Zheng Sen took Hong Shikun's hand and walked into the small room of the painting boat. Several beautiful girls were playing musical instruments. The indoor display was exquisite, and the chopping board was filled with delicacies and fine wines.
The aroma was so pervasive that Hong Shikun, who was accustomed to the smell of blood in Jiangbei, was not used to it. After sneezing, he said to Zheng Sen:
"Damu, you know the purpose of my trip, right?"
Zheng Sen originally wanted to "only talk about romance and not state affairs" with Hong Shikun, but he did not expect that Shi Kefa's staff, who had experienced all kinds of shocking changes in Huaixu, eastern Henan, had a completely different temperament from when he and he were studying in Nan'an County.
Hong Shikun pointed out the topic vigorously and resolutely. Zheng Sen had no choice but to do it. He ordered the servants and Mr. Turtle on the painting boat to collect their drinks and replied:
"Shi Gong is a heavenly man who is highly regarded by everyone in Nanjing. The celebrities in the capital have long been waiting for Shi Gong's return..."
Hong Shikun directly interrupted Zheng Sen and asked directly: "The world is in chaos, and the war in the north has reached a critical moment. Now that the captives and the bandits are at a stalemate, it is a great opportunity for the imperial court to revive. Don't say perfunctory words. Let's go straight to it.
Let’s talk. Damu, what do you think, your Majesty, do you belong to Yilu Fan or Yifu Fan?”
Zheng Sen really didn't expect that Hong Shikun had changed so much. After being stunned for a while, he finally changed his expression, frowned and said in a deep voice:
"If I say that my father has no intentions, will Brother Huapeng believe it or not?"
"How is this possible?" Hong Shikun didn't believe what Zheng Sen said at all. "Prince Lu oversees the country, and Prince Fu is the commander-in-chief. Now the emperor's life and death are unknown. Who can make a decision first and support a certain vassal to inherit the throne? That is the decision."
The decision-making of the strategy is the most important event in the southern capital at present. Your Majesty supports the province of Fujian, and the richest prince, Zheng Hongkui, and Zheng Zongbing are in Jiangnan. How can you not have someone you like? Damu, don't play games with me anymore.
Is it a fight? How rotten is the world now?"
Zheng Sen didn't understand why Hong Shikun seemed so angry when he first entered the boat.
But Zheng Sen himself was helpless. He smiled bitterly and said: "To be honest with Brother Hua Peng, what I said is not half false. My father... My father has always been hesitant between Lu Fan and Fu Fan, and he felt that
Your Majesty's critical event has not yet been determined. If you rush to establish a new emperor at this time, you will easily get into trouble with your Majesty."
Hong Shikun couldn't believe it. Zheng Sen's father, Zheng Zhilong, was a powerful figure in the southeast and a maritime overlord. Now he almost monopolized Fujian Province. In terms of financial and military power, he was actually far behind Gao Qian, Huang Degong, Liu Liangzuo, and Ma Shiying and Huang Mingjun.
above the governor.
With Zheng Zhilong's ability and courage, how could he still be hesitant now? Not only has he not made up his mind whether it is better to support King Fu or King Lu, he has not even made up his mind whether to live or die for Chongzhen!
Whether Chongzhen is alive or dead, now that there is no news from the north and the south, isn't that just a word from the giants in the south?
How could Zheng Zhilong be so dim and old?
Zheng Sen also knew how difficult it would be to convince a courageous man like Hong Shikun that Zheng Zhilong, the powerful man who once caused headaches in the southeastern seas of the Ming Dynasty, was long gone.
Now Zheng Zhilong is just an ordinary wealthy man who has been drained of his strength and fighting spirit by wealth, land, and position.
Of course, the Zheng family's "wealth" is still astonishing, and the Zheng family's power in the southeast, especially in Fujian, has reached the point of dominance.
But Zheng Zhilong is no longer the hero who dared to attack in the middle of the stream and strike with a wave of blows. Zheng Sen knows best what kind of person his father is now.
