On April 23rd of the fourth year of Chongzhen, a huge fleet appeared near the eastern dock of Hangzhou. More than two hundred warships lined up in a majestic manner. For a time, the officials in Hangzhou were so frightened that their faces turned pale.
Everyone was panicked. When Du Fushan and his people arrived, they saw countless people gathered on the pier, all watching the excitement.
After leaving the crowd, I saw several warships had docked. First, a middle-aged man said hello with a smile, "Hey, Lord Du, Xu is now the commander of the Royal Navy of the Ming Dynasty. From now on we will work together."
As an official in the court, please take care of me."
Du Fushan only felt his head buzzing, and he cursed Xu Wenhai bloody in his heart. But on the surface, he still endured his anger and cupped his hands hastily, "Island Master Xu, you can't say this nonsense.
Can it be issued by the imperial court?"
Xu Wenhai touched his chin and frowned. At this time, Mason appropriately held a box and walked up, "Mr. Du, is this the thing you are talking about?"
When the box was opened, there was not only an imperial edict, but also official documents, and even an official seal. Du Fushan's mouth twitched, and he felt very aggrieved. He looked around Xu Wenhai, but still couldn't find that person. Xu Wenhai's heart
He understood, so he asked seriously: "Master Du, who are you looking for? Are you looking for my good son-in-law?"
"Your virtuous son-in-law?" Du Fushan didn't react for a moment, but Xu Wenhai explained with a smile, "It's the governor of the three provinces, Tie Mo. Now that governor Tie Mo has married my family, Meiling, he should take his wife with him.
Haining County."
"Ah?" Du Fushan's body swayed and he almost squatted on the ground. Fortunately, Weng Tongming and others behind him helped him catch him.
Du Fushan had a wry smile on his face, and there was only one voice in his heart, that is, it was over. The trap jointly set up by Nanzhili and the Zhejiang officialdom completely solved Tie Mo's problem.
A stab. Xu Wenhai and Tie Mo became a family. Now this big pirate has come to Hangzhou Pier as a royal navy. He is here to show off his power and rob the dock.
Sure enough, Xu Wenhai had someone deliver an official document to Du Fushan. The official document was written by Emperor Chongzhen himself. The main idea was that from now on, Hangzhou Wharf and Wenzhou Wharf would be owned by the Royal Navy, and the Dongwan Shipyard would be owned by the Royal Navy. Du Fushan was right
Nothing is known about this matter, which shows that this official document has not been reviewed by the cabinet. In other words, according to the rules, this official document is not in compliance with the procedures.
If it's not in accordance with the procedures, so what? Du Fushan can say that it will not be recognized without the approval of the cabinet, but Tie Mo can also say that His Majesty's words are imperial decrees, and His Majesty's words must be implemented. When the time comes, the public will be justified and the mother-in-law will be justified.
Whose fist is not strong?
Fighting with fists? Du Fushan couldn't help but shudder. If he really wanted to fight, he would probably command the soldiers and horses to make Tie Mo's men piss themselves.
Du Fushan was about to cry, why did things develop to this point? He was still thinking about negotiating with Tie Mo, but he had to make the guy give in no matter what, but the guy was so slick that he didn't even have a chance to speak.
Not even left for anyone.
After Xu Wenhai docked at the Hangzhou Pier, not long after, Cao Wenzhao, who had been stationed in Qiantang Town and stood still, also led his troops to the east of Hangzhou. After meeting with Bai Xuan, they attacked the Dongwan Shipyard in a mighty manner. Tie Mo
He didn't go to Hangzhou in person, but the city of Hangzhou experienced a sudden change because of him. By this time, if Du Fushan and others still didn't understand what was going on, their official career in these years would have been lost in the dog's belly.
From the beginning to the end, Tie Mo never thought about clinging to the salt farm. The so-called interference in salt affairs was nothing more than a smoke bomb. Getting involved in maritime trade, or even dominating the sea lanes, was his real purpose. In comparison, Haining County
The two saltworks are no longer important. The most important thing now is how to maintain the interests of maritime trade. Tie Mo will come to Hangzhou soon to recruit Xu Wenhai and the Royal Navy. With so many things, it is definitely not
What a joke, what Tie Mo does next is even more deadly.
At this time, Du Fushan was full of regrets. He was no longer thinking about how to drive Tie Mo out, but how to preserve some of the interests. How big are the hidden interests of sea trade? People in Beizhili have no idea how big the interests are.
It is unimaginable. Zheng Zhilong relied on sea lanes and trade to easily support hundreds of thousands of naval forces. The huge profits from sea trade can be imagined. In terms of sea trade, Zheng Zhilong only ate half of it, while the other half was swallowed up by Jiangnan officials and merchants.
In the stomach.
