Chapter 123: Release

When the Star came to visit, Zhong Yuzheng naturally did not dare refuse to see him. Coughing as he walked, he entered the secret chamber together with the Star.

In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the Star left the Zhong residence with an expressionless face.

Zhong Yuzheng stood beneath the eaves, his expression grave.

"My lord." A middle-aged man stood at his side, bowing slightly.

Zhong Yuzheng turned his head to look at him and said, "You heard all of that?"

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "My lord, I think what Lord Zhao said is right. If the Ministry of Works makes too much of a stir, the one bearing the greatest responsibility will still be you."

Zhong Yuzheng's brows furrowed slightly, his expression displeased.

The middle-aged man remained composed and added, "My lord is upright and clean. The grain transport matter is tangled and complex—it is best to stop at the point of making a point."

Zhong Yuzheng was silent for a long while, then said, "Fine. Prepare the sedan chair. This official will inspect the ministry while claiming illness."

"Yes, my lord."

Having grasped full power over the Ministry of Works, Zhou Yingqiu naturally acted with bold strokes. Although it was for the sake of "Her Majesty the Empress," he inevitably mixed in private interests, imposing his personal will upon the entire Ministry of Works. Even after this matter was concluded, his voice in the ministry would be no smaller than Wang Shunding's had been.

He kept listening to the runners' reports, recording each problem found in the various account books one by one. The seized ships and cargo were all clear in his mind as well.

"My lord, the Minister has arrived."

No one knew how much time had passed when a runner suddenly rushed in and said urgently.

Zhou Yingqiu's brows twitched slightly. He pondered inwardly, then stood up and said, "Very well, this official will go welcome him at once."

"Lord Zhong." Zhou Yingqiu met Zhong Yuzheng in the courtyard.

Zhong Yuzheng coughed once into his fist, glanced left and right, and said with an air of official authority, "Let's talk inside."

Zhou Yingqiu had been pondering the purpose of Zhong Yuzheng's return. At these words he acknowledged with a sound and followed him into the room.

The two sat facing each other. Zhong Yuzheng went through the routine of asking about the Ministry of Works' affairs for the morning, then with a slightly grave expression said, "The grain transport matter has already stirred up a great commotion—the whole capital is abuzz with talk. If this continues, even our Ministry of Works cannot bear the burden."

Zhou Yingqiu frowned, his expression troubled, and said, "My lord, the Emperor's decree has come down in clear terms. If our Ministry of Works does not make some show of action, I fear we will have difficulty accounting for ourselves."

Zhong Yuzheng nodded, putting on an air of heartfelt sincerity, and said, "With grain transport halted as it is now, the court officials are all talking. Even I cannot rest easy at home. Lord Zhou, we must find a way to clear things through."

Zhou Yingqiu naturally understood what Zhong Yuzheng meant by "clearing through," yet still feigned ignorance and said, "May I ask what my lord means by clearing through?"

Seeing Zhou Yingqiu so obedient, Zhong Yuzheng felt somewhat relieved inside. He then drew himself up with dignity and said, "Lord Zhou, what this official means is—those who should be tried, try them; those who should be investigated, investigate them. But grain transport cannot be halted!"

Zhou Yingqiu mused for a moment, then said, "My lord, should I release a batch first?"

Zhong Yuzheng nodded and said, "Release those whose crimes are minor first. No matter what, grain transport must not be blocked. This year's grain transport season is imminent. If we truly delay it further, both your future and mine will be finished."

Zhou Yingqiu was silent for a long while again, then said, "This subordinate understands my lord's meaning. In a few days, this subordinate will summon the various grain transport merchant houses, give them a stern reprimand, and issue them release documents."

Zhong Yuzheng shook his head slightly and said, "There's no time for that. Release a batch today. If they have problems, we can deal with them later."

Zhou Yingqiu's expression grew even more troubled. He hesitated and said nothing.

Zhong Yuzheng also knew that the Ministry of Works had made too great a stir this time, and that doing this would indeed damage its dignity. After a moment of somber silence he said, "Lord Zhou, a batch must be released today. Grain transport absolutely cannot be halted for even a single day."

