lady, please calm down

Chapter 365 Uninvited Guest

"Now the Emperor of Jin is dissatisfied that the Shenhui Sanqing Fruit is not strong enough. Taixu is also a talented person, and he specially refined a batch of immortal fruits with realgar and alum added for him. The effect is even better than before, and the Emperor of Jin is full of praise. However, the recent close contact between Emperor Jin and Taixu has aroused the dissatisfaction of many important ministers, and the Taoist priest in Huanglong Mansion is also known as the 'demon Taoist'."

On March 21st, after returning home, Chen Chu finished busy with the urgent matters at hand and summoned Li Ke who had returned from his mission to the Kingdom of Jin.

When Li Ke talked about Taoist Taixu who had changed his name to 'Tongxuan', he had a strange smile on his face. Based on Taixu's actions, it would definitely be a disaster rather than a blessing for the King of Chu to have such a person beside him, but he gained the favor of Emperor Jin. , but it makes people feel comfortable.

However, Chen Chu was not surprised that Taixu acted like this big liar. Instead, he asked: "Didn't it say last year that Emperor Jin was building a ship and wanted to invite two Nine Heavenly Mysteries to Fusang? He hasn't set off yet?"

"Well, shipbuilding cannot be accomplished overnight, and Jin people are not good at water, and shipbuilding craftsmen are scarce, so it will take some time. However, my subordinates have found out that this fleet plans to build three five-masted treasure ships, nine horse ships, and four grain ships. Twelve ships are quite large.”

Li Ke was a little strange. Although the Jin Emperor's ship building could waste national power, it was still a small matter. Why did the King of Chu never forget it?

Chen Chu nodded and asked, "How is the situation with Mr. Cai going?"

'Mr. Cai' refers to Cai Kun, the commercial representative who traveled with Li Ke this time. Li Ke replied: "Mr. Cai's trip has been very fruitful. He has successively reached agreements with Xiao Zhongxian, Guo An, Han Chang and others to act as agents for Huaihe goods and merge with others. For our cooperation intention to purchase sheepskin wool."

"What are the backgrounds of these people?"

Chen Chu asked. Li Ke was already prepared. He took out a stack of paper recording the detailed identities and backgrounds of several people from his sleeve and placed it on Chen Chu's case. At the same time, he introduced concisely: "Xiao Zhongxian was originally a queen of the Liao Kingdom. After the Jin Dynasty destroyed the Liao Dynasty, he joined the Hailing Palace as an official. Last year, he was promoted to the Shaoqing of Honglu Temple in the Jin Kingdom. This time we are offering strong wine instead of beautiful women, thanks to his mediation."

After saying that, Li Ke waited for Chen Chu to digest it for a while, and then said: "Guo An, a native of Bohai, is currently the head of ten thousand households of the Jin Kingdom's garrison in Nanjing. Han Chang is a Han and serves as the head of thousands of households."

In case Chen Chu didn't understand, Li Ke explained in detail: "Guo An's people are all Bohai people, with a population of about 9,000, and more than 3,000 soldiers. Han Chang's people are all Han people, with a population of about 3,000, and soldiers There are about a thousand people. Unlike us in the Han Dynasty, their subordinates and their families are like a tribe. Except for the minimum food and salary, the rest of the expenses have to be managed by the soldiers and their families in the fields to barely meet their daily needs."

Speaking of this, Li Ke thought of another piece of news he got from Taixu, "When the Jin Kingdom occupied the Central Plains, Guo An's father had made great achievements and was granted the hereditary title of Meng'an. But last year, King Hailing of the Jin Kingdom The customs of each ethnic group were different. The hereditary positions of fierce security and conspiracy for the Liao, Han, and Bohai people in the Jin army were abolished and replaced by Wanhu and Qianhu. At that time, many middle and lower-level generals of Liao, Han, and Bohai were dissatisfied, but due to the The Kingdom of Jin is like the sun in the sky, and everyone dares to be angry but dare not speak out."

