Chapter 1338: Duke of Jiangning County

A rumor gradually spread throughout the Great Sui, claiming that boundless wealth lay across the seas.

An ordinary person could earn enough for a house and two mu of land—sufficient to take a wife and raise children—by making a single voyage overseas; if one organized a large fleet, the profits in money and grain would be astronomical.

It was said that in recent years, Marquis Jiangning had retrieved many fine treasures from overseas, prompting wealthy families in Jiang Nan to send their own people out to sea to make fortunes...

The great aristocratic clans of the north had also noticed by now that spices and seafood had become far more abundant in the markets in recent years, causing their prices to drop, no longer as exorbitant as before.

Rumors about this had circulated for years, but they had never received any confirmed information, as their influence had not yet extended southward; moreover, on this matter, the wealthy southern families maintained a tacit understanding, with no one leaking the secret.

They dared not reveal it, for having supported Yang Guang, he had permitted them to participate in maritime trade, and they also knew all too clearly just how formidable the navy under Wang Yan's control truly was.

Of course, not every southern wealthy family supported Yang Guang or obeyed his commands; furthermore, Yang Guang was merely the Governor-General of Yangzhou, and although his influence radiated throughout the surrounding regions and local magnates helped him forge connections, it was impossible for him to completely unify all the southern wealthy families.

Thus, there were still quite a few individuals harboring all sorts of chaotic ambitions, refusing to abide by Yang Guang's rules; under normal circumstances this might have been tolerable, but they privately constructed seagoing vessels to seek profit in Nanyue without even notifying Yang Guang, which played precisely into Yang Guang's hands.

Consequently, their fleets overseas never returned, and near certain great aristocratic households, bandit outbreaks suddenly erupted, uprooting those clans entirely and leaving not even a chicken or dog alive.

Yang Guang still possessed considerable resolve, issuing his orders without hesitation, while Wang Yan executed them even more decisively, simply arranging for a few hundred men to go over, kill everyone, set fires, and then flee.

Local officials were all exceedingly well-behaved; no one pressed the matter, merely assembling the Fubing soldiers to patrol the vicinity for a few days as a mere formality.

After slaughtering several great aristocratic families, the entire southern faction became obedient; only then did Yang Guang truly unify the power of the southern wealthy families, forging a force that was by no means weak.

Yang Yang Jian also learned of the profits Wang Yan had generated from maritime trade over the past few years, as reported by Yang Guang, and Yang Guang had even donated a substantial portion to Yang Yang Jian, who immediately drew upon the inner treasury funds to construct palaces, since this was all windfall wealth, spent with great delight.

At the same time, he fully absorbed the suggestions provided by Wang Yan, and in early the seventeenth year of Kaihuang (597 AD), established the Maritime Trade Office, regulating the distribution of ports along the coast, controlling outbound vessels, and imposing taxes on returning ships laden with cargo.

This measure yielded two benefits: first, unified supervision provided the dynasty with an additional source of revenue; second, it created another department brimming with lucrative opportunities, for the Maritime Trade Office would inevitably hold a very high rank while wielding the authority to collect maritime profits, deciding whom to tax heavily, whom lightly, and whom not at all, all held within their grasp, and naturally, people were delighted to have another wealthy government office.

The only ones displeased were the various local magnates who had previously interfered in maritime trade, after all, they were now genuinely paying money out of their own pockets.

Even though this money did not exist before and now did, meaning they still profited enormously even after surrendering ninety percent of their earnings, clearly accounts were not calculated that way; they calculated that they could originally have earned ten parts, but now could only earn five or six parts, so how could they possibly be happy?

However, being unhappy changed nothing, for without paying, their goods could not enter; if they attempted smuggling, the navy would ruthlessly arrest everyone involved and sentence them to penal labor until death.

At this juncture, the wealthy families were no longer united, for there were always some who wished to earn money steadily, so when the navy helped those unstable aristocratic households become stable, enabling everyone to earn great wealth peacefully, this was indeed a good thing.

Simultaneously, the Great Sui formally organized a navy, bearing the military designation "Pacify the Seas."

Having developed for over four years, the navy now boasted a scale of nearly twenty thousand men, hundreds of cargo ships and warships, rich combat experience, and proficiency in watermanship, though they were even more skilled in land warfare; of course, regarding the essential practice of boarding combat, they had also gained considerable expertise, and although they had little practical experience, their ability to move and fight freely aboard ships meant their combat effectiveness was hardly inferior.

The source of military funding was the revenue the navy itself generated from maritime trade.

This was a major problem, yet there was no proper way to resolve it, for even forbidding the navy from engaging in maritime trade would be futile; with fierce warships and massive cargo vessels capable of going anywhere, their smuggling was conducted openly and boldly, and since there was also land overseas, they could even directly strike out and establish themselves as kings in foreign realms, so even if strict supervisory systems were enacted, someone would still be needed to enforce them.

However, the profits from maritime trade were so immense that those tasked with supervision could not withstand the bribes and corruption; indeed, the navy could even force the supervisors to commit suicide, and the Sui court would be unable to say a word about it.

