Chapter 4: Luo Yangxing

Outside the door, Zhou Jianyu sat in a chair slowly sipping tea, yet his mind was constantly pondering the words of that gentleman inside, finding them all fog and haze, unable to grasp his true intentions.

"Forget it—cultivating a connection with a Bureau Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue is already a win with no risk of loss." Zhou Jianyu cast aside his doubts.

"Manager Zhou, you've kept me waiting quite a while." Before long, a middle-aged man strode over. Clad in fine garments of superior cloth, his face wore a smile—clearly a man accustomed to a life of ease and privilege.

Zhou Jianyu hastily rose, flattering him: "You flatter me, Chiliarch Luo. They're just some small business dealings."

Luo Yangxing sat down heavily in the chair, took a sip of tea, and came straight to the point: "Manager Zhou, you've seen the compound—three thousand taels is hardly too much, is it?"

Manager Zhou sat down in agreement, smiling: "You flatter me, Lord Luo. I'm merely an errand runner; the true buyer is the noble personage behind me."

"A noble personage?" Luo Yangxing was taken aback, leaning in closer: "May I know who?"

Zhou Jianyu smiled faintly: "You know the rules, Lord Luo."

Luo Yangxing raised an eyebrow, waved his hand, and said: "Very well, I've brought the deed. We can go to the yamen later and change the name."

A strange smile flickered at the corner of Zhou Jianyu's mouth, yet his expression remained calm as he shook his head: "Lord Luo still doesn't wish to speak plainly with me even now?"

"Speak plainly?" Luo Yangxing frowned: "What would Manager Zhou have me say?"

Zhou Jianyu said: "My lord should know that the noble personage behind me is no ordinary figure. Investigating the provenance of this house would be a trivial matter indeed."

Luo Yangxing's face slowly darkened, and he looked at Zhou Jianyu with ill intent: "Since Manager Zhou knows this, why summon me here—could it be you mean to toy with this Chiliarch!"

Zhou Jianyu remained utterly unmoved by his threat, shaking his head: "My lord misunderstands. This compound once belonged to that Minister of the Ministry of Personnel—it may well linger in His Majesty's memory. If it were suddenly bestowed upon that gentleman, then never mind myself—even your esteemed father could not bear the crime of deceiving the throne."

Luo Yangxing sneered: "It seems Manager Zhou has no sincerity after all. But our Luo family holds the hereditary post of Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and my father has served diligently for decades—surely His Majesty would not trouble my father over such a trifle!"

Zhou Jianzong shook his head: "My lord still fails to grasp the current situation. Why not take a look at this first." So saying, he handed a memorial to Luo Yangxing.

Luo Yangxing frowned, took it, and glanced at it—his expression changed drastically on the spot.

This was a memorial submitted by Supervising Secretary Zhang Yunru, its gist being that the current Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Luo Sigong, was advanced in years and failing in health, while the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were weighty and numerous—he could no longer bear the burden—and recommending that he be permitted to lay down his arms and return to his fields, to spend his remaining years in repose. Most importantly, the final line recommended Xu Xianchun to succeed him as Guard Commander!

And there was also the vermilion endorsement of the Directorate of Ceremonial: "Approved as proposed."

In other words, if His Majesty were to see it, ponder it briefly, and nod his head, everything could become reality!

Cold sweat beaded on Luo Yangxing's forehead, his gaze panicked, staring at the memorial without moving, his face shifting through a kaleidoscope of expressions—all trace of his earlier arrogance gone.

Zhou Jianzong watched Luo Yangxing's expression and felt a measure of satisfaction he couldn't suppress. In times past, such men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had stood high above all, feared by everyone they met; now a mere Chiliarch was in such a state before them—enough to earn him a few extra cups tonight!

But he quickly calmed himself. The noble personage in the private room behind him was listening. After a brief pause, he continued: "My lord should understand the current situation. In the court, from Vice Ministers and Ministers of every ministry to the Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat—which one doesn't fall at a word's notice? And as for whose man this Xu Xianchun is, my lord should know better than I."

