Chapter 25

"Your Excellency, an angel has arrived in the capital!"

After hearing the report from his servant, Zhao Junchen nodded but did not appear particularly surprised.

An angel, in this context, refers to an envoy of the emperor.

It had been nearly two months since Zhao Junchen left the capital, far exceeding the expected duration. Although he had been sending regular reports to Emperor Deqing to maintain the emperor's favor, many matters in the court could not proceed without him, given his position as the Deputy Minister of Revenue and the supervisor of the Inner Transport Treasury. Given Emperor Deqing's character, it was only natural that he would send someone to urge Zhao Junchen to return to the capital.

Guessing the purpose of the imperial envoy, Zhao Junchen turned to Guo Linxiang and said, "Mr. Guo, would you please move to the side hall and wait for a moment? After I receive the imperial envoy, I will discuss matters with you in detail. I apologize for any inconvenience."

Guo Linxiang nodded and smiled, "Your Excellency is too kind. The arrival of the imperial envoy must be for important matters. It is only proper for me to wait in the side hall. I would never dare to blame you."

As he spoke, Guo Linxiang did not delay. After bowing to Zhao Junchen, he was led to the side hall by a servant to wait.

"Qingyan, come with me to welcome the imperial envoy."

After Guo Linxiang left, Zhao Junchen also stood up and said to Xu Qingyan, who was standing nearby.

...

When Zhao Junchen and Xu Qingyan arrived at the gate of the residence, they saw the imperial envoy waiting outside with a group of attendants. The envoy was an old eunuch in his fifties, dressed in attire that suggested a high rank in the palace. Despite his smiling face, Zhao Junchen instinctively felt a sense of deep scheming, which made him somewhat wary.

"Qingyan, do you recognize this eunuch?"

Seeing the eunuch from a distance, Zhao Junchen asked Xu Qingyan.

Surprised that Zhao Junchen did not know the identity of the visitor, Xu Qingyan replied softly, "Young Master, how could you forget him? This eunuch is Zhang De, the emperor's personal attendant. He has been by the emperor's side for over ten years."

Zhao Junchen nodded, not explaining further, and quickly walked up to Zhang De, clasping his hands in greeting, "Your Excellency, I apologize for not being able to welcome you from afar. Please forgive me."

Zhang De also smiled and replied, "Your Excellency is too kind. I am of low rank, and for you to personally welcome me at the gate is already a great honor."

Zhang De's voice was sharp, not quite a duck's quack, but not pleasant either. His tone carried a hint of sarcasm, as if he harbored some hostility towards Zhao Junchen, causing Zhao Junchen to frown inwardly.

"Lord Zhang, you are too kind. Let's go inside and talk."

Sensing Zhang De's unhidden hostility, Zhao Junchen, though puzzled, did not press the matter and led Zhang De into the residence.

Although Zhang De was an imperial envoy, Zhao Junchen was also a special envoy, so there was no need for excessive formalities.

After leading Zhang De to the main hall and seating him, Zhao Junchen asked, "Does His Majesty have any imperial edicts to convey through you, Lord Zhang?"

Zhang De cleared his throat and slowly replied, "There are no edicts, but His Majesty has not seen you for a long time and is concerned. He sent me to Lu'an to ask when you will return to the capital. Your Excellency, not to be impolite, but you are not only the Deputy Minister of Revenue but also the supervisor of the Inner Transport Treasury. The Ministry of Revenue can still function without you, with the Minister and other deputy ministers, but the Inner Transport Treasury cannot. Without you, it would fall into chaos. I know you have important matters in Lu'an, but two months is a long time. When serving His Majesty, we must prioritize our duties."

Zhang De spoke slowly and tediously. Zhao Junchen barely managed to listen patiently. Just as he was about to respond, Zhang De cleared his throat again and continued, "To be frank, since you took charge of the Inner Treasury, you have managed it well. However, as a high-ranking official with heavy responsibilities and a promising future, you will only become busier. Managing the Inner Treasury alone may lead to oversights. For example, just two months after you left, the Inner Treasury fell into disarray. If someone could help you, your burden would be lighter, don't you think?"

