Just when Yang Feng and Zhu Di reached a collusion and prepared to go south to complete the final blow against Zhu Yunwen, King Wu, the supervisor of the Ming Dynasty, was standing on the bank of the Yangtze River with a desolate face.
Of course, he was not planning to throw himself into the river.
But given the current situation, he is not far away from this step.
Anyway, Suzhou basically cut off his escape route. Fortunately, he was in Zhenjiang at the time, so he did not fall into the hands of Han Sheng like Wu Shou'an and Yao Shan. Moreover, the places that were loyal to him at this time have not changed yet. After all, the recent situation
There have been too many messy things happening over a period of time, and the different loyalties of each party have affected the delivery of the station. It is estimated that many remote places do not even know that Yang Feng has appeared.
Zhenjiang is a good place to control Jiangnan and Jiangbei, and is more suitable for him than Suzhou.
So after learning the news about Suzhou's betrayal, he immediately mobilized his guards and rushed to Suzhou in an attempt to take back this city that was crucial to him by force.
At the same time, he ordered Wu Jie, the Marquis of Anlu who had been in Zhejiang, to also attack Suzhou.
However……
His bodyguard defected as soon as he arrived in Suzhou.
In fact, the reason behind Han Sheng's old strength was that the Suzhou gentry had determined that Zhu Yunwen was out of business, so they quickly cut off from him. Han Sheng had also lived in Suzhou for decades, and there were many local tyrants and evil gentry colluding in the city, so they had already contacted him in advance. He brought
As soon as the soldiers of the Jinshan Guards arrived, the door was opened to him in Suzhou City. The Suzhou Guardsmen who had also contacted him early immediately surrounded the Prince Wu's Mansion to capture Yao Shan. The main bodyguards sent by Zhu Yunwen were the gentry sons of Suzhou.
, after the family returned, the elders of the family behind them sent someone to tell them halfway, and they quickly switched sides when they reached the gates of Suzhou City.
Then Suzhou, Changzhou, and Songjiang began to protest.
As for Wu Jie from Zhejiang, of course he switched sides without hesitation.
He is the second generation Anlu Hou, and his father Wu Fucai is the brother of Emperor Daxing, so he is not in any danger. In this case, why follow Zhu Yunwen again?
The hegemony of King Wu of the Supervisor Kingdom came to an abrupt end. Not to mention calling on the world to be loyal and righteous, even his own royal city had turned against him. At this moment, with no hope and no way out, he stood on the bank of the Yangtze River and looked in front of him.
The surging river can't help but feel sad. It's pitiful that he once had great ambitions to be a holy master and wise king, but now he can only face defeat. It's not that he doesn't work hard, he has worked very hard, and he is not
Although he was not virtuous enough, those civil servants and Confucian scholars all regarded him as a virtuous saint.
He issued an edict, and in the blink of an eye, several provinces could immediately obey it, and hundreds of thousands of troops could obey orders instantly.
However, that devil-like man only had to walk over single-handedly and let those fierce generals with heavy soldiers die, and they actually died.
Then hundreds of thousands of troops defected without any resistance.
He worked so hard, how could he have such a result?
Even though he tried so hard, why couldn't he get rid of this demon?
After breaking his heart and exhausting all his strength, he finally lost to this devil. He even lost so pitifully that no one even fought against him.
Just went out for a walk.
Then his success suddenly collapsed.
At this moment, his mood was like that of Chongzhen standing on Meishan Mountain more than two hundred years later, who just wanted to look up to the sky and sigh...
The ministers mistook me!
"Your Highness, the situation is critical now. We have to make plans early. As a matter of fact, it is better for me to board the ship and go south. All the troops here are waiting and watching. If Yang Ni's army really comes, I am afraid that most of them will betray Your Highness, but Wang Bi is still there.
Annan, he is one of the people who killed Yang Ni, so he will definitely support His Highness. People in Fujian and Guangdong are loyal and righteous, and everything His Highness has promised before is what he wants. With Wang Bi's army as the backing, this person will definitely continue to be used by Your Highness, not to mention the King of Jingjiang and the Mu family.
It can also be connected, and when the time comes, we can lock off the Meiling Mountains and sit in the south of the sky to wait for the changes."
Qitai said cautiously.
Of course, all this talk is false, and the core is just one sentence.
It's time to run away.
And there is only one direction to escape.
After all, it is useless to go north. The south has already defected. The only option is to go to the sea by boat and then go south to Fujian and Guangdong. However, there is Ma He in Fujian. If the King of Yan also chooses to cooperate with Yang Feng, then Ma He will definitely defect.
Guangdong does not have this kind of danger, but the number of local troops in Guangdong is limited.
The one that can really be said to be heavily armed in the south is Wang Bi's Annan Army. This army was left to temporarily suppress the local army after conquering Annan. Its total strength is still more than 150,000, and Wang Bi has already prepared to go north, so Guangxi is actually under his control.
