Pei Zi Yun and High Scholar Fu returned to Fu Mansion when they heard the sound of horses and footsteps. They turned to look outside and saw that it was pitch black. The sky was covered with thick clouds, and a cold wind was blowing. Several cavalrymen and soldiers were on their way. There were soldiers standing at the entrances of the streets, checking on people.
"The officials of the prefecture have gone out to search." Pei Zi Yun thought to himself. Such a big incident had happened tonight, he had to report it to Yu Yun Jun.
Pei Zi Yun came to Yu Yun Jun's room and knocked, "Master, Master, I have something to report."
"Please wait!" Yu Yun Jun replied.
After some time, the lights in the room lit up. After some time, the door opened and Yu Yun Jun appeared before him. Pei Zi Yun bowed, "Master, something big has happened tonight, and I'm here to report it to you!"
"What's the matter? Come in and tell me. "Yu Yun Jun paused.
Pei Zi Yun and Yu Yun Jun walked into a small living room outside her room. This living room was very elegant, with several paintings hanging on the walls. His Senior Sister had already fallen asleep, and they sat down. Pei Zi Yun leaned back on the chair, his expression was calm and peaceful. His tone was different from his usual self, as he spoke in a low voice, "It's like this, I have to rush to the Governor's banquet …"
He reported everything that had happened today. Yu Yun Jun frowned, "You're saying that pirates attacked the Governor tonight?"
"Yes, Master. Not only that, there were even assassins among the dancers. I suspect that other powers were involved, for example Hou Mansion." Pei Zi Yun recalled his memories from his previous life and deduced that Hou Mansion was involved in the assassination of the Governor tonight.
"Mm, you did well. Our Daoist sect entered the world to earn merits for our sect, and thus we have to kill people. You saved the Governor tonight, and that is a great achievement. You've done us a favor, and it will be easier for you in the future."
"Yes, Master. But regarding this matter, I would like to ask for help from the sect. I wish to know more about the pirates." Pei Zi Yun said.
"Oh, do you have any plans?" Yu Yun Jun paused when she heard Pei Zi Yun's request.
Pei Zi Yun's expression turned solemn as he said, "Master, in the heart of a leader, it's only right for his subordinates to die to save him. Hence, the debt of saving his life is not as great as you think."
"I see that the Governor is still suspicious of me, and is probably investigating."
"However, the assassination of the governor is an opportunity."
"Furthermore, helping the Governor to come up with a plan to deal with the pirates would only bring benefits and no harm at all. Supporting the Dragon would result in a backlash, but assisting the Governor in exterminating the pirates would be beneficial to all the prefectures along the coast. I hope that master will help me." Pei Zi Yun smiled as he spoke.
Yu Yun Jun paused as she stared at Pei Zi Yun. She was in a daze. The figure of that person from all those years ago was becoming clearer and clearer, as though it was overlapping. Only after a while did she regain her senses.
"You're right. This time, assisting the Governor in exterminating the pirates is an act of triumph over the heavens. Since you have such thoughts, I will naturally assist you."
With these words, Pei Zi Yun was satisfied. He didn't want to stay in the inner courtyard for too long. He stood up and clasped his hands before turning around to leave.
Governor-General's Office
The Governor stood up and stared out the window. When he returned to his seat, he saw that the magistrate had already ordered a bailiff to compile some information into a booklet. The Governor took the booklet and skimmed through it. After skimming through a few pages, he flew into a rage and threw the booklet onto the ground, "You're showing me this?"
"Master, please don't be angry. What can the magistrate find out? Master, please don't make things difficult for the bailiff." Madam Duniang stood behind the Governor as she massaged his temples.
"Master, why don't we invite master Top Scorer here today. That way, I'll have one less thing to worry about."
"Alright, I'll do as my wife says." The Governor then shouted, "Butler, send someone to invite Top Scorer here."
Fu Mansion
The morning fog was thin and thin, as though a thin veil had covered the entire street. The night watchman who had been working the entire night carried his bamboo and gong as he yawned and returned home.
The soldiers on the streets seemed to have retreated. Not far away, there was a breakfast shop. A huge pot of porridge was being cooked, as the fragrance of the porridge wafted out.
The boss held a pair of long wooden chopsticks and was deep frying some dough sticks.
"I feel like eating dough sticks today. Buy some for me." Pei Zi Yun instructed the serving maid before returning to his room. Yu Yun Jun had knocked on his door and handed him a stack of documents, "The information is all here. Keep it with you, and don't let anyone know about it."
"Yes, Master." Pei Zi Yun said as he received the documents. He flipped through the pages as the sunlight shone through the window.
He continued reading. The documents contained information about the forbidden seas of the previous dynasty. The pirates were formed by the pirates, and the areas they attacked. It was very detailed. As he read, Pei Zi Yun had an idea.
In his previous life, Qi Jiguang was the one who killed the pirates in one fell swoop. It was just that with the demise of the Qi Family's army, the pirates had risen from the ashes. If he wanted to deal with the pirates, he had to deal with the problem from the root.
As he thought about this, Pei Zi Yun took out a piece of bamboo paper and used a piece of jade to hold it in place. He then poured some water into an ink stone and picked up a brush made of sheep hair. He dipped the brush into the ink and wrote down his thoughts.
As soon as he wrote down some information, the serving maid came over and handed him some dough sticks. She then said in a low voice, "Master Top Scorer, the Governor has sent someone to invite you over today."
