Lu Wei quickly walked into the non-official room, bowed and saluted, "See you, Your Highness!"
"What's the emergency?"
Chen Qingxiao asked: "Did the other party find that the formula was unavailable and turned to Iron Fire Thunder?"
"That's not the case. Something happened today that made me vigilant."
"Tell me, what happened?"
"I met Lu Jiao today at noon. I wanted to ask him about the progress of finding the formula. I found that he was a little nervous and hesitant and refused to talk. Then I tried to trick him again. He got carried away and got ten points for his talk. With millions of dollars, he was planning to go to Bashu to become a rich man. I told him to stop dreaming all day long. He sneered and said, "You can see in a few days."
Chen Qing frowned, "Do you think Lu Jiao has something to show for it?"
"Your Highness, I know Lu Jiao very well. He likes to talk big and talk without restraint. He likes to brag and make things seem real. But if he really had something, he wouldn't say it. , so I doubt it because of my humble position.”
"Do you think he might get the iron fire thunder formula?" Chen Qing continued to ask.
Lu Wei pondered for a while and said: "He hangs out in brothels all day long. He is well-known in the Jingzhao brothel circle and knows all kinds of people who have similar interests. I think someone may want to deceive him, but what if it is true? ?”
Chen Qing understood Lu Wei's concerns. Although he also felt that the possibility of the formula being leaked was unlikely, he still had to deal with it seriously based on the principle of caution.
Chen Qing took out a silver medal and handed it to Lu Wei, "Go to Wang Tongzhi and explain the situation clearly to him. He will arrange to monitor Lu Jiao!"
The inner guard is directly under Chen Qing. Even if Lu Wei and Wang Hao have a good personal relationship, Lu Wei cannot arrange what Wang Hao does and must go through Chen Qing.
According to the priority of the matter, Chen Qing will award four medals of gold, silver, bronze and iron. Among them, the silver medal is a more important event, which also shows that Chen Qing attaches great importance to this matter.
But judging from the current situation, Wan Yanchang's effort to obtain the secrets of Iron Fire Thunder has come to an end. Wan Yanchang's most important research master Yang Jinggong has died, and the remaining four people cannot take the lead. As long as he takes precautions If the fence is firmly established, Jin Bing will not be able to develop iron fire thunder for at least ten years.
At this time, the sound of the bell came from afar, "Dang! Dang! Dang!" It was time to get off work. Chen Qing said the word "off duty" countless times, but it never became popular. Everyone still said "off duty", after all, the class room The level is so different from that of the imperial court. Only the guards on duty and the yamen on duty are called off duty.
Chao Qing appeared at the door and asked, "Does your Highness have anything else to give you?"
Chen Qing thought for a while and said: "Cancel the inspection to Fengtian County tomorrow and change it to three days later. I will go to the Bashang Military Camp tomorrow. Everything else will be fine. Everyone, please go back!"
"I humbly obey orders!"
After Chao Qing left, the officials in the room outside began to clear the tables and go to court. Chen Qing continued to immerse himself in reviewing his memorials. Every time, he would leave half an hour later than his subordinates.
At this time, Jiang Yanxian's voice came from outside, "Chao Canjun, is His Highness still there?"
"Three counselors, Your Highness is here!"
Three counselors actually came. Chen Qing smiled and said, "What do you want from me?"
"Lao Zhang is treating me today. Your Highness, let's go have a drink together."
"Okay!" Chen Qing cleared the table, stood up and walked out of the official room and said with a smile: "Why is Lao Zhang inviting guests? Has the land been sold?"
Zhang Miao smiled and nodded, "Exactly, we sold five acres of commercial land and the deal was completed today."
"At what price was the transaction made?" Chen Qing asked again.
"The location of my land is average, and the price per mu was 7,000 guan!"
Chen Qing chuckled, "Congratulations! Congratulations! The net income is 35,000 yuan, and it's still a tax holiday. It's time to treat, let's go to Taibai Restaurant!"
"Heroes think alike. His Highness also said that Taibai Restaurant, you old miser can't escape this time." Except for Zhou Kuan, no one would call Zhang Miao that.
