Chapter 190: Detour

Pleasant conversation shortens time, especially when both sides share a common interest.

So when Song Jia finally waited for "Cao Chuan" to return from the back street of the Fuzhou Governor's Office, it was already 11 o'clock late at night.

In just a few short hours, the attitude of Xiong Qi, who was leading the way, seemed to have improved considerably. Not only did he diligently help Sea Lord Cao lift the sedan curtain, but he also hung a lantern inscribed with "Grand Coordinator's Office" at the front of the sedan.

And so, Song Jia's group returned to Bieyuan safe and sound. The patrolmen they encountered along the way, upon seeing the lantern, did not come forward to question them further.

After returning to the house, Song Jia, who had already predicted from the length of someone's stay in the government office and the change in Xiong Qi's attitude before and after that the summit results should be good, indeed heard Zhang Dongdong's report of good news.

That night, not only did waves of electricity shuttle through the skies above Fuzhou City, but they also crossed the ocean. The transmigrators far away in Dayuan and Hangzhou received the glad tidings at the same time.

Early the next morning, Huang Ping was summoned by Xiong Wencan.

Huang the Recommended Man, having long since learned the key points of the previous night's conversation from the radio, showed no stage fright before Lao Xiong. He spoke eloquently: with a seemingly impartial attitude, seemingly fair comparisons, and seemingly just evaluations, he imperceptibly smeared Lao Zheng once again.

Lao Xiong's disadvantage was that he had never navigated the internet of later generations and was not very familiar with these routines of appearing to be a fan while actually smearing. So, without realizing it, he fell for it... After listening to Huang the Recommended Man's uniquely styled strategic analysis, Lao Xiong ultimately decided to continue receiving the visitor from Dayuan tonight.

This time it was a dual lead: Lao Xiong not only wanted to see Cao Chuan, but also wanted to see the great general under Cao Chuan's command: Sha Zhengming.

When Huang Ping came out of Lao Xiong's study, his whole body felt like it was floating — the "Card Position" plan, persisted in from Hangzhou to this step, its greatest hurdle had just been crossed!

That Xiong Wencan could consider receiving a military officer proved he was already starting to plan specific actions after the recruitment and amnesty. This belonged to the transition from the strategic level to the tactical level — if Lao Xiong still had relatively major reservations about summoning and pacifying the Crossing Faction, he would not receive the other side's military officer.

It's just like courting a girl: the most critical part isn't the act itself, but the first inconspicuous holding of hands; the seemingly unimportant hand-holding is the key link that determines whether the final act can happen.

After Huang the Advisor came out of Lao Xiong's study, seeing that it was still early, he first went home.

Because Master Huang had his family with him, and moreover had some secrets that could not be revealed, Huang Ping did not live in the government office.

The rooms in the government office were dilapidated and old, and at most they could give him one courtyard unit. This wouldn't allow him room to maneuver — whatever else Huang Ping might lack, a Da Shufang was an absolute necessity.

So the moneyed Master Huang bought a three-courtyard residence at a high price near the government office.

Bringing his servant and Chang Sui out of the Fuzhou Governor's Office, it wasn't far to his own courtyard. After the master returned to the residence, he went straight to the back residence, hastily greeted his beautiful wife, and then went to the study in the side courtyard.

The household staff knew their master's taboos, so no one dared to disturb him at this time. Leaving a servant to guard the courtyard gate, Huang Ping entered the study, took out the vehicle-mounted radio from the locked cabinet, then put on the headphones and began to call. The connection to Fuzhou Station and Bieyuan was quickly made. Huang Ping spent 5 minutes reporting the content of his morning audience with Lao Xiong, then shut down the radio, locked the cabinet, and left.

After Master Huang finished his unspeakable business, his whole body relaxed. Returning to the inner residence, he first chatted with his wife for a while, then instructed the maid to take out a box of Anji White Tea that his father-in-law had sent not long ago and wrap it up.

Dawdling until it was around 10 o'clock in the morning, Master Huang saw that the time was about right. So, with a word that he wouldn't be home for lunch, he sat in his sedan chair and swayed off to the Provincial Administration Commission office.