Zhang De's words were veiled, and Zhao Junchen understood the implications but did not respond directly. Instead, he said calmly, "Lord Zhang, your words are wise. I will take them to heart. Please inform His Majesty that I will return within three days."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen asked, "However, if the Inner Treasury's chaos was the only reason, His Majesty would not have sent you so urgently. Has anything else happened in the court recently?"

Zhang De pursed his lips and replied slowly, "I work in the inner palace and have no knowledge of what happens in the outer court. You are asking the wrong person, Your Excellency."

As he spoke, Zhang De stood up, bowed to Zhao Junchen, and said, "Your Excellency, I have conveyed His Majesty's message. I need to return to the palace to serve him, so I must take my leave. We will meet again in the capital."

Without waiting for Zhao Junchen to detain him, Zhang De turned to leave, with a somewhat dismissive air.

"Lord Zhang, are you leaving so soon? It's late. Won't you stay the night in Lu'an?"

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen gave Xu Qingyan a meaningful look. Seeing Xu Qingyan's reluctant expression, Zhao Junchen glared at him.

Seeing Zhao Junchen's gesture, Xu Qingyan reluctantly walked to Zhang De's side, grabbed his hand, and said, "Yes, Lord Zhang, it's late. Please stay the night in Lu'an."

As he held Zhang De's hand, a silver ticket worth 5,000 taels was slipped into Zhang De's hand.

After glancing at the amount, Zhang De's face regained its smile. He turned to Zhao Junchen and said, "Oh, not that I don't want to rest, but His Majesty cannot do without me. For years, I have always come and gone at night, traveling day and night without a moment's delay. Please understand, Your Excellency."

Zhao Junchen nodded, praising, "Lord Zhang's loyalty is admirable. No wonder His Majesty has always relied on you."

Zhang De nodded, then seemed to remember something, dramatically patting his head and said, "Oh, how forgetful I am. When you asked about the outer court, I forgot to mention that some events have indeed occurred. Recently, His Majesty planned to tour the south, but the Ministry of Revenue had no funds. The high officials in the outer court advised against it, saying it would be a burden on the people. This has displeased His Majesty."

Pausing, Zhang De looked at Zhao Junchen and smiled, "However, Your Excellency, you always align with His Majesty's wishes and are the best at managing finances. I suspect His Majesty is eager for you to return to help with the southern tour."

Zhao Junchen nodded and smiled, "Thank you for the advice, Lord Zhang."

...

After politely seeing Zhang De off, Zhao Junchen returned to the main hall and sent a servant to invite Guo Linxiang. He then said to Xu Qingyan, "This Lord Zhang speaks in a sarcastic tone, which is quite uncomfortable to hear."

Xu Qingyan, however, looked disdainful, "Hmph, ever since His Majesty entrusted the Inner Treasury to you, these eunuchs have all been like this. Why should you be polite to them?"

As he spoke, Xu Qingyan's face showed a hint of regret, muttering, "5,000 taels. I wish I had brought smaller denominations. 5,000 taels, what a waste on that Zhang De..."

Hearing this, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but laugh, scolding, "You are truly a miser."

Although he smiled, Zhao Junchen's eyes showed a thoughtful expression.

He now understood why Zhang De was hostile towards him. The reason was his current role as the supervisor of the Inner Transport Treasury.

The Inner Transport Treasury, also known as the Inner Treasury, was the private treasury of the Ming emperors, previously managed by trusted eunuchs. However, a few months ago, due to Zhao Junchen's financial expertise, Emperor Deqing transferred the management of the Inner Treasury to him. This deprived the eunuchs of a significant source of power and wealth, naturally making them resentful.

After his穿越, Zhao Junchen had identified three major crises: too many political enemies in the court, a poor reputation, and the hostility of the current crown prince, Zhu Heyu. However, due to incomplete inherited memories, he had forgotten about the Inner Treasury, and now realized he had overlooked the eunuchs' dissatisfaction.