Looking at Tie Mo's posture, he wants to compete with Zheng Zhilong, and even wants to overpower Zheng Zhilong. The Chief Secretary's Yamen, now the most powerful Yamen in Zhejiang and even the entire Jiangnan, is now covered with a layer of haze, even if you walk in the Yamen
Ordinary officials have lost their smiles. As long as you are human, you can feel that the adults are in a bad mood. You can understand this when you think about it. Xu Wenhai and Cao Wenzhao's troops occupied the dock and blocked the trading ships, and
Bai Xuan, the commander of the Zhejiang capital, still wears the same pair of trousers as those people. Now the situation in Zhejiang has taken a turn for the worse. Maybe the sky in Zhejiang will change its color. It's damn good if the mood of these adults is good.
In the lobby, Du Fushan, Weng Tongming, Wen Laishun and others have all arrived. Even Xie Zhi, the prefect of Hangzhou who has never participated in discussions, has also arrived. However, the commander Bai Xuan has not returned to Hangzhou city yet. Xie Zhi is wearing a bright red official robe.
, sitting at the bottom of the table, with a faint smile on his face, looking very eye-catching. Normally, he would have driven Xie Zhi away with just a few words, but now, Du Fushan and others really don't dare to do that.
Now that Xie Zhi has turned around, Tie Mo has made it clear that he wants to get involved in Zhejiang's maritime trade. From now on, he will be stationed in the east of Hangzhou, and Xie Zhi, a dog-legger, will be in trouble. This time, he deliberately called Xie Zhi here.
Some things still need to be told by Xie Zhi and contacted by Tie Mo. Du Fushan thought very clearly. Now he no longer cares about what Southern Zhili wants, let alone what Northern Zhili wants. He must first
The only thing is to protect Zhejiang's interests. If we continue to fight Tie Mo in tit-for-tat, the unlucky ones will definitely be Zhejiang officials, merchants and gentry.
Tie Mo is an outsider, which is his shortcoming, but it is also his advantage. If he fights and fights, if he really makes a mess, Tie Mo can just roll his sleeves and return to northern Shanxi, but people here in Zhejiang can't do that.
You have to wipe your own ass. It's not that Du Fushan doesn't want to fight with Tie Mo, but the mentality of the businessmen and gentlemen below has changed.
What businessmen and gentry care about is not the disputes at court above. What they really care about is their own interests. Maritime trade involves the lives and fortunes of many people. Now the sea is no longer Zheng Zhilong's exclusive concern. He is still fighting with Tie Mo. This is not
Heading towards death?
No one is a fool. The mentality of businessmen has changed, so Du Fushan and others cannot hold on. The people below will all switch sides, what is the use of just holding on to the official air? The reason why Zhejiang officialdom is envied by people, and is divided between the north and the south.
Zhili attaches great importance to it, not because the benefits of annual contributions are dazzling. Because of these benefits, officials from the north and south of Zhili regard Zhejiang as their lifeblood. But now the problem is that there is something wrong with the lifeblood itself. What should we do?
When things developed to this point, Du Fushan also admired Tie Mo. After Tie Mo arrived in Zhejiang, there was only one person who really moved him, and that was Bai Xuan, the commander of the capital. As for Xie Zhi, he fell over by himself. Bai Xuan
It's just Xuan. At first, the three yamen didn't take it seriously, but looking back now, Tie Mo's move was too powerful. Bai Xuan is the commander of Zhejiang Province, no matter how much actual power he has now
No matter how much, as long as the troops are deployed and the generals want to take action, they must have orders from the Commanding Department, otherwise the name will not be justified.
In the past, Du Fushan felt that the overall situation was still in his hands, so he naturally didn't care about such trivial matters. Whether there was a formal warrant or not, he just did whatever he wanted. This was how he used to do it. But now, Tie Mo's army is pressing down on the border.
, once the troops and horses are released on the dock, what can you do? If you dare to mobilize troops, Bai Xuan will order the troops and horses to return as the commander of the capital. If you don't listen, you are disobeying the order and the lawsuit will be brought to the Jinluan Palace.
On the one hand, Zhejiang will also suffer a loss. It can't win again and again, and Tie Mo has taken the lead on the right side. This is really a matter of softness and hardness. In this situation, if you don't bow your head, wouldn't you be a fool?
Du Fushan has been in Zhejiang for more than ten years, from being a prefect to being an envoy, and he has never moved in Zhejiang. Therefore, he has a very deep understanding of the situation in Zhejiang. Those in the court always thought that they controlled Jiangnan, but they
In fact, this is not the case. The Jiangnan gentry and powerful people have a lot of benefits from relying on the people in the court, so they are sworn in with the Qingliu officials. Otherwise, there would be no such thing as the Five Righteous Soldiers who resisted taxes.