Zheng Zhilong hesitated between King Lu and King Fu for the simple reason that he was afraid of standing in the wrong team. Zheng Zhilong was worried that Chongzhen was still alive, so he did not dare to participate in the decision-making. He was simply afraid that he would make the wrong decision.
Zheng Zhilong, as the de facto strongest man in Nandu, was actually inferior to Gao Qian who fled from Xuzhou with thousands of defeated troops.
The once powerful man on the sea is now just an old man living in a farmhouse hoping to spend his old age in peace.
In Zheng Zhilong's heart, perhaps only more fields and houses would be a reassuring thing.
"Brother Huapeng," Zheng Sen sighed and asked Hong Shikun, "What is Shigong's plan? How many troops are stationed in Pukou at Gaozhentai? Can Shigong control Gaozhentai? Gentlemen of Nandu, Du
I want to attract Gaozhen for help so that I can support the establishment of Lu Fan. As for Fu Fan, according to what I heard, since Mayao Cao was driven away by Qian Zongbo and others, Fengyang and Chuzhou have all tilted to the side of Fu Fan.
Already."
Hong Shikun was shocked and said: "When did Ma Yaocao arrive in Nanjing? What happened when Qian Qianyi drove him away?"
Ma Shiying's nickname is Yaocao, and Ma Yaocao is Ma Shiying, the governor of Fengyang.
Zheng Sen shook his head. He also felt helpless about the old incident of Nandu Junzi driving away Ma Shiying.
"Supporting the Lu Fan is the unanimous opinion of Nanjing gentlemen. They cited the reasons why the Fu Fan was corrupt, promiscuous, drunken, unfilial, abused their subordinates, did not study, and interfered. Originally, the governor of Fengyang, Ma Shiying, also held this opinion.
However, in order to participate in the decision-making, Ma Yaocao made a special trip to Pukou to meet with the six ministers from the capital to form an alliance with the gentlemen from the capital. I never thought that Qian Zongbo and others actually said that Ma Yaocao was just a local governor and had no right to summon the central department.
The Minister of State discussed and decided on state affairs... and actually drove Ma Yaocao back to Fengyang."
Hong Shikun shook his head repeatedly. He couldn't believe it. What did the Nanjing gentleman think? He actually pushed Ma Shiying, who had the military power, to side with Prince Fu.
"Liu Liangzuo and Ma Yaocao have always had a close relationship, and they share the same spirit. Since Ma Yaocao was driven away by Qian Zongbo, Liu Liangzuo must have also sided with Fu Fan?"
Zheng Sen nodded: "That's true."
"Absurd, absurd!" Hong Shikun sighed, "Nanjing ministers are absurd... What about the opinions of Huang Degong and Huang Mingjun, the governor of Zhejiang?"
Zheng Sen cast his gaze from the small window of the boat to the surface of the Qinhuai River. Looking at the ten-mile Qinhuai where the essence of Nanjing lies, the noble son of the Zheng family could not help but feel a haze rising between his brows:
"Huang Futai is the same as my family. The overall situation is undecided and he does not participate in the struggle. As for Huang Degong Town, he wanted to block the upper reaches of Nanjing in Anqing. Now that Jiujiang has been lost, Huang Degong Town is resisting the intruders and protecting itself.
It is difficult to do so, so of course we cannot take into account the matters of Nanjing’s policy making.”
"In this way... Lu Fan has the support of Dong Lin, the gentleman who restored the society, and Shi Gong can try his best to persuade Gao Zhen to participate in the plan to establish King Lu. Fu Fan has the support of Ma Yaocao and Liu Liangzuo. Our two families have many soldiers.
The gap is not big, the situation is deadlocked, and the situation is still very unclear."
After Zheng Sen poured a glass of wine for Hong Shikun, he ignored the matter and said nothing more, and instead asked:
"Brother Huapeng, what have you seen and heard all the way south? What are Jiangbei and the Central Plains like now? What are the intruders and Donglu like?"
Zheng Sen's question reminded Hong Shikun of the hell on earth in the north, and the terrifying bandits he saw in Xuzhou and eastern Henan.
