Chapter 318 Amuse you! The invisible battlefield where stars shine
Chapter 318: Just kidding! The invisible battlefield where “stars” shine
The palace in the East China Sea has been completely completed so far, and the bases on the peripheral islands centered on Xuanzhong Island where the palace is located are also operating in an orderly manner. This treasure land on the sea that Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East China Sea, dedicated to win over and please him, is indeed
Played a considerable role.
Outside the palace on Xuanzhong Island, there are arranged the Taiqing Yin-Yang Formation evolved from the Taiqing Flag Gate given by Laozi, as well as a series of hidden high-tech defense weapons. Underground of the palace, there is also a secret laboratory, which contains Zhang Zixing's
A considerable part of the family's wealth and strength are temporarily in a state of hiding and cannot be exposed yet.
The maids in the palace are all biological female warriors who possess absolute loyalty to obey orders. According to their characteristics, they are divided into categories such as defense, medical treatment, service, and maintenance. There are many high-end facilities placed in the palace, such as smart phones.
Computers, visual immersive communications, etc. With these facilities, Jiang Wenqiang and other girls can not only pass the boring time, but also achieve remote communication with Zhang Zixing and Shang Qingjun, which is very convenient.
On the islands around Xuanzhong Island, the Demon God clansmen who moved in one after another still live there. Under the coordination and arrangement of Fei Lian's second son Ji Sheng, they have all been well resettled.
Before retreating in March that day, Xing Tian accompanied Zhang Zixing to the island, explained his identity as the emperor and his kindness in hosting the Demon God Clan, and asked Zhang Zixing to show the supreme demon body to the tribe. Those Demon God Clan people were originally displaced, but now they have this
I am very grateful for a piece of land where I can rest and recuperate.
The Demon God Clan felt the powerful and pure Demon God Clan aura exuded by the Supreme Demon Body, and determined that Zhang Zixing was the reincarnation of the ancient Demon God, who could bring hope of reproduction and prosperity to the Demon God Clan that was on the verge of destruction. Under the leadership of Xing Tian, they all
They all swore allegiance to Zhang Zixing and regarded him as their master.
Since Zhang Zixing had promised Xingtian and Fei Lian early on that he would give these tribesmen a place to live and not get involved in the war, he simply agreed to Xingtian's request and became the leader of the Demon God Clan. He also happened to use the Demon God Clan's power to protect Xuanzhong Island.
After Zhang Zixing brought the girls to Xuanzhong Island, he quickly divided up the tasks. Xuanzhong Island was controlled by the only two remaining elders of the Demon God Clan, Chuan Bi and Tu Liao, and selected a group of masters from the clan as
The outer guards are responsible for the security of the island. Changbi is a woman, usually calm and resourceful; Tu Liao is an old subordinate of Chiyou, who is brave and fierce, and has extraordinary strength.
The daily internal affairs of the Demon God Clan are left to Ji Sheng to take care of. If there are any problems, they can ask Zhang Bi and Elder Tu Liao to make a decision. If they can't make a decision, Nan Bi can report it to the three empresses in the palace and ask Zhang Zixing for instructions remotely through the "magic weapon".
Tu Liao heard about the war in the Eastern Qi Dynasty, and since Dongyi was of Chi You's lineage and had a deep connection with him, he took the initiative to bring a few good soldiers to the Eastern Qi to participate in the war. Zhang Zixing thought about it for a while, and secretly thought that with Tu Liao's presence, he could not only make Yue
Ji's power was greatly enhanced, and her safety could be further guaranteed. She immediately agreed to Tu Liao's request and ordered him to protect Yue Ji's safety.
After teaching Jiang Wenqiang and the three girls how to use some of the equipment in the palace, Zhang Zixing took Hanzhixian to say goodbye to the three girls and returned to Chaoge. Hanzhixian and Shang Qingjun got together for a few days, and the female slaves also came from the east.
They all returned to Chaoge. Hanzhixian did not stay any longer. Together with Nuba, he said goodbye to Zhang Zixing and went around to collect medicinal materials for alchemy.
Time flies so fast, and it is already the time of autumn harvest in the blink of an eye. Under Zhang Zixing's methodical "update", Princess Long Ji's "Dream of Red Mansions" finally has its "complete version". Princess Long Ji lamented the tragedy, Zhang Zixing
He also narrated the comments of some famous writers on Dream of Red Mansions in later generations. Princess Longji and Biyun Tong'er listened with gusto. Every time they compared it with the original work, they had endless aftertaste, as if they were seeing vivid characters appearing before their eyes.
