Chapter 831

Sada Shinji finally met Pan Yun, representing the Yamana clan in inviting her to Shiyu City.

Pan Yun declined, saying her vacation was limited and she still had many tasks, so she had no time.

Sada Shinji did not insist she go to Shiyu City; he preferred that the Sada family, representing the Yamana clan, communicate with Pan Yun—but since his master had requested the invitation, he had to extend it; as soon as Pan Yun refused, he immediately had his response ready.

After Sada Shinji met Pan Yun, the local magnates confirmed that Pan Yun was indeed in Dasen Village, and they all flocked to Dasen Village to pay their respects.

The Daoist temple grew lively, so Pan Yun took one day to stay inside the temple, letting people see her, then waved her hand and took Zhang Weiliang and the others, who had lingered there for a long time, back to the Academy.

On the sixth day of the sixth month, the Scripture-Flipping Festival, the Academy did not close, nor did it hold classes; it merely required students to take out all their scriptures to dry in the sun and thoroughly clean the library, classrooms, and other areas, opening doors and windows so the scorching sun could shine inside and dry out all the mold and dampness in the air.

Every year from late March to early May in Jiangxi, the plum rains arrive, bringing humidity and heat; the ground and walls sweat moisture, and when clothes are washed, they take three days to dry—even when they finally dry, they carry a damp, moldy stench.

Thus, the Scripture-Flipping Festival on the sixth day of the sixth month is very solemn in Jiangxi.

Academies and schools dry their books; ordinary households dry quilts, clothes, and even furniture.

Pan Yun handed her share of the chores to Seeing Miao Zhen and the others, then rushed off to Japan again.

Coincidentally, Xue Shao was still staying at the Academy; as a guest, he was naturally not assigned any tasks, so he naturally took over Pan Yun's share.

On this trip to Japan, Pan Yun finally met Wang Cong.

He had tanned and lost much weight, but his spirit was excellent.

When Pan Yun appeared, he was leaning on Jia Cong's shoulder.

Kuang Ping drifted out silently from behind Pan Yun and said: "Three days—they've become close friends; reportedly, they hit it off immediately."

Pan Yun: "How sour—did you drink vinegar when you arrived, Lord Kuang?"

Kuang Ping snorted, his expression calm: "I just don't understand—he not only masters the Nine Chapters of Mathematics but is also highly skilled in mechanical arts; if he were willing to serve the imperial court, he might one day become a fierce general in the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of War—why would he sink into the lowly trade of commerce?"

Pan Yun: "The state favors certain trades to maintain stability, but you and I know that no trade should be deemed noble or base; his commerce brings substantial benefit to the nation and its people. Besides, one lives only once—why not follow one's heart? He enjoys the feeling of making money, so he becomes a merchant."

Kuang Ping did not understand: "But serving the state and glorifying one's ancestors is the proper path…"

"How many officials in the court truly remember to serve the state and the people? They do glorify their ancestors, yes—but how many, once reaching high rank, manage to protect their descendants and uphold their family's honor without falling into ruin?" Pan Yun cut him off: "Perhaps more ancestors are disgraced than glorified?"

Kuang Ping opened his mouth but could not speak—corruption in the bureaucracy had already taken root.

Even as a minor official in the Ministry of Works, he had sensed it.

Pan Yun said: "I am very proud of this disciple of mine—so how is he not glorifying his ancestors?"

Before Kuang Ping could debate further, Pan Yun tossed out Pan Xiaohei to go summon Wang Cong.

She did not wish to exchange pleasantries with Jia Cong just now.

Wang Cong saw Pan Xiaohei walking in with elegant cat-like steps; his gaze flickered—he knew his junior aunt had arrived.

He patted Jia Cong's shoulder, ended the conversation without a word, and hurried back to the temple.

To his surprise, Kuang Ping was also there.

Pan Yun lifted her tea cup and explained: "I came by to deliver a letter to Cao Jixiang."

Seeing her serve tea as a dismissal, Kuang Ping rose politely and took his leave, holding a letter in hand.

Wang Cong was considerate—he personally escorted him to the gate before returning: "Junior Aunt, are you planning to come once every month?"

"Three visits in a row have been enough to shock them; next month, we'll see—maybe I'll come, maybe not."

Wang Cong: "July has the Ghost Festival."

"A hundred ghosts roam; Long Hushan has events—we want to go dance the Nuo opera." Work is important, but life is more important; she had already sacrificed three vacations—what's wrong with enjoying herself properly in July?