Eunuchs in the Ming dynasty were not to be underestimated, not only because they were the emperor's close confidants with significant influence over his decisions, but also because they wielded considerable power, such as the control of secret police organizations like the Eastern and Western Factories.

However, Zhao Junchen had his own way to deal with the eunuchs' dissatisfaction.

While the Inner Treasury was a significant source of power and wealth for the eunuchs, this power and wealth were concentrated in the hands of a few. Most eunuchs only received a share of the profits. By ensuring their interests were protected, most eunuchs would not resent Zhao Junchen and might even consider him an ally.

Those who remained hostile due to the loss of the Inner Treasury's management would not pose a significant threat to Zhao Junchen.

In a world driven by interests, conflicts arising from interests were often the easiest to resolve.

For example, Zhang De, who was initially hostile due to the Inner Treasury, changed his attitude immediately upon receiving 5,000 taels.

...

"However, I was indeed negligent. Once back in the capital, I must address this issue first."

As he thought, Zhao Junchen subconsciously muttered to himself.

Xu Qingyan, curious, asked, "Young Master, what were you negligent about?"

Zhao Junchen explained, "After being hit on the head with a stone, although my consciousness was not damaged, many unimportant memories became hazy."

Explaining further, he continued, "I say I was negligent because I overlooked the eunuchs' hostility due to the Inner Treasury. If I had remembered earlier, I would not have lingered in Lu'an for so long."

Xu Qingyan asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

Zhao Junchen sighed and explained, "Although I currently enjoy the emperor's favor, this favor needs to be continuously reinforced by being close to him. Otherwise, it will gradually fade. Staying in Lu'an for two months was not a problem, but if the eunuchs constantly sow discord, and I cannot defend myself in time, even the strongest favor can be eroded. Therefore, if I had remembered the eunuchs' hostility, I would not have left the capital for so long. However, it seems the emperor's favor for me has not waned. This is likely because his favor is too strong for the eunuchs to undermine in a short time, and they did not expect me to be away for so long, giving them no time to plot."

Pausing, Zhao Junchen continued, "However, as I said before, we must make more friends and fewer enemies. The eunuchs, who are always by the emperor's side, must not be offended. Once back in the capital, we must cultivate good relations with them. If we can form alliances with them, they will be useful in many ways."

He then warned Xu Qingyan, "And you, stop calling them 'eunuchs' all the time. If they hear it, they will hold a grudge, making it difficult to work together in the future."

Xu Qingyan, though reluctant, replied, "I understand, Young Master."

...

As they spoke, Guo Linxiang returned to the main hall, led by a servant. After seating himself, he asked Zhao Junchen, "Your Excellency, are you preparing to return to the capital?"

Zhao Junchen, slightly surprised, asked, "How did you know?"

Guo Linxiang smiled, "The emperor's favor for you is well-known. Everyone knows that the emperor not only trusts you but also relies on you. So when the imperial envoy arrived, I guessed that the emperor might be urging you to return."

Zhao Junchen laughed, "You are indeed a clever man, Mr. Guo."

After some polite exchanges, Guo Linxiang picked up the "Record of Locust Eradication in Lu'an" and asked, "Your Excellency, what do you think about publishing this book?"

Zhao Junchen hesitated, "If this book is published, it would be beneficial, but the content is too favorable towards me, which could invite criticism. Before publishing, find a respected literary figure to write a preface, stating that the book aims to illustrate the dangers of rumors and to vindicate officials harmed by them. This way, there will be no issues."

"Your Excellency is wise,"

After settling the publication of the "Record of Locust Eradication in Lu'an," they chatted for a while. Seeing it was late, Guo Linxiang politely took his leave.

Before leaving, Zhao Junchen invited him, "I plan to leave the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will host a banquet for the local officials and merchants of Lu'an. Please be sure to attend."

Guo Linxiang nodded, "Of course, it will be my honor."

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PS: Seeing that a reader has voted for an update, I will try my best to meet the request. I will update more tomorrow, but I cannot guarantee meeting the requirement due to a busy work schedule. Please understand.