If their palm oil and other local goods could not be sold, this first major venture would collapse—a severe blow to the fledgling Yangshan Archipelago.
Starting from scratch in a foreign land was never easy.
"Mm, Superintendent Wu." He Lingchuan pondered for a moment. Superintendent Wu's hostility toward the Yangshan Archipelago almost certainly came down to the two reasons Guan Ke had mentioned. "If his personal interests conflict with ours, no amount of gifts or connections will do any good."
Where one sits determines how one thinks.
Guan Ke added, "The areas around Blade Harbor also produce palm oil, and this happens to be the season when merchant fleets arrive in droves from abroad to buy up stock. If we don't seize this window over the coming month to display and sell Yangshan's palm oil, our inventory will pile up. We won't even clear it by March or April next year. By then, the new harvest season begins, and aged oil is much harder to sell than fresh oil."
Qiu Hu sneered. "No wonder the Maritime Trade Office won't issue us permits. They want to drag our business down until it rots!"
Needless to say, Superintendent Wu's own stock would easily sell out. But if He Lingchuan and the Yangshan Archipelago missed this prime sales window, their losses would be staggering.
Ha. The Lu father and son had likely guessed he was short on funds. After kicking him while he was down last time, now they were pulling the rug out from under him. One trick after another.
He Lingchuan instantly decided that further contact with Superintendent Wu was pointless—a complete waste of effort.
He turned to Lei Ni. "You used to sell palm oil. How much can your buyers take?"
Lei Ni was startled. "As much as I could produce, they'd buy. There was no cap. But what I did back then was petty small-time work—how could it compare to the scale you're running now?"
"Get in touch with your buyers, and pass word to Min Tianxi and Huang Zhao to contact theirs as well. Tell them we have as much palm oil as they want," He Lingchuan said. "The price can be slightly below market rate. Let's clear out a portion of our current inventory first."
Ding Zuodong nodded in agreement. "We need working capital. The sooner, the better."
Lei Ni acknowledged the order.
Buyers who purchased palm oil from pirates weren't going to demand inspection certificates from Blade Harbor.
He Lingchuan asked again, "Earlier you said he belongs to the faction of Qing Kingdom's imperial uncle?"
"Yes, otherwise he never would have landed such a lucrative post," Guan Ke told the group. "The revenue generated from running Blade Harbor accounts for at least twenty percent of Qing Kingdom's income."
Judging by Blade Harbor's bustling prosperity, its annual takings were no small sum. Even if Superintendent Wu didn't outright embezzle, handling such prime cuts of meat was bound to leave his hands dripping with grease.
"What is this imperial uncle's standing in the Qing court?" He Lingchuan hoped the man wouldn't turn out like the Grand Marshal of Yuan Kingdom—rigid, formidable, and prickly.
An "imperial uncle" was the brother of a Qing ruler's consort.
"Grand Master of Splendid Happiness." Guan Ke knew less about the nobility residing in the Qing capital. "However, his younger sister, Noble Consort Yu, is a formidable figure. I heard from people in the Maritime Trade Office that although Superintendent Wu was recommended by Imperial Uncle Ning, he actually takes orders directly from Noble Consort Yu."
"Imperial in-laws," He Lingchuan murmured. "Superintendent Wu clings to the Noble Consort's coattails, so it's no wonder he's riding high. Do they have no rivals in the royal court?"
"They do. Associate Chancellor Weng Min and others are at odds with them."
He Lingchuan knew an Associate Chancellor was equivalent to a vice chancellor. Court factions were standard fare. But as for the specific grievances between the two sides, Guan Ke was in the dark. After all, he earned his living in Blade Harbor, not the capital; his knowledge of such matters was merely hearsay.
"If they're rivals at court, hasn't anyone impeached Superintendent Wu?" Qiu Hu interjected. "This Wu fellow doesn't strike me as an honest official."
"Back when Superintendent Wu was still an Assistant Commissioner, the head of the Maritime Trade Office was Superintendent Zhao. That man was exposed for corruption and clapped in irons, which opened up the vacancy for Superintendent Wu's promotion." Guan Ke took a sip of tea, his face twisting from the bitterness. Yet after the bitter punch came a sweet aftertaste, which cut through the greasy char of the skewers marvelously. "With that cautionary tale before him, Superintendent Wu has always been extremely cautious."
He Lingchuan grew interested. "Cautious in what way?"
"I mentioned earlier that his family owns a hundred mu of forested hills, right? In truth, none of it is registered under his name. Officially, it belongs to his in-laws and a few of his disciples," Guan Ke said in a low voice. "Those hundred-odd mu of woodlands, including many valuable centuries-old tree species, originally belonged to the Bailie people. I hear several dozen mu of it were once owned by the Lu family, left abandoned and unattended for decades for some reason. Later, when Blade Harbor was leased to Qing Kingdom, those parcels were swept in as well. Superintendent Wu went through considerable maneuvering to legally transfer those hills into the names of his own people."
He Lingchuan's hand froze midair with his skewer.
Watching the spectacle had led right back to his own doorstep? Tracing it to the root, those hundred-odd mu Superintendent Wu seized had been pilfered from him!
By all rights, what belonged to Bailie and the Lu family ought to have belonged to He Lingchuan's original self.
Well, by all rights.
Useless ancestors. Sigh.
The grilled sea hare in his hand suddenly lost its flavor.
Guan Ke continued, "Moreover, Superintendent Wu never accepts bribes himself. If anyone dares offer him one to his face, he has them thrown out of the yamen. All gifts and financial tributes are collected by two clerks under his command."
Ding Zuodong nodded. "That is cautious indeed." Keeping his own hands clean and leaving no leverage behind.
"Superintendent Wu doesn't live in a lavish mansion, either; his entire household still lives in official quarters." Guan Ke waved a hand. "No matter how many times superiors come to inspect, he appears completely upright and clean on the surface. If I recall correctly, three years ago the Qing court even publicly commended him for his integrity and devoted service."
Qiu Hu asked, "How do you know all this?"
"Ha!" Guan Ke chuckled. "These things are hidden from superiors, but never from those below—nor can they be. What good are street rumors? Even if the common folk know, what can they do? Without concrete proof, no one can touch Superintendent Wu."
He Lingchuan took a sip of tea as well. "Aside from those hundred-odd mu of forest and paddies, does Superintendent Wu have any other steady income streams? Preferably legal ones."
A steady stream meant a continuous, uninterrupted influx of silver.
No matter where one went, such assets were the envy of all.
Guan Ke caught his drift and replied without much hesitation, "Superintendent Wu has raked in plenty over the past decade or so. Every so often, he purchases a ship and leases it out. Some are ocean-going cargo vessels, boasting cargo capacities among the best in all of Blade Harbor. To date, he has bought ten large ships and twenty-two smaller ones, all rented out."
Hearing this, Ding Zuodong let out an "Oh!" of realization. "No wonder! A while back, when I went to register a ship charter, the Maritime Trade Office recommended several large vessels to me, claiming they were guaranteed to be top-notch. The ships were massive, but the price was truly steep—twice the size of the ships we eventually rented, but over four times the price!"
"Four times?" Qiu Hu asked. "Isn't that outrageous?"
"Outrageous, yes, but maritime shipping has peak and slack seasons, so charter rates fluctuate. Hiring a ship during peak palm harvest can't possibly cost the same as hiring one a few months later. At the most absurd times, rates can spike five or six times higher. Who can say for sure?"
Chapter 944