She quickly calmed down, acted as if nothing had happened, and said with a smile: "Husband, what kind of book is this?"
Xu Zhiyuan said: "There was a Zhao thief in Jiangxi who stole Jiangxi, Huguang, and southern Hunan. This book was printed by him. It contains rebellious remarks and was distributed to attract people to join the thief."
Zhao Zhenlan's heart was beating wildly: "Since it is a book against thieves, my husband still takes it home?"
"Those who steal hooks will be punished, and those who steal the country will be princes," Xu Zhiyuan sighed, "Jiangnan is probably going to be gone... Hey, why am I telling you this? You don't understand national affairs."
Zhao Zhenlan asked: "Does your husband plan to become a thief?"
"Keep your voice down," Xu Zhiyuan lowered his voice and warned, "Don't talk about it everywhere. This is a matter of beheading. I don't even dare to take it out. I only dare to hide in your room and read it."
After seeing Xu Zhiyuan sitting down, he opened "Da Ping Ji" and read it carefully. He didn't seem to dislike the book, and even had the tendency to become a thief. Zhao Zhenlan hesitated again and said: "Husband..."
"What's wrong?" Xu Zhiyuan asked.
"Zhao Thief from Jiangxi, is his name Zhao Han?" Zhao Zhenlan asked.
Xu Zhiyuan said: "I don't know which name is true. It was rumored before that it was Zhao Yan, and now it is said to be Zhao Han."
Zhao Zhenlan said: "My real name is Zhenlan."
"Why did you suddenly talk about this?" Xu Zhiyuan said funny.
Zhao Zhenlan said: "Husband, please turn to the title page and read those two lines."
In the "Datong" series, each book has a portrait on the title page.
Xu Zhiyuan turned back curiously and muttered: "Jiangxi General Soldier Zhao Han, Zhao Zhenlan..."
Xu Zhiyuan suddenly raised his head and looked at the other party in disbelief.
Zhao Zhenlan said: "My younger brother is called Zhao Han, and my real name is Zhao Zhenlan."
"Wait a moment!"
Xu Zhiyuan ran out in a panic, arrived at his eldest brother's yard, slapped the study door and shouted: "Brother, there is something urgent!"
Xu Fuyuan opened the door and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Come with me quickly." Xu Zhiyuan pulled his elder brother's sleeve.
Xu Fuyuan was confused and followed Xu Zhiyuan through the yard. When he saw Zhao Zhenlan, he just nodded in greeting.
Zhao Zhenlan saluted and said: "Blessed brother."
Xu Zhiyuan opened the title page and handed it to his eldest brother, pointed at Zhao Zhenlan and said: "Lianjun's real name is Zhenlan, and she has a brother named Zhao Han!"
Xu Fuyuan was dumbfounded, looking at the title page of the book for a while and looking at Zhao Zhenlan for a while.
What the hell is this?
Xu Fuyuan came to his senses after a long time, and bowed his hands seriously: "My brother and sister are well."
"Well, brother." Zhao Zhenlan quickly returned the greeting.
Xu Fuyuan asked: "When did your brother get separated?"
Zhao Zhenlan replied: "In the first year of Chongzhen, there was a severe drought in the capital. My parents took us brothers and sisters to flee the famine and beg for food. We went outside Tianjin. I was sold for food. Since then, there has been no news from my family."
"Brothers and sisters, please rest first. Wu Jing and I have important matters to discuss." Xu Fuyuan said with his hands in hand.
"Brother, please." Zhao Zhenlan took the initiative to go back to the house.
There were only two brothers left in the yard, looking at each other, feeling strange.
"Third brother," Xu Fuyuan asked suddenly, "how many concubines do you have in your courtyard?"
Xu Zhiyuan said: "Just two."
Xu Fuyuan said: "Send the other one away quickly."
"Okay." Xu Zhiyuan nodded.
Xu Fuyuan warned: "If Zhao Han becomes emperor, this will be the eldest princess. Remember, don't attract flowers to attract butterflies in the future, otherwise the Xu family may be afraid of disaster from heaven."
Xu Zhiyuan said: "I know this, Kekeke... I can't divorce my wife because of this, right?"
"Don't mention the matter of divorcing your wife for now. We will discuss it later," Xu Fuyuan said. "This woman must be married as a good concubine. Go to the government to report it quickly. I will discuss it with my father. Also, there are more slaves in the yard." , don’t treat me lightly.”
Xu Zhiyuan asked: "Over there in Jiangxi, do you want to write a letter?"
