It was approaching late at night, and most shops were closing. The lights on Gaofu Tower were dim, and an important meeting was taking place here.
"...There is no right or wrong. The imperial court attaches great importance to maritime transportation, which is always a good thing in the long run. The world is vast, and away from the place below our feet, natural disasters and man-made disasters will take lives at any time. Unless we are willing to spare it, we will
Only strong ships and powerful guns can keep people at sea alive for two more days. Everyone should still remember what happened in the third year of Jinghan's reign. The emperor built treasure ships to send envoys to all corners of the country and convinced the foreigners. Not long after, the craftsmanship of the treasure ships leaked out, and the people in the southeast
We have killed a few scapegoats, but some of us among us still took advantage of the benefits of this skill."
"The capital of the Jinghan Dynasty was in Bianliang. The sky was high and the emperor was far away. A few scapegoats were enough. But today...and the behavior of the new king today is far different from that of the one back then."
"After the new emperor came, he fought for the hearts and minds of the people, seized power, and became a powerful force. Now that the next step is to go north and return to Lin'an, he suddenly wants to do sea trade. What is going on? Do you really want to go to the sea?
, or do you want to take advantage of us?"
"Is the little emperor short of money?" Wang Yikui, who was the last to sit down, asked with a cold expression only at this moment.
"The imperial court is always short of money," said the old Confucian scholar Tian Haoran.
Gao Fulai said: "Since the new king came to Fuzhou, he promoted things, ran newspapers, and implemented the New Deal. Recently, he said that he respected the king and rejected the barbarians. Half of the aristocratic families who originally stood on the side of orthodoxy have been offended by him. Even if they have intentions to attack the Wu Dynasty,
Yes, the sky is high and the road is too far to reach the southeastern seaside. But the ones who support him most inside and outside Fuzhou City have always been us maritime merchants. Since last year, my Gao family has donated more than 800,000 taels of silver to the imperial court.
, the ones you brought out should not be below this number."
He paused: "The new king is strong, which is a blessing to all the people. Now Wu Qimei, Tie Yan and others have knelt down and occupied Lin'an. We, the people of the Wu Dynasty, can't stand it. We are short of money for the war. You can say that. But now
It seems that stubbornness is the crux..."
Tian Haoran shook his head: "Brother Gao Xian is overthinking. The reason why the emperor is like this is all because we are merchants. If the court wants to share power with the scholar-bureaucrats, it has to shout the slogan of respecting the king and repelling the barbarians. If it wants to take profits from the merchants, there is no discussion.
It is a precedent. Moreover, not long after the new emperor took the throne, all he encountered were battles and killings. It was the habit of young people to use more direct methods. But the emperor can be direct, but the people around him should not be like this. I see, this
After all, there are treacherous ministers around His Majesty who are causing trouble."
Gao Fulai smiled: "Today, a few people in the room like me said it's okay to be merchants. The Tian family has been scholarly for generations, but now they also classify themselves as merchants?"
Tian Haoran touched his half-white beard and smiled: "It is said that we have been a scholar for generations, but our business has become so big that the outside world has long regarded my Tian family as merchants. In fact, Fuzhou is located in the southeast, and it was impossible to produce the number one scholar.
Instead of just studying, it is better to do some business. If I had known that the Wu Dynasty was going to move south, I would not be sitting with you."
After the old man said this, most of the other people laughed. After a while, Gao Fulai stopped his smile and said solemnly: "Brother Tian is humble, but among the people here, you have the most friends in the government. All the officials in the ministries should be
The prime ministers of the court and the left are all your guests. I wonder who you are referring to as the treacherous official who is causing trouble?"
Tian Haoran shook his head: "Several ministers and prime ministers in the dynasty were all old ministers. They followed the dragon boat to sea and watched the new emperor succeed to the throne. They had made great contributions from the beginning, but in the eyes of the emperor, it might just be a hard work.
The new king is young and has a radical personality. He does not like the steady words of the old ministers. He has always used young people in private and some people from the eldest princess's house. It is not unknown to you.
It's just that these people have low qualifications and poor reputations, so the positions go to a few veterans."
