Gu Xunhuadao: "We can't tell the secret of the identity of the prince and princess at the meeting. The number of Han people in the Human village is not as large as the Hu people. If those foreign Hu people know about the prince and princess of the Ming Dynasty, It's in the city, I'm afraid they will start to rob it within two days."
He paused for a moment, and then said: "It seems that things this time are not simple. To win over the 'Huhantu Tribe' and the business names of many barbarian tribes, Zhuo Duoerhan, who only relies on the 'Black Wind Banner', should Can't do this,"
Among the various tribal forces in the Human Village, the three strongest parties are the Han people, the Jurchens and the Mongols. Their representatives are the "Bailongxing", the "Black Wind Banner" and the "Huhantu Tribe". These three forces have always been There was no harmony. The Jurchens and the Mongols often had conflicts due to business competition, and they even regarded each other as enemies.
Mrs. Zhong said: "Mr. Gu suspects that Zhuo Dorhan and Zaiman are being manipulated by others when they join forces."
Gu Xunhua said: "Yes, this time we charged one hundred thousand silver taels and promised to protect the safety of the three people in Human Village, but Mrs. Chu from 'Qianhuafang' did not inform us of the details of the whole incident. That night In the inn, the masked woman in green clothes who came with Zhuo Duoerhan is obviously a person with a lot of background. The current situation may be her fault."
He looked at Zhong Bailong and said: "The current situation is very unfavorable to our 'Bailong Xing'. We insist on not making concessions or compromises, and we still need Brother Zhong to make the decision."
Zhong Bailong sat on the chair, frowning, lowering his head in thought, and said nothing for a while.
Zhong Dagui, the younger brother of the two young masters of the Zhong family, said: "Although this business of 100,000 silver taels is quite expensive, with our position in Human Village, it was not a problem for our 'Bailong Bank' to protect a few people, but now The situation is different. If we have to keep the three of them in the house, all the barbarian tribes will be in trouble with us. It is really not worth taking such a big risk to make this money."
Zhong Dafu also nodded and said: "What the second brother said is true. Now in the Human Village, there are seven or eight hundred people in the Black Wind Banner, and the number of people in the Tiger and Rabbit Tribe is no less than his. In addition, If we go to other barbarian forces, they will have at least two thousand troops, while our Zhong family has less than five hundred disciples. Even if we gather the strength of some Han merchants, we will not be able to reach half of the opponent's number. The difference in strength is so great. It’s so big that we don’t have much choice,”
Zhong Dagui said: "Yes, if there is a fight, we will definitely suffer a big loss. Dad, I think it is better to just follow what they said and hand over those three people. At worst, we will refund the 100,000 silver taels we collected afterwards." 'Qianhuafang' is better than taking the whole Zhong family with it,"
With a "bang" sound, Zhong Bailong slapped the table with his palm, stood up from the chair suddenly, and said loudly: "Damn, how do I usually teach you? The most important thing for business people to say is It's like a 'letter'. Since you have accepted the money and made a promise to someone, you must fulfill your responsibilities. There is no reason to ignore the promise and send the person out just because of fear. What's the use of returning the money?"
Boss Zhong Dagui did not know martial arts and was originally a weak businessman. But at this time, he reprimanded his son with a strong voice. Zhong Dagui, who was tall and thick, also lowered his head in fear.
When Zhong Bailong became angry, Gu Xunhua, Ouyang Yong and others in the hall did not dare to speak. After all, Zhong Dafu was smarter and looked at his mother sitting beside him. Under the current situation, he could only Only Mrs. Zhong could persuade her husband.
Cheng Yaozhen stood up and walked to Zhong Bailong's side, helped him sit down on the chair, poured another cup of tea and put it in front of her husband with both hands. Zhong Bailong took the tea cup, and the expression on his face softened a little.
Cheng Yaozhen said: "Bailong, how long have you and I been married?"
Zhong Bailong said: "My wife married into my Zhong family when she was eighteen years old. It has been twenty-five years now."
Cheng Yaozhen said: "How has Yaozhen treated you and the Zhong family in the past twenty-five years?"
Zhong Bailong said: "At present, Zhong Bailong is just a small businessman. He has only read a few books. His family fortune is small and he is weak and sick. And you are the direct disciple of the head of the 'Emei Sect'. You have great martial arts, talent and appearance that match me." If not, my wife is committed to marrying me. Over the years, she has taken care of my husband and raised my children in the Zhong family. She has helped me take care of my business and handle the affairs of the firm. Without my wife, there would definitely be no 'Bailong Bank' today."
Cheng Yaozhen looked at her husband with gentle eyes and said: "Although I have done some things over the years, my husband has worked hard to develop the Zhong family's business and endured all the hardships. We have made the business so big, but it doesn't matter." The purpose is just to leave some property to the two children so that they can enjoy wealth and wealth in peace, so you named the children Dafu Dagui. Isn't that what you meant?"
