majesty had not been interested in these matters, that would have been truly terrible.

Zhang Cheng continued, "Ironware is what the grasslands want most, and it commands the highest prices. Among it, there are two key categories: one is weapons, and the other is iron ingots."

"Iron ingots are relatively cheaper, since the people of the grasslands still have to forge them themselves after buying them. But their skill is limited, so what they really want is finished weapons."

"The weapons trade has always been a matter of deep secrecy, but some things, once time passes, everyone comes to know—there's no hiding them. It's basically officials and merchants colluding, and even the border troops have people in on it. Those officers take generous returns from it, so they basically turn a blind eye. Under such circumstances, it naturally grew into a large-scale operation."

"Because iron mines are profitable, many merchants got rich through smuggling and eventually invaded the legitimate trade as well. These people have capital and backgrounds of collusion with officialdom, making it hard for ordinary merchants to compete with them. In Zhangjiakou, there are rules of operation unique to the place, and normally the ones who call the shots are the Shanxi merchants."

"These Shanxi merchants hold iron mines, and they dare to gamble and dare to act. Right now they've basically monopolized the whole region. They band together along native-place ties, ceaselessly encroaching—by now, no one here can compete with them."

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Understood. Then do you know who the biggest seller among them is?"

This point was very important to Zhu Youxiao—as long as he knew who the seller was, he could make his move.

As for investigating cases, Zhu Youxiao simply did not have the patience, and being the Emperor, he had no need to investigate cases either.

Sometimes one had to learn from the founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang—if you don't like the look of someone, cook up a case and drag them all into it.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng quickly said, "To answer Your Excellency, the biggest merchant in Zhangjiakou is the Fan family."

Zhu Youxiao was not particularly surprised, and asked, "The Fan family of Fan Yongdou?"

"Exactly that Fan family." Zhang Cheng nodded and said, "In the early years of the Great Ming, the Fan family was already a prominent local clan. For all these years, the Fan clan has done business in Zhangjiakou, spanning seven generations. By the time it passed to Fan Yongdou, he became the great Han merchant trading with the Manchus and Mongols in the Zhangjiakou region. People say of him, 'Trades at the border city, renowned for faith and righteousness.'"

"Their influence here is very great, and their prestige is very high—a very, very famous figure. Go out and ask around, and there's no one who doesn't know the Fan family. One could say they are extremely, extremely famous. They also have considerable dealings with the local officials and military officers."

"Enough. Then we'll start with him." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "You may go."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Zhang Cheng said quickly, bowing as he withdrew.

After Zhang Cheng had left, Zhu Youxiao glanced at Chen Hong beside him and said, "Have Cui Yingyuan come here."

This newly promoted Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had accompanied Zhu Youxiao to Zhangjiakou this time.

Upon hearing Zhu Youxiao's summons, Cui Yingyuan hurried over at once.

One should know, there was a fire burning in his heart right now. Ever since he had been promoted in Shandong, his heart had not known a moment of calm.

He had originally thought Xu Xianchun would be sent down, but who could have imagined His Majesty would spare him for now—and now that man skulks about the Embroidered Uniform Guard all day long.

With that former big shot still around, Cui Yingyuan could never sit securely in his position. With the slightest misstep, he would be dragged out by someone.

Subordinates were one thing, but what if it reached His Majesty?

Without any merit to his name, if something really went wrong, he truly could not weather it. So Cui Yingyuan had never felt much confidence in his heart.

This time, following His Majesty to Zhangjiakou, Cui Yingyuan knew very well in his heart that this was a chance to distinguish himself.

Being this close to His Majesty, if he could handle matters beautifully, he would reap many benefits. If he established merit this way, His Majesty would surely value him even more, and his position would be secured.

Cui Yingyuan arrived quickly, and he was very excited.

Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, Cui Yingyuan said directly, "Your servant, Cui Yingyuan, Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Enough, no need for ceremony." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said.

After Cui Yingyuan straightened up, Zhu Youxiao finally said, "I have a task for you. There's a Fan family in Zhangjiakou—have you heard of them?"

"To answer Your Majesty, your servant has heard of them." Cui Yingyuan quickly said, "Zhangjiakou has many great households, and the Fan family is the greatest among the great. In all the trade of the north, they have a hand in everything. In this northern region, their prestige is very high—they are local luminaries with considerable friendship among the officials and troops of various places. Fan Yongdou can be considered a man who reaches heaven with a wave of his hand—a man of great power and influence locally."

Though he did not know why His Majesty was asking about the Fan family, Cui Yingyuan did not care. Whatever His Majesty ordered done, there was no reason to shirk it.

Right now, the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard could be said to have great confidence. Xu Xianchun had done such a thing, yet His Majesty had not abandoned him—he had even given him a chance to atone for his crimes with merit. Though he was lying low now, everyone knew that Xu Xianchun might be pulled out by His Majesty at any moment.

Why did Xu Xianchun receive such treatment?

Was it not because he served His Majesty with utmost dedication? If you handled matters beautifully, even if you offended some people in the process, His Majesty could protect you.

Cui Yingyuan could be said to be giving his all. With such a guarantee, with no worries about what lay behind, he naturally had no scruples in doing things. Never mind a mere Fan family—he could handle anything else too.

Cui Yingyuan said, "Whatever Your Majesty commands your servant to do, your servant will do his utmost to handle it well."

Glancing at Cui Yingyuan, Zhu Youxiao said, "I am not the sort of man who takes others at their word. Handling matters well—that is what matters most. If you can carry out this task beautifully this time, it will be worthy of the promotion I gave you."

Toward subordinates, one must apply both kindness and authority—simply spoiling them would never do.

After hearing this, Cui Yingyuan was immediately stirred with excitement.

With His Majesty's assurance, there was nothing more to be said—he could throw himself fully into the work.

Cui Yingyuan knelt straight to the ground and said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

"Go to this Fan family and arrest them, seal off their house, and take everyone into custody."

"I'm not telling you to do it right now. Go and investigate thoroughly, see what their family members are up to, make sure there are no fish that slip through the net — you must catch them all. I don't want to hear about any mistakes. Understand?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Yingyuan hurriedly said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Your servant will go at once."

As for why His Majesty wanted to arrest the Fan family, that simply didn't matter. Whoever His Majesty ordered arrested, they got arrested. As for charges and such — those could come after the arrests. Investigate a bit, interrogate a bit, and they'd naturally appear. Cui Yingyuan didn't care.

"Alright, then go on." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

After Cui Yingyuan left, Zhu Youxiao let out a sigh of relief.

He truly didn't care at all.

Having sat in this position, arresting a mere Fan family wasn't even worth a second thought in Zhu Youxiao's eyes.

Even the Kong family of Shandong had been dealt with — so what was a paltry Fan family by comparison?

The reason he had come in person was nothing more than to hold the line himself, and also for the next step.

By not showing his face now, Zhu Youxiao wanted to see what the Fan family was capable of — or rather, what the Shanxi merchants were capable of. Would anyone seize this moment to stir up trouble?

If someone did stir up trouble, that would be perfect — he could sweep them all up in one net and deal with every last one of them.