"Wei Zhongxian!" Luo Yangxing's brows knit tightly, his heart in utter turmoil. Their Luo family held the hereditary post of Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—setting aside the decline by his own generation, the mere fact that Wei Zhongxian wished to seize complete control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard meant he would inevitably purge the Luo family's influence. Then he, the son of the current Guard Commander Luo Sigong, a mere Chiliarch, would likely bear the brunt of it.

Yet Luo Yangxing was no ordinary man after all. He quickly calmed himself, fixing Zhou Jianyu with a cold, sharp gaze: "Manager Zhou, who exactly stands behind you?"

Zhou Jianzong said: "Ask too much, my lord, and you break the rules. The noble personage behind me bade me convey one message: the Luo family has held its post for generations, loyal and devoted; my lord has been diligent and conscientious these years—there is nothing indefensible about succeeding as Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"You want me to take the post?" Luo Yangxing was startled at first, but then gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Who doesn't know Wei Zhongxian is the most favored man before His Majesty right now? Contending with his people—I fear I haven't a single shred of a chance, do I?"

Zhou Jianzong shook his head again, smiling: "That's where my lord errs. Old Lord Luo has stood unshaken through three reigns—clearly he holds His Majesty's trust. On matters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his word carries more weight than anyone's."

Luo Yangxing's brows knit tightly, his heart full of doubt and uncertainty. After a long while, he still hesitated: "My father likely would not wish for me to take the post."

Zhou Jianzong said: "Naturally. With the court situation unclear, the old lord would hardly want you embroiled in it. But my lord must understand—once the Embroidered Uniform Guard falls into another's hands... we become fish on the chopping block!"

Luo Yangxing's heart leaped, all manner of thoughts churning within. The things his father had done in the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years—some he knew of, some he didn't—but to claim they were spotless was absolutely impossible. And the things he himself had done were already enough to have his family's property confiscated—and that was only if Wei Zhongxian was in a good mood.

After a long moment, Luo Yangxing gritted his teeth and looked at Zhou Jianzong with a heavy voice: "If I can persuade my father, can the man behind you guarantee I'll take the post smoothly?"

Seeing Luo Yangxing finally relent, Zhou Jianzong felt the great stone in his heart settle, and spoke even more openly: "My lord should know that Lord Luo's memorial will be delivered directly before the throne. Neither the Ministry of Personnel, the Grand Secretariat, nor the Directorate of Ceremonial can learn of it. So long as the old lord sends the memorial in overnight, the imperial endorsement will come out the very next day."

Luo Yangxing looked at the memorial in his hands and did not doubt Zhou Jianzong's words. He gritted his teeth: "Very well. I'll return at once to persuade my father and send the memorial into the palace overnight." So saying, he rose and made to leave.

"Wait," Zhou Jianyu stood up, drew a bank draft from his bosom, and said to Luo Yangxing: "You may take this memorial with you, my lord, and this three-thousand-tael bank draft is yours as well."

Luo Yangxing's expression was heavy, but he knew that by now he had effectively formed an alliance with the man behind Zhou Jianzong. After a moment's hesitation, he still took it: "My thanks." With that, he hurried away.

"Well done." Zhu Xu pushed open the door and walked out, beaming at Zhou Jianyu.

Zhou Jianyu immediately bowed and scraped, as if he were a different man: "Thank you for your praise, young master. Everything was arranged by Lord Fu."

Zhu Xu nodded: "Go accept those several shops the day after tomorrow and manage them well. Here—this is an underglaze blue-and-white porcelain tribute from Suzhou and Jiangxi. It's yours."

Zhou Jianyu's face lit up with joy at the news—those shops earned a fortune daily. He immediately bowed deeply in gratitude: "Thank you for your generosity, young master. Should any command come in the future, I shall obey without fail, and all due tributes will be delivered on time."

Zhu Xu smiled, and following behind Luo Yangxing, also left the teahouse.

"Your Highness, was this not somewhat hasty?"

Once aboard the carriage, Cao Wenzhao, who was driving, could not help but turn back and speak in a low voice.

"Not hasty." Zhu Xu's expression did not change, but inwardly he sighed, thinking to himself: 'If I did not seize this chance while Madam Ke has yet to return, these moves would almost certainly all end in failure.'