On the second day of February in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, the day after Yang Zhen led his troops to move to Lushunkou, the sun was shining brightly and the wind was gentle.

Around 4 o'clock in the morning, Yang Zhen, who had had a solid night's rest, appeared on the pier of Lushun Port in high spirits and came to see Hong Chengzhuan and others off in person.

Yesterday evening, Yang Zhen invited Xiangping Bo Shen Zhixiang, Jinhai West Road Assistant Guards General Yuan Jin, and Jinhai South Road Assistant Guards General Zhang Degui to have a dinner with Hong Chengzhuan.

Xiangping Bo Shen Zhixiang also presented to Yang Zhen the list of shopping materials he had compiled in a hurry that afternoon for going south.

Yang Zhen took a look at Hong Chengzhuan and said that the materials he wanted to buy were for repairing the existing warships in Jinhai Town. He also asked him to help search and purchase in the Quanzhou area. He would be grateful if he got it done.

Hong Chengzhuan was able to leave Ningyuan City and return home in fine clothes this time, all because Yang Zhen went south to buy sweet potatoes.

As the saying goes, eating people is short-tongued and soft-handed. Besides, he had already seen Yang Zhen's generosity, so he readily agreed to Yang Zhen's request.

Besides, he originally wanted to go to Eastern Fujian and Southern Fujian, and the materials Yang Zhen wanted to buy were all available in Eastern Fujian and Southern Fujian. So there was money to be made for hunting rabbits on the grass - there was money to be gained, so why not do it.

In this way, at the banquet for Hong Chengzhuan, Yang Zhen decided on the spot who would accompany him to the south. He ordered Shen Yongzhong and Guo Xiaowu to accompany Hong Chengzhuan and his party, taking the fleet under Yan Shengsan's command, and heading south to Fujian along the coast.

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"Mr. Hong, these subordinates of mine are all rough people. If there is anything I can't say or take care of along the way, please forgive me. I will take care of them when I get back!"

Yang Zhen led the people seeing him off and accompanied Hong Chengzhuan to the pier. Seeing Yan Sheng and others waiting at the pier, he made a long story short and said goodbye to Hong Chengzhuan with a smile.

"The Governor's words are serious. Hong received a lot of help from the Governor during his trip south. He will live up to his trust!"

Before Hong Cheng wrote, he had met Shen Yongzhong in Songshan City and Ningyuan City. Later, he learned that this man was the heir of Xiang Pingbo who was entrusted by the imperial court.

Not to mention that the current Shen Yongzhong is respectful to him, but he doesn't have much respect for him. What can he say? He will be the next Uncle Xiangping in the future!

When Yang Zhen saw what Hong Chengzhuan said, he stopped talking and turned to Shen Yongzhong, Yan Shengsan and Guo Xiaowu who were waiting nearby and said:

"I have talked to you this morning. Your trip is crucial to the future of Jinhai Town. You must not underestimate it, despise it, or take it lightly.

"Especially when you arrive in the prosperous place south of the Yangtze River, you must focus on the business assigned to you by the governor, and you must not be careless."

After hearing this, Shen Yongzhong, Yan Shengsan, and Guo Xiaowu quickly bowed and said yes.

For these people, Yang Zhen is quite relieved.

These people have all been at sea for many years, and they are more comfortable at sea than on land.

Among them, Yan Shengsan and Guo Xiaowu were both subordinates who had taken refuge in him earlier and were promoted by himself. Their loyalty can be assured.

And Shen Yongzhong has the identity of Xiangping's uncle. Even if this is not considered, his wife and children are still here in Jinhai Town. This alone makes him worthy of trust.

After all, they were heading south on this trip, carrying a large amount of valuables such as pearls, jade, skins, and a batch of gold and silver with them.

If there is no trustworthy person to lead the team, how can Yang Zhen rest assured?

Of course, Yang Zhen asked him to follow him because there were two other considerations:

First, Shen Yongzhong was very clear about the reason why Yang Zhenli asked others to buy sweet potatoes. He knew that the matter was of great importance and did not dare to be careless.

Secondly, his successor, Xiangping Bo Shen Zhixiang, would supervise the shipping affairs of Jinhai Town in the future, so he had to be obsessed with purchasing fine materials for building ships.

Yang Zhen looked at these people bowing and saying yes with serious faces, nodded, and then said: "I will say it again, this time I want you to go south. In addition to asking for sweet potatoes, asking someone to teach you how to grow them, and besides asking for ship repair materials,

When hiring a ship-repair craftsman, what else can’t be left out?”

"Buy a book on agriculture, the complete agricultural book that the governor requested!"

"There is also a medical book, the Compendium of Materia Medica that the governor requested!"

"By the way, there is also a miscellaneous book called Tian Gong Kai Wu Lai."

As soon as Yang Zhenfang asked, Shen Yongzhong, Yan Shengsan, and Guo Xiaowu started to answer.

"Haha, what did this governor just say, that you are rough people? Don't be convinced! Find out the names of these books carefully and remember them all for me!"

Yang Zhen listened to their answers, especially Guo Xiaowu's answer at the end. He laughed and then scolded them a few words. Then he took out a folded piece of paper from his arms, turned around and said to Hong Chengzhuan with a smile:

"The three books they mentioned just now were feared by Mr. Yang that they might not be able to remember them and forget them when they got to Jiangnan, so he asked someone to write them down. He also asked Mr. Hong to help buy them when he got to Jiangnan!"

