Chapter 76: Imperial Edict

"Zhang Kang is truly an old fox."

Chang Wei kicked the cargo wagon in front of him.

"However, it is not without gains. At the very least, we captured over three thousand Warhorses, and this much Refined Iron, Armor, and Weaponry." Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Most importantly, although there is no concrete evidence yet, one thing is certain: there is something fishy going on between the Zhang Family, the Yuan Family, and the Northern Di."

This time, Xu Ke had tailed a middle-aged man who came out of the Zhang Family estate.

He followed him quietly all the way from Yancheng to Qingfeng Pass, and from Qingfeng Pass, he followed him north, nearly entering the Grassland.

It was only after this man was picked up by a squad of Northern Di Cavalry that he returned.

"Beasts! The Northern Di are slaughtering the people of our Great Song, yet the Zhang Family and Yuan Family not only fail to share a common hatred for the enemy, but instead sell Refined Iron and other goods to the Northern Di. Is this not an act of aiding the enemy? This subordinate now wishes he could hack them into mincemeat." Chang Wei gritted his teeth.

"Do not be impatient; that day will come. Now that we have some leads, we can secretly investigate this matter. Once we have a firm grip on the evidence, I will ensure that Zhang Kang meets a miserable end." Zhao Xu clenched his fists.

Yanzhou is such a vital strategic location, yet a Prefect of Yanzhou and a Commandery Governor of Yan Commandery are secretly colluding with the enemy; this is simply absurd.

From now on, he must guard against not only the Zhang Family but also the Yuan Family.

After all, that Yuan Li is a man who seeks revenge for the slightest grievance; it would be strange if he did not fly into a rage after losing so many things.

Moreover, Yuan Li's nephew is the Sixth Prince, and in his memories, the Sixth Prince's bullying of Zhao Xu was the most severe.

He believed that upon learning he had gained a firm foothold in Yan Commandery, the Sixth Prince would surely be even more anxious than Yuan Li.

"Your Highness, although we have not obtained concrete evidence, wiping out the bandits trading with the Northern Di is also a great merit. This subordinate believes we should submit a memorial to the Emperor to request a reward for Your Highness." Liu Fu, standing to the side, suddenly remembered something.

No sooner had his voice fallen than a servant from the Yan Prince Mansion hurried over.

"Your Highness, someone has come from Jingshi." The servant spoke with great urgency.

"Jingshi? Who has come?" Zhao Xu exchanged a glance with Liu Fu and Chang Wei.

"A Eunuch, who says he has brought an Imperial Edict."

"I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse?" Liu Fu frowned.

Zhao Xu smiled; in the letter from Noble Lady Mi last time, Zhao Heng had already subtly revealed his thoughts.

He believed that in such a short time, Zhao Heng's attitude should not have changed drastically.

"We will know when we return."

Zhao Xu turned and walked outside.

Catching a glimpse of the Refined Iron in the wagon, he ordered Chang Wei to send it to the Armory Bureau for smelting.

As for the captured Warhorses, he ordered them to be carefully fed, and for those with a talent for riding to be selected from the army to form a Cavalry unit.

They arrived at the Yan Prince Mansion along the way.

From a distance, Zhao Xu saw three horses stopped at the entrance of the Yan Prince Mansion.

The saddles of these horses all bore the same patterned design.

Clearly, these were post horses from a relay station.

In the modern era, communication of information is very convenient.

But in ancient times, it was very troublesome.

Therefore, in order for the Imperial Court's urgent orders to reach the provinces as quickly as possible, every dynasty established a relay station system.

Simply put, it was equivalent to a modern-day post office.

Such relay stations were set up along the official roads, one every thirty kilometers, and each station had horses.

The person delivering the documents could travel by horse, changing horses every thirty kilometers.

In this way, urgent reports could be relayed, achieving eight hundred li of travel day and night.

Therefore, the "eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch" of ancient times was no mere joke.

Although Yan Commandery is over two thousand li away from Jingshi, by utilizing the relay stations, one could arrive in three to five days even at a slow pace.

"Your Highness the Yan Wang, do you still remember this humble servant?"

Entering the Yan Prince Mansion, Zhao Xu saw a young Eunuch and two Imperial Guard soldiers waiting in the front courtyard.

Upon seeing Zhao Xu, the young Eunuch's face was immediately wreathed in smiles.

Zhao Xu searched through his memories and found the memory of this Eunuch.

