The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun breathed a sigh of relief: "You scared me. I thought you were someone Wang Zhen had planted next to Cao Jixiang."

The eunuch's legs went weak and he almost knelt down to Pan Yun. Is this something he can say in public?

Pan Yun didn't care at all, and waved at him, "Let's go, lead the way."

Miao Zhen: "Little Master, are we going too?"

It’s getting dark, and it’s obvious that Junior Master-Uncle doesn’t want to stay at Ping’an Inn. They have to find a place to stay, right?
Pan Yun waved his hand and said, "Go ahead. Lord Cao has invited you all. Why don't you go and pay your respects to him?"

Pan Yun covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "My expenses have been high lately, so I'd better save as much as possible."

Miaozhen understood that they didn't need to find a place to live.

Cao Jixiang lived in a house not far from the prefectural government office. It was a bit old, but if you looked closely, you could still see how magnificent it once was, because even the pillars in the house were carved with intricate pictures of auspicious clouds descending. When you tapped it gently, there was a dull sound, and the force that bounced back was very solid, and you could tell at the touch that the wood was very solid and of high quality.

Pan Yun looked at the people coming and going in the house, nodded and praised: "This house is really nice, whose house was it before?

The eunuch had lost his initial arrogance and became much more respectful. He bowed slightly and said, "I used to be the Maritime Customs."

Pan Yun suddenly realized: "No wonder he is so rich."

The eunuch stepped aside and said, "Please come in, my Lord is waiting inside."

The group followed him inside, but Cao Jixiang was not waiting for them.

There was no one in the drawing room.

Pan Yun didn't mind. After the eunuch went to invite Cao Jixiang and never came back, she wandered around the reception room casually. She not only admired the pictures hanging on the walls, but also looked at the tables, chairs and benches. Finally, her eyes fell and looked at the blue bricks on the ground.

Xue Shao was afraid that she would pry open other people's blue bricks, so he asked quickly: "What did you see?"

Pan Yun: "I can see that the Quanzhou government has money. They even renovated the floor tiles. It seems that the Quanzhou governor is inclined to lift the maritime ban."

"Master Pan is indeed amazing. He is in the underworld, but his heart is in the government," Cao Jixiang walked in with a young eunuch, smiling. He motioned for the young eunuch to make tea and serve them snacks, and explained, "Because I don't know when Master Pan will arrive, I have to deal with other things first. You two won't blame me for being negligent, right?"

"No, I know what kind of person Lord Cao is, and Lord Cao also knows me," Pan Yun said, "So let's get straight to the point. What advice does Lord Cao have for me?"

Cao Jixiang smiled and said, "How dare I? How dare I? After all, there are not many people in this world who dare to deceive and teach the emperor like Master Pan. How dare I teach Master Pan?"

Pan Yun was surprised: "There are few people like me, but there are many people in the court, including the civil and military officials, the former court and the harem, who dare to deceive the emperor, right?"

Cao Jixiang's face changed, and he said in a deep voice: "Don't dare to talk nonsense, Taoist Pan, please be careful with your words."

Pan Jun just smiled at him and picked up the teacup to drink tea.

Xue Shao also lowered his head to drink tea, looking relaxed.

Cao Jixiang glanced at Xue Shao, then at Pan Yun, knowing that both of them were not easily persuaded. He took a deep breath and suppressed the idea of ​​slowly dealing with the two of them.

They can consume, but he can't.

When he first arrived, local officials colluded with the navy office and obstructed the reconstruction of the Maritime Customs at every turn. Even the local gentry and businessmen ignored him.

The Quanzhou Maritime Customs has been abandoned for many years and there is nothing there. Even the clerks are recruited on the spot, and their backgrounds are unknown. I wonder who their spies are.

He was quite constrained here, and Pan Yun was the only breakthrough he could find. He knew that she was now extremely famous, not only in the martial arts world, but also in the eyes of the people of Quanzhou, she was like a god.

Therefore, the local gentry and big businessmen all had a good impression of her, and even the prefectural government and the navy had some respect for her. In addition, she controlled three ships and one and a half ports in Japan...

If he could cooperate with her, he would be able to quickly open up Quanzhou.

Cao Jixiang was squeezed out of the palace by Wang Zhen. He wanted to fight for this silver mountain for the emperor and serve His Majesty, but it did not mean that he would stay outside all his life.

As a eunuch, his ultimate goal was to become a writing eunuch, influencing government affairs by writing for the emperor and paving the way for his life after retirement.

If he stays outside, the emperor will eventually forget about him, and the friendship will be gone. At that time, he will become a chess piece that can be eliminated or replaced at any time.

Cao Jixiang knew too well how miserable the fate of a eunuch without a master's care would be, and he absolutely could not fall to that level.

Cao Jixiang recalled the scene when Pan Yun met the emperor in the capital. He smiled and said, "Master Pan is still so straightforward. In this case, I will speak frankly."

He leaned forward, looked at Pan Yun and said, "Those people and goods in the City God Temple outside the East City are all Taoist Master Pan, right?"

Pan Jun nodded, and the four big words "Wang's Business" were written on the wall. Song Dalin and the others did not hide their identities, so everyone could find out by asking.

Cao Jixiang asked with a smile: "Those people and goods are going to be sent to Japan?"

Pan Yun continued to nod.

Cao Jixiang picked up his tea and said leisurely, "Master Pan, do you know that the customs must obtain permission from our Maritime Customs before shipping goods and people?"

Pan Yun: "Master Cao won't allow it now?"

Cao Jixiang said meaningfully: "It's not that we don't allow it, it's just..."

Seeing that he only finished half of his sentence, Pan Yun couldn't help but sighed and said, "Master Cao, in theory, ships do need to go through the Maritime Customs Office before going out to sea, but the Maritime Customs Office hasn't been built yet. Besides, my ship is not in Quanzhou Port now."

"It will come back to pick up people and goods, right?"

"So?" Pan Yun raised his eyebrows and asked, "Master Cao, are you going to catch me in the act?"

Cao Jixiang narrowed his eyes and said, "Master Pan is so confident, could it be that he is cooperating with the Navy Office?"

Pan Jun neither denied nor admitted it, and followed his example by keeping silent.

Cao Jixiang frowned, somewhat displeased.

Xue Shao smiled and said, "Master Cao, Daozhang Pan is young and has a rather straightforward temper. You also said that she likes to be straightforward, but you have been evasive from the beginning and only said half of the words. This is very different from when you were in the capital."

Cao Jixiang smiled bitterly when he heard this, and then realized: "Mr. Xue, how could you know what I went through after coming to Quanzhou?"

He sighed and said, "Everyone I've met, even the old man guarding the county government office, always says things that are three bends away from the actual meaning. It's even more troublesome than meeting a few old men in Beijing.

The elders in the capital city usually speak their mind and curse loudly when they encounter something they don’t obey, but in Quanzhou, I really…”

He shook his head and said, "I am full of anger every day, but I can't vent it. Even the most upright character has been worn down by it." (End of this chapter)