Chapter 126: Wei Zhongxian's Return

Zhu Xu was very fond of this windfall of silver. Smiling, he waved Cao Huachun away, then lay back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.

Yet his mind kept churning — his commercial empire was essentially complete.

The workshops east of the city would soon produce all sorts of strange and exotic luxuries, which, along with his gradually expanding channels, would flow to every corner of the Great Ming, both within and beyond its borders.

The Huitong Trading Company was his sharpest tool for amassing wealth. His goal was to forge it into the strongest money house in the Great Ming — whether it was the Shanxi merchants connected to the north, the wealthy official-merchant groups of the south, or even the so-called Nanyang merchants who sailed the seas, Zhu Xu intended to draw all their silver into his Huitong Trading Company.

The Huimin Commercial Association was the most important channel. Led by the capital's grain merchants as its backbone, selling low-priced food as its commodity, it sold briskly across the nation and extended its cooperative channels nationwide. The profits might be thin, but what Zhu Xu valued was the channels!

The Huiyun Shipping Company was the great artery between north and south. By grasping hold of this, Zhu Xu gained leverage to bargain with merchants from both regions, and his other two major industries could rely on it to keep expanding, greatly reducing resistance.

The other venture was private salt. Its main destination for now remained the Jurchens in Liaodong, with an annual profit target of ten million taels of silver!

Zhu Xu tapped his fingers on the edge of the chair, silently calculating.

By around September next year, his capital pressure would be completely relieved. Whether expanding business or investing costs, there would still be profits — and such profits would grow ever more terrifying with time.

"With my methods, by the seventh year of Tianqi, I can have profits of around twenty million taels annually. That would be roughly equivalent to one year's tax revenue from the Zhengtong era — should be about enough..."

Zhu Xu had read the veritable records of every Ming emperor and knew that the decline of the Ming's national tax revenue began with the Tumu Crisis. From then on, the court's control over the localities plummeted, which also led to tax revenue hemorrhaging away — in less than a hundred years, only twenty or thirty percent remained.

Having tallied it all up, Zhu Xu felt somewhat reassured. Satisfied, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Grain transport bore on the nation's livelihood and could not be delayed. Zhou Yingqiu, having seized the opportunity to consolidate his position in the Ministry of Works, also displayed his exceptional skill — handling matters swiftly, he audited and cleared the grain transport vessels in less than ten days and let them pass.

With this stretch of time, the Huiyun Shipping Company had already secured ample business and gained a firm foothold in grain transport. With covert assistance from several government offices, its influence would gradually expand. In the future it would certainly never lack business — wealth would roll in endlessly, truly a venture yielding enormous profits from a tiny investment!

Entering September, the weather in the capital was still very hot.

Inside Kunning Palace, Zhu Xu lay slumped over the table, gazing listlessly at Empress Zhang across from him.

Empress Zhang's belly was swollen, and her movements had become quite inconvenient. Her due date was December. At the moment she held embroidery in her hands, a smile on her face, stitching away lightly.

Empress Zhang bit off a thread, looked at Zhu Xu, and said, "Stayed up late reading again last night?"

Zhu Xu nodded gloomily. He had been reading a Song dynasty storybook — somewhat interesting — and with the muggy heat keeping him from sleep, he had tossed and turned until the sky was faintly light before finally dozing off.

Empress Zhang's lips twitched as she said, "Don't think I don't know what you read. I think we still need to find you a tutor."

Zhu Xu helplessly hauled himself up, glanced at Huan'er behind Empress Zhang, and said in a limp, feeble voice, "Sister Huan'er, bring me a bowl of iced watermelon juice..."

"Enough," Empress Zhang refused outright, threading her needle as she spoke. "You've already had three bowls. Go back and you'll have diarrhea again. Just bear it."

"Sigh." Zhu Xu let out a long breath and flopped back down.

His business was gradually on track, with far fewer matters demanding his attention. On top of that, his maternal uncle Fu Changzong brought up court affairs every time they met, which bored him immensely.

Empress Zhang gently shook her head and said helplessly, "I don't even know — did you come here to keep me company, or to have me keep you company?"

Zhu Xu immediately grinned, propping his chin on both hands as he looked at Empress Zhang. "Sister-in-law, you could occasionally come over to my place too. Walk slowly — it's good to get some activity."

Empress Zhang examined the embroidery in her hands, then raised her brows to look at Zhu Xu. "I'm just afraid that even if I go, I won't be able to find you."

Zhu Xu stretched his mouth wide, wearing a beaming smile, and said nothing in reply.

Huan'er, standing behind Empress Zhang, watched His Highness Prince Hui get put in his place and pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh.

After another moment, Empress Zhang said, "By the way, has Wei Zhongxian been given the post of general affairs steward at Jinghuan Palace?"

Zhu Xu was taken aback. Wei Zhongxian had been kept in cold storage at a teahouse outside the palace. Zhu Xu had never figured out how to deal with him. Hearing Empress Zhang suddenly ask this, he felt puzzled inwardly, yet still nodded without changing his expression. "That's what I said, but it wasn't registered with the Clan Court."

After all, Zhu Xu was a first-rank prince. Though he had not gone to his fief, any addition of staff required filing a record with the Clan Court. Wei Zhongxian was far too special — Zhu Xu had only mentioned it offhand, with no real intention of bringing him into the palace or letting him manage affairs.

Empress Zhang nodded lightly. "Yesterday, Selection Attendant Zhang came to see me. The Emperor intends to reinstate Wei Zhongxian — as brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, residing outside the palace, and Director of the Eastern Depot."

Listening to Empress Zhang's words, Zhu Xu's expression finally changed. The content her words revealed was far too much.

If Zhu Youxiao wanted to reinstate Wei Zhongxian, there was no need at all to inform Empress Zhang. This was clearly Wei Zhongxian's own doing — Zhang Yanyao, through Empress Zhang, was indirectly notifying him, or perhaps seeking his "approval"!

But since the message had already been conveyed this far, it was in effect a notification.

The current brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial was Liu Shimin. Because of Wei Zhongxian, Zhu Youxiao had never appointed a seal-holding eunuch. This time, Liu Shimin would likely become the seal-holding eunuch, legitimately taking charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

As for Wei Zhongxian "residing outside the palace" — that was probably an explanation to the outer court officials.

But Director of the Eastern Depot — what did that mean?

Zhu Xu remained silent, struggling inwardly.

Wei Zhongxian was far too dangerous a man. Should he let him be, or make him "disappear"?

Empress Zhang watched Zhu Xu's shifting expression and said in a somewhat detached tone, "Selection Attendant Zhang is not Nurse Ke. No need to worry so much."

Zhu Xu looked up at Empress Zhang. Clearly, Empress Zhang also knew of the relationship between Zhang Yanyao and Wei Zhongxian. His heart suddenly stirred — yes, he had dealt with Madam Ke, so why fear a Zhang Yanyao? Moreover, Wei Zhongxian was no longer the Wei Zhongxian of old, and he was no longer the Zhu Xu of old either!

A radiant smile broke across Zhu Xu's face, full of innocence: "Sister-in-law is right. If heaven wants rain and a mother wants to marry, let it be."

Empress Zhang smiled and nodded, a flicker of approval passing over her face. She added, "The Emperor's health has never been good since that fall. Go see him more often when you have nothing to do, keep him company and chat with him."

Zhu Xu naturally understood the subtext in Empress Zhang's words and nodded earnestly with a serious expression.

But then, doubt rose in his heart as well. Zhu Youxiao was young and strong — though his bedchamber activities might be somewhat excessive, leaving him depleted, he shouldn't be falling ill every few days, and with increasing severity.