"Your Highness, you must not act like this." British Duke Zhang Fu, who had just returned to the military camp and learned about Zhu Zhanzhen's actions, advised him earnestly.
However, Ma Qi, the eunuch of the Jianjun Army, said with added jealousy: "Your Highness, the British Lord is saying that what you did is wrong and does not suit his old man's wishes."
"You..." Zhang Zhong was so angry that he immediately drew his sword.
Zhang Fu hurriedly stopped him. The old general couldn't be fooled by such a blatant attempt to sow discord.
Zhu Zhanzhen looked at Ma Qi coldly: "Ma Qiujun, if you act and speak like this, I will take your book."
Ma Qi hurriedly apologized and smiled: "Ma Qi is too talkative. I hope His Highness will forgive you."
Zhang Fuze continued to admonish: "Your Highness, having business dealings with Jiaozhi now is tantamount to collaborating with the enemy. You must not do it."
The words "collaborating with the enemy" are very serious. It is tantamount to accusing Zhu Zhancheng. Zhang Fu would not have said this unless he had no other choice. Ma Qi looked on with a smile, wanting to see how Zhu Zhanxiang would deal with it.
This matter.
"You mean I'm collaborating with the enemy?"
"I don't dare!"
"Ordinary people say that things can only be done by three things, but here I only think of things that can't be done by two. If there is a next time, then please ask the old general to disarm and return to his field.
"Hey." Zhang Fu's face was full of sadness, he lowered his head and sighed and retreated. He waved his sleeves and didn't care about anything. He returned to the tent by himself, and Zhang Zhong followed.
"What are you doing here with me? His Highness didn't let you leave." Zhang Fu glared at his son.
"How could His Highness be so confused? He must have been deceived by Ma Qi." Zhang Zhong never believed that a handsome man like Zhu Zhanzhen would do such a messy thing.
"Go back."
After being scolded, Zhang Zhong returned to the camp. Ma Qi looked at him with a wicked smile on his face, which made his skin crawl.
"I plan to recruit the Li Dynasty rebels in Cochin. What do you think, Ma Qi?"
"Your Highness is far-sighted, and it is definitely right to follow His Highness." Ma Qi still had that smile. For a person like him, he doesn't care about right or wrong, and he doesn't care about the outcome of a battle.
"Zhang Zhong, what do you think?"
Zhang Zhongbian also said bluntly: "It is impossible for Li Li to be recruited if his opinions remain unchanged."
"Didn't you listen to me last time? It's not Li Li who I want to recruit, but his subordinates."
"As long as Le Li is here, the rebels will be there."
Zhu Zhanzhen denied him: "No, you are wrong. A good man has three gangs. Without his helper Li Li, he is nothing. I will defeat them all. Today I will draft a recruitment order."
Seeing that Zhu Zhancheng had made up his mind, Zhang Zhong had no choice but to say that his father had been invited back to the military tent and he could not leave, otherwise Ma Qi would not know what kind of bad news he would pour into Zhu Zhancheng again.
When he thought of recruiting troops, Zhu Zhanchen thought of the eight generals in Liangshan who were in the water. The heroes of Liangshan could be recruited. Why can't you, a group of rebels in Jiaozhi?
With a thought in his mind, he said: "Xiaosheng, pen, ink, paper and inkstone."
Just when Zhu Zhanzhen was about to take action, Zheng He re-entered the camp. At this time, he learned that General Zhang Fu had been brought back to the camp, and he was a little angry.
"Your Highness..."
"If you are here to plead for mercy, there is no need. The British public has a high position and has spoken rudely to me. It is just a slight punishment. If everyone dares to accuse me of collaborating with the enemy, how can I control my troops."
"But..." Zheng He had no choice but to wait aside.
Zhu Zhanzhen picked up the pen, thought about it, and wrote it down.
"There is no duality in human nature. The eternal way of a country is to fear. Doing good is a good citizen, and doing evil is rebellion. The Ming Dynasty uses benevolence and righteousness to govern the world. Public rewards and punishments determine war. It is not too lazy to seek talents.
, I love the people as if I am afraid of them, I am an innocent son, I miss Li Li, Li Hung, Ruan Lai, etc., I have always been loyal and righteous, I do not commit cruelty, I have been loyal for a long time, and I am determined to repay. Although I commit evil crimes, everyone has their own reasons, and they should be observed.
Sincerely and deeply pitiful, I specially ordered Ma Qi, the eunuch of the Jiaozhi founding army, to carry this edict. All the crimes committed by the rebels will be pardoned. Li Li was granted the title of Jiaozhi and proclaimed the chief minister.
The right councilor of the Chief Secretary, Li Hung, was appointed as the magistrate of Thanh Hoa Prefecture, and the rest of the family members were all rewarded."
Zhu Zhanzhen wrote this long paragraph in a thin gold style. The word Huizong is good-looking, and he exchanged the country for the country.
"Your Majesty's calligraphy skills are so good that even the top scholar of the dynasty may not be as good as him. It's really pleasing to the eyes, like a spring breeze." Zhu Zhanyang ignored his straightforward flattery.
"Ma Jianjun, I'd like to trouble you to make a trip to Qinghua as an envoy and give this edict to Li Hung and forward it to Li Li on your behalf."
As soon as he heard that he was the envoy, Ma Qi was heartbroken. After all, the two armies were at war and the rebels in Jiaozhi were not as moral as ours, so they didn't know whether to kill or not behead the envoy.
"Your Highness, the humble minister is of low ability and lacks ability, and he has a deep hatred for the Jiaozhi rebels. He always takes the lead in the war. Now, aren't you looking for opportunities to kill others?"
