1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3827

Yue Shizong's joy was short-lived, as Zhang Yingdong announced that Qu Shengfeng had assigned him a task. Yue Shizong's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that this was all happening too quickly; Qu Shengfeng wasn't giving him any time to process things.

This was certainly not something that could be discussed in front of family members, so Yue Shizong took Zhang Yingdong to the study and then asked about Qu Shengfeng's request.

Zhang Yingdong said, "Lord Qu said that he had a prior agreement with Lord Yue. Now that the child has been rescued and the ringleader has been apprehended, it is time for Lord Yue to give his reward!"

Upon hearing this, Yue Shizong quickly replied, "I will do my best to investigate the matter that Lord Qu mentioned last time, but please grant me some more time."

Zhang Yingdong said, "You mean the job of investigating the deployment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Yangtze River basin? There's no need for that. Huo Jingxing has been arrested now. He is a commander of the Northern Garrison. Wouldn't it be much faster to interrogate him directly regarding matters concerning the Embroidered Uniform Guard than to have you inquire about it?"

Yue Shizong was taken aback. Upon reflection, he realized that this made perfect sense. It seemed that the stress and lack of rest he had experienced over the past few days had greatly affected his thinking ability, to the point that he hadn't even grasped such a simple principle.

Yue Shizong quickly asked again, "Then what is the task that Lord Qu wants to assign?"

Zhang Yingdong said, "Lord Qu may be going to Jiangxi on official business soon. Let me ask you first if you know anyone in the Jiangxi officialdom? The higher the official rank, the better!"

This question is actually a test of Yue Shizong's attitude. If he is willing to serve Haihan, he will naturally reveal his relationship with the Left Provincial Governor of Jiangxi.

If he harbors any illusions and still hopes to play both sides, gaining benefits from both the Ming and Han dynasties, then he will probably try to gloss over the matter and avoid bringing up this relationship.

Yue Shizong hesitated for a moment before replying, "In Jiangxi's officialdom, I do have a few teachers, friends, and acquaintances. If Lord Qu needs them, I will certainly introduce them to you. However, since this concerns their future, I cannot speak directly. Perhaps it would be better to arrange a meeting when it is convenient for Lord Qu."

Yue Shizong phrased it rather subtly, but what he really meant was that he didn't want Zhang Yingdong, an "outsider," to have access to this important information; these things could only be discussed in front of Qu Shengfeng. This was partly to avoid leaks, and partly to prevent Zhang Yingdong, the middleman who relayed the message, from stealing the credit.

The reason Qu Shengfeng didn't come to see him today was that he was personally handling the aftermath.

Huo Jingxing, who was transferred from Yangzhou by Qu Shengfeng, performed quite well, cooperating with Haihan Security Department to complete the operation plan. Now that his identity has been exposed and he has been captured by Haihan, he can no longer appear in Hangzhou, lest he be caught by Yue Shizong, and everything would be exposed.

Of course, he could no longer return to the Ming Dynasty to continue serving under these circumstances, because Hai Han wanted to arrange for Yue Shizong to report him in reverse, in order to pave the way for Yue Shizong's future actions.

As agreed beforehand, Qu Shengfeng was to see him off from Hangzhou, first by sea to Zhoushan to meet his family, and then by ship to the new continent in the south.

"This trip is a one-way ticket, and it will probably be difficult to come back again. Once you get there, all the conditions I promised you will be fulfilled immediately. I dare not say that you will live a life of wealth and luxury, but at least you will be able to live a life free from worries about food and clothing."

"However, if you're willing to continue your duties, you can continue your old profession in the local government after you get there. As far as I know, there are quite a few vacancies in the government there, especially for knowledgeable and experienced sheriffs. With your abilities, you're more than capable of handling such a position." Hearing Qu Shengfeng's parting advice, Huo Jingxing was actually quite skeptical. As a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had handled many major cases before, and the power he wielded was far beyond what those minor sheriffs in overseas colonies could compare to.
He had heard that the place he was going to had only a few thousand people, which was just a county. The local magistrate was at most a minor official like a patrol inspector or a clerk, and there was really nothing to be gained there.

If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't stay in Jiangsu and Zhejiang after completing this mission, and the fact that the Haihan government had promised him a generous land reward, Huo Jingxing wouldn't have really wanted to move to such a distant place to settle down. Since he had decided to spend the rest of his life overseas as a wealthy man, he had no intention of returning to officialdom.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Qu. I have spent the first half of my life following orders and wandering around. Now that I have the opportunity to choose, I would rather live a free and peaceful life."

After thanking him, Huo Jingxing changed the subject and said, "Before we part, there is one more thing I am unsure about. I would appreciate your guidance, Lord Qu."

Qu Shengfeng laughed and said, "Are you wondering why we would trade you, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who has a lot of intelligence, for a seemingly useless official in the Ministry of Rites who can only talk a big game?"

Huo Jingxing nodded and said, "That's right. If I stay in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I can get a lot of important information. But is it really worth it for you to sacrifice me, a pawn, just to force Yue Shizong to betray us?"

Qu Shengfeng said, "I was just following orders from my superiors. They wanted me to do everything I could to win over Yue Shizong as soon as possible. I was in such a hurry that I didn't have any better options. But it was only after I finished this task that I realized that they wanted to use Yue Shizong as a pawn to play a much bigger game."

"And you are not to be abandoned, nor to be used to replace Yue Shizong. Your elimination may give several prefectures the opportunity to complete the change of dynasties without the ravages of war. Countless people will survive because of this, and will be spared the destruction of their homes and the separation of their families."

Huo Jingxing said, "I have done a lot of immoral things in my life and very few good deeds, but from what you've told me, it seems that I have participated in a great good deed that benefits all living beings!"

Qu Shengfeng said, "The merits you accumulate this time may be able to offset the bad things you did in the first half of your life."

Huo Jingxing asked, "When can I find out the result?"

Qu Shengfeng said, "That's hard to say, but once it's done, you should see news about it in the newspapers. At that time, we might also apply for a commendation for you and make you a recipient of the Executive Committee's award."

Huo Jingxing smiled and said, "Then I will wait for good news overseas!"

Although Qu Shengfeng did not explain the detailed reasons, this explanation was enough to satisfy Huo Jingxing.

He had long seen through the decline of the Ming Dynasty and knew that the change of dynasty was only a matter of time. If there could be less bloodshed in the process, it would indeed be a blessing for the common people.

If Yue Shizong can truly push for such an outcome, then it will indeed be worthwhile for Haihan to have set up such a grand scheme and even sacrifice Huo Jingxing, such a valuable pawn.

The two bowed to each other in farewell. Huo Jingxing turned around, boarded the ship, and went straight into the cabin without looking back at the imperial capital behind him.