"Now, as Gao Xiandi said before, the Chinese army has a bunch of bastards who are even younger. They have won the favor of the emperor. They enter the palace every day, point out the country in front of the emperor, and confuse the public with their monstrous words. They are the ones in the southwest.
How could someone who was taught by Demon Ning have any good intentions towards us? Such a simple truth cannot be imagined by the emperor. It was only after being bewitched by them that the rumors came out today. Brother Gao Xian, do you think this is true?"
"That's it." Gao Fulai nodded, "Now that the new emperor has occupied Fuzhou, what everyone in the world is eagerly looking forward to is for him to return to Lin'an with strong horses and strong troops. If this can be done within one or two years, the foundation of the Wu Dynasty will still be there.
But these bastards from the Chinese Army came over and tried to trick the emperor into caring about sea trade... Maritime affairs can make money in the long run, but in the short term, they are just throwing money at people and killing people. And within three or two years, there will be wars at sea.
I’m afraid no one can do business, Black Flag’s intention is to drag the emperor down in Fuzhou.”
When he said "when a fight broke out at sea," he looked at Wang Yikui opposite, and then swept away.
"Then there are two meanings now: first, either the emperor was bewitched and was determined to get involved in the sea, then he would offend the officials first, then the gentry, and today he will offend the maritime merchants again. Now
, I see that the Wu Dynasty is in danger, and we can't just sit back and watch... Of course, it may also be the second meaning. Your Majesty is short of money, embarrassed to speak, and wants to come over for a break, then... Everyone, we have to pay for this.
Things are settled."
Everyone looked at each other, and the room was silent for a moment. Pu Annan spoke first: "The new emperor is coming to Fuzhou, and we have never hindered it. After arriving in Fuzhou, we contributed money and efforts. Previously, Pu Annan did not care. But
Today, it seems that this money was spent a little unfairly. After spending so much money, the emperor turned around and said he wanted to dig up our roots?"
"When the country is in trouble, it is appropriate to contribute some money." Shang Bingchun said, "But after spending money, we have to listen to it."
"It's okay to spend money, but what should you do if your Majesty is determined to participate in maritime trade?" Gao Fulai took the teacup and made a gentle sound on the coaster.
Wang Yikui, who had always been silent, looked at everyone: "This is your place. If the emperor really wants to participate, he should find someone to discuss it. Why don't you ask someone to persuade you first?"
"If the emperor really comes to discuss the matter, then there is no need to persuade him. All businessmen, don't dare to refuse verbally..." Tian Haoran stretched out his hand and scratched his neck.
"The emperor has been chased to the southeast, how can he still be like this?"
"It's hard to say about the previous emperors, but ours... doesn't seem to be afraid of offending others."
While the five of them were talking about this, they were either playing with the tea cups or rubbing their fingers on the table, and remained silent for a while. After a while, Gao Fulai finally spoke: "I have an idea."
Tian Haoran, Shang Bingchun, and Pu Annan raised their teacups, while Wang Yikui watched quietly.
"The imperial court wants to participate in maritime trade. Regardless of whether it is true or not, sooner or later this word will be passed on. Once the higher-up's intention comes down, if we say no, we may offend others. The old men in the court will lobby, and we will first
You have to be mentally prepared, I think... you can spend up to this amount to settle the matter."
As he spoke, he stretched out the five fingers of his right hand and moved them.
"fifty thousand?"
"Five million."
"You were frightened and you came out with so much?"
"If the court just wants to extort money, we can give money directly to stop the boiling. To stop the boiling is just to relieve the superficial. The real method is to draw fuel from the bottom of the cauldron. Brother Shang said to listen to it, but Brother Tian also said that there is a traitor.
North Korea, so what we have to pay today is money for selling our lives."
Gao Fulai glanced at everyone: "We will fully support the new king's move to Fuzhou. Many aristocratic families are pointing to the imperial court for benefits, and we are the only ones who provide money to the imperial court. It seems that maybe he is really soft, so we won't do it now.
To say hello, you have to find us. In this case, the impression really needs to be changed. Come to us before you find us. You can donate money, but you can't keep anyone."
