After listening to Zhong Huan's report, Chen Qing's brows also furrowed. How come there were Japanese people? It was so unexpected.
"Have people been sent to clear out the two strongholds in Pingzhou in Penglai County?" Chen Qing was still concerned about Goryeo's intelligence points for the time being.
"Reporting to your majesty, the internal guards have branches on Shandong Road and Yanshan Road. The ministers have sent a letter to them, ordering them to ask for the assistance of the local garrison to clear out these two intelligence stations. They are all using their identities as businessmen as cover, and their number is
Very few, there are only three people in Penglai, and there are only two people in Pingzhou."
"Li Zhen confessed?"
Zhong Huan bowed and said: "He gave a partial explanation. To our surprise, he actually served both Korea and Japan."
Chen Qing thought for a moment and then asked: "Is he from Baekje?"
"Exactly, he is a descendant of the Hae family, one of the nine major families of Baekje, but he concealed his true identity in Goryeo."
Chen Qing nodded. It is not surprising for the Baekje people. Since the Tang Dynasty, the Baekje people living in the southeastern part of the peninsula have been pro-Japanese. The king has always been a puppet controlled by Japan.
Although Baekje has been destroyed for hundreds of years, as long as Japan's ambition to peek into the peninsula remains, the pro-Japanese legacy left by Baekje will always exist, and this Li Zhen is obviously one of them.
As for Japan's collection of intelligence about the Yong Dynasty, Chen Qing was not surprised. It had started in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. However, at that time, Japan was more for learning, but it was not a disguised form of intelligence collection.
At this time, Chen Qing suddenly became vigilant. Japan has been a poisonous snake for thousands of years. The Yong Dynasty purchased Japan's silver, and Japan was staring at the advanced military technology of the Yong Dynasty.
Although Japan did not have any ambitions for the mainland at this time, Japan has been eyeing the Goryeo Peninsula since the Tang Dynasty. Now Goryeo has only a few soldiers and generals, and its national power is extremely weak. Japan also has the old aristocratic forces of Baekje as internal collaborators. Will they?
Are you also peeping at this opportunity?
Thinking of this, Chen Qing said to Zhong Huan: "The focus is to interrogate the three Japanese students and Li Zhen. I want to know Japan's intentions and see if I can find some clues from them."
"Wei Chen understands, Wei Chen continues the interrogation."
Zhong Huan resigned, and Chen Qing took up his pen and wrote the word "Japan" on the white paper. In the past two years, he rebuilt Anxi and opened up Southeast Asia, but he forgot about Japan.
Japan will soon enter the shogunate era. This is the root of the birth of Japanese pirates and Japanese militarism in the future. This poisonous snake has to make people vigilant!
...........
When Zhong Huan returned to the government office, he heard someone calling him, "General Zhong!"
Zhong Huan turned around, but it was Kong Yuan who had provided him with a lot of information before. He immediately ordered his men, "Bring him to my official room!"
Zhong Huan returned to his official room. After a while, Kong Yuan was brought up and said, "See the general!"
"Has your son's poison been cured?" Zhong Huan asked with a smile.
When the internal guards captured Pei Qiushan, they found poison and antidote in his room and gave a copy to Kong Yuan.
"My son's poison has been cured. Thank you, General!"
"Then why did you come to me?"
Kong Yuan violated the Yong Dynasty's criminal law by raising a stay-at-home wife, and was dismissed from his post. However, he exposed Goryeo for his merits, and the emperor made an exception and gave him the rank of Xiaoqiwei, so that he could marry a concubine and bring his son home.
Already.
Moreover, the inner guards did not confiscate the thousand taels of silver that Pei Qiushan gave to Kong Yuan. It was regarded as a reward for him. Even if he was dismissed, his life would be guaranteed.
"I want to do a liquor business, but I don't have a brand. Could you please ask the inner guard to say hello to the Salt and Iron Supervisor?"
The brand is the license to operate liquor, which is auctioned every year by the Salt and Iron Supervisors and local governments. It is regarded as a financial revenue for the government and the court, and it has been around since the Northern Song Dynasty.
