Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 812 is really too hard-working
Zhu Yi's meeting with the imperial envoy was merely a routine one, and they didn't discuss anything particularly meaningful.

Zhang Yanling knew that he could only be considered a representative of the powerful and wealthy, not the powerful and wealthy themselves. With his seniority and status, he still had some influence among the merchants and common people... but in front of a meritorious official like the Duke of Cheng, his words still carried little weight.

That night, Qin Zhao brought with her the development plan for the Yingtianfu Bank, which she had commissioned someone to design, to meet Zhang Yanling.

"When I came here, I heard that the Duke of Cheng had come to see me in person," Qin Zhao said with a smile. "It seems that the Second Young Master can also wield considerable influence in Nanjing and get the government to cooperate with you."

Zhang Yanling said, "Master Qin is wrong... Lord Zhu is just here to make a brief appearance. To say he's cooperating is an exaggeration. He's probably just putting on a show."

"What I'm doing doesn't require the government's assistance. Their greatest help to me is simply not causing me trouble."

Qin Zhao said, "The officialdom in Nanjing is ultimately different from that in the capital. The most powerful and influential people here are those in the Ministry of War and the garrison headquarters..."

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling interrupted Qin Zhao, nodding and saying, "The Nanjing officialdom revolves around military affairs. The Southern Six Ministries, as the central government's reserve offices, are mostly just for show. However, I have another purpose for this trip: to interrogate Qian, who was imprisoned after accompanying Jiang Cong south to complete the handover, and incidentally obtain some information and channels from him..."

Qian Neng, the former eunuch garrison commander of Nanjing, was Liang Fang's man.

Before and after Liang Fang's downfall, Qian Neng was transferred back to Beijing and left idle. Because of his powerful background, both the court and the public were confident that he could land smoothly. In fact, Qian Neng himself thought so too.

After Zhu Youcheng ascended the throne, he appointed Jiang Cong, a former attendant of the Eastern Palace, as the eunuch in charge of the defense of Nanjing. He also ordered Qian Neng to accompany Jiang Cong to Nanjing to assume his post, and Qian Neng gladly agreed.

After three months in Nanjing, Jiang Cong, who had smoothly transitioned into power, suddenly turned on him and issued an imperial edict to imprison Qian Neng. Of course, he didn't actually go that far; he simply placed Qian Neng under house arrest in a quiet courtyard.

Even now, Qian Neng's influence in Nanjing remains considerable.

Qin Zhao asked, "That Eunuch Qian is quite powerful. If you interrogate him, I'm afraid his cronies will do you harm! After all, your father played a big part in bringing down Eunuch Liang before, and Qian and his cronies are very wary of him."

"Not afraid."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Actually, what I need is some information about the Maritime Trade Office, as well as connections and channels. Especially those people who have overseas living experience. I need to use them to open up the market in Southeast Asia, because our goods not only need to be sold throughout China, but also in Southeast Asia."

Qin Zhao asked in surprise, "Just for doing business?"

"Not entirely."

Zhang Yanling continued, "Because we still need to purchase a lot of goods from Southeast Asia, we must have the corresponding manpower to coordinate them. Qian Neng has been in charge of military affairs in Nanjing for many years, and he is very proficient in the affairs of the Maritime Trade Office, which has led to a large number of talented people working for him in the field of ocean trade."

In order to quickly expand into the Southeast Asian market and bring back specialties from Southeast Asia and the West, Zhang Yanling sometimes had to resort to unconventional methods.

Although Qian Neng was a member of Liang Fang's faction, to the royal family, he was also a servant, doing what was ordered. It was not appropriate to simply kill him outright.

Or rather, as Liang Fang's subordinates, Qian Neng was only subordinate to her in official duties. In the eyes of the royal family, these servants were not likely to rebel. Even if they made mistakes, they could often be punished slightly and then reinstated.

If they are punished right away, these eunuchs will only become more ruthless in the future, and their loyalty to the royal family will be greatly reduced in order to avoid being purged by the royal family.

The current Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Qin Chang, has experienced several rises and falls, which is clear evidence of this reward and punishment system.

Qin Zhao asked, "Then... would you like the Hui merchants to help you make the contact?"

"No need."

Zhang Yanling waved his hand and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Master Qin, but it's best for merchants not to get directly involved in matters such as going overseas. We should wait until the goods are brought back from overseas and the court conducts a strict inspection before deciding whether any can enter the market."

"My concubine understands."

Qin Zhao is a smart man.

She knew, of course, that Zhang Yanling's focus was never on material possessions.

Because Zhang Yanling's backer was the emperor, and while the emperor wanted to make money, his greater ambition was to enrich the country and strengthen its military.

The role of merchants in this process was merely to monetize the products and power resources produced by the imperial system.

