In Zuo Qiuci's view, although the cooperation proposed by Zhao Junchen is important, the risk is not high.
Due to the inertia of his thinking, Zuo Qiuci did not think that privately purchasing arms was a very important matter.
But Guo Min was very clear about the huge risks that Zhao Junchen's cooperation with the Dutch East India Company and various pirates in Southeast Asia contained.
It is certainly a good thing to buy rice from various countries in Southeast Asia and transport it to the Ming Dynasty. Although colluding with Southeast Asian pirates to rob Ming Dynasty merchants' ocean-going ships will cause a turmoil, there will still be opportunities for justification and blame. After all, Ming Dynasty
The overseas business conducted by North Korean merchants also violated court laws and was actually just smuggling.
The key is that once the private purchase of arms from the Dutch East India Company is exposed...
Zhao Junchen may not encounter much trouble, but Guo Min and the entire Guo family will definitely face a disaster!
This is because Zhao Junchen had already prepared preventive measures, and this preventive measure was a secret letter written by Guo Min himself.
This secret letter was ostensibly written to his brother Guo Tang, but in fact it came from Zhao Junchen's instruction. After writing it, he did not intend to actually give the secret letter to Guo Tang, but kept it with Zhao Junchen.
In Junchen's hands.
The content of this secret letter is - Guo Min said that he has successfully deceived Zhao Junchen's trust, and will take advantage of the opportunity to run errands for Zhao Junchen to frame Zhao Junchen. For example, Zhao Junchen asked him to come from Nanyang
Countries purchased grain to alleviate the food shortage crisis in the Ming Dynasty, but Guo Min wanted to deceive the superiors and subordinates, and purchased a large number of guns and cannons from foreign forces in the name of Zhao Junchen, so that Zhao Junchen could die without a burial place.
Then you can avenge your brother Guo Tang.
Guo Min is Guo Tang's younger brother, and Guo Tang and Zhao Junchen once had a great feud. Guo Min is also responsible for secretly contacting Nanyang forces on behalf of Zhao Junchen. Therefore, Guo Min's frame-up of Zhao Junchen can be said to be logical and logical.
He has the motive and the ability to commit suicide, and he also has this secret letter as direct evidence.
At the same time, Guo Min could not find any evidence to prove that his purchase of arms from the Dutch East India Company was under Zhao Junchen's instruction.
In this way, if the purchase of arms from overseas forces is leaked, Zhao Junchen can immediately kill Guo Min to silence him, and then throw out this secret letter to try to clear himself of his guilt and put all the blame on
On the heads of the Guo brothers.
At that time, no matter what kind of trouble Zhao Junchen will encounter, the Guo family will definitely be executed, and the nine clans will be implicated!
This is the real reason why Zhao Junchen dares to trust and reuse Guo Min!
*
At this time, when he heard that someone came to the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce" to find him, Guo Min thought that his secret mission had been discovered by others. He immediately imagined that he had been silenced, and his tribesmen were being punished one after another.
The scene of Zhu Lian's beheading made him panic.
On the other side, seeing Guo Min's sudden pale face, Zuo Qiuci seemed to have thought of something, and couldn't help but feel a move in his heart.
Later, Guo Min asked Zuo Qiuci for help so that he could hide in a hidden place and secretly observe the visitor who came to the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce" to find him.
Zuo Qiuci immediately agreed to Guo Min's request with a smile and took him to a hidden location so that Guo Min could clearly see the visitor's appearance.
After seeing the visitor's appearance with his own eyes, Guo Min was shocked, but secretly relieved.
It turns out that this person is Qian Bodao's assistant named Ji Chi. Although his ability and intelligence are ordinary, he is also a senior member of the Zhao family. There is no need to worry about this person's loyalty.
Although Guo Min didn't know why Ji Chi knew his whereabouts, and he couldn't guess Ji Chi's specific purpose of coming, he was only discovered by people from the Zhao family, which was considered a blessing in misfortune. At least he had a chance to remedy the situation.
Therefore, Guo Min no longer concealed his presence, quickly appeared to meet Ji Chi, and asked Ji Chi the reason for urgently seeking him.
Ji Chi, on the other hand, glanced at Zuo Qiuci, who was closely following Guo Min, and did not answer directly. Instead, he winked at Guo Min.
Obviously, Ji Chi had urgent and confidential matters that needed to be reported to Guo Min, and it was not suitable for an outsider like Zuo Qiuci to observe.
So, Guo Min politely asked Zuo Qiuci to go far away, while he talked quietly with Ji Chi, and then learned that Huo Zhengyuan was almost in danger, Jiang Zheng was seriously injured and was on the verge of death, and Ouyang Bo and Qian Bodao
The two requested that they meet up and rush to Nanjing as soon as possible.
Guo Min was naturally shocked when he heard the news.
Under the emergency situation, Guo Min did not dare to waste time, so he asked Ji Chi to stay where he was. He turned around and went to see Zuo Qiu Ci and said goodbye: "Master Zuo Qiu, there are many details in this transaction of ours.
