Peter the Great of Russia had a famous saying: "Any ruler who only has an army can only be regarded as having one hand, and a ruler who also has a navy can be regarded as having both hands."

The Chinese people who experienced the colonial war in the late Qing Dynasty all know the importance of the ocean to a country.

Building a strong navy and army is the strategic goal of Wanjun, and firearms factories and shipyards are important carriers to achieve these two strategic goals.

When the matters at the shipyard were finished, the Chinese army from the entire Wuchang area heading south of the Yangtze River had already assembled.

Things were ready for the expedition, and Wan Jun was at leisure. Since all the soldiers and horses had gathered east as planned, Cui Ziyi was the only one left beside Wan Jun.

On this day, the two of them walked along the Han River. The Han River originates from the Qinling Mountains and flows eastward from Hanzhong into the Yangtze River. It is the largest tributary of the Yangtze River.

The Han River is as calm as if it were still, extending southward in a turquoise color. Hui Cui Ziyi looked at the river, "There is no wind on the river today and the smoke is lingering. Otherwise, you can see the Yellow Crane Tower from a distance."

Wan Jun looked eastward and saw that the water above the Han River was as bright as the sky, and in the distance was a milky white and bluish smoke.

Wan Jun said, "In the past, people rode the Yellow Crane, and the Yellow Crane Tower was left vacant here. The person who originally wrote this poem has already passed away for a thousand years."

Cui Ziyi said, "The skin will eventually decay, but the poems will be passed down forever, just like what we are doing."

Wan Jun knew the meaning of Cui Ziyi's words and couldn't help but sigh, "I know, I was just thinking that I will go to Jiangnan in two days, and it will be another fierce battle!"

While the two were talking, soldiers came to report that a group of people came from Lucheng. The leader was a woman who was waiting to see Wanjun at the government office.

Wan Jun asked curiously, "Woman?" After thinking for a while, he couldn't guess who it was.

Hearing this, Cui Ziyi looked at Wan Jun with evil intentions and said with a smile, "A woman is waiting to meet the Lord. I wonder who she is. Could it be Miss Zhang?"

Wan Jun got on his horse, secretly wondering if it was Zhang Xiaoyan, and rode towards Hanyang.

After entering the government office, I saw a woman sitting in the hall from a distance.

When the woman saw Wan Jun coming back, she came out to greet him. When he got closer, Wan Jun recognized him and it was Xie Xiaoni.

Wan Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Why are you here?"

Xie Xiaoni looked at Wan Jun and said, "Your Excellency is going to visit Jingxiang. We are ordered to bring people over to build the clothing factory and the grain bureau branch."

Wan Jun woke up and realized that he was asking some nonsense. Since Xie Xiaoni was entrusted by Wan Jun to run the garment factory, she has developed some skills in observing people's behavior. Seeing Wan Jun's expression, she joked, "Why are you so absent-minded? You can't

Did you raise the little one behind our back, Xiaoyan?"

Wang Huan's figure immediately appeared in Wan Jun's mind. Was he afraid that Zhang Xiaoyan and Wang Huan would collide with each other? But he and Wang Huan had nothing. Now Wan Jun suddenly understood why he was secretly relieved just now.

.

Wan Jun glanced at Cui Ziyi and cursed in his heart, these are the people who encouraged me and Wang Huan to engage in political marriage. Now I feel like a guilty thief.

Seeing Xie Xiaoni looking at him, Wan Jun quickly explained, "No, no, no, how could it be? Why are you raising a kid?"

Xie Xiaoni withdrew her eyes and said with a smile, "Sir, this is when the slave family is leaving. Xiaoyan asked me to bring this to you."

As he spoke, he took out something and handed it to Wan Jun. It was a sachet, exuding the fragrance of honeysuckle.

Wan Jun took it and saw that the goose-yellow sachet was embroidered with mandarin ducks on one side and plum blossoms on the other.

Xie Xiaoni said, "Xiaoyan said that the thread on the head of the sachet is alive. You can pull it open. There is a letter for you inside."

Wan Jun took a closer look and found that there was indeed a thread, and when he pulled it gently, a small opening was revealed.

Wan Jun reached in with his finger, and sure enough he found a small folded piece of paper, which was Zhang Xiaoyan's calligraphy.

The note read, "It's no use Xiaoyan. It didn't work that time. I'm waiting for you to return to Lucheng. I wish you peace and happiness and everything goes well."

Wan Jun naturally knew what Zhang Xiaoyan was talking about without success. The night before he led his army south from Lucheng last time, Zhang Xiaoyan proposed to give herself a child, and the two had a night of fun.

It seemed that Zhang Xiaoyan was not pregnant. Wan Jun looked at Zhang Xiaoyan's message and thought of Zhang Xiaoyan, and felt moved in his heart. He owed her happiness.

"When the war is over, I will marry Xiaoyan in a grand ceremony."

Cui Ziyi coughed heavily at the side and interjected, "You were still pregnant when we left. I wonder how the child will be? A boy or a girl?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. It's a boy named Liu Xieqi. He is staying in Lucheng County. Xiaoyan is helping to take care of him."

Cui Ziyi asked curiously, "Liu Xieqi, such a strange name."

Wan Jun remembered something, "By the way, I asked Brother Liu San and others to go to Fujian and Guangdong to search for seeds of new crops. It has been more than a year. Have they come back?"

Xie Xiaoni looked gloomy and said, "One is back, and he has brought back all the crop seeds that the adults mentioned."

Wan Jun said happily, "Just bring it back. With new crops, the people of the world will no longer suffer from hunger in less than five years. Huh? What do you mean by bringing one back?"

Cui Ziyi also wondered, "When we left, there were three of us, and one came back? Who is it?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "The one who came back is a monitor, I don't remember his name."