"You can't leave for the time being. Deepen your relationship with this younger brother and sister. Send a letter to Jiangxi and ask the second brother to go in person. By the way, bring Brother Wu Nian with you," Xu Fuyuan said.
Xu Zhiyuan asked again: "Zhang Ximing, do you want to tell him?"
"There is no need to tell anyone, this is a private matter of the Xu family." Xu Fuyuan would not tell outsiders that this was a great opportunity for the Xu family.
A few days later, Zhao Zhenlan truly settled down and became a well-known concubine.
Afraid that his wife would cause trouble, Xu Zhiyuan simply moved away and lived in a villa with Zhao Zhenlan.
…
Yunjian Sanxu, the eldest brother is Xu Fuyuan, the third brother is Xu Zhiyuan, and the second brother is...Xu Fengcai.
A concubine has given birth to a son, so she is not qualified to set forth generations.
Xu Fengcai was an artistic literati, and it was he who judged the charters of several societies.
After learning the truth, this guy immediately went to Hangzhou to find Xu Ying who was promoting Datong Thought.
Also traveling with him was his clan brother Xu Nianzu.
Xu Nianzu was the great-grandson of Xu Jie. He was young and old. He often sighed after reading the Tongbao. Friends laughed at him for being pedantic. Xu Nianzu said: "The bad government is getting worse day by day, and the people are in dire straits. In less than twenty years, we will not know where we will die."
When the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, Xu Nianzu donated money to support the army and raised grain and grass for the Southern Ming Dynasty.
When the Qing soldiers attacked Songjiang, all the villagers fled. Xu Nianzu said: "I live in the house given to my ancestors by the Ming Emperor. The country's favor is here, and I must die here."
Then he dispersed all his wealth and recruited troops to defend the city.
The Qing army broke through the city gate, and Xu Nianzu bought wine and had a banquet with his family. After the meal, the whole family hanged themselves, and the servants at home also committed suicide. The six-year-old granddaughter was unable to hang herself, so she threw herself into a well and died.
cabin.
Xu Nianzu closed the "Datong Collection" and sighed: "Do you really want to be a thief?"
Xu Fengcai said: "Brother, do you think this Ming Dynasty can still be saved?"
"There was no hope of help ten years ago, let alone today." Xu Nianzu's expression was painful.
The three brothers Xu Fuyuan, Xu Fengcai and Xu Zhiyuan have been separated. But Xu Nianzu lives in Xu Jie's old house, which was given by Emperor Jiajing.
Before Chongzhen ascended the throne, Xu Nianzu read the newspaper every month and paid attention to world affairs.
But he failed in repeated attempts and had no way to serve the country. Moreover, he did not want to get involved in party strife, and he was too lazy to buy an official position.
Seeing that the situation was deteriorating day by day, Xu Nianzu was in agony, and he even made up his mind to die for his country.
In the entire Xu family, Xu Nianzu was the one who understood the situation best. He played with the wine glass and said with a wry smile: "On the Holy Day, Brother Yu insisted on reading the Tang newspaper and inquiring about Jiangxi news from merchants. Two years ago, I knew that Zhao Han would win the world.
, Judging from his political power, he is an eternal hero. But can I, the Xu family, really be a thief?"
"Brother, what are your plans?" Xu Fengcai asked.
Xu Nianzu said: "When the Jiangxi soldiers arrive, I will cooperate with them to divide the fields, and then commit suicide in the house. My branch is very thin, and I hope that Shengqi will take care of it in the future."
Xu Fengcai was shocked: "Brother, how can you have such stupid thoughts? You said that Zhao Han is the master of England, why don't you try your best to help him, but instead commit suicide?"
Xu Nianzu asked in return: "Do you want to live in the mansion given by the Ming Emperor and become a minister of the new dynasty?"
"You can just move out and live there!" Xu Fengcai said depressedly.
"This is just hiding one's ears and stealing the bell." Xu Nianzu shook his head and said.
Xu Fengcai changed her mind and said: "Brother, you have a way to repay your kindness. You can go to Zhao Han to become an official. As long as the official becomes a big one, you can persuade Zhao Han to treat the Ming Dynasty royal family well."
Xu Nianzu was startled and suddenly swallowed the wine in the glass.
When the brothers came to Hangzhou, they first contacted Wang Mingran and finally met Xu Ying in person.
"Mr. Huang, please write me a letter of recommendation quickly. I want to go to Ji'an, Jiangxi immediately!" Xu Fengcai said straight to the point.
Xu Ying smiled and said: "Does the Xu family in Yunjian want to join Jiangxi?"