Detailed consultations are needed, but I suddenly encountered an urgent matter and need to leave Suzhou immediately for a few days... So, Mr. Zuoqiu, can you wait a few days and continue discussing the details of cooperation after I return to Suzhou? "
Just when Guo Min made this suggestion, a clerk from the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce" quickly walked up to Zuo Qiuci and whispered a few words to Zuo Qiuci.
After hearing the report from this guy, a cunning look flashed across Zuo Qiuci's face again, and he nodded to Guo Min and responded: "It turns out that Academician Huo was almost assassinated in Nanjing. This kind of thing is indeed extremely important.
, Boss Guo should rush to Nanjing as soon as possible to deal with this matter! In this case, I naturally do not dare to pester, Boss Guo can leave with peace of mind, I will always stay here, waiting patiently to meet and discuss with Boss Guo again!
"
Zuo Qiuci's statement, combined with what the store clerk had just reported to him in a low voice, it was obvious that he had eavesdropped on the conversation between Guo Min and Ji Chi through some covert means.
Moreover, Zuo Qiuci had no intention of concealing his shameless eavesdropping behavior.
Guo Min suddenly looked cold and solemn, stared at Zuo Qiu Ci, and asked: "Master Zuo Qiu, what do you mean? Are you showing contempt for me by openly eavesdropping on Guo's conversation? Or are you saying,
You don’t want to continue this cooperation?”
Zuo Qiuci changed his previous cautiousness and restraint and said confidently: "Boss Guo, of course I want to cooperate with you and that Zhao Gechen! Boss Guo, don't blame me for eavesdropping on your conversation. This company
Everything that happens in the store will be monitored, it is just a habit of collecting intelligence, and it is not deliberately targeting Boss Guo."
Speaking of this, Zuo Qiuci's smile became even stronger and he said: "Boss Guo was also a businessman in the past, so he naturally knows very well that in this world, all kinds of confidential information are the most valuable! For example, what was the negotiation between you and me?
In fact, it was because Boss Guo knew the information about the Netherlands' defeat to France and England that he was able to gain the upper hand during the negotiations, right? And I don't know the specific situation of Boss Guo and the cabinet minister Zhao, so I fell behind.
At a disadvantage...
But just now, after I saw Boss Guo’s panic, I suddenly thought of one thing, that is... Boss Guo, you obviously don’t want others to discover the existence of this transaction, and then I thought of another thing.
, that is, you Han people have always been a unified country, and the power of the emperor is much greater than that of Western countries. Therefore, Han officials do not have the autonomy like Western officials and can purchase arms without authorization. Once this kind of thing is discovered, Han officials
You will be beheaded by the emperor, right?"
After hearing this, Guo Min frowned and responded directly: "That's right! That's why I contacted you because the two of us have cooperated for a long time. I was originally willing to believe in your credibility, but now I see
Come on, there is no need to continue this cooperation! I don’t want you to take the opportunity to threaten me! I will report it to Zhao Gechen and ask him to find a way to contact England and France and conduct transactions with them!"
Zuo Qiuci shook his head quickly and said: "No! No! I have always been reputable. As long as the customer makes a request and pays the reward, I will definitely fulfill my promise! But the three conditions I just put forward are only for normal business.
, if this business still needs to be kept strictly confidential, then I should put forward more conditions as a reward for us keeping the confidentiality!"
Zuo Qiuci's reaction had actually been expected by Zhao Junchen and had been prepared for it.
Therefore, Guo Min did not hesitate and responded immediately: "Yes! Although we Han people are not as business-oriented as you in the West, we also have a saying of asking for high prices and paying back the money on the spot! You can put forward any conditions at will, but do you want to agree to it?
These conditions are decided by Zhao Gechen! If we can't reach an agreement in the end, there is no need to talk anymore!
But I should remind you again, never imagine using this matter to blackmail Zhao Gechen! Because you are simply unable to pass the relevant news to the center of the capital, and in the eyes of my Ming Dynasty monarchs, you are just a foreigner.
The Dutch governor is just a barbarian with no credibility at all, so the court will not believe any of your words. Zhao Gechen also has countless ways to prove his innocence... In the end, you will only bear all the costs yourself!
"
After saying that, Guo Min turned around and left, unwilling to pay any more attention to Zuo Qiuci.
Seeing that Guo Min was refusing to give in, Zuo Qiuci's expression changed slightly, and then he immediately softened his posture again and bowed his head to apologize to Guo Min.
But Guo Min was still unwilling to pay attention to Zuo Qiuci, and quickly left the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce" with Ji Chi.
According to Zhao Junchen's explanation, this cooperation must ensure concealment and reliability. If concealment and reliability cannot be guaranteed, the cooperation will be canceled directly.
Therefore, Guo Min did not have any psychological pressure at this time. Instead, she felt relieved because she no longer had to bear the relevant risks.