Everyone looked at each other, and Tian Haoran said: "Without the temptation of caring people, His Majesty's thoughts will indeed be much lighter."
"The man named Ning from the southwest killed the Emperor of Wu Dynasty, and the people of Wu Dynasty were sworn in with him." Pu Anan said, "Today they came here in a big way, and those who really care about Wu Dynasty are eager to kill him.
It wouldn’t be surprising if something happened to them.”
"Although Mr. Pu comes from a foreign country, his thoughts towards our Wu Dynasty are quite sincere and admirable."
"My family has been here for several generations. Pu grew up in the Wu Dynasty. He is a genuine Wu Dynasty person, and it is right to care about the Wu Dynasty. I will prepare these five hundred thousand taels first."
Everyone drank tea and chatted for a few words. Shang Bingchun said: "What should we do if we still can't solve the problem?"
"Then pack your luggage, go to the sea, guard the trade routes with the Dragon King, and fight with the imperial court for three years. I would rather not make any money in these three years than let the imperial court taste the slightest benefit. If these words can be spread, they must let them
You know how ruthless a man who walks on the sea..." Gao Fulai put down his teacup, "...can be!"
******************
At night, the whining sea breeze blows through the city streets of Fuzhou.
Near midnight, the carriage passed through the city streets of Fuzhou and headed towards the royal gardens at the northwest end of the city.
This garden located in the city is not far from the downtown area of Fuzhou. After Junwu occupied Fuzhou, many places in it were divided and allocated for officials to use for their offices. It was already dark at this time, but beyond the garden wall, there were still many views.
You could see lights on in many places. The carriage stopped at a side door. Zuo Xiuquan got out of the carriage. After entering the garden, he walked for a while and entered the place called Wenhan Garden.
This Wenhan Garden was originally used as a royal library to store ancient books and curios. There are three two-story buildings with a garden pond nearby and beautiful scenery. At this time, the main hall of the main building has its doors open on all sides, and lights are on inside.
Long tables formed a lively office space, and some young people were still writing and processing documents at their desks. Zuo Xiuquan said hello to them.
"You haven't rested yet. Where is Jia Zhen?"
After asking for Zuo Wenhuai's location, he went to look for him on the second floor of the adjacent small building. On the way, he met several young people and exchanged greetings.
There are more than thirty young people in this group from the southwest, headed by Zuo Wenhuai, but of course not all of them are children of the Zuo family. In recent years, the Chinese army has fought from the northwest to the southwest, and most of the participants are determined "
"Rebels", but there are always some people who had different family backgrounds in the past, and did not completely hate the new king of the Wu Dynasty. So this time, some people who followed here have some aristocratic families.
Background. There is also another part who followed here with a curious and observational attitude.
Thousands of miles from the southwest to Fuzhou, and some supplies from the southwest were escorted. This journey was not an easy one. Although relying on the identity of the Zuo family, they borrowed the advantages of several large caravans to travel all the way, but along the way
He still encountered several dangers. It was also when facing several dangers that Zuo Xiuquan saw the ferocity of this group of young people when facing the battlefield - after experiencing a series of battles in the southwest, Zuo Xiuquan
Each of these battlefield survivors who were originally flexible in their thinking was turned into a weapon on the battlefield. They were firm-willed in the face of chaos, and many of them had battlefield vision that, in Zuo Xiuquan's view, even surpassed
Many generals of the Wu Dynasty.
In fact, Ning Yi did not give special preferential treatment to elite soldiers with enlightenment foundation like Zuo Wenhuai in the past - in fact, there was no room for preferential treatment. This time, after various selections, they were transferred out, and many
People are neither superiors nor subordinates to each other, and they have no experience in partnering. However, thousands of miles of road and several tense situations along the way allowed them to get to know each other well. By the time they arrived in Fuzhou, they were basically a team.
They arrived in Fuzhou in April, bringing with them the southwest's system of objects and many advanced experiences, but of course these experiences cannot be fully integrated into the system in Fuzhou through a few "secret books". Especially in Fuzhou, Ning
Yi had not yet dispatched a large number of corresponding professional teachers and technicians like he did to Jin, so early planning for reforms in various fields became quite critical.