In addition, those in Guangxi get more than 200,000, which does not include the local chieftains in Annan and those in Guangxi. These chieftains can also be mobilized. Anyway, it is a benefit to them. As long as they promise to take them to the north to burn, kill and loot, they will be very happy.
The He family in Guangdong has been acting as Wang Bi's logistics and transportation. The two parties have cooperated closely and can basically be regarded as an alliance.
Wang Bi was on Yang Feng's list.
He will definitely not want to sit still and wait for death.
What the He family and the powerful local generals in Guangdong want is overseas trade, and they will support anyone who opens overseas trade to them. The same goes for those in Fujian.
At present, the only one who has clearly opened up overseas trade is Zhu Yunwen.
In fact, in the past six months, taking advantage of the chaotic situation in the north and the imperial government not being able to take too much care, maritime merchants from Fujian and Guangdong provinces have already begun to go directly to sea.
The system of compulsory foreign exchange settlement is no longer ignored.
It can be said that we have already tasted the benefits. After all, it only takes a few days to get from Guangzhou to Luzon.
What's more, Annan has been captured. The navy currently staying in Annan is commanded by Dongguan Bo Herong. His family has a good relationship with Lan Yu. The Ming Dynasty's control area in Annan has actually reached Hoi An and occupied the city.
They are trying their best to show their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. Like the powerful generals of Guangdong led by the He family, they go to Southeast Asia to trade, and it can be said that there is no danger.
Then they were smuggled into Ming Dynasty.
If the imperial court, or Yang Feng, wants to restore the old system next, let alone monopolize overseas trade, or resume forced settlement of foreign exchange, it is likely to trigger resistance from these gentry who know their tastes.
Including the Annan Corps.
They were smuggling secretly in Annan, and now they are smuggling openly.
Therefore, relying on Wang Bi's support and being far enough away, he can survive temporarily in Annan. If there are major changes in the court during this period that make these places unacceptable, then he will have hope. On the contrary, if during this period Yang Feng and the Fujian and Guangdong gentry
If they reach an agreement, then there is no hope for him. So the key is to run. Only by escaping here can there be hope, otherwise he will wait for death, although officials from various places still have not defected, although they still have tens of thousands of troops.
but……
When Yang Feng comes, all Tamar will become traitors.
After all, Zhili around the capital, including Zhejiang and even Jiangxi, have basically benefited from the technological progress brought by Yang Feng in recent years.
Confucian scholars were indeed anti-Yang Feng.
But the problem is that these places are not just for Confucian scholars!
Even those gentry are not said to be able to go through fire and water for Confucianism. It would be a miracle if they really have such strong bones!
It was also very refreshing when I knelt down to the Mongols.
Are they more hostile to Yang Feng than to foreigners?
They were also very happy when kneeling to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Is Yang Feng more hateful than Zhu Yuanzhang?
In the final analysis, they are all just following the flag-waving slogans. There is no fundamental conflict in interests. Just because of the reform of the imperial examination and because they do not use Confucian scholars, these gentry really have no motivation to fight. Even if they reform the imperial examination, it is nothing more than turning to new learning.
After all, they only studied Confucianism because Confucianism was tested in the imperial examination. If Confucianism was not tested in the imperial examination, they would quickly abandon Confucianism.
These guys who can sing praises to the Mongols are very adaptable.
Can't count on them.
"You have misled me!"
Zhu Yunwen let out a long sigh.
Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng turned their heads in embarrassment.
At this time, a huge fleet appeared in their sights on the river downstream.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Dongguan Bo leads the army and the King Qin is here."
At the same time, Fang Xiaoru's cousin Lu Yuanzhi ran and shouted excitedly.
The huge fleet that came with the wind and tide on the river also began to turn this way. Among these warships, most of which were new-style gunboats, there were two giant double-decker gunboats. On one of the giant ships, the word "He" was flying.
The handsome flag represents Dongguan Bo Herong, who currently commands the Nanzheng Navy...
Four days later.
Fengyang.
"He Rong, what does he mean?"
Yang Feng looked at the emergency report in his hand in surprise.
Bo Herong of Dongguan led the naval expedition south to the north to King Qin...
Of course, the one who works diligently is King Wu, who oversees the country.
Then he picked up Zhu Yunwen in Zhenjiang. This fleet of 20,000 sailors set sail the next day after arriving in Zhenjiang. He turned around and took Zhu Yunwen away with him down the river. Because he was going straight down the river, at this time
They should have left the Yangtze River, and after Zhu Yunwen left, officials from Zhenjiang, Yangzhou and other places hurriedly announced that they were going anyway as quickly as possible.
This rebellion is finally over.
However, Yang Feng still didn't understand why He Rong came to this muddy water?
He is not on the death list. As long as local people like him don't seek death, no one will touch them.