Qin Zhao changed the subject and asked, "When will the Second Young Master depart for Huizhou Prefecture? The merchants of Huizhou have made all the necessary preparations to welcome you at any time. They also plan to invite you to visit Mount Huangshan! To see if you can find some abodes of immortals there, or anything that might be helpful for your alchemy."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "How could I possibly know how to refine any elixirs? However, I will be heading to Huizhou Prefecture after I return from Zhejiang."

Qin Zhao looked expectant: "I will definitely accompany you then."

Qin Zhao had his own agenda regarding this matter.

She followed Zhang Yanling to Huizhou, and thereafter became Zhang Yanling's representative among the Huizhou merchants, qualified to represent the Huizhou merchants in negotiations and maneuvering with the imperial court.

In terms of policy support, she will have a more unique advantage than others.

As for whether Zhang Yanling could gain the approval of the Huizhou merchants...

Qin Zhao considered such worries to be completely unnecessary.

As long as Zhang Yanling continues to serve the emperor, producing large quantities of goods not available on the market, and can also open mines across the country and subcontract them out, and provide a large amount of wealth for maritime transport and foreign plunder, then the Huizhou merchants will have a place to use their talents and will have no choice but to submit.

Merchants are always profit-driven.

It can't be said that Zhang Yanling has big business opportunities and a steady stream of profits, so they prefer to go elsewhere.

Furthermore, because the salt tax reform was orchestrated by Zhang Luan, and Zhang Yanling was entrusted by the emperor to supervise the saltworks' production, Zhang Er Guojiu held the greatest advantage of the Huizhou merchants, namely, the control over obtaining salt permits and the saltworks' distribution.

Zhang Yanling asked, "What are Master Qin's plans for the coming days?"

"The bank's preparations are basically complete. Next, we need to decorate and train the staff, which can be completed step by step. As for matters such as coastal defense and maritime transport, these are not things that a commoner like myself can participate in," Qin Zhao said. "I would like to return to Huizhou first to make arrangements in advance so that I can welcome and introduce you along the way when you arrive, Second Young Master."

"it is good!"

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Then we'll meet in Huizhou Prefecture."

……

……

After Zhang Yanling met Qin Zhao, he did not rest, because there were other guests visiting that evening.

It was Pang Qing. When Li Zisheng heard that Zhang Yanling had gone south, before he even reached Xuzhou to see him, he guessed that Zhang Yanling had other duties entrusted to him by the emperor.

Since Li Zisheng himself was unable to come to Nanjing, Pang Qing came on his behalf to meet with him. This was also to find out the true purpose of Zhang Yanling's trip south and to help Li Zisheng with the next steps in procuring funds and supplies.

Pang Qing arrived weary from his journey.

Upon arrival, they presented a small gift, nothing valuable, but it was said to be a piece of jade that Li Zisheng carried with him.

"For the purpose of ensuring safety."

Pang Qing explained.

Zhang Yanling glanced at the opened gift box and saw a crystal-clear jade pendant inside, which he accepted with a smile. Jade wasn't very valuable at that time; Hetian jade was more popular, and jade accounted for a small proportion of jewelry and jade artifacts, existing mostly as a personal collection.

Zhang Yanling explained briefly: "The reason I didn't go to Xuzhou halfway was because time was too tight. The ships that went out to sea had already returned in several batches. The first batch arrived at Longjiang Port in Yingtian Prefecture. I had to get there as soon as possible to avoid losing any good things."

"I understand that this voyage encountered some setbacks, with some fleets returning much later than expected. However, things are relatively calm for now, and at least the second batch of fleets from Ningbo Port will arrive soon. If everything goes smoothly, I plan to make some improvements to the ships based on the experience of this voyage, so that they can continue to sail on oceans in the future."

Pang Qing asked with concern, "Did you obtain any miraculous elixirs or medicines?"

"The purpose of going to sea was not to search for elixirs."

Zhang Yanling explained, "It's mostly about searching for high-quality minerals overseas, such as where there are gold mines, silver mines, and copper mines. We'll mark them on a map and bring back some samples. There are also some... crops. If everything goes smoothly, it might bring the Ming Dynasty tens of millions of taels of silver in revenue."

Pang Qing thought to himself, "My Taoist master demonstrates this every day; there's no need for you to copy it from me."

I just want to know, how much of this huge sum of money you're talking about will actually go to us?
Pang Qing was most concerned about whether Zhang Yanling could allocate funds for river management as soon as possible.

Zhang Yanling naturally knew Pang Qing's purpose in coming here. What he needed to do was to keep the other party calm and let him know that Li Zisheng had to face the current difficulties on his own.

"Mr. Pang, let me be frank."

Zhang Yanling said with a serious expression, "Before the autumn grain is stored in the granary, the court's expenses will be very large. It needs to train new troops, forge firearms, pay officials' salaries, build cities and roads, develop water conservancy projects, and provide relief to disaster victims. It is impossible to allocate money and grain in a short time."

"If it's just a matter of adding a few thousand or tens of thousands of taels of silver at once, I don't think it will be of much help in river management..."

