Chapter 778
A Victory Was Won
Everyone spent most of the night stargazing, and they all slept in late the next day.
When Cao Jixiang returned from his office to have lunch, he passed by their courtyard and saw them squatting on the stone steps rinsing their mouths and brushing their teeth. He was speechless for a moment.
While brushing her teeth, Pan Yun raised her hand to greet him: "Lord Cao, are you off duty?"
Cao Jixiang took a deep breath, tried to force a smile, but finally decided to give up and walked directly into the guest courtyard: "Master Pan, I heard that Wang Cong bought a big house?"
Pan Yun: "It's rented, not bought. It's a private residence, mainly used as a warehouse, not a large house."
Is this why you've been lingering at the Maritime Trade Office?
After brushing his teeth, Pan Yun casually placed the toothbrush upside down in the cup and asked Cao Jixiang, "Lord Cao, have you found out who was behind the conspiracy to collude with pirates to ambush the delegation?"
Cao Jixiang turned and left, saying, "We should ask Prefect Lu and General Gong about this matter."
Pan Yun shouted loudly behind him, "This case occurred at sea and falls under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Trade Office. Lord Cao cannot abandon this responsibility."
This is why Cao Jixiang increasingly disliked Pan Yun.
The more welcoming he was before, the more disgusted he became when she frequently inquired about the mastermind behind the silver shipment to the capital.
Cao Jixiang felt that his already thinning hair was falling out even more severely.
Who can take her away from the Maritime Trade Office?
Pan Yun and her fellow apprentices arrived on time opposite Cao Jixiang to have lunch with him.
The servants were used to it and served them rice very naturally.
Pan Yun took the bowl and chopsticks, glanced at the food on the table, nodded slightly, and asked, "Lord Cao, judging by the time, the silver should have arrived in the capital by now, right?"
Cao Jixiang's expression softened considerably, and he nodded slightly: "Judging by the days, they will arrive in the next two."
Pan Yun: "Then what is Lord Cao waiting for? There are only twelve days left until the imperial seal is lifted. If the imperial decree to lift the sea ban were to arrive at this time, wouldn't you need to make preparations in advance?"
Cao Jixiang: "The Maritime Trade Office is already prepared. What we need to deal with now are some trivial matters and to investigate the mastermind behind the collusion with the pirates. What else do I need to prepare?"
Pan Yun: "Your preparations are all aimed at merchants going to sea, but you've forgotten about fishermen and small vendors. Have you done any regional planning? After the sea ban is lifted, these people will not affect the large ships and big merchants in the maritime trade."
Cao Jixiang was taken aback, then nodded slightly after thinking for a moment, but quickly realized what he meant: "How do you know that the sea ban will definitely be lifted and that it will arrive before the year-end seal?"
Pan Yun sighed, "If even sending silver to His Majesty won't lift the sea ban, then we might as well give up and pack our bags and go home."
Compared to Cao Jixiang, Lu Mingzhe has much more experience in local management, and he is already preparing for it.
So he went to Cao Jixiang and asked him to cooperate with the Maritime Trade Office to designate a certain area to keep fishermen away and make it a place for large ships to operate.
This is also to protect fishermen.
After all, if a fisherman's small boat gets caught in a large ship, it is always the fisherman who will be injured or damaged.
In addition, Lu Mingzhe also found many shipbuilding craftsmen and merchants and ordered a batch of fishing boats directly in the name of the prefectural government to be placed on the dock. He planned to rent them to fishermen who were unable to build boats at a low price.
The wealthy merchants of Quanzhou, hearing the news, began to move about. Some started making fishing nets, rented shops to prepare for buying seafood, and others began to hire craftsmen to build large ships...
Gong Xia and Lu Mingzhe had a good relationship, and she couldn't help but advise him: "The emperor's will hasn't been given yet, and you're already doing so much. What if it fails? How will you bear the responsibility?"
Lu Mingzhe sighed: "I'll probably be dismissed from my post."
Gong Xia didn't see any worry or sadness in him; on the contrary, he seemed a little excited.
Gong Xia: "...You, you're not thinking of using this to get away, are you?" Lu Mingzhe was stunned, his eyes lit up, and he looked at Gong Xia with surprise: "Brother Gong, it was you after all! How come I didn't think of that?"
Gong Xia: ...
He quickly advised, "It's just a case of hijacking and killing an envoy. You're gambling with your entire future. It's not worth it. You've studied hard for ten years..."
“Twenty-three years!” Lu Mingzhe corrected with a serious expression.
Gong Xia was taken aback: "What?"
Lu Mingzhe said, "I began my studies at the age of five and studied diligently for twenty-three years before finally passing the imperial examination."
Gong Xia rubbed his forehead, veins bulging slightly. He suppressed his complaints and advised, "That's why you should cherish it even more."
Lu Mingzhe smiled but remained silent. It's easy for him to say, but doesn't he cherish it now?
Last time, a fire broke out in the prison, almost burning down the entire street. Fortunately, a group of Taoist priests lived in the nearby Taoist Discipline Office. With their help, the fire was prevented from spreading, and many prisoners were rescued. Otherwise…
Lu Mingzhe gritted his teeth inwardly.
If he investigates further, those people might really want his life, but... who cares? Let's get the preparations for lifting the sea ban done first.
He was 99% certain that the maritime ban would be lifted.
If it doesn't open, there's only one possibility: the national parasite is the one at the very top.
Gong Xia couldn't dissuade Lu Mingzhe, so she could only let him make various preparations in a bold and decisive manner.
The neighboring prefectures, influenced by him, also quietly began making preparations, but dared not take such big steps as he did, for fear of making a mess of things.
On the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, the day after the Great Cold, the imperial decree to lift the sea ban finally arrived in Quanzhou.
Lu Mingzhe held the imperial edict and laughed heartily. He immediately ordered someone to write a proclamation based on the edict and then spread it to all the counties.
The people of Quanzhou were the first to hear the news, which then spread from neighbor to neighbor and from friend to friend. By the next day, the old fishermen living in remote corners outside the city had heard the news.
Most of these people were tenant farmers who could only make a living by farming for landlords or doing odd jobs. When they heard that the sea ban had been lifted and they could go to sea to catch fish, they all looked incredulous.
"Is it fake? There have been rumors before that the sea ban would be lifted..."
"This time it's not fake, it's real! The government offices have even posted notices—"
Some people went to the county town, wanting to see the announcement in person;
Some people also went to the beach, specifically choosing beaches that were guarded.
Upon arrival, the opening that had been made of fishing nets was now open, but the nets and other debris had vanished.
Even the bones on the White Bone Mountain that had once blocked the road were cleared away and buried in large pits by the yamen runners.
The once gloomy and terrifying alleyway has been cleared into a wide road, and the sunlight shines down, so bright it hurts the eyes.
The gathered people stared intently at the soldiers on the other side and asked, "Sir, there are rumors outside that the sea ban has been lifted."
The soldier standing on the other side said, "It's not a rumor, it's true. His Majesty has decreed that the sea ban in Quanzhou be lifted."
The people were incredulous and somewhat dizzy. It took them a while to react. Then, while staring at the soldier's face, they took a step forward. Seeing that he neither stopped them nor shouted at them, they immediately let out a roar and rushed towards the sea.
The crowd behind them swarmed forward with shouts of "Ahhh!" The sea breeze whipped against their faces, and it seemed as if they had truly bypassed the soldiers and run openly to the beach.
The roars continued unabated as they stepped into the sea, their excitement akin to that of a victorious battle or the triumph of conquering the world. (End of Chapter)