Only after obtaining a license can you buy koji cakes from the government to make wine, and only then can you sell wine publicly. If you do not have a license to make and sell wine, it is illegal. Once caught, the consequences will be disastrous, ranging from fines to jail. If the quantity is huge, the consequences will be disastrous.
, will also be beheaded.
Moonshiners, like salt dealers, have always been the focus of internal security attacks.
The imperial court is now resting and recuperating, business tax and household tax have been suspended, rack tax and other exorbitant taxes have been abolished, and land tax is extremely low. Now it basically relies on salt tax, wine tax and other government revenue to maintain the operation of the imperial court and the army.
Therefore, salt, wine, and sugar are the exclusive products of the government, and they are all under the supervision of salt and iron. The inspections are extremely strict, not only the supervision of salt and iron, but also the internal security inspection.
Zhong Huan remembered something, took out a document and a brand from the drawer, and handed it to Kong Yuan with a smile, "We killed a private salt dealer before. He used liquor as a cover. He has a liquor license and a liquor deed. I will give them to him."
Produce a certificate and go to the Salt and Iron Supervision Bureau to change it."
Kong Yuan was overjoyed. With the internal security certificate, the liquor license was legal. He only needed to spend ten guan to go to the Salt and Iron Supervision Bureau to change it, and the liquor license would be his. He could renew it next year with only one thousand guan.
It is very expensive to get a liquor license. It costs thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. You may not be able to get it. You need to draw lots. Once you get it, it can last for five years. It is not expensive to renew every year. You need to reapply after five years. Of course.
Old liquor licenses have priority.
"Thank you! I am very grateful."
"Go ahead! I don't owe you anything."
Because of Kong Yuan's report, the internal guards captured Yao Kaishan and Pei Qiushan, and finally wiped out the Korean intelligence network. However, Kong Yuan was dismissed from office, which made Zhong Huan feel guilty and gave him a liquor license to deal with him.
Regarding the livelihood issue, Zhong Huan finally settled a matter on his mind.
After solving the Kong Yuan matter, Zhong Huan was in a good mood. He immediately ordered: "Open the court and interrogate the three Japanese."
...........
In the afternoon, Chen Qing met with Liu Dajiang. After nearly five months of rest, Liu Dajiang will lead the team on a voyage again.
"Are you all ready?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.
"Replying to your Majesty, everything is ready. This time, eight hundred people will sail with Wei Chen. The other two hundred people are unable to follow due to various reasons. Wei Chen understands and will not force them."
Chen Qing nodded and said to him again: "This time you are not trading, but experimenting and exploring. It will take about one to two years. You have three large ships, all of which are 20,000 stone. They are equipped with the latest
Taixue spent a winter renovating the steam engine. There will be craftsmen accompanying you. The power of the new ship is mainly coal and Danshui. You will test it in Nanyang for about half a year, and then start your expedition. "
Having said this, Chen Qing took out a roll of maps from the cabinet. He drew this map himself ten years ago, but he didn't expect to finally use it.
He opened the map and said: "In the far south of Sri Lanka, there are two continents, one big and one small. The larger land is about the same size as our Dayong Dynasty, and there are very few local people living there.
What Chen Qing was referring to was what would later become Australia. He drew this map ten years ago based on a little memory of Mohu's past life. If he were asked to draw it now, he might not be able to draw it.
"Then about thousands of miles east of this continent, there is a small continent here. It is actually two islands, the South Island and the North Island. This time you have to find these two continents and set the route.
Establish it, and then in two years, from the north of Japan, along the coastline, in a few months you will see a much wider land, several times larger than our Yong Dynasty, a branch of our ancestors
Live there.”
Liu Dajiang said puzzledly: "The branch of our ancestors? I don't know much about it."
"They are a branch of the Yin Shang who lived for more than two thousand years. They went to a distant continent to establish a new dynasty there, and were completely isolated from us. I hope you will go there in two years and establish contact with them."
Speaking of this, Chen Qing said with a smile: "Step by step, first go to the south and find two continents. I will station troops and gradually immigrate there, and then go to the other side of the ocean. Complete these tasks and you will be remembered in history."
Liu Dajiang said excitedly: "Wei Chen will definitely live up to His Majesty's expectations and complete all tasks."