Obtaining intelligence and analyzing intelligence for superior officers are all the responsibilities of the military commander. Li Ke continued to explain to Chen Chu: "The positions of fierce security and conspiracy are similar to those of generals in the Western Army who can be passed down to descendants. It is not only a position, but also a title similar to that of a noble. . As a result, Guo An and others lost a sum of income. Mr. Cai happened to come to their door and gave them a way to make a fortune. Naturally, the two parties hit it off. "

Chen Chu touched the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment and then said: "This Hailing King probably felt that the brave and barbaric spirit of the Jin people was being eroded by the wealth and gentleness of the country, so he distinguished the Jin people from the Liao, Han, Bo and others. Come on."

For the ethnic minorities in the bitter cold north, the Central Plains and the south of the Yangtze River are not only a prosperous and enchanting paradise, but also a trap that erodes their souls and ecstasy their bones.

Whether it is the Jin people who seem to be invincible in the world at the moment, or the Mongols who will sweep across Europe and Asia in later generations, as long as they take control of the Central Plains, they will be corrupted at an alarming rate and their combat effectiveness will decline off a cliff.

Otherwise, there would not be the prophecy that ‘a man’s luck will not last more than a hundred years’.

Li Ke had never thought about King Hailing's motive for canceling the hereditary rule of Han, Liao and Bo from this perspective, so he couldn't help but think about it carefully.

Chen Chu then said: "Wenju, according to you, King Hailing is in charge of all these military and state affairs. Where is Emperor Jin?"

"Haha, Emperor Jin sits with Taoist Priest Taixu during the day and discusses the method of cultivating immortality, and at night he practices dual cultivation with women. How can he have time to deal with such mundane matters?"

Li Ke smiled and Chen Chu also laughed, "So, then King Hailing is also a powerful official of the Jin Kingdom?"

Li Ke thought for a moment and affirmed: "He can be considered a powerful official!"

"How do you compare with me?" Chen Chu said abruptly.

"."

This question made the quick-witted Li Ke unable to deal with this question, and being a "powerful minister" doesn't have a good reputation!

To be honest, in Li Ke's eyes, the King of Hailing is naturally not as good as the King of Chu. After all, his boss has supported a puppet, which is close to abolishing the establishment. He also killed officials in the court who were not aligned with Huaibei. Eighty-eight.

King Hailing is not so arrogant. If Li Ke knew that the boss was also guilty of "disrupting the palace", I'm afraid Lian Bi would lose interest.

Seeing Li Ke blushing and blushing, Chen Chu didn't make things difficult for him. He laughed and changed the subject, "Is there anything else going on during this trip?"

Li Ke breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly: "The furs purchased by Xiao, Guo and Han have been delivered to Mr. Cai. In accordance with the prince's instructions, Mr. Cai stayed when passing by Fucheng on Hebei Road to prepare for the establishment of a local company. A. Woolen textile factory produces new military boots, military uniforms, and blankets for our army."

"Ah."

There have been plans to build a factory in Fucheng, which is close to the Kingdom of Jin and can reduce transportation costs.

Secondly, in addition to creating benefits, the factory also has a hidden function: cultivating a large number of reserve soldiers.

The biggest obstacle for farmers to join the army is the cultivation of discipline, and factories that need to start work on time and obey work arrangements have this role.

Later Qi Jiguang selected soldiers from the miners. In addition to the hard work and fierce personality of the miners, one of the advantages is that they know how to work in a team and have a certain degree of obedience.

Nowadays, Caizhou is gradually relocating certain factories out of town, with such considerations in mind.

"My boss, in addition to furs, Mr. Cai also found something else and purchased some in small quantities."

"What?"