Every member of the team with experience in geophysics has been recruited as a young man, responsible for the compilation of information in a certain aspect, the negotiation and production of plans. What does something in the southwest look like, why, what can be learned from, and what areas
What can be changed, what cannot, what is a human problem, what is a financial problem... During these days, the Wu Dynasty was led by Wenren Fuji, who came over and held a lot of meetings and discussions with everyone, and these
Young people also work there late into the night every day.
After traveling thousands of miles from the southwest and sharing hardships along the way, Zuo Xiuquan was already familiar with most of these young people. As a representative of a wealthy family loyal to the Wu Dynasty, he watched these young people with outstanding personalities shine under various tests.
You will feel excited and gratified. But at the same time, you can't help but think that the young people in front of you actually have different thoughts. Even Zuo Wenhuai, a descendant of the Zuo family, may not have the same inner thoughts.
The Zuo family is completely consistent, but it is even harder to say for others.
Ning Yi, who is far away in the southwest, casually throws the seeds of such a team of more than 40 people over, and now it seems that sooner or later, they will become outstanding people in their own right. On the surface, it seems that they have brought various experiences from the southwest
After leaving Fuzhou, what role would they actually play in the future Wu Dynasty court? Thinking of this, Zuo Xiuquan felt a little headache.
Of course, it was just getting started at this time, and it was not the time to worry too much. He went all the way to the nearby second floor. Zuo Wenhuai was climbing down from the roof with the team's deputy Xiao Jingyi, and they seemed to be saying "pay attention to the shift."
After the two sides said hello, Xiao Jingyi left with the excuse of preparing for a midnight snack. Zuo Wenhuai and Zuo Xiuquan went to the study room next to them, poured a cup of tea, and began to discuss things.
"...I left Fuzhou for a while and just came back. I heard some things in the evening, so I came here...I heard that recently, you suggested to His Majesty that you should focus on sea trade in the investigation of things? Your Majesty is quite interested?"
After the Fuzhou imperial court made great reforms, it hurt the hearts of many aristocratic families. However, after all, there were many old Confucians who had been favored by the country. The aristocratic families had wavering thoughts. In this regard, the Zuo family had always been the most favored by the Fuzhou imperial court.
A useful lobbyist. After Zuo Xiuquan returned to Fuzhou, he began to go out again. When he came back, he realized that things had changed.
When he asked at this time, Zuo Wenhuai showed a relatively soft smile: "Mr. Ning used to pay great attention to this aspect. I just mentioned it casually. I didn't expect that His Majesty really meant this."
Zuo Xiuquan frowned slightly and looked at him.
At first glance, his nephew seemed weak and easy to bully, but after traveling with him for several months, he truly understood that the face underneath this smiling face was actually ruthless and resolute. He may not have understood most of the rules of officialdom not long after he came here, but the prelude was right
In such a crucial place, there is nothing to mention casually.
Seeing Uncle Clan's expression, the smile on Zuo Wenhuai's face changed: "The innovation here in Fuzhou is too much and there are not many allies. If we want to support the situation, we must consider large-scale open source. Now we are going to
It may not be wise to attack the north. Once the territory expands, if you want to implement the reforms, the expenses will only increase exponentially. At that time, the court can only increase exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The people will not be able to make a living, which will kill themselves. Located in the southeast, large open sources can only
It’s a sea trade route.”
"There are several big problems in sea trade." Zuo Xiuquan said, "First of all, after His Majesty acquired Fuzhou, he told the outside world that he would go north and return to Lin'an. This matter can be delayed for a year or two. It has been delayed for a long time. Today we stand
People on our side will slowly walk away; secondly, sea trade management is not something that one or two people can get familiar with in a day or two. If we want to take this road to open up the world, when will we be able to make achievements? Nowadays, all waterways in the southeastern sea are
There are corresponding maritime merchant forces. If one of them is not good, dealing with them may be protracted. On the one hand, it will damage the morale of going north, and on the other hand, the trade route will not be opened up. I am afraid the problem will be even bigger..."
"We have also considered these things, but Uncle Quan, have you ever thought about the purpose of His Majesty's strict reforms?" Zuo Wenhuai looked at him, and then paused slightly, "The aristocratic families in the past were pointing fingers.