"Oh?" Pei Zi Yun took several steps forward. The first step of gaining influence through his reputation had been accomplished. Now it was time for the second step. He had to gain the Governor's favor and gain the support of the pirates.
Pei Zi Yun hesitated for sometime and thought back to his previous life on earth. There was a conclusion about the pirates.
'This had a lot to do with the forbidden seas. '
'During the Song dynasty, there was no news of pirates attacking along the coast. This was because the Song dynasty was prosperous and had a strong navy. '
'In order to maintain a strong navy, there had to be a source of income. This way, the imperial court would not feel that they were wasting their resources. Furthermore, they would be able to attack the pirates and pirates along the coast. '
'Commerce was prosperous. Not only did the imperial court gain a lot from this, but more importantly, there were legal trade routes. Who would risk being hanged to smuggle goods? '
'These pirates would not be able to make much profit. '
'On the other hand, the prohibition of sea trade would stop the pirates for a while. But in the long run, it would only make things worse. '
'Strictly speaking, when the Ming dynasty banned the sea trade, normal trade routes were blocked. Under the temptation of profits, many pirates started to take risks. They started to kill and pillage, committing all sorts of atrocities. Hence, the number of pirates along the South East coast increased. '
'Years ago, when I was studying the stock market, I was reading Capital. There was a famous saying, 'For a 20% profit, it would be lively. For a 50% profit, it would be reckless. For a 100% profit, it would be willing to break all laws. For a 300% profit, it would be willing to commit any crime.'
'These pirates would attack the coast and plunder resources. When they returned to Japan, they would be able to earn ten times or even a hundred times the profit. This was the reason why the pirates could not be banned. '
Flipping through the records from Free Cloud Sect, Pei Zi Yun noticed that there was a hundred times the profit. It was no wonder the pirates were unable to kill them. When the previous dynasty banned the sea trade, the pirates started to rebel against them.
'The plan now is to remove the ban on the sea trade and build up the navy. Most of the sea merchants would have legal channels and would not join the pirates. '
'Without the help of the sea merchants, these pirates would be like fish on the beach after the tide has receded. When the time comes, we can just surround and kill them. '
Pei Zi Yun picked up a piece of paper from the table and shouted, "Men, prepare an ox-cart for me to the Governor's Mansion."
The ox-cart driver shouted and the ox-cart started moving. It was winter, and it was early in the morning. Yesterday, the ban was still very strict. Now, there were fewer people on the streets and alleys. The sound of the ox-hooves hitting the ground could be heard. Outside, there were people discussing that there were pirates trying to assassinate the Governor.
"Pirates?"
Pei Zi Yun laughed. In his previous life, the original owner only knew about the assassination attempt. He didn't know that the pirates were attacking the ships for the sake of the people. If the pirates were able to invade the prefecture, how would the other counties be affected?
It was no wonder the Governor was like this. After thinking for some time, the ox-cart came to a halt. Someone came out from the corner of the door and bowed, "Master Top Scorer, the Governor invites you in."
Pei Zi Yun followed him into the main hall and saw a painting of a ferocious tiger descending from the mountains. There were no paintings around it, and it looked very solemn. In the middle of the painting, the Governor's face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was reading a book in his hands, and looked very desolate.
"My respects to the Governor, your excellency." Pei Zi Yun walked in and bowed.
The Governor was seated at the head of the table. When he saw Pei Zi Yun walk in, he placed the book down and smiled, "You may dispense with the formalities. Please take a seat. What was the name of the poem you wrote yesterday?"
"Shui Diao Ge Tou!" Pei Zi Yun smiled and looked at the Governor. The Governor was of medium build, and had thick eyebrows. He had a pair of bright eyes, and wasn't wearing his official robes. He looked very easygoing.
The Governor's eyes lit up. This poem was indeed good. He then smiled, "Not bad, not bad."
The Governor was a busy man, and naturally didn't engage in small talk. He then said, "I've asked you to come here today because of two matters."
Pei Zi Yun stood up and bowed, "I don't dare. Your excellency is too courteous. Please speak your mind."
The Governor then smiled, "Let's drink some tea before we talk."
As soon as the Governor finished speaking, a serving maid served tea and stood between the Governor and Pei Zi Yun. Her face was red as she stole a few glances at Pei Zi Yun before leaving.
The Governor took two sips of tea to moisten his throat before saying, "The first matter is that I would like to invite you into my mansion, and help me with my plans."
Pei Zi Yun thought for some time before asking, "Your excellency, what's the second matter?"
"The second matter is that I would like to invite you to teach my son."
Hearing this, Pei Zi Yun paused for a moment before coming up with a plan, "Your excellency, this student only wishes to sail the four lakes on a boat. Being a military advisor and giving advice and advice are not my forte."
The Governor didn't seem to mind and asked, "What about teaching?"
Pei Zi Yun bowed again, "Your excellency, I will only be sixteen this year. Teaching a student is not my forte."
The Governor's face fell, and was about to explode in anger when he heard Pei Zi Yun say, "However, this student has a plan!"
The Governor had already assumed that Pei Zi Yun was working for Ji Bei Hou. If not, why would he reject him so many times? When he heard these words, he held himself back and waited for Pei Zi Yun to finish. He then replied, "I'd like to hear the details."
His tone was amiable, yet cold.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