In addition to being a storytelling teacher, Zhang Zixing often took the time to take Princess Longji's master and servant around to relax, or play the flute and harp in a very leisurely manner. Gradually, Princess Longji and he also had a tacit understanding in their hearts, and every few
When the sun disappeared, both parties couldn't help but miss each other. As time went by, the frost on Princess Longji's face gradually melted away, and the smiles became more numerous. Biyun Tong'er secretly told Zhang Zixing that since she served Princess Longji, there has been no
See her so happy.
With the completion of "A Dream of Red Mansions", the dream of getting rich in the northwest and northwest has also come to an end. According to Zhang Zixing's original words: "I have made so much money in vain, and it is time to pay something."
On this day, Ji Dan hurried over and reported some bad news to Ji Fa in front of all the ministers. Before Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya finished hearing the news, their expressions changed drastically.
The cause of the matter is this: Queen Shang Qingjun heard that because of her personal preferences, Zihao pens, Xueguang paper and Western pottery were rampant in Dashang, and the prices were high, which affected the normal commercial circulation and caused
Serious extravagance and waste. Shang Qingjun felt deeply that his moral conduct was lacking. He apologized to the emperor and set an example by himself. He no longer used purple hair pens and snow-gloss paper, and removed the Western pottery decorations in the palace to prevent the emperor from focusing on such rare things.
above, affecting national affairs.
When the ministers headed by Bigan and Jizi learned about this, they all praised the virtuous Queen of Shang. They also gave advice one after another, persuading the emperor that it is not about pleasure at present. When he is dejected by playing with things, he should put state affairs first. The emperor has now
Unlike before, he immediately followed the good advice and listened to the opinions of the ministers. He also issued an edict acknowledging his fault. In order to show his determination, he called on the whole country to ban the use of these three things. He also promulgated some favorable policies to encourage the people.
Originally, these three items were sold at sky-high prices, but they were not irreplaceable. Once this decision was made, people all over the country praised it. The emperor was very considerate of the people, and many civilians raised a large number of mountain rabbits to make purple hair pens.
It was also purchased at a moderate price and made into dried meat for use as military rations.
However, this news was like a bolt from the blue for the northern and southern regions controlled by Ji Fa.
For a time, the prices of Western pottery and snow hemp plummeted, a large number of pottery workshops closed down one after another, and all the snow hemp fields in the mountains and plains were abandoned, and all money was lost.
That's all. The most terrifying thing is the lack of food.
It would be strange if there is no shortage of food! People who originally grew food have gone to pottery, or have planted all the fields with snow hemp. Even if there is still some food harvest in a very small part of the fields, it is a drop in the bucket and cannot take care of the entire northwest.
Xiqi's Sanji Granary still has some grain in stock, but the establishment of Xiqi's army has increased too fast in recent years, and it can only barely maintain the consumption of the army. If Ji Fa had to cut down the army, he had to build it with great difficulty, aiming to compete for world supremacy.
army, that is absolutely impossible.
Fortunately, this "Three Treasures" storm has made the northwest two places make a lot of money, and spending money to buy grain is also a feasible way.
Just when Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya were preparing to take emergency measures and quickly went to Dashang to purchase grain, the emperor issued another order, which ruthlessly extinguished their only hope. This order was exactly - a trade ban.
transport!
Never trade with traitors and block trade!
The gates in the west and north are closed, and all business travelers are strictly prohibited from entering or exiting. Civilians are also allowed in and out. During this period, merchants in Dashang are not allowed to communicate with other places and are only allowed to conduct business within the country. If they violate the rules, they will be punished.
Three tribes.
At the same time, Youhun Pass and Sanshan Pass are also in a semi-closed state. If the princes from the southeast and the southeast want to enter the territory of Dashang for trade, they must abide by a series of strict regulations and restrictions, and must be approved by Prime Minister Meibo, and do so at officially designated locations.
Specified categories and quantities of transactions. Corresponding economic sanctions were also imposed on Jiang Huanchu, the Marquis of Dongbo, who disobeyed the imperial edict and invaded the territory of Empress Yue Fei.
Only then did Ji Fa and Jiang Ziya wake up. It turned out that all this was a conspiracy of the enemy! From the time when it was rumored that Shang Qingjun loved the Three Treasures, the emperor took the lead and led the big businessmen to popularize the Three Treasures, which in turn led to high business profits.
The crazy hemp cultivation and pottery making in the two places, the abandonment of farming, and then the ban on the Three Treasures and the current trade embargo are all a series of interlocking and careful plans!