Wang Cong nodded: "We divined—the period from the thirteenth of June to the eighth of July is auspicious; there will be no storms at sea. We plan to depart on the thirteenth of June, so we should return to Quanzhou around the third of next month."

Wang Cong paused, then asked softly: "Junior Aunt, was that letter really just for the silver escort?"

Pan Yun glanced at him: "You know—why ask?"

"I'm just puzzled—why did Cao Jixiang contact Kuang Ping? Jia Cong is the eunuch; shouldn't they be allies?"

"Who told you eunuchs are all allies? You and Zhang Weichang are both men—do you two form an alliance?"

Wang Cong rubbed his nose and fell silent.

Pan Yun set down her teacup and said casually: "Cao Jixiang is now forced to rely on Wang Zhen, but he has long wanted to break free. The Maritime Trade Office is under Cao Jixiang's control, and Kuang Ping was personally selected by Cao Jixiang—but Wang Zhen insists on inserting a eunuch supervisor."

If Cao Jixiang had chosen the man himself, fine—but Wang Zhen bypassed him entirely, whispered in the Emperor's ear, and directly sent someone from Jingcheng. Tell me—if you were Cao Jixiang, would you accept it?"

"Of course not!" Wang Cong: "Originally, Wang Zhen used the opening of the sea ban and silver mining as excuses to exile Cao Jixiang from the capital. Now that the sea ban is lifted and the silver mines are running smoothly, Wang Zhen is jealous of the profits and refuses to return these rights to Cao Jixiang."

"But Cao Jixiang isn't a fool," Pan Yun chuckled lightly: "As long as he achieves merit and builds sufficient influence, even far from the capital, the Emperor will remember him."

"So let them fight—it's enough if you don't get involved."

"Oh." Wang Cong asked: "Junior Aunt… did you sneak a peek at their letter?"

"Do I need to sneak? When I flew from the Academy to Quanzhou, Cao Jixiang wrote the letter right in front of me—and after finishing, he let me read it."

Wang Cong: "… He wants to win you over."

Pan Yun's face turned serious: "I'm willing to be won over."

When nothing major is happening, between Wang Zhen and Cao Jixiang, she would naturally choose Cao Jixiang—after all, Cao Jixiang is far more human than Wang Zhen.

She also enjoys occasionally giving Wang Zhen a claw, just to remind him not to get too arrogant.

The two disciples exchanged glances and both chuckled.

Wang Cong whispered: "I've observed closely these past two days—Kuang Ping still runs the silver mine. Don't be fooled by Jia Cong's loud bluster—he can't command anyone; at most, he sneaks away a few ingots now and then for pocket money—and even that, he dares not take too much."

"Oh, what does he want from you?"

"He wants to steal silver from my smelting workshop."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow: "How?" Wang Cong: "Of course he wouldn't say it outright to my face—he wants to team up with me to steal silver from other mines that I smelt for them."

Pan Yun clucked her tongue: "How will he split it?"

"Three-seven."

Pan Yun questioned suspiciously: "You get seven?" She thought he'd greedily demand a fifty-fifty split.

Wang Cong grinned: "He gets seven."

Pan Yun sat up straight and waved her hand. "He actually dares to think of that—did you agree to it?"

"Of course I didn't agree. This concerns the reputation of Mount Sanqing. Other mines trust me enough to send their ore here for refining—how could I possibly do something so petty and embezzle for myself?"

Pan Yun nodded, laughing wryly. "Kuang Ping moves fast. It shows people really do need to see things clearly."

After finishing the mundane matters, Pan Yun asked about his months in Japan: "Didn't they bully you?"

Wang Cong grinned. "Every time I was about to get bullied, rumors of my junior aunt would spread outside, and they'd back off. I ended up accidentally making quite a few friends. Now in Heian-kyo, I can't say I walk with my head held high, but at least I'm a somebody—my influence and reputation are stronger than they were in Great Ming."

"Good. Not being bullied is enough. It's worth my monthly trips," Pan Yun said. "But we mustn't forget our roots. Don't abuse your power. Remember, all things under heaven have cause and effect. Don't bring me any bad karma—if I start having bad luck, I'll beat you first!"

Wang Cong: "... Junior Aunt, when you start having bad luck, can you at least find out the exact cause first?"

"I can tell whether it's my own fault or someone else's. Seeing Miao Zhen and the others are well-behaved and obedient, always by my side. Only you are unpredictable."

Wang Cong opened his mouth but held back.

Seeing his lips move but no sound come out, Pan Yun frowned. "Why are you stammering? Just speak."