The Provincial Administration Commission office was not far from the Governor Office. In Ming Dynasty Fuzhou City, government offices were basically all in the area north of Mao Ying Bridge and west of Jianchi. Huang Ping traveled by sedan chair the whole way, heading south from the Governor Office for a short distance. After passing the Weiwu Army Gate, it was the Provincial Administration Commission office.

Seeing Huang the Recommended Man alighting gracefully from his sedan chair, the gatekeeper at the side door quickly piled his face full of smiles and came forward to pay respects: "Master Huang has arrived!"

Huang Ping nodded, fished out a piece of broken silver, and tossed it over: "Is the Grand Defender in?"

"In, in, the master is in the public hall."

"Oh, still not off duty yet. Alright, do as you please, I'll go in myself."

Leaving his Chang Sui to chat in the gatehouse, Master Huang, bringing a servant, headed straight for the back office.

The current Fujian Left Administration Commissioner was named Cai Shanji.

Cai Shanji was a native of Wucheng, Zhejiang (later Deqing). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Cai Clan was a prominent family in Deqing.

Cai Shanji was once known alongside Fei Zhaoyuan and Pan Shilin as one of the "Truly Incorruptible Officials of Tiaozhong," with a profound family scholarly tradition.

And Huang Ping's convenient father-in-law, Master Zhong, had a family friendship with Cai Shanji's branch of the family. Starting from Cai Shanji's father, Cai Hualong, the two families had dealings.

After Huang Ping came to Fuzhou, relying on Master Zhong's letters and his own wife with unbound feet, he very easily obtained the status of nominal nephew from the Provincial Administration Commissioner.

And Cai Shanji also had a very good impression of Huang Ping, this young man of extraordinary conversation: not just anyone could secure the post of Advisor by Xiong Wencan's side. He himself kept over a dozen advisors, and the difference here was vast.

Huang Ping reached the middle gate and stopped: Old Cai was still working in the main hall, so it wasn't convenient to go to the back residence at this time. So he turned off towards the pavilion, where there were often a few idle guests playing chess.

Sure enough, there were people in the pavilion.

After playing chess for half an hour, he finally waited until Old Cai got off work. Master Huang hurriedly intercepted the big boss halfway, presented a package of tea from the old home, and then followed Old Cai to the back residence to scrounge a meal.

Cai Shanji was over 50 years old this year, with a lean and spirited appearance. Since his first wife was back in his old home of Deqing, he only had two concubines attending him here in Fuzhou. Seeing his nominal nephew had come today, Old Cai had a few dishes set out and sat alone with Huang Ping.

Huang Ping, at this moment, had finally waited for the opportunity to apply some eye "medicine" here with Old Cai.

The Provincial Administration Commissioner of the Ming Dynasty held considerable power, somewhat similar to the position of a later-generation high-ranking provincial official — although the rank of Provincial Administration Commissioner was lower than that of Governor-General and Governor, each had their own scope of jurisdiction; it was not a purely superior-subordinate relationship.

This situation would slowly evolve in the Qing Dynasty: the Provincial Administration Commissioner would become a direct subordinate of the Governor-General and Governor.

And Cai Shanji, currently serving as Fujian Left Administration Commissioner, could be said to be second only to one man and above ten thousand. Apart from Lao Xiong, this military-overseeing secretary, all other civil policy matters had to have Old Cai's nod of approval.

Therefore, Lao Xiong's recent highly confidential move of summoning and pacifying the transmigrators had been mentioned to Old Cai in advance — he had to ensure Old Cai's cooperation on civil matters after the pacification.

... Huang Ping had come today to leak information.

First, during the meal, Huang Ping leaked some details about the summon pacification procedure.

Second, Huang Ping slightly exaggerated the difficulty of the pacification. That is to say, Huang Ping "inadvertently" exaggerated Zheng Zhilong's odds of winning by a tiny bit, while shrinking the transmigrators' advantage by just a little.

