Chen Baisen put down his wine glass and began to think silently.
He could actually guess some of the other party's intentions. As the saying goes, don't start early without profit. The reason why it was proposed to let the Japanese come ashore and stay permanently was also for the sake of their maritime merchants' business.
"There is no such precedent. If the words on the clothes are not in line with the Celestial Empire, I'm afraid there will be criticism!" Chen Baisen said solemnly.
"That's why I said, let's give them a small place and prevent them from entering the inner city!" Zhou Dehong said with a smile, "From now on, there will be no criticism!"
After that, he added, "When people come from thousands of miles away to send money, you have to give them a place to stay, right? Otherwise, let's show that our Ming Dynasty is too mean, right?"
Chen Baisen still did not let up, "You have to know that the identity of the Japanese is a problem. If they are merchants from other countries, it is not that they cannot be allowed to enter the city, and it is not that they cannot be allowed to settle here permanently!"
"When this dynasty and the previous dynasty changed, and in the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Japanese pirates often caused trouble in our area! In the third, seventh, and eleventh years of Hongwu, they all came ashore to rob and cause fatalities!
"
"Not to mention the princes of the Manchu Dynasty, even the local people are not necessarily willing to let the Japanese come ashore!"
Zhou Dexing smiled again and said, "Your concern is true, but this is my humble opinion. Those who came are Japanese but not Japanese pirates. Japanese are Japanese and Japanese are Japanese. We cannot generalize!"
"I have to put it bluntly, the Japanese pirates are all veterans, so we can't stop communicating with each other just because we have had trouble with the Japanese pirates, right? In that case, we might as well close the Ningbo Port and stop doing business with them!"
"You have to look forward in everything, there are good people and bad people everywhere!"
"It should be said that everything should be based on money!" Chen Baisen said with a smile.
Zhou Dexing continued, "My lord, think about it. After the Japanese settled in, the amount of sea trade increased, and the tax revenue increased. More tax revenue is your political achievement!"
The word political achievement spoke to Chen Baisen's heart.
"Besides, the Japanese also said it! You don't live in vain!" Zhou Dexing whispered, "Of course there will be filial piety every year! I know that you are not short of money, but does the third class of government officials need to get some scattered silver?"
"The wasteland and slopes outside the city can be rented to Japanese merchants. Or simply build shops and sell them to Japanese merchants, and you can still collect taxes every month! Sir, this is not just a piece of money!"
"Back then, whenever there was any apportionment in the city, the Japanese merchants also contributed money and effort. People also said that if they lived in Daming, Daming would be their parents' country!"
Chen Baisen frowned and said, "You are a person who only cares about money when you open or close your mouth!"
"I am a businessman, but I am so vulgar!" Zhou Dehong smiled.
"Again, the matter is of great importance and I cannot make the decision!" Chen Baisen still refused to let go, "We must consider the long term!"
Zhou Dehong knew the meaning of the other party's long-term plan. Officials are like this. They won't nod easily without seeing tangible benefits and prospects.
At this moment, a deafening noise suddenly came from outside.
"What's going on?" Zhou Dehong said angrily.
"Master, master!" Zhou's steward ran in quickly, his face pale, "Official troops! Officials and troops have rushed into our house!"
~~~
"Surround them up, and no one inside or outside will leave!"
Ningbo Coast Guard guard Geng Zhenwu was dressed in iron armor and stood in the yard with a sword on his waist, showing no anger or authority.
The soldiers, who were like wolves and tigers, surrounded the Zhou family. At the same time, both the masters and the slaves of the Zhou family came out of the house and pinned them down in the yard.
"Geng Shoubei, tell your people to be more honest!"
Behind Geng Zhenwu, Jing Qing, who was dressed in official robes, said solemnly, "I will tolerate you, but Commander He Guangyi of the Jinyi Guards will not tolerate you!" As he said that, he looked at He Guangyi, who was leading the Jinyi Guards on the other side.
"The general will know!" Geng Zhenwu smiled heartily.
He was not stupid. Coming to the Zhou family to arrest people and ransack their homes was different from killing Japanese pirates at sea. The money they ransacked was not stolen money, and he would not dare to swallow it at all.
Besides, he had already offended He Guangyi because of his military exploits, so naturally he would not offend the provincial governor again.