Wang Cong whispered, "Junior Aunt, didn't you forget Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle?"

Pan Yun blinked. She really had forgotten.

Pan Yun slapped her forehead. "Damn it—these past three months, they've sent not a single message. Could something have happened to them?"

"Spit, spit, spit! Junior Aunt, spit right now!"

Pan Yun obeyed, spitting on the ground, muttering two phrases: "Bad luck won't stick, good luck will."

Even after spitting, Pan Yun still felt uneasy. She decided to investigate the whereabouts of Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji as soon as she returned.

She flew back—nine hours. No, now that she was familiar with the route and her cultivation had grown slightly, she could cut the journey down to eight hours. She believed that one day, flying from Great Ming to Japan, no matter the distance, she could do it in three hours.

Wang Cong and the others sailed back on a sea vessel.

This time, the Maritime Trade Office had its own official ships—eight in total: three escort vessels and five transporting silver and cargo.

Though Wang Cong couldn't see the manifests or board the ships, standing on the dock and counting the crates allowed him to roughly guess the volume of this shipment.

But who knew—were these goods being procured by the Maritime Trade Office for the imperial court, or was someone misusing public resources...?

This was the first time in years the Maritime Trade Office had actively sent ships to foreign lands to purchase goods.

In the past, they only sat at the port, registering whatever goods the Japanese brought to them.

At most, they'd hint at preferences when the Japanese inquired.

Active and passive gains were different. He believed the Maritime Trade Office would make a fortune this time—and hoped it would finally open up the sea trade market.

When he first left port, the maritime ban had just been lifted; everyone was still cautious, and few actually engaged in sea trade.

Such a large port as Quanzhou, if it couldn't be filled with ships, would be a terrible waste.

Oh, because of Pan Yun's ties to the Maritime Trade Office and Wang Cong's familiarity with the route—he'd traveled it several times, even more than the officers—they decided to travel together.

The imperial court provided escort ships. Wang Cong had none, but he placed two cannons on each vessel, making their firepower look formidable—so they formed an equal alliance, no one paying protection fees to anyone else.

Silver and cargo were loaded onto the ships. The small Onsen Jintinggang became blocked until the vessels sailed out of the bay, leaving the port empty.

Masuda Shintaro watched the ships vanish, then turned—and his smile vanished.

His trusted aide followed close behind.

Masuda Shintaro quickened his pace, and only when he reached home did he ask: "Well? Did you find anything?"

"The laborers secretly opened three crates. One was full of refined iron, one of lacquerware, and one of rice. The cargo on all three ships was different."

"What about the other two ships?"

"One carried sulfur—no need to open it; we could smell it as we passed. The other, we never got a chance to open, but a laborer once saw them loading mirrors, gems, and pearls inside."

"All normal goods. Sounds harmless. Then why are they hiding in Omori Village?"

The aide said nothing.

"Have the men sent into the mountains reported back yet?"

"No. The mountains around Omori Village are vast and rarely visited. They've blocked all major roads and set up checkpoints. Our men can only enter by detouring through uncharted forests. Those woods have never been trodden by human feet," the aide said. "Five of our men vanished after entering and have never been found. Twelve returned, but they say they saw nothing—only occasionally heard a clang, clang, clang. They lost their sense of direction inside and didn't even know how they got out."

Masuda Shintaro remained silent, face grim.

His aide watched his expression carefully and whispered, "My lord, this is our land, yet we don't know what these outsiders are doing inside. This is too outrageous. Next time Wang Cong or Pan Yun comes, just ask them directly?"

"Fool! Is that a question you can ask directly?" Masuda Shintaro snapped. "The mountains around Omori Village have been purchased by the Great Ming envoy—they're now Great Ming's private property. I can't ask about them, and I can't let them know we ever sent spies inside!"

The aide said solemnly, "But not knowing what they're doing inside is far too dangerous."

Masuda Shintaro paced twice in place, then clenched his eyes shut and said heavily, "Great Ming Daoist Priests are powerful. They can set up arrays that make people lose their way, walking in circles. When we fought the Uchimura clan, they used exactly this array. Those people—they likely guessed it was me who sent the spies. And five are missing. No more men can be sent. We must preserve our relationship with them."

"My lord!"

Masuda Shintaro raised his hand to cut him off. "Look—how much has Onsen Jintinggang changed compared to before? All of it came from the Han people. I've already discussed with Kuang Ping and Wang Cong—we'll expand the port this year. Soon, it will surpass Zhang Weigang. Our Masuda family now ranks among the top three under the Yamana clan."