*
Looking at Guo Min's quickly leaving figure, Zuo Qiuci's expression changed, and he felt even more anxious and regretful.
Just now, he only wanted to win back a victory in the negotiation, gain the upper hand, and gain more benefits, but now he found that his aggressive approach was obviously counterproductive and would most likely directly disrupt the business.
Governor Lutte attached great importance to this business. If Zuo Qiuci inadvertently interfered with this business, he would definitely be severely punished.
After thinking about this, Zuo Qiuci kept pacing in the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce" store, thinking about how to save it.
Although Zuo Qiuci was a shrewd man, he was just a pirate after all, and he was not very knowledgeable.
Therefore, after Zuo Qiuci thought for a long time, he finally thought of a way that seemed to show his sincerity to Guo Min. He turned to the store clerk and ordered: "Call Hu Xiao to see me!"
After hearing Zuo Qiuci's instructions, the expression of the clerk in the store changed slightly, and then he quickly left the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce".
After another tea time, the store clerk entered the store with a dark, short, middle-aged man.
This middle-aged man is obviously the "Hu Xiao" mentioned by Zuo Qiuci.
After Hu Xiao saw Zuo Qiu Ci, he complained repeatedly with a dissatisfied expression: "Boss Zuo Qiu, why do you want to meet me? I am gambling with my brothers!"
Zuo Qiuci put his arm around Hu Xiao's shoulder in a friendly manner and asked: "Brother Hu, I heard that you fled to Nanyang and became a pirate in Nanyang to avoid being hunted by the Han government?"
After hearing this, Hu Xiao not only showed no shame or panic, but said with a proud face: "That's it! Back then, I and seven sworn brothers traveled across Shandong, Nanzhili, and Huguang provinces, and committed more than a dozen major crimes.
Well, there are dozens of lives in your hands!
Hey! The seven sworn brothers and I didn't want to involve our families, so we gave up our original names and only kept our last names. We all changed our names to 'Xiao', and we soon became famous as the 'Eight Xiao Xiaos'! You can
Let me ask you, even now, the people of the Ming Dynasty can still stop crying when they hear the name of our ‘Eight Owls’!”
At this point, Hu Xiao looked sad again, shook his head and said: "It's a pity that the limelight was too great, so we were targeted by the government, and the six doors continued to hunt us for several years... In the end, except for me,
The other seven brothers were arrested one after another and suffered misfortune! Because our reputation was too great, all seven of my brothers were taken to the prison in the capital, and they were publicly questioned and executed before the autumn. I was unable to rescue them from the execution ground, so I had to toil around alone.
Fleeed to Southeast Asia and became a pirate..."
Hearing Hu Xiao's emotion, he seemed to be missing his seven sworn brothers, while Zuo Qiuci kept sneering in his heart.
He had indeed inquired about the deeds of the "Eight Owls", and naturally he was very aware of the notorious reputation of Hu Xiao and his seven brothers.
But Zuo Qiuci knew better that the reason why Hu Xiao's seven brothers with the same name were arrested one after another was because of Hu Xiao's active betrayal!
Hu Xiao deliberately leaked the information about the other seven people to the government, and while he was taking advantage of the government's full efforts to arrest the other seven people, he took the opportunity to escape overseas and kept his own freedom at the cost of the lives of the other seven people.
happy.
However, Zuo Qiuci did not expose his shortcomings directly. Among the pirate gangs he belonged to, almost all were ruthless people like Hu Xiao, including himself, who also had the same temperament.
Zuo Qiuci quickly suppressed the disdain in his heart, and instead said more affectionately: "Brother Hu, there is something we need your help with now! You and the brothers under you are all of Han origin.
The Han people are most familiar with the situation in the territory, and they are not as likely to attract attention as I am. So I hope you can take someone to Nanjing secretly to help me monitor boss Guo Min. If boss Guo is in trouble, you
I also want to help him out...
The most important thing is that Boss Guo's backer, Academician Huo from the Han Dynasty, was assassinated yesterday evening and almost died. You'd better find a way to find the real culprit behind this assassination...
Let that boss Guo owe us a favor, and it will be good for everyone afterwards!"
After Hu Xiao hesitated for a moment, he waved his hand and said: "Since it is the order of leader Zuo Ci, then I will lead my brothers to Nanjing to escort Boss Guo and let him owe us as much favor as possible! ... Without exposing myself.
Under the circumstances, I will do my best! Leader Zuoqiu, you also know that although it has been many years, the Han government may still want me, and I dare not attract attention at will! "
Zuo Qiuci nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay! Just try your best!"
Hu Xiao chuckled, turned around and left the "Haiyu Chamber of Commerce", preparing to lead his desperadoes to Nanjing.
And as Hu Xiao arrived in Nanjing with a group of desperadoes, it quickly triggered a series of chain reactions that no one could predict!
As for whether these chain reactions are good or bad for all parties, no one can tell!