"Yao Zhen knows the importance of the credibility of merchants, but now with the strength of our 'Bai Long Bank', we have to be enemies with all the foreign forces in the Hu Man Village, and the chance of winning is probably less than 1 to 10. In order to pay attention to the right If you want to keep your word, you have to risk all the foundations that the Zhong family has built over the years, as well as the lives of rich and noble children. Do you think it is worth it, Bailong? Anyway, Yaozhen thinks it is very inappropriate."
After listening to his wife's words, Zhong Bailong sighed and said: "How could I not know what you said? If there were no princes and princesses among the three people, for the sake of the fortune and lives of the Zhong family and the brothers of 'Bailongxing', I might You can compromise, but I, Zhong Bailong, will never do such unfaithful and unjust things as handing over the prince and princess of the Ming Dynasty to the barbarians,"
He placed the tea cup heavily on the table and said: "Although we are from the Jianghu, we are still Han people and are the people of the Ming Dynasty. If we do such a thing, our Zhong family will definitely be reviled by thousands of people." , not only our family, but all the brothers of 'Bailongxing' will be called traitors by others,"
"Yao Zhen, I have made up my mind. Even if I really want to lose everything to the Zhong family, I also want to protect the two thousand-year-old prince and princess. When the time comes, when the barbarians fight with each other, you can escape with the rich and noble children. If we go to Human Village, we will lose our wealth and property, but we will still be able to save our lives."
When Zhong Bailong said this, the look on his face was extremely determined. Cheng Yaozhen saw it in his eyes and knew that her husband had made up his mind and there was no room for change.
Humanzhai is a place without royal laws, and the business done by "Bailongxing" over the years has also included many illegal transactions. However, the boss Zhong, who has no martial arts skills, has never forgotten that he is a Han. At this juncture, it is obvious that he is a Han Chinese. He showed his enthusiasm for book business as if he was ready to die.
Looking at her husband, Cheng Yaozhen also had a look of determination on her face, and said: "Bailong, we are a couple, why don't you know Yaozhen's feelings? Once you make a decision, I will naturally stay by your side." , will never leave,”
At this time, Zhong Dagui also said: "Mom and Dad won't leave, and neither will my eldest brother and I. It's amazing that we are all fighting with those Tatars."
Zhong Bailong looked at his beloved wife and son in front of him. Although he felt bitter in his heart, he was also quite moved. He then looked at Gu Xunhua and Ouyang Yong beside him and opened his mouth to speak. Gu Xunhua had already spoken first: "Gu has been there all these years. There is nothing I can repay for the kindness I received from Brother Zhong. Now that Brother Zhong is determined to protect the prince and princess, Xunhua will follow him to the death and serve his whole life."
But Ouyang Yong smiled "hehe" and said: "Mr. Gu has read a lot of books, and he is indeed good at talking. But fighting him is no match for me, A Yong. This time there is nothing else. Let's fight with those barbarians and Tatars." It’s a pleasure,”
The two words "loyalty and righteousness" are often closely linked. A soldier will die for those who know him well. This is the loyalty in the world.
At this moment, a report from a disciple suddenly came from outside the house: "To inform the head of the family, we have received a flying pigeon letter from Mrs. Chu of Qianhuafang."
Zhong Bailong's expression changed and he said, "Bring it to me quickly."
Soon, a letter sealed with fire paint was delivered to Zhong Bailong. He opened the letter and stared at it. After a long while, he handed the letter to Gu Xunhua who was standing aside.
Mrs. Zhong asked: "What was written in the letter?"
Zhong Bailong said: "Mrs. Chu said in the letter that arrangements have been made to escort the prince and princess back to Beijing, and someone will be sent to help us highlight Human Village tomorrow."
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Three lines of officers and soldiers approached Humanzhai and set up camp fifty miles away from the city, but they entered into a confrontation with each other.
Donglin and the eunuchs were both determined to capture the crown prince Zhu Cixiang, and they both believed that as long as they blocked the southwest and southwest directions, they would block all access to the capital. The reason why they did not attack the city immediately was that, first, they were afraid of each other, and secondly, It is because both parties have sufficient confidence in their own strength in Human City.
The battle between the two sides was not only outside the city, but also in the Human Village.
Several forces in the Human Village were also at war with each other. It was not until a piece of news came out that things calmed down a bit. The news was that "Bailongxing" had promised to the Northern Merchant Alliance to hand over the three prisoners it had taken in two days later. .
It is said that these three criminals are the targets of the army's siege. As long as they are handed over, the siege of Human Village will be lifted.
The day passed in the blink of an eye, and when night fell, a group of people suddenly appeared at the south gate of Human Village.
There are more than thirty riders in this team, guarding a two-horse carriage. The two leaders are a middle-aged man dressed as a scribe, and a short, stout man with a powerful appearance. The horses' hooves were tied with cloth covers, and the wheels of the carriage were also wrapped with a layer of cowhide, so they would not make any sound when running on the road.
A group of Han warriors were on duty at the south gate of the walled city. Seeing the arrival of this group, they immediately opened the gate and let them out.
In a moment, this group of people quietly left the city and headed south under the cover of night.