"Case eggs are a favorite food of Liao people. They are not perishable. The accompanying doctor said that this food is warm and nourishing. If eaten for a long time, it can strengthen bones and muscles, especially for children. Mr. Cai plans to add some sugar or salt to the case eggs. Food for the soldiers on the march can also be provided to the children in the school."

"Oh? You mean cheese, right?"

This kind of high-calorie and high-protein food is indeed a good food to supplement energy for soldiers when they are marching and for children when they are growing up.

The conversation between the two lasted for more than an hour, until finally, Li Ke suddenly mentioned another matter in a low voice, "My boss, when I went to the Kingdom of Jin this time, Taoist Taixu took me to see Emperor Zhou Chai Ji. one side."

The Emperor of Zhou who could be seen in the Jin Kingdom was naturally not the Chai Chong who was riding in Lin'an, but the one who was kidnapped by the Jin people during the Ding Wei crisis.

Chen Chu immediately became interested and asked with a smile: "How is he now?"

"Hey! He was treated as a pig by the Jin people and raised in Five Kingdoms City. During these years in a foreign country, he gave birth to seven daughters, five sons and twelve children."

"." Chen Chuyi didn't know how to evaluate it for a moment, but finally laughed and said: "He is quite reasonable."

"That's not necessarily the case." Li Ke shook his head and said, "After he learned that I was a subordinate of King Chu of Qi State, he held his subordinate's hand and cried bitterly. He said: If King Chu is willing to rescue him and return to the Central Plains, he is willing to be granted the title of The King of Chu is the emperor's younger brother, and he offers half of the land north of the Yangtze River."

Li Ke seemed to be very tempted by this proposal and glanced at Chen Chu's expression changes several times while speaking.

Chen Chu smiled brightly and said: "Did Emperor Zhou become a fool this time as a prisoner? Even if he can be fished out, he is a monarch who has almost perished. How can the south be willing to listen to him? He still gave me half of his country."

"My boss, Chai Ji is the father of Chai Chong after all. If we can succeed Zhou Ji to Qi, even if Chai Chong doesn't respect Zhou Ji's order, we can occupy a great position and divide the Zhou Dynasty's court."

Li Ke was a little unwilling, but Chen Chu thought for a while and said: "Let's not say that the Kingdom of Jin will not give Zhou Ji to us easily. Even if it is given, we are not ready yet! From now on, there will only be one relationship between us and the Kingdom of Jin. I'm afraid that the relationship will become more and more tense. Before that, don't fall out with Zhou Guo for the time being. If Chai Ji comes, it will be a clear attempt to seize Zhou's legitimacy. Chai Chong will definitely not be able to bear it."

These words have vaguely revealed the strategic considerations of the Huaibei Clan to put the Jin Dynasty first and then the Zhou Dynasty!

But Li Ke was surprised, but he put forward a different opinion, "My boss! The Zhou Kingdom is weak, while the Jin Kingdom is strong! It is better to first make things difficult and then make things easier!"

This time Chen Chu shook his head firmly and said: "No matter what, the generals of Qi and Zhou are all from the Han family. If the Jin Kingdom takes advantage of Qi and Zhou to fight to the death, and sends its troops southward, these tens of millions of people and the great country will be destroyed." Wouldn’t we fall under the iron heel of the foreign race? On the contrary, if we can fight a few good battles with the Jin people, then the Zhou Kingdom may be afraid of the strength of Huaibei and dare not invade easily."

It is a strategy not to have a complete stalemate with Zhou State, but it is impossible not to fight completely. Fighting without defeat should be the main theme in the future.

I wonder if Huainan has similar ideas. Anyway, it was Nanfang who was the first to cause trouble for the other party.

On March 23rd, a new newspaper called "Huaibao" was born on Huainan West Road. The north and south of the Huai River belong to Zhou and Qi respectively, but the name of this newspaper covers both sides of the river. The name alone offends the Huaibei people.

Moreover, this Huaibao accurately imitated the successful model of Tongshan's "Today's Headlines" back then, using strange novels as an attractive gimmick.