Pang Qing did some calculations and said with difficulty, "But it will be at least three more months before the autumn grain is stored in the granary."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "After the autumn harvest, the north will officially enter the off-season for farming, and the Yellow River's course change will also enter an accelerated period. In other words, if Minister Li's side is unable to advance the project due to a lack of funds and supplies, they can certainly complete the preliminary preparations first."

"Why?"

Pang Qing asked, looking completely bewildered.

"That is to say, we should exclude problems that can only be solved by spending money and food, and do a good job in the preliminary preparations for the decisive battle to control the river."

Zhang Yanling explained in general terms, saying, "The local government needs to communicate well and recruit laborers and hired workers in advance. Once the funds and grain are allocated in the autumn, the subsequent projects can begin. It can even start after the busy farming season, since it only takes about half a month for the funds and grain to be allocated."

Pang Qing said, "Then... if the money and grain can't be allocated, wouldn't everything be..."

Zhang Yanling said, "The river management has already progressed to this point, there's no reason why it shouldn't be completed. Moreover, there will be a major flood in the Yellow River basin next year. If my father's prediction is correct, in May next year, six places in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province, namely Huangshagang, Sucunyechang, Yangguodi, Lianchi Gaomengang, Wangmatou, and Hongchuanwan, will be the first to breach their dikes, followed by five more breaches..."

"At that time, the fertile plains of the Central Plains will be turned into a vast swamp, affecting five to six million people. Famine and plague will spread across the land, and the people will suffer greatly. No one wants to see this happen."

“If your Taoist master can manage the Yellow River ahead of schedule, it would be a great achievement. My father is very concerned about this, so how could he not give his full support?”

Pang Qing remained dismissive of Zhang Yanling's words, thinking, "Everyone knows what level your father is at. These predictions must have been made by you, right? They sound quite mystical, even knowing the exact time and location of the breach. The problem is, nothing has happened yet, so who knows if they're true or false?"

We're all on the same side, so you don't need to act all high and mighty in front of me!

Does your father care? Is it really effective? He's still trying to squeeze money out of you to give to the Taoist priest. The key question is, will you give it to him?

Doesn't everything still depend on your decision?
Your suggestion of bringing up your father now feels like you're just trying to appease me!

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "My Zhang family has made a guarantee to His Majesty that we will be able to mobilize enough money and grain after the autumn harvest. Please trust me, Mr. Pang."

Pang Qing said, "After all, the original plan was to complete it within three years. Even if we rush to finish now, we may not be able to complete the entire project before the beginning of next spring. Moreover, there will be a period of time to stop in the middle. I'm afraid it will be too late by then."

"If, as Mr. Zhang said, the flood occurs next May, all the laborers on both sides of the Yellow River will have to be transferred to protect the river embankment before then. If the embankment really breaks, it will inevitably cause a large number of deaths and injuries. At that time, there will be no more mind to manage the river."

"So, Mr. Pang means that Minister Li is now in a dilemma?" Zhang Yanling feigned surprise, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That can't be. With Minister Li's talent and experience as an official, it's hard to believe that he doesn't even have the ability to coordinate and manage affairs in the local area."

Pang Qing thought to himself, "Are you flattering my Taoist master and covering up your inaction, father and son?"
Zhang Yanling said, "I have already transferred all the funds that could be allocated before. Those were payments made when the court was most short of money and grain, and not a single penny went through the Ministry of Revenue's accounts. Mr. Pang should know this, right?"

"Ah."

Pang Qing nodded and said, "I am deeply grateful for the help you and your son have given me."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "We're here to do this together, so there's no question of who's grateful to whom. We'll also raise 200,000 taels of silver and grain from merchants, and we'll also collect it from local treasuries. I've already spoken to Minister Li about these things in advance."

"In progress."

Pang Qing said, "But it's just a drop in the ocean, and the expenses are greater than expected. The Taoist priest has been working tirelessly on this, staying on the river embankment for two months now."

Zhang Yanling said, "Is Minister Li having a hard time? I've heard that the officials in the prefectures and counties along the coast have been put through a lot by him."

"..."

Pang Qing instantly realized that there was still a certain gap between his level and Zhang Yanling's.

When he first saw Li Zisheng's lifeless appearance, he thought his master had changed his ways. Later, he realized that Li Zisheng was plotting against the officials along the river.

Zhang Yanling had never set foot on the front lines of river management; he only knew what Li Zi Province was doing through some rumors...

This fully demonstrates that the Zhang family was not indifferent to the river management issue, but rather had been keeping a close eye on it.

Pang Qing thought to himself, "Master Dao, why are you working so hard?"
If you relaxed even a little, the Zhang family would think you were working very hard, and they would take the initiative to plan more for you... But because you worked so hard, the Zhang family felt that it was enough for you to take care of things on the riverbank, and they didn't want to do anything and let you solve things on your own!

This put a lot of pressure on me, making me appear very passive when negotiating with the Zhang family.

(End of this chapter)