Chapter 89

"Because of this, we must not only avoid opposing Wen Guanliang but also help him escape and retire to his hometown as soon as possible. Otherwise, if we continue to delay, all of you present will likely face trouble. I have already sent invitations to the three Grand Secretaries Shen, Huang, and Wen, and will meet with them at Tianhai Tower tonight to try to ease the situation, but I cannot guarantee success. If it comes to the worst, I will have to confront them in the imperial court, but no matter what, I will ensure that none of you are implicated."

As Zhao Junchen spoke, in the main hall of the Zhao residence, the core members of his faction, including the Minister of Works Zuo Lanshan, the Director of the Board of Communications Tong Huan, the Deputy Minister of Revenue Zhan Shanchang, the Deputy Minister of Justice Li Lide, the Deputy Minister of Works Chen Dongxiang, and the Deputy Chief Censor Gu Quan, all gathered. Except for Liu Chang'an, who was on his way to the capital, everyone was present.

At this moment, Zhao Junchen was analyzing how Wen Guanliang's predicament would adversely affect them.

After hearing Zhao Junchen's analysis, the faces of those present turned grim. Among them, the timid ones like Zuo Lanshan and Gu Quan were even paler, their expressions filled with fear and cold sweat.

Over the years, they had done many things that violated the laws and regulations of the court, and they knew better than anyone else what they had done. If these things were to be exposed due to Wen Guanliang's downfall, they would all likely meet a terrible end, and even being stripped of their property and executed would be considered a light punishment.

Therefore, as Zhao Junchen finished speaking, Zuo Lanshan, the leader of the group, hastily stood up and bowed to Zhao Junchen, saying, "We entrust everything to you, Sir. We hope you will show mercy and protect us. Our lives and deaths are in your hands."

The others also quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "We hope you will show mercy."

As they bowed, their demeanor was even more respectful and humble than usual.

At this moment, they could only place their hopes on Zhao Junchen. After all, even as a Second Rank Minister, Zuo Lanshan did not have the right to directly speak with the Grand Secretaries.

"You are too polite," Zhao Junchen said, looking displeased and waving his hand. "Since the day you joined me, I have promised to protect you as long as you are loyal and dedicated. I will not let you down, and I will not let you suffer. It is only right for me to stand up for you in such times. Do you think I would go back on my word? This is my duty, and it does not deserve such a grand gesture."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen continued, "Although the situation is serious, you do not need to worry. If Grand Secretaries Shen and Huang still refuse to let Wen Guanliang off, I will not hesitate to confront them. As long as I can ensure your safety, I am not afraid to oppose them. With your support and the emperor's trust, do you think we have anything to fear?"

These words, though aimed at protecting corrupt officials, were spoken with a sense of righteousness.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Lanshan and the others looked at Zhao Junchen with gratitude, their previously pale and fearful expressions now more composed. Their sense of belonging to Zhao Junchen's faction grew even stronger.

Compared to Wen Guanliang, who had abandoned his subordinates to take the blame when faced with trouble, Zhao Junchen's willingness to take on the burden and protect them made the officials feel they had made the right choice in joining him.

In fact, Zhao Junchen had already devised a strategy to persuade Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong, and he was confident of success. However, he deliberately made the situation seem more serious to achieve this effect.

Noticing the gratitude and recognition in their expressions, Zhao Junchen nodded in satisfaction and said, "No matter what, you should continue with your duties and not panic. I will take care of everything. I will not let anything happen to you. However, I have invited you here today not only to inform you but also to discuss the 'Yuerongfang' business."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen nodded to Xu Qingyan.

With a clap from Xu Qingyan, the servants of the Zhao residence entered one by one, each carrying a ledger and placing it in front of the officials.

As the officials flipped through the ledgers, Zhao Junchen summarized, "After more than a month, our 'Yuerongfang' has opened in all the prefectures and counties of the Northern Capital, with a total of 37 branches. The business is doing well, and after deducting expenses, we have made a profit of over 280,000 taels. All of you are shareholders, with shares ranging from 3% to 2%, and you will receive dividends ranging from 9,000 to 6,000 taels. Of course, this amount is small because many branches have been open for less than a month and have only submitted half a month's earnings. Considering that the New Year is approaching and people are preparing for the holiday, the profits for next month are expected to increase by 60% to 70%."

Upon hearing Zhao Junchen's introduction and looking at the ledgers in their hands, the officials were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.

The allure of money was so great that they forgot their previous fear and anxiety. After confirming the numbers Zhao Junchen mentioned, they could not help but feel elated.

9,000 to 6,000 taels, though seemingly ordinary, was a significant amount, especially since it was a month's income and clean money, and it would only increase in the future!