, you want to add sand to the court. Now that you are facing internal and external troubles, you really can’t survive. Your Majesty just said that you should respect the king and resist the barbarians. This is the first principle of today’s innovation. Use whatever you have on hand. It’s really hard to control.
I don’t think about him much anymore.”
"... Our Zuo family is lobbying all parties, hoping that those who still trust the court will contribute money and efforts to support His Majesty. Of course it is a good thing for someone to do this, but if they can't be persuaded, should we meet their expectations? Xiao Xiao
The nephew thinks that at the moment, there is no need to attach too much importance to the illusory support of these aristocratic families. For their expectations, he will fight back to Lin'an, and then raise his arms and defeat He Wen with all the subsequent support... Not to mention that this is
I underestimated Ho Wen and the Fairness Party. In fact, the whole process was too idealistic..."
"...The future is an era of elite soldiers. Uncle Quan, I have lived in the southwest. If I want to train elite soldiers, one of the biggest problems in the future is money. In the past, the imperial court and the scholar-bureaucrats jointly ruled the world, and various aristocratic families gave their hands to the army and the court.
There are millions of troops at every turn, but they are on empty pay. They support the army but also rely on the army to make money... If you want to cut off their hands, you have to get the money yourself. The past method does not work. Solve this matter
Things are the focus of innovation."
"... Regarding the second thing you said, Uncle Quan, the imperial court has two fleets on hand now, saying that there are no talents to use them. In fact, in the past, there were many talents in the navy who had gone to sea. Moreover,
The imperial court's emphasis on maritime trade will be beneficial to all those who rely on the sea in the long run. There are short-sighted merchants and there are long-sighted merchants. The imperial court's encouragement may not be able to combat divisions. Mr. Ning said that the conservatives are not
They are extremely afraid of innovation. The essence of their fear is losing profits..."
Zuo Wenhuai's tone is not high, but he is clear and logical, and he talks eloquently. He is completely different from the naive person he occasionally showed in the Golden Palace.
After saying this for a while, Zuo Xiuquan said: "But have you ever thought that your identity is that you are from the Chinese Army after all. When you come here, the first innovative idea you put forward is so contrary to common sense. Continue
When you come down, some people will say that you are spies sent by Mr. Ning to confuse the public and hinder the rise of orthodoxy in the Wu Dynasty... Once such a statement is made, all the reforms you want to do next may be half the result with half the effort."
When Zuo Xiuquan mentioned this, Zuo Wenhuaicai was slightly stunned. He lowered his head and thought for a while. When he raised his head, there was already a frightening murderous look in his eyes.
"Uncle Quan, we are young people." He said, "What we have learned in Southwest over the years is studying things, speculating, and reforming. But in the final analysis, what we have learned the most over the years is to go to the battlefield and kill us.
enemy!"
His words were filled with murderous intent. After he finished speaking, the room fell silent. After a while, Zuo Wenhuai finally said: "Of course, we are new here, so many things are inevitably not considered carefully. But the general direction is
Yes, we still think this should be better. There are many craftsmen in His Majesty’s Gwuyuan. It only requires some people to copy the southwest Gwu technology, and it should be appropriate for the other group to explore the direction of sea trade."
"Actually, it's amazing that you can consider so much. In fact, some things are just like what you said in Jiazhen. Maintaining the confidence of all parties is just the icing on the cake. If you attach too much importance to it, the gain will outweigh the loss." Zuo Xiuquan smiled and said
"People's words are scary. There are some things that you should consider when you can. But when you just said about killing the enemy, I was very moved. This is what you young people need, and it is also what the Wu Dynasty wants right now. People's words are a matter of
, then it’s up to us old people to repair it. Now that you’ve thought it through, you can concentrate on your work. Of course, don’t lose your caution and think more about it at any time.”
"Yes, Wen Huai has learned a lesson. Thank you Uncle Quan for taking care of me."
Zuo Xiuquan stood up, sighed slightly, and then patted Zuo Wenhuai on the shoulder. They were both people with strong opinions. They couldn't understand each other for a while, so they gave in to each other. But for people like Zuo Xiuquan, seeing
He has a real talent in his family, and even if he thinks differently for a while, he will always feel proud and gratified.