However, when I thought of the hundreds of thousands of silver coins that had been salvaged, I felt a huge pain in my heart when I asked the scholar to forcefully remove half of them.
There is no other way, who can let yourself have leverage in other people's hands?
Moreover, now he also understands that he is an inspector, a commander of the Jinyi Guards, and a Japanese pirate. The Zhou family is in doom this time! Ningbo maritime merchants will also be unlucky! His buttocks are not clean, but not
Dare to act rashly again.
"Now that I have the military merit of killing the Japanese pirates, I can go to the capital to find a way to do business, and there are a few local officials who have been affected by the plague as guarantees. It should not be a big problem!" Geng Zhenjiang thought to himself while commanding people to arrest people.
"Who are you looking for in the capital?"
Thinking about it, he suddenly thought, "Yes, let's follow Cao Guogong's path."
When he thought of this, he felt his flesh aching again.
Mr. Cao Guo, I’m afraid it won’t work if I don’t give you heavy gifts!
~~
"Don't worry about these servants, arrest their housekeeper and accountant!"
Jin Yiwei was familiar with this kind of house confiscation, and He Guangyi loudly ordered, "Immediately put seals on all warehouses. No one is allowed to open them without the order of the capital! Anyone who intrudes without permission will be shot to death! All the warehouses in the Zhou family that have signs on them will be put to death."
Account books, even a piece of paper, must be collected."
"Here!"
Compared with the soldiers who arrested people, the guards who ransacked homes were much more professional. They did not shout or curse, nor did they kick or push. They did things in an orderly manner.
At this moment, there was a horrified and lack of confidence shouting from the front.
"Geng Shoubei, how did my Zhou family offend you?"
In front, Zhou Dehong, whose hair was somewhat disheveled, was dragged out by several soldiers. His face was full of anger, and he shouted, "If you don't give me an explanation for what happened today, I won't let it go. You treat me as a member of the Zhou family."
Are you easy to bully?"
"Damn it!" Geng Zhenwu stepped forward and slapped his mouth so loudly that he almost knocked Zhou Dehong unconscious, "I am acting under orders, and I need to explain to you, who are you?"
"You..." Zhou Dehong was furious.
In the past few years, he has been enjoying a good life and has produced many successful scholars in his family. Not to mention this Qiu Guardsman, he is also a brother-in-law with the high-ranking officials of the prefecture and chief secretary's office. How could he have ever suffered such humiliation?
But before he could say anything, a Feiyu suit caught his eye.
"Are you the head of the Zhou family?" He Guangyi asked.
"Who are you?" Zhou Dehong's heart trembled.
"This is the capital, Commander of the Jinyi Guards!" He Guangyi sneered, "It's been revealed that you communicated with the Japanese!"
"Ah!" Zhou Dehong's face turned pale for a moment, and then he shouted unwillingly, "You framed me! You framed me! I... I'm going to the Chief Secretary to sue you... There's someone in my house who's harassing me
......."
"Save yourself some face!" Another angry scolding, Jing Qing stepped forward, "Do you recognize me?"
"You..." Zhou Dehong was stunned, "Jing Ancha?"
It's over, it's over!
In an instant, Zhou Dehong knew that the Zhou family was doomed.
The troops and horses prepared by the Ningbo Coast Guard, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, and the provincial inspector came in person. The Zhou family was finished! Even if there were members of the Zhou family in the court, they were finished.
At this time, another exclamation came from the side.
Geng Zhenwu's soldiers pulled out a person from the bushes, "General, is there another person hiding here?"
Geng Zhenwu went over to take a look, "Hey, isn't this the prefect? What are you doing in the grass? Looking for bugs to eat?"
Chen Baisen also looked ashen and waved his hand to Jing Qing, "I don't know what happened, but it actually alerted the Inspector!"
"You're here too, it saves trouble!" Jing Qing smiled coldly and snorted.
In the blink of an eye, the Zhou family, which was as magnificent as heaven and earth, fell into the mortal world.
"Come on!" Geng Zhenwu continued to shout loudly, "Don't leave even one of them, I'll drag them all up!" He said, cupping his hands to Jing Qing and He Guangyi, "You two are busy in front, and I'll go and look at the women of the Zhou family from behind.