"The two armies are fighting without killing the envoys, and Ma Jianjun has always been a good talker. The matter has been settled. The recruitment order will be sent over today."
Seeing that Ma Qi could not shirk the situation, he returned to the military tent and immediately sent his entourage to report that Ma Qiujun had diarrhea and suddenly contracted an illness and could not move.
Zhu Zhanzhen sneered: "He is indeed a sneaky person. If you wait for him, he must send him off."
Zhu Zhanchen wanted to see how long he could pretend.
Zhang Zhong didn't know Zhu Zhanzhen's plan for a while, so he first gave his father a stick and then Ma Qi a hammer.
After the others left, Zhu Zhanzhen left only Zheng He. Seeing that no one was around, Zheng He said, "Your Highness, are you trying to catch a spy?"
"Is it so obvious?"
"It's not obvious. I just thought about it and acted differently than His Highness normally does. I felt that there should be some purpose."
"Zhang Fu, Ma Qi and others don't have much contact with me, and they don't understand my style of doing things. It should be a little difficult to guess." Zhu Zhanzhen was worried that he would not take the bait after being spotted.
"That should be true. If you don't know His Highness well, it wouldn't be unusual. But Your Highness thinks the spy is one of them?"
Zhu Zhanchen frowned slightly: "We encountered a siege as soon as we arrived, and with such a large number of troops coming, the Cochin rebels obviously trust their intelligence very much. The person who sent this intelligence must have a high level, so check from the highest to the lowest.
"
"Your Highness, this is the recruitment order?"
"It's true. On the one hand, the Nan family and Li Youmin are allowed to trade and rent the port, and at the same time, they are issuing recruitment notices. Do you think Li Youmin, Li Hungry and others may have some evil intentions?"
The most important thing is to attack the enemy with military force and attack the heart.
After learning from Li Youmin that there was currently a shortage of food in Jiaozhi, Zhu Zhanzhen became more confident. People can't go hungry. They can't defeat the Ming army now. As long as there is a shortage of food in Jiaozhi, they will complain and lament, Li Li
He can stand firm, but what about his subordinates?
In the face of the Ming Dynasty's official position and salary, when there was no hope of victory, would any of them be tempted?
"But Your Highness, when you trade with them, aren't you sending them food?"
"The Nan family will only give them a small part of the food they trade on the grounds that they are afraid of being caught. This food will definitely not be able to feed so many people. It should only be enough to meet the needs of almost one percent of the people in Qinghua City. I believe Li Youmin and others
People will drive up food prices, and they will definitely want to earn more. By then, their internal relations will definitely be more chaotic. This first edict is just a letter to them, so that some of them who want to settle down can have an introduction.
, there will be a second and third letter in the future.”
"Your Highness's plans are much more far-reaching than mine, and I feel deeply inferior to them."
I have no far-reaching plans, I have only read Water Margin, novels and literature that high-ranking officials and literati disdain.
"The old general is here to show Ma Qi. I still don't think the old general is a collaborator, but now I can't check every one of them."
Zheng He suddenly thought of something: "But Your Highness, what if the spies find out about your business relationship with Li Youmin?"
"The only ones who know now are you and me, Zhang Fu and his son Ma Qi. If the news is leaked over there, it can be even more certain that the spies must be among Zhang Fu, his son and Ma Qi. Recently, people have been guarding the military camp to be careful of anyone who goes out."
"Yes, Your Highness."
…
Late at night, the surroundings were extremely quiet. The night watch team in the military camp was still patrolling, and there was still candlelight in Zhu Zhanzhen's tent.
Zhu Zhanzhen was still asleep when the young man brought in a cup of warm tea.
"Your Highness, please rest early."
"Xiaosheng, do you think I did the right thing?"
"What is your Highness talking about?"
"It's just a matter of doing business with Li Youmin and others."
Xiaosheng put down the warm tea, stood aside and said softly: "I have followed His Highness for so long, and everything His Highness does is justified by Your Highness. He has not done anything wrong so far. Even His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince only teach His Highness
He did things unethically, but he never said anything that His Highness did wrong or failed. I don’t have much experience, but I only know that His Highness is not wrong."
Zhu Zhanzhen smiled: "You are now very good at flattering me."
"Your Highness, Xiaosheng speaks from the bottom of his heart."
"This sentence can get extra points, hahaha." Zhu Zhanzhen laughed.
Zhu Zhanzhen was in a good mood, and Xiaosheng also smiled.
"I have been here for a few days. Please inform Zheng He for me to set off now. Go to the harbor overnight and march to the southern end of Port Barton. The battle will begin when we arrive."
"Ah? Your Highness, is this too hasty? I haven't even discussed it with Lord Zheng He or the others."
"Didn't you just say that my decision would not be wrong? Now are you doubting me?"
"If you don't dare, young man, go ahead."
Xiaosheng ran out quickly and woke up Zheng He and others who were sleeping. Zheng He got dressed immediately after receiving the order, and the group set off in the dark without even notifying Zhang Fu and Ma Qi.
"Why is Your Highness so anxious this time?" Hou Xian asked beside Zheng He.
"Your Highness wanted to launch a surprise attack. We didn't go there before because we were afraid that spies would expose our whereabouts and be ambushed. But with such a surprise attack, spies would have no time to spread the news. Our warships can get the news faster than them.
."
"Why didn't Your Highness make a surprise attack as soon as possible?"
"This is also the first time for Your Highness to fight in a war."
It was already early in the morning when the steam warship at the port received a few people and set off immediately. Zhang Fu and others received the note left by Zhu Zhanyi.
"We will set off to capture southern Cochin. After the battle, we will continue to visit the Southeast Asian countries. You will continue to bombard Thanh Hoa every day."