The novels published in Huaibao are naturally not as exciting as Journey to the West, but their scale is large enough.

In several novels, there is a story about a scholar rushing to take exams who stays overnight in an ancient temple and meets a beautiful vixen.

There is also a legend about the cowherd and the fairy getting married.

No, here comes the sense of substitution. The literate scholar read the story of the vixen with relish, while the illiterate farmer listened to the story of the cowherd and the fairy.

I wonder if I found inspiration from the comic strips published in Huaibei. The Huaibao also illustrated it, which is very attractive.

After the eye-catching story, the second page briefly mentioned the case of Tihuoqiu County magistrate who conspired with bandits to murder Luo Jinyi and other squires, but the subsequent reports were official documents to attract investment and recruit refugees.

Generally copied the work of Huaibei.

If it just copied some of Huaibei's policies, it wouldn't make people angry.

But the report on Page 4 is a bit jarring!

Although Jiarou's visit to Cai in February was not publicized, it was not a secret. The Huaibao got the news from nowhere and spread the rumor that "the king of Chu has detained the empress and the powerful minister will soon ascend the throne."

Well, Huaibao did call Jiarou the ‘Empress’.

It is not difficult to guess their purpose of doing this, after all, it is a patriarchal society, and Huaibao wanted to use this to ridicule Qi State for worshiping a woman as king.

Weak rulers and powerful ministers, cruel political struggles, and secretive palaces, okay! Full of selling points!

Huaibao, which sells at an extremely low price, used various tricks to sell out immediately after its first publication.

In just two days, the newspaper spread everywhere on both sides of the Huai River.

This matter was not difficult to deal with. Chen Chu judged that Huaibao did not know about Jiarou and his affairs. The reason why it was reported in this way was to use the relatively rare incident of Jiarou in Caizhou to disturb the internal affairs of Qi State.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Chu would have just sent Jiarou back to Tokyo with great fanfare. However, this Huaibao report was actually a little bit close to the truth.

Now, with all the attention, it is difficult to secretly send Jiarou back to Beijing.

Moreover, the Huaibao that spread to Huaibei is not easy to deal with. If private reading is strictly prohibited, wouldn't it tell everyone that the King of Chu has a guilty conscience?

"Xie Niang's feet. Don't let me catch the author of this little essay!"

On March 25, the article that Ayu rushed out overnight was published in Caizhou Wuritan. The key article was to report on the deeds of the whole village of Lugezhuang in Huainan Huainan County.

Ayu wanted to use this to undermine Huainan's reputation, and at the same time, she also wanted to divert readers' attention and suppress the popularity of "Detaining Jiarou".

Unexpectedly, the appeal of this article was too great. Combined with the information that someone had indeed seen a noble person staying in the post house last month, there was a lot of discussion.

The people in Huaibei didn't realize anything

But not everyone in Qi State is as mindless as the people in Huaibei in supporting King Chu. If this ferment continues for a while, the princes in the court cannot allow the regent princess of Qi State to be imprisoned by King Chu!

This is the face of the entire Qi State!

Chen Chu and Ayu noticed at the same time that they seemed to have encountered a difficult opponent.

It's time that day.

At the pier in Binhuai County, Caizhou, a passenger ship docked. Groups of passengers dressed as businessmen and scholars disembarked one after another.

Not far away, the eyes of the military commander's secret sentry swept over them one by one.

The passenger ships that travel between Caobang and the north and south carry mostly businessmen. In recent years, as Huaibei has become more famous, some bold Huainan scholars have come to travel.

The secret whistle paid attention to young people, so the civilian couple and the old servant, who were in their fifties, did not attract much attention.

After the couple got off the boat, they took a special carriage from Binhuai Wharf of Sitong Passenger Transport to the south of Caizhou City.

The commoner old man chatted with the driver, asking him how many people there were in his family, how much land he had, and how the driver's business was going.