Zhang Miao nodded, "Okay! Let's go to Taibai Restaurant."
Several counselors surrounded Chen Qing and left, getting on a carriage and heading to East Street.
After three days of sailing, the Western Army's fleet arrived at Poyang Lake. Poyang Lake belonged to Jiangnan West Road and was completely controlled by the imperial court. However, the government's control over the water surface was very weak. There were at most a dozen small boats patrolling for security.
, but at the level of the navy, the imperial court only had a small navy off the coast of Guangzhou, and the rest was the relatively powerful navy of the Western Army.
Although the Western Navy's navy was invincible in the Yangtze River, it was the first time that the Western Army's warships entered Poyang Lake. Of course, there was already Poyang County at this time, but it was not called Poyang Lake yet, but Pengli Lake.
"General, that's Changshan Island. Their warehouse is on the island."
The person who led them was an old boatman. These boatmen were not salt lords, they all had young families, so Zhang Cai and his men refused to confess. However, all eight boatmen confessed, betraying everything they knew.
"Go to Lion Island first!"
The fleet sailed towards Lion Island, which is located to the north of Changxing Island and only two miles away from Changxing Island. According to the scout's prior investigation, there were no patrol posts here.
Thirty warships took cover near Lion Island, and three hundred water ghosts entered the water and swam toward Changxing Island, two miles away.
They encountered seven or eight patrol boats in a row. The water ghosts killed the patrol soldiers and robbed the patrol boats. These patrol boats could serve as ferry for them. Two hundred more soldiers boarded the patrol boats and took a boat with them.
Equip the boat and row towards Changxing Island.
The water ghosts and soldiers of the Western Army came ashore in a hidden inlet, and 500 people, led by deputy commander Deng Jinshan, went to the island.
When they were still two hundred steps away from the warehouse, they were discovered by a hidden sentinel.
"Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!" A rapid alarm bell suddenly sounded on the island.
Deng Jinshan shouted, "Kill! Kill them all!"
Five hundred elite soldiers held large shields and short spears and charged towards the enemy camp. The water ghosts had already put on armor and picked up weapons, turning into elite scouts.
Dozens of crossbowmen at the gate of the military camp could not withstand the powerful attack of the Western army scouts, and they were all killed. Five hundred soldiers rushed into the military camp.
Salt lord Zhang Tai is fifty years old this year and is from Poyang County. He is tall and strong, with a big nose hanging on his face like an eggplant, which is very distinctive.
Zhang Tai's father was a fishmonger. At the age of sixteen, Zhang Tai followed his father to collect fish along the shores of Poyang Lake, and then sold the fish in places far away from the lake to earn the price difference.
It was by chance that he embarked on the journey of being a salt owl. In the summer when he was thirty years old, he harvested a batch of fish that he could not sell. He was worried about the rot, so he bought a lot of privately salted fish. It turned out that pickled fish was particularly easy to buy.
Everything was sold out every time, and soon he discovered the truth. What everyone liked was not the fish, but the salt on the fish.
From then on, Zhang Tai began to sell heavy-salt fish. Three years later, he was arrested by the Poyang County Government for selling illegal salt. The government accused him of selling heavy-salt fish and selling illegal salt in disguise. He was sentenced to death and will be punished later in the year.
cut.
But he was lucky. He encountered an amnesty a month before the execution. He narrowly escaped with his life. He spent another five hundred guan to bribe the county captain, and he was finally released.
On the third day after his release, he took his family and hundreds of men to Changshan Island, occupied the island as king, and officially embarked on the path of the Salt Owl.
Specializing in salt sales for twenty years, Zhang Tai not only became the largest salt salesman on Jiangnan West Road, controlling 70% of the market, but ten years ago he also entered Jinghu South Road, based in Changsha County, and sold private salt on Jinghu South Road.
At this time, he no longer knew how much money Zhang Tai had. His current goal was no longer money, but to become a separatist force. He recruited 500 soldiers and equipped hundreds of ships.
Changshan Island is the foundation, and once conditions are ripe, he will occupy Poyang County.
"Father, something big has happened!" Zhang Tai's second son, Zhang Dan, suddenly shouted anxiously outside the house.