Xu Fengcai whispered: "Mr. Zhao's sister is at the Xu family right now."
"Mr. Zhao's sister?" Xu Ying was inexplicably surprised.
Zhao Han gave Xu Ying three tasks: first, to establish an intelligence network; second, to promote the idea of Datong; third, to find her sister.
Xu Fengcai said: "Mr. Zhao's sister is now my third brother's concubine... Good concubine, good concubine! The third brother's wife is the daughter of a rich family. If he divorces his wife, he may be the laughing stock of the neighbors. But the third brother has already brought her with her
The younger siblings moved out and lived alone in the villa. They were cared for and loved without any harsh treatment."
"I will write a letter immediately and send a boat to take you there." Xu Ying said.
After sending Xu Fengcai, Xu Nianzu and Xu Ying away, they immediately left to visit Zhao Zhenlan at the Xu family.
The Xu brothers took a merchant ship, arrived in Zhenjiang, and then changed ships to Jiangxi.
It was not lonely on the boat, there were three famous prostitutes, Wang Wei, Lin Xue, and Liu Rushi.
It is true that Wang Mingran and Lin Xue like each other, but they both know very well that nothing will happen. Lin Xue said that she was going to Jiangxi, but Wang Mingran did not try to persuade her to stay, and even gave her some money to wish her a safe journey.
When they arrived in Zhenjiang, they were greeted by someone.
The owner of the ship, Li Fenglai, personally entertained him. He was originally a grain merchant. Since grain exports were banned last year, he simply started a cloth business, transporting coarse cotton yarn and coarse cotton cloth produced in Jiangxi to Huaiyang for sale.
This is an emerging industry. Although Jiangxi also produced cotton cloth in the past, its scale and quality could not compare with Jiangnan, and it could only be sold in surrounding provinces.
After the improvement of the water-powered spinning machine, it was possible to spin a large amount of coarse yarns, and many merchants immediately followed suit. Even the landowners who had their fields divided, because their families had a lot of money, also started to build water-powered spinning machines.
It did not impact traditional family workshops, but actually promoted them!
Rural women in the cotton-producing areas of Jiangxi first made cotton slivers at home and sold them by the pound to hydraulic spinning factories. They then bought coarse veils from the hydraulic spinning factories, spun them into coarse cotton cloth themselves, and then sold them to merchants like Li Fenglai.
However, there is a phenomenon that is alarming. Because of the huge profits, many farmers have switched to cotton, which will inevitably lead to a decline in Jiangxi's grain output.
Moreover, if someone improves the loom, textile factories may appear, and the number of cotton fields will increase significantly!
Zhao Han is discussing with officials how to ensure the scale of grain fields. At least until there is sufficient food, grain fields cannot be allowed to decrease, otherwise the time to unify the world will be greatly delayed.
Li Fenglai set up a banquet in the cabin, and everyone came to sit down.
The merchant ships opened and exchanged greetings.
Xu Nianzu first asked: "Is Jiangxi still embargoing grain?"
"The ban will not be lifted until at least the summer harvest." Li Fenglai said.
Xu Nianzu said: "Alas, the embargo in Jiangxi has made the famine in the provinces south of the Yangtze River even worse!"
"It will be fine in two years." Li Fenglai said.
Xu Nianzu said: "After the summer harvest, Zhao... the general will definitely send troops again. Xia Tian should be able to capture the prefectures and counties around Dongting Lake. It depends on the east, whether he will go to Zhejiang first or Fujian first. According to the normal route, it will be inevitable
Send troops to Zhejiang. Wait for Zhejiang to be consolidated, and then attack the Su and Song prefectures from the north and south, so that the south of the Yangtze River is in his hands. However, General Zhao seems not to want to take the south of the Yangtze River quickly to avoid fighting with the imperial army from the north. This summer, he will probably attack Fujian first.
"
Wang Wei looked surprised. Xu Ying asked her to write a letter to Mao Yuanyi. It was obvious that she wanted to attack Fujian first, but she didn't expect that the son of the Xu family would guess it.
Xu Nianzu added: "After taking the south of the Yangtze River, General Zhao decided to take Huaiyang. In this way, he could take advantage of the natural dangers of the Jianghuai River, attack and defend, and capture the Jianghuai Salt Fields. To win the Jianghuai River, there are two options. One can go north to Shandong and Henan.
, Second, we can take Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan from the west."
The cabin was full of literary and artistic people. Only Xu Nianzu was a military officer, and the others could only sit and listen obediently.
