Chapter 778: Won the Battle

Everyone stared at the stars for most of the night, so they all woke up late the next day.

Cao Jixiang returned from office for lunch and saw them crouching on the stone steps brushing their teeth and rinsing their mouths; he was momentarily speechless.

While brushing his teeth, Pan Yun raised a hand to greet him: "Cao my lord, are you off duty?"

Cao Jixiang took a deep breath, forced a faint smile, then decided to give up entirely and walked straight into the guest courtyard: "Daoist Pan, I heard Wang Cong bought a large mansion?"

Pan Yun: "It's rented, not bought—it's a civilian house, mainly used as a warehouse, not a mansion."

Is this why you've been clinging to the Maritime Trade Office and refusing to leave?

After brushing his teeth, Pan Yun casually stuck the toothbrush upright in the cup and asked Cao Jixiang: "Cao my lord, have you uncovered the mastermind behind the collusion with sea bandits who murdered the envoy?"

Cao Jixiang turned and walked away: "Ask Prefect Lu and General Gong about this matter."

Pan Yun called after him: "This case occurred at sea and falls within the Maritime Trade Office's jurisdiction—Cao my lord cannot simply wash your hands of it."

This is why Cao Jixiang increasingly disliked Pan Yun.

The more he had welcomed her before, the more he now disliked her after the silver was sent to Jingcheng and she kept pestering him about the mastermind.

Cao Jixiang felt his already sparse hair was falling out even faster.

Who could possibly take her away from the Maritime Trade Office?

Pan Yun arrived punctually with his disciples to join Cao Jixiang for lunch.

The servants had grown accustomed to this and served them rice without hesitation.

Pan Yun took his chopsticks and bowl, glanced at the dishes on the table, nodded slightly, and asked: "Cao my lord, counting the days, the silver should have reached Jingcheng by now, right?"

Cao Jixiang's expression softened somewhat; he nodded slightly: "By the calendar, it should arrive in the next couple of days."

Pan Yun: "Then what are you waiting for? There are only twelve days left before the imperial court seals its records—if the imperial decree to lift the sea ban arrives now, won't you need to prepare in advance?"

Cao Jixiang: "The Maritime Trade Office is already prepared. What needs handling now are trivial matters and investigating the mastermind behind the sea bandit collusion—what else do I need to prepare?"

Pan Yun: "Your preparations target only sea-going merchants, but you've forgotten the fishermen and small traders—have you planned the zones? After the sea ban lifts, won't these people interfere with the large ships and major merchants?"

Cao Jixiang froze, thought for a moment, then nodded slightly—but quickly snapped back: "How do you know the sea ban will definitely be lifted, and that the decree will arrive before the year-end sealing?"

Pan Yun sighed: "If sending silver to Your Majesty still can't lift the sea ban, then we might as well stop worrying about it altogether and just pack our bags and go home."

Compared to Cao Jixiang, Lu Mingzhe had far more experience in regional administration—he was already preparing for this.

So he came to visit Cao Jixiang and collaborated with the Maritime Trade Office to designate a specific zone, keeping fishermen away and reserving it solely for large ship operations.

This was also to protect the fishermen.

After all, if a fisherman's small boat got caught in the wake of a large ship, the injured and damaged would always be the fishermen.

In addition, Lu Mingzhe brought in many shipbuilders and merchants and, under the authority of the Prefect's government office, commissioned a batch of fishing boats to be placed on the docks, planning to rent them at low prices to fishermen unable to build their own.

The big merchants of Quanzhou stirred into action: some began weaving fishing nets, renting storefronts to prepare for buying seafood; others started hiring craftsmen to build large ships…

Gong Xia had a decent relationship with Lu Mingzhe and couldn't help advising him: "The imperial decree hasn't been issued yet, and you're doing so much—what if it fails? How will you bear the responsibility?"

Lu Mingzhe sighed: "Probably get dismissed from office."

Gong Xia saw no trace of worry or sorrow on his face—only a hint of excitement.

Gong Xia: "... You're not trying to use this as an excuse to escape, are you?" Lu Mingzhe froze, his eyes brightening with sudden delight as he stared at Gong Xia: "Brother Gong, only you could think of this—why didn't I see it myself?"

Gong Xia: …

He hurriedly urged: "It's just one case of murdering the envoy—why risk your entire career? You've spent ten years studying…"

"Twenty-three years!" Lu Mingzhe corrected him solemnly.

Gong Xia blinked: "What?"

Lu Mingzhe said: "I began my studies at age five and spent twenty-three years in arduous study before passing the Metropolitan Graduate examination."

Gong Xia rubbed his forehead, a vein bulging slightly; he suppressed his retort and urged: "Then you should value it even more."

Lu Mingzhe smiled silently—easy to say, but didn't he value it now?

Last time the prison caught fire, it nearly burned down his entire street; luckily, a group of Daoist Priests lived nearby at the Daoji Temple, and with their help, the fire didn't spread and many prisoners were rescued—otherwise…

Lu Mingzhe gritted his teeth in silence.

If he dug deeper, those people might truly try to kill him—but what of it? First, get the sea ban lifted ready.

He had a 99% certainty the sea ban would be lifted.

If it wasn't, there was only one possibility: the greatest traitor was the one at the very top.

Gong Xia couldn't dissuade Lu Mingzhe, so he let him proceed boldly with all his preparations.

Nearby prefectures, influenced by him, quietly began preparing too—but dared not take such bold steps, afraid of pulling their own testicles.

On the twenty-first day of the twelfth lunar month, the day after Great Cold, the imperial decree to lift the sea ban finally arrived in Quanzhou.

Lu Mingzhe held the edict and laughed heartily, immediately ordering it copied into announcements and proclaimed throughout the counties.

The people of Quanzhou city learned the news first; then neighbors told neighbors, relatives told relatives—by the next day, even the old fishermen living in the farthest corners outside the city heard it.

Most of them were tenant farmers who survived only by tilling landlords' fields or taking odd jobs; hearing the sea ban was lifted and they could now fish at sea, they stared in disbelief.

"Fake? We've heard rumors about lifting the sea ban before…"

"This time it's not fake—it's real! The government office has posted official notices—"

Some ran to the county seat to see the notice with their own eyes;

Others ran to the shore, specifically choosing spots guarded by soldiers.

When they arrived, they saw the netted barrier had been opened—the nets and debris were gone.

Even the white bones on White Bone Hill had been cleared away, all dug up and buried in deep pits by government office Runners.

The once eerie, terrifying path had been cleared into a wide road; sunlight poured down, blindingly bright and stinging their eyes.

The gathered crowd stared intently at the soldiers on the other side and asked: "Sir, there are rumors that the sea ban has been lifted."

The soldier on the other side replied: "Not a rumor—it's true. Your Majesty's decree: Quanzhou lifts the sea ban."

The people stared in disbelief, dazed for a long moment—then, still watching the soldier's face, one foot stepped forward; seeing he made no move to stop or shout, they let out a wild "Aaah!" and sprinted toward the sea—

The crowd behind them let out "Ahhh—" and surged forward in a swarm, the sea wind slapping their faces, as if they had really bypassed the soldiers and openly run all the way to the seaside.

Their wild howls never stopped; the moment they plunged a foot into the seawater, they were as thrilled as if they had won a battle and conquered the whole world. (End of chapter)