Wan Jun probably knew what it meant, but couldn't help but ask, "Did he say what happened?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "As I said, one of them died of illness when we entered Guangdong. When we came back, we encountered robbers. The third brother and the robbers died desperately."

Cui Ziyi sighed, Xie Xiaoni's look just now said it all, and the two of them couldn't help but ask this cruel thing.

Wan Jun said, "Well, you were newly married not long ago. I have harmed you. Please forgive me."

Xie Xiaoni put away her gloomy look and said, "Xiao Ni, thank you for the marriage. Third brother was already ready to risk his life when he left. It's none of your business."

Wan Jun said, "You are still young. It is not easy to raise a child by yourself. I will find you a good man again."

Xie Xiaoni said, "No need."

Wan Jun thought that she was influenced by traditional ethics and wanted to remain a widow for Brother Liu San. Unexpectedly, Xie Xiaoni shyly said, "The slave family has been miserable in this life. They are already in ruins in Laolong Mountain. Together with Brother Liu, they brought

I have a child, but Brother Qi doesn’t mind the dirty body of the Nu family.”

Wan Jun and Cui Ziyi instantly understood that the little girl in love had found another one.

Wan Jun said, "Brother Qi?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "Yes, when Wang Heizi was captured, Qi Weilong, the guard platoon leader at the east gate of Lucheng, was already married to him."

Wan Jun, who was just thinking about doing ideological work for Xie Xiaoni, was speechless for a moment, "Um, when did you get married?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "The Nu family didn't do anything extraordinary. Brother Qi has always been interested in me, but I am a married woman and did not accept him. Later, when I learned about the death of the third brother, Brother Qi was even nicer to me, so we...

…”

Wan Jun nodded, not knowing whether to say congratulations or condolences, and fell silent for a while.

Cui Ziyi said, "The things here are almost done. We are going to Jiangnan to fight. Your grain bureau and weaving factory are good ways to calm people's hearts. Things here are up to you."

Xie Xiaoni smiled and said, "We are basically familiar with what to do in Lucheng and Shangzhou.

Now that you know it, don’t worry, sir. Your business is my family’s business.”

Cui Ziyi said, "There is one more thing. There is someone who I want to entrust you to take good care of."

Wan Jun looked at Cui Ziyi, "You mean Wang Huan?"

Cui Ziyi said, "Zhao Boyuan is busy with political affairs and is a rough old man. Xiaoni is the most suitable person to take care of Wang Huan."

Soon a female family member brought Wang Huan over. Wang Huan was wearing an aqua blue skirt, ordinary clothes, and her elegant face set off, just like the hibiscus girl next door waiting for a call.

Wang Huan stood tall and graceful in the hall, looking around at everyone, and then saluted Wanjun, "I have met you, sir."

Xie Xiaoni looked Wang Huan up and down, then turned to look at Wan Jun, "Sir, is this the little one?"

Wan Jun said, "Nonsense, what are you thinking in your head!"

Cui Ziyi smiled and said, "Xiao Ni, this is the serious Princess Zhu Huiying of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Huan is a pseudonym. You must ensure her safety."

Xie Xiaoni looked at Wang Huan in surprise, "I have never thought in my life that I, a relative of the emperor, could actually see a real person."

Wang Huan smiled and responded to Xie Xiaoni. Xie Xiaoni came closer and looked up and down, "This royal nobleman is indeed beautiful, like a goddess, but she has one nose and two eyes, no different from ordinary people."

Wan Jun said, "Her identity needs to be kept secret for now. You have to take good care of her. We are fighting against the barbarians and we have to show our friendship to the Ming Dynasty."

Cui Ziyi said, "If we can have good relations with the Ming Dynasty, we can turn the Ming Dynasty's political resources into our own resources, and we will have a greater chance of winning against the Hu people."

Xie Xiaoni is no longer the careless little girl she was. She looked at Wang Huan for a while, stabilized her expression, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, sir, the slave family doesn't know anything about fighting, but when it comes to taking care of people, that is what the slave family is best at."

When Wan Jun heard that Cui Ziyi finally said that he was on good terms with Ming Dynasty, not marrying Wang Huan, he thought about this crooked idea, and said to Xie Xiaoni, "I'll leave it to you and Bo Yuan to deal with Jing Xiang. Qi Weilong, I'll have someone interrogate him right away."

Come to Wuchang to help you."

Xie Xiaoni smiled shyly, "Thank you sir, let him stay in Lucheng. It will be more peaceful there."

After hearing this, Wan Jun nodded and said, "Then let him stay in Lucheng."

After thinking for a while, Wan Jun asked again, "What are the benefits of the weaving factory and the garment factory?"

Xie Xiaoni said happily, "Sir, we are now on the right track. We can earn about 300,000 taels of silver a year."

Wan Jun said, "It's still too little. We need money everywhere now. You can think of more ways. Our weaving factory can sell silk cloth, and we need to expand the coverage, not only in our controlled areas, but also find ways to expand outside."

Go and make money from Mongols, Manchus, Annans, and Xiyi people."

Speaking of the Western Barbarians, Wan Jun remembered that it had been half a century since the Europeans established the East India Company.

"Time can't be delayed, Xiaoni, remember, the world is so big, there are so many iron, salt, sugar, tea and hemp. As long as there is imbalance and demand, it is wealth. You have to reach out and earn more for our army.

of silver.”

Xie Xiaoni said thoughtfully, "I understand."

"What do you understand?"

Xie Xiaoni said, "I want to set up a Chinese trading house to buy and sell goods from all over the world as you said."

Wan Jun said happily, "Okay, that's right, I will use the Chinese army to escort you, just go ahead and do it!"

Xie Xiaoni said happily, "Thank you, sir."

As long as there are appropriate profits, capital will be very bold.
Chapter completed!