Fortunately, the current navy could still be kept in check and remained obedient to Wang Yan, giving the Great Sui sufficient time to plant informants within the navy, divide the army, and thereby eliminate this latent disaster.

For the time being, naturally, Wang Yan remained in command, for otherwise no one else could suppress the forces or smoothly assume control of the navy's authority; this also served as another test of Wang Yan's loyalty, for if he did not cooperate, he would be untrustworthy, but if he cooperated, he would remain a trusted and valued official for both Yang Guang and Yang Yang Jian.

Therefore, counting his merits in opening maritime trade routes and establishing the navy, Wang Yan was elevated to the title of Founding Duke of Jiangning County and appointed as Grand General of the Pacify the Seas Army, a position equal to the other twelve prefectures of the Great Sui, with the newly added Grand General of Pacify the Seas holding the rank of Senior Third Grade.

Thus, Wang Yan had taken another step closer to the core decision-making layer of power within the Great Sui.

However, at the same time, generals, Fang Qian Niu Bodyguards, Bodyguards, Chief Clerks, Simas, Adjutants, and others were assigned to serve under him, placed in various positions to dilute his authority.

Nevertheless, these matters were of no consequence, for the arrogance of those individuals ensured they could never win the hearts of the army; at best, they might coax away some weak-willed officers whom he had promoted, but the vast majority would still firmly follow him at his slightest call.

Given the conduct of this era, his holding power and his not holding power were absolutely two different things, and the lives led by the soldiers beneath him were likewise two distinct worlds; having experienced the good, how could they be willing to endure the bad?

Among all the armies of the Great Sui, only the officers and soldiers of the navy lived such comfortable lives; were conditions to worsen even slightly, they would immediately begin missing General Wang Da...

In Daxing, within the Prince of Jin's residence, Yang Guang looked at Wang Yan with satisfaction.

"Xu Ziyan, you truly are my lucky general."

He was genuinely delighted, for the maritime trade affair had been orchestrated entirely by his own hand, and Wang Yan's merits were his own merits.

Yang Yong was still indulging in poetry and wine, while he had already accomplished something so monumental; comparing the two, the superiority and inferiority were immediately apparent, and he had heard that recently Yang Yong had become extremely anxious, feeling that the Crown Prince position beneath him was beginning to shake.

The more this occurred, the happier Yang Guang became.

And seeing Wang Yan, who had brought all this about, naturally made him even happier.

"It is all due to Your Highness's trust and esteem," Wang Yan replied with the same humility he had maintained from beginning to end, his attitude never changing, consistently sustained until now.

To summarize, whatever Yang Guang said was law.

However, Wang Yan's status in Yang Guang's eyes had been continuously rising; ever since learning that he was not merely a warrior but possessed a mind capable of strategic planning, Yang Guang had begun consulting his opinion on many matters.

The more he asked, the more Yang Guang realized that Wang Yan's caliber was extremely high, and Wang Yan also maintained the habit of reading daily and thinking frequently, though this was what he displayed for Yang Guang to see, letting Yang Guang know that his improvement stemmed from his own efforts and that he indeed possessed some original ideas and a touch of genius.

It was precisely because of this that Yang Guang had already been significantly influenced by him, gradually transforming into the kind of person Wang Yan hoped he would be.

Yang Guang laughed heartily, offered a few words of praise and encouragement to Wang Yan, and then said, "Yang Su has approached me; his family also wishes to participate in maritime trade, but he fears you, young man, might hold a grudge and relentlessly target his family members for execution, so he specifically came to discuss this with me."

Wang Yan tactfully asked, "Does this mean that Yang Su now supports Your Highness as well?"

Yang Guang nodded with a smile: "The position of Crown Prince is now within easy reach; at this critical moment, does he finally feel the urgency? What does he have to compete with me?"

"This empire ought to be ruled by Your Highness; the Crown Prince falls far short, and Your Highness alone is the choice of the people."

"Not far, not far; at present, we only lack an opportunity."

What kind of opportunity Yang Guang awaited, whether it would arise naturally or be manufactured by Yang Guang himself, Wang Yan did not know, for he had not participated in Yang Guang's secret sinister schemes; those were carried out by Yuwen Huaji and the southern wealthy families, who spent their days proposing nothing but malicious and damaging strategies to Yang Guang.

As for himself, he contentedly wandered throughout Daxing City with his wives and children, extremely happy.

At present, his household had truly flourished in population; Qionghua had borne two sons, and seeing how fertile she was, Xiao Mei also desired children and gave birth to a little girl, while he even encouraged Chunhong, Liulü, and the others to bear children as well, truly turning Wang Yan into a breeding boar, for within a few years, he had gained seven children.

Furthermore, due to his own open-minded nature, Qionghua did not throw princess tantrums, Xiao Mei regarded Qionghua merely as a silly girl and never fought over jealousy or rivalry, the other maids who attended his bed held no distinction in status, and all the children were raised together, with the entire large family dining together every day.

This had indeed cultivated a very harmonious family atmosphere.