The two of them walked out the door, chatting just about various household matters. When they went downstairs, Zuo Xiuquan patted him on the shoulder and said, "There are still secret whistles on the roof."
"After all, we haven't been here for long, so get used to it." Zuo Wenhuai said with a smile.
"Now that we are here, His Majesty pays great attention to you. The forces of the Zuo family are also watching here. Now that we are home, there is no need to be so vigilant. Don't tire them."
"I know." Zuo Wenhuai nodded and responded to the elder's words with a smile.
******************
In the early morning, in the Fuzhou Imperial Palace, Tie Tianying walked through the eaves and patrolled the post.
In the imperial study room, the lights were still on.
When Zhou Pei and the palace maid came over with lanterns, Junwu was wearing pajamas, holding a writing brush in one hand and an oil lamp in the other. He was looking at the map of the southeast on the wall. On the table was a half-written letter.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time to rest."
"There are still things to write." Jun Wu did not look back, holding the oil lamp and still looking at the corner of the map. After a long time, he said: "If we want to open a sea route, I have been thinking about where to break the situation...
...Mr. Xianning once said about the spider web. The so-called innovation means exerting force on this spider web. No matter where you go, there will be people holding you back for profit. People who have interests in them will not change if they can. This is
It’s common sense in the world, but I thought yesterday that if I really make up my mind, maybe I can solve the problem in Guangzhou next.”
Zhou Pei frowned, and then his eyes lit up.
Junwu still held up the oil lamp: "Since we settled down in Fuzhou, we don't have much land in our hands. We can only go south to Quanzhou. Most of the people who support us can't transport anything in. Over the past year, we have been pinching Guangzhou's neck.
I keep shaking, and I really want a lot of things. Didn’t Sister Huang recently say that they also have ideas?"
"In the past two months, several cargoes were said to have suffered accidents. The details are still unclear."
"Our Wu Dynasty has lost the entire country after all. The merchants in Fuzhou are happy to recapture Fuzhou, but the interests of those far away in Guangzhou will inevitably be damaged. Liu Fuming guards Guangzhou and has been delivering supplies to us, which can be regarded as conscientious. But for Guangzhou
For merchants and ordinary people, what is the difference between the so-called sharing of hardships and the scrapping of their people's wealth and wealth? If we want to develop maritime trade this time, we will use the power of the Gewuyuan to improve the ships, coupled with the new artillery from the southwest, open it to Guangzhou
Maritime merchants will be able to form a mutual benefit with Guangzhou. At that time, we will be able to truly... gain an additional territory..."
Zhou Pei looked at him quietly, nodded, and then asked softly: "Are you sure? Do you want to go like this?"
Countless pros and cons analyzes usually end up settling on a certain general policy. Whether to march north to Lin'an or to look to the sea, once started, two completely different policy routes may be formed. Jun Wu put down the oil lamp and said nothing for a while.
.But after a while, he looked up at the night outside the door and frowned slightly.
There seemed to be some faint movement in the distance.
"...The city is flooded?"
Originally, the palace was not large in area and was located at a high place. Signs of commotion could be felt from a distance. Because something might have happened in the city, the guards in the palace were also mobilized. Not long after, Tie Tianying came over to report.
"Your Majesty... Wenhanyuan was attacked by bandits and a fire broke out..."
Jun Wu was slightly stunned: "...what?"
"Wenhanyuan was attacked, and the ministers have sent nearby guards there. According to reports, there was fighting and fires inside, and there are not many casualties..."
With a bang, Jun Wu's fist hit the table, and the bloodshot eyes accumulated from staying up late were particularly obvious at this moment.
"Take the sword and put on the armor. I want to leave the palace."
"The situation is still unclear at this time, and it is not appropriate for Your Majesty to move."
"Don't be impulsive——"
Tie Tianying, Zhou Pei and others quickly stopped him.
In the city of Fuzhou, many people were awakened from their sleep, and the night seemed to be on fire. The fire in Wenhanyuan ignited the prelude to a series of struggles in the southeast...