A few years ago, Zhou Shunchang and others lost their lives in the anti-tax turmoil. This matter can be said to have far-reaching influence. The people did not know the truth and shouted that justice must prevail. But Du Fushan, who had personally experienced the tax anti-turmoil, knew how deep the water was inside. At the time, Wei Zhongxian
Wanting to get money in Jiangnan, how could the officials of Qingliu and Jiangnan merchants agree? So, under the command of court officials, Jiangnan merchants led by Suzhou manufacturers began to resist the tax.
It ended with the death of Zhou Shunchang and others. Since then, Wei Zhongxian has retreated with his tail between his legs, and the court has not been able to take any more money from Jiangnan. Is there no money in Jiangnan? There is money, but why would the merchants take it?
Give the money to the emperor or the court? Wouldn't it be better to share the money directly with the officials in private?
It can be said that Zhou Shunchang and others must die. Only by their death can they arouse public anger and force the eunuchs not to dare to risk the world and forcibly interfere in Jiangnan affairs. Since the five people's tax resistance incident, even the eunuchs have not dared to do anything.
I dare say that he came to Jiangnan to make money. Tie Mo also came to make money, but his cleverness was not to directly ask for money from the businessmen, but to work around it, cutting off the interests of the businessmen at the root, and then forcing the businessmen to run over.
Cooperate with him.
Suzhou, Yangzhou and Zhejiang have long been different from other places in the Ming Dynasty. Those who control here are not the officials in the court, but the businessmen and gentry below who control the wealth. Du Fushan knows this truth well, so he does not dare to take it hard.
If he continues to resist, the first one to fall must be Du Fushan.
"Master Xie, there are no outsiders here today. Let's open the skylight and tell the truth. What does the Iron Superintendent want? You have been in Zhejiang for a long time and you should know the depth here. If the Superintendent wants too much, then many things are not ours."
It’s up to you to decide!”
It has been a long time since Du Fushan spoke to Xie Zhi in such a low voice, and Xie Zhi was also stunned. In his impression, Du Fushan has always been a proud person. At least in the two years he has been an official in Hangzhou, he has never seen Du Fushan lower his head.
Although the two parties had different affiliations, Du Fushan said this, and Xie Zhi couldn't hold it back. He stood up and gave a salute, "Master Du, why are you doing this? I don't dare to be a low-ranking official. Since Master Du asked, then the low-ranking official will not hide it."
,Everyone, when the Superintendent came to Zhejiang, he actually didn’t want to argue with you. He just wanted to broaden the sea trade road. He didn’t know much about sea trade, but the Superintendent said,
We should not limit our sights to the Jiangnan coast. Why can't our ships go out? Curly ghosts and Rakshasa people have come to us, why can't we go to them? By then the benefits will be unimaginable and can satisfy all of us.
needs.”
"Go out?" Xie Zhi's words shocked Du Fushan and others. Although the Jiangnan Sea Ban existed in name only, so far sea trade was only limited to the near shore. Even if he went far away, he would still find Zheng Zhilong to do it secretly. But after hearing this,
The meaning behind Xie Zhi's words was that Tie Mo was going to do something big in the name of the imperial court. When he thought about it, he immediately understood what the Royal Navy was doing. These were official pirates created by Tie Mo.
.
Xu Wenhai, the pirate leader, just changed into an official robe, and the nature of his business remained the same.
Thinking of this, Du Fushan couldn't help but think of three words in his heart, damn it.
Why is Tie Mo so courageous? Is it true that he is not afraid of anyone with a hard fist? How could Emperor Zhu Youjian agree? Doesn't Zhu Youjian understand that this will have endless consequences? It is said to be the Royal Navy, but in fact this team
Didn’t the navy listen to Tie Mo?
After a long time, Du Fushan sighed with a wry smile, "It seems that the Iron Governor has a plan. I'm afraid this is what he wanted to do when he came to suppress the bandits, right?"
Du Fushan understood a little bit. It wasn't that Emperor Zhu Youjian didn't know the consequences of doing this, but that he had no choice. Zhu Youjian was short of money, so short of money. He needed enough money to meet his urgent needs, and Tie Mo could give him money.
Now, Zhu You doesn't care so much anymore. As long as he has the money to put an end to the civil unrest and Liaodong first, and to restore a semblance of calm to the Ming Dynasty, he will not hesitate.
If we can't overcome the current difficulties, how can we talk about the future?
Zhu Youjian's helplessness was not forced by the Jiangnan gentry. If he had paid taxes in full, Zhu Youjian would not have thought of sending Tie Mo to Jiangnan.
In fact, Du Fushan guessed it right. Zhu Youjian in the Forbidden City had this idea at this time. When the imperial edict was sent, he knew in his heart that doing so would bring all kinds of trouble. But he had no other way.
As long as Tie Mo could find a way to get money, he would have to turn a blind eye. As for whether Tie Mo would become a big trouble in the future, he really couldn't care less.
The turbulent Ming Dynasty cannot be ruined in the hands of Zhu Youjian. Civil unrest and Liaodong are heart-wrenching!