Additionally, since he himself possessed a spirit for play, whenever there were no serious affairs, he played quite well with the children at home, never imprinting concepts of legitimacy versus illegitimacy or superiority versus inferiority into the children's memories from a young age, so everyone played together very happily.

He never lacked things to do, for playing with the children every day was lively enough, and he also possessed carpentry skills, having crafted many toys for the children, greatly enriching their childhoods.

When Wang Yan arrived home, he saw a group of children playing and making noise in the courtyard, and also saw Qionghua speaking together with Xiao Mei and Princess Yu.

"Princess Yu, it has been a long time," Wang Yan greeted cheerfully.

"I did not expect the Grand General to still remember me; I am truly honored," Princess Yu replied very politely.

"If I could not even remember this, how could I lead troops or fight battles?" Wang Yan said, "What are you discussing? Has something troubled Princess Yu?"

Xiao Mei said, "It is nothing but the bandit troubles; the imperial tribute that Prince Kaoshan sent to Your Majesty has been robbed by some unknown bandit group, which is truly infuriating."

Wang Yan suddenly understood; he knew that a host of rebel forces were beginning to emerge.

He said, "The situation in Shandong is complex, unlike Jiang Nan; once the imperial authority is lost there, I fear it will be nearly impossible to retrieve."

He was not speaking falsely; this imperial authority was truly gone forever. Princess Yu was not Yang Lin's devoted little cotton-padded jacket either; though she knew Cheng Yaojin and the others had seized it, she had no intention of reporting them.

"Indeed, by now it may already have been recast and spent," Princess Yu sighed involuntarily, then continued, "General, my father the prince also wishes to engage in maritime trade; he is in Shandong, where the sea is very close..."

"Do not speak to me of this; you must have Prince Kaoshan discuss it with His Highness the Crown Prince, and then with Your Majesty. I merely temporarily command the navy; my duty is to safeguard the safety of our Great Sui fleet. Who is permitted to trade and who is not is not for me to decide. Prince Kaoshan can also rest assured; we bear no grudges or enmity, and I will not secretly sabotage him to affect his source of wealth. The overseas lands are vast; money, grain, and treasures are not something one family or one surname can earn entirely."

Ever since rumors of maritime trade began circulating, Wang Yan had become an important figure. Before this year's New Year, the matters of establishing the navy and Wang Yan's elevation to the rank of County Duke were already settled; everyone who needed to know already knew, and thus Wang Yan was naturally an even more important person now.

His attitude could now influence many affairs; wealthy families that had previously looked down on him were now lining up to present him with gifts. During the recent festival season, in the month before the New Year, while he had not yet returned from Yangzhou to Daxing, various prominent families had already begun sending him gifts.

They were no longer trying to curry favor with him in that former, disgusting manner; now they genuinely wished to buy his goodwill.

Regarding maritime trade, he was the master; even though Yang Lin was Prince Kaoshan, he still had to speak kindly to Wang Yan.

From having nothing at all to his present state, only eight years had passed...

Qionghua felt nothing, but Xiao Mei understood the implications perfectly; looking at Wang Yan, her eyes sparkled with flowing light, brimming with adoration. She was one big step closer to becoming Empress, and she was happy...

Wang Yan did not disturb their conversation further; he ran off to play with the children, all little things of one, two, or three years old, stumbling as they walked and babbling as they spoke, which was quite interesting...

Thus, he remained in Daxing for over half a month; by the end of the first month, he once again packed his luggage, preparing to return to Yangzhou. The navy headquarters was located there, and as its Great General, he naturally had to be stationed there permanently.

He had originally intended to return together with Yang Guang, but when Wang Yan went to ask Yang Guang about the departure date, Yang Guang told him the opportunity had arrived.

"The Crown Princess has died; she died of melancholy."

Yang Guang smiled and said, "My imperial elder brother, the Crown Prince, favors other women too much and completely disregards the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess fell seriously ill before the New Year and passed away yesterday morning. When the news reached my imperial father and imperial mother, they were furious. I immediately went to bid them farewell, but my imperial mother asked me to stay a few more days..."

Speaking of Dugu Qieluo asking him to stay a few more days, Yang Guang's voice even trembled with excitement, for he understood perfectly what this meant.

Wang Yan's face lit up with delight: "Your Highness's great affair is finally accomplished; congratulations to Your Highness on achieving your heart's desire."

"Hahaha!" Yang Guang laughed loudly, then suppressed his excitement, "The matter is not yet settled; it is too early to speak of such things now. However, if I succeed, you, Xu Xu Ziyan, shall deserve the Shou Gong; henceforth, I will certainly not fail you."

"Is Your Highness scolding me? Serving Your Highness is my duty; where is there any question of failing or not failing?"

"You are indeed reliable..."

Yang Guang was extremely satisfied with Wang Yan's attitude and kept Wang Yan to enjoy a good drink together.

By the next day, his good friend Li Jing had come early to see him off; the two drank wine outside the city and exchanged a few words, after which Wang Yan departed southward with his entire household.

Less than half a month after he arrived in Yangzhou, good news from Yang Guang arrived...