Such an ingenious plan to rely on business to attack the enemy is simply unheard of! And the effect is so powerful and the coverage is so wide that it is far better than the army. It actually destroys the economy and livelihood of the northwest and southeast without even using a single soldier!
The situation on the ground was quickly brought under control.
Even though Jiang Ziya was proud of his strategic talent, he couldn't help but shudder. Suddenly, that heroic figure appeared in his mind, and his heart became even colder: A tiger, even if it is asleep, is still a tiger. What's even more frightening is that the tiger is now awake.
Coming!
In fact, Jiang Ziya didn't know that his so-called tiger had never fallen asleep.
Facing the urgent situation, Ji Fa was also helpless. The proliferation of hemp farming and pottery making was also due to his tacit approval. He wanted to hoard a large amount of military expenses, but now he was subjected to such a ruthless move by the other party. Thinking of Jiang Ziya who persuaded him that he could not
It is inevitable to regret abandoning farming. But if regrets are useless, the key is to find a solution to the food shortage as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.
Jiang Ziya's method was to gather as much game, wild fruits, etc. as possible for emergency use, and at the same time find ways to purchase grain, and at the same time send people secretly to the east and south to collect grain.
However, food is already in short supply in the two places, and all edible things have been collected long ago. Where will it be Ji Fa's turn to "gather"? And the strict trade embargo has made the merchants who buy food have nothing to do. As for the east and south,
The grain in the land was secretly purchased by wealthy merchants at low prices early in the morning, and belonged to the big merchants. There was no more grain left to buy or sell.
For a time, the price of food skyrocketed, and there was no market for it. Even if you had money, you couldn't sell it. Slave owners, big and small, all tightened their belts, and the people who suffered from hunger were naturally the majority of civilians and slaves, and there were countless people who escaped.
, anyway, the Great Shang could only enter and not get out. If they could escape and settle in the territory of the Great Shang, they could still obtain land and freedom. For this reason, Ji Fa sent troops to guard the key roads and brutally massacred the escapees.
However, under such coercive and bloody methods, the crisis was not resolved, but intensified. No matter the nobles, officials, or ordinary people, they all complained. Every day, the Xiqi Palace signed a joint letter, asking for help. The previous episode was not easy. After using various means to appease and win over the upper and middle levels of society, they began to raise objections, making Ji Fa anxious like an ant on a hot pot.
The envoys Ji Fa sent to Donglu and Nanjun to borrow food also brought back bad news: Eshun was newly defeated and was forced to retreat to Nanjun. The supplies were extremely tight, and he asked Jifa for help; Jiang Huanchu was also sanctioned. They were also at odds with Dong Qi and had no food left, so they could not borrow from each other.
When Ji Fa heard this, he was furious, regardless of appearance, and slapped the table in public and scolded Jiang Huanchu and Eshun. At this time, the urgent document from the North Ghost Fang King asking for help made it worse, and Ji Fa almost went berserk. It was not until Jiang Ziya's arrival that he gradually Stabilized my mood.
Jiang Ziya brought an important piece of news: Bibumi had discovered that some time ago, when everyone was busy growing hemp and making pottery, Xiqi Fugui Trading Co., Ltd. was purchasing grain at a low price, and it should have accumulated a large amount of grain. If you are willing to sell it, it should be able to help Western Zhou Dynasty tide over the difficulties.
When Ji Fa heard this, he became convinced: Fugui Trading Company is the largest firm in the country and has a very high reputation. The owner of the Xiqi branch, whose surname is Dou, is the largest "taxpayer" in Xiqi. Fugui Trading Company has always cooperated happily with the government. During the severe drought that year, he also actively cooperated with Ji Chang and provided food and funds to help the victims. After Ji Fa succeeded to the throne of Xibohou, the businessman surnamed Dou was also very supportive. Not only did he give generous gifts many times, but he also served as an imperial edict to Ji Fa. During the conquest of Eshun, he also funded the Xiqi Army.
Merchants attach great importance to profits, and the wealthy merchant Xiqi Branch's practice of stockpiling grain must be to take advantage of the soaring grain prices to obtain more money. Ji Fa believed that as long as he, King Wu of Zhou, personally ordered the purchase of grain from Xiqi Branch , the businessman surnamed Dou will not refuse. However, this businessman surnamed Dou is also very powerful. He actually has the foresight to hoard food when everyone is hot-headed. It seems that he can show Long En again and make an exception for him to be given a minor official. Go ahead, maybe, this guy will offer you food.