"They in Guangzhou have already run our bank to the point of collapse. Now most of the transactions in Guangdong have been converted into gold, silver and copper coins. Those who go to sea for trade and merchants do not need to exchange for precious coins. They are like a group of people.
The wolf had just tasted blood and had been happy for a few days. It was strange that he could hold back everything he wanted to return to the original state! By getting Yun Wen over, he could use him as a banner to coax others to continue resisting. After all, they were damned.
Emperor Gao is far away, and as long as they can be blocked, they can continue their happy life.
It doesn't matter if you can't stop it.
If you can stop it, it's a day.
If you really can't stop it, the worst possible scenario is to get on a boat and go to sea to escape.
The He family has long had smuggling bases on several small islands off the coast of Guangdong, even though they were not law-abiding before.
They have always had trade with Nanyang, and they have relied on this since time immemorial."
The little princess said while drinking an iced drink.
She is very sensitive to this issue. During the chaos of the past six months, the bank has suffered huge losses, and she is getting angry seeing the loss reports from various places!
Peking, Xi'an, and even Kaifeng are not serious.
After all, even if the guards raised troops, they still had to give her face. No matter what, she was the sister of these vassal kings. Besides, Yang Feng did not rob or damage the bank.
However, banks in Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Susongchang suffered considerable losses.
Guangdong is the most serious.
After all, Fujian Ma He is still sensible.
In Guangdong, it is mainly the local tycoons headed by the He family. They have long had a deep hatred for the banks due to forced foreign exchange settlement and financial monopoly. The shopkeeper of the Guangzhou Bank was thrown into the Pearl River by them.
The gentry of Guangdong understand economics, and it is precisely because they understand economics that they understand how vicious financial monopoly and forced settlement of foreign exchange are to good countrymen like them who build bridges and roads.
And He Zhen was a typical figure who once had his head shaved. He was a big landowner who had farmed and studied for generations. He worked as an official in the salt field. When an anti-Yuan uprising broke out in the local area, he went to report it. Then he organized the landlords' armed forces and relied on constantly fighting for the Yuan Dynasty in the chaos of the late Yuan Dynasty.
The rebel army that wiped out Guangdong grew in size, and eventually took control of Guangdong step by step. After Zhu Yuanzhang settled the north and began to care about Guangdong, he immediately surrendered sensibly to preserve the He family's foundation in Guangdong, although he was later gradually relieved of local control by Zhu Yuanzhang.
But the He family has always been the boss in Guangdong.
Even after his death, the He family was still a powerful leader in Guangdong.
Because they belong to the heirloom of farming and studying, the He Zhen family also has close contacts with Confucian scholars. He Zhen himself has friendship with Song Lian and even Fang Xiaoru.
As for smuggling...
It would be a miracle if the powerful people in Guangdong don’t do this!
"There are rare things to live in. No matter what happens afterwards, you must have something in your hand before you can bargain with the court. What else is more suitable than Yun Wen."
Zhu Di said calmly.
Indeed, they are reluctant to part with the good times that have begun. They want to continue to open overseas trade, continue to maintain gold and silver transactions, and stop forced settlement of foreign exchange, but there must be a bargaining chip for these.
When it comes to negotiation, you must be qualified to make an offer. How can you negotiate if you don’t have any leverage?
And Zhu Yunwen is the best bargaining chip.
Take Zhu Yunwen over, and then negotiate with the court. Anyway, they are high in the sky and the emperor is far away, and the court will not be able to deal with them in a short time. Give them some concessions, then they will hand over Zhu Yunwen. If they continue to force foreign exchange settlement and the court monopolizes overseas trade,
Then they will support Zhu Yunwen to resist. Anyway, not only them, but also the Fujian and Annan local factions have this idea at this time. Why can't they give it a try?
"They are too naive. Zhu Yunwen is just a bargaining chip. The real bargaining chip is strength. Only those with strength are qualified to negotiate. Just like the king, we can sit down and talk about any issue calmly, because the king has this strength, but they have
What kind of strength do they have and what requirements do they have to make to the court?
Rely on Wang Bi?
Wang Bi did have an army of 200,000.
But they were officers and soldiers of the imperial court, not slaves of the Wang family. He dared to resist the imperial court, and his generals were the first to tie him up.
He Rong's navy?
There is also Qi Bin's navy in Fusang, Zhang Rong's navy in Dengzhou, and Mahe's navy in Fujian. Who can he defeat with his little navy?"
Yang Feng said.
Then he looked at Zhu Di with deep meaning.
"Ambassador, Xiao Wang still has some old favors for Ma He. I think he already knew about Xiao Wang's visit to Beijing by now and will go north to accuse him soon."
Zhu Di said with a smile.
"Let's use merit to compensate for crime. He didn't receive a reward for his merit in going to America, so this time it will be offset."