"Manager Tong." Zhao Xu revealed a smile, feigning intimacy.

The eunuchs of the Great Song were generally managed by the Inner Service Bureau.

The highest-ranking eunuchs were called Chief Steward Eunuchs, ranked at the first grade.

Currently, Liang Cheng held the position of Chief Steward.

Below the Chief Steward were the Imperial Presence Eunuchs, Palace Presence Eunuchs, Head Eunuchs, Manager Eunuchs, and Duty-Shift Eunuchs, with ranks ranging from the second grade down to the ninth grade.

This Tong San was a Duty-Shift Eunuch in the palace, a sixth-grade eunuch.

According to what he knew, he was a trusted aide of Liang Cheng, specifically responsible for proclaiming Imperial Edicts.

"Oh my, that Your Highness still remembers this humble servant, this humble servant is deeply honored." Tong San laughed loudly.

While laughing, he sized up the Yan Wang, seeing that the Yan Wang was composed and dignified, completely devoid of the madness and foolishness he had back in the palace, and thought to himself that the Yan Wang had truly recovered.

Originally, he could have arrived in Yancheng a day earlier, but acting under Imperial orders, he had specifically inquired about the reputation of the Yan Wang after entering Yan Commandery.

All the commoners along the way praised the Yan Wang highly, while the merchants coveted the goods of the Yan Prince Mansion, all saying that the Yan Prince Mansion was making a fortune every day.

"Since my recovery, I have naturally recalled the care you showed me back in the palace, Eunuch." Zhao Xu continued to feign politeness.

Back in the palace, Tong San had not been bad to him, nor had he shown him any special care.

But since they had met, they had to keep up the pretense.

Tong San naturally knew that these words were merely the Yan Wang's pleasantries.

At this moment, he produced the Imperial Edict, "Upon learning that Your Highness has recovered, the Emperor was very pleased and specifically sent this humble servant to Yan Commandery to proclaim the Imperial will to Your Highness."

Zhao Xu understood that it was time to receive the Edict.

He turned and knelt facing south, for that was the direction of the Capital City, signifying his respect for the Emperor.

Tong San stood at Zhao Xu's side, unfurled the Imperial Edict, and read: "Upon hearing that Yan Wang Zhao Xu has recovered from his illness, Our heart is greatly comforted. However, since you govern Yan Commandery, you must be diligent in your administrative duties and not forget the heavy responsibility of a vassal king in guarding the Imperial Clan. You must absolutely not act recklessly. Respect this."

"I thank the Lord for his immense grace. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live, long live," Zhao Xu shouted after Tong San finished reading.

At this moment, Tong San handed the Imperial Edict into Zhao Xu's hands, and only then did Zhao Xu stand up.

"The Emperor has also bestowed upon Your Highness one thousand taels of Silver and three hundred bolts of Shu brocade. I have come ahead, and these items will arrive in two days," Tong San smiled. "However, since Your Highness's business in Jingshi is now booming, these few things are hardly worth noting. Moreover, this time I have brought Your Highness some good news..."

Having said this, Tong San began to play coy.

Feng'er had been attending to the guests ever since Tong San arrived.

Zhao Xu understood the implication and said, "Feng'er, go to the treasury and take one thousand taels of Silver for Manager Tong to have some tea, and also reward the two soldiers."

"Yes, Your Highness," Feng'er bowed her head in acknowledgment and left.

Tong San revealed a satisfied smile, "Feng'er has grown more and more beautiful since arriving in Yan Commandery."

He then cleared his throat, "The Emperor's rewards for Your Highness are not many, but the intention is what matters. However, once the military supply order is given to Your Highness, there will be heaps and heaps of Silver entering Your Highness's pockets."

"Military supply order?" Zhao Xu was stunned for a moment; he had almost forgotten about this matter.

"That's right. When I left, the imperial court was in an uproar. Prefect Yuan impeached General Mo for privately associating with Your Highness, and many officials took the opportunity to fan the flames, asking the Emperor to transfer General Mo away from Yanguan and to hold Your Highness accountable. Fortunately, General Mo sent Your Highness's Secret Medicine to Jingshi. The Imperial Hospital verified it and was amazed, calling it a divine medicine, which finally silenced the ministers. Now, they are planning to remove the blood-replenishing pills from this year's military supplies and replace them with Your Highness's Secret Medicine," Tong San said, spraying saliva as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu was overjoyed.

In this way, the Prince's Mansion's trading firm would henceforth have a stable source of income.