1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3816

If the goal was just to pay the 10,000 taels of silver that Huo Jingxing had asked for, Yue Shizong could do it. At most, he could embezzle part of the public funds in the embassy account, and then grit his teeth and pay the difference out of his own pocket. As long as he was willing to spend money, he would eventually be able to raise the money.

But what Yue Shizong is more worried about now is whether his act of handing over the money will become a new handle for the other party to control him and continue to blackmail him endlessly.

Yue Shizong had no confidence at all whether the ten thousand taels of silver could satisfy Huo Jingxing's appetite, and he did not want to gamble his life and property on Huo Jingxing's credibility.

Yue Shizong did not dare to tell his family about this trouble, lest they panic. However, Huo Jingxing's warning was still ringing in his ears, and he certainly could not let his family take the risk of leaving the embassy before this matter was resolved.

Yue Shizong was not afraid that Huo Jingxing would threaten him with punishment by the court, but the other party was now threatening him with the safety of his family, which undoubtedly touched his reverse scale, and he would definitely seek to resolve the matter once and for all.

It took him a long time to calm down and start thinking about a solution.

The Hangzhou Embassy was the full agent for all diplomatic affairs of the Ming Dynasty. It seemed that it had considerable authority, but the Jinyiwei were not under its jurisdiction. Yue Shizong had no way to interfere with the Jinyiwei's actions in Hangzhou, not to mention that Huo Jingxing was an official of the same rank as him.

However, Yue Shizong had basically no connections in the Jinyiwei that he could use, so it was not realistic for him to resolve the matter within the government office.

If the matter is reported to the Ministry of Rites and the Shangshu is asked to put pressure on the Jinyiwei, it may certainly be effective. However, once the matter becomes a big deal, Huo Jingxing will definitely be exposed and report that he brought his family to Hangzhou, which will be difficult to explain to the court.

Yue Shizong thought over and over again and realized that it would be difficult to completely eradicate the threat posed by Huo Jingxing by relying on his own strength. Perhaps only with the help of Hai Han could this problem be solved.

But if that were the case, wouldn't that really be considered treason?
Yue Shizong just wanted to create a stable living environment for his family, but the development of the situation has been beyond his control. He now has to make a difficult choice between protecting his family and being loyal to the emperor and the country.

This question really made him feel very awkward, and he actually sat in the study room for the whole night. It was not until Mrs. Yue came to the study room to look for him in the morning that Yue Shizong came back to his senses from his deep thoughts.

"It seems that my husband has not slept all night. What made my husband so worried?"

Hearing his wife's question, Yue Shizong forced a smile and said, "There are some difficult official business that needs to be dealt with in a hurry."

Mrs. Yue did not believe his words: "We have been married for many years, and I have never seen you stay up all night to handle official business? Even when we decided to move out of Huzhou, I didn't see you so anxious. What is going on? Why did my husband hide it from me?"

Yue Shizong sighed and said, "Asking you to come to Hangzhou is not as smooth as I expected. There may be some inconveniences in the near future."

Mrs. Yue did not immediately understand what he meant by "inconvenience", but just comforted him gently: "As long as the whole family can live together, it doesn't matter if there are some inconveniences. In any case, it is much better than being separated from each other and not seeing each other for two or three years!"

Seeing his wife's firm attitude, Yue Shizong felt a little ashamed of his hesitation that night. Since he had made up his mind to find a stable way out for his family, how could he hesitate and hesitate now?

Any further delay would only put your family in greater danger, and you might even be put in danger as well.

Yue Shizong understood the pros and cons, and his eyes lit up immediately, and he said he was going out on business. Madam Yue reminded him, "Hai Han's holiday is not over yet, so the government office is not open for business yet, right?"

Yue Shizong explained, "The government office I'm going to is very special. There is no such thing as holidays there. Before I come back, no one in my family is allowed to step out of the embassy. If there is anything you need, ask the servants to go out and buy it."

Seeing that he was serious, Mrs. Yue quickly agreed and reminded Yue Shizong to be careful when going out.

Yue Shizong judged that Huo Jingxing would arrange people to monitor outside the embassy, ​​and he would definitely be followed by the Jinyiwei if he went out. If he went to the Victory Square outside the city, it might arouse the vigilance of the Jinyiwei, so he had to find a covered place to stay.

Fortunately, Yue Shizong had lived in Hangzhou for a long time and was not unfamiliar with this kind of place. He directed the driver to go through the streets and alleys, and finally arrived in front of a restaurant in the south of the city.

This restaurant is not considered high-end in Hangzhou, but it is famous for its delicious breakfast, so many old customers come here early in the morning.

Yue Shizong specifically requested a quiet seat upstairs. After he sat down, he took out a banknote and put it on the table. He said to the waiter, "Bring something to eat. Go and invite Master Zhang Wu over. I have something to say."

The waiter seemed to be used to this, and responded with a smile, and took the banknote. This ten yuan banknote was more than enough to order wine and food for a full meal here, and the extra part was naturally a reward for his errands.

Soon the waiter brought some breakfast and leaned over to Yue Shizong and whispered, "Master Zhang Wu is a little busy right now, please sit for a while."

Yue Shizong nodded to show that he understood, but he was busy with work and had no appetite, so he took a few bites and put it down.

After a while, a middle-aged man came upstairs, looked around, then walked straight to Yue Shizong's table and sat down.

Yue Shizong nodded and greeted, "Morning, Master Zhang Wu!"

This was obviously not the first time that Zhang Wuye had met him, so he asked straight to the point, "Master Yue, why did you come here to see me so early in the morning? Is there anything that needs my help?"

Yue Shizong smiled bitterly and said, "To be honest, I have been harassed by the Jinyiwei recently!"

Master Zhang Wu was surprised and asked, "Is it because of the master's family?"

Yue Shizong nodded and said, "I don't know what went wrong. The Jinyiwei have been watching us. They came to the embassy yesterday! They threatened my family's safety. I have no choice but to come to you for help."

Master Zhang Wu said with difficulty: "It is not so easy to deal with the Jinyiwei... Let me ask for instructions on this matter and see what the higher-ups say."

Yue Shizong said: "Thank you, Master Zhang Wu! If this matter cannot be properly resolved, I am afraid I will not be able to stay in Hangzhou safely!"

Master Zhang Wu said, "Don't worry, sir. Since we have accepted your mission, we will definitely fulfill our responsibilities. Hangzhou is the capital of our Hai Han Kingdom, and we will never allow outsiders to cause trouble here. You wait here, I will be back soon."