In the Huaibei area, the driver and the boatman at the pier have all received the most basic anti-espionage training. However, the old man who spoke kindly spoke Yingchuan dialect and talked about everyday things, so he did not arouse the suspicion of the little brother, but he was cheerful. All questions answered.

"There are six people in my family. The eldest brother and his father take care of the thirty acres of crops at home, the second brother joins the army, and the eldest sister-in-law works in the princess's farm."

"Hey, everyone has a job, and the family can earn a lot of money."

"Haha, thanks to the prince, my family can earn fifty or sixty dollars a year." This little brother may be an honest person. Maybe he wants to show off and knows everything.

"I'm a good boy~ So Duo"

The old man in cloth clothes was startled, and the scholar Zhou Guo who was riding in the same car also showed a surprised expression, and whispered to his companion: "Look! Let me tell you, Huaibei is the richest in the world! You still don't believe it."

The old man glanced at his fellow driver and sighed.

The driver driver was in the middle of a conversation. Hearing the old man sigh, he couldn't help but turn around and comfort him: "Uncle, don't sigh! I hear your accent is from Yingchuan, right? Nowadays, more and more people like you come back from the south. The more our prince said, he is from Caizhou! I think the uncle must be knowledgeable. The Lanxiang Academy in our city is recruiting professors. Uncle, why not give it a try. In short, come If we live in Caizhou, as long as we work hard, we won’t suffer from cold or hunger! Isn’t it better than being treated like cattle and horses by the officials and gentry in the Southern Dynasties?”

"That's what I said." The embarrassed expression on the old man's face flashed away.

In the evening, the carriage arrived at the southern terminus of the city.

The old man, master and servant were once again surprised by the crowd of workers and the continuous stretch of food stalls.

The old man became more and more silent.

At You hour, three people entered the city.

Before the old man and his wife parted ways, he saw that his wife was nervous and apprehensive, so he couldn't help but comforted her and said: "Don't be afraid, just treat it as returning to relatives."

The woman was silent for a moment, but she said resentfully: "You work for the country, but you insist on taking a concubine. Now that I am old, I have to come here to embarrass myself. What will happen if I am kicked out soon?"

The old man apologized and smiled, saying in a low voice: "Madam, if you take her as real, she is real. Speaking of which, if our child hadn't been separated from us, he would be almost the same age as this concubine of the King of Chu."

"How can that be the same! Our daughter was lost during the retreat to the south in the year of the Ding Wei Rebellion. She is no match for this concubine." Thinking of the sad incident, the woman wiped her tears.

The old man felt sad for a moment, but then he raised his hand and bowed deeply to the woman, "Madam, please."

"You and I have been married for many years. Why do we have to perform such a great gift? I can just go away. If I can't do it, if you and I lose our lives here, then I can be considered worthy of my husband."

The woman bowed her head, wiped away her tears, and turned to Prince Chu's Mansion.

The old man stood quietly for a moment, sighed silently, bowed again to his wife, whom he had been with for many years, and then turned to Yaqian Street.

At the moment of You hour, the Prince of Chu's Mansion.

Yunong was holding Xiao Yuanbao and staying in Mao'er's bedroom talking to her sister, when a maid came to report, "There is a woman in front of me who says she is a relative of Lady Chen and wants to see her."

The female relatives in the house were all shocked by Yu Nong's life experience. They all knew where the relative came from?

At two o'clock in the hour, the official office of Yaqian Street.

After handling the official documents, Chen Chu stretched himself, but Xiao Yi knocked on the door and came in. With an overly frightened expression, he said: "Brother Chen, there is an old man outside asking for an audience, saying that he is the pacification envoy of the Huainan West Road Manager of the Zhou Dynasty. Chen Bokang."

"Who???"

"Chen Bokang, the pacification envoy of the Zhou Dynasty's Huainan West Road Strategy"

(End of this chapter)