lcionline Chapter 633 Returning to Tianjin Port, Preparing for Official Departure
Chapter 633 Returning to Tianjin Port, Preparing for Official Departure
Jiang Xiaoqi realized that he had been back in Beijing for quite some time, and it was time for the ship that had set sail from Tianjin Port to conduct sea trials to return.
Jiang Xiaoqi has been waiting for news from Qiu Cheng for the past few days, but hasn't received it yet.
Jiang Xiaoqi hadn't planned to go to Japan himself before, but now he's been promoted and received a raise, all thanks to the Second Prince.
He felt he should contribute something beyond money, and for his first voyage, he wanted to personally lead the group.
The most crucial point is that he understands Japanese. There may be others in the Great Zhou who understand it, but there was no time to find them.
Today, I asked Liu Peng and Xiao Ming at the Liu family home if they liked the sea, as I was thinking of taking my friends out for a trip.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi was somewhat conflicted, unsure of what would happen on the way and after landing.
So it's best to ask their opinions before making a decision. If they're really interested, they can share the credit with their good brother in the future.
Especially Xiao Ming, he can't just stay in the position of a seventh-rank editor forever; he should try to move up if he can.
With the credit for discovering the silver mine, even without a background, one can still get promoted, and might even be promoted three levels in a row.
However, it depends on whether Xiao Ming is willing to do so. If he just wants to stay in the Hanlin Academy peacefully, then he can't force him.
Although they are good brothers and also brother-in-law and brother-in-law, this kind of thing still depends on Xiao Ming's own subjective needs.
"So that's why you asked us at the Liu family's house today if we liked the sea?"
"Well, but there will definitely be some dangers going on, so the decision of whether or not to go is up to you."
After leaving the Liu family, Jiang Xiaoqi asked Xiao Ming to ride in the same carriage with him, so that he could explain the matter of going to sea in detail.
"But you didn't elaborate when you were in Liu Peng's courtyard. Were you sure Brother Liu wouldn't go? Now you're talking to me privately. Do you think this is an opportunity for me?"
Mingfei, may I ask you a question? How did you get in touch with Lord Qiu Cheng? You two used to be at odds in the Hanlin Academy.
"Why would Lord Qiu take you along now that such a good opportunity has arisen? Could there be some kind of conspiracy involved?"
Actually, Xiao Ming wanted to ask if Qiu Cheng would harm Jiang Xiaoqi, but he couldn't be so direct, could he?
“I understand what you mean, but sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily the truth. The reality is that my relationship with Lord Qiu is indeed quite good.”
"I can also make some decisions regarding your voyage; I can arrange for you to join the fleet."
Xiao Ming nodded, naturally trusting his good brother and brother-in-law. However, the matter of going to Japan by sea still needed to be discussed with his family.
"Okay, thank you for thinking of me, your fifth brother-in-law, Mingfei. I'll think about it when I get back and give you an answer as soon as possible."
Xiao Ming also knew that the ship's return from Tianjin Port meant that it would soon set sail for Japan. Time was still tight, and he needed to make a decision as soon as possible.
"Okay, no rush. They'll need time to reorganize and rest when they get back, not to mention they need to prepare for their official voyage. They'll need time to sort out their supplies, personnel, and equipment."
More importantly, there is no official captain on board yet. It will probably take more than ten days for everything to be ready, so you still have time to think it over.
As for your position at the Hanlin Academy, don't worry. Lord Qiu will submit a memorial requesting the transfer of personnel, which won't affect your position there.
Xiao Ming's worries vanished instantly, and he realized that it really was true what they said: "It's easier to get things done if you have connections in high places."
Although he was also a "person in the court," he didn't really feel like he had ever enjoyed any special privileges.
Perhaps my official rank isn't high enough. In this capital city teeming with powerful and influential people, my position as a seventh-rank compiler is indeed insignificant.
When Lord Qiu was in the Hanlin Academy, he was a fifth-rank supervising scholar. Now that he has been transferred out of the Hanlin Academy, he has been promoted one rank and is now a fourth-rank scholar.
When I reach the same age as Lord Qiu, will I be able to reach the same position?
Thinking of this, Xiao Ming chuckled to himself. One should still have dreams; what if they come true?
Look at his good brother, who is only a teenager and has already reached the position of fifth-rank lecturer. How can this not be inspiring?
Even if it wasn't me, it felt as refreshing as eating a chilled melon from a well on a hot summer day, making me feel great from head to toe.
That's the truth. He was only happy for his good brother and felt no jealousy or resentment whatsoever.
Mingfei is such a good person, he deserves it.
Jiang Xiaoqi's carriage first took a detour to the Xiao family, and she stopped to visit her fifth sister. Of course, she didn't come empty-handed; she bought pastries from Chen's shop on the way and also picked up two sets of mid-to-high-end skincare products from the neighboring Liuxiang Pavilion.
If it were just my own sister, Chen's Pastry Shop would be enough, but since Aunt Xiao is also there, it has to be a bit more formal.
Although everyone knew that Liuxiang Pavilion was owned by the Jiang family, no one would refuse a set of skincare products for a hundred taels of silver.
Although the Xiao family was not short of money, they would not often spend a hundred taels of silver just to buy something to wipe their face.
When Jiang Feier got married, she brought a lot of good products from Liuxiang Pavilion. Even if the whole family used them together, they probably still hadn't used them all.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi thought that whether or not others gave her a gift had no direct relation to whether or not she gave one.
Sending gifts to Liuxiang Pavilion and Chen's Dim Sum is a way of keeping the profits within the family.
After leaving the Xiao family and returning to his own courtyard, the servant immediately presented him with a letter.
"Did it come from the direction of Tianjin Port?"
"Yes, young master, this letter arrived shortly after you left today. We wanted to deliver it to the Liu residence, but without an invitation, we servants can't even get in."
"It's alright, there's still time to look at it now."
When Jiang Xiaoqi returned to his study, he found that it was indeed Lord Qiu who had reported to the Second Prince that the ship had returned to port.
The sea trial went smoothly, and everyone brought back quite a bit of seafood, making the trip worthwhile.
Seafood doesn't keep for long; it spoils overnight. So, Lord Qiu decided to sell it off right there at the Tianjin Port wharf.
Because the price was relatively cheap, it almost provoked a group of local fishermen to attack them. However, they gradually calmed down after learning that the group was only there to test the boat and would not stay for long.
This might be okay once, but if they keep selling at such low prices, it will disrupt the market for seafood at the docks and ports.
At that time, not only will the local government of Tianjin Port intervene, but even the local bullies will come to warn them.
After all, the seafood trade is a vital industry that affects the livelihoods of people in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. If someone's livelihood is threatened, who wouldn't be anxious?
After reading the letter, Jiang Xiaoqi immediately grabbed paper and pen to write a reply to Qiu Cheng, so as not to keep him waiting too long.
After informing the Second Prince of this matter in the palace, I will write another letter, at which point I will formally explain the matter of sailing to Japan.
Now let Lord Qiu reward the crew members for their merits and settle their wages for the first voyage.
This was a decision he made after discussing it with the Second Prince: the crew's monthly wages would not be paid monthly, but rather according to the duration of their voyages at sea.
The wages are paid after three days at sea, and the same applies after seven, ten, or fifteen days.
Of course, if the flight is particularly long, some subsidies will be given every now and then, while the wages will be paid out in a lump sum upon return.
After all, people are adrift at sea, and they have nowhere to spend their wages. It's easy for the crew members to tacitly open betting shops and start gambling, which is absolutely not allowed.
Especially since we may need to go to sea more frequently in the future, we must establish rules from the very beginning to completely eliminate all potential risks.