Hong Shikun said with lingering fear: "The Eastern captives have iron horses like dragons and powerful soldiers like tigers. Thousands of soldiers will attack Xuzhou's tens of thousands of elite soldiers overnight, destroying everything and destroying them in one fell swoop. The ancient Huns, Turks, and Khitans can never compare to the strength of their military strength."
"
"Where's the intruder?"
"The rebels are numerous and powerful. Although I have never seen it in person, there are rumors on the roads that there are more than a million rebels, and they are holding people with sticks everywhere. In field battles, they drive the people to the front, and use the old thieves' elite cavalry to hide on the two wings; attack
When the city was under construction, the trenches were filled with hungry people, and the ants invaded and destroyed the city."
"Is this the strength of the intruder's troops?"
Hong Shikun's answer made Zheng Sen's expression change slightly. He didn't believe it. After a while, Zheng Sen suddenly approached Hong Shikun and said in a very low voice:
"Brother Huapeng, do you know how my family does business?"
Of course Hong Shikun knew that Zheng Zhilong was a pirate...and a maritime merchant, but he just didn't understand what Zheng Sen meant when he said this now.
Zheng Sen pretended to be mysterious and said: "Before Gan Yong took control of Jiujiang last year, merchants from Chuzhong often went to the south of the Yangtze River to sell antiques and pearls, and purchased large quantities of cotton from Songjiang and other places. My family also did some business with Chu merchants, but later Gan Yong stopped
After crossing the Jiujiang Road, the business has decreased a bit. However, after Jiujiang was recently occupied by thieves, Jiangyou business has become prosperous again, and I saw a lot of cheap blue cotton being sold from Chuzhong to Jiangnan."
The more Hong Shikun listened, the more frightened he became: "Chu Shang? I'm afraid it's not Chu Kou!"
Nowadays, "robbery thieves" are rampant. Merchants are afraid of "thieves" as well as officers and soldiers. Once they encounter them, not only will their goods be robbed and they will lose all their money, but they will even lose their own lives. Therefore, ordinary merchants only dare to go to the place of production.
Delivery nearby. Do not dare to sell goods over long distances unless you are absolutely sure.
Only by having particularly reliable relationships with officials and gentry from all over the country, as well as with local bandits, can we start selling goods from different places in these days and times.
So when Zheng Sen said this, Hong Shikun immediately understood. It seemed that these Chu merchants who stayed in the capital definitely had a deep relationship with the bandits entrenched in Huguang:
"Since Damu knows about this, why not let the government send troops to capture these Chu bandits?"
"Hey hey hey? Why? These Chu merchants have a close relationship with the gentlemen from Liudu. Some business houses not only have the share capital of the gentlemen from Donglin, but some are even owned by people in Fushe. How can such a relationship happen?
Maybe send troops to capture it?”
Hong Shikun said sadly: "The situation has deteriorated to this point, and people's hearts have collapsed. What else can ZTE do?"
Zheng Sen smiled and said: "Humph, Brother Huapeng, I think this is an interesting channel. Now the intruders and the Donglu are stalemate in the north, the outcome is unknown, and the world is undecided. Since ancient times, those who cross the river from the left to the south have never only occupied
The land of Wu and Yue can be stabilized. From Jiujiang upwards, Wuxue, Wuchang, Yuezhou, Xiangyang, and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, everything is in the hands of intruders.
We should use this channel to find out the details of the intruders. If there is a chance, we must organize troops and restore Jingxiang. In this way, we can completely occupy the natural dangers of the Yangtze River, advance to the north to the Central Plains, and retreat to the east of the Yangtze River."
Only then did Hong Shikun understand that Zheng Sen looked like a dissolute disciple on the surface, but in fact he was still the same as when he was a classmate a few years ago, and he was still a man with lofty ideals for the world. He finally asked the last question:
"Damu, who do you support?"
Zheng Sen stood up, walked out of the boat, and said very firmly: "I support Shi Gong now!"
Do you support Shi Kefa now...
What about the future?
Hong Shikun thought so.
"Huapeng, it's raining."
"Well...then I'll go back to Shi Gong to recover."
"A heavy rain is coming, and the world will disintegrate. Nandu is just a small boat on the Yangtze River. Who knows where it will go in the future?"