Zhou Yingqiu looked at Zhong Yuzheng, knowing his mind was made up. Hesitating, he said, "Very well then. This subordinate will go find some suitable ones right away. I will have them submit review documents, stamp them with my seal, and release them."

Seeing that Zhou Yingqiu had agreed, Zhong Yuzheng did not notice the subtext in his words. He coughed once more and said, "Good. Then I shall return home and rest easy while nursing my illness."

Zhou Yingqiu hurriedly rose and said, "This subordinate sees my lord off."

After Zhong Yuzheng left, a thin, frail figure slowly emerged from behind the bookshelf and said in a shrill voice, "Lord Zhou's methods are quite impressive—just like that, you've grasped the entire power of reviewing grain transport in your hands."

A smug look appeared on Zhou Yingqiu's face as well. Now every grain transport ship entering or leaving port required his seal. His earlier hesitation and reluctance had all been an act—extracting authority from Zhong Yuzheng had been the real goal.

He quickly composed his expression, raised his hand slightly, and said, "You flatter me, Eunuch. The things Eunuch wants, this subordinate can prepare immediately."

Feng Zhu nodded, a meaningful smile on his face as he watched Zhou Yingqiu take out his seal and stamp it onto the documents before him.

After bustling about for quite some time, Zhou Yingqiu finally handed a stack of documents to Feng Zhu and said, "Eunuch Feng, as long as you make one more trip to the Ministry of Revenue, the Huiyun Shipping House will be the only shipping house currently allowed to leave port for grain transport."

Feng Zhu took them with a beaming smile, then said, "It seems it won't be long before the Ministry of Works is run entirely by Lord Zhou's word."

Zhou Yingqiu was startled inwardly. Looking at Feng Zhu, he said, "What does Eunuch Feng mean?"

Feng Zhu waved his hand and said, "My lord need not be alarmed. This subordinate is here to congratulate you—before long, you will be promoted."

Zhou Yingqiu immediately caught the hint. He hastily bowed and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Eunuch. This subordinate will surely serve Her Ladyship with utmost dedication and will never dare make the slightest error!"

Feng Zhu nodded with a smile and left, taking the documents with him.

Only after seeing Feng Zhu off did Zhou Yingqiu feel that his words carried hidden meaning, yet he could not guess what it truly was.

Feng Zhu quietly left the Ministry of Works and slipped soundlessly into the Ministry of Revenue. Soon he came out again carrying another stack of documents, heading straight for Zhou Jianyu's silk shop.

The moment Zhou Jianyu obtained the review documents from both ministries, he was overjoyed and immediately contacted all his partners.

For three straight days, Zhou Jianyu was busy purchasing ships and recruiting crewmen, while simultaneously sending out "name cards" to the various docks and merchant guilds.

Rumors were flying everywhere now, and no small number of people were selling their ships—though most were small households with small vessels. Still, through various means, Zhou Jianyu managed to purchase nearly a hundred ships of all sizes. Some were idle sea-faring vessels, some were confiscated by the Ministry of Works, and some were not grain transport ships at all but ordinary vessels—all gathered up by Zhou Jianyu to expand his fleet.

At this time, apart from the Huiyun Shipping House, no other ships could leave port, and northbound vessels were all being detained as well. So there was no worry about business. In the blink of an eye, the Huiyun Shipping House in the large courtyard not far from the dock was packed with people.

Zhou Jianyu immediately brought out contracts, putting on an air of fair pricing and harmonious business, yet he swept up all their business for the next three years.

At this moment, Zhu Xu in the palace was in somewhat poor spirits. Even with a large pile of profit ledgers placed before him, he had no heart to look through them.

News had come from Qianqing Palace that Zhu Youxiao intended to bestow upon Zhang Yanyao the title of "Selected Attendant."

Zhu Xu had always been hesitant about dealing with Wei Zhongxian. If Zhang Yanyao became a Selected Attendant, then he could no longer move against Wei Zhongxian lightly.

"I suppose this must be Wei Zhongxian's means of self-preservation..."