Since we are sending people to Jiangnan next time, we should try our best to take this opportunity to do as many things as possible.

In the 13th year of Chongzhen, Xu Guangqi had already passed away, but many important agricultural books he wrote during his lifetime, such as the famous "Sweet Potato Tree", "Cotton Planting Method", etc., have been compiled by his son and disciples

A book was completed and published under the name Agricultural Administration Complete Book.

Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica was even earlier. It had been published as early as the Wanli period and spread in the south.

As for Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu", this particularly important craft encyclopedia was also printed and published in Jiangnan in the tenth year of Chongzhen.

However, what is regrettable is that in addition to the good dissemination and popularization of the medical book Materia Medica, the other two equally important works have disappeared into the sea since their first publication and did not attract much attention.

The important knowledge and techniques in various agricultural handicrafts summarized and recorded in the book have not been disseminated.

Yang Zhen asked everyone around him, but no one knew it, so he had to ask Hong Chengzhuan for help.

After all, this Hong Chengzhuan was also a scholar. He may not understand other things, but he must have heard of these books.

Immediately, I took the paper package handed over by Yang Zhen and unfolded it. Sure enough, it read: Xuge Lao Nongzheng Complete Book, Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica, and Song Yingxing's Tiangong Kaiwu.

"Mr. Hong has heard about the Compendium of Materia Medica written by Divine Doctor Li, and all the wealthy gentry families in the south of the Yangtze River have prepared it. As for Mr. Xu Ge's complete agricultural book, Mr. Hong has heard that Mr. Xu Ge wrote many agricultural books during his lifetime. If

It has been collected and published, so it should not be difficult to buy it. However, this Song Yingxing is a work of art, and this is actually the first time that Mr. Hong has heard of it—"

Hong Chengzhuan has always been slippery when it comes to things that others ask for but he is not sure about, and he does not dare to easily agree to help.

But when he thought about it, the people around Yang Zhen, including Yang Zhen himself, were all rough guys. How could it make sense that he didn't know the books they all knew.

When he thought of this, he didn't have the nerve to refuse anymore, and then said: "This Tiangong Kaiwu may really be a little-known miscellaneous book. But since it is a book that has been engraved, the governor is willing to spend a lot of money.

Then there’s no reason why you can’t buy it.”

After saying this, Hong Chengzhan folded the paper with the book title again and stuffed it into his arms, then looked at Yang Zhen with a solemn face and said:

"Haha, Commander, please relax, buying books is an elegant matter. Although Mr. Hong has not passed the examination, he has many friends in the scholarly community, so this matter is taken care of by Mr. Hong."

When Yang Zhen heard what he said, he immediately bowed to him, clasped his fists, saluted, and said: "In this case, I will ask Mr. Hong to help complete these things. After this is completed, if Mr. Hong intends to serve as an official in the local area, it will bring benefits.

On the one hand, Yang will definitely help Mr. Yang achieve good things!"

"Oh?! If the Commander-in-Chief can help, Hong's lifelong wish will come true! Hong thanked the Commander in advance! As for everything going south to Fujian, Commander, don't worry, everything will be taken care of by Hong!"

After Hong Chengzhuan was arranged to stay at the objective guest house next to Jinhai Town Hall yesterday afternoon, Yang Zhen asked someone to send him another thousand taels of silver, saying it was to help him take care of his relatives and friends when he returned to his hometown in Nan'an.

Its use made him deeply grateful at that time.

At this moment, when he heard that Yang Zhen said what was on his mind and clearly stated that he was willing to help him serve as an official to benefit the country, he was overjoyed for a moment.

Although Hong Chengchou was appointed governor of Jiliao and commanded numerous civilian and military generals, he did not have many connections in the court. On the contrary, he had many political enemies.

And Hong Chengchou himself was a Jinshi and ranked high. He didn't think highly of officials who were not from Jinshi. Especially Hong Chengzhuan, a younger brother who didn't even have the title of scholar.

, was not so enthusiastic and only allowed this clan brother to serve in his shogunate.

Of course, if Hong Chengzhuan was willing to be a military attache, he would have already done so.

It is a pity that Hong Chengzhuan did not have any honors in the imperial examination, but he always regarded himself as a scholar and looked down upon the position of military attache, so he was unwilling to submit to the position of military attache.

In this way, he left his hometown in Nan'an and went to work for his brother Hong Chengchou. He followed Hong Chengchou's shogunate for several years, but he did not get any official position.

Although he saved a lot of money, his wish to become an official and honor his ancestors was not fulfilled.

During this period of time, his contact with Yang Zhen, as well as what he learned from Hong Chengchou about Yang Zhen's status in the imperial court and his connections in the court and palace, made him very tempted. If Yang Zhen was willing to help with his heart, then Hun

If you have a one-off official position, it will definitely not be a problem.

At that moment, Hong Chengzhuan heard what Yang Zhen said and thought that his long-cherished wish might come true, so he thanked Yang Zhen profusely.

Seeing him like this, Yang Zhen felt relieved and led the officers and generals who saw him off at Lushunkou to send Hong Chengzhuan and his followers onto the ship heading south.
Chapter completed!