While all the officials knew that 'Yuerongfang' was doing well, none of them expected it to be so profitable!

For Zhao Junchen, who was close to the Ministry of Revenue and had been given many lucrative positions by Emperor Deqing, this amount might not be significant, but for the others, it was a different story.

A month ago, when Zhan Shanchang joined Zhao Junchen, he was willing to hand over all his wealth, which amounted to only 200,000 to 300,000 taels. Although the Ministry of Rites was a clean department and not as lucrative as the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Justice, and Zhan Shanchang had been in office for a short time, this still gave an idea of what this amount meant to the officials.

Seeing the officials' surprised expressions, Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Our 'Yuerongfang' business will only grow larger, with more branches and more profits. I ask you, do you want to receive this month's dividends now or invest them in the expansion of the branches to maintain your shares?"

"Of course, we will continue to invest!" Zuo Lanshan said without hesitation as soon as Zhao Junchen finished speaking.

"Zuo Sir is right. How can we delay the expansion of 'Yuerongfang' for a small profit? We will continue to invest!" Zhan Shanchang also nodded in agreement.

"Yes, the expansion of 'Yuerongfang' will require a lot of money. We will stand with you, Sir, and will not let you bear the burden alone," Gu Quan said, his expression even more righteous than Zhao Junchen's.

Others, such as Li Lide, Tong Huan, and Chen Dongxiang, also agreed.

Seeing the officials' enthusiastic expressions, Zhao Junchen smiled, a hint of deep meaning in his eyes.

The incident with Wen Guanliang had demonstrated Zhao Junchen's responsibility and benevolence. Resolving the issue would further showcase his skills and abilities, and the profits from 'Yuerongfang' would highlight the benefits and prospects he could bring. As the officials continued to invest their dividends into 'Yuerongfang' to maintain their shares, their interests would become increasingly intertwined with Zhao Junchen's.

In this way, Zuo Lanshan and the others would not only become more loyal to Zhao Junchen but, more importantly, would become increasingly dependent on him. Even if they wanted to betray him in the future, they would find it impossible to do so.

With this, Zhao Junchen's consolidation of his faction was finally complete.

... After that, Zhao Junchen chatted with the officials for a while. Seeing that it was getting late and knowing that Zhao Junchen was going to meet the three Grand Secretaries at Tianhai Tower, the officials all politely took their leave.

However, just as they were leaving, Zhao Junchen suddenly said, "Chen Sir, please stay."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's command, Chen Dongxiang, who was leaving with the others, changed his expression but did not dare to disobey. He stopped and asked, "What are your orders, Sir?"

Zhao Junchen looked relaxed and smiled, "There is nothing else. I am going to 'Tianhai Tower' next, and it happens to be on the same route as Chen Sir. Why don't we ride in the same carriage and use the journey to strengthen our relationship? What do you think, Chen Sir?"

Chen Dongxiang's expression changed again, but he finally nodded, "Since you have ordered it, how can I refuse?"

On the other side, upon hearing this conversation, Zuo Lanshan, Zhan Shanchang, and the others exchanged meaningful glances but did not linger, and they all left.

... After Zuo Lanshan and the others left, Zhao Junchen took Chen Dongxiang with him in a carriage and headed towards Tianhai Tower.

On the way, in the carriage, Zhao Junchen smiled and observed Chen Dongxiang, his eyes thoughtful.

In Zhao Junchen's faction, important officials, except for Liu Chang'an and Jiang Qian, were mostly former subordinates of Wen Guanliang. Due to their similar backgrounds, they had a tendency to form a close-knit group. Most of them did this out of instinct, but some did it intentionally and deliberately.

One of these people was Chen Dongxiang!

After collecting information over time, Zhao Junchen had a good understanding of Chen Dongxiang. He was capable and had good judgment, but he was also ungrateful and disloyal. After betraying Wen Guanliang, he was one of the most hostile towards him in Zhao Junchen's faction, along with Zhan Shanchang.

If Zhan Shanchang's hostility towards Wen Guanliang could be understood, Chen Dongxiang's treatment of his former master could only indicate a flawed character.

When Chen Dongxiang was trying to turn the Ministry of Works, he often mentioned the phrase "If one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy one," which revealed his character.

After joining Zhao Junchen's faction, he continued to make small moves. The former subordinates of Wen Guanliang gradually formed a close-knit group, which Zhao Junchen had anticipated, but the speed of this formation was faster than he expected. Upon investigation, he found that Chen Dongxiang played a key role in this.

Zhao Junchen's decision to have Chen Dongxiang accompany him was also to give him a warning.