Cao Zhengyang was somewhat flustered. Just as the merchant ship he was on was about to depart, a group of soldiers clad in silver armor boarded the ship, surrounding him completely.
“Merchant Cao, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.” The leading security commander held his helmet under one arm and placed his other hand on his hip, looking at Cao Zhengyang.
“Di Ying!” Cao Zhengyang’s eyes narrowed.
The person who arrived was indeed Di Ying, the general who had once been stationed in Bashu. In the Bashu war, there were many civilian casualties, and the entire court was indignant. Di Ying had no choice but to bear this responsibility.
After the court assembly’s decision, he was relieved of his military command and transferred to the security bureau, becoming a fifth-rank commander.
In the security bureau’s official system, each province’s security bureau had one governor-general (Zhengsanpin, third-rank), two prefects (Sipin, fourth-rank), two commanders (Wupin, fifth-rank), and below the commanders were chiliarchs, centurions, and so on.
Di Ying had no complaints about this rank, because he knew very well that his ability to remain in the imperial court was due to the Emperor’s and his old friends’ leniency. Moreover, in that situation, even if he had been stationed in Songzhou, he could not have resisted the barbarians.
However, someone had to be held responsible for the Battle of Bashu, otherwise, public anger would be hard to appease. He could only swallow this bitter cup himself.
“I didn’t expect Merchant Cao to still remember me. It’s truly an honor. However, even so, I, your commander, still have to take you back,” Di Ying said, chewing on a piece of straw, looking unrestrained.
Cao Zhengyang’s heart felt as if it was being squeezed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He argued loudly, “I have not violated any law! By what right do you arrest me? Are you not afraid I will personally lodge a complaint with the Emperor?”
Di Ying curled his lips, “When I was fighting on the battlefield, you were still sucking milk in a woman’s arms! Trying to scare me? You’re not worthy! Men, take him away! Impound this merchant ship!”
“Yes!”
Receiving Di Ying’s order, one hundred security guards immediately rushed onto the ship.
Cao Zhengyang fell into despair. He understood that the imperial court had been watching them all along. The current Emperor had never truly trusted him.
“Act!”
Just as the security guards were boarding, Cao Zhengyang suddenly shouted. He was going to make a final gamble, otherwise, he would never be able to leave Qingzhou Province.
As his words fell, the crew members who had been busy on the ship suddenly picked up swords and rushed at the security guards. Cao Zhengyang also put his hand into his sleeve.
Di Ying was tempered by war. Such an unexpected incident was a minor matter to him. As Cao Zhengyang moved, he drew a three-edged bayonet from his waist and held it against Cao Zhengyang’s chin.
“This is called a three-edged bayonet. It was recently manufactured by the military machinery department. With just a slight thrust, your blood will flow like a stream until death,” Di Ying said grimly.
Cao Zhengyang was merely a merchant. At the moment of life and death, he was no match for someone like Di Ying, who had seen countless deaths. His movements immediately stopped.
Di Ying chuckled twice, then reached into Cao Zhengyang’s sleeve and pulled out a short-barreled firearm.
“A firearm! The imperial court strictly prohibits the private possession of firearms. Cao Zhengyang, it seems your intentions this time are not small.”
Di Ying said, seeing unfamiliar script on the firearm. In his opinion, this firearm was not produced in the Great Yu Empire.
As he spoke, the security guards, clad in full armor, easily dealt with the crew members who attempted to resist.
Although these security guards did not belong to the army, they had to undergo strict training before being commissioned. Dealing with ordinary thugs was easy for them.
Cao Zhengyang closed his eyes upon hearing this. This time, all of the Cao family’s operations in the north were ruined.
While Cao Zhengyang was being arrested, couriers galloped day and night to relay the order to intercept the merchant ship to Jinling Province. Immediately, the Jinling Provincial Office dispatched security guards to the river, who intercepted the Cao family’s merchant ship as it was about to enter Jinling Province’s waterway.
News quickly reached Qingzhou Province. Within six days, all of the Cao family’s conspiracies were completely shattered.
“Your Majesty, the silver confiscated in Jinling Province totals eight million taels. This silver is now on its way back to Qingzhou Province.”
In the imperial study, Li San reported the current progress to Xiao Ming.
“Eight million taels! This Cao family really did it. This is equivalent to emptying almost half of the ready cash on the market,” Xiao Ming snorted.
“Indeed. Fortunately, Your Majesty had the secret guards constantly watching, otherwise, the Cao family would truly have succeeded this time,” Li San said with lingering fear.
Xiao Ming frowned. This was indeed a troubling issue. The backwardness of this era made the imperial court’s oversight of the common people very weak.
After all, even in modern times, it was impossible to completely prevent capitalists from absconding with funds, let alone here.
“I only noticed something abnormal about Cao Zhengyang. His statements are just like his father’s statements in Lin’an,” Xiao Ming said calmly, “Oh, by the way, how is the seizure of the Cao family’s assets progressing?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, all of the Cao family’s mines, banks, and workshops have been seized. However, this matter was too sudden, causing panic among many merchants and common people. Now, many people are going to the Cao Family Bank, demanding to exchange silver,” Li San said.
Xiao Ming had anticipated this problem long ago. “I have my own way to deal with this matter. After you return, continue to follow the lead from Cao Zhengyang. The Prince of Chu and the Cao family are so meticulously plotting; they have probably planted many hidden agents in Qingzhou Province. Dig out as many as you can.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Li San bowed in response.
Dismissing Li San, Xiao Ming immediately summoned Pang Yukun. The Cao family had many assets in the north. These assets had to be dealt with promptly, especially the Cao Family Bank, otherwise, it could easily cause chaos.
Pang Yukun quickly arrived at the imperial study. He breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the silver had been intercepted.
“What a blessing! This time, Your Majesty had me come for the Cao family’s assets, I presume,” Pang Yukun said.
Xiao Ming nodded. Pang Yukun always understood his thoughts. He said, “I do not wish for the Cao family matter to affect the development of industry and commerce. So, regarding the Cao family’s mines and workshops, immediately dispatch officials to take them over and manage them on behalf of the Cao family. Once stable, then auction them off to other merchants to operate. As for the Cao Family Bank, it will be directly renamed the Qingzhou Bank and will exist as a branch of the Qingzhou Bank.”
Pang Yukun’s thoughts were similar to Xiao Ming’s. He said, “As for the common people and merchants demanding to exchange silver, I believe we should publicly announce in the newspaper that their banknotes will not be affected, to prevent chaos.”
“Hmm, that can be handled this way,” Xiao Ming mused.
In fact, he had called Pang Yukun for a more important matter: the currency system. Now that the Qingzhou Bank had entered Goryeo, his goal was to make the Great Yu Empire’s currency a world-class currency in the future.
So, after completely eradicating the Cao Family Bank, he felt the time was right.
After a pause, he said, “Actually, I have an idea. It is to issue the Great Yu Empire’s unified paper currency during this incident.”