In this way, to Cai Shanji's ears, the current situation between Zheng Zhilong and Cao Chuan, the two sides of this pacification, still seemed to be about a forty-sixty split — the transmigrators had the advantage, but not by much.

Alright, having said this much, Huang Ping knew the heat was just right and said no more. After eating and drinking his fill, he swiftly took his leave.

And as for Old Cai's side, before the old man could even think it through clearly, that very afternoon, a certain power base's trump card arrived: Xu Xinsu, Company Commander Xu, who had disappeared for many days, came calling to see Old Cai.

As the local boss/major channel merchant of the Zhangquan area, Company Commander Xu was quite familiar with Cai Shanji, who had once served as Magistrate of Putian and Prefect of Quanzhou.

Not to mention the usual tributes, even the many times Xu Xinsu had glued together the Allied Forces to clash with Zheng Zhilong, there was likewise Cai Shanji's tacit approval and support behind the scenes. It must be known that the area the Zheng Zhilong Gang plundered most was the Quanzhou region — Old Cai's territory.

Company Commander Xu paved the way with silver and presented a gift list, and soon met Old Cai.

The next moment was the segment of clinging to his thigh and crying. Company Commander Xu's task today was to sell his misery.

Company Commander Xu not only recounted his own miserable state of escaping to Fuzhou in full, ten-tenths detail, but also told Old Cai that now, after the Zheng Zhilong Gang had gained power, they were wantonly plundering the coastal areas. Especially in the Quanzhou region where Old Cai had once served as Prefect, they were like wolves and tigers, sleeping with men and women alike, scraping the earth seventeen or eighteen feet deep... In short, whatever the dog ate now, Zheng Yiguan ate.

As for the fact that historically during this time period, Lao Zheng was releasing goodwill through various channels, including not harming people when going ashore to rob and even giving silver to poor wretches, Company Commander Xu naturally had no knowledge of these things.

After placating Company Commander Xu for a while, Old Cai first sent him away.

Next, Old Cai sank into deep thought.

Company Commander Xu's wail as he left reminded him: "The ten thousand people of Zhangquan all hate the Zheng Clan to the bone... The Grand Defender must not let this wretch be pacified... We will have no place left to stand..."

Speaking of which, the connection between Cai Shanji and Lao Zheng was actually quite deep. It must be known that Zheng Zhilong's father, Zheng Shaozu, was back then the Treasury Clerk of Quanzhou Prefect Cai Shanji — the one who managed the warehouse.

Yet no one could have imagined that the son of a lowly treasury clerk would one day bring such great trouble to the Fujian officialdom: especially the Prefects of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, these two positions were the most difficult to sit in.

In real history, after Xiong Wencan came to Fujian, Cai Shanji ultimately still assisted Xiong Wencan in pacifying Zheng Zhilong. There was no other way; it was still that same saying: no one had a choice.

And Cai Shanji, who came from a distinguished family, had once cold-shouldered the grassroots Zheng Zhilong when they met, and strung Old Zheng along with promises of Summon Pacification — without a doubt, he harbored a deep loathing for this man in his heart.

Cai Shanji sat in the main hall, pondering for a long time.

When he finally combined the information Huang Ping had provided at noon with the words Xu Xinsu had tearfully recounted, Old Cai naturally made his decision in that One Moment: "Someone, prepare the sedan chair — to the Fuzhou Governor's Office!"

That afternoon, dressed in a formal, bright-red Official Robe, with Banner soldiers clearing the way ahead and personal guards following behind, Cai Shanji, the Left Administration Commissioner of Fujian, formally paid a visit to Grand Coordinator Xiong Wencan.

"May I ask what matter brings you here, Boda?" Xiong Wencan, likewise in his Official Robe, asked from the main hall of the Grand Coordinator's Office after dismissing the attendants.

"Your Excellency, that Zheng Zhilong is an owl-like, beastly creature by nature — treacherous and fickle. Now that his power is great, the wicked folk of Fujian and Guangdong flock to him like clouds. Under no circumstances must we Summon Pacification this brute."

Xiong Wencan: "......"