Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"The Lin family only came to Ningbo Prefecture in the eighteenth year of the Jiajing reign, making them complete outsiders."

Shen Zichong continued,

"Naturally, it's impossible for them to be like the local gentry and wealthy families, including the Xie family of Yuyao, who only supplied and distributed goods to the maritime merchants of Shuangyu Port."

As far as I know, the Lin family themselves are major merchants.

They have their own ocean-going fleet and built a trading post on Liuhang Island last year, making them one of the largest maritime merchants in Shuangyu Port.

Moreover, in the short two years after the Lin family arrived in Ningbo, they acquired several shipyards, hired many shipbuilding craftsmen from Guangdong and Fujian, and spent huge sums of money to upgrade shipbuilding facilities.

To date, at least dozens of new ships have been launched, and many more large vessels are under construction.

"Is the Lin family so blatant in their actions that they don't even bother to cover it up?"

Even someone as worldly as Yan Shifan was speechless with astonishment.

"Privately engaging in maritime trade is, after all, something that the imperial court has explicitly prohibited."

Although many gentry and wealthy families in Ningbo Prefecture were privately involved in maritime trade, they only did business with the merchants of Shuangyu Port and did not organize their own fleets to go to sea.

Isn't it just to avoid being exposed one day and being held accountable by the imperial court?

If they really dared to engage in maritime trade so openly and recklessly, they could simply open a port in Ningbo!

There are many ports in the Ningbo area. Even the garrison soldiers are doing business with the merchants in secret. Why do those merchants still go to the islands to build private ports instead of openly sailing their ships into the ports under the jurisdiction of the government?

Isn't it because they're afraid the government might suddenly turn on them and arrest them along with their goods in the port?

With the Lin family being so audacious and reckless, is no one trying to take advantage of them?

No one was jealous and reported it?

"Yes, of course there is!"

Shen Zichong's voice unconsciously rose a little.

"My office in Yin County has received quite a few reports."

Would our county dare to accept this case?

I cannot get past the Xie family.

That Mr. Lin's true identity is probably no less than that of the Xie family.

These reports naturally came to nothing.

There are also those who stubbornly refuse to leave and insist on reporting others.

To be honest, Yan Shaoqing, I would secretly have my clerk subtly hint to the magistrate that the Lin family has a very powerful backer and no government office in Ningbo would dare to take their case.

Even in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, the Three Departments would not disrespect the Xie family of Yuyao.

These words were only meant to be pointed out, and the county government originally meant well, hoping to discourage them from making a decision and avoid getting into trouble.

Unexpectedly, someone actually went to Nanjing and reported it to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Was this guy doing it on purpose?!

Yan Shifan glanced at Shen Zichong. This county magistrate dared not offend the Xie and Lin families himself, so he used informants to investigate the Lin family's background.

Given the Xie family's influence in officialdom, unless the matter reaches the cabinet or even the emperor, officials in provincial capitals like Hangzhou or Nanjing would probably not offend the Xie family for the sake of a few troublemakers who made reports.

But there is one exception: the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

The Embroidered Uniform Guard actually had three Garrison Commands: the Northern Garrison Command and the Southern Garrison Command, both located in the capital, and the Nanjing Garrison Command.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor's personal guard, directly under the emperor's command, and had the duty of supervising all officials. They were not afraid of high-ranking officials in office, let alone Xie Pi, who was in mourning at home.

The fact that the case reached the Nanjing Imperial Guard was like sending a generous gift to the bigwigs of the Imperial Guard.

The Xie family wouldn't necessarily be punished for this, but it would probably take a lot of money to bribe the Embroidered Uniform Guard to suppress the matter.

This Magistrate Shen probably wanted to see how the Xie and Lin families would respond in order to judge the Lin family's true strength in officialdom.

The Lin family is still doing well in Ningbo City, and the matter has naturally been settled. It's just unknown how much blood was shed to appease those Imperial Guards.

"Have the Imperial Guards come to Ningbo Prefecture to investigate?"

Yan Shifan looked at Shen Zichong.

How did the Lin family resolve this?

"I remember that was when His Majesty had just entered seclusion in the Western Garden for cultivation, and His Highness Prince Ying began to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country."

Shen Zichong nodded.

"On that day, dozens of Imperial Guards from Nanjing, led by a centurion of the Imperial Guards, entered Ningbo City."

Without informing the county government or requesting local assistance, they directly surrounded the Lin family mansion.

Upon hearing the news, I immediately led my men to the vicinity of the Lin family mansion.

When they arrived, the Lin family mansion was already completely surrounded by Imperial Guards.

I even had the illusion that the Lin family would be investigated and their entire staff arrested and interrogated.

However, something happened that almost made my jaw drop.

Not long after, the Jinyiwei commander who led the group walked out of the Lin family mansion side by side with a steward from the Lin family.

I saw with my own eyes that the Imperial Guard commander was all smiles at the Lin family steward. We were quite far apart, so I couldn't hear what they were saying.

But it's clear that he spoke without any airs.

The Lin family steward accepted it calmly, showing no sign of fear.

The two barely exchanged a few words at the entrance of the Lin family mansion before the Imperial Guard commander, along with the Imperial Guard officers who had surrounded the mansion, left Ningbo Prefecture without lingering.

I later learned that these Imperial Guards never went to the Xie family in Yuyao. After leaving Ningbo Prefecture, they returned directly to Nanjing.

It was as if this had never happened.

The person who went to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) office in Nanjing to report the Lin family never returned; he vanished without a trace.

After this incident, no one in the county ever came to the county government to report the Lin family for engaging in maritime trade without authorization.

The other government offices in Ningbo Prefecture are probably the same.

Isn't it obvious?

Yan Shifan muttered to himself.

The Lin family's private maritime trade did not bother ordinary people in any way.

The person who reported them could only be a competitor who was envious of the Lin family's business and was also secretly involved in the maritime trade.

A Jinyiwei centurion and dozens of his men were easily dismissed by the Lin family. Who couldn't see that the Lin family had a very powerful backer?

Continuing to rely on official channels is definitely not going to work.

However, Yan Shifan became increasingly curious about just who this Lin family was.

For a mere steward to be able to make a dignified commander of the Imperial Guard smile obsequiously is something that ordinary wealthy families cannot achieve.

Even the Xie family of Yuyao only held this weight during Xie Qian's lifetime.

It's very likely that the Xie family isn't the one backing the Lin family!

On the contrary, it's possible that the Lin family is acting as a backer for the Xie family!

It might not be a good idea to rashly visit Chen Rubai's sister at the Lin family mansion.

. . .

Two days later.

Inside a Qingyin Tea House.

"Young master, the person sitting at the table on the left in the front row of the main hall is Steward Deng from the Lin family."

The pimp whispered to Yan Shifan.

At this moment, a woman is playing the pipa on the stage.

"After this piece is finished, please go and invite Steward Deng over for a chat."

Yan Shifan took out a small ingot of silver and threw it to the pimp.

"This money is a reward for you. All of Steward Deng's expenses for today will also be charged to my account."