As Ji Fa expected, the businessman surnamed Dou rushed over as soon as he heard the personal summons from King Wu of Zhou Dynasty. When he heard that Ji Fa appointed him as an official, the businessman surnamed Dou couldn't help but be excited and expressed his willingness to sell part of it at a fair price. Food was given to the people for daily use to meet their urgent needs, and he promised to send a large amount of food to the Xiqi Army for free.
Ji Fa was overjoyed, and was secretly proud of himself: These merchants were originally low-level people who were greedy for money, and it was difficult for them to be officials. Now they are appointed under special circumstances, and they are proud of their ancestors, so they are unavoidably overjoyed. A small and medium-sized official has been relieved of his duties. It's such a good deal when I'm short on food.
However, what happened next made Ji Fa's intestines turn green with regret.
After the businessman surnamed Dou returned to the trading house, he kept his promise and distributed grain near the east gate of Xiqi - it was for free, not for sale. People who heard the news flocked to the place.
At this moment, a businessman surnamed Dou came out and shouted loudly: "Fellow elders and brothers, please listen to me!"
Everyone turned their attention to this life-saving hope and heard him shout: "Since I took over as the owner of the Xiqi branch, I have been favored by all my fellow villagers and neighbors, so my business has been prosperous and I have a little wealth. Nowadays, Xiqi is facing a disaster of food shortage, so we are releasing food for everyone. However, we are the people of the Great Shang Dynasty. Thanks to the Holy Grace of the Emperor, we pray to heaven to relieve the drought in the world, rescue thousands of slaves, and grant the people fields to cultivate. I can live and work in peace and contentment! Now Ji Fa has committed a treacherous act and ignored the name of Ji Xianbo as a saint. He actually used his ministers to attack the emperor and plunged the people of the northwest and the northwest into misery. He is truly a sinner for the ages! Ji Fa wanted to grant me an official position and used military supplies to attack the emperor. How could I? How could he do such an ungrateful and treacherous act!"
The noise of the surrounding crowd suddenly fell silent, and they listened in silence to the bold and generous words of the businessman surnamed Dou.
"Although I am a businessman, I also know my loyalty and integrity. How can I succumb to a thief just for the sake of a mere official position? I would rather be broken into jade than into a piece of tiles! These grains will be given to all the elders to relieve their hunger. I have someone who is not talented, so I will go ahead and ask you.
Take care, everyone!”
After saying that, the merchant surnamed Dou actually pulled out a dagger and committed suicide on the spot. At the same time, the Xiqi branch of Fugui Trading Company started to catch fire. The fire was extremely fierce and strange. The nearby residents poured water on it, but not only could it not be extinguished, but
This caused the fire to spread even more. Soon, the entire store, along with the "large amount" of food stored inside, was burned to the ground.
The story of "It is better to have broken jade than to live in ruins" spread quickly in the West and the North, causing quite a sensation. When the news reached Chaoge, the emperor was also moved by it, and personally wrote the inscription "loyalty and martyrdom" for this person.
He gave the eulogy of "Shishi" and was given the posthumous title of Baron.
People all over the world also remember the name of this businessman named Doudou: Doudanwan!
When Dou Tui Wan committed suicide that day, Ji Fa felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar after receiving the news. When he hurried over, the fire had burned down the business and no grains could be saved. In front of those who had received Dou Tui Wan's food donation at the east gate,
Common people, even if Ji Fa was so angry that he would tear Douduan Wan into pieces, he would not be able to express it, so he had to pretend to be calm and order someone to bury him generously.
The people dared not speak out on the surface, but they were talking behind their backs. This Doudanwan was very kind and charitable. During the drought that year, he took the initiative to open a warehouse to release grain, and was praised by the former Xibo Hou Jichang. Unexpectedly, he is now being punished for his righteousness.
Ji Fa was forced to die! This "King Wu of Zhou" was indeed, as Doudan Wan said, a rebellious person who ignored the loyalty of his fathers and was extremely rebellious!
Only Ji Fa vaguely understood something in his heart: This Doudanwan was probably the dead soldier sent by Chaoge! He had been lurking in Xiqi for so long, and at the critical moment, he stabbed him, the King of Wu, from behind.
!But I still have to express my respect for this "righteous man" in a pretentious manner. It is simply a huge aggrievement!
If Ji Fa knew another thing, he would probably burst into tears right away - the Comrade Doudanwan who he hated so much was buried secretly and then secretly crawled out of the grave. After covering up the traces
, activated the biomorphing technology, changed his face and identity, and continued to appear in Xiqi arrogantly, spreading "his" heroic deeds everywhere...